“Our fight brought us to a high staircase,” Akari explains. “And she… kicked me down.”

“Oy, is that Hirose?!”

“Oh, shit! Someone call an ambulance!”

Akira gasps with trembling lips. He holds Akari’s palm firmer, without even realizing it.

“When I made it to the bottom,” Akari murmurs, “I was quickly losing consciousness, under unimaginable pain. I broke an arm and a leg. And when I woke up later in the hospital, my auntie was beside me in tears.”

“A-Akari… That’s enough… Please, no more…”

“In the end,” Akari continues, “even though we both worked, we didn’t have a lot of money. My family was always on the poorer side. Of course, neither did we have good health insurance. Because of my foolishness, my aunt paid a fortune. The strife I caused her was enough to get me back to my senses.”

Akari remembers herself in a wheelchair, casts over leg and arm. Depressed yet determined to make things right, as she stared out the window with her aunt beside her, she softly proclaimed, “Auntie… I’ll stop fighting.”

And thus, Aya embraced her with tears of bittersweet relief.

“But of course, it wasn’t that easy,” Akari says, back in the present. “Granted, I was injured for the rest of the academic year, so people left me alone. Then the summer came, and that was relatively quiet too. I recovered then, and started full-time work hours to support my aunt and I. But then the new year came, and I was a target once again. I did my best, but I couldn’t always avoid the punches. And that enigmatic girl who injured me a few months back… was nowhere to be seen. That was the only miracle there. Where she went was unconfirmed, but rumor had it that she dropped out of school… in pursuit of a criminal lifestyle.

“As I resisted more and more against my persistent peers, I began to realize something: other people terrified me. I don’t even mean their behavior, but rather their bodies. I came to greatly fear the germs of others, especially their fluids. I would feel an overwhelming urge to wash myself and my clothes whenever someone else touched me. I used to be utterly apathetic towards those things, but once I returned to my senses…

“In retrospect, I was always obsessive-compulsive. Believe it or not, even as a delinquent, I was a student adored by her teachers, with excellent grades. I spent a lot of time and energy on schoolwork, far too much. I’d always wanted to do my best as a student, for my aunt’s sake. Even still, I fought so much like a blind fool…

“After my injury, my OCD became my greatest burden. I studied and studied and studied; I couldn’t stop. I wanted to help people, but without fighting, my aunt was the only person I could serve.

“I became a coward. I would witness bullying, but what could I do? If I fought, I’d upset my aunt. Besides, those bodies…

“Whenever I ran away, my heart would ache. Tears would flow.

“Whenever I fought to save another, my heart was soothed, but my word was broken. What’s more, I’d see my own body as a biohazard.

“But that contaminated body… was still the strongest. The choice was painful, but clear. I started with quick, decisive action—interfering in fights to remove the victim as soon as possible—but there were a lot of times where I had to lay low for the sake of my sanity. Regardless, I had a mission: expose myself to fights, and grow a tolerance, all to protect others. Of course, my aunt was not happy about this.”

“Did you not tell me you were going to stop fighting?! What the hell are you doing?!”

“Auntie… It’s not possible, not here. Am I… supposed to watch people get hurt, and do nothing about it? When I’m this strong myself?”

Aya froze, faced with Akari’s solemn words.

“We both knew,” Akari explains, “that after years of violence, the cycle would not end just because I wished it to. My aunt worried about my actions, but she didn’t stop me. She was at least grateful I had control over myself again.”

“Akari, please be careful.”

“And that was how my senior year went. My high school was actually pretty small; there weren’t many frail people compared to the strong. All things considered, it could’ve been worse. I used my final year as essential prep work for Northern Peak. As I sit here now, I’m far from over my germaphobia, but I can coexist with it.

“You’re probably wondering why I decided on Northern Peak of all places. Well, for most of my life, I thought I could never actually afford college. But Northern Peak offered me a full-ride scholarship, citing my academic achievements. My delinquency probably incentivized them as well. It was essentially, ‘Go to Northern Peak, or don’t go to college at all.’ My aunt had her reservations, given the school’s reputation. What’s more, certain parts of Northern Peak use dirty money. Should I really flirt with that world? My scholarship came from a legitimate donor, but it still worried us…

“Even so, I decided to go. My choice… terrified my aunt.”

“Auntie, this would be for the best.”

“Akari, promise me you won’t get into any fights over there!”

“Auntie,” Akari began, “I have to be blunt here. Ever since I woke up from my mindless rage, I’ve felt empty.”

“My aunt had wanted me to let go of the past, and become a normal girl,” Akari continues. “But instead, I became depressed. Guilt strangled my heart. I only thought about how I could atone for the years of senseless violence. For how much anguish I forced my aunt to endure. Ironically enough, such atonement would require putting my aunt through even more pain. But, somehow she came around to it. Because…”

“I’ve been scared of what would happen if I lost my strength,” Akari explained to her aunt, “so I’ve maintained it, nurtured it. But I still feel so tainted by the senseless violence of my past. Ultimately, I need to give my strength a purpose. I… need to protect others. For the guilt to go away, for me to move on, I need to atone for what I’ve done. I’ve used my final year here to coexist with my obsessions. If I go to the hellhole known as Northern Peak, I won’t be complicit in the suffering of the frail.”

“My aunt went silent. Even though she despised all the violence, she understood me too well. Later, she came to me and said…”

“You’re nearly an adult now, Akari. I’ll leave the choice to you. Just know… There won’t be a clear point where you’ll feel you’ve atoned enough. You won’t save one hundred people, and suddenly feel satisfied. However, I believe you'll still find your answer. You’ll meet the right people, and have the right experiences. I have faith you will.”

“If I am gravely injured again,” Akari said, “I’ll handle the bill. Even if I have to go into massive debt to do it, I’ll be sure it’s not your responsibility.”

Aya walked around the couch, and simply pat Akari on her shoulder. “No, it’s okay.” She smiled, standing behind her. “Akari, you’ve grown to become so mature and considerate.”

And with that, Akari shed tears.

“I’m so proud of you,” Aya continued with a gentle, earnest voice. “Whichever decision you make, I have confidence it’ll work out.”

“Auntie…” Akari completely broke down. “Why?! Why… have you never given up on me? I’ve been such a burden! Why… did you not just throw me into an orphanage that day?!”

And Aya embraced her. “You’re not a burden. You’re my brother’s child. He lives through you. And I know that, in Heaven, he and your mother are both incredibly proud of all the work you’ve done.”

Akari cried further within the warmth of words and hug, from her second mother.

“You’ve always been a wonderful child. You lost your way, but that doesn’t mean you became a burden. I understand why you closed yourself off. Don’t worry. I forgive you.”

“Thank you… Auntie…”

“And so,” Akari finishes, “here I am. I enrolled at Northern Peak University, with a mission to protect others.”