Hikari and Riko lowered themselves to the rooftop floor, sitting on either side of Kaito at a respectful but close distance. The wind continued its gentle dance around them, carrying the unspoken tension away.
Hikari broke the silence first, her voice carrying that familiar bluntness but softened by genuine curiosity. "How were you able to knock him out so fast? Like... like an assassin or something."
Riko's eyes sharpened with interest. Her heart, usually so controlled, so analytical, felt a pull she couldn't explain—a desperate need for the answer, as if understanding this would unlock something fundamental about the boy beside her. It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
Kaito took another bite of his food, chewing methodically before responding. His voice was calm, as if discussing a textbook chapter. "I practised martial arts. For years. And I studied vital points on the human body. Where to strike for self-defence, where pressure causes unconsciousness." He paused. "I decided to keep it a secret. From everyone."
The admission hung in the air. Years of training. Hidden. Silent. A secret weapon buried beneath the cold exterior.
Riko leaned forward slightly, her curiosity overriding her usual restraint. "And after he was unconscious? Why did you keep hitting him? What were you thinking about that made you give that teacher a death stare cold enough to give goosebumps?"
Kaito's chewing slowed. His gaze drifted to the sky, unfocused, as if searching for an answer in the clouds.
"That was..." He paused, choosing words carefully. "Pure self instinct. The bullying... it triggered something. My past." His voice dropped almost imperceptibly. "I lost control. For a moment. And the teacher..." He exhaled slowly. "I wasn't seeing her. I was seeing someone else. From before."
He looked down at his lunch, then back at them, his expression returning to its usual neutral mask. "Besides, I didn't even do that much. You're both making a real fuss over nothing."
The absurdity of the statement hung in the air.
Hikari stared at him. Then her lips twitched. Then a snort escaped her. And finally, she couldn't hold it anymore—a burst of laughter erupted from her, loud and genuine and completely unexpected.
"You didn't make a fuss?" she gasped between laughs. "Kaito, you didn't make a fuss—you made a whole scene! The entire class is traumatized! Teachers are scared of you! Takeda is probably still unconscious!"
Riko watched Hikari laugh, and something strange happened. A smile tugged at her own lips—genuine, uncalculated, unpracticed. She quickly suppressed it, but the warmth remained in her chest.
For the first time since arriving at Sakuragaoka, Riko Aoyama felt like she was exactly where she belonged.
(End of Chapter 51)