Part 7 – Recovery & Warmth
Haruto stirred, eyes fluttering open. His chest rose steadily. A faint cough escaped him once… then again.
"…I'm hungry," he said, voice low but clear. "…Let's go."
Dr. Ken shook his head slightly. "No. You cannot leave right now. Wait for a while, stabilize fully first."
Raizen's eyes lit up, and with a burst of energy, he shot out of the room.
Moments later, the medical wing emptied. All students, medics, and visitors had left, leaving only Akari, Renjiro, Dr. Ken, Ayame, Kaito, Haruto—and Raizen, who returned moments after, carrying several packed bowls.
He set them down carefully in front of everyone. "Miso ramen. For all of you," he said with a grin. "And one for me too."
Haruto reached for his bowl, and the rest followed. Steam rose, mingling with the faint antiseptic smell that still lingered.
They ate together quietly at first.
Then the conversation picked up, soft and warm, laughter threading between the sips of broth and bites of noodles.
For a moment, the tension faded.
For now, the fight, the exhaustion, the training—all of it was behind them.
And in the quiet warmth of the medical wing, with bowls emptied and energy returning, they simply ate.
And that was enough.