The days were getting heavier for Asuka. A new tension lingered in her mind—could she really save Akane? The memory of the explosion haunted her. It was due to a gas leak… when Inupi was just eleven. He would turn eleven on October 18. That meant she had exactly two months. Today was August 15. Two months to prepare—mentally, emotionally, and tactically.
After school, Asuka sat quietly in her room. There was no martial arts practice today. Before heading to Inupi's house, she found herself deep in thought.
Meanwhile she didnt knew What were Manjiro, Emma, and Keisuke thinking these days? Sometimes, to them it felt like asuka lived in a different world. Maybe it was something different. Maybe it was the way they saw things—lighter, freer, simpler.
Then, a thought struck her.
Wait… it's almost August 15th… that means—Manjiro's birthday is coming up!
A surprise! She had to do something special. Her mind flooded with ideas, none feeling quite right.
She stepped out of her room, only to see her mother scolding Keisuke in the hallway.
"Keisuke! Again?! You didn't finish your homework! And now your homeroom teacher called me!" their mother said, clearly at the end of her patience.
"What happened, Oka-san?" Asuka asked gently.
Their mother turned, exasperated. "Look at your brother! Again with the unfinished homework!"
"It's fine…" Asuka muttered, trying to calm the storm.
Their mother's glare snapped to her. "What did you just say?"
"I mean, he's good at other things… like sports, crafts, and taking care of animals. He's got time, Oka-san. He's still young. He'll figure things out."
Keisuke looked at Asuka with wide eyes, surprised and touched. "Asuka…"
Their mother, however, was not impressed. "Oh really? Then tell me, what good will any of that do if he can't even study properly? Life isn't all play!"
Inside, Asuka clenched her fists.
"I really don't like how adults pressure kids to fit into their mold. He's just a kid…"
She took a breath and said calmly, "Maybe he'll find his way. Who knows? He might do something amazing one day. I believe in him."
Her words carried so much conviction that even Keisuke stood frozen. She sounded like someone much older than she was.
Their mother stared at her in disbelief. "Well, aren't you confident."
Asuka shrugged. "I just know."
She turned to Keisuke with a warm, encouraging look. "Do what you love, Keisuke. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I believe in you. You're going to do something big, I know it."
WHACK!
A punch landed on Asuka's head from their mom.
Keisuke gawked at her, stunned. "Did she just stand up to Oka-san like a grown-up?"
Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Let's get out of here…"
Then he grabbed her hand and tugged her away before she could protest.
Once outside, Keisuke beamed. "Asuka, that was so cool!"
But Asuka frowned. "That wasn't cool, Keisuke. I lost my temper and said things I shouldn't have to Oka-san."
She paused, thoughtful. "You go ahead to Manjiro and Emma's. I need to talk to Oka-san first… properly."
Keisuke nodded and walked ahead while Asuka turned back, knocking gently on the door before stepping inside.
"Oka-san…" she called softly.
Her mother turned around. "Yes?"
Asuka bowed her head slightly, voice trembling. "I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to you that way earlier. Please forgive me."
Her mother's expression softened. She walked over and gently placed her hand on Asuka's head.
"You're growing up, Asuka. In a good way. Or maybe… maybe you were always like this, and I only just noticed," she said with a warm smile, wiping the tears from Asuka's cheeks.
"Hehe," Asuka chuckled quietly. "One more thing, Oka-san… Manjiro's birthday is soon, and I have no idea what to get him. Will you help me?"
Her mother smiled and said, "Of course, madam. Let's find him something special."
---
Meanwhile, at Manjiro's house…
Keisuke had just finished telling them everything that happened.
Manjiro and Emma stared in disbelief. "You're serious?" Emma asked.
Manjiro went silent. He looked away, lost in thought—deep thought. Something weighed on his mind, something serious. Something more than just Asuka's boldness.
"So that's what happened…" he muttered, eyes distant.
Just then, footsteps echoed through the hall, and Asuka walked in.
"Yo," she said casually, but with a strange weight behind her words.
They looked up. "Yo, Asuka," they replied in unison.
"Long time no see," Manjiro said.
"Hehe, I was just busy with… stuff."
He gave a small nod, but behind that expressionless face was a swirl of emotion. Something he couldn't quite place. Something about her always seemed… different.
"So, what's the plan for today?" she asked, stretching slightly.
"Not much," Manjiro replied. "Just the usual—hang out at the park."
---
At the park…
As they walked in, Asuka spotted someone sitting alone on the swings. Her eyes lit up.
"Inupi!" she called out, running toward him.
The other three stopped in their tracks, watching with mixed expressions—curiosity, confusion, and maybe… a bit of disappointment?
Inupi turned, eyes lighting up. "Asuka! Finally! You came."
"Of course I did. And I brought some friends too!"
Inupi looked over and nodded. "Ah, Mikey, right? And those two… I don't know."
"That's Keisuke, my twin brother, and Emma, Manjiro's sister," Asuka introduced.
"Nice to meet you all," Inupi said politely.
"Nice to meet you too," Emma responded with a soft smile.
"Yo," Keisuke said casually, already warming up to him.
Soon, everyone was playing around, laughter echoing through the park. Except for Asuka—she sat on a bench, eyes lost in the sky, her mind miles away.
Manjiro watched her silently.
"Why are you always like this…? You're here, but you're not. One moment you act like us… the next, it's like you're way older—like Shinichiro's age. Are you really our friend, or are you pretending to be? I don't get it. I just want… an answer."
As the sun set, the kids began to leave. Inupi looked at the group and smiled. "Bye, guys. Today was fun."
The remaining four began to walk home, the soft rustling of leaves and fading golden light painting the end of another mysterious day..