"Ugh…" Itsuki groaned, palms grinding into the dirt as blood slid from his split lip.
He tried to push himself up, but Rakan's boot crashed down on his back, pinning him to the ground.
Despite the pain, Itsuki forced himself upright. His vision swayed, but his glare locked onto Rakan's.
"What's with that look?" Rakan's sinister grin widened.
Rakan grabbed him by the shirt and hoisted him up, jerking his chin toward the bodies of Itsuki's friends sprawled across the alley.
"You could have avoided all this, but your stupid pride made all this happen!"
Itsuki looked down at his friends, realizing the price of his defiance.
It all started with Miss Fujita sweet's rolls. She had given them to Shion for free because it was his birthday. Shortly after, on their way to Shion's house, they followed their usual shortcut; the alley behind the bakery.
They crossed paths with Rakan and his friends. Looking at the delicious sweets they were holding, Rakan demanded they give them to him, but Itsuki refused and said no! They were Shion's.
Rakan's face turned red from embarrassment. His friends were behind him watching. He couldn't let some powerless eight-year old tell him 'no.'
Unable to handle the rejection, Rakan mercilessly beat the four of them up.
Recalling this, Itsuki felt rage building up inside of him, with his right hand, he swung his small fist at Rakan's jaw.
Pa!
His fist connected; Rakan's head barely moved
Rakan chuckled, amused by the attempt—then shoved him hard, sending him crashing into the brick wall.
Gak!
Pain shot up Itsuki's spine, the air left his lungs as he slid down, gasping. The stench of the rotting garbage filled his nose. His vision swayed.
He wanted to scream, wanted to chase after them, but he could only lie there, helpless. Even though Rakan was the one who was wrong, Itsuki couldn't shake off the feeling that part of it was his fault too. If he had just given Rakan his own sweets and begged him not to take from the others, then maybe, just maybe they could have avoided getting beat.
When his vision cleared, Rakan and his friends had already left. He saw Kairo sitting against the wall, holding his broken arm and on the other side of the alley, Shion was assisting Takumi to get back on his feet.
Shion noticed Itsuki had regained consciousness and rushed over, tears streaming down his face.
"I—I'm sorry," Shion stammered, "I was scared…"
"It's okay," Itsuki murmured, forcing a weak smile.
Blood covered more than half his face, his front teeth were broken, but he smiled anyway.
Kairo and Takumi limped over, trying to comfort him; they smiled too.
Four friends covered in dirt and blood, holding each other up. Shortly after, they limped toward Miss Fujita's bakery, staggering and stumbling.
Miss Fujita was dancing in her shop, humming along to folk music, when she heard a strange noise at her doorstep. She hurried to the door and froze!
"Oh, great heaven!" She ushered them inside, settling each one onto her cushions. Her hands moved quickly, snatching healing potions from the shelves and pouring them into their mouths.
Itsuki's hand caught her shirt just as his eyes began to close. "Please aunty... don't tell our parents."
His grip loosened and his pupils rolled back, fading to white before he slumped forward unconscious.
Miss Fujita sighed, looking down at him with deep concern. 'What sort of trouble did you kids get into this time.'
She stood and turned back to her stove.
"No… No!"
The eggrolls were charred to a black crisp. From the pot, dark smoke rose, and the oil had become a murky black, with bits of burnt matter floating on top. The unpleasant smell of burnt food filled the kitchen.
- - -
Hours later, Itsuki's swollen eyelids slowly opened. Every heartbeat sent pain shooting through his jaw. The pillow beneath him rose and fell with gentle breathing - not a pillow at all!
The scent of lavender and healing herbs filled his nostrils. Through his lashes, he glimpsed his mother's silhouette against the moonlit window. Her fingers traced circles against his scalp while something cold pressed against the heat of his bruised face.
Crick! Crack!
The wooden floor creaked as she shifted. Her hand stopped moving. "I know you're awake, Itsuki." she said in a whisper.
Itsuki's stomach tightened. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. The moonlight revealed the silver strands that were mixed into her braid and also the darkness under her eyes.
"Mama-"
"Shh..." She placed a finger gently on his lips, "You don't need to explain yourself… I understand."
Itsuki turned his face toward the pillow. "But... I let them down," he muttered. "I couldn't stop-"
"Itsuki!" His mother's voice cut through his shame.
"There's no shame in losing…" She mumbled softly. "You did your best and that's what matters."
Itsuki's fingers curled into the bedsheet. His mother's words were true, he knew that. But knowing and accepting were different things entirely.
That night as he was about to sleep, he looked out the window. A blue moon stood above the sky. He stared at the beautiful light it radiated and made a vow:
'I will never lose again.'