"We'll investigate it tomorrow. You can go home now, Ana — your soup's waiting," Izumi said with a soft smile.
Ana chuckled. "Thanks. I hope it's still warm." She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the door.
Just as she stepped outside, her phone rang. It was Aoshi.
"Hey Ana, me and Kiyoshi are at your house right now. We asked your parents where you were and they said you went to a friend's house… with your laptop," Aoshi said.
"Oh… yeah. I'm heading back now. Why are you at my house anyway?" Ana asked casually.
"What? Kiyoshi said you agreed to meet at your place — we wanted to ask if you've seen Izumi lately."
Ana sighed. "That dumbass didn't even call me. Tell Kiyoshi I'm gonna kick his ass when I get home. And about Izumi… I have something to tell you."
She ended the call and left Ren's house.
---
Scene shifts back to Ren's home, where Izumi and Ren are checking on Kenji.
"You alright?" Izumi asked.
"Yeah… just a fever. Izumi, tell me — are the others safe?" Kenji asked weakly.
Izumi froze. Naomi's death still weighed heavy on him. He didn't want to break Kenji's spirit, especially not when he was already ill.
"Sota's fine… and Naomi… she's okay too," Izumi lied.
Kenji smiled faintly. "I'm glad. Have you been investigating everything while I was gone?"
"Yeah. I've been looking for you… and trying to figure out what they're after," Izumi replied.
"Don't," Kenji said suddenly, eyes serious. "Don't put yourself in danger. It's not our job to stop them from killing people."
"But I'm already too deep into this. I can't walk away now. I need to know why they killed our friends," Izumi said.
"Asahi, you mean? Yeah… her death still hurts. It was too tragic," Kenji muttered.
Ren quietly stepped out to give them space and headed downstairs. She brewed herself a cup of coffee and later sat on the balcony, cooling off from the weight of the conversation.
"You know," she called up to Izumi, "you can always back out. You don't have to carry this all alone."
---
Later that night, Izumi wandered through the bustling city streets. He had informed his parents he was coming home, and Kenji had also left for his own place. As Izumi moved past a crowded area, someone suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.
"Izumi… why?" the figure asked in a low voice.
The man wore a hoodie and kept his head down, but as he looked up, Izumi recognized him — it was Kiyoshi.
"Why don't you trust us, huh?" Kiyoshi said, eyes narrowed.
"What are you talking about?" Izumi asked, confused.
"Ana told us everything. You're trying to stop a bombing — why didn't you tell us?"
"I… I just didn't want to drag you and Aoshi into danger," Izumi said.
Kiyoshi stepped closer. "So what — you're fine with being eaten alive by danger while we sit on the sidelines? Stopping a bombing isn't something you can do alone, Izumi. We can help. Or… do you see us as a burden?"
Izumi's gaze dropped. "No, I never thought of you guys that way. If anything… I'm the burden."
Kiyoshi grabbed his shoulder. "Don't do that. I'm not asking you to carry this guilt. I'm just saying — stop moving alone. Trust the people who've been through hell with you."
Then, he reached into his bag and pulled something out.
"Here. It's your cube — you left it at Raidon's hotel that day. Meet me at my house tomorrow. We'll plan how to stop the bombing together."
Izumi took the cube. It lit up in a soft blue glow, reacting to its rightful owner.
"…Alright. I'm sorry for trying to handle everything by myself," Izumi said quietly.
"Don't do it again. Oh, and one more thing — Raidon put some gamma gems in the cube. He said it should last about five weeks max," Kiyoshi added.
They parted ways, each heading home under the quiet night sky.
---
Late that night, Izumi arrived home.
"Ah, Izumi, you're back!" his parents greeted warmly. "How was it, staying over at your friend's house? Did you have fun?"
"Yeah," Izumi said with a tired but genuine smile. "It was nice."
His parents beamed, happy to see their son slowly healing from the trauma of the Narita Mall tragedy. He climbed the stairs to his room, quietly gripping the cube in his hand.