《The Promise of Yuuko Asahino - Volume 1》 Prologue - A Childhood Promise ¡°T-Thanks for helping me.......... I guess.............¡± The young boy looked at her with stifled shock. He¡¯d never heard her speak any kind words, let alone thank someone. ¡°You..... umm.......... you are welcome.¡± He extended his arm, offering his hand to the girl who was still on the ground, but she simply shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that anymore. Fine......... it¡¯s fine now. You can go.¡± ¡°But..... you do not sound okay. You sound like¡ª¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s fine!¡± she said, holding back tears. ¡°You already helped me, stop doing this!¡± ¡°What?¡± he said, starting to get angry. ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave, you still look like you hurt!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t always be here to help me you know!¡± He stumbled backwards. Seeing her face that held back pain, along with the words she said¡ª ¡°I¡¯m already used to it! I¡¯m already used to being alone! I don¡¯t want to be alone again after having someone close to me!¡± ¡ªit hurt. It hurt the inside of his chest. Tears streamed down her face, and all he could do was stand quietly by as she struggled through her words. ¡°Y-You won¡¯t always be th-t-there! So j-just go already!¡± He clutched his chest. Mother always told him that a boy shouldn¡¯t make a girl cry, he didn¡¯t know what to do now. The only things he knew were what father and mother taught him. In that instant, he felt his heart beat out of his chest. He lifted his head to the ever-brightening sky, remembering what his father had told him a long time ago.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. So I can become.......... ¡°T-Then I will marry you!¡± The young girl looked up at him with a look of total confusion. ¡°Since you are a girl, and I am a boy, we can get married! That way, I will always be with you! You will never be alone, ever again!¡± The red on her face became even deeper, but he couldn¡¯t tell if that was from her crying or not. ¡°Idiot! We can¡¯t get m-m-married! E-Even if I say yes, we¡¯re not adults!¡± ¡°Then I will stay with you until we are adults¡ª then we will get married!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just forcing yourself, you don¡¯t mean it!¡± ¡°No I am not¡ª I mean it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine by myself!¡± ¡°But I want to stay with you!¡± The girl abruptly closed her mouth in shock. She didn¡¯t know how to react, much less what to say. The boy offered his hand once more, and after much hesitation, she took it, staring hard at the grass. ¡°Do..... do you mean it? You won¡¯t leave, even when we grow up? You won¡¯t leave me alone?¡± ¡°Please look up.¡± She¡¯d heard him say that phrase so many times she almost despised it; but even so, she obliged. When she looked up, she saw the boy wearing the brightest smile she¡¯d ever seen. It was strange. Unlike the smile she saw him wear at school everyday, this one seemed impossibly bright but at the same time......... soft. It was like watching the sun at sunrise. ¡°I am never going to leave you alone, not even the day I die! I will always stay with you!¡± Dawn began to shine, illuminating the world in those first few rays of golden light, and allowing him to see the last few tears escape her eyes as they struck the ground beneath them. He didn¡¯t notice how close she¡¯d gotten until she tugged at the bottom of his shirt. ¡°Yuuko.......... do you promise?¡± Despite her tears, she could clearly see the newfound smile he wore on his face. ¡°Hm, Yuya. I promise that I will never leave.¡± Her catharsis relieved, he gently took her by the hand, and she couldn¡¯t help but think of how warm it was. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°O-Okay......... let¡¯s go!¡± With an enthusiastic nod, Yuya let herself be guided down the hill they stood. It wasn¡¯t until they ran past the halfway mark she realized the sensation she felt on her face was her own smile, and the laughter she heard was her own shared with his. It was this morning that marked the beginning of their promise. Chapter 1: The Day A Promise Was Made ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it Yuuko?¡± ¡°Why is it scared of us?¡± He was rightfully confused. The boy had seen many dogs in his six years of life, but never one quite like the one facing them at this moment. It was covered in dirt, growling at his father when he got too close in an attempt to feed it; nonetheless, his father kept trying. Why did it hate him so much? ¡°Well Yuuko¡­. maybs it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But it almost bit you!¡± The dog let out a vicious bark in response to Yuuko having raised his voice, and his father dropped the steak as a result. It was supposed to be tonight¡¯s dinner, them having gone shopping earlier in the day, but upon seeing the animal, his father couldn¡¯t help but try and feed it. ¡°Why are you being so mean?!¡± the boy shouted, ¡°You don¡¯t even want food!¡± ¡°RAAWHF!¡± Yuuko immediately hid behind his father¡¯s leg, small tears forming in his eyes. ¡°Yuuko, don¡¯t raise your voice or you most certainly will scare him.¡± he quietly chastised. ¡°But he almost bit you and doesn¡¯t want our help!¡± It was difficult to disagree with the boy. Yuuko and his father had been walking home from the market, a pleasant day in early April where it was neither too hot nor too cold; Spring had just arrived. His mother had sent him and his father away, partly to get groceries for the evening¡¯s dinner, partly so that they would once again be able to familiarize themselves with the Primary school Yuuko would be attending next month. He had to memorize the route in case there were days his mother or father couldn¡¯t be with him. His mother was against the idea at first, but their home was a quick ten-minute walk from the school; and because both his parents worked, it seemed like an inevitability. It was certainly one of the many reasons why they had moved into a town that leaned toward the smaller side while having a sizeable population. Yet, he was both ecstatic and frightened for the near future. Scared to meet all of his classmates, but excited to make potential future friends. More than that though, he would finally have his chance to be like his father. Someone people will look up to, someone who always does the right thing. The bright afternoon sun shone above them as his father talked about their plans for the next few days; and it was on their way back they heard an animal whimpering. Faint, but certainly there. Yuuko didn¡¯t know how his father knew, but he said it sounded hurt. Together, they spent the next few minutes trying to locate the sounds of the animal, each whimper convincing his father that it was surely in pain. To both their surprise, it was Yuuko that found the location of the noises¡ª an alley, tucked away and hidden between the crevices of street buildings. Finding a box flipped on its side, his father opened it to reveal a small, light brown dog with dirty fur and a rounded tail. It was obviously hurt, but it didn¡¯t look feral; which is why his father began to try and coax it out. The stray turned hostile the instant the two of them got close. His father took out another slice of meat, shaking it as he spoke¡ª ¡°Come on little guy, this steak is nice and juicy¡ª yeah¡ª you like juicy things don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ghhhrrrrrrr¡­¡­...¡± ¡°Oh-ho? You don¡¯t like meat? But I went through the trouble of buying it, so it¡¯s only polite for you to take it, right?¡± ¡°GHHHRRRRRR¡­¡­...¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.Still, I bet you must be pretty hungry¡­.¡± ¡°RAWHF!! GRRRRRAAWHHF AWHF AWWHF! AWWWHF!¡± Even though its cries were much louder than last time; his father didn¡¯t flinch. He simply dropped the meat and slowly retreated. ¡°Alright, alright. A normal ¡®no thank you¡¯ would¡¯ve been fine you know¡­¡± Of course the animal didn¡¯t listen, there was no use trying. No matter how many times Yuuko¡¯s father attempted to feed it, the small animal refused to eat; simply lashing out at the both of them time and time again. His father began to scratch the back of his head. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Maybe he really is scared of you¡­.¡± ¡°Ahahahahahah, maybe you¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry you have such a scary looking father Yuuko.¡± As he spoke, he noticed his son still clinging to his leg¡ª his tiny body trembling ever so slightly. In that moment, a brief flash of light was seen in his eyes. ¡°Yuuko,¡± his father asked, ¡°Do you want to try?¡± ¡°What?! N-No way, it¡¯ll bite me! Can we just go home?¡± His son could blink back the tears he formed moments ago, but he couldn¡¯t hide the tremor in his voice. Guiding both he and his son a few paces back from the box, he leaned down until he was eye to eye with his son. ¡°Yuuko,¡± his father softly asked. ¡°Are you scared?¡± The question caught the boy off-guard. He darted around¡ª to his father, to the dog, and back to his father before settling for the concrete below. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you so scared of him Yuuko?¡± He looked up at him with a difficult expression; it was not as though he did not understand the question but¡­¡­... ¡°He¡¯s scary¡­¡­... and he¡¯ll bite me.¡± His father¡¯s eyes became just a bit brighter. ¡°Yuuko, did you know that it¡¯s a good thing to be scared?¡± Those words seemed impossible to him. That it¡¯s good to be scared? Surely his father would never lie to him, but it was still impossible. There was something Yuuko did not understand after all¡­..or worse, maybe he can never become¡­¡­.. ¡°Why is it good?¡± ¡°Because this is the first step to becoming a man! You want to be like me someday don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! I definitely want to be like you someday!¡± ¡°Do you think I was born brave? That I can do everything I can now because I was born a man?¡± ¡°N-No¡­. I¡ª I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you think men are born brave?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­..I don¡¯t¡­..¡± Small tears began forming in his eyes once more. Of course he wanted to be like his father someday, but this was different. Yuuko could only stand aside as his father tried feeding an angry, scary dog; he could never be like him. He could never be like his father. He wanted to, but it was like his body froze every time he tried getting close. ¡°A man is brave Yuuko, and we must become good men.¡± He stood silently, small drops of clear liquid flowing down his cheeks as his father held him by the shoulders. ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright. Another day.¡± He said standing up. ¡°Yuuko, let¡¯s go ho¡ª¡± ¡°Father! I¡ª I want to try too!¡± A face of temporary confusion turned into a bright grin as his father heard those words. He smiled as he placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him; wiping away the tears that had run down his son¡¯s face as he did so. Yuuko¡¯s trembling lessened, but his face remained covered in anxiety. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can I really do it?¡± His father simply smiled as he handed him another, smaller steak. Yuuko grasped the food with small hands and slowly approached the dog. * * * * * By the time Yuuko and his father made it home, the sun was resting lazily halfway under the horizon; tinting the world in a beautiful shade of red. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± his father exclaimed, ¡°Yuuko, can you carry these into the kitche¡ª¡± His father abruptly stopped his sentence and Yuuko understood exactly why. A sudden burst of dark aura had struck the both of them. Yes, they could feel it. Disaster was imminent. The end was nigh. ¡°Ara ara,¡± his mother said as she emerged from the living room, ladle in hand. ¡°Welcome home you two. It¡¯s quite late. Do you have any idea how late it is? Very late indeed.¡± As she walked closer to them, the malevolent aura radiating from her became much more prominent, but much more focused. Specifically, it was aimed for Yuuko¡¯s father. ¡°N-Now wait a second dear, there¡¯s a good reason for this¡ª just wait a second!¡± ¡°Ahh, but I¡¯ve been waiting all day,¡± she patiently explained. ¡°I even called you, but you wouldn¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°What!?¡± his father said hastily taking out his cell phone. Indeed, he had notifications for eight missed calls, and ten text messages. Quickly checking them, he found that each message was more frightening than the last, both in length and content. ¡°Yuuko,¡± his father said as he calmly pocketed his phone. ¡°I hope I did a good job raising you.¡± ¡°W-why are you talking like this is the end!?¡± ¡°Would you care to explain to your wife what happened?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Well¡ª we had to go back to get more groceries after finding¡ª¡± ¡°Ara? What could you have possibly found?¡± she said with a smile that didn¡¯t match her aura. ¡°W¡ªIt looked dirty and I¡ª¡± ¡°Something dirty? Ohhhh but I spent the day cleaning the house. What to do, ohhh whatever shall I do¡­.¡± The dark aura soon devoured the entire front of the house; his father looked down in a *please help me* face at his son. ¡°Umm, mother, it is not father¡¯s fault,¡± Yuuko said with uncertainty, ¡°...it is my fault. I made us late.¡± There was a small silence that followed, and though his mother¡¯s aura had not gone away, her voice carried a cautious tone. ¡°Whatever do you mean Yuuko?¡± ¡°I¡­.was not brave,¡± he explained in a fragile voice. Her aura slowly faded until the lights in their home were visible once again. His mother *fuuahhh* gave a sigh as if she knew exactly what had happened. She crouched down¡ª ¡°I want you to tell me all about it during dinner. You two came home late, so you must be hungry.¡± she said gently lifting his chin. ¡°Go wash up, okay¡ª Yuuko?¡± Yuuko *hmnn* gave a small, firm nod. ¡°Yes. I am sorry mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said standing back up with a smile. ¡°But as for YOU,¡± she said pointing a finger to Yuuko¡¯s father. He backed away, expecting a harsh reprimand, but to his surprise, she acted in quite the opposite way. She pouted. ¡°You had me worried sick. Do you know what it feels like to be worried all day?¡± she crossed her arms and *pmf* puffed her cheeks, as if to emphasize the point. ¡°Ahaha, yeah,¡± he said scratching the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°Goodness. You could have at least called...¡± Yuuto¡¯s hand returned to his side as his wife turned around, and suddenly¡ª ¡°Ara? Yuuto, why are you..¡± He grabbed her arm, and spun her in place so they were staring at each other. He said nothing as he kept his eyes locked on his wife. ¡°Wh-Why do you keep staring at me...¡± but he did not respond. Slowly, he placed the grocery bag on the floor and closed the small distance between them. His free hand quickly found its way to her shoulder. They were now inches apart from one another. ¡°Wha!? Yuuto, w-what are you doing all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°This gap moe¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Hikari, chastise me more!¡± At his unexpected words, Hikari¡¯s face turned a deep shade of crimson, and this was especially true for her ears. Indeed, whenever Yuuto¡¯s wife became embarrassed, her ears were the first part of her to begin blushing. ¡°I need you to chastise me more, Hikari. You¡¯re extremely cute when you shift your attitudes all of a sudden.¡± ¡°A-Ara ara¡± she said in an attempt to maintain her composure, ¡°Ara ara ara, I-I didn¡¯t know I had such a p-pervert for a husband.¡± ¡°Ohhhhh but you did. In fact, this should make it very clear.¡± Placing his lips on her ear, he whispered his words. ¡°That night, two weeks ago? You¡¯ll do as I say again, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Fuagaehe!¡± That strange whimper escaped Hikari¡¯s lips. She knew he was doing this on purpose¡ª was this some sort of competition? If that was the case, then she couldn¡¯t afford to lose!¡ª However, due to the fact her face was dyed crimson, as well as making odd sounds, it was clear she lost. ¡°Seducing a woman when her guard is down¡ª you must truly enjoy debauchery of the highest caliber! Nothing but a pervert, that¡¯s what you are!¡± Yuuto pulled his face back into a smug grin, coming within centimeters of her face. ¡°So are you if you enjoy being seduced by a pervert this much.¡± ¡°Ehueghe!? Tha¡ªThat¡¯s not true! I¡ªI¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªI am no such thing! That¡¯s impure! Lewd! LEWD PERVERT!¡± ¡°Yes Hikari! These are the sort of words I deserve, I¡¯m degenerate!¡ª reprimand me more!¡± ¡°SHUT UUUAAaAhhhH!! Impure! Indecent! Debauchery! Dirty!¡ª¡ªFilthy! Lewd! LEWWD! PERVERT, PERVERT, PERVERT!!¡± ¡°Mother? What¡¯s a persh¡­.....a perve¡­¡­¡­.a pervert?¡± ¡°Yuuko!?¡± his mother squealed as she suddenly remembered her child was, quite literally, four feet away. At the same time, a bright gleam appeared in his father¡¯s eye. ¡°Take notes Yuuko!¡± he exclaimed proudly. ¡°This is how you get a girl interested in you!¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t teach our son such strange things!¡± she managed to stammer. ¡°Go and get ready for dinner!¡± * * * * *This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. It took quite some time for the family of three to begin eating, thanks in large part to Yuuko¡¯s father¡ª who had made his mother turn red for reasons he still did not understand. The formerly crimson sky could be seen changing to a deep shade of indigo; it would seem the day was finally winding down. In addition, cooking dinner had greatly helped in calming down the atmosphere and was prepared fairly quickly thanks to the use of some of leftover ingredients, as well as Hikari having prepared beforehand. With the plates set, the family of three sat down to eat. ¡°¡°¡°Thank you for the food!¡±¡±¡± The dinner for the evening was a simple meal of curry and rice, one of Yuuto¡¯s favorite meals and a simple enough dish that could be prepared quickly. The food itself was excellent, as expected of Yuuko¡¯s mother¡¯s cooking skills, but for some reason it did not taste as good as it should have. Perhaps it was due to the now quiet atmosphere, or a strange lingering feeling that surfaced with the calm. After some time, Hikari gave a small sigh. ¡°Yuuko,¡± she spoke gently. ¡°You¡¯re not eating your food. You don¡¯t like the curry?¡± ¡°Hnn? Oh, yes it is really tasty¡­¡­¡­¡­.I am sorry...¡± Yuuko looked to the floor as he spoke, something he had been doing a lot today. His father began to scratch the back of his head. ¡°We ran into an opportunity earlier today but¡ª¡± ¡°An opportunity?¡± his mother interrupted. ¡°We saw a dog.¡± ¡°Goodness that must have been exciting!¡± she said putting her hands together and immediately pulled them apart. ¡°It didn¡¯t bite you did it? Are you hurt?¡± Yuuko shook his head. ¡°I tried to feed it.¡± ¡°........................." A prolonged silence followed his words. His father simply crossed his arms and stared downward, while his mother had a difficult expression on her face. It was difficult to know how they felt. After what seemed like forever, his mother simply gave another sigh. ¡°Why would you do something like that?¡± Her words were frightening, but her tone was¡­¡­... gentle¡­ it was kind. She wasn¡¯t going to get angry, and this only served to make Yuuko¡¯s heart feel heavy. ¡°Father tried to feed it even though it was being scary and mean to him, but he kept trying!¡± he poured the weight into his words. ¡°Mom you should have seen him, he wasn¡¯t scared! It kept barking and he kept going!¡± his words carried admiration, but became heavy leaving his throat. ¡°I wanted to!¡­.......I wanted to¡­¡­..be brave too¡­¡­.but I couldn¡¯t.¡± The tears had come once more, but he was so distracted that he hadn¡¯t noticed his mother wasn¡¯t looking at him anymore. ¡°After it refused to take the food from me, I offered Yuuko a chance.¡± his father said, placing a hand on him. He looked at Yuuko, giving a small nod telling him to finish the story. ¡°I tried to feed it, but I got scared and didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t get close. Dad says a man does things even when he¡¯s scared¡­¡­ dad did it¡­.. and I¡­.¡± ¡°Yuuko,¡± his mother said getting up from her chair to lean down in front of him. ¡°You¡¯re still a boy, you can¡¯t be a man yet.¡± ¡°But that was my chance to be like dad! If I can¡¯t do it then I can¡¯t be a man, be like him!¡± The tears began to stream down his cheeks. ¡°I!¡­¡­¡­...I want to be a man too!¡± His mother held his cheeks her hands, gently moving his head so they could look at each other. ¡°Yuuko, was that your only chance to be a man?¡± ¡°.......n-no¡­.¡± ¡°Hmmm? It wasn¡¯t huh? Does that mean you¡¯ll get other chances to prove you¡¯re a man?¡± ¡°I¡­..I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°Ara? Never get another chance? I think, someday soon, you will.¡± ¡°W-Well yeah¡­.I¡­¡­.I guess¡­¡± A small glint appeared in his mother¡¯s eyes. That small light made him feel like maybe¡­¡­¡­.no, she was right. It was a light that spoke of another chance. ¡°Make sure to use those chances, okay?¡± she said as she wiped the tears from his eyes. Though his small tears disappeared, his face still looked solemn. ¡°Will I get one?¡± His father placed both of his hands on his shoulders. ¡°Yuuko, there¡¯s always an opportunity to do better. Even if you don¡¯t get a second chance, you can always stand back up. You can always try again.¡± Looking upon both of his parents, he wiped his eyes once more. When he was done, the smallest, most delicate expression was on his face. But however small, a smile will always remain a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, mother...father!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± his father said winking at him. ¡°Now then,¡± his mother said in a breath of relief, ¡°Would you two like to hear about my day?¡± she asked putting her hands together. When dinner had finished, Yuuko went upstairs to prepare for bed. Normally he wouldn''t go to sleep right after dinner, but as they¡¯d arrived home late he had no time for entertainment, and just barely finished the study material he read every night. He didn¡¯t like studying, but his parents always made him do it¡ª especially now that school was getting closer. Sometimes they would even ask him about the things he learned¡­. and if he didn¡¯t know anything¡­.. He shivered. By the time he had finally finished, his mother and father came into his room, as they did every night, to kiss him goodnight; his father would even read him a story sometimes. Stories from his father, the ones about heroes who save the day, were always his favorite. He would imagine himself as one of them, fighting spirits, saving people, and becoming strong. Heroes just like¡­. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yuuko, I can¡¯t read to you tonight. We can do it next time.¡± ¡°Hmm? But, why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¡­.something important I have to do. But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll definitely do it next time! It¡¯ll be a new story you¡¯ve never heard of, and even cooler than all the others combined!¡± Yuuko pouted, and Yuuto couldn¡¯t help but notice the resemblance between his son¡¯s pout, and his wife¡¯s. ¡°Father that¡¯s what you said last time¡ª it¡¯s no fair!¡± he said pulling his blanket upward. His scrunched eyebrows did not match the delicate features on the rest of his face. His father gave a small laugh in response. ¡°Dad!¡± He continued laughing as he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry son, it¡¯s just¡ª you look so much like your mother when you¡¯re pouting.¡± He inhaled deeply¡ª composing himself. ¡°Also, who are you calling ¡®dad¡¯?¡± ¡°I mean!....father¡­¡± Yuuko corrected. His father scratched his head. ¡°Ah¡­.well, I don¡¯t mind so much if you call me that, but be careful around your mother. I know you say it by accident sometimes, but¡ª¡± he trailed off. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll do it next time okay?¡± ¡°Hnnnnmm¡­¡­.promise?¡± ¡°Er, well..trust your father, okay? Next time.¡± As he left the room, he gave Yuuko a kiss on the forehead; shutting the door behind him, and leaving Yuuko to rest. Yuuko thought it had been a good and bad day today. Even though he talked with his parents, a small weight still lay in his heart about the stray dog. He was not brave, that was still definitely a part of it; but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it didn¡¯t want help at that time¡­...so why did he feel so heavy when he thought about it? If the dog was mean, does that mean he has to be mean too? Or should he be extra nice? But being nice definitely didn¡¯t help; his father proved it. His father. Yuuko definitely wants to be like him when he¡¯s older. He had seen him do everything from fixing his bike to carrying heavy bags on his shoulders: ¡°A man needs to be strong!¡± he would always say. Not only that, but sometimes he helped his mother cook, which according to him is something that girls really liked¡­..she even liked it when he touched her shoulders today too. He really did know everything. It only made Yuuko want to grow up sooner...the only downside is that he doesn¡¯t exactly look like his dad; but then again, some people said his father looked scary¡ª even his mother said so once. They had the same pitch black and messy hair that stuck upward at random, Yuuko¡¯s was a bit longer, but he didn¡¯t want to cut it. Sadly, the traits between the two, for the most part, ended there; and the traits he inherited from his mother began. He had gotten some of her facial features. He didn¡¯t know what exactly, but his father had just mentioned it, and it wasn¡¯t the first time. He was also told that he had the same colored eyes as her¡ª eyes that filled the white part of his eyes; making them look bigger than normal. The name for the colored parts of an eye¡­..pipils? Pipilis? Whatever it was, his dad had something different¡­.. ¡°San..paku? Right?¡± he mumbled. Something about the white part of the eyes that made them scary. His actual eye color was as dark as night. The only thing Yuuko could completely claim as his own were two small moles he had on the base of his left collar bone. He always liked them because they looked like little bite marks. Wait, no! It was late, he should be going to sleep now, not thinking about moles! How much time had passed anyway? He thought this to himself, but found the more time passed, the less tired he became. He turned over to one side to see a poster of his favorite anime. It was about a hero who gained powers from a falling star and had to defend the Earth against spirits that wanted all of the planet¡¯s energy. He would never forget the coolest line he said in the show, when the spirits came together and the hero said- ¡°Get behind me!¡± to his friends. ¡°Ahhhh, he¡¯s so cool!¡± he yelled in a whisper. And there¡¯s a movie coming out, but he forgot when. Maybe in a year or two? But now wasn¡¯t the time for that. He turned over to the other side to avoid getting distracted and closed his eyes. However one minute turned into two, and then three, and then five. It felt like a lot longer than that. He didn''t know how long he remained like this until finally¡ª *Fuahh* he sighed. ¡°I need to go to the bathroom.¡± Having an excuse to leave, he got out of bed and made his way to the downstairs bathroom. It wasn¡¯t until he got to the bottom of the stairs that he heard voices that sounded like¡ª ¡°..............talked about¡­¡­¡­.he¡¯s a child.¡± Mother? ¡°............................eventually¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.how important it is for him to start.¡± Father? What are they doing in the kitchen, weren¡¯t they supposed to sleep? They don¡¯t sound sleepy¡­. He moved closer. ¡°Yuuto...I don¡¯t know how many times I need to tell you. He is a child. A child can not worry about something as abstract as an ideal.¡± ¡°He may not know what the word means but he certainly knows what he needs to do. Hikari, you¡¯ve seen how many troubled children are raised nowadays. Yuuko needs something to believe in, he needs something to strive toward!¡± ¡°And you intend to give him that by scarring him when he¡¯s unable to accomplish something pointless? Goodness, Yuuto, listen to yourself! Instead of an ideal you¡¯ll just instill in him a fear of dogs.¡± ¡°Not if he manages to overcome his fear first.¡± Yuuko quickly snuck through to the living room and hid behind the couch that lay there. It was a good place to watch them both without being seen; and certainly he could see them both. They were in their pajamas; with his father sitting down at the table while his mother stood up, leaning against the table. Her hair was tied back. ¡°His fear? What child can overcome something as serious as that? If it had bitten him, he would most certainly develop a trauma from it; and you know this well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I was there, to make sure it wouldn¡¯t. Also¡ª¡± ¡°......also?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­..all people have some kind of trauma don¡¯t they? Perhaps it would enable him to face the trials of life more easily; since by comparison he had already gone through something so terrib¡ª¡± ¡°Yuuto.¡± He had said something wrong. ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.don¡¯t mean it. It was just a floating thought. I¡¯m sorry. You know how I speak when I¡¯m like this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She waited many moments before speaking again. ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean it. Even so, he isn¡¯t you. He has his own hopes and dreams he wants to accomplish; his own wishes. You shouldn¡¯t thrust yours onto him.¡± ¡°But what if that truly is his dream¡ª with or without me?¡± ¡°Then that is the path he will choose, but for now he is a child. Please, what part of that do you not understand?¡± She sounds¡­¡­ she¡¯s not mad¡­. but she¡¯s not okay. Did father do something? Or worse, did he do something wrong with everything that happened today? These thoughts floated through his troubled mind, but the sound of silence returned him to the present. Why did they stop talking? He saw his mother pull up a chair and sat down right next to his father, holding his hand. ¡°Is it coming back?¡± she asked tentatively. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You need to tell me if it does. Please?¡± His father let out a long drawn sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right. Of course I¡­...I¡¯ll let you know.¡± He let out a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying you.¡± She squeezed his hand, ¡°Goodness me, whatever am I going to do with you?¡± She turned her head to the clock mounted on their wall, ¡°Ara, it¡¯s already this late, we should be going to sleep. Do you want me to check on Yuuko while you go and get ready?¡± ¡°No I¡­¡­¡­¡­. I think I¡¯ll stay down here for a few minutes if you don¡¯t mind. You go on ahead, I¡¯ll check on him on my way up.¡± She simply smiled at him, as she let go of his hand to leave¡ª ¡°Hikari?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yes dear?¡± ¡°Thank you. I think I have a better understanding now of what I need to do.¡± The small smile she gave couldn¡¯t contain the joy she felt, it appeared instead in her eyes. Yes, that smile brightened her eyes that were normally the color of honey¡ª to the color of an early sunrise. Without another word, she left up the stairs. The clock on the wall kept ticking; like a metronome it never missed the time. Both Yuuko and his father remained in their respective positions in total silence. Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick ¡­¡­¡­.Tick Tick¡­¡­¡­..Tick ¡­¡­¡­..Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick ¡­¡­¡­.Tick¡­¡­¡­.Tick How much time passed was unknown; for it had stretched out into confounding lengths. Perhaps it was the longest few seconds of their lives, maybe the shortest minute, or even an exact hour. Yuuto finally *houhhhh* stood up with a heavy sigh. As if in a trance, he walked through the hall and opened the door to their backyard. Yuuko got up and followed. One of the best things about living in a relatively smaller town was the lack of light pollution to impede the view above. The sky had gone through many forms today, but during the night emerged one of the best scenes¡ª an iridescent coalition of azure and white; the night was pleasantly cool; and the faraway songs of cicadas breathed peace any who heard them. Of course, the stars in the sky were in full view. He found his father sitting down, basking under the lights in the sky. He must have heard him sit down next to him, because even though his eyes were closed he asked his son: ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°I¡­. came to use the bathroom and saw you leave¡­..I am sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. Sometimes it¡¯s good to have a change of pace.¡± ¡°Change of pace..?¡± The soft laugh that escaped his lips vanished as his eyes opened. ¡°Is it still bothering you? About today?¡± ¡°Umm¡­..yes...a little¡­.¡± He nodded his head, as if wondering what to say. ¡°Son, I want you to do me a favor.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want you to forget about what happened today.¡± ¡°Ehhh? But father, I can not¡ª¡± ¡°Shhhh, Yuuko, let people finish speaking before saying something.¡± ¡°Oh..yes¡­¡­.I am sorry.¡± His father only smiled, and proceeded to tap the space next to him signalling his son to come closer. ¡°I want you to forget about everything that happened today and look at the sky. Forget what you did or didn¡¯t do, and focus on what you want.¡± ¡°What I want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Empty your mind Yuuko.¡± He closed his eyes, trying to do as his father asked, but it was difficult. Everything rushed back to him¡ª his walk through the town in the morning, exploring his new school, buying the groceries, the walk back home, finding the dog¡ª his fear and hesitation. A man should work through what he¡¯s afraid of. After the dog, they thankfully found a smaller grocery store nearby and bought food there; it was run by a nice old lady. Arriving home, his mother¡¯s fearful presence, their dinner, his conversation with her¡ª his tears and uncertainty. Will he ever at all become a proper man? A good man? A man doesn¡¯t run away, especially when he¡¯s afraid. They told him it was okay though¡­.but he felt heavy when they said that. Dinner ended, a quick study and he got ready for bed¡­...sleep wouldn¡¯t come. He left downstairs, his mother and father were talking about something. Was something wrong? Something he did? And now¡­¡­. He opened his eyes. ¡°Now look to the sky. Tell me Yuuko, what do you see?¡± And upwards he looked. Towards those lights in the sky¡ª he would find an answer. Maybe his father would find one too?¡­.but he¡¯s not his father. He must find his own answer. His own desire. I want to be... ¡°A hero! Father, I see a hero!¡± ¡°A hero?¡± In confusion, he followed his son¡¯s eyes that were looking upward, just in time to see a light, flying against the night sky. Another soon followed. Then many others. In seconds, the sky was awash with miniature lights painting the static stars. Both father and son couldn¡¯t help but to stare in awe at the heavens; but it was Yuuko who first broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s just like the anime isn¡¯t father?¡± He knew that he was, of course, referencing his favorite anime. A comical sigh escaped his lips; the mind of a child makes the strangest connections¡­...but his son was not wrong. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, it does look just like that anime huh?¡± ¡°Hmn!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you must aim for Yuuko. You will follow your own path, instead of mine, you¡¯ll become a hero!¡± In his son, Yuuto had never before seen stars reflected in eyes that resembled a sunrise. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.but this is real life¡­.¡± he whispered. ¡°Life is hard.¡± ¡°Father, did you say something?¡± ¡°Yuuko, do you how heroes are born?¡± ¡°How?¡± A soft breeze began to sing¡ª carrying the peace brought by the night. It must have seen the moment between them. ¡°A man¡ª a hero¡ª must be weak before he becomes strong.¡± Yuuko said nothing as sensations filled him¡ª with the sights of stars, the smell of clean air, and the resounding lessons from his father were taken in by him. It was all so sudden that his eyelids became heavy before he knew it. His eyes reflected the luminous lights, and he proceeded to rest against his father¡¯s side. ¡°Let me tell you that bedtime story.¡± he spoke. Yuuto didn¡¯t know from where he fabricated such a story, but his son¡¯s eyes gradually got heavier and heavier, as though hypnotized by the passing of the stars and his own words until finally; his breathing was deep and steady against his father''s chest. Gently, his father laid his son¡¯s head on his lap as he stared at the last remaining lights. ¡°Yuuko,¡± he began to whisper, ¡°I have made many mistakes. I have never been the father you deserved¡­¡­... I could only give my best. No one teaches you how to be a father.¡± As his voice began to shake, he took a moment to steady himself, and continued with renewed purpose to his words. ¡°You can do it, you know. The things I never could. I don¡¯t know how or why, but in you is something I never had. One day I won¡¯t be here anymore; so even though it¡¯s selfish, I hope you can listen to a man like me.¡± He took a deep breath¡ª ¡°The world needs someone like you, Yuuko. People need to see.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°If I ever keep anything I say¡ª you will become a great man, a hero to those around you. Inspire them Yuuko. Move by your own strength, and move others. Show them heroes can exist. You can do it. I promise.¡± As the last star raced towards the future, Yuuto could only pray that one day his son¡ª Yes. That his son will remember that promise. Chapter 2: A Place to Call Home Part 1 ¡°G-Guys! Wait for me! Please?!¡± ¡°Ohoioioioi, you¡¯d better hurry up you slowpoke! I already climbed to the top!¡± ¡°Yeah! Hurry up or we¡¯ll leave you behind!¡± He was going as fast as he could, but Yuuko¡¯s small legs were unaccustomed to climbing such uphill terrain. Every time he dug his heel in to move forward, the loose dirted molded around his shoe and created a miniature hole his foot sunk into. To make things worse, he couldn¡¯t properly grip any of the surrounding plants for support. The trees were much to thick, and the flowers were plucked from the ground at the slightest provocation. He felt sad pulling them out of the ground, his mother likes flowers, especially gold ones that match her eyes. They went on a picnic last week, his father helped him pick some out for her¡ª she looked so happy when he gave them to her. Maybe he should bring some back to her today! His father would say it¡¯s a great ide¡ª *snap* ¡°Eh?¡± *snapsnapsnap* ¡°That is¡­.not!¡± *snap* ¡°N-No¡ª wait!¡± But it was too late. He only had enough time to cover his head as he began rolling backwards down the hill. He had been so distracted that he hadn¡¯t noticed the small stem he held snapping at the roots. His mind panicked. The sick feeling of falling backwards enveloped him and everything became a blur of blue, brown, and green. The sensations of dizziness mixed together with the soft dirt made it hard to tell where he was going, only that he was going very, very fast. A part of him realized he was hurting, but another screamed that something had to be done! He extended his hands out in front of him, reaching for something!¡ª anything!¡ª that could help; and the smell of earth hit his nose while a warm mush surrounding his fingers. Hands? Yes¡ª his hands were in the dirt! Feeling himself going slightly slower, he did the same thing with his feet, and sure enough, the malleable earth began piling beneath his sneakers as his roll turned into a slide, and his slide slowly descended to a stop. Everything¡­..is spinning¡­.. The many shades of brown and green were still mingling together; and moreover, his stomach was doing sickening flips and churns, as if it hadn¡¯t realized he stopped. Not wanting to throw up; he sat underneath the nearest tree, although it looked more as though he collapsed against the of it rather than peacefully sit down. It took time, but eventually the brown and green separated into the ground and the trees. When the world became right, he closed his eyes, focusing on his stomach, and it too became calm. *fuuuahhhhhhh* He let out a long sigh and stood using the tree for support. He still felt dizzy, but that didn¡¯t bother him as much. As the tension left him, the first thing he felt was the itchiness that covered his entire body. He looked down at his arms¡ª red, but not bleeding. There was an uncomfortable pricking feeling inside his shoes, poking at his socks. When he scratched the top of his head, dirt fell out. The only thing left to check was¡ª ¡°Ouuuuhhhhhhh¡­¡­¡­.¡± Yes, his clothes were covered in stains. He could already feel the presence of his mother. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± said a boy with glasses. He wasn¡¯t okay. Not in the slightest. Yuuko wanted to run away, run back home. He felt like crying, it had been scary not being able to see anything; what if he hit something? But he couldn¡¯t. Not now, not in front of his new classmates. This was his only chance to prove to them¡­.. he had to be brave¡­. yes, a hero is brave! Stifling his tears, Yuuko muttered a quiet¡ª ¡°yes...¡± ¡°That was so cool! I want to try too!¡± spoke a boy in a baseball cap. ¡°N-No! It hurts-¡± The third boy who hadn¡¯t said anything until now interrupted Yuuko. ¡°Don¡¯t! We don''t have time!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and explore!¡± he said. The other two began arguing as to whether they should slide down or not, until the third friend¡ª ¡°Fine! I¡¯m leaving!¡± ¡ªmarched off without another word. The other two reluctantly followed suit. ¡°Wait, guys, this is not good! Let us go back!¡ª guys?¡± ¡°Stop being so scared! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yeah Yuuko it''ll be fun, come on!¡± His pleas fell upon the deaf ears of his new classmates. As the others faded into the sunlight, Yuuko thought of what his father would say. That he must be brave!....... he had to do it for his father. Even if he didn¡¯t want to, he already wasn¡¯t brave once. He had to prove it this time. With little choice left, he endured and continued climbing the hill. In that moment he could only think of two things: how he managed to get into such a situation, and the fact that¡­. ¡­¡­..well ¡­¡­¡­.it was kind of cool. Part 2 The family of three stood outside the gates of the three story building. They were not out of place in the slightest, as there were already a few families moving about; entering and leaving the building at differing paces. Amidst the small group, a mother could be heard talking to her son. ¡°And you have everything? Your lunch, books, pencils? Yuuto, you double checked while I was wrapping his lunch right?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry so much Hikari,¡± said a man with sharp eyes. ¡°All that stress isn¡¯t good for you; it¡¯ll ruin your youthful skin.¡± Yes. The three had woken up earlier than their usual time in order to ensure that they would arrive early to Yuuko¡¯s first day at a new school; or rather, Yuuko¡¯s mother had woken both of them up. His father usually had trouble waking up, but as for Yuuko; he had not slept the night previous as a result of all the worries building up within him. And there were many, many worries. All the people he would soon meet¡­..what would they be like? Would he get along with them? He was hoping he would, but they¡¯re new people! Even without his classmates, what would his new school be like? Well, he had already seen the inside of it, but the teachers. Nice? Hopefully. But what if he got in trouble for doing something by accident? What if¡ª what if one day he was climbing down the stairs¡ª and a teacher was walking up the stairs¡ª? and then he tripped and fell on the teacher! What if the teacher gets hurt?! Then he would get in trouble! Heroes aren¡¯t supposed to get into trouble! When he told this to his father, his reaction was to laugh and tell Yuuko that things like that don¡¯t happen. As long as he¡¯s good, people will like him, because they like heroes. People like heroes¡ª but he wasn¡¯t a hero yet. What if they didn¡¯t like him? His mother had told him that he would do great, he would make friends and it would all work it out. But how? Yuuko did not understand at all. How do you not get in trouble when you trip? Or how do people start talking to each other? How do you make friends? He wasn¡¯t tired at all, and yet the next time he closed his eyes, it had suddenly become morning. He could hear his mother calling him to get ready. ¡­¡­¡­¡­.but it was just nighttime. What happened to the night!? A flood of possibilities crossed his mind; but only one struck as the only possible answer. That he somehow managed to travel through time. Even if this was the answer, surprisingly!.......he didn¡¯t care. He only wanted to try and sleep. He didn¡¯t understand why he wasn¡¯t actually tired, but even so; he didn¡¯t want to get up from his bed. Upon hearing the voice of his mother once more; Yuuko *hhmmouuuuuu* let out a groan as he went to brush his teeth. ¡°Good morning mother¡­..father¡­.¡± ¡°Oh my! Yuuko, is everything alright?¡± ¡°Noooo¡­¡­.¡± he said slouching. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± his father asked And groggily, he nodded his head. ¡°Hmph, well, lucky for you, your mother has just the solution!¡± she said as she poured Yuuko a small cup of liquid. ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Hikari¡­¡­. dear¡­¡­. I¡¯d expect this from someone like me, but why are you giving our six year old son coffee?¡± ¡°Today is an important day, so this is an exception.¡± she said in a tone that was either playful and whimsical, or dangerously serious. Yuuto could not decipher which. ¡°Does¡­..it taste good?¡± ¡°Your father drinks it; don¡¯t you want to try?¡± ¡°Ohhh! Father, does it taste good?¡± ¡°Well¡­..that¡¯s¡­..¡± ¡°See if you like it, but hurry because we need to leave soon.¡± Yuuko grabbed the small glass and drank the few ounces of liquid inside the cup. And as soon as the warm liquid touched his tongue¡ª ¡°Plbegrbyee!¡± he said spitting the liquid back into the cup. ¡°F-Father!...mother!¡­...I am going to die!¡­.¡± He sounded half mad as he spoke. His father passed him a napkin. ¡°Feeling a little better now?¡± ¡°C-Can I have juice instead?¡± As his mother poured him a glass, Yuuko began asking away his worries. ¡°Mother, father, how do you make friends?¡± It seemed to catch both of them off-guard. His father leaned back in his chair while his mother simply closed her eyes before opening them with a confident smile. ¡°Like I told you yesterday, making friends is easy.¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°Errr, dear, that might be a bit unfair since it¡¯s coming from you.¡± ¡°Ara? What do you mean?¡± She sounded genuinely astonished. ¡°When we were in school together, anyone that didn¡¯t know you thought you¡¯d make a perfect fit for the student council. Considering how you were back then¡­..and those that actually did know your personality¡­..¡± She stared at him for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. ¡°Well, I had no choice back then, you know that.¡± she said wiping her eye. ¡°Anyway Yuuko, all you need to do is reach out your hand with a smile.¡± ¡°Like¡­.shaking hands?¡± ¡°Ufufufu, no silly. I mean¡ª¡± ¡°A smile!¡± his father said suddenly standing at the table. ¡°A man must always smile Yuuko! Just like how a man must always be brave, a man must always smile!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± his father said crossing his arms, ¡°Because!¡­¡­¡­. because¡­..¡± ¡°Because it shows how nice you can be.¡± his mother finished. ¡°A friend is a nice person after all, and people like nice people.¡± ¡°Ohhhhh, so I just need to smile!¡± ¡°And reach out your hand,¡± his mother added. ¡°Sometimes, that¡¯s all someone needs.¡± Though he didn¡¯t understand the final part of his mother¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t wish to push the topic further. With his questions answered, the family finished breakfast, washing and returning their dishes. Yuuko¡¯s parents got up to finish getting dressed. However¡ª ¡°There is¡­. still some left¡­.¡± Yuuko said as he grabbed a small cup. Inside was, quite literally, only a droplet of the brownish liquid left. As it touched Yuuko¡¯s tongue once more, he licked his lips, concentrating on the flavor. ¡°It is¡­¡­ kind of tasty¡­..¡± Without further incident, they arrived at the school. A wide, spacious lot greeted them as they passed through the gleaming iron gates. The soft cherry blossoms fluttered through the air, as though encouraging all those who saw them to move forward without hesitation. This is precisely what they did, but the moment could not last for long. As Yuuko¡¯s mother prepared to leave, she suddenly brought her hands forward, remembering something. ¡°Oh! Before I forget, let¡¯s take a picture! The three of us!¡± ¡°Hnnmphn, you¡¯re right about that! We must preserve this memory!¡± his father exclaimed, ¡°But won¡¯t you be late for work?¡± ¡°I should be fine if it¡¯s just one,¡± she said as she took out a camera from her bag. ¡°This is more important after all.¡± Quickly rushing to the nearest family, she handed them the camera after a quick conversation. Yuuko felt a growing sensation from the midst of his chest. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time they had taken a picture together as a family; but this time, it was about him! ¡°Father!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­.. I want to be in the middle!¡± His face appeared surprised for just a moment before changing into amusement. ¡°Ahahaha, I think that was the plan anyway.¡± ¡°Yuuto, stand behind Yuuko¡¯s right shoulder, and I will take his left.¡± His mother had come back while the strangers were getting in position in front of them. Aahhhhh! Already? A pose¡ª he needed a pose! What were his parents doing? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his mother¡¯s hands lay on his shoulder; and looked back to see that her head was rested on his father¡¯s chest. At the same time, he wrapped an arm around her. His other hand was on Yuuko¡¯s shoulder. And both of them¡­.. ¡°Okay! Big smiles, big smiles!¡± said the stranger with a camera. Quickly breathing in as much air as he could, Yuuko thrust out both his hands in a thumbs up position. And like his parents, put on the biggest smile he could. ¡°Wonderful, I love it! Get ready, one¡­...two¡­...three!¡± *schschee* The stranger had been complimenting his mother for almost three consecutive minutes before she returned the camera, speaking mostly of how beautiful a family she had. Although Hikari was happy, this was much to her embarrassment. When she managed to break away, she returned to her son who was giddy with excitement. ¡°Mom! I want to see! Can I see it!?¡± ¡°Ara? Yuuko, who is ¡®mom¡¯?¡± He let out a small gasp, instinctually covering his mouth with both hands. ¡°I¡ªI am sorry mother. I meant mother.¡± And hearing his apology, she let out a small giggle. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped, it is my fault after all. You¡¯re a good boy, but be calmer when you ask for something. Okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡ªI will be careful.¡± She simply smiled as she leaned down and handed him the camera. ¡°Here, take a look. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes! I like it a lot.¡± he said, careful with his tone. ¡°Look father.¡± ¡°W-What crisp quality!¡± he said taking the device. ¡°You can see every hair on our head Yuuko; and look here.¡± ¡°............where?¡± A flash of light appeared in Yuuto¡¯s eyes. No, the light was much brighter than a mere flash, it was more comparable to a star briefly manifesting in the face of opportunity. This is precisely why it did not go unnoticed by his wife; who immediately attempted to stop him. But she was too late. For he had already spoken¡ª ¡°Right here!¡± he roared, ¡°Your mother¡¯s skin!¡± ¡°Mother¡¯s¡­. skin?¡± ¡°Of course my son! It appears I was right after all...¡± he said standing up. ¡°Yuuto, this isn¡¯t really¡ª¡± ¡°Hmmm, yes yes, this is of excellent quality,¡± his father said as he walked around his mother. ¡°W-What is?¡± Multiple times he looked up from the picture to stare at her; and just as many times he returned to studying the picture. All of this while mumbling incoherently before finally approaching Hikari with his conclusion. ¡°My wife, wouldn¡¯t it be a shame to ruin such beautiful pale skin with excess stress?¡± He lifted her arm, ¡°And this texture¡ª! Please Hikari, allow me the honor of giving you a massage to lessen your stress before you go.¡± Hearing those words, her entire body shook as though a jolt ran through her, similar to receiving an electric shock; but with speeds just as fast she managed to regain her composure. To the untrained eye, a shock might be the most probable explanation. With a trained eye, however, one could safely, and unfortunately, assume that she must have had much practice in this sort of thing. ¡°A¡ªAra? Yuuto, it¡¯s neither the time nor the place for this sort of thing. Also we¡¯re in public, so do think of how we will be perceived¡­.¡± ¡°Oho?¡± he said turning his attention to a certain part of her face. ¡°You say that, but this part of you is already turning red. How cute! Your body is so honest in its reactions Hikari~.¡± His words were true, but because he spoke them aloud the crimson color began spreading from her ears through her face. ¡°Ara ara,¡± she said, placing a hand on her cheek. ¡°Will have to get the ladle again dear?¡± ¡°By all means, please do so.¡± he said leaning closer to her face, ¡°But if you plan to serve me something, I highly suggest wearing your apron. We wouldn¡¯t want to make a mess, now would we?¡± He paused. ¡°Well, not too big a mess.¡± Though her position had not changed, the crimson color had spread to her neck, turning a shade deeper. Yuuko looked on in confusion, until he hit his hand with his fist. ¡°Ohhh, I get it! Don¡¯t worry father, mother makes the best food! And the tastiest dessert!¡± ¡°Oooohohohohohoho¡ª my dear son! You haven¡¯t the slightest ide¡ªAHOH!¡± A great force had suddenly slammed into Yuuto¡¯s chest.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Dear, I do believe I told you not to teach our son such strange things.¡± she said, still holding a hand to her smiling face. ¡°Hnnnmmmnnnn¡­¡­...n-noted¡­¡­.¡± he said doubling over. Hikari leaned down close to her son. ¡°Your mother has to get going now Yuuko. Are you going to be okay?¡± With all the excitement that happened, it had slipped Yuuko¡¯s mind that today was still the first day of classes. The jubilation he had from taking pictures and watching his parents was being replaced with a sense of anxiety. No, not nervousness. It was more like¡ª ¡°Well...I¡¯m still scared, a little. There are a lot of people....¡± ¡°But remember what we talked about. It¡¯s okay to be nervous, even a little scared,¡± she said lifting his chin. ¡°But no matter what, I believe in you Yuuko. Do your best and you¡¯ll do great, I know it!¡± Her tension from earlier had almost disappeared, replaced with an excitement shown through clenched fists and sparkling, sun-filled eyes. This, and her supporting words, lifted his spirits once more. His mother believes in him. He¡­..can definitely do this! ¡°Hmm! I¡¯ll do my best mother!¡± ¡°Ara, there¡¯s my cheerful son.¡± ¡°Hnnnnnmm¡­¡­..Yuuko¡­¡­...please don¡¯t ignore your father in painnnnnhhhhh......¡± He raised his chin, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He would hate for her to be late, she¡¯d get in trouble if that happened. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both at dinner!¡± ¡°Goodbye mother!¡± Yuuko waved as she made her way through the iron gates of the school. ¡°Yeah¡­..goodbye dear!¡± his father said still holding his stomach. ¡°Hnn? Father, are you okay?¡± ¡°Just¡­. peachy son.¡± As expected of his father; even when he didn¡¯t feel well, he always kept going! As Yuuko mentally noted another cool thing about him¡ª ¡°O--Oh! Dad, people are here! They¡¯re coming!¡± Grimacing, his father looked up, ¡°Oho, looks like you¡¯re right about that. We¡¯d better hurry too, I have to leave after the ceremony.¡± ¡°R-Right!¡± Thus, both left to the ceremony grounds, but as soon as they turned around¡ª ¡°Ufu!¡± ¡°O-Oh! Yuuko, are you alright? ¡ª We¡¯re terribly sorry about that, please excuse us!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Are you okay?¡± ¡ªthey had immediately crashed into another family that had been standing directly behind them. In reality, it had been more like one son crashing into another, with Yuuko having accidentally knocked the other boy down due to his momentum. It appears they too were in the middle of taking of photo, and it was because their son was standing still that this happened. ¡°Not at all,¡± the father of the boy responded. ¡°We should have been in a more open area. Hajimu, are you alright?¡± ¡°Yuuko, don¡¯t stare, help him up.¡± After a brief moment of embarrassment, he extended his hand to the boy still on the concrete. But as he came closer the boy slapped his hand away. But¡­¡­¡­¡­.huh? The boy, Hajimu, then turned his head toward the face that belonged to that helping hand. Yuuko saw only gritted teeth and narrow eyes. Without saying another word, the boy rose and marched to a less populated area of the school yard. ¡°Oi, Hajimu come back!¡± But those words were no use; for the boy was already out of earshot. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry for that, truly. We should have been more careful.¡± ¡°Please, don''t be,¡± Hajimu¡¯s mother sighed. ¡°He just had a rough morning is all.¡± With that, bows were exchanged, and just like that the parents were gone. As though the situation never happened in the first place. As more people filed into the school, the pair remained silent; staring at the parents catching up to their son. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°No Yuuko.¡± He looked up at his father confused. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. That¡¯s what you were going to ask right? If you did something wrong?¡± He merely nodded his head. ¡°Sometimes accidents happen Yuuko. You didn¡¯t see him, and they probably didn¡¯t see us. It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault. Okay?¡± ¡°I do not get it¡­.¡­¡­...is he mad?¡­.¡± His father slowly scratched the back of his head. ¡°Alright, how about this. The next time you see him, try and make it up to him. That way, you can say your sorry.¡± ¡°Will that be okay?¡± Yuuto was faced with a difficult situation. He could see on his son¡¯s face that the joy he had felt mere minutes ago had been replaced by a sense of guilt. Definitely a misunderstanding. The way he smiled earlier¡­.he absolutely needed to get that back. Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. And he could not help but laugh. ¡°Of course it will be Yuuko!¡± taking on an overly-dramatic pose. ¡°Because this is an opportunity!¡± With his son appearing mildly annoyed with his lack of an explanation, Yuuto quickly continued. ¡°Yuuko, what¡¯s something that all heroes have in common?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­..they¡¯re cool?¡± ¡°And they also have a lot of friends! But they never start out that way, do they son?¡± He could see the gears inside the mind of his child slowly turning, attempting to piece together what his words meant. That he might be able to turn them into actions. ¡°So...I make friends with him?¡± ¡°Of course! This is your first chance to do something heroic; to make friends with someone who¡¯s angry!¡± He leaned down as he spoke his next words, ¡°You did say he looked mad, right?¡± Yuuko stood there as the words processed in his mind. Slowly but surely his mouth became agape, and the brilliant light in his eyes began to shine through once more. ¡°Then¡ª Then this is my first chance to be a hero right!?¡± ¡°That is exactly right son. A hero always needs a good friend by his side¡ª¡± he paused his sentence. ¡°But heroes are also often alone, at least at first. Even so, remember that they will always come out on top!¡± ¡°But-But after that I get to be a hero!¡± He gave a hearty laugh. ¡°After you make friends.¡± As he finished his sentence, he took out his cell phone and began leaning toward his son. ¡°Father, what are you doing? We already took a picture with mother.¡± ¡°But this is one of father and son; and we must remember this day for when you finally do become a hero!¡± It seemed his words had their intended effect. ¡°Remember Yuuko, smile bright so people can see you!¡± As he positioned the phone, his only thought was that he would not trade in the smile his son made at that moment for the world. I knew it would all be worth it. With the two of them fully in the screen, his father pressed a button causing a momentary blink on the screen. ¡°A memory to be cherished,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Shhhh shhhh shh.¡± he said placing a finger on his son¡¯s lips. ¡°No more words son. Just remember what I told you. And remember your mother¡¯s words.¡± ¡°..to¡­. smile...?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And when the time is right, I know you will do the right thing.¡± ¡°I¡­.. do not think I get it.¡± His father let out yet another laugh. ¡°Maybe not now, but you will soon. And Yuuko¡ª¡± His son looked up at him. ¡°Well¡­. actually¡­. nevermind. I¡¯ve said enough. Now come on, we¡¯re going to be late!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yuuko turned around, eyes shining like the sun in the sky¡ª ¡°I¡¯m going to do my best!¡± ¡ªand his fists were clenched. ¡°I can do this!¡± * * * * * ¡°.....and that should be it! Again, welcome everyone to our first day, and to your new classroom!¡± said the energetic teacher. ¡°Miss Natsume, can we start the introductions now!?¡± called a random voice. ¡°I do believe it¡¯s about that time! Would you like to go first?¡± I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home.I wanna go home. This was the only thought that had run through his head for the past hour. When he looked to the clock on the wall to check, however, he found it had only been fifteen minutes. In order to calm down, he attempted to remember the words his parents had spoken to him earlier¡ª only to suddenly find. I can¡¯t remember anything they said! I can¡¯t remember at all! He had finally made it to his homeroom class. After the ceremony commemorating the start of the school year, he had been led to his class where seats were determined, and his teacher was introduced. All of this should have been exciting¡ª he was excited when first entering the class¡ª but now he could not focus for one very specific reason. He shifted his view to the left side of the classroom. There, in the first row, was the boy he had run into earlier today. This should be a good thing right? He can say he¡¯s sorry, and be friends with him. Yes, friends, now he remembered! His mother had told him to make friends and that it would be easy! Or¡­. was that his father¡­¡­. Either way he still didn¡¯t know how to be friends with people. Was he still mad? Sad now? To make things worse, he hadn¡¯t thought of making friends with so many people. Well, he thought of it, but seeing all of them here now was¡­... Someone tapped his shoulder. ¡°Uyh¡ª Yes!¡± Laughter could be heard from around the class. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your turn to introduce yourself silly! Tell us your name and something about yourself.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± he said standing up. He looked around the room¡ª there were so many people staring. And one of them was the boy. He needs to do something that will let him make friends with that boy and everyone else. Something cool. ¡°Do your best.¡± that¡¯s what his mother said. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡± that¡¯s what his father said. What did dad say again!? He couldn¡¯t think. All he could remember was his mother¡¯s words; but it was enough to start. ¡°M-May¡ªMy! My name is Yuuko. Y-Yuuko Asahino! And I...I.......¡± Something cool. Something cool for friends. Friends? Mom and dad¡­¡­ Smile. The picture. They were smiling. Remember to smile. Those¡­.were also his mother¡¯s words. He needs to smile too. And dad¡¯s picture. He was smiling. And his father¡¯s words¡­ A man smiles! ¡­¡­¡­.a man¡­... ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.! A half smile soon creeped onto Yuuko¡¯s cheeks but was¡­. squiggling. He could feel it shake, and his legs soon followed; but he knew exactly what he was going to say. With a deep breath, Yuuko pointed at the ceiling and spoke from his heart. ¡°I want to be a hero!¡± It seemed like time grinded to a halt. Everything froze. The silent stares of his classmates were burning into him without mercy. But then there were voices. The voices were met with a mixture of laughter. Looking around, some people did neither; only staring in silence. A handful actually¡­¡­ started clapping. ¡°Well, that¡¯s!.....admirable. Well done Yuuko, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. Right everyone?¡± He took his seat after the rest of the students began to clap. He¡­...did it. His legs stomped the floor in excitement as he bent over, clutching his fists. He did it! He hadn¡¯t seen the boy¡¯s face, but with such a cool introduction he¡¯d surely be his friend! "Thank you mother!" He spoke in his mind. "Thank you father!" You guys are the best! Part 3 ¡°You are the absolute worst.¡± His boss didn¡¯t mince words. Straight to the point. How very like him. However, he couldn¡¯t fault him. He had every right to speak in the way he did. ¡°You have the audacity to show up an hour and a half late to work today of all days? Do you care nothing for the people you work with? The people of this company?¡± Yuuto remained in a deep bow, ¡°You have my sincerest apologies. I am truly sorry. It¡¯s just that¡­..today was an important day sir.¡± ¡°Yes. It was. Not that you were here for our partnership review with Fable that ended twenty minutes ago.¡± Yuuto remained silent, and his boss heaved a sigh. ¡°Get back. I¡¯ll decide what to do with you later.¡± Rising, he bowed once more, and left without another word. It had been an important day today. Although he would never say it out loud, he would always choose anything of mild importance over the company he works in, as the mountains of paperwork on his desk made quite obvious. Any sane man would be worried about his job, worried about the repercussions that would surely come from having consistently awful reviews. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care about that. His boss, his work, his career, his coworkers. Only two things were at the forefront of his mind. He started on his work. Yes. It¡¯s always those two. Hikari seemed to be well this morning¡ª he felt guilty, lying about when he needed to enter work today, but she would have insisted on staying with Yuuko for his ceremony if he hadn¡¯t; and her job was far more important and productive than his¡ª at least for the moment. He had also taken all the pictures she asked for regarding the ceremony, so it should be fine. He took them on both his phone and the camera she gave him after his¡­¡­ invitation for a cooking session. In nothing but her apron. He began imagining her smell, how her body felt so warm when she lay next to him. And her voice¡­..delicate, sweet, yet firm¡­¡­..much like a flower. Not to mention her frightening intellectual prowess, and wisdom only a mother could have. She was a flower of steel. Of course, all those things about her were wonderful, but her figure was exceptional as well¡­. It¡¯s not weird I have her three sizes memorized right? I¡¯m her husband after all. If I can recite them again¡ª ¡ªno no no! Not now, not at work¡­...come on, focus¡­... Reigning in his imagination, Yuuto began looking for a distraction; and his mind provided just what he needed. The other person that was never far from his mind. There is definitely something wrong with him. Should a father even say such a thing? That there is something wrong with his child? ¡­¡­¡­..truth be told, he knew he was partially responsible for the way his child was turning out, but regardless of his influence, Yuuko shouldn¡¯t be thinking the way he is. No, he shouldn¡¯t be thinking that way for at least a few more years. He was no expert in psychology, but he was fairly certain that a child shouldn¡¯t be developing a false sense of guilt. Why would a child feel such an emotion in the first place? In his many years of fatherhood, he had never heard about a child as young as his developing guilt for something they were not directly responsible for; some children don¡¯t even feel it when they are responsible. So why? Of course, he knew the answer. It came when he told his son that he possessed something valuable. Something he, himself, did not have. He reclined back in his chair. Hikari had mentioned before that Yuuko was far too young to understand what an ideal is. But is that really true? If it is, can that truly prevent him from following one? What scared him most was the fact that he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Not necessarily academic pursuits, though he was happy his son was excelling in those areas too, but the knowledge of the world around him. He wanted to know about right and wrong so he knows how to act, and where to go, metaphorically speaking. He raves on and on about heroes, but the topic is rarely their powers or possessions. It¡¯s always about what they do. As though he already knows a hero is measured by their actions. ¡­¡­¡­.as though he genuinely believes in heroism. This then begs the question: Is it even a good idea for him to follow one? An ideal? Heroes are often times alone. That¡¯s what he told his son. Any father should feel terrible for saying something so harsh; but not him. It¡¯s probably¡ª no¡ª it¡¯s absolutely selfish; but he needs to prepare him for the hardships that come from a desire to be a hero. For a child as rare as his own, it¡¯s absolutely needed. And it¡¯s not as though he was unfamiliar with the process; the only difference being in his case¡­.. Yuuto *fuahhh* let out a long exhale. ¡°What am I doing to my own child?¡± He looked up at the clock, it was right before lunch. He should probably go and eat something, but didn¡¯t want to break his concentration by leaving. The good thing about being distracted is that his mind goes on autopilot, and he can complete his work without feeling like he was working. It helps the day pass quicker too. It also helps that none of his coworkers bother him. The less distractions, the sooner he can leave. The sooner he can see the only people that give his life meaning. He spent a long time learning how to build a home; how to live peacefully with himself. That¡¯s why he would not let that once familiar numbing return. Because he has a home to return too. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± he whispered into the silence. And he believed those words. Yet, as he recounted the events of his life, a numbing sensation in the back of his heart reminded him. It reminded him that he would not promise such a thing. Part 4 ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said something about being a hero?¡± Yuuko had his hand outstretched as the first day of school had come to an end for the students. Well, almost all of them. Because his parents still didn¡¯t want him walking to and from school by himself, Yuuko was enrolled in the school¡¯s after-class care program. Very few schools offered it, and it¡¯s for this reason they decided enroll him. They even let him see the announcement for it: ¡¸A program specifically designated for children whose parents both work, students can partake in the various activities the school offers while waiting for their parents to finish their work for the day. As primary school students can¡¯t enroll in any official clubs, many teachers offer ¡°miniature clubs¡± for children. These ¡°mini-clubs¡± offer children the chance to safely experience anything from sports to calligraphy, from baking to simply studying. We are confident you and your child will find something you enjoy! Extensively monitored, parents can rest easy knowing that their children are supervised at all times during all tasks. We look forward to working with families to bring an enriching experience for all!¡¹ Though Yuuko couldn¡¯t understood everything, he grasped the basics of doing something while waiting for his parents. He tried telling his parents that he could walk home okay, but they always told him the same thing over and over. ¡°Once you¡¯re older.¡± Or ¡°Once you¡¯ve stayed at the school longer.¡± Heroes could walk home fine!.......but they also listened to their parents. At least, that¡¯s what his parents said. Earlier in the day, as soon as they had free time, he wrote down everything they had told him about friends so that he wouldn¡¯t forget. I have to smile. And then shake hands? Mother said something about a hand. And then be a hero! Or a man, like father. Both? Oh! And I have to be nice. I think mother said that. But still, he could still hardly believe how lucky he was. Except for one other person, there were no other people in the classroom. The teacher was gone, as it wasn¡¯t time for the program to start, and would be back when she knew where to send them. In the meantime, his focus would be the boy slouched on his desk. The one from this morning. Slowly walking towards where he is sitting, Yuuko recalled the notes he wrote, and stretched out his hand. The boy looked up with a bored expression. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who said something about being a hero?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m Yuuko Asahino. I¡¯m in your class and I sit over there¡ª¡± He pointed in the direction of the desk closest to the wall. ¡°I know you¡¯re in this class. I can see you.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes. Ummm¡­I think we shake hands now.¡± he said shaking his entire arm for emphasis. Propping himself up with both elbows, the boy now looked at his hand with a slight curiosity. ¡°Why do you talk like that?¡± ¡°Hmm? Like how?¡± ¡°You just said ¡®yes¡¯. Why do you talk like that?¡± ¡°I¡­. umm¡­¡­. is it bad?¡± ¡°You two boys, come with me, it¡¯s about time we started.¡± Before giving a response, the two were called down by their teacher entering the classroom. ¡°Do I really have to?¡± ¡°Yes Hajimu. Your parents trusted us and we can¡¯t have you walking home by yourself. But cheer up!¡ª¡± she suddenly emphasized her tone. ¡°We¡¯ll play games and get to know each other. It¡¯ll be loads of fun¡ª I promise!¡± Left without choice, the two followed their teacher into the school¡¯s track field. The afternoon sun wasn¡¯t as hot as it appeared to be; and though it was a bit more humid, the pleasant temperature from this morning was very much the same. As Yuuko and Hajimu were herded into a small group of other first-years, Yuuko tapped on the shoulder of the boy with straight black hair. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We still need to shake hands!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna shake you hand.¡± ¡°But¡­..why not?¡± Yuuko¡¯s outstretched hand slowly returned to his side, his smile along with it. When the boy made no attempt to answer, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his notes. He smiled, tried the handshake, maybe he wasn¡¯t nice? ¡°OH!¡± It was a good thing they were in the back of the group, because the sudden outcry from Yuuko caused several people to look at him. ¡°Sorry! I¡ªI am sorry.¡± He suddenly thought of the one thing he needed to do. Of course! Why didn¡¯t he say that the first time?¡ªit was the most important part! He tapped the boy¡¯s shoulder once more. ¡°What?¡± he said in a much more aggravated tone. ¡°I am sorry for bumping into you this morning, I did not mean too. Are you okay?¡± Seconds after he finished his question, the boy turned red in the face and his arms began shaking. Was he sick? Yuuko once felt really sick and looked the same way. Could that be it? He didn¡¯t feel well? ¡°No. I¡¯m not. Wanna know why?¡± Yuuko had no chance to respond before the boy began speaking again¡ª ¡°Because I hate today! First, my mom and dad didn¡¯t make my favorite breakfast even though they promised they would! Want to know what else? I had to walk all the way to school when they said we were taking our car. We took forever! I hate walking, and my shoes got dirty on the way here!¡± ¡°.....but¡­..I like wal¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done!¡± he growled. ¡°We had to pass by some stupid dog that kept barking at us, and when we finally got here, I was supposed to take a picture with our maid! She wasn¡¯t here because they said she was ¡®busy¡¯. I love her, and they don¡¯t even let me see her! I didn¡¯t want to take a picture without her and they made me take one anyway!¡± Yuuko seemed stuck in time; rehearing the one part of the story he could relate to. ¡°A dog? Did you say a do¡ª¡± ¡°And to make it all worse,¡± the boy said as he approached Yuuko, ¡°I have to get stuck with some weirdo who doesn¡¯t leave me alone!¡± A great weight was suddenly thrust against his chest, and before he knew it, he was lying face-down in the dusty field. He didn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t understand why the boy had pushed him. He didn¡¯t understand if he said the wrong thing. He didn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t want to be nice. He didn¡¯t understand. Not one bit. The only thing he did understand¡ª why everything looked so watery. ¡°Ahhh, Hajimu what are you doing now?¡± ¡°Come on, you¡¯re going to get in trouble like last time.¡± His train of thought was interrupted by two boys approaching their group. One had on a baseball cap, while the other one had glasses that covered most of his face. ¡°Sora, Daisuke! What are you guys doing here?¡± Exchanging high fives, he greeted the boys with a smile as they joined the group. The one with the cap, Sora, walked over to where Yuuko still lay on the floor. Pretending to examine him, he walked around, mumbling various phrases to himself as Yuuko hurriedly wiped the liquid forming in his eyes¡ª the boy finally stopping before him. ¡°So, why¡¯d he push you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him,¡± Hajimu warned, ¡°He¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t look weird.¡± ¡°Are you weird?¡± asked Daisuke. I¡­¡­..was¡­¡­..weird? ¡°N-No¡­.I do not think so¡­.¡± ¡°Yes he is, he talks about shaking hands and being a hero and stuff.¡± ¡°Heroes are cool¡­.¡± Yuuko mumbled weakly. ¡°The coolest one is always going to be Night.¡± Daisuke said pushing up his glasses while staring at Sora. He must have been louder than he thought. ¡°You¡¯re always going to be wrong,¡± his friend said as he rose and dusted off his pants. ¡°Day is the best hero, Night is just weird and he has lame powers.¡± ¡°Night wins in a fight. It rhymes so it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true and that¡¯s just a lame excuse!¡± ¡°Do you guys always have to talk about this?¡± Hajimu sighed. Yuuko stared absentmindedly at the two as they spoke. Night and Day? But they were talking about people. That means¡­. ¡°I-I like Hiro the best!¡± he half shouted and whispered. The two quickly turned around from their argument. Sora squinted his eyes as he spoke¡ª ¡°You watch Night and Day?¡± ¡°It is not my favorite anime, but I like it a lot.¡± And it was true. Though he may not have anything related to the anime, he still liked watching it with his father and mother on TV. Sometimes they would even watch new episodes on the computer. Daisuke was the first to come to his senses. ¡°Why Hiro? He doesn¡¯t have any powers?¡± Yuuko slowly rose from the ground as he spoke. ¡°Father says that Hiro is the best because he doesn¡¯t have any powers. He says it¡¯s easy to be a superhero when you have them, but it¡¯s hard when you don¡¯t. A hero always does the hard thing.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t be a superhero without any powers,¡± Daisuke retorted. ¡°Yeah, and plus, having superpowers seems awesome! Day melted that giant robot with the sun and always beats up the people! Hiro doesn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Night also gives people nightmares, that¡¯s really scary, he could do it to Hiro and he¡¯d lose.¡± ¡°He takes them on adventures. Also, when they lost their powers, Hiro saved them. That means that if Hiro gets powers, he would beat them, cause he beat them when they did not have any.¡± ¡°Oi that¡¯s not true!¡±¡ª¡°No he can¡¯t!¡± The two friends shouted in unison. ¡°Will you guys be quiet!¡± said the third voice. ¡°Talk about something else!¡± As soon as he spoke, a teacher called for all students¡¯ attention. Yuuko almost forgot where he was¡ª it would seem that the program was about to begin. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna do this!¡± Hajimu complained to his friends. As they agreed with him, he suddenly went silent. ¡°Follow me!¡± he said as he began moving towards the fence that separated the school from the small patch of forest surrounding it. ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± asked the boy with the cap. ¡°On an adventure! Only real men are allowed to break the rules.¡± He turned towards Yuuko. ¡°If you wanna be lame and play hero, then you can stay here you weirdo.¡± ¡°Ohhhh, that rhymed!¡± gleed the boy with glasses. Watching the two follow their friend into the forest beyond, Yuuko felt a heavy weight build inside his chest. He¡¯s not lame or weird¡­...but most importantly, he is a man too! But before he completed his second step, he froze in place. ¡­...heroes are not supposed to break the rules¡­. ...but this was okay. Yes! He has to show them that he¡¯s cool, that he¡¯s definitely a man!.. As the weight inside him became just a bit heavier, he grit his teeth and followed the figures in front of him. Part 5 The roll down the hill had left him feeling sad for dirtying his clothes, but glad because he did a cool move in front of his classmates. Surely, it was only a matter of time now before they became his friends! They would do all kinds of things together, like eating lunch, talking about anime, and doing homework together! Well, he would need to finish his homework before he can watch anime, otherwise his mother would catch him. One time his mother had left him to do some math sheets while she went out for a little while; he started watching TV instead and when his mother came back and caught him¡­. He shivered when he remembered. Besides that¡­..friends also go on adventures, right? They could explore around the town and visit shrines full of mystery! Maybe they¡¯d find a shrine right now? The thought caused Yuuko to stop. ¡°Hey, guys, where are we going?¡± It seems that Sora and Daisuke also wondered the same thing because they too, came to a stop. ¡°I dunno¡­..hey Hajimu! Where¡¯re we going?¡± The boy came to a stop and turned around triumphantly. ¡°We¡¯re hunting!¡± There was a brief respite as the three boys processed the words he just said. ¡°Why?¡± asked Sora. ¡°Because it¡¯s fun!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing here.¡± added Daisuke. ¡°Yes there is¡ª look!¡± he said as he pointed to a squirrel twenty feet away. The small creature had its back turned, perhaps looking for something. Without delay, Hajimu quickly picked up the nearest rock and threw it with all his might in the direction of the animal. By coincidence or sheer luck, the stone struck the back of the animal, causing it to quickly flee in the opposite direction. Soon, it began climbing up the branches of a tree and disappeared from sight. ¡°HA! Told ya hunting was fun!¡± His friends stared at him in awe. ¡°Hajimu that was awesome!¡± ¡°Leave it to you to do the impossible.¡± said Daisuke pushing up his glasses, but quickly pointed upward. ¡°Look!¡± On one of the branches of a great thick tree, was a small, yellow bird. The boys watched as it carried sticks and added them to a small pile. After a few minutes, its blue beak began expertly crafting and intertwining the various wooden pieces it collected into what soon became a very beautiful nest. After what seemed like tens of minutes of adjusting, the bird sat down in its new home, closing its eyes. ¡°That¡¯s our new target, whoever gets it wins!¡± screeched Hajimu ¡°But¡­. we should not hurt it.¡± ¡°Haaaaaah? What are you talking about you weirdo? We¡¯re not going to kill it.¡± ¡°But it worked hard on it¡­.¡± he softly responded. ¡°Yeahhhhh, I¡¯m with Yuuko. I don¡¯t wanna, plus, it¡¯s too high.¡± Unexpectedly, the Sora joined in with Yuuko. ¡°Y-Yes, I think so too! We should just go bac¡ª¡± ¡°I bet you just can¡¯t reach it.¡± interrupted Daisuke. And Sora¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t reach it. You want to be on a baseball team and can¡¯t throw high. I bet I can reach it before you can, and if I win, you have to let me talk to your sister.¡± ¡°Oh! Me too!¡± added Hajimu. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you guys do that!¡± he shouted. Grabbing the nearest stone, Sora threw it with all his might, wildly missing. ¡°Hahahah, that was bad!¡± Hajimu pointed at Sora, but then shifted his attention to Daisuke. ¡°If I win, you have to let me sleepover and stay with your mom!¡± ¡°No!¡± his friend said, angrily taking off his glasses to clean them. ¡°But if I win, you have to give me your allowance for a month!¡± ¡°If I win, you both have to let me hit you with a rock for making fun of me!¡± interjected Sora. ¡°Guys¡ª friends¡ª we should stop, we¡¯re going to hit it!¡± ¡°Oi! Shut up Yuuko! That¡¯s the whole point!¡± shouted the once friendly Sora. ¡°I bet he¡¯s scared he can¡¯t hit it.¡± laughed Daisuke. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to do anything than leave and find me some rocks.¡± said Hajimu, briefly turning around. ¡°Only real men get to play, not stupid weirdos like you.¡± The words bounced around in Yuuko¡¯s mind. Stupid. Weird. Slowpoke. Not a man. A bubble of anger formed inside his chest, right where the heavy feeling was. ¡°I¡¯m...¡± He thought he was doing a good job of being cool. He thought he was nice to them. He was doing his best, wasn¡¯t he? ¡°I¡¯m......¡± He had to reach his hand out¡­¡­.right? ¡°I¡¯m...!¡± And the bubble erupted. ¡°I¡¯m a man too!¡± he veered at the top of his lungs. Grabbing the closest stone he could find, Yuuko hurled it towards his target; and the yellow bird¡¯s home disappeared in an instant. With precision he didn¡¯t intend for, not only had the stone hit the bird¡¯s nest, but it connected to the bird itself, hitting it right in its wing. This became easily noticeable when the bird desperately tried to correct itself during freefall; and at the last moment, just before striking the ground, it did. All four boys stared in quiet shock at the scene. The bird lay on the ground, erratically moving its body and wings. This made it all the more strange to hear it chirping soft and beautiful sounds. Engraving the flailing bird into their memories, Daisuke finally spoke up. ¡°Does¡­. this mean that Yuuko won the bet?¡± ¡°As long as you guys didn¡¯t win that¡¯s fine!¡± Sora said turning around to put a hand on Yuuko¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thanks Yuuko, I didn¡¯t want them to win.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you do that anyway?¡± Hajimu uttered in disbelief. ¡°I¡­. did not mean to.¡± ¡°You won the bet, so what do you want?¡± the boy in glasses asked. ¡°I do not know¡­.. are you guys my friends?¡± he asked. Before any of them could answer, the bell for the school began ringing, signalling their return. ¡°We have to go back fast! Come on guys!¡± As Hajimu, Sora, and Daisuke ran towards the sound of the distant bell, Yuuko stood still. He didn¡¯t want to move. No¡ª it would be more appropriate to say that he couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted. He clutched at his chest. His three classmates were soon out of sight; leaving him alone. "I should go back¡­." Slowly, he placed one foot in front of the other. And then the next. One more. Soon, he had a steady, albeit slow, pace back to the school grounds. Before leaving the area, he turned back; and saw something reflected back into his golden eyes. It was the yellow bird, hopping around in the dirt, collecting the sticks it once used as its home. As it moved around, Yuuko saw something strange about it, but wasn¡¯t until it tried to fly back to the branch that he noticed it didn¡¯t fly as easily as it had earlier. Its wing might be broken. Yet it still flew. As Yuuko watched, the bird repeated this process time and time again; and even though its tiny beak only held one or two sticks at a time, it kept going. It would build its home once more. Chapter 3: Aberration Part 1 ¡°Now closing, please step away from the doors for your safety.¡± The electronic doors closed with a soft thud, and the acceleration he felt soon after let him know that he was well on his way. Yuuto heaved a heavy sigh as his head leaned against the metal wall behind him. His thoughts had been running without end since a certain day at the school. In fact, it had gotten so bad that he¡¯s been unable to sleep for the past two weeks. Even if it was only temporary, using the forty minutes he had until his arrival to work, for rest, would be a great blessing. There were very few things he enjoyed about work, but the most positive had to be the fact that his route was much more ¡°out-of-the-way¡± compared to others. He had seen how full the trains going to Yokohama could be, with pushers struggling to fit in all the passengers; the constant utterances of ¡°Please excuse me,¡± and ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± spoke volumes of how suffocating it could be. Those people are definitely stronger than he is. He closed his eyes, focusing on the movement of the tracks and faint whispers around him. He almost wished it wasn¡¯t so peaceful¡ª enjoying it now, then having to experience the drastic change that would surely come the moment he stepped into his building. His building¡­¡­. filled with coworkers who are also riding a train like this. Were the mornings of the people who disliked him exactly the same as his? He opened his eyes and began scanning the people around him. Salarymen, career-women, a few students here and there; most seemed to occupy themselves with something. A handful of the students were reading books or writing in journals, maybe some last minute homework they had yet to accomplish? The thought brought with it a faint smile. He remembered his days during school when he had crammed last minute for a test¡ª or hurriedly finished an assignment that would be due that morning. It happened often during elementary and middle school; but in high school he became much more diligent, thanks to a certain someone. It¡¯s thanks to that diligence that he had managed to secure the work he had now. His company was in the process of negotiating a deal with a neighboring corporation that would, hopefully, expand their own business should they choose to accept the agreement. Countless hours were spent amending terms for both sides, reviewing currently existing policies, and other such frivolities. He was tasked to review the conditions regarding the changes that would be made to his company. Should he find anything ¡°unfavorable¡± he was to report it along with the revisions that he deemed appropriate and fair. In hindsight, the reason he was chosen most likely had to due with a revision he recommended upon finding a copy of the terms and conditions. Fine print and misdirection were easy to spot for him, and the longer he read, the more frequent they became. The employees who had been working on it were fired on the spot for incompetence, with Yuuto being tasked to carry out their work alongside a small group. And it felt awful. It was easy to look over fine print, the majority of people do it everyday; it was never his intention to have them fired. And he couldn¡¯t help but think that if he hadn¡¯t said anything¡­. ¡°Do you care nothing for the people you work with? The people of this company?¡± That¡¯s what his boss had asked him. That¡¯s what the rumor would be. And yet, if he had never found it, the result may have been severe for his company, what else was he supposed to do? If the company suffered, everyone did. The only benefit now would be the increased revenue that would come out of the joint venture. Revenue he could use for his family. Maybe taking them on a small vacation? That would certainly be¡ª ¡ªwait¡­....revenue¡­¡­? Since when¡­... He sat himself upright. ¡­¡­¡­...what am I doing? To think about something like that? Is that why he did it? Is that why, even though he hadn¡¯t intended for those people to be fired, he felt nothing for them? For something so¡­¡­¡­.shallow. He turned towards the other side of the train, where various men in suits held on to bags and briefcases. Each of them was engaged in an activity as they waited to arrive at their destination. One of them was asleep with his mouth hanging slightly agape, another¡ª a man who seemed a bit older than the rest¡ª was simply staring down at his watch. The rest were either on phones or reading a book. They reminded him of the other workers on his floor. Many worked diligently, yes, but at the same time they always looked as if they had something missing. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that each of them looked shallow. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.there. Just there. I¡¯m¡­.............just like them? Was that all he was? A salaryman to be used and fired at any given time? A man who only thought of profit when it became convenient? A hypocrite? No. No, of course that¡¯s not true. He¡¯s a loving husband, and a caring father. Like them? He was different than them. He didn¡¯t believe in simply working for one¡¯s whole life; after all, there¡¯s no meaning in a life such as that. He believed in meaning¡ª in living for someone, or something, greater than oneself. He taught¡ª Is such a difference a good thing? Are you actually accomplishing anything? To barge into the front of his consciousness like that before he could finish his inner monologue, how rude. But rude or not, he had to offer a response, because it was a valid question. One that had actually been on his mind quite recently; the one that wouldn¡¯t let him sleep. And after a moment of deliberation, he offered his answer. I may not be the best¡ª no¡ª I know I¡¯m not; but even so, I do everything I can and everything within my power to do right, to become better! Because that¡¯s what it means to be a man! A faint smile grew from this satisfactory answer until¡ª Your own power? Being a man? If your own strength isn¡¯t enough, what will you do then? You know the people around you, you¡¯ve even begun to think like them. ¡ªit vanished. People of the world, molded by what they can see and touch as opposed to their will¡ª that¡¯s what they are, because that¡¯s what¡¯s important. Even if you make a difference, will such differences matter? Look around you¡ª there is no such thing as an ideal in a modern world. You¡¯re living proof. The people around him¡­. of course he¡¯s seen it. How could he not? People whose expressions show nothing but day-to-day monotony. Their faces, when unguarded, reflect an exhausted life. Tired eyes that held no glow. Windows with nothing behind them. Yes¡­¡­.. it wasn¡¯t their lives, but rather, what¡¯s in them. Or in this case, what¡¯s not. There¡¯s nothing wrong with living a mundane, peaceful life; but without a belief to carry one through the days, without something to look forward to or strive towards, without something to move them¡­ it becomes noticeable to anyone who cared enough to look. But not many do. Or rather, it would be more appropriate to say that not many can; humans are lonely beings. Only those who know what it¡¯s like to be alone can call themselves human and by then it¡¯s almost always too late. Almost. He couldn¡¯t help but think that he wasn¡¯t just talking about the people around him¡­.he was talking about the people in his own life. A specific person. Heroes are often alone. He needs to see. He must learn how to see. ¡°Will such differences matter?¡± It had to¡­..because he couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe his own words¡­¡­..it had to matter. Idealism in a pragmatic world? You¡¯re saying this matters? There¡¯s more to the world than what you can see or hear or touch. The hearts of humans are weary, and they must learn that there¡¯s more. ¡°I can¡¯t let him become like me. I can¡¯t let him follow my footsteps.¡± And you will teach him? You, who believes there¡¯s no such thing as an ideal in this world, wish to try again? I¡¯m surprised¡ª it would seem you truly are human. How hypocritical. Just then, a stray flash of light reflected from the metalwork across from him, struck his eye, returning him to the present. Gathering his senses, he noticed the tracks had shifted East, where the rising sun bathed everything in a brilliant golden light. Shielding his eyes, he took the opportunity to look outside. It would seem that nature also had a sense of irony. The day was absolutely beautiful; with bright azure skies that highlighted the deep verdant forests surrounding the towns in the distance. Humans dotted the towns, buying groceries, riding bikes, enjoying their daily lives. Has it really been a few weeks since that event already? The weather certainly showed a passage of time. In fact, if not for the calendar and the occasional still-blooming flower, it could easily be mistaken for a day in mid-June. The clarity reminded him of that day. It was a nice, inconspicuous day. ¡°For your safety, please wait until the vehicle has fully stopped before exiting.¡± He broke his gaze at the scenery upon hearing something unsettling. The exit¡­¡­¡­¡­...already? He quickly rose and noticed the passing scenery becoming denser with people. Yes, this was the correct stop. This is where he is supposed to be. If he already arrived at the station; that must mean he didn¡¯t notice himself switch trains halfway through his journey, as he¡¯s supposed to do. Something like that begs an important question. He tried to remember what he had done these past few months. Counting on his fingers, the only things he could think of were events spent with those two. Yes. An important question. For how much of his life had he been in such a state? As he entered his office building, the brief glimpse of a reflection caught his attention. Across from him, on a flat piece of metal, that image was held perfectly. Staring back at him, his own face was unguarded. Part 2 Yuuko was confused by what was being asked of him. ¡°¡­..why ......would we do that?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s mine and I want it back!¡± screamed Hajimu. ¡°I told him to give it to me and he still has it, are you guys coming with me or not?¡± Though his first response was directed at Yuuko, Hajimu immediately turned around and spoke his second sentence to the other two children in front of him. ¡°Hmmm, I guess I can go but I have to leave soon, I¡¯m playing with my big sister today.¡± replied a sporty looking kid, Sora. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t, my dad is picking me up,¡± replied the one with glasses covering most of his face, Daisuke. ¡°Why don¡¯t you bring Yuuko instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want someone with a girl name! Only real men can tell him to give it back.¡± ¡°I already said it is not a girl name,¡± Yuuko said pouting. ¡°Besides,¡± he said turning around to meet him once more. ¡°Real men are strong, and if doesn''t give it back then I¡¯m going to take it! I can¡¯t do that if you¡¯re weak!¡± ¡°Hiro doesn''t like to fight¡­...c-can we try asking him nicely?¡± At this, Sora gave a laugh. ¡°Yeah yeah. Have you asked him yet Hajimu?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask him! It¡¯s my game and I told him to give me it back soon, it¡¯s his fault for not listening to me.¡± ¡°Maybe Yuuko is right. If you ask him he might give it back right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how deals work, I know because my dad makes deals at work! Besides, are you going to listen to weirdos with girl names now Daisuke?¡± ¡°N-NO! Night always does what he wants so¡­..¡± ¡°Then come with me!¡± Daisuke reluctantly agreed after his insistence. ¡°Day is better anyway.¡± said a smug Sora. ¡°That¡¯s not true!........cool rhyme.¡± ¡°H-Hajimu, I do not know, we might get in trouble.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t come,¡± he spouted at Yuuko. ¡°No weirdo is going to help anyway.¡± Though he was used to the comments by now, they still brought pain every time he heard them. But¡­¡­..he was his friend, and friends sometimes say weird things to each other. At least, that¡¯s what happened in the books he read. Yet, throughout the day, the words never stopped. In fact, the more Yuuko insisted they simply talk to the boy who owed Hajimu his game, the more painful the comments from his friend became. Hajimu¡¯s constant replies of ¡°Shut up¡± and, ¡°You have a lame girl name¡± were always met with a timely ¡°That rhymed¡± mentioned by Daisuke. They still hurt. He felt tired in a way he didn¡¯t understand. By the time school was over and they all stood together at the top of the stairs, Yuuko just wanted to go home. But his friends¡­¡­.Yuuko¡¯s friends, were counting on him! This time, he¡¯d help Hajimu, and he would stop saying those things to him and see how cool Yuuko really is! This was a chance to finally be a hero! ¡°So where is it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Yuuko turned his gaze to the bottom of the stairs where a boy had just arrived. He was fairly tall, with light brown eyes and hair; he, and two other people, were talking to Hajimu. ¡°You said that I could keep it as a present.¡± ¡°No I didn¡¯t, stop lying! I want my game back, now!¡± The tall boy made a look Yuuko didn¡¯t know how to describe. He looked¡­...mad? No, maybe he was annoyed. But what did he have to be annoyed for? It was his friend¡¯s game, not his. It belonged to Hajimu. ¡°You¡¯re always so selfish! You gave it to me as a present!¡± ¡°No I didn¡¯t! It was a deal and I told you to give it back to me so I want it back now!¡± ¡°Well too bad cause I gave it to my brother as a present!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your stupid brother, give me my game tomorrow or else I¡¯ll tell my dad to fire your dad!¡± Yuuko took a few steps back from his friend. Hajimu was escalating the situation at an alarming rate, and he just said something that someone couldn¡¯t forgive. The entire group of boys remained in silence as the one Hajimu directed his anger towards began crying. ¡°See, only babies cry. It¡¯s his fault for not giving me my stuff, don¡¯t you think?¡± Hajimu asked the two boys behind him. ¡°I¡­¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± They stuttered. ¡°Hajimu, you need to say sorry.¡± ¡°Shut up Yuuko, no I don¡¯t. It¡¯s his fault.¡± ¡°Father always says that a man needs to¡­...needs to¡­¡­¡± As Yuuko searched for the right thing to say, a faint whimper came from below them. ¡°..................back.¡± ¡°Hagh? Speak up you baby I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°I said, take it back!¡± The tall boy looked up, and though Yuuko still saw tears in his eyes, he didn¡¯t look sad or annoyed anymore. He was mad. Is this what the opposite of happy looks like? ¡°I¡¯ll take it back when you give me my game! Come on guys, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hajimu wait!¡± Yuuko hurriedly turned around to meet the boy. ¡°He did not mean that, he will say sorry right now! Right Hajimu?¡± Surprisingly, his friend offered no words. Instead, he looked down at the boy Yuuko didn¡¯t know and smiled at him¡­...but it wasn¡¯t a happy smile. Yuuko didn¡¯t know the right word for a smile that wasn¡¯t happy. Suddenly, the boy came running up the stairs screaming for him to say he¡¯s sorry, to take his words back. Yuuko saw how Daisuke and Sora quickly ran up stairs, how Hajimu tried to go with them yet slipped. He saw when the two boys at the bottom of the stairs ran towards a teacher at the end of a hallway. And he saw the boy running towards Hajimu. Towards his friend. I need¡­¡­.to protect my friend! Part 3 ¡°Down the stairs!?¡± she asked as a shadow grew over her face, ¡°Is he okay? He didn¡¯t break anything did he?¡± ¡°Thankfully no, and what¡¯s more, the parents aren¡¯t pressing charges but he¡¯s been expelled from the program. Indefinitely.¡± A small shadow passed over her face as he spoke those words. Indefinitely. Of course something like that wouldn¡¯t be taken so lightly, especially since school had only started a month and a half ago. ¡°Look, Hikari, I know that it¡¯s a bit of a shock, but it could have been an accident. I still don''t think he meant to do it.¡± She stared silently at the tea she had been holding since the beginning of the conversation. Years ago, he might¡¯ve mistaken this sign for something dangerous or possibly even ominous. Now, he can see that it was nothing of the sort. The face she was making right now, at this very moment, was nothing more than one of a mother concerned for her child. Yuuto scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have told you all of this when you¡¯ve only just returned from work; it¡¯s unfair of me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Hm¡ª? No, not at all dear. Thank you for telling me,¡± she said getting up to pour him more tea. ¡°If anything, I should be the one apologizing for having you pick him up. I know you¡¯re having a rough time with work, your coworkers, your¡­¡­¡­.feelings.¡± she flustered as she paused to search for the proper word. Thankfully it seems Yuuto either didn¡¯t register it or didn¡¯t mind. ¡°His school is on my way back from work, and we got here a little after you did, so I can¡¯t really say I did all that much.¡± ¡°Ufufu, always the humble one.¡± It was, however, true. Yuuto and his son arrived home just as Hikari had finished donning an apron to create a quick meal. She had time to remove the little makeup she wore and change her clothes, but for the most part, the difference in time was negligible. In fact, had he not arrived for Yuuko, they would have likely arrived at the same time. Earlier in the day, upon receiving the call from school, he made sure to call Hikari ahead of time to inform her about their request to pick him up. It didn¡¯t seem like such a big deal at the time, perhaps something minor like missed paperwork or an out of date file. It wouldn¡¯t be odd given the fact they are new parents, and he didn¡¯t want to stress his wife with trivial work like that. It was only when they exited the school and entered their home that the situation truly struck. They were greeted with an enthusiastic smile that quickly evaporated when Hikari saw Yuuko¡¯s face; halting her greeting to run towards her child with open arms. As she ran past him, he could smell a faint scent of flowers. She finally loosened her grip, and with a solemn face turned to Yuuto. ¡°Please, tell me everything that happened.¡± And so he did. Everything that the school had reported at least. He told her about how a teacher caught Yuuko pushing another student down the stairs, about how the child had suffered injuries to the head and chest, and about how the reason he did so was because that child ¡°had to take something back¡±. Yuuto was particularly worried about the fact his son hadn¡¯t spoken a word since he arrived to see him. It wasn¡¯t a demeaning silence, but surprisingly, one that seemed to result from shock. No, it would be much more appropriate to say guilt. His face became frozen in a position of being a few seconds away from bursting into tears; yet he never did. And this was what worried him the most. His child wasn¡¯t the kind of person to withhold his feelings, let alone his tears. If that was the case, then it was possible history was repeating itself. The same thing that happened to Hikari¡­.that same fate would happen to his son. He hoped he was just overreacting. Dinner was simple and uncomfortably silent as they tried to get their son to tell his story, to explain his actions, to say anything at all. But he sat there staring at the floor. He was staring downward¡­¡­.again. At their behest, Yuuko retired to his room, giving a half-hearted ¡°thank you for the meal mother,¡± as he left to go to bed. At her request, Yuuto recounted the story once more while she prepared tea; and so here they were. ¡°What should we do?¡± Hikari asked, taking a seat next to her husband and holding his hand. He looked down at the tea made by his wife; the reflection of two sharp eyes reflected back at him. ¡°I think I should start by apologizing. Maybe none of this would¡¯ve happened if I¡ª¡± The sensation of having his hand squeezed caused him to stop his words. ¡°Please don¡¯t do that Yuuto. Please don¡¯t think this is your fault.¡± He raised his head to meet his wife¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve always carried too much, ever since our days in high school. Whatever this is, whatever we can do to fix it, we¡¯ll do it together¡ª¡± A soft smile bloomed as she said those next words. ¡°¡ªbecause we¡¯re a team.¡± She was right, and he knew that, but it seemed as though only his subconscious recognized it. Instead, he couldn¡¯t help but return the gaze she gave him. Those eyes, colored like honey, looked weary, but not like his. They were full of something he couldn¡¯t believe he had been a part of. What was he looking at? But another part of him seemed not to care. Even if he didn¡¯t know what he was seeing, he knew that he had an obligation to see her expectations through. Whatever had happened with his son, he would do what it takes to make it right. He had an obligation not just to her, but to his son, to show him the path, and as a man he couldn¡¯t fail. When he completed his task of fulfilling his wife¡¯s expectation of raising his son, and his son¡¯s ideal of becoming a hero, he could rest. And she was right. He wouldn¡¯t be alone, they were together. A team. ¡°Y-Yuuto....¡± His wife¡¯s blushing demeanour and silk-like voice returned him to the present. ¡°You¡¯ve been¡­..staring at me¡­¡± It seemed he had been lost in thought responding to her words. She had that ability on him, to mesmerize, but before he could properly recompose himself, his heart responded on its own accord. ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡± Hikari blinked in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s your fault. I¡¯ve been thinking about you in an apron since our child¡¯s first day at school, and now here you are in casual clothes that show off your figure, wearing said apron, and you expect me not to stare?¡± ¡°Ara Yuuto,¡± she quietly flustered. ¡°I¡¯m flattered, but is this really the most appropriate time to compliment me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not done,¡± he said, leaning in closer. ¡°It¡¯s your fault I get lost like that. It¡¯s all because you touch my heart in the way only you can, talking to me, staring at me with those lights you call eyes, telling me that it¡¯s not my fault, that I can make it right, and that you¡¯ll be there to help me where I¡¯m weak.¡± ¡°Bu¡­.you..¡± ¡°You know me better than anyone and you still choose to stay. You choose to stay even when I screw up so many times; even when I¡¯ll continue to do so. And even then, you¡¯ll work with me when I don¡¯t deserve it; to help me in my weakness. That¡¯s why you¡¯re not just my wife, to me, you¡¯re my best friend. You¡¯re my best friend. My lover. My wife. So if I want to lose my train of thought in your eyes, I believe that I have a right to do so.¡± He sat back in his sit after realizing he had gotten a bit too close to his wife; who at this point had one hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to cover up her blushing smile. Yuuto backed away. ¡°You know there was a time in school where I never could have imagined you acting this way.¡± ¡°Ara? You¡¯re one to talk seeing as how you¡¯re facing the wall all of a sudden.¡± He didn¡¯t notice. It seemed he too subconsciously turned away in an attempt to hide his own reddening face. ¡°Your best friend¡­.¡± she whispered as her hands made their way to her cheeks. ¡°But you know, it¡¯s only because you helped me when you did that I managed to become the woman I am today..¡± He gave a sigh and returned to face his wife who appeared to still have steam emanating from the top of her head.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You were the one who was naive enough to believe in such a foolhardy person.¡± Hikari let out a soft giggle as she raised her head in response to her husband. ¡°Are you calling our son naive?¡± Yuuto felt a metaphysical punch of tremendous power strike him in the stomach, feeling his inner self get knocked out with a bell ringing in the background to signal a KO. He opened his mouth, but it was no use. No sound escaped his mouth and his brain had all but shut down. In this situation, she had him pinned. In response, he sipped on the lukewarm tea with difficulty. ¡°Is believing in someone really so naive?¡± He set down his drink and uncomfortably scratched the back of his head. ¡°¡­...maybe. At least when it comes to me.¡± ¡°Hmm~? So you¡¯re calling him naive.¡± ¡°Hikari, no, it¡¯s just...he¡¯s a child. Of course it¡¯s not naive to believe in someone at his age¡ª but that¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°Because he believes in someone?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s more than that. He wants to know the world around him, and with the wrong example to follow he can confuse what¡¯s right for what¡¯s wrong and believe it to be true.¡± ¡°All children are susceptible to a certain extent.¡± ¡°Not all children take it to the extent he does.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why we said we would do everything we can to show him. We¡¯ll find out what¡¯s wrong and if you wish to show him what it means to do right, I will give you my support. To turn his naivety into optimism for the future.¡± To hear her say something so supportive...Yuuto was at a loss for words. That is, until he registered her saying something strange. ¡°H-Hold on, wait. The day we found that dog, you said that he was too young to worry about an ideal, let alone what it means. It almost sounds like you¡¯re encouraging it now.¡± She looked at him as though he said something simplistic and gave a gentle laugh. ¡°Because you¡¯re not throwing him at stray dogs anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­.. well, maybe it wasn¡¯t such a good idea. But even so, that can¡¯t be everything.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m encouraging an ideal, but there are a few reasons.¡± She scooted her chair closer to him. ¡°It¡¯s true that I believe he¡¯s too young to understand an ideal, but that doesn''t mean I don¡¯t want him to learn what it means to do right. Learning simple things now will put him on the right path, and if he wishes to go further, to genuinely pursue an ideal in the future, then he¡¯ll have my full support. Just like you do now.¡± ¡°I understand, but it still feels like you didn¡¯t support it from the beginning.¡± ¡°Because you were scaring him, not teaching him.¡± Though her words seemed harsh, they sounded genuine and kind leaving her lips. ¡°Unlike this situation, the dog wasn¡¯t safe for either of you. I was worried, not angry. In this situation, with his school, there¡¯s a chance for you to show him why doing what he did was wrong, whatever that reason may be. Whether he did it on purpose or by accident, I know you¡¯ll teach him. Lastly I¡­... personally¡­¡­. know what it feels like to believe in someone. I know the good that can come of it. And I know that feeling will help our son.¡± As her words washed over him, he slowly came to understand and accept what she said. But the subtle undertone of her speech did not pass him by. ¡°You were anything but naive you know, not that I ever knew the difference. That¡¯s why I still don¡¯t understand why it was me.¡± As he sat, she stifled another soft laugh and laid her head against his chest. ¡°Not all people believe in heroes,¡± she began, ¡°but having something, someone, to believe in, can make all the difference.¡± She lifted her head to meet his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between being naive and being optimistic. Even if you¡¯ve never been able to see it before, you should believe that heroes are possible. After all¡ª¡± She snuggled her head into his shoulders once more. ¡°¡ªI have my very own, right here.¡± A warm weight settled in his chest. It was heavy, full, and spread through his body until reaching his head, making him feel dizzy. Even the shape of the room altered slightly from how dizzy he felt. But this feeling, the feeling she gave him¡­... ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit¡­.¡± ¡°Hnnmmmm, maybe you¡¯re just not giving yourself enough. He¡¯s a simple child, but well-meaning. Talk to him, see what happened, and if he did wrong then you can show him the difference between what happened, and what should have been. Believe he can return from this. Maybe then, you can credit yourself just a little more.¡± ¡°Dad¡­..mom¡­.¡± As she finished her sentence, the voice of their son emerged from behind them. Yuuto was startled for the briefest of moments, but his wife appeared completely at ease. It was as if she had already noticed him, or perhaps, was expecting him. ¡°Dear, what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s late. You couldn¡¯t sleep?¡± Wearing only his pajamas, he grasped the edges of the fabric in response to his mother¡¯s words. The way he pulled it downward matched his gaze. ¡°Yuuko?¡± It looked as though he was searching for the right thing, or anything, to say. As soon as he opened his mouth, what instead came was the sound of barely audible sobbing. Gripping his shirt tighter, his tears finally found their way down his narrow cheeks, and by the time they hit the floor, Hikari had already embraced him in a warming hug. But Yuuko¡¯s arms remained stiff at his side. ¡°Mo-mohm¡­..I am soh-soh-sohrry¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shhh it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°But I¡ªI got in tro-uble,¡± he said into her clothes, ¡°A-And I made you ma-ahd. I am sorry.¡± ¡°Sweetheart we¡¯re not mad. We just need to know what happened.¡± She lovingly caressed the back of his head, soothing his tears and easing his pain. Yet again, despite the situation, Yuuto couldn¡¯t help but admire how she always seemed to know exactly what to do, and do it just right. With tender care, she held him until his tears dried enough for him to speak. Yuuto had only just stood by her side when his son delicately broke out of Hikari¡¯s embrace. ¡°Yuuko, you can tell your father and mother what happened.¡± ¡°I¡­I pushed someone down the st-stairs because they said something mean to Hajimu.¡± ¡°And why did you do that?¡± his father had asked, now at Yuuko¡¯s level. But still, their son wouldn¡¯t meet either of their eyes. ¡°He said something mean to him and H-Hajimu wanted to hit him. Hajimu i-is my friend. Heroes are supposed to do things for their friends...but heroes are not supposed to hurt people¡­..I hurt him bad...¡± His eyes became misty once more. ¡°Heroes do not get in trouble. They do not push people.¡± Finally, he lifted his eyes to meet his father¡¯s. ¡°I can¡¯t be a hero anymore!¡± Yuuto balled his fist. His feeling was right after all. False, and true, guilt. Even so, he had to correct this situation. ¡°No Yuuko, it doesn''t mean that.¡± ¡°Huh? B-But it does! Heroes don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°You can always try again right?¡± ¡°.......¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to let you in on a secret Yuuko. Sometimes, even heroes get in trouble.¡± ¡°Tha-t''s .....really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because heroes sometimes pick the bad choice. Sometimes they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good and bad until it happens. But you know what they do?¡± ¡°They¡­...say sorr¡ªy?¡± Yuuto let out a smile. ¡°That, and they also learn so that next time they can pick the good choice. If you learn from this, and as long as you say sorry to the person you hurt, then I¡¯m sure you did good.¡± Though his tears had not yet dried, his son looked much better. A small portion of him felt guilty for deceiving his child, but he pushed it down before fully acknowledging it. ¡°What about Hajimu?¡± Just as his father was about to respond, Hikari took a look at the time and quietly urged Yuuto to answer his question in his room. He knew she understood it was futile to put their child to sleep at such late hours after so much commotion, but he admired her timeliness nonetheless. Entering his son¡¯s bedroom, he placed his son on the bed before crouching down to his side to answer his question. ¡°Yuuko, what¡¯s a hero to you?¡± The question caught his son by surprise. Yuuko took the time to tuck his son under the blankets as he thought about his answer. ¡°Someone¡­¡­... who does good things?¡± ¡°But everyone can do good things you know. A hero has to be more than that.¡± ¡°Dad¡­¡­. what is a hero?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I guess a hero is someone intervenes where he is not needed by people who don¡¯t want his help. The one who carries a light in him even when everything else is dark. The one that knows righteousness and fights for it. That¡¯s why most people aren¡¯t heroes I think.¡± His son looked confused and mildly annoyed, pouting in the way that made him look exactly like his mother. ¡°I do not get it.¡± ¡°Well, a hero is someone who learns from the bad things he does. He does the right thing for himself and other people.¡± ¡°So¡­.what about Hajimu?¡± ¡°If a friend isn¡¯t doing good things, then as his friend, you need to help him be better. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± The natural light from Yuuko¡¯s golden eyes shined through. ¡°Dad¡ª I think I get it now!¡± ¡°Father.¡± he corrected as he ruffled his son¡¯s hair. It¡¯d be bad if Yuuko broke the habit his wife worked so hard to implement. ¡°Ahh, yes, I am sorry father.¡± he said as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. ¡°But¡­.. what about a hero not having friends?¡± He scratched the back of his head, as though thinking of what to say. ¡°Yuuko, I once told you that making friends would friends would be easy if you acted good, because people like heroes. The truth is, not everybody likes heroes. Sometimes people think they¡¯re annoying, so there are times where they stay alone. But he still has to do the right thing, even if it means hurting himself.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± he said looking down. ¡°Does that mean heroes don¡¯t have friends?¡± ¡°Remember, not at first, but with time¡ª¡± ¡°Father!¡± he suddenly exclaimed. ¡°That means that not having friends makes you a better hero right?¡± ¡°Sometimes, yes¡ª¡± Yuuto said, gently closing his son¡¯s eyelids, ¡°¡ªbut it depends on the friend. A hero can¡¯t be friends with a bully, for example.¡± ¡°Then father¡­¡­.. if Hajimu was being mean for no reason¡­¡­. does that mean he is a bully? Do I stop being friends with him?¡± ¡°It¡­.. it could. And I don¡¯t know son, what do you feel?¡± ¡°I do not know¡­.. but a hero has to stop the bully right?¡± ¡°Well, the hero has to do the right thing. That¡¯s why I told you that sometimes they¡¯re alone. But you¡¯ll learn more about that when you grow.¡± He said closing his son¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hphmmmmmm.¡± Laughing, he bid his child goodnight and shut the door behind him. When he did, a place in his heart knew that his almost all of his words were nothing more than echoes. Almost. Part 4 Yuuto was surprised by the amount of conversation around him, especially considering the fact that the workday was almost over. Normally, around this time in the evening, many would be sluggish and even a bit dreary in their movements. However, it seemed a large group of the workers in his division were enthusiastically finishing the last of their assignments and conversing with one another. One by one, each of his colleagues packed their bags, shut off their computers, and stood at the office door while talking to others who had just done the same. Eventually, there was a group of around ten or eleven people waiting at the door for the handful of others that hadn¡¯t yet finished. Yuuto, of course, hadn¡¯t the slightest clue as to what the occasion might be. ¡°Oi now Yuuto, what are sitting around for, you haven¡¯t finished your work yet?¡± In his chair, he turned to face the large, jovial man standing beside him. It¡¯s hard to believe that he neither saw nor felt his own boss approach; even his own son managed to startle him last night. But then again, his mind has been extremely out of focus lately. ¡°No sir, I apologize. I was just finishing up.¡± ¡°Is it urgent?¡± ¡°Somewhat. I could finish it soon if¡ª¡± ¡°Great! Then pack your things and let¡¯s get going, everyone¡¯s waiting for us.¡± He said patting him on the shoulder. Waiting? For what? If they were waiting for his boss that would be fine, but himself? ¡°Waiting on what specif¡ª¡± ¡°Yes yes, a fine night for it. Let¡¯s get a move on now, yes?¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid I don''t understand. Is there some sort of event?¡± Hearing his words, his boss¡¯ face shifted from glee to confusion in a matter of moments. ¡°You mean you haven¡¯t heard? No, actually I suppose it makes sense that you haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Heard what, sir?¡± ¡°We¡¯re having a nomikai! IF you want to know why, then get up and come with me.¡± Nomikai. A celebration with his coworkers? In that very instant, Yuuto¡¯s mind started putting the pieces together. Realistically speaking, there could only be one likely reason for such a celebration. And he had no desire to partake. ¡°I¡¯m deeply sorry sir, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to decline. I have some prior obligations that I need to attend to.¡± His boss was already halfway to the door when he stopped. Even at that distance, Yuuto could visibly see his shoulders drop as he returned to Yuuto¡¯s deskspace. ¡°Look Yuuto, if you really do have prior obligations then I won¡¯t force you to go. But understand that you¡¯re already treading on thin ice.¡± He couldn¡¯t tell if this tone was threatening, skeptical, or one of simple pity. ¡°You have no connection to your coworkers and have yet to take part in a single company event. This will be our last outing before we merge with Fable, and much of that is thanks to you. In fact, I would go so far as to say that your work on this project is what saved your job and prevented the consequences from your arriving late to our previous meeting.¡± I had the same thought. ¡°Bonding with coworkers is a high priority, especially when we¡¯re to work with new people. Considering your temperament, I say you need to learn how to communicate. I¡¯m sorry if I sound harsh, but I only speak the truth.¡± A certain memory of him telling Yuuto he was the worst flashed through his mind. More than that though, more than anything else, why would he partake in this outing? The fact he hadn¡¯t heard about it until now spoke volumes of how much his colleagues cared about him. It also spoke volumes of how much he cared about them. ¡°Sir, you know you told me the reason for our nomikai just now, right?¡± He noticed a rather violent twitch in his boss¡¯ smile. It probably didn¡¯t help that Yuuto¡¯s glaring eyes made him appear sarcastic. ¡°Yuuto. I am giving you one last opportunity. Make your decision.¡± Of course, there¡¯s almost always a difference between what one wants to do, and what one needs to do. He rose with a sigh and followed his boss to the crowd gathered in front of the office building. * * * * * There were positives and negatives about his first outing with his fellow coworkers. The positives were that he could finally see how his coworkers acted in an informal setting, speaking their minds with less restraint, allowing him to see more of their true selves. The negatives were that he could finally see how his coworkers acted in an informal setting, speaking their minds with less restraint. And their true selves, along with the situation, are exactly as Yuuko had pictured it. ¡°Awwwww come on Yuuto, just tahke one.¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s a long way home and I¡¯d hate to get lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ahlways *hiccup* so formal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­.just the way I was brought up. I suppose.¡± Exactly as he had pictured it. The pub was in an alleyway close to the business districts in town. A place absolutely scintillating with all manner of lights, decorations, and advertisements as far as the eye could see. A blind man with a cane would have greater luck navigating the area than someone like Yuuto, who was directionally impaired when his primary method of navigation was taken from him. But even in this state, once in a while he would catch sight of the buildings surrounding them. Dozens of bars, some love hotels, a few stores seen from the outside of a shopping mall that showed no signs of closing soon. None of it surprised him, but he had never stopped to see it with his own two eyes, only glancing at it from the outside, glad that he wasn¡¯t in the middle of such a place. This is probably what I get for thinking about such things. At the very least he could keep to his own because no words were spoken between him and the rest of his office floor in front of him. With both hands in his pockets, he kept to the tail end of the group. The thought of leaving to catch the train crossed his mind when he lost sight of them, but he had already made it this far, and a man should see his actions through to the end! Or rather, that¡¯s what he kept repeating. It took longer than expected, but he regained his bearings and quickly found his group. He knew they¡¯d arrived when he silently turned the corner only for his senses to be struck with the smell of high grade alcohol. Ahhh, as expected of the city. His years of adolescence taught him how to distinguish between the many facets of liquor, and from smell alone, he could tell that this pub was expensive. It was only when he entered that he could see it was for good reason. Not only was the interior separated into multiple rooms decorated with flowers and bonsai, but each was soundproof, a necessity given how every room could be seen with a karaoke machine. It didn¡¯t look nearly big enough to fit all this when looking from the outside. The menu had nothing but high grade food and drinks, with service so precise and timely that it was obvious the employees were specially trained. As each of his coworkers took a seat and ordered their drinks, Yuuto asked for a simple water and sat at the far end of the table by a middle aged woman. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but he thought he heard a *tch* sound leave her lips. The second that she finished her first drink, she moved to socialize with the other end of the room. Yuuto didn¡¯t mind. He was content to spend this time lost in his own thoughts, either fantasizing about his wife or thinking about how to help his child. It¡¯s been a while since they¡¯ve done something, the three of them. In merging with a new corporation, maybe he¡¯d have more time to spend with them. After all, a father should cherish the time he has with his family. Right. A father should love his family and raise his children correctly. He should be involved with whatever it is they¡¯re doing. He should teach them things, and constantly improve himself to serve as inspiration to those that look up to him most. But most of all, he shouldn¡¯t abandon them. He tightened the grip around his water. He definitely shouldn¡¯t take them for granted. It was only when his coworkers reproached him for failing to move from his seat so they could sing karaoke, that he snapped back to the present. Quickly apologizing, he moved towards the front of the room, near the door, where he would be out of everyone¡¯s way. He leaned against the wall, holding the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger. His removal from reality was beginning to be a problem. But he couldn¡¯t help it. Not in an environment like this. It always brought back those memories. ¡°Heyo, Yuugo, you look bad, ¡®ave a drink won¡¯t you?¡± A slurred voice came from his right, a man that appeared to be in his late twenties; possibly even early thirties. He was shocked, at the very most, Yuuto could only be two or three years older than him. ¡°Ahhh, I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll have to decline. I have my water right here.¡± ¡°Awwwww come on Yuugo, just tahke one.¡± He scratched the back of his head, giving off a small laugh. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just that it¡¯s a long way home and I¡¯d hate to get lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ahlways *hiccup* so formal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­.just the way I was brought up. I suppose.¡± The sounds of tone-deaf singing soon filled the atmosphere, but that was hardly a distraction to Yuuto who was trying to pin down where he¡¯d seen this man before. His face and clothes were severely disheveled but his face still looked familiar. The man plopped down inelegantly beside him. ¡°Congratulations on your corp deal, musta¡¯ve been pretty hard.¡± ¡°Thank you. I just got lucky I think.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhhh, luck? Noh noh Yuuto, that wasn¡¯t luck, that was you!¡± The man said scooting closer to him. ¡°It was you, right?¡± He had expected this to happen, but because everyone had been avoiding him all night he had hoped that maybe he¡¯d be able to get away without confronting anyone, or vice versa. ¡°Sos it true?¡± He knew exactly where this was going. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the rumor that I sabotaged the other employees working on it, than no, it isn¡¯t true at all.¡± He let out a grating laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t be so modest, we all do what we can ta get ahead. Plus, everyone knows it¡¯s true, we all saw it, right Hina?¡± He pointed to the middle aged woman who sat next to Yuuto when they first entered. Rather than say anything, she only glared at him until the man next to him started talking again. ¡°So why¡¯d you do it!?¡± ¡°Look, I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t frame or sabotage anyone, I¡ª¡± He stopped his words as his brain had finally made the connection to the face he was staring at. ¡°You were on that team. The joint Fable team with the others.¡± He merely stared from behind fogged glasses. ¡°I didn¡¯ work on the team, I worked with them when they needed help. It¡¯s the reason I didn¡¯t get fired, not that you care.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­...sorry¡­.to hear that. But I¡¯m telling you the truth, I didn¡¯t do anything. I care about what happens to the people here.¡± ¡°What a liar.¡± The middle aged woman had finally broken her silent gaze. ¡°You don¡¯t care about what happens to the people here. You haven¡¯t ever done anything worthwhile, so when you got the chance to steal something important you took it!¡± ¡°That was my best friend you got fired!¡± By now a few heads were starting to turn their way. It seemed the volume of their conversation had become louder than the singing. ¡°Well don¡¯t just sit there, say something!¡± Yuuto simply sighed. ¡°It was a bad idea to come here after all.¡± As he stood up and left his share of the payment he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. ¡°Where¡¯re you goin, answer my question!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t steal anyone¡¯s work, nor was it my intention to have anyone fired.¡± Yuuto spoke without facing the man holding him. ¡°I saw a mistake and corrected it. I¡¯m sorry for my intervention. I only tried to do what I thought was best for everyone and myself. I was selfish, and I¡¯m sorry.¡± Music from the karaoke machine was the only thing filling up the unbearable silence. And when minutes passed without so much as a breath from the others, Yuuto took his leave. But the man wouldn¡¯t let it pass so easily. ¡°Hey! We¡¯re not done yet!¡± Grabbing and twisting Yuuto¡¯s arm to look at him, he didn¡¯t have time to react when he found the situation reversed. His own arm was twisted and in sudden, flaring pain. In those moments of pain, he looked up to see the man holding his arm and became paralyzed. They appeared frightening no matter what, but it never struck him just how terrifying Yuuto¡¯s eyes were. Black pupils, in those brief moments, showed remnants of a life he knew absolutely nothing about. What kind of life gave a man those sorts of eyes? No¡ª what kind of eyes were those in the first place? It was as if he had disturbed something that had been dormant for years. ¡°Yes,¡± Yuuto said taking a step closer. ¡°We are.¡± With a tight grip, Yuuto pushed the arm of the man back into his chest. He didn¡¯t think that he applied much force, but as soon as he released his grip the man collapsed in a frightening display of pain. Not a second passed before a group had formed around him ensuring his safety, and in the ensuing chaos, Yuuto slipped through the door. Looking back, his eyes made contact with the man, and for a split second, a frightened smile formed on his face. A smile that let him know he wouldn¡¯t be around to reap the benefits of the biggest deal in their company¡¯s history. Part 5 In hindsight, Yuuto realized that, at the very least, he should have waited until he had full control of himself before boarding the train going home. It was human nature to replay adrenaline inducing events over and over again; but as a result, his body functioned on auto-pilot again. As he stood outside, he thought that at the very least, he was blessed with cool night air that brought his senses back to normal. ¡°This is fine.¡± He said as he took out his phone. ¡°This is completely fine.¡± The phone rang until a familiar voice was heard on the other end. ¡°Hey. Dear. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m going to be later than I thought¡­..¡± ¡°..................?¡± ¡°No no, I, uh¡­...left early.¡± ¡°........................¡± ¡°I kind of¡­..got off at the wrong station.¡± ¡°.........?¡± ¡°Yeah. It happened again¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°.................¡± ¡°Ahahhaha, I¡¯ll be fine! I¡¯ll be fine so don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll catch the next one. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ll be home a little late.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°Mhm. Tuck Yuuto into bed for me will you?¡± ¡°.............................¡± ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s right, he should be already. In that case, I¡¯ll try and get home soon.¡± ¡°...................¡± ¡°Mhm. I love you too.¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°See you soon Hikari.¡± It wasn¡¯t until his phone was completely off that he noticed how bright it was. In fact, the phone alone lit up the whole waiting area he was sitting in. But that only made sense. The sky was fairly cloudy tonight, and that allowed the unnatural lights of the city to show themselves off without restraint. He leaned back against the wall and let out a small laugh. Good grief¡­..what in the world am I going to do now¡­. He had mentioned to his wife that he¡¯d be late, but he didn¡¯t mention that there were no more trains scheduled to come through the night. He probably should¡¯ve mentioned it, but knowing her, she would undoubtedly do something extreme to ensure his safe arrival home. It was a rather cute side of her he was familiar with, but often times her solutions were unnecessary. Another evening breeze blew past his face, sharpening his senses and filling him with peace. ¡°Well, a little nighttime walk never hurt anybody.¡± The statement was probably untrue; but in this case he had nothing to lose. The area around the station wasn¡¯t completely alien to him, but it remained very unfamiliar nonetheless. Being in an area that was halfway between an urban city and a laid back mountain town produced a strange mixture of both. Smaller buildings seem to meld with the landscape while iron and glass buildings towered just a few kilometers away. Though there were hardly any people around, the occasional person would fade in and out under street lamps. It was, undoubtedly, a very peaceful night. A stark contrast to the events that occurred no less than an hour ago. It almost seems like a dream now. The events pushed themselves to the forefront of his mind again, but he couldn''t spend all night thinking about it. The consequences would arrive, but he didn¡¯t want to think about that. He had other things to attend to right now. As he made his way into a small park, he considered his options. Realistically speaking, he could just call a taxi and be done with it. Even if they charged an obscene amount, there were probably some that were still open. Taking out his phone once more, he was about to dial the number when a strong scent forced its way into his lungs. Is that ...? Smelling the air once more, he suddenly went into a coughing fit. Tobacco? But he¡¯s in the middle of a garden in the middle of the night. Where in the world is it coming from? Curiosity driving him, Yuuto followed his nose, suffering a rather violent coughing fit all the way, until he finally reached its source. Rounding a corner, he saw an elderly man sitting on a bench in front of a rather large pond. Actually, it would be a mistake to call the man elderly. He had patches of gray on both his head and facial hair, but the majority of it was still clearly dark. Moreover, the man looked incredibly fit, with broad shoulders and a rugged face. It didn¡¯t at all match the pensive expression he wore now. ¡°Birds of a feather eh?¡± Said the man turning to offer him a cigarette. ¡°Have one of these. They don¡¯t help much after a while, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± ¡°Ahh, thank you very much, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline.¡± He hadn¡¯t even finished his sentence when the man released a deep, guttural laugh. It sounded closer to hacking, even choking, but as quickly as it started, it stopped. ¡°The new kids are all afraid of trying something new; how ironic is that? A little tobacco never hurt anybody.¡± Yuuto was fairly certain that statement wasn¡¯t true. ¡°By the look of you, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve never had any before.¡± He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. ¡°While that¡¯s true, I would like to say that it¡¯s not exactly because I¡¯m afraid to try it.¡± ¡°Hmm. Then enlighten this old soul.¡± ¡°Ahhh, well I don¡¯t mind other people, but I guess it¡¯s because it would make me a hypocrite. If I expect my son to do right, then I should lead by example.¡± Yuuto felt his words impact the man before he saw his reaction. As he finally made eye contact with Yuuto, that pensive frown became just barely replaced with a small, but approving smile. ¡°So you¡¯ve a family?¡± ¡°A wife and a son sir.¡± The man gestured at the empty spot next to him. ¡°Sit.¡± Yuuto wasn¡¯t sure why he inclined to accept the man¡¯s invitation. By all rights he should be going home, but something about the situation called out to him. Perhaps it was his desire to take in the calm night, or to have a conversation with this man who seemed so¡­.lost. Maybe this was an opportunity. Sitting next to the man, Yuuto was able to get a clearer picture of his face. Rugged with broad shoulders, yes that much was clear, but there was also more gray in his hair than he¡¯d initially thought. An appearance somewhat older than himself. It wouldn¡¯t be unrealistic to guess the man¡¯s age at twenty-five or thirty years Yuuto¡¯s senior. But that wasn¡¯t the most remarkable thing about him. The man next to him seemed to radiate an aura of command. Not hostile, like a dictator, but like a natural born leader. There was a shift to the air around him that Yuuto simply could not describe; as though people naturally look up to him for the answers. He seems to carry the weight of the people around him, refusing to lighten his load, instead readjusting them on his shoulders and marching on. But it was clear that weight had begun taking its toll long ago. It was a remarkable condition for someone that appeared to smoke regularly. ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°What did you mean earlier when you said ¡®By the look of you¡¯?¡± The man inhaled the last of his cigarette before putting it in a tray next to him, closing it, and returning it to his coat pocket. Did he bring that everywhere with him? ¡°You¡¯re not exactly what comes to mind when someone says the word ¡®man¡¯; I mean you look as though you¡¯ve never lifted a weight in your life.¡± Yuuto tried not to take insult. ¡°I¡­.. don¡¯t see what that has to do with anything, but I did so; out of necessity.¡± ¡°And I believe you.¡± he said affirmatively. ¡°I don¡¯t say this often cause I¡¯ve never had a need of saying it. But I was wrong about you young man.¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°About that look in your eye. About that attitude you got. Shows your confident about what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Confident¡­.. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate your praise. While I understand what you¡¯re saying, we¡¯ve only spoken for a minute at most and¡­..I don¡¯t see how that answers my earlier question.¡± The graying man leaned against the bench. ¡°The first thing I said to you was ¡®Birds of a feather¡¯. You know what that means I hope.¡± ¡°Of course sir.¡± ¡°You looked pessimistic. Melancholy. Pensive. But now that I got a closer look at you, that was probably just me projecting. I wasn¡¯t really looking at you after all I suppose.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yuuto hurriedly stood up and examined himself in the pond in front of him. His face was¡­.. Guarded. This was only the face he wore when¡­¡­...when did it change? ¡°When I offered you a smoke, you told me about your son; seeing your face then I knew there was no way I got it right.¡± Yuuto scratched the back of his head as he once again gave a wry smile. ¡°Ahaha, well, I don¡¯t think you were entirely inaccurate. Maybe I was a little down. I did most likely just get fired after all.¡± The man began rubbing the stubble on his chin. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like the type to get fired for incompetence. Was it your fault?¡± ¡°I suppose so¡­.no, it was my own fault. I guess I deserved it after an accident that happened.¡± The man ceased questioning him, and though they just met, a comfortable silence formed between the two. The clouds soon parted, and darkness gave way to scenery illuminated by the moon¡¯s faint light. The artificial orange lights seemed to dim in the presence of the light in the sky, yet it remained harmonious. A strong silver; a soothing orange. As the man released a soft grunt, Yuuto turned to meet him. ¡°I¡¯m also having work trouble. I¡¯ve got an important decision to make soon, and to be honest with you, it¡¯s a lot of pressure. Lot of good folks¡¯ jobs are on me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. You carry yourself with importance.¡± ¡°It comes with the job, though people find you intimidating so it¡¯s hard to actually work with anyone.¡± ¡°Believe me sir, I understand. And¡­...I may not know you personally, so I¡¯m sorry if this sounds insensitive or irresponsible, but I believe that at least some people support you. With them, I¡¯m sure you can make it through.¡± For the second time the man paused at Yuuto¡¯s words. The silver light of the moon briefly made him appear much older. ¡°Why are you here, tonight, young man? Did you get into a fight with your wife and take it out on someone at work?¡± ¡°Oh, no, not in the slightest. See, I got off at the wrong stop on my way home and was about to call a taxi when I came over here.¡± ¡°Have you ever gotten into a fight with her?¡± Hearing his words, a brief memory from a few years ago flashed through Yuuto¡¯s mind. He¡¯d given directions to a tourist group of young girls while Hikari searched for produce at a market. Upon finding the girls talking to him, she made threatening gestures to the vegetables with a knife she always carried with her. After a scolding, she pouted the entire ride home. That day, Yuuto managed to convince her that he was not flirting with any of them, and that she should stop carrying knives in public. Instead, she would carry a ladle. To this day, he still doesn''t know if she carries a ladle with her in public. ¡°I can¡¯t say I have,¡± he said in a nervous laugh. ¡°We¡¯ve had our issues, but we¡¯ve always resolved them.¡± When the man failed to speak, Yuuto filled the silence. ¡°And you, sir?¡± The man drew a long breath from a cigarette Yuuto didn¡¯t notice he had. ¡°I¡¯ve been alone for a long time now.¡± In Yuuto¡¯s silence, the man continued. ¡°My wife was my only support for years, helped me start my business, dealt with the long nights and my being away. It was hard, sometimes too much, but worth it after some years. Eventually we became a household name, a brand known all over the country. Something like that should¡¯ve made me satisfied, happy even. But it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°You kept going?¡± The man gave a slow nod. ¡°Some days I wouldn¡¯t be back home, I¡¯d stay in our office for days or weeks at a time. I¡¯ll be honest with you young man,¡± he said as his face grew solemn. ¡°Some days I forgot she existed.¡± Yuuto felt a cold sting through his spine. He couldn¡¯t imagine doing such a thing to his own wife, but it was sadly something he¡¯d seen before. People forgoing their families, forgetting something as simple as to call them. ¡°Are you divorced?¡± ¡°Might as well be. I¡¯ve tried to distance myself from work, do some thinking. About her, my legacy, what an old man like me has left to offer. Ever since, I¡¯ve been coming here. And let me tell you, you¡¯re not the first to sit in that chair, but your the first to listen to these words of mine.¡± ¡°Thank you. It seems like you¡¯re dealing with a lot.¡± The man let out another bellowing laugh. ¡°It¡¯s another part of life, though admittedly, not one I¡¯ve been good at dealing with.¡± Yes. An opportunity. When the silence gathered once more, Yuuto spoke. ¡°Only those who know what it¡¯s like to be alone can call themselves human, but by then it¡¯s almost always too late. Almost.¡± The man gave a perplexed stare at the sudden philosophy spoken by Yuuto to which Yuuto responded with silence. ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve come to understand about people after years of being around them. It¡¯s about the nature of them.¡± ¡°That doesn''t answer my question.¡± ¡°A certain philosopher said that ¡®a man can be himself only so long as he is alone¡¯, and those words are true. But at the same time, most people underestimate how crippling it is to be truly alone. Given enough time it can, and will, break people.¡± The man leaned backwards with apparent interest. ¡°Humans can only find answers when we¡¯re alone. That¡¯s why I think what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t necessarily something wrong, you¡¯re looking for the answers to both your work life and marriage. It¡¯s not too late sir; that¡¯s what I believe.¡± ¡°You¡¯re more idealistic than you look.¡± ¡°I want to believe in an ideal, sir.¡± The man held his chin while staring at the now clear sky. It was difficult to get a read on his thoughts, and after some time, he spoke once more. ¡°So then, do you have any words of advice for a man who¡¯s ruined his marriage?¡± ¡°Only that I believe you can always get up. You can always try again.¡± What was once a rugged face gave way to a soft smile. It looked odd on the man¡¯s face, he clearly wasn¡¯t used to it. ¡°Sir, I believe that¡¯s what it means to be a man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idealist alright.¡± He said, shaking his head. ¡°But now I want to know.¡± ¡°Err¡­..know what?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve given me some sound advice; that¡¯s why I want you to tell me the story of how you met your wife.¡± ¡°Ahaha!¡± Yuuto said reeling back almost immediately. ¡°I appreciate the interest sir, but I¡¯m not sure it would offer anything of value, it¡¯s not a short story either so¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªplease.¡± Said the man giving a small bow. ¡°Consider it an old man¡¯s request. I believe it can offer insight.¡± The sudden change of tone caught Yuuto by surprise. His voice was so sincere. ¡°Well,¡± he said calming down, ¡°if you believe it can help, I¡¯d be more than happy to share.¡± And it would technically be the first time I ever told anyone about how we met. ¡°I guess I should start w¡ª¡± ¡°Wait.¡± The man interrupted. Smoke bellowed from his mouth as he lit a fresh new cigarette. In pressing silence, he turned to face Yuuto. ¡°Well,¡± Yuuto said, staring downward. ¡°It¡¯s not a short story.¡± Chapter 4: The Life I Sought to Create Part 1 Yuuto¡¯s world changed April 10th, 8:07am. ¡°Unf!¡± ¡°Hyih!¡± It¡¯s odd how people tend to remember insignificant information like that. ¡°AhHhhhH¡ª I¡¯m sorry! Are you hurt?¡± ¡°I am fine,¡± she said, ignoring his extended hand. Dusting off her skirt, the girl began picking up the books and papers that scattered as a result of their collision. Only after she picked up her third notebook did Yuuto realize he should be helping her, but as if reading his thoughts, she spoke before he could act. ¡°Please do not. The gesture is not necessary.¡± ¡°Aahaha, right. They¡¯re your personal notes after all, sorry abou¡ª hey your notes!¡± His warning came too late; a sudden, strong wind blew just as she finished gathering the last of her belongings. The girl didn¡¯t falter in the slightest, but what did was a single piece of paper that came loose from her grip¡ª flying to the other side of the school. Yuuto couldn¡¯t help but smile at the opportunity. He was already running towards it when he turned back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be long!¡± After some minutes, the only thing that could be heard from beyond the front doors of the school was heavy panting. The boy responsible for the noise had one hand dedicated to holding a crumpled piece of paper while his other was clutching his chest. ¡°Sorry¡­¡­...I took so¡­¡­¡­long¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.it got caught in a tree and¡­¡­.I climbed it but fell and¡­...huh?......¡± Standing upright, he looked from the main gates to the front doors of the school and found no signs of life anywhere. The area which hosted the girl just a few minutes ago was now empty. He looked down at his watch. It¡¯s no wonder she left. ¡°Guess I¡¯m late again.¡± he sighed. Before hurrying to his first class, his eyes moved from the watch to a silver object on the floor. Crouching down, he examined the metal. ¡°A key?¡± The connection instantly formed in his mind¡ª Her key! ¡ªand a bright smile returned to his face. Alright, I can return this once I find her, but where would that be? I didn¡¯t exactly get a good look at her, but it shouldn¡¯t be too hard right? She looked like a first year after all. ¡°.........¡± Maybe second? ¡°.......................¡± Black hair, average height, wearing our school uniform¡­. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± That doesn''t narrow it down at all! Ahhh man, I should¡¯ve asked for her name at least! He scratched the back of his hair with both hands in agitation, not noticing himself crumple the paper while doing so. And a second epiphany struck him. He hadn¡¯t even bothered to check the paper he was holding. ¡°She must have written her name somewhere..¡± And her name¡ª ¡°Hikari¡­. Aeri?¡± ¡ªwas one he¡¯d never heard before. * * * ¡°Haaaaaaghhhhhh!?! What do you mean you haven¡¯t heard of her!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s literally the only thing people have been talking about since she got here two days ago!¡± ¡°Two days¡­.Wednesday? You mean she¡¯s a transfer student?¡± Both students stared at him in perplexed disbelief. ¡°Are you actually, genuinely retarded?¡± ¡°OF COURSE she¡¯s a transfer! No girl that hot would go unnoticed for so long here; and that said, it¡¯s the only thing people know about her.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t budge man!¡± The first student said hitting his friend. ¡°Like, not even to talk to people! What¡¯s her problem? Since when are hot girls antisocial?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know man but I¡¯m hearing that the President¡¯s gotten an interest, he might go for it.¡± ¡°Gaaaaaah! That bastard again? Guy¡¯s already got everything a man wants, greedy little¡ª¡± ¡°Fellas,¡± Yuuto said interrupting. ¡°I just want to know who she is.¡± They appeared mildly annoyed he would interrupt such an important conversation. With the way they¡¯ve been talking¡­. I shouldn¡¯t mention I spoke to her. Yuuto briefly considered moving on and asking someone else. There were countless other boys and girls he could talk to in his high school, but at the same time, there were none. His reputation was well established, and the two students he was speaking with now were just some of the many that didn¡¯t enjoy his company. They were also some of the few that would tolerate it for some reason. With a lack of people to ask, he shot down his idea almost as quickly as he thought of it. The two boys stared at each other, as if silently discussing the pros and cons of telling him what they knew; and after much deliberation, the first student simply shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Let him know, not like he¡¯ll get anywhere with her.¡± ¡°Get anywhere?¡± The second student let out a sigh. ¡°Alright, listen good cause I¡¯m not gonna repeat myself.¡± Yuuto clutched the paper in his pocket as he took a seat across from him. ¡°Girl¡¯s name is Hikari Aeri, she transferred in two days ago. She got confessed to twice her first day here, five times on the second. She turned them all down.¡± Yuuto¡¯s eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°Seven times.¡± He said in mild disbelief. He must have spoken louder than he intended due to a few heads turning his way in irritation. ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± asked the first student. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ahahaha, sorry about that. I guess I did interrupt our classmates.¡± ¡°What? No, I mean normal people would freak out over news like that and you don¡¯t even look fazed. That¡¯s just really ironic coming from you.¡± ¡°I guess I don¡¯t startle easily,¡± he said with the faintest of smiles. ¡°Anyway¡­¡­¡­ if she got confessed to seven times then it makes sense she would reject them, but wh¡ª¡± The second student held up his hand to stop his words. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what everyone wants to know. Thing is, no one can find out. She¡¯s unapproachable.¡± ¡°Unapproachable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly what sounds like!¡± cried the first student. ¡°She¡¯s too prim¡ª too proper, like she knows she¡¯s above everyone else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s trying not to make friends. She¡¯s cold, but for some reason that just makes everyone like her more.¡± He proceeded to tap his friend on the arm. ¡°Some people like the chase right?¡± ¡°Or femdom.¡± Both erupted into laughter at a joke Yuuto didn¡¯t understand. He found it ironic that none of the students found their outburst disruptive. ¡°And?¡± He asked after they had finished. ¡°And that¡¯s it. Nothing else. Rumor has it she bleeds blue cause of the way she talks, but no one knows anything about her besides her name.¡± ¡°I¡­..see. So where can I find her?¡± ¡°Do I look like a stalker?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± His friend replied in a heartbeat. As their argument began, Yuuto thanked them and stepped into the hallway after making brief rounds with the rest of the students. The school day had already come to a close and he had no idea what her schedule looks like. If she was the type to leave early, she¡¯d be going home without a key. As a man, he couldn¡¯t let a lone girl spend the night outside her home. Granted, she probably had family that would let her inside, or even servants if the rumor on her wealth held true, but regardless of those things he couldn¡¯t let her return home empty-handed. However, it didn¡¯t matter how noble his intentions were if he couldn¡¯t find her. Asking the two students did him no good, and no one else in the class would give him a straightforward answer, if they even answered at all. With the little information he has, he must answer one question. Where would a girl like that go? She doesn''t speak to people, bleeds blue, acts formal while staying attractive enough to have people confess to her. A girl like that would definitely¡­. ¡°I¡¯m hearing that the President¡¯s gotten an interest.¡± Yuuto felt his legs coil and burst through the semi-crowded hallways. He was half-impressed in how well he could weave through the people around him; under normal circumstances he would apologize for causing them discomfort, but he had no time for such a luxury under his time limit. No sooner had he arrived at the student council room than the he bust open the door, nearly taking it off its hinges. He began scanning the interior but there was no sign of the person he was looking for. Instead, he found himself face to face with two students wearing red bands on their uniforms. ¡°Well well, if it isn¡¯t the lapdog himself,¡± touted a well groomed boy with parted hair. ¡°I¡¯d ask you to refrain from breaking our property, as I know you can¡¯t afford to fix them even if we extorted you, but that might be asking too much of a dog.¡± ¡°You....shouldn¡¯t be so rude Gengyo..¡± Spoke the delicate voice of a girl in the back of the room. ¡°H-Hello Yuuto.¡± Her voice was so soft that Yuuto had just barely registered it. He didn¡¯t blame her, as he had been much the same way once upon a time. He addressed her with a smile. ¡°Yo Tomomi. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Y¡ªYeah, it has,¡± she said hiding part of her face with her bangs. ¡°Sorry ......... I¡ªI guess I¡¯ve been busy¡­¡­....with work.¡± ¡°Ahahaha, hey don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said standing upright. ¡°Miss Tomomi, your frail demeanor is going to cost us one of these days. Don¡¯t treat animals the same way as humans, I mean look!¡± he said pointing to Yuuto. ¡°He¡¯s even panting like a dog! What further proof do you need?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too Gengyo.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me by name or else I¡¯ll have to change it.¡± He demanded. ¡°Why are you even here?¡± With his breathing back under control Yuuto calmly told the student his reasons for being there, which was promptly met with an outrageous laughter. ¡°The president has no time for someone like you!¡± He said nearly doubling over in laughter. ¡°E-Even if he did, he certainly wouldn¡¯t see someone like you!¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it. But like I mentioned I¡¯m not after the president, I¡¯m after the same person he¡¯s after so if you could kindly tell me where¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Said Gengyo having now calmed down from his laughing fit. ¡°If the president has business with the girl then I have reason to withhold information you could use to interrupt him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to interrupt him, I just need thirty seconds with the transfer girl. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°The answer is no.¡± ¡°This school is too big for me to realistically find him without knowing where he is; I understand your position but it¡¯s important to the girl!¡± ¡°The answer is no!¡± Genyo said slamming his hands on the table. Several items toppled over, including his chair¡ª though that was likely just due to him standing too quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about whatever self-righteous mission you have, I don¡¯t care about your not knowing the layout of our school, and I most certainly don¡¯t care to entertain this conversation any longer.¡± His perfectly parted hair became lopsided, as though it needed to convey its own message about how exasperated its owner was. ¡°Leave. Now.¡± Seeing the conversation had become pointless, Yuuto gave a slow exhalation. His balled fists slowly unwound as he spoke. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you.¡± No response came from inside as Yuuto stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. What was the adage again? When one door closes, another one will open? Scratching the back of his head, he walked towards a window overseeing the school¡¯s baseball field. From the little he understood, the season had just started for them. There was nothing much he knew about the activity beyond that. Sports were never his strong suit. The school had a plethora of facilities used by a variety of different clubs. Archery and cooking were especially notorious for having the best equipment money can buy, but it was hardly an inconvenience. It¡¯s just one of the many advantages of going to a school for the wealthy. Yes, everything about this place radiates sophistication. The grand gates upon entering, the impeccably clean hallways, the very designs of the classrooms and the lavishly decorated club rooms. All of it was at the disposal of every student within the school, and all of it spoke of their place in the world. But none were quite so impressive as the Student Council room. From the moment Yuuto burst through those ornate doors, sunlight reflected off marble tables that blinded him while the overwhelming smell of lavender forced its way into his lungs. The exorbitant amount of wooden bookshelves, each one meticulously organized, lined the walls. He¡¯d even heard rumors that they may add a vending machine inside the council room this year. A great number of people apply each year to be part of the Council, and each year every applicant is denied. It¡¯s an open secret that the president will take only the wealthiest students, or those who are very connected. Given that the latter is almost always a trait of the former, however, money is essentially the only way to apply. A mysterious girl with rumors surrounding her potentially wealthy pedigree is just the President¡¯s type. He eyed a student that hit what looked like a home run. He didn''t like the way the president did things, nor did he like how he treated the students, but that would have to come second. Right now they shared a common goal: to find that girl. He was so lost in thought that he hadn¡¯t felt a presence come up right behind him. A slender finger tapped on his shoulder and Yuuto turned to greet its owner with the same smile he gave her earlier. He apparently turned to quickly given how she became startled upon making eye contact. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to scare you¡­¡­.if.... I did¡­¡± Yuuto couldn¡¯t help but let out a small laugh. ¡°You¡¯re fidgeting. Are you sure I wasn¡¯t the one that scared you?¡± ¡°W¡ª¡ªI¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, if anything, I should be the one apologizing.¡± He said through his faint smile. ¡°I should get going. It was nice seeing you Tomomi, we should talk again when you¡¯re not busy with Council work.¡± ¡°Ah, w-wait!¡± she said reaching for his arm. She clung to it for the briefest second before letting go and fidgeting. Yuuto thought she very much resembled a worried deer. Maybe a rabbit? ¡°You¡¯re looking for the transfer student right? Hikari Aeri?¡± ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s right. I have something she dropped and want to return it. I thought if I found the President, I would find her, but I guess I was wrong.¡± ¡°With the President? Why...is that?¡± ¡°Hmmmm,¡± he put a hand on his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but she¡¯s been the talk of the school lately. I normally don¡¯t listen to rumors, but from the sound of them I figured the President would try recruiting her you know?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I think I understand...¡± she said playing with her thumbs. ¡°If it¡¯s just for that reason then I¡­¡­.I think I can help you find him.¡± Yuuto¡¯s eyes filled with mirth, but the expression quickly dissipated. ¡°Are you sure? I know you¡¯re busy and I¡¯d hate to be a bother.¡± ¡°N¡ªNot at all, I¡¯d be happy to. Besides¡­..I finished all my Council work for the day. Genyo still has his¡­¡­.the others left with the President to look for the transfer student.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s looking for her after all¡­¡± ¡°Yes, your feelings were right. As expected of you, Yuuto.¡± She spoke those lines with a smile he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. Seeing that expression, there was no way Yuuto could turn down her offer. As the two of them navigated polished marble corridors, Tomomi explained the President¡¯s desire to not only initiate Hikari into the Council, but be the first person she would accept a confession from. The only problem was that she was as difficult to find as she was to know. Failing to find her during the day, he and two other Council members split up to find her, with the President himself taking the likeliest exit from which she¡¯d leave. It wasn¡¯t more than a few minutes later that the two of them found a boy leaning against a glass doorway. No more than twenty meters away from the polished iron gates of the school. The place where he met her just a few short hours ago. He was a bit taller than average with the looks to match perfectly. Perfect clothes. Perfect hair. Perfect teeth. Everything about him radiated a tremendously bright future, nothing short of perfection. Standing just a few feet away from him was an equally tall, well-built student with dyed hair and messy clothes. That¡¯s an awfully out of date style for a modern day delinquent. Yuuto made his way through the small crowd that gathered around the President, and they were spotted soon enough. It took nothing but a simple wave of the President¡¯s hand for the students to part, allowing both of them through. ¡°My lovely secretary, Tomomi Hisakawa. What brings you here? Wait, don¡¯t tell me you must be feeling lonely without your president in the council room?¡± ¡°Umm¡­..I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. no we w¡­.. to tah¡­...tahmmm¡­..¡± ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, my dear, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wait for me a bit longer.¡± The President made a sympathetic smile as he spoke, but winked at her in reassurance. ¡°That won¡¯t be possible.¡± said Yuuto, putting himself between them. ¡°This is urgent.¡± He tried not to let the President¡¯s actions towards Tomomi affect his actions, but he found it difficult to control the tone of his voice for a moment. ¡°My my, I think I know you. You¡¯re¡­¡­... Yuuto Asahino, correct?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Well Yuuto,¡± he said closing the distance and putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I understand your need may be urgent, but whatever it is, I don¡¯t have time to attend to it.¡± ¡°Then take me with you. You¡¯re looking for the transfer student right? So am I.¡± Murmurs and looks of confusion passed through the crowd. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the guy who always talks about man stuff?¡± ¡°The poor one?¡± ¡°I heard he has daddy issues.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°He probably does, why else would he talk like that?¡± ¡°Why would a guy like him bother with her?¡± ¡°Maybe he wants to confess to her?¡± ¡°Let him get rejected then.¡± ¡°He probably wants to ask for another handout before the new girl learns who he is.¡± ¡°Ugh, beggars always want to be choosers.¡± The President let out a deep sigh before meeting Yuuto¡¯s eyes. Though his smile seemed genuine, he could see right through it. It was full of falsehood. ¡°Listen Yuuto, take it from a friend, she¡¯s not going to accept your confession. I know it¡¯s a hard truth to accept, but there¡¯s no shame in it¡ª honest! There are plenty of guys who¡¯s first time is in university! So chin up, you still have time.¡± The laughter roaring around him could probably be heard from halfway around the school, but Yuuto only half heartedly listened. He focused on the familiar weight that began burning the inside of his stomach in reaction to his words. He had to suppress it. This is neither the time nor the place. The President was only insulting him. Nothing more. He wasn¡¯t worth the feeling. ¡°Thank you very much for the advice President,¡± Yuuto said suppressing the weight to return a cordial smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how long you¡¯ve been standing here waiting for her, but I just got here, so if you don¡¯t mind, can I wait with you?¡± The President¡¯s fingers twitched and his smile disappeared, replaced by a troublesome look. ¡°I am not going to have you bother our new student with a lecture on the importance of solitude and I will certainly not have you here during my introduction to her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to lecture her. You, on the other hand, seem like you don¡¯t understand what it means to be a leader.¡± Yuuto knocked away the hand that still held his shoulder. ¡°A leader, a man, is supposed to listen and guide those under him, not leave his subordinates in the Council room to complete work that doesn''t belong to them.¡± The President¡¯s twitching was becoming noticeably worse. ¡°You certainly seem confident in yourself, not knowing that the work was given to them because of the extenuating circumstances surrounding a potential new Council member.¡± ¡°A man should be honest with himself.¡± Both students stared at each other in silence. He knew his actions were unlike him, but he absolutely couldn¡¯t let the President do as he pleased. The silence broke with the President. ¡°Honesty¡­.then allow me to tell it to you clearly. You are going to impede here, therefore, I forbid you from staying here and hampering my introduction.¡± In that moment, Yuuto felt a shock run through his body. He doubted the President would have allowed him to stay there anyway, but he clearly allowed his own tongue to get the better of him. Even though he said he wouldn¡¯t let the feeling out¡­... There were gasps and whispers when Yuuto took a deep breath and gave a deep bow to the man in front of him. ¡°Mr. President I apologize for my words. They were unnecessary and rude, forgive me. I will not impede so please at least give her a message for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not delivering a love letter on your behalf,¡± he said turning away. ¡°But that is an amusing thought¡­..I may actually do it just to see her reject you.¡± The laughter of students sounded once more, and though it was faint, it was enough to dispel the small tension that had been built. ¡°It¡¯s not a love letter! Please, like I said before, it¡¯s important!¡± The President gave no response. Instead turning towards the well-built student. ¡°Ensure he doesn''t bother anyone on his way home.¡± ¡°M¡ªMr. P-President¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it my dear Tomomi?¡± ¡°It¡­..sounds like t-this might be import-tant. P-Please reconsider¡­¡± The voice of Tomomi came from nowhere, and the eyes of every student was now centered on her. But the quiet air once again broke with a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re fortunate to have someone as kind as you on our Council, Tomomi, but ensure it doesn''t become a liability. Yuuto is well-known for his hypocrisy. To preach as he does while acting like a nuisance does not benefit our school and leaves a bad impression.¡± He returned his attention to the person he was speaking of with an expression full of disgust. ¡°In fact it¡¯s the only thing he¡¯s good at. Being a spineless fool who¡¯s only virtue is preaching adages and insulting his superiors. I do hope he learns from this experience. Perhaps, if he¡¯d respected me properly, I would¡¯ve considered giving her the message. Simply asking would¡¯ve been better than outright bothering someone.¡± The next words he spoke were directed to the blonde haired boy. ¡°Ensure he doesn''t wait for anyone beyond the school gates. We¡¯ve seen enough of him today. Good day to you Yuuto.¡± The delinquent student began pushing Yuuto all the way passed the gates of the school, as a quiet girl and the sound of laughter followed closely behind behind. Part 2 ¡°Her key?¡± ¡°I picked it up by accident when I bumped¡­.er¡­..crashed into her. I was hoping to return it.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t¡­...understand. That¡¯s important. Why¡­.. why not just mention that in the first place?¡± She covered her mouth as soon as the words left. ¡°N¡ªNot that I meant it like that¡­.umm, not that way, I mean, I didn¡¯t mean to be rude, I¡¯m sorry¡­..¡± Yuuto gave a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I think I know what you mean. I guess it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want anyone to think badly of her? Or to make things more complicated. Something like that.¡± ¡°More¡­..complicated?¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°She¡¯s new and everyone seems to be talking about her. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d appreciate the rumor about a guy like me having the key to her house.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°A guy..like you?¡± Her frown was the result of a condescending tone Yuuto seemed not to have noticed as he continued to speak. ¡°Of course. Rumors would go flying about her being irresponsible, or worse, some kind of deviant. Our school''s pretty harsh about those sorts of things¡­..well, it depends on who it¡¯s about. If it were the President, people would love and envy her. With me, she¡¯d no doubt be rejected by absolutely everyone.¡± ¡°No.¡± She said halting her steps. ¡°I...don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all.¡± ¡°Hmm? Of course it is,¡± Yuuto said turning around. ¡°I mean, I already feel bad you¡¯re seen with me, no doubt it makes people talk bad about you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want to make it stop.¡± ¡°..............you¡¯re wrong.........¡± She whispered. ¡°Girls like you and Hikari have bright futures ahead of them. You don¡¯t need someone like me bringing you down.¡± ¡°............................stop that..............¡± ¡°I just¡­.. I guess there¡¯s no point to a guy like me. I¡¯m a waste of space.¡± ¡°NO!¡± The sudden cry of emotion sent Yuuto flying backwards. Before he knew it, his back was against a wall. He had never heard Tomori raise her voice before. Let alone to the level she just did. It appeared it was a first for her as well. As soon as she spoke, she turned away, hiding her face with her bangs. ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry Yuuto..I didn¡¯t mean to yell.¡± ¡°No...I mean¡ª it¡¯s fine, but more importantly¡­..are you alright?¡± An apprehensive look appeared on her face, as though she struggled to express what was on her mind. When she spoke, it was in a level so quiet Yuuto was almost certain it was to compensate for her earlier outburst. ¡°It...wasn¡¯t your fault. Genyo¡­..the President¡­¡­..they shouldn¡¯t have said those things to you.¡± Her voice quivered as she continued to speak with quiet resolve. ¡°And I¡­¡­.I should¡¯ve said something more...I¡¯m so sorry Yuuto..I¡­..I¡­¡­.¡± He felt pathetic. Not only was he making a kind girl like Tomomi worry about him so much, but he had said all those things about himself. Even if he normally had trouble watching himself, it was no excuse to let his guard down. The resolve she showed, if it¡¯s for a girl like Tomomi, he needs to match it with his own. It was the least he could do after everything she¡¯d said. Pulling away from the wall, his pupils flashed briefly with light, and he extended his arms outward to match his new tone. ¡°Hahaahaha, hey, don¡¯t worry about something like that.¡± he said hitting his chest with a bright smile. ¡°I was only joking earlier, no way did Genyo or the President get to me. And I¡¯ll definitely give the transfer girl her key back, she¡¯ll be fine!¡± Tomomi looked up at him through her bangs. ¡°R-Really¡­. they didn¡¯t hurt¡­. your feelings?¡­¡­ H-Honest?¡± Yuuto felt sudden lightning pierce his heart. So¡­¡­¡­ So pure!¡­¡­.. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He affirmed. After this, Yuuto¡¯s voice took on a shift in tone. ¡°And hey, don¡¯t ever worry about not sticking up for me. If anything, it should be the other way around. I¡¯m a guy after all, so it¡¯s my job to protect you....... but it made me really happy that you spoke up for me when you did.¡± Yuuto placed a hand on her shoulder with a genuine smile. ¡°Thank you Tomomi.¡± Her left eye directly met Yuuto¡¯s. With a face as deep and red as the setting sun, the most she could do was slowly nod in place. For a time, before he knew her, Yuuto knew that Tomomi had been the goal of many men in the school, and it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to see why. In fact, it was a bit too clear to him in that moment. The way her long black hair naturally reached her mid-back, yet managed to cover her right eye. She¡¯d cut the bangs herself with mediocre success, resulting in an uneven style that unintentionally added to her shy charm. It showed off an eye that had an unusually large pupil every time Yuuto spoke to her, but it complimented her small nose and mouth. The fragrance of her hair and body radiated into the air as well. It was sweet, feminine, but most importantly¡ª faint. It suited her in a way. A faint fragrance that only those close to her could describe; something that denied access to anyone who didn¡¯t want to know her first. No no¡ª she¡¯s pure! I have to stop being such a pervert around this pure and innocent girl! As expected, it was with her facial features that Yuuto distracted himself in order to not focus on her body. She didn¡¯t have the largest assets in the school, but she by far had the best proportions; at least in his humble opinion. If she wasn¡¯t such a shy or kind person, he was certain that she could give even the most popular girls in school a run for their money; easily winning the Council Presidency if she so desired. Not that she ever volunteered to be a part of it in the first place. Yuuto broke out of this train of thought as she delicately grabbed the blazer of his uniform. Her grip was ceramic, as though her hand would shatter if she held on any tighter. He could see her visibly gathering herself, taking a deep breath before speaking with renewed resolve. ¡°Yuuto.¡± ¡°T-Tomomi.¡± She shivered upon hearing her name leave his lips. ¡°Do you¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°...................¡± ¡°.......................¡± ¡°...........................¡± ¡°...............................¡± ¡°Do I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..?¡± ¡°...............................................¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Do you ha¡­¡­¡­...hab¡ªha-have a¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Have a¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.?¡± ¡°A-A g-g-g¡ª¡ªgi¡ªg¡ª¡ªgi¡ªgiiiiiii~~~¡± Her voice turned into a squeaky echo which trailed off at the end of her sentence. Her eye turned hazy when she saw the perplexed look Yuuto gave her. ¡°Doyouhaveagiftforyourlittlebrother?!¡± He hit the palm of his hand at the realization, making her jump. ¡°That¡¯s right! His birthday is tomorrow and I haven¡¯t bought his cake yet! I-I¡¯ve got to get to the supermarket!¡± He hastily grabbed her arm to which she let out a barely audible ¡°Hihym!¡± sound. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home Tomomi, you can¡¯t go by yourself, and I¡¯m really sorry for rushing you, but I¡¯ve got to get home before a certain time!¡± As the two of them hurriedly dashed through empty streets, any passerby would see the sunset illuminate two people living a particularly memorable evening. The sound of Tomomi¡¯s laugh was something Yuuto was especially fond of in that moment. Part 3 ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re just in time, I thought you might¡¯ve gone to work after all.¡± ¡°Well, I had to come straight home, just for you.¡± he said directing his attention to an energetic child. ¡°Welcome home big brother!¡± ¡°Sorry I took so long,¡± he said in a wry laugh. ¡°No no, more importantly,¡± the child said jumping all around him. ¡°Is it here!? Is it?! Did you bring it?! Didyoudidyou!?¡± ¡°Ichirou stop that, it¡¯s rude to your brother,¡± the woman with short hair chastised. Ichirou pouted, and Yuuto couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Hahahaha, it¡¯s all right here.¡± Unzipping his backpack, Yuuto pulled out what appeared to be three desserts of varying colors, each with the appearance of a small, round cake. ¡°You got them!¡± The boy cried in glee. ¡°Daifuku is my favorite, thanks so much!¡± ¡°Go put them in the kitchen.¡± He pushed the little boy forward and he ran out of sight, but the sound of his excitement let him know he had chosen the flavors correctly. As Yuuto¡¯s little brother ran into the kitchen, the woman with short hair approached him, drying her hands with an old wash rag. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late Mom.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize sweetheart. Remember that we have time today.¡± Her smile emphasized the small wrinkles forming around her face. From a distance, someone may mistake the woman in front of him as being older than she really was, but to Yuuto, it was obvious that those wrinkles weren¡¯t the product of aging. ¡°More importantly,¡± she said watching him put up his blazer. ¡°Is it really okay for you to miss work? I know how you feel about it, especially after all this..¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said giving her a thumbs up. ¡°I already asked for today and tomorrow off! After all, we only get one day a year for this.¡± ¡°Thank you Yuuto¡­¡­.and, I¡¯m sorry things had to turn out this way. I just wish¡ª¡± ¡°Mom,¡± he said taking her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. Ichirou¡¯s going to have a great birthday because of the work you put in. He and I are thankful to have you, and we couldn¡¯t have asked for a better mother.¡± She looked down as she squeezed Yuuto¡¯s hand. It was the only response she could give, but it was the only one he needed. ¡°Now come on!¡± He said pushing her towards the kitchen. ¡°Ichirou¡¯s going to eat all the cake if we don¡¯t hurry!¡± As they made their way towards the kitchen, they both found that Yuuto was correct. To his mother¡¯s false chagrin, Ichirou was on the verge of eating dessert before dinner. Try as she might, however, she simply couldn¡¯t muster the strength to actually reprimand him, much to the brothers¡¯ delight. In no time at all, a small but warm home-cooked meal was resting before the three of them. Yuuto spent about twelve minutes simply listening to his brother on how he helped with the cooking. The commentary from his mother let him know how ¡°fun¡± the things Ichirou described actually played out. Though he had no talent at all for cooking, Yuuto noted how well his little brother worked with his hands. Ichirou had definitely gotten his mother¡¯s hand dexterity, but she still recommended that he go into a profession that didn¡¯t require ¡°as much of a gentle touch¡±. Yuuto was inclined to agree. His mother talked about her own day, the local businesses, the new book she was reading, and her paper crane collection. Since the start of the month, she¡¯s kept five hundred of them and given away just as many to the neighbors or passing schoolchildren. The were in awe of how perfectly they came out every time; and to neither brothers¡¯ surprise, one of the local temples had asked her to teach origami classes. To this day, she was still trying to figure out how to make the paper fox Ichirou has been asking for. Yuuto remembered the very first time his mother had given him a paper flower. It was so gentle, but delicate. He was afraid that if he handled it wrong, his unruly hands would certainly tear the creation his mother had worked so hard to create. His hands at that time, and even now, were unused to handling such gentle creations, it terrified him to think he would never get used to it. But he didn¡¯t let her know. Instead, Yuuto recounted how he had finally gotten to talk to a friend after weeks of having been away from her. Maybe months? It was strange¡­...he couldn¡¯t remember much of her. Or much of anything as of recent. He told them how there was new equipment for the archery and cooking clubs, how the student council room looked strikingly refurbished, and how he¡¯d helped a student retrieve an assignment of hers that was stuck in a tree. Ichirou nearly spit out the juice he was drinking when he heard how Yuuto fell from the tree, even his own mother struggled to contain her laughter, and he noticed how the age seemed to vanish from her face. The story didn¡¯t seem that funny to Yuuto, but seeing the two of them so happy, he couldn¡¯t help but smile himself. To his surprise, a small laugh even escaped his lips. It was not the gut-wrenching laughter his little brother suffered from, nor the light-hearted but very audible giggles from his mother. But it was true, and it was from the heart. It was the only time he could remember laughing so much with them. And so the three of them passed the entire afternoon in this way; playing games, folding paper, talking, and laughing with each other as a family. There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do for these people. There is nothing I would not do to keep them safe. Those were Yuuto¡¯s thoughts, and before any of them knew it, the afternoon and evening had passed them by, bringing cool night air and the song of humming insects. It seemed their day, and their time together, had finally come to a close. Although he wasn¡¯t tired in the least, the reassurance of both his mother and older brother in that tomorrow would be an even better day was enough for Ichirou. At their insistence, after bidding them a good night, he finally went off to bed. Both Yuuto and his mother worked in a comfortable silence. His mother cleaned the table and living room while Yuuto handled the many dishes. She insisted on doing them herself, but she couldn¡¯t force him to move because he¡¯d already started. He laughed it off, not wanting to tell her that he tired of seeing her hands become worn from the strain of the work. Not a moment passed when he heard the door handle violently rattling. After about a minute, it opened and an unkempt man inelegantly stepped into the house after throwing his shoes to one side. ¡°OOOiooiiiiiiii, I¡¯m back!¡± Loosening his tie and shirt and throwing them on top of the couch, he stumbled into the kitchen where a weak, neutral voice greeted him. ¡°He¡ªllo dear. How was your day?¡± The man ignored her as he collapsed onto a seat. Yuuto could feel his eyes burning into his back. ¡°OI, BOY! I SAID I¡¯M HOME, YOU DEAF!?¡± Yuuto kept the water running as he replied. ¡°I heard you, but Mom welcomed you back. Don¡¯t you think you owe her an answer?¡± A tension so thick grew so quickly that Yuuto physically felt himself get kilograms heavier; but he couldn¡¯t give ground. His father¡¯s reply was unexpected. He laughed. It wasn¡¯t the warm, familial laugh they¡¯d previously shared. It was sharp, painful, like nails on a chalkboard. With every breath that escaped his mouth, Yuuto could smell the dizzying stench of liquor. ¡°This what you¡¯re raising?¡± He asked his mother while laughing. ¡°A damn animal that can¡¯t greet his father?¡± She stared at the floor as he continued to speak. ¡°This the reason why you decided to take in a stray? Kid¡¯s nothin¡¯ but a damn leech.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yuuto spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll finish up here and leave soon enough.¡± ¡°HAAAAAAAAhAhaahaHAhahHahAhh! A pussy-whipped boy, that¡¯s what you are!¡± He said continuing his ear-grating laugh. ¡°No man does dishes boy! But hey, if you¡¯re gonna act like a pussy, grab me another beer! Or better yet, bend yourself over an¡¯ get to workin¡¯ the streets!¡± Yuuto was subconsciously begging his mother to leave before his father escalated things, but it was too late. Bloodshot eyes gave way to his flaring, liquor-induced temper. ¡°WHERE THE FUCK IS MY FOOD!? I WORK ALL FUCKING DAY AND YOU CAN¡¯T EVEN GIVE ME MY DAMN MEAL WORTHLESS WHORE!¡± His mother quickly jumped and began fumbling with the food they¡¯d prepared beforehand, but not before his father stood from his chair to approach her. He didn¡¯t consciously realize the fact he¡¯d moved to stand between them. Before his father, a gaze of impudence and rage was the only thing he saw. But he didn''t move. He wouldn¡¯t. Moments felt like hours as Yuuto maintained eye contact with the man in front of him. A look that spilled nothing but hatred. His father approached Yuuto until they were centimeters apart. ¡°No stray dog¡¯s gonna stay in my home. I best not see any leeches when I come back down here.¡± Without looking away, he threw a glass cup behind him and it shattered against the wall with a resoundingly high pitch. He felt his mother jump behind him. Throughout his time living with his father, Yuuto had learned to control his body¡¯s involuntary desire to jump at the sounds. He didn¡¯t want to give his father the satisfaction of intimidating him, but he wasn¡¯t perfect. Though he thankfully didn¡¯t notice, Yuuto felt the fingers on his right hand, and his entire left knee, shake the instant the glass shattered. With those words, his father picked up the plate his mother had set for him and went upstairs. There was a tense silence from the moment he disappeared, to the moment a door slammed shut. When the door closed, Yuuto could feel his body become somewhat lighter. It wasn''t the first time he¡¯d confronted him, and certainly wouldn¡¯t be the last, but he was becoming better at standing up for the only people who mattered. With a soft smile, he talked to his mother who couldn¡¯t look up. ¡°He probably won¡¯t pass out, he¡¯s not drunk enough.¡± ¡°Yuuto, you¡¯re not¡ª¡± ¡°I know, Mom. But he might come back, you know he can¡¯t keep his food down.¡± As he spoke, he put on his school blazer and shoes before looking back. ¡°He¡¯s focused on me, I think you¡¯ll be okay tonight.¡± ¡°........where¡­¡­.will you go?¡± ¡°Maybe to the convenience store to buy food for tomorrow.¡± He scratched the back of his head. Though he was speaking in the best tone he could, with a smile on his face, she saw straight through him. Ironic since her eyes were glued to the floor. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry,¡± he said hitting his chest and winking. ¡°I won¡¯t be long. And I have my phone so I¡¯ll come right back if anything happens.¡± He took her silence as confirmation, and as he turned to open the door¡ª ¡°Yuuto.¡± ¡ªhe turned around to find his mother pressing eight dollars into his hand. ¡°You hardly ate today. It isn¡¯t much, but please buy something for yourself.¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say, so he didn''t say anything at all. Instead, he put the money into his pocket and gave a deep bow. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me all these years. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± Without waiting for a reply, Yuuto turned on his heels and ran forward into night. Part 4 Yuuto did have plans to go to the convenience store, but only after school tomorrow. Now faced with the moral obligation of going so as to not lie to his mother, he bought the cheapest drink available and drank it as he made his way towards his destination. Due to his upbringing, Yuuto has been a resident in a number of places throughout his life. He considered himself a small town person, but this city was the exception. It was, without a doubt, his favorite place out of everywhere he¡¯s lived. Finding the river that would take him where he wanted to go, he was still in awe of how beautiful it looked. Green lights illuminated the concrete to his left and right which, when combined with the river¡¯s white lights, gave the water an ethereal glow. In the distance, those same green lights illuminated buildings and towers, matching the faint night sky perfectly. Before long he was standing in ¡°his spot¡±. It wasn¡¯t actually his spot of course, but very rarely had he ever seen anyone else make use of the area under the bridge he was in. Yes, under a medium sized concrete bridge, this is the spot he goes to every time he needs it. A rather peaceful place; the structure above him was responsible for connecting a small park behind him to a pedestrian street that eventually leads into the city. He was almost always under the side closest to the park, but would occasionally cross when he wanted a fresh perspective. The water itself ran surprisingly clear, and he couldn''t count how many times he¡¯d come just to watch. He frequented it so often that he decided to bring a bench he ¡°found¡± in the park, and relocate it, right to where he was standing. He flipped open his phone to check the time, blowing out air at seeing how late it¡¯s gotten. The good news was that his mother hadn''t yet called, meaning she probably wouldn¡¯t for the rest of the night. Chances are, she and Ichirou were going to be fine for tonight. Positives! That¡¯s right, focus on what¡¯s good! Putting it back, he felt something else in his blazer pocket. His eyes went slack at removing it only to see the familiar silver object that caused him trouble all afternoon. Focus¡­...on what¡¯s good¡­¡­..right¡­? ¡°............your last chance¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..kind to those who walk away from me¡­¡­¡­¡± Yuuto became alert at hearing a faint voice coming from the direction of the park. Straining his ears, he moved towards the stairs that led back up the bridge, hugging the sides so as not to be seen. ¡°Give me an answer.¡± demanded the Student Council President. And the person he was talking to¡­. ¡°I gave you a response this afternoon. I do not have any intention of accepting your proposal nor do I have the slightest wish to do so. You will stop pestering me from this day forward. Goodnight.¡± She spoke without facing him, as if she was physically repulsed by looking. But the president simply smiled¡­..and began laughing. With a hand to his forehead, he threw his body backwards and laughed into the air. It sounded uncomfortable considering the situation that occurred to him just a few minutes ago. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard those words before, I¡¯m genuinely impressed!¡± The president¡¯s eyes looked especially fervid when he spoke again. ¡°You are definitely a special one. Just remember that when I gave you one last chance, you were the one who chose to walk away.¡± ¡°My, you speak with such confidence now; it is quite a shame all of it left you this afternoon.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to have fun breaking you in.¡± The president quickly approached her, having closed the distance between them during their conversation, however... ¡°You know I¡¯m pretty surprised. Is this how the President reacts when faced with the challenge he wanted?¡± The voice of the third individual stole his attention, and the president glared at him in disbelief as he continued his words. ¡°You normally flirt so easily, with winking at Tomomi earlier and all; but now you¡¯re about to force yourself onto a girl in the middle of the street.¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk mutt; looking for her all afternoon and even now. A hypocrite and a stalker, I never would have guessed.¡± The insult didn¡¯t faze Yuuto in the slightest. Narrowing his eyes, he channeled his emotions of disgust, anger, and frustration at the events of today¡ª of everyday¡ª into his words. All of his feelings formed a simple question; everything poured out into one single phrase. ¡°What kind of a man are you?¡± Yuuto had no idea what occurred after he¡¯d left for the day, but it seemed his words managed to injure the president. His frustration was as clear as day. It was enough. He steeled himself against the president¡¯s rage but the second he began marching forward, his shirt pocket began to vibrate. Stopping in his tracks, the president grit his teeth as he met Yuuto¡¯s eyes with a familiar glare, but looked away almost immediately. ¡°Your warning is up.¡± He directed to the girl behind Yuuto. With those parting words, as quickly as he came, the president retreated into the night. ¡°What was that all of a sudden..?¡± Why would the president be out so late in the first place? Something had clearly happened between him and the transfer girl to make him so¡­..spiteful? Was that the word? It was coincidence he ran into the transfer girl, but the president was definitely following her. But why¡­? ¡°.................................!¡± The transfer student! Turning around to meet her, he found she had already made it to the other side of the bridge. ¡°HEY! Hey wait!!¡± He shouted and began to sprint after her. This didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the transfer student, who began sprinting herself upon seeing her new pursuer. For a moment he hesitated. What the president had said definitely rang true; he was constantly bothering people with things he needn¡¯t concern himself with. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time someone mistook his intentions as foul or even cynical; it was one of the reasons he spent all of middle school, his entire first year, and current second year of high school, alone. The years, the weariness, they were taking their toll on him. ¡°Yuuto is well-known for his hypocrisy¡­.. A spineless fool.¡± It may be true that he was spineless to most people. Even now, doing just one thing for someone is exhausting after so many years of trying. And yet¡­.. to better himself through helping another¡ª isn¡¯t that what it means to hold an ideal? At what cost? When can you finally focus on yourself? When it¡¯s over. Everyday you must get up and everyday you must struggle. Is it really so bad to lie down in comfort? What kind man lies down when a second chance presents itself? When there¡¯s another opportunity! Get up and try again! Hold fast to your ideal! That¡¯s what it means to be a man! I¡¯m a hypocrite but ¡­¡­ to become the man I envision¡­.. I can¡¯t make the same mistake twice! ¡°Wait just!¡ª I want to give you your key!¡± Of course she couldn¡¯t hear him. It made sense considering the frightening distance between them, but it made for quite the inconvenience to Yuuto who shamefully didn¡¯t practice cardio exercises. His earlier hesitation had caused the massive gap between them. Still, just how fast is this girl!? The lack of pedestrians makes maneuvering easier, but the same applies to her as well. He worried about how this might look to the cars and occasional person passing them by, but he simply prayed he wouldn¡¯t end up in the morning newspaper and continued chasing her. She effortlessly finessed around anything in her path, crossing streets and alleys with an equal amount of elegance, but something seemed wrong. Her running pattern was¡ª? Where¡­..is she going? She was fast, there was no denying that, but they¡¯d crossed the same streets and plaza a few times already now. It could be a trick, to wear Yuuto down until he couldn¡¯t chase her anymore and she would take her proper route home, but there was something about that strategy that didn¡¯t make sense to him. The first was that she seemed to be slowing down, wearing herself out. It hardly mattered, as Yuuto was already so far behind her he could barely make out her shape; but even from this far behind he could see the second problem. She appeared frantic. Faking a strategy was one thing, but faking emotions? As an owner of a mask, no one was better at that than Yuuto. He was about to permanently lose sight of her until she made her fatal mistake: entering a small alleyway he often used himself. Recognizing his chance, he frantically backtracked through his own labyrinth of streets and alleyways until arriving back at the ethereal waters. Leaning against a corner to wait for her, she came out only a few moments later looking much less fatigued than he previously thought. Frantic, yes, but it didn¡¯t even look like she¡¯d broken a sweat, only looking around to see if Yuuto was anywhere in sight. Swallowing the small pain done to his self-esteem, he walked up and tapped her shoulder. ¡°Listen I¡ª¡ªIIuuuuuuuahhjjjiii!¡± Before he knew it, a hard blow struck his stomach, and in a daze, the world suddenly flipped upside-down. Yuuto found himself on his back, devoid of oxygen and facing the stars. He grunted as he grasped his stomach with one arm. ¡°What¡ª was that.. for?¡± She seemed taken aback. ¡°I did not expect you to be able to speak again so quickly. You lack endurance, but have fine constitution, I will acknowledge that much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­..not the first to do it!.......aghh it still hurts you know¡­..¡± He noticed the object he hit her with was not a fist, but a simple school bag. The one every student uses. ¡°What do youuhaahhhh¡­...have in there? Bricks?¡± ¡°I do not have mercy on stalkers.¡± she said as she slammed her foot on top of him. ¡°Now then, tell me why you are following me.¡± It was difficult to speak when she put so much force into her leg; a feat for a girl who couldn¡¯t have weighed more than a hundred and ten pounds. He grimaced at the realization she was never in any danger. ¡°The president¡­.. led him here¡­.. someplace¡­...you could¡¯ve beaten him¡­.¡± ¡°My my, you certainly catch on quick,¡± she said without changing her monotone. ¡°If I recall correctly, you were the one that crashed into me this morning. Now I find you under a bridge and chasing me across town. I doubt that can be called a coincidence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen...to rumors...he said about me.¡± ¡°Do not be absurd,¡± she said, adding more pressure. ¡°Rumors are for fools who are incapable of thinking for themselves, I judge people by their actions. Now explain yours.¡± ¡°Can you¡­.. get your foot off my chest first?¡± Her foot spoke volumes as it dug into him. Having no other option, Yuuto just managed to pull the key out of his breast pocket. It was in a heartbeat that he suddenly found a small, sharp object pressed against the base of his neck. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Her tone was as cold as the knife against his throat. Any person would be caught off guard in a situation as escalated as this one, but not Yuuto. In a way, he should be thanking his father; because any situation he faces now is much less frightening than facing him. Especially on the nights he had to protect those two. Compared to those times, a misunderstanding was nothing. ¡°This mor-ning...we crashed and it fell. I was looking for you today¡­. ngh!¡ªto return it¡­¡± Instead of fear, Yuuto found he was focusing on how close her face came to his own. He could finally make out the little details about her, like the fact she has hair that hugged her shoulders. ¡°How many people knew you had it?¡± Her complexion was beautifully light. ¡°No-ne. There are rumors about you but¡­.. I figured¡­. you wanted privacy.¡± And her eyes were the most beautiful shade of gold he¡¯d ever seen¡ª ¡°How much have you heard?¡± ¡ªso why did they look just like that man¡¯s? ¡°I thought¡­..you didn¡¯t listen to rumors¡­.¡± ¡°Just because I do not listen to them does not mean others follow suit. What. Do. You. Know.¡± ¡°............¡± ¡°......................¡± ¡°..........................I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡­..I¡¯m just a stray that thought I could help.¡± She tightened the grip on her knife in response. Flashes of emotion passed through her so quickly Yuuto couldn¡¯t decipher them. By the end, he figured he must¡¯ve said something right because she removed her body and allowed him to stand. Popping sounds could be heard from his back as he rose, handing her the key. He was half expecting a ¡°thank you¡± or possibly an apology in return from her, but no such phrase left her lips. He simply stood idly by as she collected the items that had fallen over when she flipped him. The deja vu felt like a slap in the face, and he hurriedly began assisting her; only this time, she didn¡¯t reject his help. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± he said handing back her last notebook. ¡°Why was the president chasing you? And you saw how he was running towards you, why not pin him before he had a chance to hurt you?¡± ¡°I suspect you will have an answer regarding your former question at some point tomorrow. As for the latter, I was going to, until I saw you.¡± ¡°You...saw me?¡± ¡°Yes. Hiding near the stairs. I figured you were one of his pets hiding in wait to catch me in case I tried to run. Therefore I decided to let him get close enough to make an example out of him for you to spread to the other delinquents.¡± ..............ahhh, this girl is scary after all. ¡°But you saw afterward I wasn¡¯t with the president, so why leave?¡± ¡°Did you expect me to stay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..I¡­. guess I did. But you were running.¡± ¡°You were chasing. Even if you are not with the president, I do not take kindly to stalkers.¡± What an understatement. ¡°You would¡¯ve lost me eventually if you just kept running. Why lead me back here?¡± ¡°It was an accident.¡± The transfer student turned her head away, and Yuuto saw her ears tint. ¡°Are you¡­...blushing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.!¡± She quickly turned around to glare directly at him. Though it was brief, just for a moment the two were able to maintain eye contact. From this distance, Yuuto could tell. Maybe no one else could. Maybe everyone was too distracted by her figure, her complexion, even her face. But from this distance Yuuto was definitely correct in what he said before. ¡°Your eyes are just like his¡­.¡­.. Hateful.¡± Not hate towards him, no. It was an untamed anger that burned quitely behind those eyes. ¡°You¡¯re one to speak. Frightening the president away with shifting hollow eyes, he should be wary of people like you¡± ¡°People like¡­?¡± ¡­¡­¡­..who in the world is this girl? Her stoicism returned with her next words. ¡°I appreciate the gesture of returning what belongs to me, but I believe it would be best if we do not meet again.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for his response before turning towards the city, however¡ª ¡°Wait, that¡¯s¡ª!¡± ¡ªshe paused once more at the distant sound of Yuuto¡¯s voice. Even if he is a hypocrite. Even if his own beliefs aren¡¯t¡­.. To keep true to an ideal. That¡¯s what it means to be a man. ¡°¡ªThat¡¯s something I can¡¯t keep! I will see you again, I promise!¡± Her stoicism unchanged, she continued walking towards her home as though she never heard him in the first place. But that was just fine with Yuuto. Because it was nothing new, because he still took the opportunity given to him. He finally kept his ideal. Part 5 ¡°And that¡¯s what I recommend you do tonight sir.¡± The man with a commanding aura slowly shook his head. ¡°I see. It takes hard work to maintain a marriage.¡± ¡°Yes sir. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you the whole thing, but when you asked for examples in how my wife and I resolve our disputes, I guess that made us deviate a little from our original topic.¡± ¡°No no, please don¡¯t apologize. You have done more than enough to help me, and I couldn¡¯t thank you more.¡± Yuuto wryly scratched the back of his head, it was uncomfortable to be praised so much. In fact, excluding his wife and child, it never happened at all. The man put out the last of his cigarette and turned his gaze upward. ¡°I want to ask you one final thing if that¡¯s alright with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to answer.¡± ¡°What does it mean to be ¡®a man¡¯ to you? You¡¯ve mentioned ideals, getting up, even strength. Is that what a man is?¡± Even though he expected the question, it was still difficult to answer. The still atmosphere helped him gather his thoughts. This is where he would move someone else. ¡°I believe a man must embody an ideal, whether that means not wavering when he¡¯s afraid, having strength when he¡¯s weak, or being a hero.¡± ¡°Even if the man should fail in his beliefs?¡± Yuuto simply smiled as he continued. ¡°I believe he should get up again whenever he fails. No man has the right to call himself one if he gives up before trying, or if he gives up because he didn¡¯t want to push ahead.¡± A growing silence formed between the two, and the man simply waited until Yuuto had collected his thoughts. ¡°Most importantly,¡± he emphasized. ¡°A man is his word. There is no greater way to show it than a man keeping his word. That¡¯s why I believe so strongly in promises. If you don¡¯t believe in what you say, you can never move forward.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve still never smoked.¡± ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m afraid not sir.¡± The old man rose and gestured for Yuuto to do the same. Together they walked towards the entrance to the park where he spoke. ¡°You mentioned you¡¯ve been fired.¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°In that case I want you to come work for me.¡± Yuuto was stunned. There were about a hundred different things running through his mind at hearing those words, but the one that escaped his lips: ¡°But, you haven¡¯t heard the reason I caused trouble. It could¡¯ve been horrible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t believe that.¡± The old man said shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this business longer than you¡¯ve been alive. I know a good man when I see one; which company fired you?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s¡­¡± Yuuto suddenly froze in his tracks. The old man looked in the direction in which he was staring. ¡°Young man why are you staring?¡± Yuuto took out his phone to check. Twenty missed calls. Thirty-nine text messages. *I really need to start unmuting my phone.* He slowly put the phone back in his pocket, closed his eyes, and turned his head skyward. ¡°What...are you doing?¡± ¡°Accepting my fate sir.¡± He opened his eyes just in time to find a beautiful woman in a bed-head style ponytail walk all the way up to him. It was comforting. Her honey-colored eyes didn¡¯t hold malicious intent, but her pout was certainly something to be feared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got held up.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve let me know you missed the last train.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­. true. I¡¯m sorry Hikari.¡± He realized something immediately after apologising. ¡°How did you know where I am?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t focus on the little things! What matters is that I¡¯ve been worried absolutely sick about you! I knew you weren¡¯t out doing anything bad, but that doesn''t make me worry any less.¡± ¡°This must be the wife I¡¯ve heard so much about,¡± spoke a gruff voice. ¡°You weren¡¯t lying, she is beautiful indeed.¡± ¡°Ara? Yuuto, who is this?¡± she said reaching for a hidden bulge he recognised as her ladle. Ah, I guess she really did end up replacing her knife. ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am, I was the one who took up your husband¡¯s time. I¡¯m just an old man who humbly asked for help. I¡¯ve been having troubles of my own, you see, and your husband offered me some valuable insight.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± ¡°It is. He told me of how you two manage to resolve your problems, how you¡¯re a team, and even some of how you met. I can see now that none of it was a lie. It¡¯s given me the resolve and help I needed to fix my own marriage.¡± ¡°I see!¡± She said clasping Yuuto¡¯s hand and staring at him. ¡°That¡¯s my husband for you!¡± ¡°Indeed it is.¡± ¡°Hikari, I¡¯m sorry, I still should¡¯ve let you know.¡± She shook her head while holding tight to his hand. ¡°I thought it would be something like this¡­..well¡­ I hoped.¡± Her grip trembled with honesty. ¡°When I saw you were still at the train station I was afraid that¡­...that you¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Those feelings are in the past. And I can¡¯t leave you alone, not while Yuuko still needs his father, you know that.¡± He grabbed her face with his free hand. But his heart felt a wretched amount of guilt. Masquerader. Liar. Hypocrite. ¡°Ahem,¡± the man politely coughed. ¡°While I¡¯ll be leaving here soon, I would like to finish my question to you, Yuuto.¡± The husband and wife ceased their public display of affection, opting for holding hands as the man spoke. ¡°What say you to join my offer in coming to work for me? It doesn''t matter if you¡¯re not trained, my company can handle that.¡± Hikari looked slightly surprised by the man¡¯s offer, Yuuto squeezed her hand to let her know that he would tell her the details later. ¡°While I appreciate the offer sir, my company is going to be merging with Fable soon. I feel it would be hypocritical of me to leave before seeing this venture, something I was a big part of, through.¡± A wide smile grew on the man¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t sure of its origin. ¡°A fine answer indeed young man. If that¡¯s the case, I will see you again soon.¡± Yuuto looked confused as he shook both their hands. He then paid a taxi before entering a separate car one side of the road. Before leaving, he answered the couple¡¯s silent question. ¡°That¡¯s on me, as a thank you. Pardon the exit, but I must get home as well.¡± Without time for a reply, the man drove off. ¡°What a kind man.¡± ¡°Hmh. I hope everything works out well for him.¡± ¡°..........¡± ¡°...................¡± ¡°.......................¡± ¡°You put a GPS in my phone didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°A-Ara. Yuuto. W-Whatever could you be talking about?¡± ¡°You know exactly what!¡± He spoke as he quickly picked her up piggyback style. Hikari let out a surprised laugh as she hugged her husband¡¯s neck for support. Comforted by each others¡¯ warmth, their late journey home was something Yuuto would remember clearly. Part 6 ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± the man said quietly. The house was quiet with all the lights turned off. That was to be expected given how late it is. With silent movements, he went upstairs and opened the door to bid his sleeping daughter goodnight. He hadn¡¯t expected a kiss to the forehead to wake her up, especially with how little noise he¡¯d been making, but in a daze she hugged her father¡¯s arm. ¡°Welcome home¡­...papa¡­¡­I¡¯m glad¡­¡­...you¡¯re back¡­.¡± ¡°So am I, little rabbit.¡± Satisfied with her sleepy smile, he removed her arm and made his way to his own bedroom, where a woman lay sleeping in bed. He didn¡¯t want to wake her, but Yuuto had mentioned how it¡¯s a man¡¯s job to consider the situation. Expecting this, he¡¯d already picked up a vase to go with the flowers he brought from the garden. She would see them when she wakes up, and know he didn¡¯t come home just to sleep in a bed. That¡¯s how it would¡¯ve gone had she not woken up. ¡°Oh..hh¡­..you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª I¡¯m¡­. umm¡­¡­. I¡¯m sorry I woke you.¡± ¡°Are those¡­..flowers¡­..?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­.I got them for you.¡± ¡°For¡­.me?¡± she said sitting upright. ¡°I see how hard you¡¯ve been trying lately¡­.. and I¡¯ve given it some thought. If you¡¯ll let me, I want to try again. I want to try to save this marriage just as you have and¡­.¡± He was at a loss for words. How did men like Yuuto do it so easily? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For everything. Please, let me try again?¡± It seemed like his wife¡¯s heart understood his own. She stood from the bed and smelled one of the flowers in a sleepy haze. ¡°Japanese Anemone and Kerria. You remembered my favorites.¡± ¡°They were the ones¡­. in our wedding.¡± The woman looked at him curiously. ¡°Your face looks softer.¡± ¡°Is¡­. that a yes?¡± The smile she gave told him that maybe, even for someone like him, there was a chance to truly become a better man. Part 7 ¡°You guys ruined everything by bringing him!¡± ¡°But he needs to tell me about Hiro!¡± ¡°Who cares about him!¡± ¡°F-Friends, you should not be fighting¡­.. and I am sorry Hajimu¡­.¡± Hajimu continued to walk in front of the other boys, carrying a rather large stick he found as they made their way to a nearby playground. Though the three original friends could still attend the after-school care program, through Hajimu¡¯s suggestion, they decided to skip and play on their own. Yuuko was just leaving class and, at Sora and Daisuke¡¯s invitation, decided to join them. He still felt uneasy ever since becoming friends with them. He had already done so many things wrong, but friends were supposed to be together. Yuuko didn¡¯t want to be a bad friend. ¡°So what did they do after getting home? Did Hiro finally get powers?¡± Sora pressed. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you got grounded you idiot.¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not my fault, and you¡¯re the idiot!¡± Daisuke pushed up his glasses to speak. ¡°I¡¯m in trouble too. My dad isn¡¯t letting me watch TV because I didn¡¯t eat my beans.¡± ¡°Beans are nasty.¡± ¡°Ewww, you¡¯re dad likes beans?¡± ¡°I-I like beans¡­¡± Yuuko said in a voice so low he may as well not have said a word. ¡°Come on, what happened!? Does Hiro have powers or not?¡± ¡°Are they as strong as Night? Or did he get Day powers?¡± ¡°Well, H-Hiro can not get powers still.¡± ¡°That¡¯s lame, he can¡¯t fight!¡± ¡°But to fight¡± Daisuke pushed up his glasses. ¡°.....is Night¡­..heh that rhymed.¡± ¡°N¡ªNo, it is kind of cool he does not because¡ª¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. In that instant, Yuuko felt a shrill, high pain in his leg that pushed him to one side of the sidewalk. He didn¡¯t fall, but being thrown off balance, he was forced to cling to the wall behind him. ¡°I hate you! Stop talking to my friends!¡± Hajimu swung his stick and gave Yuuko another strong push. ¡°Get your own friends! Go away!¡± ¡°But H-Hajimu, you are my¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re weird and boring! Leave!¡± He said as he gave another hard shove. Yuuko was backing up bit by until Hajimu lost his temper completely. ¡°Did you hear me!? GO AWAY YOU IDIOT! IHATEYOUIHATEYOUIHATEYOU!!¡± With one final shove, Yuuko was sent backwards into a small alley where he landed on his back. His friend stood above him with arms at his hips, appearing particularly triumphant. ¡°Did you guys see?¡± He said turning back to face his friends. ¡°Look, he¡¯s on the floor!¡± But neither of his friends¡¯ eyes met his own. ¡°Sora! Daisuke! Stop ignoring me!¡± ¡°Uhhhh, Hajimu¡­...¡± ¡°What Sora?!¡± The de facto leader turned around to witness what Yuuko had first been focusing on. Not ten feet away from them; it had dirty, mud-stained fur with a tail that curved into a spiral at the very end. They had just wandered into its alley. Into its territory. Yuuko shakily stood up, joining his now panicking group of friends. The dog began violently growling, its drool forming a puddle on the concrete. The four boys cowered in fear as the dog bared its teeth and lunged forward. Chapter 5: Those Who Are Least Alone [Part 1] Part 1 It was Hajimu that tripped first. The four boys just managed to escape the dog¡¯s forward lunge as they subconsciously huddled together for safety; but with the chaos occurring in a narrow alleyway, all it took was one misstep to send them tumbling into the concrete. ¡°AAGHhHHhHHH, MOVE¡ª MOOOOVE!¡± ¡°Hajimu don¡¯t push me!¡± ¡°RAWHF! GGRRAWHF!!¡± ¡°MOVE OR IT¡¯LL BITE MEEEEE!¡± ¡°Ahgghh! My glasses!¡± ¡°WHO CARES¡ª HURRY!¡± As the four stumbled back into an escape, Daisuke¡¯s glasses remained on the concrete; no more than two meters away from the growling creature. ¡°M-My glasses! Guys I need them!¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± Hajimu spat in a fierce voice. ¡°That thing almost killed us!¡± ¡°But they¡¯re not mine! They¡¯re my grandpa¡¯s!¡± ¡°Daisuke, Hajimu¡¯s right. It¡¯ll kill us!¡± His grief-stricken plea fell on the deaf ears of his friends, making Yuuko feel heavy despite his body shaking. From a safe distance, Yuuko could see that it was definitely the same dog from that day. And it almost hurt them. Again. He wanted to say something to his friends, but the sound wouldn¡¯t escape his mouth. Not only that, but even though there was so much energy filling his body, the weight made him feel slow. That¡¯s a problem! If he was slow, how would he be able to get away from the dog if he started chasing them!? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. And in this energetic daze, he turned back, noticing something odd. ¡°Friends¡­..why is it not chasing us?¡± As the other three turned in the direction he was staring, they found it was true. They were no more than two meters away from Daisuke¡¯s glasses, four from the dog; yet it refused to close the distance and chase them out of its territory. ¡°Why did¡­..he stop?¡± ¡°Who cares! Come on guys, we¡¯re leaving!¡± ¡°Hajimu¡¯s right, we need to leave.¡± ¡°But¡­.my glasses you guys¡­. They¡¯re grandpa¡¯s!¡± He wanted to say something to him, or do something. He shouldn¡¯t let his friends be sad¡­..but there was nothing he could do. ¡°I!¡­¡­¡­.I...¡­¡­¡­...please¡­¡­¡­...¡± But looking at the pleading face of his friend on the ground, he remembered¡ª this was his second time with the dog. The second time¡­¡­.. ¡°Hajimu!¡± His friend who¡¯d already begun walking away turned towards him in annoyance. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°HUUUAAHHH!?!¡± The eyes of Sora and Daisuke went wide as their friend stomped back to confront Yuuko. ¡°Who are YOU calling scared? Say that again!¡± ¡°N-No, I did not mean it like that,¡± he said, turning towards the two spectators. ¡°Sora. Daisuke. Are you both scared?¡± ¡°N-No way, I¡¯m not scared!¡± Sora shouted in an unusually high pitch. But Daisuke didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Daisuke?¡± Yuuko walked to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Daisuke, are you scared?¡± ¡°....¡­...yeah¡­..¡± ¡°Why are you scared of him Daisuke?¡± ¡°Cause¡­..Cause look! He looks scary and he¡¯s gonna bite me if I get close!¡± ¡°Daisuke, did you know that it is a good thing to be scared?¡± ¡°Huuuuuuaaaaaaaaggghhhhhhh!?¡± blurted Hajimu. He seemed surprised when none of them paid any mind to his outburst. ¡°Why¡­.. is it a good thing?¡± Despite the fact his own body was still shaking, Yuuko smiled wide. He jumped back, placing a hand to the sky. ¡°Because this is an opportunity! The first step to becoming a hero!¡± ¡°A¡­. hero?¡± ¡°Just like Day, Night, and Hiro! You can only be a hero if you are brave!¡± Sora and Daisuke looked in awe. Both of their bodies¡¯ were still shaking, but their tears were slowly replaced with wide-mouthed grins. Both of them nodded strongly in agreement and began discussing plans. ¡°S-So how do we stop it?!¡± enthused Daisuke. ¡°Maybe we can give it food to distract it?¡± suggested Sora. ¡°Father tried that before and it did not work on him¡ª but I think I know what to do!¡± Yuuko looked back to the now violently fuming Hajimu. ¡°Hajimu, may I borrow your stick please?¡± ¡°No!¡± He said pushing Yuuko out of the way. ¡°I¡¯LL get it back! Shut up and watch you weirdo!¡± ¡°But I think I have a plan to¡ª¡± ¡°I said to shut up and watch!¡± he screamed through clenched teeth. Yuuko didn¡¯t have time to stop him before he sprinted the distance towards the glasses. Holding his stick as high as he could, Hajimu screeched at the top of his lungs. ¡°RRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± The ear-piercing scream instantly caused all three boys to cover their ears, but their pain was nothing compared to the shock that came when he struck the dog with the stick. The dull sound of thick wood hitting the bones in the dog¡¯s ribcage reverberated through their own bodies. They didn¡¯t need to hear it, they could feel it. ¡°WHIII¡ªWHIIIHHNNNN¡± The creature reacted instantly; leaving in a panicked retreat to the end of the alley¡ª all four of them could still make out its shape in the distance. Though it was still fairly close, it didn¡¯t matter. Because it now looked like a completely different creature. ¡°Sora catch!¡± Hajimu shouted as he threw them to his friend with all his might. Thanks to his baseball practice, Sora caught them with flawless precision. He quickly placed them over Daisuke¡¯s eyes, restoring his sight. There was a brief moment of silence that seemed out of place, but also very fitting given what just happened. Hajimu¡¯s scream seemed to have taken the energy out of all of them. Yet he remained standing, hardly breathing, but triumphant in his goal. ¡°ha¡­¡­¡­...Ha! HA!! AHAHAHA!!! Did you see that you loser!? I¡¯m not scared! I¡¯m the hero¡ª not you!!¡± Hajimu boasted proudly as he pointed the stick at Yuuko, waving it in display. ¡°I¡¯m an awesome hero huh guys!?¡± The boys in stunned silence were finally able to speak. ¡°That¡­¡­..that was AWESOME Hajimu! Super super awesome!!¡± ¡°Hajimu.......Hajimu!¡­¡­.. Thank you! That was super cool!¡± Daisuke said in an emotional state. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you for the rest of my life!¡± Yuuko looked at Hajimu and couldn¡¯t help but feel a small relief in his chest but¡­. it hurt? Even though Daisuke got his glasses back¡­¡­. He massaged his own ribs, mirroring where Hajimu had struck the dog. It was the dog that was being mean, not Hajimu¡­¡­.but why does it hurt? ¡°Hajimu, that was cool.¡± Yuuko smiled to his friend. ¡°You are the best.¡± ¡°And I wasn¡¯t even scared, not like you! See, I¡¯m not shaking!¡± He started jumping up and down so Yuuko couldn¡¯t tell whether or not he was mistaken. He swore he saw him shaking earlier¡ª right after throwing the glasses. Maybe he didn''t? ¡°Hn. You¡¯re the man Hajimu!¡± he agreed. ¡°I¡¯m the best man ever! And a hero!¡± He felt heavy again¡­¡­ A hero¡­¡­.. but this was his friend. This was¡­¡­ supposed to be his friend. He should be a good friend. ¡°Yes. And a he¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Grhhhrrrrrrr¡± Yuuko abruptly stopped. The sudden lack of praise caused Hajimu to turn around and see a certain dog crawling back towards him. ¡°YOU WANT MORE!?¡± his familiar scream returned instantly, but became replaced with a different look Yuuko didn¡¯t know how to describe. The dog growled too, but like Hajimu, it was different somehow. Why¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.does it sound that way? Sora, Daisuke, and Yuuko looked on in panic as the creature suddenly leapt forward, tackling Hajimu; a strong and sudden force causing him to fall onto the concrete. The creature bit at the stick still in his hands, voraciously swinging it left and right in an attempt to remove it from his grasp. His earlier scream of defiance became sheer noise. ¡°IIIIYYYYYAAAAAAHAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! LET MEEEE GOOOOOO!!!¡± Time seemed to move much faster, but also much, much slower. None of them could say anything. Not until¡ª through ragged gasps and a panicked voice¡ª Hajimu yanked back the stick, pulling the dog in and kicking it in the jaw. It was a soft strike, his lack of balance made it weak, but it seemed to be enough. The small creature released the stick with a whimper while Hajimu got back up in short, wild breaths. He began taking steps back until he heard them. ¡°DON¡¯T STOP! GET IT HAJIMU!¡± ¡°TEACH IT WHO¡¯S BOSS!¡± He looked back to the encouragement of his two close friends. Until now, they were so distracted with what happened they couldn¡¯t speak. But they fully rallied behind their leader¡ª ¡°¡°GET IT HAJIMU!!¡±¡± ¡ªand cheered him on. With their encouragement, Hajimu turned back to finish what he started. ¡°RRRRRYYYYYYYYYIIIIIAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!¡± Closing the distance, he swung the stick with every ounce of his might, whipping the dog in the ribcage yet again; and once more the sound of wood striking bone reverberated through them all. He took another wild swing, and with all his strength, struck the dog on its back; the high pitched squeals of pain being enough to temporarily drown out Hajimu¡¯s own screams. ¡°TAAAAKE THIIIIIIIISSSSSS, HIYYYAAAA, IIYAAAAHHH!!!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re the man Hajimu! It¡¯s dangerous, teach it a lesson!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a hero Hajimu! Finish it!¡± The boy relentlessly continued his assault¡ª but the creature would not go down. Hajimu didn¡¯t seem to mind, each growl seemingly causing him to redouble his efforts. And it was after listening to the sound produced from Hajimu hitting a particular part of the dog¡¯s leg that Yuuko took a step forward and noticed he couldn¡¯t move any further than that. His body became locked in a position that appeared as though he was going to start a race. In this position, he couldn¡¯t look away from the scene in front of him. He didn¡¯t understand why he felt so heavy. He was so heavy that he couldn¡¯t move his body no matter how much he wanted to¡­.. and his chest hurt. Why did his chest keep hurting? ¡­¡­¡­...what do I do? As Yuuko looked on, the cheers of his friends vanished into echoes. He didn¡¯t notice he unconsciously stepped backwards as he remembered the first time he met the dog; it was about to bite him and father just because they were trying to feed him. If it was about to bite them¡­¡­.why wasn¡¯t it doing it now¡­¡­¡­.? It was then, in a momentary glimpse, that Yuuko met the dog¡¯s eyes. They were just like Hajimu¡¯s the day he first met him. The memories in Yuuko¡¯s mind became as clear as day. The dog looked mad the day he first saw it, just like Hajimu. Now the dog didn¡¯t look mad anymore, but Hajimu still did. What do I do? Maybe it was mean to people because of something else? He had no idea, but even so¡­..he should be a good friend. Maybe what Hajimu was doing would make it stop being mean to people¡­¡­. ¡°Maybe it really is scared of you¡­.¡± The ache in his chest and weight of his body multiplied as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He didn¡¯t understand what made the dog so mean when he first met him, and he didn¡¯t understand why the answer became clear to him as he saw the dog¡¯s eyes. Those¡­...are not angry eyes! What do I do!? Even if he tried to do something, would Hajimu listen to him? What if he didn¡¯t listen¡­.but he still had to do something! He had to tell Hajimu! He tried to speak, but no sound came out. He tried to move but his legs were stuck. Why couldn¡¯t he move!? Why couldn¡¯t he say anything?! WHAT DO I DO? WHAT DO I DO?! WHAT DO I DO!! ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Yuuko¡± ¡°Father¡­.?¡± ¡°When the time is right, I know you will do the right thing¡± ¡°But I¡­..I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yuuko, there¡¯s always an opportunity to do better. Even if you don¡¯t get a second chance, you can always stand back up. You can always try again¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡­.I want to try again but¡­¡­.I¡¯m scared¡­¡­...I¡¯m not strong¡­¡­...I can¡¯t do anything¡± ¡°A man¡ª a hero¡ª must be weak before he becomes strong¡± ¡°But I¡­¡­.am confused on what to do¡­¡­¡­.how do I become strong?¡­¡­.what do I do?.....¡± ¡°I want you to forget about everything that happened today and look at the sky. Forget what you did or didn¡¯t do, and focus on what you want¡± ¡°What I want?¡± I want to be¡­¡­. ¡°Inspire them Yuuko. Move by your own strength, and move others.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..father?¡­¡­¡­¡­.dad¡­¡­..one day¡­¡­..will I be?¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Tell me Yuuko, what do you see?¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡°STOP IT HAJIMU!¡± Yuuko held his arms wide apart to stop the strikes Hajimu was giving the bleeding creature. All three boys looked at him in surprise. Sora and Daisuke hadn¡¯t even noticed him leave, but Hajimu looked as though Yuuko was worse than the dog. ¡°Move Yuuko! I¡¯m going to make sure it never bites anyone ever again!¡± ¡°He doesn''t want to bite us! He¡¯s a nice dog!¡± ¡°Grrhhhhrrrrrrr¡± Behind him, Yuuko could hear the dog slowly beginning to growl once more. ¡°Yes it does! Look at him¡ª now move before I hit you!¡± ¡°If he wanted to bite you he would¡¯ve done it when you fell! He wouldn¡¯t have gotten you¡¯re stick! He would¡¯ve chased us! He¡¯s not a mean dog¡ª he¡¯s scared!¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°MOVE OR I¡¯LL HIT YOU INSTEAD YUUKO!¡± ¡°He doesn''t want to hurt us!¡± ¡°RRRWWHHAAWWWFFFFF!!!¡± Hajimu began screaming in retaliation to the dog¡¯s rising voice. ¡°MOVE YUUKO!!¡± ¡°NO!¡± ¡°RRWWAHHFF ¡ª¡ª RRRWWWWAAAGHHFFFFFFF!!¡± ¡°MOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE!!!¡± ¡°RRRWWWAAAAGGHHHFFFFFF!!!¡± He could tell by the look on Hajimu¡¯s face that the dog looked scarier than all the other times he¡¯d seen it. And all the noise, both in front and behind him, made him even more sacred. He didn¡¯t know if he was right about the dog not wanting to hurt people¡ª any second now he expected to feel teeth sinking into his leg. The only thing he knew was that he couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Smile Yuuko¡± Yuuko looked up from the ground. Hajimu was surprised to see a weak and struggling smile coated with thick, glistening tears. ¡°H¡ªHe¡¯s sc-scared Hajimu. Y-You¡¯re not a hero. A real hero s-shouldn¡¯t be a b-b-bully.¡± ¡°.......a bully?¡± The alley was quiet all of a sudden. And when the dog dared to take a step forward¡ª ¡°RRRYYYIIAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!¡± ¡ªit all but sprinted away seeing Hajimu whip Yuuko with the stick. And he cried in pain. ¡°AAAAHHHH!!¡± ¡°YOU KNOW WHY I HATE YOU?!¡± The disgusting sound of skin being pierced open could be heard as Yuuko raised his hands to block Hajimu¡¯s assault. ¡°I HATE THAT YOU TALK ANNOYING! I HATE THAT YOU KEEP TALKING TO MY FRIENDS! YOU¡¯RE TRYING TO STEAL MY FRRIIEEENDDSSS!!¡± Hajimu relentlessly struck every area of Yuuko that wasn¡¯t covered in clothes, his hands and arms were bleeding near profusely; it felt like his body, his muscles, were on fire. Hajimu threw away his stick and slammed Yuuko into the concrete. ¡°I HATE HOW YOU ACT! IN SCHOOL YOU ACT SMART LIKE YOU¡¯RE BETTER THAN ME¡ª STOP DOING BETTER THAN MEEE!!¡± Yuuko covered his head in the fetal position on instinct, but even like that he couldn¡¯t stop Hajimu¡¯s kicks to his body. ¡°I¡¯M THE LEADER! I¡¯M THE HERO! YOU¡¯RE NOT BETTER THAN ME¡ª DON¡¯T ACT LIKE YOU¡¯RE BETTER THAN MEEEEEEEE!!!!!¡± Two boys came behind Hajimu in that moment, but before they could do anything¡ª ¡°Hey! What are you three doing!?¡± ¡°Ahhh! Hajimu come on!¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡ªhe delivered a final, strong kick to the boy lying on the ground as an officer began chasing the group down the alley. By the time he reached Yuuko, the group had already made progress in escaping. ¡°Ahhhh,¡± he moaned, crouching down to assess his condition. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, I promise!¡± And just like that, he began chasing the escaping boys. Somewhere along the line, Yuuko hazily acknowledged that the screams¡¯ of his friends were now distant; that he was alone, curled up alongside trash in an alleyway. Similarly, after much time had passed, he half acknowledged the existence of a wet nose sniffing both his arms. But he only barely recognized these stimuli, because what was primarily on his mind was one thing. As he slowly picked himself up off of the concrete, he felt a wide smile starting to form on his face. And after some time, this smile turned into genuine laughter. ¡°Ahahahahaha! I¡ªI did it! I DID IT!¡± Yuuko exploded off the ground, the pain of his wounds flared causing his smile to momentarily falter, but it returned as he continued speaking to the sky. ¡°I did it dad, I finally did it! I was just like a hero!¡± He closed his fists, bringing them towards his chest with an excited squeal. ¡°YES!¡± A sudden realization crashed into Yuuko at that moment. He¡­..he didn¡¯t feel heavy anymore. ¡°I¡­...I can move!¡± He thought, opening and closing his palms. He noted that his chest stopped hurting too¡­.. at least on the inside. On the outside, everything hurt badly. But for some reason, it didn¡¯t make him feel like crying. In a rush to get home, Yuuko hastily began scouring his surroundings for his backpack which had fallen off at some point during his fight with Hajimu. I can¡¯t wait to tell father, he¡¯ll be so proud of me! It should¡¯ve been easy to spot the bright green straps against black and gray trash bins, but it was taking Yuuko an unusually long time. Finally spotting a hint of green, he moved a pile of damaged goods to one side where his draining excitement quelled completely. Behind a small and smelly trash bag; a small, light brown dog with a tail that curved at the very end was resting. Yuuko let out a surprised noise as he flinched away from the dog. He was already a few feet away when it looked up at him, seemingly acknowledging his presence. He shut his eyes hard, bracing himself for its growl¡ª for it to attack again but¡­¡­.he opened his eyes. Its head was resting against its tail, its eyes were closed, and it was curled up in a circle. Yuuko took a cautious step forward. When it didn¡¯t react, he took one more, and repeated this process until he was right next to it. His heart felt heavy. It¡¯s coat had splotches of red on it, and since it was sleeping in a circle, Yuuko could clearly see ribs that were pushing through its skin. It turned its head to look at him, and he could see a weird, white cut under its chin and by its mouth. He didn¡¯t know what to think since they didn¡¯t look like the cuts Hajimu just made, but that wasn¡¯t what he focused on. When their eyes met again, he didn¡¯t know what to call the feeling he saw in them. He felt there was a lot there, but the only thing he knew for certain was that he was looking at something very sad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I never noticed,¡± he said directing his attention to the bruised and visible ribs. ¡°Father must have seen it and knew you wanted this after all. That¡¯s my father for you.¡± He slowly retrieved his backpack and pulled out a small, plastic container. Opening it, the faint smell of cold food mingled with the rotting trash around them, but it was enough to rouse the dog¡¯s interest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I only have leftovers, mother says I need to work harder to finish my food.¡± he said crouching to place the container in front of him. ¡°She says if I don¡¯t eat it all, I can¡¯t grow into a man like father. But I think she would say it¡¯s okay for you to eat it this time.¡± The dog barely attempted to bite the food before it gave a weak, whining growl to Yuuko. He panicked for a brief moment before looking at its face¡ª it didn¡¯t look mad¡­..at least he thought it didn¡¯t. Setting the bento on the ground, he walked to the other end of the alleyway where he sat down, watching the dog slowly chew on cold sausages. It looked like it hurt every time it swallowed, it even paused several times before continuing, though he had no idea why. After about ten minutes, the remainder of his leftovers were gone, and Yuuko approached carefully, making sure it wouldn¡¯t growl at him again. ¡°I¡­...I think you left drool on it¡­.¡± he said putting away his box while wiping the sticky substance off on his pants. ¡°A-Anyway, do you feel better?¡± he asked crouching down. Of course, the dog gave no response. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what I said when I was with father¡­¡­..you¡¯re a nice boy after all. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll come back and find someone who can take care of you. That way, you won¡¯t have to be alone anymore, okay?¡± The dog looked at him, and though he couldn¡¯t tell for sure, he thought it looked like it understood him a bit. Yuuko hesitated after finishing his sentence, but slowly descended his hand closer to the dog¡¯s head. When it noticed, it severely flinched backwards, but to Yuuko¡¯s surprise, made no noises or growls. As he went slower and slower, the dog¡¯s eyes were like marbles, unblinking and unmoving. Yuuko felt surprised when he softly, barely, ever so slightly pet the top of the dog¡¯s head. He tried to hold in a small laugh he had when he saw the face it was making. Its neck was scrunched inward, like he wasn¡¯t sure what to do, or why he liked it. ¡°Thank you for helping me with Hajimu by the way.¡± He said as he rose with his backpack on. ¡°It really hurt when he said those things, and when he was hitting me, but I¡¯m happy you came back.¡± He gave the dog a bright smile. ¡°Thanks for coming back!¡± Of course, the dog gave no response. He waved goodbye as he left the alley, his excitement about telling his mother and father now coming back to him, but he heard a strange noise behind him. Turning around, he saw it was the sound of overgrown nails hitting concrete as a dog with a curved tail came walking towards him. It moved slowly, but with energy, and when it finally caught up to him it simply proceeded to sit down. ¡°Do¡­¡­..you not want to be alone anymore?¡± He didn¡¯t know how, but in response Yuuko noticed its tail barely barely, ever so slightly, move. And he smiled. ¡°Okay! You won¡¯t be alone anymore! I¡¯m really happy you want to stay! I-I¡¯m really happy you came back!¡± The dog clamored up to him, and from there, both began walking at a slow pace. Their injuries hurt them tremendously, but that didn¡¯t matter to them, because they were both making their way home. Part 2 Yuuto could feel the stares as he collected the last of his things from his work desk. He knew he¡¯d attract attention, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so blatantly obvious. Or rather, it¡¯d be more appropriate to say that he hoped he wouldn¡¯t attract any at all. ¡°Yuuto,¡± called his boss from the Fable meeting room. ¡°Come here for a moment when you¡¯re finished, I need you to elaborate on an amendment.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± It wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling to be told such a thing, but it was admittedly expected. The work he¡¯d be doing from here on out wouldn¡¯t require him to have a desk or any personalized computer. In two weeks, when they were officially merged with Fable, he¡¯d be ¡°officially¡± fired. Until then, he supposed he was still needed. As he finished packing the last of his things, he picked up a framed photo of Hikari and Yuuko he always kept in eyesight. It was a simple picture, Yuuko playing in the park with his mother pushing him on the swing. It was his first time on the swings that day. It was a simple picture, one that reminded him of the reason he was still alive. But now? One hand that held the picture treated it like a paper flower; easy to tear at a moment¡¯s notice. The other was balled into a fist so dense his knuckles turned a pale yellow. ¡­...why?.......why am I like this¡­¡­...why would I do this to them¡­¡­.. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know better. Maybe you don¡¯t know what to give them other than words. Maybe you never could''ve given anything at all. Not to them. Not to anyone.¡± The pale yellow turned completely white. ¡°Yuuto¡ª there are thirty minutes left before we begin. Come here. Now.¡± With little choice, Yuuto put down the photo and entered the room where the conference with Fable was to take place. ¡°You should at least make an effort before you¡¯re gone.¡± His boss said as he directed Yuuto inside. He nodded in affirmation and walked towards two middle aged men in business attire. His own clothing was severely lacking in comparison. ¡°You¡¯re having trouble with some of the amendments made?¡± ¡°Yes, you see¡ª here and here you¡¯re elaborations are¡­..insufficient. I¡¯m not sure where you thought you were headed with this, but it doesn''t seem like it¡¯s any good.¡± ¡°Listen I¡ª¡± Yuuto was cut off by the sound of sudden commotion outside the room. Through the glass, he could see men and women standing up to bow to a figure surrounded by serious looking men in formal attire. He couldn¡¯t get a look at the person from the sheer amount of people surrounding them. ¡°E-Excuse me, Head President¡­¡­¡­¡­.Mr. F-Fable is here for the conference.¡± Yuuto always described his boss¡¯ face as round and jovial, but the instant those words left his secretary¡¯s mouth, it was clear panic had begun to set in. He was about to say something to Yuuto before the door swung open, and a tall man¡¯s commanding aura filled the room. The man looked rugged, with broad shoulders and attire that smelled slightly of tobacco. ¡°A very good morning to you gentlemen,¡± the man¡¯s voice projected. ¡°I do believe we are to have a meeting today.¡± The man spoke to the panicked, rotund man as he took a seat at the head of the table. ¡°I apologize for arriving early, however in my experience I¡¯ve found that the best companies to enter business with are those that are well prepared. I do hope you understand.¡± Counting the man and his team, there were a total of eleven people in the room; six from Yuuto¡¯s own workplace, and five from Fable. Not a single one uttered a word. ¡°N-Not at all Mr. Fable.¡± said his boss in an awkward attempt to break the silence. ¡°However, if you could just give us a few moments to finalize our dealings, we¡¯d be very grateful.¡± ¡°Oh? It seems you¡¯re well prepared after all. I applaud you and your employees¡¯ efforts.¡± The compliment seemed genuine, yet out of place, as though the man was unused to giving them. His boss¡¯ confidence and comfort with sudden situation seemed to increase because of this. ¡°Thank you, thank you. It¡¯s because we only hire the best you see. Well¡­.we were having issues with a few amendments, a certain employee of ours was causing us trouble, but we resolved the issue and continued on without delay. Rest assured, he won¡¯t be with us when we enter our joint venture.¡± ¡°A troublesome employee you say,¡± the man said stroking his chin. ¡°What a coincidence. Who is this employee and what did he do.¡± Honestly, he could have at least given me a warning or something¡­¡­did he give me a warning that night? To no surprise, Yuuto couldn¡¯t remember. But he didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about such a thing. When his boss looked expectantly at him, so too did all the other employees in the room. He knew what his boss wanted. Yuuto ignored their piercing glares as he looked the man from that night in the eye and spoke. ¡°Yuuto Asahino sir. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m the one who¡¯s done a terrible disservice to my company. I humbly ask for your forgiveness as I have asked for theirs.¡± ¡°I can hardly do such a thing if I don¡¯t know what the disservice is.¡± His boss intervened before Yuuto could speak. ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware every comp¡ª¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The man commanded. ¡°Y-Yes. Forgive me. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware...sir¡­.every company has at least a few employees that are difficult to deal with. Mr. Asahino has crippled our productivity resulting in more than a few incidents where we nearly missed deadlines or appointments.¡± ¡°That hardly seems like a situation that calls for firing him.¡± ¡°He effects company moral and has repeatedly refused to cooperate with his coworkers and management.¡± ¡°In my experience, employees that don¡¯t wish to cooperate say more about the management.¡± ¡°He doesn''t contribute to our company!¡± ¡°Then why hire him?¡± All six people from his side became quiet. The man with a commanding aura looked to Yuuto¡¯s boss, who was shamelessly staring at the floor. ¡°Have any of you ever spoken to this man before?¡± asked Mr. Fable. ¡°Not casually, sir, no. Do you¡­...know¡­..him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s exactly what this company needs. Companies have forgotten whom they serve. They¡¯ve forgone their ideals in pursuits in money, sponsors, expansion. That is not what I intend for Fable. Virtual Reality should be used to inspire ideals; not sold in the most pragmatic way possible. This man has something everyone, myself included, has lost. That is why I wish to recruit him.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± the CEO whispered in a most aggressive tone. ¡°A man who knows what companies should be, while at the same time increasing their status and capital, is valuable indeed.¡± ¡°According to recent notes,¡± said a pale man with a monotone standing behind the Fable CEO. ¡°Yuuto Asahino was solely responsible for amending all changes to our joint agreement after two employees prior to him were fired for incompetence. One month prior, he solely reworked the buy-in of a tangential business, increasing the initially proposed cost to above market value. It should be noted the company has since brought almost one hundred thousand in profit. Two months prior, he solely proposed¡ª¡± ¡°He assaulted his coworker during our last outing! He does nothing, shows no effort, and doesn''t even attempt to get along with anyone!¡± His boss spoke with a fiery passion and pointed at Yuuto. ¡°He¡¯s a lifeless husk! That¡¯s why I fired him!¡± His boss was completely out of his seat now. It was a good thing the room was soundproof, because Yuuto was certain that everyone would be gathered outside the room otherwise. ¡°Assault, is it?¡± From behind him, the pale man with glasses addressed his boss¡¯ concern in that same monotone. ¡°There are multiple reports claiming that Mr. Asahino assaulted a coworker during their most recent outing. There is also one conflicting report that suggests the assaulted coworker instigated the affair. Overall it seems to have been handled without any investigation as to the cause of the dispute. Given this, it could be said that Mr. Asahino went unconsulted and the case could be reopened and reworked.¡± The CEO of Fable began scratching his chin before finally having the words to speak. ¡°Yuuto.¡± ¡°Ah¡ª yes sir?¡± He twitched at hearing his name called by the CEO in front of so many other people. ¡°What do you think Fable should provide people with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­..not sure I understand the question sir.¡± ¡°Fable Corporation. Pioneer in virtual technology. There are many applications for the technology¡ª what do you believe it should be used for?¡± Yuuto didn¡¯t need to think too long about his answer, but he took his time in thinking about why this man was doing all of this for him. He couldn¡¯t even remember the conversation they had in full, much less the impact he had on him. Needless to say, he knew the CEO asked him that question on purpose; and Yuuto was more than happy to provide the answer he was expecting. ¡°I believe Fable must be different. We live in an era of spiritual drought, a time in which what¡¯s wrong is right and what¡¯s right is wrong. People don¡¯t believe in an objective good anymore, and I believe we must help nurture the ideal of idealism again. We must give people something to believe in.¡± Every man in the room, minus the CEO, appeared dumbfounded. He was sure they were expecting him to say something related to helping people physically, perhaps in driving or some application in the medical field. No one except the man at the head of the table expected his answer, and it was his own boss that erupted first. ¡°You, of all people, have the least right to say that! You¡¯ve never once matched your attitude with your words!¡± ¡°Or perhaps you simply were not paying attention.¡± The CEO spoke. Yuuto felt a heavy weight inside his chest upon hearing those words. He didn¡¯t act on it. ¡°I expect that no one here has a similar answer. While applications to industries like automobiles or video games would certainly be profitable, I fundamentally agree with your employee¡¯s vision. We must be pragmatic, but more than that, we must be idealistic. We are not the first of our kind, but we are the leader, and as such we¡¯re sure to impact many around the globe.¡± The man gave his thoughts as he slowly rose from his chair to look at Yuuto¡¯s boss. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you wouldn¡¯t mind Yuuto working directly under me given your¡­.issues, with him.¡± His boss¡¯ teeth were clenched together, making a grinding sound as he looked down at the floor. ¡°What say you Yuuto?¡± He said turning to face him. ¡°Would you care to join Fable?¡± Yuuto had just been offered a position it takes some people years¡ª decades¡ª to achieve. And here he was, a simple employee, now offered the chance to work under one of the most influential men of one of the fastest growing corporations in the world. All because he said something he didn¡¯t believe in. He¡­..he didn¡¯t deserve this. He didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this. Yuuto desperately pushed down a growing sense of hope that began building inside of him. He couldn¡¯t allow even the faintest positivity to grow in his heart. Is this okay? Could he really have this? With this, Hikari wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard. She could have the time she always wanted to have with Yuuko, to pursue the rest of her hobbies. She could learn to knit like she¡¯s always wanted! And Yuuko¡­¡­¡­ he could give Yuuko the childhood he, himself, never had. Was this really possible for someone like him¡± Is this what it feels like¡­¡­..to have optimism? Can a hypocrite like me really have this? Can I¡­...let myself feel this? ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible sir.¡± The pale man spoke with the same monotone as ever. ¡°I daresay it is. Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid that Mr. Asahino has been blacklisted from working in any corporation since the assault on his coworker. As I mentioned, I¡¯m sure it could be reworked given the grievous circumstances under which it was reported, however it is unlikely to be soon. Given your influence, should you choose to pursue this affair, it¡¯s possible; but until then we are legally not allowed to hire Mr. Asahino.¡± As his own boss laughed, Yuuto noticed the CEO¡¯s face distort into one of disgust, likely due to the fact the pale man would mention such a thing at this moment. But Yuuto didn¡¯t mind. He hazily noticed himself bowing in gratitude to the CEO, he hazily noticed the sound of jubilant laughter coming from a rotund man. He thought he heard a deep, commanding voice telling him to wait as he left the room, but that couldn¡¯t be so. After all, a person like him couldn¡¯t possibly have anything to offer anyone in that room. Part 3 ¡°This¡­..is too much Yuuto. I thought it might be healthy for him, I thought we could make it work but¡­¡­..we can¡¯t. Not anymore.¡± Yuuto was in complete agreement with his wife. The moment he entered his home, he could feel something was wrong. Because of the events that took place in the morning, he had registered himself less so than usual throughout the rest of the day. Before he knew it, evening came, and stepping into his home every shred of lethargy and haziness he felt instantly disappeared. The reason was simple¡ª the scene in front of him had one of the two people he cared for in this world injured beyond belief. He registered this just as Hikari had grabbed alcohol, cotton, band-aids, and gauze for Yuuko¡¯s various cuts to his arms, neck, and face. That¡¯s not even to mention the dirty clothing riddled with dry red stains. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m okay, really! But listen¡ª listen, I¡ª!¡± ¡°What happened here?¡± Yuuto said dropping his things in disbelief. Hikari momentarily turned toward him as he approached. ¡°Help me clean his wounds before they get infected.¡± She sounded calm, but appeared understandably panicked. ¡°Ah! Father! Welcome home! Guess what happened today?! I finally got to¡ª!¡± ¡°ggrrrhh¡­..¡± Yuuto looked under the couch to see a dog with a curved tail crawling out and heading towards Hikari, Yuuko, and himself. Though it hadn¡¯t moved far, one could clearly see its intention to get between Yuuko and them. He was about to pull both of them out of the way until Yuuko sprang up in front of them, arms spread open. ¡°No boy! Mother and father are nice, you can not be mean to them.¡± Yuuto quickly stepped in front of his son, and was about to push him behind his legs; until he saw that there was no need for such an action. He didn¡¯t know how or why, but the dog seemed to understand his son¡¯s intention. It¡¯s low growl turned into suspicious gaze that met Yuuto¡¯s and, for the time being, they seemed to reach a mutual understanding. ¡°Yuuko¡­..is that the stray dog from the alleyway?¡± ¡°Yes! Father you remember!¡± ¡°Of course I do¡­.¡± he said whispered so faintly that his words couldn¡¯t be heard. ¡°It was your first opportunity¡­..¡± ¡°Yuuko, let me see your arm.¡± Hikari said as she held up an alcohol soaked cotton ball. He followed her request as she gave a warning. ¡°This might hurt so I need you to be ready okay?¡± Yuuko gave a vigorous nod as she slowly placed the cotton over his wounds. To Yuuto¡¯s visible surprise, his son only winced. He half expected him to cry from the pain, but no such sound escaped his mouth. ¡°Yuuko¡­..doesn''t it hurt?¡± He said crouching to clean the scrapes on his face. ¡°It hurts a little bit, but it is not like when Hajimu was hitting me so I am okay!¡± ¡°Hitting you? A friend did this to you?¡± A downtrodden shadow appeared over his son¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­..do not think he is my friend anymore.¡± ¡°Yuuko, tell us exactly what happened.¡± Hikari said in soothingly still-panicked voice. Their son proceeded to explain the events that took place just a few hours prior. How he and his friends encountered the dog, their retrieval of the glasses, Yuuko heavy feeling from seeing his friend beat the dog, his defense of the creature, and the new bond he made with him. Needless to say that his parents scolded him severely after every other sentence. ¡°That¡¯s why you brought the dog we saw here?¡± ¡°He was all alone father! It made me feel heavy¡­... but now he has a friend and a home!¡± Yuuto did his best to suppress his own emotions when his son reached the end of his story. He could only stare at the floor, and Hikari made a face that was difficult to read. It seemed that both of them were temporarily at a loss for words, but Yuuko didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Ahahahaha¡ªs-stop that boy hahaha, it¡ª it tickles ahahhaha!¡± The dog slipped through their legs and began licking a cut on Yuuko¡¯s leg. Normally Yuuto would try to stop this, but the majority of his wounds were on his arms and face. If it made him happy, even for a moment¡­¡­. then he should allow this. It was the least he could do to start atoning. After finishing, the dog quietly retreated back into the corner he was watching them from. This quiet had given him more than enough time to think¡ª and all he had was a simple question. ¡°Yuuko¡­..why in the world would you do something so dangerous?¡± His voice held no malice or anger. And despite the wounds, despite his pain, despite his parents scolding him throughout the entirety of his story; when Yuuto asked this question, his son shined a smile he had not seen since the story they read while staring at the stars. ¡°Because it is what a hero does! It is what father would do!¡± Yuuto felt an immense weight inside his chest. After bandaging his arms, Hikari briefly contemplated calling the hospital but decided against it in the end. None of his wounds looked particularly bad after treatment, and they had to be wise about what their son needed. Yuuto was once again amazed at the way she could handle things. It was night by the time both parents finally had the chance to talk; not that it was really needed. Both of them could accurately guess each others¡¯ thoughts and feelings on everything that happened. She carefully set down two cups of tea as she sat next to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled softly as she drank her own cup. Her hair was free tonight, a mess of curls fell in front of her face and shoulders. Her honey colored eyes complimented her loose sweater, yet still, they showed no blame. ¡°You noticed the dog didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It was hiding and didn¡¯t do anything so I thought I would take it out when I finished treating Yuuko.¡± ¡°Taking it out...the same one we saw back then¡­..¡± ¡°Yuuto¡­..¡± ¡°Did you see the way it jumped to protect him? And how it started licking his wounds?¡± ¡°Even if it did, it can¡¯t stay. And with our son¡­...it¡¯s going to far. We can¡¯t support this anymore. Not when it leads to injuries like this.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± He made a fist with the hand in his lap. ¡°¡­¡­.I know you¡¯re right but¡­.. does it have to stop?¡± ¡°It does.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­¡­.it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you angry.¡± ¡°I am,¡± she spoke in a soft tone. ¡°I absolutely am¡­¡­.even though I know I shouldn¡¯t be¡­¡­¡± Those words caught Yuuto by surprise. ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t be¡­...because that¡¯s just like you.¡± ¡°Just¡­..like me?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re idealistic, and that¡¯s why I shouldn¡¯t be angry.¡± Her soft voice lingered with heavy feeling. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be angry because I know that it works, because I know it¡¯s real.¡± ¡°Hikari, I¡ª¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t believe in it completely I do because!¡­¡­¡­.because¡­¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t notice her tightening fist until Yuuto¡¯s hand covered her own. Calm spread through her as their fingers delicately laced together, and Hikari regained her composure. ¡°¡­¡­¡­...that¡¯s what saved me. If you hadn¡¯t been the person you are, with those beliefs, I wouldn¡¯t be here now. It¡¯s wrong of me to deny him the very thing that helped me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve let it happen so far.¡± ¡°And it feels awful. I know heroes are real because it was a hero that saved me. It¡¯s wrong for me to want to stop this, it¡¯s wrong for me to deny those beliefs and yet I wish to anyway. I¡¯m a hypocrite.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not!¡± He said suddenly. He continued speaking to his stunned wife. ¡°Is it really so hypocritical that you want something different for him?¡± ¡°But¡­.I never...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been with you for a long time Hikari.¡± With a faint smile, she blinked away the surprise. ¡°As expected of my husband.¡± ¡°You think that he should find his own ideal?¡± Her smile became pained. ¡°It¡¯s rare for beliefs to be shown now. Even if it saved me¡­..I can¡¯t help but feel that maybe there¡¯s something else for our son. He¡¯s not you, Yuuto, even if someday he can reach those same beliefs.¡± He must have worn a more pained expression than he thought, because she instantly wrapped her other hand around the one she was already holding. ¡°Please, I¡¯m so sorry Yuuto! I¡ªI¡ª¡ªjust want him to be safe¡­.. that¡¯s all I want!¡­. seeing him now¡­¡­. seeing him hurt¡­¡­¡­. it hurts too much¡­¡­..¡± No. She was exactly right. And he knew that well. In fact, he knew it better than anyone. His son is not him, and he prayed that he never would be. His son¡ª ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡ªis not him. That¡¯s exactly why he agrees with her. *That¡¯s why I have to go against our mutual desire. Because he¡¯s not me.* Yes. Ever since that star-filled night, Yuuto has known the difference between him and his son. The difference in how they believe in something. ¡°I¡¯m going to speak to him Hikari. Father and son. Yuuko will grow up to be a fine man that goes down the right path.¡± ¡°Yuu¡­.to¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± His son, his only child, would reach the path he never could. Chapter 5: Those Who Are Least Alone [Part 2] Part 4 The world around him changed in the blink of an eye. The memory haze he got when not spending time with his family had gotten severely worse since being fired, the last thing he remembers is talking to his wife, then being here. If he had to guess, it was the very next day. But where was he now? He remembered speaking with Hikari, but to Yuuto, the environment shift around him was sudden. He was no longer at a table, but outside; no longer sitting, but walking. Fresh air filled his lungs while the evening sun dyed the sky an iridescent crimson. He looked around until finding a young boy in front of him, quietly walking forward with a smile on his face. Ahh, that¡¯s right¡ª we¡¯re walking home from school right now. I just picked him up. It was frightening¡ª the only thing he did was blink. He wasn¡¯t always like this, but rare was the occasion where this otherwise didn¡¯t happen. He felt as though his body wasn¡¯t his own when not with the people he loved; like he was on autopilot. His body moved- there was a faint recognition of what he was doing- but he didn¡¯t feel there. Complete. Whole. And yet, it just happened with the people he loved most¡­... ¡°Father? Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hnn? Oh, yeah, I¡¯m alright Yuuko. How was school?¡± His son looked as though he was deciding whether or not to believe him, but answered the question with a smile. ¡°It was good! Hajimu and the others ignore me now, so I do not get hit anymore!¡± Hikari was right. It hurts¡­.... so much. Having left the school district, Yuuto steered them towards a passing hill that overlooked the warm orange sky. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down here for a little while.¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± He patted the spot next to him in response as his son happily followed suit. It has to be here. ¡°Yuuko, why do you want to be a hero?¡± ¡°Father?¡± The question caught his son off guard, but Yuuto waved off the confusion and encouraged his son¡¯s answer. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­...because¡­¡­. heroes are heroes!¡± He smiled. He really is too young to fully understand. He understands in part. That means it¡¯s not too late¡­¡­. even so¡­.. ¡°Yuuko, you know what you did with the dog was dangerous¡ª¡± ¡°I-I am sorry father, I just thought that!¡ª¡± ¡°Yuuko, let people finish speaking before you say something.¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­..¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, because you did the right thing.¡± ¡°I¡­...thought it was bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. Yuuko, there¡¯s something I need to tell you as your father. I need you to listen right now, because one day I won¡¯t be able to tell you anymore.¡± ¡°W-Why not?¡± ¡°Yuuko, you¡¯re not listening, it¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­...what is important father?¡± He took in a ragged breathe. ¡°Do you remember what I¡¯ve always told you about heroes?¡± ¡°They are¡­.alone? Because some people do not like them?¡± ¡°Yes, but you need to remember¡ª people don¡¯t like heroes because they don¡¯t believe they¡¯re real. Those people are wrong.¡± He hoped his son would be able to understand him, and from his wide pupils, he seemed to be following along. ¡°Those people are the ones that most need someone like you. People that don¡¯t believe they exist, you¡¯ll have to prove them wrong.¡± ¡°W-Why don¡¯t they think heroes are real?¡± ¡°Because they don¡¯t believe in the most fundamental ability given to mankind.¡± ¡°I¡­. don¡¯t think I get it.¡± Yuuto awkwardly scratching the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you another day. But for right now, I need to ask you: do you really want to be a hero? Even if it means being alone? Even if it means getting hurt like you did yesterday?¡± ¡°I do!¡± His son¡¯s immediate response caught him off guard. ¡°I want to be a hero because I helped the dog! H-Hajimu was being a bully to him, so I helped! It hurt when he hit me¡­...it hurt a lot¡ª but it hurt more when I couldn¡¯t help father the first time!¡± ¡°Yuuko¡­..?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I want to be like father! That¡¯s why I want to be a hero!¡± His son had riled himself up so much he was standing a few centimeters from his face with eyes full of light. They look like¡­¡­.. His son must absolutely learn. As he looked towards the sun, Yuuto stood up¡ª posing with dramatic flair. If this is his son¡¯s wish, then he must set him on the path towards fulfilling it. ¡°Then you¡¯ll need to know something important. Something you¡¯ll have to carry with you for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Yes! What is it father?¡± ¡°You will have to fight Yuuko! This world is full of people who don¡¯t believe in heroes, who don¡¯t want to be heroes! You must believe in good, just like you have to know that you won¡¯t have it easy. It¡¯s going to hurt in more ways than one! But I believe you can do it.¡± Because you have the most fundamental power given to mankind. ¡°To¡­¡­¡­ fight?¡± ¡°You can only protect something, you can only be a hero, if you¡¯re strong in body and soul!¡± His father exclaimed while taking another dramatic pose. His son seemed to process his words for a moment before asking a surprising question. ¡°Father, why did Hajimu hit me yesterday?¡± Yuuto internally panicked. He was currently in his ¡°pose¡± mode of speaking to Yuuko. I need to give him something to remember; a satisfactory answer that will help! ¡°Son, some people aren¡¯t like you, and they fight against you because they see how different you are from them¡ª they see how much better they can be!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°But not everyone is like that, and I believe you can change the few that aren¡¯t! Fight against a world that tells you heroes don¡¯t exist¡ª help people, and become a hero!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll show you I can do it father! I¡¯ll help people just like I helped!¡­¡­.er¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don''t want to call our dog ¡®dog¡¯. Can I give him a name?¡± As he exited his ¡°flair¡± mode of speaking, he vaguely remembered talking to Hikari about whether or not the dog could stay at the home. It was a grueling decision, but it¡¯d be the first step in making Yuuko more responsible, so they allowed it. With various conditions of course. ¡°How about ¡®Mayoi¡¯?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­. does it mean something nice?¡± He let out a small laugh. ¡°No no, that¡¯s not a good name. I would relate to the dog too much if that were his name.¡± ¡°Relate?¡± ¡°How about ¡®Toshi¡¯?¡± ¡°Ohhhhhhh! Cool name father! Does it mean something?¡± He looked at the setting sun once more. He still had time before it disappeared under the horizon; he still had time left before later. Before night came. ¡°Before that I want to tell you something more. Are you up for listening to you father for a little more?¡± ¡°Hnm!¡± his son enthusiastically nodded. ¡°I want father to tell me more about being a hero!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about doing the right thing,¡± he laughed. It felt good to laugh with his son. It felt good that, just for a moment, there was no weight, no pain, left in his chest. At this moment, inside of Yuuto, was a warm light. * * * * * They arrived to an empty home, but it was to be expected. His wife had called him earlier in the day to let him know she would arrive late. Her tone made it abundantly clear she was ... dissatisfied¡ª at her coworkers¡¯ slack; forcing her to stay behind as opposed to going home to see her husband and son. He felt awful, leaving her to be the one working and not him. They still didn¡¯t have the conversation about his workplace due to various other circumstances arising; but more than that, he felt awful about not being able to fulfill their original plan. Yuuto was going to be the one working once his company had merged. A larger paycheck meant that Hikari could stay at home with Yuuko more, she could pursue the hobbies she¡¯d always wanted to pursue, learn to knit, relax the way she deserved to. As always, you¡¯re incompetent¡­...but that¡¯ll change soon. During the time he was on autopilot, Yuuto developed a plan. If it worked, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about working so hard anymore. Perhaps that¡¯s why it¡¯s a blessing in disguise that she wasn¡¯t here now. She said she would only be an hour late at most, but that was all the time he needed. ¡°Yuuko, come here please.¡± Yuuko set down his backpack and ran towards his father. ¡°Yes?¡± He kneeled down to speak with him. ¡°You remember what we talked about right? All evening?¡± ¡°Yes! I still remember!¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± He struggled to control his voice. ¡°Take good care of your mother okay? She¡¯ll be home soon.¡± ¡°Er, yes. Okay.¡± ¡°Yuuko?¡± ¡°Yes father?¡± He hugged his son. ¡°I¡­¡­¡­..I love you. Remember that, okay?¡± He struggled to control his eyes when he felt a small pair of arms reach across his back. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I will! Because I love father too!¡± Embedding the feeling into his heart, he stood up before it became too much. ¡°Alright, go put up your things.¡± His son dutifully followed his father¡¯s instructions as Yuuto made his way to his room. Before entering, he heard a high pitched whine while an odd sensation poked at his legs. ¡°Hey Toshi,¡± he said to the source. ¡°Sorry we got off on the wrong foot.¡± The dog seemed complacent, yet oddly clingy¡ª pawing at his legs with fervor. It wasn¡¯t until he crouched down to meet it that it stopped, opting now to stare at him. ¡°I¡¯m glad we could make things right in the end,¡± he said petting the top of its head. ¡°Take good care of Yuuko for me.¡± Just before Yuuto could remove his hand, Toshi opened his mouth and bit Yuuto¡¯s palm. No, it would be more correct to say that Toshi held a grip on Yuuto¡¯s hand with his mouth, not aiming to hurt him, but to detain him. To stop him. Yuuto gently removed his hand from its grasp. ¡°I think Yuuko made the right choice saving you. But I have to make my own choice now. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Toshi gave a final half-hearted paw to Yuuto¡¯s leg before he stood up and shut the door behind him. He and Hikari¡¯s room looked like the inside of a ruby, dyed with the profound crimson glow that only ever came during the last few minutes of sunset. How appropriate. As he began the process, he found it ironic that he was conscious in this moment. The memory gaps would usually begin at a time like this, perhaps it was because he had nothing left to ¡®skip¡¯ to. If that was the case, Yuuto was all the more thankful he was carrying out his actions now. It frightened him to think that he might one day have a memory gap of his family. Or worse, to be on autopilot with them. Did he have conflicting feelings about these thoughts? Of course. But this is better in the long run. Or so he tried to tell himself. It would be better for his wife, who wouldn¡¯t need to work as hard to sustain herself and Yuuko¡­¡­. his only son¡­.. Of course this is better for him. It has to be. Because one day he¡¯ll grow up; aging is an inevitable part of life, and when he does, he will see that his father is not the man he believed him to be. This is something Yuuto can not allow. To maintain his son¡¯s wish, Yuuto must maintain the image Yuuko has built of him, lest he stop the path that he¡¯s on. Because if Yuuto is still here, he will lead his son astray. It¡¯s not a question of ¡®if¡¯ it¡¯ll happen, but ¡®when¡¯. This is something he knows in absolute. Pathetic. ¡°I know.¡± Weak. ¡°I know.¡± IF YOU KNOW THEN STOP THIS! ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..can¡¯t¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Why not!? ¡°Because¡­...I was born into this world.¡± A world without mercy. A world devoid of light within men. Of spirit. ¡°I¡­..was born into a world of perpetually diminishing returns. Yet I am to blame, I know that. I know but¡­..I¡¯m not better.¡± For years he repeated the lines, wore the smile, and looked for the best. Maybe there really was a time when he believed in it, maybe there really was a time where he believed he fulfilled his ideal. Where he became the best man he could possibly be. Maybe at one point in time, he too, possessed the most fundamental ability given to human beings. But this world steals far more than it gives. The world of diminishing returns. Maybe that is the worst punishment for a human being. To strive for something unattainable. To work towards a goal only to be unable to reach it. At the end of the day, he¡¯s only a human being. He began to feel tears streaming down his face. He tried his best. And his best was simply not enough. So for a moment of bravery on his part, he will instill a lifetime of hope, bravery, and ideals. ¡°This is the last time¡­¡­.I will be able to fulfill my own ideal.¡± His final epiphany struck as he laid down into his bed. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m relieved¡­¡­..I¡¯m happy.¡± For a man such as him, a humble human being, born into a world that takes everything¡ª for a man such as he to have had something to strive towards in the first place¡­. was a blessing. God had mercy on him. To let him have a family, to love and be loved in return. ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡± He experienced the humanity, the blessing that is life, and through him¡ª a new fire would be kindled. A new dawn. It seems God was with him after all. He turned and looked out the window, towards the brilliantly fading red horizon. That sunset reminded him of that day, long ago. The day he kept his ideal. Part 5 ¡°Fancy meeting you here again,¡± he said taking the tissue she kindly offered. ¡°It is not chance. I am here on purpose.¡± Her words caught him by surprise. ¡°At this bridge in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°When did they adopt you?¡± she asked completely disregarding his question. Yuuto was so taken aback that he forgot how to speak. ¡°Please wipe the blood off of your forehead and hold the tissue on the cut. It has peroxide in it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­. right. Thanks.¡± Part of the blood had dried already, but was quickly coming off due to the properties of the tissue. It didn¡¯t take away the pain, but it was better than constant bleeding. ¡°How¡­..did you know? I only just met you yesterday, and no one besides Tomomi even¡ª¡± ¡°Please answer my question.¡± He was too light headed to press the issue further, and she was helping him with his wounds so he obliged. He also couldn¡¯t help but think it sounded nice when she said ¡®please¡¯. ¡°Three years ago. Hina¡ª Hinansho, my mother¡ª was kind enough to take me in when my last foster family left.¡± ¡°And you repay her by taking the beatings from her husband?¡± He scratched the back of his head only to flinch away. His habit manifested by itself at times like this, forgetting he is injured. ¡°By the time he¡¯s through with me, he¡¯s usually too tired to go after my mother and little brother. If it¡¯s for them, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°That is why you act in such a way,¡± she said handing him another tissue to clean the last stray lines of red on his face. ¡°You have never had someone to look up to.¡± Faintly smiling, he wiped the blood away but flinched once more when touching the wound, though more out of reflex than pain. He couldn¡¯t help but think it was quite the miracle the cut wasn¡¯t deeper. With the way he took the hit, by all rights he should be in the hospital right now. Yet here he is, under his bridge, without a care in the world. ¡°Do you not pity yourself?¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± he said in response to her sudden question. ¡°Because of your circumstances. Do you not despise the world you are forced to live in? The world you were born into?¡± That was a question he had often asked himself. Yet his answer had always remained the same. ¡°Of course I do.¡± he said staring into the red-soaked tissue. ¡°But I don¡¯t have time for pity when there are people who need me.¡± ¡°Does this world need someone like you?¡± He grimaced at the phrasing. ¡°Maybe not. Even so, this world is cruel. In a way, that¡¯s why I¡¯ll do what I can, I¡¯ll believe what I do, in order to change it. God won¡¯t help those who won¡¯t help themselves you know.¡± The air seemed to fill with the comfortable sound of silence when no answer escaped her. Looking at her, she appeared different. He wryly scratched the back of his head again, only this time with a smile. ¡°You know, you seem a lot friendlier compared to yesterday night and earlier today.¡± ¡°There¡­. is a reason for that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Come with me. Do not strain yourself.¡± ¡°Where would we go at this time of night?¡± he said slowly following her up to the bridge stairs. ¡°It is only 9pm, but that matters little.¡± she said turning around to meet him. ¡°Here. Take me to this address.¡± She handed him a sheet of paper with a small map attached to one side of it. It was incredibly detailed, every street, every building, labeled precisely with perfect handwriting. ¡°This place isn¡¯t too far, but everything here is labeled so well I don¡¯t see why you¡¯d need me to guide you.¡± he said shifting through the map. ¡°What exactly is this place?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡­. my home.¡± Yuuto began blushing when he saw her do the same. ¡°I u-understand you¡¯re a transfer student¡­..and all¡­...but are you sure you want me to go with you all the way back to your house?¡± ¡°As you said, I am new to the city and am¡­.not good, with directions. Please guide me.¡± ¡°Not¡­.. good?¡± The coincidences began piecing themselves in Yuuto¡¯s mind. No wonder I ran into her yesterday morning, she must¡¯ve been running late to class because she got lost. And even if she did live in this area, of course she wouldn¡¯t know the shortcuts like I do. ¡°I-I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± The two began making their way towards their destination in almost total silence. This wasn¡¯t at all the case for Yuuto¡¯s inner thoughts, or his heart, which was going to beat out of his chest. Just how unpredictable is this girl!? First she leaves me hanging outside, then she threatens me with a knife, then she says nothing at all to me when I see her again at school today only for her to find me under the bridge and offer me tissues for my past?! It hasn¡¯t even been two days and now I¡¯m walking her home because I want an answer to some vague question! Needless to say, due to his lack of experience in romantic situations, his mind and body were racing with dangerously obscene thoughts which he was quick to try and dispel. I have an injury! I could pass out from blood fluctuations¡ª wait, blood fluctuations? Are those even a thing!? It might not be too late to turn back! No! Not until I at least¡­. at least¡­¡­.. ¡°We have arrived.¡± ¡°Just how fast does time fly when you¡¯re distracted!?¡± Yuuto however, quickly got himself under control. Not from arriving, no, but from the sheer amount of shock he felt in seeing where they were. ¡°Hikari¡­. is this¡­. the right place?¡± ¡°Yes. Come to my room.¡± He followed her as she began walking up rusted stairs that clung to the side of the building. The moon illuminated various decaying parts of the apartment building; chipped paint and spots of mold were just some of the indecencies he saw as they climbed up to the fourth story. Walking through the corridor, he could smell the trash piling up, some of it illuminated by dim light produced by dying lightbulbs. He could scarcely believe what his eyes were taking in. He was about to question her on this when she opened her door and led him inside. A single light flickered on overhead. He felt relieved, yet still shocked, if feeling both at the same time were even possible. The inside of her apartment was neat and quite clean; if a bit empty. Polished wooden floors accented a clean kitchen and lead into a neatly organized bedroom. A single bed lay just below the window where one could see the river coursing through a city illuminated by lights. The only decoration was a potted plant that sat silently on the window, as if perpetually observing the lives of all the humans that lived in the city. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to make of the rumor about you being blue-blooded.¡± ¡°It is for those who can not think for themselves. I pay it no mind, but it is of interest to people. Especially the members of the council.¡± ¡°Sorry again, about today. I interfered and¡­. probably made things worse for you.¡± She stopped what she was doing and walked up to Yuuto. ¡°Yet you chose to help. Both today, and yesterday. People like you are¡­¡­. nonexistent.¡± He felt a shock go through his brain. People like you. ¡°Yesterday you said the same thing. When I mentioned your eyes.¡± There was no trace of it now, but Yuuto was sure that feeling was still buried within her. ¡°You believe that I am angry.¡± ¡°I do. Because I¡¯ve seen those eyes before.¡± ¡°And how curious that I have never seen eyes like yours, yet I know exactly what they are. I can see what you plainly hide.¡± ¡°You called them ¡®shifting hollow eyes¡¯. What do you mean by that? And what do you mean by saying the president should be wary of people like me?¡± ¡°I do not understand why you proceed to ask questions you already know the answer to.¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I understand your point, but answer me. Please.¡± She spun around in a small curtsy, but the action held no emotion. She did the same thing with her voice but¡­...it sounded as though she was actively trying to make it sound in such a way. ¡°Why else do you think that man ran away? One instinctively knows the dangers of a man who does not believe in himself. If the president calls himself a pragmatist in acquiring what he desires, one could say the opposite about you. At least, they would. But they cannot.¡± He felt like a train had just hit him. No. It would be far more accurate to say that he felt a train went through him. Her words¡­. pierced straight through him. ¡°You, an idealist who actively avoids what he wants, and throws himself unto others. How ironic that you commit such acts despite the fact you despise the world you were born into.¡± ¡°But your eyes are no different.¡± His words caught her off guard, and she looked up to find him staring at her. ¡°Why do you hate the world you were born into?¡± ¡°This is not about me, but about you. Do you know the reason I asked you to come here?¡± He was going to give her a sarcastic answer, to tell her that he didn¡¯t have time to sit around and wait for her to finish her analysis. But something held him back. Unknowing in why he continued to stay, and simply shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°My my. Quite the self-control you have. Another reason for me to do this with you.¡± She started walking closer towards him until they were a meter apart. ¡°The reason I have asked you to come here is because I trust you.¡± ¡°Trust¡­¡­. me?¡± ¡°Yes. Yesterday when I mistook you for a stalker, you said something to me. You told me that you were just a stray that wanted to help. I would not have believed any other person¡­...but you are different.¡± She walked passed him as she spoke, opting to look through the window, into the city night. ¡°Your eyes¡­.. were not deceitful. I have seen enough lies in my life to know when a human is lying, and you¡­¡­. your eyes were not lying. They were not deceitful.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡­. what did you see?¡± ¡°That they were empty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I do not understand you. I do not understand why you act the way you do even though you are empty. I do not understand why you chase goodness when you can not see it. Perhaps it is because you have never seen it that you attempt to emulate it. Or emulate what it should be.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.that¡¯s not¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There are plenty who wish to act righteous, but none who carry it through and even fewer that genuinely understand it. How ironic that the one man who embodies it, may not even believe it himself. How ironic¡­¡­.for you to not believe in your own words.¡± Yuuto had never felt so vulnerable in his life. The edges of his vision became dark, and he couldn¡¯t retaliate in the slightest. ¡°Why¡­¡­.would you trust a hypocrite?¡± ¡°Because I wish to know why in a pragmatic, empty world¡ª you choose idealism. I wish to know what ideal you repeat to yourself. Over and over and over again.¡± The way she said those last few words; as if she was emphasizing his internal struggle to keep himself going everyday. Every. Single. Day. What reason could he possibly have to get up? At the end of the day, he can¡¯t protect his family, his future was uncertain, and his life unknown. I wish to know why¡­...you choose idealism. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­¡­. I¡¯m alone.¡± One by one, as he stared out of the window, cars stopped passing; and people stopped walking. He didn¡¯t notice at what point he had sat down on her bed. He looked away to find she stood in front of him. Yuuto felt an immediate sense of¡­...a feeling he couldn¡¯t quite place. He wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but the gaze she had at the moment was too intense. Shimmering golden eyes, like luminent honey, pierced through him once more, making him feel exposed. She knew about his family, his life, his innermost thoughts; but this girl herself was nothing but a mystery. He wanted to stand up and leave¡­...but he didn¡¯t. He had the strangest feeling that she didn¡¯t want him too either. ¡°I have finally found you. Yuuto Asahino.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­. my full name.¡± ¡°Please say my full name as well.¡± ¡°W-Why?¡± ¡°I need to hear it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange and I don¡¯t know you too well¡­.¡± ¡°Please. This is necessary for me.¡± He let out a sigh at the girl who kept herself as far from people as possible. ¡°Hikari¡­Aeri.¡± Her stare got no less intense. In fact, Yuuto thought he saw it become even more so, if that was possible. In a single heartbeat, she grabbed one of his arms, shoving him hard against his chest so they both fell backwards and onto her bed. He raised his free arm in reaction to her assault only for her to pin it against his side and hold it there with her legs. In a single breathe, Yuuto had been immobilized¡ª at the mercy of a girl holding a knife against his throat. Unfazed by the girl¡¯s actions, Yuuto asked a question. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I am at the zenith of my life. I have found you¡ª a man whom I believed did not exist. My entire life I was alone, like you, and I want to die with the feeling that burns in my heart at this very moment.¡± ¡°You were¡­..alone?¡± ¡°Everyday I struggled. The masks became so heavy that I could not breathe. That is why I am going to kill you, and kill myself.¡± ¡°Because you found someone like me?¡± ¡°Because I have never experienced something genuine. In solitude I was most alone, and with you, I do not feel alone anymore. I am relieved to have found someone who struggles. Even if he is a hypocrite. I am¡­.. happy.¡± Yuuto understood perfectly. To anyone else, she might not make sense¡ª no, of course she wouldn¡¯t. But to him, it was clear. The only problem was¡ª ¡°¡ªHikari¡­¡­. that¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°It is true¡ª you are someone who has never known family. Never known friendship. Never known love.¡± ¡°Hikari, I believe that in solitude¡­¡­.we¡¯re least alone.¡± The knife began shaking against his throat. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was from her rage¡­..or her sadness. Nevertheless, he continued speaking. ¡°People are meant to be surrounded by others, we''re meant to socialize. When we''re alone, we¡¯re forced to confront ourselves. There''s an internal battle a man is forced to fight; he''s forced to recognize who he is. What he believes in. Who he wants to become. Sometimes it takes months or even years for the man to confront his internal struggle. The more time a man spends alone, the more he becomes isolated. And paradoxically, the more he understands the nature of humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­ that is where your ideal came from.¡± The light in her apartment, the only source of illumination, shattered at that moment¡ª but neither paid it any mind. By the window, the city lights became more than enough to see. It was more than enough to illuminate Yuuto¡¯s faint smile. ¡°If that is true, it is all the more reason to kill you now. I will not be surrounded by people like them, I would be alone once more. I will not be happy, I will not be hopeful, not like this, not ever again.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t believe that,¡± he said gently freeing his arm from under her leg. ¡°I believe that in solitude, we were least alone. It¡¯s because we know the pain of isolation that we¡¯ve managed to find each other.¡± ¡°How¡­..do you mean?¡± ¡°We became truly human. We¡¯re the only people who can look at everything wrong in the world and still believe good can come of it.¡± ¡°The world is lost. It is only all the more reason to die here.¡± ¡°Maybe so, yes. But I don¡¯t want to die without having known the happiness of being with you, being with another human being.¡± He gently guided the knife down to his side. There was nothing between them anymore. ¡°You said it yourself. My words are false, and my ideals may be too. That¡¯s why I¡¯d like at least one chance to prove them true. To the person that sees right through them, and the person that struggles in maintaining herself bound to something she could never see.¡± ¡°What¡­¡­.. is your ideal?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ to be there for someone when I am needed.¡± ¡°Then will you promise to stay until your ideal is fulfilled? Do you promise to always stay here with me, by my side?¡± ¡°Do you need me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..show me¡­..¡± He raised his hand to brush away the hair covering her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll always stay with you. But until the day you no longer need me, until that day, I promise I will be here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. and I will choose to believe you, Yuuto Asahino.¡± * * * ¡°A man tries to fix what is broken in himself, with what little he has. But he may spend all his life fixing it, while others pass him by fulfilled¡ª and sometimes¡ª even all he can do will not be enough.¡± He set down his final sheet of paper, and laughed so softly, one must wonder if he even made a sound at all. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡­.she¡¯ll tell him one day.¡± As he felt the strings tying him to the world come undone, he smiled. Perhaps he was a hypocrite, but he smiled in knowing the future. He smiled in knowing that never once, has he broken a promise. * * * * * ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± she said taking off her shoes. ¡°Yuuto, Yuuko, where are you?¡± The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She always arrives home earlier than her husband; her preemptive measure. She could feel it in the depths of her soul, something was wrong. ¡°Mother, welcome home! Ahh, but we need to be quiet.¡± ¡°Yuuko,¡± she said increasingly panicked. ¡°Where is your father?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, I went inside the room but he¡¯s taking a nap, wh¡ª mother?¡± She rushed past him, carelessly dropping her bag and spilling its contents across the floor. ¡°Yuuto!¡± she said banging on the door. No response came, and she threw open the door. Few times in her life has she ever been at a loss for words. Yet never in her life had she been at a loss for actions. Holding the doorknob, Hikari fell on her knees, her hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to stop the escaping sounds. Tears could not describe the heavy streams carving down her cheeks as she rose on shaking knees, inching closer to her husband, using the wall for support, lest she fall and become unable to stand again. Whimpers, wails, could not describe the sound she made as she spoke her husband¡¯s name. ¡°Y-Yuuto¡­.?¡± Reaching the bed, she grasped her husband¡¯s clothes. ¡°Yuuto!?¡± When she put her ear over his chest, there was no word on earth that could describe the terrible pain that pierced her heart. ¡°Y-Y-Yuuto! Yuuuuuttooo-hoho!¡± She clutched her heart. ¡°YUUUUUUTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOO!!!!!¡± Darkness was the only thing the young boy could see when he peered inside the room. As light from the moon illuminated the room little by little, the young boy approaching his crying mother in confusion. ¡°M-Mother?¡± ¡°Yu¡ªuuuko! You¡ª¡¯re father is, h-he¡¯s going to be¡­¡­.! G-Go back, g-g-go into the lih¡ªving room! Hurry!¡± His mother''s tears made it nearly incomprehensible to understand her. He stayed behind her, observing as his mother dialed a number on the phone, speaking through tears. He held onto his father¡¯s foot as his mother practically lay on top of him. He didn¡¯t know what was happening, only that his mother was in pain. It was odd that in such a moment, he noticed a piece of paper that had fallen on the floor. The moonlight gave just enough visibility for Yuuko to read it, but he didn¡¯t understand it at all. Only the words at the bottom of the page made any sense. ¡°Someday we will see each other again. Know that with all my heart, I believe in you. And I love you. Always. Love, Your Father - Yuuto Asahino¡± How long the two stayed there, he didn¡¯t know. But as Yuuko stood next to his crying mother, the wail of sirens grew louder while flashing lights replaced the soft white beams streaming through the bedroom window. ¡°Mother? Is Father okay?¡± Epilogue: A Chance Meeting Part 1 ¡°I saw you leave, but then you tripped and I thought you might be hurt.¡± He said as he wrapped the handkerchief around the back of her hand. ¡°Y-You fell too,¡± she said. ¡°The servants will help me, why don¡¯t you use it for yourself?¡± He looked back to where she was pointing. It¡¯s true, he fell when his shoe crashed into a corner of a stone, but he couldn¡¯t help it. All of the stones were tall and had writing on them, so he didn¡¯t expect one to be long at the bottom. Plus, it was covered in grass, so he couldn¡¯t see it even if he could¡¯ve seen it. Does that make sense? Realizing he wasn¡¯t answering her question, he turned back to the girl with strange, light colored hair. He didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to mention it, but she looked almost like a doll. ¡°Father taught me that a man helps girls whenever they need it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.still¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Done.¡± He said tying the knot together. ¡°T-Thanks¡­¡­..I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Father says¡­¡­. father said that stuff like this isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± He stared into the stone he crashed into earlier, but stopped almost as quickly¡ª shaking his head and remembering his father¡¯s words.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I can¡¯t look at the ground! Father wouldn¡¯t do that! And after all¡ª I¡¯m going to be¡­¡­¡­!¡± Part 2 The boy¡¯s friends attempted to help at first, but they were the first ones on the ground when the girl charged at them. Before long, all three boys were incapacitated¡ª with the girl focusing on the one who had insulted her in the first place. ¡°I told you to stop calling me that¡ª I¡¯m not a girl! Stop calling me a girl or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Sorry, I-I¡¯m sorry¡­..¡± The boy was on the ground in the fetal position, his head and torso carefully tucked away, saving him from the nastiest of her strikes. No one else would be coming to the rear end of the school, where they currently were, so the girl had all the time in the world to continue. But their saving grace came; it seemed she wouldn¡¯t get to finish. In the distance, the school bell chimed, signalling the start of the first day of second grade. ¡°You got lucky.¡± she growled as she began walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class.¡± As the girl slipped past the multitude of smiling families and first day photos, she noticed that the boys were saved from her yet again. None of them shared a classroom with her this year, in fact, she only recognized a handful of other students and the figure that stood at the head of the classroom. ¡°Tch. Again.¡± And so she took her seat; waiting by herself for another ten minutes until the commotion died down, and the teacher called everyone¡¯s attention to the front of the class. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m very happy to see you all again this year! Some of you I know, some of you I don¡¯t know¡ª but let¡¯s all have a great year together, okay?¡± ¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°¡°Yes sir!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±¡± ¡°Sure.¡± the girl mumbled. The teacher¡¯s positive attitude put her in an even worse mood. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all excited, I am too, but before we start we¡¯re going to introduce a transfer student joining our class this year!¡± Excited mumblings went around at the teacher¡¯s announcement. ¡°Settle down,¡± he said, turning his attention to the door. ¡°Alright, come on in!¡± The mumbling intensified as a relatively plain boy with black hair and golden eyes entered the classroom. ¡°Now then young man, would you mind telling us your name and something about yourself?¡± None of it interested her. Not the new year, not the announcement, not even the transfer student himself. No, it wasn¡¯t until she heard his words that she perked her head up¡ª eyes brightening like the sky on a summer¡¯s day¡ª and a look of awe covered her face. ¡°My name is Yuuko Asahino,¡± he declared to the class. ¡°And I want to be a man!¡±