The fan rotated in a slow rhythm.
Sunlight tore through the window beside the bed, spilling unevenly across a crumpled bedsheet. Kaduri’s leg dangled off the edge of the mattress, his body half-buried beneath the thin blanket."WAKE UP, KADURI!"
The shout shattered the stillness, His eyes snapped open.
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Kaduri stepped onto the bus, The sound of chatter and laughter filled the space, yet it felt distant—muffled, He froze for a moment, feeling the weight of their stares. Whispered words buzzed around him, punctuated by giggles and sly glances.
He sighed, adjusting his glasses.
The bus jolted forward, and Kaduri stumbled, barely catching himself on a pole. A few snickers reached his ears. He ignored them, gripping the pole as he steadied himself. Each step down the aisle felt heavier than the last, the whispers like a weight pressing on his back.
Finally, his eyes landed on her. Rin sat by the window, her head resting against the seat. Her eyes were closed, and a faint blush warmed her cheeks. The empty spot beside her felt like a sanctuary.
"Oh, here you are," Kaduri thought as he slid into the seat.
Rin opened one eye lazily, glancing at him. "Kaduri."
"Yeah?" he replied, his gaze fixed on the window.
"Your shoes."
Kaduri blinked and looked down. His stomach twisted.
He was wearing bathroom slippers.
Heat rose to his cheeks as he clenched his jaw, his lips trembling as he struggled to contain the stream of self-recriminations bubbling inside him.
Rin, still leaning back against the seat, glanced at him,"Relax. It happens."
Kaduri rested his head on his palm, his narrowed eyes fixed on the passing buildings outside. "yeah, It happens," he thought bitterly.
"Just not to anyone else."
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The school hall buzzed with faint chatter. Students moved in loose groups, their conversations overlapping, while teachers passed through the corridors with a faint sense of purpose.
Kaduri leaned against a wall, arms crossed, watching the chaotic rhythm with disinterest.
"What did I do?" Ryuzo’s voice broke the monotony as he appeared beside Kaduri.
Kaduri turned to him in silence.
The bell rang.
the hallway exploded with movement—laughter, screams, and chairs scraping against the floor as students poured out of classrooms.
"Ouch! My ear hurts. C’mon, Kaduri, it’s freetime," Ryuzo said, rubbing his ear as he walked towards the door.
Kaduri followed, his expression blank.
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Kaduri sat alone on the edge of the playground, away from the chaos of running children and bursts of laughter. He rested his chin on his hand, staring into the distance as his thoughts spiraled.
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"That vision," he thought, his chest tightening. "I wasn’t wearing Hoteps in it," his hoteps unnoticably vibrating as he thought "and it felt so real. Should I tell anyone? Mom would think I’m cursed. Maybe even crazy." his hoteps starting to vibrate a bit more, almost noticeable to Kaduri, but suddenly sent back to normal upon the next thought. " No. It was nothing... just a random dream."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. His thoughts drifted. "Dad’s coming home today. Mom said she’s making a surprise cake for him. But he didn’t sound excited on the phone. Did he lose his job at the royal castle? No, that’s stupid. He would’ve told us... right?"
Ryuzo’s voice pulled him from his reverie. "Still thinking about the end of the world?"
The words felt sharper than usual, more pointed than teasing. Kaduri turned to Ryuzo, who had taken a seat beside him.
"Am I?" Kaduri muttered, more to himself than to Ryuzo.
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The streets were quiet. Leaves drifted lazily from the trees, carried by the slow rhythm of the wind. Kaduri walked alone, his hands in his pockets, his head down.
"Dad’s coming home today," he thought again, the words looping in his mind. "But he didn’t seem excited... Did something happen at work? Did he—"
Kaduri’s thoughts were cut short as he collided with someone. The impact sent him stumbling back, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"I—I’m sorry," Kaduri stammered, looking up.
The man in front of him dusted off his coat with sharp, deliberate movements. He adjusted his hat, glancing down at Kaduri with a frown.
"Watch where you’re going, kid," the man said, his tone clipped.
Kaduri froze, his gaze lingering on the man’s face.
The man walked away without another word, disappearing into the shadows of the street. Kaduri remained on the ground for a moment, staring after him.
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Dinner was uncomfortably silent. The warm glow of the dining room bulb cast soft light over the table, but it couldn’t mask the tension in the air. Kaduri glanced at his mother, her expression distant as she pushed her food around her plate.
"How was school, Kaduri?" she asked finally, breaking the silence.
"It was... fine," he replied cautiously.
The words hung in the air for a moment. Kaduri hesitated before speaking again. "Uh, Mom... Is something wrong? and Wasn’t Dad comi—"
The sharp bang of her fist on the table made him flinch.
"Go to your room when you’re done eating," she said, her voice cold and clipped. She stood abruptly and left the room without another word.
Kaduri stared after her, his mind racing. "Why is she so angry? Did something happen between them? Is Dad even home yet?"
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The rooftop was quiet, bathed in pale moonlight. Kaduri climbed the stairs slowly, his thoughts heavy.
there was nothing more than a chair sitting in a distant.
Kaduri looked around him, finally his eyes caught a faint orange glow in a distant.
Kaduri hesitantly took a step forward.
a familiar figure stood near the edge, leaning against the boundary wall. A lit cigarette between his fingers.
"How’s it going, Kaduri?"
Kaduri’s breath caught. "Dad?"
The man chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on the starry sky. "Yeah. I came, as promised."
Kaduri approached cautiously, standing just behind him. "I’m good... What about you?"
"Pretty fine. How’s school?" his father replied.
"It’s... good. Did something bad happen? Mom seemed really upset."
His father sighed, exhaling a plume of smoke. "It’s just her temper," he said dismissively.
Kaduri frowned, stepping closer. "It doesn’t feel like that. Something’s off. Like never before."
His father chuckled again, but there was no humor in it. He flicked the cigarette away, and Kaduri’s eyes followed its path before turning back to his father.
His father finally turned to him, Moonlight fell across his calm but distant face. His glasses—his Hoteps—trembled faintly. The cracks in the lenses spread like spiderwebs, refracting the light into fractured patterns.
Kaduri's breath hitched a bit, his heart raced.
His lips trembled as he raised a shaking hand to his mouth."Cracks..." his voice cracked and shaking.
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The cracks on his father’s Hoteps shimmered, vibrating as though they might shatter at any moment.