A red-haired little boy sat silently on a cold metal bench, his small body trembling ever so slightly under the dull hospital lights. His face was frozen in a lifeless expression, the kind of look that shouldn't belong to someone so young. His eyes, once full of innocence, now carried the burden of grief too heavy for his age.
Faint streaks of dried tears stained the skin beneath them—remnants of a long, silent weeping that had already drained him of any more emotion.
In his clenched fists, he tightly held a small, worn-out toy—its fur stained and faded, possibly the only piece of comfort left to him. He sat there, unmoving, waiting outside the operating theatre, staring at the sealed doors as if they were the gates of fate.
He wasn't the only one there.
A few other children, all around the same age, sat nearby with downcast eyes, their shoulders hunched as though the weight of the world had settled on them. An old woman sat at the far end of the row, her hands folded together in prayer, lips trembling. The air was heavy with silence, only occasionally broken by muffled footsteps and the distant echoes of hospital machines.
Everyone waited... patiently... anxiously... helplessly.
Thud!
The sudden sound of the operating room door jolted everyone.
A doctor stepped out, dressed in white, the cloth of his coat rustling faintly. His face was pale, and his eyes lowered. He carried a clipboard, but he didn't even glance at it. His lips were tight, shoulders sunken. Without a word, he looked directly at the old woman, then slowly shook his head.
"No…"
She whispered, her voice already breaking as she bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering.
Tears began streaming down her wrinkled cheeks, dripping onto her lap. The children didn't need to hear anything else. They knew.
Another one... was gone.
Like a quiet chain reaction, soft sobs rippled across the room. One child began to cry, and then another, and another. Each tear echoed the same pain, the same helpless realization.
But the red-haired boy didn't cry.
His fingers tightened around the toy, knuckles turning white. He lowered his head, eyes burning, yet not a single drop fell. He clenched his jaw, hiding it all inside.
His only thought:
'You too...'
...
"Arrghh..."
A pained groan escaped Leo's lips as he stirred, his body aching beneath the rough fabric of hospital sheets. He was dressed in pale blue patient clothes, the IV needle piercing his forearm trembling slightly as he moved.
His eyelids fluttered open slowly, blinking against the white ceiling that glared back at him.
The scent of antiseptic and alcohol stung his nose, making him feel nauseous. For a second, the world swirled before settling into clarity.
Leo sat up with effort, exhaling sharply, 'It's been a long time since I had that dream,' he thought... The pull of the IV and the soreness in his chest made him wince. His gaze shifted beside the bed—there, slouched in a chair, was Raphael.
She was asleep, but barely. Her brows were furrowed, her breathing uneven. Her arms were folded as if guarding herself from the weight of everything that had happened. She looked tired... no, exhausted.
Leo's eyes wandered toward the television mounted on the wall. The screen flickered with news coverage.
His heart dropped.
There it was—his school.
Or what was left of it.
The building had collapsed, scorched in places. Entire sections were nothing but rubble. Firetrucks stood in the background, and police barricades kept civilians away. Roads were sealed, and helicopters hovered overhead.
He grabbed the remote lying close to Raphael's hand and slowly turned up the volume.
Leo's jaw tightened.
Short circuit?
Bullshit.
His fists trembled as he glared at the screen.
Beside him, Raphael stirred.
Her eyes opened slowly, registering the movement before her gaze snapped to Leo.
"Leo!"
Without hesitation, she lunged toward him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight, desperate hug. He froze, startled at first, then felt the soft tremble of her body as she clung to him.
"You bastard," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Do you have any idea how much I was worried? I thought I lost you..."
Her tone was angry and frustrated, yet every word dripped with relief. The hug was firm, yet gentle. Protective. Vulnerable.
Leo gave a small smile, his voice soft.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."
Raphael exhaled shakily, then pulled back and ruffled his hair in frustration.
"You're... sigh..."
Leo chuckled faintly.
She sat down beside him again, brushing her hair back and sighing.
"Do you feel anything unusual? Headaches? Numbness? Pain?"
Leo took a moment, flexing his fingers, then shaking his head slowly.
"No... I feel alright. Sore, but... nothing out of place."
"Good," she nodded, though she still looked unconvinced.
"We don't know what exactly happened. The last time I saw you, you were running straight into the burning building. Then everything collapsed. By the time we found you... You were lying away from the building, unconscious, with no injuries we couldn't explain."
Leo's eyes darkened.
"I see... What about the others—"
Thud!
The door burst open before he could finish.
Valra and Pride rushed in, both dressed casually, but the tension in their posture was impossible to miss.
Pride moved first, almost sprinting toward the bed.
"Leo!"
She leaned over and cupped his face, eyes scanning every inch of him.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you feel dizzy? burn? Anything?"
Leo smiled warmly.
"I'm fine. Really."
Pride didn't seem convinced but relaxed slightly, her shoulders lowering.
His eyes shifted to Valra, who stood at a distance, arms crossed, lips slightly pursed. She stared at him with a sharp, serious look, but there was a subtle pout beneath the surface—a storm of emotions she refused to voice.
"I hope you're doing fine," she said stiffly.
That was all she managed to say, despite everything screaming inside her.
'Tell him! Scold him! Ask why he was so reckless!'
Her thoughts were loud.
Inside her mind, Envy shouted:
/Tsk! Don't act like a damn tsundere! You haven't eaten or slept since he collapsed! Just tell him how you feel!/
Valra ignored her as usual, pouting harder, arms tightening. She was barely keeping herself together, restraining the storm boiling inside her.
Leo gave a tired smile.
Raphael, watching the entire exchange, blinked in confusion. Her gaze shifted from Pride to Valra, then back to Leo.
Two girls. Both clearly worried. Both clearly close.
'What the hell is going on here? Since when did my nephew get so... popular?'
She crossed her arms and glared at Leo, who was still smiling at Pride's worried fussing.
Leo sighed softly and shifted his tone, his playful demeanour fading into something more serious.
"Anyway… what happened to those children and… the janitor?"
At his words, Raphael visibly flinched. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and for a moment, she didn't respond. The silence stretched as her fingers clenched against her own arm before she finally spoke in a quiet, thoughtful voice.
"The two children... they're fine. Honestly, I don't even know how they made it out without a single scratch. Not a bruise, not a cut. It was like... a miracle."
Leo exhaled a breath of relief, a quiet warmth blooming in his chest. That was what he'd hoped to hear. Looks like the stones he threw at them had worked after all.
But the moment of comfort didn't last.
Raphael's voice dropped lower, more hesitant now.
"However... the old janitor... she wasn't so lucky. She's in the ICU. Her body suffered second- and third-degree burns. We don't know how long she'll hold on. The doctors say her injuries are manageable with effort, but her age... her health... that's the real problem."
She let out a bitter sigh.
"It's in God's hands now."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Leo's eyes flickered with pain as his jaw tightened. He clenched his teeth, his gaze dropping to the edge of the bed.
The old woman—he had only known her for two days. Just two short days. But her presence had left a strange, lingering warmth in him. She had looked at him like a grandson.
Now his chest felt tight.
Pride watched him quietly. Her eyes lingered on his expression—on the deep pain buried behind his forced calm. That look of helplessness… of guilt. She understood it well. With a soft smile, she reached out and gently took his hand, her fingers curling around his.
"You did your best,"
Her words were simple but carried the weight of truth. After all, she had been the one who got them out before the collapse. It had all happened in a matter of seconds, and she knew—without Leo, those kids wouldn't have stood a chance.
Raphael and Valra exchanged glances, frowning slightly.
Inside Valra's mind, a familiar voice whispered mockingly.
/Master, I think you're about to have some competition… If you don't start pouring your love into him, you're gonna lose—fast./
Valra's hand clenched into a fist as she tuned Envy out. She wasn't going to play along.
Just then—
"Senior!!"
The door slammed open with a loud bang, making everyone in the room jump.
All heads turned as Sakura burst in, tears streaming down her face. She ran straight toward Leo like a missile, not slowing down for even a second. Before anyone could stop her—
Shove!
She pushed Pride aside and threw herself at Leo.
"Ah—!"
Leo flinched hard as he felt two soft, heavy things squish tightly against his chest. Sakura clung to him, her face buried in his shoulder, her voice trembling as she cried openly.
"I'm so glad… so, so glad you're okay…"
She tightened her grip, practically crushing him in the process.
Veins popped across every woman's forehead in unison.
"You're hurting him!"
Raphael finally snapped, unable to bear it anymore.
"Oh? S-Sorry! I didn't mean to!"
Sakura gasped and quickly pulled back, her face flushed in embarrassment. She looked at Leo with wide, watery eyes, then awkwardly smiled through her tears.
"I just… I was so scared..."
Leo looked at her, softening. She really was crying like a baby. He reached forward and gently pulled her closer. Without a word, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
The entire room flinched.
Everyone stared.
Even Pride blinked in surprise, and Valra... Valra nearly exploded.
Inside her mind, Envy burst out laughing.
/Ohooo~ Looks like your bro is into big things, huh? Master, I'm sorry to say, but... You just lost a game you never even can win/
A thick vein bulged on Valra's forehead.
Raphael's expression darkened instantly as she stared at the scene in front of her.
Her nephew—her sweet, innocent, bookish nephew—was currently surrounded by three different girls.
Three. Each prettier than the last. One was a cold, regal beauty. Another was a tall, composed woman with a sharp tongue.
And the third? A ridiculously curvy, dangerously affectionate big-breasted menace.
What the hell was happening?
No. No way.
She had to intervene.
Raphael narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, her voice cold and suspicious.
"Leo… may I know what exactly is your relationship with these three girls?"
Leo blinked, as if just now realising how this must look from the outside. He glanced at the trio—Valra stiff and fuming, Pride composed but watching carefully, and Sakura... practically glowing.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Huh? Wait… you didn't know?"
Raphael tilted her head, her brows twitching.
"Know what, exactly?"
"I thought I'd told you before about her..."
Leo pointed at Sakura... Sakura slightly gulped her throat, still smiling.
"Leo, This is the first time I've seen you with even one girl. Much less three. At the same damn time."
Leo hummed, "Maybe the Leo before was shy... I'm not. So—uh…"
He shrugged and looked toward each of the girls as he introduced them.
"Well... that's Valra. My…"
Valra's breath hitched. Her heart pounded.
What was he going to say? Girlfriend?
They had been through so much together. Surely, she meant more than just—
"Friend,"
"…Right."
Valra forced a tight smile, her heart deflating slightly.
Leo pointed next.
"And this is... Cael. My… partner?"
Pride gave a respectful nod to Raphael.
"And this girl," he added, turning to the one still clinging to his sleeve,
"is Sakura… my girlfriend."
"H-Hello!"
Sakura blushed hard, grinning as she tried to contain the joy swelling inside her. Her cheeks were red, her eyes glimmering.
This was the first time Leo had publicly declared it—called her his girlfriend out loud in front of others.
She felt proud.
She felt happy.
She felt like flying.
Raphael and Valra both stared at him in stunned silence. Their brains short-circuited at the exact same time.
"W-Wait! GIRLFRIEND?!"
Both women shouted in perfect unison.
Leo winced and raised a hand to his ear, rubbing it gently.