"I see you," she whispered, her lips curling into a gentle smile.
The boy hesitated, his fingers twitching slightly. Astra looked around, frowning. "Where are your parents? And why are you hiding here?" Still, he said nothing but then his tiny hand lifted, pointing silently at the half-eaten rice cake in her hands.
Astra blinked, glancing between the rice cake and the boy. "You want some?" she asked gently.
The boy gave a small, quick nod.
Without hesitation, Astra broke off the untouched half and held it out. "Here. You can have the bigger piece."
The boy slowly crept out from behind the crates, still cautious, his bare feet soft against the wood. He reached out with small, trembling hands and took the rice cake from her.
As he did, Astra's eyes caught the rawness of his palms the burnishes, the small cuts along his fingers, and the faint bruises hidden beneath the grime on his arms.
Her smile faltered.
"Hey…" she said softly, voice dipping with concern. "You're hurt…"
But the boy just held the rice cake close, lowering his head and biting into it quietly, not meeting her gaze.
Astra stayed kneeling, watching him eat in silence. As soon as he finished the last bite, the boy quickly turned on his heels, trying to scurry back behind the baskets.
"Hey— wait!" Astra reached out and gently caught him by the arm, careful not to hurt him. "Why are you trying to hide again?"
The boy wriggled weakly in her hold, but Astra held firm, gently turning him around to face her. Her brows furrowed as she took in his appearance more clearly dirt smeared on his cheeks, scratches along his jaw, and a tear along the side of his shirt barely stitched together.
"Where did you get all these wounds?" she asked, brushing some of the messy hair from his face. "Is there someone with you? A brother? Sister? Anyone?"
The boy stayed silent, but his small fingers balled tightly at his sides.
Astra's gaze dropped to his clothes ripped, faded, and caked with dust. "Look at you," she whispered. "You're all bruised and scraped up… how long have you been like this?"
Still no answer.
She tried again, a bit more firmly now, "Just tell me— where are your parents?! How can they be so careless?"
At that, the boy lowered his head, shoulders curling inward like a shell. A flicker of realization crossed Astra's face. She hesitated, her voice softening, "Did your parents… hurt you?"
The boy quickly shook his head. Astra let out a slow breath of relief but pressed on, "Then what happened to you? Are you… are you alone here?"
The boy looked up at her finally. his small, bruised face serious and gave a small, quiet nod.
"What!" Astra's voice rose in disbelief. "You're all alone?"
At her sudden outburst, the boy flinched, his shoulders tensing and his eyes darting downward. Astra's face fell immediately. She reached out, gently ruffling his messy hair.
"Hey, don't be scared of me," she said quickly, her tone softening. "I won't hurt you."
The boy gave a small nod, his eyes lifting slightly. Astra smiled at him, but her smile faded as her gaze dropped to the wounds lining his arms and hands. The sight of them so raw against his fragile skin dmade something ache inside her.
"Wait…" she muttered, rummaging through her sleeve, "Where is it—ah! Good thing Arisu gave me this medicine. I didn't know it'd be this useful so soon."
She pulled out a small wooden box and unlatched it, revealing a pale green salve inside.
"Can you sit here?" She tapped the edge of a nearby basket.
The boy hesitated but, after a moment, quietly climbed up and perched on it.
"Alright," she said, dipping her fingers into the salve. "I'm going to put this on your wounds, okay? It'll help them heal faster. It might sting at first, but the burn goes away really quickly. Trust me."
She held out her hand. "Now, give me your arm."
The boy slowly extended his arm. As she gently spread the salve across a long scrape, Astra winced, expecting a flinch or cry, but the boy didn't even move. Not a twitch, not a sound.
"What…?" she breathed.
Her hands paused for a second in surprise. The burn from this medicine usually made her cry in pain. But this boy… was completely still. His wide innocent eyes just stared at her.
Astra said nothing, only leaned closer and blew softly over the treated area, careful and patient. Her fingers moved with care, but her heart thudded heavily at the thought of what kind of pain this boy must've been through enough to not even flinch at something like this.
Astra didn't hesitate for a second.
Once the salve was applied, she tore the edge of her sleeve into strips with swift, practiced hands. Her fingers worked carefully as she wrapped the makeshift bandages around the boy's wounds, securing them gently but firmly.
"There," she whispered, tying the last knot and smoothing his hand. "Now you'll feel better soon."
A few paces behind her, Ryoma and Seirou stood in silence, having watched the entire exchange. The boy now sat a little straighter, his eyes fixed on Astra with something close to trust.
Seirou exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "This reminded me of something…"
Ryoma glanced at him, brow arched in question. "What?"
Seirou didn't look away from the scene. "It's just… doesn't it look familiar? Like when you used to treat Astra when she was small every time she came back crying after falling from trees or chasing animals."
Ryoma blinked, then frowned slightly.
Seirou gestured forward with a nod. "Look. Even the way she tore her sleeve just like you used to. Same urgency. Same look in the eyes."
Ryoma didn't respond immediately. His gaze drifted to Astra again, watching her blow on the boy's bandaged hand one last time before offering him a smile soft and reassuring.
"…Though her brain forgets, her heart remembers more than she thinks," Seirou added quietly.
————
Meanwhile, Arisu sat stubbornly on the edge of the wooden porch, her arms folded tightly, lips pursed in protest. A small bowl of untouched porridge rested beside her, long gone cold. She hadn't taken a single bite since last night.
Her mother paced nervously nearby, hands wringing as she glanced between her daughter and the food. "Arisu, please just eat something. At least drink a little water."
Arisu gave a long, tragic sigh. "What's the point of eating if I'm going to starve emotionally in this house?"
Her mother blinked. "What…?"
Before she could say more, Grandpa Renshou stomped out into the courtyard with his cane, his expression already full of disapproval. "Still refusing to eat, huh? I said no. You're not going to the capital, and that's final."
Arisu immediately collapsed backward onto the porch with a dramatic flair. "Then let the heavens bear witness to the slow and pitiful wilt of a dream unfulfilled."
Her mother gasped. "She's going to faint!"
"I'm fine," Arisu mumbled, one eye opening slightly. "I'm just emotionally fainting."
Grandpa snorted. "You've been reading too many plays again, girl."
"I'm serious!" Arisu sat up sharply, fists clenched at her sides. "I've made up my mind. If you won't take me there, I'll turn to mist and float away! Is that what you want?"
Grandpa Renshou, unfazed, turned his back toward her and muttered, "No means no. You are not going there."
Arisu shot to her feet, eyes flaring. "Why are you so stubborn on this? Can't you fulfill your granddaughter's simple wish to see the festivals at the capital for once?"
Her mother stepped in again, her voice gentle but firm. "Arisu, my dear, you're being stubborn too. Why do you suddenly want to go there after all these years? You always respected his decision… staying away from the capital."
Arisu opened her mouth, then paused, turning away. Her voice lowered, but it didn't lose its weight.
"But how long?" she said. "How long do I have to pretend I don't want to see it? I also wish to see the ceremony… at least once."
She hesitated, then added with a spark in her eyes, "And this time, the Crown Prince is coming out in public for the first time."
At that, Grandpa Renshou's grip on his cane tightened, his knuckles whitening, though he said nothing.
Arisu turned back to them, pressing on.
"And this year… because the gates have been opened for everyone, even commoners will be lucky enough to witness it. Don't you want me to be lucky too?"
finally turned toward her, his expression firm but not cold.
"You are already lucky enough," he said. "But still you want to be unlucky… to go there?"
Arisu frowned, stepping forward. "Grandpa, how can I be unlucky just by going to the capital?"
He didn't answer, just looked at her with that same unreadable stare.
Arisu's voice grew sharper. her hands clenched at her sides. "I heard even Maihima is going there soon to the inner sector. And she's lucky enough to get the First-Person Badge without paying a single coin! She'll get to see the Crown Prince from the front row!"
Her grandfather finally stopped walking, his back straightening. His voice was low, edged with warning.
"Why are you so obsessed with going there?" he asked, still facing away from her. "That place… it's not what you think. It's filled with nobles, yes. Elites, clans with strong bloodlines… but also secrets buried deeper than the roots of the imperial trees. It's not heaven on earth like people claim. It's a nest of cunning minds and twisted power."
Arisu frowned, stepping closer. "But aren't we of noble blood too? Didn't we belong there once? Our entire bloodline lives in the capital. Then why are we here living quietly far from them?"
She paused, her voice lowering. "If you really think the people there are like that… Shouldn't that make us like them too?"
Grandpa didn't turn. His silence stretched, heavy.
Arisu's mother sighed softly and stepped forward, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Arisu, you're too young to understand these things yet. Your grandfather… he has his reasons. Just trust him, for now."
Arisu looked at them both, frustration simmering behind her eyes but beneath it, a glimmer of confusion and something heavier longing.