007 NEW PROBLEM

Shizen quickly ended the call, his eyes wide with worry. Without a word to Juyo or Kinya, he grabbed his bag and bolted out of the cafeteria. Juyo and Kinya exchanged a look of confusion and then ran after him.

Juyo and Kinya managed to catch up to Shizen, their breath coming in quick gasps. "What happened?" Juyo asked, concern etched on his face.

Shizen looked at them, his expression a mixture of worry and fear. "It's my mom," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "She collapsed and they've taken her to the hospital. I don't know what's wrong yet, but I need to get there."

Juyo and Kinya's faces reflected the gravity of the situation. "We're coming with you," Juyo said, his voice firm. Kinya nodded

Juyo and Kinya exchanged worried glances, their concern mirrored on their faces. "Do you want us to come with you?" Kinya asked, her voice filled with worried sympathy.

Shizen hesitated, torn between wanting their support and not wanting to worry them further. But the worry in their eyes made him nod. "Yeah, come with me," he relented, his voice wavering slightly.

Juyo and Kinya nodded, their faces set with determination. "We're here with you," Juyo assured him, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

They rushed into the hospital, the sterile atmosphere doing little to ease their worried minds. Shizen's heart was pounding as he approached the receptionist desk.

They found his mother awake in her hospital bed, a tired but relieved expression on her face. As soon as Shizen saw her, he rushed over, Juyo and Kinya following close behind.

"I'm fine, dear," his mother said, struggling to sit up. "It's nothing serious."

But Shizen was not convinced. He could see the exhaustion in his mother's eyes and the way her hands trembled. "It doesn't look like nothing," he insisted, worry etched deep in his voice.

"Sweetie, it's just a bit of fatigue," his mother tried to reassure him. "I've been overworking myself lately, that's all."

But Shizen wasn't buying it. He knew his mother well enough to know when she was downplaying her condition. And this felt like one of those times.

Shizen turned to the doctor who was standing nearby. "What's really going on?" he asked, his voice urgent.

The doctor looked at him compassionately, then at his mother. He could see the worry written all over Shizen's face.

The doctor sighed, his expression serious, but he gave a reassuring smile to Shizen. "I understand your concern," he said, his voice steady and kind. "But we're still running tests to determine the exact cause of your mother's condition. She's going to need some rest and further examinations."

Shizen was still reeling from the shock of the situation, his mind churning with anxiety. It was obvious that there was something seriously wrong with his mother, and the fact that they didn't know what it was just added to his worry.

The doctor, seeing the obvious distress on Shizen's face, decided it was better to be honest. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Shizen," the doctor began, his voice gentle but firm, "I can see you're very worried, and understandably so. I want to be completely honest with you."

The doctor's expression grew somber as he said, "Shizen, I'm sorry to tell you that your mother's tests show signs of lung cancer. It's still early stage, and we will need to do more tests to be certain, but this is what the initial results indicate."

Shizen's heart sank as he heard the doctor's words. He already had a feeling something was seriously wrong, but hearing it confirmed was still a shock. His mother's hand trembled in his grasp, her eyes filled with sadness and apology.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," his mother whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't want to worry you."

But Shizen's heart was too full of shock and sadness to be angry. "Why didn't you say something before?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.

The doctor looked at Shizen with understanding, recognizing the question in his eyes. "We will of course do everything we can for your mother, Shizen. But the treatments and procedures necessary are not cheap. They will require a significant sum of money to start and to continue the necessary treatments."

Shizen's already heavy heart felt even heavier at the doctor's words. He came from a middle-class family, and didn't have the means to cover such expensive treatments.

"How much..." he started, his voice barely above a whisper.

The doctor grimaced, a sympathetic yet saddened expression on his face. "I don't have the exact figure for you right now," he said, his voice apologetic. "We will need to meet with a financial advisor to sort out the specifics."

Shizen nodded. "Okay," he said, swallowing back the despair that rose in his throat.

As Shizen, Juyo, and Kinya left the hospital, they were so lost in thought that they almost ran into a live streamer who was surprisingly strong - as strong as Teki!

The live streamer, a popular online personality, was walking down the sidewalk while filming themself, oblivious to anyone around them.

The three friends stopped abruptly as they came face-to-face with them, the suddenness of it all making the moment feel a bit awkward.

The live streamer looked at them, still focused on their phone and their livestream. They clearly hadn't expected to bump into anyone, and hadn't really gotten a good look at who was standing in front of them. With a hint of a scoff, they said, "Oh, sorry about that. Didn't see you there."

The live streamer straightened up, finally taking a good look at the three friends. Their scoff turned into a slight smirk as they saw three young teenagers standing in front of them. It was clear from their demeanor that they didn't see them as a threat.

"I'm Koby," they introduced themself, lifting the phone camera a little higher to show that they were still on a livestream.

Yes, I remember. I can incorporate that into the story.

Shizen, riled up and not in the mood to be dismissed, scowled. "Don't bother us," he grumbled, the hint of a warning in his voice.

Koby's smirk widened at Shizen's words. They knew a bluff when they heard one.

"Oh, really?" Koby challenged, their tone slightly mocking. "And what are you gonna do about it? You and your little friends here?"