Yuki woke the next morning with a dull headache throbbing behind his eyes. For once, he wasn't the first one up. The apartment was already filled with the soft sounds of morning activity. Yukari and Luna were in the living room, their voices drifting faintly through the thin walls—Luna's quiet giggles mixing with Yukari's gentle instructions about breakfast.
He sat up slowly, wincing as the cast on his right arm pulled at his shoulder. The plaster felt heavier than yesterday.
Every small movement reminded him how much the tournament had taken out of him.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Yuki glanced at the screen and picked it up, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Lord Genji," he answered, voice still hoarse.
The Kyorin family head's calm, authoritative tone came through clearly. "Yuki. Good morning. I wanted to inform you personally—we'll be departing for the mountain training next Wednesday. Today is Thursday, so you have a little over a week to prepare."
Yuki stretched his good arm overhead, feeling the pull in his stiff muscles. "Understood, sir. I'll be ready."
He ended the call and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Summer break would end in late August, and it was only late-July now. How long would this training actually last? Weeks? Months? The thought of leaving Yukari, Luna, Hana, and the others for that long sat uncomfortably in his chest.
Before he could dwell on it, his phone rang again. This time the caller ID showed Sophia Uzushi.
He answered quickly. "Sophia? Morning."
"I'm at the café near the central square," she said in her usual calm, almost robotic tone. "Come meet me. I'm already here."
Yuki blinked, still half-asleep. "I literally just woke up. Can it wait—"
"I'll buy you cake," she interrupted smoothly.
He was already swinging his legs off the bed. "I'm on my way."
Twenty minutes later, Yuki stepped into the café looking every bit the definition of lazy recovery mode. He wore a simple sleeveless black shirt that clung to his broad shoulders and exposed the dense muscle he had built over years of brutal training—along with the jagged scars that crisscrossed his torso like lightning strikes frozen in flesh. Loose grey shorts and simple flip-flops completed the outfit. His messy black hair was still slightly damp from a quick rinse, and the silver piercings in his ear caught the morning light.
He spotted Sophia immediately at a quiet table near the back. She was the perfect picture of refined royalty. Golden earrings dangled elegantly from her ears, complementing her striking golden eyes that peered calmly through thin-rimmed glasses. A delicate white dress hugged her figure, accented with subtle golden jewelry that sparkled whenever she moved. Everything about her screamed old money and controlled elegance.
Yuki also noticed the bodyguards—four of them, discreet but obvious once you knew what to look for. They were positioned at strategic points around the café: one by the entrance, two near the windows, and one pretending to read a newspaper at the counter. It reminded him of Ren's constant security detail.
Do Seri and Emi have bodyguards too? he wondered as he approached the table. He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down carefully, resting his heavy cast on the edge of the table with a soft thud.
Sophia looked up from her tea, her expression unchanging. "You dressed… casually."
Yuki grinned, scratching the back of his head with his good hand. "You look really shiny today, Sophia. Like a walking jewelry store. All Royals dress like this?"
"Most do," she replied evenly, taking a delicate sip of her tea. "Except you. You dress like someone who rolled out of bed and lost a fight with his closet."
He laughed lightly. "Guilty."
Sophia set her cup down and opened her mouth to speak, but Yuki raised his good hand to stop her.
"Hold on. First things first—you promised cake."
She sighed, a tiny, almost imperceptible sound, and signaled the waitress. "One chocolate cake with a fresh strawberry on top."
When the slice arrived, Yuki's face lit up like a child on his birthday. He dug in immediately, smiling around every bite. The rich chocolate and sweet strawberry burst across his tongue, momentarily erasing the lingering headache.
Sophia watched him with quiet amusement. It really is easy to please him, she thought. A small, rare softness touched her golden eyes.
After a few moments of contented eating, she finally spoke. "I called you here because I wanted to invite you to my wedding."
Yuki choked violently on a piece of cake. Tears sprang to his eyes as he coughed, pounding his chest with his good fist. "W-what?!"
Sophia simply nodded, calm as ever, and took another sip of her tea.
"You're serious?" he rasped, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Yes."
Yuki narrowed his light blue eyes, studying her carefully. "Is this… an arranged marriage?"
Sophia said nothing. Her silence was answer enough.
Of course it was. Royal families did this all the time—trading daughters or arranging matches between their children, no matter how young, to forge stronger alliances, gain connections, and expand influence. The Uzushi family was no exception. Power and money always came first.
Yuki leaned back in his chair, the carefree smile gone from his face. "Is this really what you want, Sophia?"
She met his gaze steadily. "It is what is best for the family."
He exhaled slowly, running his good hand through his messy black hair. "When is it?"
"This Saturday."
Yuki's eyebrows shot up. "This Saturday? That's in two days!"
She nodded again.
"Have you even met the guy?" he pressed.
"No. His name is Conrad Leonhart."
"Leonhart…" Yuki repeated, the name clicking instantly. They were definitely a Royal family—major players who owned several luxury hotel chains in the city and even ran their own high-end clothing brand. The shorts he was wearing right now carried their subtle logo. "Sophia, you can't marry someone you've never met. You're only sixteen."
Sophia offered a small, serene smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It is for the best."
She stood up gracefully, smoothing her white dress. "That's all I wanted to say. I really hope you can make it to the wedding, Yuki."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked toward the exit, her bodyguards falling into step around her like silent shadows. The bell above the door chimed softly as she left.
Yuki sat there alone, staring at the half-eaten slice of chocolate cake. Worry gnawed at his chest. Sophia was being sold off—traded like a bargaining chip for money, connections, and power. The thought made his stomach twist. She deserved better than a loveless political arrangement.
The waitress approached with the bill, sliding it onto the table with a polite smile. Yuki glanced at the total and nearly choked again.
Seri must have forgotten to pay, he thought with a groan.
Before he could reach for his wallet, the waitress leaned in slightly, her cheeks flushing. "Um… excuse me. You're really handsome. Could I maybe get your number?"
Yuki blinked, then flashed a tired but charming grin. "Tell you what—if you cover the bill for me, I'll give it to you."
The waitress's eyes lit up. She nodded eagerly, pulling out her own card without hesitation. "Deal!"
As she processed the payment and handed him another slice of cake "on the house," Yuki leaned back, mind still spinning with thoughts of Sophia's upcoming wedding. He took a slow bite of the new slice, the sweetness doing little to ease the bitter concern settling in his gut.
Yuki sat alone at the small café table, staring at the remnants of the chocolate cake. The sweetness on his tongue had turned cloying. Sophia's words kept replaying in his head like a bad loop.
Arranged marriage. This Saturday. Conrad Leonhart.
He pushed the plate away gently with his good hand, the cast on his right arm resting heavily on the table like an anchor. The café buzzed softly around him—quiet conversations, the clink of cups, the hiss of the espresso machine—but it all felt distant. His mind was elsewhere, tangled in the cold reality of Royal politics.
Sophia was only sixteen. Same age as him. She was calm, brilliant, and carried herself with that quiet, almost mechanical grace, but beneath it all she was still a girl being traded like a chess piece. The Uzushi family wasn't known for sentimentality. Power, connections, wealth—those were the only currencies that mattered to them. If marrying her off to the Leonharts strengthened their position, then her feelings didn't even register on the board.
Yuki's jaw tightened. He hated it. He hated the entire system that treated people—especially girls like Sophia, Seri, or even Emi—as bargaining chips. It was the same sickness that had let Giyu lock him away for years, the same rot that had turned Luna into a "biological resource." Kizo determined worth, and when Kizo wasn't enough, bloodlines and alliances filled the gap. Royals didn't marry for love. They married for empires.
A soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Excuse me… sir?"
The waitress who had paid his bill earlier stood beside the table, cheeks still faintly pink. She held out a small slip of paper with her number scribbled neatly on it. "You said you'd give me yours if I covered the bill. Here's mine, just in case."
Yuki blinked, then offered her a tired but genuine smile. He took the paper with his good hand and tucked it into his shorts pocket. "Thanks. I'll text you later. Promise."
She beamed and walked away with a little bounce in her step.
Yuki exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The headache from earlier had faded, but a new pressure was building behind his eyes—worry, frustration, and that familiar stubborn fire that always flared up when someone he cared about was being backed into a corner.
He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen for a long moment. Should he call Seri? Tell her what happened? Or maybe Yukari? No… Yukari would probably storm the Uzushi estate herself. He needed to think clearly first.
The café door chimed again as a new customer entered. Yuki barely noticed. His thoughts kept drifting back to Sophia's calm, almost resigned expression when she said, "It is for the best."
Best for who? he thought bitterly. Not for you.
He remembered the way she had looked at him in the hospital, the quiet way she offered to "balance the equation" by showing him her own body after accidentally seeing his memories. There was something strangely innocent beneath that robotic exterior. She deserved a chance to choose her own path, not have it dictated by family contracts and power plays.
Yuki stood up, wincing slightly as his ribs protested the movement. The cast made everything feel off-balance. He left a generous tip on the table—and stepped out into the mid-morning sun.
The walk home felt longer than usual. The summer heat pressed down on him, making the cast even more uncomfortable. People still glanced his way—some with recognition from the tournament broadcasts, others simply because a tall, scarred, pierced teenager in lazy flip-flops stood out. He kept his head down, lost in thought.
By the time he reached the apartment, Yukari and Luna were waiting. Yukari took one look at his face and narrowed her blue eyes.
"What happened?" she asked immediately, arms crossing over her chest. "You look like someone just told you the world was ending."
Luna tilted her head silently, her black eyes watching him with quiet concern.
Yuki forced a smile and ruffled Luna's hair with his good hand. "Nothing serious. Just met up with Sophia. She… invited me to her wedding."
Yukari's eyebrows shot up. "Wedding? She's sixteen."
"Exactly." Yuki dropped onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. "Arranged. Some guy named Conrad Leonhart. She's never even met him. It's this Saturday."
The room went quiet. Yukari's expression darkened, the protective big-sister energy flaring instantly. "Those Uzushi bastards. They're selling her off like property. How about we storm the place with Haruki and kill them all?"
Luna crawled onto the couch and leaned against Yuki's side, her small hand resting gently on his cast as if trying to offer comfort through touch alone.
"We can't just do that Yukari, Sophia wouldn't just standby and watch her family get killed. Sometimes I think you just want to murder someone." Yuki wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. "I tried to talk to her, but she just said it was 'for the best.' She smiled like it didn't even matter."
He paused, voice dropping lower. "It reminded me of how things used to be. How people with power just decide everything for everyone else. I hate it."
Yukari sat on his other side, her blue hair spilling over her shoulder as she leaned in. "You're not going to let this slide, are you?"
Yuki stared at the ceiling for a long moment. The playful idiot mask he usually wore felt too heavy right now. "I don't know what I can do in two days. But I'm not letting her walk into that without at least knowing she has options. Or friends."
He thought about the tournament again—how the crowd had cheered for him not because he was the strongest, but because he refused to stay down. Maybe Sophia needed someone like that right now. Someone who would stand up even when the system said she should just accept her place.
Later that afternoon, while Luna napped and Yukari busied herself in the kitchen, Yuki sat on the porch steps with his phone in hand. He typed out a short message to Sophia.
Yuki: Hey. If you ever change your mind about the wedding… or if you just need someone to talk to before Saturday… I'm here. No pressure. Cake's on me next time.
He stared at the unsent message for a long time, thumb hovering over the send button. Part of him wanted to charge in and punch the entire arranged-marriage system in the face. Another part—the part that had survived years locked in a room—knew some battles couldn't be won with fists alone.
Still, he hit send.
The reply came faster than he expected.
Sophia: Thank you, Yuki. I will keep that in mind. Please try to attend if you can. It would mean a lot.
Yuki smiled faintly, though the worry in his chest didn't ease. He leaned back against the wooden post, the warm afternoon sun on his face.
Next Wednesday he would leave for the mountains with Lord Genji. Brutal training awaited—training that would push him far beyond anything he had endured in the tournament. But before that, there was still this Saturday.
A wedding he had no intention of celebrating.
And a friend he refused to let be sacrificed on the altar of Royal ambition.
Inside the apartment, Yukari's voice called out, light and teasing. "Yuki! Come help taste this. Or are you still brooding like a tragic hero?"
He chuckled softly and stood up, the cast thumping against his side. "Coming!"
As he stepped back inside, the weight of the coming days settled on his shoulders. Training. Sophia's wedding. The slow-burning vow he had made to tear down the hierarchy that treated people as tools.
One step at a time.
But he would take them.
No matter how heavy the cast, no matter how loud the headache, no matter how stacked the odds.
Because some things—some people—were worth standing up for.
Even if the whole world told you to sit down.