Chapter 3

--1 year later--

After a year, Hisashi has already made big progress on his book. Alongside it, he started to train in swords and basic fighting from Itsuki as he wanted to learn even faster than his normal peers. However, even after attending school for a month, he never socialized with any of his peers.

One day, as he was drawing under a tree, a shadow appears in his vision. When he looked up, he saw a girl with beautiful black hair holding an apple. On her right arm was a bracelet with an apple carving.

"I saved you from getting hit by this apple. You should thank me." The girl said.

"This isn't an apple tree," Hisashi stated and went back to drawing. Angry that her trick didn't work, the girl stamps her feet and sat beside Hisashi.

She took a bite of the apple looks at him silently. As the glooming silence grows, Hisashi cannot help but ask. "What do you want from me?"

The girl just smile and say, "I saw that you have no friends. Given how I am a kind young lady, I am here to be one. Want one?" She offers an apple to him.

Hisashi looks at her, annoyed. "You're a child, not a young lady. Also, I don't need friends. So go away."

"I doubt that. Anyway, I don't care. My name's Koyori, what's your's?" Koyori asks.

"I thought, you didn't care?" He asks. "I already know your name. I just want to let you know mine."

"Let me guess… They called me the Devil Child Hisashi?" Koyori looks at her, acting surprised. "What do you mean? You're called the Idiot Hisashi." This time, Hisashi is the one surprised. Koyori laughs and said, "I'm just joking… Of course, it's Devil Child Hisashi. I kinda like it tho."

"What do you mean you like it? It's a curse." Hisashi sighs.

"Cause it sounds cool!" As she poses cheekily.

The two continue to talk and Hisashi didn't even realize that he accepted an apple from her. Time passed by fast when the two talked and are with each other. Soon, the sun starts to set.

"I'm going home now Mr. Devil Child! See you tomorrow!" She said as she ran away.

'Talking to her is exhausting. Is this the energy of extroverts?' Hisashi thought.

--

The next day after classes, the same scenario happened. Koyori joined Hisashi on his alone time again but he didn't mind.

"You know, socializing with me is a very bad idea. The devil child spreads bad omen to whomever they around with, you know." Hisashi said without looking at her. However, the crunch of the apple that she is eating echoes throughout his ears.

"I know." A simple answer. "Then why?"

"Because I want to. Some scary story can't scare me you know! I'm a very brave girl!" She said as she flexes in front of him. "I just have a question. Why do you talk like an adult?"

Hisashi, hearing the question, stopped drawing. He thinks for a second before saying, "I don't know. Maybe experiencing your dreams like other people's lives make you older I guess? Also, you sound like an old lady!" Hisashi exclaims to her.

"I DON'T!!!" The two bicker more while eating some apples from Koyori.

While the two talks, Koyori suddenly held Hisashi's hand. Hisashi turns and looks into her eyes. "Oh, I forgot to tell you…" This made Hisashi flustered as his heartbeat rose. He didn't even mind the slightly ruined drawing of his. "Do you want to come to our house later? My mom said that she would be preparing something. They're very tasty."

Because of the unexpected question, Hisashi stuttered. "A-a-are you sure? O-okay, I guess? I would love to…" he said while still flustered.

Given his first time in a long time to be enthusiastically invited by someone else his age, his first instinct was to agree. However, that isn't the only reason he agreed – he just doesn't know it.

Later that day, the two went to Koyori's house after first informing Hisashi's mother that he would be coming to his "friend's" house.

Yuna was first curious about who this friend is but decided to let her son enjoy his time first. She thought that what matters most is that her son now has his friends.

--

"Mom, I'm home! Hisashi is here with me." Immediately, Koyori's mom, Furukawa, greets them.

"Oh, Hisashi right? Let's go to the dining table. The meal is ready. It's only the three of us because his father is on a trip for work." As the three eats, Furukawa starts to ask Hisashi.

"So, Hisashi. What do you think of Koyori?" The question almost gave him a heart attack. "MOM!"

"What? I'm asking him since he's your friend, he must have an impression of you, right?" She said as she looks at Hisashi.

After calming himself down, he decided to answer the question. "She's loud, obnoxious, cheeky, and annoying." Hearing this, Koyori's face start to frown while Furukawa's smile grew bigger.

"But in a good way…" Hearing this, Koyori's frown disappears and it turns to surprise. She then starts blushing and decides to eat again but with an angry façade.

Soon, the dinner was finished and Hisashi said goodbye to the two. Walking home, he now knows why Koyori isn't scared of him. He soon arrives home where his whole family is looking at him with suspicious smiles.

…

Almost a year passed by with everything going routinely. Every day, Hisashi would train, attend classes, hang out with Koyori while eating apples, and sometimes spar and train with either Ryuya, his brother, or his father.

One day, as Hisashi rests in his usual place, he noticed an odd thing. Koyori didn't come the whole day. The classes are about to end but he still hasn't heard from her.

Worried, he decided to man up and asks someone even if it was against his will. He walks to where Koyori's classroom and asks a girl whom he often sees hanging out with Koyori during class times.

"Hey, can I ask if Koyori attended the classes for today?" Hisashi taps the girl on the back.

After seeing Hisashi, she was scared at first but calmed down immediately. Past the whole months, the two people's relationship isn't a mystery to many, including Koyori's friend. She knows that Koyori always hangs out with Hisashi so she recovers fast.

"She didn't. Even we were surprised." The girl said.

Hearing this, he decided to go and check on her house. On the first days of the classes, she was among the ones that are scared of the Hisashi. However, after Koyori describes him to her, she started to believe her.

Soon, it was already almost dark. Hisashi arrives at Koyori's house. To his surprise, many people were swarming it.

As he was curious, he asked a man. "Sir, can I know what was happening?" The man turns back to see a small kid.

"Apparently, the Kiyama's only daughter went missing. They said that she went to school in the morning but it turns out that she didn't. The kid isn't known to run away from class so the parent knows that their daughter was kidnapped. Also, her unique bracelet was at the house's doorstep. Inside, the samurai are asking for the details to help find her."

Hearing this, Hisashi was shocked to the core. "Was it… Koyori?"

The man just answers, "Yes."