The days following the anniversary felt like walking on a frozen lake. The ice looked solid, but every step Lulu and Yuto took produced a sickening, silent creak. The guilt had transformed into a physical weight, making every "secret" meeting feel less like a romance and more like a heist.
The Slip-Up
It happened on a Tuesday, during the chaotic buzz of the school’s after-school clubs. Shay was supposed to be across town, picking up a shipment for the gym.
Lulu and Yuto had found a rare moment of privacy in the back of the equipment storage shed—a place filled with the smell of rubber mats and old leather.
"I bought these for you," Lulu whispered, pressing a small bag into Yuto’s hand. Inside were his favorite sweets, the ones he only ever mentioned once in passing.
Yuto looked down at the bag, a small, genuine smile breaking through his usual stoic mask. "You remembered."
"I remember everything you say," she replied softly.
He leaned down, his dark violet-streaked hair falling over his eyes, and kissed her. It started as a gentle touch, but quickly deepened into something more—a desperate attempt to forget the world outside the shed.
In that moment, Lulu’s hand reached up, her fingers tangling in the chain around Yuto’s neck. She pulled him closer, her silver feather earring catching the sliver of light from the door.
Neither of them heard the heavy footsteps on the gravel outside.
Neither of them heard the door handle turn.
The Shadow in the Doorway
The door swung open with a harsh, metallic groan. The sunlight flooded the cramped space, blinding them both.
"Lulu? You in here? I forgot my—"
The voice cut off like a severed wire.
Lulu jumped back, her heart leaping into her throat. Her back hit a stack of gym mats with a dull thud. Yuto went rigid, his breath hitching in his chest.
Shay stood in the doorway. He wasn't wearing his work jacket; he was in his training gear, drenched in sweat from an early session. But his face—usually so full of warmth and protective fire—was a mask of pure, shattered disbelief.
His eyes moved from Lulu’s flushed face and messy hair to Yuto, who was standing with his head bowed, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white.
"Shay," Lulu gasped, her voice trembling. "It’s not… we were just…"
"Just what?" Shay’s voice was dangerously low. It wasn't the roar Lulu expected. It was a cold, hollow sound that was infinitely more terrifying.
He stepped into the shed, the light behind him making him look like a giant. He ignored Lulu. His gaze was locked entirely on Yuto—the boy he had called his brother. The boy he had trusted with the only thing he had left to love.
"I told you to watch her," Shay said. Each word was like a drop of lead. "I told you I trusted you. I told you she was the only thing I had."
"Shay, listen to me," Yuto began, his voice cracking. He stepped forward, his hands open in a gesture of peace. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I tried to stay away, I swear—"
"You tried?" Shay’s control snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing the front of Yuto’s hoodie and slamming him back against the wooden wall. The equipment rattled. "You’re my best friend! You’re the only person I let into this family! And you’ve been doing this behind my back?"
"Don't hurt him!" Lulu cried, throwing herself between them, her hands pushing against Shay’s chest. "It was me! I’m the one who chased him! I’m the one who didn't give up! Don't blame him for loving me back!"
Shay looked down at his sister, and the look of betrayal in his eyes made Lulu want to disappear. He let go of Yuto as if the fabric of his hoodie burned his skin.
"You both lied to me," Shay whispered. He looked at the silver ring hanging from Yuto’s neck, then at the feather earring in Lulu’s ear. Symbols of the two people he loved most, now twisted into a reminder of his own blindness.
"Shay, please—" Yuto started.
"Don't," Shay said, holding up a hand. He backed toward the door, shaking his head. "Don't ever speak to me again. And you..." He looked at Lulu, his voice breaking. "Get home. Now."
Shay turned and walked out into the bright afternoon sun, leaving them in the shadows of the shed.
The Aftermath
The silence that followed was deafening. Lulu turned to Yuto, her eyes filling with tears. "Yuto, I'm so sorry. I didn't think he'd be here—"
Yuto didn't look at her. He was staring at the floor, his chest heaving. The "Shield" hadn't just cracked; it had shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.
"He was right," Yuto whispered, his voice hollow. "I’m exactly what I thought I was. A thief."
He didn't wait for her to respond. He walked out of the shed, heading in the opposite direction of the Gardner apartment.
Lulu stood alone among the rubber mats and the scent of old leather. The secret was out. The war had begun. And as she looked at the bag of sweets lying forgotten on the floor, she realized that the "protection" she had always complained about was the only thing that had been holding her world together.
74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTWkU585iM
74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKabQxdtky
74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0VbndNNBb
and then Add to home screen.