Part 1

“Mom?” he asked as she continued to read the small piece of paper she was holding.

He heard her mumbling a few words, but they were too soft for him to hear. Well, he didn’t think she was talking to him anyway.

“Hey, mom?” he asked, pulling at the bottom of her shirt.

Her eyes moved from the paper she was holding in her right hand, to the phone she was holding in her left. He didn’t want to interrupt her when she was doing something important, but what he had to give her was important too. Realizing this, the young seven year old boy climbed inside their empty shopping cart and firmly held the item she requested in front of her eyes.

“Mother!”

“Ahh?!” she said snapping out of her daze to look at her son. “Yuuko, get down from there— it is bad manners, you know that.”

“You were not paying attention to me,” he pouted. “But I know….. sorry……..”

As the boy climbed down their cart, his mother couldn’t help but give a deep sigh.

“No Yuuko, I am sorry. I was distracted trying to find out where everything is, I was not paying attention.”

She crouched down to face her son. Both of their golden colored eyes met while Hikari spoke her next words.

“Can you forgive your air head of a mother?”

“Hmn,” her son said with a smile. “It is okay mom. I forget too.”

“Mother,” she said bopping the top of her son’s head. “Do you have the coffee I asked for?”

“Yes, here you go, mother.”

“Thank you so much Yuu….ko……… what is this?”

“Igyh!? Did I get the wrong one?” he asked in a panic.

“No, it is fine, but Yuuko……. this is damaged. Too damaged.”

To say the product is of shameful quality would be an understatement. The corners were dented so far inward that it almost resembled a circle, while the lid itself was ready to burst any second, held back only by a measly strip of tape. Hikari shook the inside of the box, but it was so deformed she couldn’t properly hear the product inside.

“It is the right kind, but replace it with a proper one okay?”

“No mother— we have to get this one!”

“Yuuko, we need one that is not damaged. Who knows what could be inside this?”

“But if we do not get it, I will feel bad!”

“Feel bad?— what in the world are you talking about?”

“I picked this one because it’s hurt!”

Hikari was physically taken aback, but her son continued.

“It’s like the first time I found Toshi with father. He was hurt and nobody wanted him, but father helped him and that’s why he has a home now!”

“..........................”

“That’s why I want to help this box too! If we don’t help it, no one will buy it and it will be all alone! It’s going to be sad——hnn?”

Yuuko paused his words upon looking at his mother’s face.

“Mother are you okay? You look…… are you sad?”

“Yuuko, ah, p-please get some cream? It’s the kind we have inside the fridge.”

“Mom?”

“I’m o…….. off you go. Hurry so we can leave.”

“O-Okay.”

With a hesitant nod, Yuuko dashed out of the aisle, and out of sight. The instant he did, Hikari put a hand to her chest, breathing in and out to control herself.

Just how did you do it?…………….Yuuto…….

As her breathing gradually returned to normal, she kept asking herself those questions.

How did her husband manage to fake his emotions— his smile— for so long, especially in front of their son?

She was well aware of his state of being. She knew his beliefs, his attitude, his lack of belief in himself and his convictions. She had been with him for years, working on it— trying to get him past the horrible feeling of emptiness he suffered from since…….

Even so, she never understood how he could fool himself long enough to fool their child. How he could brazenly stand with their son, proclaiming false convictions, and never break down even once. The more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became.

He only lasted so long because it was his child. He had to give hope to the only person he believed in. He didn’t have enough fire to spread with everyone…… himself included.

She pinched the skin on her hand to avoid breaking down.

Her husband…… was definitely stronger than she is. He lasted over thirty years with those feelings. And if it were him here, right now, he would be able to keep his composure— especially in front of the person who mattered most.

Her?

It’s been ten months……. and her struggle to maintain herself had hardly gotten any better.

You were right…….. about our son……

The skin on her hand turned a bright red from the grasp she had on it between her fingers.

He inherited those ideals……… but still……….. did it have to come at the cost it did!?

She mentally told herself these things in order to prevent thinking about the bigger issue she was faced with. The issue that came from her son inheriting an impossible ideal. Seeing him return, she looked at the box and steeled her resolve.

She had to correct this.

“Yuuko, I need you to put this back and get a new one, okay? T—”

“—but mom! If we don’t help it’ll be all al—”

He was silenced by his mother placing a finger on his lips.

“Do not interrupt people when they are speaking Yuuko.”

“I…….but….”

“The box doesn't have feelings Yuuko. It is not a person or an animal. One day someone will come and buy it, but right now we can not do that because we need one that is not broken.”

“…………”

“Okay Yuuko?”

“Will someone really come and help it? Promise?”

She exhaled.

“Trust in your mother, okay?” Hikari did her best to give a warm smile as her son looked at the box with sadness. As he put it away at the end of the aisle, the pain in her chest grew.

That question that burned, that ate away at her day and night.

If a lack of belief in ideals is what took her husband away, then even if it is his wish, is it her responsibility to make sure her son doesn't walk that same path?

Does that mean taking them away?

The real world….. the real world just doesn't have them. But even telling herself this, she isn’t sure.

That’s the part that hurt more than anything. She didn’t know the answer to her own question.

“Mother?” he said tugging at her shirt.

“Yuuko,” she said, crouching down to put her hands on his shoulders. “I am sorry you feel sad for it, but it is going to find a home soon, okay?”

“…. I hope it will find a home too.”

Smiling, Hikari was about to stand up until a small hand grasped her shirt once more.

“Mother wait— I was going to say that I…….am sorry…. for interrupting.”

“It is okay,” she said brushing the stray hair out of his eyes. “But Yuuko, when you apologize to someone, it’s important that you mean it you know. You can not say sorry and keep doing the thing you are sorry for. Changing something bad you do is a part of growing up.”

“And promises?”

Where….was this coming from?

“What… about them?”

“When are you supposed to promise? What does a promise mean?”

“A promise means that you are definitely going to do what you say, so that is when you say it.”

“Like changing something bad thing.”

“Y-Yes… I suppose you could look at it that way.”

That a promise and an apology are the same thing…...Yuuko….

“You figure that all out by yourself. My my, you really take to heart what I tell you.” She said, trying for a smile. “That makes me happy.”

Those words seemed to make her son feel a little better.

“Mother, why did we spend so much time here?”

“…….I am sorry your mother is awful with directions and navigation.”

“Navi….gation?” he asked as they finally found the line to pay.

Part 2

Transitioning from a small inaka town to a newer, larger city wasn’t easy at all, and Hikari was thankful that she somehow managed. She enjoyed the small town life, she enjoyed where they were previously but…. it was best to move after all.

She told herself many times that it would be a positive for Yuuko as well, since the situation at his previous school began deteriorating. Deep down, however, she knew there was no way she would be able to keep living with Yuuko in that house. She didn’t think of it as a fresh start, more like the fact that without……..without Yuuto, she had to go somewhere her son would suffer less.

She also extremely thankful to the man she saw with Yuuto the night she went looking for him. Without his help, she definitely would not have been able to move here.

Their new house was modest, not as large as their old home for obvious reasons, but it was on a relatively quiet street that was spacious enough for the both of them. Her commute to work was shorter, with her being closer to the bigger cities now, but they would need to take the bus in order to get groceries and get anywhere. The walk wasn’t terribly far though, and she was sure

Yuuko would be able to explore the inner city by bike when he became older.

She still didn’t feel comfortable letting Yuuko walk to and from his nearby school. The new skills she taught him as well as his new companion, however, eased the stress in her heart by just a little bit.

She opened their door, greeted by an unfamiliar sight that she was trying to get used to. As Yuuko put the groceries in their proper place, Hikari began preparing a small dinner for the two of them. Silence had never bothered her, but she couldn’t deny the fact her heart stung every time she heard it from her son.

Compared to last year…….

“Yuuko, if you are finished, can you come here for a moment?”

Putting away their bread, Yuuko hurried to his mother’s side.

“I am finishing dinner now, but I am also making your breakfast for the morning. Make sure to heat it up before you leave, okay?”

“Y—Yes….”

Satisfied with his answer, she gave him two plates to place on the table.

The two ate in relative silence. The only joy came from a split second smile Yuuko made when Toshi approached the table, curious about the smell. In no time at all, the two had finished their meals.

“Thank you for the food mother.”

“You are very welcome. Leave the plate there and I will wash it— you go get ready for bed okay?”

“I…..I will.” As he left, it looked as though he had something he wanted to say. Well, her son was still a child, so he wouldn’t be able to hide a desire very well.

“Mother?” he called out from the living room.

“Hmm?”

“Can we…..eat breakfast together?”

“.........................”

“Mother?”

In her silence, Hikari simply repeated one line to herself.

“Not now. I can do it later, but right now he needs me.”

She took another deep breath as she found her son sitting on the living room couch. Taking a seat next to him, she began stroking his hair.

“I am sorry Yuuko, but I need to go to work extra early from now on.”

Yuuto’s plan…..his note…….even though he meant the best……..

“So we can not eat together?”

“N……….Of course we can! Just………. not as much as we used to.”

Her son put his head onto her lap in response to those words.

“Mother.”

“Hmm?”

“I miss father.”

“………………I know Yuuko…. I miss him too.”

“Mother?”

“….Yes?”

“How come things get hurt?”

“Because…… that is the kind of world we live in Yuuko. It may hurt, but that is why—”

“That is why we help people”

She gulped.

“—that is why I taught you those skills, remember? So you do not have to get hurt.”

“I see. Does everything hurt?”

Hikari felt a minor jolt run through her body. For an instant, for one moment, she thought her son saw straight through her. It was only after her panic subsided that she realized the scope of his question— it was vague, too vague. She didn’t know how to answer, and instead continued stroking his hair.

Yet she couldn’t help but think….. if he really could…….

It was roughly another half hour before Yuuko went to bed.

And she couldn’t be more relieved.

Hikari quickly retreated into the confines of her room. The instant the door was shut, she collapsed onto the bed. For the first few months, Yuuko had requested to sleep in the same bed as her, and she had allowed it. After this period of time, however, she had to sleep on her own.

The reason for this wasn’t because her son deprived her of sleep, on the contrary, she slept somewhat better. It was because night was the only time she could release her own emotions.

She could never do it in front of Yuuko, her child needed her to be strong. But when night came, it was different.

She buried her face into her pillow, lest her son be able to hear her. Like this, the only thing she felt was damp cloth before exhaustion overcame her and she fell asleep.

Part 3

“That’s so cool! I want to have a pet too, but my mom and sister are allergic to them.”

“They are allergic to animals?”

“No— well I don’t think so. Maybe I’ll ask if we can have a bird or something. OH! An owl or an eagle would be super cool don’t you think!” asked Katsuo.

“Ahhh, I think so.” Yuuko said, scratching the back of his head.

Even though it was only his second day in a new classroom, in a new school, Yuuko had already made a friend. It was amazing to him, not only because he was nervous at trying to make friends, but because he apparently said something strange as soon as he arrived.

“I want to be a man!”

He didn’t know at the time, but his classmates had heard those words before, and it was because of this that everyone avoided him, thinking he was another weird child.

But it was Katsuo that helped him get along with everyone else.

Yuuko was able to remember everything clearly because it happened just yesterday. As soon as he took his seat, his classmates began whispering about him.

“He said the same thing!”

“Do you think he’s like her?”

“He doesn't look like a bully though….” “But still.”

He had no idea what they were talking about and he was too nervous to ask. When break-time began, he started reading down the list of phrases he had written— the words his mother and father had given him in order to make friends. He thought he had been friends with Hajimu, but in the end it turned out that was never true. Ever since then, Yuuko had been nervous about talking to people, or rather he was nervous about getting people mad and being friends with bullies.

If he got people mad, they might end up turning hurting him, and he doesn't want to be friends with someone who would bully him again. But he always thought back to his father, “A man is brave!” and so he would continue to be brave too.

In the end, however, he never got a chance to use them.

“Hi there!” smiled a kid with an outstretched arm and grayish-brown hair. “My name is Katsuo Fujiyama. What’s your name?”

“Y-Yuuko,” he said quickly standing up and shaking his hand. “Yuuko Asahino.”

“Ohhhhh, so you really are kind of like her.” he said in a surprised tone. “Why did you say you want to be a man? Aren’t you already a man?”

Given the sudden situation, Yuuko wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. Before he knew it, those words had come out of his mouth.

“It’s kind of like being a hero!”

He didn’t know why he said it, but the boy’s eyes lit up from hearing those words, and before long, the two of them were already talking to each other. Throughout the day, Katsuo called more and more people to their location, encouraging them to speak to their new classmate and listen to his “cool wish”.

At the end of the day, Yuuko’s desk was surrounded with classmates that had previously kept their distance; it seemed that Katsuo was good friends with everyone in class. His own reputation, however, was cemented when one of the girls noticed his hands— they were covered in small white scars. When she asked how he got them, Yuuko told the story of their origin.

It was hard to tell the story with so many people around him, he kept fumbling and twisting his words. They didn’t seem to mind, though, and eventually he reached the end of the story.

“You saved the dog!?” one of them asked.

He took his time to think about what he needed to say. He found his hand making its way to his pocket, tracing the outline of the folded sheet of paper he always kept there.

And he imagined his own eyes shining with light.

“Hah hah!” He said taking on a dramatic thumbs up pose. “A he— a man has to fight for people, and show them that bullies can never win!”

““Ohhhhh!””

He could hear his classmates in awe as he finished his story with that dramatic pose. He didn’t tell them about how much it hurt, but before he knew it, Yuuko had made a friend— and was on good terms with his entire class.

Well, almost his entire class.

“Katsuo,” began Yuuko. “Why does nobody talk to that girl?”

“Hmm? Which one?”

“That girl over there, the one by the window,” Yuuko said, pointing to her. “The one with short hair.” For a moment, Yuuko almost thought it was a boy sitting alone there.

Following his finger, Katsuo yanked his arm down and turned back slowly. When he saw that the girl in question hadn’t noticed them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sorry I had to pull your hand down like that, but I didn’t want her to hear you say that.”

“Say what?”

“That she’s a girl.”

Yuuko’s confused face prompted him to continue.

“She’s the other person who said ‘I want to be a man,’ like you. That’s why people didn’t talk to you yesterday, since you said the same thing. People think she’s weird, Yuuko.”

“Weird…….they think she is weird….?”

“That’s why some people thought you were weird too.” His friend nodded firmly. “She beats up anyone that calls her a girl. It happened to me and two friends yesterday.”

“But…… why?”

“I asked her that, that’s why she beat us up. She’s…… kind of a bully.”

He looked at the girl in question as Katsuo spoke, he understood everything he said, but only two things filled his mind.

“So she’s a bully..? But then…. if she is weird…… and I said the same thing…… why did you start talking to me, Katsuo?”

This question seemed to bring a smile back to his friend’s face.

“Cause my dad says I should try talking to new people! I’ve talked to everyone in our class, and it feels good to be nice to people!”

“I…… I see, that is!… good!”

“Hmph,” said the boy, nodding his head. “Be careful, she might want to talk to you since you guys said the same thing.”

“….I will.”

“Hmm? Yuuko?”

“Ah- yes?”

“Why are you holding your bread like that?”

“Ahh, well this is….. if I do not……. then I will squish…. and hurt it…..”

He expected his new friend to walk away, or insult him for saying something silly. His mother tells him that food doesn't have feelings, and neither do boxes. But to his surprise, Katsuo laughed.

“I—I think you might be a little weird too, Yuuko. You talk and act kind of weird, but I think it’s the good kind of weird! Hmph!” he said vigorously nodding his head once more.

Yuuko awkwardly scratched the back of his head upon hearing his friend’s words, but in the corner of his eye he noticed something.

The girl by the window, the one with short hair, wasn’t eating anything. It was more than that, though— no one was sitting anywhere near her.

But that….makes sense…...

What didn’t make sense to him though, was how she just kept staring out of the window, since the beginning of their lunch. It looked like she’s looking for something.

Or……maybe someone?

* * * * *

At the end of the school day, Katsuo had invited Yuuko to take a look around the school until a girl with brown hair came to get him. To his embarrassment, Katsuo had forgotten that he promised to help a friend with her art project.

“I’m really sorry Yuuko!” he said, clapping his hands together and lowering his head. “I-I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I’ll bring a muffin from home!”

Yuuko insisted that it was okay and began making his way to the lower floors. He already explored a portion of the school before starting his morning class, so it wasn’t a big deal to him. Besides, Katsuo had helped him make friends with some of the other students already.

He’s super popular, but I guess that is what his father taught him.

In the middle of the stairway, he paused at the thought.

His father.

Would his dad be proud of him if he saw that he was making friends? Would he say that Yuuko is becoming a good man, a man just like him?

He clenched the inside of his left pocket, where he kept one of the notes given to him by his dad. He did his best to follow his instructions, but it was hard— after all, he didn’t have him anymore to answer his many questions. He asked his mom sometimes, but it felt heavy whenever he did.

I…...wonder why……..

But more than that, Yuuko couldn’t get over the questions he had since that night. His father said he was sure he would see him again……

But where?

He had read through the stories he had in his room, some of them mention a place people go to when they die…. but he always closed the books after that.

It made him feel like he was choking, but he never cried. Still….. he wanted to know.

Why do people hurt?

What happens to people when they die?

And……. is it okay for him not to cry?

“You’re just like me y’know.”

Yuuko didn’t notice at what point he had stepped outside, but he turned to locate the voice that called out to him.

Behind him, coming from the right corner of the school building, a girl with short hair came to meet him.

In that moment, in the early evening sun, there was a lot about the girl that stood out to Yuuko. He could have pointed out why she suddenly came out from hiding with her arms crossed. He could have pointed out her short black hair, so short that it resembled a boy’s. Her face was rough— from far away, it'd be difficult to tell she’s a girl, but the fang in her mouth helps when up close. He could’ve pointed out her dirty and slightly tattered clothing, as well as the backpack she had that was tearing up from the top; they were all something he might wear. In fact, he could have pointed out the obvious in that she talked like a boy.

Any of these would have been more appropriate to say, but as if on instinct, Yuuko spoke out the one thing that stood out more than anything else.

“Your eyes….are a really pretty green.”

“…….hah?”

He didn’t know how else to describe it, but it was true. Her eyes were the deepest and brightest shade of green he had ever seen in his life. They were also tinted in the faintest blue.

He’d never seen anything like them.

“Are you making fun of me?”

Her tone took a drastic change as she approached Yuuko, who recovered from his distracted state of mind.

“No, no! I am sorry, sorry— that was!— I was not making fun of you!”

She stopped in front of him with a strange look on her face, as if she was deciding whether or not she believed him.

“Hpph. One day and the popularity gets to your head, maybe we aren’t alike after all.”

“Why… do you say we are alike?”

“You’re that boy aren’t you?” she said crossing her arms with a smile. Yuuko could that small fang poking out from the side of her mouth. “Yuuko Asahino, the one who says he wants to be a man!”

“I am… but who are you?”

“Hpmph, you’ve probably heard about me by now, right?”

“I have,” he admitted. “But mother says I should not listen to rumors. Also… I do not know your name.”

The girl wore a smile he’d never seen before. “My name is Yuya Itomei. I’m the one who says I’m a boy who’ll be a man!”

Yuya? But that’s……..

“You… have a boy’s name.”

“Yeah, and you have a girl’s name.”

“You want to be a man too?”

“I don’t want to be one, I am one… well, when I’m older.”

“……but you….”

“And yeah, I beat them up. So what?”

Yuuko’s cautious approach was cut off when Yuya said those words.

“I do it to anyone who says I’m a girl. And besides, a man is the strongest person around, and they made me mad, so why shouldn’t I?”

“You should not hurt people.”

The girl's fang appeared dangerously sharp all of a sudden, and her face changed too. It changed into something Yuuko recognized.

“If someone called you a girl, you would get mad too right?”

“I had a frie……nd…. say that I have a girl name before, but I did not hurt him. You should not hurt people, that is not what a man does!”

“That is what a man does stupid. The only people who say those things are liars. If someone makes me mad, I hurt them so they don’t do it again.”

“That’s being a bully! And it’s not a lie! Father says a man is supposed to help people!”

“Yeah, well mother says that a man is supposed to fight people that make them mad! Men are the only ones that can get anything done!”

“Heroes aren't bullies!”

“People only call me a bully ‘cause they’re weak and can’t fight back!”

“YUUKO!”

The two looked to the school entrance, seeing a boy with grayish-brown hair running right towards them. Katsuo stopped at his friend’s shoulder, putting one hand on it to catch his breath.

Following closely behind him was a small girl with shoulder length brown hair.

“Are you okay?”

“Ych. What are you doing here? Stop bothering us, or else.”

Katsuo stood upright in response to the girl's threat.

“I won’t let you hurt Yuuko.”

“Leave. Now.”

The girl with brown hair quickly hid behind Katsuo. Yuuko could tell she was scared…. but Yuya’s words weren’t even directed to her.

“Fine, we will,” he said, patting his friend’s shoulder. “Let’s go Yuuko.”

They said nothing as the group of three turned and made their way towards the school exit, until—

“—wait.”

He stopped in his tracks, but hesitated. Staring at the ground, he violently shook his head and forced himself to look upwards. He gathered himself and took a few steps towards Yuya, who already looked annoyed.

“You said that I am just like you, right?”

“Hah. I don’t really care anymore.”

“Can I at least ask you one thing?”

When she didn’t respond, Yuuko continued.

“Why do you say that you are a boy? You are a girl, so why do you decide to be a boy?”

The girl in front of them, at this moment, Yuuko could practically see the anger around her.

“I told you.......not to call me that!”

“Yuuko look out!”

Before he could respond, Yuya had charged at Yuuko, and before she could hit him, another boy jumped in front of him. Katsuo was on the ground before he knew it, and from the corner of his eye, Yuuko could see a girl running inside the school.

“I. Told. You! NOT! TO CALL! ME! A GIRL!”

The boy he had only known for two days was lying on the ground, and the girl he’d only spoken to today was pummeling him, having all but forgotten Yuuko.

He was frozen, but not because his body wouldn’t move.

In Yuuko’s mind, he was wondering why this was happening. Why did a question…. his question…. make this girl so mad?

And why did Katsuo, who doesn't know him, choose to help?

Katsuo.

Yuuko brought his eyes down, and his spine became ice. Every hair on his body stood up as he saw the boy in front of him on the floor. Curled into a ball, protecting his face and body.

It’s just like……

The ice in his body became unbearably hot, like fire, when he saw the girl deliver a kick to Katsuo. He didn’t know whether or not she was screaming.

Or was he screaming?

He couldn’t tell.

“Because there are people that don’t believe in heroes.”

Not another second passed before he stepped between her and Katsuo. Her anger redirected at him, but it disappeared like wind when he caught the fist about to hit him.

“You’re going to have to fight, Yuuko.”

He stared at her as his left hand wrapped around her wrist, and the anger in her eyes turned into something completely different.

He made a fist with his right hand.

“I said to STOP HURTING MY FRIEND!”

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Yuuko aimed his fist at the girl trapped in his grip. He felt the wind race past the top of his hand, and heard the blood pounding in his ears.

This was how he had to fight. This is what his father meant.

But he missed.

No. It would be more appropriate to say that his fist hit nothing but air.

Because she was gone.

Still holding a wrist in his left hand, he followed the wrist to the arm of the girl he had aimed for.

But the arm led downward.

To a girl that was crouched down in the dirt.

Beneath him, Yuuko saw a girl covering her head with her free hand.

She arm was shivering…….no.

Her entire body was trembling.

“P-Please…...please no more…….no more………..”

In confusion, Yuuko released her wrist only for it to snap back to her body with violent force. In less than a second, both of her arms covered her head, and if possible, her trembling became worse.

The only thing he could hear was a sorrow whimper.

“Please-I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to…..please stop mother……please stop………”

“What in the world is happening here!?”

“Mr. Eikyo….?”

Yuuko registered his homeroom teacher approach them before he got close enough to see the situation for himself.

Striding next to his students, the teacher looked at the children on the floor before his face changed from rigid and hard, to what Yuuko thought looked like a soft— and sad— face.

“Hey, it’s alright.” he said patting the girl on the shoulder. “Everything’s going to be okay, she’s not here.”

As Yuuko approached, his focus briefly changed to him.

“Yuuko,” he said in a stern voice. “Do you know what happened here?”

“Y….I don’t…..I think so… sir….”

“Then I’ll hear what you have to say tomorrow. Right now, I need you to take Katsuo to the nurse, and quickly.”

“But…. what about Yuya?”

“I’ll handle it. Take Katsuo, alright?”

“Y-Yes.”

His friend groaned as Yuuko tried to pick him up, but after some time he stood on his own two feet. As they walked away, Yuuko looked back to see his teacher take the girl by the hand so she could stand up….but even at a distance, Yuuko could see the girl’s legs shaking so badly she couldn’t stand without grabbing his arms.

By the time they entered, Katsuo was able to speak once more.

“You…. did awesome Yuuko…”

“Katsuo! A-Are you alright?”

“Yeah…. hahah, I’m okay.”

They entered the nurse’s office where a girl with short brown hair waited for them.

“The nurse is going to come back soon, and, um… I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do, so I got Mr. Eikyo.”

“It’s okay, thanks Red.”

“Red?”

“Yeah, the girl I promised to help, she’s in our class. Red’s her favorite color, so I call her that.”

“It’s embarrassing…… but thank you for helping Katsuo, Yuuko.”

“Yeah, that was awesome, where did you learn that?”

“……Katsuo, did you hear what she said at the very end?”

His friend looked surprised at the sudden change of topic, but answered.

“No, I was on the ground, all I could think of was that it hurt. Why? Did she say something?”

“I…….don’t know.” he admitted.

“Well anyway, that was still awesome! Bullies suck, so hopefully this’ll teach her to stop being so mean to people!”

“She stole my scissors one time to cut her hair in the bathroom…...she never gave them back.”

“A bully……”

That word sounded throughout Yuuko’s mind.

It’s true that she acted the same way Hajimu did last year…… but Yuuko couldn’t help the feeling that it was different.

Even though he didn’t get hit, his heart hurt.

“You can’t be friends with a bully, for example.”

His heart…..he knows she’s a bully, but he can’t help but feel there’s something different. There’s something more.

In that moment when she was on the ground, he knew exactly what she reminded him of. In the dirt, in pain, she reminded him of a hurt animal…….she was in lots and lots of pain. In that moment, Yuya looked exactly like Toshi.

And yet, it struck him……. that he didn’t see her cry.

Part 4

Yuuko wished he knew more about Toshi’s life before finding him, because even without knowing anything, his mother was absolutely convinced that he was professionally trained.

“Toshiii, don’t pull on the leash so much, I have to tie my shoes.”

“Rgph.” the dog bubbled.

Deciding to just tuck in the laces, Yuuko stepped outside and found himself thinking about how much better Toshi’s gotten since he found him.

During the first month with his new pet, he would have trouble simply convincing his mother to let him keep it. It wasn’t until one day, when he returned from school, that she all of a sudden changed her mind.

His “I’m home!” greeting echoed through the hallway. It was just a habit, he knew it was normal for his mother to be home late at night, but he liked saying it because it reminded him of…..well, to his surprise, his mother came downstairs looking sick. He told her to come home earlier because she needed sleep, but she just looked at him and said, “do you always say that when you come home, Yuuko?”

He answered with a nod, and he swears he saw her become even more sick. That’s when he became allowed to keep Toshi.

His troubles had only just started though. For the first two and a half months, his new dog would have problems eating, only doing so when Yuuko was on the other side of the room. For four months, he would flinch whenever Yuuko pet him, if he even allowed himself to be touched at all, and it wasn’t until a month and a half ago that he stopped growling at strangers who simply got near him.

Regardless, the surprises became commonplace, starting with him not needing a leash. By the time he finally let himself be put on one, they found Toshi didn’t need it since he would stay by his side at all times anyway. Whenever Yuuko went to school, he walked right beside him, deterring anyone who got too close. It got to the point where he had to stop bringing him to school because he would growl at the students and waited outside until the day finished to walk Yuuko home; all the kids around him got scared.

Now Yuuko only put the collar on him because that’s what your supposed to have when walking a dog.

“Oh, Toshi I forgot your pill!” he said pulling one out of his pocket.

He didn’t know why his dog needed pills, but the vet said something was wrong with him from his time as a stray. He always kept some in his pocket, just in case he ever forgot to give one to him at home.

“Greph.” his dog complained, sloppily removing the medicine from his owner’s hand. Yuuko gave a small laugh and pet the top of his head.

“Say Toshi………… you were scared too……right?”

The face of that girl wouldn’t leave his mind. The way she covered her head with her hands………. even the way she spoke.

“She looked scared…… just like you did that time…….”

His could feel his eyes become distant.

“What……… is she scared of?”

Before he could think any further, Yuuko let out an audible *hpht* from a strange view next to him. To his right was a dense stretch of woods, and he thought he saw a……. purple circle? With Toshi accompanying him, Yuuko walked closer to the view he saw only to find—

“….. a leaf?”

He sighed as he dropped the once interesting object, but perked his head up at seeing something else.

“Toshi…..does that look like a trail to you?” he said pointing to a hole in the greenery.

“Grph.”

The pair approached the odd entrance, but it was strange. It looked like it was an opening, while at the same time it didn’t.

“A closed opening? An open closing?” he questioned as he lifted up the branches he could. “I don’t know but— Toshi look!”

The path in front of them was disheveled and blurry, but it was definitely a path. With some imaginative input, Yuuko could see the remains of what was once a trail. Taking an astounded breath, he was about to run inside until a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time spoke from his head.

“Only real men get to go on adventures…...stay here and be a hero you weirdo.”

“Only real men…. a weirdo…… an adventure”

He looked up at the trail, remembering those words.

A hero. A man.

His heart hurt.

For a moment, his heart hurt so badly that he had to clutch it to stop from hurting. He stumbled, and it felt like all the air suddenly left his stomach. Slowly he released it, breathing out and gripping his fist so hard the knuckles turned yellow.

“Toshi…….. I’m going to go on an adventure.”

The moment he stepped into the hole, he felt as though he had been transported to another world. The light from the evening sun broke through in small patches, but the odd thing was how it looked so much more dense from the outside. Inside there were trees, but not as many as he thought there would be.

He jumped over a small hole as Toshi jogged the area around them.

Maybe looking for something dangerous?

What took his breath away the most, however, was finding the small, half circle bridge that ran across a creek. It wasn’t very deep, but it was wide enough that Yuuko couldn’t jump over it. He stood at the high point of the bridge and looked over the rail; a boy with bright golden eyes was staring back at him.

This really is an adventure…….!

“Rgph.”

“Hm? Did you find something, boy?”

“Grph.” With a small bark, Toshi ran through into a patch of light up ahead.

“Ahahhh! Toshi— wait!” he said sprinting closely behind.

The moment he broke through, he was amazed at what he saw. He was at the top of some kind of cliff, and hundreds of dotted buildings sprinkled the land beneath him, like a painting. The clear view of the sky above him somehow made everything look further away than it really is.

“Toshi,” he panted. “We really did go on an adventure….”

By instinct, Yuuko decided to sit down near the edge of the cliff, and his pet soon followed. From this height, he could see mountains, incredibly far in the distance, like giant waves, ready to crash down into the earth.

It reminded of a scene from an anime he used to watch with father, his favorite one. The hero who saved everyone with the power of his soul.

He hasn’t seen it in almost a year.

He felt an odd sensation and looked next to him to find Toshi curling himself into a ball against his leg.

And he became light-headed from a sudden thought.

The way that girl lashes out at people was just like how Toshi did too.

“People…..called her weird.”

“Don’t talk to him, he’s weird.”

“I know how that feels too…”

“But……. the people that called her weird, she hurt them. She’s a bully.”

“Mom, why do things get hurt?”

“Why is she scared? And why did she say we are the same?”

That was the first thing she said to him when she talked to him.

They have the same wish but…..somehow he feels that isn’t the answer.

A man is supposed to fight… that’s what his father said; that means he did the right thing didn’t he? His heart felt confused, what did she mean by saying that they were the same?

Yuya Itomei. Maybe the answer…….. is that they’re both weird people?

Yuuko looked up and saw a plane flying overhead against the orange and purple sky. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and his mom didn’t want him to be out late. He left a piece of paper with the time he left the house written on it, like he always did whenever he went outside and his mother might come home.

A piece of paper…

He quickly reached into his pocket and brought out his folded sheet of paper with the sayings of his mother and father on it. He scanned through it, hoping to find an answer to what he should do on there, but as it turns out—

“This….. is the time paper for mother……..”

He gave a sigh as he put it back in his pocket, instead trying to remember something his father said before. He said a lot of things Yuuko never really understood, but the one thing he would always say to him stood out.

“Is this…….an opportunity?”

He said that with eyes half closed before laying down on the grass.

“Dad………. what do I do?”

Yuuko and Toshi layed there on the grass, feeling the evening spring wind blow past, smelling faintly of pollen and flowers. It reminded Yuuko of something his father said once— he called his mother a “flower of steel”. Though he didn’t know it at first, with time he came to understand it’s meaning of a girl who’s pretty, but also strong.

Come to think of it…...Yuya. That’s a boy’s name, while he had a girl’s name. She made fun of him for that earlier, but Hajimu always made fun of him for it at his old school.

Maybe that’s another way they were the same.

Two weirdos.

Slowly standing on his two feet, Yuuko stretched before addressing his partner. “Come on Toshi, we need to go home. The note isn’t there and mother might get mad if we are gone.”

“Grph.”

Before leaving, he made on last look back at his recently found spot; he had a feeling he would be using this place a lot.

It didn’t feel like he was walking uphill when he entered, but Yuuko also found it strange that it didn’t feel like a walk downhill either. What was strangest of all was the half-circle bridge; covered in leaves, but still clearly showing its red painted wooden boards. By the time he finally made it all the way down, the sun was setting deep in the sky, making everything around him look a dark shade of purple.

As the two walked the rest of the path they left on, a small, empty park faded into view. Out in the distance, near the back of the park, Yuuko spotted a familiar figure.

Standing underneath a tree was a boy with short hair and a torn………

“It’s her…?”

In surprise, Yuuko let go of the leash to sneak in closer with Toshi following closely behind.

“What is she doing out here so late? No…. more than that…..”

A piece of the puzzle Yuuko had been trying to solve connected, but in its place, another piece disappeared. He now understood one of the ways they are alike, but another question came to mind. His most important one.

Going back a few steps, he made a wide turn to get to the back end of the park without being spotted. He ended up hidden behind a small brick wall, just a few meters behind the girl.

“What is she doing?” he whispered to himself.

But the answer was clear and in front of him.

Nothing.

The girl was doing nothing.

She made simple movements with her hands and occasionally her feet, but that was the extent of her movements. Nothing, not even her head, moved an inch. From his hiding spot, Yuuko could only see a part of her face, but he didn’t need to see the whole thing to understand.

For the longest time, neither of the two children made a move. Not even Toshi made any noises, which both surprised, and confused Yuuko. Eventually, the deep purple sky turned a dull blue, and finally a dark black. Street Lamps around them flickered to life, illuminating the night around them with faint orange light.

The wind blew again, but this time, he couldn’t smell flowers.

It was at this moment that the girl pulled her back away from the tree, and slowly begin heading towards the streetlight.

Yuuko knew what he was going to do, and for the first time in his life, he even knew why. But in this clarity, there was only one thing he understood, and one thing he still didn’t understand.

“She’s like me…….. I did the same thing.”

He already recognized her scared attitude, but seeing the way she walked, it struck him. Until this moment, he never noticed that he used to walk the exact same way she does.

“Why does she act that way? And why………”

He stood up, grasping his heart once more.

“Why…….. is she always looking down?”

Part 5

Hiroka Eikyo opened the door to his second story apartment.

“I’m home!”

No response came from the inside.

“Yeah, the habit’s broken. I just wanted to say it.”

Undoing his tie and throwing it to the side of his living room, he dropped his backpack on the floor as he collapsed onto his bed.

“I’m not cut out for this.” his muffled voice echoed from the pillow. He stayed in that position until his lungs couldn’t take the lack of oxygen, at which point he turned his head to look at the nightstand next to him.

There were various objects on there, none of which he could actually see due to him not turning on the lights when he entered his home.

Well, most of them he couldn’t see.

Sitting upright, he grabbed a photo from his nightstand and made his way to the balcony where the moonlight would illuminate the frame.

“You were always better at this than I was……”

As he spoke, his finger gently traced the figure of a woman in the frame.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to do. I’m not going to lie to you, it looks bad, and there’s nothing I can do to help…………. what should I do, Mizuha?”

Opening the door to the balcony, he pulled up a chair and gazed up at the night sky— still clutching the frame.

“As if dealing with normal children wasn’t enough, her situation is especially grave.” Even without knowing him, if someone were to hear his words, they would automatically know he is telling the truth. His voice was full of pain…… and guilt.

“If someone doesn't help her…. that girl’s life will amount to nothing— and yet I….. still can’t do anything…..just like……!”

His tone of frustration didn’t match the tender way he held the frame close to his body.

And yet little did he know that, under the same sky, a boy began following a girl.

The boy, Yuuko Asahino, began following the girl Yuya Itomei.