As the boy walked down the bustling streets of Kyoto, he found himself lost in thought, his mind preoccupied with the usual concerns of a teenager navigating the complexities of daily life. Oblivious to his surroundings, he inadvertently collided with two individuals, Sakura and Hikari, who happened to be walking in the opposite direction.
"Oh, sorry," Sakura apologized with a gentle smile, her kind demeanor shining through as she extended a gesture of understanding towards the boy.
Beside her, Hikari simply sighed, her expression betraying a sense of boredom as she regarded the situation with detached indifference.
Realizing his mistake, the boy quickly took responsibility for his actions, offering a heartfelt apology to Sakura and Hikari. "Ah... Sorry for bumping into you! I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking," he admitted, his tone laced with genuine contrition.
Sakura, ever gracious and empathetic, immediately sought to diffuse the tension with a reassuring response. "It's my fault," she offered, her words tinged with warmth as she sought to alleviate any lingering sense of guilt the boy might be experiencing.
However, the boy refused to accept Sakura's misplaced blame, his sense of personal accountability driving him to rectify the situation. "No, it's my fault... Why am I arguing over this?" he pondered aloud, his voice tinged with self-deprecation as he grappled with the intricacies of social etiquette.
Sakura, recognizing the boy's earnest desire to take responsibility for his actions, simply sighed and remained silent, understanding that further insistence on her part would only serve to prolong the conversation unnecessarily.
Undeterred, the boy persisted in his attempts to make amends, offering another heartfelt apology to Sakura. "Sorry," he reiterated, his words imbued with sincerity as he sought to convey his genuine remorse for the inconvenience he had caused.
Sakura, sensing the boy's genuine remorse, relented with a gentle smile. "It's fine," she reassured him, her tone conveying a sense of understanding and forgiveness as she accepted his apology wholeheartedly.
"I'm Sakura," Sakura introduced herself with a warm smile, extending a hand in greeting to Aoto, inviting him into the circle of their conversation.
Before Aoto could reply, Sakura preemptively inquired about his name, eager to learn more about the person who had inadvertently crossed paths with them. "What's your name?" she asked, her tone gentle and inquisitive.
Aoto, sensing the genuine interest in Sakura's inquiry, responded with a polite introduction of his own. "My name is Aoto," he replied, his voice soft yet resolute as he offered his name to Sakura.
Sakura, impressed by the simplicity and elegance of Aoto's name, offered a compliment in return. "You have a great name," she remarked, her words infused with sincerity as she expressed her admiration for his choice of moniker.
Grateful for Sakura's kind words, Aoto returned the sentiment with a gracious expression of gratitude. "Thank you. Your name is good, too," he replied, his words carrying a sense of appreciation for the genuine connection they were forging in that moment.
Meanwhile, Hikari, ever the enigmatic presence in the group, observed the exchange with a sense of detached amusement, her thoughts veiled behind a mask of inscrutability. As Sakura and Aoto engaged in conversation, Hikari couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity prickling at the edges of her consciousness, prompting her to interject with a pointed question.
"Are you done yet?" Hikari asked Sakura, her voice tinged with a hint of impatience as she sought to redirect the conversation towards more pressing matters.
Sakura, however, leaned in closer to Hikari and whispered conspiratorially, her voice barely above a murmur, "This boy must possess Enes, I can feel it! He might be on our side... Well, unless he's just a regular citizen."
Aoto, intrigued by Sakura's cryptic comment, couldn't help but voice his curiosity. "What about the Enes? And how do you know of it?" he inquired, his tone tinged with genuine interest as he sought to unravel the mysteries lurking beneath the surface of their conversation.
Hikari, taken aback by Aoto's unexpected question, hesitated for a moment before offering a vague response. "I was not expecting to get questioned THAT," she remarked, her tone guarded as she navigated the delicate balance between secrecy and disclosure.
Undeterred by Hikari's cryptic response, Aoto pressed on, determined to uncover the truth behind Sakura and Hikari's enigmatic remarks. "Why?" he persisted, his curiosity piqued by the elusive nature of their conversation.
Hikari, realizing that evasion would only serve to heighten Aoto's suspicions, relented and revealed her identity with a resigned sigh. "I'm pretty sure I'm well-known amongst practitioners," she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of resignation as she acknowledged the notoriety that accompanied her status as a practitioner.
Aoto, however, remained unfazed by Hikari's admission, extending a hand in greeting as he introduced himself once more. "I don't really know you... What's your name?" he asked, his tone friendly and open as he sought to bridge the gap between them.
Hikari, momentarily caught off guard by Aoto's unexpected gesture of goodwill, hesitated before responding in kind. "I'm Hikari," she replied, her voice softening as she reciprocated Aoto's gesture of friendship.
As Aoto and Hikari exchanged introductions, a subtle tension lingered in the air, born from the clash of personalities and the underlying currents of uncertainty that swirled around their chance encounter. Despite Sakura's attempts to foster a sense of camaraderie, the atmosphere remained palpably strained, with each passing moment adding another layer of complexity to their interaction.
"Nice to meet you, Hikari," Aoto offered a polite greeting, his words laced with genuine sincerity as he extended an olive branch to the enigmatic practitioner.
Hikari, however, responded with a dismissive wave of her hand and a curt, "Whatever," her demeanor guarded and aloof as she maintained a cautious distance from Aoto.
Undeterred by Hikari's cold reception, Sakura attempted to steer the conversation towards more amicable territory, her voice tinged with curiosity as she posed a question to Aoto. "So... Are you a practitioner?" she inquired, her gaze fixed on Aoto as she awaited his response.
Aoto, unfazed by Sakura's probing inquiry, nodded in affirmation before elaborating on his abilities. "Yeah, what about it?" he replied, his tone casual yet confident as he acknowledged his status as a practitioner.
Sakura, intrigued by Aoto's admission, pressed further, her curiosity piqued by the prospect of learning more about his unique talents. "What do you wield?" she asked, her voice laced with anticipation as she awaited Aoto's response.
Aoto, however, remained cryptic in his reply, offering a brief glimpse into the depths of his power without revealing the full extent of his capabilities. "Life Enes, Memory Enes, Emotion Enes, and Void Enes..." he listed, his words trailing off as he left the full extent of his abilities shrouded in mystery.
Sakura, sensing Aoto's reluctance to divulge further information, refrained from pressing the issue any further, opting instead to respect his boundaries and maintain a semblance of decorum in their conversation.
But Hikari, ever the skeptic, couldn't resist interjecting with her own assessment of the situation. "Let it go. This kid isn't powerful, I'm 100% sure," she declared, her voice dripping with a mix of skepticism and disdain as she dismissed Aoto's abilities with a wave of her hand.