After a few minutes, Ro was ruffling Yume's hair roughly.

  "Little sis, you know you're cute, right?" Ro laughed, his face red, his mohawk completely messed up. "When did you get so big? I still remember when you were a baby."

  Yume pouted. "Ro, I'm not a baby. I'm twelve now."

  "Don't say that," Ro said warmly. "You'll always be my baby sister."

  "But I'm not a baby!" Yume protested.

  Ro laughed loudly, smacking his knee. "Anyway," he added, glancing from Yume on his right to Kenji on his left, "why aren't you sitting next to Kenji like you used to?"

  Kenji paused mid-bite and turned toward Yume. She looked away, stood up, muttered an excuse, and left.

  Ro frowned, confused, and turned to Kenji. "Did something happen between you two lovebirds?"

  Kenji's expression darkened. He stood, hands slipping into his pockets." Nothing happened," he said flatly, walking away.

  The memory made his fist tighten.

  Ro watched him go, but his thoughts were interrupted when the older teens called out."Hey Ro! We got more booze! You coming?"

  Ro pushed the unease aside and grinned."Party till dawn!"He joined them.

  Lolan and his crew noticed Yume walking away. They exchanged looks and silently followed.

  Yume planned to get away from the noise for a while before returning later. But she stopped when she felt it—footsteps behind her.

  She turned.

  Lolan stood there with his arms folded, smirking. His group flanked him.

  "Hello, Yume," he greeted casually.

  "What do you want, Lolan?" Yume asked, stepping into a fighting stance.

  Lolan chuckled. "Really? You think you can take all of us?"

  Yume stayed silent. She had only been training her style for a month and hadn't fully grasped it yet. Lolan, on the other hand, had been Awakened since he was ten. According to Ray, he was close to entering the Intermediate Realm—far sooner than most.

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  Lolan scoffed. "Grab her."

  They rushed her.

  Yume struck first, but it was five against one. Three of them were Awakened. She was overwhelmed quickly, forced to the ground.

  Lolan turned away. "Let's go get that blond show-off."

  One of Takahiro's group member noticed what was happening and ran toward him.

  Takahiro sat laughing with Nelly and several girls when the boy approached, breathless. Before he could speak, Nelly noticed his expression and stood up, intercepting him.

  "What is it?" she asked, annoyed.

  "L-Lolan and his friends are bullying Yume!" the boy said urgently.

  Nelly's expression didn't change."So?"

  "Huh?" The boy froze. "What do you mean—"

  She cut him off. "That's Kenji's job, not Taka's. Go tell Kenji instead. Don't disturb Taka. Understand?"

  The boy hesitated, then nodded and ran.

  Nelly scoffed and returned to Takahiro, slipping her arm around his.

  Takahiro glanced at her. "What was that about?"

  "Nothing," she replied brightly.

  His face flushed.

  The boy ran through the village until he reached Kenji's house. Kenji sat cross-legged on the porch, a cup of juice beside him. He looked up as the boy came charging up the hill.

  "KENJI!" the boy yelled.

  Panting, he said, "L-Lolan got Y-Yume."

  Kenji stared at him blankly."There's no way," he said, shaking his head.

  Nelly again, he thought darkly. They wouldn't touch Yume with Ro around.

  "They did," the boy insisted. "They cornered her. They fought."

  Kenji hesitated. He didn't want to fall for another trap. The first time had been too painful. The memory clawed at him, but he pushed it down.

  Still… his chest felt tight.

  Something felt wrong.

  He stood.

  "I'll check," he said, walking downhill.

  As he neared the village, he saw Yume walking toward home. The light of the feast was behind him, casting her in shadow.

  Kenji relaxed slightly.Knew it.

  But when Yume stepped into the light, his breath caught.

  One eye was swollen blue. Bruises marked her face. Her dress—carefully chosen earlier that day—was stained with dirt.

  The image of her smiling while putting it on flashed through his mind.

  Yume noticed him. Her dull eyes brightened for a moment—then dropped to the ground.

  Kenji said nothing. He walked past her.

  The boy behind him swallowed."See? I wasn't lying."

  "Where's Taka?" Kenji asked calmly.

  "By the table," the boy replied.

  The celebration was still in full swing. Laughter. Music. Cheers.

  Lolan and his group stood with Takahiro.

  Takahiro looked shocked, unsettled. Lolan was smiling wider than Kenji had ever seen—except the first time he'd beaten him.

  When Takahiro noticed Kenji approaching, hope flickered in his eyes.

  Lolan and his friends grinned, ready.

  But Kenji didn't go to them.

  He stopped in front of Takahiro.

  "Kenji, is—"

  "Taka," Kenji said evenly, "can I talk to you privately?"

  "Huh?" Takahiro blinked, then nodded.

  Murmurs spread as Kenji led him away, toward the shadowed houses where Yume stood watching.

  The moment Takahiro saw her, his face drained of color.

  He turned—

  A fist slammed into his face.

  The blow didn't knock him down, but it snapped his head to the side.

  Takahiro looked up in shock.

  Kenji was glaring at him, fury burning in his eyes—an anger Takahiro hadn't seen in years.

  "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING!?" Kenji roared.