Previously on story:
A crash, a secret, a blue alien girl named Za,everything changed for Kira overnight. From hiding an alien in his shed to lying to his drunk sister, and now facing the mysterious arrival of Omega Lab. Dr. Nacht himself came, but found nothing. Thanks to luck, quick thinking, and a hidden stowaway under the bed, Za remains undiscovered… for now.
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The silence in the house felt louder than the convoy that had just left.
Hana Isayama stood in the living room, arms folded, gaze locked onto her son like a hawk eyeing prey.
"So…" she said sharply. "Care to explain?"
Kira blinked. "Explain what?"
Hana raised an eyebrow.
"I was asleep," he added, shrugging casually. "Didn't even hear them till the vans were already here."
That was technically true… after three hours of sleep.
Her eyes narrowed. Then they flicked over to Roxy, who was standing awkwardly behind Kira.
"…And why exactly is she here?"
Kira didn't flinch. "I called her. She's into Omega Lab stuff, so I thought she'd want to see the vans."
He gave a slight smirk. "Pretty cool, right?"
Roxy blinked, her face saying 'Wait, what?' even though she didn't speak. just nodded like it was totally part of the plan.
To their surprise, Hana nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "Alright. Just keep it down."
With that, she turned and headed to the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of sight, Kira exhaled. "That was close."
Roxy muttered, "Why'd you say I liked Omega so much?"
"You do."
"Still…"
"Anyway, why you still got this jacket? It's old as hell dude" Kira pointed at Roxy's jacket with the Star war logo.
She chuckled,"Just a small reminder for myself, who made me brave like this…"
Kira rolled his eyes. "That was ten years ago."
Roxy poked his cheek "Still counts."
The two made their way back to Kira's room. The moment the door clicked shut—
Rustle.
Both jumped.
From beneath the bed, a small hand reached out… and then a familiar blue face peeked out.
Za.
Kira's heart skipped. "Wha–?!"
Roxy backed up instinctively. "Was she under there this whole time?!"
Za looked terrified, her glowing eyes flicking between the two. She didn't speak, but her breathing was fast, shallow. Panic.
Kira quickly dropped to one knee beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. They're gone. You're safe now."
Za's trembling eased slightly at his touch. She still said nothing, curling her knees to her chest. Kira stayed beside her, whispering something too soft for Roxy to hear.
Watching them like that, something in Roxy's chest twisted.
She wasn't sure why.
Maybe it was the way Kira looked at Za. Or how gentle his voice became. Or maybe it was how Za looked at him,like he was her entire world right now.
Jealousy?
No…?
Yes…?
Roxy huffed quietly and walked over to his bed. She didn't say a word, just flopped down, face turned away. "Wake me up if the world ends again," she muttered.
She shut her eyes.
But she wasn't really trying to sleep.
Her mind… drifted.
Ten Years Ago
The classroom smelled like old paper and whiteboard markers. Eight-year-old Roxy sat at her desk, head buried in her arms, pretending not to hear the laughter around her.
Her glasses were crooked. Her hair was frizzy. Her science notebook had been tossed across the room.
Again.
"Roxy the robot," someone snickered. "Bet she can't even talk like a normal girl."
She didn't answer. She never did. That only made it worse.
But that day… something changed.
The door creaked open. A new boy stepped inside with a confused look and a teacher trailing behind.
"This is Kira Isayama," the teacher announced. "He just transferred here. Be nice."
The boy scanned the room.
There were two open desks. One near the back, next to the class clown. And one near the front, beside Roxy.
He chose the front.
Everyone blinked.
Roxy looked up slowly, surprised.
Kira sat down without a word. Then, quietly, he leaned toward her and whispered, "You good?"
She didn't answer right away.
"…Why'd you sit here?" she finally asked.
Kira shrugged. "I dunno. You look smart. Figured I wouldn't fall behind if I sat next to you."
For the first time in a long time, Roxy smiled.
That moment the first time someone looked at her without mocking her never left Roxy.
Kira didn't care that her hair was wild. He didn't laugh when she talked about black holes or bugs or computer code. He listened. And after just a few days, something else changed too.
The bullies noticed.
"Yo, Kira!" one of the loud boys jeered as they walked by. "You sitting with Robo-Roxy now? Are you trying to catch the nerd virus or something?"
Kira glanced up from his sketchbook. "You're still here?"
"Huh?"
"I just figured you'd be repeating second grade by now."
Laughter broke out around them,but not at Roxy this time.
Roxy stared at him, stunned. No one had ever talked back to them before. Not for her.
"You little punk!" The bully lunged forward.
Before he could do anything, Roxy moved.
She grabbed the boy's wrist mid-swing. Everyone froze.
"I calculated the force behind your punch," she said flatly. "It's weak. Don't try."
"…Huh?"
With a twist and a shove, she flipped him onto his back.
The class gasped.
Kira stood next to her, mouth hanging open.
"…Okay," he muttered, impressed. "That was awesome."
Roxy pushed her glasses up and cracked a rare grin. "Thanks."
Roxy didn't fight back. She never did.
It wasn't because she was weak,she knew how to throw a punch, how to twist her body to avoid a hit. But fighting back never worked. It just made things worse. If she hit them, they'd come back twice as hard the next day. If she told a teacher, nothing would change. So she took it. Bruises faded. Scars were just marks. Words didn't hurt that bad.
Or at least, that's what she told herself.
Then he showed up. The new kid. Kira Isayama.
The first time she saw him, she thought he looked boring. Quiet, with too-big clothes and a book in his lap. Another kid who'd probably ignore her like everyone else.
But now…
The bully lay stunned after Roxy flipped him, but his pride couldn't take it. He roared and threw a wild punch with his other hand…
Roxy didn't see it coming.
But Kira did.
And Kira moved.
A fist to the nose. A sickening crack.
Silence.
Roxy stared, wide-eyed.
He hit him? For me?
She didn't know what to feel. She should've been worried that Kira was new. If he got in trouble because of her… But instead, warmth spread through her chest.
For the first time, someone had stood up for her.
That's how both of them ended up sitting outside the principal's office, legs swinging off the too-big chairs, a little scuffed, a little dazed,waiting for their doom.
Kira rubbed his knuckles. "Ow."
Roxy blinked at him. "You didn't have to do that."
Kira shrugged. "Yeah, I did."
Her fingers curled into her sleeves. "…Why?"
"Because he was being a jerk," Kira said simply. "And you're my friend."
Friend.
No one had ever called her that before.
Before she could answer,Hana Isayama stormed in, her heels clicking against the floor. "Kira!" she snapped. "You were in a fight?! On the first day?"
Kira flinched. "He tried to hit her first!"
Hana was already pacing,until she turned and saw Roxy clearly.
Her glasses were cracked. Her sleeves tugged down to hide fading bruises. Old scars on her arms. And the way she held herself,like someone who was used to being hurt.
Hana's anger dropped in an instant.
She knelt down to their height, gently brushing Kira's hair back from his face.
Then she smiled softly and patted his head.
"Mommy… sorry, okay? You protected someone today. That matters more to me than any rule."
Roxy's mouth fell open.
Did she just APOLOGIZE to her kid?
Hana stood, smoothing her coat, then marched into the principal's office like a woman on a mission.
Roxy turned to Kira. "…Your mom's kinda awesome."
Kira grinned. "Told you."
Then Roxy's parents. They came.
Without any words, They slap Roxy in her face and snapped at her like, she's the one wrong here.
And again Kira stand for her again. He explained everything to her family, even they apologized to Roxy.
And that was the moment everything changed.
After the principal scolded them both and Hana made sure the truth came out, Roxy and Kira were let go with a warning. She walked home together with her family in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It was… warm.
That night, Roxy stared at herself in the mirror. Messy braids. Big glasses. Baggy sweater two sizes too big. She touched the fading bruises on her arm.
Then this new kid, Kira… he stood up for her. Not because he had to. Just… because.
She opened her closet.
That's when she saw it: her brother's old jacket. A little ripped, kinda rough, but it made her think of Kira. Brave. Sharp. Strong.
The next day, Roxy showed up in school with the jacket, her hair cut short, and her glasses swapped for contacts. She didn't care what people thought anymore
She sat next to Kira. Kira called her..
"Oi… girl!"
She turned. "Hm?"
He gave a box of plasters with space theme on it. "Hope you like it,and good for your injuries.I saw That on TV."
Roxy got the box with a huge smile. "By the way, I have a name,it's Roxanne or you call me Roxy. No need to call me 'girl'. "
From that day on, they were friends. And Roxy? She never let anyone mess with her or the people she cared about ever again. She started reading biology books, watching sci-fi shows, learning how to code and fight.
She became someone who could protect the people who protected her.
Present Day
Roxy blinked, pulled out of the memory by the soft sound of Za's breathing. She sat cross-legged now, curled up under Kira's blanket, holding the edge of his hoodie like a lifeline.
Kira sat beside her, still close, still calm, just like back then.
Roxy rolled onto her side, watching them quietly.
She didn't know when it had changed.
When Kira stopped being just the weird kid who sat next to her in class.
Maybe it was always there.
Maybe she'd just buried it under years of pretending.
Her chest tightened.
Do I really love him...? Or have I always loved him...?
Before she could answer that question herself…
"Where's the peanut butter?!"
Hana's voice called from the kitchen, confused and slightly annoyed.
Kira blinked. "Oh no."
Roxy's eyes widened. "Wait…"
Za, still groggy, lifted her head. "...Peh-nut… but-ter…"
Then,they remember about Za's 'hunt', last time.
All three of them, in perfect unison, facepalmed.
"Peanut butter…"
To Be Continued…