A cold, chilly breeze made its way down the dimly lit street, rustling fallen leaves along the pavement. The streetlights flickered slightly, casting elongated shadows across the road, their faint yellow glow barely illuminating the rows of houses.
Tall brick walls framed most of the residences, giving them a uniform, almost monotonous appearance. From a distance, it was just another quiet neighborhood in the city, unremarkable and still.
Except for one house.
Unlike the others, this residence stood out with its Western-style architecture. Instead of high brick walls, a sleek iron gate with intricate gold linings guarded the entrance. Through the gaps in the metalwork, a bright red car sat neatly parked in the garage.
The house itself exuded an air of sophistication, its pristine white exterior reflecting the glow of the streetlights, contrasting sharply against the traditional Eastern-style houses surrounding it. It looked as if someone had lifted it straight out of a European city and dropped it onto this street.
And there Hikari stood, facing the grand wooden door, his gaze fixed on the woman in front of him—Mitsumi's mother.
Her eyes widened in an expression of shock, her lips parting slightly as if she had seen a ghost. "Y-you..."
The recognition in her voice sent alarm bells ringing in Hikari's head. Not the first time. This wasn't the first time she had seen him. The way her voice wavered, the way her eyes locked onto his face—it was clear.
He knew her. But from where? His mind scrambled, rifling through past encounters, trying to pinpoint when and where they had met before.
Then it hit him.
The woman under the bridge.
Earlier that day, he had cut class—or rather, had conveniently been in the right place at the right time to hear her desperate call for help. He had knocked out the thieves trying to rob her and left without thinking much of it. Now, standing in front of her again, he realized why she had seemed so familiar when he first met Mitsumi. She looked just like an older version of her daughter.
His heart pounded in his chest. What were the odds?
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Kurayami Hikari, Mitsumi's classmate. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed slightly, trying to act as normal as possible despite the awkwardness clawing at his insides.
He had considered not mentioning the morning's incident, figuring it would be better left unspoken. There was no need to bring up what happened under the love bridge, especially in front of Mitsumi. The last thing he wanted was to sound like he was bragging. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, her mother shattered his plans.
"T-t-thank you for saving me earlier today! I wouldn't be here if not for you, Hikari!" she said, bowing deeply.
Hikari felt the world tilt for a moment. What?! He had been trying to avoid this topic, and now it was out in the open. His shoulders slumped slightly. Well, there was no use crying over spilled milk. He might as well own up to it.
"I-it's fine," he muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Mitsumi's eyes widened as she turned to her mother. "Wait! You know each other?!"
"Not exactly," her mother replied. "It's just that Hikari coincidentally happened to be the one who rescued me from those robbers under the bridge this morning."
Phew. At least she explained it for him. Hikari inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. That saved him from having to come up with an excuse.
"Really, Mom?! So that's what you meant by an emergency earlier, huh, Hikari?" Mitsumi's lips curled into a grin. "But you know, I could say the same thing! Hikari also saved me from a bunch of robbers under that same bridge!"
Her mother gasped. "Really?! Tell me, how did it happen? Did he glide towards you like a shadow and knock them out one by one with sleeper holds?" she asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Wait! Before you answer that, let's head inside. It's getting chilly. Besides, dinner's ready!" She winked at the two of them before turning on her heels.
Hikari sighed in relief. At least now he wasn't the center of attention anymore. The distraction of the dinner gave him the leeway to take a breather as he followed righ behind Mitsumi and her mom.
The moment he stepped into Mitsumi's house, he couldn't help but admire the interior. It was just as grand as it had appeared from the outside. Black and white dominated the color scheme, giving the space a sleek and modern aesthetic. The living room was vast, with a high ceiling that made it feel even more spacious.
A spiral staircase stood elegantly on the far-left side, leading up to the second floor. The kitchen and dining area occupied a significant portion of the ground floor, the dining table large enough to seat at least ten people comfortably. On one side of the room, a massive bookshelf filled with monochrome-covered books stretched from floor to ceiling, while on the opposite end, a flat-screen television so large it looked like it belonged in a movie theater dominated the wall.
This place was straight out of a luxury magazine. Ten out of ten! Hikari gasped in awe as he admired the scene straight out of a movie set.
"You can sit on the couch," Mitsumi's mother said, motioning toward the plush leather sofa. "We'll have some appetizers first."
Hikari took a seat, still absorbing the refined atmosphere. Mitsumi settled in beside him, but her gaze was fixed on him with curiosity.
"So," she started, leaning slightly forward, "now that we have a moment, can you explain? Your powers, I mean. I didn't get a chance to ask before, and honestly, I've been dying to know."
Hikari tensed slightly. He had expected this. It was only a matter of time before she brought it up. The problem was, he couldn't exactly tell her everything. Some things were better left unsaid—especially when it involved a world far more dangerous than she could imagine.
"I guess you could say I'm... a Shadow Manipulator," he admitted, choosing his words carefully. "I can move through shadows, blend into them, even use them to fight. It's a little complicated, but that's the gist of it."
Mitsumi's eyes sparkled with interest. "Just like in the novels! So, you really are a Shadow Manipulator? My mom knows about it, right?"
"Yeah, accidentally," he sighed. "She saw me shift into my shadow form and take down those thieves. I just got carried away, though. I wasn't planning on revealing it."
Mitsumi nodded, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "What about my dad? Does he know?"
Hikari blinked. "I don't know. Probably not. Why do you ask?"
Mitsumi simply smiled, shaking her head. "No reason. Just curious."
For some reason, her answer made him uneasy. There was something behind that smile—something she wasn't saying. But before he could dwell on it, Mitsumi's mother returned with a tray of snacks, and the conversation took a more casual turn.
As Hikari sat there, sipping tea in the grand Western-style house, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had stepped into something much bigger than himself. This was no ordinary evening. It was the beginning of something far more significant, and somehow, Mitsumi's family was part of it.
He just didn't know how yet.