The rain in the city didn't fall; it descended like a heavy gray curtain, blurring the lines between the skyscrapers and the sky. For Lulu Gardner, the rain usually felt like a lullaby, but tonight, trapped in the concrete underpass three blocks from her apartment, it felt like a cage.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C4BaTpz6q
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She clutched her school bag to her chest, her fingers white-knuckled against the strap. Her signature purple hair, usually so vibrant and bouncy, was damp and matted against her neck.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr90MJI3BIe
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"You're a pretty little thing," the tallest of the three boys sneered, stepping closer. He wore the colors of a rival school, his expression twisted with a cruel sort of boredom. "Shay thinks he’s the king of this district just because he can swing a fist. He’s been making things difficult for our brothers. We thought we’d make things difficult for him."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EUQ9o0Bvm
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Lulu stepped back, her heel catching on a jagged piece of asphalt. "My brother has nothing to do with this. Let me pass."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iu4qojmum
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"Not yet," the boy said, reaching out to grab her arm.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SmVwOQCK0
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Lulu braced herself, closing her eyes. She expected the rough grip of a stranger. Instead, she heard a sound like a sudden intake of breath, followed by a dull thud.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOpmXtTDrz
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"I wouldn't do that if I were you."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFS0Rku3wE
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Lulu opened her eyes. A boy stood between her and the trio. He wasn't as tall as the bullies, but he possessed an intensity that seemed to vibrate in the humid air. His hair was a deep, midnight black with sharp streaks of violet that glowed even in the dim light of the underpass.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFShyZsvod
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It was Yuto.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46WdkzunXK
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She knew him from Shay’s stories. Shay spoke of him with a rare, fierce respect—the orphan who had survived on the streets since he was ten, the boy who fought not for glory, but for survival.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLr0t4lRQ6X
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"Yuto," one of the bullies spat, his confidence wavering. "This isn't your fight, loner. This is between us and the Kurosaki... I mean, the Gardner bloodline."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHm8T8dl8Yt
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Yuto didn't move. He stood perfectly still, his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark jacket. His eyes, a piercing shade of dark amethyst, didn't flicker. "Everything that happens in this shadow is my fight. Leave. Now."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5OlC1dcnS
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There was a moment of heavy, charged silence. Then, sensing the sheer, cold violence simmering beneath Yuto’s calm exterior, the three boys backed away, eventually turning to run into the downpour.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEyaNola7W
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Yuto exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his shoulders. He turned toward Lulu. The ferocity in his eyes vanished, replaced by a soft, weary kindness.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7gjEa7ugX
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"Are you hurt?" he asked. His voice was low, like a secret.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmiTfEC068B
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Lulu shook her head, her breath finally returning to her lungs. "I’m fine. Thank you, Yuto."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7xEY81kzi
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He reached out, his hand hovering near her face for a second before he gently tucked a stray, wet lock of purple hair behind her ear. His fingers were calloused but incredibly warm. In that single, fleeting touch, the world around Lulu seemed to shift. The fear was gone, replaced by a sudden, electric heat that radiated from her chest to her fingertips.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zBbFHxhZB
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"LULU!"96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9psaJgD86
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A roar echoed from the entrance of the tunnel. Shay burst into the underpass, his face a mask of pure, frantic terror. He skidded to a halt, eyes darting from Lulu to Yuto.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0YTExQgiE
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"Shay!" Lulu called out.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33c6nX4vc2
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Shay grabbed her shoulders, checking her for injuries with the frantic energy of a man who had already lost too much. After ensuring she was safe, he turned to Yuto. Shay’s expression softened into something profound—a mix of relief and absolute debt.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SNcYkOzaq
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"You stayed with her," Shay said, his voice thick. He grabbed Yuto’s hand, shaking it with a grip that could crush bone. "God, Yuto. I was stuck at the shop... I couldn't get here in time. If you hadn't been here..."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡam2ZkHNAi7
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"She's safe, Shay," Yuto said quietly. "That's all that matters."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFWkZeyz0z
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Shay looked at his sister, then back at his childhood friend. He placed a heavy, trusting hand on Yuto’s shoulder. "Listen to me. I can't be everywhere. My mom is working double shifts, and I’m trying to keep us afloat. I need someone I can trust to have her back when I'm not around. You're that person, Yuto. You’re the only one I trust with her life."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8D1xN6St2
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Lulu watched Yuto’s face. She saw the flicker of guilt, the way his jaw tightened.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCzVK6gnVf
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"Promise me," Shay pleaded. "Promise me you'll watch over her."96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdi7QRgvcm
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Yuto looked at Lulu. For a heartbeat, their eyes locked, and Lulu felt the weight of a thousand unspoken things pass between them.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeCEUdFrNPe
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"I promise," Yuto whispered.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUtJrRjWtI
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Shay breathed a sigh of relief, wrapping an arm around Lulu to lead her home. But as they walked away, Lulu looked back over her shoulder. Yuto was still standing in the shadows of the underpass, his dark silhouette framed by the rain.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdbvyCU7wnF
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He had promised to protect her. But as Lulu felt her heart beat a frantic, new rhythm, she realized that Shay’s promise had just created a whole new kind of danger.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT0vUmrecP
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She wasn't just safe. She was in love. And in the world of Shay Gardner, that was the most dangerous thing of all.96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRFLVknnrs
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