Ingijuku woke up to the smell of coffee.
Not the bittat homeomeomeomeomeomeind from vending machines—but the warm, familiar scent that always made him feel safe. His eyelids fluttered open slowly.
The ceiling.
The old fan.
The quiet hum of the heater.
"…Home?" he murmured.
"You are."
Hideo's voice came instantly.
Hijuku turned his head and saw his father sitting beside the futon, arms crossed, eyes dark with worry. The relief on Hideo's face was obvious the moment their eyes met.
"You idiot," Hideo muttered. "You scared me half to death."
Hijuku tried to sit up. "Sorry… I didn't mean to—"
"Don't." Hideo placed a hand on his shoulder, firm but gentle. "Just stay still."
Hijuku noticed something then.
Sakura was standing near the doorway.
She looked different here—less distant, less sharp. The dim light softened her expression, but the tension in her posture hadn't disappeared.
Their eyes met.
"…Thanks," Hijuku said quietly.
Sakura nodded once. "You pushed yourself too far."
Hideo exhaled sharply. "You want to explain what that means?"
Sakura hesitated.
Hijuku looked between them. "Dad… I don't fully understand either. But something attacked us at school."
Hideo's jaw tightened.
"At school," he repeated.
Sakura stepped forward. "They won't strike there again so soon. Too many eyes."
Hideo stood up.
"That's supposed to comfort me?"
Her gaze didn't waver. "No. I'm warning you."
Silence stretched.
Then—
CRASH.
The cafe's front door rattled violently.
All three froze.
Hijuku's heart slammed against his ribs. "Dad…?"
Hideo moved instinctively, placing himself in front of Hijuku. "Stay back."
Another bang echoed through the cafe, followed by the sound of glass cracking.
Sakura's eyes narrowed.
"They found him faster than I expected."
"Found who?" Hideo demanded.
But the answer came on its own.
Dark shapes slid across the windows like ink spilling through water. Symbols burned briefly on the glass before fading.
The lights flickered.
Hijuku felt it again.
That suffocating pressure.
"They're here for me," he whispered.
"No," Hideo snapped. "They're not taking you anywhere."
The front door burst open.
Cold air rushed in, carrying with it a swirl of petals that instantly turned black.
Three figures stepped inside.
Not cloaked this time.
They looked human—too human—but their eyes glowed faintly, wrong somehow.
"Cherry Blossom Cafe," one of them said calmly. "What a fitting place."
Sakura moved.
In a blink, she was between them and Hijuku, her palm raised. Symbols flared beneath her feet.
"Leave," she said coldly. "Now."
One of the intruders laughed. "Guardian, you're weakened. You can barely maintain the seal."
Hideo grabbed a metal rod from behind the counter. "I don't care what you are," he said. "You step any closer, and I'll—"
The intruder flicked his wrist.
Hideo was thrown back violently, crashing into a table.
"Dad!" Hijuku shouted.
Something inside him shattered.
The cafe trembled.
Cups rattled. Walls creaked.
Petals burst from nowhere, spinning wildly around Hijuku as he stood up.
Sakura turned sharply. "Hijuku—no!"
Too late.
One of the intruders lunged.
Hijuku raised his hand—
And the floor cracked.
A root—massive and glowing—burst upward, slamming the attacker into the ceiling before pinning him against the wall.
The cafe fell silent.
Hijuku stared at his trembling hand.
"I… I didn't mean to—"
Sakura grabbed him, pulling him back. "Control it! You'll destroy everything!"
The remaining intruders backed away slowly.
"This changes things," one muttered. "He's far more compatible than expected."
They retreated into the shadows, melting into the night as suddenly as they had appeared.
The silence afterwards felt deafening.
Hideo groaned.
Hijuku rushed to his side. "Dad! Are you okay?"
Hideo winced, then laughed weakly. "Guess… I should stop calling this a normal life."
Sakura looked away.
"This was only a test," she said. "Next time, they won't hold back."
Hijuku clenched his fists.
"Then neither will I."
Sakura looked at him sharply.
"No," she said. "Next time… we fight together."
Their eyes locked.
Something unspoken passed between them—fear, trust, and something warmer beneath it.
Outside, cherry blossoms fell gently, as if nothing had happened.
But far away, on a rooftop overlooking the city, a tall figure smiled.
"So he has chosen," the figure said. "Prepare the ritual."
The sakura will bloom fully soon.
And when it did—
War would begin.
---
The night slowly settled again, as if trying to erase what had just happened.
The Cherry Blossom Cafe stood silent, its door slightly cracked, petals scattered across the floor like the remains of a forgotten ritual. Hideo insisted on cleaning up despite the pain in his side, muttering about "customers tomorrow" while clearly ignoring Sakura's glare.
"You should rest," Sakura said sharply.
"And let you two clean my cafe?" Hideo scoffed. "Not happening."
Hijuku watched them quietly, his chest still tight.
The memory of the roots bursting from the floor replayed again and again in his mind.
That power… it felt natural.
That scared him more than the attack itself.
"I'm going to step outside for a bit," Hijuku said suddenly.
Hideo looked up instantly. "Hey—"
"I won't go far," Hijuku added quickly. "I just need air."
Sakura studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "I'll be nearby."
---
The street outside was quiet.
Streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement, and the sakura petals drifting in the air had returned to their soft pink hue. Hijuku leaned against the railing near the cafe, staring up at the sky.
"Since when does power answer fear?" he muttered.
"Since the moment someone has something worth protecting."
Hijuku stiffened.
"That's a dangerous thought."
He turned.
A boy stood a few meters away, leaning casually against a lamppost.
He was tall—taller than Hijuku—and wore the same Sakura High uniform, though his jacket was open and his tie loose. His dark hair was tied neatly into a low ponytail, swaying slightly in the ni,ght breeze. His expression was calm, almost bored, but his eyes were sharp—too sharp.
Hi and steadyjuku frowned. "Who are you?"
The boy straightened and walked closer, his footsteps quiet.
"Name's Kaito," he said. "Kaito Aoyama."
Hijuku's heart skipped.
"From Sakura High?" he asked.
Kaito smirked faintly. "Did the uniform give it away?"
Before Hijuku could respond, Sakura appeared beside him instantly, her presence tense.
"You," she said coldly. "You shouldn't be here."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Still as hostile as ever, Guardian."
Hijuku blinked. "You know him?"
"Unfortunately," Sakura replied.
Kaito chuckled. "Relax. If I were here to fight, this place would already be ashes."
Hijuku swallowed.
He didn't feel hostile… but he didn't feel human either.
Kaito's gaze shifted to Hijuku, lingering for a moment too long.
"So," he said casually, "you're the Heart."
Hijuku's breath caught.
Sakura stepped forward instantly. "Don't say that name."
Kaito shrugged. "Too late. He already feels it."
Hijuku clenched his fists. "What do you want?"
Kaito looked almost impressed.
"Straight to the point. I like that." He glanced toward the cafe. "Relax. I'm not with the Bloom Hunters."
"Then who are you with?" Hijuku asked.
Kaito's eyes darkened slightly.
"Let's just say… there are people who don't want the sakura to bloom again."
Silence fell.
Sakura's expression hardened. "Then you're no better than them."
Kaito shook his head. "Wrong. They want to use him."
He looked back at Hijuku.
"We want to decide whether he should exist."
The words hit like a blade.
Hijuku took a step forward. "You talk like I'm not even here."
Kaito smiled faintly. "You're here. That's why this is complicated."
Sakura's hand glowed faintly with magic. "Leave. Now."
Kaito raised both hands in surrender. "Easy. I'm just the messenger."
He turned away, then paused.
"Oh—and Hijuku?"
Hijuku met his gaze.
"When the full bloom begins," Kaito said calmly, "you won't just be fighting monsters."
The wind picked up, lifting his ponytail as he stepped back into the shadows.
"You'll be fighting people who look just like you."
And then he was gone.
No sound.
No trace.
Just falling petals.
Hijuku stood frozen.
"…He was strong," he said quietly.
Sakura exhaled slowly. "Yes."
"Stronger than the Bloom Hunters?"
She hesitated.
"…Different."
Hijuku looked down at his hands.
"So now there are enemies," he murmured, "and people deciding whether I should exist."
Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You exist," she said firmly. "That's enough."
From the cafe doorway, Hideo watched them silently, his expression unreadable.
Far above, on the rooftop of a distant building, Kaito stood beneath the moonlight, eyes narrowed.
"So this is the boy who changed fate," he murmured.
He turned, ponytail swaying.
"Try not to die too soon, Sakura Heart."
Because the next time they met—
He wouldn't be holding back.