Chapter 70: A Thread Unraveling
The air in Kisaragi High felt heavier that day.
It wasn't just the clouds looming low in the sky or the humidity that pressed against the students' skin. It was something deeper—an unspoken anxiety that spread through the friend group like an invisible mist. The events of the previous day at the shrine still echoed in everyone's minds, especially Riku's.
Riku sat near the window in class, staring blankly at his notebook. His pen rested idle between his fingers, but the ink bled slowly into the paper, creating a tiny pool of darkness. Airi sat beside him, watching him quietly, the faintest frown tugging at her lips.
"Riku," she whispered, tapping her pen against his arm, "you're doing it again."
He blinked and looked at the blot. "Right. Sorry."
She didn't say anything more, but the way she turned away, pressing her lips together, said enough.
---
Meanwhile, across the classroom, Kaito leaned over toward Yuuna.
"Do you think he's still thinking about what happened yesterday?" Kaito asked.
Yuuna nodded slowly. "Wouldn't you? That was the first time we saw his Bloom react so violently."
"Yeah... and the pendant lit up again," Kaito said, scratching the back of his neck. "That never happens unless he's in serious danger."
Yuuna's eyes shifted toward the window, where Riku remained distant. "I think something's happening inside him. Something even he doesn't understand."
---
After school, the group met at their usual hideout—the abandoned train station on the edge of town, now overgrown with moss and blooming red sakura. The place, once a ruin, had become their secret sanctuary.
Riku arrived last. He stepped through the ivy-draped gate slowly, his shoulders heavy.
"You're late," Kaito said, but his tone lacked any real annoyance.
"Sorry," Riku muttered.
Airi stood up from her seat on the broken bench and faced him. "We need to talk."
The others formed a circle, and the wind stirred as if even the air braced for tension.
"That surge yesterday," Airi began, "it wasn't just the pendant. It was you, Riku. Your energy was out of control. You could've hurt someone."
"I know that," Riku said softly.
Airi's voice rose. "Then why won't you open up to us?! We're not just your friends—we're your allies. We're part of this now."
Riku turned away, his fists clenched. "Because I don't want any of you to get involved with what's coming."
"Too late for that," Kaito said, folding his arms. "We already are."
Yuuna stepped forward. "We all chose to walk this path with you. Stop carrying everything alone."
Riku hesitated.
His mind flashed back to his brother's disappearance.
---
Flashback: Six Years Ago
Rain poured over the silent hills as Riku, younger and trembling, stood before a broken well where his brother had vanished. The pendant, still cold and unfamiliar, burned on his chest. His father's hand had gripped his shoulder that day.
"Your brother was chosen by the Bloom," his father said, voice thick with grief. "One day, you might be too. And when that happens... don't run. Embrace it."
But Riku had always been running.
---
He looked back at his friends.
"Fine," he said. "I'll tell you everything. About the pendant. About my brother. And about the Bloom that changed my life."
The group sat in silence, but their eyes didn't waver.
"When I was twelve," Riku began, voice steady, "my brother disappeared during the Blooming Hour. He was investigating a relic that had appeared in our village. Before he vanished, he gave me this pendant... and said that it would protect me when the time came."
Airi placed a hand on his arm. "So this isn't just about power. It's about finding him."
He nodded. "Yes. And I think he's still out there. Somewhere, connected to the Bloom."
"Then we'll help you find him," Yuuna said, without hesitation.
Kaito grinned. "Let's bring him back."
Riku finally smiled—the first genuine smile in days.
---
That night, as the group left the station, Airi lingered behind. Riku turned to her.
"You believe in me? Even after everything?"
She nodded, eyes soft. "Always. And not just because of the Bloom. Because I know the real you. The Riku who still laughs at dumb jokes. The Riku who tries to carry the world alone. I won't let you anymore."
They stood there in silence as the wind rustled the red petals around them.
The Bloom wasn't just power. It was memory, emotion, pain, and hope intertwined.
And it was only beginning to awaken.
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