"What do you want?"
Kentarou's voice came out colder than he intended.
The night breeze flowed across the balcony.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Gen stood beside him with both hands inside his pockets.
His eyes were fixed on the sky.
The stars.
The moon.
The same view Kentarou had been admiring just moments ago with Violet.
Then slowly—
Gen turned his head.
His expression had changed.
The usual relaxed look on his face was gone.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Not in hatred.
Not in anger.
But in a way that immediately made Kentarou uncomfortable.
The two boys stared at each other.
Neither looked away.
The atmosphere became tense.
Very tense.
Meanwhile—
A small figure was peeking through the slightly opened balcony door.
Kenta.
His eyes widened.
"Uh oh..."
Kenta swallowed.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
He couldn't hear everything.
But he knew one thing.
His brother and Gen were standing alone.
Looking at each other like they were about to start a boxing match.
"THIS IS BAD!"
Kenta immediately turned around.
Then started running.
---
Inside the house—
Children were running everywhere.
Adults were talking.
Music was playing softly.
Kenta rushed through the crowd.
Then—
BAM!
"Aaaa!"
A smaller girl stumbled backward.
Kenta almost fell.
The girl immediately stood up.
"KENTA!"
Kenta froze.
Standing in front of him was his cousin.
Rin Takahashi.
A girl only one year younger than him.
"What is wrong with you?!"
"You nearly knocked me down!"
"You should watch where you're going!"
Rin started scolding him without mercy.
Meanwhile—
Kenta kept looking toward the balcony.
Then back at Rin.
Then toward the balcony again.
He didn't have time for this.
Without warning—
He grabbed Rin's hand.
"W-What?!"
"Come with me!"
"Huh?!"
Before she could protest—
Kenta started dragging her through the house.
"LET GO OF MY HAND!"
"No!"
"Why?!"
"Emergency!"
"What emergency?!"
"I'll explain later!"
"You always say that!"
---
A few moments later—
Kenta suddenly stopped.
"There!"
Rin looked ahead.
A familiar boy was standing near the food table.
Eating cake peacefully.
Hayashi Senku.
"Kenta?"
Senku blinked.
"What happened?"
Kenta immediately pointed toward the balcony.
"Brother!"
Senku looked confused.
"Kentarou?"
"Balcony!"
"...What?"
"Go!"
Senku stared.
Kenta never acted like this.
Usually he was loud.
Usually he was dramatic.
But this time—
His expression looked genuinely worried.
Senku slowly placed his plate down.
"Okay."
"What happened?"
"No time!"
"Just go!"
Senku raised an eyebrow.
Then looked toward the balcony doors.
Something about Kenta's face convinced him.
Without another question—
He started walking.
Toward the balcony.
Toward Kentarou.
And toward Gen.
---
Meanwhile—
Rin looked between Kenta and Senku.
Then crossed her arms.
"Now explain."
Kenta pointed dramatically toward the balcony.
Rin looked.
Then looked back at him.
Then looked again.
Still confused.
"What happened?"
Kenta lowered his voice.
As if revealing a national secret.
"Brother and Gen are alone together."
"...And?"
"They both like Violet."
Rin blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then her eyes widened.
"...WHAT?!"
Kenta immediately covered her mouth.
"Shhh!"
Rin quickly removed his hand.
"Since when?!"
"I don't know!"
"And they're together right now?"
"YES!"
Rin slowly looked toward the balcony again.
Her eyes sparkled.
The curiosity inside her immediately awakened.
Without saying another word—
She started walking after Senku.
Kenta followed.
The two cousins unknowingly heading straight toward the most dangerous conversation of the night.
The balcony fell silent.
The night breeze continued flowing between them.
Kentarou stared at Gen.
Gen stared back.
Then finally—
Gen spoke.
"I am not in the mood for a fight right now."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
That somehow made it even more intimidating.
"I just want you to know only one thing."
Gen's eyes narrowed.
"Kubo Violet is mine."
The words hit Kentarou harder than any punch.
Gen took a step forward.
"I am telling this because you're my cousin brother."
His expression darkened.
"If it was someone else..."
His fist slowly clenched.
"...then I would have beaten him until I got satisfied."
Kentarou's eyes widened slightly.
Not because he was scared.
But because Gen wasn't joking.
Not even a little.
For the first time—
He realized how serious Gen was.
---
At that exact moment—
The balcony door opened.
Senku stepped outside.
He immediately noticed the atmosphere.
The tension.
The silence.
The expressions on both boys' faces.
"...I knew it."
Senku sighed.
For some reason, he wasn't even surprised anymore.
He walked toward Kentarou.
Then looked at Gen.
"So that's what this is about?"
Neither replied.
Senku scratched the back of his head.
"You two are acting like children."
Gen's eyebrow twitched.
"Excuse me?"
"I mean seriously."
Senku shrugged.
"It's Violet's birthday."
"Can't both of you stop acting like rivals for one day?"
The moment those words left his mouth—
Something changed.
Gen's expression froze.
Then—
Crack.
The floor beneath his shoe creaked.
His body lowered slightly.
Like a predator preparing to strike.
Senku noticed.
"...Huh?"
Too late.
WHOOSH!
The air exploded.
Gen's fist shot forward.
Fast.
Terrifyingly fast.
Years of boxing training compressed into a single punch.
The distance between them vanished instantly.
Senku's eyes widened.
His body couldn't react.
The punch was already there.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer—
A direct hit to the face.
The kind that could send someone flying backwards.
---
But then—
THUD.
Everything stopped.
The impact never came.
Gen's fist had been caught.
Blocked.
Stopped completely.
By a single hand.
A single hand standing between Gen and Senku.
The balcony fell silent.
Gen's eyes widened.
For the first time that night—
He looked genuinely surprised.
Senku blinked.
Slowly.
Confused.
Everyone stared at the same person.
The owner of that hand.
Standing between them.
Without moving even an inch.
Without showing any effort.
Without saying a single word.
The hand continued gripping Gen's fist firmly.
Not allowing it to move forward.
Not allowing it to move back.
The silence became heavier.
Even the night breeze seemed to stop.
Then—
The mysterious figure finally spoke.
"...What exactly do you think you're doing?"
And the moment Gen heard that voice—
His expression changed completely.
The balcony became silent.
Gen looked at the hand gripping his fist.
Then slowly—
He looked at its owner.
Kentarou.
For the first time that night, genuine surprise appeared on Gen's face.
"...I didn't expect that."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Especially from a person like you."
Kentarou remained silent.
His hand still firmly holding Gen's fist.
Neither of them moved.
The tension remained.
Then Gen slowly pulled his hand back.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Not a happy smile.
A challenging one.
Without saying anything else, he turned around.
And walked back inside.
Leaving Kentarou and Senku alone on the balcony.
---
Senku stood frozen.
His brain was still trying to process what had just happened.
A few seconds ago—
A regional-level boxer had launched a punch directly at him.
And Kentarou had stopped it.
With one hand.
One hand.
Senku slowly turned toward his friend.
"...What?"
Kentarou looked tired.
"What?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT?"
Senku almost shouted.
"How did you block that?"
"..."
"Have you learned boxing too?"
"..."
"How come I didn't know about your fighting skills?"
"..."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"
Kentarou sighed.
Meanwhile, Senku looked like his entire understanding of Kentarou had just been shattered.
---
Not far away—
Two hidden spectators were experiencing the exact same confusion.
Kenta.
And Rin.
The two cousins were peeking through the balcony door.
Their eyes were wide open.
Especially Kenta's.
"...Brother can fight?"
Rin immediately grabbed his shoulder.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THIS!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW EITHER!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T KNOW?!"
"I JUST FOUND OUT!"
Kenta looked genuinely betrayed.
For years—
He had thought his older brother was just a writer who spent his time typing novels and drinking coffee.
Apparently not.
---
Back on the balcony—
Kentarou finally spoke.
"Gen didn't want anyone interfering in our problem."
Senku blinked.
"Our problem?"
Kentarou looked toward the night sky.
"That's why he tried to punch you."
The answer only created more questions.
Many more questions.
Unfortunately—
Before Senku could ask any of them—
Kentarou had already started walking back inside.
---
The birthday party was still continuing.
Children were running around.
Adults were chatting.
Music was playing softly.
Nobody seemed to know what had just happened on the balcony.
Then—
A familiar voice called out.
"Kentarou!"
Both boys looked up.
Violet was walking toward them.
She stopped in front of Kentarou.
A small apologetic smile appeared on her face.
"Sorry."
"The kids kept me busy."
Kentarou didn't reply.
His eyes seemed distant.
Lost.
As if he wasn't even there.
Violet tilted her head.
Then smiled.
"Kentarou, you wanted to tell me something, right?"
No response.
Kentarou simply stood there.
Silent.
His mind was blank.
Gen's words continued echoing inside his head.
"Kubo Violet is mine."
Again.
And again.
And again.
"Kentarou?"
Still no answer.
Violet's smile slowly disappeared.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
---
Before the awkward silence could continue—
Senku suddenly stepped forward.
"He's not feeling well."
Violet looked at him.
"Huh?"
"I think he's getting sick."
Senku casually placed an arm around Kentarou's shoulder.
"I'm going to drop him home."
Violet looked between the two boys.
Then back at Kentarou.
He still seemed distracted.
As if something was bothering him deeply.
"...Oh."
"I see."
---
At that moment—
Senku noticed Kenta standing nearby.
"Kenta."
Kenta immediately looked up.
"Yeah?"
"I'm taking your brother home."
Kenta nodded.
"Okay."
"Tell your parents when they come back."
"I will."
---
Violet looked at Kentarou once more.
Something inside her told her that this wasn't just illness.
Something had happened.
Something important.
But she couldn't figure out what.
In the end—
She simply nodded.
"Okay."
"Get some rest."
Kentarou finally looked at her.
Only for a moment.
Then nodded slightly.
"...Yeah."
A faint smile appeared on Violet's face.
But even as Kentarou and Senku walked toward the exit—
The strange feeling inside her remained.
Because for some reason—
Kentarou looked as if he had lost something precious.
And she didn't know why.
The journey back home was quiet.
Neither Kentarou nor Senku spoke much.
The streets were almost empty.
The cold night air only made the silence heavier.
---
A few minutes later—
They arrived at Kentarou's house.
The lights in the living room were still on.
Kentarou opened the door.
Then slowly walked inside.
Senku followed behind him.
---
The living room felt unusually empty.
Kentarou sat down on the sofa.
His eyes stared at the floor.
His mind was completely blank.
The excitement from earlier.
The happiness from Violet's reaction.
The warmth he had felt while standing beside her.
Everything seemed distant now.
As if it had happened years ago.
---
Senku walked into the kitchen.
A moment later, he returned with a glass of water.
"Kentarou."
No response.
Senku placed the glass on the table.
"Kentarou."
This time—
Kentarou finally looked up.
His eyes looked tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
---
"It was a mistake."
Senku remained silent.
Kentarou gave a small laugh.
A painful one.
"I knew that Gen loved her."
"..."
"But I still tried to approach her."
His fingers tightened around the glass.
As if trying to hold himself together.
---
"Senku."
"Yeah?"
"You know what?"
Senku looked at him.
"Today..."
Kentarou forced out a smile.
"I gave her the necklace."
The memory appeared in his mind immediately.
Violet's smile.
Her excitement.
The way she kept talking without giving him a chance to answer.
The way she held the gift box close to her chest.
The way she said—
I'll cherish this.
---
"And her reaction was..."
Kentarou looked down.
A faint smile appeared.
For the first time since leaving the party.
"I can't even explain it."
His voice trembled slightly.
"I've never seen her that happy."
Senku stayed quiet.
Listening.
---
Kentarou slowly leaned back against the sofa.
Then closed his eyes.
"I love her that much."
The words escaped naturally.
Without hesitation.
Without embarrassment.
Without hiding.
Because there was nobody left to hide from.
---
A few seconds passed.
Then Kentarou spoke again.
Softly.
Almost like he was talking to himself.
"I've decided."
Senku felt his chest tighten.
Something about Kentarou's voice felt wrong.
Very wrong.
---
"I won't approach Violet anymore."
The room became silent.
Senku froze.
Kentarou continued.
"I won't..."
His voice cracked.
"I won't..."
But he couldn't finish the sentence.
Because even he didn't believe it.
Even he couldn't imagine a future where he stopped thinking about her.
Stopped looking for her.
Stopped loving her.
---
The room fell silent once again.
Senku looked at his best friend.
For the first time—
He didn't know what to say.
No joke came to mind.
No advice.
No comforting words.
Nothing.
Because he knew how much Violet meant to Kentarou.
And he knew how much those words had hurt him to say.
---
A few minutes later—
Senku stood up.
"Come on."
Kentarou looked up.
"Hm?"
"Let's go."
Without waiting for an answer—
Senku helped him up.
Then guided him upstairs.
Towards his room.
---
The room was dark.
Quiet.
Familiar.
Senku opened the door.
Kentarou entered.
Then sat on the edge of his bed.
Still looking lost.
Still looking broken.
---
Senku stood near the doorway.
Watching him.
For a moment—
Guilt filled his chest.
He was Kentarou's best friend.
Yet he couldn't help him.
Couldn't solve anything.
Couldn't take away the pain.
All he could do was watch.
---
Kentarou slowly lay down on the bed.
Facing the ceiling.
Silent.
Motionless.
As if all the energy inside him had disappeared.
Senku switched off the light.
Then quietly stepped outside.
Before closing the door—
He looked at Kentarou one last time.
And for the first time that night—
He genuinely worried about him.
---
The door closed softly.
Leaving Kentarou alone in the darkness.
Alone with his thoughts.
Alone with his feelings.
And alone with the promise he had made to himself.
A promise that might be impossible to keep.