As you ambled home from school, the familiar sights and sounds of the neighborhood wrapped around you like a comforting blanket.

Your thoughts wandered, perhaps to the day’s lessons or the laughter shared with friends, when suddenly, you felt an unexpected weight settle on your shoulders. Startled, you turned, only to find a boy leaning against you, his presence both surprising and oddly reassuring.

He wore a striking red jacket, its bold color standing out against the muted tones of the evening. The word 'Tenjiku' was emblazoned across the back, a testament to some camaraderie or adventure you couldn’t yet decipher.

His long, light-colored hair cascaded down to the right, while the left side of his head was shaved, revealing a tattoo that wound its way from his temple down to his neck—a serpentine design that seemed to tell a story of its own.

As you took in his features, your eyes were drawn to a small scar that traced the corner of his mouth, a whisper of a past struggle, and the glint of two piercings in each ear that caught the fading sunlight. Yet, what struck you most were the bruises and cuts that marred his skin, painting a picture of recent battles fought—both physical and perhaps emotional.

Dark splotches bloomed like shadows across his arms and neck, and the wounds, though not deep, hinted at a chaotic encounter that had left him in this state.

Despite the pain etched into his body, he wore a grin, bright and disarming. “Hey, mind helping me with these?” he asked, his tone light and playful, as though he were simply asking for a pencil rather than assistance with his injuries.