Yui froze, her hands still clutching her cardigan. "I—It's not what you think—"
Masaru cut her off, taking a step closer. "Not what I think? Do you have any idea who that boy is? What kind of person is Haruto Kuroya?"
She bit her lip. How could she explain it? That Haruto was both her tormentor and something… else. That he terrified her and yet, for reasons she couldn't name, she couldn't look away from him.
Her silence only stoked Masaru's anger.
"Yui." His voice dropped lower, trembling with frustration. "He's dangerous. People like him don't just play around—they destroy everything they touch."
Her throat tightened. She wanted to tell him everything—the threats, the humiliation, the slap, even the smile. Especially the smile. But the words stuck like thorns in her throat.
"I can handle it," she whispered.
Masaru slammed his palm against the counter, startling her. "You can't! Stop pretending you can handle someone like him. He's manipulative, Yui. He'll twist your life into something you won't even recognize."
The truth of his words made her chest ache. She should believe him. She should stay away.
But then that image came back—Haruto's soft smile, the fleeting moment where he seemed… real. Not the predator, not the tormentor. Just a boy, wounded and human.
Her heart whispered what her lips couldn't: What if there's more to him?
—
That night, Yui slipped out to the supermarket for groceries, her mind still heavy with Masaru's warning. She kept her head down, trying not to linger too long. By the time she hailed a taxi, her hands were weighed down with bags.
The city blurred past the windows, neon and headlights flashing. She leaned her head against the cool glass, trying to clear her thoughts.
Then her gaze snagged on something.
At the intersection, waiting for the light, was a sleek black car.
And in the driver's seat—Haruto.
Her breath caught.
He wasn't alone. A girl sat beside him, her manicured hand resting lightly on his arm. She was pretty, older, dressed like she belonged in glossy magazines.
Haruto was half-turned toward her, lips curled in that familiar smirk. Yet his eyes, in that brief moment when the cars were parallel, flicked toward Yui. Their gazes locked.
The light turned green.
The car glided forward, and just like that, he was gone.
But the image lingered. Him with someone else. Him smirking, looking untouchable, like she had never mattered at all.
Her fingers clenched around the grocery bags. Why did it sting? Why did it feel like her chest was being crushed?
—
The next morning, Sunday, Yui shook off the thoughts. She had promised Mrs. Tanaka she'd babysit little Mei for the day. The girl's laughter and chatter were a welcome distraction from her tangled emotions.
"Amusement park! Amusement park!" Mei sang as she tugged at Yui's hand.
Yui smiled faintly. "Yes, Mei-chan, we're going."
The amusement park was crowded with families, balloons bobbing in the air, the scent of popcorn and candy drifting on the breeze. Yui held Mei's hand tightly, weaving through the crowd.
And then—
"Yui?"
Her blood ran cold at the sound of his voice.
Haruto stood just a few steps away, hands in his pockets, his presence as magnetic as ever. Yui froze, unsure what to do, when Mei suddenly squealed.
"Haruto-oji!"
Before Yui could stop her, the little girl ran straight into Haruto's arms, hugging him with her tiny fingers.
Yui's mouth fell open. "You… know each other?"
Haruto glanced down at Mei, then up at Yui, his smirk unusually subdued. "Of course. She's family."
Family?
Her shock must have been obvious.
Yui's brain stumbled over the revelation. Haruto… an uncle? Mei, clinging to him so happily, didn't match the image of the cold boy who toyed with her life.
"Where are you headed?" Haruto asked Mei, ignoring Yui's stunned expression.
"Amusement park! With Yui-onee!"
Haruto's lips curved. "Then I'll come too."
Yui started to protest, but Haruto was already walking beside them, Mei clinging happily to his hand.
—
The day unfolded in strange, surreal fragments.
The three of them shared cotton candy. Mei tugged Haruto onto rides, and Yui, against her will, laughed when he actually went—arms folded, scowling, but going anyway.
They stopped at a food stall. Haruto ordered ice cream for all three, handing Yui hers without looking. They sat on a bench while Mei ran to the merry-go-round.
It was quiet for a moment. Then Haruto spoke.
"I'm her uncle."
His voice was normal. No smirk, no taunt—just a simple fact.
Yui nearly dropped her cone. "Why… why didn't you ever say that?"
Haruto turned his head, his eyes flicking to her. Something unreadable passed across his face.
Yui fumbled, suddenly flustered. Her ice cream slipped from her fingers, falling to the ground with a soft splat.
Before she could react, Haruto chuckled. A low, genuine laugh that startled her. He reached out, tapping her lightly on the head.
"Clumsy."
Her heart skipped.
For the first time, he looked like a boy of her age—not a predator, not a devil, just… Haruto.
"Haruto-oji!" Mei's voice rang out as she ran back, arms lifted. Haruto scooped her up effortlessly, resting her against his shoulder.
"Let's go," he said.
Yui followed beside them, dazed. She didn't notice the camera lens hidden in the crowd, snapping photo after photo.
Photos of them together.
Smiling.
As if they were a family.