The evening sky was beginning to glow red as the scene shifted to a young woman named Mio Nakahara—one of the two girls rescued by Ryu Tebujin the day before. She was sitting on an old wooden bench behind the small shop where she worked, staring blankly at the horizon slowly swallowed by dusk. Her thoughts drifted far, lingering on the figure of a dark-haired man with sharp yet calm eyes. A figure who came like a shadow, saving her and her friend from the grip of three brutal thugs.
Mio was an orphan. She had lost both of her parents in a tragic fire that consumed their home when she was only nine months old. The incident happened in the village of Moncank, where she now lived. At the time of the tragedy, she had been at her grandmother's house in a neighboring village. Her grandmother only learned of the event when villagers came to tell her that her daughter's house had burned down completely, with no survivors—except for baby Mio, who wasn't at the scene.
Since then, Mio was raised by her grandmother alone. Their life was simple, but full of love. Her grandmother was a patient and gentle woman who always cooked her favorite meals and told her bedtime stories. But that happiness didn't last long. When Mio was nine years old, her grandmother suddenly passed away from a heart attack. It happened while she was cooking dinner. Little Mio panicked when she saw her grandmother collapsed on the kitchen floor, unmoving. She screamed for help until the neighbors came and discovered that the elderly woman had already passed.
From that point on, Mio's life changed again. She had no remaining family. With the help of the villagers, she was placed in a church-run orphanage on the outskirts of the village. It was there that she met Ruka Devina—a cheerful girl who would become her best friend, a sister not by blood but by bond, who had always been by her side.
Mio could still remember her first day at the orphanage clearly.
"Hello," greeted a girl with twin pigtails and a friendly smile.
"H-hi," Mio replied shyly, looking down.
"What's your name?" the girl asked again.
"My name is Mio… Mio Nakahara."
"Nice to meet you, Mio! I'm Ruka Devina, just call me Ruka."
Mio nodded slightly, not used to such warmth.
"Wanna look around? Come on! I'll give you a tour!"
Ruka immediately grabbed Mio's hand without waiting for a response. That was the beginning of an inseparable friendship. To this day, they worked at the same shop—a small store on the border between Moncank and the neighboring village. Ruka usually managed the cashier, while Mio helped customers find what they needed.
Yesterday, their lives nearly changed drastically. Three drunken thugs blocked their path in a narrow alley on their way home. They threatened them, demanding money and jewelry. But amidst the chaos, Ryu Tebujin appeared. With swift and decisive movements, he took down the three men in mere minutes. Mio couldn't forget that sight. Ryu's firmness and calm demeanor made her heart beat faster than usual.
And since then, Mio couldn't stop thinking about Ryu.
She sat in silence, watching the darkening evening sky, replaying the image of that man's face in her mind. Quietly, a feeling began to bloom—warm and unfamiliar, yet beautiful—a first love that came in the form of a savior.
"HEY!" someone shouted from behind.
Mio jumped in surprise. Ruka stood behind her, eyeing her suspiciously.
"You've been daydreaming. What are you thinking about?" Ruka asked, squinting her eyes.
"N-nothing. I wasn't daydreaming. Let's just get back to work," Mio quickly replied, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Ruka looked at her for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Hmm… alright. But you're acting weird today."
They went back inside the store. Things returned to normal, but inside Mio's heart, a quiet storm was beginning to stir. She knew something had changed within her—and it all started from one encounter, from one act of rescue by a man named Ryu Tebujin.