𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. | 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐲𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚.

7 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗀𝗈... (flashback)

Touya sat near the edge of a small pond at Sekoto Peak, his knees pulled tightly to his chest. The water's surface reflected the dimming sky, but all he could focus on was the ache in his chest. His father's harsh words from earlier still echoed in his mind.

❛❛𝘠𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖾𝗇𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁, 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝗒𝖺. 𝖭𝗈𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗈.❜❜

❛❛𝖶𝗁𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖻𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗆?❜❜

❛❛𝖲𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗆𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗎𝖽. 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽... 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍.❜❜

The rejection stung more than usual today. His small fists clenched, trying to hold back the tears that stubbornly rolled down his cheeks. He was only nine, but he knew what it felt like to be pushed aside, forgotten by the one person whose approval he craved. The pond's calm water seemed to mock him, showing a peacefulness he couldn't feel.

Behind him, a soft crunch of footsteps broke the silence. Touya quickly wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, trying to compose himself. When he turned his head slightly, he saw a girl standing nearby, her eyes wide with curiosity and concern. Her hair, light brown that fade into soft, muted shades of lavender and blue at the tips fell softly around her shoulders, and she looked hesitant, like she hadn't meant to find him there.

She stared at him for a moment, then finally spoke, her voice soft. "Are you okay?"

Touya immediately turned away, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Go away," he muttered, trying to sound strong, though his voice cracked.

The girl didn't leave. Instead, she took a few steps closer, her eyes focused on him. "But... you're crying."

"I'm not crying!" he snapped, even though the tear tracks on his face said otherwise. His fists tightened, hating how exposed he felt.

The girl, instead of retreating, quietly sat down a few feet from him. She didn't press him further, just sat with her hands resting in her lap. After a long moment, she spoke again, her voice gentle. "You know... when I feel sad, I play the piano. It helps.. sometimes."

Touya glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Seriously? how's a piano gonna fix anything?" he grumbled angrily, wiping his eyes again.

She shrugged lightly. "It doesn’t fix things, but when I play, it feels like all the sadness goes into the music. It's like I can say the things I can’t with words. It doesn't make everything better, but it helps."

Her words settled over him, quiet but comforting. He didn't fully understand how music could help, but something about her calmness made him want to keep listening.

"What's your name?" she asked, breaking the silence again.

"Touya," he mumbled, not looking at her.

"I’m Emi," she said softly, offering him a small smile. It wasn't full of pity, just kindness.

They sat in silence for a while, the soft rippling of the pond the only sound between them. Slowly, the knot in Touya's chest loosened, just a little. It wasn’t much, but it felt like some of the weight had lifted.

"So what school do you—"

"Emi!" A warm voice called out from a distance, gentle but clear. It belonged to a young woman who is Emi's older sister, standing further down the path. "It's time to go, sweetie."