Description: After some unfortunate incidents in which Kurow has been involved, Hayato confronts the student about his suspicions. Hayato loses his temper, but Kurow underestimates the teacher's Burning Spirit...
And once again -- back and forth, back and forth. This is starting to get a little ridiculous for Kurow, all truths told; he's been going back and forth between Japan and Thailand almost daily, out of necessity. Today his business has brought him back to Southtown, to do some routine maintenance on some of his various... contacts in other schools. The young man's finished with that, though, and now he needs to unwind a little -- and what's the best way to do that?
Train! At the very least, Kurow's bought into this aspect of his upbringing, and of the art of fighting as a whole; even if one doesn't intend to actually fight on a given day, one should at least keep one's skills sharp and ready with training of /some/ sort. Today, he's working not on his own typical fighting style but primarily on the gentle style of kenpo that he's started to pick up from his numerous run-ins with Hotaru Futaba. He's really got a good handle on it, from the looks of it -- one would assume he's had a reasonable amount of training, just watching him.
Even during the summer Hayato has a rather busy schedule. Just because classes aren't in session doesn't mean there aren't students on campus. Sports clubs are very popular at Taiyo, and there's activity around the school pretty much all day long and into the evening. Not to mention that Hayato is on the Southtown High School Athletics Committee, which continues to meet throughout the summer to plan for the various sporting competitions that will come up throughout the next school year. And to top it all off there's all the time Hayato spends giving personal training to pretty much any student who requests it, to say nothing of the training he puts himself through. And yet he still somehow finds the time to relax.
Although 'additional training' might not be considered a form of relaxation, depending on who you ask. Hayato makes his way into the gym, still dressed in his red track suit from school, his shinai slipped into a specially added loop by his waist. People think it odd enough just to see someone walking around with one... If he actually /held/ it all the time think of all the problems it would cause!
But before Hayato gets a chance to start up a routine, he spies Kurow. The gym teacher frowns. He doesn't really know that much about this student, but he's learned enough to know that he's likely mixed up in some shady dealings. He knows /something/ about what happened with Akira, and those circumstances seem like they might have some relation to what's happened with Sakura... And you'd have to be deaf not to hear about all the people running in and out of Thailand. "Kurow Kirishima. I'd like a word with you." Yes, Hayato knows Kurow's name. He knows the names of a surprisingly large number of students within the Southtown school system. Hayato may not be a genius, but he's also not an idiot, and he has his mental strengths.
Kurow tends to avoid getting involved with clubs, unlike Hayato who seems to run a large number of them, taking their skills to new heights; he has his own business that he needs to attend to, like 'plotting to take over Japan' and 'brainwashing schoolchildren.' As such, summer is a relatively quiet time for him, usually; it's not a -dead- time, like it is for some students, but when something like the events in Thailand isn't happening, it's a relatively relaxed period for the youth.
Kirishima gives one of the various punching bags he's been working (one has to be able to balance multiple targets, after all!) one last hard strike, and then turns to face the Burning Gym Teacher, seemingly not entirely aware of the man's intentions toward him. On the other hand, he /did/ sit down with Ms. Minazuki to cheer Sakura on when she announced her choice to join Shadaloo, and his ties to the now-free Kazama girl when she was with Shadaloo were -- while somewhat vague -- rather obvious, a rarity with the traditionally secretive Kurow.
"Well, I suppose I have time for that, Mr. Nekketsu. I'd like you to make it quick, though -- as you can see, I was a little busy." He wipes a little sweat off his brow, taking a breath and stretching his shoulders a little. "I'm sorry about your... less than stellar performance against Ms. Kasugano not too long ago," he adds, sounding just a little too smug for someone who was simply there to watch an acquaintance.
Hayato arches one eyebrow, but otherwise seems to show little reaction to what might well be considered baiting by Kurow. Which isn't to say he's not angry... It's just that he was already angry when he saw Kurow. It's going to take more than a little subtle taunting to make him snap when he's prepared to keep himself under control. "Funny you should bring that up. Sakura's just what I want to talk to you about. Lots of strange stuff going on recently. People disappearing, coming back and then acting strange. If it weren't so unfortunate, I'd almost call it nostalgic."
The gym teacher rests his hand on the hilt of his shinai in a seemingly casual manner. Not threatening at all. Nope, not at all. "They seem to be keeping odd company when they come back, too. Very odd company indeed. So it strikes me as a little strange when you talk to a girl like Akira Kazama, and seem to have some idea of what's going on with her. Don't you think that's odd? Because it strikes me as /very/ odd when that happens, and then Sakura shows up... different. And you're there to watch. I don't recall you being a regular attendee of athletic competitions at Taiyo, Mr. Kirishima. Just showed up on a whim, maybe? Or maybe you know something that you'd like to share?"
Kirishima knows a subtle threat when he sees them -- he's fond of making them, and when that hand comes to rest on that shinai, he knows exactly what Hayato's getting at; it's a fact only compounded by his mention of that terrible situation with Hyo and Raizo Imawano those years ago. His hands go into his pockets, and not in an intentional, Edge Yamada-like attempt to make himself look more like a punk. Kurow needs to be ready to defend himself, and he doesn't want to be caught without those clawed gloves.
"And just what is that supposed to mean? You think -- what, that I somehow had a hand in making them do it?" he asks Hayato, his tone off-handed, trying to make it seem as if he'd never even consider the possibility. "You think I'm another Hyo Imawano -- that's it, isn't it? You're assuming that just because I'm willing to help them through the transitions they've been going through that it's somehow malicious." He rolls his eyes, turning away from Hayato, trying to stay as cool as possible, sell the lie as hard as he can. "As for why I was there, I wanted to see Kasugano perform. See if she could do better than when Ryo and I tore her and Bison down, now that she'd turned her life around -- and evidently, the answer was yes."
Hayato nods slowly. "I see. So that's the way it's going to be." The Burning Phys-Ed Teacher then fixes a glare on the back of Kurow's head. "You either think I'm a damn fool, or you're confident enough not to care, since you obviously /do/ know something about what happened to them." Well... It /could/ just be that Kurow bought into the line Sakura was feeding everyone, but Hayato isn't one to allow himself to be tripped up by hesitation and indecision. Usually.
Really, it's lucky for Hayato that corporal punishment, while often frowned upon, isn't ruled out as a method of keeping students in line. And if they fight back, well, then it's a brawl, and those are perfectly legal too! It's really rather convenient. Not that Hayato goes around beating up students all the time, but there are situations where sometimes knocking a little bit of sense into someone is required. This seems like one of those times. "You're hiding something, and I'm damn well going to find out what it is!" Hayato reaches at Kurow, attempting to snake an arm around to grab him by the collar, then yank him around and up off the ground. If he succeeds at that, Hayato quickly follows it up with a punch to the youth's face to send him flying back. He doesn't immediately move to follow up on the attack, though, giving Kurow a chance to 'come to his senses'.
COMBATSYS: Hayato has started a fight here.
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Hayato 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kurow has joined the fight here.
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Hayato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Hayato's Power Punch.
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Hayato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
If there's one advantage Kurow Kirishima has, it's that he's always on his guard. It's something he was taught from birth -- if you ever let your guard down, you're letting weakness in, letting it control you. It is this that allows him to pull himself out of the way of Hayato's grab, though it's a close call -- he almost gets that collar, and ends up just catching a little bit of the fabric and ripping it off. It's likely satisfying... but it doesn't get Kurow's face punched in.
Those hands come back out of Kurow's pockets, now both equipped with the clawed gloves that are the hallmark of his fighting style. "Why are you so sure I'm the one at fault here? Even if those girls have been altered, are you really so sure it was me who did it?" He brings his hands up into his usual fighting stance, arms half-folded in front of him; it's simultaneously very aggressive and very defensive, as Hayato no doubt is about to find out. "Oh well -- I suppose someone as thick-headed as you can't be trusted to think things out very far before defaulting to his fists," he adds, before leaping forward at him and trying to catch him with his own grab-and-strike. His, however, is a lot more vicious -- he tries to sink those claws of his right into Hayato's chest, and if he can get a solid hold, kicks off and whirls /around/ Hayato, leaving deep gashes around his entire body before pushing off hard to try to send the Burning Gym Teacher to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Hayato with Circle Slash.
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Blood flies from Hayato's chest, and then from all around his body as Kurow spins around. His red track jacket is shredded right in two, the lower half of it falling to the ground splashed with blood a moment before Hayato himself is sent crashing to the floor by Kurow launching off of him. He's not done for long, though, climbing back to his feet, shinai in hand.
"It doesn't matter if you did it... What matters is that you know /what/ happened, and you probably know /who/ did it. And you're going to tell me. A fiery orange aura begins to rise up around Hayato, reflecting his burning inner spirit. These wounds are nothing! Nothing! A strong spirit can carry one through such things easily.
COMBATSYS: Hayato gathers his will.
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Hayato 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Hayato is a tough man, to put it lightly -- Kurow can see the gym teacher's sheer force of will in that orange aura. "You're so insistent that I have such an intimate understanding of what's going on," he says. It's getting more difficult to lie, though, even for someone as adept with lying as Kurow Kirishima is; after all, Hayato knows, and no amount of equivocation will dissuade him from the conclusion he's made. "But I suppose I'll humor your assumptions for a little while."
Kurow decides, against his better judgment, to stay back just as Hayato did, though his tactics for doing so are somewhat different; instead of bringing his full power to bear, he instead starts to study Hayato as carefully as a fighter /can/ study another fighter, trying to learn every twitch of his muscles, every little point where weakness might lie. It's not hard to realize how /strong/ Hayato is, or how tough -- and that strength forces him to take a more analytical approach than he might take with a weaker opponent.
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Hayato 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Hayato doesn't have much more to say, for the moment. Either Kurow is going to say what he wants to hear, or he isn't. So there probably isn't much point in talking until he manages to smack the student around a bit. The teacher charges forward, leaping into the air toward Kurow. He lashes out with his right leg in a flying kick aimed at Kurow's face, but he doesn't stop there. He twists his body around in mid air, following up the first kick with another one from his left foot before falling to the floor, catching himself on his hands, then flipping smoothly back up to a standing position.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Kurow with Second Kick.
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Hayato 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
This time, Hayato catches Kurow just as he wants him -- and that has to be quite satisfying, as it sends the leader of the Darkside Student Congress flying down to the ground after those two hard kicks. Pulling himself back up to his feet slowly, he gives Hayato a little smirk. "Is that all you've got, then? Is that Taiyo High's strength?" Slow, even breaths in and out allow Kurow to re-center himself somewhat, and get ready for what will inevitably be another hard counter-strike from Hayato.
His movements are a little slower when he comes in this time, evidently not wanting to overcommit; he's seen how Hayato punishes that if he has the chance. Instead, he goes for a quick, low slash at Hayato's legs with the claws of one hand, trying to unbalance him with a quick in-and-out attack. The youth's speed is really quite remarkable, even if his strength isn't -too- much so.
COMBATSYS: Hayato blocks Kurow's Medium Strike.
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Hayato 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
Kurow has speed on his side, but Hayato has strength and experience. Which will carry the day remains to be seen. "What, a little tap like that hurt? Don't you Justice High kids do any physical training?" Kurow's smirk is returned with one of Hayato's own, and the teacher sets his legs firmly as Kurow comes slashing in low. A quick lift at the last moment and Kurow's claw digs into the sole of Hayato's shoe. Hayato's next step is obvious, as he tries to stomp down on the claw, pinning it to the floor.
At the same time Hayato's right arm has gone up, and the shinai comes slashing down at Kurow along a diagonal path. The goal is to drive the weapon into Kurow's collarbone, but any part of his body that's available to hit will be acceptable.
COMBATSYS: Kurow fails to counter Random Weapon from Hayato with Double Slash.
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Hayato 1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
Kirishima looks that strike dead-on, seeing that vicious swing coming from a mile away. He knows how Hayato fights, knows how much damage the man can deal out in no time at all... and he extends those claws, just a little, to meet the move. The plan backfires, though -- the angle isn't quite what he expected, and as such he ends up taking the hit dead-on in the collarbone. Something cracks as he falls to the ground, glaring at his opponent but saying nothing -- not even about Justice's training regimen!
Now, even if Kurow is a sneaky little bastard, it really wouldn't be very manly of Hayato to kick the kid while he's done. It'd look pretty bad, since it's not like Kurow has /done/ anything, as far as anybody watching is concerned. Well, except for the band of deep slashes going all the way around Hayato's torso. Still, kicking a kid while he's down seems a bit out of line. If he's not down anymore, though... Hayato reaches down with his left hand, aiming for Kurow's collar once more, in an attempt to heft the kid up to his feet.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Hayato's Medium Strike.
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Hayato 1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
Kurow knows better than to let a man like Hayato get a hold of any part of him, even just his clothes. He rolls to the side and does a quick recovery flip to get back to his feet, momentarily bracing himself against one of the punching bags, sending it back a little. "I'm curious -- why can't you just accept that Sakura's happy where she is, that she really did seek something to do with her life and found it in Shadaloo?" This is a dangerous gamble to take, now that Akira's free -- he could find out any minute about just how deceived he's been.
Neither of them can afford to focus on the conversation too long at a stretch, though -- after all, they're also throwing punches at each other. Or, more accurately, throwing /each other/, as Kurow tries to sink those claws into Hayato's shoulders and fling him full-force at a hip sled.
COMBATSYS: Hayato counters Strong Throw from Kurow with Counter Thrust.
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Hayato 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Kurow
Hayato stands his ground as Kurow moves in toward him, just glaring sternly at the kid and listening to his little speech. He clenches his grip on his shinai at the question. The next moment is almost a blur. Kurow's arms are spread out so that he can hook his claws into Hayato's shoulders. "You have got..." Hayato rears back, swinging back his right arm, then brings his fist down viciously onto the top of Kurow's head, slamming all the way down until the student's jaw collides with the floor. "...to be kidding me!"
The gym teacher frowns down at Kurow, waiting for him to get back to his feet. "Do you even know Sakura /at all/!? I've been her teacher for her entire time in high school. I /know/ that girl, and I know damn well that she isn't in her right mind. So don't you fucking play games with me, you little punk."
At this point, Kurow is starting to get torn apart -- this is not the worst thing for him, admittedly; right now, it might be good for him to learn a little humility. Just a small amount. The forceful downward strike on his head is like a ton of bricks crashing down, and he knows that he's lost control over the fight; his only hope, thus, is to get a little crazy.
"There's a lot to people that doesn't always get /seen/," Kurow says -- a fact, of course, that he knows all too well. "Just because you've known her for so long doesn't mean you know everything about her! There's a hidden side to everyone, Hayato -- you should know that, you saw what happened with Hyo," he yells at the schoolteacher, rearing back both hands as he rushes him full-bore, "and perhaps -- just perhaps -- hers is something you're not prepared to deal with!" One hand swings up toward Hayato's throat, seeking to give him a nasty breathing obstruction... and the other goes for his chest, trying to force the schoolteacher to have to deal with that problematic chest injury from his fight with Kasugano.
COMBATSYS: Hayato fails to counter Deep Strike from Kurow with Burning Cross Counter.
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Kurow
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Kurow
Hayato draws back his right arm again, preparing to make a rebuttal to Kurow's argument in the form of a fist in the face. Speed, however, seems to be the deciding factor at this particular moment. By the time Hayato is ready to launch his attack, Kurow's claw is too close to his throat. He just barely manages to stagger back enough to get raked across the upper chest instead, but there's not much he can do about the claw the digs deeply into his side. Luckily his ribs are healed up from the injury Sakura gave him, and the penetrating blades miss anything particularly vital... But Hayato's white shirt is pretty thoroughly stained with red by this point.
The gym teacher takes several steps back, unimpaling himself and taking a deep, painful breath. "I'm sure there's plenty about Sakura that I don't know. But that doesn't mean I don't /know her/! And I know her well enough that you're not going to get me to believe she joined some crazy military cult out of her own free will."
The youth draws back a little when Hayato does the same, taking a somewhat more level, even breath. "You're so /stubborn/, Hayato," he says, his tone starting to get a little more forceful, his eyes starting to take on just a slightly harsher cast. Even if he doesn't admit that there's foul play afoot, his shifting demeanor does a fine job of implicating him even more than his previous actions already have.
"And -- honestly, even if she was changed somehow... what would it /matter/?" This is when he starts to come in again, continuing, "She's found a purpose in life. She's found people that will care about her. And, with a little help, she's becoming perfect -- all of the strength that Vega has apparently offered her, but without the rigid, machine-like behavior of his usual Dolls." The monologue stops, though, as Kurow starts to circle around Nekketsu just as before, studying his movements again. Now that the odds have evened up a little, he has to take control of the fight again -- and he can only do that if he's careful. "You're too invested in her -- you can't see this as the opportunity it is."
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Kurow
"Opp-" Hayato sputters in anger for a moment. "Opportunity!? Strength that you don't earn yourself isn't real, and in the long run will just make you a weaker person! Even if she was in her right mind I'd still try to talk her out of it, for her own good!" Waves of that orange chi begin to rise from Hayato's body again as he glowers at Kurow, ignoring his wounds.
"But this... What she's been forced into isn't perfection, it's living a lie!" The waves of chi begin growing stronger as Hayato gets even more worked up. "This Vega would destroy the lives of innocent youths, and you /applaud/ him? What the hell is wrong with you!?"
COMBATSYS: Hayato gathers his will.
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Hayato 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Kurow
There's something clearly building in Kurow Kirishima, something Hayato might not notice right away but which is starting, at last, to come out in his demeanor; he's starting to let himself get really and truly /angry/ with the Burning Phys-Ed Teacher. Their beliefs are fundamentally opposed, and both of them are evidently quite invested in them.
"Even if it is a lie, is that really the worst thing!?" Kurow yells at Hayato, rearing a hand back again. "Even if it's a lie, she's well provided for, and she's starting to come into her own -- she's relearning her capabilities, and as you no doubt know, it's not as though it's been simply dumped upon her. It's /her/ strength, and she /is/ earning it, even if it's something different from what she once had."
The young man's hand begins to glow, and he rears it back; locking his eyes onto that wound he created in Hayato's chest earlier, he finishes, "And as for /your/ strength..." With a sudden burst of speed, he tries to sink those claws directly into that still-fresh, bleeding wound...
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Hayato with Kinki Chikarasui.
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Hayato 1/--=====/=======|-------\-------\0 Kurow
... and those claws sink in as forcefully as they possibly could, allowing Kurow to actually pick Hayato /up/, lifting him into the air. If this were it, Hayato would no doubt be perfectly fine... but this is not merely a lift-and-toss. Clenching that hand, Kurow begins to rip the chi directly from the Burning Phys Ed Teacher's body, letting it course down his own body in bright red pulses and slowly vent into the air. "You don't deserve it," he says, flatly. For a while, Hayato is simply let 'chill,' no pun intended, on Kurow's claws, body getting slowly colder as more and more chi is siphoned from him.
"I'm taking it /away/!" he finishes, throwing Nekketsu as far away from himself as possible with a solid, forceful toss, trying to whip him into one of the weight machines again -- the impact is no doubt that much worse thanks to the number of hard metal edges and corners.
Hayato grunts in pain as the claws slice into him once again, then his eyes widen in surprise as he feels the chi being drained right out of him. That... is a new sensation. Whether or not it's worse than the sensation of crashing into a weight machine hard enough to send it toppling over is up for debate. But even with all of that, Hayato is climbing back to his feet just a moment later. There's a loud clang as a weight is shoved aside and crashes to the floor and then Hayato is on his feet.
"I don't like to believe there's such a thing as a lost cause..." Hayato shakes his head sadly for a moment. "But you are a very disturbed kid. Maybe with luck, someday, you'll find the right path. But for now I need to know what you know, and I don't give a damn about your screwed up values!" Hayato takes a running charge toward Kurow, drawing his right hand back as he runs. He moves with pretty impressive speed, given the shape he's in, and then his hand suddenly bursts into flames as he lunges at Kurow. There's nothing fancy here... Hayato simply attempts to drive his burning fist into the center of Kurow's face with all the force of his spirit behind it.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Kurow with Burning Cross Counter.
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Hayato 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Kurow
Perhaps the most satisfying sound in this battle of wills comes when Hayato's fist plows directly into Kurow's face, sending him flying down and back, a shoulder blade cracking a little as he's plowed /through/ one punching bag and into another. He's clearly down for the count, that much is apparent as he pulls himself up for one last time... but there's something about this specific situation that forces him to at least try to drive Hayato off, avoid the interrogation.
He doesn't say anything. All the strength he has needs to go into this one forceful strike, this one hard blow that just might send Hayato packing if only it can land. Diving for one of Hayato's feet, he aims one of those clawed hands for his ankle and the other for the thigh of the same leg, making it that much more difficult for Hayato to try to brace himself against the risky strike. All he does if he gets that solid hold, though, is try to drag Hayato down to the ground with what modest force his body can muster now.
COMBATSYS: Kurow can no longer fight.
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Hayato 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Hayato counters Double Slash from Kurow with Counter Thrust.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Hayato 0/-------/-----==|
Hayato takes a deep breath as Kurow gets sent flying back and the gym teacher slumps slightly as he lets his fist drop. This fight has taken a fair bit out of him, even without all the bleeding wounds. Once those get patched up, though, he should be just fine! There is, however, still the issue of Kurow being mobile for at least a bit longer.
Kurow comes leaping in and Hayato's lip twists up in a snarl. Both of his hands come together over his head, wrapping over the hilt of his sword. He swings down with all his strength, not holding anything back, and both of his hands connect with the top of Kurow's head as the student dives in low to the floor. The force behind the blow is such that the floor actually cracks under the impact of Kurow's face, and Kirishima is stopped dead in his tracks. Standing back up slowly, Hayato takes several deep breaths, briefly clutching at his wounded side. Does the kid still have any fight in him? Is he even in any condition to answer questions?
COMBATSYS: Hayato has ended the fight here.
If there's one thing that Hayato might not have count on, it's the fact that Kurow's a tenacious bastard. Even if he doesn't have any /fight/ in him, he'll fight to stay conscious in front of an enemy even if it means that the inevitable crash is going to be that much worse. He doesn't want them to see him crumple -- he refuses to let himself. This time, however, he owes that as much to /luck/ as tenacity. If he'd landed on his forehead rather than his nose, he'd have been out like a light; as it stands, he's simply extremely badly injured, and certainly can't breathe through his nose.
Rolling over, he forces out, "... you want to know... what happened to her?" The youth attempts to fix his broken nose, but simply can't move his arms enough to do it. He takes long, deep breaths through his mouth, trying to keep himself wake. "... deal with my wounds, and I'll... tell you what I know... if you promise to let me... leave in peace once I'm stable." It's a fair deal, he thinks -- though he knows it's a risky one; when Hayato hears what Kurow has to say, he might be significantly less predisposed to letting him leave.
There is one thing that works in Kurow's favor here. What, exactly, is Hayato going to /do/ with him if he tries to keep him captive? He could try to turn Kurow over to the police, but he doesn't have any hard evidence that they could use to keep him in custody. He could turn him over to Justice High, but he's still not especially trustful of Hyo. He could tie Kurow up and leave him in the closet in his apartment, but that's got all sorts of problems of its own.
These thoughts do actually occur to Hayato, now that he's in a position to calm down a little bit. He frowns at Kurow for a long moment, then finally nods his head. "Fine, you've got a deal." He looks around, finally taking notice of some of the people watching. From a safe distance, of course. "Hey! You! Yes, you!" One unlucky bystander gets picked out. "Go get a first aid kit. There must be one around here somewhere."
Log created on 22:21:44 06/30/2007 by Hayato, and last modified on 09:58:34 08/16/2007.