Running away from the past (Year 1)

21- The ruined childhood

(7 years ago – No one's pov)

A year had passed since Y/N L/N met Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. Usually, the children wouldn't be allowed to interact with each other. However, the man in charge of the White Room made an exception with these two boys.

The reason was that they were the most outstanding kids of the bunch. He thought that if he gave these two boys some kind of reward, they would improve even more.

Even though it was getting more difficult to overcome the tests, both physical and theorical, knowing that he had a friend he could talk to at the end of the day somehow gave Y/N the strength to keep going, proving the man's assertion.

The time they spent together was nothing special. They would just read books or play chess. However, the two kids looked forward to being able to see each other everyday.

Right now, it was one of those moments. They were in a large room, concentrated reading their own books-

Ayanokoji: "I'm telling you, it's impossible."

(Y/N): "Huh?! Why not?"

More or less.

Ayanokoji: "No matter how you look at it, a fifteen year old can't do that."

(Y/N): "You don't know that, you've never seen a fifteen year old to begin with!"

Ayanokoji: "I don't need to see one, I know I'm right."

They stared at each other in silence, Y/N pouting while Ayanokoji wore his usual blank expression.

(Y/N): "Then I'll show you!"

Ayanokoji: "Huh?"

(Y/N): "Once I'm fifteen, I'll score a basket from the other side of the court!"

Ayanokoji: "Hey hey..."

(Y/N): "If he can do it, I can do it too."

Ayanokoji: "He's not even a real person-"

(Y/N): "I can't wait to see your face when I do it."

Ayanokoji was about to say something, but in the end didn't. He didn't want to discourage the boy who was happily day-dreaming in front of him with the fact that once they are fifteen, they would still be in that place.

Ayanokoji: "Hmm. Will you also dye your hair green and wear glasses? That would be cool."

Y/N thought that he was teasing him, but couldn't tell. He gave up in trying to read Ayanokoji long ago. He could never tell what he was thinking and would always end up with a headache.

The two boys kept talking for a while, unconscious of the two people who were about to enter the room.

When they heard the door open, both of them inmediately fell silent and shifted their focus to the two unexpected visitors. A tall, brown-haired man who Y/N and Ayanokoji were quite familiar with. His eyes, sharp as ever, looked at the two boys. Y/N wished from the bottom of his heart that he never met that man.

"I see you're both having fun."

The man talked, as if to start a normal conversation. Not that he was expecting a response from the two boys. Seeing that they stared at him in silence, he smirked.

"I've brought someone with me today. From now on, she will be joining the White Room. I hope you get along well."

Once the man left the room, Y/N and Ayanokoji shifted their focus to the little girl standing near the entrance. She nervously stared back at the two boys in front of her. No one talked. The silence in the room only made the atmosphere more uncomfortable.