Kamijou wanted to go back to this dorm and sleep, but Misuzu said he was bleeding too much to ignore, so he ended up having to call an ambulance. It was a bit pathetic, but these medical fees and hospital expenses were a major reason his finances were in such a bad state.
At the moment, he was being taken to the ambulance on a stretcher. Misuzu was standing with a white-helmeted rescue worker when she suddenly looked over at Kamijou.
"It seems Academy City really isn't safe. Although, I suppose it's the same in any city. I wonder if there's anywhere in this country where a parent can raise her child without having to worry."
The noise of the stretcher's wheels was so loud, Kamijou could barely hear her.
"…The truth is, I came here to take Mikoto-chan away."
Even so, those words rang oddly clear in Kamijou's ears.
Misuzu closed her eyes partially.
"Things are getting dangerous with that war starting after all. They said on the news that Academy City was safer than any other city in the country, but I could just take her overseas, right? Well, leaving my college studies would be a problem, but you could say it would just be an extended break from school. I don't care if I have to repeat the same year again. I'm not ready to quit yet though, so I was serious about having a report I need to get done."
After saying all that, she smiled.
It seemed to come out naturally as she looked at Kamijou's face.
"But I'm not worried anymore."
Before Kamijou could ask why, she continued.
"Basically, this problem is like the one that boy from before had. No matter how far you run, there's no safe place. And the feelings of one person there can greatly change things. So instead of moving Mikoto-chan somewhere else, she may be safer having someone like you by her side."
They had arrived at the ambulance. As the legs holding up the stretcher were folded up, Kamijou felt a slight vibration in his back.
The ambulance must have been about to leave.
Misuzu must have thought so too, because she finished speaking in a hurried voice.
"In other words, if you all and people like you protect Mikoto-chan, there's no problem."
The stretcher Kamijou was lying on was put on the ambulance.
At first, Kamijou just listened to Misuzu ramble on, but then he frowned.
(You "all"…?)
Before he could bring that question to his lips, the ambulance's back doors were slammed shut and the ambulance, along with its siren, started.