The city still thundered with chants of Messiah, but Ren escaped it all by climbing the academy's rooftop. The air was cooler up here, the glass towers reflecting neon prayers for champions.
He sat against the railing, racket by his side. For once, the HUD in his vision was silent. No blinking errors, no glitching warnings—just night sky.
"Skipping the party?"
Ren turned. Mio stood there, her pale pink racket 「Hikari no Hana」 strapped across her back, hair caught in the breeze. She smiled gently, though her eyes carried a sadness she could never quite hide.
"I needed quiet," Ren admitted. "Feels like... everyone wants something from me. Even when I win, they act like it's not enough."
Mio walked closer and crouched beside him, hugging her knees. "That's how Aurelia is, right? The crowd cheers, but the weight never leaves."
Ren laughed bitterly. "You talk like you've been here longer than me."
"I've seen you carry weight long before Aurelia," she whispered.
Earth – 8 Years Ago
A cramped classroom. Rain tapping against the windows. Ren, sixteen, slumped over his desk with bruises hidden under his sleeves. A whisper: loser, useless, waste of space.
Only one voice cut through the static.
"Ren-kun. Don't listen."
Mio, sliding her notebook onto his desk. A doodle of two stick figures holding rackets, smiling. You and me. Partners.
"Why?" he had muttered back then, voice cracking. "Why do you even bother with me?"
Her answer was the same then as it was now:
"Because you looked like you needed someone. And because... I don't want to see you disappear."
Back on the rooftop, Ren's throat tightened. "You always say things like that. Like you... see straight through me."
Mio smiled faintly, brushing her bangs aside. "Because I do. Even if you're 'Messiah #99' now, you're still just Ren to me. The boy who once needed someone to believe in him."
Ren looked away, ears burning. "Tch... you make it sound like I owe you."
"Maybe you do." She leaned closer, her shoulder brushing his. "But I don't need you to repay me. Just... don't let them break you, okay?"
For a moment, the rooftop was quiet except for their breaths. Below, the city screamed his name. Above, Mio's presence was the only anchor that mattered.