The evening sun hung low above Star Sand City, painting the rooftops in warm shades of gold and amber.
The five boys wandered leisurely along the road, their conversation drifting as aimlessly as their footsteps. With nowhere in particular to be, they simply enjoyed the quiet end of the day.
Neyo suddenly threw an arm around Bobo's shoulders.
"You know..."I still can't believe it. "You're the heir to the Chikarake household."
Bobo scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh,"...Yeah, I guess."
Neyo turned toward Renjirō, "And this big guy's the heir to the Enshōga household."
Renjirō folded his arms proudly, "That's right."
Neyo then looked toward Zuki.
"What about you?"
For the first time in several minutes, the conversation paused.
Zuki took a moment before answering.
"...Me?"
He rubbed the back of his neck with a small shrug, "Nothing really.... I'm just an ordinary kid."
"No family name like theirs .... And that's fine with me."
A brief silence followed.
Then Neyo groaned dramatically, "Boring."
Renjirō laughed, "Come on, you've got to have something."
Bobo grinned, "Maybe he's secretly the heir to a library."
Even Kairo joined in, "I could believe that."
Zuki looked at the four of them before letting out a quiet, defeated sigh,"...You people really aren't funny."
Their laughter echoed down the street.
The conversation soon drifted elsewhere, carrying with it whatever hesitation had briefly crossed Zuki's face. None of them noticed the pause before his answer.
Or perhaps... None of them thought much of it.
By the time they reached the main crossroads, the sky had begun to darken.
Streetlamps flickered to life one after another, casting warm pools of light across the stone roads.
"Guess this is where we split up," Renjirō said.
"See you tomorrow," Bobo replied.
Kairo stretched lazily, "Don't oversleep."
"I've literally never overslept."
"You almost did yesterday."
"...That doesn't count."
One by one, they exchanged farewells before disappearing into different streets.
Soon...
Only Zuki remained, the cheerful voices behind him gradually faded into the distance. He adjusted the strap of his bag and continued walking alone.
The lively streets of Star Sand slowly gave way to quieter neighborhoods. The crowded storefronts disappeared; the cheerful calls of merchants became fewer and farther between.
The stone roads narrowed.
Wooden buildings replaced the larger homes of the central district, their paint faded by years beneath the sun.
The railway crossing appeared ahead.
A warning bell chimed softly as the crossing gates lowered.
Moments later, a freight train rumbled past, its windows reflecting the last crimson light of the setting sun.
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Zuki waited quietly until the tracks cleared.
Then he continued.
Beyond the railway lay one of the quieter parts of Star Sand.
The streets were narrower, and the buildings stood closer together than those in the main district. The sidewalks were simpler, the roads less maintained, and there were fewer shops and people passing by.
As Zuki continued home, he glanced up.
Thick clouds had begun gathering overhead, slowly swallowing the last traces of the evening sun... Looks like it's going to be a rainy night, he thought.
A cool breeze drifted through the street as he continued walking.
Before long, he reached home and slid the front door open.
The front door slid open almost immediately, "Oh." A gentle woman smiled warmly, "You're home."
Zuki returned the smile, "I'm back."
She stepped aside to let him enter.
Though visibly tired, she greeted him with the same warmth she always did.
She set her work bag by the door before looking toward the hallway.
"Your little brother's medicine is almost finished," she said. "There should be enough for tonight, but I'll stop by the pharmacy on my way home and buy another bottle."
She let out a quiet sigh as she adjusted the strap of her bag, "Ever since your father ran off... it's been just the three of us." A small, tired smile crossed her face. "Keeping everything together means picking up extra shifts now and then."
She quickly waved a hand with a gentle laugh.
"Don't worry about me, alright? Just make sure your brother eats if he wakes up, and give him his medicine before he goes back to sleep."
Zuki nodded, "I will."
Relief spread across her face, "I knew you would."
She reached up, brushing a hand through his hair before picking up her work bag.
"Don't stay up too late."
"I won't." She smiled one last time before quietly stepping out into the evening.
The door slid shut, silence settled over the small house.
Zuki stood there for a moment.
Then, without saying a word, he walked toward the room upstairs where his little brother slept.
Back at Rina's resident....
Warm steam lingered in the small apartment.
The bathroom door slid open as Neyo stepped out, a towel draped loosely around his shoulders while he rubbed his damp hair dry. He looked far too pleased with himself for someone who had spent the last ten minutes.
Kairo, already gathering a fresh set of clothes from the wardrobe, glanced over.
"...You're finally done?"
Neyo grinned, "See? Didn't take long."
"You were in there for half an hour."
"I was perfecting my beauty."
Kairo gave him a flat look before walking past toward the bathroom.
Just as he reached the doorway, he stopped, "...Hey."
Neyo looked up, "Hm?"
Kairo hesitated for a moment, "...Did you notice Zuki today?"
Neyo lowered the towel from his head, "What about him?"
"He seemed..." Kairo searched for the right words, "...Different."
Neyo remained quiet, Kairo leaned lightly against the doorframe, "There were a few times it felt like he wasn't really listening"
"When I called him earlier..." he paused, "...it was like his mind was somewhere else."
Neyo thought back over the afternoon.
After a few seconds, he nodded"...Yeah."
"I noticed too"
Kairo looked at him.
"I figured if something was bothering him..." Neyo shrugged, "...he'd tell us when he was ready."
Silence settled between them.
Kairo lowered his gaze, "...Do you think we should go check on him?"
Neyo raised an eyebrow, "What brought that on?"
Kairo folded his arms, "...Maybe what we said earlier got to him ...you know, the stuff about everyone's family."
Neyo rubbed the towel across the back of his neck as he considered it, "...Maybe." He glanced toward the window, the evening sky had darkened noticeably, thick clouds slowly gathering overhead.
After a moment, a familiar grin returned, "Alright... Let's go now."
Kairo looked up, "...Now?"
"Yeah." Neyo nodded toward the window, "Looks like it's going to rain." He grabbed the towel from around his neck and tossed it onto the bed, "If we wait any longer, we'll end up walking through it."
He shrugged, "...Might as well check on Zuki before the rain starts."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Kairo's mouth, "Yeah... I was thinking the same thing."
Neyo pointed toward the bathroom, "Then hurry up... the longer you shower, the later it'll get."
Kairo stepped inside without another word, "...You're one to talk."
Neyo chuckles as the bathroom door slid shut behind him.
To be continued....