CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38

At Seijirou’s house, the engines went silent as the two motorcycles came to a stop.

The dim glow of the porch light washed over the cracked pavement, their shadows long and tired.

Sakai and Shuo helped Seijirou off the bike, making sure he didn’t stumble, before handing his keys to Suzune.

"You sure you got him?" Sakai asked, half-serious, half-teasing.

Suzune nodded. "Yeah, I’ll take care of him. You two should rest too."

"Got it. See you tomorrow, boss, Suzune." Shuo said, giving a small wave before the two started walking down the quiet street.

"We won’t be dropping bt tomorrow boss! We’ll head straight to the hospital!" Sakai waved his hand.

Soon, their footsteps faded into the night as Seijirou and Suzune walked inside the house.

The moment the door closed, Seijirou let out a sharp hiss, clutching his side.

The pain that he’d been ignoring since the fight finally caught up to him, every bruise and muscle strain making itself known.

Suzune immediately moved to his side, slipping an arm around his back to steady him.

"Careful," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You shouldn’t be moving so much."

She guided him to the couch, lowering him gently until he sat down.

"Thanks." Seijirou muttered.

"Stay there," she said, brushing some dust off his shoulder. "I’ll make you something to eat. You need to rest."

Before she could move away, Seijirou reached out and caught her hand. Suzune froze, eyes widening as she turned toward him.

Without a word, Seijirou pulled her closer until she sat beside him. The sudden movement made her heart skip.

She blinked, her face turning a shade of red as she tried to meet his calm, unreadable eyes.

"You’re also injured," Seijirou said quietly, his tone even but with a trace of concern. "No point in you running around the kitchen. Let’s just order something instead."

Suzune hesitated, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "I... it’s fine, I can cook—"

He shook his head. "Don’t. You’re hurt too. I’ll order. What do you want?"

Caught off guard, she stared at him for a moment, then looked away, flustered. "Anything’s fine. You decide."

Seijirou nodded, picking up his phone. "Then Chinese food. That okay with you?"

She gave a small nod. "Yeah."

He scrolled through the delivery app, made the order, and placed the phone on the table beside him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The house was quiet, filled only with the faint hum of the refrigerator and the distant sounds of the city outside.

Seijirou picked up the remote and turned on the television. The screen flickered to life, filling the room with the glow of the evening news.

Reports about unexplained gas leaks in the 24th District played faintly in the background, and Seijirou couldn’t help but snort in amusement wondering if an invicible war for an omnipotent wish granting cup is happening in the 24th District.

Suzune sat beside him in silence, her hands folded neatly on her lap, but as the minutes passed, her posture softened.

The adrenaline and tension from the fight began to fade, replaced by exhaustion.

Slowly, almost without realizing it, she leaned closer, her head coming to rest lightly on Seijirou’s shoulder.

Seijirou glanced at her briefly. She didn’t say anything, her breathing steady, her expression calm.

He didn’t move her away. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the TV, his body relaxing slightly for the first time that night.

The room was quiet, the flickering blue light from the television reflecting softly on their faces.

Outside, the world kept turning, unaware of the battle that had just taken place or the two bruised souls now sitting side by side in quiet peace.

For the first time in a long while, there was no fighting, no noise, no revenge to uphold, just silence and the faint comfort of company.

*

*

*

"Here. Keep the change. Your tip. Thank you, sir."

Suzune handed the cash to the delivery driver, bowing politely as she thanked him.

"Your welcome ma’am. Enjoy your meal." The delivery man bowed politely and left with the payment.

The warm scent of stir-fried noodles and sesame oil drifted from the paper bags in Suzune’s hands.

She stepped back inside, closing the door behind her, and walked toward the kitchen where Seijirou was waiting at the table.

She unpacked the containers one by one, arranging them neatly on the counter before portioning the food into plates—sweet and sour pork, fried rice, dumplings, and mapo tofu, all steaming hot.

"Thanks for the meal," Seijirou said simply as she set his plate in front of him.

Suzune echoed the words, and the two began to eat quietly. For a few moments, the only sound in the room was the soft clink of chopsticks against ceramic.

Suzune’s eyes widened slightly after her first bite.

"This is actually really good," she said, surprised.

Seijirou smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair. "Of course it is. That’s from the best Chinese place in the district. I’ve been ordering from them since middle school. Never disappointed me once."

Suzune gave him a thumbs-up, cheeks puffed slightly from eating. "Good choice then."

Seijirou chuckled and took another bite. "By the way, did you tell your mom you’re eating here? She won’t worry?"

Suzune shrugged, setting her chopsticks down for a second. "She’s not home tonight. Probably working late again. She won’t even notice I’m gone."

He nodded slowly.

The conversation sparked something in his mind, an echo of the other Seijirou’s memories about Suzune’s mother.

In the game, Suzune’s background was barely mentioned. No family details, no mother, no reason for why she always appeared alone.

But in these memories he got as Kageyama Seijirou... her mother was—

The thought was cut short by the sudden ring of his phone.

The sharp tone broke the calm. Seijirou blinked, slightly confused, before standing and walking over to the counter where his phone was charging.

When he saw the caller ID, he frowned.

The screen read: Mom.

"...What the—" He exhaled quietly, rubbing his forehead before answering. "Hello, Mom."

Suzune watched him from the table, chopsticks hovering midair as she listened to the one-sided conversation.

"Yeah, I’m fine... I told you, I’ve been eating properly... No, you don’t have to—" His expression suddenly shifted, eyes widening. "What!? You’re visiting?!"

His raised voice startled Suzune. She straightened in her seat, blinking at him in surprise.

His parents are visiting?

For as long as she had known Seijirou, she had never once met them.

He had always lived alone in that large house, with only the occasional nanny or doctor and nurses stopping by to check on him.

It had become such a normal part of his life that the mention of his parents felt almost unreal.

Seijirou’s tone grew strained as he continued the call, clearly unable to talk his way out of whatever his parents had decided.

Finally, he sighed heavily, pressing his palm to his temple. "Fine. I’ll prepare. Yeah... see you then."

He ended the call and set the phone down with a dull thud, staring at it for a long moment.

Suzune tilted her head slightly. "Your parents are coming?"

Seijirou exhaled again, slumping back into his chair. "Yeah. My mother said they’ll be here next week and told me to clean the house."

The air in the room shifted, still calm, but with an undercurrent of tension. The idea of his parents visiting after so long was not something either of them had expected.

Suzune hesitated, unsure what to say, while Seijirou reached for his drink and took a slow sip, his mind already racing through what kind of chaos next week might bring.

*

*

*

Once dinner was over, Suzune began gathering the empty containers and wiping the table, but before she could say her goodbye, Seijirou stopped her.

"Um, yes?" Suzune tilted her head, seeing Seijirou grabbed her hands.

"Stay for the night. It’s dangerous outside."

His tone left little room for argument. Since her mother wasn’t home, there was no need to go back alone.

Suzune froze mid-step, her cheeks heating up.

"Eh? No, I—I should go home," she muttered, fidgeting with her hands.

But Seijirou turned his sharp eyes toward her, calm but unyielding.

"Stay," he said again. That look, half concern, half command, made her sigh in defeat.

"Fine," she mumbled, puffing her cheeks in mild frustration.

Deep down, though, she knew he was right. Renji was beaten in the morning, who knew what can happen to her at night?

Besides, it wasn’t the first time she’d stayed here.

Whenever she and her mother had an argument, she would run straight to Seijirou’s house.

And strangely, her mother never questioned it—never asked where she’d spent the night, nor showed much worry the next day.

Sometimes, that thought made Suzune’s chest ache a little.

"Then... I’ll go take a bath first."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she went upstairs to fetch a towel.

The warm light from the bathroom spilled across the hallway as she stepped inside, her reflection in the mirror showing faint bruises on her arms and shoulders.

The sting of the water made her wince, but she gritted her teeth, letting the steam relax her muscles.

Each drop seemed to wash away the exhaustion of the fight and the day’s tension.

When she finally emerged, dressed in one of Seijirou’s spare shirts that hung loosely on her frame, her damp hair clung softly to her cheeks.

She found him still sitting in the living room, his arm propped on the couch, eyes fixed on the television.

The blue light from the screen flickered against his tired face.

"I’m going to sleep," she said softly, voice slightly hesitant.

Seijirou didn’t look away from the screen but gave a small nod, waving a hand in acknowledgment.

"Go ahead. The room’s clean."

Suzune lingered for a moment, watching him in silence, then turned and headed toward the guest room.

The house was quiet except for the low hum of the TV.

As she closed the door behind her, she felt both safe and strangely uneasy, her heart beating just a little faster than usual.