A little boy named Cyan

“MoonChild be free.

Free from the tides of being boxed.

Free from the norms of those who status quo.

Find your path and follow it to the moon.”

― Malebo Sephodi

. . .

Absorbed in his own thoughts, Hiro almost didn't notice a kid (wait, wait wait WHAT IS A KID DOING HERE?!) zooming towards the classroom and nearly ran straight into him because he was standing by the doorway... and if it weren’t for his reflexes–

Hiro managed to grab the kid’s shoulders to stop him from crashing face-first into his stomach. “Whoa, steady there,” he managed to say through his surprise, a bit startled, pulling slightly away from the kid to get a better look.

Hiro was sure that had never seen this kid before… though he can tell straight that this boy was definitely not a child of one of his workmates or something (…they are not allowed to bring kids anyway unless there’s an event specified for it, the school has a strict policy for that) but there was just something familiar about this kid.

The short but messy, light (almost white) blonde hair was a mess, probably because of running around for who knows how long and who knows where and the boy's skin was a startling pale, almost albino color–Hiro was half-tempted to get him to the nurse’s office–but the kid’s eyes…

It was her eyes…

“Sorry ‘bout that, signore...”

And a faint, Italian accent.

...unbidden, Hiro gulped.

No FREAKING way. Still, he kneeled down to the boy’s height… who hasn’t even reached his hip, “Kid, how did you get here? Did you get lost?”

The little boy grinned toothily and Hiro almost grinned back at how proud the child seemed to be of himself. It was actually kind of cute, “Nope, I ran from my bodyguard. He’s annoying so let’s not talk about him!”

A bodyguard...?

Hiro raised an eyebrow, “Okay… sure?”

“And I’m not lost,” the kid continued as though Hiro hadn’t even spoken, “I’m looking for my sister actually–I wanna surprise her since she still didn’t know how I escaped Sicily with Dante! It was SO COOL! We’re like super secret ninja-spies or something!”

Hiro made a non-committal noise, “Yeah, right. I bet.”

Then, the kid looked up at him intently and Hiro blinked, staring back at him blankly. Because the kid has the same piercing look in his eyes, the same color of steel and silver combined…

He had no doubt who the sister is.

“Are you her classmate?”

But just to be sure…

“Who are we talking about again?”

“My sister, you dummy!”

“Don’t call me dummy”

“Then stop acting like one.”

Hiro almost recoiled at that, especially when some of the still-lingering students in the hallway curiously glanced in their direction but caught himself at the last second, “Okay, and your sister would be…?”

“Cass,” the little boy shrugged, his shoulders moving slightly underneath his oversized sweater, “But everyone calls her ma’am or signorina capo. Do you… do you guys call her that in school too?”

…The Dean, probably.

Hiro deadpanned, “Young man, I’m her professor.”

A look of recognition dawned in the kid’s eyes, and he clapped his hands in delight, bouncing a bit place like he was having a hard time containing all of his energy, “Oh! Are you by any chance... Mr. Akihiro Zen, the professore di matematica?”

“Wait. You… you know about me?”

Hiro didn’t know if he should be worried or surprised that Lunamor even talks about him to her brother. What does she say about him? Why does she even talk about him...?!

“I saw your name on her laptop!”

Now it was Hiro’s turn to shrug, making a conscious effort to hide his slight disappointment. What the hell was even disappointed about? “Assignments, probably but ah…”

The boy pointed a thumb to himself, “Cyan,”

“Right, Cyan,” Hiro cleared his throat a bit, standing up to his proper height, “I’m sorry but you should go back to your… bodyguard. Little kids aren’t really allowed to play in the campus during school hours, especially inside the building. You might get in trouble.”

“But I'm not little!”

Hiro tried not to look at their height difference.

“...and Mr. Collins didn’t mind!”

Hiro instantly felt like he just ate a sandpaper as he stared down at Cyan, “Mr. Collins… as in, kid, you’re talking about the dean?”

“Si!” a mischievous grin immediately settled on Cyan’s pale face as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, “Mr. Collins said as long I don’t run off I can get a tour but Dante’s so boring, he won’t even let me buy coffee cake in the cafeteria! Like, how unfair is that?!”

“You just literally ran off,” Hiro pointed out.

“What Mr. Collins didn’t know won’t hurt him!” the little kid even gave him a half-coy, half-conspiratorial smirk, “You think you can keep a secret, prof?”

“Uh, I think… w-well, I think that you should really go back to your bodyguard, kid,” Hiro managed to say, feeling a headache beginning to show itself, “Won’t you get in trouble for running off like that? Your sister might be worried and running all over the building looking for you since she left in quite a hurry.”

Not exactly true but… whatever.

Cyan pouted, “Aw, man…”

Hiro chuckled and ruffled the kid’s hair, “Yeah, sorry to kill your fun and all but I have to go now. I still have classes to teach. Go back to your bodyguard, kid. Do you know where to find him?”

“You sound like Color,” Cyan grumbled.

“I’m sorry?”

“My older brother, Color…” Cyan muttered, looking kind of sulky as he crossed his arms, “He always told me to go to Dante or to Cass because I’m bothering his super important work. Do you think I’m being a bother?”

Is this kid seriously trying to guilt-trip me?

Despite that, Hiro kept his practiced smile frozen in place, “No, and I’m really sorry to hear that but kid, I really have to go. I’m going to be late for my next class. Can’t you… I don’t know, can’t you give them a call or something?”

“I told Cass that I’ll be here before I ditched Dante.”

“Ah” Hiro nodded, “Then I probably should–”

“Matri di Dio... LUCIANO! Che stai facendo?!”

Hiro very nearly jumped in shock when he heard Cass... no, Lunamor’s voice echoing across the halls rather powerfully. Like the sound of thunder.

The few students who had been loitering about somehow freezing and turning dead silent at her shout, even parting to make way like the red sea itself as she strode towards them with an older, well-built man trailing right behind her, like a faithful shadow.

Hiro would have felt intimidated at the sight of her humongous friend looming closer to them if it weren’t for the clear worry in his face.

“Hi, Cass! Hi, Dante!” Cyan called, waving.

“Grazie a dio stai bene!” ‘Dante’ exclaimed.

Ah, Hiro thought, still staring, a gentle giant. Meanwhile, Lunamor didn’t look even the slightest bit happy or relieved to see her little brother let alone, him.

When Lunamor finally made her way to stand next to them, she pinched the bridge of her nose, obviously irritated and hissed something (“Non, non passo farlo addesso…”) in Italian to the man behind her before pulling her brother away from Hiro, muttering to him, “Luciano Davide, sei in grossi guai. Hai idea di quanto ci hai preoccupato?!”

It… was actually kind of scary how her usually placid expression was steadily beginning to bear a look that spoke of restrained anger the longer this goes on.

It made Hiro wince, a bit worried for Cyan.

“Mi dispiace, sorella maggiore,” Cyan said, his voice soft and childlike, pulling at Hiro’s heartstrings, more so when Hiro saw the boy blinking back tears. “…per favore non essere arrabbiato con me.”

“Il fratello maggiore no. Maio sì!”

The man–Dante, Hiro assumed–opened his mouth as if to say something, probably in defense to the kid, but Lunamor (as though she was already expecting it) raised a hand sharply without even looking to silence the bodyguard, her expression cold and angry.

“Per favore…”

The words were hissed:

“Andare a casa.”

“Per favore… mi sei mancata.”

Lunamor stiffened (or was it a wince?), the cold anger on her abnormally pale face twisting into a look that was resembling something a whole lot like guilt as she suddenly averted her gaze away from Cyan, one of her gloved hands running through her hair, looking like she was seconds away from wanting to tear at it, “Lo so, tesoro... è solo che...”

Her eyes suddenly met his.

Suddenly, Hiro felt like an intruder, being smacked right in the middle of a family drama, especially as he watched those piercing eyes of hers narrowing for a moment when she seemed to realize that yes, he was still very much there.

Okay.

Okay, maybe if Hiro backs off slowly…

Maybe if he… plays… dead…?

“…sei in punizione,” Lunamor finally said.

Cyan looked a bit disappointed by what she said but he didn’t bother to argue with his sister, only nodding with a very sullen look on his face.

“Bye, signore,” Cyan mumbled to Hiro as he passed.

“Yeah, see you around kid,” Hiro said, feeling a bit guilty at the very visible look of disappointment on the kid’s face. Oh man, he was always a sucker around unhappy little kids, “…please don’t go running off again. I might be not around to stop for a chat.”

A small smile curled at the corners of Cyan’s lips at that before he bounded off to his enormous companion who seemed to begin scolding him in Italian ("Te l'avevo detto!”) as soon as they began to walk away and Hiro was suddenly hyperaware of the fact that he was left alone with Lunamor who was staring over at him, her expression unreadable… though not as hostile as it had been like earlier.

Hiro cleared his throat maybe a little too loudly, suddenly feeling a bit awkward when she made no move to even speak up, “Y-You… uh, I think you should really keep an eye on your brother, Ms. Lunamor. Cyan looks way too young to be left on his own.”

Lunamor scoffed and left without a word.

What the...?

Hiro’s eyebrow twitched.

Her walking out on him is seriously getting old.