Ch -5. The Flute and The Fire

"I humbly refuse," Kaito said firmly.

A long silence followed, awkward and heavy in the air.

Raibaru Kurai tilted his head slightly. "Why?"

Kaito glanced sideways, then replied with a smirk, "You already know," and turned to walk away.

As he left, a memory surfaced—

A spar between him and Kurai during high school. They had been evenly matched, every move mirroring the other. Just as their final strikes were about to clash—

Ding-ding! The school bell had rung, halting the match unfinished.

Kaito chuckled softly. This time feels just like that...

---

Elsewhere, inside the principal's office—

"The boy refused," the vice principal said, arms folded.

"But Kurai accepted?" the principal asked, gaze unmoved.

The vice principal nodded.

The principal leaned back in his chair, exhaling. "What a shame. Having both would've been ideal. But… for now, one is enough."

---

A month passed.

Kaito kept to himself, quiet and distant. His routine never changed — classes, quiet meals, and late nights alone on the school terrace.

One day, while walking past the training grounds, he saw Kurai — shirt damp with sweat, his fists striking the air in powerful bursts.

Kaito paused in the shadows, watching.

"I know you're there," Kurai said without turning. "You don't need to hide."

Kaito stepped out.

"You should change yourself and join the tournament," Kurai said. "Everyone's hoping for it — even if they don't say it out loud."

Silence.

Then, a memory bloomed in Kaito's mind.

He had been training alone every night for the past month — shadowboxing, meditating, pushing his body.

"You knew, huh?" Kaito muttered.

Kurai gave a knowing nod. "You're competitive. You hate losing. There's no way you weren't preparing in secret."

Kaito looked up at the sky. "Sometimes, I think I should change… take the risk, be more open. But whenever I try, all I see are those glares."

---

Flashback:

A young Kaito sat in a warm, sunlit music room with Sistine. Children were busy playing different instruments. But one item on the side caught his eye — a dusty, untouched flute.

He picked it up out of curiosity.

A kind teacher approached, surprised. "Would you like to try?"

Soon, the flute's melody filled the room.

Astonished, the teacher whispered, "Your playing… it's like Lord Krishna's."

Sistine clapped, eyes sparkling. "You're amazing, Kaito!"

Inwardly, the teacher thought, No one's touched a flute in the Fourth Megannum. How can he be this gifted…?

---

Back in the present—

Kurai stood beside Kaito, watching him quietly.

"You still carry that burden," he said softly. "I know the reason you can't open up… that incident."

Kaito frowned. "Hey, stop zoning out."

He took a step forward, a renewed fire in his eyes.

"I've decided. I'm joining the tournament — and I'll defeat you. Look forward to it."

Kurai smirked. "Yeah. I am."

---

A short distance away, hidden behind a classroom window, Sistine stood watching them.

Her expression was unreadable.

"Why is he… ignoring me?"