[Short Story] The Toughness We Hide

So here's the thing—why is Shō-kun always so quiet? Seriously, it's like talking to a brick wall, but with better posture.

After that snowman competition earlier, I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd open up a little. Nope. Back to his usual "I barely talk" routine. But hey, I'm not giving up. Nope! Stubborn is my middle name.

This morning, everyone's buzzing about skiing. Hinoyama is already struggling to walk in his ski boots, wobbling like a baby deer. Hana is all smiles, as usual, hyping up the group. And then there's Shō-kun—standing by himself, cool as ever, like he's the protagonist of some action movie.

I grab my skis and shuffle over to him. "Shō-kun! You're joining us, right?"

He barely glances at me, "Hmm." That's it. One syllable. Typical.

"Come on, don't be like that! You were super into the snowman thing yesterday," I say, nudging his arm. "What's the harm in a little skiing? Or are you scared of falling?"

"I don't fall."

"Oh really? I'd love to see that," I tease. But seriously, how is he so cool all the time? It's almost unfair.

I try a different approach. "Fine, if you won't talk, I'll just stick around and annoy you until you do!"

For a split second, I think I see a vein twitch on his forehead, but he doesn't say anything. That's okay—I've got time.

He just keeps staring at the mountains like they're the most interesting thing ever.

Ugh, what is his deal? Everyone's having fun. Everyone's connected.

But why not him? He's got that "I'm too cool for this" vibe going on. Always quiet, always distant.

I tap my ski pole against the snow, biting my lip. Okay, but what is up with him? I mean, I get that he's a Vorixa or whatever, but still. Something feels… off.

My mind drifts back to the campfire last night. His face—just for a second—it turned black. Like, full-on creepy-dark-black. Was that real? Did I actually see that? Or am I losing it?

"Shō-kun," I say, tilting my head. "Are you… okay?"

He finally looks at me, and wow, his stare is intense. "Why wouldn't I be?"

I blink. "Uh… no reason. Never mind!" I wave my hand quickly, laughing nervously.

He looks away again, totally unbothered. Seriously, what is up with these Vorixas? First that Hinoyama with his weird injuries, and now him. Why are they all like this? Why don't they express themselves? Is it a club requirement or something?

Still, I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. Like, really wrong.

I finally give up trying to figure out him and walk back to the group. At least these guys are normal and talk. Hana spots me and waves.

"Yui! What were you doing with Shō-kun?" she asks, smiling.

"Oh, nothing,"... "Just trying to get him to act like a normal person, ya know? But nope, he's still a big wall of silence."

She giggles, "That's just Shō-kun. He's always like that—super focused and... well, not the chatty type."

"Yeah, but it's not just that!"... "There's something weird about him. Like, he's hiding something."

"Hiding something? Like what?"

I lean in close, lowering my voice. "Okay, don't freak out, but last night, when I looked at him, I swear his face looked all... dark, for a second. Like, his face turned into an Oscuro or something, but then it was gone! I'm not making this up!"

"Really? That's... kinda weird."

"I know, right?"... "What if something's wrong with him?"

She waves it off, "Nah, I don't think so. Shō-kun is tough. He'd never let something like that show. He just keeps everything inside. That's how he is."

"Ugh, I hate that!"... "Why can't boys just talk about stuff like normal people? It's like, 'Oh, I'm so tough, I'm fine!' No, Shō-kun, you're not fine! You're weird!"

She giggles, "Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. He might open up eventually. But for now, let's just have fun!"

"Fun? Yeah fun."