Renegades: Battlegrounds.-Chapter 46: Dawn

Third Floor, Room 347

2:18 PM

Ren stood outside Aoi’s hospital room, his hand hovering over the door handle.

He had been there for three minutes. Maybe longer. Long enough that the decision should’ve made itself.

It didn’t.

Through the small window in the door, he could see her lying in bed—pale, bandages wrapped around her head, her left arm suspended in a cast atop stacked pillows.

Beside her sat Hana, holding her sister’s uninjured hand. Near the window stood an older woman—their mother, had to be—standing near the window, sunlight catching her tired face.

They looked like a family. Complete. And Ren was the reason they’d almost lost that.

"I can’t do this. " He thought. "I can’t face them. "

"What do I even say? "Sorry your daughter almost died because I made enemies with a biker gang? "

"No. No. " He turned to leave but the door opened.

He nearly collided with Aoi’s mother as she stepped into the hallway.

She stopped short, then really looked at him. Took in the exhaustion in his eyes. The bloodstained shirt he still hadn’t changed. The way he held himself like he was carrying something impossibly heavy.

"You’re Ren, aren’t you?"

Ren froze. "Yes, ma’am."

She studied him for a long moment.

Then she bowed. Deeply. Formally. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

Ren’s mind went blank. "I—I mean, it was my fault she—"

She straightened, her voice firm but kind. "The doctors told us everything. If you hadn’t been there, if you hadn’t fought off those men, if you hadn’t kept pressure on her wound..."

Her voice wavered. "We would’ve lost her."

"But she got hurt because of me," he insisted. "They came back because I—"

"They came back because they’re bad people who do bad things," she said, gently but without hesitation. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You tried to stop them."

She stepped aside and gestured toward the room. "Please. Come in. Aoi has been asking about you."

Ren entered reluctantly, feeling like an intruder.

The room was small but clean, afternoon sunlight spilling through the window. Flowers sat on the bedside table—probably from Hana.

Aoi turned her head when she saw him and smiled weakly. "Ren. You came."

Ren approached the bed carefully, like she might break if he moved too fast. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a motorcycle."

She tried to laugh and immediately winced from the pain.

"Don’t make jokes. " Hana said from her chair. "You scared us."

"Sorry," Aoi murmured, then looked back at Ren. "You saved me. Again."

"You got hurt because of me."

She shook her head. "No. I got hurt because bad people did bad things. You tried to stop them."

She reached out with her good hand. Ren took it gently. It was warm. Fragile. "Thank you, Ren."

"I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough," Ren said.

"You were strong enough. " Aoi replied. "You’re still here. I’m still here. That’s what matters."

Hana’s mother moved closer, standing beside Ren. "Ren, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, ma’am."

"Why did you fight?" She asked. "You could’ve run. Called the police. Stayed safe."

"I... couldn’t just watch."

"Because it was the right thing to do?"

"I guess."

The mother smiled—sad but understanding. "My late husband used to say, ’Doing the right thing often hurts. But not doing it hurts worse.’"

She looked at both daughters. "He was a police officer. He died in the line of duty when Hana was young."

Ren’s chest tightened. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t be," she said softly. "He chose to protect people, knowing the cost. Just like you did."

Her hand rested on Ren’s shoulder again—warm, grounding. "Just promise me you’ll be smarter about it. Get help. Don’t face danger alone."

"I promise."

Ren stayed for twenty more minutes. Small talk. Aoi asking him about school, Ren lying and saying everything was fine.

Finally, Hana’s mother suggested Aoi should rest. The pain medication was making her drowsy anyway.

Ren said goodbyes, promising to visit again. He wasn’t sure if he meant it or if it was just something people said.

He stepped into the hallway.

"Ren. Wait."

Ren turned. Hana stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"I didn’t do it just because she was your sister," He said.

"I know. " She nodded. "She texted me yesterday. Said some guy named Ren saved her from bikers. Said he was kind."

Her eyes filled with tears. She wiped at them. "I was going to thank you at school today. Then I got the call she was in the hospital. "

"Hana, I—"

"The doctors say she’ll recover. Broken arm. Concussion. Could’ve been worse." She met his gaze. "Could’ve been dead if you weren’t there."

"But she’s hurt because of me. They came back because I fought them."

"No," she said quietly. "She’s alive because of you. There’s a difference."

She wiped her eyes again, composing herself. "I should go. Mom’s waiting."

She turned toward the door, then stopped at the door.

"Two years ago," she said softly, without looking back, "I almost died because of Sakuratei."

Ren’s blood went cold. "What?"

"Different time. Different circumstances. But I swore I’d never trust gang members again."

She finally looked at him. Something complicated flickered in her eyes. "You’re making that difficult."

She went back into the room before Ren could respond, leaving him standing in the hallway.

"Two years ago? 2003? "

"What happened? "

By the time Ren had made it to the Hospital main entrance it was already evening. The sun was low on the horizon, painting everything gold and orange.

Ren finally left the hospital. He had spent hours wandering around the empty corridors, places where thinking was unavoidable. Trying to process everything.

Hana caught up to him again near the entrance. "You’re meeting Hasegawa tonight, aren’t you?"

Ren stopped walking. "How did you—"

"I’m not stupid," she said. "Matsuno visited you. You’ve been distracted all day. The deadline has definitely passed. "

She hesitated. "Are you going to join Sakuratei?"

"I don’t know yet."

"If you do," she said quietly, "Promise me you won’t become like the others. Don’t lose yourself in that world. "

"I’ll try."

"That’s all I ask."

She looked at him seriously, the same look she had given him on his first day when she grabbed his hand. Protective. Worried. But something else now too.

Trust, maybe. Or hope.

"And Ren?" Hana added. "Thank you. For saving my sister. Both times."

"I just wish I’d been better at it."

"You were good enough," she said. "Sometimes that’s all we can be."

She went back inside.

Ren stood at the entrance, watching the sun dip behind Yugen City. Cherry blossoms drifted past in the evening breeze.

"Good enough. " He thought. "Is that really all I can be?"

He started walking. Toward home. Toward the choice waiting for him on that rooftop.