After a while, my arms started to feel heavy.
Each swing wasn't as sharp as before.
Ken noticed.
"…Stop."
I lowered the sword, breathing a little harder than I expected.
"…I'm fine."
"You're sweating," he said calmly.
"…That happens when people train."
"Take your shirt off."
"…What?!"
"You're overheating," he added, completely serious. "It will slow you down."
"…I'm fine. It's not a big deal."
Ken tilted his head slightly.
"…Why are you embarrassed?"
"I'm not embarrassed!"
"Then why are you refusing?"
"…That's not the point."
A small pause.
Ken looked at me, then gave a faint smirk.
"…Do you have that good of a physique that you're hiding it?"
"…What?! No!"
"Then there is no reason to hesitate."
"…You're impossible."
He shrugged lightly.
"Well then… sit down."
I sighed and dropped onto the ground, resting the sword beside me.
The cool air brushed against my face, calming my breath slowly.
For a moment—
everything felt quiet.
Peaceful.
Ken sat beside me, not too close, but not far either.
The gentle breeze moved through the empty field, carrying a faint chill with it.
"Don't worry," Ken suddenly said.
I looked at him quietly.
"…How can I not worry? I can literally die in that fight."
Ken looked ahead calmly.
"Why don't you trust yourself?"
"…What?"
"You keep thinking you'll fail before even trying."
I stayed silent.
"You don't have to carry everything alone," he continued. "Try trusting yourself… and trusting others too. Things become easier that way."
A bitter smile appeared on my face.
"…I trusted people once."
The wind moved softly around us.
"And all I got was pain."
Ken's expression didn't change.
But his eyes looked deeper somehow.
"…Do you have any friends?" he asked.
"Friends…?"
I lowered my gaze.
"…I try talking to people. I try staying close to them."
A small laugh escaped my mouth.
"But most of the time… I'm the only one thinking we're friends."
Silence.
Then—
"…But?" Ken asked quietly.
I looked at the dark sky above us.
"…There was one person."
Ken stayed silent, listening.
"When I lived in Osaka… a family moved into the house opposite ours."
A small warmth slowly returned to my chest just remembering it.
"There was a girl around my age."
"…Her name was Miu Kuno."
The wind brushed softly past us again.
"I didn't really play with anyone back then. Most of the time I stayed alone."
"But one day… I got new crayons."
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"So I went to a nearby park to draw."
"My drawings weren't even that good," I laughed quietly. "But I still liked drawing."
I looked down at my hands.
"Then some boys came."
The warmth faded a little.
"They started making fun of me… saying my drawings looked weird."
"They broke my crayons."
My grip tightened slightly.
"And ruined my drawing."
Ken stayed silent.
"They pushed me too. I kept telling them to stop but they wouldn't listen."
A small pause.
"Then Miu came."
I still remembered that moment clearly.
"She ran toward us and shouted at them even though she looked scared herself."
A faint smile returned to my face.
"One of the boys laughed at her…"
"So she picked up one of my broken crayons and threw it straight at his forehead."
Ken blinked once.
"…That sounds painful."
"It was amazing," I replied immediately.
For the first time that night—
Ken laughed softly.
A small, quiet laugh.
"You really liked her, huh?"
My face heated instantly.
"T-That's not what I mean!"
"Hmm."
"She just… helped me."
The wind moved around us gently.
"After that we became close."
"She used to sit beside me while I drew. Sometimes she brought snacks… sometimes we just talked."
A small silence followed.
"She was my first real friend."
My fingers slowly touched the small earring on my ear without thinking.
Ken noticed immediately.
"…That earring."
I froze slightly.
"…Ah."
"It's connected to her, isn't it?"
I looked away quietly.
"…The day I had to leave Osaka…"
My chest tightened a little.
"She came to see me before I left."
The memory still felt painfully clear.
"She gave me one of those earrings which she brought ."
I touched it carefully.
"She wore the other one herself."
A soft smile appeared on my face.
"She said… even if we become far away, we'll still stay connected somehow."
The breeze passed between us quietly.
"We kept talking after I moved."
"For almost two years."
"…Then?"
I lowered my gaze.
"Our numbers changed."
Silence.
"We couldn't contact each other anymore."
The words felt heavier than I expected.
"But…"
I smiled faintly.
"She was definitely my friend."
A quiet silence settled between us.
Then Ken suddenly spoke.
"…You still miss her."
"…Maybe."
"That means she was important."
I laughed weakly.
"…You make everything sound simple."
"It usually is."
"…No, it's not."
Ken looked toward the night sky again.
"…Humans make simple things complicated."
"…That sounds rude."
"It's true."
I let out a small breath.
For a while—
neither of us spoke.
Only the sound of the cold wind filled the empty field.
Then Ken suddenly stood up.
"Break time is over."
"…Already?"
"Yes."
"You're seriously heartless."
"I know."
He picked up his sword and looked down at me calmly.
"Now stand up."
I grabbed my sword again and slowly got to my feet.
The fear inside me hadn't disappeared.
But somehow—
it didn't feel as heavy anymore.