Night had already fallen over Shizuoka.
Streetlights flickered on, casting long shadows across the quiet road.
Kaito walked home slowly, his backpack hanging loosely from one shoulder. His mind kept replaying what happened earlier.
Ren.
Ryuji.
And especially…
Shiro.
"None of them interest me yet."
The words kept echoing in his head.
Kaito sighed.
"Of course I wouldn't interest someone like him… I can barely fight."
He kicked a small stone on the sidewalk.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Then suddenly—
Voices echoed from the alley ahead.
Rough voices.
Angry voices.
"…I told you to hand it over."
Kaito froze.
Three older boys were surrounding someone in the alley.
Typical street trouble.
Kaito quietly stepped back.
"Not my problem… not my problem…"
But then he saw who they were talking to.
A tall figure leaning casually against the wall.
Hands in his pockets.
Black hair covering one eye.
Kaito's stomach dropped.
Shiro.
One of the thugs grabbed Shiro's collar.
"You deaf or something?"
Shiro looked down at the hand holding his shirt.
"…You're touching me."
The thug laughed.
"Yeah? So what—"
The next second happened so fast Kaito almost missed it.
CRACK.
The thug suddenly collapsed to the ground.
No wind-up.
No warning.
Just one precise strike.
The other two froze.
"W-What the—?!"
Shiro sighed.
"You're loud."
The second thug rushed forward angrily.
Swing.
Shiro leaned slightly.
The punch missed.
A quick elbow.
THUD.
The second thug folded instantly.
The last one stumbled backward in panic.
"I—I didn't do anything!"
Shiro looked bored.
"Correct."
Then he walked past him.
The thug ran away immediately.
Silence filled the alley.
Kaito stood frozen behind the corner.
His brain was struggling to process what he just saw.
That wasn't a fight.
It was effortless.
Shiro suddenly stopped walking.
"…You can come out."
Kaito's heart stopped.
Slowly… he stepped into the alley.
Shiro glanced at him.
"…Shizuoka student."
Kaito scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"H-Hi…"
Great. Amazing opening line.
Shiro studied him for a moment.
"You watched the whole thing."
"…Sorry."
Shiro didn't seem angry.
Just uninterested.
"You're the one from earlier."
Kaito blinked.
"You remember me?"
"Barely."
Ouch.
Kaito forced a small laugh.
"Well… that's fair."
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Shiro said something unexpected.
"You're weak."
Kaito sighed.
"…I know."
But Shiro continued.
"Yet you didn't run."
Kaito thought about it.
"…I guess I was curious."
Shiro stared at him.
Then he asked one question.
"Why do you train?"
Kaito didn't answer immediately.
Then he said quietly,
"…Because I'm tired of being the guy who gets pushed around."
Shiro's visible eye narrowed slightly.
Then he turned and started walking away.
After a few steps, he stopped.
Without turning back, he said:
"If you want to stop being weak…"
"…train until you hate it."
Then he disappeared down the street.
Kaito stood there alone.
His heart was racing.
Not from fear.
From realization.
The gap between them was enormous.
But for the first time…
Shiro had spoken to him directly.
Kaito looked at his hands.
"…train until I hate it, huh?"
He smiled slightly.
"Good thing I already hate it."
Then he started jogging home.
Tomorrow's training suddenly felt much more serious.