Graveyard of the living

Unseen connections

After asking that question, she saw how Livio was holding his pillow. Her expression clearly said, "What are you doing?" Then she understood, and with a grin, she left his room.

"Mom, wait, it's not what you think, I promise," Livio pleaded as he fell from his bed. "Please, Mom, don't tell this to my brother." He covered his face with his pillow and started hitting both of his legs on the ground.

The scene shifts to the girls' hostel. Celine is surrounded by her close friends, Himari and Teresa.

"I never knew you could act cute and embarrassed," Teresa teased.

"I thought you always acted cold in front of the class, but look at you showing your girly self," Himari added.

Celine's face turned red, and she pushed both of them out of her room.

"Hey, Celine, who is the guy? Is it one of our classmates or an outsider?" Himari called through the door.

"Hey, I am telling you it's not like that!" Celine replied, exasperated.

After saying that, Celine started reading her diary on her phone. She then murmured to herself, "Sometimes it's blank; I don't know why. Only my diary guides me to the sweet memories."

Note: On this phone, if you want to write something, you simply have to think it, and the phone will write it down for you. Some people prefer this method, while others choose to write manually.

---

Time: 2 AM

Livio still couldn't sleep. It was the first time he felt this way. Whenever he closed his eyes, Celine's smiling face appeared in his mind. He got a call from his friend, Loid.

"Hi," Loid greeted.

"Bye," Livio responded.

"Are you up?"

"Nope, I am down."

"Then who is talking to me?"

"Your father. Call me Dad."

"Okay, enough," Loid chuckled. "Where are you?"

"In my room, trying to sleep."

"I think you are on your way to getting a girlfriend."

Livio's mind immediately went to Celine, but he said, "No."

"The way you answered says otherwise. If you want one, why don't you come to Tokyo? I have plenty."

"They are women, not apples you pluck from a tree and distribute. They are with you because of your status and money."

"That's their fault. They let me use them."

"Okay, bye. Good night," Livio said, hanging up.

Loid, in his room, thought about how much he hated Livio.

---

Flashback:

14-year-old Livio and Loid faced each other in the self-defense tournament final. The crowd gathered around the training mat, excited for the match between the club's most promising members.

The referee signaled for the match to begin. Loid and Livio bowed respectfully before taking their stances. Loid moved with calculated grace, while Livio's stance radiated calm confidence.

Loid made the first move, lunging forward with a swift jab. Livio parried and countered with a quick sidekick. They exchanged blows and blocks, each showcasing their mastery.

Their movements were almost a dance. Livio feinted left, then spun right, aiming a punch at Loid's side. Loid blocked and countered with a knee strike, which Livio deflected.