The rain started to fall a little more heavily as Naoka finally rushed to the front of the car, her face pale with worry. But before she could say anything, Ryu jumped down lightly from the hood, still holding the little girl safely in his arms. He bent his knees, setting her carefully on the wet pavement.
The girl blinked at him, her small eyes wet from both the rain and the shock. For a second, her lips trembled—then her pout returned.
"It's the bad onii-chan!" she cried, voice wobbling with childish outrage. Clutching the red ball to her chest, she spun around and scampered back toward the gate, her tiny feet splashing through puddles as she shouted, "Bad onii-chan wants to hurt me!"
Ryu just shook his head, a wry sigh escaping his lips. Kids…
Naoka didn't even notice the girl's accusation. She stepped forward and immediately ran her hands over Ryu, from his hair down his arms and across his chest, frantic fingers checking for injuries.
"Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Your arms—your legs—" Her voice cracked, the image of him slamming against the moving car's windshield still burned into her mind.
Ryu's classmates arrived soon after, breathless from running. "Ryu! Ryu, are you okay?" they chorused, forming a small circle around him and the car, their young faces pale and anxious.
Inside the vehicle, the driver's hands clenched the wheel. He looked as if he might rush out to check the scene, but his wife's pained groans chained him in place. At last, with trembling fingers, he struck the horn—its blaring cry tearing through the rain.
The sudden sound startled everyone. Naoka jumped, her head snapping toward the car. Then anger flared, raw and protective.
"What are you honking for?!" she snapped, storming to the driver's side window and slamming her palm against the glass. "Come out—you almost ran over two small children!"
The students echoed her fury, shouting at the car, their small fists pounding against the air, voices swelling together. The scene was quickly tipping toward chaos again.
Ryu exhaled softly. If this continued, it would only make things worse. Closing his eyes briefly, he let his "Calm" spread outward.
The agitation in the children softened. Their shouts quieted, fists lowering as their breathing steadied. Naoka's burning temper eased into concern before she even realized the shift.
Inside the car, the driver's panicked tremors steadied, while the pregnant woman's writhing slowed as the tension in her body loosened. Even the unborn child, kicking wildly only moments ago, quieted within her.
Ryu opened his eyes. "Sensei," he said quietly, "there's another person inside."
Naoka blinked, the fog of anger lifting from her mind. She turned back to the vehicle and finally noticed the pale, sweating woman in the back seat, cradling her belly in pain. Her face drained.
"It's an emergency," she said firmly, clapping her hands to gather the class's attention. "Everyone, move back. Away from the car—now."
The children obeyed, murmuring as they shuffled away from the vehicle. Naoka bent slightly, her voice sharp but steady as she addressed the driver. "Don't drive recklessly again. But go—take her to the hospital quickly."
The man nodded rapidly, his eyes glistening with gratitude. He started the car, and this time, with steadier control, guided it down the highway until it disappeared into the curtain of rain.
The group stood in silence, watching until the taillights vanished. Slowly, Naoka turned back to her class, her chest rising and falling.
"All right," she said softly. "Let's go back inside." Her voice was calm now, gentle. She reached out, resting a damp hand on Ryu's shoulder as the students began filing back toward the schoolyard.
Leaning down, she whispered into his ear, her breath trembling against his cheek. "We need to talk about this."
Ryu squinted slightly, exhaling as if releasing a weight. He gave a single nod.
Naoka's expression softened with a strange mix of fear and certainty. She said nothing more, only stepping to the back of the group to watch over the children as they returned.
Ryu's eyes drifted toward the playground. The little girl who had called him "bad onii-chan" was already chasing her ball again, laughter in her voice, as though nothing had happened.
The chaos had faded. The world was calm again.
Ryu sighed to himself, feeling the tension drain away. But his mind was already moving ahead, turning over the same thought:
'What exactly am I supposed to tell her?'
The students finally came back into the schoolyard, their shoes squeaking on the wet pavement. Naoka clapped her hands and guided the younger children who had been playing near the main gate further across the track and field, away from the road.
When the kindergarten teacher returned from pacing with her umbrella, she looked surprised at the rearrangement. "Naoka-sensei, what happened? Why move them?"
Naoka gave a calm smile, though her mind was still heavy with what had just occurred. "I thought it would be best if the little ones didn't play near the gate. It's too dangerous with cars passing by."
The kindergarten teacher tilted her head, then nodded after a moment of thought. "That makes sense. Thank you." She returned to her group, gently herding her students to sit and rest while she kept watch over them again.
Meanwhile, Ryu's class was told to line up once more. The brief chaos had already faded from the children's minds. They slipped back into the rhythm of the running competition as though nothing had happened.
At first, many of them had been shocked by Ryu's earlier speed. A few even whispered about how "fast" he'd seemed. But the memory had dulled under his subtle calming influence. For them, it was something amazing, yes—but not something impossible.
Their young minds lacked the knowledge to understand what human bodies could and could not do. So, as children often did, they filed it away as just another surprising moment and focused instead on racing each other, laughing in the drizzle.
Only Naoka stood apart, her whistle resting silent against her lips. Her eyes followed Ryu with a quiet weight.
Even though he had calmed her earlier, she remembered every detail more clearly because of it. That clarity made the truth sharper: Ryu wasn't normal. His movements, his calm presence, the way the entire scene had shifted around him—none of it was ordinary.
But he was also her student. A good student. The kind who didn't hesitate to run headfirst into danger to save a small child, even at the risk of his own life. That image of him holding the girl as the car roared past was burned into her mind, and with it came something else: worry.
Not fear. Not once did the thought that Ryu might harm her cross Naoka's heart. Rather, she was afraid for him. Whatever it was he was carrying inside, it was heavy—and if she didn't understand it, she couldn't protect him.
She tightened her grip around the whistle, silently making her decision.
By the time the bell rang, ending P.E., the rain had settled into a steady drizzle. The children cheered in quiet relief as they hurried indoors. They split off toward the locker rooms—boys one way, girls the other—emerging moments later with damp clothes in hand. Today, they'd have to take them home to be washed.
Naoka lingered under the awning of the gym, watching them disappear through the doors. Her gaze, however, trailed after one student in particular.
Ryu.
Her expression hardened with quiet resolve. 'When class ends... I need to hear it from him directly.'
***
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