The village was alive with sound.
Warm sunlight spilled across the narrow streets, brushing over wooden stalls filled with fruits, sweets, and handmade goods. Voices overlapped—laughter, greetings, the clinking of coins. It was peaceful.
And in the middle of it all—
A boy ran.
"Hey! Lord Kaito!"
"Slow down!"
"Come here, you little troublemaker!"
The boy—Kaito—laughed as he dashed between stalls, light on his feet, wind almost trailing behind him like it belonged to him. His smile was bright, careless, free.
Not far behind…
A girl stopped.
Yumi.
She had been walking calmly, composed as always, until that blur caught her attention. Now she stood still, watching.
Her eyes followed him.
Kaito slowed near a stall, leaning over the counter as an old woman handed him something wrapped in paper.
"Here, for you."
"Really?!" Kaito's eyes lit up. "Thank you!"
"Don't eat it all at once!"
"I won't!"
He absolutely would.
He ran again—this time toward another stall.
A man tossed him a fruit.
A kid waved at him.
Someone ruffled his hair.
And every time—
Kaito smiled.
They smiled back.
They laughed together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Yumi stared.
"…What?"
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Why were they giving him things?
For free?
She watched as Kaito now carried sweets in one hand, fruit in the other, grinning like he had just won something.
Then he ran off again.
Just like that.
Yumi walked forward.
The same people noticed her immediately.
"Ah, Lady Yumi!"
"Good afternoon!"
"You're out today?"
She straightened slightly, returning their greetings with proper composure.
"Good afternoon."
They smiled politely, respectfully. The tone was… different.
She glanced at the stall.
Sweets.
Her eyes lingered just a second too long.
The shopkeeper chuckled and handed her two pieces.
"Here, Lady Yumi."
"…Thank you."
She took them.
Paused.
Looked down at them.
Then—
Her eyes slowly lifted in the direction Kaito had run.
Then back at the people.
Then back at the sweets in her hand.
A small silence.
"…Huh?"
Her voice came out sharper than intended.
"Why does he get more?"
The villagers blinked.
Yumi frowned, pointing slightly in the direction Kaito disappeared.
"He got like—what, five? Six? Maybe more?"
She lifted her two sweets slightly.
"And I only get two?"
A pause.
Then—
Laughter.
The villagers burst out laughing.
"Ahahaha!"
"She noticed!"
"Of course she did!"
Yumi's expression tightened immediately.
"I'm being serious!"
But that only made them laugh harder.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Why are you laughing?!"
One of the older men stepped forward, still chuckling, and gently patted her head.
"You're cute when you complain like that, Lady Yumi."
"…D-Don't touch my head!"
She swatted his hand away, stepping back.
"I'm not complaining!"
Her arms crossed tightly.
"I'm just pointing out something unfair!"
More laughter.
"Ah, so it is unfair?"
"I didn't say that!"
"You just did."
"I did not!"
They laughed again.
And somehow…
It didn't feel mocking.
It felt warm.
Yumi looked down at the two sweets again.
Then in the direction Kaito had run.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
…Fine.
If that's how it is…
Her grip tightened just a little.
Next time…
I'll get more than him.
She popped one of the sweets into her mouth.
"…I'll definitely get more."
Another day.
Kaito ran past a fruit stall, catching something tossed to him mid-motion without even slowing down. A clean movement. Natural.
Yumi stepped up right after.
She stared at the vendor for a second.
Then—awkwardly—held her hands out.
"…May I?"
The man blinked.
Then smiled.
He handed her one.
Yumi looked at it.
Then at his empty hands.
"…That's it?"
More laughter.
Days passed like that.
Short moments. Small adjustments.
Yumi watched.
Learned.
Copied.
Failed.
Adjusted again.
She tried smiling—too stiff.
She tried speaking casually—too formal.
She tried laughing—too late.
And every time, the villagers laughed—not at her, but around her.
And slowly…
Something changed.
Her tone softened.
Her posture loosened.
Her timing improved.
And one day—
It happened.
Kaito had just left a stall, arms already filled—three sweets, two fruits, something wrapped in paper—grinning as he ran off again without a care in the world.
A few seconds later—
Yumi stepped forward.
Calm.
Natural.
"Good afternoon."
The shopkeeper smiled.
But this time…
He didn't hand her one.
Or two.
He handed her a small bundle.
Then another.
And then—just one more.
"…Here."
Yumi blinked.
Once.
Twice.
She looked down.
Then froze.
More.
It was… more.
More than Kaito.
Her eyes widened slightly—just slightly—but the sparkle in them was impossible to hide.
"…This is…"
She stopped herself.
Straightened.
Cleared her throat.
"…I suppose this is acceptable."
Behind the counter—
Laughter.
Soft. Knowing.
"Acceptable, huh?"
Yumi turned slightly, trying to maintain composure, but the corners of her lips twitched—just barely.
"I didn't say it was good," she added quickly. "It's just… not bad."
She turned to leave.
Took two steps.
Then—
A small, quiet whisper under her breath, barely audible—
"…I got more."
She walked faster.
Then a little faster.
Trying to hide it.
Failing.
Her grip tightened slightly around the sweets as her shoulders lifted just a bit.
"…I won."
And somewhere in the distance—
Kaito ran, unaware.
And for the first time—
Yumi smiled like she meant it.
The memory unfolded in motion—bright, warm, untouched by the weight that now sat on Yumi's chest.
She was running.
Small feet tapping quickly against the polished stone paths, her laughter light, her breath uneven but happy as she made her way toward the open training grounds behind the mansion.
The sound reached her before the sight did.
Sharp.
Rhythmic.
Impact after impact—precise, controlled, powerful.
Then she saw her.
Kazue.
Her mother stood in the center of the training ground, her movements fluid yet forceful, each strike cutting cleanly through the air. A punch snapped forward—fast enough to blur—followed by a pivot, a kick, then another, her form unwavering, her breathing steady.
She didn't look tired.
She looked… focused.
Disciplined.
Strong.
Yumi slowed slightly as she approached, watching in quiet admiration before finally calling out—
"Mom!"
Kazue didn't respond immediately.
Another punch.
Another turn.
Then—she stopped.
Clean.
Controlled.
Without wasting a second, she reached for a water bottle resting nearby, twisting it open and taking a long drink. The silence between them wasn't awkward—it was familiar.
Comfortable.
After a moment, she lowered the bottle, exhaling softly.
Then—without even looking at Yumi—
she dropped to the ground.
Push-ups.
One.
Two.
Three.
Steady.
"What's up?" Kazue asked casually, her voice calm between breaths as her arms bent and lifted in perfect rhythm.
Yumi shifted slightly, her fingers fidgeting behind her back.
"…I wanna go to school."
Kazue paused mid-motion.
Just for a second.
Then she pushed back up.
"…School, huh?"
There was a hint of surprise in her voice now—not sharp, just… curious.
She continued her push-ups.
"Why do you want to go to school?"
Yumi hesitated, then answered honestly.
"It looks fun… and…" she glanced away for a moment, "…I wanna have friends."
That made Kazue stop.
Not fully—but slower.
She held herself at the top of the push-up for a brief moment before lowering again, quieter this time.
"…I see."
There was no mockery.
No dismissal.
She understood.
Yumi could feel that much.
But then—
Kazue spoke again.
"The Kaze don't go to school."
The words landed heavier than expected.
Yumi blinked.
"…What?"
Kazue pushed herself up again, her tone matter-of-fact now.
"We're taught differently. Kaze children are expected to train and educate themselves."
Another push-up.
"To show discipline."
Another.
"To show responsibility."
Yumi's shoulders dropped slightly.
"…That's… not fair…"
Her voice was small.
Barely above a whisper.
Kazue didn't stop.
"It is what it is."
Simple.
Final.
No anger.
No comfort either.
Just truth.
Yumi looked down, her expression tightening slightly, her foot lightly scraping against the ground.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then Kazue spoke again, more casually this time.
"If you want," she said between breaths, "you can train with me."
Yumi's head snapped up slightly.
"…Train?"
Kazue nodded once, still focused on her rhythm.
"Yeah."
Another push-up.
"It'll help you get stronger."
Another.
Yumi made a face almost immediately.
"…No…"
Kazue raised an eyebrow, glancing at her briefly now.
"No?"
Yumi shook her head quickly.
"I don't like training."
A pause.
"And I don't like pain…"
Another pause.
"…and I don't wanna get hurt."
For a second—
Kazue just stared at her.
Then—
she laughed.
Not loudly.
Just a short, amused breath slipping out as she dropped back into her rhythm.
"…Suit yourself."
And just like that—
she kept training.
While Yumi stood there.
Small.
Quiet.
Watching.
Already beginning to drift further away from a path she didn't even realize she was leaving behind.