The next few days passed in a blur of routine. The cold whispers about Takuma’s fight with Daichi hadn’t died down; if anything, they seemed to intensify. Every hallway he walked through, every class he sat in, he could feel the eyes on him, some curious, others wary. His strength had become a topic of fascination and fear among the students, and he was now branded with an air of danger.

But it wasn’t the rumors that occupied his thoughts.

Every day, Miu seemed to be drawing closer, and it was in the subtle moments—the fleeting glances she’d throw his way when she thought he wasn’t looking, the way she’d gravitate toward him even in a crowded room. It was as if an invisible tether had formed between them, pulling them together. And though Takuma wasn’t sure what to make of it, he couldn’t deny that he felt it too.

Today was no different.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Takuma packed his books into his bag slowly, his mind already wandering to the walk home he now shared with Miu. Ever since that day she had asked him to walk with her, it had become an unspoken ritual. She’d wait by the gates, and together, they’d leave the noise of the school behind, their conversations easy, flowing like they had known each other for years rather than months.

As he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the exit, there she was—standing near the gate, her back turned to him as she chatted with her friends. But something was different today. She seemed distracted, her attention flicking between her friends and something else. When she noticed him approaching, her face lit up with that familiar, warm smile, but there was a tension in her posture.

"You ready?" Takuma asked as he reached her, his tone casual.

Miu nodded, waving a quick goodbye to her friends. As they started walking, the air between them felt different—not tense, but charged with something unspoken. Takuma couldn’t shake the feeling that something was on her mind, but he didn’t want to push. They walked in silence for the first few blocks, the usual easy chatter replaced by a contemplative quiet.

Finally, Miu broke the silence. "Takuma, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," he replied, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. There was a serious edge to her voice that made him uneasy.

She hesitated for a moment, as if trying to figure out how to word what was on her mind. "The power you used… during the fight. Is that something you’ve always had?"

Takuma felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He had been expecting this question, but that didn’t make it any easier to answer. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the sidewalk in front of him. "I don’t know," he said after a long pause. "It’s always been there, but I’ve kept it hidden for most of my life. I didn’t want anyone to know."

Miu’s brow furrowed. "Why? It’s not like you did anything wrong."

"People… they don’t understand," Takuma muttered, his voice low. "If they knew what I could do, they’d treat me like I’m dangerous. Like I’m some kind of freak."

Miu stopped walking, turning to face him with a determined expression. "But you’re not a freak, Takuma. You’re you. And what you did—you protected me. You protected all of us. How can that be a bad thing?"

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

He looked down at her, surprised by the intensity of her words. Her eyes were bright, filled with a quiet conviction that took him off guard. There was no fear there, no hesitation. She wasn’t scared of him like he had feared she would be.

"Maybe," Takuma said quietly, his voice softening. "But it’s different when people see that kind of power up close. It’s not something they can just forget. And I don’t want to hurt anyone… not like that."

Miu’s expression softened, and she reached out, lightly placing her hand on his arm. "I don’t think you would ever hurt anyone unless you had no choice. I trust you, Takuma. And I think you need to trust yourself more."

The warmth of her touch sent a jolt through him, just like before, and for a moment, Takuma was at a loss for words. She had no idea how much her trust meant to him, how much her acceptance of his strength eased the constant anxiety he carried about it.

"Thanks," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "That… means a lot."

Miu smiled, her hand lingering on his arm for a moment longer before she pulled back. "I mean it. You’re not alone in this. You don’t have to keep it all to yourself."

They continued walking, the air between them lighter now, but Takuma could sense that there was still something else on her mind. They were nearing the park, the shortcut they often took on their way home. The trees lined the path, their leaves rustling softly in the wind, and the late afternoon sunlight filtered through the branches, casting golden streaks on the ground.

"I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened," Miu said suddenly, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant. "Not just the fight, but… everything. About how I feel."

Takuma’s heart skipped a beat. There was something in the way she said it that made his pulse quicken, and for the first time, he realized that the shift he had felt between them wasn’t just in his head.

She glanced at him, her expression a little shy, as if she wasn’t quite sure how to say what she wanted to. "I don’t know how to explain it, but… ever since that night in the alley, I’ve felt different. Like something’s changed. Between us, I mean."

Takuma’s mouth went dry. His mind raced as he tried to process her words, unsure of where this conversation was going. Did she feel the same way he had started to? Had she noticed the same unspoken connection that seemed to be growing between them?

Miu took a deep breath, her cheeks slightly flushed as she looked down at her feet. "I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’ve started to realize that I care about you, Takuma. A lot."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Takuma felt like the ground had shifted beneath his feet, like the world had tilted just slightly off its axis. Miu—Miu, the girl he had thought was untouchable, the girl who was everything he wasn’t—was standing here, telling him that she cared about him.

"I don’t know if it’s love or whatever," she continued, her voice a little rushed now, as if she were afraid of saying too much. "But I do know that you’re important to me. More than just a friend."

Takuma’s heart pounded in his chest, and he opened his mouth to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. He didn’t know what to say. All he knew was that the strange, electric feeling that had been simmering beneath the surface for the past few days had just surged to life, like a spark catching fire.

"Miu, I—" he began, but before he could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind them.

Takuma turned sharply, his instincts flaring as his eyes locked onto the figure approaching from the other side of the park. It was Daichi, flanked by two of his cronies, their expressions dark and filled with malice. Takuma’s muscles tensed, his heart pounding not from the confession but from the looming threat.

"Looks like you’re still hanging around with the weakling, Miu," Daichi sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Takuma stepped forward, his body instinctively positioning itself between Miu and Daichi. The surge of power he had felt during their last confrontation simmered just beneath the surface, but this time, Takuma wasn’t sure he could keep it in check.

"You’ve already lost once, Daichi," Takuma said, his voice low and steady. "Don’t make the same mistake again."

Daichi smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You think you can protect her forever, Takuma? You might be strong, but even you have limits."

The tension in the air was palpable, but as Takuma stood there, ready to face whatever came next, he couldn’t help but feel Miu’s presence beside him—her quiet strength, her belief in him.