Renji stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind him. Not because he was afraid of waking anyone up he simply didn't want the sound to be loud. Loud things felt wrong today.
"Hey."
Renji stopped and turned around.
Akio was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. There was no anger in his eyes—only tired concern, the kind you don't bother hiding anymore.
"Where are you going?" Akio asked.
"Just for a walk," Renji replied shortly.
Akio nodded, but didn't look away.
"After school… you seemed different."
"I'm always 'different,'" Renji tried to joke, but the words fell flat. A pause settled between them. The kind of pause where heavy things usually surface.
"In the bathroom…" Akio began, then stopped. "Are you sure it's over?"
Renji looked away.
"Whether it's over or not doesn't matter. It already happened."
Akio pressed his lips together.
"I don't want you carrying everything alone. A fight isn't nothing."
"I didn't lose," Renji said sharply.
Akio raised an eyebrow, surprised, but said nothing. He only nodded, as if storing that fact away.
"Alright. Go. But if anything happens—you know where to find me."
Renji nodded and walked past him. In his room, he quickly changed into a simple dark tank top. The fabric felt cool and familiar. His reflection flashed in the mirror—tall, tense, like his body was always bracing for impact, even in silence.
He turned away and left.
The street greeted him with its usual noise. Cars, voices, footsteps - everything blended into one constant motion. Renji walked slowly, with no real destination. He just needed to move.
His thoughts tangled.
I should've…
No, not like that…
If only I had…
He suddenly stopped.
"Condensed milk."
The word slipped out of his mouth, almost ridiculous. He remembered the store, the shelves, the blue cans. And how he had walked out without buying anything.
"Great…" he muttered.
He didn't want to turn back. Home felt too close, too tight. Just as he decided to keep walking, he heard it.
Noise ahead.
Not casual chatter.
A crowd.
Renji lifted his head.
At the intersection, people had gathered. A lot of them. Phones were raised, voices overlapped, excitement buzzed in the air. The kind of tension that comes before something important happens.
Renji moved closer.
"What's going on?" someone asked.
"You seriously don't know?" another voice replied. "It's her."
"Who?"
"Miyuki Hasegawa."
The name rolled through the crowd like a spark.
"A female fighter," a guy said, clearly enjoying the attention. "Leader of the fighting club F."
"A girl?" someone scoffed. "You're kidding."
"Won't be funny if you face her," someone shot back. "They say she dropped a guy twice her size."
"And get this," a girl added, "she was raised in a Christian family. Proper upbringing, all that."
"Yeah, and then she comes out here and fights," someone laughed. "Crazy contrast."
Renji stayed silent, listening. His heart was beating faster than usual, and he didn't know why.
The crowd shifted.
He saw her.
Miyuki stood calmly, almost motionless. Tall. Confident. Long dark hair tied into two buns casual, but unmistakably her style. She wasn't challenging the crowd or seeking approval.
She simply didn't care.
So that's her… Renji thought.
There was a strange quiet around her. People talked, laughed, whispered but none dared step too close.
"If anyone has something to say," Miyuki spoke evenly, "say it now."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But everyone heard it.
No one answered.
Renji stood off to the side, unable to look away. Fragments of memories surfaced—mocking voices, cramped space, the school bathroom.
She isn't afraid.
Or maybe she just doesn't show it.
Miyuki turned her head slightly. Their eyes met.
No anger.
No curiosity.
Just a brief, measuring glance. Then she looked away. But in that moment, Renji felt something shift inside him. He didn't know what it meant yet. Only that after this street, things would never be the same.