The third week of Lulu’s "mission" felt like a tug-of-war where the rope was made of live wire. The more she pulled, the more Yuto seemed to vibrate with a tension that threatened to snap.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLp22AOKCsZ
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At home, the irony was becoming unbearable. Shay would come home from his late shifts, drop onto the sofa, and sigh with a contented heaviness. "Saw Yuto at the edge of the school grounds today," Shay would mutter, his eyes half-closed. "Good man. He’s like a shadow. I feel like I can finally close my eyes at night knowing he’s looking out for you."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0j0D0ueE3H
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Lulu would offer a strained smile, her heart twisting. Shay was resting his peace of mind on a foundation that Lulu was actively trying to reshape.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhIWKAvUod
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The Midnight Library76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLmEmpWPHX
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It was a Thursday evening. The school was holding an evening study session for the upcoming finals, but the library was mostly empty, save for the hum of the air conditioner and the scent of old paper.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNAXYY1YVY
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Lulu found Yuto in the very back, tucked behind a shelf of dusty encyclopedias. He wasn't studying. He was staring at a small, silver ring on a chain, turning it over in his fingers with a look of profound sorrow.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnukTswiZL
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She didn't announce herself. She simply sat down next to him on the floor.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8Ee9yPX0X
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"It was my mother's," Yuto said, his voice so quiet she almost missed it. He didn't look at her, but he didn't pull away this time. "The only thing I have left of a name. Shay knows about it. He’s the only one."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jlWZWkCZl
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"It’s beautiful," Lulu whispered.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWLGkd7pkR
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Yuto finally turned his head. The fluorescent lights caught the violet streaks in his hair, casting shadows across his sharp jawline. "Lulu, stop. Please. I’m trying to be the man your brother thinks I am. I’m trying to be 'loyal.' But every time you walk into a room, I forget how to breathe."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62DBugdGX2
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Lulu felt her pulse jump. This was the first crack in the fortress. "Maybe Shay’s version of loyalty isn't the only one that matters, Yuto. He wants me to be safe. But I want to be happy."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyGhwpDERq
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"I can't give you a normal life!" Yuto stood up, his voice rising in an uncharacteristic display of emotion. "I live in a one-room apartment paid for by scrap work. I have no family to introduce you to. I’m a 'rebellion kid,' remember? I’m the one people cross the street to avoid."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY7npEuIjP
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Lulu stood up too, refusing to let him tower over her. She stepped into his space, her hand reaching out to grab the front of his dark hoodie.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0VQN6Jy7Y
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"I don't care about your last name! I don't care about where you live!" she cried, her voice echoing in the empty aisles. "I care that when you saved me under that bridge, you looked like you were saving yourself, too. I care that you’re the first person who ever looked at me and didn't see 'Shay’s little sister.' You saw me."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaDsNhjARR
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Yuto’s breath hitched. He looked down at her—at the fierce determination in her violet eyes, at the way she held onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her grounded.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauddphwMYU
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"If he finds out," Yuto whispered, his forehead leaning against hers, "it will kill him. It will be the end of the only brotherhood I’ve ever known."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvhL3d0QWG
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"Then we make sure he doesn't find out," Lulu breathed. "Until we’re strong enough to tell him together."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zoXEPWv3H
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The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of the betrayal they were both committing. But when Yuto finally reached out, his hands trembling as they cupped her face, the world outside the library ceased to exist.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWQES5gnnf
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He kissed her then—a desperate, hungry kiss that tasted of rain and a month’s worth of suppressed longing. It wasn't the kiss of a protector; it was the kiss of a man who was finally claiming something for himself.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6G1jPQpKP
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When they pulled apart, Yuto’s eyes were dark with a mixture of love and terror.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpO1cDxu2b
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"One month," he murmured, his thumb brushing her lip. "You spent a month trying to break me. You succeeded, Lulu Gardner."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww28EZpKhf
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Lulu leaned her head against his chest, listening to the frantic thud of his heart—a heart that finally belonged to her. "It wasn't about breaking you, Yuto. It was about finding you."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5vBGjsjFR
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The First Secret76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzK744MmXzJ
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Walking home that night felt different. Yuto walked ten paces behind her, keeping up the appearance of the "watchful shadow" for any prying eyes. But when they reached the corner of her street, out of sight of the Gardner windows, he caught up and squeezed her hand for a fleeting second.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNFmz99d0j
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"Tomorrow?" she whispered.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsTjOMtVtn
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"Tomorrow," he promised.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosyDkdYzhH
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Lulu climbed the stairs to her apartment, her face flushed and her heart racing. When she opened the door, Shay was sitting at the table, a map of the city spread out in front of him.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLjgW8ywF1
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"You're late," Shay said, though his tone was fond. "I assume Yuto followed you to the door?"76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM93dOSJQg
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Lulu felt a sharp, icy pang of guilt. She looked at her brother—the man who had been her father, her protector, her hero—and she lied.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ROU6zve0E
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"Yeah," Lulu said, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. "He was right behind me, Shay. Just like you asked."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYbLni6LS97
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Shay nodded, satisfied. "Good. That's my brother."76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsU9e7g2cbb
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Lulu turned away to hide the tears prickling her eyes. The secret had begun. They had crossed the line, and as she looked at the silver feather earring in her own reflection, she knew that the "Safe Zone" was gone. They were in the rebellion now.76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyr8uOhyZY
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