Elena and Sara appear every now and again, often giving Akira their old equipment and generally chilling out with him. They eventually realize that Akira:
1. was their unnamed savior, thus leading to some cute teasing and fluff
2. is possibly connected to the Old World, leading them to promise not to expose him. (People with connections to the Old World have a high value and are sought after by the black market and the corporate government for experimentation and other dangerous stuff.)
Shizuka appears frequently and looks after him, introducing weapons and technologies to him and chastising him for taking risks and getting himself beat up. He grows quite fond of her; when a rival gang member (formerly one Sibea's gang members) threatens to hurt her if he doesn't surrender the territory over, Akira blows his brains out with zero hesitation.)
Once Akira stops being an unpredictable "landmine child" and Sheryl emotionally stabilizes, Sheryl turns into a confident and surprisingly dominant/aggressive leader. With their new access to a supply of weapons, the gang goes from a bunch of defenseless slum children to an actual respectable gang (of only children) that sell food to hunters and sometimes hunt monsters. Ever aware of her increasing 'debt' to Akira, she strives to make herself and the gang 'worth' to keep around, all the while suppressing her inner fear that he'll abandon her. Prepare for some aggressive stress-relief snuggling in the future.