The courtyard had quieted down faster than usual that afternoon, but tension lingered in invisible trails. The final bell had rung only moments ago, and students had dispersed like a tidal wave into the streets — eager to leave, eager not to talk about what they'd silently witnessed.
Kai had been the first to leave. No ceremony, no glance back. Just a quiet stride out the doors and into the distance.
Annika and her friends stood under the courtyard sycamore as the crowds thinned around them.
"He left pretty fast," Mila said, finishing the snack she'd bought with her last bit of lunch money.
"Or," Rei added with a smirk, "he's avoiding trouble."
Yuen gasped exaggeratedly. "How dare he avoid us!"
Annika shook her head but didn't smile. She was watching the gate — where just a few minutes ago, Nolan and his crew had blocked Kai's path.
"They targeted someone last week too," Rei muttered. "Freshman. Transaction department. No one stepped in then either."
Leo nodded slightly, adjusting his bag.
"Kai didn't step back because he was intimidated," he said quietly. "He stepped back because he calculated it would be easier without escalation."
Yuen scratched his head. "You guys are making it sound like he's running the numbers of every social interaction."
"No," Annika replied. "He's avoiding conflict. Not out of fear."
Leo looked thoughtful. "Out of discipline."
The group fell silent for a moment.
"…Do you think he's like us?" Annika finally asked.
Rei tilted her head. "Meaning?"
Annika exhaled. "You know."
Mila nodded slowly. "Raised in that world. Taught to behave differently. Used to seeing violence."
Yuen frowned and shrugged. "I dunno. He doesn't act flashy."
Leo countered calmly, "The most dangerous ones don't."
A short pause passed.
Then Yuen, eyes wide and wild, snapped his fingers. "We should check! I mean—quick intel gathering! We're not normal students—"
Rei raised an eyebrow. "You are on track to be arrested before graduation."
Mila shrugged lightly. "It's not unwise to ask around quietly."
Annika nodded once. "Just check. No assumptions."
The group shared small nods of agreement before conversation drifted.
---
As they walked toward the main road, the conversation shifted — as it always did — to business.
"So," Rei said, lowering her voice, "Mother says the new South Port shipment is delayed."
"Too much police hype?" Mila asked.
"Worse," Rei replied. "Another Wycliffe-aligned group is trying to muscle in."
Leo glanced over. "Mercury Knives?"
"No," Rei said with distaste. "Those clowns wouldn't dare. It's the Silver Spine group from northern docks. New blood."
Mila waved a hand casually. "Cortez House is pulling strings with some museum event this weekend. Mother wants to finalize the donation. Should keep the cops busy attending galas instead of finding stockpiles."
Yuen turned to Annika. "Wu business all good?"
Annika exhaled. "Yes… and no."
The others looked at her, waiting.
She continued quietly, "Father's worried. Too many small players pushing into Valterra this year. There's a shift coming."
Leo nodded. "The bigger syndicates know something's happening."
"We're supposed to avoid open conflict," Rei added. "At least until the next summit."
Yuen groaned. "That sounds like… business meetings with guns."
"It's exactly that," Mila said flatly.
Annika didn't say anything for a moment.
Then:
"…It feels like we're waiting for something."
The others heard her tone. Serious. Wary.
And they didn't disagree.
---
Kai, by that point, was several blocks ahead — the suburban calm of evening settling over Valterra's residential streets.
He walked the same path every day, body relaxed but senses attuned. His shadow followed him quietly, stretching long under the pink sky.
A wooden gate stood before a small polished walkway. He made his way towards it.
When he opened the door, warmth greeted him.
Grandmother Akiko poked her head out of the kitchen. "Ah, Kai! You came home earlier today!"
Kai nodded once. "…Yes."
"Come help with this dough, would you?"
He didn't resist. He set his bag near the table and quietly washed his hands.
Yuto ran in a moment later, arms full of colored crayons and notebook paper.
"Kai! Look what I drew!" he yelled, beaming.
Kai stared down at the odd creature. "…A penguin in a ninja robe?"
Yuto puffed up proudly. "Yes! He can do spinning kicks!"
Kai nodded once. "…Good situational awareness."
Yuto blinked once. "Huh?"
Akiko giggled softly. "He means it's creative, dear."
Kai helped roll dumpling dough for a brief moment before stepping aside to the dining table — peaceful, warm, quiet.
Across the room, Hikaru Sato, Kai's maternal grandfather, watched him.
The elderly man sat calmly in an armchair, eyes wise and sharp, nothing like his years suggested.
He only spoke when Kai finished serving chopsticks.
"That boy from school?"
Kai looked up, quiet again. "...Yes."
Hikaru didn't press.
Instead, he said:
"Silent strength causes waves. Loud ones bring storms."
Kai lowered his eyes.
"I didn't hurt them."
"I know." Hikaru exhaled. "You didn't need to."
He saw something shadowed in Kai then, and said no more.
As night fell upon the Sato house, the family ate together — Yuto babbling, Akiko humming, Hikaru quietly watching.
Kai sat among them.
It was almost… normal.
But something in Hikaru's eyes weighed as heavy as history itself.
The past hasn't vanished, he thought.
It has only quieted.