If you asked Akira Kurusu what the worst feeling in the world was, he honestly couldn't tell you the answer. He wasn't as experienced in walks of life as adults were, so he hadn't the foggiest idea. What made his heart hurt? What made his blood run cold? What made him despair?

"YAAAAAAH!"

Well, certainly not that...

Akira Kurusu stood on the sandy beach in front of the Morning Glory Orphanage. It was always nice to come here, listen to the waves and watch the sun glisten on the water.

Okinawa was a beautiful place, and Akira was currently feeling beyond lucky that he could live here...whilst sidestepping the rotund young boy that leapt at him.

"Don't we need bells before wrestling matches start, Taichi?" Akira asked, smirking at the boy. The bald kid was just a bundle of energy, and a wrestling fanatic of the highest pedigree, though that didn't really translate into skill when his whole fighting strategy was to rush in thoughtlessly and use any wrestling move that he could think of.

Case in point, Taichi rushed forward and tried to get Akira into a headlock, completely ignoring the fact that would be next to impossible considering that Akira was way taller than him. At least try to knock him down first!

"We don't got no bells here! It's just you and me, Akira-nii!" Taichi declared. The young boy then tried to throw a punch at Akira, but the curly-haired teen easily sidestepped before dropping to the ground and lashing out with his leg, sweeping Taichi's legs out from under him along with a spray of sand.

Taichi hit the sand with a thud and gave a small groan. "Oww..." He grunted. Akira grinned and crouched down next to the kid.

"So it is." Akira teased. "Maybe you should call in Uncle Kaz? "Just you and me" doesn't seem to be working out for you~," Akira told him.

"Ah shuddap!" Taichi moaned. There was no real fire in his voice as he pushed himself up. "More importantly, that move was sick! Show me how to do it!" He demanded with a grin.

The request made Akira quirk a brow. "What? We're not sparring anymore?" He asked.

"Ju-Just wait until I get this move down, then I'll definitely beat you." Taichi declared. The boy then dropped into a crouch and extended one of his legs, drawing a line in the sand with his foot. Trying to emulate Akira's sweep, no doubt.

"Oh, you might not want to try that before-"

"Aaah! Cr-Cramp!"

"... stretching first." Akira sighed as he watched Taichi roll around in the sand with a pained expression. Honestly, what a goofy little brother he had...

Akira waited for Taichi's cramp to run its course before helping the kid up.

"Hey, Taichi. I know that you thought my legs sweep was cool, but to be honest, you might not be suited for it." He told him.

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" Taichi asked. Akira smiled and simply pat him on the shoulder. "Well, leg sweeps are something that you use when you're more agile, more well-rounded of a fighter. It's good for heavy opponents since you can use their weight against them. You wanna be a pro, right?" He asked Taichi, who nodded.

"You like to hit hard, focusing on power to defeat your opponent, and you can take a good few hits too. But you're slow, and a faster wrestler would be able to overwhelm you if you're not careful. Leg sweeps were practically made to take down fighters like you." Akira explained as he looked over the boy.

"My advice? Learn how to avoid them first. Play to your strengths." He added. "Pro bowlers don't become pro bowlers by playing golf. The same goes for pro wrestlers. They don't grow by using styles that don't match their capabilities." He said. He had to hold back a chuckle as Taichi stared at him, holding onto every word. "It's important to devote time and practice to whatever you wanna do. It's the only way that you'll improve, just like with Haruka."

Akira grinned at the thought of that young woman. She was only a couple of years younger than him, but she felt way more mature. She was the big sister figure that everybody turned to in Morning Glory. She was the first orphan here, or it would be more accurate to say that she was Uncle Kaz's ward. She had known him the longest out of anyone else here. Akira had never pried when it came to the details of Haruka's circumstances. Somehow, he felt that it was a sore subject for her.

But now, she has grown even further. She had spoken of her desire to get into the idol scene, and Akira truly believed that there was no greater career for her. Haruka had a special talent for making people happy. On the occasions when she'd sing and dance whilst doing chores or something, it was difficult to not cheer for her. She was amazing, and her goals were extraordinary.

Akira had full confidence that she could pull it off, the same way that Taichi could achieve similar successes in his own career as an aspiring pro wrestler.

"How's this...?" Akira put a hand on his hip. "I'll teach you a move that is more suitable to your style. And when you make it to the pro scene, you can call it the 'Akira Plummet!'" Akira offered.

That certainly perked the kid right up. "There's no way I'm calling it that, but I'm in!" Taichi exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "Erm, why do you call it the 'Akira Plummet' anyway?"

Taichi suddenly saw Akira's expression shift into something mischievous, and the wrestling fanatic started to wonder if maybe he should have kept his mouth shut...


It was about half an hour later that the duo returned to the sanctuary of Morning Glory. One was looking rather smug, and the other was looking a little beat up and bitter. Both were covered in sand.

On the porch of the Morning Glory were three more kids; two boys and a girl. Mitsuo, Koji and Ayako.

"Hey, guys!" Akira waved to the trio. He received several greetings back.

"Hey, 'Kira! Taichi!" Koji greeted, looking up and down the pair. "Geez, you two! What, you popped over to the Sahara for a spell?" He joked.

Mitsuo grinned as he leaned against the door frame. "I think the Sahara would have been more forgiving." He said.

"I was just teaching our future 'Rain Hysterio' a new trick to add to his wrestling repertoire," Akira said.

"It's 'Rey Mysterio,' and you know that!" Taichi pouted. He then received a light noogie from Akira.

"Of course I do." He taunted. "Just wanted to get on your nerves a little." He chuckled when Taichi gave a small whine in response.

"You think the several dozen times that you slammed Taichi into the sand didn't get on his nerves?" Ayako asked with crossed arms. The twintailed girl didn't look too pleased with their antics.

"To be fair, he quite literally asked for it." Akira pointed out. "Plus, it's sand, he'll survive."

"Barely...I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow." Taichi whined as he leaned back to stretch his spine.

"Hey, could be worse. You could have asked Uncle Kaz to help you practice wrestling. We'd be cleaning you up with a mop." Koji pointed out. That was a fact that no one could deny. Uncle Kaz was a badass.

"So, I didn't see the whole thing, did you at least land a hit on Akira-nii?" Mitsuo asked Taichi.

"Oh yeah! He thought he had me aaallll figured out, but when he was slamming me into the ground, I found a weakness to the move!" Taichi exclaimed proudly. "Once I did that, I was able to take Akira-nii by surprise and get him to the ground. Pinned him for two seconds and everything!" He claimed, puffing his chest out.

"You grabbed my hair and dragged me down with you when you fell. Still hurts a little, even." Akira said, reaching up to twist his ebony locks. "That doesn't count."

"I'm pretty sure it counts 'Kira!" Koji piped in.

"Yeah, I agree, we'll give that point to Taichi," Mitsuo added with a grin.

"Ha! In your face, Akira-nii! I have a point!" Taichi bragged, which made Akira roll his eyes.

"Yes, yes, you're all traitors." He said before looking to Ayako. "You'll vouch for me, right Ayako?" He asked.

The flat look that he received did not fill him with confidence.

"You're both covered in sand. Make sure to brush it off before you come inside." She sighed before retreating inside to get away from the stupid boys.

Akira couldn't help but frown. He didn't know what it was about him, but for some reason, he just wasn't able to connect with Ayako like he could with the other kids. He hadn't been here for too long, a year and a half max, but he liked to think that he had a nice relationship with everyone. Interactions with Ayako though, they were cordial at best.

Still, he decided not to press her on it, if she had a problem with him, then it was up to her to let him know. He couldn't solve it otherwise... Plus, if it got really bad, he could ask Uncle Kaz for help. According to Haruka, he was good at solving these kids' problems.

"Still salty towards you, 'Kira?" Koji asked with none of his prior mirth.

"Yeah," the teen sighed. "I wish I knew what I've done wrong. I help with the chores, I go to bed on time and I even help with homework, but I can never get her to like me."

"I'm sure she'll come around eventually. You're a really good person, Akira-nii. She's gotta see that at some point," Mitsuo said.

"Thanks..." Akira replied. He really didn't deserve these little firecrackers he called his siblings.

"Um, good person? He slammed me down into the sand over and over again!" Taichi pointed out.

"Yeah, a bad person would have done it on the road!" Koji said, trying to inject some levity into the situation. Unfortunately, his joke wasn't well received. Fortunately, something happened that was.

"Everyone! Lunch is ready!" A sweet voice akin to sugared milk rang out. There was an immediate rumbling inside the orphanage's walls as several children ran to take their place at the table.

"Oh, awesome! Haruka-nee's got lunch ready, I'm starving! See you inside, Akira-nii-gack!" Taichi was about to run inside before Akira grabbed his shirt collar and stared him down.

"Sand first."


After the duo had cleared the sand off of themselves, they raced inside and took their seats at the table, already set with delicious fish and rice. There were eleven seats at the table, and each kid had a spot. There were the girls, Ayako, Eri, Izumi, Riona and Haruka, and for the guys, there was Koji, Taichi, Mitsuo, Shiro, Akira and finally, sitting at the head of the table was the owner of the orphanage. The caretaker of all the children. The stern-faced man who had, taken the role of their father. Uncle Kaz, or his actual name. Kiryu Kazuma.

Akira, even up until this point, was always curious about Kiryu. The man had always exuded some kind of aura around him; one that offered comfort and safety to all those that the man chose to protect. However, if you were on the opposite side, if you wished to harm those who stood at Uncle Kaz's back, that aura would probably feel quite different.

Like you were facing into the jaws of an unyielding dragon...

"Alright, everyone. Ready...and..."

"Itadakimasu!"

Everyone started to dig into their meal, with vigour ranging from tenderly chewing to basically inhaling. It was strange that there was such a display of personalities, even as they were eating. It was endearing in a way.

Akira couldn't help but idly take rice and fish alike into his mouth, as he was currently lost in thought. Akira always knew that there was something different about Kiryu. That there was something beyond the person who was simply their caretaker. Something that was part of a world that Akira would never reach. Heck, a world that Akira wasn't sure if he even wanted to reach.

Kiryu was simultaneously intimidating and extremely cool. Like an everpresent tower that wanderers could look to for guidance. Easy to identify yet almost incomprehensible in scale.

It was just really strange that a man like that was caring for a bunch of children while wearing a floral button-up…

"Hm? Is something wrong, Akira?" Kiryu's deep voice crossed the table and caused Akira to perk up. it was at this point that the teen realised that he had been staring at the man for probably about half a minute now. Immediately, he shook his head and tried to play it off.

"O-Oh! It's nothing, Uncle Kaz. I was just...thinking," Akira replied.

"I see..." Kiryu said. "Want to talk about it?"

Akira shook his head. "Nah, it's super-cool teenager stuff, none of you would understand." Akira played it off with his usual smirk.

"Akira-nii, you know I'm only two years younger than you..." Haruka pointed out.

"Super-cool boy teenager stuff. No girls allowed!" Akira amended.

Haruka's ensuring pout was as adorable as it was humorous.

"No fair...I let you help me with my idol routines. That's super-cool girl teenager stuff." Haruka complained. This earned a scoff from Akira.

"Let me help? Was that what you're doing when you're the one constantly begging me to play guitar for your mock performance?" Akira shot back. Haruka went wide-eyed before huffing, indignant.

Akira one, Haruka zero.

"Oooh! Maybe… Could it be a girlfrieeeend?" Riona asked, leaning over the table with a coy grin on her face.

"Pfft, yeah right. You wouldn't approve of any girlfriend of mine. You'd all probably work together to try and scare her off," He commented.

"Then it must be our match just now, right?" Taichi asked brightly. Akira made a show of thinking about it before shaking his head. "Nah, there was no bell, so it wasn't even a match. We'd need a bell to make it proper."

"You're still on about that?!" Taichi asked incredulously.

"Either that or a gong. What do you say, Uncle Kaz, can we get a gong?" Akira asked their caretaker, ignoring Taichi.

Kiryu couldn't help but smile. "You know, normal teenagers are looking into these new-fangled 'smartphones,' and here you are, asking for a gong."

The entire table began to titter in laughter, much to Kiryu's confusion. "What? What did I say?" He asked.

"New-fangled! That's old people talk!" Mitsuo chuckled.

"Smartphones aren't too new, tons of people have them nowadays!" Shiro said, though he couldn't stop a small smile from blooming.

"Uncle Kaz is an oldie!" Izumi sang between fits of giggles.

"Hmm..." Kiryu groaned and hung his head. Not only had his witty retort completely backfired with a poor choice of words, but now he was being made fun of by his own kids.

Haruka came to his rescue and clapped her hands. "Now now, come on, no bullying Uncle Kaz." She chastised the table, who had the decency to look apologetic.

"Sorry..." The table said, bowing their heads. Be they children or teenagers, Kiryu raised some fine children.

A few minutes later, the man looked up towards Akira. "By the way, Akira, can I see you privately after lunch?" He asked.

"Huh? Um, sure, I guess." Akira replied. See him in private? Well, that was somewhat foreboding. Uncle Kaz usually had hearts-to-hearts with all the children here, but Akira didn't recall any issues that would have warranted having said heart-to-heart. Eh, well he would find out what was up when you got there.

Kiryu then looked to Ayako. "And Ayako, once Akira and I finish, I'd like to speak with you as well."

"Eh?" Ayako looked up from her lunch to look at Kiryu. "O-Okay, Uncle Kaz." She replied.

From then on, lunch was silent, and one by one, each person finished their meal. Shiro and Koji were on dish duty, and the others split up to do their own thing, so Akira stood up and followed Kiryu to his room when the man gave him an expectant glance.

Akira and Kiryu entered the room and closed the door behind them for some privacy. Akira felt that he had no reason to be nervous, but everybody felt a bit apprehensive when their parent wanted to speak with them alone.

"Akira..." Kiryu said, turning around to look at the teen seriously. "I watched your fight with Taichi. You gave him some nice pointers and all but..." He stared hard into Akira's flint eyes with his deep brown ones.

"...where did you learn to fight?"

And Akira's stomach dropped like a stone in a pond.

"C-Come again...?" Akira replied, hoping that he misheard.

"Your movements in battle, the way you strike, no matter how casually. The way you move. It's not exactly how I move, but it's close, almost identical." Kiryu said. "I know I didn't teach you how to fight, but you're somehow able to move like me anyway." He informed Akira. "You're not in trouble, but I would like some answers," Kiryu said.

Akira was sort of in a state of fight-or-flight now. His ability to fight was something that he was hoping to keep secret from Kiryu, but now it was out in the open. How refined of a fighter was Kiryu to immediately recognise his style?

"U-Uncle Kaz..."

"I know for sure that I didn't teach you how to fight. I didn't teach any of you how to fight. You shouldn't have to fight. So how do you know?"

"I'm...ashamed to say," Akira replied with a quiet voice.

"Ashamed?" Kiryu asked. What did Akira mean by that?

"You...don't have to say if you don't want to Akira, but being quiet isn't going to help me understand. I learned how to fight in a life that I've long left behind me, and seeing remnants of that life manifest within you makes me feel like I've failed to keep you safe..." The older man admitted.

"What you did before...it was dangerous?" Akira phrased his response as a question but he already knew the answer.

"Very" Kiryu nodded his head solemnly. "Frankly it's a miracle that I made it out of that life like I did, and now I find myself blessed every day, taking care of wonderful children, children like you," He admitted. "I learned how to fight out of necessity, but you don't need to-"

"I did!" Akira interrupted. "Without learning how to fight from you, I don't think I'd even be alive right now..."

Kiryu's silence spoke volumes as to his intrigue, though concern could be seen in his steely expression too.

Akira eventually decided to bite the bullet and start talking. Uncle Kaz would see through any deflections.

"Uncle Kaz...you remember when I first came to this orphanage?" He asked the man.

Kiryu nodded. "You were digging through our dumpster, practically feral. Izumi thought you were the Boogeyman." He answered curtly.

"Er...yeah. Well, I told you that I had been living on the streets of Okinawa, but I never said how long..." Akira slowly sunk to his knees as he retold the tale.

"I had assumed that it had been a couple of months..."

"Seven years..."

"What...?"

"I was on the streets for seven years, Uncle Kaz. I don't know who took care of me before then, but I know that it wasn't my real parents. I was tossed out and had nowhere to go. I had to eat out of the trash and look under vending machines, praying for lost change. I even had to fish just to get some meat. I couldn't even go to school anymore, so I had to learn from books in the library, and the only reason I did that was to pass the time when it started raining. It was one of the only shelters I had."

"Akira..." Kiryu whispered.

"I was miserable. Nobody wanted to associate with me. Nobody cared for the kid that just slipped through the cracks of a broken society. I was alone, desperately trying to survive for reasons that I can't even fathom now. To be frank, I'm surprised I didn't die," Akira said. It was clear that he was trying to keep his voice steady and his expression calm, but simply reliving this stuff was making it hard to do so.

"And then, a few years ago. You and Haruka came to Okinawa. To create the haven known as Morning Glory. I saw you...a few times in town. And that's when I saw the way you fought. You practically ran all over Okinawa, doing odd jobs for people, and when you came up against opposition, which was weirdly often, I...couldn't help but watch. The way you fought. It was brutal, and graceful, both at the same time."

"So you're saying you...watched me, and you were able to replicate my fighting style through that?" Kiryu asked. "But to become so proficient in it, just by observing..."

"I didn't only observe, I practised. To me your way of fighting, your skill that allowed you to take on ten men or more at once without breaking a sweat... I believed it was a matter of life and death to learn it. If I could, then I could beat up thugs like those as well and...erm...steal their cash...I-I covered my face though so don't worry, nobody's coming for revenge...!" Akira rushed to assure.

"I see..." Kiryu replied. He didn't entirely approve of Akira being a former shakedowner, but it wasn't like he could talk; he did the exact same things back when he was Akira's age, and at least Akira was doing it to people who had it coming.

"Still, we took you in; you have a life here now, so why do you still choose to practise something that you only needed to survive?" Kiryu asked.

Akira paused before subtly shrugging his shoulders. "I...don't have a reason. I guess having a fighting style to practise helps me to clear my head sometimes. It's more like a hobby than anything else now..."

Akira looked down at his hand, which he balled up into a fist. "But if I'm being honest, deep down, I feel like being able to fight might come in handy one day. I know you don't want me to put myself in harm's way and I'll definitely try not to but...I suppose I feel stronger...safer. Like I have some control over my life, you know?"

Kiryu nodded understandingly. "I do understand where you're coming from, Akira. It's natural to want to feel empowered. Still, I don't want you to think about your past life so much that you end up reliving it. You're a different person now. A kind older brother who wrestles with Taichi, who takes Mame for walks with Izumi, who collects seashells with Eri. You may know how to fight, but that doesn't define you like it did before."

Kiryu sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "It's not like I'm telling you to stop...but just remember: you are more than the man who learned how to fight in order to survive the streets. You can fight, but don't let it affect the kind, young man you are now. I also don't want you jumping into dangerous situations just because you can. Anything could go wrong if you're not careful."

He lowered his head and continued. "I'll admit, I used my skills both responsibly and irresponsibly in the past. I've helped a lot of people...and I've hurt a lot more. Fighting has been a big part of my life and I just don't want it to be a big part of yours."

"Obviously, this is something that I don't want you repeating." He told Akira with a serious stare.

The teen nodded, acknowledging his uncle's wise words. "I hear you, Uncle Kaz. And don't worry, I won't forget it. No turning to late-night vigilantism for me. I'll stay safe." He joked.

Uncle Kaz smiled warmly. "Good. If you ever feel like you need guidance or support, don't hesitate to come to me."

"Are you talking training or...?"

Kiryu's flat stare answered the question.

"Kidding!" Akira squeaked, holding his arms up. "I'll come to you if I ever need help. I promise." He said.

Akira then managed to get to his feet. "Um, so...is that everything?" He asked.

"Yes, you can leave now. You can also tell Ayako that I'm ready to speak with her now." Kiryu requested.

Akira nodded his head and turned around, heading for the doorway. He left the room and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Phew...that could have gone worse..." He muttered under his breath. Uncle Kaz knew his secret now, but this wasn't the world-ending scenario that Akira thought it would be. He got a lecture, but with all that Kiryu had told him, he kind of understood why the older man was concerned about him. What he had obtained from Kiryu was not unlike a loaded gun. With it, he could hurt as many people as he could save, not that he would use this strength of his for anything other than self-defence...maybe professional fighting too. Taichi planned on entering the wrestling scene, maybe Akira could do something similar...?

His thoughts were cut off as he ran into just the girl he was looking for in the middle of the hallway. "Ah! Ayako, Uncle Kaz is ready for you!" He called out to the pigtailed girl.

Ayako looked to him and gave a small nod. "Alright, I'm coming." She replied. She walked towards Akira with some kind of weird presence over her, and Akira couldn't help but feel perturbed. As such, he decided to do what felt like the right thing at the time and gave Ayako a wide berth, pressing himself against one of the hallway walls.

He wasn't surprised when she didn't make a comment about it at all. He just simply watched her disappear behind the sliding door of the side room.

Well. He could only hope that Ayako wasn't in some kind of trouble though that was unlikely. Compared to the other orphans, that girl was a saint.

Well, whatever it was was none of his business. Akira had the whole rest of the day to chill, and he had a pretty good idea of what to spend it on. Him, Koji, Mitsuo, Shiro and Taichi. All-Boys, Free-for-all on Virtua Fighters. Loser bought everyone ice cream. Akira liked his chances. He was about to go gather everyone, but then heard a muffled voice from behind the sliding door that made him freeze in place.

"Ayako...if you don't mind, could you please tell me what you don't like about Akira?"

The teen's breath hitched, his breathing stilled, and time suddenly felt still. What Ayako didn't like about him...? He knew that the girl wasn't fond of him for some reason, but Ayako had never said why. If she was going to divulge that information to anyone though it would have to be Uncle Kaz.

Before he knew it, Akira found himself crouched against the entryway with his ear to the door. He knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but could you blame him when he was directly involved?

"I've watched for a while, but I just can't be quiet anymore. Ayako, you're alienating Akira for some reason." Kiryu accused her.

Ayako quickly took on an expression that made her look like she had been caught in a lie and rapidly shook her hands. "N-No! It's not like that at all. A-Akira and I get along really gr-great!"

Unfortunately, the lie wasn't enough to fool Kiryu.

"Ayako, please be honest with me. You know that I'm here to lend an ear to you, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what's on your mind." He insisted.

Ayako hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to open up to him. But something about Uncle Kaz's gentle demeanour made her feel like confiding in him.

"Akira..." Ayako sighed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I don't like him."

Uncle Kaz raised an eyebrow. "Can you tell me why?"

Ayako shifted from her spot on the floor. her gaze focused on her hands in her lap. "I don't know. It's just... something about him that rubs me the wrong way. He lives with us, eats with us and sleeps with us, but I've never felt like he's belonged here."

Uncle Kaz looked at her thoughtfully. "And why do you think that is? Because I can tell just how hard Akira is trying to connect with you all. He's trying to belong. And you're saying he doesn't?"

"I know that...b-but I can't help but find it annoying. What gives him the right to pretend like he belongs here?" The young girl snarled in a frustrated frenzy

"Ayako!" Kiryu quelled the girl with a stern expression. "I know for a fact that Akira isn't pretending. He belongs here." He insisted.

"No, he can't belong here, Uncle Kaz!" Ayako cried. "He wasn't here when everyone apologised to me when I was really sad. He wasn't here when our home was broken by bad guys. Me, Haruka, you Uncle Kaz, and all the others, we all belong here. This is our home. Not Akira's. He's older than all of us and he didn't experience any of that stuff. So I...just can't look at him and see someone who belongs here."

Ayako breathed heavily after her short tirade. Kiryu gave the girl a chance to recover her breath. She had undeniably spoken her mind there.

For a moment, the girl could have sworn that she heard the vague sound of someone running through the hallway, but she was far too worked up to care about that right now.

Kiryu was silent for about a minute before he replied. "I think I understand where you're coming from. Akira is different to us, Akira wasn't there during our darkest hour so why should we consider him part of the family?" He asked Ayako, who merely nodded.

"Hm..." Kiryu brought his hand to his chin and thumbed his stubble. "Perhaps Akira felt that way too, once."

"Eh?" Ayako asked, looking at the man.

"Akira was older than any of you. Lived a completely different life from us, and had different struggles. Morning Glory was as much of a stranger to him as he was to it. It's not my place to say what he went through, but to suddenly go from where he was to a place filled with children was likely jarring for him. Now, take a look at this..."

Kiryu gestured to a bedside table where a photo frame was standing up. In it was a photo that had been taken about half a year ago. It was everyone at Morning Glory, grouped up on the beach and smiling at the camera. In the picture, right next to Kiryu was Akira smirking and throwing up a peace sign.

"That's not the face of a man who is anxious about his place in this family. Not anymore. If he can accept his place here, and everyone else can accept his place here, then why can't you?"

Ayako opened her mouth as if she was about to retort, but then closed it. That was...a good point.

Kiryu continued. He's helped with fixing things around the orphanage, he cooks and cleans like he was born here and he's always helping everyone else when I can't be there. And you know what else...?" Kiryu put a hand on Ayako's shoulder. "He's always looking out for you, Ayako. He may not have been here during difficult times, but he's here now, and he cares about you; about everyone. Judging him on things that are so trivial...you're smarter than that. Kinder than that."

Ayako listened intently as Uncle Kaz spoke, completely taken in by his words. When he put it like that...she did seem like she was being fussy. She worked hard to be a sort of big sister figure to the younger orphans like Haruka was, but she hadn't been treating Akira as a sibling at all.

And when all that realisation and introspective came crashing down, she came to the conclusion that she had been... unfair to him. Someone who merely wanted to be her brother, just like everyone else in Morning Glory.

"Give him a chance. Ayako. I'm sure that Akira won't disappoint you." Kiryu told the girl.

"Maybe you're right, Uncle Kaz," Ayako sighed, looking down at the floor. "B-But I've been so mean to him. How would I be able to apologise for that...?" She asked.

"Apologizing is the first step, Ayako. It takes courage to admit when we've made a mistake, but it's the only way to move forward. I'm sure Akira will forgive you." Kiryu told her with not a shred of doubt in his voice.

Ayako nodded slowly, feeling a mix of guilt and determination in her chest. She knew she had a lot of work to do to make things right with Akira, but she was willing to try.

"Thank you, Uncle Kaz," she said softly. "Could...um, you be there when I talk to Akira? I'd feel nervous otherwise," She requested, earning an amused expression from Kiryu. "Sure. As long as you're able to tell him your feelings about all this, I don't think he'd mind you trying to bridge the gap between you two."

A relieved smile stretched across Ayako's face, and a new resolve to fix what was broken was born within her heart. "I'm...I'm gonna go practice!" She declared before jumping to her feet and quickly leaving the room. She didn't want to rely on nervous word vomit when the time came.

She slid open the door to the room and was about to dash to her own, but something felt...weird.

She felt her gaze float over towards the side of the door. Her brow quirked. There wasn't anybody there...

"Something wrong, Ayako?" Kiryu asked.

"N-No...I just...ah, it was probably just my imagination." She sighed. She shook her head and slapped her cheeks twice.

Okay, no more stalling! She had an apology to practice!


"I don't belong..."

THUD!

"Just because I'm older...?"

WHACK!

"Because I wasn't there...?"

THUMP!

"WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THAT, AYAKO!?"

CLANG!

Akira flinched as he watched the metal pipe on the wall get torn off by a particularly ferocious kick of his. He watched it clatter to the ground unceremoniously with a scowl still on his face.

Honestly, that was why Ayako didn't like him? That was why, despite all that he had tried to do to connect with her, he had failed? Because of something so trivial, something he couldn't help?

It was so frustrating that he wanted to punch something, but he had somehow managed to keep his cool long enough to get out of Morning Glory before he snapped at someone. Nobody deserved to get shouted at.

Akira had kept anger in check as he made his way to an old stomping ground of his. A sort of hideout from when he was still living on the streets. An abandoned industrial zone that was basically just a graveyard of pipes, pallets and rusty machinery. There was nobody to hurt here.

So Akira let his frustration out. He had to vent, to cool his head before he returned to Morning Glory...

...was Ayako right? Was he just being a nuisance to everyone else that suffered together and grew together? Was trying to fit in with Morning Glory even worth it if Ayako thought of him that way?

"No. That can't be right." Akira whispered to himself. "Focus on your katas, Akira." He said, his only company being the slight echo.

Yeah, he was overthinking it. Of course he was welcome at Morning Glory. Why would the words of a twelve-year-old grief him like this? She was just a kid throwing a temper tantrum...

Kinda like what he was doing now...

"Just focus on your katas..."

Akira rolled his shoulders and took a stance that was reminiscent of an MMA fighter. His grey eyes stared ahead at opponents that weren't actually there. Every stain became a brute, every shadow a thug. There was no better place to train.

Brawler, a versatile fighting style that would never betray...

Akira caught an imaginary fist in his grip and then leaned back to dodge the kick that came his way. He then took the person in his grip's arm and threw it towards the second assailant, glaring at the empty space they were occupying.

A jack-of-all-trades assault to bring the pain, take the pain and avoid it altogether.

He dodged another blow to the back of the head, turned on his heel and backhanded the air before then rearing his first back

and punching hard.

There was a massive crash as Akira's fist collided with one of the machines, causing flakes of rust to fall from it and leaving a sizeable dent where his fist struck. Unperturbed, he dashed from his position and gripped the shirt of his imaginary opponent. Over and over again he punched the foe in the face before taking him down with a ferocious headbutt.

A style that could down legions of men with minimal effort. A style that could break bones and spill blood like nothing.

A trick to the eyes it may have been, but a vague blue aura began to emanate from Akira's body, his eyes aglow with fighting spirit.

But as soon as it appeared, it vanished just as suddenly as Akira swapped to a different fighting style in less than a second.

Twirling on the balls of his feet, Akira brought his fists up to his face and bounced on his toes like a boxer. More shadowy enemies came charging at him, but the ebony-haired teen wasn't dissuaded at all.

Rush Style. A style of near-incomprehensible speed. Move like the wind and take down foes just as swiftly...

Akira dashed around the group of thugs taking small jabs where he could whilst weaving around any blows he saw coming like he was a dancer. Left, right, lean back...

What the style lacked in power it more than made up for it with tremendous speed.

He saw two opponents come rushing at him at the same time to strike him, but Akira dodged to the side at the last second, causing the pair to hit each other. While they were dazed, Akira twisted his body and cleaned their nonexistent clocks with a roundhouse kick.

A few strikes would fell him, so he simply wouldn't be struck.

As they both fell, another guy came in to replace them, swinging an uppercut at Akira, who didn't miss a beat and brought his elbow down to match the punch, deflecting it and shattering the guy's fingers.

This time a pink aura started to seemingly burn from Akira's body, and with how fast he moved, it could barely cling to him. His speed was beyond crazy, possibly surpassing the level of an athlete. His eyes stared ahead with an eerie and calculating calm, almost like he could see the opponent move before they actually did.

With a wall and a thug superimposing onto each other, Akira ran up to the wall and leapt towards it, planting his foot at just about where the guy's sternum was. He then used the momentum to majestically backflip from his position, striking the chin like a wrecking ball.

He didn't waste a second once he landed and quickly swept his leg, which caused his foes to fall.

Outmaneuvering them would always feel satisfying, but it was time to properly put his foes to sleep.

Akira took a sharp breath and then brought his foot down so tremendously hard that dust shook from the rafters of the place.

"RAAAAAAAAGH!" He bellowed, like a crazed predator who was ready to kill

Beast Style. A style of monstrous strength and endurance. Power immeasurable and as unyielding as solid steel.

He stomped towards his foes, with every muscle in his body tensed. He could picture the intimidation on their faces.

One of the thugs lunged forward, swinging a meaty fist at Akira's head, but Akira dug in his heels and imagined the first connecting with his forehead. He wouldn't allow himself to budge, even when his opponent pulled his fist back and planted a spartan kick to his gut.

The Beast did not fall. It did not flee. It hunted.

Akira then dropped to his feet, rolling on the floor to pop back up behind the foe with ease and delivered a devastating punch to his kidney, sending him stumbling to the ground. Akira felt incredible power rushing through him, with transparent yellow flames leaking from his body.

The other thugs rushed in, fists and feet flying vainly trying to defeat the Beast.

They'd die trying.

Spotting a pallet to his right, Akira picked it up with inhuman strength and swung it in a massive arc, which knocked his foes backwards. He swung over and over again hefting the pallet like it was a stick he found on the playground.

Once his foes had retreated, he tossed it towards them with a guttural roar, and while it hit nothing, it would have been crippling in an actual fight.

Now, there were just a few foes left. Akira sighed and let the fury of Beast Style drain from him. He had one last thing that he wanted to try...

He clenched his fists and calmed his breathing. He had to be completely focused to make this style work. And even then, it was going to be hard.

He raised a single hand towards the group before him. "Come!" He challenged.

The style of the Legend...

Within seconds, he was surrounded on all sides and the blows started raining down upon him. Akira dodged and weaved, his movements fluid and graceful. He gained some leeway with a roundhouse kick that almost set off a chain reaction of these guys falling all over each other.

With the strength of Beast, the speed of Rush and the unification of both with Brawler.

He danced around any remnants, moving with grace and precision, never letting them land a single blow. Not a movement wasted, not a single twitch unplanned. Every kick, punch, grapple and dodge brought an end to his opponents' resistance.

An extremely faint white aura began to surround Akira...

The Style of The-

"Guah!"

Akira found himself falling to his knees as exhaustion overtook him like a flood. That style was way too intense for someone like him.

He lay on the ground, panting as if he had truly been fighting for his life there. He had been so focused on training that he had completely disregarded his growing tiredness. Especially with that last style.

It was extremely draining, to a crazy amount. He didn't know how Kiryu could fight for minutes on end with such a powerful style. Akira had managed to get the first three styles down, but trying to learn the last one was next to impossible. He had put countless hours in trying to replicate even a fraction of the last style's majesty, but he could never do it.

It was like that style was bred exclusively for Kiryu...

Akira groaned and pushed himself up from the floor, sitting up against a wall. God, his body hurt. He has really pushed himself today, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

At the time, Akira had just been angry. So frustrated that he had to flee to his secret spot and physically bash the feelings out of himself. Was that stupid?

Yes, yes it was. But Akira was a teenager. Teenagers did stupid things. Like forgetting to bring something to drink. He was so thirsty after kicking the crap out of his imaginary foes. He had stormed out of the house in such a state that he hadn't remembered to bring anything with him.

The only thing that he did have with him with his wallet and the only reason he had that was because it was already in his pocket when he left. He was honestly surprised that it hadn't fallen out during his intense shadowfight.

He dug into his pocket and pulled it out. He looked within its confines and found ¥5,000. Good, more than enough to grab a drink at the nearby Poppo.

Wincing, he got to his feet by pushing against the wall. He needed a drink...and a bath. He was sweaty and covered in dust. He didn't want to answer any uncomfortable questions once he returned home.

Ugh, and speaking of uncomfortable situations, what was he going to do when he saw Ayako again? He had almost forgotten about that.

He had thought that he had made a place for himself within Morning Glory, but had he really? It was that rant of Ayako's that he wasn't supposed to hear that had set his heart into turmoil and filled his mind with doubts. It was why he needed to run off and train in the first place. The last thing that he needed was to start snapping at the only people who had ever cared about him.

He'd need to talk to her. No more pussyfooting around, trying to earn her favour. He needed a serious talk with her. It didn't matter if she learned that he was eavesdropping. He wanted to convince her that he belonged.

He started to limp towards the entrance. Before all that, he needed some water. Ooh, a Staminan would be great!

Caught up in his thoughts while he was leaving, Akira failed to notice something quite peculiar.

Namely, the presence of a lone butterfly, fluttering down from the rafters, its body aglow with an ethereal blue. Sparkles seemed to follow with every flap of its wings. It was indescribably beautiful.

It flapped around the warehouse as if it was taking in the destruction left by the irate teen. Its gaze was drawn to the limping form of the young man.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, it fluttered back up to the rafters and vanished in a small flash of blue particles. All with Akira being none the wiser...


"Thank you for your patronage!"

Akira gave a small wave to the Poppo clerk as he left the store. He had bought a bottle of water and had nearly chugged the whole thing before he had even bought it. He had barely left the store before he had uncapped it and started to gulp it down.

He sighed in relief as the water soothed his parched throat. All that exercise had drained him to near zero, so it was nice to rehydrate. He felt worlds better already. Walking down the silent streets with cool air on his face really helped him feel rejuvenated.

It was during a particularly deep swig that Akira noticed the sky and what was in his mouth was almost spat out. It was super dark! Was he that tired that he hadn't noticed that it was almost nighttime?

He looked around and to his shock, the streets of Okinawa were completely devoid of people. The only sounds that he could hear were his own footsteps and the barking of a distant dog.

How long had he been training for!?

Thankfully, it didn't seem like it was too late. Maybe half past six, Akira didn't have a watch or a phone to check the time. Either way, he had to get home quickly. It was probably getting close to dinner time, and the others would probably be worried about him.

But his footsteps paused when a sudden, gruff voice pierced through the silence of the night.

"Just get in the car!"

Akira flinched. That...didn't sound good.

"Stop it!" Came another voice. A cry of somebody who was definitely female. "Let me go!"

Okay. It definitely wasn't good!

Within a second, adrenaline pumped through Akira's veins and his earlier pain vanished. The voices were just ahead. He had to see what was going on...

He quickly sprinted around the corner and almost recoiled in disgust at what he saw.

Right next to a parked car with its lights on were a pair of adults, a bald man and a woman, but the man had his arms around her whilst the woman was struggling, trying to get away. His hands were even brushing against her butt and waist, much to the woman's discomfort.

"Don't give me that shit...!" The man snarled. He squeezed the lady harder, causing her to gasp in pain.

"O-Ow...! Please stop!" She whimpered. Akira could hear the fear in her voice. Fear that would be well justified should that man get her into the car.

Akira had seen enough. He wasn't going to let this continue. That guy was clearly going too far! Uncle Kaz wouldn't allow this and neither would he! Without wasting a second, Akira rushed up to the pair.

"Ah, what a waste of time. You think you're worth causing me trouble? Huh?" The man snarled at the woman. The man had the woman gripped by the scruff of her coat, but his movements were uneasy, sloppy. Characteristics of someone who was quite inebriated. There was no doubt as to what was going on here. This woman was being sexually assaulted and forced to go with a man that she did not want to.

"I-If you go any further, I'll call the police!" The woman threatened. It would normally be enough to make any normal person back off, but the bald man smirked at her threat.

"Hm, call them if you want!" He scoffed. "The police are my bitches. They're not gonna take you seriously." It was clear that this guy wasn't afraid of the police. And that caused some questions to stir in Akira's head. Just who was this guy?

"No...stop!" The woman whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm the one who will steer this country towards a bright future. Incompetent fools like you-"

"Hey!" Akira called out to the man. He had already prepared himself for a fight. This wasn't his first throwdown with a drunkard. "Let her go, now!"

That seemed to gain the man's attention and he turned his head to face Akira.

...

Shades? At this time of night?

"The hell you looking at, kid? Get lost!" The man snarled. A lesser man would probably back down.

Akira was not one of those men.

"Get away from her. While you still can." Akira warned with narrowed eyes.

"Was that a threat, you little shit?" The man now fully turned away from the woman, who was staring at Akira like a sole light in the darkness.

"She obviously doesn't want to go with you. Back off, man." Akira warned. "Or I'll make you back off."

The teen's threat seemed to amuse the man and he smirked at Akira. "You trying to play hero? How repugnant. Japan needs my guidance more than I thought. There are delinquents like you under every rock."

"I'm the delinquent? You're the one trying to sexually assault this woman!" Akira retorted. The arrogance of this guy!

"I don't give a fuck what you think!" The man snarled. "If you know what's good for you, then leave right now. You don't want to know what happens when you cross me..." He told Akira.

On one hand, that ominous statement had Akira feeling somewhat uncomfortable, but it was difficult to take this guy's threat seriously when he was staggering on the spot.

At that moment, Akira heard something that filled him with relief. The sound of police sirens. He could almost see their faint glow. They'd be here soon.

He glanced at the man, hoping to see some concern, but for some reason, instead of looking worried, he simply looked perturbed.

"Someone called the cops, huh?" He muttered. Despite his lack of deference towards the police. It was clear that he didn't want to deal with them.

He turned to the woman and went to grip her arm, intending to flee the scene with his unwilling passenger, but hardly expected to have his own wrist gripped like a vice.

"That's enough." He heard a low voice say.

He looked to see the annoying brat, albeit one with a strong grip, holding onto his wrist. He tried to pull his arm free, but the kid didn't budge.

"You...!" The man glared at Akira silently questioning the audacity of the boy who'd dare touch him "Get your hand...OFF ME!"

He yanked hard to try and pull out of Akria's grip, but the boy's grasp barely loosened. He tugged and pulled to no avail. It wasn't until Akira let go of the man's hand, seemingly amused by his futile struggles.

This was during an especially sharp yank, during which the momentum caused the bald man to stumble backwards. Had it not been for the wall behind him, he probably would have tumbled to the ground.

He managed to stare at Akira with sheer hatred. "You...you're fucking dead, brat!" The man hissed as he pushed himself upright from the wall and rushed at Akira whilst rearing his fist back.

It would take a man of extremely high skill to land such an obvious strike on Akira. With this guy's inebriated state, he was nowhere close.

Akira casually tilted his head to the side and let the fist whoosh past his ear.

"Huh?! Graahh!"

A second later he was met with the very satisfying sound of the man being made the victim of his own momentum once again as he hit the ground with a thud. A small clatter brought Akira's focus to the ground. It was the guy's shades. He must've hit hard to have them fall off. No building to save him this time. Face, meet pavement!

Akira turned to look at the him, holding back a smirk as he painfully pushed himself off the ground, now with a nasty gash on his forehead. It wasn't bleeding too much,but it did look painful.

Akira and the woman watched as the man got to his feet, wobbling like he'd fall back down any second. Akira didn't feel sorry for him in the slightest.

The bald man grasped his forehead in an attempt to stem the bleeding, all the while glaring at the teen with spite.

And then, he said something that would haunt Akira for many months to come...

"Damn brat, I'll sue!"

Akira's fist clenched, and his rage began to build. Was this guy seriously this petty?

"For what? You fell on your own, after trying to hit me!" Akira replied. It wasn't like he was upset that he was nearly hit, because dodging the blow was child's play, but it was the principle of the matter.

"If you keep this up, then I'll report about the money. Is that what you want!?" The woman stepped up, threatening the sleazebag with some kind of blackmail. Maybe seeing Akira in action had given her some measure of courage.

Still, despite being wounded, the man gave an inaudible scoff. "Oh please, I just have to tell them that you did it on your own. Your word won't mean shit compared to mine!"

"But...I did as I was told. You can't...you can't do this!" The woman replied. That small surge of confidence that she got quickly started to dwindle.

"I can, and I will. You're finished, you hear me?" He snarled at the lady, but his vision was quickly obscured by Akira standing in front of her.

"Shut up! You've put this lady through enough. Let's just wait for the cops to get here." He shot right back at the man.

However, the evil expression on the man's face indicated that he wasn't cowed. For the first time, the drunk made Akira feel like his nerves were being tangled.

"Oh yeah? How about I teach you about the way the world works, kid?" He snarled. Then he looked past Akira and to the woman.

"Hey. Make this statement to the cops. "This kid suddenly attacked me." Got it? Say that, and maybe I'll keep the matter of the money to myself..."

And Akira's heart ran cold.

He took a quick glance around and there were definitely no other witnesses that saw what happened except for him, the drunk, and the woman.

If she was made to testify against him...

Reasonably, the woman looked horrified at the idea. "Wh-What!?" She squeaked.

"And if you say anything more than that, I'll make sure to ruin you. You don't want that, right?" The man continued, taking a step towards the rattled duo.

Akira could not believe what he was hearing. "Oh my god... you're trying to frame me for something I didn't do? You're pathetic!" Akira tried to put on a brave face, but inwardly he was panicking.

"You shut up! You're done for. I'll tear you down, and then every goddamn person you know!" The man snapped at Akira.

The threat clearly worked as Akira's mind quickly flashed through everyone at Morning Glory. He'd not stop at him, but them as well, all to spite him?

No... He and Uncle Kaz would defend Morning Glory. Failing that was out of the question.

The trio's attention were drawn to the presence of blue and red lights atop a police car that had finally pulled up. Two officers stepped out and approached them. A few minutes prior, their arrival would have filled Akira with relief, but not anymore.

"Excuse me, folks, we received a complaint about an argument here. Is something the matter?"

The drunk then turned towards one of the policemen, who seemed visibly startled. "Oh! It's you, sir!" He said, which only further intensified Akira's dread at the fact that the suited man hadn't been bluffing. "Are you okay? That wound looks bad." The cop said, gesturing to his bleeding forehead.

"I'll live. But this is terribly painful..." The man said before turning to Akira and the woman. "I think that she will be able to tell you what happened better than I can." He punctuated his statement with a glare at the woman, who flinched. There was a clear message in those eyes. One promising despair should the woman not do his bidding. There was also a hint of sadism there as if he enjoyed turning the two onto each other.

Bastard probably did.

Akira grit his teeth at the bald man, but he couldn't do anything with the police there. Police who were seemingly in this guy's pocket.

He then looked towards the woman, who looked conflicted. She...couldn't seriously be considering this, could she? He had just stepped up to help her when no one else could have. If he had done nothing, then God only knew what would be happening to her now. Akira had saved her! Wasn't it common courtesy to return the favour? Akira had too much to lose from a false accusation.

He stared at her, quietly begging her to tell the police that he was innocent. But her head was hung, and her gaze didn't meet his. It was clear what her decision was...

"...That young man suddenly attacked him... He shoved this gentleman to the ground. And he got injured." She muttered, hardly above a hum as Akira's face spoke of nothing but betrayal.

"That's right." The man nodded whilst crossing his arms. "And as for what will happen concerning this, make sure the matter is handled as briefly as possible with minimal investigation. No recordings, no interrogations and make sure that my name isn't mentioned at all. Do not disappoint me." He instructed the pair like he was the damn police chief.

"Y-Yessir!" The slightly nervous policeman responded before turning to his partner. "Hey, cuff him!" He ordered, pointing to Akira.

"I'm so...sorry..." The woman whispered to Akira. She started to walk away, with the sound of her clicking heels resonating down the quiet streets. The dickweed drunk just smirked at him before he stumbled over to his car and climbed in.

Akira didn't, couldn't respond as the reality of the situation fully dawned on him. He was being arrested for nothing at all. The true criminal was getting off scot-free and the woman had just peaced out! It was so unfair, so full of bullshit that he sort of switched off.

He didn't resist when his hands were cuffed behind his back and his rights were read. He stayed as still as a statue when being driven to the police station, and the next moment that he regained some form of clarity, he found himself in a windowless room with white walls with nothing but a table, a chair, and a simple telephone. The stark white walls and harsh lighting made him feel like he was under a microscope. Small and pathetic. A far cry from the man that stood against the drunkard.

A police officer stood across from him, staring at him with a cold, calculating gaze. "Do you know how much trouble you're in?" the officer asked, his voice stern.

Akira swallowed. "S-Sir, I swear to you-"

"I don't want to hear it," The cop scoffed. "I have my orders. Anything you have to say, you can tell it to the judge," He said.

"Orders from that drunk who can't tell his ass from his face!" Akira snarled. "I've been set up, and if you were a decent cop, you wouldn't be bending over backwards for someone like that. This isn't justice!"

"Call it what you will, kid. I'm just doing my job. Keep your mouth shut, and cooperate. It may not make your situation better, but it sure as hell won't make it worse."

The venomous words on the tip of Akira's tongue slowly died. Much as he hated to admit it. He had landed himself in deep shit. The only thing that he could do right now was try to stay calm. Easier said than done, of course.

"Now, I want you to look at the phone in front of you." The cop said, and Akira did so. "It is customary for suspects to get one phone call. I suggest using it to contact your family, or a lawyer if you have one." The cop turned away and walked to the door. "You have fifteen minutes to make a call," he informed. "Then, you will spend some time incarcerated until you stand trial." He added. He then opened the door to the room and walked through it. The clunk of the door closing was beyond demoralising for Akira. Now, he was completely alone.

He sat nervously in the interrogation room, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. The cold, metal chair he sat on was uncomfortable, but it was the least of his worries. His mind was racing with thoughts of what was to come. He had never been in trouble with the law before, and the uncertainty was eating away at him. Here he was, trapped in this room, arrested for a crime he hadn't committed thanks to a dickbag with too much power.

Akira couldn't help but think about Morning Glory. They were probably all waiting around the table, wondering where he was. The most sensible course of action was to call them...

But what was he supposed to say? What could he say after he had landed himself in water this hot? Everyone would be so disappointed in him.

He had literally just told Kiryu that he'd stay out of trouble and here he was in just about the biggest trouble that he could manage. What the fuck!

He dug into his wallet and gently opened it, looking at a picture that had been taken a long time ago. It was everyone together, everyone smiling. It was the exact same picture that Kiryu had in his room. It always made Akira's heart lighter whenever he gazed at the picture, but now, he couldn't help but feel an insane amount of guilt.

No, he couldn't call Morning Glory.

The last thing that they needed was a lawsuit. They weren't exactly in the red, but Akira had spied some bills a little while ago and they were just barely managing to pay them. A lawsuit would run Morning Glory into the ground.

And not only that...but what about the societal impact of having an accused criminal hail from Morning Glory. It didn't matter if he was innocent or not. People would look at that stigma and immediately associate it with everyone else.

And then...

Oh god...!

Taichi's wrestling aspirations!

Mitsuo's promising future in baseball!

Haruka's dreams of being an idol!

What had he done!?

He clasped his face, hanging his head in despair. Everyone who had a dream or goal they were working towards would have their desires ripped away simply from one false accusation from that damned drunkard.

Was this what he meant when he said that he'd tear down every person knew him? Akira had seen some fucked up things in his days on the streets, but that guy was a whole new breed of fucked up.

Had saving the woman even been worth it in the end? The only thing that it amounted to was having his heroics shit on by all parties involved.

How could he have been so foolish? How could he have put the ones he loved in so much legal jeopardy? Morning Glory was on the way to destruction, and it was all his fault!

"Hm...?" Akira brought his head out of his hands as he noticed a small slip of paper that was tucked inside his wallet fall out onto the table. Akira looked at it for a second before his eyes shot wide open and he began to unfold it.

There was a certain incident Akira had found himself a while ago when he found this piece of paper in Kiryu's room while he was spring cleaning. He didn't know why he kept it. It seemed like it was something that Kiryu didn't want them to see...

It was simple in nature, but the contents of it just may have been Akira's saving grace right now...

Kiryu-san,

It's been a while since we've crossed paths. I've heard that you've set up shop in Okinawa of all places. Good for you, their oceans are quite beautiful.

I am writing because I suspect that you may not require my services anymore, now that you've settled into a peaceful life. But I still owe you a few favours, and, as you know, I'd be remiss to leave my debts unpaid.

I still have a backdoor into countless police networks and public records, including Okinawa. So if you ever find yourself in any trouble that you can't punch your way out of, call the number I've included in this letter. I can provide any info you require.

I hope that I can fully repay my debts to you someday. Until we meet again, Kazuma Kiryu

-The Florist of Sai

Akira had no idea who this 'Florist of Sai' was or what was his connection to Kiryu, but he didn't really care. The only thing that he did care about was the fact that this guy supposedly had an in to Okinawa's police database and public records.

Now, Akira began to hatch an idea.

The idea was terrible. It could backfire, it could go nowhere. So many things could go wrong.

It was also the only idea that he had.

Gulping, Akira looked at the phone in front of him and grabbed it. It was a simple dial phone, nothing fancy. Outdated, but it would get the job done.

He started punching in the number on the note. Sweat started to form on his brow and his hands were trembling enough that he could barely hit the buttons, but he managed.

Once he finished dialling, he put the receiver up to his ear and prayed for an answer. He only got one phone call, and if it went wrong then he could kiss his chances at mitigating the damage of this charge goodbye.

His fingers drummed nervously on the metal table as the phone rang once...

Twice...

Three times...

Four times...

"Ah, Kiryu-san, I was beginning to think that I'd never hear from you."

Geez, the guy on the other end of the line's voice was hoarse and weathered. It sounded like he smoked a pack of cigarettes and then gargled with molasses every day.

Still, Akira couldn't help the relief that he felt when someone actually picked up. Any voice sounded like the friendliest voice ever to him.

Still, he had to play his cards right. This guy clearly thought that he was talking to Kiryu, so this line must've been an exclusive one, just for him. That raised a bunch of questions for him, but those were for later.

He steeled his voice and began to talk.

"I'm one of Kazuma Kiryu's wards. My name is Akira Kurusu."

He was met with silence on the other end. Clearly, this Florist hadn't expected it to be a teen that would be the one to call him. Still, he hadn't heard a dial tone, so he continued.

"I'm sorry that I'm not Kiryu, but I'd like to cash in a favour on his behalf. Please, I-I need help..." Akira tried to keep his voice strong, but the nerves were getting to him. He had to constantly wipe sweat from his brow and he couldn't stop his leg from bouncing.

"Hm, Akira Kurusu, eh...?" There was the sound of keys tapping on the other end of the line for a few moments before the voice spoke again.

"Okay, Akira Kurusu age sixteen, who lives at Morning Glory Orphanage, tell me the details. Make it brief though. I'm not in the mood to have my time wasted by the prattling of a brat."

Akira ground his teeth in slight anger and disbelief. This guy had just dug a bunch of general information on him in no time flat. His way of speaking was also infuriating, but he could not let go of his only lifeline.

"I've been...accused of a crime..." He said.

"That's all? You are wasting my time. It can't be a big crime. You probably stole a porno mag from the convenience store or something. Just pay the fine, and do a few hours of community service. It's not the end of the world. Now goodbye!"

Akira's heart leapt up into his throat. He couldn't let this happen! He ended up saying the first thing that came to his mind.

"Kiryu's way of life and the future of my family is on the line if you don't help!" Akira cried desperately.

There was another pause, and the teen was shivering with anxiety.

"...Details. Now."

Akira held back a relieved sigh and began to explain.

"I've been falsely accused of assault. Some drunk guy was harassing a woman, I tried to stop him, but he got hurt, accused me of assault and frightened the woman into testifying against me. He said that he'd tear down, not just me, but everyone who cared for me. He even had the cops follow his orders." Akira explained rapidly.

The Florist listened silently for the whole time. This was certainly bigger than he thought. Someone who could manipulate the police force was not to be underestimated.

"Alright. I think I understand your situation." The Florist muttered.

"Thank you, sir." Akira sighed.

There was a small grunt on the other end. "Don't thank me yet, kid. I'm not sure I'll actually be able to help you."

"What!? Why?" Akira questioned frantically.

"Listen, you've been accused by someone powerful enough to control the police and the witnesses. The assault isn't on your record yet, but it's only a matter of time, and that's not something I can change. My network focuses on information gathering, not altering. We could probably do minor edits, but we can't make a criminal record go away. Especially in a country like Japan, where the prosecution rate is over 99% I'm not like those hackers that you see in the movies, kid. I can't make a crime disappear."

Akira was silent. His expression radiated conviction. He had a feeling that making a charge go away was too good to be true.

But he had a backup plan.

"Then make me disappear."

"Excuse me?" The Florist asked.

"You said you can make edits to my public records. Can you alter them so I'm not affiliated with Morning Glory in any way?" Akira asked.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before the Florist spoke again.

"Hmm, changing your public records...that could work. It won't undo your crime, but all of the flack falls on you, and not the orphanage. It's somehow both smart...and stupid." He said. "You'd be giving up your home and your family. You'd never be able to reconnect with them if you wish to keep any alterations intact. Are you sure you want that...?"

...

...

"I do. If it means I can protect them, then I'll...I'll..."

"Say no more kid." The Florist said somewhat fondly. "Hm, looks like Kiryu-san rubbed off on you..."

"Wh-What was that?"

"Nothing."

There were a few more moments of keys tapping on a keyboard before he spoke again.

"Alright. How's this, I can set you up in a random unoccupied lot in Okinawa. Your "parents" are currently travelling across the world. Any attempt to reach them should be met with failure. They'll be gone for several years, which should give you the time to pay back the lawsuit money yourself. After that, there'd be no need to look into your parents." He explained. "I won't lie, it's a risky move and it's not going to be foolproof. You'll have to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to yourself." He advised.

"Think of this whole thing like covering up a hole in the wall with a picture. It's normal when you look at it from a distance. But you'll realise something's up if you take a closer look. I'm sorry that we can't do much else but a patch job." The Florist explained.

"No. I'm glad that you're able to do this much. Thank you...thank you so much." Akira whispered. At least now Morning Glory would be safe."

"Thank yourself, kid. Not a lot of adults have the balls to leave behind their home. You clearly love it, if you're trying to save it from the backlash of this situation."

Akira nodded into the receiver. "Mm."

"But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised...by the ward of the legendary Yakuza, the Dragon of Dojima."

Akira froze with his mouth agape. Did this guy just say what he thought he said?

"I'm sorry...did you just say that Uncle Kaz-"

"Kiryu was a yakuza, yes. If you're leaving him then I see no harm in telling you. It's a shame to leave behind such a great man. Even if this whole thing came to pass, I've no doubt he would have fought tooth and nail to make sure you were okay. He's always been like that." He told Akira.

"Anyway, the alterations have been made. All records of you that they look at will now have no connection to Morning Glory. They probably wouldn't have looked at them until they got you in a cell, so that's lucky. But be sure to eat that note once you get the chance. I don't need that kind of evidence in the hands of a kid dumb enough to land himself in this situation." The Florist said in a slightly mocking tone.

Akira was about to reply before there was a loud bang on the door. "Hey, you've got one minute left. Finish up in there!" Came the stern voice of the cop.

"Hm, looks like you're out of time." The Florist said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Akira replied. "I really appreciate what you've done for me. Tonight, you saved my family. I won't waste the chance that you've given me."

There was a throaty chuckle in response. "Don't mention it. But one last thing, kid..." The Florist smirked on the other end. "At the end of the day, I am an info broker..."

"H-Huh? What does that mean?" Akira asked.

"Godspeed, kid."

And with a click, the call ended.

Akira looked at the phone in his hand for a moment before placing it back in its holster on the table.

His heart was racing. He had seriously done something that crazy. And he didn't know what to feel. There were swirlings of despair in his heart, but there was also relief.

He had done all he could, and now Morning Glory would be safe...

Little drops of water slowly fell from his face and splattered on the table. Akira wiped his brow to try and clear away what he presumed to be sweat, but the drops kept on coming.

"What...?"

He barely registered the door to the cell opening, and he looked up at the entering police officer. He was holding something.

"Here, you look like you could use a couple of these..." The cop said, placing a box of tissues on the table.

Akira was confused at first but then raised his hand to his cheek. There was a line of liquid there. He tested the other cheek. There was water there too. And it wasn't stopping.

Akira's breathing began to grow heavier, and the brave face that he had been keeping up all this time was finally beginning to crack.

In the span of a single night, he had lost everything. His home, his family, and his freedom. Men with the strongest of wills would be devastated by that. And Akira was only a teenager. He was distraught.

For the poor boy, instead of ending his night surrounded by family and eating a lovingly crafted meal, he ended it cradling his head in his arms and crying harder than he ever cried in his life all while the cop stood over the teenager whose life was now ruined.

If you asked Akira Kurusu what the worst feeling in the world was, he could now say with certainty. What made his heart hurt?

What made his blood run cold? What made him despair?

It was having nothing. Then gaining everything, only to have nothing once again...


Akira sighed as he stood on the platform to board a train out of Okinawa. He reached a finger up and pushed a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose. They weren't prescription, but instead fake.

He didn't know why he needed glasses of all things, but they would supposedly help him come across as non-threatening as possible. They were a bit uncomfortable, but the person who gave them to him assured him that he'd get used to them.

He couldn't remember the name of said person. He had so many dreary meetings with countless people in the last couple of weeks, they all just kind of...blended together.

Yes, it had been two weeks since Akira had been thrown into the clusterfuck that was the Japanese legal system. He spent the first couple of days in the police station, and then another few in juvenile hall whilst the matters of his trial were sorted out.

During that time, he received disheartening news in the form of a letter telling him that, due to his new criminal record, he had been expelled from his high school. He hadn't been too attached, but he had admittedly enjoyed it. He had barely gotten in as well...

He also received a strange envelope, but the front told him to not open it until the commotion around his case died down. Akira was insanely curious but managed to resist the urge.

As for his "trial"...what a farce. Akira had no chance of winning from the moment he entered the courtroom. The judge had decided his sentence from the moment he took the stand, the lawyer they'd given him was so mediocre that Akira legitimately couldn't remember a single thing that he said and the "Guilty" verdict was handed out before they could even have a recess.

Thankfully, Akira wasn't put behind bars. As he was a minor with no prior criminal history, they were lenient on him. There were two stipulations he had to deal with. First, he owed ¥5,000,000 to pay off the lawsuit.

Technically, his nonexistent parents were supposed to be the ones paying, but trying to get in touch with them obviously wouldn't work. Luckily, there was a window of about a year to pay it, so as long as he could earn the money himself, he'd be able to avoid suspicion. He'd have to find some work where he was going.

Speaking of which, that was the second part of his sentence. Probation. He would be moving away from Okinawa and living in the bustling metropolis known as Tokyo.

At first, he thought he'd just get some kind of craphole apartment with agents across the street filming his every move, but apparently not.

There was a guy who had put his name forward to take care of Akira during his probation period. He supposedly owned a cafe and lived in the streets of Yongen-Jaya. Sojiro Sakura was the guy's name.

Akira did prefer to have just one guy keeping an eye on him than the agents thing...

At least this way, he'd know that he'd be put up somewhere livable. He'd have a roof over his head and somewhere to sleep. The last thing he wanted was to be on the streets again.

His meal situation didn't look good though. He didn't expect this guy to feed him, so he'd have to provide for himself. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be feasible until he had a job.

All the money that he had left in his wallet at the time of his arrest had gone into purchasing attire and other essentials. A few cheap shirts and pants, a toothbrush, just stuff that he'd need once he was there. There was also what he was wearing currently, a uniform for the school that he'd be attending during his probation. A place called Shujin Academy. Like most new outfits, the uniform felt stuffy and uncomfortable, but it was again something that he would need had to deal with.

He wished that he had more stuff with him, but he couldn't exactly go back home to grab it. So all that he had of his belongings right now was what was in a simple canvas shoulder bag.

God, it was so sad...

But, if there was one silver lining to this whole situation, the one ray of light that pierced through the clouds of sorrow that had been hanging over Akira all this time, it was that not once had Morning Glory been mentioned.

They had probably been looking for him, asking around and trying to track him down, but he couldn't let their efforts come to fruition. Associating with them at all would undo everything that he'd done to spare them from the legal backlash. He couldn't even risk writing them a goodbye note.

Even if they did eventually learn of his arrest, the details weren't for public knowledge. Tracking him down would be next to impossible, especially for people that he now has no relation to.

It was better this way. Morning Glory would stand. Everyone that he loved there would remain untainted, and that was a fact that he'd appreciate, even if it meant that he could never see them again.

Ayako would probably be happy about that...

He was brought out of his melancholic musing when a train finally pulled up to the station. It was Tokyo bound. This was his.

The door hissed open and a stream of people started to ferry out. Akira tried to step aside so he didn't get bowled over. Soon though, the people cleared away, and the entrance was clear.

Anxious filled him as he stared ahead at those doors. The moment that he climbed aboard, his old life would end and his new one would begin. He didn't have time to hesitate though. He was expected to arrive at Sojiro Sakura's in the afternoon and it was a seven-hour train ride to Tokyo.

And here he was without a book to read...

Akira sighed once more and after taking one final look at Okinawa, slowly stepped forth towards the train doors.

Hm...it may have been his imagination but...

That butterfly was very blue, wasn't it?