I wished my aunt wasn't home. Her constant curiosity felt suffocating lately—always watching, always questioning. It made me long for something impossible… a quiet life, far away, where no one even knew I existed.
My hand drifted to my stomach, gently rubbing it.
I hadn't eaten since yesterday. Evening had already settled in.
Maybe I should just have some green tea when I get home…
A soft sigh slipped past my lips.
Then—
It hit me.
A presence.
Dark. Heavy. Dangerous.
My body froze instantly, a chill crawling up my spine as if something unseen had wrapped its fingers around my throat.
"W-What…?"
I looked around frantically, stepping back until my spine pressed against the nearest wall. The air felt thick—too thick to breathe.
It's suffocating…
Who…?
Who has an aura like this?
My stomach twisted violently. I slapped a hand over my mouth, barely stopping myself from throwing up.
In all my sixteen years…
I had never felt anything like this.
Strange.
No—worse than strange.
Familiar.
Like something buried deep inside my memory… something I wasn't meant to remember.
Why does it feel like this…?
Whoever it is… do they even realize what they're emitting?
I need to get out of here.
Now.
My thoughts scrambled as I forced my legs to move. I was already halfway back to my aunt's traditional house, the quiet courtyard stretching endlessly before me.
There was no one here.
No one.
Yet the aura—
—it was getting closer.
Closer.
"Damn it…"
My steps slowed, my body growing heavier with every second. It felt like invisible hands tightening around my neck, squeezing the life out of me.
At this rate…
I'm going to die.
A weak laugh bubbled in my chest.
If I'm going to die… at least let it be somewhere proper. A cemetery would've been nice.
My vision blurred.
The world tilted.
Before I knew it, I collapsed into the soft grass of the garden.
How embarrassing…
Maybe… this is fine.
It's peaceful here.
A quiet death doesn't sound so bad.
I closed my eyes, letting the darkness swallow me.
I've wished for death before.
It never came.
So maybe now…
Maybe this is finally it.
Whoever you are… thank you.
Really.
Finally—
…wait.
The pressure disappeared.
Just like that.
The suffocating weight vanished, as if it had never been there.
My lungs filled easily again.
I could breathe.
"Huh…?"
"Are you okay? Falling face-first into the garden like that?"
The voice was gentle.
Too gentle.
Slowly, I pushed myself up, my body still weak. Heat crept up my face as I realized how I must have looked—collapsed, pathetic.
Embarrassing.
I glanced at him.
Then looked again.
Black wolf-cut hair, falling just enough to cover one eye. Dark eyes stared at me with curiosity rather than concern. He was dressed entirely in black—no other color, as if mourning something unseen.
Pretty.
That was the first thought that came to mind.
Not handsome.
Beautiful.
Wait—
Was that aura… his?
No.
Impossible.
Someone like him couldn't possess something so terrifying. That kind of power… it destroys. It erases. Like a touch that could melt a monstrous beast into nothing.
That aura belonged to something else.
Something that shouldn't exist anymore.
So it couldn't be him.
Right…?
"…Don't you talk?"
He suddenly leaned closer.
Flick.
"Ow—!"
I rubbed my forehead, glaring at him.
Talking wouldn't help—but staying silent wouldn't either.
"…Who are you?" I asked.
"Who am I?" he echoed.
I nodded.
He tilted his head slightly, lips curling.
"No. Who are you? Shouldn't I be asking that instead?"
"And why's that?" I snapped.
"Because I found you lying in the garden like a thief who just escaped through a window."
"This is my aunt's place."
"Oh?" His eyes sharpened slightly. "Black hair… white eyes… I was starting to think she was lying when she said she had a niece. It's been weeks, and I haven't seen anyone who fits that description."
"Well, now you have."
"Yes," he said, almost amused. "I have. Face-first in the garden. Like a squirrel thief."
"…Just who are you?" I muttered, irritation creeping into my voice. "I felt something before you appeared. Something strange. Answer me."
He didn't flinch.
Not even a little.
Strange.
People usually reacted to me. My gaze alone unsettled them.
But him?
Nothing.
A slow smile spread across my lips.
Interesting.
"She said something like… Yu… Yuri? Yurina, right? That's your name." He straightened. "Call me Shiharu."
Shiharu.
"I don't know what power you're talking about," he continued casually, "but saying things like that means you must have one too."
My eyes narrowed.
"My father works with your aunt," he added. "So whether you like it or not… you'll have to get used to seeing me."
He pulled something from his pocket and held it out.
A handkerchief.
"Here."
I hesitated before taking it.
"Your ankle is bleeding," he said. "Close the wound. Properly. It'll hurt at first, but after that, it won't anymore."
His gaze flicked over me briefly.
"You look like someone who hasn't eaten in days. You should eat."
Then he turned to leave.
His hair shifted slightly as he glanced back at me, revealing three small beauty marks beneath his eye.
"You should loosen up a bit."
And just like that—
He was gone.
I stared at the empty space he left behind, my thoughts tangled.
Loosen up…?
What does he mean by that?