Villain: Your Heroines Were Delicious-Chapter 209 - 79
Rei and Touka stumbled out of the taxi before it had even come to a complete halt, the tires screeching against the asphalt of the hospital driveway.
Touka immediately pulled out some cash from her wallet and shoved it towards the driver and followed after Rei immediately.
She didn’t care about the change or the confused look from the driver.
Once she caught up, the two moved as a single, panicked unit, their breath hitching as they burst through the sliding glass doors of Nishimiya Private Hospital.
The lobby was vast, sterile, and smelled of that clinical scent that always seemed to signify a transition between life and death.
But they don’t have time nor the mind to point that out, or even cared about it as they sprinted straight to the reception desk, their footsteps echoing loudly off the marble floors.
"Kageyama Seijirou!" Rei gasped, leaning over the counter, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the desk. "He was brought in recently. He should be in the ICU. Please, which room is he in?"
The receptionist, startled by the two frantic girls, began tapping rapidly on her keyboard.
She took one look at the screen and her eyes widened slightly—likely seeing the high-priority "VVIP" flags associated with the Kageyama name. "Fourth floor, Intensive Care Unit, Room 402. The elevator is to your right."
Without a word of thanks, the two immediately pivoted and ran toward the elevator bank.
They hammered the call button, the seconds feeling like hours as they waited for the elevator’s metal doors to slide open.
Once inside, Touka repeatedly pressed the button for the fourth floor, her knuckles white.
"God, I hope he’s okay," Rei whispered, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest in a silent prayer.
Her eyes were rimmed with red, a stark contrast to her pale face.
Earlier this evening, she and Touka had been sitting comfortably on the sofa, watching a mindless variety show and waiting for Seijirou, Suzune, and the others to return after solving Erina’s issues, and are even preparing some snacks, thinking that they must be hungry after doing all thst.
But that peaceful time had been shattered when Suzune had called them, telling them to remain calm, before dropping the bomb: Seijirou had been hospitalized, and he was in critical condition.
Obviously, how can the two of them calm down after hearing all that?
They hadn’t even bothered to change out of their loungewear as they had immediately grabbed their purses and run, the weight of Seijirou’s unknown condition pressing down on them like a physical force.
At this moment, Rei was still wearing an oversized hoodie and track pants, while Touka was wearing a black turtle neck and black leggings.
"Please, God, don’t let anything bad happen to him," Touka whispered, her gaze fixed on the floor of the elevator.
Eventually, after a few moment, the elevator chimed, and the doors slid open to the fourth-floor corridor.
Without hesitation, the two rushed out, their eyes scanning the hallway to search for Suzune and the othrs.
It didn’t take long for them to spot the cluster of familiar faces gathered outside the far end of the wing.
"Suzune!"
They called out in unison, their voices brittle with hope and fear as they ran towards them.
Suzune, who had been in the middle of a low-voiced conversation with a very stiff-looking Rindou, looked up.
Seeing the two of them, a faint, weary smile touched her lips—a small anchor of comfort in the sea of medical jargon and high-tension auras.
"Rei, Touka. I’m glad you made it," Suzune said, stepping forward to meet them. "Sorry, did I disturb you two? Maybe I should’ve informed you tomorrow morning."
"Forget that! How is he!?" Rei demanded, her voice rising in pitch.
"Yes! Is he alright now!? Have the doctors said anything!?" Touka added, her eyes darting toward the frosted glass doors of the ICU.
Suzune shook her head slowly, her expression clouding over. "We don’t know for certain yet. The doctors are still treating him. They’ve been in there for a long time. By the way, there’s someone you should..."
"Auntie!?" Touka suddenly exclaimed, her jaw dropping in absolute shock as she noticed the mature, elegant woman standing a few paces away.
Hakari, who had been observing the newcomers with a sharp, analytical gaze, allowed a small, knowing smile to curve her lips. "My, Touka. You really have changed since I last saw you. You’ve grown quite beautiful. Have you fallen in love, perhaps? Is that what prompted this sudden improvement in your appearance?"
"A-Ah! Auntie! It’s... it’s nice to see you again! Truly!" Touka greeted her with a hurried, respectful bow, her face flushing bright red as she pointedly ignored the last question.
Rei blinked, looking between the glamorous woman and the flustered Touka for a moment before she leaned over to Suzune and whispered frantically, "Who is she? Why is Touka acting like she just met a goddess?"
Suzune leaned in, her voice a hushed murmur. "That is Seijirou’s mother, Kageyama Hakari."
Rei’s eyes went wide, and she nearly stumbled back.
This was the first time she had ever laid eyes on the matriarch of the Kageyama family!
Her brain struggled to compute the visual information as this woman looked way too young! She looked like she could be Seijirou’s older sister, or perhaps a very youthful aunt.
Did she have Seijirou when she was in high school?! Rei wondered, her mind reeling at the genetic unfairness of the woman’s skin and poise.
Also, how did Touka know her? They looked incredibly close! Rei watched as Hakari smiled, her arms crossed over her chest, speaking to Touka with an effortless air of authority.
Touka, usually so timid and shy, was acting like a puppy being praised by its master. If she had a tail, Rei was certain it would be wagging uncontrollably right now.
"Auntie, Seijirou is going to be okay, right?" Touka asked, her voice small and vulnerable.
Hakari nodded, her gaze turning serious as she looked back at the ICU doors. "He is being treated by the best doctors in the country right now. I have seen to that. Furthermore, I have also called in some experts from the more... specialized fields. Professionals who understand the supernatural side of his injuries."
"Experts? Supernatural?"
It wasn’t just Touka; the entire group—Renji, Sakai, Yukina, and the others—all looked confused.
However, Shou and Haruka immediately thought of a person.
If it comes to being a doctort, and also someone who is involved in the supernatural, then they knew only one person.
Could it be... Her?
"My, my... all of you seem to have gathered here in one place."
A familiar, melodic female voice resounded through the hallway, cool and sharp as a scalpel.
The effect was instantaneous for Rindou, who was standing near the wall, as she immediately shuddered at the sound.
She turned her head, and just as she had feared, Shirohara Retsu was walking toward them, her white coat fluttering slightly behind her.
’Holy crap! That crazy woman is here! She wouldn’t try and kill me would she!?’
Ever since that time when Retsu had looked at her with the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, Rindou had made it a point to never cross her path.
She truly believed that if that woman went mad, no amount of training or ki would save her from that madwoman.
After all, even her own grandfather told her never to make an enemy or a friend out of Shirohara Retsu.
Yes, you don’t befriend or offend her, because at the end of the day, friends or foe doesn’t matter to a madwoman like her.
"Miss Retsu!?" the others exclaimed in shock.
"I’m here too!" another voice called out.
"Hana-chan-sensei!? You’re here too!?"
Although, Rei and Haruka wasn’t really that shocked. After all, they have seen how biased Hana, their homeroom teacher, is when it comes to Seijirou.
But the rest of the group was doubly surprised to see their teacher, Miyamura Hana, following closely behind Retsu, her expression a mix of concern and exhaustion.
Retsu ignored the teenagers entirely and stopped in front of Hakari, stared at her for a moment before she offered a stiff, formal nod. "Madam."
Hakari stared at her, her eyes narrowed into predatory slits. "You failed your duties, Shirohara Retsu. You were his primary guardian in matters of health and training. I have half a mind to keep you away from my son permanently for allowing him to be brought to this state."
Retsu remained smiling, a calm, placid mask that didn’t flicker.
But Hana, who had been her friend for years, could feel the murderous aura radiating off her in waves.
Retsu was boiling in a silent, freezing rage, likely calculating exactly how many needles it would take to paralyze the Kageyama Matriarch without leaving a mark.
"Go inside," Hakari commanded, pointing toward the ICU. "Do your job and heal my son. If he isn’t awake and stable by dawn, your ’failures’ will have very real consequences."
"As you wish, madam," Retsu replied smoothly.
She turned on her heel and entered the ICU, the doors closing silently behind her like the jaws of a trap.
