"You're my end and my beginning…"

"All of Me" ~ John Legend

"Ugh, right now?" Baji groaned, eyes glued to the screen as his thumbs hovered over the controller, half a second away from obliterating the latest pixelated menace. "I'm almost at the boss level. Can't it wait?"

"Nope. She looks about your age. Go introduce yourself," Ryoko's voice cut through the illusion of his game, sharp and undeniable. The controller vanished from his hands with a single swipe, as if by magic—or maybe just maternal authority.

"Seriously?" He sighed deeply, as though the weight of the world—or at least the weight of one really important boss fight—was on his shoulders. "Come on, can't I just go later?"

"No. Now," his mother said, in that tone that wasn't up for discussion.

He dragged himself off the couch, feeling like a condemned man marching to his fate. He stuffed his feet into his sneakers, flung open the front door, and grumbled under his breath. "Be nice," his mother called after him.

Be nice, he thought. He'd be nice, sure. But fast. Quick. In and out. It was just next door, anyway. How hard could it be?

The door to the neighboring apartment was wide open, held back by a giant cardboard box, the kind that seems to have existed for as long as moving vans have been invented. He peered down toward the parking lot, where a man—red-faced and huffing like a dragon in the middle of a tantrum—was barking orders at movers over a stereo system that looked like it'd seen better days.

"Um, excuse me?"

The voice was soft, like a whisper that hadn't decided whether it wanted to be heard or not. It made him turn, curious, and there she was: a girl, smaller than him, with long black hair that had two striking white streaks and bangs framing her face. A guitar case hung off her back, and she shifted a box of books—manga, by the look of it—against her hip like it was too heavy, but she wouldn't admit it.

"You live here?" she asked, her voice steady but quiet, like she was testing the waters. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering there for a second too long. She looked at him, blinking with wide, purple eyes.

He nodded, his eyes drawn back to the white streaks in her hair. It was strange, but not the kind of strange that made you want to look away. It was the kind of strange that made you want to ask why, though he knew better than to do that. His mom would kill him if he asked something rude. He could already picture her glaring, hand raised to smack the back of his head. Not worth it.

"I'm Todawa Hikari," she said, shifting the box to her other hip and standing just a little taller, as though introducing herself had been rehearsed a hundred times. "What's your name?"

"Baji Keisuke," he replied with a grin that revealed little canines just a bit too pointed. "My mom and I live next door."

She nodded, and there was a beat of silence that stretched just a bit too long, until Baji's eyes drifted back to the guitar. He jerked his chin toward the case slung over her shoulder. "You play?"

She cocked her head slightly, eyes narrowing with playful sarcasm. "Nah. I just carry it around to look cool."

For a second, he stared at her, caught off guard—then a snort escaped him. That deadpan delivery was gold. He liked her immediately. "Okay, smartass. So you play guitar and read manga? Pretty cool." He glanced at the box she was carrying. "What grade are you in?"

"Fifth."

"No kidding? Me, too." Without thinking, he grabbed the box from her arms, shifting its weight easily to his side and carrying it to her door. "Wanna walk to school tomorrow?"

She blinked once, then twice, before a smile broke across her face, small but warm. "Sure."

He grinned again, liking her more by the second. As they waved goodbye and she disappeared back into her apartment, he felt a small surge of pride. That wasn't so bad. Maybe having a new neighbor will be kinda cool.

Meanwhile, Hikari stood in her new living room, guitar case still slung over her shoulder, staring at the box of manga on the floor. The boy with the wild hair and tiny fangs—her first friend in Tokyo. Maybe this move wasn't going to be so bad after all.

Hikari stood in front of the bathroom mirror, studying her reflection in the half-awake light of dawn. It was the sort of pale, drowsy light that seemed to say, Look, I'm not fully committed to today either. She blinked at herself, absently tucking the white streaks framing her face behind her ears. One of them rebelliously slipped back out. She blew a small puff of air to chase it out of her face, though she knew it would reappear the second she looked away.

"Uniform? Well, it's on. That's something," she muttered, giving herself a once-over. "Teeth? Brushed. Hair… still there. Good enough." As she ticked off each detail, her fingers tapped an invisible rhythm on the side of the sink, a quiet background to her own morning checklist. She found herself humming a tune that crept into her head somewhere between waking up and right now. The song was a tiny comfort, a shield between her and the new day ahead.

Next door, Keisuke pulled on his school jacket, a rare flash of early-morning energy in his eyes. Even his mom did a double take, muttering something about never seeing him up on time without needing a stick of dynamite underneath him. Normally, school meant very little to him—an obligation he could take or leave. But today was different. Not that he'd ever admit why. With one last tug on his collar, he was out the door, and they fell into step together as naturally as breathing.

The morning sun filtered through the patchwork of red, orange, and yellow leaves hanging over the street. As they walked, Hikari hummed softly to herself, each note settling her thoughts into place, turning the usual chaos in her mind into something calm and steady. It was strange—almost too easy—walking alongside him. She'd known him for one whole day, but it already felt like years.

As they approached the school gates, she let out a small breath. Starting at a new school didn't seem nearly as terrifying with him by her side. When she found out they'd be in the same class, the knot of nerves in her chest unraveled a little more. I can do this.

"Psst…" he leaned over as they slipped into their seats, voice low but carrying a mischievous edge. "Hey, you any good at math?"

Hikari glanced at him, a smirk sneaking onto her lips. "Nope. Math's my mortal enemy."

He let out a tragic sigh, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Damn. Guess that means I'm on my own." He straightened, giving her a sidelong look. "So what are you good at?"

"Writing? Music?" She shrugged, her fingers absently rolling her pencil in her hand. "Grammar, I guess. Words are easier than numbers. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm a master of lunch. And gym. And avoiding homework." He flashed her a grin, sharp and a little wild. It was hard to tell if he was bragging or admitting his limitations.

The snort that burst out of her was louder than she meant it to be, drawing a sharp glare from the teacher. She straightened instantly, cheeks flaming, and glued her eyes to her textbook. Still, she dared a glance at Keisuke. He was already looking at her, grinning like he'd just found his new favorite sidekick. And try as she might, she couldn't stop the answering smile on her own lips.

Surrounded by a sea of strangers, Hikari realized something surprising: she didn't feel out of place anymore.

"First day's over," Hikari sighed as the dismissal bell rang. Her voice was filled with the solemn relief of someone who'd just made it through an entire week compressed into a single school day. She crammed her books into her bag, feeling the weight of the day finally lift from her shoulders.

"Yeah, and you survived." Keisuke smirked as he tossed his bag over his shoulder. "Thanks to me, obviously."

She rolled her eyes, but a smile crept in anyway—he was only half-joking, after all. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get the hell outta here."

They walked side by side into the golden afternoon, the warmth of the sun bathing the schoolyard in a friendly glow that seemed entirely disconnected from the bleak atmosphere of a school building. As they reached the gate, Keisuke froze mid-step. "Oh, shit. Forgot my workbook." He scowled, mostly at himself. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She nodded and stepped aside as he sprinted back into the building. She fidgeted with the strap of her bag, her fingers tracing lazily along the edge. The sun warmed her face as she watched other students filter out. Snippets of conversation swirled around her like fallen leaves in the breeze. People she didn't know, gossip that didn't matter, none of them paying any attention to her.

Until they did.

"Oi, new girl."

She felt the voice more than she heard it, slicing through her peace like a knife. Her shoulders tensed, and she turned to see five boys making their way toward her with the slow, lazy swagger of people who had no need to hurry—because their fun was about to start. The leader sported a sneer that he probably practiced a hundred times in front of a mirror, letting his eyes wander over her hair with far too much interest.

"What's with that hair?" he asked, tilting his head closer as if to get a better look. "Didn't know we had skunks at this school."

"Yeah, skunk girl!" laughed the tallest one, his tone suggesting this was likely the peak of his comedic career.

Hikari's heart began to pound, but she kept her face calm. She'd heard worse, and she'd handled worse. "My hair?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's with your face?"

The boy's smirk slipped instantly, his expression hardening as he stepped into her personal space, looming over her like a cheap cologne-scented thundercloud. "Skunk girl, you're either brave or stupid, talking back like that," he spat, his breath hot and unpleasantly close. "And I'm guessing it's stupid."

Her palms began to sweat as the situation registered. This was much heavier than any teasing she'd dealt with before. Something about the way these boys were crowding her felt different. Harsher. She forced herself to keep calm, to shake off the creeping unease.

"What's the matter, Skunk Girl?" the leader taunted, his voice low and dripping with malice. "You scared?" He shoved her, and she stumbled, her heart hammering in her chest. The ground seemed way closer than it should have, and on the second shove from behind her, she went down. Her knees scraped against the gravel as her books tumbled from her bag, the pages fluttering uselessly in the breeze.

Laughter rose around her, a chorus of mocking voices that seemed to bounce off the walls. And for a split second, she felt completely and utterly helpless, her vision blurring as tears threatened to spill. Then, a voice sliced through the chaos like a katana.

"What a bunch of pussies, picking on a girl," Keisuke's voice was low, cutting through the laughter with a force that made every head turn.

The laughter died instantly. And before anyone could even register what was happening, Keisuke was on them, his fists a blur of righteous fury. The leader hit the ground first as Keisuke's knuckles landed with a precision suggesting this wasn't his first rodeo. One after another, the others stumbled forward, torn between disbelief and a sudden, overwhelming desire to be somewhere else. But pride got the better of them, and they jumped into the fray.

Hikari scrambled to her feet, backing away as Keisuke took them on, five to one. He moved like a force of nature, each punch sending another boy crashing to the ground. Within minutes, he stood victorious, his chest heaving, his lip split, and his eyes blazing with an intensity that made her feel, oddly, safe.

Keisuke grabbed the leader by his collar and yanked him off the ground, his face close and lethal. "I'm only gonna say this once," he growled. "Don't talk to her, don't look at her, and don't even breathe in her direction. Got it?"

The boy whimpered, clutching his side in pain. "Got it, man. Got it."

Keisuke released him with a sneer, watching him crumple to the ground before turning to Hikari, his expression softening just slightly. "You alright?"

She looked down at her scraped knees, only now feeling the sting as the adrenaline faded. But that wasn't what held her attention. "You're bleeding," she murmured, rummaging in her bag for a pack of tissues. "Hold still."

He blinked as she stepped in close, pressing a tissue to his split lip with a kind of gentleness he didn't know what to do with. "There," she said quietly, meeting his eyes with a small smile. "All good."

For a second, he just stared, processing the fact that someone was fussing over him after a fight. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks…"

She chuckled softly, pulling away. "Don't mention it." She hesitated, glancing at him thoughtfully. "You didn't have to do all that, you know. I'm fine."

"Fine?" he scoffed, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "You got shoved to the ground. Don't you know how to fight back?"

She shrugged, rubbing her still-stinging palms. "I'm more of a verbal assassin. Usually, I can sass my way out. But… yeah, I guess that didn't work this time."

He chuckled, nudging her shoulder playfully. "Well, we'll fix that. I'll show you how to throw a punch that'll make 'em think twice."

A grin spread across her face, the tension in her chest easing. "Thanks. Maybe next time, I'll be the one knocking them on their asses."

"See? Now that's the spirit." He laughed, casting a glance over his shoulder at the boys still groaning on the ground. "Alright, let's get outta here before the teachers show up."

With a laugh, Hikari nodded, and the two of them walked away from the school, side by side, into the warm light of the afternoon.

"Quit staring, Haruchiyo," Senju muttered, her elbow jabbing him in the ribs, sharp enough to make him flinch. Her eyes, bright and cutting, darted between him and Hikari. "It'll be nice having another girl around if you don't weird her out first."

"I'm not gonna weird her out," Haruchiyo mumbled, though his gaze lingered on Hikari a beat too long. His lips curled into a slow, crooked grin, not quite reaching his eyes. "I was just thinking... her hair's kinda cool." He shrugged, the movement lazy, but the grin lingered as if he knew something more, something unspoken.

Hikari shifted in the oversized gi Keisuke lent to her. It smelled faintly of detergent, the fabric soft but a bit loose around her smaller frame. She tugged at the sleeves, the ends brushing her fingers as they fell almost to her knuckles. The air inside the Sano family dojo was thick—the scent of wood and incense seemed to cling to the quiet, like the past had soaked into the walls. It was oddly comforting.

She looked at Senju with her pink hair and then at Haruchiyo, who was still watching her with that curious half-smile. There was something unreadable in his expression, something about the way his eyes traced the white streaks in her hair that made the edges of her mind prickle. Weird, but okay.

"Another girl? Really?" A burst of energy arrived in the form of a girl with sunshine for hair, all smiles and brightness. "I'm Emma! And my brothers are around here somewhere."

Before Hikari could respond, Keisuke's voice tore through the room, a shout full of raw energy. "Mikey! Where the hell are ya?"

The sudden loudness hit Hikari like a clap of thunder. Her eyes widened as his voice rang in her ears and rattled her brain like a pea in a can.

From the hallway, a voice drifted in, slow, like it had been pulled reluctantly from sleep. "Don't shout."

A boy with tousled blonde hair strolled in. His eyes were half-lidded, as if he was still dragging himself out of some dream. Like his body had arrived but his mind was still lingering somewhere far away. He walked as if gravity barely applied to him, like he was just passing through and floating by. But when Hikari's eyes fell on him, something stirred deep in her chest. A faint, familiar pull, like the soft pluck of a guitar string in the back of her mind. An odd sense of... recognition?

"Who's the new kid?" Mikey asked, his voice bored, as if the question was hardly worth his attention.

Baji moved beside Hikari, his hand resting on her shoulder like a declaration. "This is Hikari. She's gonna start coming here with me." His words held a kind of finality, like he was welcoming her into some ancient and important secret order. "Mikey is Emma's brother."

"I know."

The words slipped from Hikari's lips before she even realized what she was saying. Her own voice felt foreign to her, like it didn't quite belong. How do I know that?

The room seemed to hold its breath for a moment, but Mikey, still distant, barely blinked at her response. "Cool," he muttered, turning away like the interaction had already drifted out of his mind.

Hikari bunched the sleeves of her gi in her hands. It was like déjà vu, but the kind that didn't quite fit, like trying to remember a dream already slipping through her fingers. The feeling poked at the corners of her mind, quiet but persistent. But she pushed it away, letting it drift like a leaf on a still pond.

That night, she laid in bed, the weight of the day pressing down on her. The unfamiliar familiarity of everything gnawed at her. She couldn't shake the feeling that she knew these people—Mikey, Emma, Senju, Haruchiyo—from somewhere. Even her nearly instant sense of ease around Keisuke surprised her.

There was something about the way the day unfolded, like she'd been reading lines in a play she didn't remember rehearsing. Each moment carried an undercurrent, subtle and strange.

She rolled onto her side and buried her face in her pillow, trying to shake the weirdness that wouldn't quite let go.

Her mind circled back to Haruchiyo. That cryptic smile. There was something about him, something about the way he watched her, like he knew something she didn't.

She let out a slow breath, the tension in her body easing slightly as she settled deeper into her pillow. Maybe I'm just tired.

But even as her eyelids grew heavy, the sense of something just out of reach lingered. Like a song that played too quietly to hear, just at the edge of her awareness, like a half-remembered dream.