Later that night, Shinichiro quietly pushed open the door to Manjiro's room. The lights were dim, and the silence was heavy with unspoken thoughts. Manjiro sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the floor.
Shinichiro exhaled, his mind still swirling from the earlier incident. "Who was that girl? Has she always been around? Why didn't I notice her presence before?" Thoughts battled for space in his head.
"Manjiro," he finally said, stepping into the room. His voice was calm, but laced with concern. "You shouldn't have done that. You know… friends—they're important in life. Really important."
Manjiro slowly looked up at him. His eyes, usually full of mischief and spark, now held confusion and guilt.
"I… I don't know why I did it," Manjiro admitted. "Everything went blank. It was like my body was moving on its own… like I wasn't in control."
Shinichiro studied his younger brother's face. Of course… it's the curse. That old man… this is his doing.
"Manjiro…" Shinichiro called his name again, more gently this time as he walked toward the door. "Friends are precious. Apologize to them tomorrow. Make things right. You'll feel better… trust me."
Manjiro's voice was barely a whisper. "But… will they forgive me?"
Shinichiro gave a warm smile and nodded. "If they're truly your friends… they will."
---
The next morning at Keisuke's house…
The house was buzzing with the usual pre-school chaos.
Keisuke was frantically scribbling answers in his notebook, half his breakfast untouched.
"Why didn't you do your homework yesterday?" Asuka asked with a raised brow.
Keisuke smirked, not even looking up. "Where's the fun in doing it early?"
"Yeah, I can see the fun… in you almost wetting yourself from panic," Asuka shot back, crossing her arms.
"Shut up," he grumbled. "You'll never understand how great I am."
Asuka gave him a mocking expression, "Oooh, the Great Keisuke Baji… bow down, peasants."
"Whatever," he waved her off. "I didn't stop you from leaving, did I?"
"I'm going," she declared. "Can't wait for the drama."
Their oka-san looked over from the kitchen with an amused sigh. "Why are you both always at each other's throats?"
Keisuke grinned. "Because life's boring without a little adventure!"
She rolled her eyes. "Alright, Mr. Adventurer—time for school!"
Asuka walked alone, the cool morning breeze brushing against her. Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her back. She froze, heart skipping.
"Could it be… him?"
But as she turned around, it was Kota standing there with a gentle smile.
"Good morning, Asuka," he greeted.
"Oh, Kota-kun! Good morning," she smiled back. "You alone today? Where's Chika?"
"She's not feeling well," he explained. "Took the day off."
"Ah… then I'll take notes for her and visit later," she offered.
"No need," Kota said quickly. "It's just a cold. Nothing serious."
"She's still my friend. I'll believe she's okay only after I see her myself," Asuka insisted.
Kota chuckled softly. "Stubborn, aren't you?"
"I call it loyal," she teased.
"I heard you're learning dojo?" Kota asked with interest.
"Yeah, since I was three."
"Whoa… so you must be amazing."
"I wouldn't say that," she smiled modestly. "There's someone I know who's way stronger."
"Well, Asuka-san," Kota said thoughtfully, "I think you'll get there soon. Ever thought about learning other martial arts? Like boxing, kickboxing, Sikaran, or Hapkido?"
"Hmm… maybe I should!" Asuka lit up. "Are you learning any?"
Kota nodded. "Yeah—Sikaran and Hapkido."
"That's so cool! I wanna learn too! Where do you go?"
Kota handed her the address. "Classes are smaller around 5 PM—better for learning."
"Thanks, Kota-kun. I'll be there today," she smiled brightly.
From a distance, Manjiro watched them. His heart felt heavy as he saw her laugh with Kota.
"Will she ever forgive me? Should I apologize now…? But she's with her friend…"
At school…
Asuka entered her classroom and looked around.
No sign of Manjiro.
She quietly took her seat, glancing at the door every now and then. A few minutes later, he walked in. Their eyes met.
But no words were exchanged.
He sat down. She looked away.
Class after class passed… but silence hung between them like an invisible wall.
"Why is it so hard?" Manjiro thought, clenching his fists. "Just say it, idiot. Just say sorry."
Final bell rings.
Students began packing up, eager to leave.
Asuka stood to leave as well, but just as she took a step, Manjiro suddenly called out.
"Asuka."
His voice was serious.
She turned. "Yes?"
"I… I want to say something. Can you give me a minute?"
She nodded. "Go ahead."
He opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat.
From the windows, students from other classes peered in, sensing drama.
"Well? Say it or don't," Asuka said, arms crossed.
"I…" he gulped. "I'm sorry. For what I did yesterday. I didn't know what was happening to me. It was like I wasn't even me."
He looked down, ashamed.
"If I ever do something like that again… you can do anything you want. Even walk away from me. I deserve it. I don't even know if I deserve your friendship anymore. But if there's even a small chance—please… give me one."
Asuka was silent for a moment.
Then, she smiled softly.
"Who said you don't deserve a chance, dummy? We're friends. Of course, I forgive you. Yeah, you're stupid. And yeah, you barely use your brain. But you're my friend."
She reached out and held his hand.
"Let's go home, stupid Manjiro."
He smiled, eyes glistening, and nodded.
Outside the class…
Keisuke leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching them.
Emma stood beside him, wiping her tears.
"Thank God… you guys are together again," she whispered, voice trembling.
Manjiro walked up to Keisuke.
"Sorry, Baji…"
Keisuke grinned wide. "It's alright, at least you said it properly. That's enough, right Asuka?"
Asuka nodded, smiling. "Yeah. That's more than enough."
That evening…
Asuka stood outside the martial arts dojo Kota told her about. The golden hour light bathed the street, and nervous energy buzzed inside her.
She took a deep breath and stepped in.
The room was simple—wooden floors, punching bags, a few students training, and a trainer who looked like he could break bricks with a sneeze.
"Asuka-san!" Kota waved her over, already dressed in his gear. "Glad you made it!"
"Wouldn't miss it," she smiled, tying her hair back.
"You ready to sweat?" Kota teased.
"You bet."
The instructor walked up. "You're new," he said, eyeing her posture. "Ever trained before?"
Asuka nodded confidently. "I've been doing dojo since I was three."
"Impressive. Let's see how fast you pick this up."
After training…
The sky was turning a soft orange as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the street. The air was cool, the kind of refreshing breeze that made walking feel lighter after an intense workout.
Asuka slung her bag over her shoulder, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Kota-kun!" she called out as he stepped ahead.
Kota turned, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Yeah?"
"I'm walking home with you," Asuka said, catching up beside him. "I want to check on Chika. Also… I brought today's notes for her."
Kota gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I'm sure she'll appreciate that."
The walk to his house was calm, filled with small talk about the dojo and their sore muscles. As they reached the house, Asuka didn't wait—she kicked off her shoes and marched straight toward Chika's room like she had done it a hundred times before.
She knocked gently on the door. Knock knock.
From inside, a soft voice responded, "Come in."
Asuka opened the door and stepped in quietly. The room smelled faintly of menthol and green tea. Chika sat up in bed, wrapped in a cozy blanket with a warm compress on her forehead. Her cheeks still had a slight pink tinge from the fever.
Asuka crossed her arms, pretending to be stern. "Just came to see if you're still alive," she said with a raised brow.
Chika smiled tiredly, her voice light. "I'm alright, Asuka. You don't have to worry so much."
"Well, someone has to." Asuka walked over to her and placed the notebook on the side table. "Here. I brought today's notes. Don't even try to say you'll catch up later."
Chika reached for them and chuckled softly. "Thank you, Asuka. Seriously… I don't know what I'd do without you."
Asuka softened, brushing some hair away from Chika's forehead like a big sister would. "You'd probably be buried under a mountain of missed homeworks," she teased. "But really, don't push yourself. Just rest, okay?"
Chika nodded, her eyes already growing heavier again. "Okay… I will."
Asuka gave her one last smile, quietly turned, and left the room, gently closing the door behind her.