Chapter 25: The Day They Laughed Too Loud and He Didn't Laugh Back
It happened during gym.
Teams were picked.
Akiro, last. As always.
But this time, one of the boys said it loud enough for the whole court:
"Why don't we just let the mutant ref?"
Laughter.
Sharp. Cruel.Like knives passed between palms.
The coach didn't say a thing.
Just blew the whistle.
Akiro didn't move.
Just stared at the boy who said it.
The boy smirked.
"What's wrong, freak? Your circuits glitching?"
More laughter.
That's when something… changed in Akiro's face.
He walked across the court.
No emotion.
No rush.
And then?
He grabbed the boy by the collar and slammed him into the wall.
Hard.
Too hard.
The laughter turned into gasps.
"Say it again," Akiro said, voice like winter."Say it again and I'll show you what a freak really is."
Two teachers dragged him off.
But he didn't fight.
He didn't scream.
He just looked… relieved.
Like he'd finally become what they wanted.
Yumi wasn't there.
She was in the nurse's office with a migraine.She didn't even know until it was over.
Until she saw the messages.
Until Reiko called.
"He snapped."
"They're talking suspension again."
"Or worse."
Yumi ran.
Not home.Not to class.
To him.
She found him sitting outside the office, hands cuffed with those plastic ties they used for school fights.
Bruised knuckles.
Blank stare.
She dropped to her knees in front of him.
"Akiro…"
He blinked.
Focused.
And for one second —he looked like a boy who knew he'd just destroyed something he couldn't rebuild.
"…They deserved it," he whispered.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"I don't care about them," she said. "I care about you. And you're disappearing."
He didn't deny it.
Didn't promise to come back.
He just leaned in.
Rested his forehead to hers.
And said:
"If they suspend me again… I'm not coming back."