The Shield We Carry

After three days of searching, Nirei finally finds Suo waiting for him beneath the lights of an empty playground.

But Suo has not returned to come home.

Their confrontation ends with Nirei unconscious, injured and left behind while Suo disappears from Makochi without explaining the dangerous life he has hidden from everyone. Soon afterwards, unexplained pain and bleeding lead to a discovery no doctor is prepared for: Nirei is carrying the first known male pregnancy in nearly a century.

The baby may not survive, the person who needs to know refuses to answer, and rumours begin to spread as Sakura remains constantly by Nirei's side.

While Suo convinces himself that leaving was the only way to protect the people he loves, Nirei must face the consequences of his silence and decide how far he is willing to go to find someone who has already chosen to disappear.

Because sometimes, leaving to protect someone can hurt them more than staying ever could.