The morning sun through the kitchen window was too bright for the mood inside the Gardner apartment. Shay was moving like a whirlwind, shoving a lukewarm piece of toast into his mouth while simultaneously trying to find his work ID and tie his sneakers.
"Lulu, did you see my—"
"Left side of the shoe rack, under your gym bag," Lulu said calmly, barely looking up from the bento box she was meticulously packing.
Shay grabbed the ID with a grunt of thanks. He paused, his protective instincts overriding his hurry. He walked over and placed a hand on Lulu’s head, ruffling her purple hair. "You’re sure you’re okay after yesterday? I can walk you all the way to the gate today. I’ll just be late for the shift."
"I’m fine, Shay. Really," she smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Besides, you said it yourself. I’m safe now. You have someone watching over me."
Shay’s expression softened at the mention of Yuto. "Yeah. Yuto’s a good man. Best I know. If he’s around, I can actually breathe. Just... stay close to him, okay?"
Lulu nodded, her heart doing a nervous somersault. Stay close to him. That was exactly the plan.
The Fortress of Silence
The high school rooftop was usually off-limits, but the lock was broken, and it was the only place where the "rebellion kid" could be found without a crowd.
Lulu pushed the heavy metal door open. The wind whipped her hair across her face. Yuto was sitting on the edge of the concrete ledge, his back against a water tank. He was wearing his dark hoodie despite the heat, staring out at the city skyline with an expression that looked like he was carrying the weight of every building he saw.
He didn't turn around when the door creaked. "You shouldn't be up here, Lulu. It’s a violation of school policy."
"Then you're a delinquent, and I'm a witness," she said, stepping closer.
She held out the bento box. It was wrapped in a bright yellow cloth—a splash of sunshine against the gray concrete. "I made extra. Shay said you usually skip lunch."
Yuto finally looked at her. His amethyst eyes were guarded, but beneath the surface, there was a flicker of that warmth she’d felt under the bridge. "I don't need charity."
"It’s not charity. It’s a thank-you," Lulu countered, sitting down a respectful distance from him. "And it’s a bribe."
Yuto raised a dark eyebrow. "A bribe for what?"
Lulu took a deep breath. She wasn't a girl who played games. She was a Gardner; they were blunt, and they were brave. "A bribe to get you to look at me for more than five seconds. And to ask if you’ll go to the terminal park with me after school."
The air between them grew still. Yuto looked back at the city, his jaw tightening. "Shay told me to watch over you. Going on a date isn't part of the deal."
"Who said it was a date?" Lulu challenged, though her cheeks were flushing. "Maybe I just want to know the person my brother trusts so much. Or maybe I want to know why you look so lonely even when you’re standing right in front of me."
Yuto stood up abruptly. He didn't take the food. "I’m an orphan, Lulu. I don't have a last name, I don't have a future, and I certainly don't have the right to take Shay's sister on a 'non-date.' Go back to class."
He walked past her, the scent of rain and ozone lingering in his wake.
The Persistence of a Wing
Most people would have stopped there. But Lulu knew Yuto’s history. He was a boy who had been pushed away by the world until he started pushing back first.
Over the next two weeks, the "Sunshine Mission" became a legend in the school hallways—though no one knew the target.
On Tuesday, she left a carton of his favorite strawberry milk on his desk. He left it unopened.
On Friday, she waited for him by the lockers to give him the notes he’d missed in History. He took them without a word.
The following Wednesday, she found him in the library. She didn't talk; she just sat across from him and read her own book. For two hours, the only sound was the turning of pages.
When he finally got up to leave, he paused at her chair. "Why are you doing this? I already told you no."
Lulu looked up, her violet eyes steady. "My dad used to say that the most beautiful things in the world are the ones that are the hardest to find. You’re hiding behind a lot of walls, Yuto. I’m just waiting for the door to open."
Yuto looked like he wanted to say something—something angry, or something honest—but he just turned and walked away.
Lulu watched him go, clutching her book to her chest. She had two weeks left in her "month of trying." She didn't need him to say yes yet. She just needed him to stop running.
Because every time their eyes met, she saw the same thing: a boy who was terrified that if he let her in, he’d have something to lose. And she was determined to show him that having something to lose was the only way to truly be alive.
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