[Graduation Trip XII]

Having escaped the ruckus ahead of Nishino-kun and Rose, Tarosuke and Takeuchi left the area.

They now proceeded to a neighborhood of stores and restaurants frequented by local residents. During the daytime, this area is crowded with tourists .

However, the sun has long since set, and the street is empty.

"Well, as expected of Taro-san!"

Takeuchi said with great excitement as he walked alongside Tarosuke.

On campus, Takeuchi stands in the position of a calm and mature person, and he has been supported not only by the opposite sex but also by the same sex. However, when he was on his way with Taro, whom he admired, his eyes sparkled and he seemed to express emotions appropriate to his age.

"No, thanks to your help. Well done."

The handsome adult who answers the question adopts a casual demeanor. He is a cool, in the moment guy with a voice that he thinks is cool. In reality, he is a rock star with a racing heart and shaking hands and feet.

I tried my best to conceal myself from the world.

My mental state is so damaged that I sincerely wish to return to Japan immediately if it were possible. For the time being, Taro has made up his mind not to go on overseas filming. He is seriously considering taking the next month off work and retreating to his home for a long vacation.

"That's not true! It's only because Taro was with us......."

"By the way, what are we going to do now?"

Matsuura-san interrupted Takeuchi and asked in a loud voice.

Everyone's eyes naturally turned to her.

"Well, who knows, maybe the scary people will come again!"

Under normal circumstances, she would have shrunk back under the collective gaze of the crowd. Her body must have moved of its own accord to pose as a small animal and invite protection from those around her. It was outrageous to interrupt Takeuchi's line.

Matsuura-san, who understood that no one would help her if she just waited, is like a different creature. Her energy is such that even the school caste is nothing to her.

In Matsuura-san's mind, Takeuchi is her own safety.

Perhaps understanding her anxiety, Tarosuke replies in a calm tone.

"I'll call my work and have them pick me up nearby. I was planning to be back by nightfall, so they should be more than a little concerned. Unfortunately, they took my phone, so I'll have to find a pay phone or borrow one from the store."

"What? Are you serious? You mean you're filming...?"

"I'm sorry to make your trip a little uncomfortable."

Tarosuke answered with a refreshing smile, his white teeth shining.

His suggestion brought a big smile to everyone's face, including Takeuchi's. The mentality of the top caste in the school is to be able to cackle unconditionally when they hear a celebrity. This experience, when brought back to the campus, will surely play a role in improving their status within the school.

If we take even a single picture with them, they will be like Inro of Mito Komon for the time being.

No, that's impossible!.

Takeuchi's excitement soared as soon as he heard about Tarosuke's job. In fact, rather than becoming a doctor and following in his family's footsteps, Takeuchi is a handsome young man who wants to become an idol. He is 17 years old and dreams of becoming an entertainer. He was hoping to use this opportunity to make some connections.

"In the meantime, let's just find a place that's still open at this hour."

"Yes!"

All of them had their phones taken during the abduction and destroyed to the point of being unusable. So they set out on the road in search of a store that was still open for business. They stroll down the street at night, with Tarosuke in the lead, chatting about this and that.

After a short distance, a restaurant came into view. A light was leaking through the windowpane, indicating that the restaurant was open for business. There were several cars parked around the restaurant, probably driven by customers.

"Yay! It's a store! A store!"

Risa said happily.

"Thank God. Actually, I really needed to go to the bathroom."

"Suzuki, didn't you go in the hotel room just in case?"

"I was halfway there, and the gunshots came down.'

"Let's go. Let's go!"

Following her, the other members of the group shouted with joy.

The group headed for the restaurant, their pace naturally quickening and, by the end, they were all running. After crossing the spacious parking lot and pulling open the door, the sound of a dry bell rings. The floor space is about 30 square meters. Including the counter seats, the restaurant has about 30 to 40 seats.

" Sorry to bother you, but can I have a moment?"

As soon as he enters the restaurant, Tarosuke heads toward the back and proceeds.

Behind him, Takeuchi's group follows like baby birds.

"I'll pay you plenty of money, I just need to borrow your phone for a few minutes......"

The waiter, who was raising and lowering the food, walked by and spoke to them in English. Perhaps because it was unusual to see Asians with children in the middle of the night, the other customers in the restaurant paid attention to them.

And among them was someone Tarosuke and his friends could not ignore.

"Hey, look. Aren't those the kids we kidnapped?"

It was the man who had captured them on the street just a few hours earlier and his friends. They were eating a meal in harmony at several seats for four people. One of them noticed Tarosuke and his friends and called out to them.

Their gazes met.

"Oh no, run everyone!"

The handsome man noticed this and immediately barked loudly as well.

A scream naturally rose from Takeuchi's and the others' mouths.

"Seriously?"

"Hey, that guy in the aloha shirt kidnapped us!"

"I don't need to confirm it!"

"I mean, Taro-san told us to run!"

Takeuchi-kun's group runs out in a hurry.

Tarosuke, is also in a hurry.

"Diego-san, those guys..."

"Asians ain't so bad sometimes. We don't want the men, kill them and bury them. Let the women live. You guys must be frustrated because she's using us like a bitch. You need to get rid of your sorrows here, or you won't be able to face tomorrow in a good mood."

Diego's mouth twisted into a nasty grin.

The chase was on.

Leaving the restaurant, Tarosuke and the others start running down the street in a great hurry.

In response, the Aloha shirt gang gets into a car and chases after them.

Although they left the restaurant at different times, they were not far apart. It would not take more than a few minutes for the latter to catch up with the former. The front lights, set to high beam, were illuminating the area just below their feet.

"Damn, I really haven't been lucky this month......."

Tarosuke complains as he runs.

Takeuchi, who is running ahead of him, looks back at him and asks.

"Ta-Taro! What are we going to do?"

"Take the narrow road! Take the narrowest road possible, where no cars can enter!"

"I understand!"

Tarosuke gives Takeuchi, who is leading the pack, a few instructions.

The group obediently followed his instructions and ran as hard as they could, sweating profusely.

Their adventure was set in Santorini at night, and it seemed that it would continue for a while longer.

 

◇◆◇

 

In contrast, here is the hotel room where Francisca was waiting.

Rose and the Gothic Lolita appeared in the living room. The Blonde Lolita, who had escaped from the commotion at Nishino's request, returned to the hotel where they were to meet after retrieving the silver haired Lolita, as requested.

"Oh, you're back early......"

Francisca, who was relaxing on the sofa, felt the presence of someone and looked back at the doorway.

Naturally, she saw a young girl in Rose's arms.

She took a big gulp of tea in her mouth and spit it out with a big boom. The spewed tea stained the living room floor as she turned around. The distance was quite long, only a few meters. Fortunately, it did not reach Rose standing in the doorway.

However, the dress she is wearing is soaked to the chest.

"Gehogoho, s-hey, geho......"

It seems to have entered an even better place and begins to sob painfully.

"You're filthy."

Rose looks uncomfortable as she responds, her eyebrows furrowed.

The fact that she has just returned from work adds to her discomfort.

" Hey Rose, how did you get that girl to ......"

She was dismayed, probably because the events of the day were still reverberating in her mind. Her right hand unconsciously scratches her cheek with her fingertips. Her arms were covered in goose bumps.

"Wasn't you who said, retrieve her if you can?"

"Well, I did say that, but, well, I don't know........"

She did not expect it to be this easy to bring her in. It's a very simple concept, since even Nishino had a difficult time with it. In Francisca's evaluation, they are a Futsumen and a Blonde Lolita.

"As usual, you are a very rude woman."

Rose took the physically disabled girl and went to the couch where Francisca was sitting. She then sits her down, neatly arranging her prosthetic legs, which are not responding at all. Her hands are on her knees. She is obeying Nishino's words to the letter.

Naturally, Francisca's hips have moved and shifted to the corner of the sofa to get some distance from the girl. She even reclined on the elbow rest, as if she wanted to gain some distance. It's like a doll playing with a puppet, was the word that almost went up to her throat.

"Sister. There is something I would like to ask you."

Immediately after settling her body on the couch, the girl opened her mouth.

Only the top of her neck moved, staring at Rose.

"Hey, maybe you could do something about that word."

"Sister?"

"...... I don't remember having a sister like you."

Rose settles down on the sofa set up opposite to the one where the girl and Francisca sit. Her face, as she spoke, looked rather seriously disgusted. It was as if she was staring at a piece of filth that had fallen on the side of the road.

However, the other party did not seem to respond in any way, but rather replied in a curt tone of voice.

"Why did you help me? Please tell me why."

"What are you talking about? I didn't help you."

"What?"

"I was just doing my job. Whoever it was, I would have done the same. What's more, why did you suddenly fall down? I brought you here because he said so, but it doesn't make sense."

".....I see."

Rose answers question after question.

Immediately, the girl shut her mouth.

Apparently she doesn't know what to say.

"I was impressed from the first time I saw it that it moved very well for a fake."

She asked, looking at the prosthetic arms and legs that didn't move at all.

At a quick glance, they look much the same as real limbs. They must have cost a good deal of money. However, they do not seem to have a built-in operating system, and no matter how long they wait, they show no sign of moving. It remains in the posture that Rose had set up.

"...... Would sister kill me?"

"My job is to get you into custody, and I don't know what to do from there."

"So, what about me then?"

"Ask the old lady over there."

Rose indicated Francisca, who was sitting next to the girl, with a glance.

There she saw a crotchety old woman frantically wiping her tea-soaked dress with a handkerchief. When she realized that the topic of conversation had shifted to her, she hurriedly folded the rag and tucked it into her bosom, straightened her posture, and opened her mouth.

"Uh, we will be sending you to your parents' home for safekeeping."

"........ My parents' home?"

"It's been a long time since you left the hospital room. Don't you miss home?"

The Gothic Lolita who received the question showed hesitation in replying.

After some hesitation, she continued with a self-mocking remark.

"Do you think my parents would welcome me warmly after all this time? Besides, I have learned about the outside world. It is a very exciting place. I am too bored now to spend my life cooped up in the house. And above all, sister is not there."

"Your parents asked us to search for you, even though they could see your body now. Besides, whether you have gone out again or stayed at home since you returned to your parents' house, all of this is out of our control."

"You're being harsh on me, aren't you?"

"....I don't mean to be harsh on you."

Her tone is stilted compared to her usual manner of speaking with Obasan.

It seems that she was not lying or joking when she tried to explain to Nishino and Rose that the girl had a special background.

"But my sister is right. If I can't move my arms and legs, I have no choice. I don't want to die, even if I have a body like this. I know this will take a lot of time and effort, but please transport me back to my parents' house."

"Thank you for your cooperation. Please wait a moment while we begin the procedure.  "

With phone in hand, Francisca begins to contact someone.

While she is doing so, the girl speaks to Rose.

"Although you told me that it was your job, the fact remains that you have helped me. Please allow me to thank you again. Thank you, sister. Thanks to you, I was able to live for the rest of my life. I can live to see tomorrow."

She must have been well educated from the start.

Even though she did not move her arms and legs, she bowed reverently from the neck up.

Rose responded in a curt manner.

"You don't have to thank me for my work."

Besides, she continued.

"It wasn't me who saved you, but Nishino-kun."

"I have heard that name before. Who is this Nishino-kun?"

"My future husband." 

"Sister’s husband?"

Rose's unspoken intention was, So don't talk to me any more, she said. Although she would never dream of becoming a homosexual herself, she could not bear to be looked at in that way by Nishino.

"...... Is this what sister prefers?"

The Futsumen was working with Rose at the time of the shootout.

When the girl thought of this figure, she asked with a quizzical look on her face.

"I don't think that's quite right, but I don't think it's balanced."

"Where have I heard that before?"

Rose's brow wrinkled.

She seemed to be annoyed.

"I apologize if I got on your nerves, sister."

".....I don't really care about your opinion."

"But even if it was your job, it made me very happy."

"Then you should thank Nishino-kun as well."

"If you insist, I will thank him as well."

"Right."

Perhaps it was because she had lost her powers, or perhaps it was because she was with Rose, but the girl was very quiet. The extreme language she had displayed in the past seemed to have faded away. Thanks to this, she was able to keep her conversation from getting any more heated.

Or so it seemed.

"But I am sure it is difficult. I'm afraid it's impossible."

".....What do you mean?"

Rose's expression moved at the girl's casual remark.

It was a line she could not miss.

"I don't think he'll be safe with so many people around him."

"He's special, just like you. Thugs like that don't count among the others."

"Is that so?"

"He has cut his way headlong into the midst of the enemy before. A severed head was actually frozen in sections. I saw him emit flames, but I imagine it could be fire, ice, whatever works for him."

"...... Is that Asian guy the same as me?"

"Yes, he is. And he's not Asian guy, he's Nishino-kun."

"That's funny. You certainly talk like you know what you're saying."

"What's so funny?"

"That Asian guy has never used his power against me. It is true that I was used to it, just as your sister said. But it would be suicidal not to use force once. At least I wouldn't want to be in that situation."

"You were not worth it, were you? And he's not Asian guy ,  he's Nishino-kun."

"I don't understand why he didn't use his power by going out of his way to scrape the blade on his carotid artery."

The girl asserts.

This shook Rose to her senses.

It seemed that the conflict was more dangerous than she had imagined.

"........ If so, why is that?"

"Maybe he can't use his powers the same way I can't?"

" ...... "

"At least I only saw that Asian guy using a gun."

"A gun ...... Certainly, Nishino-kun didn't have a gun at that time either.... "

Hearing the girl's words, Rose had one doubt. She wonders if the strange feeling she had during the commotion might not have been a misunderstanding. But if that were the case, what would happen to him? She naturally guessed that the situation would not be good for her.

" Hey, you, please explain in more detail"

The sharp, upturned eyes caught the Gothic Lolita with a glare.

 

◇◆◇

On the beach, not far from the hotel district of Fira, a figure moves in the darkness of the night. A few people were gathered in one spot on the beach, standing in a circle around something at their feet, as if to draw attention to it. They were all men, with no women in sight.

The men were staring at Nishino, who was tied up with a rough rope and buried from the neck down on the beach. He was captured after only a few minutes of being swarmed by the men.

He could not stop the commotion with just a pistol.

"Hey, wake up."

The glass suit kicked Nishino in the cheek with its toe.

Surrounded by rocky terrain, the area was very dark, with no light from the hotel area reaching it as far as the eye could see. 

" ...... "

A moan escapes from the closed mouths of the Futsumen.

Apart from their voices, the only other sound is the endlessly repeating sound of the waves. Thanks to this, even a little bit of anguish sounded awfully loud.

"You did a good job, didn't you? Thanks to you, we're less than halfway there."

The man in the suit snarled.

"A very fragile organization, isn't it?"

" ...... "

The Futsumen is swollen all over his face and yet he is still strong.

Naturally, the man in the suit's feet were directed at his face again.

This time his forehead is hit hard with his toes.

"........"

The hard leather shoes rubbed against my skin, and red began to ooze from the torn skin.

I can't move.

The soft sandy ground of the beach was enough to make me think that I might be able to get out by moving my arms and legs in small pieces. Having no experience of being buried by friends on a summer beach, his easy judgment due to his lack of communication was easily betrayed.

The sand was heavier than he had imagined.

"In a few minutes, you will be at the bottom of the sea. See the different colors of the rock walls of the cave there? When the tide rises, the surface will rise to that point. And the next time you're noticed, your face will be so creepy that no one will be able to get to you."

"......"

"...........Why don't you say something?"

"You want someone to talk to? You got plenty of friends."

"A single kid killed so many of my men. Now I can't even go back to my own country. Now I have to talk with the rest of them about where to go."

"If you explain politely, you may be surprised at what you can get them to agree to."

"........"

The Futsumen's words, as usual, made the man in the suit foot move.

The toe of the leather shoe, the pointed part, caught the left eyeball.

"Gu....."

The pain that pierces through to the back of his head shakes Nishino's body.

But even so, his mouth is still full of light talk.

"If you don't get out of here soon, they will come after you. The worst kind of people in the world. You and your gang are not strong enough to drive them back."

A light talk with red stuff dripping from his kicked eyes.

It seemed that his morale was still unbroken.

But still, his end is surely approaching.

Behind the Futsumen, a few inches away, the incoming wave looms. Occasionally, the swift tide would reach the back of his head, making him feel a chill around the nape of his neck. At this rate, if the surface of the water closes in, his head will be under water in a matter of minutes, just as the man said.

"......... Great. You can be all alone and strong like that."

The man in the suit adjusts his clothes, which have been disrupted by the physical activity. Apparently, this was the end of it. As Nishino said just now, he was probably worried about pursuers. His face The man in the suit looked at the others around him. 

The others nodded in agreement, turned on their heels, and left Nishino's surroundings. The last he glanced over his back to check, and a bit of the wave was already touching the mouth of the Futsumen.

"We are the victims in this case. Don't resent us."

After a few short words, the man in the suit left.

A short time later, from a few dozen meters beyond the rocky shore, the sound of a car blowing its engine could be heard. It didn't last long either, leaving early and quickly becoming inaudible. All that was left was one man, Nishino, buried in the ground from the neck down.

He was in a desperate situation.

"It's quite a feat of preparation to bury me vertically."

Depending on the condition of the hole, he might have been able to escape. However, the other party was experienced in this kind of work. No matter how hard he tried to push himself, the piles of dirt showed no sign of moving. He was wasting all his energy.

"Ugh...this..."

Still, Nishino continued to desperately scrape at the seaweed. There was not the slightest sign that he had given up on his own life. No matter how cornered he was, the ordinary Futsumen could sense his determination to keep on trying to claw his way to the moment of his demise.

The waves come in relentlessly, and in the meantime, seawater covers his mouth. Twisting his neck, he turns his nostrils up and barely breathes.

After a couple of minutes, the wave blocks his breathing.

"Hmm, uh..."

Shallow breathing, following the rhythm of regular waves.

The body cannot get enough oxygen to move.

"Geho... uh..."

Soon the seawater completely covered his mouth and nose. Still, Nishino struggled to move his body. Because his entire body was wrapped in rope, his body swung awkwardly like a caterpillar under the ground. As he writhes, air leaks from his mouth and nose, and bubbles reach the surface of the sea.

The wounds from being kicked by the man in the suit conveyed a tingling, burning pain as they soaked in the seawater. It was the only thing that sustained him now. It is a struggle to understand that when this pain is lost, his life will also be lost.

"Ngh, grrrr..."

I lost my breath.

Finally, even the top of Futsumen's head was swallowed by the wave.

At the same time, his whole body loses strength.

" ......"

A large bubble of air was ejected onto the surface of the sea.

It seemed that he had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen.

His hair, soaked in water and reduced in bulk, began to sway on the surface of the sea like seaweed as the waves ebbed and flowed. The red substance leaking from his eye, which had been hit hard by the toe of a shoe, streaked out and fluttered in the water, tangled with the red substance.

After that, the Futsumen stopped talking.

He was completely dead.

 

◇◆◇

 

In contrast, here is Rose, furiously seeking the location of Nishino.

"Where?! Nishino-kun, hey Nishino-kun! Where are you!"

She visited a hotel that she had just gotten out of, one of the rooms where the Gothic Lolita was staying. However, she was unable to find him there, and she was at a loss.

Even though there were traces of the gunfight, there was no way to tell where they were headed just by looking at the scene. Thanks to this, she's dismayed, as if it were the end of the world.

"Oh, dear, nothing ..."

Beside Rose was a female employee of the hotel. She was in her mid-20s.

Short brown hair and eyes the same color as hers.

She has a mature-looking face.

"Where did all the people who were here go?"

"I'm sorry, we don't know that much about them."

"Then tell me anything!"

"I'm sorry, but we don't know anything about it......"

Together, the employees begin to ponder the disastrous state of the room.

The reason why she is still sincere in her response to a girl who looks to be in the single digits of age is probably due to the spirit Rose shows and the way the room is, with its fresh gunshot marks and all.

After a while, she opens her mouth.

"Speaking of which, I lent a shovel to one of our clients."

"...... A shovel?"

"Yes, I did. He asked for a larger one, and I remember giving him the one we use at the hotel for yard work."

The employee, as she speaks, uses her own two hands to create a distance of about one meter between the two.

"No way!"

Hearing this explanation, Rose had a spark of inspiration for where Nishino might be.

"........ Is something wrong?"

"Is there a place around here by the sea where people can get off by foot? Preferably someplace that is accessible by car, but not too crowded, with a sandy beach."

"Uh, excuse me?"

"Do you have any idea where that might be? You're a local, right?"

"Yes. ......"

Once again, the employee begins to ponder.

"A little west of here, there is a small rock where local children play. There is nothing special to see, so tourists don't stop by, but I remember playing there when I was little."

"West? Thank you."

"No, ah, wait!?"

As soon as she confirmed the conversation, Rose ran to the back of the guest room. Not even taking the time to walk down the hallway, her feet headed for the balcony. Then, without even hearing the employee's words of restraint, she hung her feet on the handrail and leaped out. 

"Wha..."

The employee freezes in surprise. 

Regardless, Rose hops around the hotel district at night. Using the outer walls of the buildings as platforms, she heads west as she is guided. Sometimes it is a roof, sometimes a fence on a balcony, sometimes anything that can be used as a platform. 

After a while, when she soared high into the sky, she saw the white beach in her sight. It was a corner of the cliffs, hidden by the rock face. If she had walked on the ground, she would not have been able to find it. 

"Nishino-kun! I want to see Nishino-kun! Nishino-kun!"

Naturally, she jumped on it. 

She jumped out with the force of stepping through the concrete wall of the building she had used as a platform. 

Without a moment's delay, she reached the bottom of the beach. 

At low tide, the beach would have been a little wider, but half of it was already under water. I could see that the majority of the beach would be sunk in another half hour from the rock face of the cave that opened its mouth beside the beach, and from the rows of barnacles clinging to the wall. 

"......."

And there she found the person she was looking for. 

He was buried in the ground from the neck down, and his neck above the ground was already submerged in the sea. His eyes were closed and showed no sign of moving. The only thing he can do is sway like a piece of seaweed as the waves come and go. 

It is hard to believe that he is alive. 

"Nishino-kun!"

But she did not give up. 

She ran under him in a great hurry, not caring that her clothes were wet. Then, with great haste, she begins to dig around where the Futsumen is buried. She held her legs open like a dog, and with both hands she gouged out the earth, sending it flying backward. 

The earth was dug up at a tremendous pace. 

She was knee-deep in seawater, but she was still digging steadily. The girl's inhuman strength made this possible. It was a feat that would have been absolutely impossible had it not been for this Blonde Lolita. 

Soon, she could see the side of the body in the dirt. 

She held it with both hands and let out a loud roar. 

"Nishino-Kuuuuuun!"

She salvages the Futsumen as if she were pulling a large root vegetable from the ground. She is a different person from the one who is idolized on campus, as she stomps around on her haunches and shouts loudly. Her bloodshot eyes seem to have forgotten how to blink. 

The booming sound of the Futsumen being landed echoed in the quiet nighttime sea. 

Nishino's body was dug up from the beach and wrapped in a rough rope, as if to deprive him of the freedom of both arms and legs. He looked like a caterpillar. 

It is a very strange sight, because the person holding him is a girl who looks very young. 

"......I can't feel his pulse."

Immediately after taking the pulse in his neck, the blood drained from Rose's face. 

She ran in a panic with the Futsumen in her arms to an area out of the reach of the saltwater. She jumped across the sandy beach in one breath and moved to an area where a gravel road continued. It was a road that stretched from a road a short distance away to the seashore. 

There, Rose laid the body of Nishino down and gave his arm a wide sweep. 

Sharp claws cut through the rough rope that had held the Futsumen captive. 

"Nishino-kun, Nishino-kun, Nishino-kun!"

She removed the rope that was tangled around Futsumen's body and also arranged him on his back so that his chest was on top. She then immediately began CPR. 

She repeated chest compressions and artificial respiration. During this time, she kept calling out the person's name endlessly. This is because she herself is so anxious about the current situation that she cannot stand it. She has big tears in her eyes, and her long hair is shaking, but her actions are still precise and steady. 

"Please, Nishino-kun! Don't die, Nishino-kun! Nishino-kun!"

The sound of regular waves is delivered from the distant ocean. 

As if to drown it all out, the same place was noisy with Rose's complaints. 

This must have been too noisy for May. 

After the procedure had been repeated several times, there was a reaction in Nishino's body. 

"Gah......Gah...Gah..."

It was as if he had come back to life. 

His heart resumed beating and his lost breathing was restored. At the same time, the seawater that had been taken into the body began to be expelled with great force in response to the person in question. As if the water had been reconnected to an old well, he began to gurgle in agony. 

Witnessing this, Rose's eyes filled with tears of joy. 

"N-Nishino-kun!"

Reflexively, she hugs the other person's body. 

"Geho...Utsu...Utsu...Gaha......."

For a while after regaining consciousness, Nishino was gagging. It took him a few more minutes to spit out the seawater he had swallowed and to regain his breathing. Even he could not afford to be cynical, as he had just been resuscitated. 

Eventually, his breathing calmed down, and his gaze caught Rose's. 

"This is ......"

"Can you recognize my face?"

"...... Why are you here?"

"How many fingers do you see?"

"...Two."

"Are there any parts of your body that you can't move?"

As Rose asks, Nishino checks his physical condition. 

Apparently, he remembers the events leading up to his passing out. That is why questions were swirling in his mind. Nevertheless, the situation is what it is, so he follows her words and replies honestly. 

"...... No, not really."

"Looks like your brain is intact."

"Why did you save me?"

"You've had a lot of bad luck, haven't you? Really, it's a big deal, isn't it?"

"......"

Rose tried to talk her way out of it. It seems that she, too, did not mean to ingratiate herself in a place like this. Suddenly aware of her own behavior, she gently and slowly lowered Futsumen's body from her embrace to the ground. 

"Argh......"

Then, as quickly as possible, Nishino tries to stand up on his own feet. 

He wobbles, but manages to raise his body up. 

"You were in cardiac arrest, remember? I don't think you should push yourself."

"I'm alive now. It's fine."

"......."

The position of the standing Futsumen as she crouched down and looked up from below. 

Then Rose suddenly realized. 

".......Nishino-kun, what happened to your eye?"

From the top of the bruised neck up, the left eye, which was dripping red, was particularly eye-catching. Where the eyeball should have been, however, was now filled with something sandy, pebbly, and squishy. 

It didn't seem to be working. 

"...... I don't know."

"It's fine to be tough, but let's just go back to the hotel, shall we?"

Gripping her back teeth tightly, Rose still acted nonchalantly. The emotion that flooded her insides was anger at the sight of Futsumen's appalling behavior. Anger at those who had fought with Nishino when they separated. 

Red drops ooze from her tightly clenched fists. 

"Do you want me to give you a shoulder?"

"Let go of me!"

He stood up and said. 

" ... I don't want to owe you any more money."

"Well, that's good to know."

"Oh, hey!"

She picked him up in her arms, regardless of Nishino's brusque attitude. This was what is known as a princess carry. Naturally, the Futsumen was very upset. He went wild. However, Rose was too much for him, as he had lost his abilities. 

"You'll get hurt if you don't behave yourself, okay?"

"If you keep walking around like this, it will be morning by the time we get back to the hotel."

" ......"

It was the Futsumen who was safely retrieved in such a way. 

 

◇◆◇

 

While Nishino overcame his crisis with the help of Rose, another man was facing what could be called a life crisis. 

Ogataya Tarosuke is a rock legend. 

"Damn, they beat us to it again ......... This way!"

No matter how many times they run away from the group led by the man in aloha shirt, they find themselves back in the hotel district of Fira. They were going this way and that way, breathing hard, but in vain. They were being steadily hunted down. 

They were now in the middle of a chase with the Aloha gang, who had abandoned their car. 

In addition to the fact that they are visiting the area for the first time, the city's maze-like structure puts them at their mercy. Furthermore, Matsuura-san's lack of endurance, one of the members of Takeuchi's group with whom they were working, was dragging them all down. 

"Haaaaaaa....."

Matsuura-san looks like she is about to die. 

While the other three members are active sports club members, she is the princess of the cultural club. Recently, she has been showing off her princess-like figure to the extent that she even asks for help from male club members when picking up a book she is looking for from the clubroom shelves. 

Naturally, her athletic skills are the worst. 

"Ta, Taro-san ...... Matsuura-san ......"

Takeuchi, running beside him, opens her mouth apologetically.

"What's wrong now?"

"I-I can't run anymore..."

A clinging look was directed at Tarosuke from Matsuura-san. 

On the other hand, Suzuki and Risa-chan looked at Matsuura-san with reproach. Because the pace at which she runs has also been slowed down to the current level after she has declared twice in the past that she can no longer do so. 

The sweat glands of this cultural girl, who rarely exercises and is often absent from physical education, oozed out a thick, stinky sweat that soaked her shirt. 

Takeuchi was the one who could not say anything strongly about this, since he had been enjoying himself for the past two weeks. On the other hand, Suzuki and Risa-chan had not had much interaction with her. The latter two have no qualms about condemning the whole process. When everyone's life is at stake, they naturally become light-mouthed. 

"Hey, Matsuura-san, let's try a little harder, shall we?"

"That's right! This is what happens when you don't exercise on a regular basis!"

It is a harsh word that is not exchanged in the classroom. 

By the way, Risa-chan is a member of the women's track team. 

"But I'm not like everyone else, I can't do this anymore......."

Still, Matsuura-san finally stopped, saying it was impossible.

The princess's mentality was on the verge of a breakdown.

Having no choice, the others also stopped walking and looked back at her.

"What should we do, what should we do? ......"

Witnessing the exhaustion of Takeuchi-kun's group, Tarosuke's heartache was nearing its limit. He was not discouraged because of his courage, which was born from his one-sided belief that they were Nishino's friends.

What would he do?

How would he solve the problem? He desperately ponders.

Meanwhile, the pursuers are closing in.

Not far away, the voices of Aloha's shirt group could be heard.

"Hey, which way did they go?"

"They went that way!"

"Fuck! I'm not gonna let them get away!"

"I'm getting tired. Can we just go?"

"We can't go home without getting out the last few days' frustration!"

"I'm not going home without getting my shit together!"

"I'll cut their guts out while they're still alive!"

"Hey, I found them! There they are!"

The fact that they overheard the men's conversation makes them even more impatient.

"Damn, what to do......"

He looked around to see what he could find. 

Then his eyes caught sight of an abandoned moped on the street. 

"...... Damn, the steering wheel is locked."

Leaving Takeuchi-kun's group arguing beside him, the handsome man headed for the bottom of the vehicle. Naturally, it was not keyed. However, as he had just confirmed, the handlebars were still locked. 

So Tarosuke suddenly started kicking with the heel of his boot toward the moped's front cover. He kicked the lock with one of his signature kicks. The sound of plastic being thrown echoed loudly throughout the area. 

Naturally, Takeuchi and the others turned their attention to him. 

Everyone was surprised to see him kicking the bike, and began to tremble. 

The front cover was completely blown off. 

Tarosuke dropped to his knees in front of the bike in a panic. 

He then picked up the exposed wiring and began busily fiddling with it. 

Using the moonlight as a guide. Then, in less than a few dozen seconds, he pulled out two plastic-covered wires from the inside.

Right in front of Takeuchi-kun and the others, who were staring at him with frightened eyes wondering what was going on, he broke through the coating and contacted the two wires.

At the same time, the engine shuddered, and after a few moments, exhaust gas began to leak from the muffler. The vibration was unreliable for a few seconds, but after waiting for a while, it began to work as it does normally.

"Amazing! Taro-san is amazing!"

Takeuchi barked, looking extremely moved.

"You guys, get in and get out!"

"Seriously? That's so cool!"

Takeuchi-kun repeats Amazing! and Cool.

"Never thought the old me would live to see this."

Tarosuke replies by appearing to have plenty of time to spare.

Hot-wiring is the beginning of a thief.

But inside, he is not interested in that. Confirming that the Aloha gang is close enough for him to hear their voices, he just wants them to get the hell out of here. Even now, his knees are about to start shaking, but he is desperately trying to hold them back.

"But there are five of us......."

Next to Takeuchi, Suzuki said anxiously. 

His expression was not so clear even when he saw the motorcycle with the engine running. 

He was a far cry from the man seen on campus. 

"In my youth, four of us fit into one of these."

In fact, Tarosuke says, the three asses was the limit and he gave up on the four asses. 

"That's right, Suzuki! There's no point in complaining!"

With Tarosuke standing next to him, Takeuchi's momentum increased by 30% over his usual level. His spirit is probably running high due to the fact that he is being chased by gangsters. As the son of a doctor. He is a man who is strong in dealing with real life adversity. 

On the other hand, compared to normal times, Suzuki-kun has lost some of his vigor. His parents are ordinary businessmen. He is the son of a father who works as a deputy section chief at a subsidiary of a major listed company and a mother who is a full-time housewife. 

It was in this kind of dangerous situation that the difference in human strength came out. 

"Well, that's true, but if that's the case, what will happen to Taro-san?"

"That's..."

When the person who had not been accounted for was pointed out, Takeuchi-kun was at a loss for words. 

Then, the person who came up on the topic responded with a fearless smile. 

"I still have plenty of time. I'll just scatter them around here and get the hell out of here."

In fact, he is just a date guy with no time to spare. If possible, I would like to use the moped in front of me as my own. However, the creed he has been advocating these days does not make it a good idea to convey it to the boy or girl in front of him.

Instead of being proud of the present, I am trying to tell you when will be the time to be proud.

"A-Are you okay? Taro-san."

Takeuchi-kun reiterates his confirmation..

"Just get on with it. We don't have time for this."

".......Understood"

With Tarosuke kicking their butts, Takeuchi's group jumped on the moped. Hastily, they stowed Matsuura-san under the handlebars. Takeuchi is at the steering wheel. Risa-chan sits on the tandem seat behind him, and Suzuki-kun sticks behind her. 

They are barely riding on each other. That's how it looks. 

Matsuura-san and Risa-chan are small in stature, so it's an impressive feat. 

"Okay, we're going, Taro-san!"

"Don't crash, okay?"

"Yes"

"If you know your way around, head to the Rocks Hotel, room 802. I know a guy staying there. Just give him my name, explain the situation, and he'll take care of everything."

"Ok, I understand!"

Takeuchi nods and blows the engine.

The tires move and the vehicle starts to move.

Immediately after, he barked at Tarosuke.

"Taro-san, you really rock!"

It was a voice that was called as he turned around. Before Tarosuke could respond in any way, the four turned the corner of the street and were soon out of sight. The subdued sound of their engine, also quickly faded into the distance and soon became inaudible.

Upon confirming this, Tarosuke muttered to himself.

"I'm not ready to rock with this body."

He was a good-looking guy who was happier than he expected to be praised for rocking the best. 

But there was no time to bask in the afterglow of praise.

The fist of Aloha's gang was closing in on his nose.

"You son of a bitch! Don't let him get away!"

"Damn..."

He dodges this in a close call and fires a single shot, miraculously repelling it. 

As far as the opponent was concerned, he had no time to scream and fell to the ground in agony. However, the enemy is not alone. The followers rushed toward him one after another. Here and there, one can see a man holding an iron pipe or a knife in his hand. 

"Haha, this is awesome."

With a self-mocking smile on his face, Tarosuke started running through the streets of Fira. 

 

◇◆◇

Meanwhile, here is the hotel room where Francisca is once again relaxing. 

"You look pretty terrible."

Nishino's face, illuminated by the lighting in the room, was even worse than he had imagined. Francisca's sarcastic remark at the beginning of the encounter was far from her usual sarcastic tone, and she seemed to be really serious about the situation. 

"....... I screwed up a little bit."

"Oh, yeah? I'm gonna call a doctor."

"Sorry, that would be great."

The Futsumen's auspicious attitude adds to this. 

"It will take some time, but ......"

"I don't mind. As long as it's sanitized at the very least."

"............."

As she got up from the couch, Francisca pulled a phone out of her pocket. It is a magic phone that will bring her anything she asks for. She held it up to her mouth and walked toward Balcony. 

With her in the corner of her eye, Rose turned to Nishino. 

"..... I wonder if this is ruined?"

"We won't know for sure until we see a doctor."

They are sitting side by side on one sofa. 

Incidentally, the girl with a physical disability is plopped down on the opposite sofa. 

"Can you see through that eye?"

"I don't know."

"You can't see."

"..... Well, I don't know."

Normally, Nishino does not expose any weakness apparently. That is why, at this moment, Rose, who was intensely stimulated by motherhood, could not resist the urge to hug the man in front of her. Her body was aching violently to hug and hold him. 

If not for the eyes of Francisca and the Gothic Lolita, she might have seen fit to make excuses and put them into action. 

"Is there something you can do with your power?"

"It's impossible to heal an injury."

"......I see."

The words exchanged between the two are so calm that it is almost bizarre, considering their usual relationship. This is because Nishino, who has been made to look so bad by his own blunder, is ashamed of it and responds to the conversation in a mature manner. 

Rose seemed to drool over this gap between the usual behavior of the Futsumen and that of Nishino, and she was even more excited about the man in front of her. The Blonde Lolita was wetting her crotch as she glanced at his expression. 

"Sister, will you care for me too?"

Thanks to this, the Gothic Lolita was not at peace. 

Even though her body was not moving, her mouth was moving of its own accord. 

But for the moment, her hopes look slim. 

"I don't want to."

"You are cold, aren't you? But you're cool and nice too."

"Go ahead and say whatever you want."

There was nothing they could do about it. 

Watching their exchange, Nishino suddenly opened his mouth. 

"Speaking of which, where's Inchou? I don't see her."

As pointed out, Shimizu could not be seen in the living room. 

"I don't know. I haven't seen her."

"How about you, Francisca?"

I asked the crotchety old lady who had finished the phone call.

"That girl? I don't know."

It seems that she have no interest in Shimizu as far as they are concerned. Even when she disappeared, she did not seem to be upset in the slightest. She believe in freedom based on self-responsibility in everything, so they are extremely indifferent to events that are out of their scope of interest. 

"I'll check the other rooms."

"Then I'll take a look."

Rose stood up instead, restraining Nishino, who was about to stand up from the sofa. 

She left the living room and began to tour the other rooms. It took her about two or three minutes to go through all of them. Eventually, she returned alone, just as she had done when she left. Then she sat down next to Nishino again and told him. 

"She wasn't in the bedroom, the shower, or the bathroom."

As for the shower room, Nishino had just used it to remove seawater. Thanks to this, it was still caged in steam. The fact that she went into heat wrapped in it and mussed his black hair that remained in the drain is a secret that the Futsumen will never know. 

"Does that mean she's not here?"

"That's what it means."

"........"

Immediately, Nishino's expression turned grim. 

His gaze naturally turned to Francisca. 

"Francisca, are there any messages left behind?"

"Well? I don't know."

"You sure?"

"Oh, but she was all by herself, talking about going to the police or something."

"The police."

"What do you think the police on this little island can do? She's really a very unreceptive girl, even though there's a more powerful person protecting her."

"........... It's a sad story, but somehow I understand what was going on ."

Combined with Francisca's appropriate mannerisms, Nishino grasped the exchange that would have taken place between the two. Considering Inchou's fastidious nature and high energy for nothing, even he could easily imagine that he would not be a good match for this woman.

"I'm going out for a bit."

Nishino gets up from the sofa.

Rose asks him with a worried expression on her back.

"Hey, hey, what are you talking about? What about the doctor?"

"I'll be right back."

"She's not a child. She'll come back on her own."

"Inchou couldn't come back on her own."

"Well, I won't deny that."

It is fresh in everyone's mind that he went to the police station to pick her up during the day.

However, that does not mean that Rose can let him go without a fight. She is a love machine that just can't stop loving Nishino. At least for this evening, she is sincerely hoping to spend time together with him.

"Nishino-kun, why don't you at least wait until after you get treatment?"

"Treatment can be done later."

"You're in cardiac arrest. What if you move around too much and then you die?"

"That'll happen then."

"Well, that's not ......"

The Futsumen walked from the living room to the front door. 

Not wanting to be left alone, Rose followed. 

"Ah, sister!"

The Gothic Lolita also shouted to join them. However, she could not get up from the sofa. She tried desperately to move her body, but her prosthetic hand only swayed a little. Instead, she lost her balance and rolled onto her side on the sofa. 

"I already called the doctor, so please come back soon."

On the other hand, Francisca is a complete outsider. 

With the girl safely in her custody, her work is finished. 

"Understood."

With a short answer, Nishino and Rose left the hotel.