Daiki and Rin walked side by side, their footsteps echoing down the quiet street as they headed home from their respective club activities. The evening air was starting to cool, a welcome relief after the heat of the day. They chatted casually, the easy rhythm of their conversation making the walk feel like second nature.
"You know, you should really quit smoking," Rin said, glancing sideways at Daiki as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.
Daiki chuckled, rolling his eyes. "And miss out on my daily dose of peace and quiet? Not happening."
Rin gave him a playful shove. "You're hopeless, seriously."
"Hey, I'm still alive, aren't I?" Daiki shot back with a grin, his voice light. "I'll quit when I'm ready."
Rin shook his head but couldn't suppress a smile. "Well, try not to get yourself killed before then."
They reached the point where their paths separated, and Rin waved goodbye as he turned down his street. "Later, Dee."
Daiki waved back, watching Rin disappear into the distance before he continued on his way. The sun had set, and the streetlights were already on. As he walked, his mind wandered back to the unfinished dream from earlier in the day. "Why is she back in my head, damn it!" he muttered under his breath.
He shook off the thought and lit another cigarette, the familiar smell grounding him.
Further down the road, Daiki spotted a group of people. At first, he paid it no mind—just some kids hanging out, nothing out of the ordinary. But as he got closer, something about the scene felt off. He noticed Yui, her body language tense, standing with two boys who looked about fifteen.
His blood started to boil.
"Wow, you two must be really bad with women," Daiki called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he approached.
The boys turned to him, their faces hardening at the sight of the tall stranger. "Go away, man. This is none of your business."
Daiki smirked, taking a slow puff of his cigarette. "Your parents must be really proud of you," he said, his tone calm but biting as he stepped closer.
The boys instinctively stepped back.
"What do you want?" one of them asked, his bravado faltering.
"You see..." Daiki exhaled a thin line of smoke, his eyes narrowing. "She's a little friend of mine. What do you say you let her go?"
Something in Daiki's tone—or maybe his height and the cigarette dangling from his lips—made the boys reconsider. Their faces paled, and after a brief exchange of nervous glances, they bolted.
"WE'RE SORRYYYYY!" they shouted in unison as they ran.
Daiki blinked, surprised by their sudden retreat. "Seriously? I thought it was going down," he muttered under his breath.
Turning to Yui, he asked, "You alright, Takahashi-chan?"
"…chan?" Yui repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, seems you're okay. C'mon, I'll walk you home," Daiki said, scratching the back of his head.
It was then that he realized the cigarette was still in his hand. "…Shit." He quickly stubbed it out and dropped it into his pocket.
---
A Little While Later
"Please don't tell anybody!" Daiki begged, bowing his head low.
"I-I won't, so please raise your head. It's really embarrassing," Yui stammered, waving her hands in an attempt to comfort him.
"I'd appreciate that a lot. Thank you," Daiki said, finally straightening up.
"No, no, I should be the one thanking you for saving me," Yui replied, her voice soft and sincere.
"How about you keep my secret, and we call it even?" Daiki suggested, his tone casual.
Yui smiled—a radiant, genuine smile that caught Daiki off guard. It was the kind of smile that made everything feel lighter.
'Thank God she seems okay,' Daiki thought, though he couldn't shake the question that lingered in his mind. Why did those boys run away so quickly?
"Daiki-kun?" Yui's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Huh? What? You said something?" he asked, startled.
"Ah, nothing. You looked a bit lost," Yui said with a small laugh.
"I was just wondering why those idiots ran off so fast," Daiki said with a playful tone.
Yui chuckled. "Well, it's probably because you looked like a delinquent while smoking."
The comment hit Daiki like a dart to the heart, and he clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch, Takahashi-chan. That hurts."
The two of them laughed, the tension from earlier melting away as they continued walking. They joked and chatted until they reached the Takahashi household.
"Thanks again, Daiki-kun," Yui said as she stopped at the gate.
"No problem. Just don't forget: my secret stays between us," he replied with a wink.
Yui nodded, her expression soft. "Goodnight, Daiki-kun."
"Goodnight, Takahashi-chan," Daiki said as he turned to leave.
The walk back to his own house was uneventful, but as Daiki opened the door and stepped inside, the silence hit him. The house felt cold and empty, as it always did.
"I'm back," he called out, though no one answered.
'Cold and uncomfortable as always,' he thought, kicking off his shoes.
He sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, the small lamp on his desk casting a faint glow in the otherwise dark room. He ran a hand through his messy hair, leaning back slightly as he let out a long sigh.
"What a long day," he muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling.
His thoughts began to drift, but instead of the dream that had haunted him earlier, his mind settled on something else: Yui's smile.
It was so genuine, so unguarded. For someone he'd barely exchanged words with before today, it had felt oddly familiar, like the warmth of a sunrise on a cold morning.
He smirked to himself, shaking his head. "What's with that smile, anyway?" he murmured, almost annoyed at how it had lingered in his mind. But no matter how much he tried to push it away, it stayed there, glowing softly like a quiet ember in the back of his mind.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out his pack of cigarettes, but as he stared at it, he hesitated. With a grunt, he tossed it onto his desk and layed back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
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Yui's POV
Yui sat at her desk, her schoolbag placed neatly in the corner of her room. She had just finished brushing her hair and was now staring at her reflection in the small mirror on her desk.
Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
She touched her lips lightly, as if trying to find the words for what she wanted to say out loud. "Daiki-kun..." she murmured, testing his name.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled the events of the evening. His sudden appearance, his towering presence, the way he scared those boys away so effortlessly—it was almost unreal.
And then there was the way he looked at her afterward, his tone shifting from playful to genuinely concerned. It had caught her off guard. People didn't usually notice her like that, not beyond the surface.
She leaned back in her chair, letting out a soft sigh. "He's... different," she said quietly.
Her gaze drifted to the window. The night sky was clear, stars scattered like tiny specks of light. She smiled to herself, hugging her knees to her chest.
There was something about Daiki. Something she didn't fully understand yet, but it intrigued her.
"Thank you, Daiki-kun," she whispered into the quiet of her room, her voice barely audible.