Nightfall: Last Call

Chapter 11 - Kenji

6 years earlier...

Ren and Kenji wandered through an empty lot near the edge of town, a place they had claimed as their own over the years. Used to be a distillery many years earlier, before getting swallowed by nature. Vines slithered down the half crumbled walls and grass sprouted out between cracks in the concrete. It was where they came to escape everything, where they could just be two kids without the weight of the world pressing down on them.

Ren sat on a broken piece of concrete, wiping the sweat from his forehead, a small smile tugging at his lips. They had been running around for hours, playing an improvised game of soccer with a tattered old ball Kenji had found. The ball was patched in more places than Ren could count, but that didn't matter, it was perfect.

Despite the heat, Kenji was still running circles around the lot, kicking the ball with surprising skill and energy. He sent it rolling toward Ren, a smirk on his face. "Come on, Ren, you can't be on your ass yet. You're not that tired, are you?"

Ren laughed softly, rolling the ball back. "You've got too much energy for someone who just ran for two hours."

Kenji grinned, scooping the ball up with his foot and bouncing it on his knee effortlessly. "That's 'cause I'm awesome," he said, giving Ren a mock-serious look. "You just have to keep up."

"Right. 'Awesome' is what you call someone who tripped over his own feet five minutes ago." 

"I was distracted by your terrible defense. Had to make you look good." Kenji smirked, kicking the ball into the makeshift goal they made with two rocks.

Ren chuckled. "I had you locked up, broke those little ankles of yours."

With a laugh, Kenji made his way to pick up the ball. Then he launched the ball toward Ren again, this time sending it with a bit more force. 

Ren caught it on his chest, stumbling slightly but managing to keep his balance. "Okay, okay," he said, grinning as he stepped forward, dribbling the ball toward Kenji. "Let's see what you've got, 'Mr. Awesome.'"

Kenji's eyes gleamed with mischief, his stance shifting as Ren closed in. They had been doing this for years—playing rough, teasing, daring each other to go harder, faster. It was their way of escaping everything else, of being kids when the world kept trying to make them grow up too fast.

Ren faked left, then darted right, sending the ball past Kenji's outstretched foot. For a split second, he felt a surge of triumph—he was finally going to get past Kenji.

But Kenji wasn't so easily beaten. With a quick, nimble twist, he slid into Ren's path, blocking the ball and sending it flying back toward the other side of the lot. He straightened up, grinning wide. "Too slow, man!"

Ren groaned. "Bro you gotta be cheating. No one's that fast. You hundred percent on substances."

Kenji shrugged, his grin never fading. "I am the substance, bro. Guess you'll have to work harder if you wanna beat me."

Ren gave him a playful glare, then jogged over to retrieve the ball. As he bent down to pick it up, something caught his eye—a small cluster of wildflowers growing stubbornly in a crack in the pavement. They were bright, delicate, and completely out of place in the rundown lot.

"Hey, check this out," Ren called, waving Kenji over.

Kenji sauntered over, hands shoved in his pockets, and crouched down next to Ren. His eyes softened as he looked at the flowers, a rare moment of quiet settling between them. "How the hell did those get here?" Kenji muttered, his voice quieter now.

Ren shrugged, still staring at the vibrant blooms. "Dunno. Just kinda... grew, I guess. Out of nowhere."

Kenji was quiet for a moment, his usual playful smirk replaced by something more thoughtful. "Guess even this place gets lucky sometimes," he said softly, his eyes flicking to Ren.