Around 9 PM, when everyone was deep in sleep—well, not everyone.

Some were thinking about their families.

Some about the monsters.

Some about the person responsible for everything.

Some about their loss.

Some about their fears.

Some about their guilt.

And some about everything at once.

Some wanted to run and live.

Some wanted to protect everyone.

Some had lost all hope.

Some were still holding onto it.

Among all of them, Luca was one of those who stayed awake.

He stood by the window, staring at the stars, lost in deep thought.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

It was Kenzo, who now stood beside him.

“Do you remember?” Kenzo asked gently. “Tomorrow is your birthday.”

Luca just nodded silently. He didn’t look happy or excited—his face was blank, without any emotion.

Kenzo continued, “You never celebrate your birthday. It was always your dad who did it, trying to make you smile.”

Still, Luca said nothing.

Kenzo sighed. “You stopped celebrating after that incident... after your mother died in the car accident. But Luca, you’re not the only one who lost someone. I lost my mother too. Our moms were in the same car that day.”

Luca remained silent.

Kenzo looked at him closely. “You’re still blaming yourself, aren’t you?”

Finally, Luca looked up and replied, “I’m not just blaming myself for no reason. I am to blame. They went out to buy the cake for my birthday. I was the one who kept calling them, again and again, crying, telling them to come fast. I cried for that stupid cake. That’s why they sped up their car and—”

Before he could finish, Kenzo pulled him into a hug.

“It was my fault, Kenzo...” Luca whispered, his voice cracking.

“You were just 10 years old,” Kenzo said gently. “It was never your fault. We were both kids.”

Kenzo rubbed Luca’s back, trying to comfort him. In that moment, their bond became clear.

Kenzo wasn’t just a friend—he was like a brother. The only one who truly understood Luca.

---

[Next Morning]

Everyone got ready. It was around 7 AM when they arrived at the cafeteria for breakfast.

They ate quietly and peacefully. Luca was the quietest of all. His face held a sadness he couldn’t hide.

After breakfast, everyone headed to the training ground. Training began.

Luca trained with the others, but his expression didn’t change.

He tried to hide it, but he couldn’t.

Kenzo noticed—and he was worried.

Someone else noticed, too: Sir Hikari.

He didn’t say anything, but he continued training the others while quietly observing Luca.

As the session continued, Hikari noticed something was wrong. Luca was making mistake after mistake.

His mind was clearly elsewhere.

Luckily, Rin was too busy training his group to notice. But Hikari kept a close eye on Luca—every move, every error.

Still, he chose to stay silent... for now.

A few hours later, everyone went to the cafeteria for lunch.

Kenzo saw that Luca wasn’t eating enough—not nearly enough to keep his strength up.

Kenzo grew more worried.

Even Hikari noticed it, but again, he said nothing.

After the break, training resumed.

As the day went on, Kenzo’s concern deepened. Hikari, too, became confused.

Why is Luca behaving like this? he wondered.

After the final session, around 1 PM, everyone headed for dinner.

But Luca was still at the training ground.

He sat not on the bench, but on the ground.

Kenzo stood beside him, watching him quietly with worry.

Then, someone else sat next to Luca.

Luca turned to see who it was—it was Hikari.

Hikari glanced at Kenzo, who immediately understood and quietly walked inside the building, leaving them alone.

Luca kept his eyes on the ground.

“You know,” Hikari said gently, “it’s strange... your behavior, I mean. It’s like your mind is somewhere else.”

Luca didn’t respond.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed before Hikari tried again.

“What are you thinking about? You know you can talk to me. I won’t judge.”

Still, Luca said nothing. Hikari waited patiently, but Luca stayed silent.

It was clear he was struggling.

Seeing this, Hikari softened his tone.

“Luca, if you don’t want to share, it’s okay. I won’t force you.

But remember—I'm always here.

Whenever you feel like talking to someone, you can come to me.”

Luca stayed silent.

Hikari sighed and stood up to leave. But just as he turned, he heard a quiet voice behind him.

“Wait—”

He turned back.

Luca was still staring at the ground, tears now streaming down his face.

“It was my fault,” he whispered. “I lost my mother... and my friend lost his mother... all because of my silly demands.”

His voice trembled as he continued.

“Ten years ago. It was my birthday. I was so excited. Kenzo and Dad were preparing a party.

We ordered a cake, but it was delayed because of heavy rain.

I cried. I begged them to go faster. I wanted the cake.

My mother couldn’t bear to see me sad, so she and Kenzo’s mother went out to buy it.

“Our fathers were busy—they couldn’t go.

“My mom drove.

While they were coming back, I called her... crying... saying they were late.

She got distracted because of me.

Their car was already speeding at 100 km/h.

She didn’t see the truck in time. They crashed... fell from a bridge into a lake... and they died.”

Hikari listened quietly.

He saw not just a boy in front of him—but a child still trapped in his past, drowning in guilt he couldn’t let go of.

Hikari didn’t interrupt. He didn’t offer hollow words.

He simply stayed with Luca, letting him cry.

Sometimes, the best way to support someone is just to be there.

---

End of Chapter 11