Back at the festival, the boys remained silent, surrounded by a damp stillness that enveloped the bench.

Surata took in what Koroki said and repeated Koroki’s question in his head, “Do you think... I’m heartless?”

For the first time, Koroki slightly showed his vulnerability to Surata. Koroki never showed his feelings to Surata. Naturally, neither boy knew how to move on from this conversation. The awkward tension around the boys gradually spread into the air.

A look of concern formed across Yorui’s face as she overheard the conversation while hiding from them. While sensing the awkwardness lingering, she headed towards them to break the ice.

“Hey, sorry. I’m back.” Yorui tiredly said, rubbing her stomach and acting like she had never overheard their conversation. “What did I miss?”

“Oh, nothing. How are you feeling, Yorui?” Surata asked.

“I’m fine now. But I’m never eating that again!”

Yorui’s sudden interruption sliced through the lingering awkwardness like a breath of fresh air, brightening the atmosphere. Surprised by the unexpected shift, the boys seized the moment, allowing themselves to unwind and enjoy their free time a little longer.

With renewed enthusiasm, the children dove back into the vibrant festivities, laughter and joy echoing as they explored the colorful stalls and engaging activities surrounding them.

As the children walked down the busy pathway as the sun fell towards the horizon. While enjoying the scenery, Surata’s subconscious brought him back into reality. His eyes widened in shock as if he had forgotten something important. “Hey, we should probably go deliver that letter before it closes.”

“Aww, I forgot about that,” Yorui whined, not wanting to leave. They had been at the festival for hours, though for Yorui, time seemed to slip away like sand through her fingers, feeling only like a fleeting few minutes.

“Yea’, you still have the letter, Surata?” Koroki asked.

Surata dug into his pockets and took out the folded letter. “It should be here. Yeah, it’s right here.”

“Let’s stay for a couple more minutes!” Yorui suggested.

Surata headed ahead, ignoring Yorui’s request.

Koroki, who insisted on delivering the letter, dragged Yorui towards the exit, “Let’s not. I want to get this over with. Come on.”

Yorui pouted as the soles of her shoes scraped the concrete floor.

The kids prepared to leave the festival, enjoying it to the fullest. This once-a-year festival created newly made memories that will last a lifetime. Surata led the pack back on route to deliver the letter.

As the sun still rested in the sky, the sideways cleared up from the noisy crowds. The group began their walk towards the post office.

___

Fifteen minutes away from the lively festival grounds, they continue their stroll on the sidewalk. Given their time at the festival, they had about 20 minutes until the office closed.

The group walked silently for a moment, trying to recover mentally from the trills of the festival. Yorui broke the peaceful silence by sharing her thoughts about how much fun she had. “That was so fun! I still can’t believe that Koroki is afraid of heights. That was too funny. Hehe.”

A secret suckle escaped Surata’s mouth. Koroki noticed his slight chuckle, and his nerves ticked, annoyed by her statement. “Shut up. I never said I was afraid of heights.”

“So, wanna go again next year?” Yorui added.

“Hell no!”

Yorui cracked up at the embarrassed Koroki, teasing him. As they conversed, Surata let out a wide grin. Surata felt happy about his current situation with Yorui joining them. However, he could not help what Koroki asked moments ago out of his head: “Do you think... I’m heartless?”

As Yorui and Koroki yapped, Surata zoned out, entering his inner thoughts, fixated at the ground. “What did he mean by that? I don’t think he’s heartless, but then again... I don’t really know Koroki as well as I thought. He never told me anything about his past.”

Then, Surata questioned his father. “Does father know anything? If he did, why would he let a monster like the Heartless Demon stay with us for all these years?”

Surata slowly had doubts about Koroki and Ishio, shaking his head in disbelief. “There’s no way Father would have known that, right? If he did, then Koroki would have never stayed with us. It just doesn’t make sense.”

With his head clogged up with doubt, he gradually cleared his mind, lifting his head up.

“Maybe the old Koroki was heartless, but… I don’t think the current Koroki is. I’ve lived with him for a while, and yeah, he was a pain in my ass for a while, but I’m glad he was with me.”

Surata looked to his side, softly gazing at Koroki. Koroki sensed Surata’s eyes staring at him for an uncomfortable amount of time. “Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?”

“No, nothing.” Surata looked away momentarily.

Yorui sneakily giggled, “Probably the embarrassment on your face cause your scared of rollercoasters.”

“Shut up, Yorui!”

Surata's smile widened as his eyes subtly focused back on Koroki. “He kind of reminds me of a brother I never had... So, I won’t ask him about his past. I’ll just wait until he’s ready to tell me. Whenever that happens, I’ll be glad to listen.”

___

The clock ticked, and time was running out before the office closed. The group picked up the pace. And in the nick of time, with a few minutes to spare, they arrived at the office entrance.

The post office looked awfully quiet. The sign still read “open”, yet no customers nearby. “Why is this place so empty?” Yorui inquired.

The steel curtains had not dropped yet, so they still had time before they closed. “It’s almost closing time, so it makes sense,” explained Surata. Despite explaining, something felt off in the back of Surata’s head.

Seemingly unaware of how much time was left, Surata brushed the feeling off and headed towards the office. “C’mon, we got to hurry!” Surata exclaimed, taking the lead.

The small office building was a mixed-use property. The owner lived in the apartment above the office.

The group headed straight inside. As they entered, they cautiously looked around. The windows provided some light for the dark building. The centered light behind the counter only dimmed behind the counter. Guess they were almost closing. Behind the counter, stacked boxes hugged the wall, filled and leaked with mail.

“Hello?!” Surata shouted, hoping to grab someone’s attention. “Is anyone still here?!”

The office silently responded to Surata.

“Maybe they’re closing right now,” Yorui suggested, sensing the quiet atmosphere.

Surata recalled the time, “We should have some time left.”

Koroki impatiently stood there. The thought of being yelled at by Ishio because they did not deliver the letter bothered Koroki. He walked towards the counter, irritated by the lack of workers. “Hello?! We got a letter to mail.”

After a short silence, behind the counter, the staff door burst open. “Alright, I heard you the first time!”

An older man entered the room, rubbing his head with a thin layer of hair. “You came at the wrong time, you brats! I was just getting ready to close.”

The kids could hear the crankiness of the older man’s attitude. The man had every reason to be annoyed. He was probably getting ready to go to bed or watch his favorite TV show, which aired a new episode right after his shift.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Sorry for coming so late.” Surata politely apologized. “Do you have time to take this letter?”

“Yeah, I do. Give it here.” The man extended his fragile arm over the counter.

Surata handed the older man the letter. The man angrily snatched it from Surata’s hand and tossed it into a filled box without giving it a single thought. “Now, scram so I can close down.”

As the man collected the letter, the group felt relieved completing their errand. “Alright, we’ll leave,” Surata informed, ready to leave. “Thank-”

Hmph.

___

Before Surata could finish his sentence, his body froze in place. He could not move his body, even with all his strength. It felt as if his shadow paralyzed him. But the lights were almost all turned off, so he barely had a shadow.

His hands were clasped together, restrained by someone. He worryingly turned his head over to Yorui and Koroki, assuming they were restraining him since they were the only ones in the room.

To his surprise, Yorui and Koroki were also restrained.

“What’s happening?!” Yorui grunted, resisting.

“Huh?” The older man quickly scurried away from the scene.

Out of nowhere, unknown figures stepped into the skylight, restraining them from moving with their hands: a young female, an enormous man, and a lean man.

Who are they? The kids had never seen these faces before, so they had no idea.

The kids attempted to struggle. Their efforts were paying off as the threats smacked their lips in annoyance.

“Hey, stop moving!” The buff man and the female felt their grip slowly slipping from Surata and Yorui.

“Stop moving!” The buff man and female forcefully dropped Surata and Yorui to the floor, ending their resistance.

Koroki, the last one standing, continued resisting, showing the most promising as the lean man struggled to hold him down.

“Hmph. Hey... quit it!”

Koroki eventually overcame the man, dropping him to the ground.

Surata and Yorui’s faces brightened with joy. “Nice one, Koroki.”

Finally free, Koroki quickly planned to rescue the others. He rushed to their aid. But before he could reach the guys, a calm voice interrupted him. “That’s enough.”

Koroki’s body felt restrained again, and his neck forcefully lifted, his neck almost connected with a sharp blade. If he so much as gulped, his neck would be sliced. The calm guy’s aura felt intense and concentrated, incomparable to the lanky guy earlier.

Koroki suddenly felt two powerful presences behind him, entering the main entrance.

“Now, now, this is a surprise to have you cornered like this.” A light voice pierced the room, emerging from the shadows. “Are you sure this is him, Kaen?”

“Yes, Mikado. This is him.” Kaen explained, walking next to Mikado with a clipboard in hand.

An enormous, dangerous aura flooded the room, suffocating it. The kids looked back, staring at Mikado as he confidently strolled towards them.

His comfortable, baggy outfit hid his physique. The kid's nerves tensed up with each approaching footstep. Mikado approached the kids, his sharp eyes staring at them, examining them individually.

“Ishio Aoi’s son. Majuro’s daughter. And you...” Mikado cockily walked up to Koroki. “Heartless Demon!”

That nickname struck a nerve in Koroki. He angrily stared at Mikado, his blood boiling. Koroki attempted to free himself like a lion trapped in a cage, instinctively activating his Noye. His Noye seeped through his glowing pink eyes, releasing his boiling aura.

The skilled blade wielder sensed Koroki’s attempt to struggle. To avoid any risk, the wielder kicked Koroki's legs out from under him, knocking him down to his knees.

“Woah.” Mikado exclaimed, leaning back, a look of worry spread across his face. “That’s not the reaction I was expecting, but I’ll take it.” He fixed his posture. “I like that face you have on.”

Mikado closed in, his face inches from Koroki, taunting him. “That’s a nice face you're making… Koroki.”

The moment Mikado said Koroki’s name, the room fell into a hushed silence, and the kids' eyes widened in disbelief. Their faces turned pale as they exchanged anxious glances. Koroki’s mind staggered, his noye deactivating out of pure shock.

Only a few people knew about Koroki’s identity. Since living with Surata, Koroki had been practically invisible in the country. The only people who at least knew Koroki’s name were staff and students from Shikari High. And to say it so casually was a completely different discussion.

Despite being shocked by Mikado, Koroki maintained his composure. “Do I know you?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

“That’s a good question.” Mikado backed away momentarily, pacing around the room. “Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you.” he clarified, toying with Koroki. “Well, since we’re asking questions, let me ask you a question, Koroki.”

A nervous sweat gland dripped from Koroki’s face. Mikado stopped pacing and dropped his head, intensely staring at Koroki, threatening him. “How would you like to be remembered... when you die?”

Surata and Yorui lay there, feeling left out of the loop. The man clearly had his eyes set on Koroki, and they were in the way. Surata refused to be ignored and grunted loudly, lifting his head from the cold floor, “What… do you want with us?”

“It’s an interesting question I just thought of. Oh, but don’t worry. I’m not killing you guys, at least not yet. I just wanted to see the Heartless Demon in person.” Mikado cockily smiled as his face levelled with Koroki.

“What do you want?” Koroki asked, his eyes full of resolve.

Mikado reeled in closer. “The death of me is the death of you.”

“Huh?”

Mikado backed away from Koroki, chuckling, “Ha, just a quote I read in a book. C’mon guys, let’s go.”

The other men released the kids and followed him to the exit.

“You should have stayed dead. You chose the wrong time to come back.” Mikado insisted.

Koroki and the others watched Mikado’s group confidently walk away, remaining cautious.

Mikado added. “Anyways, it was nice seeing you, Demon. This won’t be the last time we see each other. Just remember... I will always be watching you.” Mikado casually waved goodbye as he exited the office.

“Um... when did you become so philosophical, Mikado?” wondered the pretty girl in Mikado’s group.

“I’m not. I’ve just been reading some books recently.” As Mikado’s group conversed amongst themselves and wandered into the distance, the tension surrounding the small post office withered away.

Koroki and the others stood in stunned silence. Their eyes widened with disbelief. Slowly, they regained their composure, pushing themselves back to their feet with a mix of confusion and wonder.

The echoes of the recent incident still lingered in the air, and they exchanged glances, each one reflecting a sense of awe as they tried to process what had just happened.

Yorui cautiously asked. “Who… were they?”

“No… idea. You, Koroki?” puzzled Surata.

“Not a clue. But whoever they are, they aren’t weak,” he informed them with determination seeping through his eyes.

Usually, Koroki was not motivated by anything, but after this sudden incident, that changed. Rumors were spreading about his existence, and Mikado was not the only person who knew him. If Mikado truly was after Koroki and the others' lives, then Koroki needed to be ready.

Koroki and the others took their leave and headed home with the incident etched in their minds.

___

The day after the altercation, Surata and Koroki head back to school.

Right before class, the students buzzed with energy, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they eagerly awaited the start of homeroom.

Surata sat in his chair, socializing with friends. He brushed off the altercation that lingered in the back of his mind.

Koroki, on the other hand, slumped in his seat, almost daydreaming. “Who was that guy? He looked powerful. I’ve never met him before. How did he know my name?”

While dazing out, a group of students aggressively approached Koroki.

“Look who it is. Mr. Cool guy,” instigated the male student in front.

“What’s sleepy beauty dreaming about?” the student in the back asked.

“Maybe we should leave him”

The ringleader glared at Koroki, clearly annoyed. His black, spiky hair covered his forehead. His stance and overall appearance gave off a delinquent vibe.

Koroki looked up to the boy, puzzled. “Uh, who are you again?”

“Tch... The name’s Kishiya. I saw you during the sparring session in the gym the other day.”

Kishiya leaned his head back, looking intimidating. “Don’t get too cocky. You managed to beat almost everyone here. But not me. I was going to put you in your place, but Surata took my place. You’re lucky class ended after your spar with him.”

“Yeah, you were saved by the bell,” commented one of Kishiya’s friends.

Kishiya raised his voice, full of confidence. “I’m stronger than anyone in this class, remember that!” After declaring his claim, he angrily walked away, hands in his pocket. His friends quickly follow him as they leave Koroki alone.

Koroki sat in confusion, sighing as he watched Kishiya walk away. An awkward sweat gland rushed down his face, puzzled by the interaction. “Aren’t you the cocky one?”

Kishiya and their friends take their seats in the opposite corner of the classroom. Several minutes later, Ms. Shirai entered the room. The class gradually quieted down, and the class commenced.

However, before Ms. Shirai started the lesson, she had an announcement to make. “Alright, class, we have another new student joining us today.”

“What?!” The class lit up with excitement and curiosity. The anticipation heightened as students leaned in closer to one another, sharing whispers and lively gossip about the new addition to their class.

“Another one?”

“I wonder if it’s a girl this time. Hope she’s pretty.”

“It’s probably a boy.”

While the students attempted to control their excitement, some remained uninterested and waited for the class to start.

After a couple of seconds, the door slowly slid open. The new student entered, hesitantly scanning the room filled with unfamiliar faces. The other students noticed the newcomer and their faces visibly lit up. The new student arrived at the front of the class. They faced the class, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, feeling welcomed by the warm reception.

Their gorgeous complexion and wavy jade-green hair shone throughout the classroom. The student took another deep breath and introduced herself. Koroki and Surata ignored the new student but looked in her direction as she spoke. As she spoke, the boys were stunned by the student.

“Hello, everyone! My name is Yorui. Nice to meet you.”

The students happily welcomed Yorui to the class. Meanwhile, Surata and Koroki were flabbergasted to see Yorui in their class.

“Eek. Why is she here?” Koroki pondered to himself.

Surata asked himself, “Is this Deja vu?”

Yorui scanned the room, trying to find an open seat, and noticed the boys. “Sura. Koroki. Hi guys!” She excitedly waved at the boys with a heartfelt grin.

All the boys in the class immediately turned their attention to the boys. They angrily stared at the two boys as if they had become enemies of them. Surata and Koroki felt embarrassed and overwhelmed by the jealousy radiating from their classmates. They both put their heads down, ignoring Yorui, wanting this feeling of discomfort to pass.

As Yorui scouted the room for a seat, she quickly found a seat in front of Surata.

Surata whispered to Yorui, not trying to disrupt the class. “Why are you here, Yorui?”

Yorui turned her head, leaning back. “Oh, I got bored being alone at home. Ishio told me to go to school with you guys. I hadn’t been to school for a while, so I said yes. But, I didn’t think I would be in the same class as you guys tho’. I’m excited. This is gonna be fun.”

“Oh, ok.” Surata was left concerned by Yorui. “First Koroki, now Yorui. Isn’t this school hard to get into? So, how did these two get in?” Surata pondered for a moment but realized it was pointless to think about it. “Eh… whatever.”

Surata gave up thinking about it and accepted the fact that Yorui joined them in their school life.

___