amperor | INBOX (labyrinthum)

[All things considered, Ken had been wondering how Akihiko was doing. Now that things have cleared up, he had to make sure if his senpai was okay. Looking around, he entered into the area before looking downward.]

Uh....Sanada-san, how are you doing?

[ Akihiko is taking a break for now - what, you thought he would let a couple wounds stop him from helping people - when Ken approaches. Immediately, Akihiko sits up a little more, and he gives Ken a small smile. ]

I'm okay. How are you doing?

[ He hasn't forgotten what happened, though the details are jumbled up. He knows he attacked Ken. ]

I’m doing fine. I’m more worried about you.

[Because looking at his wounds, he could tell that it hurt a lot more than it looked.]

Are you sure you’re going to be okay?

I will be.

[ He shrugs one shoulder and then the other, gamely not wincing at all. ]

Shinji healed up the worst of it, and I've fought with more severe wounds. That's why I'm taking it easy right now.

[ He pats the spot next to him if Ken wants to sit too. ]

[He wasn't going to argue with that. As he sat next to Akihiko, all Ken could do was mumble a little.]

...Sorry, I didn't expect to fight you like that.

You don't have anything to apologize for, Ken.

[ His voice is serious when he says it. He's not good with this kind of thing, but he reaches out to rest his hand on top of Ken's head. ]

I attacked you first - and I was the one who transformed as well. I'd say I wished you had run away instead of trying to fight, but you and Haru-san saved me, so I can't exactly complain about that.

[Even though he knew he had nothing to apologize for, it still felt like he need to. It was his senpai after all. He couldn't do that to him.]

I know but...it's the polite thing to do, right? That's what my mother always told me.

[ That makes him pause, a little - makes him want to press why Ken thinks he'd apologize. It's something his mother taught him, though. He tries to put himself in Ken's shoes; if he had to fight Ken off because he was transformed, he'd likely apologize too.

So, Akihiko takes a small breath and ruffles Ken's hair a little. ]

In that case, I accept the apology. If it needs to be said, too, I forgive you about it.

I wasn't expecting you to forgive me, I just wanted to do what was the right thing.

[He said with a mumble or two as he felt Akihiko's hand on his head.]

Besides, I can't let you be trapped in that thing either. That's not what teammates are supposed to do.

I'm glad I'm not stuck in it anymore.

[ He lowers his hand back to the ground, giving Ken a break. He doesn't really want to talk about what it was like. It was eerily similar to the focus he got before a match, shutting out everything other than the upcoming fight. Instead of being a point of pride, though, it'd been about infecting others.

He doesn't know if he succeeded in dragging anyone else away and was only stopped at Ken. Specific memories are hard, and he doesn't want to look too closely at them yet. ]

[At first, Ken didn't say anything and let the silence do the talking. He knew that his teammate was from the future and that he was no longer holding back on anything. Meanwhile here Ken was, still trying to figure out how to move on with his life.

And yet, it feels like he should say something...]

May I ask something, Sanada-san? What happens in the future? After Aragaki-san's death, what happens?

[ Akihiko is silent, at first. If Ken looks at him, he'll see that his brows are drawn down, his lips pressed tightly together - a pensive look that he's likely seen on Sanada before. Finally, he speaks. ]

The Kirijo group covered it up - all anyone else knows is that Shinji was at the wrong place at the wrong time in Port Island and died as a result of his wounds. They held a memorial service at Gekkoukan the next day.

[ A memorial service that Akihiko avoided, but attended later. ]

I realized all my strength and training had meant nothing to protecting the people most important to me. That I had to do better going forward, and end the dark hour.

I asked.... Shinji, and my sister, to watch over us.

[ Perhaps Akihiko's problems weren't what Ken was asking about, but he shares it anyways. ]

You ran away from the dorm the day of his memorial. Spent the night out on the streets, and I found you at Port Island the next day. I told you the dead were never coming back; that it was your choice to rot and fade away, or that you could move forward for the people we'd lost. I walked away to wait you out.

[ It's similar to the conversation they had here. A little more harsh, perhaps, which is why Akihiko admits that he'd walked away after the conversation. ]

I don't know exactly what decision you made, but you came back to the dorms with me, and your persona had changed, just like mine had. Everyone was worried when we arrived, but you were allowed to stay with SEES. We spent a lot more time together - training, studying. You even showed me and Minato how to make coffee.

Before we fought the last Shadow... we both visited Port Island again. You said you wanted to live a life you could tell Shinji about and be proud of.

[ He exhales. ]

I don't know if you want to hear the rest of it. It's not good. But if you want, I'll tell you. You're owed that much.

Are you doing well, Akihiko-kun?

INBOX (labyrinthum)

Action - After the intense event

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me playing through december like. MY POOR BOYS

Crrawwwlliinnnggg in my skkiiinnnn

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text | un: garden05 (after event)