After the fight between Izuru and headmaster Endo ended with an absolute defeat for the former, Minami carried Izuru across dark and empty areas of the city by putting his right arm around her neck. It was a long process that took more than an hour, because of the difference in weight between the two and Minami's lack of strength, but also because of a lack of cooperation from Izuru. If she had left him at the parking lot and run away, he'd understand.

But eventually, they arrived at her home, where she dropped him on the yellow couch in the living room and began panting.

"I live alone so he won't be here. You're probably hungry, right? I-i'll go make dinner." Minami said, running off to the kitchen, but was stopped by a question.

"Why?" Izuru asked.

"W-what do you mean..."

"You know what I mean... It's all true. Nothing of what he said was a lie... I actually did that. I beated Nijimura-san's brother when we were in middle school. Even after my knuckles were a mess from so much hitting, I kept going... And then I used Ryuuga's power and the power of those he knew to cover everything up. What your father said was true, I am a violent berserker." Izuru admitted, looking down on his lap. "So why did you bring me here...?"

Minami bit her bottom lip and walked back to Izuru.

"I'm as terrible of a person as your father said I-"

The pink haired girl raised her hand and swung it across Izuru's face, making him look up to her.

"M-mina-"

"Shut up... Who cares about what you did...? You aren't like that anymore..."

"But I attacked your-"

"Stop calling him my father!" She exclaimed. "Endo Mitsuaki isn't worthy of being called that! That thing isn't my father, he's just something that pays for my expenses, nothing more! You only raised your hand against him because he pushed your buttons, it's all his fault, not yours! I know the Izuru I met that day... I know you're well past that berserker crap! I want to believe you are!" She cried. "S-so who cares if you beat up Nijimura-san's brother or Ban or Endo or whoever... That isn't who you are now... Right?"

Izuru remained silent and frowned.

"Answer me!"

"I... I don't know... I don't know! I keep ignoring that past and acting like an innocent fool, like someone who can protect Heiwa, but I don't know!" Izuru cried, looking down. "I didn't mean for it to end like it did... That guy, he bullied Tate... And I happened to find the two alone... A-and Airi tried to stop me and Tate tried to stop me but I just kept hitting him and hitting him... B-but I didn't want for his family to be destroyed.... I didn't want to ruin Airi's life! But my dream of one day protecting Heiwa... And then I used Ryuuga and everyone else... And I try and try to avoid fighting but the next thing I know my fist is into someone's gut already! And I keep messing up and messing up and then just lying about it! S-so, I don't know!"

"It's okay..." Minami muttered, sitting next to Izuru and grabbing his hand. "It's okay..."

After eating the dinner Minami made, and taking a bath with her help because of struggling to stay up for long after all the blows against his body done by the headmaster, Izuru laid on the bed of a guest room on the house, looking out at the gleaming full moon from an open window.

"How tacky..." He chuckled, looking at the dark red shirt with the word "BUSTER" written on the front, that Minami had found lying around from him to wear.

But his eyes turned dark as he remembered of a time before the incident with Nijimura's brother, of meeting with a beautiful high school girl with light blue eyes and a long dark purple hair on a park, and of her calling out his name.

"Izuru!" The first call, one of happiness for seeing him.

"I-izuru!" The second call, one of flusteredness.

"IZURU!" And the third, one of horror for what she saw.

'Airi, the pain I caused you... Just how many lives will that day keep ruining...' Izuru thought, staring up at the ceiling.

"I-izuru?" Minami said, knocking on the door from outside.

"Hm? Come in, it's your house."

"N-no, I just wanted to see if you were doing alright..." She said, opening the door just enough to lookg into the room.

"Don't worry, I'm better now." He answered with a small smile. "It still hurts like hell, but it hurts less."

"T-that's good..."

"What about you?" Izuru asked.

"I-i'm fine... I'm just having some trouble sleeping, s-so..."

"Here." He said, moving to the left side of the bed and leaving the right side open to be used.

"N-no, there's a futon on the wardrobe s-so-"

"Then I'll just take the whole bed for myself."

"F-fine!"

Minami rushed across the room and into the covers with the max of her speed, to avoid being seen on the white sleeping shorts and sleeveless shirt she wore when sleeping.

"T-there, I'm in..."

"How do you sleep in that?"

"My bed is warm... B-but this is warmer." Minami muttered, looking away from Izuru.

"R-right... I, huh... I'm sorry... About that day on the park. I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I was blinded by an earlier fight and just took it out on you without any good reason..."

"It's fine... I'm... Also sorry, for today..." She said, turning to face him. "E-endo... Endo started to use our friendship after he took notice of it... I'm sorry for not doing anything against it before..."

"It's alright." Izuru said, turning to face her aswell.

"D-don't look at me like that..." Minami muttered, deviating her eyes from his as a deep resh blush spread across her face. "T-that person... That person I said I want to reunite it by learning how to play Vanguard again... Is my sister. Some months after my mother left, probably because of Endo's antics, I came down with a strong fever and had to be taken to the hospital. There he met a doctor who was divorced and had a daughter of her own. They got married at some time after and we all lived in this house as a big happy family, but one day, they got seperated because of him... Sumireko and her daughter moved away and I never saw them again, while Endo moved to an apartment to live by himself, while paying for my expenses while I stayed in this house... I-i really miss her... I kept going and going to that hospital to find her, but they always told me Sumireko didn't work there anymore."

"Then let's find her." Izuru said, grabbing Minami's hand. "Together. Let's find this Sumireko."

"Mhm." Minami nodded, showing him a small smile, before she moved closer and slowly pressed her lips against his. "S-sorry..."

"N-no." Izuru shook his head. "It's fine."

"T-then... I-i'm going to do it again..." Minami muttered, kissing him softly again and again.

"Of course, I already knew where this Sumreiko was. I knew who this Sumireko was. Her change from a big hospital to a small neighbourhood clinic, her failed marriage, everything began to make sense. This is only left the question about who her daughter was. I already knew she was in Heiwa, and Minami probably knew too, but never found the courage to face her."

In the following morning, Izuru returned to the Sawada household, with Minami by his side in case he need help again out of still being in the recovery proceess of the fight. Their walk came to an end as they arrived at the gate of the Sawada household.

"D-do you want to come in?" Izuru asked. "Y'know, have tea or something. No wait, I can't make tea... How does coffee- No wait, I almost broke the machine last time..."

"It's fine." Minami giggled. "Just get better fast, 'kay?"

"Yeah, I will." He chuckled. "A-about last night-"

"D-don't worry about it, it was just some heat of the moment thing. You already know how I feel about you... But you have your own things before you love someone, probably... So I'll just keep doing what I do best and stand by your side." Minami said with a smile.

"Thanks, Minami." Izuru said. "I appreciate it. Really."

"Although... I'm not going to call you Sec-chan anymore. So... Is Izu-chan alright?"

"...let's pray she didn't hear you." Izuru muttered, his eyes filled with despair.

"A-ah?!"

"Long story short, only my mom calls me that and she's super defensive about it, s-so just get something else! She literally body slammed my brother when he asked her to pay for his wedding back in high school, I'm not ready to be her next victim because of someone else calling me that!"

"H-huh, what about Izu-kun?!"

"T-that works!"

"A-alright then, get better soon, Izu-kun!" Minami exclaimed, slapping him on the back and accidently pushing him into the floor beyond the front gate. "A-ah, I-i'm sorry!"

"It's fine, I'm fine!" Izuru said, jumping back onto his two feet. "See you tomorrow, Minami."

"You too, Izu-kun!" Minami smiled.

Upon entering the empty house, Izuru dropped his bag on the entrance hall and leaned against the door, sighing in relaxation until a knock on the door caught his attention.

"Did she actually come for coffee?" Izuru muttered under his breath and opened the door.

On the other side stood a tall and handsome young man with dark brown eyes and a dark red hair that would typically reached the bottom of his neck if he didn't kept it tied. He wore black shoes with black formal pants, a white shirt under a black blazer that was then under a dark red trench coat, with a yellowish scarf over his shoulders.

"A beautiful young girl walked away from here while you walked back into the house... You crazy dog, you actually brought a girl over, little- Eek!"

His words, however, were cut short by Izuru pulling an Endo on him and ramming his right fist deep enough into his chest to knock the air out of him and make his following words sound like a deflating balloon. The young red haired man fell back on the floor, writhing in pain while looking up at the displeased glare of his attacker, who slammed the door closed on his face.

"Ah, right. That guy is my older brother."