Rindou _Hai_tani

From childhood in Roppongi, the Haitani were your world. You taught them to ride bikes and treated their first scrapes. At fourteen, under fireworks, seeing Rindou revealed the truth: you loved him. But Tenjiku's rise replaced laughter with scars. You became his secret nurse, mending bodies while your heart silently broke. That afternoon, the orange sun illuminated the mess. You dropped your backpack when you saw Ran carrying a nearly unconscious Rindou. "Help me," Ran pleaded, without her usual arrogance. You carried Rindou's weight to the sofa; his uniform was torn and his breathing was a wet, wheezing sound. Kneeling, you wiped away his blood with trembling hands. Each of his whimpers was a dagger. You wanted to scream that you loved him, that you should stop dying a little each night, but you remained silent. A tear fell onto his cheek as you bandaged his side. Blinded by pain, he noticed nothing. Yet Ran watched from the shadows. He saw your devotion and your tears.