Hikari's fingers curled into his sleeves as he sat stiffly at his desk, barely registering the monotonous voice of the teacher at the front of the class. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out the scratching of pencils against paper and the occasional shuffle of a restless student shifting in their seat.
He had heard it—a cry, desperate and fleeting, swallowed by the thick walls of the school. Yet no one else reacted.
Slowly, he scanned the room, his gaze flickering from one classmate to another. They were all focused on the lesson, unaware of the distress that had just pierced the air. A hollow frustration settled in his chest.
His abilities, still foreign and untamed, had granted him an enhanced sense of hearing, along with his other four senses. Now that he had detected something out of the ordinary, uncertainty gnawed at him. What was he supposed to do? Ignore it and pretend he hadn't heard anything? Or act?
His body answered before his mind could reach a conclusion. His fingers curled into his palm, a silent resolution forming. He had no training, no real grasp of his newfound power, but that didn't matter. Someone needed help.
Hikari let out a slow breath, checking once more if anyone was watching him. The students were focused on their notes, and the teacher had turned toward the blackboard. This was his chance. Closing his eyes, he focused inward, reaching for the part of himself that had shifted, that had become something more than human.
Come on. Work.
He cast a glance downward, eyes locking onto his shadow stretched beneath the desk. Please, just like before. I need to become a shadow.
At first, nothing happened. Panic gripped him. Was it a fluke last time? Did he need a certain condition to make it work? He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating harder. Just turn into a shadow. Just like before. Please. Someone needs help.
Then, something shifted.
A weight lifted from his limbs, an unnatural sensation spreading through his body as if his very essence was unraveling. A strange tugging sensation at his back sent a shiver through him. When he opened his eyes, the world had tilted.
He was no longer in his seat.
Hikari was on the ceiling.
His entire form had flattened, fused with the surface above, yet he could still see, still move. The classroom stretched below him, his classmates oblivious to his sudden disappearance.
His breath hitched, but there was no time to hesitate. He moved—no, glided—toward the window, seamlessly shifting from the ceiling to the outer wall of the school. To anyone watching, it would have seemed as though a shadow had detached itself, slipping across the surfaces with an eerie, weightless grace.
The world outside blurred past as he moved, faster than he had ever run, yet there was no rush of wind, no sensation of resistance. It was surreal, almost unnatural. Yet he had no time to dwell on it.
The cry had come from the Love Bridge.
He followed the sound, his movements fluid, instinct guiding him. The closer he got, the clearer the voices became—panicked breathing, the shuffling of feet, and then—
A harsh voice. "Just give it up already. It's not worth getting hurt over."
Hikari reached the scene, his form stretching across the pavement before coiling into the shadows of a nearby lamppost. He observed, eyes narrowing.
A group of four men stood around a lone woman, their presence predatory. The leader, a tall figure with a sneer plastered across his face, held a purse aloft, swinging it lazily between his fingers as if to taunt her. The woman's fists clenched at her sides, but Hikari could see the way her shoulders trembled. She was afraid.
Something in him snapped.
Without a second thought, he shot forward. The first man barely had time to react before his legs were swept out from beneath him. He hit the ground hard, a grunt of shock escaping his lips. The others turned, their expressions twisting from amusement to confusion as they tried to find the source of the attack.
"What the—?!"
Hikari didn't give them time to recover. He darted between them, a mere flicker against the pavement, tripping another one before twisting behind the third and sending him crashing into his comrade. Chaos erupted as they scrambled to their feet, eyes darting wildly in search of an attacker they couldn't see.
The woman's wide-eyed gaze flickered to the ground, following the unnatural movement of his shadow-like form.
Hikari hesitated for only a second before shifting back. His body reformed, rising from the pavement like mist solidifying into flesh. The moment his feet touched the ground, he lunged forward, wrapping an arm around one of the men's throats. He had seen this technique before—a sleeper hold. It was risky, but if he applied the right amount of pressure—
The man struggled for a moment before his movements weakened. Hikari lowered him carefully, ensuring he was unconscious before turning to the others. The last two thieves backed away, eyes filled with disbelief.
"What the hell are you?!"
Hikari didn't answer. He moved—one fluid motion, a blur in the dim light. His fists connected with precision, striking at weak points, and within moments, all four were down, sprawled across the pavement in unconscious heaps.
A breath he hadn't realized he was holding escaped his lips. His pulse thundered in his ears, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
The woman, who had been silent through the entire ordeal, finally spoke. "You're… an Irregular, aren't you?"
Hikari stiffened. His mind reeled. Dang it. He had acted on instinct, forgetting that shifting back into his human form meant being seen. And now this woman—whoever she was—had seen everything.
"Please," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his head. "Don't tell anyone about this. I can't let anyone know yet."
She studied him for a moment before breaking into a lighthearted chuckle. "Relax. You saved me, didn't you? Keeping a secret is the least I can do. Besides, you're not the only Irregular I know."
Her words sent a jolt through him. Not the only one?
Before he could ask what she meant, she extended a hand. "Thanks. Really."
Hikari hesitated before handing her the stolen purse. "Call the police. Let them take care of the rest."
She nodded. "Got it. And you—better get going before someone else sees you."
Her cheerful expression was oddly familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
With a final nod, Hikari stepped back. Shadows curled around his feet, swallowing his form. Within seconds, he had vanished, gliding across the pavement, racing back toward the school before anyone noticed his absence.
He exhaled sharply as he neared the campus. Now, he thought grimly, how am I going to explain cutting class?