It didn't take much for Keisuke to catch him. Despite being a conduit, Naoto was unbelievably slow. His skinny body didn't support him in any way. Keisuke cut him off and stood intimidatingly. Despite his shorter stature than Naoto, he was practically the vision of a scary monster to Naoto. Keisuke grabbed his collar and stared up into his brown eyes with so much intensity that he wondered if he was going to beat him to a pulp or still maintain his purpose.
Naoto stared down at him in terror, certain that one wrong move would earn him a punch to the face. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Kae caught up and grabbed Naoto by the shoulder, her grip strong enough to bruise.
"Where is it, you creep?" Kae demanded.
Naoto only stammered, looking down at her—until the unexpected happened. His pants slipped down. As if some higher power had answered Kae's question for her, the truth was suddenly exposed.
Naoto had been wearing it the entire time.
Keisuke stared at him in disbelief, torn between humor and disgust. Kae, on the other hand, looked completely horrified. She released Naoto, and for a second, both she and Keisuke just stared. Then Keisuke burst out laughing.
"This isn't funny! What he's doing has to be a crime!" she shouted.
Keisuke slowly stopped laughing, finally collecting himself enough to catch his breath.
"He's useless!" Keisuke said, gesturing toward Naoto's lower back.
Kae frowned in confusion before walking around him to see what Keisuke meant. Naoto's mark was practically invisible. He had no percentage of resonance; anyone would assume he hadn't even made a contract. If anything, he was just a vessel holding the Mud Ikon. Keisuke barked out another laugh and left Naoto standing in the middle of the hall with his pants down. Kae glanced between Keisuke's retreating back and Naoto, who stood frozen in humiliation. After a moment, she followed Keisuke. Once they had some distance, she looked at him with lingering anger—not at the situation, but at the fact that Keisuke hadn't punished Naoto.
"What's wrong?" he prodded.
"Why'd you let him go? He was creeping on that poor girl and even wearing her underwear..." she said.
"He's already being punished. His reputation is completely gone, he's standing ass-out in the middle of the hallway with spectators, and he can't even use his abilities," Keisuke said calmly.
Kae pressed her lips together, unable to argue. He was right. Hurting Naoto wouldn't change anything.
"Plus, we don't need him. He's useless to the effort anyway," Keisuke added.
That gave Kae some peace. She wouldn't have to work with him in any way, and that alone was enough. But before she could let the matter go, another thought surfaced.
"What about the hooded man? Won't he kill him?" she asked.
Even though she hated Naoto now, he was still a human being. Keisuke turned his head toward her and smiled.
"You said it yourself. The hooded man was only after him because he thought Naoto was a potential threat. There is no potential until his resonance grows," Keisuke reassured her softly.
That comforted her, but only slightly. Something about leaving Naoto defenseless still sat wrong in her chest. Choosing to ignore the feeling and trust Keisuke, she nodded.
"Besides, I think you're the one I'm worried about. You'll make his list once he finds out you betrayed him," Keisuke added.
Kae looked at him, thrown off by his comment, but quickly gathered herself.
"It's fine, I have you guys..." she replied.
"That's right," Keisuke said with a smile, patting her back.
"Especially Yuma," he added with a smirk.
Kae looked at him wide-eyed, her cheeks reddening at Yuma's name. Before she could ask why Keisuke had mentioned him specifically, he continued.
"He's one of a kind, and I know he will end this all..." Keisuke continued, slightly quieter than his original tone.
Kae quickly retracted her reaction and sighed softly, relieved. Keisuke, however, didn't waste a second to catch her off guard with her reaction.
"You thought differently when I mentioned him, huh?" he teased.
Kae looked at him, flustered.
"W-wh-what?" Kae stammered out.
"I saw how you looked at him when we talked after they left to plan that day you met us," Keisuke explained.
"You like him, don't you?" he said, more as a statement than a question.
Kae's blush grew brighter after being called out.
"Was it that obvious?" she whispered.
Keisuke shook his head softly.
"Not to him. Funny enough, Yuma notices everything around him, but when it comes to himself, he's completely blind," Keisuke answered, sounding a little too pleased.
Kae didn't answer. She chose to walk in silence, trying to calm the rush of embarrassment still burning in her chest. The two reached the front of the school and silently agreed to part ways. Just as Keisuke started to leave, Kae called out to him.
"Um... before you go, please don't tell him..." she pleaded quietly.
Keisuke gave her a small smile and nodded.
"I wasn't planning to, and I never will. Just be sure to say it before it's too late," Keisuke advised softly.
He left with a wave, heading back to class. Kae watched him until he grew smaller and smaller, then disappeared up the stairs. With a soft sigh, she turned and left for her own class.
***
Taking the rest of the day off from school to breathe, Yuma returned home late in the afternoon to change out of his uniform. Entering the house, the silence was deafening. The once lively house turned into a dying one, no longer filled with even half of his family. Tossing his bag on the floor next to the door, he dragged himself through the house to his room. Every step brought back memories one after another, some going as far back as before he lost his father and brother. He hated every second of it, his home a hallmark of torturously joyous memories. Once in his room, he stripped off his uniform and changed into a more casual outfit: a simple white shirt, black hoodie, and black jeans. Ironically dressed in funeral colors. After he had changed, he no longer wanted to spend another minute in his home and left more quickly than he had entered. Just as he was about to cross the front door, however, he turned to look at his home one more time. This time, seething hatred filling his heart, it seemed like losing his father and brother wasn't enough, but now his mother was added to the list. Gripping his fist into a tight ball, he gritted his teeth with something akin to a vow on his mind.
'I'm going to avenge them. I'll kill him, and I won't come back until I do.'
Yuma grabbed the door and slammed it behind him with more force than he meant to. With nothing else to do, he headed toward the place Akira had told him to meet afterward. The sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, leaving him to walk through the evening light. Then a sulfur-like smell seeped into the air. Yuma stopped. The presence behind him was unlike anything he had ever felt. Not even Akira carried this kind of pressure.
It was a conduit.
Slowly, he turned around.
The hooded man.