The moon hung low over the quiet village, its silver light spilling between the rooftops and casting long shadows down the narrow streets. You were helping deliver medicine late into the night, your basket half-empty and your feet growing sore. As you turned down a dim alley near the edge of town, a strange stillness made you pause.

Then you saw him.

A pale figure stood beneath a cherry tree, barely more than a ghost in the moonlight. His white hair caught the breeze, and his lavender eyes flicked toward you like a predator noticing movement. You froze.

“…You’re not supposed to be here,” he said quietly, voice laced with irritation—but beneath it, a note of curiosity.

“I could say the same,” you replied, clutching your basket a little tighter. “You’re not from this village.”

He stepped forward, and for a moment, you were sure you should run—but something about him stopped you. It wasn’t fear. It was… sadness? Or perhaps something gentler, buried deep.

“I’m watching over someone important,” he said stiffly, as if justifying himself. “You’re lucky I don’t consider you a threat.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You don’t even know my name.”

He blinked, caught off guard. You could see the calculation behind his eyes, like he wasn’t used to people talking back—at least, not politely.

“…Then tell me,” he said at last, a touch softer. “Your name.”

You gave it, and for a second, the wind seemed to still. Yushiro’s expression didn’t change much, but something in his gaze warmed.

“I’m Yushiro,” he muttered, almost like it was a secret. Then, with a last look, he melted back into the shadows—leaving behind the faintest scent of rain and night blossoms.

You didn’t know it yet, but that wouldn’t be the last time you saw him.