After leaving the accessory shop, both Shin and Yuki wore matching black cord bracelets—each with a tiny silver star charm. It was meant to be a joke, something silly. But neither of them took it off.
The food court was bustling, alive with clattering trays and the scent of fried everything. Shin scanned the options. "Burgers? Ramen? Or maybe crepes?"
"Crepes aren't food," Yuki grumbled, clutching his bracelet.
Shin gave him a side glance. "Says the boy who eats egg sandwiches like it's religion."
"They're balanced!"
"I bet your definition of balanced includes strawberry milk."
Yuki turned red. "I—"
"Shin-kun, Yuki-kun!" a cheerful girl from a nearby booth called. "Your ramen order will be ready in five!"
Yuki bowed slightly, and Shin nodded in thanks.
"I'll be right back," Yuki mumbled. "Bathroom."
Shin leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Don't fall in."
Yuki paused. "What am I, six?"
"Just making sure you don't get lost in the men's room. You look like you'd wander into the girls' by accident."
"Y-You jerk!"
Shin grinned as Yuki stomped off, flustered.
---
The bathroom was cleaner than expected, and after washing his hands, Yuki stood by the mirror for a second, adjusting his hair. His reflection smiled back—soft cheeks still pink, eyes a little bright.
Shin-kun... he's so nice today. I feel happy… like, actually happy. He teases, but he also…
Yuki hugged himself lightly, cheeks still burning.
Yuki stepped out of the restroom, a soft flush on his cheeks, thinking about Shin and the matching bracelets they'd just bought. His fingers traced the band gently—he was glowing inside. Maybe a little too much.
Smack!
He bumped into someone's back. He stumbled slightly.
"S-Sorry!" he said quickly, looking up.
The boy turned, blinking in surprise. He was tall, in a baggy hoodie, sipping on bubble tea. He paused for a second, narrowing his eyes, and then his mouth parted slightly in recognition.
"Wait… Yuki-kun?"
Yuki froze.
Everything inside him shrank.
No… no, please, not here. Not when he was happy. Not when Shin was waiting.
"Y-You…" Yuki's voice came out strained. His hands curled around the hem of his shirt.
The boy tilted his head. "You went to Natsuhana Junior High, right? I remember now. You're that boy—Hikari Yuki. The one who was bullied. A lot."
The word—bullied—stabbed through Yuki like ice.
He felt the air leave his lungs. He blinked, chest tightening.
"You still look the same," the guy added. "I mean, not in a bad way, just… wow. That was really horrible, what they did to you back then."
Yuki took a shaky step back, staring like he was seeing a ghost.
The boy wasn't one of them. Not one of the ones who stripped him, laughed, or hit him. But he had been there. Another watcher. Someone who saw and did nothing.
The guy scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I didn't expect to run into you here. You okay? You look pale…"
And then—
"What did you say… about bullying?"
A low, dangerous voice sliced the air.
The boy flinched.
Yuki gasped.
Shin stood behind him.
His aura was pitch black. His eyes glowed dangerously beneath his bangs. A visible vein throbbed at his temple, and shadowy tendrils seemed to pour from his back like an avenging demon from some dark anime. The floor beneath them felt like it dipped a few degrees colder.
The guy stepped back, stammering. "H-Hey, I wasn't one of them! I swear!"
Yuki turned around in panic. "S-Shin, wait—!"
But it was too late.
Shin's hand rose, slowly, ominously—his shadow falling long over the boy's face.
—
They were now back at the table in the food court.
Shin and Yuki sat side by side. The bubble tea boy sat across from them, fidgeting nervously, eyes darting between them. Or more accurately—between Shin's aura of pure fury.
"Explain," Shin said, voice low and sharp.
The boy swallowed hard. "I… I really wasn't part of it. I was just another student in his class. But… I knew. Everyone did."
Yuki sat still. His fingers gripped the edge of his tray so tightly they trembled.
The boy continued. "It started quiet. Teasing. Comments about how pretty he looked. But then… it got worse. They started forcing him to wear girly clothes. Real skimpy ones. Panties, skirts. They'd cut his uniforms. Make him wear makeup. Made him dance during lunch."
Shin's jaw tightened. Yuki shrank slightly into his side.
"There was physical stuff too," the boy said darkly, eyes flickering. "They beat him up behind the gym. Slapped him if he didn't do what they said. Spanked him in front of everyone. Said it was because 'he looked like he wanted it.' They took his lunch money. Blackmailed him. Threatened to post pictures unless he followed orders."
Yuki trembled.
"Once," the boy whispered, looking down, "they dunked his face into the toilet. Said that's where 'princesses like him belong.' Made him drink from it. I was there. I saw him cry. And no one—no one—stopped them."
Shin's hand clenched into a tight fist.
Yuki's lip trembled.
"…I remember," the boy added, looking at Yuki now with real regret. "You came to school some days with bruises and didn't talk. We all just turned our backs. I didn't speak up. I was scared too. I'm sorry."
Yuki's voice was barely a whisper. "They put a dog collar on me once. Said it matched my leash. Made me crawl."
The boy covered his mouth in guilt. "Yuki…"
"They made me wear panties. Every week. They'd check… if I was wearing them."
The boy's eyes widened.
Yuki didn't look at him. He stared at the tabletop.
"One time they locked me in the girl's bathroom and said that's where I belonged. I stayed there until night."
Shin's fists were clenched so tightly the skin turned white.
But then—he looked down.
And saw Yuki trembling beside him. His cheeks were pale. His lips trembled, eyes glassy. Then—a tear slipped down his cheek.
Shin moved instantly.
He pulled Yuki close, one arm firmly around his shoulder, the other hand wrapping over Yuki's own.
Yuki gasped, but didn't pull away. He let himself be drawn in—leaning into Shin's warmth like a child. Fragile. Exposed. The years of humiliation, pain, fear—ripping through the surface all at once.
Shin held him tighter.
His voice was quiet, but hard.
"You don't ever… have to remember those things alone again."
Yuki sobbed quietly into Shin's chest, face buried in the space between his shoulder and neck.
The boy across them said nothing. He bowed deeply. "I'm sorry. For not helping. For watching."
Shin didn't reply.
His only focus now was the trembling boy in his arms.
---
Across the food court, at a table just behind a decorative potted plant, Aiko sat frozen mid-bite, her sandwich dangling between her fingers. Ai, sitting beside her with a milkshake in hand, was leaning forward like a cat ready to pounce, eyes locked on Shin and Yuki.
"…That aura…" Aiko whispered, voice trembling. "That was not normal."
"Onii-chan…" Ai said softly, her eyes wide, glimmering with something between awe and deep, raw affection. "He looked like a hero from one of those dark shoujo manga. Angry, but beautiful. Like a god of wrath."
"More like a yandere," Aiko muttered. "A hot one. I mean—what? I didn't say anything."
Ai clutched her chest. "I love him even more now…"
They both watched as Shin held Yuki close, his arms around the smaller boy's trembling frame like a protective shield. The way Shin's body curled around him wasn't just defensive—it was possessive. Fierce. Like someone who had made a vow to the universe itself.
And it struck both girls, in the same exact moment:
They were losing.
Ai slowly sipped her milkshake, face flushed. "If I was ever bullied, Onii-chan would burn down the whole school for me…"
Aiko groaned and looked away.
Ai leaned forward, her expression softening as she looked at Yuki, whose body was still wrapped up in Shin's.
"…But he needs it, doesn't he?" she whispered. "More than either of us ever could."
Aiko blinked and turned to look again. Yuki's fingers were still clinging to Shin's shirt like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. His shoulders trembled every now and then, but Shin didn't let go. He just held on tighter.
"I always thought Yuki was just shy and tsundere," Ai murmured. "But… that wasn't a blush earlier. That was fear."
Aiko's voice was low. "Yeah. It's like… all that stuff he hides behind—the sass, the snapping—it's armor."
They sat in silence a moment, the loud food court buzzing around them like white noise.
"…I kinda feel bad now," Ai said quietly.
Aiko nodded. "Me too. We treat it like a game. Competing for Shin. Trying to outshine each other."
"But for Yuki… Shin isn't a game. He's… a lifeline."
Ai clutched her milkshake tighter.
"…I don't think I can back off," she admitted softly. "I love Onii-chan too much."
Aiko looked over, eyes narrowed.
"But I can make sure Yuki knows he belongs with us," Ai continued. "That he's not alone."
Aiko sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "…Yeah. I'm not backing off either. But maybe… maybe we help him stand taller first. Before we knock him down again."
Ai smiled a little. "Deal."
---
Back at the table, Yuki's sobs had softened into quiet hiccups. His head was still pressed into Shin's chest, his hands gently gripping Shin's sweater, like he needed something solid, something safe.
"Yuki…" Shin's voice was low now, a whisper just for him.
"Mm…"
Shin gently cupped the back of Yuki's head. "You don't ever have to hide anything from me. Ever."
Yuki didn't answer, but his fingers tightened slightly.
Shin leaned down, his breath warm near Yuki's ear. "You're strong. You survived that hell… and still smile like sunshine."
Yuki's lips quivered again.
Shin kissed his hair. "But your smile… I'll protect it from now on."
Yuki finally looked up.
Eyes watery, lashes wet, cheeks flushed—he looked more vulnerable than ever. But in Shin's arms, there was also something else. A flicker of relief. Of healing.
"…Why are you being so nice to me?" Yuki whispered.
Shin smirked, brushing his thumb across Yuki's damp cheek.
"Because, idiot… you're mine to protect."
Yuki's breath hitched.
The words echoed in his chest louder than they were spoken. Shin didn't say them with romance, not yet—but there was something deeper than that. Something honest. Unshakeable.
"…Baka," Yuki mumbled, curling into his chest again, "you say embarrassing things…"
Shin chuckled. "You crying on me is pretty embarrassing too. But I'll allow it."
"…Hmph."
"Also," Shin added teasingly, "that guy thought you were cute even back then. Told me your legs looked great in a skirt."
Yuki slapped his chest weakly. "Don't joke right now!"
"I'm not. I'm jealous."
Yuki's face exploded in red.
"W-WHAT!?"
Shin grinned, holding him tighter.
"You're mine, Yuki. No one else gets to look at your smile… or your legs."
Yuki's heart thudded like a drum.
And for the first time in years, sitting in a crowded food court, surrounded by noise and chaos—Yuki felt whole.
He smiled.
Just a little.
But it was real.
---
END OF CHAPTER : 39 : YUKI'S PAST!
---