The call ended.
Akari Honne wiped the trace of oil from her lips. She put on her earphones and replayed the recording she had just made on her phone, listening closely to every syllable.
The boy's voice in her ears brought a satisfied smile to her pale face. She tapped the screen twice and added the date to the file.
A moment later, still hungry for more, she opened another clip hidden in a secret folder.
"Honne, I like you… No matter what, I'll stay by your side and support you…"
The words jolted through her like a shock. Her fingers clenched tightly around the phone.
A soft breath escaped her lips, color flooding her porcelain cheeks. Her chest rose and fell as if the air itself had grown heavy and hot around her.
Click.
Unable to bear the storm inside her, she stood abruptly and walked to her bedroom. She drew the curtains shut, plunging the room into dimness. From her closet she pulled out a sand-colored jacket that belonged to a boy no one else could ever know about.
She crawled onto her bed with a rush of nervous energy. From beneath her pillow she pulled out a photo of Astavore Alan, pressed the jacket over it, and buried her flushed face deep into the fabric, breathing in his scent.
Her recording played again:
"Honne, I like you…"
Her eyes glazed. Fingers slipped under her skirt...
The audio was clearly spliced, the cadence unnatural, but she hardly cared.
Ten-odd minutes later the emptiness inside her was, for a breath, filled. Akari Honne let go of the pillow, parted her moist lips, and lay panting, hair stuck to her damp forehead.
Her eyes grew misty. She hugged the jacket close, the boy's voice looping endlessly in her ears. For a fleeting moment, the hollow space in her heart felt filled.
But the emptiness soon returned, wider and heavier than before. Reality—cold and merciless—shattered the fantasy, leaving only loneliness to grip her once more. She twirled the photo between her numb fingers, the smiling face on it seeming to drift farther away.
Some people were like magnets and iron, once they met, they could never be separated. Akari Honne had fallen for Astavore Alan long before she even understood what love truly meant. She had met him before her own sister ever did.
Back then, the summer after eighth grade, the endless fights between her parents—arguments Akari Honne could never understand—turned what was supposed to be a promised holiday into nothing more than a mirage.
Her older sister was busy with club training. Her friends flooded social media with pictures of their trips.
"Honne, didn't you say you were going to Hokkaido? I haven't seen a single post yet. Did the plan get canceled?"
"No… just delayed a few days."
"You'd better hurry. The festival ends this week. But if you go before the weekend, you'll still catch the Kendo tournament. It's really exciting, actually…"
"You might even meet someone special. Remember Nina? She met Suzuki in Hokkaido. You've never dated before, right?"
"Dating? Feels a little too early for me…"
"Oh, come on. Just try it. Experience builds up, like our math teacher says."
Her pride, along with the fear of anyone discovering her family's mess, pushed Akari Honne to board the train alone.
The excitement she had imagined quickly gave way to unease. She snapped countless lifeless photos of the coastline and half-deflated festival balloons.
She even tried going to the Budokan her friend had mentioned, but the heat and crowds forced her out after just one selfie. By evening, she ended up on the seawall, willing the sun to sink faster so she could capture that final sunset and escape home.
But summer daylight was stubborn. Clouds gathered.
The golden orb disappeared. Streetlamps flickered on, one after another. Then a rough voice broke through the gloom.
"Oi, little girl. You alone?"
Akari Honne spun around. A broad, menacing face loomed close, reeking of alcohol. Terror froze her legs; she turned and bolted.
"Hey!"
The man snatched her shoulder strap.
"Let go of me!"
His grimy hand seized her cheek. She struggled, but couldn't break free. For some reason, this skinny man reeking of alcohol felt impossibly strong.
Helpless, Akari squeezed her eyes shut as his disgusting face drew near.
"Oi, unc. Can't handle women your own age so you go after underage girls? That's pathetic."
A mocking voice came from behind her.
Akari opened her eyes. The drunk was glaring past her at a boy with black hair and crimson eyes.
The alley fell silent. The boy's footsteps echoed off the walls as he walked forward casually, peeling the drunk's hand away and leading Akari out. Rage twisted the man's face as he lunged again, grabbing the boy's shoulder.
With a snarl, he raised his fist.
"Close your eyes," the boy ordered.
Akari trembled. For just a split second, she thought she saw something, black tentacles unfurling from the drunk's back.
The boy saw them too. His grin widened. As expected, the man was a card user as well.
Five black tentacles whipped forward. The boy dodged, leaping to the side. He barely landed before the next strike came. This time, strangely, he didn't move.
The tentacles lashed around him, slamming him against the wall. Pain shot through his body.
Akari squeezed her eyes tighter, trembling hard. She dared not look, only hearing the constant crashes echoing through the alley.
The drunk grinned, veins bulging across his forehead. He stepped closer to where the boy hung trapped. Four tentacles bound his arms and legs, while one hovered before his head.
"This is what happens when kids meddle in grown-up business."
"And harassing little girls counts as grown-up business? If that's the case, I'd rather stay a kid forever." The boy smirked.
The tentacles tightened, crushing his body.
"Shut your mouth, brat, or I'll kill you."
"Go ahead. Do it."
The drunk grit his teeth, eyes bulging as he glared down at him.
"What's wrong? Can't kill a kid? Right, of course you can't. Pedo like you don't have the guts. No balls."
The man roared, thrusting the tentacle forward at the boy's head.
Shock flickered across his eyes as it shot toward him, then there was a strange dripping sound. Moments later, a heavy thud rang out.
Akari wanted to open her eyes. Terror clawed at her, afraid the boy might have lost.
But before she could, a gentle voice reached her.
"Keep your eyes shut."
It was him. He was safe.
The boy glanced at the blue-haired girl clutching her tote bag, then at the drunk sprawled unconscious on the wet alley floor.
He looked up. A silenced pistol floated in the air.
"Two of Spades," he murmured.
The gun dissolved into the air, vanishing.
That was his power, summoning a single pistol, able to modify it, control it freely, make it fly. But only one.
But one was more than enough for Astavore Alan.
Because now, floating above the drunk's corpse, he saw a card. He snatched it, eyes narrowing at the suit and number.
"Five of Clubs."
"Play."
Tentacles erupted from his back—five of them—moving as if they were his own limbs. Strong, responsive, powerful enough that he felt he could lift a car.
It confirmed what he had suspected. These power cards could be stolen and used by others. That meant one thing, if he kept collecting them, he would draw more enemies to himself.
He shook his head. Turning, he saw the girl still keeping her eyes shut.
He stepped closer. She was small, her head only reached his chest. Placing a hand on her back, he gently turned her around, guiding her out of the alley.
"You can open your eyes now."
Akari blinked, tears glistening in her lashes. She glanced sideways at the boy and found a warm smile waiting for her.
Her legs gave out. She collapsed on the sidewalk, breathing raggedly from fear.
"Can you walk?" he asked, helping her up.
She tried, but her knees buckled. She stumbled again.
"Looks like no. No taxis around either. Guess I'll carry you."
He crouched, offering his back. Without thinking, Akari climbed on.
She was light, fragile even, but his shoulders felt steady, the hand supporting her firm and sure.
Akari's thoughts spun. Was this boy—someone her age—the one who had just defeated that monster and saved her?
"What's your name? Where's your home?"
"K-Kyoto."
"Kyoto?" He sounded surprised, then chuckled softly. "Same as me."
Fate, Akari thought. Or something close.
"I'm only here because my team is competing. The Kendo Tournament."
"That's amazing."
He shrugged modestly. "We're the favorites to win, that's all."
"It's not me who's amazing. It's my girlfriend. She's already been allowed into the All Japan Juvenile Kendo Tournament, and she'll probably sweep every high school title in the future."
"..."
The word girlfriend stabbed sharper than she expected.
She didn't really understand what it meant to like someone. So the ache in her chest only confused her.
"That's… incredible," she said, forcing enthusiasm.
But the boy beside her seemed oblivious. Lost in his own thoughts, he sighed. "She's good, but it's not like it makes any money…"
Realizing he'd said too much, he shifted the subject.
"Don't envy her. If you've got a hobby, and you're good at it, I'm sure you can match her. You're in a club, right?"
"Yes… Wind Orchestra."
"You must be talented. I bet you've got a gift for music. Stick with it, and you'll be famous one day."
He sounded more certain than she did, like he'd already glimpsed her future.
His words lifted Akari's mood. Resting her chin on his shoulder like a kitten, she murmured, "Mmm."
Silence wrapped around them. Akari wanted to know more about him, but her heart pounded too fast to speak.
They reached a street lined with shops. The sound of approaching traffic warned her their time was ending.
Her pulse raced.
I want to see him again.
I have to see him again.
Her breathing quickened. She clung tighter to his shoulder.
"Y-your name…?"
"Astavore Alan. And yours?"
"A-Akari Honne…"
"..."
Their first meeting felt like a dream. From that day on, Akari couldn't stop thinking about him.
When she heard Astavore had broken up with his girlfriend, she stayed up all night texting him comforting words, already plotting how to win his heart.
If we start dating, I'll enter every competition too. I won't look second-best in front of his ex.
But fate took a turn she never expected.
It was a bright, breezy morning.
Her older sister arrived home with Astavore Alan by her side, eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Honne, this is Astavore Alan. From now on, he's my boyfriend."
"..."
The memory of their first meeting flashed in Akari's mind.
Curled up in bed, she hugged her knees, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes, soaking the sheets.
"Astavore Alan… you're mine."
"Wait just a little longer… just a little more…"
"No one will take you away. Not even my sister."
Her whisper dissolved into the dusty air, but her tear-bright eyes burned with resolve.
A fateful meeting must lead to a fateful ending. Akari Honne and Astavore Alan would be together in the end.