'I don't know if I'm making any sense. It's too complicated. Everything is too complicated. My thoughts are a mess. I hired someone to help me get all romantic with my stepmom that looked after me all those years. I've never once even considered she'd find someone to get in a relationship with. I never considered I'd have to share my Himiko with anyone else, ever again.'
'I was selfish, and took her for granted. '
'Yet, here I am; facing this guy who took her away. '
'I'm ashamed of myself.'
'Because... I know I would never have acted like this if he was just some random person who sweeped her off her feet simply because she caught his fancy. In a way, I'm glad Kyoya is a criminal. That way... That way, what he did is wrong.'
'Right?'
Kyoya regarded Haruto with a mixture of curiosity and amusement as he stepped closer, his powerful build casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the younger man whole. "What is it then? Spit it out, little bro. You seem off."
Haruto took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. He could feel Kyoya's piercing gaze on him, sizing him up, assessing him. But, Haruto didn't come here to fight. He knew in his heart, which was burning and aching with guilt - that he was nowhere near strong enough to beat Kyoya.
"I..." Haruto started, his voice wavering before he took another deep breath and steadied himself. "I know what you've been doing. I know everything."
Kyoya's eyebrow quirked up, intrigued.
"Oh really? And what is it that I've been doing, exactly?" He folded his arms, furrowing a brow at the awkward young man.
"Please… I'm not here for any games, Kyoya. I know you understand what I'm talking about. Can't we discuss this like adults?"
"Enlighten me, little bro. Are you upset because I took your mom out for a hike? Isn't that something you two normally do together, just the two of you?" Kyoya began, his tone laced with provocation. Haruto could feel the certainty in Kyoya's voice, and even though he knew Kyoya was in the wrong, he couldn't help but be swayed by it.
"... You see, little bro. You ain't got some manufacturer's ownership over the women you like. If you wanna bang some chick, you gotta go for it. Make an effort. I know what this is about, and it ain't the hike, right?" Kyoya claimed, catching Haruto's attention.
'He's talking as if he knows. Of course, I felt that much was true... With the looks he'd give me when he caught me peeping on them, and those sneers whenever he got physical with Himiko... Maybe he also planted cameras in our house and stalked her...No, He didn't need to. He studied her, while I was just... I was just glad she was next to me. I was selfish.'
He was speaking crudely, yet evidently. - Haruto thought in shame. The thought of catching the culprit became a second thought, all of a sudden.
"I... Didn't make an effort at all, then? For Himiko."
"... Nah, little bro. You didn't." Kyoya uttered confidently as he rested his back against a nearby tree.
'He talks about her as if she's just some girl I have a crush on... But I hate that he's making sense... I hate that it feels like an arrow pierces me every time he speaks.'
"You might THINK you did, since you spent so much time with her. You see, guys like you, inexperienced little pric... Little people, they don't understand. They don't understand that women don't consider you important based on how much time you spend together. They consider you important based on what kind of things you did for them. That's how it always was. It is ALWAYS about what YOU sacrifice. Your gestures. How good of gestures you can make and sacrifice without complaining, how good you can please them..."
Kyoya dragged out that last part with a slight sneer, as if he was recalling intimate moments with Himiko, which made Haruto feel sick to his stomach. However, he managed to suppress it and continued to listen.
"And as for what I did for her... Well, I paid attention, I acted based on her needs, not just what I wanted. I was observant, I didn't just close my eyes and ignore what was happening around me. The truth is, she needed someone to be there for her, to love her, to climb mountains with her… And I was just the person who stepped up."
"Himiko, well, she's a caring person. But she's not so caring that she'd just wait around forever for her... well, stepson. I'm guessing she was the one doing all the caregiving at home, right? While you were just content, not a care in the world. But here's the thing... With women, you've got to be on your toes. Always thinking, always planning. That's just how relationships work. And when it comes to..."
At that moment, Haruto had a realization.
'They're just the same.'
He could see the same cold, calculating look in Kyoya's eyes that he had seen in Yuuto's when he was devising a plan, when he blamed Haruto for pushing Himiko away. Haruto felt like he was talking to Yuuto right then.
'Sakurai and Kyoya... they seem so different on the surface, but they're actually the same. But what about Sakurai? What's different about him? Is there even a difference? He talks about being against betrayal, but I bet if he had been the one interested in Himiko instead of Kyoya, he could have swayed her just as easily. But then again, that's just unrequited love... It's not like we were dating. Himiko... she was never forced to do anything she didn't want to do. Maybe she was lied to, but Kyoya made her happy. He did more than just manipulate her or do something sinister, aside from filming them together without her knowing. I could see the happiness in her eyes. And now, thinking about what both Sakurai and Kyoya have said, I realize I probably made a mistake coming here.'
With this realization, Haruto's expression softened as he looked at Kyoya.
"...And you? Well, you were just gone. You're welcome to join us from now on, if that's what you want," Kyoya said, his wicked grin barely concealed behind a facade of casualness.
'I'm not entirely sure what he means by that. Maybe he's trying to provoke me as part of whatever deal he made with my dad, or maybe it's just his own twisted sense of humor. But...'
"You might actually be right. I did think that coming here might somehow magically change things. But after seeing her smile when she's with you, I stopped questioning how she feels about you."
Kyoya seemed a bit taken aback.
'He's capable of making her happy consistently. Perhaps it's time for me to just... let go. Our relationship is beyond repair; I could see it in her eyes... I've failed her.'
"I just... I came here to ask you this. You've made Himiko happy, and that's fine. Just... keep it up, okay? I've been thinking about moving out anyway. It's... probably not healthy to think about your mom in this way, stepmom or not... Right?" Haruto awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he spoke.
Kyoya blinked several times in quick succession, clearly not accustomed to such candidness. "Just... Just spit it out, little bro. What do you really want?"
'Thank you for everything, Sakurai... Himiko. Goodbye. I'll just off myself somewhere quiet, without making a scene... But, first... Let me do this final thing for you.'
He sighed, "I know you were hired by my father to do it. To separate me and Himiko. I know you were paid. And I know you stopped me from ending it all for myself just to put yourself in a good light for the job."
Kyoya's eyes took on a dark, dangerous glint, yet his voice remained steady and composed as he replied, "And suppose that's all true? What's it got to do with you?"
'...Is it pretense? Is it genuine...? I'm gonna find out. I'll at least grow a pair before I kick it.'
Haruto's gaze dropped to the ground, his heart racing with apprehension. It felt like he was taking on an insurmountable challenge, confronting a criminal. All of Yuuto's stern warnings and explanations about Kyoya, the sound of his voice in the recorded conversation with Haruto's father – it all made his blood run cold. Here he was, all alone in the mountains, facing off against a man who was undeniably stronger and more cunning than he was.
**Selin Soral - Ethereal**
But as the fear choked at his throat, a rush of memories surged through his mind, bringing with them images of Himiko—her warm smile, her boundless kindness, and the strength she had provided him throughout the years. He remembered the gentle way she would cradle his cheeks when he was sad, and the pure joy that would light up her face during their shared movie nights and hiking trips. The stern warnings and meticulous instructions from Yuuto began to fade away, overshadowed by the comforting presence of Himiko.
Lifting his gaze, Haruto's face broke into a bright, heartfelt smile—the most vibrant one he had displayed in months.
'Sorry, Anti-NTR Man, Sakurai. It looks like I just wasted my money, haha.'
"She's my stepmother, and despite my shortcomings over the past month, I care about her deeply," Haruto said, his voice filled with a soft, melancholic tone. "I won't stand by and let you hurt her any more than you already have. So, delete every piece of footage of her that you have and tell my dad to go screw himself. If you can do that, I'll accept you being with her. You're a formidable guy, so I know you'd be able to protect her from any harm." Taking a step forward, Haruto looked up determinedly at the imposing figure of Kyoya. The shadows of the surrounding trees swayed as the breeze picked up, yet they seemed to move around the two, leaving them in a bubble of their own confrontation.
-------KYOYA---------
'I'll give you that kid, that's the first time I heard things like that.'
Kyoya sighed.
'You have my respect.'
'However... It ain't changes the fact that this is a job. And an important one before we go legit. I won't fuck it up just because you had some epiphany about your hot mommy... It's about time I teach you another lesson...'
Kyoya licked his lips.
'I might just take you up on that offer on your mom, though...'
'I'm kinda greedy, after all.'
-------------------------
"Nah," Kyoya muttered dismissively, shaking his head.
Confusion furrowed Haruto's brow as he tilted his head, trying to understand Kyoya's abrupt change of tone.
"W-what..?" he stammered, his voice laced with disbelief.
Kyoya's expression hardened as he looked down at Haruto, "Are you deaf? I said I'll take care of your mommy, alright... but only after I send all the steamy videos of us together to your drunkard dad."
Haruto felt his heart plummet into his stomach, thudding painfully against his ribs. The man before him seemed to transform in an instant, his demeanor shifting from calm and collected to downright malicious.
"But... You... You made her ha-" Haruto began, his voice quivering.
"Happy? Oh, I'm definitely making her happy. And your pathetic excuse for a father? He'll probably leak those videos online or something... But don't you worry your little head about it."
Kyoya's laughter was cruel, a twisted chuckle that echoed through the mountains, sending shivers down Haruto's spine. Haruto felt a lump form in his throat, his breathing growing labored as a wicked smile stretched across Kyoya's face.
"After her life is in shambles, I'll just pin everything on your dear old dad... and you, the jealous little boy who couldn't stand to see us together, so you decided to spy on us."
"Stop..." Haruto whispered, looking down as he clenched his fists tightly, feeling utterly helpless.
Kyoya's laughter grew louder, more maniacal. "Pfft, HAHAHAHA! And the best part? Your pathetic attempt to come here and wish us a 'happy marriage' is just going to make it all the easier to convince her that you've been the creep all along."
"I SAID, STOP!" Haruto's voice pierced through the air as he looked up at Kyoya, his face contorted with anger and his cheeks flushed red. He was unable to hold back his emotions any longer, and the spite in his eyes was clear as day. His heart pounded against his chest, fury beginning to overpower his fear.
"...And in time... she'll believe the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree... And she'll hate you too. Just as much as she despises and feels nauseated at the mere thought of your father."
Haruto's teeth were clenched so tightly together, he thought he might break them. Anger and frustration filled him to the brim, until he couldn't stand it any longer. With a loud grunt, fueled by rage, he lunged forward, his fist flying straight toward Kyoya's face.
Kyoya saw the punch coming clearly, but instead of dodging, he chose to let it land, grinning slyly as he exaggeratedly fell backwards, as if Haruto's punch had the strength to knock him down. He landed on the ground with a thud, maintaining eye contact with Haruto as he fell.
Standing over Kyoya, Haruto panted heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. He had actually stood up to Kyoya, he had hit him. But as the rush of adrenaline began to fade away, doubt started to creep in. How was it possible that he, with his slender build, was able to knock Kyoya down? The punch didn't feel powerful enough to do that...
Before he could dwell on it any further, Himiko's voice broke through, filled with panic and concern. "Kyoya!"
Haruto's heart dropped as he realized the magnitude of what he had just done.
'W-wait... D-don't come near him.. He-he's..'
Himiko rushed to Kyoya's side, her eyes filled with concern as she crouched down to assess his condition. She barely gave Haruto a second glance, her focus solely on Kyoya. "Kyoya, are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
'D-don't worry about him... He's a criminal..!'
Haruto, his breathing still erratic from the exertion and surge of emotions, attempted to interject, "H-himiko, you have to listen, he's—"
But she sharply cut him off, her tone laced with irritation as she shot him a glare. "Quiet, Haruto! This isn't the time," she scolded, her words like a slap to his face.
Kyoya, seizing the opportunity, grimaced in pain while sending a sly, victorious glance Haruto's way when Himiko wasn't looking.
'N-no... No... P-please... Please... Listen to me..-'
"Does it hurt? Do we need to call an ambulance?" Himiko asked Kyoya, her voice filled with genuine concern.
'S-stop worrying about him...!'
Haruto felt a mixture of frustration, anger, and desperation rising within him. He wanted to yell, to spill everything about Kyoya, but Himiko was not giving him the chance.
"No, I'll be fine, Himiko," Kyoya said, his voice strained as he put on an act. "I just didn't see that coming from little bro... Guess he had more spunk than he let on..."
Himiko finally turned her full attention back to Haruto, her eyes now filled with a mix of disappointment, anger, and disgust. "Is this what you've become, Haruto? Resorting to violence because you can't handle your emotions?" she spat out, her words sharp and cutting.
"I-I... I didn't do it f-for no reason..! H-he..!!" Haruto tried to speak up, to defend himself and explain, but he was met with a cold, dismissive hand from Himiko.
"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses. You've crossed a line today," she stated coldly, her gaze piercing through him.
Feeling a lump in his throat and his eyes stinging with unshed tears, Haruto knew he had lost this battle. The situation had spiraled out of his control, and Kyoya had successfully manipulated it in his favor.
"Let's go, Kyoya... Should we stop for today? Do you need to rest?" Himiko said, her voice filled with disdain when turned to Haruto, warm when asking for Kyoya's wellbeing.
"Well, I'm fine. So let's keep climbing. Maybe little bro just needs a time off..." He uttered as he stood up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"We'll do that. Haruto, I want you at home, you'll have to explain yourself and apologize to Kyoya." Himiko replied, her face determined as she gazed at Kyoya with her caring gaze, sending Haruto her disappointed look.
They both turned around, talking hand in hand. "Thanks..." Kyoya uttered to her as they walked.
Haruto's heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces as they turned and walked away, the weight of his failure and the harshness of Himiko's words pressing down on him. He had lost, and the realization was crushing.
"You don't understand… He's… a criminal… Why… Why can't I say anything…?"
His words were barely a whisper, lost in the wind as Himiko turned her back to him. Haruto, desperate and filled with a flicker of hope, lifted his head, his eyes searching hers as she looked back over her shoulder.
But the disdain in her eyes hit him before her words did, his heart sinking as he realized the extent of the situation. "Just because you're a little jealous of him…" she muttered, her voice laced with disappointment and contempt, "I didn't think… You were this pathetic. To jab at Kyoya just because we're a couple…"
'What…?'
His eyes locked onto Himiko's, wide open in disbelief at her accusation. Yuuto's warnings echoed in his mind, his fears and doubts amplifying tenfold as despair whispered in his ear.
'Why won't you hear me out…? Why do you assume that immediately…?'
'Ah…'
She turned away once more, walking away, leaving Haruto frozen on the mountain trail. Kyoya's sly grin went unnoticed as he followed her, leaving Haruto alone with his thoughts.
'I guess you're right… I'm pathetic.'
He watched as they disappeared from sight, his strength giving out as he collapsed onto his knees on the dirt ground. His mind was a whirlwind of self-loathing and disbelief, his gaze distant as he pulled out a small pocket knife he had brought for self-defense.
'I suppose… It's time to go…'
The reality of his situation weighed heavily on him as he sat there, alone, his heart heavy with the realization that he had lost everything.
--------------------
As consciousness slowly crept back into Yuuto's mind, he felt an unfamiliar tickling sensation across his body. Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the sight of caterpillars and bugs crawling over him. "AH, FUCK, BUGS!!" he screamed, a mix of surprise and disgust in his voice.
He quickly began brushing them off, flailing his arms recklessly as he tried to rid himself of the unwanted guests. It took him a few frantic moments, but he finally managed to get them all off. Breathing heavily, he lay back down, his heart still racing from the shock.
'Ahhh find me in the OUTS. THERE WAS A SPIDER amongst them. He was two seconds from biting me too... Haaah... I'm in no mood to find out if I can become Anti-SPIDERNTR Man... Anti Spider Enter Man. Man, that sounds cool... Haah.'
Once his breathing returned to normal, he pulled out his phone to check the time, his movements calm despite the recent chaos. 12:47pm. He had overslept.... Too long. He sighed.
'Well. Damn it. I... I...'
As he slowly sat up, brushing dirt off his clothes, his mind drifted to the mistakes he made-
'SHUT THE FUCK UP! I didn't make any mistakes! I made NONE. I MAKE NO mistakes.'
His ego, once inflated by his self-assurance and confidence in his abilities, was now terribly injured.
'NOTHING'S IS INJURED. NO ONE IS INJURED. I'M FINE. It's this mortal body that I possess throughout my time on Earth that limits what I HAVE to do. I'm ALWAYS doing the right thing. NO ONE knows BETTER than ANTI-NTR MAN.'
And yet, the same person took Sendo's advice. To simplify.
'And LOOK where that got us.'
Ah yes, pin everything on the universe. On other people. That's what you do best.
'I WILL. Because that is truth. Everyone's too fucking weak. Too fucking stupid. EVERYTHING SUCKS, I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO ROCKS.'
....
...
'Yeah, that's what I thought.'
Yuuto sighed, lifting himself to a standing position, his body creaking in agony.
'I'll go up the mountain. Maybe Kyoya and Himiko decided the 'bang every 5 meters challenge' And got delayed enough for me to make my entrance.'
Yuuto started walking. His grogginess slowly wearing off as he marched. He came across a river, and docked to wash his face. He noticed his injuries at his reflection as he was about to wash his face.
'... I bet my entire torso's blue as well, from Kazuki and his posse's beatings...'
Yuuto laid a finger on a swelling he had on his cheek.
"Ah, shit." He squinted his eyes and tightened his lips in response to the pain. A memory of yesterday's fists raining down on him flashed before his eyes.
'My entire body's a mess... Damn it. I won't be able to Anti-NTR efficiently like this... Man, mortal bodies suck.'
'I mean... I got to baseball their asses. But if I keep going like this, I won't be able to Anti-NTR people for long. I'll get crippled before I graduate.'
IF you graduate.
'Hmm... Oh, I get it! I could baseball bat everyone's asses on wheelchairs. I'll just have to think about more clever plans. Since it's me, it'll be easy. Wheelchair-Anti-NTR Man: I ROLL To Save The Main Character From Getting CUCKED!'
Yet as he basked in the idea, his reflection reminded him of his immediate situation and his mission.
'Well, it happened, I guess. What can you do about it, besides moving on?' He thought in his natural casualness as he washed his face in the small river.
Before long, he got up and started walking again, albeit in a slightly awkward way, as if he had a limp.
'Well... I guess it wouldn't be bad to figure out how to do things without getting hurt all that much, eh?'
He kept walking for 10 more minutes in his own pace.
'I mean... It's not my fault I fell asleep. It's therefore not my fault for missing Himiko and Kyoya. Therefore-'
It isn't your fault if Haruto gets his heart broken forever.
'....'
'He shows promise. He was weak, pathetic, and naive, but he shows promise. I can tell. He wants to change, and he is working hard. And I. HAVE. A PLAN.'
And what if some day that plan of yours fails? Even Superhuman-Man failed sometimes.
'Well, I'M NOT HIM. I'm BETTER. PERFECT. I'm a SUPER-SUPER Hero. My PERFECT plan never FAILED, even if it was tainted by Sendo.'
Yuuto thought to himself, not realizing the contradiction in that statement.
'JUST ZIP IT! SHUT UP!! What have YOU ever done!? Sitting in your comfort zone, getting all relaxed while I take beating in the name of Anti-NTR. You're just an observer. But here's the thing, I'm not mad at you, no. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CASE, You practically don't exist. Even as a narrator, you're weak, just like him, even more than Haruto. So weak, I wanna puke. But I'm not mad at you. Because you belong to the group of people I'm SUPPOSED TO HELP. The WEAK.'
Yuuto thought to himself, slipping deeper and deeper into his unreasonable, contradictory reasoning.
'Oh yeah? Make me act how you want then,'
....
....
'I knew it. I don't need anyone! NO ONE—' His self-assured monologue broke off as his foot caught on a sneaky vine. He stumbled, and suddenly he was face-down in the dirt, his anger smothered by a faceful of mud.
Yuuto sat up, spitting out a mouthful of earth, and caught his reflection in a small puddle that had formed in a depression in the ground. He stared at the muddy mirror.
'Was it... the ground's fault... Or...' The question hung in the air, unanswered.
He reached up, his hand hesitantly scraping the mud from his face, revealing the bruises beneath. 'Those punches... if I hadn't just relied on that bat at the start, would I even have these black eyes...?'
As he sat there, cleaning off the last of the mud, he couldn't help but think about his choices, stripped of any delusions of grandeur. It was just him, the bruises, and a cold, hard reflection staring back at him.
Yuuto's gaze drifted to a stubborn bruise on his cheek, a remnant of a punch taken a month back on top of Tokyo Tower. 'If I'd just given Sendo a way to reach me, would I have kept my guard up better against Kyoya's goons? Less distracted, more focused?' He pondered the possibility, the bruise a tangible reminder of the what-ifs that lingered from that day.
He looked down, his pride now lowered.
'I... I...'
'I want to be a better Anti-NTR Man... That's... That's all there is to it! That's THE ONLY WAY I'LL ADMIT WHAT I'M GONNA ADMIT NOW...'
'I don't care about my character development! I only care about other's character development... Because without character development... They'd never improve...'
'I...'
'I messed up bad. And I failed my client...' Yuuto thought to himself solemnly before getting up, walking again.
'Still... I might spot Himiko and Kyoya. If I don't see them in an hour after travelling here, I'll go back home...'
'...And get some sleep. Apparently, I can't think without some of it. Afterward, I'll conjure up another plan. It might've gotten insanely difficult, but there's no obstacle I can't beat... NOTHING.'
Yuuto found his way through the mountain's embrace, his face betraying no thought or emotion. There, against the rough bark of an old tree, lay a familiar figure—Haruto—his body still as if in surrender to his silent battle.
Yuuto's eyes briefly touched upon a bloodied pocket knife lying in the dirt, its work unfinished. With a nonchalance that bordered on insensitivity, he approached and leaned against the tree's opposite side, listening to Haruto's breathing, steady yet fraught with weariness.
"Hey there, Cuckooto," Yuuto greeted, his voice flat, betraying none of the gravity the situation warranted as he slid down to sit.
The sudden presence startled Haruto, but recognition soon washed over him, and the tension bled from his limbs, his gaze falling to the ground.
"Sakurai..." he murmured, almost a whisper lost in the mountain air.
As Yuuto glanced up through the branches overhead, the trees seemed to hold their breath, a quiet moment stretching between them until he finally broke it with a heavy sigh.
"Why didn't you go through with it?" he asked, his question cutting through the stillness with an edge that seemed too sharp for the delicate moment.
Haruto's head lifted, his smile a fracture line running through his despair. "Funny, I asked myself the same thing when I stopped."
He let out a short, humorless laugh, revealing the shallow cuts on his wrist—marks of a moment's hesitation.
"Was it fear, or was there a glimmer of hope? It was one of those, I guess..."
Haruto's voice trailed off, his words a mirror to his fragmented thoughts. "I figured if I was gone, Himiko wouldn't have to deal with my messes. My dad might find some peace. And friends... well, I don't have any that would miss me. Maybe Himiko would be hurt, but she'd move on, she's strong." His voice carried a wistful tone, a sad acknowledgment of his perceived insignificance in the lives of those he cared about.
Haruto's voice was a low thread in the cool mountain air, laced with a somber realization. "There wasn't much keeping me here, really. If I was gone, you'd probably be relieved, free from this farce I've been living."
Yuuto considered the confession, his tone unchanging, almost clinical. "Hm. With so little to stick around for, especially after losing Himiko, you'd think it wouldn't be so hard to end it. So, you were just too scared to go through with it, huh?"
Haruto's response was barely audible, a whisper in the wilderness. "Maybe..."
**Selin Soral - Ethereal plays**
Yuuto's eyebrows lifted, a hint of curiosity breaking through his detached facade. "Something else holding you back?"
Haruto seemed to search for the words, his confession floating between them like the mist that clung to the trees. "It might not mean much... But as I pressed the blade to my skin, I all of a sudden thought—'No more swimming... I'll never see these hands swell from practice again.' And I just... Stopped."
It was a glimmer of something deeply personal, a silent acknowledgment of a singular, simple love that, even in the darkest moment, flickered with the will to live.
Haruto's voice was low, barely more than the whisper of leaves in the gentle mountain wind. "It's a silly thing. I know. Something so insignificant... Next thing I knew, I moved the knife away."
Yuuto's reply stalled. Silence stretched between them, filled only by the rustling canopy overhead.
"Well. It's..." Words hung unfinished in the air, lost.
"Hm." His response was a non-response, a placeholder where sharp words used to slice effortlessly through doubt and sentiment.
Yuuto's eyes, usually so quick to find a target, drifted instead. They took in the trees, the scattered light through the leaves, the uneven ground beneath them — all mundane details that somehow, just then, seemed to hold his attention.
Yuuto's voice finally emerged. "W-well... It's my-.. Me and my friend's training, of course it would stop you from killing yourself. You think all those exercises, were all just for a physical goal or something?"
"Hah. I don't think I've ever heard you mumble." Haruto commented lightheartedly.
"...Shut up, cuck."
A slight twitch, the barest shift at the corner of Yuuto's mouth. The smile that emerged was devoid of its customary edge and slyness, a silent admission that no words could quite wrap around.
"Either way... I broke Clause 10."
The words fell, and a short, soft laugh escaped Yuuto, as fleeting as the dappling of sun through the leaves.
"Yeah, I figured as much. Did they backtrack up the mountain? Or keep to the trail?"
"Kept going..." Haruto's admission was a murmur, fading into the quiet around them.
'I see... So they won't be home yet.'
"I see." The words hovered briefly in the stillness. Yuuto rose, his movements deliberate, the leaves crunching softly underfoot as he approached Haruto.
"Come on. Let's head back to the house. We'll work it out from there."
They began their descent down the trail, with the path unfolding before them, familiar yet holding the weight of their recent trials.
Yuuto broke the silence first. "I'll level with you. I got a message from my pal. He had something he wanted you to know."
A pause, then he continued, the words seeming to carve themselves out of him with effort. "He said... He said that even he gets it wrong sometimes."
The words hung there for a moment, a confession in the wilderness.
"You know, busting that clause? That was the right call. This thing we're doing... it doesn't mean squat if you aren't learning, changing... growing. Taking a risk... I guess... what I'm trying to say is, both my friend and I lost sight of that."
A fragile chuckle escaped Haruto, his eyes carrying a quiet resolve mixed with a hint of relief. "Haha... I did something right, huh?"
Yuuto caught the subtleties in his tone, the undercurrent of surrender. "What's going on?"
Haruto's gaze settled into the distance. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to move out, live by myself. And I want you to take everything you've got on Kyoya to the authorities. Just end it."
The request hung heavy between them.
"What about Himiko?" Yuuto prodded gently.
"I'm done worrying about my relationship with her... I'm tired of all these plans, this manipulation," Haruto's voice was firm, resigning. "It's time I faced reality. Himiko called me pathetic... It hurt, but I agree. I need to let go of this fantasy where Himiko is mine. She doesn't see me that way, she never did. And that's okay. I can handle her being with someone else, as long as it's not a criminal like Kyoya. He needs to be out of her life for good."
Haruto's plea was earnest as he looked directly at Yuuto.
"Will you help me with this?"
Yuuto met his gaze, recognizing the weight of his decision.
"Yeah," he replied simply. "I'll do it."
'...But I'll do it MY way.'