Melissa looked toward Tyler and smiled gently.
"Go freshen up first."
Tyler gave a small nod.
"Alright."
Just as he was about to head upstairs, Melissa suddenly remembered something.
"Ty."
He looked back.
"Do you want me to make something for you? You came home straight after school."
Before answering, Tyler's passive ability quietly picked up another thought nearby.
I'm hungry too...
His eyes shifted toward Nitsi, who was pretending to focus on her homework while secretly hoping Melissa would offer her something to eat.
A faint smile appeared on Tyler's face.
"Nah."
He shook his head.
"I'm going to pass."
Melissa didn't insist. Instead, she turned toward the little girl beside her.
"What about you, Nitsi?"
The answer came almost instantly.
"Yessss!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Melissa couldn't help laughing.
"I thought so."
She lightly tapped the notebook lying in front of Nitsi.
"But first..."
Nitsi's smile slowly disappeared.
"...finish your homework."
The little girl dramatically leaned backward in her chair.
"Nooooo..."
Melissa folded her arms.
"No negotiations."
Nitsi puffed out her cheeks.
"Homework is boring."
"But necessary."
"I'll do it later."
"You said that twenty minutes ago."
Nitsi lowered her head onto the table.
"This is child labor..."
Tyler chuckled quietly as he watched the exchange.
Melissa reached over and gently flicked Nitsi's forehead.
"Stop making excuses."
The little girl groaned dramatically before picking up her pencil again.
"Fine..."
Tyler shook his head while walking toward the staircase.
Some things never changed.
As he climbed the stairs, his attention drifted back toward Nitsi.
During the first week after Vanessa and Steven left, she had cried almost every night.
She kept asking when her mother would return.
She searched every room in the house.
Sometimes she even waited near the front door, convinced they would suddenly walk back inside.
Every passing car made her run toward the window.
Every knock on the gate filled her with hope.
Watching it had been painful.
Separating a child from her parents was never easy.
Even if those parents had made terrible decisions.
But Melissa had quietly filled the empty space little by little.
She helped Nitsi with homework.
Braided her hair before school.
Cooked her favorite meals whenever she could.
Read bedtime stories.
Scolded her when necessary.
Praised her whenever she deserved it.
Without realizing it, Nitsi had slowly stopped asking the same questions every day.
She still missed her parents.
Tyler knew that.
But she was beginning to accept their absence.
And perhaps...
That was enough.
Mother is here.
He smiled faintly.
She'll be alright.
Tyler reached his room and quietly closed the door behind him.
Silence greeted him.
Compared to the noisy downstairs, his room felt almost peaceful.
Books filled the shelves along one wall.
Training certificates hung neatly beside the study desk.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains, illuminating the familiar space with a warm afternoon glow.
He placed his school bag beside the desk before falling backward onto the bed.
A long sigh escaped him.
His hand naturally reached toward the object resting beside his pillow.
The guitar.
His fingers lightly brushed across the wooden body before gently plucking one of the strings.
A soft note echoed through the room.
He stared at the instrument for several seconds.
Then quietly asked himself,
"Should I bring this to the party?"
The question lingered in the air.
Compared to his previous life, everything had changed.
Back then he barely knew a few chords.
Now...
He could actually play.
Not only the guitar.
He had spent years learning proper singing.
Practicing the piano.
Even taking dance lessons.
His fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of the guitar.
Why?
The question surfaced naturally.
Why did I learn all this?
Martial arts made sense.
Taekwondo.
Karate.
Those were practical.
They strengthened his body.
Improved discipline.
Prepared him for situations he might one day face.
But music?
Dance?
Performance?
None of those were necessary for survival.
None of them would help him manipulate things.
Protect his family.
Or change the future.
Yet he had learned them anyway.
He let out a quiet laugh.
The answer slowly became obvious.
"So..."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"I still haven't moved on."
The words sounded strangely peaceful.
Perhaps he had been lying to himself all these years.
He always claimed everything he did had a purpose.
That every lesson served some greater plan.
That every decision helped prepare him for the future.
But looking back...
That wasn't entirely true.
The guitar had never been about survival.
The piano hadn't been either.
Neither had singing.
Or dancing.
Those weren't preparations for the future.
They were attempts to fix the past.
To become the version of himself that never existed.
The version that could have stood confidently in front of his classmates.
The version that wouldn't freeze under pressure.
The version that could have picked up a guitar instead of embarrassing himself with awkward words.
Tyler smiled bitterly.
"I really am pathetic."
He shook his head.
"No."
"Not pathetic."
"Just..."
He searched for the right word.
"...unfinished."
His fingers gently strummed another chord.
The melody drifted softly through the room.
He closed his eyes.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
Everything he had learned wasn't completely meaningless.
Maybe this time, when the opportunity came again...
Things would be different.
Before he could continue the thought, Melissa's voice echoed from downstairs.
"Tyler!"
He opened one eye.
"What?"
"Don't even think about sleeping!"
Tyler sighed.
"I wasn't."
"You have classes today!"
"I know."
"And don't make me come upstairs!"
Tyler smiled despite himself.
"Alright."
Silence returned.
He looked down at the guitar one last time before carefully placing it beside the bed again.
For now...
There were still things he needed to figure out.
Not about the future.
But about himself.
...
A loud voice suddenly echoed from outside the house.
"Tylerrrrrrr!"
Tyler instantly jolted upright.
His eyes flew open as he looked around the room in confusion.
For a brief moment he couldn't even remember where he was.
Then reality returned.
He let out a long sigh.
"This guy..."
Getting off the bed, he walked toward the window and pushed it open.
Below, standing near the front gate with a gym bag hanging from one shoulder, Elijah looked up.
"There you are!"
Tyler rested both hands on the window frame.
"What?"
"Aren't you coming for class?"
Tyler frowned.
"Did Instructor call us early today?"
"No."
Elijah blinked.
Tyler looked genuinely confused.
"Then why are we leaving so soon?"
Elijah stared at him.
"So soon?"
He pointed dramatically toward the sky.
"It's six in the evening!"
Tyler laughed.
"Nice joke."
"I'm serious."
Tyler's smile slowly disappeared.
He turned around and looked toward the clock hanging above his study desk.
The second he saw the hands pointing at six...
His expression froze.
"...Oh."
He had actually slept.
For nearly two hours.
Tyler rubbed his forehead in disbelief.
"I really slept..."
He quickly looked back out of the window.
"Sorry, Elijah!"
"I'll be there in a minute."
Elijah shook his head helplessly.
"Fine."
"I'll walk slowly."
"Hurry up and catch me."
Without waiting for another reply, Elijah started walking down the street at an exaggeratedly slow pace.
Tyler immediately shut the window.
"Crap."
He rushed toward the washbasin inside his room and splashed cold water across his face.
The lingering sleepiness disappeared almost instantly.
He quickly combed his hair with his fingers, grabbed his gym bag from beside the wardrobe, and rushed downstairs two steps at a time.
Melissa quietly sat reading a book while Nitsi sat nearby, idly flipping through her notebook.
Tyler hurried toward the entrance while putting on his shoes.
Then he suddenly stopped.
"Mom."
Melissa didn't even lift her eyes from the book.
"Hm?"
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
She calmly turned another page.
"Didn't I tell you not to sleep?"
Tyler opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
"...Uhhh."
Fair point.
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Sorry."
Just as he reached for the door handle, Melissa finally looked up.
"Oh, Tyler."
He turned around.
"When you reach class..."
She hesitated slightly.
"...tell your teacher we'll pay this month's fees together with next month's, if that's alright."
For a brief moment Tyler's smile faded.
Even martial arts fees had become difficult now.
Still, he smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Mom."
"Teacher understand."
Melissa nodded gratefully.
"Thank you."
Tyler waved before opening the door.
"I'll be back later."
The door closed behind him.
The moment he stepped onto the street...
He started running.
Idiot.
Complete idiot.
How do you sleep for two hours?
You were literally thinking about going to class.
He increased his speed.
If Elijah tells Instructor before I arrive...
No.
Knowing Elijah...
He definitely already told him.
Wonderful.
Tyler let out another sigh while continuing to run through the familiar neighborhood.
The cool evening breeze brushed against his face.
People were returning home from work.
Children still played outside despite the fading sunlight.
Life continued peacefully around him.
As he crossed the neighborhood playground, familiar voices reached his ears.
"Pass!"
"No way!"
"That's out!"
Tyler instinctively turned his head.
Chris.
Noah.
Kai.
Along with several classmates.
They were gathered around one corner of the playground.
It looked like they had just finished a game.
Chris stood with his arms folded, wearing an unusually deep frown.
Noah kept trying to explain something with exaggerated hand gestures while Kai occasionally interrupted him.
The three seemed to be arguing over something.
Tyler slowed for only a second.
What's going on?
For a brief moment he considered walking over.
Then looked at the time again.
No.
He was already late.
Whatever they were discussing could wait until tomorrow.
He raised a hand toward them from a distance.
Nobody noticed.
Tyler smiled helplessly before resuming his run.
Several streets later, a familiar building finally came into view.
A modest two-story structure stood beside the main road with a large wooden sign hanging above the entrance.
Kinitika Martial Arts Classes.
The place had become almost like a second home over the past few years.
Without slowing down, Tyler entered through the front gate.
The training hall was already alive with activity.
Dozens of students wearing white uniforms practiced punches, kicks, and footwork across the polished concrete floor.
The familiar sounds filled the building.
Feet sliding.
Uniforms rustling.
Instructors correcting postures.
The sharp rhythm of practice.
Tyler immediately spotted Elijah.
His friend had already changed into his training robe and was stretching while waiting near the center of the hall.
The moment Elijah noticed him, he smirked.
"Took you long enough."
Before Tyler could answer, another voice thundered across the hall.
"TYLER!"
Every student instinctively looked toward the entrance.
Tyler stood perfectly still.
Uh oh.
Instructor Kenta stood with his arms folded.
His stern expression alone was enough to silence the entire room.
"You're late."
Tyler immediately bowed slightly.
"Sorry, Teach."
Before the instructor could continue, Elijah casually raised a hand.
"He slept too much."
Tyler slowly turned toward him.
Traitor.
Instructor Kenta shifted his attention toward Elijah.
"And you're late too."
Elijah immediately defended himself.
"I'm only two minutes late!"
"Doesn't matter."
"But...."
"Late is late."
Elijah's shoulders dropped.
"...Yes, Instructor."
Tyler almost laughed.
Instructor Kenta looked back toward Tyler.
"Go change."
Then he pointed toward Elijah.
"You'll spar with him today."
Elijah immediately grinned.
"Alright."
He cracked his knuckles dramatically before pointing toward Tyler.
"Get ready to eat soil."
Instructor Kenta looked down at the polished floor.
"We're inside a building."
He paused.
"This is concrete."
Tyler couldn't hold it anymore.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Elijah looked completely offended.
"That's not the point!"
Instructor Kenta glanced at Tyler.
"Why are you still standing there?"
His voice became sharper.
"Are you becoming lazy?"
Elijah's disappointed expression instantly transformed into a satisfied grin.
Tyler sighed.
"Yeah, yeah..."
He hurried toward the changing room while raising a hand.
"Sorry."
"I'll be back soon."
As the changing room door closed behind him, Elijah stretched his shoulders, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
He glanced toward the changing room door, then back at the training floor.
For a moment, his expression shifted something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
Whatever tonight held...
It didn't feel like just another routine session.