Part 1

The end of another school day meant one thing for Yuuko. Though he was already used to seeing the girl tie a string around the bottom of her backpack, slinging it over her left shoulder before leaving without a word, it still hurt. More so since she did nothing but ignore him now. He sighed, opening his white journal.

“Does not laugh at word jokes. Maybe I can talk to her about animals?”

His eyes scanned over all his previous plans that also failed; he was running out of ideas. He flipped the page to read over the personal notes he’d written for the day, and his eyes went wide at what he wrote during morning classes.

“That is why…” he whispered to himself. “That must be why she has not been doing okay, I need to ask her!”

“HEYO, YUUKO!” said a particularly energetic voice. “Boy do I have news for you!”

“Ahhey,” he replied without looking up. “Sorry Katsuo, Ihavetogetgoing!”

“H-Hey wait! Yuuko!”

Katsuo reached out but his friend was already out the door, heading somewhere he didn’t know. He sulked as the girl behind him spoke reassuring words.

Outside, he barely managed to spot the girl before she left his sight. He’d written in his notes where she went after school on any given day, but following her was the only surefire of making sure he never missed her.

It wasn’t like she went to many places; she was almost always at the park, under that tree where she could keep to the shade. Yuuko kept out of sight by hiding behind a brick wall that served as the border between the park and woods, close to where he was the first night he saw her. Pulling out his journal, he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible, but there was no way he could sit down and be able to watch her at the same time. He had to be on his knees to see over the wall, any more would give him away.

It was when his eyes peeked over the ledge that he noticed her rolling up the sleeve of her shirt. She moved the worn cloth gently from side to side, wincing every time. That was her problem.

“She had a bruise today— at least I think it was a bruise. Before class started, I saw her sitting by herself on the stairs touching her arm, but she kept wincing. She started lifting up her sleeve and that’s when I could see it. It was blue and purple, it wasn’t very big but the color was bright. I had a bruise-like that when I fell one time, hers looked the same way.....”

With her sleeve rolled up all the way, she just stared at it with a look Yuuko thought he recognized.

“…..I wonder if it’s the same as the time I visited her house. That slapping sound…….I think she really hurts her.”

“Is that why she is always out here….all alone?”

He quietly read the notes he’d made to pass the time. Everything about her; everything of interest, everything he thought could help him get closer to her.

But it wasn’t much.

Today, like every day, she just stood under the shade without a word, looking down at her feet and kicking dust.

Yuuko was looking at the clock attached to a light post when she finally began moving; an hour and a half had passed and she went into the convenience store, exiting with a small bag in hand.

“Is that..?”

She chose to sit against her tree instead of the bench like last time, and opening the container, she took a bite out of something that looked like a small cake.

“…..the other students were talking about how she stole money from them today…” he whispered. “But I didn’t know she had such a sweet———!!”

His involuntary gasp was loud, far too loud. He shut his mouth, nearly biting his tongue in the process, and hoped she didn’t hear anything as he peeked over the wall to check.

She was still sitting, unaware of any changes to her surroundings. With that, he began to scribble in his journal with surprising violence.

“She brought it again today! IF I COULD BUY DAIFUKU FOR HER, MAYBE SHE WOULD SEE I’M NOT MEAN AND START BEING NICE!!”

He looked back, she still had a few left.

“I wonder if that’s her favorite kind.”

Daring to stand all the way up, Yuuko squinted his eyes and leaned over the brickwork, hoping to get a glance at the color.

“It’s so far away,” he whispered. “I’ll just climb up a little to see….”

*crack*

NO NO! OH - NO - OH - NO!!

A patch of damaged brickwork broke beneath his hand, dropping him face-first onto the grass.

He shot back up, only to be greeted by green eyes that looked twice as scared as the night she heard something, but as fast as it came, it left, replaced by something he was intimately familiar with.

“you,” she whispered. “you, it’s you, it’s ALWAYS YOU!”

He couldn’t even speak before she was fully sprinting towards him. In a panic he scooped up his journal, climbing back over the brick and running along the treeline. He was surprised, but relieved, to see her climbing over the wall with one hand— it didn’t slow her down much, but it was enough. Using the spare moment, he locked the journal between his teeth and began scaling the first suitable tree he could find.

The bark still didn’t feel normal in his palms, it was too rough and he figured there was a good chance of getting a splinter, but he pressed on, managing to get a little over two and a half meters above the ground. No sooner had he finished than Yuya caught up to him, gritting her teeth.

“How are you up there!?”

“I…pract—”

“Why are you following me!?” She interrupted, giving Yuuko the impression she didn’t really care. “It’s bad enough I have to sit next to you in class, listening to you over and over and over, but now you’re here—AGAIN! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

“I……….I think I wanted to- WOAH—HEY!”

A stone whistled past his ear, and looking down, he could see Yuya picking up a rock with her left hand.

“What are you doing!?”

“SHUT UP!”

She chucked the stone as hard as she could, but it went wide, going under his feet.

“Wait, wait—! Stop, I could fall!”

“I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!”

The next came too fast, he couldn't see it, but felt it scathe his ribs— she was getting closer.

“I came cause I want…….I-I don’t really know why! I think it’s because I want to help! You look like I did before, but different, and I want to know why so I wanna hel—AGH!”

A stinging pain exploding in his collar was the last thing he felt before a familiar feeling of weightlessness swallowed him. He felt the journal slip out of his hands as he instinctively covered the back of his head, preparing his body for an injury he knew would come.

He heard the twig snapping before anything else. Rough wood cut away small pieces of white skin like paper before a heavyweight dropped through his chest. A few seconds passed, and he looked down to find that he’d landed in a thick bush. It’s twigs dug into his skin, but it ended up saving him. It hurt him….and it saved him.

Rolling himself upwards, he looked up in time to see Yuya’s face change. It happened so fast he thought he’d imagined it, but just for a second, he saw her terrified. Now, the only thing left was the sound of her grinding her teeth as red tint mingled around the whites of impossibly green eyes.

“You’d better watch out at school…!”

Without another word, she left, harshly rubbing her eyes with a tattered sleeve as she walked. He sat there until he was sure she was gone. He went slowly as he rolled out of the bush, the pain in his collar made everything feel heavy.

Both his feet hit solid ground, and he winced at the jolt scattering through his body.

“….. it’s different from the weight I felt with Toshi…”

The pain was still there, but it didn’t bother him so much now. His mind was focused on something entirely different.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

“I’m………….No.” He surprised himself with the way he spoke. “I can’t say I’m sorry yet…..because when I say it I’ll have to stop….”

He walked over towards his fallen journal, brushing away bits of dirt and leaves.

“Dad….how many times do I need to try again….”

He clutched the object against his side as his mother’s words rang in his ears.

“Why do flowers need those things anyway!?”

Part 2

The two were whispering rather violently when the bell rang after school.

“Yeah, but he’s ignoring everyone now!”

“Why is he with her? She took some kid’s allowance yesterday again.”

“Do you think he’s helping her?”

“I don’t think so, but he’s always talking to her during our breaks.”

“Maybe he has a crush on her.”

“Makes sense. The boy with a girl’s name in love with the girl with a boy’s name.”

Katsuo jumped at the hand he felt tapping his shoulder.

“Oh, hey Red.”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me, I thought you said you weren’t going to listen to people.”

“I…..I……..” he sighed. “Yeah, but what if he starts ignoring us again? How do I get him to stop?”

“It’ll be okay, really!” she said, pulling him up from his chair. “Come on, go talk to him like we said!”

“But look!” he said pointing to a group of students. “The others just tried talking to him and he didn’t listen!.....I mean, is he really going to leave us…for her?”

“GO!” she said with a hard shove. Stumbling, Katsuo ended up next to Yuuko who had his nose buried in a dirty white journal; now that he thinks about it, he’s seen him write in that a lot lately.

“Heeeeyo Yuuko…….um, can I ask you something?”

“………”

“Yuuko?”

“………………”

“Yuuko!”

“Huh!—Oh, hi Katsuo.”

“Yeah, hey, so…..” He forgot his name the instant he saw something written in ink. “Is…. is that Yuya’s name?”

“W-What?!” he violently scrambled to cover the pages. “No, it’s—!”

“—and there’s my name! And Red too!”

“AhhA!” he threw the book into his open backpack.

“I-It’s nothing, really!” he said, turning his attention to a brown-haired girl walking up. “Hi Red!”

“Heya, what are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing!” he spoke before his friend could. “Did ah, you want to talk about something?”

Red made a difficult face before Katsuo perked up.

“Uh, no no! Everything is totally cool!”

“…….oh….okay.”

“…………”

“…………….”

“………………”

“Yuuko, Katsuo is going to help me with my art!” she injected into the silence. “Do you want to help us out?”

“Yeah yeah! We could totally use your help!”

“Ah sor—er, I do not think I can today guys,” he said, zipping his bag and standing. “I have to be somewhere.”

As he started to leave, Red noticed the solemn look on her Katsuo’s face.

Of course, he can’t show it.

“Yuuko!” She grabbed his shoulder, but immediately let go when he winced. “AhH! Ohmygosh I’m really sorry! Are you okay!?”

“Ahaha, no no, I am okay. I just have a bruise is all.”

“A bruise? From where—how’d you get it?” asked Katsuo.

Yuuko scratched the back of his head. “Well, I guess I need to be more careful. What’s wrong Red?”

“OaH! Right! Want to hear something cool?”

“Something cool?”

“Yeah, did um….ummm…..Oh! Did you know flowers can change the color of their petals if you put them in different color water?!”

She said the first thing that came to mind. She didn’t expect him to be interested in it, let alone for it to stop him. But now he looks so…..far away?

“Flowers…changing color?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome!” piped his friend. “It’s like if you put red color in the water, then the flower ends up turning red!”

“……so if you plant it somewhere else….if you show it different water, it changes?”

“Isn’t that cool? The art room has some if you want to see; you could even ask if you can have your own.”

“Yeah— YEAH! Red is AWESOME with art! The teacher says she’s got a real talent for it, so I’m sure we can convince her to let you ha—heY! YUUKO?!”

“Thank you both!” he said as he sprinted down the hall. “You gave me an idea, I have to hurry!”

“Red, come on!” His friend nodded in agreement as they followed their friend down the hall before bumping into someone.

“Oh, excu—Oh Miss Sui! I’ve been looking for you! Hurry, I need you to complete a task for me right away!”

“Ms. Gansai—! I’m sorry but I need to hurry to—”

“Yes you most certainly do!” she said, taking Red by the hand. “Come along, there’s important work to be finished before your deadline next week!”

“Red!”

“Go on Katsuo, I’ll catch up!” she said, turning her head back. She remembered that bright afternoon they were together, that smile she showed him, and she brought it back. “Bring our friend back!”

* * * * *

The afternoon sun blinded Yuuko as he exploded through the front doors of the school. He scanned every direction around him, looking for a familiar haircut with dirty clothes and a torn backpack.

He was about to call out a name until a violent force yanked him back and dragged him into the shade to the side of the building; where both he and the person dragging him would be out of sight. He felt flung against the wall, though it didn’t hurt since his bag took most of the impact.

“I told you to watch out, so don’t say I never warned you!”

“Yuya, wait—!”

He moved out of the way before she could land a blow to his face, making her strike the wall instead. She recoiled in pain.

“H-Hey, stop! Your arm is still bruised right, you could get hurt!”

“Don’t say that like you care!” she took a swing with her left arm, but she was slower than the time she fought Katsuo.

“Yuya, wait—!”

“Quit saying my name!” she said as she tried kicking him. “I bet that’s all you do, with the others, huh!? Make fun of me?!”

She struck again with her left. He noticed that her right arm just...sat there. Flailing like a noodle.

“None of you make fun of me to my face, but call me a girl all you want, I CAN STILL BEAT YOU!”

“Yuya, I said wait! I want to help!!”

“QUIT ACTING LIKE YOU CARE ABOUT ME!”

She went in for a straight punch, and Yuuko saw the hands of his mother during all her time teaching him.

“That’s why I taught you those skills, remember? So you would not have to get hurt.”

But….is that really why…….

He caught her fist and arm with both hands, just like his mother showed him. Immediately, he looked to her face and saw in her eyes something….he didn’t quite know how to describe.

Why couldn’t he ever tell?

…...is that really why things get hurt?

Yuuko heard a vile grunt claw its way through the young girl’s throat as she pulled back her right arm that came millimeters from Yuuko’s cheek.

The only reason it didn't hit was that someone pulled her back.

“Don’t. Hurt. My. Friend!”

His hands were locked around her stomach, and using all his strength, he tossed her to one side.

“Katsuo, what are you doing here?”

“Helping a friend!” he said as he walked towards the stumbling girl. “And you know, my dad always told me I should never hit a girl, but I’ve had it with you hurting and bullying people!”

In an instant, her expression changed. Where she looked like Toshi, not a few seconds prior, she was the exact same way she was the day he helped Katsuo.

“We’ve tried helping you a lot you know! But all you’ve done is bully us, call us names, and hurt people!”

She clamored against the wall, both hands looking for something that wasn’t there.

Yes. She looked the same.

He could hear her ragged breathing, her face— covered in sweat and her eyes?

Just like the day she was home. Looking down. Shaking.

….why do things get hurt?

“If you want to hurt people, then you’re going to get hurt too!”

“Katsuo, wait!” Yuuko launched himself towards his friend, holding him back by the elbow.

“Yuuko….! Let go! She gets what she deserves!”

“Look at her eyes!”

“Why are you helping her!? She steals our classmates’ money— she hurts people! She’s going to get what she’s always deserved!”

“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Yuya erupted out of the shadow of the building, flying through the gates.

“Yuya! Stop!”

He followed as fast as his legs would take him. He could hear a familiar voice calling for him, but he didn’t turn back.

Part 3

He ripped out his journal, tearing through every page, sprinting to every place she could be. Under her tree was nothing but a shadow, in the convenience store was no one but an old man in a suit; even the route she took when walking alone was empty. The only other place he saw her go was behind the school, but that was one time when she took the leftover bento from kids in another class.

After finishing, he found himself panting on the side of a thick copse that seemed familiar.

“This is…….the place with Toshi……I’m almost………home……”

He grabbed the fabric at his chest, twisting it as he spoke.

“Why……can’t I do it!?………dad…why can’t I help!”

Every word made his chest heave, but every breath brought him just a little closer to calming him down until finally, he made his way home at a steady pace. He didn’t register walking, it was like his feet had minds of their own.

“….right……I still need to walk Toshi,” he said as he fished for the door key. It opened with a piercing creak. “Toshi! I am ho—”

The words caught in his mouth. He stood frozen in the doorway as his dog bounded down the hall, tail wagging.

But he paid no attention to it.

Crashing through the bathroom door, he flipped on the light as he looked into the mirror. It didn’t hurt— but there was a small cut just on the side of his cheek.

The horrible sound of skin splitting open played in his ears.

It doesn't hurt him.

The weight of his backpack threw him off as he bolted out of the house door, only to return at the last minute, hastily attaching a leash to his dog.

“Toshi, I need you to come with me— just in case!”

“Gruph!”

His legs burned and his lungs screamed. He wasn’t completely sure he was going the right way, but he absolutely needed to get there.

“Get inside. Now.”

“Why would you go there at all? Why do you go back to someone who hurts you!?” He seethed through clenched teeth. “And why does she hurt her?!”

Passing houses gave him a sense of deja-vu, and following the street forward, he soon faced a house that looked completely normal except for the fact it had extra fencing around the back.

“It was this one I think,” he said through frantic breaths. “But no one is here.”

“Grrrrhhmm”

“Toshi we need to be quiet,” he remarked. “Wait— do you hear something?”

He listened closely, and it wasn’t long before two voices reached him. He couldn’t make out the words, but he didn’t need to hear them understand.

He tried going through the front door, but the hollow rattling sound let him know it was locked tight.

“She’s in trouble……. I need to get in somehow!”

He froze as the clarity of the sounds rang in his ears.

“…lease, I promise…….won’t do it again!”

“Hah?…said the same thing last time—probably ‘cause I didn’t discipline you enough. Gotta fix my mistakes.”

The sounds….outside? He looked to the space between the fencing and the house next door. Though it was a tight fit, he tugged Toshi along and found himself on the outside of a fence taller than he was. The sounds on the other side were loud and clear now.

“Choose.” said a hard, older voice. He heard clinking and something heavy hitting the dirt.

“Please….I didn’t mean it mo—”

“DON’T!…call me that.” she heaved a sigh. “Now I gotta kick that habit out of you too. Choose. Now.”

Toshi began going in circles, smelling the bottom of the fence as Yuuko became more and more panicked, fervently scratching the back of his head with both hands at the sound of soft whimpering coming from inside.

Think! THINK! How do I get in there!?

Looking to his side, he noticed a few small plastic crates tossed around like they were thrown out without any care. There were only three, so it wouldn’t be enough to let him jump over—

“—but I can definitely get on that branch!”

He quickly arranged them close to the lowest branch and jumped with all his strength, barely catching it with both hands as he hauled himself up. From here, it’d be no problem jumping into the yard.

Toshi began climbing the first crate before his owner stopped him with a frantic whisper.

“No no no no boy! I’ll call you when I need you okay?”

His dog proceeded, climbing up the two stacked crates and preparing to jump.

“Toshi, stay!” The dog’s legs twitched at the order. Looking up at him, he snarled— something that hasn’t happened in a long time. But he didn’t lose heart.

“Stay,” he commanded. “I will call you, so Toshi—stay!”

The twitch in his dog’s leg disappeared, but not before Yuuko looked in front of him.

Up until now, his mind was a complete frenzy, focused on one thing and one thing only; yet it all suddenly disappeared. His mind moved like thick honey when he saw her fall down.

Yuya, the bully, the one who hurt him and his friends, the one who stole peoples’ money— everything moved so slowly as he saw the mother’s hand pierce the skin on Yuya’s cheek.

That sharp sound. That painful sound entered his mind at the exact same time he saw blood drawn.

That sound existed in a scene like this. And he felt the skin on his hands burn like fire.

“Tch, chipped the nail,” she said, picking up Yuya by the hair. “Haaah? What’re you going limp for? That was the first lesson, we’re not done yet.”

“…om….it hurts….”

“STOP IT!”

“What the—?” she looked up. “ WHAT THE HELL!?”

Immediately letting go of Yuya’s hair, she practically lunged back as Yuuko landed onto the ground below, where she stood only moments ago.

“YOU WON’T HURT HER ANYMORE!”

Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he spread both his arms wide to cover as much of the person behind him as he could.

“……you,” said a frightened voice behind him. “W-What’re you doing here!?”

“What the hell?” she repeated. It took a moment for her to regain her composure, but to his surprise she spoke calmly. Like she did before. “I don’t know who you are, but the police don’t take kindly to breaking into homes, even if it’s a kid.”

“They don’t let people hurt other people either!”

“Well well, you’re a clever little one ain’t ya?” she beguiled. “The thing is, you got it all wrong. I haven’t laid a finger on him.”

“Yes you did! I saw you!”

“Leave, you’re only making things worse!”

“Hmmm,” she said, examining her broken nail. “So you know my son. Good for him. I gotta discipline him twice as much now to make sure he doesn't go blabbing, not that anything would happen anyway, but, you know.”

He looked at the woman in confusion, he had to get Yuya out of here as fast as possible, but what she said raised too many questions.

“Yuya’s a girl, why are you calling her a boy— your son?”

“My son isn’t a girl. Give’em ten years, no one’ll be able to notice.”

“She’s a girl! AND WHY ARE YOU HITTING HER?”

“I just told you— I don’t hit him. I don’t hit anyone. I’m a simple foreigner trying her best to live in a confusing country,” she said, removing the leather belt around her waist. “If anyone can’t tolerate my practices, well then that just makes them the bad guy doesn't it?”

“Hurry up and get out of here!” the girl said standing from the dirt. “You’re going—”

Her pause came abruptly. It was so abrupt that she choked, but she was confused by what she saw.

“I-It’s okay,” the boy shook as he turned to face her. “I won’t let you look down anymore.”

He was shaking, there’s no doubt in her mind that he’s shaking. His legs were trembling, and his voice quivered. Even with the way he is right now, she couldn’t help but wonder—

—why…….is he smiling?

“You know, since your parents probably check up on you every night, it wouldn’t be a good idea to bruise you, but that doesn't mean I can’t leave a mark that’ll disappear by then.”

She snapped the folded belt as she approached them— the sound was as if the air itself decided to explode.

“And the good news about disciplining in the middle of the day is that this neighborhood has nothing but low-level office workers who don’t come back ‘til late. I made sure of it myself before I moved in here, so we can be as loud as we want.”

Yuya didn’t feel herself come closer to his back. It didn’t register with her mind before her body moved to hold the back of his shirt, and the soft fabric wrinkled horribly under the grip of her palms.

And he felt it on his skin.

Yuya, this whole time.…..you’ve been…....

“I’ll definitely rescue you,” Yuuko said, his own voice still shaking. “I definitely won’t let you be alone anymore!”

“Please….help!”

The woman raised her belt. “Know your damn place kid!”

“TOSHI!!”An ear-piercing shout, using all the air in his small lungs, filled the world around them.

She sighed.

“Oh just shUT UP ALREADY YOU LITTLE SHI—!”

“GGRRRAAAAAAPHHH!”

After only a second of shuffling plastic, a small brown dog with a curved tail leapt over the fence, landing by Yuuko’s side. Baring his teeth, drool began pouring out of the sides of his mouth as monstrous growls escaped his throat.

“A dog!?” she barked, reaching for her back pocket. “How’d that midget of a dog manage to jump over?”

“Come on!” he said, tugging at the girl latched to his shirt.

Hurriedly scanning his surroundings, he noticed the door leading into the house and pulled the girl along, but as soon as he crashed into it—

“—locked!?” he baffled. “How?—Why!”

“So I can make sure Yuya gets proper punishment without running away,” she said as she pulled out a dark rectangle. Toshi was backing her into a corner, but as soon as the box was in her hand, a haunting smile stretched across her face.

“no,” whispered the girl behind him. “mom please!”

His attention was so engrossed with the woman, he didn’t notice a doorknob appear right behind the spot they stood moments ago. The sliding lock at the top was high, but he could make it.

“Toshi, get away from her!” He took the girl by her left hand, bolting to the door and unlocking in a swift motion.

“We need to run!” he frantically told the girl, but as he turned to call his dog once more, a high-pitched ring echoed from the box the woman held. He could see flashing, electric blue light emanating from the two points at the very top.

“…no!”

“Toshi!”

It seemed Toshi comprehended the ringing as well, and if he hadn't leapt back with a speed that surprised them all, the light would’ve struck his stomach. Even then, he wasn’t fast enough.

The woman brought down the blue light to his dog, striking him near his leg and tail. For less than a second, wave after wave of high-pitched crackling noises spread through the air— and an echo of pain escaped his dog’s mouth.

“TOSHI!”

Grabbing two crates laying to the side of the fence, Yuuko flung each at the woman with all his might. She raised her arms in reflex, giving Yuuko just enough time to see Toshi scuttle through the door, and for him to follow suit.

He grabbed the girl’s left arm as the mother yelled in a rage behind them, but neither looked back for a second.

Hand in hand, they both kept running.

Part 4

He ran hard and fast, even after the voice had long disappeared, he didn’t look back; he didn’t even think. His mind went blank as his feet carried him, and it wasn’t until they approached a thick lining of trees that he was able to comment.

“Through here!”

As he entered the lining, he looked to his side to make sure his pet was still with them, and sure enough, he was there; although the limping made his heart hurt.

“H-Hey! Wait, what are we doing in here!?”

“Nobody will find us here.”

“Where…..!”

His grip slipped from her arm as he and his dog trudged up the middle of a bridge.

“Toshi, Toshi are you okay?” His pet was limping from one of his hind legs. As soon as he reached the middle, he plopped down and Yuuko knelt down to look at him. He felt his heartbeat, checked his breathing, it wasn’t until the dog gave him a small *grph* that he sighed with relief.

“You’re okay…” he said through quivers. “I’m going to take you to a vet as soon as I can, okay boy?”

“Grph.” Yuuko checked his breathing once more when he saw him close his eyes, but it was apparent from the deep breaths that he was just sleeping.

He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, dusting his knees.

“Your mom might’ve been following us, I wasn’t thinking about it, but I just kind of came here.”

He turned around to the sight of a girl with clenched fists and messy hair looking straight at the wooden bridge beneath them.

“You idiot!”

She raised her fist to punch him, and before Yuuko could react, it hit him square in the chest….only there was no force behind it.

It was like being hit by a kitten.

He could feel her fist trembling against his chest, but it was so fragile. He felt his own heartbeat harder than he could feel her punch.

He didn’t think it was possible…for a hand to be so delicate.

She didn’t pull back her fist so much as it just fell to her side. Yuuko thought it strange how, even though he couldn’t see her face, there was so much he was starting to understand about her.

“Why….were you at my house?” she began.

He looked up through the canopy of trees above him. Maybe the answer he was looking for would be up there?

….no……he knew why…

And so did she.

“You wanted to help,” her voice echoed. There was a strange harmony between it and her shivering body. “You wanted to help me after everything I said to you? After everything I did to you?”

Weak whimpers seeped through the gaps of her teeth. Yuuko broke his view of the sky to look at the girl whose fists were balling at her sides again.

Only this time it didn’t look out of anger.

She slipped her arms around her chest, clutching both shoulders with surprising aggression.

“Are you okay?”

He knew that questions could cause pain. Sometimes, when he asked his own mother that question, he could see her smile go away. But he didn’t know what else to say.

She slumped against the railing, clutching her chest. Hiccup sounds began forcing their way out of her throat, but even then—

“—you’re not crying.”

She grit her teeth, bubbles of air still leaking through her mouth.

“Boys….are—n’t supposed to cry……that’s wha—t she always says.”

He didn’t know what to say. Now he doesn't know what to do.

It wasn’t….I was supposed to help… I only made her sad.

The unwanted thoughts forced their way into his mind.

Is this really what a hero does?

He shook his head to get rid of the invasive words. He’d gotten her away….but he hasn’t helped her.

How do you help someone who’s hurt?

The girl’s quivering hiccups made him remember the scene they escaped not ten minutes ago. She was scared there too…so was he, but the only reason he could move was that—!

It was like a wire had finally made a connection in his brain.

How do I help this girl who’s hurt?

He walked over to the girl and gently began rubbing the top of her head. She instantly shot her head up to remark, but no sounds escaped. Even her hiccups, for that instant, were gone. Yuuko finally got a good look at her face too. Her eyes were puffy and red, but there was a distinct lack of tears on her cheeks. It made him uncomfortable, like seeing a picture where he knew something was missing.

Even so, he continued.

He crouched down, continuing to stroke the top of her head. Her hair was rough and crunchy, but the innermost parts had a touch of softness in them. With that, the two of them were finally seeing eye to eye.

“You’re not a boy Yuya. You’re a girl,” he remembered what his father had always done for him.

He realized that he needed to do the same for her.

He needed to do so with a smile.

“But you need to stop looking down, otherwise you can’t be brave.”

“B..rave?”

He nodded. “Yuya, do you like hero stories?”

“U—Uh, I….”

As he stopped petting her, she, “Wait!” interjected—fiercely grabbing him by the arm but letting go almost immediately due to the pain making her shirk.

I grabbed with the wrong arm…..

“Are you okay?” he said worryingly.

“I-I’m fine!” she huffed. “I just….I!……nevermind.”

He gave her a confused smile as he slipped off the gray backpack he’d been lugging around all day. As it slid off, a stinging amount of pressure shocked his collarbone, and he winced at the momentary pain that seared his shoulder.

And she noticed.

“Is that… where I hit you?”

He scratched the back of his head. “It’s okay, I’m alright.”

“I……….um…….about that….”

The words caught in her mouth, and she stayed frozen with her mouth agape. After a long pause with no words, he let out a mixture of a sigh and a confused laugh as he took out a thick book from his bag and sat next to Yuya.

“What is that?” she asked, wide-eyed.

“It’s a book full of stories about heroes,” he replied, showing her the cover. “This is one I carry with me, I have a lot at home.”

“….you mentioned that twice before. Being a hero.”

“Twice?”

She nodded. “The first day in class….and when we met.”

“I did?” he said, the collage of memories coming back to him. “Oh….I guess I did……um— but this book has all kinds of stories! Have you ever read any?”

“Not...by myself. No.”

“Let me show you then!” Before waiting for her response, he flipped through the book, tearing through the pages one at a time. The black and white illustrations flashed before her eyes; countless stories held in a giant book.

It brought her back to the nights she spent snuggled under the covers of a warm home during the winter, a soothing voice that painted the words, giving them life. It wasn’t until Yuuko found the story he was looking for that her daydream broke.

“This one is one of my favorites!”

He flipped to a cover page showing children crossing a snowy landscape— a witch leering menacingly behind them. The biggest eye-catcher, though, was the lion in the sky, it was looking majestically over the children.

“One of the characters is only a year older than us! Her and her siblings get sent to another world and help save it, it really is one of my favorites!”

“You already said that…”

“Ahhh, sorry…. I just really like it…”

“……so do I…”

“.....wait…,” he said, ripping his eyes away from the book. “You’ve read this before!?”

“With my grandma,” she said, studying the picture. “She used to read me this story whenever I’d visit….but we never got to finish. My mom would always come in and tell her to stop telling me fairytales…”

The puffiness in her eyes went away, but there was still a red tint in her eyes. To see something like that without any tears made Yuuko uncomfortable in a way he didn’t understand. He didn’t want to leave, but rather—

—it looks lonely.

An audible gasp escaped her lips when she felt a hand return to the top of her head, patting it with unfamiliar firmness.

“In that case let’s read it together.”

“……is…that really okay?”

“Flowers can change the color of their petals if you put them in different color water.”

If that was the case, he much preferred it when her pure green eyes were surrounded by clean white instead of the damp red the saw earlier.

What do you call a green that pure?

“Sure,” he said with a bright smile. “I think you’ll really like it!”

Part 5

“And the two of them went….they……”

“They did what? Where’d they go— come on!”

“I’m trying to see!” he said, backing away from the ecstatic hands pounding at his leg. He squinted at the book, holding it up from different angles but surrendered with a sigh.

“I can’t see anymore, it’s too dark.”

“Hahhgh!? What are you saying, there’s still—!” she looked up at the slate-gray sky. Thin bands of gold-blue light still pierced parts of it like needles, but she couldn’t even make out the color of the trees above their heads.

“Ohh…I guess it is.”

“Come on,” he said, standing up. “We can finish the rest another time!”

“I…….I guess…I just really………….”

“Agh!”

“H-Hey, what’s wrong?!”

“My foot fell asleep!” he moaned, hopping on one foot. “I kicked the ground and now it feels weird!”

“Aha...ahaha—” she quickly silenced the barely audible laugh, replacing it with a tone that was just barely lighthearted. “You’re an idiot.”

“You’re—!”

“—grph.”

“Ah, Toshi! I’m glad you’re awake boy, come on, we are going back down.”

“Greph.”

“Come here boy,” he said, scooping up his dog carefully. “I….am so sorry you got hurt. It will not happen again.”

The two walked downhill in silence for a few minutes. The woods around them might have scared her in another time, but it was dark and quiet. She liked it that way.

As they walked past a large tree, Yuya hesitantly spoke.

“Is…your dog okay?”

“I hope so,” he admitted. “He is a tough boy, but I still worry.”

“….that’s…….”

Though it sounded like she was going to say something, the words hung in the air until disappearing altogether. Yuuko thought about asking her to finish, but his voice felt worn after reading through so much of the story.

It wasn’t long until they found themselves at the edge of the copse again. A bench lay to their immediate right while a good ways up the road was a small, empty park.

Yuuko, feeling Toshi squirm, put him on the bench along with his dark gray bag. He thought he might just want a break from being carried.

No….I might be carrying him wrong….

It was only until turning his head to check his legs that he noticed the girl by his side already making her way back the way they came.

“Hey! W-Wait!” he said, running to catch up to the girl.

“Whaat?”

“Are you…going home?”

She stared hard at the concrete beneath her shoes, kicking it lightly. She sometimes did that when she was thinking. It took her a while to master, but she found that if she angled her foot properly, the underside of the shoe would open and she could feel the texture of the stone on her sock.

“That’s none of your business…”

“….but……I just—”

“Ohh, if it isn’t Mr. Asahino and Itomei. What in the world are the two of you doing out here so late? It’s dangerous for kids to be alone, you know.”

““Eikyo Sensei!””

“Yes yes, not so loud.” said their teacher, waving his hand to quiet them.

“Sensei, what are you doing here?”

“That’s exactly what I want to know,” he said lightly bopping the top Yuuko’s head with his hand. “It’s dangerous to be out at night, what are you two doing?”

“We were…ummm….”

“Yuya, what happened to your arm?”

“Nothing!” she said quickly hiding the skin exposed on her forearm. “…it’s nothing……”

He scratched the bottom of his jaw, seemingly analyzing the situation.

“Well, it seems you two can be around each other now without pushing to talk or ignoring each other.” he nodded emphatically. “This is progress!”

“I!…being pushy was….!”

“That’s not…!”

He couldn’t help smiling as they spoke over one another.

“Yuya, are you headed home now?”

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah…I was.”

“Excellent, I’ll walk you. As your teacher, I have a responsibility to ensure you arrive safely.”

“No! I can walk home by myself, I’m not a kid!”

“I know, I know,” he admitted with a difficult expression. “It’s just that I have news to discuss with your parents; specifically, with your father.”

“Dad’s….he’s here?”

“I’m told he arrived earlier today.”

“Oh..”

“On the bright side,” he said, crouching in front of her. “I have some good news to tell you on the way there.”

Her curiosity piqued enough to where her face changed to a stoic neutral instead of the anxious worry he saw minutes ago.

“I want to come too!”

“Hmmh, while I appreciate the offer Yuuko, this is something of a delicate situation.”

“I know, but sensei I can help!”

“Yuuko, I know you want to but—”

“—it’s okay.”

“….”

“….….”

“Yuya?” the teacher said in quiet astonishment.

“Sensei….is it okay?”

He sighed through his nose, contemplating the consequences in silence before making his decision. “Is that your dog?” he asked, pointing to the bench.

“Err, yes sir! That’s Toshi.”

“……I’ll tell both of you what,” he said, looking to each of them. “Since right now isn’t a great time, you can talk all about what I’m going to tell Mr. Itomei tomorrow after school. But only do so when you’re sure no one else is around. Deal?”

“I!.....alright, it is a deal!”

“….am I trouble sensei?”

“Not in the least,” he said, trying for a comforting face. “So, Yuya, deal?”

“Sure……I guess I wouldn’t mind.” She made drawings in the concrete with her shoe as she spoke before she addressed the boy next to her. “But no one is allowed to see us! I don’t want people to think I talk to you!”

“Sensei already said that! And how will we finish the story!?”

“After school idiot, weren’t you paying attention?!”

“Why do you keep calling me names!—?”

“Cause you’re not paying attention!”

Ahhh, they just might be able to work something out after all.

“Yuuko, be safe walking home okay? Do you know the way from here?”

“Oh, um, yes. It is down the road.”

“Alright then, be careful. Yuya, care to lead the way to your house?”

“….okay.”

Part 6

Ahhhh! I was doing so good when the both of them were there! What happened, I was doing so well!

Hiroka suffered in the awkward silence he’d created in walking his student home. He tried breaking the ice by asking her what she and Yuuko had been doing, but that went nowhere since she only said he, “took me and ran like an idiot”. He then tried getting her to expand on that….possible misunderstanding, but her next answer was just as short.

“This is what grandma always said….”

“Your grandmother?”

She nodded. “I….haven’t seen her lately.”

“Is she the one you told me read you stories every night?”

She nodded.

“Hmmm. Well, in that case, I think you’ll be glad to hear what I have to tell you,” he said as they approached an indistinct looking house. “But first….”

He took a step forward, feeling a tug of resistance against his clothes.

“Yuya….”

He looked down to see what he always did….but……it’s different somehow?

It wasn’t a big difference, no, it was barely noticeable but….

It reminded him of a flower seed.

The girl trembled as she looked at her legs.

“…you need to stop looking down, otherwise you can’t be brave.”

That’s what he said……..and even back then, he was trembling. He was scared of mom too.

“Do you like hero stories?”

How did he smile like that?

A reassuring hand put itself on her shoulder, startling her as she nearly jumped away.

“We’re here for you Yuya. I have a plan. We’re going to help you, there’s no need to be afraid.”

“…..otherwise you can’t be brave.”

With a small nudge from her teacher, she took the first step. She trembled so much, it looked like she would seriously collapse.

But she took the first step. And her teacher never looked so proud.

He took the lead, knocking on the door with the girl hiding at his legs. A woman with shoulder-length black hair opened, and deep green eyes stared back into his own.

“A teacher walking around with an underage student at this time of night; I’m sure the police would be interested in a story like this since your kind often poses as teachers.”

“Mrs. Nygard, I’m sure those serious allegations could be proven true or false with enough evidence. Similarly, it could also be proven where Yuya’s many injuries come from. She’s never had any this severe, and with her falling so often, surely something must be amiss.”

She glared at him, speaking in a rough tone. “Get inside. Now.”

“Not before,” he said, blocking the girl she spoke to with his hand, “I speak with Mr. Itomei. School policy reviews and the like, unless you’d prefer to discuss them with me.”

She clicked her tongue. “Hoi!” she shrieked. “Come take care of this—now!”

She disappeared from sight, and soft footsteps could be heard approaching the door before a man with sharp hair wearing glasses and a business suit answered the door.

“Mr. Eikyo,” he said looking down at the girl partly hidden behind the teacher’s legs. “I do believe you requested to speak with me.”

Part 7

“I hope they are okay,” he mumbled, putting a second band-aid on his collar. At the very least, his two moles were still visible. He always liked pretending he got bit by a vampire, but looking at his bruises, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

They’d turned purple now, reaching across his shoulder.

A third band-aid was about all he could do. He’d wrap his handkerchief around injuries before, but it was gone and he didn’t have another.

“I was lucky last night, but if mother sees this I am definitely—”

A key softly twisted the lockout of place down the hall. He hurriedly put on his pajamas and waited at the top of the stairs before the door opened with a soft creak.

“Oh, whelcome hhome moth-er.” he said, rubbing his eyes.

“Yuuko,” she sternly whispered. “You should be asleep.”

“I am sorry, I heard the door open so…”

As his mother took her off shoes, he walked down the stairs and wrapped himself around her leg.

She sighed through her nose. “Oh Yuuko,” she said holding him tight, “I missed you t—”

“—hmmph”

“….….”

“….….….”

“…Yuuko….are you alright?”

“Yes! I am fine, I am going to—”

“Yuuko wait,” she grabbed his shoulder causing him to involuntarily gasp with pain.

She stared at the spot her hand was on and carefully took off her son’s shirt despite his protests. She closed her eyes in pain, putting one hand over her mouth as it dropped to the floor.

A purple and yellow bruise covering his collarbone and shoulder exposed itself, and she couldn’t do anything but stay silent.

“Mother I am okay! I helped!”

“Was it that girl I spoke to the teacher about?”

“Mother that is not—”

“Yuuko,” she roughly whispered. “Did that girl do this to you?”

“I…….I am sure she is sorry and does not want to do it again.”

Yuuko was constantly learning new things. About Yuya, about the way people act, and that night he learned that the pain in his shoulder didn’t compare to the painful weight inside his chest at seeing his mother sitting on the floor, whispering to herself.

“…such an awful mother?”

“Mo..ther?”

“I am forbidding you to see that girl again. You are not to talk to her at school and I am going to speak with your teacher and make sure she is properly punished.”