3.7

Hanazawa: A silent way

It was chilling, Scarface’s smile when he spotted Handsome. The scars on his face contorted to form an unholy visage. The fact that a human could be capable of such a repulsive, yet frightening smile was to be applauded. “Ah” He said, pointing like an innocent child seeing a toy on the shopping aisle.

“So it’s you, is this the grand plan you were talking about” Handsome said.

“No, regrettably” Scarface replied, giddy like a kid “That is still to come. My offer for you to join us is still standing by the way, Beast of Shōnan”

Handsome laughed, reaching up to comb his hair “Nah” He immediately drew out a pistol and fired at a thug with gun. The bullet impacted at the knee, shattering his bone. The thug collapsed on the ground, screaming out in pain.

“It’s hunting season now boys!” Scarface announced with glee. Screw the hostages or the police, he wanted the Beast. The rest of the thugs soon converged, some followed their master away with the hostage.

“Yuuko!” Maromi yelled out and was promptly dragged into a classroom by Ryuko.

The hallway was soon filled with the sound of gunshots as Handsome retreated in with them. Maromi was still hyperventilating, her best friend was in grave danger.

“You know that guy!” Ryuko immediately asked her classmate.

“Yeh, he approached me some time ago, asking me to join his dig” Handsome answered casually “It seemed fun but I turned him down though”

The situation was becoming dire, they were trapped in the room on the top floor. Outside the only entrance and exit were thugs with guns and nailed bats converging. And yet, there was a wide grin on Handsome’s face. Adrenaline was pumping, his mind clear, it was like waking up from a long dream. The action, the heat, the sound of bones cracking, this the life.

“How can we get out of this?” Ryuko asked.

“Don’t worry, I am on the case” Handsome stood up, ready himself for another fight.

Before he could leave, Ryuko hold him back “Promise that you will keep yourself safe, then I… will go on one date with you”

“If you say that, how can I even get a scratch”

It was strange, Handsome could no longer feel the rush, the excitement. And yet, he was readier than ever. It was now time to be a hero. The boy opened the window and climbed out up to the roof.

Ryuko gripped the bokken tightly, her other hand holding Maromi to calm down her shaking. It was right to be afraid, the thugs were all now right outside. The door busted opened. The vanguard found a wooden already trained on them. They all fell to the ground in pain, but their number too great.

Then, from outside, Handsome crashed in through the window into the pack of thugs. Clumping together, their weapons a burdened. A few smart ones stood out trying to shoot in but the boy was always behind someone else.

Ryuko shut the door again and waited, the sound of crunching and gunshots and nailed bats hitting the wall surrounded her. Soon, there was silence.

The girl nervously opened the door to find Handsome standing, all bloodied. She let out a grasp.

“Hm? Are you perhaps worry?” The boy said, smiling “I didn’t get hurt, as promise”

“Of course I am worry” She said, brushing his clothe. The girl knew of his past, he deserved a peaceful and happy life after all that happened. Fighting was the last thing she wanted him to do. But here he was anyway, Ryuko could only went along. She bit her lips, knowing that the fighting wasn’t going to stop here.

“Um… can I asked of you something” Here it came, the request from Maromi “Please, Yuuko, please help her”

Normally Handsome wouldn’t give two-bits about anyone. But when someone was in distress, he wouldn’t hesitate. Ryuko was sure that he would accept this particular request, especially after expressing an interest in Yuuko.

“Of course, a piece of cake” Handsome was predictable, to Ryuko at least “Stay here, I am tired of babysitting you”

Hearing that was a red alert for Ryuko. That guy was confident that he could them all safe, but now that had changed. The girl looked outside of the window. Too late to see a crazy man charging into the premise. The police had surrounded the school, but they couldn’t enter, not knowing the hostages’ status. Maybe they would be able to rescue Yuuko.

Not a chance, that Scarface wouldn’t allow it. That man was out of his mind, planning something like this in the first place. If he went down his hostage wouldn’t get away unscathed.

“Our promise, it isn’t over yet!” She reminded him. ‘You better return in one piece’

“Better ready yourself cause that date is coming” Handsome said, leaving for be the hero.

The boy got to the first floor, pulling out the gun he took from the thugs. He had plenty of ammunitions, the weapon didn’t have any notable damage. Despite having taken out the main force, now was the hard part.

All the combats till now were close quarter, he made sure of that. There, guns didn’t matter and he could take down a crowd easily. But now, in the back yard, a shootout was impending.

Handsome found himself… scared. Why? Highly trained, the boy could outgun all of them, but he was still outnumbered. A single bullet was enough to end him, that was enough to send fear down anyone. But that wasn’t all, Handsome couldn’t care less if he live or die. Guess a promise was all it took.

Taking a big breath, the boy charged outside and took cover behind a brick ring around the trees in the area. Bullets whizzing past, they were expecting him.

‘This is bad’ He couldn’t move forward like this.

A thug poke out aggressively and ate a bullet in the shoulder. Handsome was far more accurate, but at this rate they were just pinning each other down now. Maybe he could hold them here until the police decided to come in. That was his only hope, but still, nothing could guarantee Yuuko’s wellbeing.

Wasting a hostage was something no sane person would do, but Scarface was far from that. There must be something he could do, something to tip the scale.

There was nothing at all, Handsome could feel something that he hadn’t felt ever since being a little one. Helplessness.

He wasn’t the only person who felt that way, however. Behind Handsome, still inside the building hiding was the homeless, Takashi Tokioka. He wanted to do something for Yuuko, but the man couldn’t move from his spot. It was all so overwhelming. For a youth to be out there fighting while him being like this, so pathetic.

Someone suddenly ran past him, straight through the door into the battlefield.

A daredevil in office attire, he ran like a madman. All the frustration, the days slaving behind the desk, the operation, the pain, the silence broken like an erupting volcano.

“LET’S HER GO YOU BASTARD!” Hiro Hanazawa yelled, his voice like thunder.

The thugs tried to shoot him but with their untrained aim, hitting a moving target was a challenge. Using this opportunity, Handsome fired two quick shots that hit their marks. Two of the thugs dropped their weapons, hands all shot up.

Hiro vaulted through a brick ring, kicking one in the face.

A move unthinkable for an office worker like him. But the young man was trained in this one move again and again and again, it had become muscle memory. Able to return to Eden at any moment, he could update his trainers on every detail, any change. Every blink was a trip back to that fantasy world.

But no training could save him now. At this distance, even the most novices of shooter could hit him. But that was where Handsome came in. The boy didn’t know who this crazy was but he sure couldn’t let that guy down. Letting out shots after shots, Handsome kept the thugs hiding behind their cover, fearing his accuracy.

Vaulting over another brick ring, Hiro delivered a kick straight to the thug neck.

Handsome watched in awe, he could do that with ease. But still, this was a normal slightly malnourish office worker. To retain such control and accuracy of his body mid-air.

Meanwhile, Tokioka watched on in horror. To go against them so head on, what would happen to the hostage! In truth she was safer than he thought. The thugs needed her for the police, not a crazy person. But as he came close to taking the rest out, the deciding moment was now, Scarface pulled Yuuko out.

“Stop or I will shoot her!” He said, giggling with the absurd scenario he was in.

“Then I will kill you” Hiro declared without any hesitation. He continued to charge forward, sure of the result of this altercation.

Finally, a thug let out a random shot, it hit Hiro’s straight in the stomach. But the young man didn’t stop, no it was like a prick fuelling his anger. Another bullet ripped by, tearing his left air apart but it couldn’t stop Hiro Hanazawa for one bit.

It was straight out of a horror movie, an unrelenting figure that was seemingly indestructible. All the while fighting against a boy who might be from an action flick.

“Ahhhhh” They screamed out as Hiro vaulted over, a precise punch, one throw. He rushed through their number like nothing. The final thug was flung over, his back collided with the brick ring.

Handsome was also dumbfounded. That guy was shot twice, but asides a slight expression change, he could still continue without slowing down one bit.

Someone was having fun though, Scarface pushed Yuuko away and drew his gun. He fired a shot, only narrowly missing Hiro. But the second one would hit straight on. Way behind, Handsome was in a dilemma, he couldn’t get a clear shot on Scarface “I can’t cover you!” The boy yelled out.

It didn’t stop Hiro at all as he charged straight on at the villain.

“Today is the best day of my life!” Scarface fired.

His shot missed completely but it was in no way because of his aim. Blood dripping as Yuuko shoved a shiv straight into Scarface’s side.

“Where do you even get from” Clutching the wound, he tried to raise the gun but it was too late “This world is sure full of surprise”

Grabbing the outside of his gun arm, Hiro pulled Scarface while circling the villain. A twist of the hand and the gun fell to the ground. With his other hand, Hiro pinned his enemy’s head low and deliver a knee straight to his face.

Scarface puked blood, a tooth broken. He fell onto his knee, laughing perversely before landing headfirst into the ground, clutching the wound on his side.

Siblings reunited once again, Yuuko couldn’t recognise the man in front of her. Standing tall, expressive and most of all, looking her way. The girl could spot something in the background, it was Scarface, leaning onto a brick ring. From his cover, hiding from Handsome, the villain pulled out another gun.

“ONII-CHAN” She screamed out but it was too late, his blood was spilled.

Scarface opened his eyes to find himself still alive. ‘That’s strange’, not wanting to be caught by the police, he had pointed his gun toward himself. But there was Hiro, grabbing onto the weapon, the bullet ripped through his hand. Mouth agape with surprise, Scarface let the gun be taken, he asked.

“Why did you save me?”

“How can I let my sister see a guy blowing his own brain out”

The answer was simple, Hiro looked at his hand, all bloodied. At the heat of the moment, he forgot to return to Eden, with their training maybe this wound could have been avoided. Everything was over now. Handsome had arrived to apprehend the villain, from the building came Ryuko and Maromi

Takashi Tokioka watched on “So that’s your brother” He said, so she didn’t need him here at all “I told you he would come” The homeless man left satisfied.

Handsome looked at the ghastly hole on Hiro’s hand. The boy knew he wouldn’t go that extra mile, saving Scarface while enduring such a wound “Come here” He drew out some bandage and help this office worker with stopping the blood. ‘What is this’ Handsome thought, from just a touch, he could tell this was a pathetic body. And yet, this man was capable of such feats. Deep down, the boy couldn’t help but find this person rather ‘cool’, finally, another adult he respected that wasn’t the old lady.

“That was amazing” Handsome admitted.

“I could only move like that because you had my back” Hiro replied “Thank you, Kira-kun”

“Eh” Both the boy and Ryuko were surprised to see that the stranger knew his name. Well it was plastered all over on the scoreboard, but still.

After that was Scarface turned to be bandaged, the guy was strangely quiet with a melancholy look on his face.

This was quite an encounter, Hiro couldn’t have expected to ever see Eikichi with hair. Good to know that he was still insanely capable even in his youth. But at least that answered why the bald man was so sure no harm would come to Yuuko, he lived through to see it.

Next to them, Maromi burst out in tear “I was so worry”

“Thank you” Yuuko calmed her friend down “I am fine now”

All bandaged up, Hiro stood up to face with his sister “Sorry I am late” He said.

“You are here now” Yuuko said.

The young man was falling apart, his body wasn’t built for such exercises, not mentioning being shot. And yet, he stood tall. Yuuko had a terrifying day, as her brother, he couldn’t be weak, Hiro must be strong for her to lean on. Even if that mean enduring everything without a single sound, that was his silent way.

Yuuko wasn’t faring much better, her bruise from the car crash was screaming out in pain. Fear was also creeping up, she fired a gun, nearly killing a person, was taken hostage. That wasn’t even mentioning straight up stabbing someone, the blood was still on her hand. But her brother was shot, he had such burdens placed on him. Yuuko must be a good girl, not adding to his worry. Even if that mean enduring everything without a single sound, that was her silent way.

Eikichi, Ryuko and Maromi watched the siblings, they expected the two to be way more emotional. That there would be tearful reunion and everything, but there was none. This was quite a pair.

“Let’s go home” Hiro said gently and Yuuko nodded silently.