The six month-long clash between Izuru and Endo had at last come to end end. After giving their all and surpassing their limits over and over again, only one came out as the victor...

...and no one was there to receive him.

Yeah, everybody that came to Heiwa just kinda left while Izuru and Endo were doing their thing on the rooftop. Not even Nijimura stayed around to wait for Endo. Understandable, considering how Minami took her sweet time breaking her spirit, but still. Not even Ban stayed behind to wait for his bro, he ran away scared as all hell after that moment with Yumi.

And since no one was there, Izuru and Endo took the correct approach to the situation.

They just went to have lunch to a cheap ramen shack with each other. Surprisingly, they shared the same taste in ramen, that being the spicy bellpepper with extra pork.

Then they spent some time talking about Risei and dumb things he does, concerning when you learn that the convo lasted a whole two hours.

And then they died inside when the Ride Deck mechanic got annnounced. They just stood in the middle of the ramen shack, staring at their phones in silence and despair. Just two people, feeling very stupid they didn't delay their fight for a few hours.

But at the end of the day, after spending hours pestering Endo about it, Endo agreed to follow one of Izuru's request: visit the Hanagata household and apologize to the people he had hurt the most.

"I could totally kick your ass now." Izuru mused, looking at the hallway where they had one of their fistfights. "My Triple Kick has become much more refined after get my ass handed to me by Yukiko over the summer."

"I had some good tea that morning, I would have been faster otherwise." Endo refuted. That's a lie and he only didn't get whooped because Sumireko stopped their dumb brawl in time.

"I call bull. Now press the ring bell."

"Hm... I believe I should leave this to another day."

"Press the button, Endo." Izuru deadpanned.

"That's a fair point but... Why would I bother them on a-"

"Press the fucking button, Endo!" The black haired screeched, holding Endo by his wrist.

"NEVER! I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN! AND AT A LATER DATE!"

"I HAVE A CHEAP AQUA FORCE DECK AND I'LL SHOVE IT THROUGH YOUR TEETH IF YOU DON'T PRESS THAT DAMN-"

And then Sumireko opened the door and looked at the two with the a smug.

"-button."

"Ara, ara, get a room, you two." Sumireko chuckled.

"Ahem." Endo cleared his throat and pulled his wrist out of Izuru's hands. "Good afternoon, Hanagata-san. I wanted to come to talk with you in person and apologize for my actions years ago. I was not strong enough to protect the family we had, so I took the easy way out and had us be separated... From the bottom of my heart, I apologize." He said, getting down to apologize in a dogeza. "I understand if you never choose to forgive me, but I had to say it."

"Mitsuaki, get that stick out of your ass." Sumireko sighed and helped Endo up. "We're older now, y'know? I get you did what you had to do and that's that. It stang at first but I'm over it now. That's the convuluted mess we call life."

"Hanagata-san..."

"Stop calling me that, it's making me feel old." The doctor deadpanned.

"Right... Sumireko."

"Attaboy. Now-" Sumireko smiled and rapidly pushed Endo out of the way. "Oya, oya! Did my cute little patient made his way here to end our Asakusa- Eek?!"

Sumireko became frozen like a statue when she felt Aimi's glare behind her. Medusa could petrify people by looking at their eyes, but Aimi did it by just existing.

"Asakusa?" Endo asked, looking at Izuru.

"..." Izuru was petrified too. It was a miracle he didn't brown his pants at that exact moment. "...j-just go do the thing we came here for, Endo...!"

"R-right! What brings this unusual pair to my humble household?!" Sumireko asked. Yeah, she was also scared of Aimi's glare. "I thought you guys were all about being at each other's throats and fighting like stupid kids!"

'That's offensive!' The two thought.

"I am here... For no reason, have a good weekend." Endo waved goodbye and was about to leave but Izuru slapped him back to reality. "What was that for?!"

"Listen up, you damn bastard! I didn't come all the way to the kneecap-breaking lion's den for nothing! You get in there and go-!"

"That's enough, Izu-kun."

The four looked back at Minami, who stood in the middle of the living room, glaring at the four of them. Thankfully, her glare didn't made anyone brown their pants, maybe because she wasn't on that sadistic mode from her fight with Nijimura.

"Speak your reason to be here, Endo. And then get out of my sight." Minami scoffed, crossing her arms. "Honestly, bringing that lowlife here... You got no shame, Izu-kun!"

"That's not a surprise to anyone." Aimi deadpanned.

"T-that's besides the point!!" Izuru exclaimed. "Look, Minami... Just hear him out, okay? Please?"

"Ah?! You want me to actually hear that trash after what he tried to do?! This is so stupidly absurd, how can you even stand by his side after all he did to you?!"

"But Minami... This isn't about me."

Chuckling softly, Izuru walked past Sumireko and Aimi, and up to Minami. He placed his arms around her and pulled her closer to his chest, smiling softly.

"What he did to me is for me to worry about. Just hear him out, okay? I can vouch for him that his intentions are good. He may look rough around the edges, but his love for you and the desire to protection you are real. Even if you say he isn't your father, you're all he has left."

"Izu-kun... Are you hugging me just to spite him?" Minami whispered.

"Yeah, hundred percent." Izuru cackled and let go of Minami. "Well then, I should go! Being tangled in this family matter got my ass kicked enough times!"

"Not enough, apparently." Aimi said, glaring.

"Eek! A-anyway, I'm gonna-"

"Wait. Before you go, I think you should probably go see Nijimura-san. We had a..." Aimi looked at Minami and sighed. "Dramatic encounter with her that didn't end up well."

"...what did you do?" Izuru asked.

"I-i didn't do anything, I swear!" Minami exclaimed.

"Hm, if I remember correctly... Nijimura-san's apartment is in a building down this street." Endo informed.

"Right, I'll go there then. Have a good weekend, you four."

After Izuru left for Nijimura's apartment, Sumireko sighed and placed her hands on Aimi's shoulders.

"Hm... I know what we should make for dinner! Aimi, let's go buy some things!"

"For real?" Aimi deadpanned.

"Shhh, get the hint!" Sumireko whispered, softly pushing Aimi out of the apartment. "Well then, see you guys sooner or later!" She exclaimed, closing the door behind the two.

"Well then..." Endo cleared his throat. "What I'd like to discuss with you is-"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Endo!" Minami exclaimed, pointing at him. "Just because I accepted to hear you doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you! Izu-kun might have forgiven you just like that, but I won't forgive you even after you die!"

"...t-that's a fair point, please do so." The headmaster muttered, looking down. "However, I will still say my piece. The reason I'm here... Is to tell you that you are right! Your mother left because of me, and left our family for the sake of my selfish desires! I am truly the worst man who walked on this world, and you must continue to believe that!"

"You came here just to tell me what I know? Tch, get out of my sight." Minami clicked her tongue and looked away.

"However... Sawada-kun made me come here to tell you a lie."

"Ah?! What kinda of thinking is that?!"

Minami looked back at Endo, but seeing the sincere look of a man that swallowed his pride to speak the truth radiating in his eyes made her step back.

"What I'm about to say is one big lie I made. So here it goes. This is my lie: your mother married me with the intent of becoming wealthy off my job as headmaster, and only had you to make sure I would give her part of my wealth. She got tired of waiting and left us after many years of cheating. All the times where she didn't come to school to pick you up was because she was crying after hearing my harsh words, and not because she was laying on the couch doing nothing with her life. I was truly happy with Sumireko and our new family, but hearing the teacher who got me into Heiwa only did it so that he and his partners could use me as a scapegoat forced me to separate myself from all of you. I made enemies in my path to headmaster, and that's why I removed my name from yours. That's the lie I came here to tell. All I ever did was for my sake and I never thought of anyone else!"

"...what the hell was that for..." Minami muttered.

The pink haired girl walked forward and slammed her fist on Endo's torse, gritting her teeth with watery eyes. She grabbed his shirt and fell to her knees, crying.

"...enemies...? WHAT MADE YOU THINK I CARED ABOUT THAT?! YOU WERE MY FATHER, DAMMIT! YOU WERE THE ONLY PARENT I HAD FOR AGES AND YOU STILL WENT OUT OF YOUR WAY FOR MY SAKE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU OVERWORKED YOURSELF!"

"I know... But I had to-"

"I don't care...! I don't care that you wanted to keep me safe...! I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT!" Minami yelled. "I just... Wanted you there... After grandpa passed away... It was so lonely... I didn't had Sumireko... I didn't had Aimi-nee... I didn't had you...! ALL I HAD WAS A STUPID HOUSE FILLED WITH MEMORIES OF A FAMILY I DIDN'T HAD ANYMORE!"

Endo's past finally caught up to him. All he had avoided feeling came crashing down on him all at once.

For the sake of his dream, he wasn't present on the funeral of the man who worked night and day to give a younger Endo a proper life.

For the sake of his dream, he abandoned the family that made his life worth living.

For the sake of his dream, he hurt his daughter, the one person he sought to protect the most.

The path to headmaster had put the two in different worlds. He didn't even know what things Minami liked.

All those feelings made him fall to his knees, where he cried harder than Minami.

"My life... My life has been a complete waste...! I couldn't even be there when you died... I'm sorry, dad... I wasn't even there to see your soul pass in peace... Dammit... DAMMIT!" Endo yelled, gripping to his head. "And I... I COULDN'T EVEN BE THERE TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! I am... USELESS, USELESS, USELESS!" He cried, punching the ground until his knuckles turned red.

So many years trying to stop Heiwa from cursing people made him become cursed himself.

"Stop that, you idiot..." Minami muttered, grabbing his damaged hand. "Take this name off me..."

"I can't... You can't have the name of someone like me...!" Endo muttered. "YOU CAN'T BE HURT BECAUSE OF ME!"

"I don't care about any of that, dumbass!" She cried, slapping Endo across his face. "You're my father, whether you like it or not! So just hurry up and make me an Endo!"

"You are... Too good to be my daughter... You shouldn't forgive a person as terrible as me..." Endo said, lowering his head.

"I keep telling you I don't care about any of that..." Minami chuckled, putting her arms around Endo's neck. "I'm sorry for saying you were not my father... I'm just as terrible as you are... Can I be your daughter again...?"

"Mhm..." Endo nodded, hugging his daughter back. "Nothing would make me happier... Say... What is your favourite type of noodle...?"

"Udon..." She chuckled.

"I'm glad to know... I really am." Endo said, a small but genuine smile appearing on his face.