"Leader's back!" Surprisingly, it was Hiyori that announced their arrival, her eyes widening the moment she noticed Kasuka's seemingly perfect condition.
Immediately after she announced herself, hurried footsteps echoed from the back as lavender and brown appeared from her peripherals.
Atsuko, Misaki, and Hiyori are here.
There's just one student missing.
"..."
Azusa crouched near the stone rubbles, pushing some stones away and inspecting some inside her hands.
Of course, she also heard Hiyori's voice.
But that doesn't mean she would want to see what had happened.
Perhaps, the help they seek was a false hope.
What if she went there and Kasuka did not appear?
What if the only person greeting her was Saori?
"..."
Azusa could hear the voices of everyone talking to one another, but none captured her attention. 'They're greeting Saori.' She simply thought.
But everything became silent the moment she heard a voice.
It was a very faint sound, barely audible, but it felt like she could clearly hear her voice.
"I'm back."
Without wasting any time, she sprinted through the ruined buildings, stumbling a couple of times before she passed by a wall.
A familiar face, smiling eternally.
Kasuka turned her gaze slightly and she met the eyes of a certain winged angel.
"Azusa!" Kasuka exclaimed as she spread her arms and ran towards the white haired girl.
Not knowing how to react, Azusa stayed in the same position, stiff until Kasuka wrapped her entire body onto her.
"How have you been? Haven't missed me, right? Don't worry~ I've only been gone for a few hours!"
"W-welcome... back." Stuttering a little bit, Azusa awkwardly tried to wrap her hands around the taller girl.
Right, Azusa was currently still smaller than Kasuka, which meant that the title of the shortest student fell on Azusa's hands!
Thinking like this, the smile on Kasuka's face widened noticeably.
But then an awkward silence consumed the atmosphere.
Well, it would've been awkward had Kasuka not began rubbing her face against Azusa as if she was embracing a doll.
Rub Rub Rub Rub
"Kasuka..."
"Mm?" Humming slightly as if she doesn't see anything wrong with her behavior, Kasuka did not stop rubbing her head...
"I-I'm... No, nevermind." Hesitating on her words, Azusa decided to let it go just this once.
Although being treated like a doll doesn't feel the greatest, Kasuka looked happy doing so.
Not like she never looked happy, but it was better than being near death while unconscious.
Many questions were stuck inside Azusa's throat, never being able to be voiced either due to hesitation or fear.
More so, Kasuka's appearance had changed.
Her previously dirty hair seemed to be brand new, clean and straight as if she had taken care of it since the moment it grew on her head.
Gone was the ragged cape, replacing it was a black leather jacket reaching Kasuka's thighs.
Her head was free of injuries, she was no longer clutching her stomach as if in constant pain.
All in all, she looked to be in a much better condition than she was in previously.
"Enough with that, you've got some things you need to explain, you know?" The one to disrupt the fluffy atmosphere was Misaki, being the level-headed individual she is.
After all, Kasuka seemed to be hiding quite a lot from them, whether intentionally or not.
It couldn't be helped, they have only known each other for a week. But suddenly fainting and a body temperature reaching as high as 41°C, that can't just be swiped aside as if it was a regular Thursday.
Plus, none of her injuries seemed to work as regular injuries.
They either worsened or worsened.
There are just some things in this world that can't be kept secret if you want to not worry the people around you.
This is one of those cases.
"But I don't wanna!" Turning around with Azusa still in her hand, Kasuka spoke in a determined tone.
"It's not about whether you want to or not. It's about our feelings. How would you feel if one of us suddenly fell sick one day?" Explaining clearly, Misaki turned her head towards Saori, almost as if asking for her to put in her own words.
Saori noticed her glance, "...Yes, I do agree with her. Please tell us if you have a condition that is affecting your health. We'll be able to deal with them easier in the future if that is the case."
Although, they knew they can't really help out much in this case.
After all, even this time they couldn't contribute anything. The adult, Madam, had to lend a hand, otherwise Kasuka wouldn't be standing here without a trace of injury.
The hands of an adult truly are filled with wonder.
...It's unfortunate that none were on their side.
Everyone looked at Kasuka as her face contorted, as if she was going through a dilemma of a lifetime.
"...Although that was also an important point, I feel like we're missing context here." Suddenly, Misaki said that out loud, changing the topic to give more time for Kasuka to think of a response. "Saori, you met Madam just now, right?"
"Ah..." As if realizing her mistake, Saori's mouth opened on its own. "Yes... I did."
"In that case... you know what I'm trying to say, right? What was the price?" Squinting her eyes slightly, Misaki rubbed her own shoulders in annoyance.
"..." Saori didn't answer.
No, she couldn't answer.
After all, she herself doesn't know the answer to that question.
Perhaps it was due to the relief she felt the moment her eyes met Kasuka's, but she didn't remember paying a price in return for the Madam to heal Kasuka.
Wait.
She remembered vividly now that she had regained her bearings. The words that were said by Madam, one that she did not put any thoughts into when she met her earlier.
The words were...
"I don't need your consent on this. I'll need... hers."
"..."
"Saori?" Concerned by the silence, Atsuko's eyes turned soft.
"...I didn't pay any price. No, the madam didn't want me to pay the price."
"...What?" Hearing Saori's words, even Misaki was confused.
What did she mean by the Madam not wanting her to pay the price?
But then, stiffly, Saori's gaze turned towards Kasuka, her eyes slowly filled with dread and anxiety.
Of course, everyone noticed this.
And they understood the implications.
Rub Rub Rub Rub
"Ah... I could rub my face in your hair forever, Azusa! What kind of shampoo do you use?"
But there was no response.
Even Azusa who was comfortably resting in her arms felt stiff, even tense.
"...Ehehe? What's wrong, everyone? Why are you looking at me like that?" Then, as if finally realizing the atmosphere which had somehow turned sour, Kasuka laughed awkwardly.
"Kasuka."
And Kasuka gulped at the sudden change of tone in Saori's voice.