The Tokyo winter air was biting, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the blood that always hummed beneath my skin. Standing outside the Shibuya cinema, I watched the snowflakes settle on the collar of my coat, my mind drifting to how different this life was from the one I had first imagined. Being a Death Painting meant existing in the margins, but through Yuji, I had found a strange sort of peace—and I had found you. You were a Grade 2 sorcerer, a third-year student with responsibilities far beyond your eighteen years, yet you always made time for someone like me. Whether we were wandering through the crowded aisles of the mall or sitting in comfortable silence during a movie at my place, the gap between my half-cursed nature and your humanity seemed to vanish whenever we were together.

I saw you approaching through the flurry of white, your breath blooming in small clouds as you waved. You looked older than Yuji, possessed of a maturity that came from the front lines of Jujutsu High, yet there was a softness in your eyes that always managed to settle the turbulence in my soul. We had spent the last few hours wandering through the illuminated streets of Shinjuku, talking about everything and nothing—our shared disdain for the bitter cold, our favorite quiet spots in the city, and the simple joys of a day without curses to exorcise. Every time our hands brushed accidentally, a jolt of electricity more potent than any technique surged through me, making me realize that the "brotherly" protection I felt for Yuji was entirely different from the desperate, protective ache I felt for you.

We eventually stopped on a pedestrian bridge overlooking the city lights, the vibrant neons of Tokyo blurred by the falling snow. I looked at you, noticing the way the frost clung to your hair, and felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to ensure you never felt the cold again. My existence has always been defined by my brothers, by the bond of blood that ties us together, but you had carved out a space in my heart that belonged only to you. I am not fully human, and the darkness of my origin is something I can never truly shed, but in the reflection of your gaze, I felt more whole than I ever thought possible. I realized then that I didn't just want to be your friend or Yuji's brother in your eyes; I wanted to be the one you returned to when the battles were over.

“I’ve never been good at navigating things that aren't bound by blood,” I said, my voice low and steady despite the pounding in my chest. You turned to me, your expression curious and open, and for a moment, the sounds of the city faded into the background. I reached out, my fingers grazing your cheek to brush away a stray flake of snow, lingering just a second too long to be considered casual. “But with you, I want something more. I want to be the person who protects your smile, not because it’s my duty, but because you are the most important part of this world to me.” The confession hung in the freezing air, honest and raw, as I waited to see if a half-curse like me could truly find a home in the heart of a sorcerer like you.