The rain had cleared by morning, but the pavement still shimmered, catching sunlight like thin glass. Kaito walked toward school with his hands buried deep in his pockets, head low, backpack slung over one shoulder.
It was quiet — until the footsteps behind him quickened.
"Yo, Kaito."
He flinched.
Riku.
Kaito didn't stop walking, but his posture tensed. He recognized that voice too well — the smooth, almost lazy confidence in it. It wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. It stuck, like oil on water.
Riku fell into step beside him, his uniform crisp, shoes somehow always cleaner than anyone else's. His black hair was messy but deliberate — just enough to seem effortless.
"You headed home alone yesterday, huh?" he said, as if it were just a casual question.
"…Yeah."
Riku grinned. "You live near the Sakuragawa line, right?"
Kaito didn't answer.
"Guess I'm remembering wrong," Riku continued, stretching his arms over his head. "Weird though. Thought I saw someone that looked like you getting off at the same stop."
Kaito glanced at him, cautious. "You followed me?"
"Pfft—" Riku laughed. "Relax. Coincidence. This city's small, y'know?"
He nudged Kaito's shoulder, and the smaller boy flinched.
"Hey, chill. I'm just making conversation."
Kaito didn't reply. He was used to Riku's games. But this felt… different. Not cruel. Just strangely curious. Like a snake coiled around something, not to strike — but to feel its warmth.
---
Later that week…
Sayaka had just finished a lesson and was wiping the keys of her piano when the doorbell rang.
She wasn't expecting anyone.
She opened the door, her hair still pinned from the lesson, a thin apron tied around her waist.
And there he was — a boy in her son's uniform, tall and polite-looking, with a gentle smile and a book bag slung casually over one shoulder.
"Hi," he said, bowing slightly. "Sorry to drop by unannounced. I'm Tanabe — Riku Tanabe. From Kaito's class."
Her expression softened. "Oh! A friend of Kaito's?"
Riku chuckled. "I'd like to think so. Actually… I left my notebook at school, and he said he might have notes from the last literature class. He mentioned he lived around here, so I figured—well. Worth a shot."
Sayaka hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside. "Come in. He's in his room."
Riku stepped inside, taking in the house — it smelled faintly of citrus and laundry detergent. Warm, tidy. Lived-in. The kind of place built by someone who tried very hard to hold things together.
Kaito appeared at the top of the stairs, surprised. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Riku raised a hand casually. "Chill. Just came to borrow notes."
Sayaka shot Kaito a look — gentle, but firm. "Don't be rude."
"I'll get them," Kaito muttered, disappearing into his room.
Sayaka turned to Riku with a small smile. "Sorry about him. He's… not great with visitors."
"I get it," Riku said. "He's got a lot on his plate, huh?"
She looked surprised. "He doesn't talk much about school."
"That's okay. Some people are quiet. It's not a bad thing."
He said it kindly, and for a moment, Sayaka's guard lowered — just a little.
"You want tea while you wait?"
Riku smiled. "If it's not too much trouble."
---
In the kitchen, he watched her move — graceful, soft-spoken, with that same warmth she probably used on her students. There was a faint weariness in her shoulders though, the kind that came from years of holding grief and smiling anyway.
"You've got a really peaceful home," he said as she poured.
Sayaka smiled politely. "Thank you. I try."
"Bet it's not easy," he added, voice quieter.
She looked at him, slightly startled.
"I mean—raising a teenager on your own."
A pause. Then she nodded. "No… it's not. But we manage."
"You're doing more than that," he said, letting just a touch of admiration color his tone. "Kaito's lucky."
Sayaka blinked, lips parting slightly — not out of offense, but something else. Surprise. Maybe even… flattery.
Before she could respond, Kaito returned with the notes and practically shoved them into Riku's chest.
"Thanks," Riku said, folding them into his bag. "Really. You've got a cool mom, by the way."
Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Don't talk about her."
Sayaka frowned. "Kaito…"
But Riku just smiled. Calm. Easy.
"Guess I'll see you at school."
He bowed slightly to Sayaka, eyes lingering — not on her chest, not on her waist, but directly in her gaze. Just long enough to make her pulse skip before he turned and left.
---