Encounter

As the sun slowly descends, the vibrant cityscape of Tori comes to life with an enchanting display of lights. The towering buildings and winding streets are aglow, casting a warm radiance that contrasts beautifully with the dark night sky speckled with twinkling stars.

Kyoshiro and Shizuka emerged from the school gates, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. The sun had set, and the sky was now painted in hues of orange and pink. As soon as the crescent moon became visible, the two friends set off towards their respective homes. They lived in the same neighborhood and followed the same route every day, but today felt different. Shizuka felt a sense of tension in her body as they walked next to each other. Her cheeks turned red, and she found herself stealing glances at Kyoshiro every now and then. It had been a while since they walked home together, and she had never expected to be walking alongside Shiro again. Despite the awkwardness, she felt a sense of comfort being with him, and she wondered if he felt the same way.

"Shizuka, your cheeks look red. Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm not! Why are you following me? We're not close enough to walk home together." 

"Not anymore." 

"What?" 

"We used to be close when we were young, do you remember?"

"Yeah... No. . I mean. . " 

"It's decided. Starting today, we will walk home together since we live close to each other."

"Stop deciding by yourself!"

Although Shizuka refused, deep down she loved the idea of walking home with her childhood friend.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy city during rush hour, they could be seen walking along the sidewalk, navigating their way through the sea of people. The honking of cars and the blaring of sirens filled the air, making it difficult to hear their own thoughts. While it would have been more convenient for them to take a bus or a train when it wasn't rush hour, they had made a conscious decision to walk home instead. Despite the fact that it would take them approximately 30 minutes to get home, they believed it was worth it to avoid the stressful traffic jam that awaited them on the roads.

"I'll take this route."

Shizuka comes to a sudden halt in the middle of the gloomy alleyway, her finger pointing towards the direction of her usual route home. The path leads through a dimly lit, four-story building which looms over the narrow alley like a giant sentinel. Shizuka is no stranger to the shadowy corners and the dodgy characters that lurk around the vicinity. The area is a hotspot for delinquents, and the occasional pedestrian scurries by with wary eyes.

"Is this the the place where thugs usually hang out?" asked Shiro, hesitating to go.

"It's not a problem. You can take a detour around the building if you feel scared and join me at the other side within 20 minutes."

"20-minute difference? Wow, I see what you're trying to do. you want to leave me, huh?" 

"Am I?" replied Shizuka with sarastic tone.

"I don't think it's effective. I'll go with you." Shiro

"Tsk."

Without hesitation, Shizuka and Shiro walked into the alley. Shizuka still felt uncomfortable walking with him after trying to dismiss him.

Why is he being persistent? After that incident, he never tried hanging out with me until today. Is he up to something?

Shizuka's emerald, bubbly eyes are fixed on Shiro as they walk together. With a curious mind, she wonders what might have sparked this sudden change in him.

"You're probably wondering why I'm acting weird today." said Shiro, scoffing with his eyes closed.

Shizuka blushed and quickly averted her gaze from Shiro. "Now you can read my mind without even looking at me," she said.

"Nope. It's just obvious." said Shiro, displaying his wry smile.

"Then tell me if there is anything you need or want from me?" without looking at Shiro, she uttered.

Shiro's footsteps gradually grew softer until they finally ceased altogether. Shizuka, who had been walking alongside him, noticed the sudden stillness and turned her gaze towards him. As she did, Shiro moved closer to her, his eyes fixed intently on her emerald-green eyes. There was a gravity to his stare that made Shizuka blush once again.

"What are you. . ."

Her words were interrupted by a mild hiccup, causing Shizuka to blush and avoid eye contact with Shiro.

Shiro tightly held Shizuka's shoulders and intensely fixed his gaze on the red-faced girl while saying "There's something you need to know, Shizuka."

Shizuka shifted her gaze back to Shiro, who appeared anxious. Curiosity overtook her awkwardness, and she peered closely at him, wondering what he was about to say.

"Spi . . spit it out." She softly mumbled.

"Is this a love confession? No, that's impossible! He could never look at me that way. But what is he trying to do? Is he attempting to kiss me? No, I can't let my feelings grow any deeper. It will only cause me more stress! I need to avoid him at all costs!"

"Oh, this is interesting. Fujino Shizuka seems to be flirting with someone." 

Just as Shiro was about to speak, a delinquent-looking guy interrupted them. He stood a distance away from the students, and Shiro and Shizuka turned to look at him. Although they couldn't see his face clearly, it was obvious that he was looking for trouble.

"Hey Fujino Shizuka, come with me," the guy said with a smirk.

Shizuka muttered in irritation, "Why do I always run into jerks in this alley?"

Shiro let go of Shizuka's shoulders and turned his attention to the man standing in front of them.

"Jerk? Hey, watch your mouth, lady!" The man yelled, demanding respect.

"Oh, you could hear me? You have good ears," she replied, trying to intimidate the mysterious person.

The man standing a few meters away from them didn't respond, but smirked instead.

Shizuka confidently stepped forward, reassuring her companion. "Don't worry, I'll handle this scum for a moment," she taunted.

"Scum? I told you to watch that freaking mouth! That'll be my final warning, lady!" The man heedlessly walked toward the two students.

"I don't think he's someone you can deal with, Shizuka," Shiro scoffed, wearing a wry smile.

"Just sit back and relax, will you? I do this everyday in this alley."

Shizuka stood tall, her eyes fixed on her approaching opponent. She took a deep breath, slowly stretching her arms, feeling the tension in her muscles. With a quick turn of her head, she cracked her neck, releasing any stiffness. Though she initially thought the upcoming battle would be an easy one as she was a mixed martial arts champion.

The only source of light in the dark alley comes from passing cars, making it difficult to see the man's face. But as luck would have it, a large truck happens to pass by, briefly illuminating the path and revealing the man's features.

The man with spikey black hair, dressed in a black student uniform, appears as young as Shizuka. His intimidating gaze excites her to destroy him for ruining her moment with Shiro.

"Miss Shizuka, you must come with me, whether you like it or not," the man said firmly.

"Oh, that's sweet. Unfortunately, I don't like wasting my time on a**holes like you." Shizuka grins and assumes her orthodox fighting stance.

"Tsk. I don't like wasting time either." The guy said, clenching his teeth. He calmly took his last step without hesitating.

Shiro maintained his composure and intimidated the guy, "Hey dumb one, do you seriously believe she'll come to you just because you said so?"

The man sneered, attempting to maintain his calm demeanor.

"Hey, watch your language. I'm not here for you, so back off," the man warned. 

Shiro approached Shizuka cautiously from behind, attempting to prevent her from moving forward.

"Shizuka, you don't need to do this. I'll handle him"

Shiro whispered gravely to Shizuka to step back from their opponent.

Shizuka looked at Shiro with a blank expression.

Hold on, is he trying to impress me by fighting this guy? 

Shizuka willingly stepped aside, allowing Shiro to take charge of the situation with the thug. With a hint of reluctance in her voice, she acquiesced, saying "Okay, Shiro sempai, whatever you say. But don't expect me to help you." Her stance was clear; she wasn't going to get involved in any way, shape, or form.

The man's knuckles made a loud cracking sound as he turned to face the woman. He sneered at her and said, "Oh, so your boyfriend is here to protect you now?" His tone was mocking and aggressive, and it was clear that he was trying to intimidate her.

"Bo. . Boyfriend?! No. . No way, idiot! We're just . . . um..." 

"I already told you this," he said. Suddenly, a light blue aura encircled his body and was quickly absorbed. The energy created by the aura caused his spiky hair to fly upwards, and his black eyes to turn into a bright sapphire blue.

"I don't want to waste my time here," he said, flames swirling around him. His fists ignited as he took a fighting stance. 

Shizuka stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. She gazed intently at the scene unfolding before her, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing. She muttered to herself, trying to make sense of the bizarre spectacle that lay before her. A mix of confusion and shock coursed through her, as she struggled to process the surreal images that were playing out in front of her.

'Is this real?'

Shizuka turned to Shiro, and pointed towards a guy who had just done something puzzling. "Shiro-senpai, did you see what he just did?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion. She gestured towards the guy, hoping that Shiro had witnessed the same thing and could provide some clarity.

Shiro smirked without any sign of surprise, as if he was accustomed to such sights.

"Shiro, sempai?" Shizuka looked at Shiro and felt that there was something strange about him.

With a dark smirk, Shiro let out a pensive "Hmm..." that conveyed his deep contemplation and sly cunning.

She asked Shiro nervously, "Didn't you see what he just did?"

"I saw it" Shiro stated calmly as he loosened his muscles and took a deep, relaxing breath.

Shizuka gazed at the opponent, who appeared to be a wizard or something, and fixated on his mesmerizing fiery fists.

The guy became irritated by Shiro's nasty smirk.

"Hey, one eye! Aren't you afraid of what's about to happen next?!" The guy shouted in annoyance.

Shiro scoffed darkly.

"Just try not to hurt yourself, kiddo." Shiro replied, wearing his characteristic wry smile. 

The man, fueled by his anger, lunged at Shiro with an incredible burst of speed. His determination and fervor were palpable as he charged forward, his eyes fixed on his target.

The man rushed towards the student, attempting to strike Shiro with his flaming fist.

Shiro stood firmly, ready for his opponent's attack. However, a sharp object whizzed past between Shiro's face and the man's fiery fist, causing the man to hastily retreat. It seemed as though someone had intervened to save his life.

With a quick glance, Shiro saw a 10-inch needle embedded in the ground, just inches away from his feet. However, he remained calm despite realizing how close he had come to being impaled by that small yet deadly object.

"Ayashiro, that's enough! Get away from him!" someone yelled from a distance.

Shizuka and Shiro looked to their left and saw a figure crouching on top of the fence, holding two long needles. Evidently, he was the one responsible for throwing one of the needles between Shiro and Ayashiro.

The man in question is quite intriguing, with his brown hair carefully tied back in a neat ponytail. Apparently, he's wearing the same type of student uniform as the guy with black hair.

"Hakken! What are you doing, you barbie doll?! I was about to hit that bastard! Did you just save that arrogant one-eye?" Ayashiro was fuming and yelling in anger.

Hakken leaped from the fence and landed lightly next to Ayashiro without making any noise.

"No, I just saved you, Ayashiro," Hakken replied, fixing his gaze on their opponent.

"Save me? I was the one who was in control of this fight!!"

"Are you crazy? Do you realize who you're fighting against?"

"What? No. I just met this dude, and he seems to be a weak, blind man!" 

"Your lack of intelligence is truly astounding me."

Ayashiro observed that Hakken was trembling and appeared to be anxious, which wasn't typical of him.

Ayashiro's voice boomed with confidence, as he reassured Hakken to calm down. "What's got you so scared, Barbie?" he asked. "He's just an earthling, no match for me in a fight." His words were filled with assurance, leaving no room for doubt.

"That guy's poster is all over our town… He is Sakaki Kyoshiro, an S-Ranked criminal!" With a hint of distress, Hakken exclaimed.