May 24, 2018
"Wow, this is so exciting!" says Yorui.
The house's energy positively shifts with Yorui's presence. While their house is still being repaired, Surata figures it would be good to show their newest house member around her new home. So, Surata shows Yorui almost everything there is in their house- like he is a realtor. Towards the end of the tour, Yorui begins to wonder about something.
"Hey, Sura?"
"My name is Surata."
"I know, but Sura sounds better," Yorui cheerfully grins.
"…Ok then."
"So, where am I sleeping?"
"I'll show you."
Surata guides her to her room. Yorui's face sparkles with suspense. She hasn't enjoyed the feeling of a comforter in a while. Even the corners of her mouth seem stuck in place from her ecstatic expression.
Once they arrive, Yorui calmly opens the door, trying to compose herself. The room itself isn't anything special. It looks like any other ordinary room. However, standing in the doorway, Yorui screams in place.
Down the hallway, in the nearby bathroom, Koroki overhears the noises. "What's with all the screaming?"
He strolls to his room as the bathroom vents out all the steam from his hot shower. His door is left open; usually, he keeps it closed. Maybe he forgot to close it, which is unlikely. He decides to walk in and sees Yorui and Surata in his room.
"Wh…what are you guys doing in my room?"
Surata turns his attention to him. "Oh, funny coincidence, Koroki. Yorui's moving in with you."
"Huh?!"
"Yeah! Woo!" yells Yorui. She playfully throws a pillow at Koroki. Unable to contain her excitement, she jumps on Koroki's bed, slowly sinking into the blanket. "Wow! It's been so long since I lived in a house, let alone a bed."
Her reaction warms Surata's heart. Koroki, on the other hand, doesn't look very pleased. It's nice that she has a new place to live, but he didn't think he would have his room taken from him.
Koroki secretly nags Surata without ruining the mood, "Why can't she have her own room or use Dad's?"
Their house has two floors. Surely, there should be another room to fit Yorui in. There could be space in the living room or even a closet. A twin bed mattress should fit inside one of these closets. A house this big should have more room.
"Well, Father needs his own room. Plus, she will get one after we finish repairing the house."
"…"
"So, for now, she will stay with you."
Koroki sighs. Koroki glances towards Yorui, watching her inspect the room. She finally has her very own place, to an extent. She can't mess with Koroki's room. But her girly side inside her wants to redesign it as if it is her own. Does he need any of this? Where should the dresser go? What about a new rug? The possibilities are endless.
The sight of her disgusts Koroki. This is the only place in the house where he can get some peace and quiet. "Ugh…how about I stay with you then?"
"Well…" Surata stops to think for a while. "To be honest, I don't want to share a room with anyone else. I like having my own room."
Doesn't anyone like to have their room? He says it like Koroki doesn't like having his room. Koroki tries a different approach. "Why not? C'mon man, listen. We're both boys, right?"
"Yeahhhh…Aaand?"
"It would be weird if a guy and a girl were to share a room together," explains Koroki, trying to persuade Surata.
"Listen, Koroki, who was the one who brought her here?"
"…"
"Exactly. Since you brought her here, you got to take the responsibility."
"… whatever."
Surata whispers into Koroki's ear. "Think about it. With you two sharing a room, you can have some alone time for any physical…"
"Alright, I get it!" shouts Koroki, as his cheeks turn red.
Yorui continues to plot around the room as Koroki says, "Hey, Yorui, get out of the room so I can change!"
…
After changing, the kids decide to head downstairs. As the kids calmly descend the stairs, they notice men with yellow hard hats and tools holstered around their waists passing by. The loud noises from the power tools blast their eardrums. The damage wasn't that severe, so why do they hear construction?
The kids spot Ishio in the living room overseeing the repairs with a face of disgust. The broken debris and furniture from Majuro seem to be replaced by newer modern interiors. Alongside Ishio, Principal Tsume makes her appearance. Her eyes sparkle with joy as she oversees the work of the workers.
"Don't you think this is a little overboard, Tsume?" Ishio suggests.
"Of course not!!! Attacking your property is like attacking my property. So, I took out the old and in with the new." The enormous smile on Tsume's face stretches as far as it can.
In her mind, doing this act is the most appropriate thing she can do. The least she could get from Ishio was any gratitude, which he wouldn't give.
Surata glances at Ishio's crossed arms, holding something.
"Hello, Father. What's with that letter?"
Ishio softly turns to the kids. "Oh, there you are. Thank you for noticing Surata." He unwraps his arms, lifting the letter in the air. "I need you guys to deliver this."
The letter looks like a regular envelope. However, it feels familiar to Surata, like he has seen his father working on that letter before. "Who's that letter for?"
"Someone very important. If this doesn't get delivered, the world might be destroyed."
The kids are shocked and nervous because of the pressure of the task. What's in the letter? Ishio wants to send a bomb! How can this determine the fate of the world?
"Haha. I'm just kidding. But this is an important letter that needs to get delivered."
That's not something to joke about casually. But then again, it's Ishio, so they should have at least expected something like this. The kids release their sighs of relief.
"Why can't you do it?" asks Koroki, uninterested in doing other people's errands.
"I have more important business to deal with today, so I need this favor."
Koroki mumbles under his breath, "Tch…I don't understand why you don't drop it off on the way there…"
Bam.
Ishio overhears the mumbling and reaches over to Koroki, delivering a hard punch to Koroki's head.
While replying to Koroki's comment, he proceeds. "Surata. Yorui. Can you please deliver the letter?"
"Sure, father."
"Yeah, I'll help. I still need to repay you somehow anyway."
Ishio gratefully hands the letter to Surata. He smiles as both Yorui and Surata get ready to head out. "Thanks, you guys. Oh, I almost forgot. Take Koroki with you."
"Okay."
Surata and Yorui grab Koroki from the floor, escorting him to the door.
"Bye, kids! Be careful!" Principal Tsume cheerfully grins.
Before walking out the door, Surata tries to pick up Koroki's sheath.
"Oh, you don't need to bring his sheath with you," Ishio suggests. "It's just to deliver some mail."
It's broad daylight, so there shouldn't be any problems. No one would attack them, so he has no reason to bring his sheath. Trusting his father's words, Surata takes his advice and leaves Koroki's weapon at home, and the three kids walk out of the house.
"I should probably head out to get ready."
"Yeah." "Tsume… thanks for your help."
That gratitude catches her by surprise. Butterflies flutter in Tsume's stomach. "You're welcome, Ishio. Just don't be late!" Tsume heads off, looking back at Ishio and waving goodbye to him. Because she isn't looking ahead, her walking pattern shifts to the side. Her face is about to contact the door frame when she turns back in front of her.
SMACK!
After feeling happy and cheerful inside, she is now flustered and embarrassed. Without realising her clumsiness, she awkwardly laughs off the pain as she leaves the vicinity. Ishio stands there in awe as he witnesses the whole thing.
___
Time passes as the three kids stroll down the crowded streets of Heiwa.
"Why's it so busy today? It's not rush hour. Is something happening today?" questions Yorui as she looks around, puzzled.
"I'm pretty sure today is the opening of the Annual Heiwa Festival," Surata explains.
The Heiwa festival only comes once a year. It's an event that welcomes all friends and family to enjoy spending time with one another. Rollercoasters. Arcade game. Food booths with a variety of different foods. It's an experience that creates memories that will last a lifetime.
Yorui's eyes sparkle with excitement. "Wow. Can we please go?"
Koroki calmly walks behind them both, with his arms behind his head. "We should deliver this letter first."
"He's right, Yorui. We should deliver this. This has a higher priority."
Yorui's energy depletes as her smile fades away, exposing her sadness.
"Wow, since when did you care to do errands? I did not expect this from you, Koroki," Surata implies.
"I… I just don't want to waste any more time. I just don't want Ishio to hit me again. He thinks I'm some kind of punching bag."
Surata glares at the downed Yorui. He takes a moment and collects his thoughts. The sight of Yorui wanting to go seems to lower the group's mood. Maybe it's not a bad idea to go to the fair. It could be a way to get to know Yorui more and bond with everyone. With that concept, Surata makes up his mind. "Well, I'm sure father wouldn't mind us having some fun."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, we have some time to kill anyway. C'mon. Let's go, guys!" clarifies Yorui as she grabs both boys by their wrists. Surata and Koroki can't resist Yorui, so the three wander into the festival.
___
The kids wander towards the entrance of the massive festival. The festival is lined up with food booths, many rides, and many attractions. Smiles on people's faces and cheering of children having fun scattered across the event. The savory aroma of freshly made sweets from the booth roams the air.
Surata and Yorui begin to enjoy themselves, especially Yorui, who is eager to try out everything she sees. Surata has been to something similar, so he knows what this place offers. Koroki, on the other hand, hasn't experienced anything like this before. This is because of how lazy he is before and how he never leaves the house. So, this is new to him, and Surata is highly wary of that. However, Surata would instead not lead the group and let the most excited person lead. So, Yorui would force Surata and Koroki to get on most of the different rides in the festival.
The rollercoasters. Koroki is not a fan of rollercoasters, so he would scream the loudest while the others just laughed at him. Spinning as fast as they can during the spinning teacups. Looking at the vast view up on the Ferris Wheel. And so on.
Then Yorui would get the boys some food from each booth and try everything from delicious to disgusting and known treats to "never heard of" snacks. As they would try something, all three would express the same expression every time. "Ahh…sour!"
"Mhmm…sweet!"
Despite the different flavors and rides, all three would find themselves enjoying the festival sooner or later.
Yorui ecstatically points to another booth. "Guys, let's try this spicy tentacle."
Koroki, hesitant to go, says, "That doesn't even look appetizing."
Yorui pouts, a playful glint in her eyes. "C'mon, you're no fun."
"Yeah, Koroki, at least try it with us."
"The smell from it is already burning my nose hair, and you two think I want to eat that?"
Yorui asks while giving him the sad baby face look. "Please?"
"…"
Hesitant as he is, Koroki sighs and gives in to the tentacle.
Yorui hands him and Surata a stick of bacon. The three of them look for a place to sit. They find a bench nearby and sit down, glancing at the spicy tentacle.
Koroki stares at Yorui momentarily. The look on her face and this moment causes Koroki to let out a subtle smile. Yorui's sheer expression and this moment remind Koroki of his mother giving him his first popsicle.
Yorui grows impatient; she can't wait another minute to taste it. "Alright guys, on three. Three!" She immediately chomps down the snack.
"What happened to one and two?!" Surata asks annoyingly, watching as Yorui bites into the tentacle.
"Ah! That one... is way too spicy," Yorui struggles to speak, her mouth burning from the spice. "Ugh… That one didn't go down well. I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom." Yorui runs off to the bathroom. Koroki and Surata laugh at her while she desperately tries to find the bathroom in pain.
"Poor Yorui."
"See? I'm glad we stopped to come here. This is fun," Surata expresses his joy through his face. "But this spicy octopus tentacle is way too hot. Ah, I need some milk."
"Yeah, this is way hotter than I thought," replies Koroki, laughing at Surata's reaction.
Surata stares at Koroki with a mischievous smile. "That's funny coming from someone who hasn't taken a bite yet?"
Koroki startles as if he has been caught red-handed. "Oh, yeah? Watch me eat it, then. It won't be that hot anyways."
Chomp. Koroki takes a considerable bite out of the tentacle. "Mhmm, it's not as bad as I th… Ah! It's too hot! My tongue is melting away! Where's the milk?! I might actually die here before Yorui comes back!" vents Koroki.
Now, Surata begins to crack up at Koroki's reaction.
"What was that about not being hot? Ha-ha. We might die from the heat before Yorui comes back." Surata says, breathing heavily to cool his mouth down.
As the boys find themselves in a peculiar situation, they can't help but laugh.
Amidst their laughter, as the heat fades away, Surata's laughing dies out, the joy fading from his eyes as he looks at Koroki with a soft yet serious gaze.
"Hey, Koroki. I didn't know when to ask this, but… can I ask you something?"
Koroki, sensing the shift in tone, already has an idea of what Surata might say. His expression softens.
"Is it about what Majuro said?"
"Yeah."
"…" As the festival's lively background noises continue, a moment of quiet contemplation settles over them.
Yorui finishes using the bathroom and walks towards the boys. The air around the boys grows thicker and more tense as she approaches them. She gets the feeling that she shouldn't invade this conversation. But she's also noisy. She walks towards them to conceal herself and finds herself leaning on a nearby booth to overhear their conversation.
The cold air hurries away as the boys momentarily sit in silence. "What did he mean by… Heartless Demon, Koroki?"
"…"
The weight of Surata's words hangs heavily in the air as Koroki remains silent. The absence of his response communicates more than words ever could.
"We have been living together for quite some time, and I thought you were just some random kid that Father found. But now it feels like all that time together was just a façade- like you're a complete stranger. So, Koroki…who are you?"
Koroki takes a moment to respond, wondering how he should react. The sight of seeing someone like Surata concerned for him is almost unbarring. "Hey, Surata." Koroki looks towards Surata with a gentle and innocent expression on his face. "Do you think I'm… heartless?"
"Huh…?"
Surata tries to block out the cheering from the children walking by. Koroki lets out a sigh of relief, clearing his head as he lowers it.
"Heartless Demon. A Demon with no heart. To be honest, it's a nickname that I hate." Koroki gets up from the bench, glancing at the night sky, "That's just a nickname I was given in the past during the war." Gently smiling, his eyes turn to Surata. "But that nickname was given to me before I met Ishio and you."
Surata sits there perplexed. "Before meeting me? What kind of childhood did you have... Koroki?"
___
Around the same time, a meeting is being held at the school, with most of the staff members attending. The conference is held on the upper floor of the tallest building on campus.
The room had a large and long wooden table that could fit nine seats: eight seats on the side and one at the right end when entering. Every other participant is standing around the table, towards the walls. The nine strongest staff members occupy each chair. There are familiar faces in the room, but also some new faces.
Sitting in one of the seats is an unenergetic 20-year-old teacher. Her height doesn't match her age: below average for her age's demographic. She leans her dulled face towards the table with her palm while fidgeting with her ring.
"Ugh, how long do we have to wait? Can I just go home? I don't have time for this stupid meeting."
"Just wait a little more, Miko. I'm sure he will come soon, hopefully." Principal Tsume responses.
"Why does he always show up late?" a familiar face, Latro, disappointedly says.
They could hear the door slightly open as they continued to wait a little longer. Creak.
Ishio slowly steps into the room. "Hey guys. Sorry for being late."
Principal Tsume runs towards Ishio and hugs him by his arm, smiling. "Oh, it's fine. Just glad you made it."
The other staff members attending grow a little impatient.
"Tch. About time you show up. Thought you weren't going to show up."
"Um… Tsume, can we start this meeting now?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." She lets go of Ishio and calms down, returning to her seat. "Now that everyone is here, we can start this meeting."
Ishio quickly finds an empty seat nearby.
"As you all know, we have our tournament coming up soon. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to evaluate their skills while fighting students from different schools. But, for us, it's meant to keep an eye on the students at the other schools."
Tsume opens a yellow folder and hands out papers containing student portfolios. "With that in mind, the problem is this." Everyone turns their attention to the first paper.
"?!" The teachers' expressions changed, some subtle while others dramatic, stunned by the information they saw.
"Umm, is this all the information we have on this student?" a staff member asks.
"Now, this is very interesting." another adds.
The document provides little information about this student, with only their school ID and name listed. The lack of information creates a sense of mystery, leaving much to the imagination.
Principal Tsume continues speaking. "Yes, for the case of Koroki… we have little information on him. We have reports that he defeated Majuro the Manslayer. Majuro was becoming a problem for us, and this kid defeated him singlehandedly."
"Wow, what a strong kid."
"Yeah. There's also been rumors of him being Heartless Demon." Latro exclaims while fixing his glasses.
That nickname alone caught the attention of everyone in that room.
The "Heartless Demon" is said to be a fallen warrior during the War of the Fallen. He was able to defeat 100 armed Shikaris alone. He is known for having his Noye tattoo on top of his heart. He would pierce his long blade through the hearts of his enemies, symbolizing the Noye mark on his chest.
Not breaking her composure, Tsume curiously asks, "Ishio, are you sure we can trust Koroki?"
Ishio calmly stands up from his chair, and his expression turns serious. "Even since I met him, he's not who people say he is. I've been living with Koroki for four years already. He is a good, kind, and selfless kid." Despite what Ishio says about Koroki, the other teachers seem to doubt Koroki.
"So, he could just be tricking you for all we know."
"I know he isn't tricking me."
"But how can you be so sure?"
"That's not the kind of kid I raised. Koroki is the type to risk his life for someone he truly cares for. Although, that wasn't always the case. Even right now, I treat him like he's my own son. So, I do trust him."
Ishio's eyes become cold while staring down everyone. Ishio lets out a dark, intimidating aura that circles the room. "And, if anyone's got a problem with my son, then… you'll have to deal with me."
Ishio's challenge doesn't faze some of the staff, while some are. One of Harta stands up from the chair, tired of hearing Ishio's talking, and approaches him. Wearing a compressed shirt that makes the muscles on his lean physique pop out, they stare Ishio down in an attempt to put fear into him. "How interesting. I was thinking of a reason to wipe that look off your face." He cockily taunts.
"Try me, Diatre." Ishio declares. Their powerful auras begin clashing. Some Harta members continue to sit, unfazed by the guys' foolishness, while others are nervous about a potential brawl starting.
"Alright, calm down, guys," Principal Tsume asks kindly. "We just wanted to make sure we can trust him."
Diatre smacks his lips while Ishio backs away, and the tension disappears.
"I'm sure you understand why that is… don't you, Ishio?"
___