"The Chaos Chronicles: Living with Ryujin Nippon"

Part 14: A Battle of Hearts and Steel

Yuki had barely gotten Mayu to a safe place, where a patrol car was rushing toward them, when he heard the distant sound of metal clanging in the warehouse behind him. His heart clenched—Tatsunori was still inside with the stalker, fighting alone. Without a second thought, Yuki turned on his heel, sprinting back into the building.

The moment Yuki burst through the warehouse doors, his eyes locked onto Tatsunori, who was struggling to keep the stalker pinned to the ground. The crazed man had somehow wriggled out of Tatsunori's hold, and in his hand, gleamed a heavy metal pipe, raised high, ready to come crashing down on Tatsunori's head.

Everything happened in a blur.

"No!" Yuki shouted, lunging forward to shove Tatsunori out of the way.

The pipe came down hard, slamming into Yuki's head with a sickening crack. Pain exploded in his skull, and the world tilted as blood began to seep down his forehead. But despite the blinding pain, Yuki refused to let it stop him. He couldn't—Mayu and Tatsunori needed him.

With sheer willpower, Yuki ignored the blood that now dripped down the side of his face. His vision blurred, but he gritted his teeth, grabbing the stalker's wrist and twisting it hard, forcing him to drop the pipe. Tatsunori, recovering from the shock of the attack, immediately jumped in, helping Yuki as they finally subdued the stalker.

The struggle was intense, but together they managed to hold the man down, pinning him to the cold, hard floor. Every time the stalker thrashed, Yuki's vision swam with stars, but he didn't let go. He couldn't let go. The sound of police sirens grew louder in the distance, but the pounding in Yuki's head drowned out everything else. The blood trickled down his face, staining his shirt, but he kept his grip firm until he knew they were safe.

When the police finally stormed in, it took several officers to pry the stalker away from Yuki and Tatsunori. The moment the man was in handcuffs, Yuki's strength gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. His head throbbed, and the world around him spun, but he fought to stay conscious.

"Yuki!" Tatsunori exclaimed, rushing to his side. "Yuki, you're bleeding—why didn't you say anything?"

Yuki tried to smile, his vision hazy. "It's... nothing," he muttered, though the pain was starting to become unbearable. "We had to stop him..."

"You idiot!" Tatsunori snapped, but his voice was filled with worry, not anger. "You should've said something. Look at you!"

Yuki opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say another word, the edges of his vision darkened, and his body swayed. He felt Tatsunori's hands on his shoulders, steadying him, but it wasn't enough. The world around him faded, and the last thing he heard before everything went black was Tatsunori shouting his name.

The Aftermath

When Yuki woke, everything was a blur. He was lying on a hospital bed, the steady beeping of machines filling the quiet room. His head was bandaged, and as he stirred, a dull ache reminded him of what had happened.

"Yuki?" Mayu's voice was soft, filled with concern. He turned his head slightly to see her sitting by his bedside, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Tatsunori stood nearby, his arms crossed, looking out the window with a tense expression.

Yuki groaned, trying to sit up. "What... happened?"

"You passed out, you idiot," Tatsunori said, his voice gruff but laced with relief. "You took a pipe to the head, kept fighting, and then collapsed the second the police showed up. You're lucky it wasn't worse."

Yuki winced as he recalled the blow to his head. "Did they catch him? The stalker?"

"They did," Mayu whispered, her voice shaky. "Thanks to you and Tatsu. They've arrested him, and he won't hurt anyone again."

A heavy silence hung in the room for a moment. Yuki could feel the weight of the situation finally sinking in—how close they had all come to real danger, how much Mayu had suffered because of the stalker's obsession.

But then, Tatsunori spoke up again, his tone lightening. "You're lucky to be alive, Yuki. But next time, don't try to play the hero all by yourself."

Yuki chuckled softly, though it made his head throb. "I had to protect both of you."

Tatsunori rolled his eyes, but there was a flicker of emotion behind his usual stoic demeanor. "We protect each other, Yuki. Don't forget that."

Mayu, sitting by Yuki's bedside, reached out and gently touched his arm. "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You saved me... both of you."

Yuki smiled at her, though it was a bit wobbly. "That's what brothers are for."

Back at the House

Once Yuki was discharged from the hospital, things slowly returned to normal—or as normal as life could be when living with a group of chaotic volleyball players. The Ryujin Nippon house was back to its usual routine of noise, laughter, and constant teasing.

But something had shifted. Mayu's stalker was no longer a looming threat, and while Yuki still acted like the overprotective big brother, there was a new sense of calm in the house.

As for Tatsunori, the teasing from the boys didn't stop.

"You saved the day and the girl, huh?" Akihiro smirked, throwing an arm around Tatsunori's shoulders during dinner one evening.

"Yeah, Tatsunori, how's it feel to be Mayu's knight in shining armor?" Ran added with a grin, leaning in to nudge him.

Tatsunori, ever the calm and stoic one, rolled his eyes. "I was just doing what needed to be done," he said, brushing off the comments. But the faint hint of pink on his cheeks didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

Mayu, sitting across the table, caught Tatsunori's eye and gave him a small, grateful smile. Despite all the chaos, the shared danger had brought them closer. The teasing only made the undercurrent of their slow-burning romance more apparent, and though neither of them had said anything yet, there was an unspoken understanding between them.

Life continued in its messy, chaotic way at the Ryujin Nippon house, but things had changed for good. They had fought together, bled together, and now, their bond was stronger than ever. Amid the teasing and chaos, something new was blooming between Mayu and Tatsunori—something that even the chaos couldn't hide.

As the teasing at the dinner table continued, Yuki, still nursing his bandaged head but clearly in good spirits, cleared his throat dramatically.

"Aheem," Yuki said, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk. "I seem to recall receiving a metal pipe to the head, yet it's Tatsunori who's getting all the praise from Mayu?"

Mayu's eyes widened slightly at his comment, and she immediately began to stammer, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "W-Well, I mean, of course I'm grateful to you too, Yuki! You saved us both! I just—"

The rest of the team burst into laughter at Yuki's exaggerated expression of mock hurt. Tatsunori, though normally stoic, let out a rare chuckle, glancing at Yuki. "You sure you're not milking that head injury a little too much?"

"Absolutely not!" Yuki retorted with a grin, crossing his arms. "A lesser man would still be unconscious, but here I am, unappreciated!"

Mayu, still blushing but smiling, got up from her seat and walked over to Yuki, placing a gentle kiss on his bandaged forehead. "Thank you, Yuki," she said sweetly. "You're my hero too."

Yuki blinked, momentarily flustered. "Alright, alright, I guess that's fair," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment as the room erupted into more laughter and teasing.

"Careful, Yuki," Taishi teased from across the table. "You might just steal Tatsu's thunder!"

Tatsunori shot Taishi a sharp glance but couldn't help the slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. As the laughter continued, the warm camaraderie that filled the room was palpable, with Yuki and Tatsunori at the center of it all—both heroes in their own right.