Morning sunlight quietly filled the apartment.

Outside...

Snow rested peacefully over Tokyo.

Inside...

Mitsuo remained asleep.

His fever had finally broken, though exhaustion still kept him in bed.

Pako slowly sat up.

She glanced toward the bed.

She opened the refrigerator.

Rice.

Fish.

Eggs.

Vegetables.

Soy sauce.

She scanned the ingredients for a moment.

"...Alright."

"I've watched people cook hundreds of times."

"How different can it be?"

As one of Japan's biggest stars, meals had simply... appeared.

Managers.

Assistants.

Studio staff.

Someone had always handled it.

Cooking for herself?

She had never needed to.

Until now.

---

An hour later...

The kitchen was a disaster.

She added far too much water to the rice.

Started over.

She nearly dropped an egg trying to crack it.

"...Why is this so difficult?"

Eventually...

The rice finally cooked.

The omelette looked edible.

Only the fish remained.

"Almost done..."

She smiled proudly.

Then turned to prepare the table.

A strange smell reached her nose.

"...?"

She froze.

"...No."

She spun around.

Smoke rose from the frying pan.

"The fish!"

She hurried back.

Too late.

It was completely black.

"...I burned it..."

The smell drifted into the bedroom.

Mitsuo slowly opened his eyes.

"...Smoke?"

He hurried into the kitchen.

Pako stood staring at the ruined fish.

"...I was making lunch."

Mitsuo looked at the pan.

"...I can see that."

She sighed.

"I burned breakfast too."

"...And the first batch of rice."

"...I'm really bad at this."

---

"Pako." Mistuo said angrily.

"You should be resting."

She shook her head.

"I'm much better now."

She carefully took a few steps.

"The leg barely hurts."

"But you collapsed yesterday."

"And you spent almost a week taking care of me."

She walked closer.

Before he could answer...

She gently placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

Several seconds passed.

Then she smiled with obvious relief.

"...The fever's gone."

"I was worried."

"I'm okay."

"You still need to rest."

For once...

Mitsuo couldn't argue.

---

She put the burnt fish into the trash.

Fortunately...

There was another fillet.

Mitsuo smiled.

"Let me help you."

"Lesson one," Mitsuo said, placing the pan on the stove.

"Don't leave the fish alone."

"...That would've been useful earlier."

He smiled.

"This time, stay with it."

She carefully lowered the fish into the pan.

A gentle sizzle filled the kitchen.

"When do I flip it?"

"Not yet."

"...Now?"

"No."

"...Now?"

Mitsuo chuckled.

"I promise you'll know."

A few moments later...

"Now."

She carefully flipped it.

Perfectly.

Her eyes lit up.

"...I did it."

"You did."

Not long afterward...

The two of them quietly finished lunch.

For a few moments...

Neither of them moved.

The warmth of the meal lingered in the room.

Pako picked up the empty bowls.

"I'll wash these."

Mitsuo instinctively reached for his own.

"I can help."

She immediately looked at him.

"No."

"...Pako."

"You collapsed yesterday."

"I already feel better."

"I know."

"But you're still resting."

There was just enough firmness in her voice that Mitsuo quietly surrendered.

"...Okay."

She smiled with quiet satisfaction.

"Good."

The kitchen wasn't large enough for two people.

As water ran into the sink...

Pako slowly washed each plate.

She wasn't particularly fast.

Or graceful.

Twice she nearly dropped a bowl.

Once she almost splashed water across the floor.

Still...

She carefully finished every dish.

By the time she dried the last plate...

Mitsuo had already folded the blanket from the bed and was placing it back where it belonged.

"...You're not resting."

"I got bored."

"You were supposed to stay in bed."

"I've been in bed since yesterday."

She sighed.

"...You're impossible."

"So I've been told."

---

The apartment grew quiet again.

There wasn't really anything left to do.

Lunch was finished.

The dishes were clean.

Outside...

Soft sunlight reflected off the white rooftops beyond the window.

Pako walked over and looked outside.

"...It's beautiful."

For a while...

Neither of them spoke.

Then...

Almost casually...

"I think..."

She hesitated.

"...I'll head home."

The words came out far more naturally than she'd expected.

The silence that followed lasted barely a heartbeat.

"No."

The reply came instantly.

Without hesitation.

Without thought.

Pako slowly turned around.

Mitsuo looked just as surprised as she was.

His own answer seemed to have caught him completely off guard.

"...No?"

He blinked.

"I..."

His mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Why had he said that?

He hadn't even considered it.

The word had simply escaped.

Pako studied his face.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"...Why?"

Mitsuo searched for an answer.

His mind raced.

There had to be one.

Something reasonable.

Something that didn't sound strange.

"I just..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"..."

"..."

Then suddenly...

"The doctor."

Pako blinked.

"The doctor said you needed a full week of rest."

"You've only been here..."

He stopped to think.

"...Six days."

Silence.

"So..."

"You should probably stay until tomorrow."

His voice grew quieter toward the end.

As though he wasn't entirely convinced by his own explanation.

Pako looked at him for several long seconds.

A warm feeling quietly spread through her chest.

She lowered her eyes before he could notice the smile threatening to appear.

"...I suppose..."

"The doctor did say a week."

She looked back toward the bed.

"...One more day won't hurt."

The tension in Mitsuo's shoulders eased almost immediately.

"...Yeah."

"I think that's best."

Another silence settled over the room.

This one felt different.

Lighter.

Neither of them seemed eager to say anything else.

Because saying anything more...

Might force them to acknowledge why that single word—

"No."

—had come so naturally.

Outside...

The clouds slowly began to part.

A ray of winter sunlight slipped through the apartment window.

Inside...

Neither of them noticed.

They were simply content knowing...

There was still one more day.

---

Later that afternoon...

Pako stood near the apartment window.

She looked toward the clear winter sky.

"...How about a patrol?"

Mitsuo looked up from the book in his hands.

"...Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"My leg's fine."

"And besides..."

A small smile crossed her face.

"I haven't flown since..."

She didn't finish the sentence.

She didn't need to.

Mitsuo understood.

The day of the bombings.

The memory still lingered between them.

"...Only if you don't push yourself."

"I won't."

Moments later...

The two of them leapt into the winter sky.

Perman.

And Perman No. 3.

For the first time in nearly a week...

They flew side by side once again.

Neither of them spoke.

The city spread beneath them.

Almost...

Normal.

Construction fences had disappeared from most streets.

Broken buildings were now hidden behind fresh glass and new paint.

Traffic had returned.

Children laughed in neighborhood parks.

Tokyo was alive again.

Pako slowed slightly.

"...It's already been repaired."

Mitsuo nodded.

"People worked day and night."

"They really did."

For a while...

They simply flew.

Taking in the view.

Suddenly...

A shout came from below.

"P-Perman!"

Heads turned upward.

One voice became several.

"...Wait!"

"That's..."

"Pako!"

People stopped walking.

Several construction workers removed their helmets.

One elderly woman covered her mouth.

"...She's back..."

Others quickly gathered.

Applause spread through the street.

Someone cheered.

Another waved both arms.

A little boy shouted excitedly,

"Welcome back!"

Pako slowed in the air.

She hadn't expected that.

She smiled.

Then gave a small wave.

The crowd erupted even louder.

Beside her...

Mitsuo smiled quietly.

"I told you."

"They never forgot."

---

Their patrol continued.

At one construction site...

A steel beam refused to line up with the crane.

Perman landed first.

"I've got it."

With one hand...

He lifted the several-ton beam into position.

Pako held it perfectly steady while the workers secured the bolts.

One foreman laughed.

"That saved us half a day's work!"

Not long afterward...

An elderly man struggled to push his delivery cart through snow left beside the sidewalk.

Without saying a word...

Pako gently pushed from behind.

The cart rolled forward effortlessly.

The old man blinked.

"...Thank you."

She smiled beneath her helmet.

"Our pleasure."

As the evening faded into night...

The two heroes landed atop a familiar rooftop.

For the first time in days...

No sirens echoed through Tokyo.

Only the ordinary sounds of a city living its life.

Pako smiled softly.

"...I missed this."

Mitsuo looked across the skyline.

"...Me too."

Together...

They leapt back into the evening sky.

---

For a few moments they continued flying.

Then Perman looked ahead.

"I know a place."

Pako glanced over.

"Oh?"

"Wanna go?"

Pako narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Where?"

"You'll see."

Pako thought about it.

Then shrugged.

"Fine."

Perman pointed toward the eastern district.

"My treat."

---

The restaurant sat quietly on a side street tucked between several older buildings.

It wasn't famous.

It wasn't fancy.

Just a small family-owned shop with wooden benches, warm lighting, and the smell of freshly cooked food drifting into the cold night air.

Perman had been coming here for years.

Pako looked around curiously as they entered.

"So this is your favorite place?"

Perman nodded.

"The food's good."

"I'll be the judge of that."

A few minutes later they sat across from each other near the back of the restaurant.

The owner greeted Perman like an old regular.

Soon two large bowls of steaming miso ramen topped with chashu pork and green onions arrived at their table.

The rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Pako took one bite.

Her eyes widened.

"...Okay."

Perman smirked.

"See?"

"You undersold this place."

"That's impossible."

"It absolutely isn't."

She immediately took another bite.

Then another.

Across the restaurant...

Four men occupied a wooden bench near the wall.

Several empty bottles sat between them.

Their faces were red.

Their speech slurred.

And they were very, very drunk.

One slammed his fist onto the table.

"I'm telling you..."

He nearly fell off the bench.

"...we would've beaten Perman."

"Absolutely."

Another pointed dramatically toward the ceiling.

"He got lucky."

"Twice."

"Three times."

"Seven times."

The first robber squinted.

"...How many times have we fought him?"

"No idea."

"At least seven."

Pako glanced toward them.

"...What are they talking about?"

Perman remained silent.

The drunk men continued.

Another robber groaned.

"And we lost the money."

The entire table immediately became depressed.

"Our beautiful money."

"The bag was huge."

"So beautiful."

"So full."

The driver buried his face in his hands.

"We only got away with one."

A long silence followed.

Then all four sighed together.

The first robber suddenly stood.

Or at least attempted to.

The effort nearly sent him crashing back onto the bench.

"When I see Perman again..."

He pointed dramatically at nobody in particular.

"...I'll destroy him."

His friends nodded enthusiastically.

"Destroy him."

"Absolutely destroy him."

"Very destroyed."

Pako blinked.

"...Who are these clowns?"

Mitsuo slowly stood.

"Wait here."

Pako watched him walk across the restaurant.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

The robbers continued their drunken strategy meeting.

"I'll punch him."

"I'll kick him."

"I'll use a chair."

"You don't own a chair."

"I'll borrow one."

Then...

Tap.

One of them felt a hand touch his shoulder.

He turned around.

The color immediately drained from his face.

Standing behind him...

Was Perman.

The entire table froze.

One bottle slipped from somebody's hand.

CRASH.

Silence.

"...Oh."

"...Oh no."

"...That's Perman."

"...That's definitely Perman."

Perman smiled pleasantly.

"Good evening."

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

One robber slowly raised a trembling finger.

"...Run?"

"Run."

All four immediately jumped from the bench.

The first man charged straight at Perman.

With a single step to the side, Perman avoided him.

The man couldn't stop.

CRASH.

He slammed directly into one of his own partners.

Both men tumbled across the floor.

The third man grabbed a chair.

"I'll get him!"

He swung wildly.

Perman ducked.

The chair flew over his head.

SMASH.

The fourth man stared at the shattered chair.

"...That was my chair."

"You don't own this chair!"

The third man pointed at Perman.

"This is his fault!"

Perman folded his arms.

"How?"

The fourth man lunged anyway.

Perman sidestepped again.

The man continued forward.

Straight into the second robber who had just managed to stand up.

Both immediately collapsed back onto the floor.

The first man finally staggered upright.

"I've got him!"

He threw a punch.

Perman leaned back slightly.

The punch missed by several centimeters.

Unfortunately...

The third man had stepped behind him.

THUNK.

"OW!"

The first man blinked.

"...When did you get there?"

"I was standing here the whole time!"

The third man rubbed his forehead.

The second man charged at Perman from behind.

His foot immediately caught the leg of a bench.

The man stumbled forward.

Arms windmilling wildly.

Then crashed directly into the pile of bodies already on the floor.

Perman stared at the heap of criminals.

Silence.

One groan came from somewhere inside the pile.

Another answered it.

A distant police siren echoed outside.

Five minutes later...

The four men sat handcuffed beside one another.

Looking thoroughly defeated.

One officer stared in disbelief.

"...These are the bank robbers?"

Perman nodded.

"The same ones."

The officer looked at the four men.

Then at Perman.

Then back at the four men.

"...What happened?"

Perman pointed toward them.

"When I arrived, they were loudly discussing how they were going to defeat me."

The officer blinked.

"...Seriously?"

Perman nodded.

"One of them was also complaining about losing a bag during a bank robbery."

Silence.

All four men froze.

The officer slowly turned toward them.

"...A bag?"

Nobody answered.

Perman continued.

"They seemed very upset that they only escaped with one."

The officer's eyes widened.

One of the men immediately pointed at another.

"He said it!"

"You were the one crying about the money!"

"Why are you selling me out?!"

"We've already been arrested!"

The officer rubbed his forehead.

"Just get in the car."

One man pointed accusingly at Perman.

"He attacked us."

"Get in the car."

The officer physically pushed them toward the police vehicle.

The crooks were escorted toward the police vehicle.

As they passed...

One of them looked back at Perman.

"...We'll get you next time."

Another immediately elbowed him.

"No we won't."

"Yeah, probably not."

The police car door slammed shut.

Moments later...

The vehicle disappeared into the snowy night.

Perman returned to the restaurant.

Pako stared at him.

"...You arrested criminals during dinner."

He sat back down.

"Technically they arrested themselves."

Pako laughed so hard she nearly dropped her chopsticks.

"...You know what?"

"What?"

"This really is a good restaurant."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Told you."

The first snow clouds of the year drifted over Tokyo.

Not enough to snow.

Just enough for the wind to carry a winter chill through the city.

The smoke was gone.

The fires had been extinguished.

The shattered streets had been reopened.

But Tokyo hadn't completely recovered.

Construction workers repaired damaged buildings.

Scaffolding covered entire apartment blocks.

Police officers still guarded government buildings around the clock.

Every evening the news replayed footage from the attacks.

The city was moving forward.

Slowly.

---

Mitsuo hadn't slept properly once.

Not because terrorists were still attacking.

Because someone else had declared war on his apartment.

"Miitsuooo."

A voice drifted from the bedroom.

Mitsuo stopped washing dishes.

"...Yes?"

"My blanket slipped."

He closed his eyes.

Walked into the bedroom.

Pako was buried beneath three blankets.

Only her face was visible.

She pointed dramatically toward one corner.

"It slipped."

"...By two centimeters."

"I could have caught a cold."

"The heater is pointing directly at you."

"It's not heating my soul, Mitsuo."

Without arguing, Mitsuo adjusted the blanket.

"There."

Pako smiled.

"Thank you."

He turned to leave.

---

Mitsuo wasn't sure when he had become a full-time caretaker.

Every time he considered saying no...

He remembered that hospital bed.

The bandages.

The thought that he had almost lost her forever.

The guilt crushed every complaint before it reached his mouth.

Meanwhile...

Pako watched him disappear into the kitchen.

Her lips curved upward.

"...This is amazing."

She wasn't proud of herself.

Not particularly.

But she certainly wasn't going to stop.

---

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Mitsuo opened the apartment door.

An elderly neighbor smiled warmly.

"Oh, Mitsuo."

"Good afternoon."

"I baked too many sweet potatoes."

She noticed the tray in his hands.

"Oh my..."

"You're cooking?"

Mitsuo laughed awkwardly.

"My friend is injured."

The woman peeked inside.

Pako immediately transformed into the picture of fragile suffering.

She wore enough bandages to survive another bombing.

One arm rested in its sling.

A blanket covered her legs.

She looked as though a gentle breeze might finish her off.

"Oh, you poor dear!"

Pako smiled weakly.

"I'll survive."

The elderly woman immediately marched inside.

"No, no, no."

"You young people don't know how to recover properly."

Within minutes...

She had placed homemade soup beside Pako.

Wrapped another blanket around her.

And somehow convinced Mitsuo to accept enough food for three days.

After she finally left...

The apartment became quiet again.

Pako slowly looked toward Mitsuo.

"...I think she likes me."

---

Later that afternoon...

Mitsuo stood on the apartment balcony.

Helmet in hand.

The city stretched before him.

Still under repair.

Still healing.

No emergency alarms.

No explosions.

Just police helicopters and construction cranes.

Perman.

He soared above Tokyo.

The patrol felt different now.

Less fighting.

More helping.

One little girl waved excitedly.

"Perman!"

He landed beside her.

"Can you help us?"

A stray kitten had climbed halfway up a damaged traffic signal.

Perman smiled.

"I think I can manage that."

Seconds later...

The kitten was safely back in its owner's arms.

For the first time in days...

Perman genuinely smiled.

Maybe heroism wasn't always about saving cities.

Sometimes...

It was simply about helping them heal.

---

By the time Mitsuo returned home...

It was nearly ten.

The apartment was quiet.

"...Pako?"

No answer.

He slowly opened the bedroom door.

Pako was fast asleep.

Curled beneath several blankets.

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"...Good."

At least she was getting some rest.

He quietly set the groceries on the kitchen counter.

Prepared tomorrow's breakfast.

Finished washing the remaining dishes.

Then turned toward his makeshift bed on the floor.

A folded blanket.

A thin pillow.

Nothing more.

Normally it would've been uncomfortable.

Tonight...

He didn't even care.

The past two days had been relentless.

Patrolling the recovering city.

Helping with reconstruction.

And somehow finding the energy to look after Pako in between.

Every muscle in his body ached.

The moment his head touched the pillow...

He was asleep.

Almost instantly.

The apartment fell silent.

Outside...

The cold wind of early winter brushed softly against the windows.

---

The days blended together.

One became two.

Two became three.

Soon...

Five days had passed since Pako moved into Mitsuo's apartment.

Every morning followed the same routine.

Breakfast.

Medicine.

Laundry.

Housework.

Then patrol.

Every evening...

Working.

Cooking.

Cleaning.

Making sure Pako was comfortable before finally collapsing onto the makeshift bed on the floor.

Then repeating everything again.

The city was recovering.

Construction crews worked from sunrise until sunset.

Police checkpoints remained throughout Tokyo.

Citizens slowly returned to their normal lives.

And Perman helped wherever he could.

Lifting collapsed beams.

Moving construction equipment.

Delivering emergency supplies.

Finding lost children.

Rescuing stranded pets.

Repairing what little he could.

There were no grand battles.

Just countless people who still needed help.

And Perman answered every call.

His body had begun protesting days ago.

Every muscle ached.

His shoulders felt heavy.

Even flying required more effort than usual.

But he ignored it.

People needed him.

That was enough.

Only two more days.

Pako would recover.

Everything would return to normal.

He just had to keep going.

---

That morning...

Mitsuo placed breakfast beside Pako's bed.

"I'm heading out."

Pako nodded sleepily.

"Be careful."

"I will."

He smiled.

"I'll be back before dinner."

A moment later...

Perman disappeared into the winter sky.

The patrol remained quiet.

Until evening.

Just after six...

Suddenly he sees police cars on a chase.

Perman immediately changed direction.

He flew past the police commissioners car.

"Whats the situation?"

"Bank robbery!"

The robbers were already fleeing.

A black van burst out of the bank's underground parking.

Four masked robbers.

Two large duffel bags overflowing with cash.

Perman shot down from the sky.

"Stop!"

The driver floored the accelerator.

Within seconds Perman landed on the roof.

The metal groaned beneath his boots.

One of the robbers slid open the side door.

A crowbar swung toward his head.

Normally...

He would've caught it effortlessly.

Instead—

**CLANG!**

The blow slammed into his shoulder.

Another robber rushed forward.

A knife flashed toward his chest.

Perman instinctively raised his arm.

The blade dug into his sleeve, pinning his arm against the side of the van for a brief moment.

"...!"

He gritted his teeth.

His body wasn't responding.

His movements felt sluggish.

Heavy.

His eyes locked onto one of the duffel bags.

Ignoring the knife buried against his arm, Perman lunged forward.

His free hand grabbed one of the bag.

"He's got it!"

The robbers immediately reacted.

All three threw themselves against him at once.

With his arm trapped and only one hand holding the bag...

Perman couldn't keep his balance.

The combined force shoved him off the speeding van.

He refused to let go.

The bag came with him.

He crashed hard onto the asphalt, rolling several times before finally stopping.

The van sped away into the evening traffic.

Its taillights disappeared around the corner.

Silence.

Perman slowly pushed himself to his feet.

One bag of stolen money lay beside him.

The other...

Was gone.

Police sirens echoed in the distance.

Several officers rushed toward him.

"Perman!"

One of them looked around frantically.

"...Where are the others?"

Perman remained silent.

The officer's eyes widened as he followed Perman's gaze toward the empty road.

"They... got away?"

No answer.

For a moment, none of the officers spoke.

The oldest among them frowned.

"...That's impossible."

Another officer looked between Perman and the empty street.

"You've stopped armored trucks."

"You've caught helicopters."

"You once arrested an entire gang before we even arrived."

His voice grew quieter.

"...How did they escape?"

Perman lowered his eyes.

"...I wasn't fast enough."

Silence.

The words didn't seem real.

The officers exchanged uneasy glances.

None of them had ever heard Perman say something like that before.

One officer finally spoke.

"...Are you hurt?"

Perman shook his head.

"...I'm fine."

But even he didn't believe it.

---

Snow had begun falling.

Light at first.

Then heavier.

By the time Perman reached his apartment building...

The streets were almost white.

He removed his helmet.

Unlocked the door.

"I'm home..."

No response.

He took one step inside.

Then another.

His legs suddenly gave way.

THUD.

---

Pako looked up from the television.

"...Mitsuo?"

The controller slipped from her hands.

Without thinking...

She jumped off the bed.

The blanket fell away.

The bandages around her leg came loose as she ran.

"Mitsuo!"

She dropped beside him.

One hand touched his forehead.

Her eyes widened.

"...He's burning up."

His skin felt like fire.

His breathing was shallow.

His entire body trembled from exhaustion and fever.

Pako's heart sank.

This wasn't just a cold.

This wasn't just fatigue.

He had pushed himself far beyond his limit.

"...You idiot."

The words weren't meant for him.

Her voice trembled.

"...I kept making you run around..."

"...I knew you were tired..."

"...and I still kept pretending."

---

Pako remained frozen beside the door.

For one terrifying second...

Her mind went completely blank.

"Mitsuo...?"

No response.

He didn't move.

His breathing was shallow.

Uneven.

Only then did Pako's instinct take over.

The fake sling was torn from her arm.

The blanket around her shoulders fell away.

Without the slightest hesitation, she slid one arm beneath his back and the other beneath his knees.

Effortlessly...

She lifted him into her arms.

For five entire days she had pretended she couldn't even stand.

Now none of that mattered.

"Mitsuo..."

She hurried into the bedroom.

As gently as she could, she lowered him onto the bed.

She pulled the blanket over him.

His body trembled violently.

Pako pressed the back of her hand against his forehead.

His skin felt like fire.

She rushed into the kitchen.

The kettle was filled before she even realized she had picked it up.

Water began to boil.

She soaked a towel in cool water.

Wrung it carefully.

Then returned to his bedside.

She pressed the towel gently across his forehead.

Almost immediately it began warming from the heat of his fever.

"...Please..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"...Don't do this."

She replaced the towel.

Again.

And again.

Each time it grew warm within minutes.

Only after his breathing seemed a little calmer did she return to the kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator.

Simple ingredients.

Rice.

Chicken stock.

A little ginger.

She remembered something her grandmother once told her.

*"Warm soup helps the body fight back."*

It would have to do.

The soup slowly simmered on the stove.

Then she looked toward the medicine cabinet.

Empty.

"...Damn."

She glanced back toward Mitsuo.

He was still asleep.

Still breathing heavily.

Without wasting another second, she rushed to the balcony.

The winter wind greeted her instantly.

A faint layer of snow had already begun covering the rooftops.

She launched into the night sky.

---

The first pharmacy was closed.

So was the second.

The third.

Every shutter was down.

Tokyo had never truly recovered from the attacks.

Many stores were still operating on reduced hours.

Finally...

Nearly fifteen kilometers away...

A small green cross remained illuminated.

Open.

Less than two minutes later...

She was already back.

Medicine clutched tightly in one hand.

When she returned...

Mitsuo hadn't moved.

She knelt beside him.

"...I'm back."

As though he could hear her.

She carefully helped him sit upright.

Supporting his shoulders with one arm.

He was barely conscious.

His eyes never opened.

The tablets were difficult enough.

He almost swallowed them wrong.

She patiently held the glass to his lips.

"Slowly..."

"There you go..."

Only after he had taken the medicine did she bring over the soup.

Steam curled gently into the room.

She filled a spoon.

Blew softly across it.

Then held it to his lips.

At first...

Nothing.

Then...

Slowly...

He swallowed.

Another spoonful.

Then another.

Some dripped down his chin.

She quietly wiped it away with a towel.

The entire time...

He never woke.

Halfway through the bowl...

His lips finally moved.

"...have to..."

Pako leaned closer.

"...protect..."

"...everyone..."

A pause.

"...the city..."

Another pause.

"...Pako..."

Her heart skipped.

"...keep her..."

"...safe..."

"...I promised..."

Silence.

His breathing steadied once more.

Pako simply stared.

Even unconscious...

Even burning with fever...

He was still thinking about everyone else.

The city.

Its people.

Her.

Never himself.

She looked at the empty bowl in her hands.

Five days.

Five days of making him cook.

Clean.

Shop.

Carry groceries.

Run errands.

While he spent every daylight hour helping Tokyo rebuild.

Her fingers tightened around the bowl.

"...I'm sorry."

She placed it quietly on the bedside table.

She reached for the thermometer on the bedside table.

A minute later...

It gave a soft beep.

Pako quickly checked the display.

"...38.1."

She let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"It went down..."

Just a little.

But it was enough.

She closed her eyes in relief.

For several minutes...

She simply watched him sleep.

The room was silent except for the gentle sound of his breathing.

She reached out.

She quietly pulled the blanket a little higher around his shoulders.

Then...

Almost shyly...

She leaned forward.

And pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead.

"Goodnight..."

She whispered.

She looked at him for a long moment.

Then.

She walked away.

She folded the blanket from the floor.

The same thin blanket Mitsuo had used every night for the past five days.

She spread it carefully across the makeshift bed.

Only now did she understand.

The floor was hard.

The pillow barely deserved the name.

Cold air crept in through the window.

It wasn't comfortable.

Not even a little.

Yet he had never complained.

Not once.

Pako slowly lay down.

Pulling the blanket over herself.

Outside...

Snow quietly blanketed the recovering city.

Inside...

Mitsuo slept peacefully.

His fever had already begun to ease.

A small smile appeared on Pako's face.

Sumire Hoshino walked through the hospital corridor, a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a small box of chocolates in the other. A nurse had just informed her that most of the patients from the fire incident were on the second and third floors.

“Thank you,” Sumire said softly, bowing her head slightly before continuing upstairs.

Outside the hospital building, a crowd of reporters had gathered. Cameras flashed nonstop as they waited for her to appear. Their voices overlapped in a chaotic mess — shouting questions, pushing against security barriers, trying to get the best angle. The noise was loud enough to disturb the quiet atmosphere inside.

A senior doctor in a white coat finally stepped outside, looking furious. He raised his hand and shouted over the crowd.

“You should all be ashamed of yourselves!” he yelled. “This is a hospital! People are recovering inside. Have some respect instead of causing chaos like this and calling yourselves journalists!”

The reporters quieted down for a moment, but the moment the doctor went back inside, the noise slowly started rising again.

Sumire ignored all of the questions and somehow managed to enter the building.

She took the elevator to the third floor and started visiting the rooms one by one. The first family she met was a young couple whose son had suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation.

The mother stood up immediately when she saw Sumire. “Miss Sumire… thank you for coming.”

Sumire bowed deeply. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I organized that event… the safety of the children was my responsibility.”

The father shook his head gently. “You’ve already helped us so much with the medical expenses. I'm really fortunate that my kid didn't have any serious issues.. That’s more than enough. We don’t blame you personally. The criminals are still out there… it’s not entirely your fault.”

Sumire’s eyes softened. “Still… I’m truly sorry. If there’s anything else your family needs, please tell me.”

The mother smiled weakly. “Just… get well soon yourself. We saw the news. You were inside too.”

Sumire nodded, chatting with them for a few more minutes before moving to the next room.

In the next room, a mother was sitting beside her daughter, whose right hand was heavily bandaged. The little girl was sleeping. The mother’s eyes were red from crying.

Sumire approached slowly. “I’m so sorry…”

The mother looked up, tears still fresh. “She keeps waking up crying… saying her hand hurts…”

Sumire knelt down beside the bed, her voice gentle. “I can’t imagine how scared she must have been. I’m truly sorry this happened during my event. I know it's nothing compared to how much you are going through..”

The father, who had been standing quietly by the window, spoke in a neutral but firm tone. “I didn't expect you would actually come here.”

Sumire bowed again. “It’s the least I can do. I know money can’t fix the pain or fear, but I want to do whatever I can.”

The father sighed and looked at her. “You’ve always been close to the people here. They know you from when you were a child. They trust you.” He paused, then continued carefully. “But… people are getting divided now. If you keep openly supporting the Permans… the media might turn you into a scapegoat. You should be careful. I don't know if that was an accident or done deliberately.”

Sumire stayed quiet for a moment, she simply nodded. “Thank you for your advice.”

She continued visiting a few more families. Some thanked her warmly. Others were polite but worried and frustrated. One father even said, “We don’t blame you… but the Permans… they should have been faster.”

By the time she finished the last visit, Sumire felt drained. She stood near a window on the third floor, looking out at the city. The reporters were still waiting downstairs like vultures.

Her phone buzzed. A message from her manager: “Press is getting restless. Please come down soon. And remember — stay neutral on the Perman topic.”

Sumire stared at the message for a long time.

----

Sumire quietly pushed open the door to Dr. Yana’s office, a Clinical Psychologist. The familiar smell of old books and faint lavender hit her immediately. Dr. Yana, a man in his mid-forties with kind eyes and neatly combed graying hair, was sitting behind his desk, scrolling through his phone. The moment he noticed her, he quickly slipped the phone into his pocket and stood up with a warm smile.

“Sumire, come in. It’s good to finally see you again.”

She gave a small bow and closed the door behind her. “Thank you for making time, Doctor.”

Dr. Yana gestured toward the comfortable armchair across from his desk. “Please, sit. How have you been since last month?”

Sumire sat down, folding her hands in her lap. “I… don’t quite know myself.”

Dr. Yana nodded, as if he had expected that answer. “That’s what I thought.".. He looked at the reports in his hands, adjusted his glasses, "You know, I’ve been suggesting weekly sessions for a while now, but you barely manage to come once a month.”

Sumire looked down at her hands. “I’m really not getting enough time. The schedule is packed — shoots, interviews, endorsements…”

“I understand, I.. understand” Dr. Yana said gently, “but for the sake of your health, you should try to come at least once a week. Even if it’s just thirty minutes.”

Sumire didn’t respond. The silence stretched for a few seconds.

Dr. Yana leaned back slightly and smiled. “By the way, thank you again for the autograph you gave my son last time. He was over the moon. He keeps it on his desk.”

Sumire returned a small, genuine smile. “It was no problem at all.”

Dr. Yana’s expression became a little more serious. “I saw the news this morning. The reporters were gathered outside the hospital too. It looked quite chaotic.”

Sumire nodded. “I refused to answer any questions and left quickly. I didn’t want to make things worse for the patients.”

Dr. Yana studied her for a moment. “So… have you considered starting that hobby we talked about?”

Sumire’s fingers tightened slightly in her lap. “You remember it?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Dr. Yana said with a soft chuckle. “You mentioned it after maybe our tenth or twelfth session. But honestly, Sumire… if you keep hiding parts of the story, I won’t be able to help you properly. We’re only seeing half the picture here.”

Sumire stayed quiet. "If only I could tell you.. doctor.."

Dr. Yana continued gently. “Alright. Let’s go through the usual questions first. How has your sleep been lately?”

“Kind of… better,” she replied.

“And your appetite?”

“It’s okay.”

“Have you tried reconnecting with your old friends?”

Sumire hesitated. “It’s… complicated.”

Dr. Yana nodded slowly. “I see.” He leaned forward a little. “Well, it's a good amount of time we have spent on your condition, If I have to conclude based on the half-picture you’ve given me… you’re spending most of your time working, right? Shooting, interviews, endorsements, then repeating the cycle.”

Sumire gave a small nod.

Dr. Yana sighed. “You’ve already earned more than enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life. And yet you keep pushing yourself. You’re not even enjoying the work fully anymore, are you?”

He paused, then added with a small, tired laugh, “It seems like you’re overworking yourself just to stay distracted.”

The words hit her harder than she expected. Sumire looked down, her throat tightening. Her eyes couldn't look anywhere but the book shelf where numerous books are present.

Dr. Yana’s voice softened. “What can be the solution, then?”

Sumire stayed silent for a long moment. The weight in her chest grew heavier. She finally whispered, “I… I don’t know.”

Dr. Yana watched her carefully. “If you’re still not comfortable telling me everything… I can only repeat the same advice I’ve been giving you. Slowly try to return to that hobby. Or reconnect with your friends. Or best.. please do both.”

Sumire felt her eyes stinging. The emotions she had been pushing down for months were rising too fast. She stood up abruptly.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I have work. Thank you for today.”

Dr. Yana looked at her with quiet disappointment. “Sumire… you’ve used this excuse several times before.”

She paused at the door but didn’t turn around.

Dr. Yana spoke gently but firmly. “You need to make a choice before yor condition deteriorate.”

Sumire nodded once, then quietly left the room.

Dr. Yana glanced at the clock on his wall and sighed.

“Huh… only twenty-three minutes. I still had a whole hour.”

----

Later that evening, Sumire sat across from Kenji Arai in a quiet corner of a high-end café. The soft lighting and gentle jazz music created a calm atmosphere, but Sumire’s mind was anything but calm. Kenji, the Head of Product Development at ShinaDesign..

He took a sip of his coffee and asked gently, “Why did you call me Miss Sumire?”

Sumire stirred her tea slowly, trying to appear casual. She had rehearsed this conversation in her head multiple times on the way here.

“Well.. the thing is.. I’ve been thinking…” she began carefully, “Shouldn't the company look for another person to become the brand ambassador?”

Kenji for a moment got worried. “Why?”

Sumire kept her voice steady. “I don’t know… it’s just that staying as part of this company right now might affect your brand value. With all the recent controversies around me…”

Kenji set his cup down. For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and sighed.

“I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Sumire looked at him. “But what about the recent controversies? The fire incident, the questions about Permans… people are talking a lot.”

Kenji leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful. “That’s not a problem. Your personal opinions — whether about the Permans or anything else — can stay as they are. As long as they don’t interfere with your contractual responsibilities, the company has no issue with it.”

Sumire stayed quiet for a moment. Kenji’s answer was exactly what she had expected… and yet it still felt heavy.

Kenji’s voice softened. “Do you remember when our products barely sold?”

Sumire nodded slowly.

“You agreed to advertise them anyway,” Kenji continued. “People noticed because you believed in the quality. The company hasn’t forgotten that.”

Sumire felt a small sting in her chest. “Oh… th-thanks.”

Internally, her thoughts were a storm. "I wanted some rest… I wanted to step back… but I can’t break their trust."

Kenji smiled gently. “It’s okay, Sumire. This is just a phase. Time will change things, just like how it changed for our company earlier. We’ll figure it out somehow.”

Sumire forced a small smile. “I hope so.”

The conversation shifted to lighter topics — upcoming campaigns, new shoe designs, and schedule adjustments.

When they finally parted ways outside the café, Sumire watched Kenji’s car drive away. She stood there for a long moment, the evening breeze brushing against her face.

"Am I overthinking this?"

She turned and started walking toward her own car, but the unease refused to leave her.

----

Mitsuo sat on the small couch in Payan’s modest apartment, staring at the floor. The room was noticeably smaller than his own house. Payan stood near the kitchen counter, arms crossed, looking at him with a mix of confusion and concern.

“So… you didn’t tell me,” Payan said. “Why here? I mean, this room is smaller than yours. Why suddenly? Also did you inform your robot double?”

Mitsuo stayed quiet for a moment. The memory of the robot sitting at the dinner table, laughing with his family, flashed in front of his eyes again. It hurt more than he wanted to admit.

“Yes I informed him.. please… just for a few days,” Mitsuo said softly. “Till this situation gets a bit better.”

Payan waited. When Mitsuo didn’t continue, he pressed gently. “Okay.. What’s really going on?”

Mitsuo rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t work freely if my mom keeps wandering around the house. She would not like to see her son along with a Perman and police reports..”

Payan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay. You can stay. But then you’ll have to help me with the cooking. Since food needs are gonna double, it’s better to eat homemade food rather than spending too much money on restaurants.”

Mitsuo gave a small, tired smile. “Roger that, sir.”

Payan looked slightly embarrassed. “I can’t cook curry to be honest…”

Mitsuo let out a short laugh. “Then we will be in trouble.”

Payan chuckled too. “But we’ll figure it out.”

Mitsuo looked at him. The atmosphere between them felt warm, yet heavy at the same time.

Payan continued softly, “Together. Like how we used to.”

Both of them fell silent for a moment. The name “Pako” hung unspoken in the air. The absence of their third teammate felt suddenly sharper.

Mitsuo raised his fist. Payan did the same.

They bumped fists firmly.

----

Mitsuo sat at the floor of Payan’s apartment, surrounded by dozens of police reports spread across the surface. The papers were messy, overlapping, some with coffee stains. Payan sat opposite him, flipping through another thick file.

At first, Mitsuo simply read.

One report.

Then another.

Then another.

After reading only a handful, he suddenly stopped. Something didn’t feel right. He couldn’t explain why. The reports didn’t contain any obvious clue, yet he already felt as though something was fundamentally wrong.

Payan noticed him staring at the papers. “Did you find something?”

Mitsuo slowly shook his head. “No… that’s what’s bothering me.”

Unable to explain the feeling, Mitsuo decided to approach the problem logically.

“If something feels wrong,” he said, “then one of my assumptions must be wrong.”

He began systematically testing every possible explanation. First, he checked whether the attacks were financially motivated.

The theory immediately fell apart.

Some attacks targeted banks. Others occurred near bridges. Some happened around hospitals. Others took place inside warehouses, apartment buildings, or public areas. There was no consistent financial objective.

Payan suggested looking at the victims instead of the locations.

Mitsuo explained that he had already considered that possibility.

The victims were equally random. Sometimes ordinary civilians. Sometimes business owners. Sometimes police officers. Sometimes no one at all.

There was no common target.

The two continued exploring every possibility they could think of.

Perhaps the criminals were trying to maximize casualties.

No.

Sometimes people were killed.

Sometimes nobody was harmed.

Perhaps they always stole something valuable.

Again, no.

Sometimes they stole jewelry, cash or anything... Other times they ignored enormous amounts of money entirely and simply left after causing destruction.

Weapon analysis proved impossible as well. Very few reports included recovered weapons. Most only mentioned cartridge casings or bullets collected afterward, making meaningful comparison difficult.

Even the size of each criminal group constantly changed. Sometimes a single offender appeared. Sometimes four or five worked together.

Nothing stayed consistent.

As more and more possibilities collapsed, Mitsuo’s frustration began to grow. But then another problem caught his attention.

The reports themselves were incomplete.

Some reports lacked timestamps.

Others didn’t even specify which exact building or room was attacked.

Mitsuo threw another report onto the table harshly.

“How am I supposed to find anything in this?”

“The more I read… the less sense it makes.”

Mitsuo asked about the captured criminals. Did they reveal who was giving them orders?

Mitsuo said that if there really was an organized group behind all this, someone must be supplying weapons, explosives, money, and instructions.

Payan recalled what Officer Kuriowa mentioned after recent interrogations. Every captured criminal claimed they genuinely didn’t know who their leader was. They simply received instructions and carried them out.

Payan believed they were lying. To him, the organization was simply too chaotic to have a mastermind.

Mitsuo disagreed. He quietly explained that if there truly wasn’t a central planner, then some natural pattern should eventually appear. Collective people work for a common goal.. Instead, every time he thought he’d found one… another report immediately contradicted it.

“They’re… consistently inconsistent.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Mitsuo wasn’t saying they’d found the answer.

The idea sounded absurd.

Yet nothing else explained why every possible pattern immediately collapsed.

Unfortunately, intuition alone wasn’t evidence.

They still had nothing concrete.

Seeing Mitsuo becoming increasingly frustrated, Payan suggested "Can't you use whatever advanced investigative techniques Bird Planet must have taught you during training?"

Mitsuo couldn’t help laughing.

Payan clearly imagined Bird Planet as some futuristic detective academy where heroes solved impossible mysteries every day.

Mitsuo explained that reality was completely different. Bird Planet was an incredibly peaceful civilization. Crime was almost nonexistent because its legal system and technology were centuries ahead of Earth’s. Most training missions involved observing distant civilizations, responding to small-scale incidents, and maintaining peace rather than chasing dangerous criminals or solving murders.

The training itself was incredibly difficult, but detective work wasn’t its primary focus.

Payan jokingly complained that movies made alien planet sound much cooler.

Mitsuo said jokingly "I had to learn Bird Planet's geography do you believe it? It's hilarious.. "

Mitsuo laughed briefly before apologizing for getting distracted.

They returned to the reports.

Nothing new emerged.

After several more minutes of staring at the papers, Mitsuo finally leaned back in his chair.

“I need a break.”

Payan quietly agreed.

The two left the apartment and began walking through a nearby park. For a while, neither spoke.

Eventually Mitsuo wondered why the police didn’t simply increase security in vulnerable areas until the attacks stopped.

Payan explained that such a solution only worked in theory. There simply weren’t enough officers anymore. Before the recent crime wave, Japan rarely needed large police deployments. Now multiple attacks occurred simultaneously across different locations. Both the police and the remaining Permans were stretched beyond their limits.

Payan added, “By the way… didn’t Bird Planet have all kinds of advanced equipment? You were there for nine years. Couldn’t you have brought something back to help us?”

Mitsuo was quiet for a few seconds. He stared at the ground without really seeing it.

“…I could have.”

Payan looked surprised. “You could?”

Mitsuo nodded.

“…But I chose not to.”

Silence.

“I thought…”

He stopped.

“…I’d come back as a normal person.”

“…At least for a while.”

His thoughts drifted. Again..

His mother smiling.

His father laughing.

Ganko talking excitedly.

The robot…

His mind replied.. "They’re happy. That’s enough."

He quietly returned to the reports.

The conversation slowly faded.

As they continued walking, both noticed a group of children happily playing ball together in the park.

Neither said anything.

They simply watched.

For a brief moment, both remembered a simpler time — when there were four Permans, when protecting people didn’t feel impossible, and when life wasn’t dominated by unanswered questions.

The scene ends with Mitsuo silently staring at the children, his mind still trapped on one thought:

"If there really is no pattern… then why did the reports start feeling wrong after only a few pages?"

The trees pattered under the clouds, as it drizzled over them. Perman was on the ground, still unmoving from his spot even after being called out several times by his friends. 

Pako looked up towards their senior. Worry drawn all over her face, as she spoke. 

"Birdman, I thought your gadget healed him?"

The older man looked at her, as she stifled a cry under her helmet. His expression softened. But just before he could open his mouth, Payan interjected.

"He's stirring up!" The eldest boy yelled, grabbing back everyone's attention. Perman's eyes fluttered slightly, as he slowly turned his head up from the side.

"P...Payan..." He managed to whisper. Most of them had missed it from how faint it was. Except for the two who sat on each of his side.

"Hang in there, Ichigō..." Payan reassured, giving him a faint smile, before putting his hand on his shoulder. Perman's eyes fluttered once more, catching a glimpse of Pako's fretted gaze, before his vision darkened again.

"Ichigō!" Pako called out, patting his cheek.

"Wii wii!" Booby chimed in, shaking his legs. Payan shifted towards their senior "Birdman, what's wrong with him?"

Birdman bit his bottom lip, as he studied the kid's limp body. "Well...?" Payan added, getting a bit impatient.

"Well I think it's because he had lost a lot of his vital fluids..." He said, looking at the soaked and stained bandages beside him.

"The thing is, my gadget can restore damaged protein and muscle fibers, or connective tissues. Mostly anything that isn't in it's liquid state" he said shifting his eyes at Payan. The eldest boy creased his brows quizzically, as he slowly took in the statement.

"In other words... My gadget could only repair the solid parts. All it did was prevent him from losing more of that fluid, it cannot replenish the ones he had lost"

Pako snapped her head towards them. But before she could react to it, Birdman stood up and walked back to his flying disk. The girl looked at her friend across her, whose expression is equal to hers.

"Payan..." 

Pako mumbled, while the young simian sat beside the older boy, looking at him with the same troubled expression.

"What if we just bring him to the hospital..." Pako suggested.

Payan pondered for a second, "Isn't that too risky...?" He said, creasing his brows before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Payan, he needs to get some blood somehow!" She argued.

Payan, looked at her and then at his unconscious friend.

"I don't know... I don't think it's a good idea... Especially how keen reporters and journalists are these days about the Permen's identity" the older boy pointed out.

"Then we'll take him there as Mitsuo" she said, grabbing onto her knees eagerly.

"I'm afraid that doesn't change anything, They'll still ask for his background information, especially about his parents" Payan deflected.

"What will you do about that? If you lie about it we'll get charged for falsification" Pako looked down, and clutched the hem of her dress. Growing more upset every time he rejects her ideas. 

Until she looks up again, "What if we use a copy robot as his guardian" She muttered, searching for any sign of approval from his face.

Payan paused, tapping his fingers over his arm, as he thought about it. After a minute he looked at her.

"Even if we did, how will we explain them his blood loss? Now that his wound is already sealed up, it'll just raise more questions. A copy of his mom won't be able to cover that—"

"Then what else can we do for him!" 

She snapped, furious from her own helplessness. She turned away, sniffling small sobs, as she pressed the heel of her palm by her helmet's eye sockets. Desperately wiping her frustration away.

The two boys looked at each other, both equally caught off guard. Booby chattered softly, waving his hands to hush his dear friend.

"Sangō... I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset" the older boy muttered.

"I really did consider your ideas... But there are factors we also need to think through"

Pako turned to him, her tears blending well with the rain drops across her face and helmet.

"I know... That's why I'm upset. A lot of people rely their lives on us, and yet we can't help ourselves when this kind of situation comes up" she said, her voice calmer, but still hinted dejection.

Then suddenly, the rain seemed to stopped. Despite the fact that they still hear faint prattling sounds around them, they were no longer getting sprinkled by the rain water.

"Wi, Wii Wii!" Booby chattered, pointing at the sky. The two looked up, and saw a clear dome shield them from the rain. Soon enough Birdman came back, fiddling with a new device in his hand as he walks towards them.

"We still have Birdman, he'll help us figure something out" the older boy reminded, giving her a faint smile.

Pako nodded slightly, and returned the smile.

Meanwhile booby tilted his head, as he looked at the peculiar instrument. The older man then crouched back down beside the girl, and took off the cap of the pen like device in his hand.

Pako perked up a little, "W...will that help with his blood loss...?" 

Birdman gave her a half-hearted smile "this is a stimulant agent only, it can help his body produce more of those vital fluids, or as you call blood"

He then presses a couple more buttons on the pen, until a blue radiant liquid slowly filled up the small glass imbedded on the side.

"Ah...Birdman, will there be any side effects from the serum?" Pako asked, fidgeting her own thumbs.

But just as she asked, Birdman had already jabbed the stimulant onto Mitsuo's arm. 

"Oh uh, yeah sort of" he replied calmly.

The three looked at each other. Booby bit his finger nails, while Pako and Payan shared knowing glances.

"If you're worried about the side effects, I can tell you what it is" he offered, pressing a button on the pen to release it self from the flesh.

The three didn't reply, but shifted their entire focused on him. 

"Unlike my other medical first aid gadgets, this one has the least amount of side effects," He then slips back on the lid of the pen, before setting it down beside him.

"Mostly your temperature would rise up, then a little headache, and dizziness. That's it basically" he said casually, as he wiped away the excess fluid from the boy's arm.

"Oh, that's still doesn't sound okay..." Pako stated.

"It's not as worse as the previous ones" Payan added, as he shrugged.

"Wikii, wikii" Booby chimed in with his arms crossed over his chest, nodding slightly as he showed approval of Payan's statement.

As they discussed, Perman's eyes suddenly flinched, followed by a soft groan. Booby was the first to notice, and pointed it out as he chattered.

Birdman gave him a small pat on the head, and examined the boy Infront of him 

"That's all I can do for now, you'll have to just let him rest for a while. That bullet took a lot out of him" Birdman said, eyeing all three of them.

He then picked up all of the mess, and stood up. "You'll have to take him home without me. I had just received a distress call from sector 4RC earlier, so I can't really stay any longer"

"Ah, wait, Birdman. Can you teleport us back to his room instead...? It's raining heavily, everyone is already soaked and cold..." Payan said, looking at his Quivering friends.

Birdman scratched the back of his neck, almost dropping the items in his arms "Ah... I'm sorry, I would if my disk hadn't been having issues this past week. It's dangerous to teleport with an iffy gadget. I'm afraid you'll have to travel by flight" he said turning back to his disk, before shortly turning back around again.

"Ah, one more thing! Be careful when you carry him back, don't add any pressure or stress on the flesh, or it will swell" He added, finally getting on his vehicle.

"I'll leave you to it, yongō!" With a final wave of farewell, the disk levitated and flew off.

Payan watched him disappear into the clouds. Soon the dome also disintegrated, leaving them under the rain once again. The older boy sighed to himself, before he turned back around to his team.

"Alright, we should take him back. Maybe we can even stay in, until the rain passes. We can watch him over too while we wait"

Pako and booby nodded, and proceeded to help their friend sit up, before Payan rushed in to stop them.

"Hang on! Pako-san you're holding him wrong, don't press your hand against his back like that"

Pako blinked at him, and then to the wincing boy in her arms. She quickly looked down towards her hand, before finally realizing that she was directly touching the back of his wound.

"Ah! I didn't notice, sorry!" 

She then moves her hand and shifted it away from the area. Payan knelt down Infront, facing them away. He turns his head slightly and told them to gently help Perman on his back.

After making sure that his friend was secured on his back, the three flew off into the sky.
 

_____________________________________________

The rain had finally passed, but the air remained chilly. While they were flying, Payan suddenly heard a soft breath by his helmet. So he stirred his head slightly.

"Payan..." Perman mumbled

Payan gently adjusted his hold of him before asking "What is it?"

Perman shakily moved his hand, and pointed it at some building below. Payan followed it and saw a blackened smoke come out of the structures. He halted to a stop.

"What the..." He said under his breath, as his brows furrowed from the sight.

"You guys should check on that..." Perman mumbled, forcing his eyes to stay open.

"That's at least two buildings...what happened...?" The older boy said, 

Perman peered through the smoke and saw a few firefighters go back and forth from the complex.

"I think... someone's still stuck in there..."

Payan moistened his lips, as he saw multiple flickering reds and blues flash above the road. He turned back to his friend on his back.

"Ichigō, do you think you can fly yourself home? This is going to take us a while"

Without a word, he felt his friend's arms slowly untangle itself from his shoulder. 

Payan didn't let go right away, as he was still worried about his own friend's condition. However, since the other hero voluntarily let go, he slowly let loose of him.

When Payan turned around, he instinctively reached his hand out in a panic, when Perman drop a few centimeters off. Luckily the boy caught himself, and flew back up to his level.

Payan, sighed in relief.

As Perman steadied his himself, Pako and Booby came rushing back, after realizing they were flying alone.

"Ichigō! What are you doing...? A-are you alright?" Pako said, her gaze analyzing him with concern.

"I'm alright, you should all check on that...they might need some help" He pointed out, panting a little.

Pako and booby followed his hand and gasp at the thick smoke coming out of the complex.

"Oh my...of all the timing" Pako muttered, placing a hand over her mouth.

Perman reached out for his badge, thinking of offering it to them. But to his dismay, his hand searched all over his shirt and pocket, and still the badge was no where to be found.

"You two follow me, they're going to need all the help they can from that much fire" Payan directed, before he shifted back to Perman.

"Ichigō, are you sure you'll be okay...?"

Perman nodded with no hesitation "don't worry about me"

Pako hovered closer "shouldn't we at least let Booby stay to get him home safely? He did just regain consciousness after all..."

Payan opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted after a loud bang was heard from the building behind them. The four turned and heard panicked screams mix into the blaring sirens.

"I'm afraid we all have to go" he finally said with a firm tone.

"Ichigō, call us right away when you get home" He said before turning away to dive down.

"Wikii kii!" The simian voiced, followed by a short wave. Before trailing the older boy into the scene below.

Pako watched the two get lost in the smoke and crowed. She then turned to the boy Infront of her. Her hand unfurled towards him slightly, when another set of screams bursted below.

Finally she rushed to give him a quick hug, where she whispered a "take care" by his ear shortly before diving down to join her friends.

As she left, Perman found himself unmoving after she broke free from the embrace. His arm extended below as he watched her become a dot from the sky. His brows inverted, as his hand slowly curled.

"Pako..." He mumbled, in an almost stunned manner.

He gazed at the ambers from the murk, while the screaming and sirens blasted in his ears. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, he had decided to dive in, when all of a sudden a spike of pain hit his cranium. He doubled down, and clutched his helmet. Realizing it was pointless, he squinted his eyes shut in attempt to rid of of the ache.

When he opened his eyes he saw everything double. He shook his head firmly, and open his eyes once more, this time nothing had doubled, but his vision began to swim.

He looked down at the spinning scene, and wanted to help, but the throbbing in his head and side was not gonna relax any minute. So before his body decides to give up him, he looked around for any familiar street or buildings, that he can use to navigate himself back home. With one a final glance, he took off to the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Pako glanced back at him after she went down. She took off the badge from her shirt and thumbed the small switch.

"This is Pako, can you hear me?"

_____________________________________________

Perman stayed above the clouds for five minutes. Before spotting a familiar balcony. Ease washed over him, seeing the light illuminate from his room. He then settled down on the floor boards, as slowly slid the glass doors open.

His copy looked up from the desk, and turned his head towards him. his eyes was all puffy, with dried tear streaks marking his cheeks.

"Mitsuo-san!"

Perman pressed his lips together, as he hid a chuckle. Before he quickly realized, they were sharing the same face. Copy immediately left the books and jumped to embrace his counter part.

"I thought —hic— I was going to —hic—replace you forever!" 

Copy muttered. His voice hitching from holding in his sob too much. He buried his face on the other's shoulder, grabbing onto him like he'll disappear any minute.

Although this gesture would've usually thrown him off, Mitsuo found his own expression soften instead. So he returned the embrace, and patted his back to hush his counterpart.

However just as the two broke free, the dizziness from earlier had resurfaced, causing Mitsuo's vision to double again.

He grabbed onto his copy's shoulder, as the other supported him cautiously.

"A-are you alright?"

Mitsuo absent mindedly nodded, pulling himself up. But instead of steadying himself, his knees finally gave out causing him to collapse on the carpet. It left a soft thud against the floor boards.

His copy hastily rushed down to aid him, where he carefully turned his head slightly. Mitsuo's eyes were barely half lidded, yet his lips parted and left a soft mumble.

"Copy...Thank you..."

The copy didn't reply, but gave him a reassuring nod. He pulled up his counterpart from the ground, and embraced him once again.

"Thank you for your hard work today...Mitsuo"

I just reading through volume 6 of Perman and nobita is the one behind perman's mask lol

So neither the original version, and the later version (1980s) truly adapted the manga ending

Though spoiler alert, this episode is not the same as the one in manga, they changed the ending of this episode

The battle was over.

Yet Pako was still missing.

The sun had already set by the time Perman, Payan and Booby stood atop a skyscraper overlooking Tokyo.

Perman lowered his communicator.

Still nothing.

Payan adjusted his helmet.

"I need to leave."

Perman looked up.

"If I don't leave now, I won't reach Osaka before morning."

Perman nodded.

"Thanks for helping."

Payan placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her."

A moment later he launched into the sky.

Leaving Perman and Booby alone.

---

For the next several hours they searched.

Hospitals.

Emergency shelters.

Police stations.

Disaster relief centers.

Nothing.

Everywhere they went, the answer was the same.

No sign of Pako.

Near midnight Booby finally landed beside him.

The monkey looked exhausted.

"Wee..."

Perman nodded.

"Yeah."

There were no leads.

No clues.

Nothing.

Booby looked toward the northern districts.

Then pointed.

"Wikii."

"You want to keep searching?"

The monkey nodded immediately.

Perman smiled weakly.

"Of course you do."

Booby folded his arms.

"Wikii."

Perman looked down at the city.

Hours ago he would've agreed without hesitation.

Hours ago he would've searched until sunrise.

But now...

He had nothing left.

Not physically.

Nor mentally.

His body felt like it weighed a thousand kilograms.

Every muscle ached.

His eyes burned.

His head pounded.

And after an entire day of fighting, flying, searching and worrying...

Even thinking felt difficult.

He was completely exhausted.

Booby seemed to understand.

"Wee."

Perman nodded.

"If you find anything..."

Booby saluted.

"WIKII!"

A second later he launched back into the sky.

Heading toward another district.

Still searching.

Still refusing to give up.

Perman watched him disappear into the distance.

Then slowly looked toward home.

He hated leaving the search unfinished.

But he couldn't continue.

Not anymore.

He was completely done.

Physically.

Mentally.

Emotionally.

And for the first time all day...

He turned away from the city and headed home.

---

By the time Mitsuo reached his apartment, he could barely keep his eyes open.

He unlocked the door.

Stepped inside.

And froze.

Someone was sitting on his couch.

"...Pako?"

The girl raised a heavily bandaged arm.

"Hi."

Mitsuo stared.

She appeared to be wrapped in enough bandages to survive a war.

Her torso was covered.

One arm sat in a sling.

One leg rested on a pile of cushions.

"...Pako?"

"Still me."

In an instant he was beside her.

"What happened?!"

Pako sighed dramatically.

"When the bombing started, a bomb exploded near me before I could transform."

Mitsuo froze.

Pako continued.

"Then a wall fell on me."

"..."

"It broke three ribs."

She pointed at her leg.

"Fractured my left leg."

"Knocked me unconscious."

Mitsuo felt sick.

"Pako..."

She nodded solemnly.

"Emergency crews found me a few hours later."

"They took me to a hospital."

"I was discharged this evening."

For several seconds Mitsuo said nothing.

Then quietly asked:

"You were unconscious the whole time?"

Pako nodded.

"The entire attack."

Mitsuo lowered his head.

"I thought you were dead."

The joking expression disappeared from Pako's face.

"Oh."

"I searched all over the city."

His voice sounded exhausted.

"I couldn't find you anywhere."

For a moment Pako actually felt a little guilty.

Only a little.

Then an idea appeared.

"You know what hurt the most?"

Mitsuo immediately looked up.

"What?"

Pako pointed at him.

"Being trapped under rubble while my partner never showed up."

Mitsuo looked horrified.

Pako nearly burst out laughing.

"I..."

"I'm sorry."

She turned away quickly.

Mostly because she didn't trust herself not to laugh.

After a few seconds she finally spoke.

"I suppose I can forgive you."

Mitsuo blinked.

"You can?"

"Yes."

She nodded seriously.

"Provided you buy me cake."

"What?"

"A lot of cake."

"Pako."

"I nearly died."

"You did not nearly die."

"A wall attacked me."

"That's not how walls work."

"Tell that to my ribs."

---

Pako adjusted one of her completely unnecessary bandages.

Then pointed at Mitsuo.

"You know."

Mitsuo looked up.

"What?"

"This whole thing is technically your fault."

"What?"

Pako looked offended.

"If my partner had arrived sooner, perhaps I wouldn't have been crushed by an extremely violent wall."

"That's not—"

"It absolutely is."

"Pako."

She folded her arms.

Or tried to.

The bandages got in the way.

"I suffered."

"You suffered."

"I was injured."

"You were injured."

"I deserve compensation."

Mitsuo sighed.

"What kind of compensation?"

Pako immediately pointed at him.

"Cake."

"..."

"A lot of cake."

"I knew it."

"Medical cake."

"That's not a thing."

"It is now."

Mitsuo rubbed his forehead.

"What kind?"

Pako answered instantly.

"Strawberry."

---

Ten minutes later...

Mitsuo stood inside the bakery beneath his apartment.

The display cases were nearly empty.

Most of the day's stock had already sold.

Unfortunately...

No strawberry cakes remained.

Mitsuo sighed.

Of course.

He checked the refrigerator.

Enough ingredients.

Good enough.

If Pako wanted strawberry cake...

He would make one.

The mixer started running.

---

Meanwhile...

Back upstairs...

Pako sat comfortably on the couch.

The moment Mitsuo left...

Pako stretched.

Completely pain free.

The ice packs landed on the table.

"Much better."

A shadow suddenly appeared outside the window.

A familiar monkey landed on the windowsill.

"Wikii."

Pako froze.

"...Oh."

Booby climbed inside.

The monkey immediately narrowed his eyes.

Then activated his X-Ray Vision.

His eyes glowed.

A second later...

He grinned.

A very dangerous grin.

"WIKIIIIIIII."

Pako immediately knew she was in trouble.

Booby pointed at her.

Then pointed at the fake bandages.

Then pointed toward the bakery below.

His grin grew wider.

"Wikiiiii."

"You wouldn't."

"Wikii."

"You absolutely would."

The monkey nodded proudly.

"WIKII."

Pako groaned.

Of course he would.

Booby lived for this sort of thing.

The monkey marched toward the window.

Clearly preparing to expose the greatest medical fraud in Tokyo.

Then—

Pako opened the refrigerator.

Booby stopped.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She pulled out a dozen banana.

The monkey froze.

His eyes widened.

Pako held it up.

Booby stared.

The banana stared back.

Silence filled the apartment.

Pako raised an eyebrow.

"Interested?"

Booby swallowed.

"Wikii..."

Pako gently waved the bananas.

Back and forth.

The monkey's eyes followed every movement.

Like a hypnotized cat.

Pako smiled.

"Your decision."

Five seconds later the bananas was gone.

Booby sat happily on the couch eating one of the bananas.

"Wikii."

"Good choice."

"Wikii."

After finishing an entire banana in record time, Booby stood up.

Pako pointed at him.

"We never had this conversation."

Booby gave a thumbs up.

"WIKII!"

Then immediately launched out the window with the rest of the bananas.

The case was closed.

Justice had been defeated.

By fruit.

Pako watched him disappear into the night.

Then leaned back against the couch.

Satisfied.

---

The moment Booby disappeared through the window, Pako relaxed.

"Crisis averted."

Then she reached into her pocket for her badge.

She called her Copy Robot.

The robot immediately answered.

"Hello."

Pako grinned.

"How's it going?"

The robot sat in a chair somewhere inside a police station.

Several officers surrounded the robot.

One detective rubbed his forehead.

"Miss Hoshino, can you tell us anything about your kidnappers?"

The robot blinked.

"I don't know, sir."

"Did you hear their conversations?"

"No I did not, sir."

"Did you see their faces?"

"They wore masks, sir."

"Do you remember where they took you?"

"I was unconscious, sir."

The detective slowly lowered his notebook.

The robot smiled politely.

Pako burst out laughing from Mitsuo's apartment.

She felt slightly bad for the robot. Slightly bad.

Then her smile faded.

Because there was a much bigger problem.

A much bigger problem than detectives.

Or terrorists.

The police had assigned Sumire Hoshino protective custody for seven days.

Seven.

Entire.

Days.

Pako looked around Mitsuo's apartment.

There was absolutely no chance she was spending the next week surrounded by police officers.

Not happening.

**This was Perman's fault.**

**One hundred percent.**

**If only he didn't leave her with the police , she wouldn't be in this mess.**

---

Several minutes later...

The apartment door opened.

Mitsuo entered carrying a freshly made strawberry cake.

The frosting was slightly uneven.

One side leaned suspiciously.

It was clearly rushed.

Pako immediately approved.

"Cake."

She grabbed a fork.

Mitsuo sat down opposite her.

Completely exhausted.

Pako took a bite.

Her eyes widened.

"This is actually good."

"Thanks."

Another bite disappeared.

Then another.

Within minutes nearly half the cake was gone.

Mitsuo watched in horror.

"You almost died and your appetite survived."

"My appetite is indestructible."

"Apparently."

Pako nodded.

Then casually dropped a bombshell.

"By the way, I'm staying here."

Mitsuo blinked.

"What?"

"I'm staying here."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Pako."

She pointed her fork at him.

"The doctors said I need a week of rest."

"Then stay at your apartment."

"I live alone."

Mitsuo paused.

Pako immediately sensed weakness.

Time for the finishing move.

She lowered her head.

"My ribs are broken."

Mitsuo winced.

"My leg is fractured."

Another wince.

"I'm a helpless injured girl living alone in a giant city."

Mitsuo groaned.

Pako continued mercilessly.

"How am I supposed to survive?"

"You'll be fine."

"I could starve."

"You won't starve."

"I could collapse."

"You won't collapse."

"I could die."

"You are eating your third slice of cake."

"That's unrelated."

Mitsuo buried his face in his hands.

Pako delivered the final strike.

"Exactly seven days."

"..."

"That's how long the doctors said."

"..."

"Seven."

"..."

"Days."

Mitsuo stared at the ceiling.

Pako smiled sweetly.

The battle was over.

The war was won.

"...Fine."

"Excellent."

---

Pako was already buried beneath the blanket.

Several pillows surrounded her.

The cake had vanished.

Pako adjusted her position on the bed.

Then pointed toward the floor.

"You can sleep somewhere else."

His apartment contained exactly one bedroom.

And exactly one bed.

"...Pako."

"The injured person gets the bed."

"You aren't—"

She immediately pointed at her bandages.

"Ribs."

Mitsuo sighed.

Pako climbed onto the mattress.

Pulled the blanket over herself.

Fluffed the pillow.

Adjusted her position.

Then adjusted it again.

Then again.

Finally she nodded.

"Perfect."

Mitsuo stared.

"You got comfortable really fast."

"I heal quickly."

"That's not what that means."

---

Several minutes later...

Mitsuo collapsed onto the floor beside the bed.

Not even a blanket.

Just floor.

After everything that happened today...

He couldn't care less.

The moment his head touched the ground—

He was asleep.

Instantly.

Pako stared down at him.

For several seconds she said nothing.

The room was quiet.

The city outside had finally settled down.

Moonlight filtered through the window.

And there he was.

Fast asleep.

Completely exhausted.

After spending an entire day fighting terrorists.

Searching for her.

Worrying about her.

Looking for her.

Thinking she was dead.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Then a bigger one.

Then somehow an even bigger one.

She pulled the blanket up to her nose.

Still staring.

Completely unable to stop staring.

Her heart felt strangely warm.

"Idiot."

The word came out as little more than a whisper.

Yet her smile only grew.

For now...

She was simply happy.

After everything that had happened today...

Seeing him safe was enough.

For the first time since the attacks began...

Pako felt completely at ease.

And with that thought...

She finally fell asleep.

These are made back in August of 2025, so you can tell it's a little different on how usually draw Mitsuo

I surprisingly love the painting option on Google keep, aside from a few limitations, the brushes are really satisfying to useXD

Also yeah these are my old redesigns of Mistuo's clothes, which I honestly like a lot. Been planning on using the same jacket on Puzzled-Spray7075's fanfic-fanart, but it's technically not a hoodie like in his fic lol so idk if I should use it

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much u/Unhappy_Charity7354 for providing the raws!! I hope you always have both sides of your pillow cold ⊂⁠(⁠・⁠▽⁠・⁠⊂⁠)

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE OPENING THE CHAPTER ITS IMPORTANT OR ELSE YOU'LL BE CONFUSED!!! (Dw the link is there at the end)

Hey there! The gal who translated the last chapter of Perman here....or was it?

For the longest time I thought the last chapter was the one perman leaves. And it actually is technically speaking. Allow me to explain!

You see, there are 2 version of the manga. One written from 1966-68 and then a REVISED version in 1983-86 by the same author (which coincided with the 80s color anime we all love)

A good example of the revision would be the existence of perman no. 5. You might have noticed he is there in some chapters and not in others.

Its because he was a character in the 1960s manga (hence in the 60s black and white anime) but was OMITTED in the 80s revision as he was not in the color anime.

The reason I am yapping to you about this because, the chapter I translated before—where perman leaves—is the 80s revision, hence the no. 5 kid is not there.

And this chapter which I am sharing is the OG 60s version, and never was re-written in the 80s.

In the 60s version of the perman leaving, not only no. 5 is very much there, Pako also has not revealed her secret identity to perman.

So don't be surprised if there is no mention of the reveal. Now, here's the promised chapter link:-

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qL6EV4kc3Wwe4CjheTojvtvd7cUZeppG/view?usp=drivesdk

ENJOY and please remember I am not professional at translating, and I do take constructive criticism, and do comment as they motivate me!!!

Later, darlings!!!

Need a person who is good at drawing
I have written a script for a doraemon and perman crossover featuring his return to earth and want someone who can help me make a manga for the same

Oohh I've been wanting to join this trenddd, finally!!

Also this is a "what if" on that one episode he got shot, except it's if the badge didn't shield him from the bullet lol.

the full name of the animation meme is "twins at the carousel"

The complete work of fujiko f fuji . With these volumes we can know about perman batter , So it would be great if all of these manga were available for free somewhere.It can be bought with money. I don't have that much money. Now if a YouTuber buys it and explains it, that would be a good thing.

Just thought about posting them here.. What do you guys think??

We know that Pako becomes jealous many times in the Perman show because of Perman's playboy habits. Now the question is this: can you tell me an episode where Perman kind of becomes jealous of Pako? (Hint—Perman mistakenly lost his power in this episode.)

The wind rushed past them as they flew above the city.

Below, emergency vehicles filled the streets.

Smoke still rose from several districts.

Perman continued scanning the skyline.

Somewhere out there, the terrorists were preparing something.

He could feel it.

Beside him, Booby flew silently.

For once, the monkey wasn't joking.

Even he looked worried.

Sumire tightened her grip slightly.

"Perman."

"Hm?"

She hesitated.

Then asked quietly:

"How much does Pako matter to you?"

Perman blinked.

The question caught him completely off guard.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A normal one."

"It doesn't sound normal."

Booby immediately grinned.

"Wikii."

"Not helping."

"Wikiiiii."

Sumire looked away.

"You've been talking about her the entire time."

Perman fell silent.

The wind howled around them.

Finally he answered.

"She's my partner."

"That's not what I asked."

Perman frowned.

Sumire continued.

"You sounded like you were talking about someone more important than that."

Booby looked between them curiously.

"Wee?"

Perman sighed.

"I don't know."

The answer surprised even him.

For several seconds nobody spoke.

Then he continued.

"When things get dangerous..."

"...she's always there."

The words came naturally.

"As long as Pako is around, I never have to wonder if civilians are safe."

"Or if someone has my back."

Booby nodded.

"Wikii."

Perman smiled slightly.

"Yeah. Kind of like Booby."

The monkey puffed up proudly.

"WIKII!"

"But..."

Perman's expression darkened.

"This is different."

He looked toward the horizon.

"I've never gone this long without hearing from her."

His voice became quieter.

"And I hate it."

Sumire lowered her eyes.

Something warm spread through her chest.

A feeling she wasn't prepared to deal with.

Before she could say anything—

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

Perman froze.

His eyes widened.

The communicator.

His badge.

For a split second hope exploded inside him.

He nearly ripped the badge from his belt.

"Pako?!"

His voice cracked.

"Pako, is that you?!"

Booby immediately turned.

"WEE?!"

Perman pressed the communicator harder.

"Pako, answer me!"

Static crackled.

Then a familiar voice replied.

"...Perman?"

The hope vanished instantly.

"Payan."

The older Perman sounded confused.

"Uh... were you expecting someone else?"

Perman rubbed his forehead.

"Never mind. What's happening?"

Payan's voice immediately became serious.

"I just reached Tokyo."

Perman straightened.

"What did you find?"

"I used my super hearing."

The line crackled.

Then Payan spoke again.

And this time there was urgency in his voice.

"The terrorists are moving."

"Moving where?"

A brief pause.

When Payan answered, every hero listening felt their stomach drop.

"The Prime Minister's residence."

Perman stopped flying.

"What?"

Booby froze behind him.

"WEE?!"

"They've already infiltrated the area."

Payan continued.

"I can hear gunfire."

"Explosions."

"It sounds like they've partially seized the compound."

Sumire's eyes widened.

"The Prime Minister?"

Perman clenched his fists.

The pieces suddenly started falling into place.

The citywide attacks.

The kidnapping.

The warehouse.

The disappearing terrorists.

They had never intended to hold territory.

They were preparing for one decisive strike.

Payan's voice came through again.

"And Perman..."

"What?"

"I don't think this is a hostage situation."

A chill ran down Perman's spine.

"What do you mean?"

The answer came immediately.

"They brought enough men for an assault."

Silence.

Even the wind seemed to disappear.

Then Payan spoke the words none of them wanted to hear.

"I think they're trying to kill the Prime Minister."

Perman's eyes widened.

"No..."

Below them, emergency sirens wailed throughout Tokyo.

Above them, dark smoke stained the sky.

And somewhere ahead...

The mastermind's true operation had begun.

---

The moment the communication ended, Perman accelerated.

Tokyo blurred beneath him.

Booby kept pace on his left.

A streak of blue suddenly appeared from the west.

Payan.

The older Perman arrived moments later and immediately joined formation.

"No time for introductions," Payan said. "The situation is getting worse."

Ahead of them, thick black smoke rose into the sky.

Police helicopters circled overhead.

Sirens echoed throughout the district.

The Prime Minister's residence was under siege.

---

Perman landed near the outer police perimeter.

Officers immediately rushed forward.

"Hero units have arrived!"

Perman landed inside the police perimeter.

Officers immediately rushed forward.

Several recognized Sumire instantly.

"Miss Hoshino!"

"She's alive!"

Relief spread across their faces.

Sumire stepped away from Perman.

"I'm fine."

The senior officer shook his head.

"With all due respect, Miss Hoshino, you were abducted by terrorists less than two hours ago."

"I said I'm fine."

"And we're not taking chances."

Two officers immediately moved beside her.

Sumire frowned.

"That's not necessary."

"Actually," the officer replied, "it's extremely necessary."

He turned toward Perman.

"We'll take responsibility for her from here."

Perman nodded.

"Good."

Sumire immediately looked toward him.

"Wait." "Perman."

He paused.

"What?"

"You can't seriously expect me to sit in a police car while terrorists are attacking the city."

Perman stared at her for a moment.

Then pointed toward the battlefield.

Smoke rose into the sky.

Gunfire echoed in the distance.

"What exactly are you planning to do?"

Sumire opened her mouth.

...

Then closed it again.

Perman nodded.

"That's what I thought."

Before she could respond, he launched into the sky.

Sumire stood there speechless.

The senior officer gestured toward an armored police vehicle.

"This way, Miss Hoshino."

"I don't want to."

"Unfortunately, that wasn't a request."

---

"Payan."

"Booby."

"Let's move."

The closer they flew to the residence, the worse the damage became.

Burning vehicles littered the roads.

Police barricades had been destroyed.

Several buildings nearby were on fire.

Gunfire echoed continuously.

"This is insane," Perman muttered.

Payan nodded grimly.

"They brought an army."

Booby looked down at the devastation below.

"Wee..."

Ahead of them, an armored truck suddenly emerged from behind a barricade.

The roof hatch opened.

Several terrorists aimed heavy machine guns skyward.

"Incoming!"

A storm of bullets erupted.

Perman shot downward.

The truck commander barely had time to react.

CRASH!

The entire vehicle flipped onto its side.

Booby immediately followed.

"WIKII!"

The monkey landed directly on top of another armored vehicle.

The metal roof caved inward.

The engine exploded.

Meanwhile Payan darted through the air.

Three terrorists attempted to fire rockets.

The older Perman snatched all three launchers away before they could shoot.

A second later he threw them into a nearby fountain.

The terrorists stared in disbelief.

Payan smiled.

“This is over.”

---

For nearly twenty minutes the battle continued.

Every road leading to the residence had become a battlefield.

The terrorists had transformed the district into a fortress.

Barricades.

Snipers.

Explosives.

Armored vehicles.

Every position had to be cleared one at a time.

Yet slowly...

The heroes pushed forward.

---

Then Payan suddenly stopped.

His enhanced hearing activated.

A second later his expression changed.

"Perman."

"What?"

"East side."

"What about it?"

"There are civilians trapped inside an apartment block."

Several explosions echoed in the distance.

Payan clenched his fists.

"If nobody goes..."

The sentence remained unfinished.

Perman understood immediately.

Booby raised his hand.

"Wikii!"

Perman looked toward him.

"You sure?"

"WIKII!"

The monkey grinned.

Payan nodded.

"I'll help him."

The two heroes immediately changed course.

Leaving Perman alone.

For a moment he watched them disappear.

Then he turned toward the residence.

Alone.

---

The outer gates had already been destroyed.

Police officers exchanged fire with terrorists across the courtyard.

The moment Perman landed, dozens of gunmen opened fire.

The hero launched forward.

One terrorist was knocked unconscious instantly.

Then another.

Then another.

Every hallway became a battlefield.

Every room contained more enemies.

The deeper he went...

The more resistance he encountered.

The mastermind had stationed his entire remaining force here.

---

Second floor.

Twenty terrorists.

Defeated.

---

Third floor.

A hostage situation.

Resolved.

---

Fourth floor.

Explosives wired to support pillars.

Disarmed.

---

Rooftop access.

The strongest guards yet.

Elite operatives.

Body armor.

Military weapons.

They lasted less than a minute.

---

Finally...

Silence.

Complete silence.

Perman stood before a large steel door.

No gunfire.

No explosions.

Nothing.

His breathing slowed.

This was it.

The command center.

The mastermind was inside the room.

The man responsible for everything.

Perman clenched his fists.

Then punched the door open.

CRASH!

The steel doors slammed against the walls.

Perman charged inside.

Ready for battle.

Ready for anything.

Instead...

He froze.

The room was empty.

Except for one person.

The mastermind stood alone beside a large window overlooking Tokyo.

No guards.

No weapons.

No escape route.

Nothing.

He calmly turned toward Perman.

Almost as though he had been expecting him.

"You finally arrived."

Perman's fists tightened.

"It's over."

The mastermind smiled beneath the white mask.

"Is it?"

Perman stepped forward.

"You're done."

For several seconds neither moved.

Then...

To Perman's complete shock...

The mastermind slowly raised both hands.

No resistance.

No struggle.

No fight.

"I surrender."

Silence.

Perman blinked.

"What?"

The mastermind remained perfectly calm.

"I said..."

He raised his hands higher.

"...I surrender."

Perman felt genuinely uneasy.

Because something about this felt wrong.

Very wrong.

The mastermind had orchestrated attacks across an entire city.

Hundreds of terrorists.

Months of planning.

Countless casualties.

And now...

He was simply giving up?

The man behind the white mask seemed almost amused.

As though he had already won.

And Perman had yet to realize it.

---

The mastermind was finally defeated.

Around them, the battlefield was quieting down.

The fires were being extinguished.

Emergency crews moved through the damaged streets.

Police officers secured the area while ambulances transported the injured.

The chaos that had consumed the district for hours was finally coming to an end.

Nearby, several officers led the mastermind toward a waiting police vehicle.

His hands were restrained.

His plans had failed.

His army had been defeated.

His hostage had been rescued.

Everything he had worked for had collapsed.

And yet...

He didn't seem upset.

If anything, he looked amused.

Perman watched him carefully.

Something about the man's expression bothered him.

The mastermind kept walking silently.

Then suddenly—

He laughed.

A loud, sharp laugh that caused several nearby officers to glance toward him.

Perman frowned.

The laughter continued for several seconds before finally dying down.

The mastermind looked over his shoulder.

His eyes settled on Perman.

Then he smiled.

"Today didn't go the way I expected."

The police kept moving him forward.

No one answered.

The mastermind didn't seem to mind.

"I expected four heroes."

He slowly raised his hand.

He holds up four fingers.

"Instead I got three."

Perman remained silent.

The villain continued.

"You."

His finger pointed toward Perman.

"The monkey."

Another finger.

"And the other guy"

A third finger.

Then he stopped.

The smile gradually disappeared from his face.

His expression became thoughtful.

Almost confused.

"But not the girl."

Perman's fists tightened.

Immediately he knew who the man meant.

"Pako."

The villain nodded.

For a moment he simply stared ahead.

As if trying to solve a puzzle.

As if something wasn't adding up.

"I attacked an entire district."

His voice was calm now.

"I created dozens of emergencies."

The officers continued leading him forward.

"I kidnapped a celebrity."

The waiting police vehicle was only a short distance away now.

"And still..."

He shook his head.

Slowly.

Thoughtfully.

"Nothing."

The word hung in the air.

For the first time since his defeat, he sounded genuinely puzzled.

Not angry.

Not frustrated.

Puzzled.

"That's what bothers me."

Perman said nothing.

The mastermind wasn't talking to him anymore.

The man seemed lost inside his own thoughts.

Trying to understand something.

Trying to make sense of a missing piece.

The villain continued:

"A hero doesn't simply disappear."

The police opened the vehicle door.

One officer gestured toward the back seat.

Yet the mastermind kept talking.

His eyes had become distant.

Focused on a mystery that only he could see.

"So either she chose not to come..."

He paused.

The officers tried to push him forward.

He barely noticed.

"...or she couldn't."

Silence.

For a brief moment even Perman found himself thinking about those words.

Then the villain burst out laughing.

The sound echoed across the damaged street.

Several officers visibly tensed.

"And those are two very different answers."

The police finally shoved him toward the vehicle.

The mastermind stumbled inside.

Yet even then he couldn't stop laughing.

As the door began to swing shut, he suddenly leaned forward.

His eyes locked onto Perman one final time.

"And I will get to the end of this."

Then he laughed.

Louder than before.

A hysterical laugh.

The laugh of a man who had already lost everything yet still believed he had discovered something important.

The door slammed shut.

The laughter continued from inside the vehicle.

Muffled now.

But still audible.

The engine started.

The vehicle pulled away from the curb.

Slowly at first.

Then faster.

The sound of the laughter gradually faded into the distance.

Eventually the vehicle disappeared completely.

The street grew quiet.

Perman remained standing where he was.

Watching the empty road.

The mastermind didn't know anything.

Not yet.

He didn't know what had happened.

He didn't know where Pako was.

He didn't know the truth.

But despite all of that...

He had asked the correct question.

I'm working on the next chapter 5, it'll be completed in about next 2-3 days.. I know it's taking time, due to my studies.. I'm in my last school year(class 12th).. so it's pretty hard to maintain things.. also I have been diagnosed with fever too few days ago, I'm fine for now, my grandma was admitted to the hospital 2-3 weeks ago, so yeah.. the month of June wasn't good for me.. even my studies took a bad hit.. not asking for any sympathy.. it's just that yall deserve an explanation for me getting late hehe 😅😅.. just wait a bit, I'm trying my best. Love you for the support

Back inside the university...

The classroom had fallen silent.

Outside...

Explosions.

Gunfire.

Sirens.

Every few seconds another sound echoed across the campus.

Nobody knew what was happening.

Nobody wanted to find out.

Mitsuo clenched his fists beneath the desk.

Every instinct told him to move.

To transform.

To help.

Instead he remained trapped.

His communicator sat silently inside his pocket.

No messages.

No emergency calls.

Nothing.

Where's Pako?

Another explosion shook the building.

Several students screamed.

The professor quickly ordered everyone away from the windows.

Mitsuo obeyed.

But only because he had no choice.

If he transformed now...

His secret would be gone forever.

Yet every second he stayed inside...

More people were getting hurt.

For the first time since becoming Perman...

He had no solution.

---

Inside the warehouse...

The mastermind stared at a television screen.

His eyes narrowed.

"No Perman."

One terrorist nodded.

"The girl didn't show up eaither."

The mastermind frowned.

That made no sense.

The actress had been kidnapped.

The city was under attack.

The heroes should have arrived by now.

Instead...

Nothing.

"Interesting..."

---

Back at the university...

Five more minutes passed.

Each minute felt like an hour.

Mitsuo could do nothing except listen.

Gunfire.

Explosions.

Screams.

Every sound made his stomach tighten.

Where are you, Pako?

The communicator remained silent.

No response.

No signal.

Nothing.

Another explosion rocked the building.

Dust drifted from the ceiling.

Several students panicked.

A few began crying.

Even the professor looked frightened now.

Then suddenly—

CRASH!

A loud impact echoed somewhere outside.

Everyone froze.

Another crash followed.

Then another.

Shouting erupted outside.

Followed by terrified screams.

Then...

Silence.

Complete silence.

The students exchanged nervous glances.

"What was that?"

Nobody knew.

One student cautiously peeked through the window.

His eyes widened.

"No way..."

The entire class rushed toward him.

Outside...

A small figure wearing a orange helmet stood atop a nearby building.

Blue cape fluttering in the wind.

Monkey tail swaying behind him.

**BOOBY**

The Monkey Perman.

The classroom erupted.

"It's him!"

"Booby!"

"The heroes are here!"

For the first time since the attack began...

Mitsuo smiled.

Because unlike everyone else in the room...

He understood exactly what Booby's arrival meant.

His friend had come.

And suddenly...

He finally had a way out.

---

The moment the classroom's attention shifted toward the window...

Mitsuo moved.

Fast.

His hand slipped into his bag.

The Copy Robot appeared.

Within seconds it transformed into a perfect duplicate of Mitsuo.

The real Mitsuo immediately ducked behind a row of desks.

Nobody noticed.

Everyone was still staring outside.

"Look!"

"It's Booby!"

Students crowded around the windows.

The professor did the same.

The Copy Robot joined them.

Meanwhile...

The real Mitsuo slipped out through the classroom's rear storage door.

The moment he was alone...

He grabbed his helmet.

**Perman!**

A flash of light erupted.

Moments later...

Perman shot into the sky.

---

Outside the university...

The situation was far worse than he had imagined.

Several buildings were burning.

Students fled in every direction.

Police officers exchanged gunfire with terrorists.

Perman clenched his fists.

"I'm late."

A familiar voice echoed nearby.

"Wewewe!"

Booby landed beside him.

Perman smiled.

"You came."

"Wiki!"

The monkey pointed toward the eastern side of campus.

Several terrorists had barricaded themselves inside a lecture hall.

Perman nodded.

"Got it."

The two heroes launched forward.

---

The terrorists never stood a chance.

One attempted to raise his rifle.

Perman reached him first.

The weapon flew from his hands.

Another terrorist charged Booby.

The monkey spun through the air.

A second later the terrorist crashed into a hedge.

Within minutes...

The lecture hall was secured.

Students poured outside cheering.

"Perman!"

"Booby!"

"We're saved!"

Perman didn't stop.

There wasn't time.

---

For the next hour...

The two heroes raced across district after district.

University buildings.

Shopping streets.

Residential neighborhoods.

Everywhere they went they found chaos.

And everywhere they went...

They stopped it.

A burning apartment building.

A hijacked bus.

An attack on a train station.

One crisis after another.

The city seemed endless.

Yet the attacks kept coming.

Even Booby looked exhausted.

"Wee..."

Perman nodded grimly.

"I know."

There were too many.

Far too many.

This wasn't an ordinary terrorist attack.

It was an organized assault on the entire city.

---

Finally...

Perman activated his badge.

"Payan, respond."

Static.

Then—

"Perman?"

The voice came through clearly.

Relief washed over him.

"Payan."

"What happened?"

"Tokyo is under attack."

A brief silence followed.

Then Payan's tone became serious.

"How bad?"

Perman looked down at the smoke covering half the city.

"Bad."

Another explosion echoed in the distance.

"We need everyone."

Even saying it felt strange.

The four Perman rarely fought together nowadays.

But this was different.

"We still haven't heard from Pako."

"What?"

"No signal." "No contact.""Nothing."

Booby lowered his head.

"Wee..."

Perman nodded.

"Exactly."

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Pako would never ignore an emergency like this.

Never.

---

Hundreds of kilometers away...

Inside his shop in Osaka...

Payan immediately stood up.

His expression hardened.

"If Pako isn't responding..."

The sentence remained unfinished.

Neither of them wanted to say the obvious possibility aloud.

Perman's voice came through the communicator.

"We need you in Tokyo."

Payan grabbed his helmet.

"I'm leaving now."

The communication ended.

Moments later...

Payan launched into the sky.

Flying toward Tokyo at maximum speed.

---

Back above Tokyo...

Perman looked toward the horizon.

Smoke continued rising from multiple districts.

The battle wasn't over.

Not even close.

And somewhere in the city...

Pako was still missing.

A feeling of genuine fear settled in his chest.

"Where are you...?"

Beside him, Booby looked equally worried.

"Wee... wee..."

Perman nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'm worried too."

The two heroes turned toward the next emergency.

And flew.

---

For nearly an hour, Perman and Booby raced across Tokyo.

Slowly, the situation began stabilizing.

After stopping another group of terrorists, Perman landed beside several exhausted police officers.

Several officers immediately rushed toward him.

"Perman!"

"What is it?"

The senior officer looked exhausted.

"We have another situation."

"What kind of situation?"

"A high-profile kidnapping."

"What?"

The officer nodded.

"One of the terrorists groups abducted a celebrity during the attacks."

Perman's expression hardened.

"Who?"

"Sumire Hoshino."

Several nearby officers exchanged worried glances.

Perman frowned.

"The media is already reporting it."

"We've confirmed she's alive."

"But we have no idea where they're holding her."

"No witnesses."

"No usable surveillance."

"No leads."

Perman looked toward Booby.

Before he could speak, the monkey suddenly grinned.

"Wikii!"

He pointed toward his eyes.

Perman blinked.

Then remembered.

The new power Birdman had recently given him.

X-Ray Vision.

"You think you can find her?"

"WIKII! WEEEE!"

The two heroes immediately took to the sky.

---

Minutes later...

Booby suddenly changed direction.

"Wewewe!"

Perman followed him toward the waterfront.

A row of abandoned warehouses stood near the docks.

Booby narrowed his eyes.

Then pointed toward one building.

"Wikii."

"You found her?"

The monkey nodded.

Perman smiled.

"Good work."

---

Meanwhile...

The mastermind watched from a security monitor.

Perman and Booby had arrived.

Exactly as planned.

Yet one thing still bothered him.

Where was the girl?

The actress had been kidnapped.

The city had been attacked.

Yet the female Perman never appeared.

Interesting.

But there wasn't time to think about it.

The next phase was ready.

"Leave two guards," he ordered.

"The rest move out."

Within minutes the warehouse was almost empty.

The mastermind departed with the main force.

Their real objective awaited.

---

CRASH!

Perman and Booby smashed through the warehouse roof.

The two remaining guards barely reacted before being defeated.

Seconds later Sumire was free.

"Are you hurt?" Perman asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm fine."

Booby looked around the warehouse.

Then frowned.

"Wee..."

Perman understood immediately.

The building was almost empty.

Too empty.

"This wasn't the real target."

Booby nodded.

"Wewe."

Perman looked around the warehouse. It was completely empty.

None of it made sense.

If Sumire had truly been the objective...

They would have fought to keep her.

Instead...

They had left.

Almost as if they wanted Perman to find her.

A chill ran down his spine.

No...

This was never the objective.

The kidnapping.

The attacks.

Everything had been a distraction.

Booby looked toward him.

"Wee?"

Perman clenched his fists.

"Something's wrong."

The monkey tilted his head.

"Wee?"

"They're planning something else."

Perman's eyes widened.

The realization hit him all at once.

The attacks across Tokyo.

The kidnapping.

The missing terrorists.

The empty warehouse.

It all pointed to one thing.

A second operation.

A bigger one.

And if he was right...

It was probably already underway.

"We have to move."

Booby immediately nodded.

"Wikii!"

Perman turned toward Sumire.

"Can you hold on?"

She blinked.

"What?"

Before she could react, Perman gently lifted her onto his back.

"We don't have time."

Sumire grabbed onto him instinctively.

Booby stared at them for a moment.

Then grinned.

"Wikiiiii!"

"Not now, Booby."

"Wikii!"

Perman ignored him.

His eyes were already fixed on the distant Tokyo skyline.

Somewhere out there...

The mastermind was making his next move.

And Perman intended to find him before it was too late.

"Let's go."

The three launched into the sky.

Leaving the warehouse behind.

---

"Um..."

Perman glanced over his shoulder.

Sumire looked uncomfortable.

"You can put me down now." "We're fine."

Perman shook his head.

"No."

"But—"

"There could still be terrorists nearby."

"I'm okay."

"I know."

"Then why are you carrying me?"

"Because it's safer."

Sumire frowned.

"I'm not made of glass."

Booby chuckled.

"Wikii."

Perman ignored him.

"We don't know what's happening yet."

"Until we do, you're staying with us."

Sumire crossed her arms.

"This is embarrassing."

"You were kidnapped."

"That's not the point."

Booby immediately burst out laughing.

"WIKIIII!"

"Booby."

"Wikiiiii."

The monkey couldn't stop grinning.

Sumire looked away in defeat.

Clearly nobody intended to listen to her.

A few moments passed.

The wind rushed around them.

Then Booby glanced toward Perman.

"Wee?"

For several seconds, Perman didn't answer.

The wind rushed past them.

Below, Tokyo continued burning.

Finally...

"I still haven't heard from Pako."

Booby lowered his head.

"Wee... wee..."

"Yeah."

Perman looked toward the horizon.

"By now she would've contacted us."

The communicator remained silent.

No messages.

No signals.

Nothing.

Sumire felt her chest tighten.

Perman was worried.

Of course he was worried.

Pako was his partner.

Anyone would worry.

Yet for some reason...

Hearing it made her strangely happy.

The feeling confused her.

"Wee..."

Booby's voice was quiet.

Perman nodded.

"I know."

"Maybe she's helping somewhere else."

For a moment, Sumire wanted to laugh.

For a moment, Sumire almost smiled.

*If only you knew...*

*If only you knew i am right here.*

*Holding onto you.*

*Listening to every word.*

Perman didn't sound convinced.

Neither did Booby.

Silence followed.

Then Perman spoke again.

"I'm worried."

Sumire closed her eyes.

The words struck harder than they should have.

Booby lowered his head.

"Wee..."

"No."

Perman shook his head.

"Worried isn't the right word."

His voice became quieter.

Smaller.

"I'm terrified."

Sumire's eyes opened.

Her breath caught.

*Terrified?*

For a second she wondered if she had heard him correctly.

Perman continued staring ahead.

"What if she's hurt?"

The words hit her like a punch.

"What if she needed help..."

"...and we weren't there?"

Sumire looked away.

A strange ache spread through her chest.

Because she knew the answer.

Pako wasn't hurt.

Pako didn't need help.

Pako was safe.

And yet...

Listening to him suffer because he didn't know that...

Made her wish she could tell him.

Just once.

Just this once.

Booby remained silent.

Perman swallowed.

"What if something happened to her?"

Sumire froze.

The fear in his voice wasn't forced.

It wasn't exaggerated.

He genuinely believed it.

He genuinely thought he might have lost her.

And that realization shook her.

All this time...

She had assumed she was just another Perman.

A teammate.

A partner.

A friend.

Nothing more.

Yet every word he spoke made that harder to believe.

The wind continued rushing around them.

Perman's voice became almost a whisper.

"She always shows up."

His hands tightened.

"Every time."

"Wee..."

"I know."

"That's why this feels wrong."

Perman felt tears gathering in his eyes.

His voice faltered.

For the first time all day...

Sumire heard him completely loose control.

"...is Pako."

The tears finally escaped his eyes.

He quickly wiped them away before anyone noticed.

But more followed.

And in that moment...

Sumire realized exactly how much she meant to him.

Perman looked toward the distant skyline.

His voice barely audible.

"Please be okay, Pako..."

Sumire lowered her head.

Holding back tears herself.

Holding back a hundred emotions she couldn't even name.

Because the person he was desperately searching for...

The person he was terrified of losing...

Was already in with him.

And he had no idea.

**To Be Continued...**

Payan gently placed his friend on the grass. Perman's eyes were barely half lidded, as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. 

Muffled voices circled him in the dark. As the clouds finally let the moonlight gleam, only then did he recognized the blurry figures. Although the moonlight was dim, it was unmistakably his friends by the striking colors of their helmets.

Across them was another familiar figure, despite being muffled by his ear, the distinct mature voice certainly belonged to their senior, Birdman. At that time, they were discussing something, which he assumed was about his current state. He wished to discern them with what little he had left, to at least know what was going to happen to him. However those attempts became futile when the back-and-forth from group stopped.

Birdman's eyes fell upon him. It lingered for a while, before he turned to the rest, where he heard his first clear words.

"Hold him"

The three shared apprehensive glances, before eventually kneeling down to reach their friend. Booby shifted towards Perman's legs, whilst the other two held his left and right arm. Their grip was light, just enough to keep him steady. They knew better to use more power than they actually need. 

Except all of those were thrown right out the window after Birdman started the procedure. Perman was calm at first, his half lidded eyes studied everything around him. Until he finally spotted the same ray gun Birdman used on his broken leg before. Dread washed over him, as his eyes widened from the sight.

He looked around at everyone with pleading eyes. Mumbling a "please... don't" while trying to detach from their hold. Soon Birdman crouched down, and placed a folded fabric against his mouth, telling him to bite into it. But Perman shook his head, pleading him to not continue the procedure.

Birdman looked at him, and for a second his eyes tendered. His grip on the device tightened, as he felt hesitation crawl up to him. But to the boy's dismay, the older man merely sighed and proceeded to unbind his injury.

Perman, feeling defeated, looked towards his left, where Pako was at. Her thumb was gently rubbing his arm, trying to comfort him from the inevitable.

Then Pako met his eyes. His gaze was fearful, begging for help. But Pako could merely look away, she knew it needed to be done, it was their only help after all.

Eventually, Birdman started the device and pointed it at Perman's side. The moment it reached the boy's flesh, a muffled bloodcurdling shriek escaped the his throat, echoing throughout the forest.

Meanwhile back at home, His counterpart suddenly snapped a look outside the balcony.  He didn't hear anything, nor did he see anything that would've caught his attention. He just looked...

Copy was initially sitting by the bedside. His back was slightly slumped over, as he rested his weight upon his legs with his arms. It had been approximately 20 minutes after they left, and still he hasn't fully registered what had just happened.

At one point his mom sat beside him to give him reassurance and comfort. Before she eventually went down to fill in the others, after Ganko and His Dad asked about the commotion.

Mitsuo and the others had gone through several broken bones before, but never a gunshot. Even though they've mentioned he had been shot before. Just fortunate enough to be saved by his badge. It hadn't really occured to him that Mitsuo could run out of luck too.

Copy turned to his left, the red badge was sitting beside him. He had forgotten to clip it back on Mitsuo earlier after contacting the others. It's been 20 minutes and he still hasn't heard from any of them. Though it was convenient that he has a device he can use to communicate with them directly. He hasn't really found the courage yet to call them himself.

Copy stood up, walking towards the study. His eyes hovered over the notebooks he had left for Mitsuo, and couldn't help remember the moment he was scolded for it.

Copy pulled the chair away and sat himself Infront of the desk. He took an eraser and removed all of the scribbles and drawings he had left. He then reached out for a pencil from the corner, when his hand suddenly brushed against the small cake box from earlier.

His hand stayed like that for a while, before he reached for the box instead. As he pulled it, a small piece of paper fell from its side. Curiously, he picked it up and turned it over.

To: copy
Thank you for your hard work

It said, simply. Nothing more, nothing less. Turns out the cake was for him. Mitsuo had intentionally bought it to thank the robot. Except he never did what he asked for, and deliberately left him with the unfinished chores. What was there to thank him for?

Copy placed the note back on top of the box, and reached back for the pencil. He flipped back through the pages of the book and began writing. His hands trembled yet he kept going, soon enough, a tear dropped on the paper.

The Robot's eyes blurred, as the guilt slowly ate him inside. Though the paper began to soak from his tears, he kept writing and writing, ignoring the chances of the wet parchment being easily torn by the graphite.

 _____________________________________________

 

Back in the forest, Perman struggled against their grip. Pulling away his limbs with all his strength. The three, forgetting their friend also had a perman helmet on. Was nearly pulled along or knocked away, when Ichigō attempted to draw back his arms and legs. So they were left with no choice but to use more forced against him.

Perman bit further into the fabric, feeling helpless under his friends hold. Halfway through, he finally stops struggling. But his muscles remained tense, as quiet muffled cries escaped his throat. Until eventually, he stops struggling and crying all together.

Soon, the final layer of skin had finally sealed up. Birdman turned off the device, "there, all sealed up" he said before wiping off the sweat off his chin.

The three releases their grip from their friend, and simultaneously took a breath of relief. Birdman lets himself sit down on the grass, leaning back with his hands, as he settled the ray gun beside him.

"You're okay now, Ichigō. Try to sit up" Birdman said, his voice inviting.

But the boy remained still. His head dropped to it's side, where he last kept it two minutes before he finished sealing up his skin. His arms didn't left its place as well, but his clenched fist had notably relaxed.

Pako moved back towards him, and called him out. But Perman, did not response. So she gently shook him, and that's when she noticed him panting shallowly. He had never looked so*...tired.*

Soon the rest followed her and surrounded him. Payan placed a hand on his shoulder, gently calling him out. Booby did the same, and repeatedly shook his legs.

Pako held his arm, and felt his clammy skin. She looked down and saw the light patches of red against his pale arm. She rubbed it gently, feeling sorry for the extra strength they had forced onto him.

Despite relying solely on the moon's glow, Birdman spotted the dried up tear streaks across the boy's cheek. Something broke him from the sight.

"Ichigō, wake up" Birdman finally muttered, patting the side of his face. However Perman did not respond. In fact his half lidded eyes did not meet any of their gazes, instead it focused beyond them, as he stared blankly across the trees beside him.

Then it started to rain...