The cold wind pushed the forest to life. Lush green leaves, healthy from the summer, scattered without care, landing between two boys standing in the heart of the mini-forest.
Eye to eye. Parallel. Mirroring each other.
Sang and Etsu stood in silence, their synchronized steps leading them closer.
Their heads tilted slightly.
Etsu saw his calm, smart, calculated, and neat self reflected in Sang. Sang, however, saw his own uncontrolled rage, his viciousness, his bloodlust—a "kill-now-never-regret" kind of madness. The two were like yin and yang, the two faces of a coin. Without one, the coin is worthless. Careless. Meaningless.
A rustling from the bushes shattered the silent stare-down.
Both boys snapped their heads in the same direction.
A sleek, blue four-tailed fox stepped out of the brush. Its fur shimmered, and its four tails swayed behind it like restless flames.
Sang and Etsu's eyes widened.
They turned to each other, then back to the fox, then to each other again. Their gazes exchanged the same unspoken question.
"You know the blue fox too?"
The fox sauntered forward, rubbing its soft fur against Etsu's leg, then moving to Sang, doing the same.
Then, without warning, it leaped into the thicket. Before disappearing, it turned back, its glowing blue eyes locking onto the boys.
Its tails swayed slowly… and then it vanished.
Without a word, Sang and Etsu took off after it.
They darted through the trees, their movements coordinated, their steps precise. They didn't stumble. They didn't hesitate.
Their goal was clear—catch the fox.
The chase led them to a vast clearing, where the forest opened up to a breathtaking view of the city under the mighty night sky.
Panting, the two came to a stop, breathless both from the run and the sheer beauty of the scene before them.
The fox stood at the center of the clearing, tails flickering like dancing wisps—before fading into thin air.
Sang and Etsu exchanged a glance.
For the first time, their eyes held something more than curiosity or wariness.
It was understanding.
As they stood there, chest rising and falling in rhythm, they realized something:
The person before them wasn't just another human.
He was the other half of a whole they never knew they were missing.
Without a word, the boys sat on a giant rock, overlooking the city lights.
Etsu reached into his oversized hoodie and pulled out snacks.
Sang turned, watching as Etsu casually opened a bag of chips. In between them, more food sat untouched.
Hesitantly, Sang's hand crept forward, reaching for a sweet bun. His gaze flickered to Etsu, who didn't react—his eyes still locked on the view.
Carefully, Sang unwrapped the bun, stuffing it into his mouth. The soft, sweet taste felt oddly comforting.
Etsu handed him a bottle of water, freshly scooped from a nearby pond.
Sang, feeling relief wash over him, took a deep sip before quietly joining Etsu in watching the city below.
For the first time, the silence between them didn't feel empty.
It felt whole.
"Young master Sang! Where are you? Don't tell me you're in the forest!"
A mature woman's voice echoed in the distance.
Sang's body tensed. The sound pulled him back—back to his cold reality, back to a world of abuse and sorrow.
Etsu sat up too, his gaze shifting toward the voice.
The boys turned to face each other.
They both knew—this was where they parted.
Sang hesitated. Then, as if checking if Etsu was real and not just his imagination, he poked Etsu's face.
Etsu didn't flinch. Instead, he handed Sang the rest of the snacks. A quiet farewell.
Sang's eyes landed on Etsu's hands, caked with dried blood. His gaze traveled, stopping at the badge on Etsu's shirt.
"Umbra Nexus Junior School."
The words, along with the bold "UN" insignia, piqued Sang's curiosity. He reached out, tapping the badge.
Etsu's face darkened.
The badge reminded him of the hatred waiting for him at school. Without hesitation, he tore it from his shirt and handed it to Sang.
A shared smile passed between them before Sang turned to leave.
Outside the fence labeled with Caution, the housemaid sighed, scanning the darkness.
"Oh, young master… I know you like my own child. You're in there, aren't you?"
Her eyes fell on a small hole in the fence.
"Crap! Master couldn't care less about your whereabouts, yet here I am."
She crouched, preparing to crawl through—when suddenly, the bush on the other side rustled violently.
Startled, she jumped back, falling to the ground.
From the shadows, Sang emerged, clutching the snacks in one hand and the school badge in the other.
The maid let out a relieved sigh, picking herself up. She reached out, helping him through the hole.
"Why would you even go into that creepy forest?" she muttered.
Sang didn't answer.
Instead, for the first time, he reached for her hand.
The maid stiffened, startled by the soft, tiny fingers slipping into hers.
Her heart clenched.
She turned to look at Sang, who held her hand willingly—his eyes no longer empty, but alive. Like the boy he was meant to be.
Despite returning to a home of pain and misery… something had changed.
"What happened in that forest?" she wondered.
"I wish your mother could see your face. She'd be so happy."
The two walked through the cold night, the city's distant hum filling the silence.
As they neared the house, Sang let go of her hand, digging into his pocket for another snack.
The maid looked down, feeling something in her palm.
She opened her hand—the school badge.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh, I know this school—Umbra Nexus." She turned to Sang, who was happily sucking on a lollipop.
"You want to go here?"
Sang looked up at her. Slowly, softly—he nodded.
The maid's heart swelled with joy.
For the first time, he had responded to her.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
She made it her destiny to enroll him there.