The sun was a dying ember on the horizon, casting long, bloody shadows across the Kyorin garden. Yuki walked with a heavy limp, his breath coming in shallow hitches. Every step sent a jolt of pain from the injuries he'd sustained at school, but his eyes remained locked on the man of stone.
Lord Genji sat in his usual spot, a scroll spread across his lap. He didn't look up, though the copper scent of blood clinging to Yuki's uniform was unmistakable. Tetsu stood in the center of the white circle, his expression as unreadable as a cliff face.
"You look like a dog that lost its bone," Genji said, his voice cold and bored. "I told you to leave if you couldn't touch him. Why are you back?"
"Well, technically I did leave." Yuki rasped, spitting a bit of blood to the side. "Now I'm back, to try again."
"And what makes you think you can just try again?" Lord Genji didn't even look at Yuki.
"You're bored aren't you? Seri said you were a busy man, but from what I see you're clearly bored." Yuki straightened up and stood in a fighting stance facing Tetsu. "Let me entertain you."
Lord Genji finally looked up at Yuki, his expression was genuinely interested for a second before returning to it's normal bored state. "You and my daughter must be close since you call her by her name."
Seri who was watching the whole scene from the balcony suddenly shivered.
"Well, I don't know her too well, but I like her, she's one of the first friends I've made in the past decade. She's a good person, she may be a haughty brat sometimes but she's amazing." Yuki smiled while explaining.
A grin spread across Lord Genji's face. "Alright, you can try as much as you want. If you hit Tetsu then I'll train you." The grin on his face grew wider. "But this time, he'll also be attacking."
Tetsu didn't nod. He simply shifted his weight. The sound of grinding rock echoed through the garden as his skin turned the color of weathered granite.
On the balcony overlooking the garden, Seri gripped the marble railing until her fingers turned white. Her heart hammered against her ribs. No... Father, he's already hurt! she screamed internally, but her lips remained sealed. To speak was to betray her father; to watch was to betray her heart.
"Begin!"
Yuki lunged forward, Tetsu didn't dodge. He stepped into the strike. A stone-coated palm slammed into Yuki's chest. The impact sounded like a sledgehammer hitting a drum.
Yuki was thrown back, gasping for air, but he scrambled up. The moment he stood up he vomited a mouthful of blood and clutched his chest. His glasses fell to ground revealing his beautiful eyes.
My ribs are broken.
Yuki fell to one knee while rubbing his chest.
"Done already?" Lord Genji asked in a mocking tone.
"Nah," Yuki gasped. "I'm just catching my breath." He spoke as if he was about to collapse. Actually he was about to collapse.
Just one hit and my ribs are broken. I'm pretty sure I can't move.
Yuki's mind was thrown into chaos as he stared at his opponent. Tetsu, a huge man with stone skin, how could he win against such an opponent?
"Fuck this!" Yuki shouted and stood to his feet, ignoring all the pain. He poured all his ki into his right hand and a gauntlet made of ice formed on his fist. "I'm going to punch you in the face even if it kills me."
Tetsu's face twisted into a smirk, the first expression Yuki had ever seen him make.
Yuki pushed forward with full force while arching his arm backwards, he threw a punch at Tetsu with all the might he had.
Tetsu simply leaned to the right avoiding the punch, he answered by ramming his stone fist into Yuki's abdomen. Yuki grunted and coughed up some blood, he was sent flying backwards.
Tetsu grabbed his hand preventing him from flying away, he dragged Yuki close and rammed his knee into Yuki's chest.
"Argh!" Yuki vomited another mouthful of blood. His vision blurred and he felt all his limbs go numb.
Tetsu release him from his grip and Yuki fell on his knees. His head hung low, his eyes were hidden by his hair but it was obvious he was out cold.
Seri who watched the entire thing covered her mouth with her hands, Yuki was on his knees unconscious, covered in blood. Tears welled in her eyes but she didn't let them fall.
She hurried down and knelt by Yuki, she wanted to heal his injuries.
"Don't even think about it." Her father glared at her and spoke, his voice shot fear straight through her heart. "Take him home in the limousine. But don't you dare heal his injuries."
Seri looked at Yuki and felt like her heart had broken into a million pieces, she was sure some of his organs were damaged and broken bones we're inevitable.
The ride was silent. Seri sat in the back of the limousine, Yuki's head resting near her lap. She looked at his battered body, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I'm sorry Yuki." Seri spoke in a whisper laced with sadness and regret. "If only I had told you to stay away from father, if only I hadn't supported you then you wouldn't be in this condition."
When the car stopped in front of the crumbling apartment, Seri helped the driver carry Yuki up the narrow stairs. Inside, Hana was at the stove, the smell of miso soup filling the small space. She turned, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the blood-soaked student and the elegant, green-haired girl.
"What happened?!" Hana rushed over, helping lay Yuki on the mat. She looked at Seri in confusion. "You... Kyorin-san. You're a healer. Why didn't you heal him? Please heal him."
Seri didn't answer. Her face was a mask of frozen obedience. She couldn't tell Hana that healing him would be an act of defiance her father would never forgive. She simply turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her.
Luna was immediately at Yuki's side. She didn't cry, but she was deathly quiet, her small hands clutching Yuki's sleeve, her presence flickering with anxiety.
"It's okay, Luna. I've got him," Hana whispered, though her own hands were shaking. She grabbed a basin of warm water and a first-aid kit.
Yuki's shirt was ruined, stuck to the cuts and bruises on his torso. Hana reached for the buttons, intending to remove the fabric to treat the rib injuries. The moment her fingers touched the hem of his shirt, Yuki's eyes snapped open.
They weren't the "starry" eyes Seri saw. They were cold, sharp, and filled with a terrifying, instinctive violence.
Before Hana could blink, Yuki's hand shot up, grabbing her wrist with a grip like a steel trap. The room temperature plummeted. A thin layer of frost began to crawl up Hana's arm.
"Don't," Yuki rasped, his voice sounding like a stranger's. "Don't remove my shirt."