red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xl: slow changes

"how is she?!"

the albino was panting heavily, hands on her knees as she hunched over to catch her breath. she ran towards the hospital in the winter weather, and to say that she was breathless is an understatement.

mikey was just leaving the hospital when he bumped into her by the entrance, his jacket hanging on his left shoulder. it allowed senju to go see the cotton stuck on his cubital fossa, a sign that he donated blood for the operation.

"she's in surgery right now." mikey replied. "you can wait by the waiting room. i have to go somewhere."

he walks past her, but was stopped when senju shouted, "what, you're leaving her even now? even when she could be dying in there?!"

she turns to face his back, her eyes glaring holes into the back of his head. "kazzie's done nothing but protect you and everyone you hold dear." she venomously spat. "she's gone through extreme lengths to keep that smile on your stupid face and you're still leaving her when she's dying?! what did she ever see in you?!"

she heaved heavily, fists clenching. mikey did nothing and only listened to her, hands tucked inside his pockets as he took it all in.

"she lost everything." senju croaked. "her will to live...i know that it isn't there anymore. she's been suffering silently and all i can do is be by her side even when i know that it won't help much. k-kazzie wouldn't mind dying tonight. she might not fight against death!"

by now, tears were streaming down her face like a rapid river, the pain kept in her chest finally bursting. she's mad that even kazua's critical condition can't make him stay for at least an hour long with her. "and yet, you're still..."

she's mad that mikey was the reason she was throwing her life around as if it doesn't matter.

senju hates that she wasn't able to protect her.

and she's taking it out on sano manjiro.

"sazu asked me a favor." he softly muttered. "and i'm going to keep my end of it. i'm not leaving sazu."

he looks over his shoulder with a small smile on his face, but what shocked senju wasn't that. it wasn't the fact that he looked so calm either.

it was the pain and worry that swirled around his eyes endlessly.

the first she's seen him emit any emotion after a long while.

"sazu promised me that she'll be waiting when i come back," he said, "and she'll keep it too. senju, watch over her for me. i'll be back soon."

mikey hopped on his cb250t and drove off quick, leaving senju to stare at his disappearing figure with her tears slowly coming to a stop.

"he donated his blood for her..." senju's eyebrows furrowed. "if he gets in a fight minutes after blood donating, he might..."

***

to say that mikey expected something a little less extreme was a flaw on his part. he should have expected the beaten up faces of his friends instead of hoping that they're all just gathered to pray on christmas eve.

"merry christmas." he grinned, hands now tucked in his trouser's pockets. "what are you guys doing on a day like this?"

the leader of the black dragons, taiju was there with two of his lackeys. both kokonoi and inupi were a little behind him, all appeared shocked at his arrival.

though, there were some in the church that expected.

"yo, baji!" mikey waved enthusiastically at the beaten up male leaning against a pew. a trail of dried blood came from the corner of his lips, but takemitchy looks worse. in fact, he looks the worst compared to everyone else. "i got to sazu right on time, thanks to you!"

baji was relieved to hear that, but he doesn't know what really happened just yet. somehow, even without knowing, he had a bad feeling about it.

"the black dragons are here, huh?" mikey looked at taiju, lowering his hand to his side. "how did sazu know about this?"

"mikey, i'm sorry." mitsuya forced himself to stand up even with bruises all over him, the result of battling against taiju. "this is all my fault. i broke the peace agreement with my own irresponsibility. we're fighting them now, as you can see."

"you know," mikey looks up at the ceiling, "aniki recognized the sound of your impulse earlier when i was rushing sazu to the hospital. then, sazu asked me to come here. they both led me here."

"mikey?" mitsuya's wide eyes looked at him, confused. the leader of toman himself only walked right towards the shirtless taiju by the altar. "what are you saying?"

"you're fighting these three guys, right?" mikey asks.

"so, you're the invincible mikey?"

"..." mikey only stared up at taiju. "why are you standing in my way?"

"huh?"

"i just wanna ride with the guys again, then give sazu a happy future that she deserves." mikey muttered. "if mitsuya or baji dies...then aniki and sazu will be really sad!"

taiju had enough of his nonsense and punched him down the ground by the side of his head, letting the concrete underneath crush by the impact of his attack.

"m-mikey-kun?!"

takemitchy knew what the outcome of this battle will be, but he can't help but worry for him. the cotton on his elbow pit implied that he gave his blood to the hospital. if he pieced it together, then he must have donated blood for kazua.

ding!

dong!

"i've defeated the invincible mikey!"

"taiju, you fucker!" mitsuya came launching towards the leader of the black dragons with the last bit of his strength left.

and as taiju turned to face the 2nd division captain, mikey slowly rose from the ground. a bit of blood came out of his mouth, but the hit wasn't enough to take him down.

"prayer time's over."

"heh?"

taiju amusedly faced mikey, a smug smirk plastered on his face. "i just hit you with one of my best punches tonight." he boasted.

mikey couldn't help but sigh, wanting to get this all over with. he needs to head back to the hospital soon.

"that hit i took from you was my punishing myself." he says.

"huh?"

"sazu would laugh at me if i get taken down by that."

jump!

wham!

in a split second, mikey flew up in the air and spun, delivering a single harsh kick to the head that knocked taiju unconscious on the floor."

bam!

"taiju taken down in one hit...?" kokonoi couldn't believe his eyes. "so that's the invincible mikey!"

"well, then!" mikey turned, grinning at her friends. "i kept my promise! sazu better keep hers too!"