I opened my eyes.
The ceiling was pale. Curtains glowing.
Voices were coming from downstairs.
"—did you see what time it is, Fei? It's already six—"
"I'm going, I'm going—"
"You said that ten minutes ago."
"I said it ONCE—"
"Ten minutes ago."
I blinked.
Pushed the blanket off.
Sat up.
Crrrk.
I walked downstairs while stretching.
Mom was at the stove.
Dad at the table. Newspaper open.
"Morning."
"Hikaru—" Mom turned. "You're up early."
"…Am I?"
"It's only six."
"Oh."
"You usually leave at seven thirty."
"...Yeah."
"Sit, sit. I made eggs."
"Thanks."
I sat.
Dad lowered the newspaper a little.
"Morning."
"Morning."
He raised it again.
A plate slid in front of me.
Eggs. Toast. Greens.
A small glass of milk.
"Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu," Mom said.
Dad just nodded, still reading.
I ate.
The eggs were good.
"Hikaru."
"Mm?"
"Are you walking with the neighbor today?"
"...Ichigo?"
"Yes. Ichigo-kun."
"Yeah. Same as always."
"Okay."
"Why?"
"No reason. Just asking."
"…"
"…"
"…Mom."
"Mhm?"
"...You're smiling."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"Eat your eggs."
…
Dad turned a page.
The corner of his mouth had moved.
I saw it.
I didn't say anything.
…
I take a bite from the toast.
***
I opened the door.
The morning was bright.
I closed the door behind me.
…
An apple was in my hand.
Mom pressed it into my hand when they left.
I had lunch already.
She knew.
Ichigo wasn't at the wall. I was early
Too early.
I waited.
***
"Morning."
"Morning, Ichigo."
"Mm."
We started walking.
The street was quiet.
A bird somewhere. A cat somewhere.
Half a block in.
I felt it before I saw it.
A small weight.
I glanced up.
An old man.
Sitting on the low wall outside someone's house.
Hands on his knees.
Looking at nothing.
…
I kept walking.
Didn't slow.
Didn't look twice.
Ichigo's eyes flicked there for half a second.
Then back to the road.
Neither of us said anything.
Kept walking.
…
We walked.
"...Oh."
"Hm?"
"Tomorrow."
"Mm?"
"Dad."
"...What about him."
"Wants you for dinner."
I blinked.
"...Eh?"
"Don't make me say it twice."
"...Tomorrow?"
"Mm."
"...What time?"
"Whenever."
"Ichigo-san—"
"Yuzu's making something."
"...Yuzu-san is?"
"Mm."
"…"
"…"
"...Okay."
"Mm."
He didn't look at me.
I looked at the apple in my hand.
…
Tomorrow, huh.
…
I smiled.
Bigger than I meant to.
He saw it from the side.
"Tch. Idiot."
"I didn't even say anything."
***
School gate.
"OIIII!! YOU TWO!! Wait up!!"
Keigo, full sprint.
Ichigo stepped to the side.
…I didn't.
WHUMP.
"Hi, Keigo-san."
"You— hngh— you're walking faster than yesterday—"
"You're slower."
"Mizuiroooooo, Hikaru-kun is meeean to me—"
"Mhm." Mizuiro didn't look up from his phone.
"Mizuirooo—!"
Ichigo had already walked through the gate.
I followed.
***
School was school.
Sat down. Opened the book. Wrote things down.
It was peaceful.
***
DING DONG.
Break.
Chairs scraping. Bags opening.
Half the class on their feet immediately.
I stretched.
Crrrk.
Picked up my chair.
Carried it across the room.
Set it down next to Ichigo's desk.
Sat.
…
He glanced at me.
Haha~
"Hi."
"...Hi."
He went back to looking at the window.
I dug a juice box out of my bag.
Tssssp.
Drank.
Across the room — Keigo was already loud.
"MIZUIROOO who did the math, who did number eight—"
"I did it."
"GIVE IT TO ME—"
"Five hundred yen."
"I DON'T HAVE—"
Keigo's head turned.
Slowly.
Toward me.
"...HIKARUUU—"
I was already opening my bag.
Pulled out the notebook.
Held it up.
"Number eight?"
"YES—"
"Catch."
I tossed it.
He caught it against his chest.
"HIKARU YOU ANGEL—"
"Bring it back before class."
"YES SIR—"
He hugged the notebook to his chest. Sprinted back to his desk.
Mizuiro, mildly: "Five hundred yen, Hikaru-kun."
"It's free for him."
"Hmph."
"Sorry, Mizuiro-san."
"...Mm."
I went back to the juice.
Ichigo glanced at me.
"...You finished the book?"
"Mm."
"The whole thing?"
"Yeah."
"...When."
"...Last week?"
"…"
"…"
"...Hmph."
"…"
"You doing it on purpose."
"What?"
"Showing off."
"I'm not showing off."
"Mm."
"I just don't like homework at home."
"...Why."
"...It's nicer to do nothing at home."
He looked at me.
"...That's fair."
"Mm."
…
He went back to the window.
Tatsuki at her desk a few rows over.
Feet up on the chair in front of her.
Sports magazine in her lap.
Inoue sitting on the desk itself. Legs swinging.
Eating melon bread.
"Tatsuki-chan."
"Mm."
"Have you ever wondered if clouds get tired?"
"No."
"They move all day."
"Mm."
"They might want to sit down."
"Clouds don't have legs, Orihime."
"That's why they're tired."
…
Tatsuki turned a page.
Chad walked past.
Threw something in the trash. Walked back. Sat down.
Didn't say anything.
Ichigo glanced at me.
I smiled at him.
He looked back out the window.
…
Inoue had finished her bread.
She was lying flat across two desks now. On her back. Looking at the ceiling.
"Tatsuki-chan."
"Mm."
"I can't see anything from here."
"Then sit up."
"…"
"…"
"…I don't want to sit up."
"Then don't."
"…"
"Tatsuki-chan."
"What."
"Sit up me."
"What."
"Pull me up."
"You have arms."
"My arms are tired."
"Why are your arms tired."
"...The bread was heavy."
"…"
Tatsuki closed the magazine.
Reached over. Grabbed Inoue. Pulled.
Inoue came up smoothly. Hair flopping. Big smile.
"Thank you, Tatsuki-chan!"
"Mm."
Tatsuki picked the magazine back up.
Kept reading.
…
I leaned toward Ichigo again.
"Ichigo-san."
"What."
"Tatsuki-san is patient."
"Mm."
"Are you patient like that?"
"...With Orihime?"
"With anyone."
"...No."
"…"
I smiled.
He noticed.
"What."
"Nothing."
"What."
"Nothing, nothing."
"Hikaru—"
"Haha~"
"...Whatever."
…
He looked away.
But the corner of his mouth was doing something.
I could see it.
***
Last bell.
Bags. Chairs scraping. Students pouring toward the door.
I was zipping my bag when—
"Oi, Kurosaki."
Tatsuki was at his desk.
Hand on the back of his chair.
Ichigo looked up.
"What."
"Karate sensei's looking for you."
"...Now?"
"Now."
"Tch." He shoved his book into his bag. "What does he want."
"Beats me. Said come by after class."
"I haven't been in months—"
"Then go say hi, idiot."
She started pulling on the back of his collar.
"O-oi—"
"Move."
He glanced back at me.
"...You go ahead."
"Mm."
"See you, Ichigo."
"…Be carefull."
I smiled brightly.
His eye twitched while getting dragged.
Tatsuki nodded at me once.
I nodded back.
…
The classroom emptied out.
I stood there a second.
Adjusted my bag strap.
"Walking alone today, huh."
Haaah…
I don't want to get used to it.
***
The street outside school was loud for two blocks.
Then it wasn't.
I turned off the main road.
The sun was low. Gold on the water.
I walked.
Hm?
I stopped.
Just for a second.
A pressure.
Quiet. Far.
Like someone breathing on the back of my neck from across the river.
I tilted my head slightly.
Listened.
…
Nothing.
The wind moved.
The water did its thing.
"...Imagining things."
…
I started walking again.
Faster.
A lot faster.
A salaryman passed me on the sidewalk. Phone to his ear. Half-laughing into it.
The pressure wasn't gone.
It was — closer.
I crossed a small bridge.
Up ahead — the shopping stretch. Crosswalk chime. Bag rustle. Someone calling a kid's name.
The pressure shifted.
Followed.
…
Not that way.
I cut left.
Quieter street.
THOOM.
"..."
THOOM.
"Again!??"
I broke into running.
THOOM. THOOM.
Not catching up.
But not losing me either.
Why?
Why is it—
I turned a corner.
A grandma with a shopping cart.
…
I cut across the road. Past her. Don't slow.
THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.
Behind me.
Same distance.
Like It wasn't searching.
It was tracking.
Why?
Why—
The reiatsu…
Of course the reiatsu—
…I'm a meal.
THOOM. THOOM.
…
…lose it and it eats the next one.
…
I cut down a side street.
A boy. Soccer ball under his arm. Looking up at a tree.
…
Wrong way. Wrong way—
I doubled back.
Past the grandma again. She didn't look up.
THOOM. THOOM.
Closer.
Empty—
Where is empty—
That way.
I cut.
A delivery scooter buzzed past. The guy didn't flinch.
Of course he didn't.
Just an idiot kid running.
THOOM. THOOM.
Through a parking lot. Behind a vending machine. Down another alley.
THOOM. THOOM. THOOM.
Same.
Same distance.
But the streets were thinning now.
Good.
Stay empty.
I can't outrun this.
What I can—
THOOM. THOOM. Closer now.
Think.
Think think—
It tracks reiatsu.
So.
So—
If I can hide—
I closed my eyes.
Pull.
Pull it in.
Like holding a breath.
Hold.
Hold.
Ghh—
A sharp pain spiked up the inside of my chest.
Like I was squeezing something that didn't want to be squeezed.
A muscle I'd never used.
A muscle that wasn't supposed to be used.
Hold it. Hold it—
THOOM. THOOM.
THOOM.
The footsteps slowed.
THOOM.
…
Stopped.
…
Silence.
…
I didn't open my eyes.
I didn't breathe.
I held it.
The pain in my chest was getting worse.
I slipped into the entrance of an apartment building.
Mailboxes. Dim light.
…
THOOM.
A step.
Then nothing.
Then—
THOOM. THOOM.
In the wrong direction.
Going around.
Searching.
…
I held it tighter.
A whine slipped out of my throat without permission.
I clamped my mouth shut.
…
THOOM. THOOM. Further.
THOOM. Further.
Haaah… finally.
Then—
Sssshk.
…
…
A sound..
Like air being cut.
Quiet. Thin.
Almost polite.
…
THUNK.
Hollow hit the ground somewhere beyond the alley.
Heavy.
Death.
The pressure was gone.
I let go.
Ghhhk—
Air rushed back in.
Too much air.
Too fast.
I gasped. Coughed. Bent forward.
Hands on my knees.
The pain in my chest was still there.
Dull now. Like a bruise from the inside.
…
The lobby door clicked behind me.
I straightened.
A woman. Grocery bag.
She glanced at me.
I smiled.
"Haha. Out of breath."
She walked past.
Didn't look back.
Kill me…
I waited until her footsteps faded.
Left the entrance.
Looked up.
Roof of the building across the street.
Empty.
Of course.
I knew before I looked.
He didn't want to be seen by me.
I pushed off the wall.
"Thank you. I won't forget your help."
I started walking out of the alley.
My legs were shaky.
My chest was tight.
I pretended neither was true.
Just walk.
Yeah. exactly.
***
The streetlights came on as I turned onto our street.
Ichigo's house was already lit.
Through the window I saw Yuzu setting the table.
Karin walked past her with a bowl.
Isshin's voice — muffled — saying something. Loud.
Yuzu laughing.
…
I watched for a second.
Then turned to my own door.
Keys.
Click.
"...I'm home."
"Welcome home, Hikaru!"
Oh…
…
Mom was in the living room.
Laptop on the table. Papers around it.
She looked up.
"How was your day?"
"...Fine."
"Mhm. Are you hungry? There's leftovers from yesterday—"
"I'll eat later. Thank you."
"Okay."
She went back to her papers.
…
I kicked off my shoes.
Walked past her.
Up the stairs.
Closed my door behind me.
…
Sat on the bed.
Chest aching.
Legs dead.
Body shaking.
…
I closed my eyes.
…
"...It was a good day."
…
I wish there was more.
…
Haha.
…
I fell asleep in my uniform.