Kurayami Hikari stared at the man in his shadow with doubtful eyes. Ru Ryu's compliments were so enthusiastic that they almost felt exaggerated, making it hard to believe every word he said. There was something about the way he spoke, a mixture of amusement and sincerity, that made Hikari question whether the man was being serious or just messing with him. Still, he had no choice but to trust him for now.
"Wait, but how do I return to normal?" Hikari asked, keeping his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his tone.
Ru Ryu grinned, his expression carrying an air of mischief. "Simple. Just pretend nothing happened and walk toward your door."
Hikari blinked at him, his skepticism deepening. "...That's it?"
The shadow manipulator simply nodded, gesturing towards the door with his thumb. "Trust me on this one."
Suppressing a sigh, Hikari decided to follow the instruction, despite how absurd it sounded. He took a deep breath, tried to compose himself, and then strode toward the door as naturally as he could. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, something shifted. A strange sensation coursed through his body, as if a weight had suddenly lifted from him. His body felt lighter, more grounded—real.
"You sure learn—"
Before Ru Ryu could finish his sentence, the door suddenly swung open with sheer force. A bright light from the hallway flooded the dimly lit room, blinding Hikari for a moment. He barely had time to react before something hard struck him squarely in the nose. A sharp sting spread across his face as he stumbled backward, nearly losing his balance.
"Ow!" he groaned, clutching his nose in pain. His vision blurred for a second before he saw the culprit—his mother, standing in the doorway with wide, alarmed eyes.
"What is it now, Hikari?" she asked, her voice filled with concern. "Are you al—"
She stopped mid-sentence as her gaze landed on him sprawled on the floor, cradling his face. Her expression shifted from worry to exasperation.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, what happened this time?" she sighed, rubbing her forehead as if she were dealing with a particularly troublesome child—which, in her defense, she was.
Ru Ryu, now blending into the shadows on the floor, snickered under his breath. "...Fast, kid."
Hikari shot him a glare before quickly composing himself. "Nothing! It's fine, Mom! Just... an accident."
His mother didn't seem convinced, but she decided not to press further. Instead, she stepped inside and handed him an ice pack. "Here, put this on your forehead before it swells. And hurry up, breakfast is almost ready."
"Thanks, Mom," Hikari muttered as he took the ice pack and gently pressed it against his forehead, wincing slightly at the cold sensation.
As soon as his mother left, Ru Ryu chuckled, his voice carrying a teasing edge. "Wait... Did she just call you Hikari? That's your name?"
Hikari raised an eyebrow at him. "...Yes? You already knew that."
"Yeah, yeah, but hearing it out loud makes it funnier," Ru Ryu said with a laugh. "Kurayami Hikari, huh? A guy named 'Darkness Light.' That's poetic in a really ironic way."
Hikari rolled his eyes. "My parents named me that."
"Well, I gotta say, they have some impressive taste in names," Ru Ryu mused. "I mean, with a name like that, you were practically destined for this whole shadow thing. Makes you wonder if it was fate or just a crazy coincidence."
Hikari sighed, adjusting the ice pack. "Says the guy named Ru Ryu. Not exactly a common name either."
Ru Ryu grinned. "Touche, kid. But hey, at least I have history on my side. I mean, students study my name in textbooks. You, on the other hand, are just an average high schooler with a fear of the dark."
Hikari scowled. "Yeah, thanks for the reminder."
"Don't worry, kid. Soon enough, you won't be so 'average' anymore," Ru Ryu said, his voice tinged with amusement. "Starting, oh, I don't know... after school later?"
Hikari froze.
Wait. After school?!
His eyes darted toward the clock on his nightstand. The moment he saw the time, his stomach twisted into knots.
Oh no.
Panic surged through him. Without a second thought, he tossed the ice pack aside, scrambled to his feet, and rushed to get dressed. His movements were frantic, his fingers fumbling with the buttons on his uniform. He hadn't even taken a bath last night! His hair was probably a mess! He didn't have time to fix it! Aaargh!
He bolted downstairs, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste. His mother stood near the dining table, sipping her tea with a knowing smile.
"Running late again?" she mused, glancing at the clock.
"See you later, Mom! Dad!" Hikari shouted as he darted toward the front door. His father waved absentmindedly from behind his newspaper, while his mother gave him one last concerned look.
As he stepped outside, the cool morning air greeted him. The sun had already risen high, casting golden rays over the quiet streets. The sound of distant chatter and the occasional honk of a car filled the air, but Hikari barely registered any of it. He had one goal: get to school before the first bell.
Just as he was about to break into a full sprint, he collided with something—no, someone.
The impact sent him stumbling backward, landing on the pavement with a harsh thud. Pain shot through his back, but before he could process it, he heard a small gasp from in front of him.
"Ouch..."
Hikari blinked in alarm as he saw a girl rubbing her forehead, wincing from the impact.
Oh no.
Panic set in. He had just knocked over a girl. What was he supposed to do?! What was the proper way to apologize?! He couldn't just stand there like an idiot—he had to do something!
Heart racing, he quickly kneeled down and bowed his head as low as possible, his forehead nearly touching the ground. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! I—"
"It's fine," the girl interrupted, her voice soft and composed. "Really. You don't have to apologize so much."
Hikari hesitantly lifted his head, his eyes widening slightly as he got a better look at her. She had a warm, gentle smile on her face, her long, dark brown hair swaying slightly in the breeze. Her uniform was the same as his, meaning she attended the same school.
"In fact," she continued, "I should be the one thanking you. You saved me from those thieves the other day, didn't you?"
Hikari's mind blanked.
Wait. What?
The memory clicked—the moment he had fallen off the 'love bridge' and landed on that thug. The shadow manipulator had told him he had saved someone, but he had never expected it to be... her.
His mouth went dry. What was he supposed to say to that?!
"Uh—"
"By the way," she said before he could form a coherent sentence, "I'm Yukine Mitsumi. Nice to meet you."
Before Hikari could react, she extended a hand toward him. His brain scrambled for a proper response, but instead of speaking, he simply stared at her hand like it was some kind of foreign object.
This was bad. His mind was going into overdrive. A girl was talking to him. A cute girl. And she was thanking him. What was he supposed to do? Shake her hand? Say something cool? Act like this wasn't a big deal?!
Before he could make a decision, a familiar voice interrupted them.
"Hikari, what's all the commotion?"
Hikari stiffened.
He turned his head slowly, dread pooling in his stomach as he saw the figure standing at the doorway.
His father.
Great. Just great.