Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Before anyone knew his voice, they knew his name.

Sakura Haruka.

It traveled through hallways in whispers, through streets in uneasy murmurs, though classrooms like a rumor no one dared confirm.

He was not known as a boy. Rather, he somehow became a warning.

They said he brought misfortune. He had his half black and white hair that stood out in the crowd, practically screaming calamity itself. He was born in April Fools like it was a world joke.

They said trouble followed him like a shadow that never left his heels. Wherever he went, fights broke out, people got hurt, and the quiet order of things collapsed as if the world itself rejected his presence.

Some swore they had seen him standing in the aftermath of broken glass with his empty expression, as though destruction simply another part of the weather. While others said they had seen him in bloodied pavement, screaming his lungs out like an insane person.

Many called him worse things.

An outcast.
A trash.
A delinquent.
A monster.
A murderer.

Yet none of them had proof.

But fear rarely requires proof to grow.

Stories about Sakura Haruka spread the way cold spreads through winter air—slow at first, then suddenly it became everywhere. Each retelling sharpened the edges, darkening the details, until the boy himself became less human and more myth.

Teachers spoke his name with careful distance. Students lowered their voices when he passed by. Some avoided him entirely, as if even standing too close might invite disaster.

No one ever asked him if the stories were true.

No one asked what it felt like to be looked at that way.

Because when people decide what you are, they rarely care about who you truly are.

And so, Sakura Haruka learned something very early in life.

If the world already believes you are a monster—

then sometimes it is easier to let them.

But the truth about misfortunes is rarely as simple as people hope.

Sometimes misfortune is not the storm, nor was it a disaster. Sometimes it is only the boy standing alone beneath it.

The strange thing about rumors is that they grew louder the less you know about the person they describe.

People spoke about Sakura Haruka as if they understood him.

As if they had seen the thoughts behind his eyes.

But if someone had looked a little closer—past the silence, past the scowl that kept others away—they might have noticed something different.

Because monsters are not supposed to hesitate before helping someone up.

Monsters don’t quietly step between a frightened child and a group of older boys, taking the blows without explanation. Monsters don’t walk home with scraped knuckles and bruised ribs, staring down at their hands as though they are trying to understand why everything always ends the same way. Monsters don’t read the room full of adults, leaving as if he was not part of the conversation. 

Yet Sakura Haruka did.

Again and again. Plenty of times.

No praise followed him. No gratitude waited at the end of those fights.

Instead, it only came with more whispers. More fights await him and more bruises.

See?
There he goes again.
Always trouble.

Those weird hair, and those weird eyes.
His parents don’t have that kind of eyes.
It’s a curse!

At some point, Sakura stopped correcting them.

Words had never changed anything anyway.

Instead, he learned to live quietly inside the role the world had written for him. Head down. Eyes sharp. Voice short.

If people already feared him, then at least they would keep their distance.

Distance meant fewer questions. Fewer chances for disappointment. And if someone comes messing with him, then the only thing he could do is answer it with his fists. That’s how it always works.

The first lesson about life that he learned at young ages was that nothing was ever his. He never had a family, money, food, and all of the necessities. He didn’t have anyone that could be called parents, as he was tossed around by his parent’s relatives. He was bouncing from house to house at any time of the year.

Each had their own complaints. Some say that they have been overcome by misfortunes ever since they brought Sakura back to their home, some say that they couldn’t afford another child, while others said that the boy brought back troubles.

Which none of it was true. 

Sakura had learned how to take care of himself, how not to inconvenience others—at first to hope that he wasn’t a bad child, only to realize that whatever he’ll do will always be viewed as a bad child by the adults. And so, he changed.

He eat less than what he’s offered, he rarely spoke and keep his head down—supressing his built up tears, helping with the household chores. He was constantly being rejected, being treated as a brat, even getting scolded by something he didn’t do.

There was a time he was bullied by his own guardian’s child, treated as an outcast and weirdos because of his features. He knew that it wasn’t his fault, that his hair and eyes were different from other people, but it doesn’t mean that he wasn’t also human. He was just like them, a human, a boy. He knew and yet it still hurts.

The bullying didn’t even stop there, it also came from school. Classmates often mock and ridicule his features, even to refer to him as trash with no parents. He often lost his shoe in his schooldays, or came out with his hair doused in dirty waters, and yet his guardian said nothing about it, only continuing babbling about his bad behaviour. Even the teacher turned their blind eye to him.

At some point, he became grateful that he was bouncing around from house to house, meaning that he often changed schools, but it doesn’t technically change anything, only more bullying came.

The second lesson was that he was trash. That anything the crowds or rumors about him were true afterall. He was indeed a monster, a delinquent, a trash, a misfortune. And a murderer.

Not long before, he had the chance of meeting his parents for the first time, only to be dejected by reality. His cold blooded father was glaring at him with cold angry eyes when the tiny boy tried to get close to him, exclaiming that he was a murderer and that his beloved wife was killed by him.

At that point, he realized that all of that was true. That the words stuck in the back of his mind were wrong, that they were all wrong. That the crowds were right.

So he made a vow to himself. That he’ll become independent as fast as possible.

He won’t bother with school anymore, he had bad grades and no friends anyway. Instead, he’ll focus more on surviving till his up-coming age and live somewhere far away, where no one knows him and he’ll come to the top.

Partaking in fights made him realize something. That only the stronger one survives, while the weak was nothing. Everyone was the weak at the beginning of their story, but only a few became the strong.

Even someone unworthy could become worthy just by being strong.

Then it became his goal. He will become strong, in order to survive. 

Maybe a trash like him could become a treasure

It was his silent oath, to himself.

Then after that, he starts his independent plan. He took care of himself—like always, and started to spend time outside of the house. Sometimes he made his way near the convenience store—not to buy things, but to check the dumpster looking for things that might be useful for his independent plans. Sometimes he finds food near expiration dates that he could consume rather than having his own meals at their home, or sometimes finding coins that he could save up. 

Other than that, he took the liberty of hogging the swing in the parks. He often stayed there for a few hours after school ended, staying there till the sky turned dark before making his way home. It wasn’t because of anything weird, it was just because his current guardian was more active in the afternoon to evening. By the time he came back—usually around night, the person itself was already knocked out cold in her room.

Then it became his routine. Other times he would walk around the neighborhood, but because of the rumor, he preferred to stay at the park, hogging the swing. In the park, sometimes there were some kids that tried to pick fights with him, but he usually won it with his fists and came home bruised.

But today, the park was almost empty that afternoon.

Warm sunlight filtered through the trees, painting soft patches of gold across the grass. It was the kind of weather that made people slow down, take long walks, or sit beneath the shade with cold drinks and quiet conversations.

Yet Sakura Haruka looked as though he had dressed for autumn.

A dark jacket zipped halfway up. Long sleeves pulled down over his wrists. And the collar raised slightly against the breeze that barely existed. He was over dressed in this weather.

The swing creaked softly beneath him.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Sakura pushed against the dirt with the tip of his shoe, the movement lazy and enthusiastic. His pale hair stirred slightly in the warm air, but his expression remained the same—bored, distant and faintly irritated.

Truthfully, he shouldn’t even be outside in this condition.

His head felt heavier than usual. His throat scratched every time he swallowed. The warmth in his body wasn’t comfortable either—it was the unpleasant kind that came with being slightly sick.

But staying inside had been worse.

Inside meant more scream, more shouting and it’ll make his head hurt even more.

Technically it was his fault that he decided to take a shower late at night, not properly drying his hair before getting to bed just because not want to disturb his guardian. Then the next morning, he realized that he started to come down with a cold. 

Even though it was summer, he was dressed well for the heat. Even so, his body felt colder than usual, yet warm at the same time. Not to mention, he started to come down with a headache, which is annoying because it disrupts his mind while fighting. He already went through the fight at school, so that’s one thing checked from the list.

And judging from the small, crowded people at the park, there shouldn’t be any fight waiting for him today. All that’s left is waiting for night to come then go back to rest properly.

His mind went quiet as he observed the very few people at the park.

No one sat near him.

The bench closest to the swing remained empty. The path beside it stayed strangely clear, as if an invisible line had been drawn around him that others instinctively avoided.

Sakura didn’t notice.

Or perhaps, he simply chose to not care.

He dragged his foot against the dirt again.

Creak

The swing moved.

Creak

Then—

A burst of applause broke through the quiet of his mind. Sakura blinked once, he swore the park was empty. Where was the applause coming from?

The sound came from the other side of the park.

Curious despite himself, he turned his head slightly.

There he saw a crowd had gathered near the open clearing by the fountain. Children, parents, even a few elderly people had paused their walks and turned their attention. They stood in a loose circle, watching someone in the center.

Sakura squinted, glaring at the center.

Bright colors flashed between the moving bodies.

A young boy stood there, wearing clothes far too theatrical for a normal afternoon in the park—long sleeves rolled neatly, a vest, gloves, and a bright, easy smile that seemed completely natural under so many eyes.

Cards flickered between his fingers like small white birds.

With a simple motion, he snapped his hand then the card suddenly vanished from his touch. Gasps rose from the crowd, while children practically shouted, asking where did it go. 

A moment later, the same card appeared behind a child’s ear.

Then laughter followed. 

Sakura only stared at it from the swings, not wanting to get up, but can’t help but feeling drawn to look at it.

The magician bowed lightly, spinning a coin across his knuckles before letting it disappear into thin air. His voice carried easily through the air, warm and playful.

“Aah, but of course! Magic must always have an audience, otherwise it becomes a very lonely hobby.”

More laughter.

Then more people leaned closer, drawn in by the performance like moths to a small, glowing light. And yet, Haruka didn’t move. He simply watched from his swing. He didn’t clap nor did he smile looking at the performance. He wore a bored look on his face, but slowly it faded into something else.

Something quieter.

Perhaps curious.

The swing creaked again as he pushed lightly against the ground. Back and forward. Back and forward. But his eyes never left the magician, he simply watched him from a distance.

He didn’t know the performer’s name, he looked not that old to him, probably around two or three years older than him. And yet, he stood out—not like him, even though his hair was a beautiful gradient of purple with two or three tips of blue strained hair, his words were smooth, it left quite an impact for him.

He saw the boy a couple of times before in the past, only at the park. Sometimes he was playing with his friends, or a couple of times he was at the park with many things that he hadn't seen before.

This was the first time he saw the boy stand in a park doing tricks for strangers on an ordinary afternoon.

He kept watching till the last tricks, even till the crowd had dissipated on the park, till the sky were no longer blue color, rather turned into amber. He saw how the boy packed his things and left the park with more  things than he came with, leaving Sakura alone on the swings.

Now that the sky has turned dark, he only realized how fast the sky had changed today, how much time had passed. He didn’t feel bored today, rather he quite enjoyed the side entertainment of today.

But now that the performer has gone, the time moved slowly again, more slower than he ever thought.

Maybe he was anticipating his performance, or rather he was drawn to him.

As he made his way back, he silently hoped the boy would come again to the park tomorrow, with some more performance waiting for him.

Then tomorrow, the boy really did come again.

Sakura came rather late from school that day because his teacher stopped him before he got out of school, stating that he wanted to have a talk with him about his grades. And so they did. The teacher was rather furious about his failing grades and complained more about his behaviour—exclaiming that he has no respect for his teacher and classmates. Of course, Sakura said nothing about it and only kept his head down.

After that, he went to his routines, to go to the nearby dumpster near the convenience store that he usually goes to in search of something useful. Sadly no bountiful treasures today, but he did find a couple of coins that fell near there, lucky him!

And because of that, he came to the park rather late than usual. There he saw the boy in the park again, but this time he didn’t do his previous magic show. Instead, he was tampering with stuff that Sakura had never seen before.

But he couldn’t help but feel a pounce of disappointment, but he shook it off. He’s been at the park plenty of times before, and that was the first time he saw a magic performance by the boy.

He silently hopes that there’s more awaits him in the future, just so that he wouldn’t feel bored when passing times.

As usual, he left his school bag near the swing while he hogged the swing and slowly pushed himself back and forward. His cold had died down, but his throat was still slightly sore, and while he could make himself a thermos of warm water, it would probably have cooled down by this evening.

So it was quite lucky that he found some coins, he could probably exchange it for cash money to buy a can of tea or something in the vending machine. Though it felt like a waste, he couldn’t resist the temptation to soothe down his sore throat.

A few children past the path with bright laughter, chasing each other across the grass. Parents followed more slowly, calling their names, the ordinary rhythm of the park carrying on without him.

Sakura pushed the ground again. Back and forward. His shoe scraped the dirt again, sullying the white color of his white soft shoes. Sakura pushed the ground again, while he sometimes glanced at the boy.

The boy was crouched beside the small wooden border where children usually built sand castles. This time, he wore another bright fabric with many colors that stood out, but the white gloves and goggles stood out even more with that attire. He was surrounded by scattered objects. A small case lay open beside him, and strange metallic pieces were spread across the sand like parts of a puzzle.

The boy adjusted something carefully, tightening a small screw before tapping the side of the device as if listening for an answer.

Then he frowned thoughtfully.

Sakura only watched from the sideline, as usual.

For someone who had looked so confident performing yesterday, the magician now seemed strangely absorbed, brows furrowed as he tilted the contraption in the sunlight.

Yet minutes passed.

Sakura kept swinging slowly.

He didn’t know how much time had passed since then, but the boy suddenly rang out brightly.

“Ah!”

Sakura’s swing slowed, he stared at the boy who wiped his hand on a cloth, then held his palm out to the sky—triumphantly, his expression was brighter than earlier. “It’s done!” he exclaimed.

Even though no one had been speaking to him, yet his excitement carried through the quiet air anyway. 

The boy placed the device carefully beside the sandpit and clapped his gloved hands together. “Well then!” he announced to no one in particular. “A magician must never waste a perfectly good afternoon!”

Sakura blinked in confusion, who was he talking to?

And yet the nearby children turned their heads to the boy. The boy reached into his case, producing a deck of cards that seemed to appear from nowhere between his fingers. With a smooth motion, he flicked them through the air. The cards spun like tiny white wings before landing neatly back in his hand, which earned gasps from a pair of children watching from the path.

“Well now,” he said warmly, bowing slightly. “It seems we have an audience already.”

The children ran closer, parents followed after.

Within minutes the familiar circle formed again—small excited faces in front, taller figures standing behind them, curious murmurs spreading through the group.

The boy flourished the deck dramatically. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, voice playful and bright. “Today’s magic show will be more amazing than before! I made new toys just for this occasion,” the boy brought his index finger near his lips. “But it will still be mysterious. A magician never reveal his trick afterall~”

Laughter rippled through the crowd. From the swing across the park, Sakura Haruka watched it all.

But he didn’t move closer. He also didn’t clap. He also didn’t join the others. But yet again, he couldn’t take his eyes off the magician. 

The swing creaked quietly as it rocked back and forth. His exhaustion faded out slowly as his enthusiasm builded slowly but surely. His eyes stayed fixed on the magician performing under the sunlight.

Minutes felt like seconds when he was watching the boys, and hours felt like minutes at that point. The boy was simply brilliant, one that he couldn’t take his eyes off. He was simply playing around with his cards, but Sakura couldn’t see how he could do something just like that. And his inventions, there were things that he tampered around before, one that made him frown and shouted like an idiot.

He was unique, and he was loved by all.

Unlike him.

“Marvelous, isn't it?”

The crowd clapped louder this time.

The boy raised a finger. “However! For my next trick … I will require the assistance of a very ordinary object,” he sighed loudly, expressing his disappointment. “Alas I’m in need of a single coin. Will anyone do the honor of helping this magician with a single coin?”

The adults immediately began patting their pockets and digging through bags, while the children started to do the same, some others were tugging the edge of their parent’s hem—whining for their coin. But it seemed nobody had one handy. A few people shrugged apologetically to the children.

At the sideline, Sakura quietly checked his own pocket.

He has some coins, one that was enough for a can of tea for the vending machine.

He took out a single coin, then rested in his palm. Sakura hesitated.

He didn’t mind giving the coin to the boy, even if he couldn’t buy the single can anymore. Just take it as a payment for yesterday and today’s performance. But what hesitated him was that if he stepped forward, his presence would undoubtedly disturb the performance. Yes, he was talked about when he was in the park, but he would always hog the swing so as to not disturb the others.

If he stepped forward there, then who knows what the boy would say. 

So instead, Sakura looked around carefully.

When no one was paying attention, he tossed the coin toward the ground near the middle of the searching crowd. It landed with a soft clink against the pavement.

A moment later, someone bent down.

“Oh! Wait—there’s one here! Lucky me!”

A little boy picked it up and held it out triumphantly. “I found a coin!””

The magician’s eyes sparkled in delight. “Splendid! Just what we needed! Come, join me on the stage!”

The magician accepted the coin with a grateful flourish as the boy followed him on the stage, completely unaware of what’s happening next, filled with excitement.

Sakura, still sitting on the swing, allowed himself a faint smile.

That should keep the show going

Meanwhile, the magician twirled the coin between his fingers, already launching into the next act. “And now, observe closely … because this coin is about to do something quite impossible!”

The performance took place longer than yesterday, but it was full of astounding and unexpected acts. A mere single coin could lead out with plenty of  tricks that amuse the crowd, including Sakura.

The sky had already turned a deep shade of orange, the last stretch of sunlight melting into the horizon. Long shadows stretched across the pavement where the small performance had taken place earlier.

The crowd that had been gathered for the little magician’s magic show had long since dispersed.

Children tugged at their parent’s hands, excitedly retelling their favourite tricks as they headed home. A few lingering conversations faded into the distance until the street slowly returned to its usual calm.

Sakura remained at his spot, playing the swing all by himself. Back and forward. Back and forward. He wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings anymore, now that the crowd was long gone and he had nothing better to do, he was back to minding his own business.

Just a couple of hours, then he could properly go back.

“Ah, you’re still here.”

Sakura froze.

When he looked up, the magician himself was walking toward him, carrying a small box of props under one arm. His expression was bright, almost mischievous, even under the fading sunset light.

“You—!” Sakura blurted, surprised.

The magician stopped in front of him and gave a small theatrical bow, slightly careful as not to let his things fall from the box. “Thank you for the coin earlier.”

Sakura blinked. “Huh?”

“You tossed into the crowd so my performance wouldn’t stall,” the boy continued casually. “That was very considerate of you.”

Sakura’s face immediately stiffened, he could feel the heat creeping up to his face. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said quickly, turning his head away to hide his flushed face. “It was probably just someone else.”

The boy tilted his head slightly, clearly unconvinced—can’t help but feel amused. “Is that so?”

Sakura shoved his hands into his pockets, he could feel his fingers start to tremble. He put on his annoyed face, as if it could cover his embarrassed face. “And even if it was me, it’s not like it’s a big deal,” he added gruffly. “You don’t need to thank me or anything.”

“On the contrary,” the boy said brightly, he put down his box near the railing as he made his way towards the nearby vending machine. “I was taught that a magician must always repay a kind act. It’s part of the craft.”

Sensing this was going somewhere, Sakura could only yell from the place, but his body couldn’t fully cooperate. “Hey—wait—!”

Before Sakura could protest, the boy pressed a button. The machine hummed, and a moment later a warm can dropped into the tray with a soft clunk.

The boy retrieved it and walked back, holding it out as he offered it to Sakura.

“Here you go.”

Sakura stared at the can of warm tea in his hand. “... You didn’t have to do that,” he mumbled, feeling even more flustered.

“But I wanted to,” the boy replied cheerfully.

Sakura looked away again, his ears faintly red. “Tch,” he grunts, letting out a scoff. “You’re weird,” he mumbled quietly, more to himself than the boy. He took the can of warm tea, his hand twitched slightly at the warm feeling that starts to grow in his stomach.

The boy laughed softly, slinging the prop box under his arm. “Well then, I should be heading home now.”

Sakura said nothing about it, he just stared at the can of warm tea in his hand while the boy took a few steps away before suddenly turning back.

“Oh, I nearly forgot.”

The boy gave Sakura a playful grin, one that should be warm enough, but it only made Sakura shiver. “My name is Kamishiro Rui.”

With a small wave, he started down the street, disappearing slowly into the warm glow of the sunset. Sakura didn’t say anything, he only sat on the swing with a can of warm tea in his hand. 

“... Rui, huh.”

He sighed, cracking the can open as he took a slow gulp of the warm tea. The heat slowly soothes the soreness of his throat, his shoulder dropping that usual as the steam roses to his nostril. “... It’s warm,” he muttered softly.

The temperature has already started going down lately, even though it’s summer. Thank god for his oversized jacket and scarf—he brought it because of his cold, or else tomorrow he’ll surely get a fever.

Warm tea is the best.

Wait … warm?

Sakura twitched under the realization that now that it’s summer, there should only be cooled cans sold on the vending machine to anticipate the hot weather. So where the heck did he find the warm can of tea?!

Shit, he really is just like a magician

By the time Rui reached home, the sky had almost darkened into dark shades.

Streetlights flickered to life one by one, their soft glow reflecting against the quiet pavement as he walked down to the familiar street. The prop box tucked under his arm rattled softly with every step—cards, small gadgets, tiny mechanisms he had spent hours adjusting earlier that afternoon.

He stopped in front of the front door.

For a moment, Rui simply stood there, listening to the faint sounds inside.

He could only hear the low voices of the people inside the house, one that was filled with soft banters and intimate affection. 

He smiled faintly and slid the door open.

“I’m home.”

The smell of food greeted him first before the people inside. The scent of warm, savory and comforting hit his nostril, which almost made him drool at the image. Their food was always warm and fulfilling, he couldn’t ask for more.

Inside the small kitchen, Ishigami Gen—formally Asagiri Gen, stood by the stove, stirring something in a pot with a distracted expression. His posture looked casual, but the way his expression lit up and bright smile painted on his face the moment he saw Rui, it immediately gave away that he had been worried for the boy.

“You’re back!” Gen exclaimed, already itching to come over to the boy to hug him, but refraining because of his homemade soup. “You were out longer than usual, Rui-chan! Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened, Papa. I got caught up packing my things that I didn’t realize it was already this late,” Rui explained as he put down the box near the doorway, he took off his shoes and put them on the shoe stand.

He took the box again and saw that across the table sat Ishigami Senku, leaning lazily as stared at the tablet with both of his hands. 

Ishigami Senku and Asagiri Gen. They and their companions were known for the world as saviour of the world of the stone world era. Thousands of years before, there was a world-wide petrification that attacked the planet Earth, making its inhabitants turn into stone. There, Ishigami Senku woke up alone and started his own journey of reviving humanity, surrounded by more companies than he ever woke up.

And here they are, where the world was no longer petrified. The Kingdom of Science had long been merged into polity, but they still had the authority of leading the Hidden Kingdom of Science. Senku has fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut when encountering the Whyman, and now he is a scientist. While Gen had been a diplomatic figure, Senku courted the man and asked him to be with him—and now the man was just a retired magician who was known to leeched Senku. But, Rui knew that they were wrong, it was more that Senku leeched to Gen.

“Gen was worried about you to death. Next time, do let us know,” Senku said, though his tone didn’t contain an ounce of concern.

Rui laughed softly as he put the box next to the couch as he sat down across Senku. “But Dad, how could I tell you if I’m gonna be late? I’ll be wasting time going back and forth.”

“I meant when you go to the store,” Senku pointed at the box without taking his eyes off the tablet. “You went to the disk store without our consents. And you had the audacity to lie?” Senku asked, lifting one eyebrow.

Gen gasped loudly—dramatically while Rui laughed softly as he made his body comfortable on the chair. “Sorry Dad,” he said unapologetic. “I can’t help it. I just found another component there and couldn’t help myself.”

Senku couldn’t help but smirk at the response. “Heh,” he put the tablet down to the table as he stared at Rui. “As one should. Is that what you’re looking for?”

“Yeah!” Rui replied cheerfully, slipping off his gloves. “The shop owner said the thing just came today, so a moment later then it’ll be gone. Guess it was my lucky day~”

Senku snorted. “It’s a slow moving item, so I doubt it’ll be gone that fast. The shop owner probably said to sell it quickly to you. He often said that to big oaf, and that big oaf will fall to the same trick all over again.”

A smack landed perfectly on top of Senku’s head, making him grunt loudly and wince in pain. “Say no more, Senku-chan. You’ll ruin Rui-chan's expectations! Anyway,” Gen chimed in with a teasing smile while he put down his homemade soup on the center of the dining table. “How did the magician do today? Did he manage to amaze the masses today?”

Rui smiled proudly as he put his knuckles in front of his chest. “Of course,” he replied cheerfully. “The audience is very cooperative.”

Senku scoffed in response. “That’s because the park audience is statistically eighty percent children.”

“Children are the most honest critics,” Rui countered, folding his hand in front of his chest. “If the trick fails, they’ll say it immediately.”

Gen smiled pridefully. “That’s my boy,” he said as he gave a peck to Rui's cheek which made the boy laugh. “My boy’s already on his  journey of becoming a full pledged magician.”

“You mean our boy.”

“Oh? So YOU do realize that it’s your boy also?” Gen glanced at Senku with a pout, lightly hugging with his shoulder. “He’s got your brain and my mouth all together. The more you argue with him, the bigger your chances of losing in the future, Senku-chan.”

“I'd like to see him try.”

Senku set a bowl in front of Rui before setting a bowl for himself and Gen. Only then did Gen release his hug and settled down right next to Senku. “Let’s eat. I’m starving already.”

“Wash your hand, Rui-chan.”

The boy complied, he took off to the sink and washed his hand though never taking his eyes off from the couple. The couple put down some more delicacies on the kitchen table and by the time Rui’s back on the table, it was filled with more things than before.

Rui clasped his hands briefly in thanks before picking up his chopsticks.

For a moment, the three of them simply ate without sound, enjoying the food silently. The quiet clinking of dishes filled the small space in peace. But in all of that, Gen was paying attention to every detail of Rui—how his breathing, expression, even his body’s language. His expression was more lit up than yesterday, meaning that something good must’ve happened.

Was it because of the component?

Gen wanted to know more, but he should’ve been subtle about it. Instead, he tilted his head curiously. “So,” he asked casually. “How did the crowd react today? Any errors in the same trick?”

Rui shook his head and took a bite of the tamagoyaki. “No, but you were right, Papa. They paid more attention when I used the same trick as yesterday, so it wasn’t the reaction that I was hoping for.”

“That is because,” Gen raised his finger, “when you use the same trick on the same audience, the audience itself will focus more on uncovering your trick rather than enjoying the trick itself. The feeling of watching the trick for the first time rather than seeing it a couple of times, they had a different feel, right?”

This time, Rui tilted his head in confusion. “But it feels the same? Dad was feeling the same, right?” he asked while glancing at Senku—the man only ate in silence.

“Don’t compare this to your Dad!” Gen whined dramatically. “Your dad is a different species, he could even figure out the trick before I could even perform it!”

“That’s because you’re too predictable,” Senku commented flatly.

“No, I was not!” Gen pinched Senku’s elbow, with little pressure because he wouldn’t want to injure the man. “I was known as the Mentalist! A mentalist isn’t predictable at all, you’re just too smart!”

“You’re welcome.”

Gen only grunted in response, which made Rui laugh softly. The older man glanced back at Rui and smiled gleefully. “Don’t mind him. Anything else you want to contribute, Rui-chan?”

Rui paused.

His fingertips that hold the chopsticks halt for a blink of an eye, but the older man caught the movement. Rui’s lip parted as he glanced down to his half eaten bowl, his stomach dropped.

“Well …”

His eyes drifted slightly as if replaying something in his mind.

“There was someone.”

Senku stared at him, now he was intrigued with the sudden topic. He put down his chopsticks on top of his bowl as he straightened his posture. “Someone?”

“A boy,” Rui continued thoughtfully. “He was …”

The boy trailed off, which made Senku tensed even more. “Did he bully you?”

The sudden question made Rui shocked, he quickly shook his head in panic. “No no! He … came to the park yesterday as well.”

Hearing Rui’s response made Senku relaxed back, he leaned back on the chair as he picked up his chopsticks. He received a side glare from Gen, but he didn’t mind it—ignoring it as he continued eating. “What’s with him?”

“He sits on the swing across the clearing,” Rui explained, gesturing vaguely. “Far enough away that he doesn’t join the crowd, but close enough that he watches everything.”

Gen hummed in response while Senku raised an eyebrow. “Fanboy?” he asked simply, silently glancing at Gen as if wanting the other man to comment, but alas.

Rui shook his head. “No,” he answered quickly.

The older magician leaned back slightly in his chair, expression thoughtful as his eyes sparked in amusement. “He doesn’t clap, doesn’t laugh. I take it he doesn’t react much at all?” Gen took a sip of his soup then continued, “but he does come, is that right, Rui-chan?”

Gen’s smile softened slightly. “That sounds like quiet curiosity,” he continued, mumbling softly.

“Maybe,” Rui said as he tapped his chopsticks lightly against the bowl as he continued. “Today I needed a coin for a trick. No one in the crowd had one.”

Senku scoffed. “Statistical anomaly.”

Rui chuckled softly but he continued, “but then a coin suddenly appeared on the ground.” He raised a finger, “right in the middle of the crowd.”

Gen’s eyes sparkled more with amusement. “And you believe his mysterious boy threw it?”

“I’m certain, Papa.”

But different from Gen, Senku frowned slightly. “How? You got any proof, little guy?”

Rui smiled at the question. “Well, Dad. I took the liberty of thanking him afterward,” he paused for a moment before he continued, “... he pretended he didn’t know what I was talking about.”

Gen let out a quiet laugh. “Oh dear, did you find a tsundere?” Gen teased lightly.

Rui shrugged in response. “Perhaps. This is my first interaction with him. But I’ve seen him plenty of times before,” his tone drifted low, which meant that something wasn’t good.

Gen could sense that this was going somewhere, and it usually doesn’t mean good. “Oh? Is he a bad person?”

Rui shook his head violently. “He’s a good person … I think,” he paused for a moment before continuing, voices started to strain. “The other kids tend to avoid him, but all this time I always see him alone on the swing. Sometimes I could hear the adults or the kid talking about him, saying that …,” Rui gulped once, “... that he’s a walking misfortune. The other kids teased him sometimes and I saw him in a fight once …   it didn’t end up good. He’s often covered in bruises and … dirty, like very dirty. I think he’s getting bullied somewhere. It’s just … it sucks.”

“Sounds like the kid is troublesome,” Senku commented, bringing another food to his mouth.

“Based on my observation, he’s … not the trouble, but in trouble.” Rui clenched his grip on the chopsticks. “Or at least … he doesn’t sound like the rumor. His body sign clearly shouted out … don’t go near me—that kind of message. I saw how his body tensed when there’s people around him, or how he bit his lips when he heard people talking about him, but he didn’t start a fight about it. And now,” Rui glanced down at his bowl. “Yesterday … he’s wearing too warm, and he sneezes a lot. Today too.”

Gen raised his hand as he petted Rui’s head slowly as he hummed while Senku raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a cold. Did he come with his parents?”

Rui hesitated only briefly. “I heard he didn’t have one. And yet, he’s always the last one in the park.” 

Gen sighed softly, eyes drifting toward the distance. “Looks like he got neglected, I guess. But he should have a guardian at the very least. I don’t think we could do much in this situation.”

“But Papa, I heard that he killed someone—” the room went silent cold for a second when the boy let out the sentence, letting the words soak in his parent’s mind. “—Don’t know if it’s true though ….”

Gen’s expression turned serious, the warmth gone from his eyes. “.... Children tend to repeat what adults say,” he murmured softly.

“Yeah,” Rui replied simply.

Senku tapped his fingers against the table thoughtfully. “And based on your observation, what does the result say?”

“I can’t draw any conclusion till I have enough data, Dad.” Rui clapped his hands together and muttered thank you. “I plan to observe him again tomorrow,” he said matter-of-factly.

Senku snorted. “Have some common sense, will you? I don’t know who you look like at this point.”

“Look at yourself in the mirror dear.”

Senku grunted loudly while Rui laughed wholeheartedly, he took off while carrying his dirty dishes to the sink. Senku quickly finished off his dinner while Gen was silent the moment Rui went away, leaving the scientist looking at him in confusion.

Senku put down his chopsticks on top of his bowl, he tapped Gen’s shoulder softly. “You okay?” He whispered silently, not wanting the tiny magician to know what happened.

Gen smiled softly—painfully. “Sorry, it’s just—” His sentence was cut short when Senku pressed his lips over his. It wasn’t long, only a small peck but it managed to make the older man brighten a bit. 

“I know what you're thinking about,” Senku caressed Gen’s cheek as he gave quick pecks over his forehead, cheeks, nose, and his lips again—which made Gen laugh softly. “Whatever you’re planning, go for it. As long as it's not overboard.”

The older man grinned in response. “I don’t know what’s counting as overboard, darling.” Gen sighed loudly as he rested his chin on the table with his palm. “I’m worried about the boy, and Rui too. Is it alright if I check on them, darling ?”

“You would only call me darling if you want something, and you’re lucky that I love you.” Senku gave those lips a last kiss which made the magician melt before he stood up with his hand full of his dirty dishes. “Just make sure Rui doesn’t notice you. If he does, he might ruin your reputation as an esteemed magician.”

“How ovely-lay.”

Senku chuckles as he makes his way towards the sink where Rui was busying himself with helping with the dishes. The two have their conversation about Rui’s latest invention in the kitchen sink while Gen was still quietly having his dinner on the table, he wasn’t listening to his surroundings anymore.

Listening to Rui’s tone, he knew Rui hadn't seen the boy in the dark, just yet. At that age, he was intrigued with many things, the boy had a bright future. Even though he wasn’t biologically their children, Rui possessed his clever mind as a magician and Senku’s scientific mind—making his own inventions at such a young age. He was the perfect representative of what their child is, a young magician with scientific inventions.

But alas, he was still a child afterall. Rui was a kindhearted child, one that likes to observe like his dad but still emotional like him, his Papa.

That’s what makes Gen often worried about the boy. Rui is smart, he knows that—but the child was too kindhearted, one with a brilliant mind that could be seen as weird by the other kids.

Senku and Gen had talked about this conversation before, and Senku spoke up about his childhood where he and Taiju once had been bullied by the other kids because of Senku’s inventions. But of course, Senku proudly said that he’d done his revenge to his bully.

But this is Rui, and Rui isn’t particularly Senku. While they had a similar mind, their personality was a different story. So was Gen exaggerated afterall?

He couldn’t help but worry about the boy that Rui talked about. What if it’s a stalker? A crazy fanboy? Rui started his magician path quite earlier than he ever was, but stalker isn’t truly uncommon in the magician career.

Shit

The park was lively that afternoon.

Children ran across the open grass, their laughter echoing between the trees as they chased one another in uneven circles. Parents sat along the benches beneath the shade, chatting idly when keeping half an eye on their wandering children. Somewhere near the fountain, a small group had gathered around a street performer playing cheerful music on a guitar.

It was the kind of warm afternoon that pulled people outside.

Ishigami Gen adjusted the brim of his hat as he walked along the paved path.

Even in the middle of a crowd, his movements remained effortless and quiet. Dark glasses shielded his gray blueish eyes, and the loose scarf around his neck softened the outline of his face—but he knew he wouldn't wear it all the time because of the rising temperatures.

To everyone around him, he was just another passerby enjoying the weather.

That was the point.

Public recognition could be troublesome afterall, even though he had retired. 

Gen scanned the park casually before settling onto an empty bench that overlooked the playground area. The bench was just right under the trees, blocking direct sunlight over the top of his head. It was perfect.

Across the clearing, Rui was exactly where he expected him to be.

The boy sat near the sandpit, surrounded by an assortment of small metallic pieces and strange little mechanisms. Today there was no performance circle, no excited crowd gathered around him. Instead, the boy leaned over one of his inventions with quiet concentration, turning a screwdriver slowly while muttering something to himself.

Even with the children running nearby and voices overlapping around him, Rui seemed entirely focused on the small machine resting in his hands.

Gen couldn’t help but smile faintly. He could imagine Senku was the same as Rui when he was around that age. Smart mind, overly focused on his inventions and their look—the delighted expression when it turned out just like what they predicted.

So serious as always.

But he reminded himself that wasn’t the only reason Gen had come to the park.

His gaze wandered through the park. Children climbed the jungle gym while some played tag with the other. Some sat down on the pavement of the fountain, talking with each other while playing marbles. A group of teenagers occupied the basketball court further away, many distances from the park. Parents settled down on the other bench not that far from his, while some pushed strollers along the path. The entire place buzzed with small movements and overlapping sounds.

Then—

Gen’s eye stopped.

The swing set stood slightly apart from the rest of the playground. Several swings moved back and forth as younger children played nearby. But at the far end—

Only one swing moved slowly.

Creak. Back and forward. Back and forward.

A boy sat there alone with his bag near the railings. The boy was exactly like Rui had described last night—sitting apart from everyone else, watching the park rather than participating in it.

Gen froze in shock. The crowd around them seemed to fade into distant noise as he couldn’t take his eyes off the boy.

Despite the warm weather, he wore a dark jacket, sleeves pulled down to his wrist as if he were trying to hide from the heat rather than escape it. He pushed himself back and forward on the swing while he kept his head down, looking at the ground and his shoes.

The boy looked unwell. Even from this distance, Gen could see the faint tremble in his hands where they gripped the swing chains. And yet, the boy remained there.

Watching. Observing the park the same way someone might watch the tide—quietly, without drawing attention to himself.

Ah …

It seems Rui failed to mention about his half black and half white hair, and so was the beauty of his eyes. The boy had black and gold eyes that stood out, even more with his unique hair. Gen didn’t hate it, he adores them. It was almost the same as him, but Gen’s right hair with a longer bang was white while the little boy was black. But something about it made his breath caught in his throat.

Because for the first time in his life, he found someone that looked like him. Like him, has unusual hair.

Senku has given his talk about it, something about piebaldism where the white hair came from—not that Gen completely understood what he was talking about, but Senku assured him that it wasn’t anything serious.

 But still, to other kids, the hair must’ve stood out, even more with those pretty eyes.

For a moment, he simply stared at it.

Completely speechless.

The boy must’ve felt it too.

Because after a moment, the silver-haired child lifted his gaze and their eyes met through the busy crowd.

Sakura didn’t react like most children would when they noticed a stranger staring. He didn’t look embarrassed, flustered, glare or even he didn’t turn away immediately either. He simply looked back—quietly.

As though being watched was something he had long since grown accustomed to.

The swing moved again beneath him.

Creak. Back and forward.

His hands trembled slightly on the chains.

That made Gen’s heart sunken more, his stomach dropped as his breath hitched. He really does have a fever, Gen realized.

The park remained full of life around them—children shouting, adults talking, footsteps passing nearby. Yet, the boy on the swing still looked completely alone.

Gen found himself unable to look away, unwilling to break eye contact.

But then—

“Papa?”

The voice broke the moment like a small pebble tossed into still water.

Gen blinked, then he unconsciously broke eye contact to be greeted by Rui. Rui stood a few steps away now, wiping his hands with a cloth, the unfinished machine was now resting on the bench beside him. His head tilted slightly in curiosity.

“When did you arrive?” Rui asked, his tone was bright.

Gen straightened immediately, the familiar smile returning to his lips as if it had never left. “Oh my,” he said lightly, adjusting his glasses. “Did I surprise you, Rui-chan?”

Rui shook his head. “No, Dad said that you’re gonna pick me up from the park. But you’re more late than usual, so I wondered what happened,” Rui said as he planted his hand on Gen's waist, hugging the older man.

Gen couldn’t help but smile at the gesture, he rested his hand on Rui’s back as he pulled the boy into a warm hug. “I’m sorry, Rui-chan. I just came back from Senku’s lab. Turns out we’re gonna order takeaway for dinner today,” Gen said as he brushed Rui’s hair, straightening the stubborn knots on the boy’s hair.

“Really?” The boy’s tone was higher than before—brighter. “Can we order pizza, Papa?”

“Just this time, sweetie.” Gen gave Rui’s forehead a small kiss—which earned a quick kiss on his cheek from the boy. “But you must eat your veggies.”

“Boo, don’t want it.”

Gen pinched the boy’s cheek playfully. “If you don’t eat your veggies, then you won’t have dinner.”

“I would rather starve than eat veggies.”

“My gosh,” Gen rested his forehead with his palm—sighing loudly in return for the disappointment. “I don’t know why you hate veggies so much. If you don’t eat your veggies, you’re not gonna grow up! You need fiber for your body, how are you gonna survive at this rate?”

“Papa, I don’t need to eat veggies to have fiber,” Rui said proudly, raising his finger as he explained—smugly. “Fiber can be found from fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and possibly whole grains such as oatmeal. In short, I could get my fiber intakes from something other than veggies.”

Gen whined loudly as he pinched Rui’s cheek once again in anger—and more in annoyance. He was convinced the boy had Senku’s brain for a moment. Senku also tried to convince the boy to eat more veggies as to hope the boy will not become a picky eater for the future, but alas it wasn’t going well.

But he can’t bear to leave the boy to starve, as the boy will choose to starve rather than eating veggies.

Gosh, such a stubborn little kid.

“But Papa, what are you doing here? If you’re just from Dad’s office, then does that mean something happened to Dad?” Rui tilted his head, asking calmly.

Gen gave a soft chuckle, resting one elbow on the back of the bench. “No, I was going to my office for work. Then I took a detour to your Dad’s office—” Rui giggled, he knew Gen was seeking Senku’s attention, therefore he went to Senku’s lab just to get that, “—then Xeno-chan was asking questions regarding plans for the lab, which I had to give him some advices as a former diplomat. Ahh, so troublesome! I just want Senku-chan and Rui-chan to hang out with me often,” Gen whined loudly, completely forgetting where they were.

“Well Papa,” Rui tapped Gen’s tight lightly while chuckling. “Now that you’re here, we can hang out, you and me! I didn’t schedule a performance today,” he explained. “So I was only testing the mechanism.”

Gen smiled faintly. “I see, and you’re sure that you want to talk about it with me? I’m not like your dad, y’know. Papa don’t understand any of it~”

“Liar! Papa knew what Dad was talking about before!”

“Did I?”

Rui took Gen’s hand as he pulled lightly, as if gesturing Gen to get up. Gen laughed softly as he got up from the bench, patted his back to swipe away dust gathered on his fabrics, and he took Rui’s hand. 

“Well now, little magician. We should probably head home together, or Dad’s gonna come pick us up?”

Rui nodded, he planted the prop box between his armpits while his other hands held Gen’s palm tightly, scared of letting go meant getting lost. “Papa, can we make a detour?”

“No can do, darling. I already promised your dad that I’ll bring you home on time. And absolutely no detour.”

Rui pouted in response. “But I want to go to the pharmacy. Dad said he needed hydrogen peroxide for his lab.”

“And how come I know you’re not lying?” Gen raised an eyebrow. “If that’s your lie, then you need to practice some more, darling. That’s too classic. I could spot your lie from miles away.”

“Dang,” Rui grunted. “I could never fool you, Papa.”

“Don’t play with the mentalist, my child.”

Gen only chuckled while Rui laughed wholeheartedly as they began walking toward the park exit together. Rui walked as he explained something about the small machine he had been fixing earlier while Gen only hummed along politely, yet his attention wasn’t entirely on the conversation.

As they passed the playground—

Gen’s eyes drifted sideways, just for a second.

He noticed the swing set remained where it had been earlier.

Children still played nearby, but the far end swing moved slowly on its own rhythm.

Back and forward.

The half and half haired boy still sat there, all alone. Even from a distance, Gen could still see the faint tremor in the child’s hand. The boy wasn’t watching them, instead his gaze remained fixed somewhere ahead, distant and quiet.

Still there …

Gen felt a small knot tighten in his chest. It pained him seeing how the boy looked alone in there, furthermore he had the same hair as him, with more features that made the boy look different than the other. The gap’s still there, it made him want to hug the boy—but he can’t.

The boy will just run away.

Rui continued speaking besides him, completely unaware of Gen’s train of thoughts.

“... and if the balance point shifts even slightly, the entire trick will fail,” Rui concluded thoughtfully.

Gen nodded absentmindedly. “Mhm.”

They walked a few more steps, and Gen couldn’t help himself to glance back again. The boy remained on the swing. 

Still alone. Still rocking gently on his swing. Back and forward.

He should probably go home soon, Gen thought.

The evening air was beginning to cool and the faint redness in the boy’s cheeks was difficult to miss. Summer was hot in the afternoon, but it will be freezing cold in the evening.

Gen looked forward again quickly when Rui turned slightly toward him.

“Papa?”

Gen put on his smile back. “Yes?”

“You’re not listening to me.”

Gen laughed softly, waving his other hand. “Of course I am, I just don’t understand it completely.”

Rui narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “No, you’re not. You’re distracted, Papa.”

“Now, now, am I?”

Rui didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his gaze drifted briefly toward the playground behind them. Toward the swing, but it was only for a moment. He looked back to Gen, yet he didn’t say anything about it.

Nothing to be said, but they understood each other.

“... Let’s go home,” Rui said instead, which earned a quiet nod from Gen.

And yet—

Even as they left the park behind them—

Gen still found himself glancing over his shoulder one last time. The swing creaked quietly in the distance. 

Back and forward.

The boy was still there.

And for whatever reasons Gen couldn’t quite explain, he could only hope the child wouldn’t stay much longer in this weather.

The walk home felt longer than usual, probably because Gen wasn’t particularly paying attention to his surroundings, more focused on his train of thoughts regarding the boy. And Rui was quite quiet on the way home too, usually he would babble about the mechanism around his inventions just like Senku, but not today. It was probably because children are more sensitive towards the adult’s emotions. Seeing Gen’s mood made him more quiet than usual, who knows what he’s thinking right now.

Eventually they did reach home in time. Gen reached out for the keys in his pocket and inserted it in the door knob while Rui patiently waited for him in the back. By the time they reached the doorway, they could see Senku’s presence in the dining room, eyes yet again focused on the tablet.

“Welcome home,” Senku said flatly, eyes still fixed on the tablet.

“We’re home, Dad.”

Senku raised an eyebrow, completely disregarding the tablet and his eyes drifted towards the two individuals. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Rui shook his head. “No, nothing happened Dad. It’s just …,” Rui’s eye drifted towards Gen who’s still quiet, “—Papa’s been quiet the whole time ….”

Senku glanced at Gen’s who went quiet, he noticed it too. If he’s using Gen’s word, he would conclude that the room felt colder than usual.

Usually Gen would joke or even comment along the way in this situation, having soft banters with him or even let out his playful sighs. But now, he just stood there quietly in his own thoughts. Even though he slipped his shoes off and stepped inside, it was like his body went to autopilot, while his mind was clouded.

Senku took a moment before exhaling through his nose. He rubbed the temple of his nose. He could probably guess what happened, afterall his mentalist went to the park for a hidden reason. 

“Oi,” Senku said in a tone closest to temper, but it was annoying.

Gen blinked. “Hm?”

Senku gestures lazily toward the door. “If you’re that concerned, just go deal with it. You’ve been staring into space since you walked in.”

Rui nodded once. “That’s correct.”

Gen let out a soft laugh. “My my, am I really that obvious?”

“Yes,” Rui answered

“Ten billion percent,” Senku added flatly.

The answer came out rather quickly, which made Gen wonder if his face was really that easy to read. Gen rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well … I guess I was thinking about something, too far I guess.”

Senku raised an eyebrow. “Then go.”

Gen blinked again, this time in disbelief. “Go?” he asked again, the tone went a bit high pitched.

“Yeah,” Senku said simply. “Do what you want.”

Rui glanced between them. “Dad, you’re letting him leave again?”

Senku shrugged in ease. “He’ll be extremely annoying if he stays distracted like this. Better to let him do what he wants.”

“That’s true, Papa’s more scary when he’s quiet.”

Gen stared at them both in mild disbelief. “You two are extremely cold toward your beloved family member, you know!”

Senku pointed toward the door again. “Go.”

Gen sighed dramatically. “You wound me, Senku-chan.”

“Now that you have the energy to joke around, I’m guessing you’re going.”

Gen smiled weakly as he walked towards the door, his hand rested on the door handle. He doesn’t go out just yet, still standing on the hallway which earned a glare from Senku and a stare from their child.

Rui watched him carefully, his thoughts slowly constructing his words carefully before asking. “Are you going back to the park?”

Gen’s smile hasn't left his face, even though both of them couldn’t see it. But when the man turned his head, it was even more painful than he thought—one that made it difficult to breathe.

“... Maybe.”

The door clicked shut behind him. 

Silence settled briefly inside the house, they didn’t move an inch. The two geniuses watched as the silhouette of the man from the glass—had gone from their views, only then Rui looked toward Senku.

“Dad, do you know what’s bothering Papa?” 

Senku scoffed, he picked up his tablet again, settling it on his lap as he opened the apps. “Nope,” he answered flatly, simply.

Rui tilted his head. “You’re not curious?”

Senku tightened his grip on the tablet, showing it to the boy which showed many pizza selections on the screen. “This is the mentalist we’re talking about. He’s the expert when it comes to emotion and psychology, making him more easy to emphasize on others,” Senku lets out an exhale through his nose. “And if it matters, he’ll tell us later.”

“Dad …,” Rui stared at the screen before turning back to Senku. “You trust Papa that much?”

“Ten billion percent. We’re partners after all.”

Meanwhile—

By the time Gen reached the park, night had already fallen.

The lively noise of the afternoon had disappeared completely, leaving behind a quiet that felt almost unfamiliar. Where laughter and footsteps had once filled the air, only the soft whisper of wind moved through the trees.

The streetlights had turned on one by one.

Their pale golden glow stretched across the empty paths like pools of quiet warmth, illuminating patches of grass and abandoned playground equipment. The swings creaked occasionally when the wind nudged them, their shadows swaying gently on the ground.

The air had grown colder than afternoon.

It’s not the pleasant chill of evening, but the kind that slowly seeped through fabric and skin, settling into bones if one stayed outside for far too long.

Gen slowed his steps when he arrived at the park, he walked through slowly.

His footsteps echoed softly against the pavement, as if announcing his presence to the gods.

The familiar stage—the place where he was sure Rui performed his magic tricks—was completely empty now. No children sat in anticipation. No parents stood nearby smiling politely.

At the end, only silence remained.

And yet, Gen’s thoughts were not on the empty park.

They had not been since he left the house.

From the moment Senku had pointed at the door and told him to do what he wanted, something inside Gen already knew where his feet would take him.

Even now, his chest felt strangely tight, as if someone was holding the end of the line. 

Ridiculous.

He had only seen the boy for a few minutes. A stranger. A quiet child sitting alone on a swing. That was all.

But the image refused to leave him.

He thought to himself that maybe parenting had awakened something deep inside him, something precious. Afterall, his previous self never truly emphasized this deep—or was it because of his previous experience? 

His hairs, his eyes, how he puts his head down—like a complete obedience, or was it of fear? The trembling hands gave it away. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel pulled to help the boy, to give him attention. To love.

It’s like seeing the kid version of him. One that he wants to meet, wants to pull him into a hug and tell him that everything will be alright. That good thing awaits him in the future. That they aren’t wrong to be born that way, that the society wasn’t truly kind to them, but it’s alright to keep moving.

It’s alright to be different

He could see it from a distance. 

The empty seats swayed gently in the wind.

Back and forward.

Gen stopped walking as he felt the world around him went cold. His breath caught, his heart sank heavily into his chest, and his stomach curled up in any disgusting emotions—mixed up in one. He felt the dam holding his tears started to crumble when he saw the silhouette of a young boy sitting on the swing.

Under the dim orange glow of the streetlight, a small figure still sat there. The same half and half hair glimmered faintly beneath the lamp. The swing moved slowly, the metal chains breaking with each quiet motion. It was almost like he was in the spotlight, with no audience.

It only showed how lonely it must’ve been.

The park had grown cold hours ago. The other children had long since gone home. Even the evening walkers had already disappeared to their home. Yet, the boy remained, sitting exactly where Gen had first seen him that afternoon.

Then Rui’s mind came back to his mind, right when Rui first told him on the dining table during their dinner last night. He’s always the last one in the park.

It’s no wonder that he’s always the last one in the park, it’s because he still waited there, till who knows.

His shoulders were slightly hunched now, as though the cold had begun to weigh on him. The dark jacket he wore looked far too thin for the night air.

And his hands—

Even from this distance, Gen could see them trembling.

The swing creaked again, breaking the silence in the park. The boy swinged back and forward, scraping the dirt on his shoes. His gaze was lowered, unfocused, as though he were watching something only he could see.

Or perhaps …

Who was he waiting?

Gen swallowed, a strange ache spread slowly through his chest when the realization dawned on him.

How long …

How long will he sit there?

Rui’s performance had already ended a long time ago.

The crowds also had gone.

The sun had already gone to sleep.

Night had already fallen.

The thought alone made Gen’s throat tighten.

Now that he became an adult with a child, he understands now. That children were not meant to look like that.

Children have the right to run across playgrounds until their legs grow tired. They were supposed to complain about going home too early, beg their parents for another five minutes on the swings, fall asleep halfway through dinner because they had played too hard.

They weren’t supposed to sit alone in a dark park long after everyone else had left.

The swing had only just come to a stop.

The metal chains gave a final soft clink as they settled, the quiet sound swallowed by the cold night air. Beneath the pale streetlight, the half and half haired boy sat very still, as though the smallest movement might disturb something fragile.

Gen still stood a few steps away.

The wind brushed softly through the empty playground, rustling the leaves above them. Somewhere in the distance, a car passed along the main roads, its headlights briefly gliding across the park entrance before disappearing again.

Gen watched the boy carefully.

Up close, the signs were impossible to ignore. The faint flush on the child’s cheeks, the slight tremor in his fingers as they wrapped around the swing chains. The way his shoulders had curled inward, as though he were trying to make himself smaller against the cold.

Ah …

Gen’s chest tightened in the realization, his fingertips caught up before his brain, he took the scarf he was using and gripped in tightly, contemplating.

But before he could make a move—

Sakura noticed something.

The moment their eyes met properly beneath the streetlight, the boy’s entire body stiffened.

It happened so suddenly that Gen caught it, it was impossible to ignore. The small shift in his posture, the tightening of his grip on the chains. And so was the quiet alertness that passed through him like a startled animal sensing danger.

The air between them had changed.

The boy was tense, very tense.

As if Gen’s presence alone had turned the quiet park into something threatening.

Oh dear ….

Gen raised both hands slightly in a gentle gesture. “Now now,” he said softly, trying to keep his voice calm. “There’s no need to look so frightened.”

The boy didn’t respond, he kept his eyes on Gen.

But Gen noticed something else.

Sakura’s feet had already slipped down from the swing. He was ready, prepared to move anytime.

Gen forced a light smile, the kind he used whenever he needed to reassure someone. “I promise I’m not a bad person,” he continued gently.

The boy’s gaze flickered toward him again.

It was sharp. Careful. Measure. Untrusting.

It was the kind of look Gen had seen many times before—on people around his age or older, when they learned that he was just a cheapskate magician. It didn’t hurt before, but now receiving that kind of gaze from a kid—it pained his heart. 

Slowly, very slowly, he stepped closer.

“See?” he asked softly. “No tricks. No harm.”

The cold wind brushed past them again.

Gen reached up and unwound the long scarf from around his neck. His body heat still lingered from the long scarf, making it warm. 

“This might help,” he said quietly, extending it slightly. “It’s quite cold tonight, and you seem—”

He stopped himself from saying sick, or cold.

But the boy had already noticed the gesture. Sakura’s eyes flicked to the scarf, then back to Gen. He didn’t take the scarf, letting it hover in the air as he tightened his grip on the swing chain.

Gen saw how something uncertain crossed the boy's face. A flicker, meaning it’s hesitating. The boy hesitated to take the scarf. As if a very small part of him had almost believed the kindness being offered.

But the moment passed too quickly.

Without warning, Sakura moved first. He jumped down from the swing in one quick motion, and before the older man could react, the boy had already grabbed the small school bag that had been resting beside the swing’s pole.

Gen blinked. “Ah—?”

And then—

The boy ran. Not a word. Not a glance back. He took off to the very opposite direction from where Gen came from. His footsteps against the pavement echoed throughout his eardrums as Gen stood frozen, watching the boy’s back becoming smaller and smaller from each step. 

Gen was too shocked to even react, he didn’t even chase him. The scarf still hung loosely from his hand.

For a moment, he didn’t completely understand what had just happened.

The half and half haired boy moved quickly despite the exhaustion in his body, disappearing past the edge of the playground and into the darker path leading out of the park. The sound of his footsteps had already faded out.

Silence returned.

The empty swing swayed slightly where he had left it.

Back and forward.

Gen remained standing beneath the streetlight, still holding the scarf. A small sound slipped from his lips before he could stop it. “... Ah.”

A faint laugh followed, but it didn’t carry his usual lightness, or playfulness.

“My, my …”

He lowered his hand slowly. The scarf fell loosely against his arm again. He couldn’t hide his dam anymore, the tears broke out from his pupils as it rained down his cheeks, but it was only a single streak. Only then did he notice his wrong approach.

He had forgotten the facts that the boy didn’t trust anyone, adults and children. A lonesome adult with the same hair as him, coming up to him, and had the audacity to say that he’s not a bad person, any normal children will run away, even more a scared kid.

The boy hadn’t run away because he was shy, nor was he startled. He had run because he was afraid, afraid of him.

The realization settled heavily in Gen’s chest.

His gaze drifted toward the dark path where the boy had disappeared.

“... I suppose,” he murmured quietly. “I should’ve anticipated that.”

Gen closed his eyes briefly. The image of the boy’s tense expression lingered painfully in his mind. That fleeting moment when Sakura had almost accepted the scarf.

But then—

The fear had taken its place.

Gen exhaled softly into the cold air. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, while his other hand gritted the scarf tightly. He was frustrated, and seemed to forget that children were more sensitive, especially towards adults. 

But the boy hadn’t been running away from him only, he ran from any possibility of kindness. Once someone gets used to the pain, it’s harder for them to retrieve kindness—because of the hidden acts behind it.

That hurt far more than rejection ever could.

Sakura told himself that he won’t come back to the park for the time being, that he could go somewhere else.

That had been the decision he made while walking home the night before, his chest getting tightened each time he took long steps as he ran away from the park.

Away from the stranger. Away from the warm scarf that had almost touched his hands. Away from smiles that look too fake. Even now, the memory made his chest feel tight.

He knew that he was foolish, that he shouldn’t have stayed there that long. But he can’t help it, it’s better to be there rather than being back in there, where scream and bad words were thrown like it was nothing. But because he came rather early last night—because of that weird stranger, his condition had gotten better than the day before.

But it feels like there was a small knot tightening his chest. He almost blamed his eyesight for the strange vision he saw last night. While the weird stranger was a strange occurrence that he didn’t want to repeat for a second time, he couldn’t help himself but being drawn by the appearance.

Afterall, the weird stranger had the same hair just like him! A literal person with black and white hair, half and half! Though he didn’t have the same eye condition as him, Sakura almost felt like found a hidden gem!

He was almost tempted to stay behind at the park today, in hope of meeting the weird stranger again, but he shook it off. Who knows what he’ll do the moment he sees Sakura again. The stranger looked kind, his eyes were filled with sparkles, it was as if his eyes were twinkling. But he had learned about stranger danger from a young age, kids around his age— he could handle it just fine with his fist, but older than him or adults? The differences in size were already enormous, he couldn’t possibly have the strength to defeat them.

So, in conclusion, it’s best that he avoided going to the park. He won’t go back! He told himself very clearly that night.

And yet the next afternoon—

His feet carried him there anyway.

The park looked almost the same as it always did.

Children’s laughter drifted through the open space, mixing the sounds of bouncing balls and the soft rumble of conversations between parents sitting on nearby benches. The sun hung gently in the sky, casting warm light across the grass.

Everything felt absurdly normal. It was ordinary, like usual.

Which only made Sakura more cautious.

He slowed his steps as he approached the playground. His eyes scanned the park carefully. Left. Right. The benches. The walking paths. The trees. He searched for the familiar figure he saw last night. Tall, slender, half and half hair, and long scarf. 

Sakura’s fingers tightened slightly around the strap of his school bag. His gaze continuously goes through every corner of the park, and yet—

He’s not here …

At least, not that Sakura could see.

The realization eased something small inside his heart. Good. That meant he could sit for a little while. Just for a moment. Just until the noise of the day faded into something quieter again, only then he would switch places.

Yeah, I could do that.

Sakura walked slowly toward the swing set. The metal chains gleamed faintly in the sunlight. He sets down his school bag next to the pole, where he usually puts it and settles on his usual spot, the farthest spot on the swings. The one slightly removed from the others. 

The swing creaked softly as he lowered himself onto it.

Back and forward.

His feet dragged lightly against the dark. His gaze wandered across the park again. Still watching. Still careful. The stranger has not appeared.

Good.

Senku exhaled slowly

But then—

A noise broke through the normal sounds of the playground. A sharp voice. It carried the tone of playfulness, disdain, and anger.

“Oi, just give it here!”

Another laugh followed.

Not the playful kind where he used to hear, this time was the rough kind. The one where he usually hears at school.

Sakura’s swing slowed.

His eyes shifted toward the sound. It was near the sandpit—where three boys stood in a loose circle. They looked older than the children around them. Taller. Louder. The kind of boys who enjoyed making noise simply because they could.

And inside that circle—

Someone crouched low to the ground.

Sakura blinked.

His purple hair was tainted by the sand, slightly altering his straight hair. His blue lock streaks were none to be found, completely stained by the colour of mud. The boy was clutching something tightly against his chest, protecting it as if his life depended on it. 

A box.

No—

Several small mechanical parts were clutched tight against his chest.

“...Rui?”

Sakura recognized him immediately.

The strange magician boy from before. 

The one who had performed tricks in the park.

But right now Rui wasn’t smiling.

He had crouched down low, almost curling his body over the box of inventions beneath him. His arms wrapped tightly around it, shielding the contents the way someone might protect something fragile.

One of the older boys nudged him roughly with a shoe.

“Stop hogging it.”

One of the boys let out a grunt.

“You hurt my brother with one of those weird things. As his brother, I should probably return the favour, right?” 

“That’s why I tell him not to touch it!” Rui exclaimed, his tone was stern but strained. “It’s not finished yet! You’re his brother, teach him how to be a little patient!”

“Huh? Who are you to tell us that? You’re the brat here!” One of them reached down suddenly, trying to grab the box.

Rui shifted quickly, turning his body so the older boy’s hand missed the opening. The movement only made them grunt louder.

“Give me that! I’m going to break all of that!”

“NO!”

The third boy crouched slightly, trying to peek underneath Rui’s arms. 

“C’mon! Let Kota-kun see what’s that weird thing for!”

Rui’s grip tightened.

By then, Sakura noticed something about Rui. The boy didn’t fight back, nor was he making any effort to push them. Instead, he had simply lowered himself into a protective crouch, shielding the inventions beneath him with his own body.

It wasn’t just to protect his inventions. If he moves too much, they might try even harder to break it.

The realization made Sakura’s chest tighten slightly. The older boys continued to tease Rui even more, stretching their arms out in an attempt of stealing the inventions, which was guarded safely by Rui.

One of them started to shove Rui’s shoulder, which the impact pushed the boy sideways slightly. But still, the young magician didn’t let go. His hands were still tightened around the box.

When others started to kick Rui’s shoulder, it already made Sakura’s blood boil. The noise of the park started to fade from his eardrums, and the vision of the children and parents around them suddenly vanished from thin air. His gaze was completely focused on the scene of the sand pits. His fingers slowly curled around the metal swing chains.

Sakura’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

And without quite realizing it—

He had already stood up from the swing and walked towards the sandpit. By the time he arrived at the sandpit, one of the boys had already raised his fist, ready to hit the young magician’s shoulder, but the sudden force halted the punch so abruptly that the boy blinked in confusion.

“Huh??”

The grip wasn’t strong in the way adults were strong. Instead, it was smaller. Colder. It was firm enough that his fist couldn’t move forward.

The boy turned and was greeted by the half and half haired boy staring at him with a glare. He wore an unreadable expression, his hand was still wrapped tightly around the boy’s wrist.

The older boy frowned. “... What are you doing here?”

“Hey,” Sakura glared at them, especially the middle of the three individuals. “Pick someone your own size,” he said as his grip tightened slightly on the older man’s wrists.

The boy yanked his arm, trying to pull free.

“Let go!”

Sakura didn’t budge, he just glared at them. His fingers held firm for another second—then released the wrist suddenly. The boy stumbled half a step back.

“What’s your problem?!”

The other boys looked between them now, their expression quickly turned between scared and anger. 

“You’re his friend or something?”

Sakura ignored the question. Instead, he stepped forward slightly, placing himself between them and Rui. The magician was still crouched behind him, protecting the inventions against his chest.

Sakura didn’t look back, but he spoke quietly. “... Move.”

Rui blinked in confusion, he looked at the back of Sakura’s head. “Pardon?”

“Take your things.”

His eyes remained fixed on the three boys in front of him. 

“... go.”

Sakura didn’t care if Rui heard him at that point or not, but the next thing he knew, he was already lunching to the three boys, not caring if he’s under prepared or not—his fist were swung in many different directions, leaving many marks on the older boys.

Though he didn’t expect himself to win in a fight between three older boys, he certainly didn’t want to lose—especially not to those losers. By the time he realizes, the older boys were already laying on the ground covered in bruises, while Sakura was the last one standing, with a couple of bruises and cuts.

Everything came out as a blur from then on. He could see some parents were whispering around them, while a woman approached him and slapped him hard on the cheek, to the point of redden. The woman started to shout something at him—but the word couldn’t be processed by his mind.

The woman approached one of the boys that he defeated followed by a little boy—much younger than him. They shook the boy’s body hard, receiving small whimpers and loud cries by the little boy.

Sakura wasn’t paying attention anymore. The only thing he could hear was the constant ringing of screaming around him—one that he couldn’t process and his own heartbeat—beating even faster. His cheeks started to sting also—one that he sure will be swollen on later dates.

Then the next thing he knew, there was something warm on the palm of hand. He looked down and saw another hand holding his hand, tightening the grip. His fingertips were covered tainted by mud and sands, one that looked familiar to him.

Sakura looked up and saw Rui’s expression. His brows were knitted, some sands sprinkled on almost every corner of his face. His eyes were filled with sparkles as usual—but this time the tears were builded up, but it never came down.

Sakura didn’t say anything, he only stared at the boy for a moment before he looked away. He tried to let go of Rui’s hand, but the boy gripped his palm tightly—very tightly.

The woman yelled more about things that Sakura didn’t pay attention to. While he saw how Rui tried to chime in a couple of times, but it was overridden by the woman’s anger.

Then the next thing he saw, a person walked towards them from outside of the park. The man wears something unusual, a white lab coat draped over his body, his white hair tipped with green colour defying gravity—pointing upwards, then his crimson pupils were glaring at them.

Only then did the warmth on his hand go away  in an instant. He saw how Rui ran towards the man, hugged the leg of the man and pointed at the woman and his kids. He saw how the man crouched down to his level and placed his hand on Rui’s shoulder, his lips were parted—asking what happened.

But Sakura could sense something was wrong. He saw how adults' facial expressions have changed from disgusted into shocked, while the children’s expressions have turned into gasps, some even shouted. Sakura couldn’t capture how the man’s presence could affect the crowd that much, but he could feel his stomach drop.

The man crossed his hands in front of his chest, his lips moved in amazing speed, one that Sakura couldn’t capture a word. But looking at the woman’s expression started to dark—then scared, it was clear to Sakura. The strange man had just the word that made the woman back away.

By the time Sakura’s brain cell started to work again, the crowd had already dispersed. Rui was collecting his inventions and putting it back safely in his box, while the man stared at Sakura carefully in the distance, quietly assessing.

Sakura noticed the sting on his cheeks starting to throb uncontrollably, which was uncomfortable. Though he could head back to get some ice packs on the refrigerator, he didn’t have the energy to hear another shouting anymore—his head already went blank.

“Hey you.”

The voice carried a deep sound, but it was stern. Sakura flinched, he looked back and noticed the man’s glare. His fingertips trembled when he tried to pick up his school bag—hoping to leave the park.

“Y-yeah?” Sakura’s voice came out strained, from the trembling.

“Come with us.”

The word came out so suddenly that it made Sakura flinch again, this time in shock. The red pupils were mesmerizing, but it also made him harder to breathe—like it was suffocating. The pressure was killing him slowly.

He wanted to scream out no, but the pressure was slowly rising—making it even harder to not obey. 

Sakura glanced at Rui, he saw how the boy’s eye tip had turned red from the previous tears, but now it was back to last time, how his eyes were filled with sparkles. Sakura thought the boy would be jealous—based on his previous experience, but now it’s not. Instead, he looked delighted with the ideas.

“W-why?”

Senku raised a brow, he pointed at the Sakura’s knuckles. “You need some medical attention, of course. I don’t carry any medical kit with me, but I have a full set at home. While I could buy the things we needed in the nearby pharmacy, I don’t think you know how to use it, and we’ll waste even more time anyway. It’s more convenient for us to leave it to the expert.”

“T-there’s no need,” Sakura hides his knuckles on the back of his body. “I can handle that myself.”

Senku’s eyebrow twitched. “If you don’t take care of the wound properly, it will lead to infection. Wounds should be treated properly. If dirt gets inside the wound, bacteria will start multiplying. Your body can handle some bacteria, that’s what your immune system is for afterall. But if the infection spreads faster than your body can fight it, it will cause inflammation. Swelling, fevers, pus formation, all of that. And if you ignore it long enough, then you’ll get a blood infection,” Senku pointed at Sakura’s chest. “Which can kill you.”

Sakura went quiet, he didn’t quite understand what the words that were coming out of the man’s mouth—but he knew he was serious, serious about treating his wounds at least. He didn’t pay attention to school, especially science, so he didn’t know if the words that were coming out of his mouth were true or not, but looking at the white coat he was wearing—he should be a doctor right?

“And,” Senku rubbed the back of his head, letting out a big sigh from his mouth. “I owe you one for protecting Rui. Rui mentioned it earlier, thanks by the way.”

Sakura didn’t speak, nor did he move. He looked at the man—in disbelief. He could tell the man was serious, sincere even, but he couldn’t understand his train of thoughts. His body was screaming at him to leave them, to leave this place.

Yesterday was the encounter of the weird man, and today was a leek haired man.

“Hey,” something tapped his shoulder, making Sakura’s glanced back over his shoulder to be greeted by Rui’s holding one of his mechanisms— a tiny looking robot. “You saved me again, you have my thanks. My dad’s right, you can’t leave your wound to heal on your own. How about you go to my place? After we treated your wounds, we could play some more!”

Sakura parted his lips, wanting to yell at them no. He could feel his body trembling, that something was wrong. And yet, the words never came out of his throat, let alone his lips.

But the grownup seemed to understand his tremor. Senku stood up and placed his hand on top of Rui’s head, petting his head softly as he stared at Sakura—not an ounce of smile. “Once you’ve been treated, you can go home, if you want. I promise.”

Promise

It was always a lie. Promises are meant to be broken, that’s what Sakura learned. And yet, he knew that it’s better to get his wound treated somewhere safe. Not that he trusted the man, not at all, but it’s the first time someone had ever reached out to him regarding his bruises—even his teacher at school didn’t seem to care about it. 

So it’s not about trusting a stranger, rather Sakura was assessing the risks. He could be in a bigger danger if the stranger turned out to be a bad person, but he told himself that he was good at running, so it should be fine. His wounds were a completely different problem though. He knew he didn’t have the resources to treat his wounds, his current guardian wouldn’t care what happened to him, and so would the people around him. 

While he could counter the man about the false information regarding wounds—he’s quite familiar with wounds because he often got hurt from school and nothing bad has happened to him, he couldn’t find the right way to put it into words, either way his guts were telling him to not argue about it—feeling that he would lose.

In short, he decided to go with the stranger—not out of trust, but necessity. He just chose because he didn’t want to have any regrets.

“Judging by your expression, I take it that you’ll go with us?”

Rui’s voice broke Sakura’s train of thoughts. He drifted his gaze from the ground and glanced at Rui—the boy was smiling widely, his expression doesn’t look like one that got bullied just moments ago.

Rui tilted his head, waiting for Sakura’s answers. Sakura glanced at him for a moment before shifting his gaze from his to the stranger, the man didn’t have any particular expression on his face, just seriousness.

Sakura clenched his fists, he swallowed hard before parting his lips. “T-then—” He felt his stomach drop slightly when he heard his own voice that came out of his lips, it sounded desperate. “C—Can I … go back when I’m done?”

Senku raised a brow, folding his hands in front of his chest. “Ten billion percent,” he answered simply, like it was nothing.

Then—It’s alright.

He’ll go back when he’s done with the treatment.

Sakura let out a breath he unconsciously held, his shoulder slumped down slightly and his knuckles relaxed. He still felt tense, but more relieved. He told himself that he should probably not let his guard down too much, but right now.

Just right now. 

“Then, you’re coming with us?” Rui approached Sakura, took both of his hands with him. His smile went even wider. “Though it’s gonna sting so much when the alcohol’s in contact with your wounds, I’ll hold your hand! It’ll feel better that way.”

Rui’s words made Senku let out a snort. “Statically impossible. It's still gonna sting anyway.” Senku patted the top of Rui’s head before approaching near the railing, where Rui’s box was placed neatly on the side. The box was filled with Rui's mechanism, one that he protected with his body.

“But Papa said that—” Rui raised a finger and stared at Senku, “and it’s possible. I’ve done the research myself. It feels less painful that way. The pain did go away after a few moments.”

“That’s because the medicine has done its job.”

“Then Dad, can you explain how it feels less painful?”

Senku rolled his eyes as he settled the box on his palm, single handling carrying the box on his palm. “That’s not science, ask your Papa about that, not me.”

The man started to walk towards the gate of the park, ignoring whispers around the parents and children around them. Rui tugged Sakura’s hand as if gesturing him to follow him, and the boy did—after getting his backpack and hung it on his shoulder.

The walk home felt almost like a build up tension, or perhaps it felt weird. Sakura was quiet the whole time, his other hand was still held by Rui while his other gripped the strap of his bag tightly. He only listened to Senku and Rui’s conversation about things that he didn’t quite understand—things about science and experiment or stuff. He didn’t open up his lips, but he didn’t run away either. He just walked, and listened.

He felt that he walked for quite a while until Senku announced that they had arrived. The house stood at the quiet edge of the rebuilt settlement, where the paved roads slowly gave way to patches of untamed grass and the horizon felt wider than the city behind it. The house was spacious, with a narrow stone path—made of mismatched pieces gathered and replaced over time. The yard was imperfectly maintained, with patches of grass growing unevenly and small wildflowers blooming freely near the fence as though nature had quietly reclaimed parts of the land. 

Sakura stood there, looking at the house in mouth wides. While Rui was looking at him confusingly, tilting his head—he didn’t know what the boy was shocked about.

Senku didn’t mind the children. He reached his pocket and took out his ring of keys, his fingertips brushed the one with a badtzmaru and inserted the key on the doorknob, hearing the click sound and turned the doorknob.

“Come on in. Rui, settle him on the couch.”

“Okay, Dad!” Rui tugged Sakura’s hand gently—afraid it would scare the boy. “Dad said to wait at the couch.”

Sakura nodded slowly, he took a last look at the house before taking another step forward through the stone path, together with Rui. They arrived at the doorstep where Sakura suddenly felt his hand go cold. He glanced at Rui who turned out to let go of his hand, closed the door behind them and slid out of his shoes before putting it neatly on the shoerack. 

Looking at the boy’s action made Sakura panicked even more. He quickly slid out of his shoes and put it neatly beside the shoerack. But his gaze picked up a couple of weird shoes on the shoerack. Some were boots that were highly covered—one that was often used by the constructor worker, or funny looking shoes. 

“Don’t just stand there, come in.”

Rui had already stepped into the hallway, raising an eyebrow. Sakura clenched his grip on his schoolbag’s strap. “Pardon the intrusion.”

The moment Sakura took a step on the hallway, a strange scent immediately drifted into his nose. It was … clean. Too clean in fact. 

A soft fragrance hung in the air, something like mint mixed with a faint floral sweetness. The smell floated gently through the hallways as though it had seeped into the walls themselves, light and refreshing in a way that most people would probably find pleasant.

But to Sakura, it felt wrong.

His nose wrinkled almost instantly.

The scent wrapped around him the moment he stepped further inside, brushing against his senses with a cool sharpness that made his chest tighten slightly. It wasn’t unpleasant in the usual way—but it felt too fresh. Too deliberate.

The place was too welcoming, and it made him more uneasy.

But he forced himself to follow Rui into the couch. It was located in something that is usually called the living room, where the TV and mechanisms were placed neatly on the shelves. Some even looked familiar— that he was sure looked alike with mechanisms in Rui’s box.

Sakura took a seat on the sofa, took the farthest one as usual. The sofa was soft—too soft, one that made him melt on the spot, almost slumped too deep onto his cushions. He put down his schoolbag next to his foot, ensuring that it won’t interfere with the way.

“Sorry,” Rui settled down next to him. The tone dropped by didn’t sound apologetic, in fact he’s smiling softly. “I got you entangled with my fights.”

Sakura played around his fingers, in hope to ease out the uneasiness in his heart. “It’s fine. What started the fight, anyway?”

Rui looked startled for a moment, eyes wide in shock before it went back to normal. His tips curled up. “The boy that started it, his little brother came up to me and played with my inventions, without my permission.” Rui lets out a sigh. “I already told him that it’s not done yet, but he didn’t listen. So he got zapped and cried. That started it.”

Sakura nodded. He only understood what happened next, it’s not that hard. The little boy probably told his older brother or the older brother saw his little brother crying, and as the older sibling, he took the responsibility of taking care of the trouble.

And the trouble in that situation is probably Rui.

“They’ve got it lucky, Rui. They only got beaten up by the boy right there,” Senku’s voice came out suddenly and it made Sakura flinch while Rui glanced back, looking at Senku who came back from who knows where with a box full of medical kits. “Back in my day, I took revenge on the bully myself. I think they like getting shocked with fifty volts.”

“Dad, are they alive?”

“They’re fine.”

Senku crouched down in front of Sakura, putting down the medical box and opening it. Sakura saw some of the familiar ones that he knew, alcohols, cottons and bandages, but other than that there were many bottles that Sakura wasn’t familiar with. 

“Give me your hand.”

Sakura bit his lower lips as he slowly gave both of his hands towards Senku, opening up his palms. There were many bruises on the knuckles because of the punching, but his palm was red, and some cuts remained there.

Senku sighed softly and started to clean up the wounds, taking his time to carefully assess the wound—but it only made Sakura tensed some more. Rui noticed how the boy looked more tense to the point his back had straightened, so he took the liberty of resting his palm on Sakura’s arm in hope of easing the pain, even just for a little.

“This might sting.”

Before Sakura could protest, the sharp burn shot straight through Sakura’s hand, which made him arched back. The boy tried to take back his hand, but Senku held his wrist firmly, continuing to pour it over the cut, ignoring the boy’s movement.

The treatment felt like hell for Sakura, but it was filled with silence—other than his silent scream. By the time treatment was finished, his hand was properly covered with bandage, and his eyes were slightly watered because of the constant pain.

Sakura blinked, looking at his palm which was covered by the bandage—he opened and closed his palm a couple of times. It felt weird. He used a bandage to cover up his wound before, but it had never felt comfortable before. Instead, the bandage will always find a way to fall out.

“Why are you surprised?”

Sakura continued to stare at it, closing and opening his palm. “It’s good.”

“That’s because I’m used to it,” Senku put back the medical equipment back to his trusty box as he continued. “Trial and errors are part of science, I guess. Explosive results are not uncommon. So it’s important to treat the wound properly,” Senku raised a brow. “Or you’ll die.”

“I’m not gonna die.”

Sakura didn’t want to die, not yet. He still has a goal. He wants to continue living, for now. But it still didn’t make sense how a simple wound could make a single person die.

“If you know how to fight, you should know how to properly take care of your wound.” Senku put the box on the table as he stood up, rubbing the back of his head. “If you get into fights too much, then you should learn.”

Rui looked between them, then he spoke calmly. “Technically, he fought three opponents simultaneously.”

Senku smirked, which made Sakura flinched again. “... Not bad. Three opponents, eh?”

Sakura froze while Rui nodded continuedly. “He won against three people. Though he did get hurt—”

“If you get into a fight, of course you’ll get hurt.” Senku lets out a tsk in his mouth, which makes Sakura tense again. The man exhaled through his nose, taking a breathful of air—contemplating his words of choice.

At that moment, Sakura expected another lecture. He saw this expression before, he knew what happened next. The teacher at school usually lectures him about not getting into fights, how it’s bad for him and the people around him. That fight is bad and people who do it are bad people.

But instead, Senku didn’t give him the lecture. He just turned away, and went to grab the tablet on the kitchen counter—which was just across the room.

“... Next time,” he said casually, “aim for the knees.”

Sakura blinked, in shock. “... W—What?”

“They drop faster.”

Rui placed his index finger on his lips, a posture one makes when they’re thinking before he nodded thoughtfully. “That is scientifically accurate.”

Sakura remained seated on the edge of the chair, stiff as a statue.

Senku continued as he made his way back to them, standing in front of them with his tablet on his hand, looking as if he had already delivered a lecture long enough to qualify as a university course, yet somehow still found more things to add.

“—and another thing,” Senku continued matter-of-factly. “If you’re going to throw a punch, don’t swing blindly. That’s inefficient. You’ll waste your energy and open your guard.”

Sakura blinked again.

He hadn’t expected the conversation to continue about fighting to stay longer. He had expected some scolding, or maybe silence. Not some strategy lessons.

“Target weak points,” Senku said calmly. “Knees, stomach, chin. Quick strikes. End the fight fast. Especially if you’re fighting many opponents.”

Rui folded his arms in front of his chest, continuing to nod with surprising seriousness. “He’s right,” he added. “Dragging it out only makes things worse. Also—” Rui lifted his index finger like a teacher about to give an important rule. “—protect your head.”

Sakura looked at both of them, his expression slowly turning more confused by the second.

“... Dad, you’re telling him how to win fights,” Rui continued thoughtfully, glancing at Senku. “But you haven’t mentioned anything about balance.”

It earned a snort from Senku. “Obviously, balance matters. If you lose your footing, you’re done. But if you train your core, you could train your reflex.”

The two of them continued discussing it like they were analyzing a sports match. Somehow the conversation had taken a quick turn to competing about fighting lessons, both of them having no intentions of backing down against each other.

Meanwhile Sakura sat there, small bandages freshly wrapped around his knuckles, staring at them with wide, speechless eyes. 

His mind spiralled once again, this time in confusion. Weren’t adults supposed to tell kids not to fight? Then, why are those two continuing to give him fighting tips? Aren’t they going to get mad?

Or is that what it is? Making him let his guard down, then doing bad things to him?

It only made Sakura confused, but scared even more. While a part of his mind said that these people probably meant no harm, but the rest of his mind constantly reminded him that it could be a lie, that it’s a joke.

After all of this, they will reprimand him, telling him to not get into fights. Asking him to compensate? Or maybe they’ll tell his current guardian about the fights, and then he’ll get punished?

Ah, just thinking of the possibility of what if had already made him to the point of dizziness. It’s better that he gets out of there while he still can. Yes, he should get out. He had already done the treatment, and the man said that he could get back whenever he wanted.

If not, he’ll make a quick run for it.

Just as Sakura parted his lips, all of the words went out of his mind the moment he heard a loud sound echo throughout the house.

“I’M HOOOMMEEEE—!”

The front door suddenly slammed open with dangerous strength, making Sakura flinch again—jumping slightly in his chair.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, quick and lively, followed by the rustling sound of someone removing their shoes with very little patience.

“Nee nee~ Hear this Senku-chan! I just got back from my office and I found some interesting news about him—”

A tall man suddenly appeared at the entrance of the room a moment later. His pale white hair was tied loosely on a braid, slightly longer than his black hair on the left. His scarf was hanging around his neck. His coat swayed as he stepped inside, one hand still holding a small paper bag full of groceries.

His grayish blue eyes sparkled with easy amusement, and yet it all drained the moment his eyes locked on the colour palette of the boy’s.

Sakura immediately tensed. The moment their eyes met, recognition flashed through his chest like lighting. His brain suddenly sounded the alarm of emergency when the image flashed through his mind. 

It was him.

The man from the park last night.

The one who had tried to give him the scarf.

Sakura’s shoulders stiffened instantly, he jumped down from the couch and reached for his schoolbag, while keeping direct eye contact with the man. 

He was ready to run.

Very read.

Desperately.

But he hasn't said thanks to the kind man just yet.

“SAKURA-CHAN?!”

The name exploded out of him. 

Not only it made Sakura tensed some more, it made him jolted in his place when the name came out as a loud scream—one that was filled with shock. 

He could feel his stomach curled up in discomfort. The fact that the man knew his name, even though he hadn’t properly introduced himself to him, it all fell to pieces. The man knew who he was, from the rumor circulating around him.

His name was widely known around the neighborhood. Anyone who knew his name will eventually know what kind of boy he was, the kind that killed people and brought misfortunes for the people around him.

It can’t be helped at all.

He grits his head, clenches his jaw as the grip on his schoolbag tightens. He should’ve known, he should’ve known his place. It was a bad idea to follow that kind man. The weird stranger probably lives here anyway, so the kind man is his associate. 

Kindness is a price.

Nothing is free in this world.

He always reminded himself of those words every night like a prayer, that nothing was ever his. That nothing good will happen to him unless he works hard on himself. Only he could count on to take care of himself.

It didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt.

But it hurt. He felt frustrated, and tired. That while other kids can live the lives that they wanted, while he is struggling to even live. So instead, he motivated himself, making a lifetime goal to become something in this life, to prove himself that a worthless trash could survive in this world, without anyone's help.

He won’t let himself be trampled any longer. He won’t need to lower his head whenever he talks to other people, especially adults. He won’t let himself get bullied every day by some selfish brat.

But in order to do all of that, the starting point is to survive. And looking at this situation right now, it became clear to him that all he could do is run away from the situation, though not sure if he could avoid two adults and a child in his getaway plan.

“STOP STOP, SAKURA-CHAN! I MEANT NO HARM!” The weird stranger opened his palms and shook it, making stop gestures with both of his hands. His eyes shot out in shock, then tears started to swell on his eyes. “WAIT, I’M  DOING IT AGAIN! AAGHH, I’M SORRY SAKURA-CHAN! I really don’t mean anything weird, I just wanna talk to you!”

Nope, Sakura still doesn’t trust the weird stranger with hair similar to him at all. The more he talked, the more he didn't trust him. In fact, he didn't trust any of them anyway.

Either they’re good or bad people, it’s better not to get entangled with them!

“Sakura,” Senku’s stern voice made Sakura jolted in his place, glancing at the man with cautious gazes. “Did that man do anything weird?”

“SENKU-CHAN! THAT’S MEAN!”

Something tugged his sleeves, it made Sakura glanced at the sources. Rui was tugging his sleeves while tilting his head. “Sakura-kun, did Papa do anything weird to you?”

“NOT YOU TOO, RUI-CHAN!”

Sakura didn’t say anything, his wrist moved instinctively toward his chest, releasing Rui’s fingertips from his sleeves. Sakura clenched his jaw, slightly crouched down to put more pressure on his legs, ready to run at any time. His other hand gripped tightly his schoolbag.

Gen knew the posture too well, and it made him even panicked. His brain started to scramble for a good enough explanation for the boy, but the pressure started to rise when he saw Senku and Rui staring at him—not in a good way.

Eventually the man laughed weakly. “Sakura-chan! Well, you see—!” He took a gulp when he saw how the boy' s posture shifted, making him even more panicked. “I really mean what I said earlier, Sakura-chan! If you don’t trust me and want to go right now, I TOTALLY understand that. It feels weird that someone is kind to you like that, right?”

Gen noticed how the boy twitched slightly, but made no further movement. So he continued, shifting his voice to a more softer tone. “I know how it feels having this weird hair. I mean I have my fair share of problems when I’m around your age, and I can’t imagine how you're faring right now, considering you have more things than mine that look weird to others. I only had this hair, but—” Gen paused for a moment, before continuing. “You had those eyes.”

Gen knew he hit the spot when he saw how the boy flinched, jolting in his space. While a part of his brain was almost in awe that the boy looked quite adorable—so much like a cat, he can’t help but feel ashamed with his poor choice of words.

Damn that mouth of his. He could feel Rui’s stare at him, like poking holes onto his head.

“But I want to say just this,” Gen took a mouthful of fresh air before exhaling it softly. “It’s never our fault that we’re born this way, and it’s also not our parents' fault. Some people are just born different, but we’re still human. I’m still Japanese, and so are you. Society just couldn’t help seeing how we are different, and they’re jealous. It’s never our fault, alright dear?”

Sakura didn’t answer right away, but Gen could see how he clenched his jaw, knuckles ‘til turned white color and his leg slightly trembled. The boy didn’t look like he wanted to run away, at least for now. 

Gen knew that words were slightly difficult for Sakura to accept, considering how he heard the rumor circulating about the boy a couple of moments before. Hearing from someone, let alone an adult—one that you wouldn’t want to hear, said that it’s not your fault for being born this way, that being different is alright, either way it’s harder to accept that.

But even so, Gen couldn’t help but wanted to let the child know that he’s here for him. That if something happens, he will protect him. Shielded him. But children are extremely sensitive, so one wrong move could make all his hard words turn to dust.

So instead, using Senku’s words, he’ll take it step by step. Baby steps. He couldn’t use his words as a mentalist, instead he’ll have to make do with action.

“If you still don’t trust me, that’s fine.” Gen took a step back and smiled softly. “Or if you don’t trust Senku-chan, that is also fine. But I think Rui-chan wants to be friends with you,” Gen said as he drifted his gaze toward Rui, not forgetting to let out a wink.

Sakura didn’t quite understand the gesture, but Rui understood it completely. His eyes gleamed up and he stared at Sakura with a wide smile.

“Sakura-kun,” his tone squeals with excitement, delight. “Papa’s right, I want to be friends with you. You’ve helped not once, but twice. I must return the favour!”

Sakura’s nose wrinkled, his hand fell out from the grip. “There’s no need—”

“AAAHH SAKURA-CHAN! YOUR CHEEK!”

Gen’s voice burst out so loudly that his fingertips unconsciously touched his cheek. The second his fingertips made contact with his skin, he could feel something cold on his cheek. It was his finger. Or was it that his cheek felt hot?

Now that Gen’s mentioned it, he remembered that the woman slapped his cheek. 

Is it swollen?

“Senku-chan! Hurry, hurry! Get some ice packs!” Gen gestured to the kind man while himself took hurried steps forwards to Sakura, slightly wary of Sakura’s reaction. Yet, Sakura remained there, standing frozen.

Gen crouched down in front of him so they’re on the same level—because Gen knew that if he didn’t crouched down, the boy would be afraid of him. When talking to kids, it’s better to be on the same wavelength so it wouldn’t scare the children, it didn’t bring any sense of superiority.

Especially to cautious kids like Sakura.

Gen reached out his hand slowly, waiting for Sakura’s reaction. He saw how the boy tensed slightly when his hand moved, Sakura’s hand moved slightly to protect his face, like he was expecting a punch or some sort of violence.

Gen tried not to react, he let his hands linger on air, waiting for the boy to realize on his own. Rui placed his hand on Gen’s shoulder, as if giving him some encouragement, or perhaps he was telling Gen to be careful.

The moment Sakura knew that Gen meant no harm to him, only then did he lower his hand, letting Gen’s fingertips on his reddened cheek. Sakura noticed how cold Gen’s fingertips were, just like him. It brushes his hot reddened cheek with ease, softness.

Sakura didn’t understand how the older man’s eyes were almost filled with tears, prepared to fall out at any time. He could only bite his lower lips and stood there, prepared for any kind of surprises the man had prepared beforehand.

But nothing major ever happened.

Senku got back from the fridge with a pack of ice cubes. Rui took the pack from the scientist and gave it to Gen slowly, careful of not disturbing the intimate scenes. The magician took the ice pack with his other hand and gently held it against Sakura’s cheek, ignoring Sakura’s wincing by the lower temperatures.

“Senku-chan, how could you?! You treated his wounds, but not his cheeks?! His face is equally important, y’know! You should know that more than anyone, especially after you married a public figure—ME! What should we do if his cheek got so swollen that he’ll look like you with your urushiol!”

Senku looked at Gen flatly, his pinkies went inside his ear lobes, looking completely uninterested. “You’re too overreacting, he’s not gonna be beyond that point.”

“NOT HELPING!”

Sakura remained there while Gen applied very little pressure to his cheek, He stood there while biting his lower lips, letting the sheer cold of the ice cube appease his heated up cheek.

He lowered his head slightly, gripping the edge of his clothes while he took a gulp—it felt hard. But either way, he must say those words.

He remembered how the school taught him how to say those words. Words that meant gratitude for the other person. Words that he never said before, because no one had the presence of earning those words from him.

Right now, he must say that. He must. Because either way, they had helped him—and those eyes. Their eyes. He saw many expressions from the people around him the moment they learned his name, those with mockery or disgust, or scared expression.

Not them. They’re different. Only they looked at him with those sparkly eyes, stern eyes and worried eyes. They were the only ones who cared for his wounds, no one ever had. He was the one who wanted to be his friend.

So, he thinks he knows what those words finally meant. But mustering up the courage was hard—extremely hard even. He felt his eyes burnt though nothing had hit them, his chest was pounding louder than ever, and his knees went weak. This felt harder than any fight that he ever participated in. Maybe because those words carried out the pressure of his long life fulfillment.

Quietly—

“... you.”

“What?” Gen asked, not quite hearing what the boy said.

Gen saw how Sakura’s expression looked like one that’s been pained, severely. His eyes were flustered, almost looking like he was tearing up—but there’s none. Not only were his cheeks reddened, his face had gotten to that point also. His body slightly trembled, but not with tense movements.

“... Thank you.”

Sakura swore that those words were only reserved for those with hearts. Hearts that belonged by people like them.

His words came out as a mumble, but it almost made Gen’s heart melt in awe. His voice, his tone came out as small as possible, hoping that the older man didn’t hear them, but he did anyway. It came out awkward, too stiff, clumsy—but it felt raw. And that maybe meant the world for him. The boy had taken a step forward of trusting them, only a tiny bit, but it’s called progress.

“Sakura-chan,” the boy looked up, his eyes bolted in shock when he saw how tears flowed from Gen’s eyes in exceeding amounts. “can you tell me your name?”

His shock quickly turned into confusion, because the man had already known his name, he even called his name right now. “Why?” he asked simply.

Gen smiled softly, letting the tears come out more from his eyes. “I wanna hear it from your lip. It doesn’t feel good if you hear my name from other people, right?”

Sakura’s lip parted when the realization hit him. The older man was right. People always knew his name, before he even had the opportunity to introduce himself properly. At school, it’s the same. Other students seem to know his name before he wrote it down.

It’s all because of the rumor.

“Sakura Haruka.”

His tone was stern, more stiff than he thought. Sakura blamed it all for the people around him, including his teacher. He didn’t remember how one should make a proper introduction, all he knew was that his own name should be included.

It came out stiff, awkward, or perhaps arrogance also? Though his tone was severely strained—more than Gen’s sobbing.

“Kamishiro Rui.”

He glanced at Rui who’s standing beside Gen with his palm opened, offering a hand shake for Sakura. He smiled brightly as he continued, “a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Sakura glanced at the handshake then back at Rui, didn’t know what he should do next. Should he say something or just handshake him?

Eventually, the boy reached out and hand shaked the boy, shoulder slumped slowly. Rui’s hand felt warm against his cold palm. Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable from the amount of staring he was receiving—not in a bad way, the pressure was only the pressure.

“And I’m—” Senku walked towards Rui, stopping just behind the boy as he patted the top of the boy’s head. “Ishigami Senku, a scientist. Hope you can be good friends with Rui.”

Sakura only nodded slightly, not bothering to ask what the hell is a scientist.

“And I’m Ishigami Gen,” the half and half haired man’s tone was playful, different just a moment ago. “If something’s bothering you, you can come up to me or Rui, don’t trust Senku-chan at all,” Gen let out his tongue toward his partner, earning a grunt from the man. “And you’re always welcome here anytime, Sakura-chan. You can treat this like your home. It might be chaotic from time to time because of Senku and Rui’s experiments, but it’s not that dangerous, Senku-chan forbid that. If it’s hard for you, I completely understand. But the door will always be open, for you, Sakura-chan. You can think of here as a free rest station, kind of thing?” Gen lets out a chuckle.

Rui added from beside him, letting out a small laugh. “And a repair shop.”

“And a laboratory.”

The three statements overlapped so casually that it almost sounded like a rehearsed rule. Gen let out a whine, dramatically. “Ugh, this house will become a storage facility if I'm not here.”

“Impossible.”

Rui and Senku’s reply almost immediately from the statement, flat as they stared at Gen as if the man had just insulted their inventions.

“Then who’s the one that cleans your room?!” Gen glared at both, wincing his eyes. “And I didn’t get any thank you from you two, I only got scolded instead!”

“That's because Papa didn’t put the things back into their places.”

“My notes are scattered because of you, mentalist.”

Gen only yelled at the responses, which earned flatly responses from the two others. They continued to banter softly in front of Sakura, which the boy only listened to in silence.

Home

The word landed heavy on his chest, because it felt different somehow. All this time, he had been tossed around by his relatives. The first of them welcomed him in open armed, only to be shot by reality on the upcoming days. Ever since then, he had many homes that he got kicked out, but they all had one common trait.

Cold.

It was cold for Sakura.

None of them had any warm welcome, including his current guardian’s home. All of them felt cold, to the point of freezing. His heart went numb. His body no longer complies. Slowly but surely, his own body eventually followed. Since then, his body has been easy to catch colds at any time.

But here, it’s different here.

Their house—sure was cold with the ongoing air conditioner, but it’s mild. Moreover, he discovered how his body started to work properly again. How his tears came out, heart pounding more, and how his stomach curled. 

And for the first time since entering any house—

He didn’t feel the need to run, from the things around him. Didn’t feel the need to curl up on the corner and hope that he’s invisible. But then, the scents hit his nostril—which almost made him wrinkled. 

The scent.

From the moment he took his first step on the house, the scent was different from the one he used to. The soft fragrance of mint mixed with floral, definitely better compared with his. His scent was from many things that looked out of place. Faint sweat from running. Dust from the ground. The stale scent of old fabric that had been worn too many times before washing. 

It’s something bitter and unpleasant scent that clung stubbornly to it all, lingering odor of trash left too long in the sun.

It made him realize how different they really are. The soft mind and flowers in the air belonged to this house—to people who cleaned their floors, washed their clothes, opened their windows in the morning.

But the smell clinging to him felt like something dragged in from outside.

Something dirty.

Something that didn’t belong there.

Amidst their soft bantering, they didn’t seem to realize how Sakura’s expression shifted slightly. For a moment, the boy had wondered if the scent of garbage would spread into the house just because he had stepped inside.

Just for today, he thought to himself.

Just for today he let it slide and stayed there for a little longer, to enjoy the warmth of how home should feel like. When the sky turned dark, only then did he take his leave and go back to where he should belong, and swore that he shouldn’t come here again.

This is Rui’s home, not his. Never his. And he’ll honor that,

Because Rui is his first friend.