Kamen Rider ZO, Rider Forever

Chapter 9

Night Stalker, part II

After a quick lunch of katsudon, he returns to Nanami's side. He watches over her as she rests when suddenly a junior doctor calls her name.

"Kai Nanami?"

She doesn't respond, Masaru calls to her softly as he taps on her shoulder.

"Nanami? The doctor is here"

She slowly wakes up, still groggy from her food coma. The junior doctor comes over and explains that he'll need to do one final check to determine if she's ready to be discharged. Nanami is about to ask something, but Masaru voices it out for her.

"Will she need to take another shot?"

Nanami looks at him, and back at the doctor.

"I highly doubt so, we'll just need to check her temperature and vitals"

After the final checkup, Nanami is finally discharged. Doctors describe her case as a miracle case. Her fever was a whopping 47 degrees celcius, but she managed to come out of it unscathed.

There were no signs of brain damage, or any internal damage. Nanami didn't quite understand the excitement surrounding her condition, but she's simply glad she could go home.

She changes back to the pyjamas she left their home in. Since she hadn't managed to put on any shoes due to her weak condition, the hospital staff decide to give her a pair of slippers. They also return the obi to Masaru.

They walk out to the bike. Masaru is still wearing the shirt that's stained with her blood. By now, the blood had browned.

Nanami notices the stain and recalls Masaru telling her that her nose was bleeding. She looks at her own pyjamas, also stained with blood near the collar, and the hospital given slippers she's wearing.

Masaru is slightly ahead of her and stops upon realising she isn't by his side, she catches up to him.

"We sure did leave home in a frenzy, didn't we?"

Nanami remarks, looking at their very mismatched and blood stained attire. They share a laugh as they get onto the bike, Shoji following close behind.

As Masaru starts the bike, but Nanami stops him.

"Wait, something feels missing"

Masaru turns back and looks at her.

"Oh! The obi"

"The what-? Where did you get that?"

"Storeroom"

Before Nanami could ask anymore, Masaru ties the obi around them both, just as he did a day ago. Shoji opts to sit on Nanami's shoulder.

"As for the helmet, well I panicked so much that I didn't even think to get it, so this obi will have to do. Anyways this obi won't be enough on it's own. Hold on to me"

Nanami holds onto him tightly. He begins gradually accelerating, as they ride out of the town, they're greeted by the beautiful sight of the cobalt blue sea. It's late afternoon and the sun is bound to set soon.

Masaru is amazed by this sight.

"I wonder how captivating this road will look once the sun begins setting?"

Nanami doesn't respond, Masaru notices that her hands are sweating and she is holding on to him really tightly. He holds her hands, the same way he did the day prior.

Except then, he was doing so to ensure she wouldn't fall off. But now, he's doing so to comfort her. Nanami is surprised looks over his shoulder, she finds that he's only steering with one hand.