In the afternoon, Smiley and Angry come to visit Takemichi, bringing along a bag full of toys: a handheld game console, juggling balls, a roly-poly toy, a daruma doll, playing cards, and even some manga books.

"This is..."

"We thought you might get bored, so we brought these. Feel free," Smiley says with his usual smiling face.

"We'll stay with you until visiting hours are over," Angry adds.

It's true that staying in the hospital is boring, but he's only here for a few days, and this stuff could keep him entertained for a month. What's up with Touman today? They're unusually attentive to him.

Everything would have been perfectly normal and fun if he didn't have any more visitors. But even if Takemichi went back in time a hundred more times, he wouldn't have expected what was about to happen.

The Haitani brothers come to visit him, someone please wake him up from this nightmare.

It's not just Takemichi who's shocked, even Smiley and Angry are stunned when they hear Rindou's voice: "Are you sure this is the right room?" Then the door swings open, and those two walk in. The atmosphere immediately turns terrifyingly silent, and Takemichi feels like he can't breathe.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Smiley, still with a smile on his face, asks, but he's clearly ready for a fight, even in the hospital.

"I'm just here to check on Takemitchy. No need to be so tense," Rindou replies casually.

"Takemitchy?" Smiley's tone grows harsher. Why is he acting so familiar?

"Takemichi, how do you know these two dangerous guys?" Angry grabs Takemichi's shoulders and gets in his face.

Takemichi wants to protest, can't they see how shocked he is, too? He didn't know anything about this!

"Takemitchy is my savior. Of course, I care about him," Rindou says nonchalantly.

"What?"

Two brothers "Twins Devils" shout at the same time, turning to look at Takemichi as if demanding an explanation right now.

"Calm down, you two. I'll explain later, okay?"

Takemichi is sweating bullets. One Haitani is enough to scare him, let alone both of them!

Smiley and Angry are extremely upset, but after a while of talking, they finally settle down and sit beside Takemichi's bed, while the Haitani brothers sit across from them. Takemichi, caught in the middle, can almost feel the tension sparking between the four of them. He's unsure if this situation is because of some fated connection he has with the Haitani brothers or if the Kawata brothers are somehow destined to clash with them too. He imagines what would happen if Mitsuya and Hakkai were here as well, it would turn into an all-out battle between the "Big Brother Alliance" and the "Little Brother Alliance." Smiley and Mitsuya surely had a grudge against the Haitani brothers from the Tenjiku fight.

Takemichi chuckles to himself at the thought, accidentally breaking the tension. Four pairs of eyes turn to him, confused and slightly dumbfounded. Takemichi has a bright smile, and when he smiles, it naturally lifts the mood of those around him. The Kawata brothers have seen this many times, having spent a lot of time with him. They like how he radiates such positive energy. But for the Haitani brothers, this is the first time they've seen Takemichi's cheerful, carefree smile. It catches them off guard, smiles like that don't exist in their world, and nobody would dare smile like that in front of them.

Realizing he's being stared at, Takemichi quickly returns to normal.

He scratches his head. "Well, it's a bit surprising, but thanks for visiting me anyway."

There isn't any major hostility between them right now, and Takemichi doesn't have any intention of turning away people who came to visit him. Plus, who would dare tell these scary brothers to leave? But the Kawata brothers are clearly unhappy, not just with the Haitani brothers' presence, but also with the way they're looking at Takemichi. Rindou's smile carries a challenging expression.

Ran regains his calm, his lips curling slightly as he speaks:

"Rindou wanted to check if Hanagaki-kun is feeling better. He's been worried since the day of the battle."

Takemichi doesn't want this kind of concern—who needs it? He'll gladly pass it on to someone else.

"He's fine, you can go home now," Smiley says, gritting his teeth.

"I'm visiting Takemitchy, not you. Why are you making it your business?" Rindou shoots back, equally sharp.

Please let visiting hours end soon, Takemichi silently prays.

"I'm fine, really, no big deal," Takemichi forces a friendly smile.

"What were you trying to do, Takemitchy? Commit suicide or something? You really scared me."

Yeah, right, scared? Takemichi smiles outwardly but is internally holding back a lot, wishing this little ancestor would stop pretending.

"You're way too concerned. Since when were we so close?"

Every time they heard him call 'Takemitchy,' Smiley and Angry got even more annoyed. They were in the same gang, but not even close enough for him to call him that.

How much time is left? Visiting hours, come on!

"Personal reasons, okay?" Takemichi maintains his forced smile.

Rindou, not bothered by this, continues questioning him.

"Takemitchy, you're pretty good at hiding things. You're obviously strong, but when you fought the Black Dragons, you didn't take down that many guys. Were you just messing with me?"

Alright, never mind—Takemichi wants to kick them out right now. Can he not bring up the issues that are already giving him a headache? This annoying Rindou—Ran, please take your little brother and go home!

Takemichi stares intensely at Ran as if trying to communicate something, but of course, Ran either doesn't understand or pretends not to. Instead, he gets caught up in Takemichi's piercing blue eyes, which resemble a clear sky on a beautiful sunny day—vast and cloudless.

Rindou loves those eyes. He's never said it, but ever since that day, his little brother has started looking at the sky on clear days, smiling and saying, "The sky looks nice, doesn't it?" Rindou isn't the kind of person who cares about the color of the sky, but now he understands why.

Ran's violet eyes glint with a mysterious and dangerous look, and his equally dangerous smile sends a chill down Takemichi's spine, making him give up and look away. His expression darkens as he chooses not to say anything. Meanwhile, the Kawata brothers are on the verge of kicking the Haitani brothers out of the room but are holding back, frustrated by these intruders.

At the same time, Rindou finds himself intrigued by the variety of expressions crossing Takemichi's face. He's about to say something else, but Takemichi quickly grabs the remaining apple that Hakkai brought earlier and shoves it into Rindou's mouth.

All four of them are left speechless for a moment before Smiley bursts into hysterical laughter.

"Nice one, Takemichi! That'll teach him not to talk too much!"

Even though he cares for his brother, Ran can't help but laugh as well. Rindou, on the other hand, is fuming. This kid just made a fool of him! Just as he is about to get angry and confront him, he sees Takemichi grimacing, his hand places on his own wound. They quickly realize that Takemichi has touched the stitches on his abdomen because of the earlier action, causing Rindou to forget his anger. Ran reacts quickly and calls the nurse over.

The four of them stand in the corner of the room, waiting for the nurse to check Takemichi's wound, with Rindou getting the most intense glares.

"It's your fault, you annoying brat," Smiley scolds him.

"Shut up, that kid did it to himself," Rindou snaps back.

"You should leave now."

"Like you can make me."

"If any of you say another word, I'm kicking you all out."

Takemichi can't take it anymore, glaring at them threateningly. Ran, being scolded for the first time, and the Kawata brothers, who rarely see Takemichi angry, are a bit shocked. Meanwhile, Rindou seems oddly pleased, as if thinking, Ah, that's the face I missed. Those fiery eyes still look just as intense when he's mad.

Takemichi starts unbuttoning his shirt for the nurse to examine his wound, feeling embarrassed as he slowly undoes each button. The others, still quietly arguing, turn their attention to the bed just as the nurse moves aside to grab some tools. Rindou's eyes widen in surprise, and Smiley and Angry, noticing his dazed expression, follow his gaze.

Takemichi's bare upper body suddenly comes into view. His skin, hidden beneath his clothes, is much fairer than they expected, smooth and soft-looking. As Takemichi leans back slightly, turning his head to watch the nurse, the movement exposes more of his slender neck and delicate collarbones. His lean yet toned physique, a result of physical training, combined with the faint pink hue at his chest, creates an oddly provocative sight.

The nurse quickly steps in, blocking their view, but the brief moment was enough. It left them with a strange feeling, like being teased by a feather, leaving a tickling sensation in their stomachs that they couldn't quite shake off.

"I wish my waist was as slim as yours," the pretty nurse teases Takemichi, exclaiming his waist is smaller than hers.

The people behind him hear her comment and collectively take a deep breath.

Takemichi coughs awkwardly, "Please don't say that."

Being told his waist is smaller than a woman's? Takemichi isn't proud of that. He wishes for abs as defined as Baji's or Draken's.

When the nurse removes the old bandage from his wound, the pain intensifies, and Takemichi grips the white bedsheet tightly. He's unaware of a pair of burning eyes fixed on his hand the entire time.

After finishing the bandage change, the nurse turns to clean up, giving Takemichi the chance to glance at the four people behind him, wondering what they're up to.

The vague sight earlier was enough to stir thoughts, but now, with the view fully revealed, it becomes even more enticing. His flushed face from the teasing, his slightly reddened eyes, and his lips, pale from pain and bitten red like rose petals—it all creates an alluring image. That fleeting glance of his truly has a seductive feel to it. It suddenly reminds Rindou of the time when they hid in the changing room. He recalls Takemichi's heaving chest, his breathless gasps, the soft scent of him, and their brief contact. What if, in that moment, he had embraced Takemichi, letting him fall into his arms? Would those hands grip his shoulders just as tightly? How much brighter would Takemichi's tearful eyes shine if he looked at him? If his face turned red, crying out Rindou's name, begging him... Rindou's face suddenly flushes a deep red. Even Ran notices and is surprised.

The fire within him burns hotter, making it hard to breathe, and his throat feels parched.

"It'll stop hurting soon, just remember not to exert yourself too much," the nurse says. Takemichi obediently responds with a soft, drawn-out "yes," sounding a bit pitiful. The nurse smiles, thinking she wishes all her patients were this sweet instead of the grumpy ones who give her headaches.

When she finishes cleaning up and turns around, she's startled to see four boys with brightly colored hair. Two twins with wild, spiky hair are glaring at the boy with glasses and two-toned hair. The one with glasses is hiding his face, turning toward the boy with long braids, who simply gives her a polite nod with a faint smile. What's going on? She's confused.

Takemichi slowly buttons his shirt back up, but Angry steps in to help him button faster.

Takemichi looks at Angry, smiling. "Thanks, Angry-kun, I can do it myself."

Angry clears his throat and avoids Takemichi's gaze. Then there's an irritated "tsk" from behind them, though it's unclear who made the sound.

"Alright, time to go, visiting hours are over," Takemichi says tiredly, trying to usher everyone out. He still smiles warmly at the Kawata brothers, and Ran isn't too much of a bother, though his gaze makes Takemichi uneasy. But Rindou—Takemichi reserves a glare of pure hatred for him. Oddly, Rindou seems the most amused. Before leaving, he approaches Takemichi, grabs the apple that had been shoved into his mouth earlier, takes a bite, and gives him a sly grin.

"Thanks for the apple, Takemitchy. It's sweet. See you around."

His voice is incomprehensible that makes Takemichi shiver.

"No need to be polite," Takemichi replies, smiling with a vein of frustration pulsing on his forehead. This wasn't a hospital visit—it was an attempt to irritate him into feeling worse. Smiley is debating whether to start a fight right there or wait until they're outside the hospital. But Angry, although clearly irritated himself, would probably hold his brother back.

Before the Haitani brothers leave, the Kawata brothers each hug Takemichi from one side, gently nuzzling into his soft, blonde hair. Smiley "accidentally" lets his fingers lightly brush against Takemichi's collarbone through his shirt, then shoots a glance at Rindou, sticking out his tongue in a teasing way as if to say, "Don't even think about it, he's ours." Rindou clenches his fists, the veins on his hand bulging, but he swallows his anger since his brother is pulling him away.

Rindou, still frowning, fiddles with the apple, taking another bite and savoring its sweetness, though he feels that even finishing the whole apple won't satisfy the thirst burning inside him right now. Suddenly, his brother takes his hand and leans down to bite the apple.

"It really is sweet," Ran says with a smile, but for the first time, Rindou doesn't understand what that smile means. Ran then wipes his lips with his long, slender finger, as if savoring the lingering taste of the apple.