(The Examination Hospital Facility)
[Narrator: Most of the candidates are healing properly. Those injured during the second phase have all been cleared to recover before the third phase begins—which is in exactly 1 day, 16 hours, and 15 minutes.]
Tora walked down the sterile hallway, her signature frown firmly in place as she discussed recovery charts with a doctor. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind them.
"Um, excuse me!" Aiko called out, catching up to the pair.
Tora and the doctor stopped. Tora turned, shooting a sharp side-glare that would have made a lesser candidate faint. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the girl. "Huh? Aren't you Ayumu's sister?" Tora asked bluntly. "What the hell are you doing here? You aren't injured, are you?"
Aiko smiled nervously, her hands waving in front of her as she shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine! It's just... I need to see a teammate of mine," she said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she found the floor suddenly very interesting.
Tora tilted her head, unimpressed. "What does that have to do with me?"
The doctor leaned in, whispering into Tora's ear. "The 'Ren' guy under your care? He's actually in Team 42—the same team as her."
Tora scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You must be joking. *That* brat is on the same team as a Rank 1's sister?" She looked back at Aiko.
"Some doctors said you are the nurse in charge of his recovery," Aiko said softly. "So I thought I'd come see you."
Tora let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Yeah, he's fine. A total pain in the ass, but fine. He's on the third floor, down the hall," she said, pointing toward the stairs with a dismissive wave.
Aiko beamed and bowed politely. "Thank you! I'll be going then—"
Before Aiko could take a step, Tora's hand clamped down on her shoulder. A heavy, suffocating wave of bloodlust radiated from Tora, causing Aiko to freeze mid-motion.
"That brat isn't off my watch yet," Tora said, her voice dropping an octave. "He won't be released until tomorrow at 1:00 PM—exactly 24 hours before the exam. Since I don't trust him not to pull a fast one, I'm coming with you."
The doctor stepped forward, trying to de-escalate the tension with a gentle smile. "I hope there's no problem, Miss Aiko. It's just... Ren has tried to escape over thirty times now. If it weren't for Tora, we'd have lost him hours ago. We're just making sure he stays put."
Aiko nodded her head so fast it was a wonder it stayed on. "Oh! I understand! It's late too, so I agree—he should definitely sleep here. By the time we walked all the way back to the candidate dorms, it would be midnight. I'll just spend the night here as well and we can all leave together tomorrow at 1:00 PM."
Tora's frown deepened for a second, then a small, mischievous smirk played on her lips. She turned and started heading toward the stairs.
"So, you want to sleep with Ren, huh?" Tora teased.
Aiko's face went from pink to a full-blown crimson. "No! It's not like that! I'm just... you know, leaving with him! That's all!" She stared intensely at her shoes, her heart racing.
Tora chuckled under her breath. "Sure. Well then, follow me."
Ren lay perfectly still, the picture of a recovering patient—until the hallway lights dimmed. His eyes snapped open. He sat bolt upright, his gaze darting left and right with the intensity of a caged animal. Seeing the coast was clear, he slowly wheeled his bedside food stand toward him.
He lifted his dinner plate, revealing a hidden, jagged, and honestly pathetic-looking key he had fashioned out of a plastic utensil and some hardened glue.
He grinned, his eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction. "Who's the dumb one now? Sometimes, I even impress myself," he whispered, his ego inflating by the second.
He slipped out of bed and tip-toed toward the door like a cartoon thief. He pressed his ear against the cold metal, listening for the heavy, rhythmic click of Tora's boots. Silence.
(The coast is clear...) He carefully slid his "masterpiece" into the keyhole. He gave it a confident twist.
SNAP.
Ren's eyes went wide. The plastic key had sheared clean off, leaving the teeth stuck deep inside the lock. "What?" he hissed in shock. He wiggled the handle frantically, but the door remained deadlocked. He paused, his brain reset, and then he smiled again. "Not to worry. I have a Plan B."
He reached into his hospital gown and pulled out a crumpled piece of cardstock. On it was a crude, terrifying crayon drawing of Tora's face. He held it up to the digital face-ID scanner next to the handle.
The scanner's red light flickered over the drawing—a mess of angry scribbles and orange hair.
BEEP. ACCESS DENIED.
He tried again, tilting the drawing. BEEP. ACCESS DENIED.
"What?!" Ren frowned, offended. "My drawing is flawless! I think the door is just broken."
He reached for the doorknob one last time, but before his fingers could touch it, the lock clicked from the outside.
BOOM!
Tora didn't just open the door; she kicked it with enough force to send it flying off its hinges. The heavy metal slab slammed directly into Ren's nose, the impact sounding like a bag of walnuts being crushed.
Ren went down hard, clutching his face as he rolled on the floor in agony. Tora stepped over the threshold, her shadow looming over him like a storm cloud.
"Trying to escape again, I see," Tora said, her voice dripping with a dangerous kind of boredom.
Ren groaned through his fingers, his voice muffled and thick. "What the hell is wrong with you? Can you stop doing that?!"
Tora stood over him, arms folded tightly. "Only if you stop trying to escape," she retorted, her gaze drifting to the floor. Her eyes landed on the crumpled cardstock nearby. She leaned down, picking up the crayon drawing, her frown deepening into something truly menacing. "Is this... supposed to be me?"
Ren caught sight of the drawing and swallowed hard. He scrambled to his feet, snatching the "masterpiece" and stuffing it deep into his pocket. "How did that get there?" he asked, forcing a nervous, pained smile.
Tora let out a long, weary sigh. "I don't have time for this. Someone is here to see you." She stepped aside, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms.
Aiko walked into the room, waving tentatively with a soft smile. Ren's eyes widened in genuine shock. "Aiko!"
He stood up straight, ignoring the throbbing in his nose. Aiko stepped closer, her expression softening. "Ren... you're okay."
Ren flashed a confident grin. "Yeah, I um... I'm not going down without a fight."
Aiko chuckled slightly, but the moment was interrupted by Tora whispering loudly from the wall, "Please."
Ren shot Tora a frown. "Could you give us some time in private?"
Tora rolled her eyes, pushing off the wall. "Fine. Fifteen minutes tops. No funny business," she warned, closing the door behind her with a definitive click.
Ren turned back to Aiko, the bravado fading slightly. "So... how are the others?"
Aiko looked down for a moment, then met his eyes. "Everyone is okay. Zen finished recovering. A friend of ours—the Examination Supervisor—is driving him back to his room right now."
Ren's brow furrowed. "Jackass didn't want to come see me?"
Aiko shook her head quickly. "Oh, no, it's not like that! He fell asleep in the car. I didn't want to wake him up; he's had an incredibly long day."
Silence filled the small clinic room, heavy and thick. Ren stared at her, the words failing him for a moment. Aiko took a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've... really missed you. You know? I'm just so glad you're okay."
As she spoke, the image of Ren in the hospital—his waist torn open, clinging to life—flashed through her mind. Her eyes began to brim with tears. Before she could succumb to the memory, Ren stepped forward, closing the distance instantly.
"Wha—?"
Ren pulled her into a firm, steady hug. Aiko froze in shock for a fraction of a second before melting into it.
"I'm sorry if I ever worried you. I'm truly sorry," Ren said, his voice unusually grounded. "We both have a dream to reach together. Dying would mean leaving you and those dreams alone. I will not die, Aiko. Not yet. No matter what."
Aiko gripped the back of his hospital gown, the tears finally escaping. "Promise?"
Ren pulled back just enough to look at her, a sincere smile replacing his usual smirk. "Promise."
(At Oborozaki Village)