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“Good god, Higuchi!” Shimura wasn’t sure why he was so surprised, but he had been hoping there’d be less reason for him to worry. “Even not counting what we just went over – we don’t need to be nursing injuries!”

He wasn’t angry so much as he was worried; he had no idea exactly how long it had been since this had happened, nor the state Namikawa was actually in. He was younger than either of them, and already crippled as it was. Shimura was sure he’d been coping with the situation worst out of all of them, and getting his teeth knocked out wouldn’t help, even if he had sustained worse injuries in the past.

“Where were you when you punched him? I’m going to look.”

It took Kyosuke a moment to recognize the earnestness of Shimura’s intent - the initial declaration of it seeming foolish or overdramatized. I told you - he’s not in serious pain. Can’t he take care of himself? However, when he had adjusted to the idea that their conversation was over, his back sloped slightly in preparation to see the other off.

“Do what you like ...” he muttered finally. “There’s nothing really wrong with him.”

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She nodded. “Absolutely. I believe I can be useful to the Development department, I did inherit my father’s knack for influencing people after all.” She attempted to joke lightly. “But, I’m not there yet, it’s only been a few days.”

“There’s … not any use dwelling on the past anymore, is there?” Although posed as an question, the thought was already set in his head. Shimura turned the slightest bit, studying over the horizon. The sky stretched, open and wide as it always was, blocked only slightly by the trees that grew in far more hospitable frequency than he would have expected from a place used for this purpose.

“I’m guilty of it, too … but you could probably see that. I’m trying to work on it, myself.”

It suddenly struck the man to worry about their third companion, and he looked back toward Higuchi, a frown etching itself onto his face. “How … how hard did you punch Namikawa, anyway?“

Kyosuke’s grin returned slowly and he shifted his stance to hide the extent of it. Not now. It would do for him to minimize the extent of his enjoyment after the exchange the two men had just had. In fact ... maybe it would be beneficial for him exert himself for a greater period than that.

But in the end, it depends on the fucking brat himself. Shimura as nothing to do with it. It’s not right. It’s not his responsibility.

“From you? Not much,” he finally replied, turning fully to face Higuchi and raising his eyes to meet the other man’s. “At least, I don’t think it’s very much. A bit of guilt, maybe. Acknowledgement that you’ve … mistreated me. A resolution to make sure we move forward rather than backward.”

The man didn’t expect that his companion had much dignity left, not after all that had happened, so it only made sense that he’d want to salvage what pride he had left, especially around other people. Nonetheless, pride wasn’t going to get them anywhere now, as if it ever had; hopefully Higuchi could at least comply with this much.

He really does know exactly what he wants ... in a way, it struck him as strange and amusing that Shimura would produce such a list; nonetheless, he once again mastered his own initial reaction, trying to reckon instead with whether or not these requested items could be procured for the other, and whether or not it was his obligation to procure them. His demeanor remained wary.

“Not much,” Kyosuke repeated meditatively, wetting his lip. “Right. ... Right. Well, like you said,” he straightened up further, his angular frame less imposing than it was ragged, “There’s no use going backward.”

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That’s right – he won’t hurt me. He can’t. Not anymore.

“… I know.” The man sighed heavily, his rage having subsided to weariness as he turned partially back to face Higuchi. “I wasn’t trying to insinuate that you were a traitor … I wasn’t referring to you specifically. … I know you won’t hurt me, but I’m not convinced you wouldn’t if you had the chance. I’m not going to try to gain any sort of approval from you. If anything, it should be the other way around.”

Kyosuke slowly lowered his hands to his sides, unaware they had been raised in a gesture almost supplicatory. In the back of his stomach, a strange sensation of shame began to rise as he realized how cowardly his actions must have seemed to the other man - something which had certainly never happened before - yet all the same, he was relieved to find Shimura’s demeanor becoming less violent.

“The o-other way around ...” he repeated the phrasing in a combination of incredulity and derision, quickly stopping himself from saying anything further in that strain of thought.