"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Open the door—it's probably Shouko," Shizuka Miyamura said, nudging her husband, Daiki Miyamura, who was leisurely munching on oranges at the coffee table.
"Alright, alright." Daiki swallowed the last piece of fruit and stood up, making his way toward the front door.
As expected, it was the bright and beaming Shouko standing there, holding up a small bottle of glue with a triumphant grin.
"Come on in." Daiki chuckled, giving Shouko a light pat on the head before stepping aside to let her in. He closed the door behind her as she slipped off her shoes.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Shouko chirped before dashing off toward the stairs.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Akira!" she called out as she pushed open his door, holding up the glue like a trophy. Her cheeks were a little flushed, and sweat glistened faintly on her forehead.
Akira stood up as soon as he saw her, his brows furrowing with quiet concern. He pulled out a few tissues and walked over.
"Why'd you rush back so fast? Look at you—you're all sweaty." He gently dabbed her forehead with the tissue, his voice soft.
Shouko stood still, her eyes wide, watching his every movement with awe. Something warm bloomed in her chest. Even though she hadn't said anything, Akira's gentleness somehow made the run worth it.
When he finished, Akira noticed her mouth slightly open, her expression blank. He smirked, leaning back a bit. "What? Staring like that?"
He expected her to blush and snap out of it, maybe retort with something feisty.
Instead, Shouko stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her head against his chest, rubbing it gently like a sleepy puppy. "Mmhmm…" she mumbled, nodding.
Akira blinked, slightly stunned—but he didn't pull away.
The room suddenly felt warmer.
Meanwhile, Yaeko Nishimiya was walking her usual route home from work. Turning the corner into a narrow alley, she saw a crowd gathered ahead. Normally, this area would be quiet after dark, especially near the backroads.
Curious, she stopped a bald man who was walking away from the crowd. "Excuse me, sir, do you know what happened up ahead?"
The man didn't seem bothered. Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "Ah, car accident. Bad one too—the whole thing flipped and crashed into a telephone pole."
"Eh?!" Yaeko gasped.
"There were two guys in the car. One of them died on the spot," he added casually.
"Why aren't there any police or ambulances here yet?"
"I called 'em. They're just taking their time, I guess."
Yaeko thanked the man and kept walking. She wasn't the type to squeeze into a crowd to gawk at tragedy. "No use watching death up close," she muttered under her breath.
The Next Morning
Akira woke up unnaturally early.
It was a weekend, yet he found himself unable to sleep in. Grumbling at the injustice of time, he eventually got up and made his way downstairs.
"Good morning, Aunt Yaeko," he greeted as he saw her already seated at the dining table.
"Morning, Akira. You're up early for a Sunday," she replied with a warm smile, then continued gossiping with Shizuka Miyamura.
Akira just sighed and grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen. As he ate, he ignored the milk and poured himself some warm water instead.
"I'm heading out," Yaeko eventually said, standing up and giving Akira a gentle pat on the head before she left.
"Be safe," Shizuka called after her before sitting back down—and promptly pulling out her phone.
One by one, she started dialing.
"Mrs. Kitano, did you hear about the car accident…?"
"Mrs. Nohara, you know what happened last night, right…?"
"Good morning, Mrs. Fujino! Did you see the ambulances near the alley last night…?"
Akira paused mid-bite, slowly turning to look at his mother. What is going on…?
By the time Shizuka finally ended the last call, Akira's curiosity had reached a breaking point.
"Mom," he said, sandwich in hand, "what is all this? You've been on the phone for fifteen minutes."
Shizuka crossed her arms smugly. "There was a car accident nearby last night. One dead, one injured, and a little girl narrowly escaped. Yaeko told me—so I called around for details. Got the full story now."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "You're scarily good at this."
Shizuka gave a mock-offended scoff. "What? Don't believe me?"
Twenty minutes later, she returned to the table with all the gossip secured.
"Alright, listen to this," she began, eyes glittering. "The girl's name was Naoka Ueno. She's in first grade at Suimon Elementary School."
Akira blinked. "Wait… isn't that the same school as—"
Shizuka nodded. "Mmhmm. She was out buying something at the nearby convenience store last night. Just as she came out of the alley, a car came speeding down the street—lost control, flipped, and slammed into a telephone pole. Barely missed her."
"She's okay?" Akira asked, growing serious.
"Physically, yes. Just shocked. The driver died instantly, and the passenger's still unconscious."
Shizuka reached over and ruffled his hair gently. "You be careful out there, alright?"
Akira gave her a quick salute. "Got it, Mom."
"Oh! Do you know this girl? Ueno Naoka?" she asked suddenly.
Akira muttered the name under his breath a few times, brows furrowing. "…No, doesn't ring a bell."
"Hmm. Might be in a different class then," Shizuka murmured before sipping her tea, the morning sun gleaming softly through the window.
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A/N: That was so close really hooo.....
POWER STONE!?
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