Chapter Text
With time, understanding comes to us all. And that understanding can lead to either inner peace or complete emptiness. Nothing can protect us from the overwhelming feeling of worthlessness. Deep down, we are all still children who were punished with silence by their parents for the slightest transgression. Humans are inherently social creatures and need support.
But he couldn't get any.
Time continued to pass on the island of madness. All the Ultimates had long been immersed in the relaxed atmosphere of these beaches, lost in their own relaxation... but he wasn't. The Ultimate Mechanic rarely left his cottage except to get supplies from the store, and even then, he made sure no one saw him. Kazuichi Souda tried to erase his existence for everyone, as if he had never been there. Days, weeks, even months went by, but the guy never showed up. Like a missing person! Yet everyone knew perfectly well where he was. They knew and ignored him.
Infatuation can't last forever. Especially if your love was just your fantasy. There was nothing there: no feelings, nothing else.
This love is just an empty shell.
Gradually, the others started to worry about the Ultimate Mechanic. Specifically, because in order to escape the increasingly tiresome island, they needed to collect all the Hope Fragments. He was the only one left. With a game of rock-paper-scissors, the students of Class 77-B (and Hajime) chose someone responsible for rescuing the unfortunate guy from his hovel. To her great dismay, the Ultimate Gymnast, Akane Owari, lost. It wasn't clear if it was due to her lack of seriousness or her general stupidity.
"Come on, guys! How can you send ME to that psycho? If you wanna get out of here, then YOU get that sicko out of his cottage, you bastards! I'm doing just fine here," the loser protested. She was ready to tear apart the poor dining hall/meeting room.
"We'll ask Hanamura to make you something delicious if you bring him back," Mahiru said with unwavering seriousness, glaring at the Ultimate Cook to stifle his inevitable objections.
"Oh! Now you're talking! What do you want me to do? Do I need to beat the crap out of him?" The girl was invigorated by her classmate's words. She was ready to do anything for food.
Owari had to be calmed down and then released towards the Ultimate Sharp-Toothed's cottage. Reluctantly, the gymnast trudged to the hotel cottage with the needed guy's face on the mailbox. Three strong knocks on the door.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
As expected. Silence. The knocking intensified, joined by Akane's furious shouts:
"You damn goat! Get out of that freaking house, or I'll beat your face in! My fists are already—"
But before the girl could finish her angry monologue, the door opened. Standing before Owari was a heavily hunched-over guy, his hair was completely disheveled, his face was pale, with dark circles under his eyes.
"Um... Hello, I guess. They told me to drag you out of here. Come with me, I'm asking nicely for now," The gymnast was initially taken aback by the appearance of this usually vibrant person, but she spoke anyway, because a delicious meal was on the line, "I'll seriously suffer if you don't come out!"
"Why should I believe you?" The guy in front of her replied quietly and painfully.
"Well, because! They'll leave me without dinner! You know how cruel these bastards—"
And again she was interrupted, but this time by the slamming of the door.
"You have absolutely no heart, you jerk!"
Why. Why do you all need this? What do you want from me? Why can't you just leave me alone here? I don't want to see you. Just forget that I exist.
!No. I can't, Kazuichi, I love you!
Once again, terrible hallucinations overwhelmed the Ultimate Mechanic. More than anything, he wished he could be... Needed. By someone... Even him. His worst enemy and eternal rival - Gundham Tanaka.