Morning sunlight slipped quietly through Benji's curtains.
For once, he was sleeping peacefully.
No nightmares.
No flinching awake.
Just peace.
His alarm rang, and he woke up.
He groaned softly and reached out to silence it.
"…Everything changed."
He stared at the ceiling for a moment before getting up slowly from his bed.
His fingers moved to his face automatically. He felt the bandages and medical strips along his cheek and a small plaster near his eyebrow to stop the bleeding.
He touched them gently and carefully.
"My life… finally feels lighter and peaceful," he said.
But the bruises underneath were still there.
He began getting ready, wearing the same school uniform as always.
Nothing special, as usual.
At least, that's what he thought.
On the Way to School
The street was calm, with children playing cricket and laughing, people talking, and some doing their home chores.
Benji walked with his bag slung over one shoulder, still trying to adjust to this new feeling in his chest.
Lightness.
Then he noticed someone ahead.
Tall.
Relaxed posture.
Hands in pockets.
"…..E..El–Eliot?!"
Eliot glanced back slowly.
"Oh, Benji. Yo," he said with a slight smile.
Benji hurried toward him and almost accidentally fell into a small gap in the road, but he balanced himself and said,
"What are you doing here?!"
"Going for a haircut." Eliot pointed lazily to his long hair flowing down his back.
Benji blinked. "Ah… that's why."
Eliot smirked and pushed himself off the wall.
"Come with me."
"W-What? Me? Where? And why?"
Eliot had already started walking quickly. Benji attempted to follow him.
The barbershop was between a noisy market.
The shop was modern and quiet, filled with the soft buzzing of clippers and good-looking photos of different hairstyles.
Eliot entered and sat down first.
The barber started cutting his long, beautiful hair.
Long strands of blue hairs began falling to the floor.
Snip.
Snip.
Snip.
Benji watched in shock.
With every cut, Eliot looked sharper. Cleaner. Younger, even.
When the barber finished, Eliot stood and stretched slightly.
The long hair was gone. The short hair looked good.
He looked different.
"You look… so different already," Benji whispered.
Eliot glanced at him.
"Your turn."
Benji froze.
"What?! Me? But why?!"
"Just sit down," Eliot said lazily.
Eliot walked over and gently pushed him into the chair.
"Trust me."
The barber hesitated when he saw the bandages and strips.
"Should I remove these first?"
Eliot looked at Benji.
"Why are you wearing all this?"
Benji stiffened.
"…It's nothing."
Eliot didn't look convinced.
"And the glasses?"
Benji instinctively touched the thick, plain glasses he wore.
"Is your eyesight weak, Benji?"
"…No."
Eliot raised an eyebrow. "Hmm."
Benji hesitated.
Then quietly—
"I wear them to hide the bruises around my eyes."
Silence.
"And the bandages?" Eliot asked calmly.
Benji looked down.
"Ryo used to hit me a lot. My face would swell. So I covered it."
"…And your parents?"
"I told them it was fashion. Or design. I didn't want them to know."
He forced a small laugh.
"They'd worry, man."
Eliot's expression changed.
Not pity.
But empathy.
He stepped closer.
"You don't need them anymore."
Benji looked up slowly.
"No one's going to do that to you now."
Before Benji could respond, Eliot reached forward and carefully removed the bandages.
Then the strips.
Then the glasses.
Benji felt strangely exposed.
The barber began cutting his hair.
Snip.
Snip.
Soft strands fell away.
Benji closed his eyes nervously.
What if I look more worse?
What if—
"Done," the barber said.
Benji slowly opened his eyes.
He looked into the mirror.
And froze.
The straight back combed hair was gone.
His face looked cleaner.
Sharper.
Nice.
Without the fake glasses and bandages, his features were visible.
But he wasn't ugly anymore.
He looked… like a completely different person.
"T–this… is me?" he said, looking at his face, unable to recognize himself for a second.
Eliot stood behind him, arms crossed.
"Yeah. Small changes. Big difference."
Benji touched his hair repeatedly.
If I can look this good…
Maybe I can change my life too…
Eliot smirked.
"I bet nobody at school recognizes you."
Benji looked at him in disbelief.
"…Really?"
"Wanna test it out?"
Benji smiled softly.
"…Thank you."
Benji grabbed his bag.
"Okay, let's go to school—"
Eliot placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's skip today," he said with a little smirk on his face.
Benji nearly choked and quickly turned toward him.
"What? S–Skip?! Why?!"
Eliot grinned slightly.
"Come to my place."
Benji hesitated.
Skipping school felt wrong.
But…
"Ehhh… O–okay…"
They arrived at an older apartment building.
Nothing fancy. The building was mostly filled with empty apartments.
They both went inside and reached Eliot's apartment on the first floor.
Eliot unlocked the door.
Benji stepped inside slowly.
The room was small.
It was filled with training accessories.
There were training mats, dumbbells, resistance bands, and a punching bag in the corner.
He lives like this?
Suddenly—
"HA!!"
A small boy launched himself from the side like a missile and noticed Benji.
"Huhhh?!"
Benji screamed as the kid tackled him with surprising precision.
"W–WHAT?!"
Eliot caught the boy midair effortlessly with one hand.
"Stop. He's my friend."
The boy blinked.
"Oh… friend?"
Then the small boy immediately bowed.
"Sorry!!"
Benji sat on the floor, sweating.
"W–why would he suddenly attack me?!"
The kid simply went back to practicing kicks like nothing had happened.
Eliot sighed.
"He trains every day."
They sat on the floor.
Eliot spoke quietly.
"He is my brother. Both of our parents died in an accident when we were kids. I was the middle child. He was the youngest."
Benji's expression softened.
A faint image formed in his mind: three children standing before a grave.
"Our sister was the oldest," Eliot continued. "She needed to study. So I started fighting to earn money."
Benji imagined a younger Eliot training alone. Bruised. Silent.
Receiving money envelopes.
Carrying responsibility too early. Suffering quietly.
Eliot glanced at his younger brother.
"My brother wants to be a fighter too."
"But I don't want him to," Eliot admitted. "Still, I won't stop him."
Benji felt something heavy in his chest.
He's carrying so much…
"Sit," Eliot said. "I'll bring some food."
A few minutes later, Eliot brought a sandwich from the kitchen.
The meal was simple but warm.
"This is… actually good," Benji said honestly.
"Told you."
Later, Eliot's brother challenged Benji to a video game.
Eliot turned on the console, and they started playing a 1v1 fighting game.
It was Benji's first time playing with a controller, and he struggled terribly.
"You're terrible! You can't even beat a single round!" Eliot laughed.
"Shut up— I'm trying!" Benji said, annoyed.
He lost five more times.
And then—
He finally won one game, purely by luck.
Benji laughed.
A real laugh.
One he hadn't heard from himself in years.
Eliot watched quietly.
A small smile formed.
As evening approached, Benji stood near the door.
"Today was… amazing."
Eliot nodded.
"We're friends now. See you later, man."
Friends.
The word echoed warmly.
Benji walked home under the fading sky.
From today…
Eliot is my true friend.
After some time, he reached his street.
He turned the corner.
And stopped.
A sleek black car was parked outside his house.
Next to it—a powerful motorcycle.
His family didn't own vehicles like that.
Benji's chest tightened.
"These… don't belong to us…"
His throat went dry.
Who is here?
The front door of his house was unlocked. Near it, a plant pot was broken into small pieces.
Benji stepped closer.
Slowly.
His heartbeat thudded loudly in his ears.
And then—
A cold wind hit his face.
His eyes widened.
Shock froze his entire body.