Hours passed, the sky slowly darkening as the school day finally crawled to an end. Guilt sat heavily in Yuma's chest. The more time passed, the worse it felt. Eventually, he decided to find Keisuke.
He really wanted to apologize for the way he snapped.
Thankfully, it wasn't hard to locate him. People flocked toward Keisuke like gold among the poor. Then again, Keisuke truly was gold, and Yuma had nicked it earlier without thinking. Slipping through the small crowd, he was suddenly blocked by a girl his age.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply, her tone radiating protectiveness.
Yuma immediately recognized her.
Furuhashi Akame, Keisuke's older sister.
It wasn't surprising in the slightest. She had always been overprotective of him. Keisuke was young and bright, so much so that people often forgot he was only fifteen, finishing his last year of high school. His kindness alone attracted attention, and his closeness to his sister only amplified it. The two were nearly inseparable. Everyone knew Akame had practically raised him herself, despite being only three years older.
"I just want to apologize, Akame…" Yuma said quietly, humility lacing his voice.
She was the one person who could bypass Yuma's ego entirely. In fact, she was the person who helped him build what confidence he had in the first place. Not many people knew that. He'd always kept his personal life hidden. But Akame, she was different.
She was his closest friend. His best friend.
Their families had been close since childhood, so seeing her had always felt natural and safe.
Akame studied him for a moment before sighing sharply, anger flickering across her face as she gave him a stern look.
"You hurt his feelings, Yuma," she said softly, though the words carried weight. "I know what you're going through is hard. And hell, if it were Keisuke…" Her voice wavered for just a moment. "I'd hate the world too. But you had no right to talk to him like that."
Yuma stayed silent.
"I heard what you said from Akira," she continued. "And we both know that was a lie." She scoffed lightly, reaching up and pulling his chin so he had to look her in the eyes. "You told me yourself, you held us just as close as you held Amin."
Her gaze softened.
"Yuma… you've been closed off for too long. Now you're lashing out. I get it. I really do. But you can talk to me." Her voice lowered. "Keisuke doesn't know about the situation, and my parents made sure he doesn't. So don't give him bad ideas."
Yuma stood there, frozen, holding himself back with everything he had. His throat tightened, but all he could manage was a nod.
"I know," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry. So… let me apologize to him."
Akame hesitated, then nodded, guiding him toward Keisuke.
Keisuke was standing with Akira, both of them mid-conversation. Turns out the crowd wasn't just for Keisuke, it was for both of them. The school's favorite boys. The sight almost made Yuma laugh.
The kindest soul standing beside the coldest one.
Students hovered around them, drawn equally by warmth and mystery. Love for the bright, curiosity for the distant. Stepping into the small opening in the crowd, Yuma reached out and tapped Keisuke's shoulder.
"Hey…" he murmured softly.
Keisuke turned, a small smile forming instantly. That smile hurt more than anything. Even when he was hurt, Keisuke smiled. It pushed Yuma to speak faster, before he lost his nerve.
"Look… I'm sorry for what I said. I-" Yuma paused, words catching in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to mention his family.
Thankfully, Keisuke filled in the silence himself.
"I get it," Keisuke said gently. "It's new. You're adjusting. I get it." He chuckled lightly, gripping Yuma's arm.
Yuma nodded, relieved. Grateful that the real reason stayed buried.
"For the record," Yuma added quietly, just before turning to leave, "you are my brother."
Keisuke blinked, momentarily stunned, but his smile returned, warmer than before.
For as long as he'd known Yuma, he knew this truth:
Yuma always ran from vulnerability first.
Before Yuma could walk far, a hand grabbed his forearm.
He stopped.
Akame stood there, worry etched deep into her face.
"Yuma… are you really okay?" she asked softly.
He nodded quickly. He needed to leave. He didn't want to break down, not here, not now, not in front of her. He'd never cried in front of Akame as a child. That wouldn't change now.
She loosened her grip, letting him go, but not before saying one last thing.
"Yuma… if you need someone… I'm always here."
He nodded again, her words washing over him as he turned and walked away, leaving her behind in a state of quiet concern.
***
On his way home, Yuma passed a narrow alley near the street.
A group of boys surrounded something, or someone.
He would've ignored it if not for a voice that cut through their relentless shouting.
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"
The timid cry only seemed to excite them.
"Pussy boy gonna cry?" sneered a boy with bleached hair. "Go hide in those books?"
"Look at him shake!" laughed another with a buzz cut and earrings.
"Just beat his ass," ordered a third, cleaner than the others. Hair neatly combed. Uniform pristine. Calm and cruel.
The bleached-haired boy pulled a knife from his pocket.
He stepped closer.
Yuma didn't think.
"HEY!" he shouted. "BACK THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!"
The words left his mouth before his brain caught up.
The boys turned toward him slowly.
The well-groomed one stared hardest.
"Who the fuck are you?" he spat.
Yuma froze.
What did he think he was doing? A hero? He was facing three guys, one with a knife. He had no idea how his new abilities worked, if they even would.
Before he could respond, before he could even breathe,
They moved.
The gap closed in an instant.
The boy with the knife lunged.
Waves of sensation exploded through Yuma's body.
The blade sank into his lower stomach.
And everything stopped.