Toma was the kind of boy who didn't back down.
He was big, loud, always at the front of every game, and never hesitated to throw a playful punch at his friends.
Everyone said, "Toma's the tough one."
Even he believed it.
But Rin… noticed something different.
It happened during a casual game of dodgeball.
A ball flew a little too fast—hit another boy straight in the face.
The gym fell silent.
Toma had thrown it.
The boy sat on the floor, holding back tears.
Toma didn't laugh.
Didn't taunt.
He just froze.
Then turned around and walked out of the gym.
That night, Rin entered the Dreambox Shop again.
Moonchan was flipping through a dream ledger.
Kuro was floating in a bubble overhead, snacking on a dream-fish.
"I need something for a friend who's strong on the outside…" Rin began.
"…but doesn't know how to forgive himself," Moonchan finished for him.
He reached under the counter and brought out a dark blue Dreambag, stitched with silver vines.
Inside was a simple stone, smooth and black, with a glowing crack in the center.
"The Stone of Softened Weight," Moonchan explained.
"When held, it allows the bearer to understand that making a mistake does not make you a bad person."
Rin held the stone and felt a strange warmth—like forgiveness wrapped in silence.
"And the price?" he asked.
Moonchan's eyes grew serious.
"For a while… you'll carry his guilt as your own."
Rin nodded slowly.
"I'll carry it."
The next day, after school, Rin found Toma sitting behind the gym, arms wrapped around his knees.
Without a word, Rin sat beside him and placed the stone in his palm.
Toma didn't ask what it was.
But he held it tightly.
His shoulders shook a little.
And then… he whispered, "I didn't mean to hurt him."
Rin said nothing.
He didn't need to.
The stone pulsed once.
And then vanished.
That night, Rin sat on his bed, holding his own knees, eyes heavy.
The weight wasn't his.
But he held it anyway.
Shiro curled up beside him.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
Rin nodded.
"Sometimes being strong… means letting yourself cry, too."