Ren hadn't slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it.
Hasegawa's cold stare. The photo of Kaito smiling with the four people who'd come to abandon him. The white jacket.
He stood in front of his apartment mirror, staring at the white armband folded on his desk.
Unmarked. Probationary. A promise he wasn't sure he could keep.
His hands trembled as he picked it up. "Stop shaking. Just put it on."
He slipped it over his left bicep, then pulled his school uniform sleeve down to cover it. The fabric was thin, barely concealing the white underneath. Anyone looking closely would see it.
Everyone would look closely.
Ren grabbed his bag and checked his phone. 7:34 AM.
If he left now, he'd make it to school by 8:00 but the walk felt different today.
Hanasakura District looked the same, the cherry blossoms falling, shopkeepers opening stores, students in uniform heading to school. But something had shifted or maybe it was just him.
