Ren stopped walking.
Shiin halted too, blinking. "Ren?"
"Shiin… can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do you think my brother was wrong? About the Five Virtues. About trying to lead with honor. "
Shiin's expression shifted to a serious one, painfully honest one.
"I think… your brother was a good person in a world that doesn't reward good people. "
He looked down briefly. "I think he tried to build something beautiful and it broke under the weight of reality. "
Ren's expression tightened. "That's not an answer. "
"Because I don't have an answer, Ren. " Shiin's voice cracked with frustration.
"I am just a first-year who knows too much gossip. I am not a fighter. I am not in a gang. I stay out of this stuff because I'm scared. I'm really scared. "
A brief silence fell between them.
"But you?" Shiin stepped in front of Ren, eyes clear despite the fear he admitted to. "You're not scared. Or maybe you are, and you just don't care. "
