The tension drained out of Seiji.
It ended too easily. I wish we had a fight.
He watched Masashi clutching the notebook, pale, still trembling. "I thought they were going to destroy me," he muttered.
Seiji took a deep breath.
Poor guy—just look at him. And I? I haven't fixed everything. But I didn't run away either.
Courage wasn't always loud.
Sometimes it was just staying in place, refusing to bow.
For the first time that morning—for the first time since seeing Yumi that morning—Seiji felt a little bit better.
He scanned the hallway. The students scattered, pretending nothing had happened.
Except for one small figure.
"Um… Masashi? Are you okay?"
Rika.
Their shy classmate.
Slow steps. Bag pressed against her chest. Eyes flicking between Masashi and Seiji.
Masashi looked up. "Oh—uh… hey." He scratched his head. "Yeah, thanks."
She gave a small nod, eyes flicking briefly to Seiji.
She's always shy. But observant. And she seems to like Masashi…
Seiji noticed the nervous bite of her lip.
"And you… you were brave," she said softly. "Standing up for him."
You have no idea.
He nodded as well.
She didn't wait for anything else. She simply walked alongside them to the class, quiet, understated.
One step at a time.
Seiji sat on the couch, phone in hand, as the living room dimmed around him.
Evening.
The amulet, back under his shirt, hummed faintly.
Seiji thought of Masashi's words on the way back home. "Rika is… really nice," Masashi said. "I mean… considerate. Always thinking about others."
He never says things straight. Rika likes Masashi. And Masashi likes Rika...
He thought of Rika's simple words. How she kept tucking her hair behind an ear.
He's right, she seems like a nice girl. The right kind of girl for Masashi. Good, clever, simple.
If only everything in the world was this simple.
Seiji sighed.
It wasn't that simple between him and his sister.
He touched the amulet.
How can I fix it? How can I get back to being the king?
He felt the warmth of the amulet spreading.
Is that your answer? If yes, I don't understand it.
A soft shuffle made him look up.
Yumi appeared in the room, unexpectedly.
She sat down. Not too close. But not far at all.
Close enough for Seiji to feel her near him.
Her eyes flicked to his once, twice, then she stared past him, pretending not to watch. But he could feel it.
She came back. She's sitting here. She doesn't hate me!
Every Yumi's movement—the crossing of her legs, the tilt of her head, her fingers tracing the edge of the cushion—looked like a signal to Seiji.
Their eyes met again, and he knew everything he needed to know.
She thought about it, and she decided to get back. She just… can't stay away.
Seiji felt like smiling.
It was hard not to—Yumi was back!
They didn't have to speak. Words were unnecessary.
Everything felt clear, and right.
Their father came downstairs and went to the kitchen.
Fridge opened.
Sound of juice pouring into the cup.
Yumi rose silently and slipped away. But differently. Not disappeared from him, just went back to her room to check on the baby.
Seiji leaned back.
Relieved.
The amulet buzzed quietly, like singing him a lullaby.
Things settled back into place.
What happened between him and Yumi was too big to undo.
Seiji knew—whatever came next, she would be drawn again.