At the hospital, Takemichi only eats and sleeps. One day, after getting enough rest, he wakes up very early. Seeing that his injury hurts less, he decides to take a walk around the hospital grounds. The weather in early November is getting colder. Takemichi wants to snuggle into his coat. He suddenly thinks it's really crazy - why would he go for a morning walk instead of staying wrapped in a warm blanket and sleeping?

But he needs a quieter place to organize the thoughts in his head. Takemichi walks slowly and stops to look at the trees, which are just starting to show yellow leaves. Some trees have already begun to shed their leaves. In just one or two weeks, all of Tokyo will wear a new color. Takemichi hopes to heal quickly - festival season is coming, and he doesn't want to be stuck at home.

Takemichi is unsure whether to tell his mom about seeing a psychologist. He's afraid it might make her sad. Since Takemichi started suspecting he has multiple personalities, he's still uncertain. He feels like he has full control over his body, but when he thinks about what Chifuyu said and his strange dreams, he feels uneasy. He laughs at himself - mental illness? He's always felt fine. No matter how much pain or despair he's in, he still feels like he can keep going, still able to manage.

So, it turns out he isn't as strong as he thought, right?

He looks up at the trees, letting out a long breath. The white mist from his nose and mouth floats into the air and disappears.

"Takemichi!"

A sudden voice calls him, and Takemichi turns around, startled.

What? It's a bit too early for this. What is Chifuyu doing here? He looks around, and it's not just Chifuyu; Baji and Kazutora are here too.

"You idiot, it's cold out here, why are you outside?" Chifuyu frowns and scolds him.

"I slept too much, just getting some fresh air. Why are you guys here so early?"

Takemichi looks at Kazutora and smiles at him. "Kazutora-kun, how are you feeling?"

Kazutora hesitates a little. "I'm fine," but the air between them is still a bit awkward.

Takemichi sneezes.

"Get inside quickly, or you'll catch a cold."

When Baji hears the sneeze, he thinks Takemichi is cold, so he quickly takes off his coat and puts it on him. Takemichi is confused - why does this feel kind of like "boyfriend material"? He has his own coat, and while it's a bit chilly, the weather is pleasant. Do these guys think he's too weak?

"What's wrong?" Baji asks, noticing the slightly annoyed look on Takemichi's face.

"You guys always treat me like a kid," Takemichi snaps and walks away.

Baji is puzzled but then laughs. How is that grown-up behavior? He can't believe Takemichi is already 26. Baji shakes his head.

"I'll message Draken-kun and Mikey-kun to let them know we found you," Chifuyu says as he walks beside Takemichi, typing on his phone.

"Both Draken-kun and Mikey-kun? What's going on this morning? Did you guys skip school to come here?"

"Smiley-kun and Angry-kun said the Haitani brothers were looking for you yesterday, so we came to keep an eye out."

Chifuyu finishes texting, puts his phone in his pocket, and feels a little cold. Seeing that Takemichi now has two coats and looks much warmer, Chifuyu scoots close and slips his hand into one of Takemichi's coat pockets.

"You're really warm, Takemichi. How are you not freezing out here? I could use you as a human heater this winter."

"A human heater that runs on rice? You're too cold, partner, move away."

"Just let me warm my hand for a bit. Don't be so stingy."

"You two, walk properly. Chifuyu, be careful not to hurt Takemichi's wound again," Baji says, watching them bicker in front of him. The two immediately stop and look at him. Then, they each grab one of his arms, pressing one cold and one warm side against him. Baji, already used to this, sighs. Every time he scolds them, they do this.

"You two are doing it again."

Kazutora walks beside them, his eyes showing a hint of sadness. Baji notices and signals to Chifuyu and Takemichi to step back. They understand instantly, and Baji moves closer to Kazutora, putting his arm around him.

"But why on earth are those two brothers looking for you, Takemichi?" Baji changes the subject.

"I have no idea," Takemichi replies. "First I got tangled up with Rindou, and now Ran's involved too. Yesterday they annoyed me so much I almost snapped. I still don't understand why those two scary guys are visiting me."

They didn't have much to do with him in the past, but now it seems like the brothers are constantly showing up, as if testing his patience.

From what Takemichi says, it doesn't seem like anything serious has happened yet, though they thought he might have been threatened. So why did Smiley and Angry look so furious? They even told the Touman guys to stay at the hospital and watch over Takemichi 24/24. If it weren't that serious, they wouldn't have rushed over so early this morning.

When Takemichi gets back to his hospital room, he sees Draken and Mikey standing there, and they rush over as soon as they see him.

"Takemitchy, where did you go?" Mikey asks.

"It was a bit stuffy in the room, so I just took a walk," Takemichi explains.

"The Haitani brothers didn't do anything to you, did they?" Draken asks, looking him over anxiously.

"No, it's hard to believe, but they just came to visit me. Even though Rindou is annoying, he didn't do anything to me."

Takemichi climbs back into his bed and takes off the coat, handing it back to Baji. Baji puts it on, while Mikey and Draken watch them closely.

"It's weird," Takemichi says, settling into his bed. "They came all the way from Roppongi to visit me. I didn't even want to see them. Something's off about those two."

Baji, Chifuyu, Mikey, and Kazutora are all confused, but Draken feels more irritated. He remembers the strange, unsettling look Rindou gave Takemichi - a creepy kind of interest. What are they planning with Takemichi? And now even Ran is involved!

"Oh, you guys should go back to school. I'm not hosting anyone here," says the 26-year-old who used to skip school quite a lot, now against skipping classes.

Of course, no one wants to leave after coming all the way here. Except for Chifuyu, does anyone here even look like a good student? Actually, even Chifuyu is a notorious delinquent at school and often skips class just to hang out with Peke J. So, missing one more day doesn't seem like a big deal to them. Takemichi can see what they're thinking and rubs his forehead.

"If my mom comes and sees all of you here at this hour, she'll scold me for sure."

Bringing up Takemichi's mom immediately makes them reconsider.

"If I skip school later and you guys get blamed for it, don't say I didn't warn you."

Then his mom might even ban him from hanging out with them again. Oh no fine, they surrender.

"So we really have to go to school?"

Mikey grumbles. Takemichi thinks he's going to send them all out, but Baji pushes Kazutora to stay.

"Kazutora can stay. He's by himself, and with his hands like this, he can't do anything at school anyway. Your mom won't get mad."

Kazutora hesitates, but Takemichi feels like he needs to talk to him, so he doesn't argue.

"Huh? That's not fair, I want to stay too," Mikey protests.

"Come on, we'll come back in the afternoon."

Baji and Draken say in unison, dragging Mikey away. Baji gives Kazutora a look, like he's telling him to take this chance to say whatever he needs to say. Chifuyu gives Takemichi some advice and pats Kazutora on the shoulder before leaving the hospital room.

Now, it's just Kazutora and Takemichi.

"Sorry for hurting you," Takemichi says, feeling a bit awkward as he looks at Kazutora's rough condition.

"It wasn't your fault. I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry, Takemichi," Kazutora replies.

Takemichi pauses for a moment, surprised to hear Kazutora apologize first.

"Have you apologized to Chifuyu yet?" Takemichi teases, pretending to threaten him.

Kazutora stiffens a bit. "Yeah, he punched me and said it was payback."

Takemichi laughs. Honestly, the atmosphere between the two of them seems good. With Baji around too, they'll become close sooner or later. In the future, they'll probably be like cats and dogs but still respect each other, treating each other sincerely. With a past like this, what kind of bond will Baji, Chifuyu, and Kazutora have in the future? It'll definitely be a strong, close-knit connection, though a bit complicated.

Takemichi looks forward to it - if they are happy, he'll be happy too.

"Kazutora-kun, I still have the same question as before. Do you want to be friends with me?" Takemichi asks.

Kazutora looks a bit surprised, unsure how to respond to the question. Takemichi chuckles when he sees Kazutora's hesitation. "You still haven't accepted me, so I just want to be sure."

Kazutora's eyes well up with tears. He had been afraid that Takemichi wouldn't want to be friends with him anymore, which is why he avoided him. But after hearing about Takemichi's condition and with encouragement from Baji and Chifuyu, he finally mustered the courage to come here. He's relieved that Takemichi still treats him the same way.

"Of course... I want to be friends with you too... you're also Baji's friend," he says hesitantly, lowering his head.

"And Chifuyu's and Touman's too. So let's forget everything and move on, okay? Cheer up, Kazutora-kun. You being like this makes me feel like we're distant."

Kazutora looks up and sees Takemichi smiling warmly at him, making his heart beat faster. He bites his lip slightly and nods.

"So, we'll still go to school together and go home together, too. You've got to treat me this time! I've been the one treating you all this time. Oh, on the way to my house, there's a place that sells really good crepes. When I get out of the hospital, let's invite Chifuyu and Baji-kun as well."

As Takemichi excitedly rambles about his plans for when they return to school, Kazutora is reminded of the days when Takemichi stuck by his side. He thought those days were just a dream that couldn't continue, but now Takemichi is making him look forward to it, making him long for the feeling of having him around again.

"I know a great soba place. If you like, I'll take you there when you're out of the hospital."

Kazutora adds to the conversation. He's determined not to let Takemichi carry the conversation by himself anymore.

"Sounds awesome! I can't wait to get out of here," Takemichi replies.

The two of them chat for a while, but Takemichi starts feeling sleepy again. Maybe it's because he woke up too early, plus the cold weather. But with Kazutora still there, he doesn't want to send him away, even though he's struggling to stay awake.

"If you want to sleep, just sleep. I'll sit here and read until you wake up," Kazutora says gently, noticing how tired Takemichi is.

Takemichi can't hold out any longer and lies down, wrapping himself in the blanket like a big cocoon. Still, he feels a little guilty, so he pulls the blanket down.

"Want to join me?" He shifts over and pats the empty spot beside him.

Kazutora's eyes widen in surprise. "Huh?"

"It's still early. Let's take a nap. It'll be a bit tight, but we can manage."

Kazutora feels a bit flustered, but seeing Takemichi all bundled up, warm and soft, and the hopeful look in his eyes, he can't refuse. His heart starts beating faster, like opening a secret gift.

Slowly, Kazutora lies down beside him, his right arm in a cast making it a bit awkward. Takemichi throws the blanket over him. "This way, it's warmer, right?"

Takemichi smiles, and Kazutora's heart skips a beat.

Kazutora immediately feels the warmth of Takemichi's body, the subtle scent of him overwhelming his senses - from his body, the pillow they shared, to the blanket they were covered with. It's a fresh, minty fragrance with a hint of sunshine. Kazutora's face suddenly flushes red. While Takemichi drifts off to sleep quickly, Kazutora can't fall asleep at all. He listens to Takemichi's soft, steady breaths, like a small cat's. Kazutora tilts his head slightly to gaze at Takemichi's sleeping face, taking in his long lashes, the bridge of his nose, and then his lips, where Kazutora's eyes linger for a long time. He raises his hand, tempted to touch, but becomes aware of his actions and pulls back. His gaze is completely captivated by the image before him. So peaceful, like a small animal.

Suddenly, Takemichi shifts, wrapping his arms around Kazutora like he would at home with a body pillow, even throwing his leg over him. Kazutora instantly freezes as their bodies press closely together, Takemichi's scent enveloping him even more strongly. The warmth from Takemichi's body is now even more intense. His soft breath brushes against Kazutora, making him feel itchy, but he dares not move, afraid to wake him. Kazutora covers his flushed face with his hand, feeling tortured by the situation.

He looks down at Takemichi, who is sleeping soundly, unaware of how much he's making Kazutora suffer. Kazutora gently nuzzles his cheek against Takemichi's hair, filling his senses with the minty scent.

"You're so mean," he mutters softly, unsure if Takemichi hears him, but the boy snuggles even closer as if in protest. Kazutora lets out a resigned laugh. Heart, please stop beating so fast, or you'll wake him up.

"Takemichi, do you think I'll ever have a place beside you like Baji and Chifuyu do?"

About an hour later, Takemichi's mom arrives to see her son and his friend tangled together in a mess. Takemichi has his leg draped over Kazutora, while Kazutora, with one arm in a cast, has the other arm resting across Takemichi's chest. The blanket is half on the bed, half on the floor, and they're so close to falling off the bed. She shakes her head.

"Wake up, you two! What kind of sleeping position is that?"