Some time ago, when Neizan was six years old, he lived alone with his mother in a small apartment in a poor and marginalized neighborhood.
『Neizan: Mom, Mom! 』
He called to his mother as he ran toward her in the living room. He climbed onto the couch where she was sitting, reading a book. The boy, smiling, grabbed one of her arms.
『Mom: Tell me, Neizan. What's wrong? 』
『Neizan: I want you to read me a story now, Mom. 』
『Mom: Alright, but go to your room. It's time to go to bed. 』
She smiled at him and gently stroked his head, showing all the affection she had for her little Neizan. Then, she accompanied him to his room. Neizan got into bed, and once snuggled under the covers, he watched her as she came over to sit beside him, holding the book in her hands.
A few minutes after she started reading him the story, Neizan was already fast asleep, his eyes closed. Realizing this, his mother leaned over carefully, so as not to wake him, and gave him a soft kiss on the forehead before getting up. She quietly walked toward the door.
『Mom: Good night, my boy. 』
She whispered softly as she slowly closed the door to his room.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
One day, now ten years old, Neizan was at school during recess, playing ball with the other kids. Later, when returning to class, he saw a boy trying to get his backpack back near the classroom. Three boys were tossing the backpack among themselves, while the boy couldn't catch it. Seeing what was happening, Neizan walked over.
『???: Hahaha! 』
『Boy: Please stop! Give me back my backpack. 』
『Neizan: Hey, throw it over here! 』
The three boys who were playing and laughing with the other boy's backpack saw Neizan approach and ask for it. They threw it to him, thinking he would join in the game, but that wasn't the case.
『Neizan: Here, take it. I'm giving it back to you. 』
『???: What are you doing? Why are you giving it back to him? 』
『Boy: ...Tha-tha-thank you... 』
『Neizan: Come on, if you want to play, it's better to do it with a ball, not by picking on someone. 』
『Boys: ...How boring. 』
The three boys went back to their classes, but the boy who now had his backpack stood there for a moment.
『Neizan: Your name's Joel, right? 』
『Joel: Yes. 』
『Neizan: If anyone ever picks on you again, hit the biggest one, and the rest will leave you alone. 』
『Joel: ...It's not right to do that. 』
『Neizan: It doesn't matter. If you want them to respect you and leave you alone, you have to do it. 』
Joel didn't know how to respond, so he looked down in silence. Seeing this, Neizan walked over to him and gave him a pat on the back.
『Neizan: Come on, don't get discouraged. It wasn't that bad, hahaha. 』
After laughing, Joel followed Neizan to class since they were classmates.
Neizan was quite strong for his age. He always stood out in class for his cheerful, dominant, and mischievous attitude. He usually got good grades in all subjects and was also the one who excelled the most in sports.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
After school, Neizan headed home alone, walking calmly. As he advanced, the surroundings changed, and half an hour later, he returned to the poor neighborhood he came from.
『???: Hey, Neizan! How's it going, kid? 』
Hearing his name, Neizan looked up and saw a young adult with dark hair and brown eyes walking up the stairs to his building. It was Marck, his neighbor of two years. He was about eight or nine years older than Neizan, and they had always been close.
『Neizan: Hi, Marck! Just came back from school. Are we meeting at the basketball court later? 』
Neizan smiled as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder. Marck paused for a moment, giving a tired smile.
『Marck: Ahh, I can't today, work's got me busy... but, yeah, I'll stop by for a bit later. 』
Marck winked at him, raising a hand as if to reassure Neizan.
『Neizan: Okay, see you later then. 』
Neizan returned the smile, waving goodbye.
『Marck: Of course! Hahaha. 』
Marck, a tall guy, around 184 cm, had a broad build. Though his physique didn't stand out much, his strong arms were noticeable, as he usually wore short-sleeved white shirts and an open blue sleeveless jacket, paired with long jeans. Despite the age difference, they got along really well.
Once home, Neizan entered and let the door close behind him, smelling the familiar aroma of food coming from the kitchen. As he peeked in, he saw his mother cooking.
『Neizan: Hi, Mom. What are you making? 』
His mother, smiling while flipping something in the pan, turned slightly to look at him.
『Mom: Hi, son. I'm making fried potatoes with eggs. Leave your stuff in your room and come sit down to eat. 』
Neizan dropped his backpack by the door of his room as he responded.
『Neizan: I'm coming! 』
After putting his things away, he sat down on a chair by the dining table, swinging his feet under the table.
『Neizan: Today I saw some kids picking on a classmate. 』
His mother, surprised, paused for a moment and looked at him with concern.
『Mom: Really? And what did you do? 』
Neizan looked up, thoughtful, as he prepared to tell her what had happened.
『Neizan: Nothing, I just stepped in, and they left him alone. 』
Neizan said this nonchalantly, while chewing on a piece of fried potato. His mother watched him with a mix of pride and concern.
『Mom: You're a good boy, Neizan. That's how I want you to be, but try not to get into trouble, okay? 』
She smiled at him, though her tone carried a hint of warning.
『Neizan: I know. 』
Neizan responded with a slight smile, not stopping from eating. They continued their meal in silence, enjoying their time together before his mother had to leave for work. Jessica worked at a restaurant in the city, and her shifts usually stretched late into the evening.
After clearing the table, she got ready to leave.
『Mom: I'm off, son. Take care, see you later. 』
She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before heading out.
『Neizan: Bye, mom! 』
He shouted from the door, watching her disappear down the hallway.