Another day off for everyone. For others, they will go out, or rest at home, or clean the house.

But for Kiyo, Saturday is a day of torture. As always, he had to go to the damn camp out there.

Even though Sunny and Ryota had accepted him for who he was, he still harbored the idea of ​​escaping from that filthy place again.

And that wish was difficult to fulfill because once he joined Ikusaba, the assassins would know him. At the locomotive of this country, there was nowhere to run for him.

Now my identity is revealed, they'll be eyeing Sunny and Ryota, and Junko and Angie as well. Junko is a famous writer, Sunny is currently a member of the game development team and in the future will follow the Network Administration industry...

Things were becoming more and more confusing and unfavorable for him.

Now Kiyo had to think of a way to keep his classmates and Ryota out of this matter.

Or go out on the street to disguise the other two a bit? For Sunny, just tell him to stop curling his hair and put on his hat, Ryota put his hat on, covered his head, and put on a mask...

And Junko and Angie told them to take care of themselves... Well, it's a bit difficult for Junko since she was that famous...

Now, maybe they haven't discovered it yet.. If so, I have to see if there's any news tonight. If we know, we'll immediately carry out a plan to disguise, hide the home address, and that's it.. Of course, I can't hide which school I go to.

Kiyo thought he should discuss this plan with both of them right now, it's still early.

"Damn, I have to get rid of that hairstyle.. But as long as Kiyo doesn't get involved, that's fine!" - Sunny after hearing all the plans.

"That's when they found out. I was having an idea..."

"What is it?"

"Is.."

Kiyo paused for a moment and then continued:

"No, you shouldn't know right now. As for Ryota, do you understand?"

"Yeah, I don't have a problem, as long as we're safe." - As always, Ryota wanted to make sure everyone is safe.

Sunny was a bit skeptical at such a quick dismissal of what Kiyo was going to say, but he just let it go.

He looked closely at Kiyo. At this point in his eyes, he was really tired of this arduous life, but behind that hardship, there was a glimmer of hope in Kiyo's eyes.

He must have something on his mind..

Sunny went into the bathroom, temporarily straightening his hair so that Kiyo wouldn't get in trouble because of him.

That night Kiyo went out, everything seemed to be nothing to talk about.

Luckily, there's no rush to disguise...But for the last time, we have to keep it private, we can't let Angie spread the news..

As always, if he doesn't have to kill anyone, he will have to go through terrible training sessions until three in the morning.

After that, Kiyo trudged home. A bunch of wounds on his body were about to swell up, so he had to go home immediately.

The same familiar street, the same old houses..

Everything was in silence, the night covered the whole space, the bright white moon seemed to be watching everything. No clouds. Only a few stars twinkled in the wide sky.

No one knew his pain in this middle of the night. Even more ironic, while everyone was sleeping peacefully, he had to walk in such a miserable way.

Everything was in silence, the night covered the whole space, the bright white moon seemed to be watching everything. No clouds. Only a few stars twinkled in the wide sky.

When he got home, the lights had been turned off, and Sunny and Ryota were asleep.

He locked the inside door, turned on the light, sat in the middle of the living room, disinfected himself, applied medicine, and bandaged the sore spot. Sometimes it stings, bleeds, and is extremely painful.

Kiyo didn't dare to utter a sound, because the two of them were still asleep and what if everyone in the dormitory heard it? When he was alone, he could still make a little noise, but now he can't.

Suddenly there was a rustling sound in the room. Looks like someone just woke up.

The one who stepped out was Ryota. The boy bewildered asked:

"You're back already..?"

"What are you doing at this hour?" - Kiyo just finished.

"I.. want to go to the bathroom.."

Ryota drowsily went to the bathroom, noticing what was happening.

When he returned, Ryota sat down beside his brother.

"Ryota..? What are you doing up at this hour? Go back to sleep." - Kiyo was surprised that Ryota rarely stayed up at night like this.

"So when you come back, does anyone ever sit next to you?"

"No..?"

"The gangsters forced you to come back with a knife and a gun until late at night, and everyone was asleep at that time, and you were the only one awake. I think with such a situation, you must be very lonely..."

Kiyo didn't expect Ryota would care about him when he sneaked out of the house every night, especially with the work he had to do outside.

"Ryota.. Are you still thinking of me? Even knowing who I am?"

"You said it was them who made you do it, right? You didn't want to kill anyone, even come up with a plan to run away from them and protect the people you love. See, even though what you did is not justified, that didn't make you a bad person, right?"

"Ryota..."

Kiyo felt his throat tighten, his eyes seemed to start to get wet.

You've grown up to this, Ryota?

Kiyo slowly hugged his younger brother and emotionally said:

"Thank you, Ryota.."

***

That Saturday, Kanryo only worked in the afternoon. Because he had to study and work all week.

So in the morning, he was very free. But.. Being alone forever is boring. What will Kanryo do?

Suddenly in Kanryo's mind, something came to mind. Genjitsu! That's right, Genjitsu doesn't usually go out on weekends, he always alone. Maybe Kanryo should go to that entomologist's office.

Genjitsu only returned to the apartment when it was already dark. So Kanryo thought only morning and afternoon he could meet him in the school office.

Kanryo decided so, and ran to school. Fortunately, the gate is still open (because there are still students working in it).

According to his memory, Genjitsu's office was quite close to the man-made garden that Kanryo frequented. So, he was pretty sure that his friend is there.

Kanryo knocked on the door three times and called his name. Unlike last time, Genjitsu opens immediately:

"What? I thought you were selling today?"

"I have the morning off every Saturday."

"So what are you here for?"

Kanryo peered into the room, but Genjitsu was a few centimeters taller than him, so it was difficult to see closely.

"Hey, I've seen you here on the weekends, I think.. you must be feeling pretty lonely."

"I'm used to this."

"Or.. You just let me stay with you for a while. Because I.." - Kanryo hesitated a bit.

Genjitsu sighed.

"What?"

"I.. miss you so much."

At this point, Genjitsu blushed slightly, not knowing how to deal with Kanryo's unexpected statement. He misses me? Is that a joke?

Kanryo's eyes lit up, like they were still begging Genjitsu to let him in.

The entomologist put his hand on the wall:

"You mean you want to see my office?"

"Something like that.. But I still miss you."

"Okay. But first." - Genjitsu pointed to Kanryo's usual green apron. "Can you take off that apron? Actually.. you wear it all the time and it's getting a bit tiring."

"No problem!" - Kanryo rushed to the desk in the next garden, took it off and left it there, then ran back.

Now, the florist was no different from an ordinary male student. Pure white long-sleeved shirt, long brown pants, and a pair of black sandals.

"May I take off my shoes?" - Kanryo asked.

"Yeah."

Having said that, the entomologist stood aside for the guest to enter.

It is a small room, just enough for two people. The wooden floor, was swept clean, the walls plastered with pictures of insects and nailed some butterfly specimens.

Genjitsu's desk and chair facing the window, are also wooden. On his desk were full of pens and paper, drawings, reports and a laptop in his left side (because there was a lamp on the right).

Besides that small table, there was also a small bookcase, propped against the wall. The shelves were full of specialized books that were beyond Kanryo's understanding, and there were even a few foreign books.

On the top of the cabinet was a box of what appeared to be the beetle that Genjitsu was cultivating.

Kanryo looked up at the top of the cabinet and curiously asked:

"Since when did you raise that bug?"

"It's been quite a while, since elementary school. I've never seen a beetle live that long, normally each adult beetle lives at least sixty days, yet here almost ten years."

"You must have raised it well."

"I didn't expect I would be able to extend its lifespan until now."

Genjitsu sat down on a chair, eyeing a report.

"Stay quiet and let me finish this."

Kanryo just nodded, then sat down on the floor.

He didn't do anything, other than just quietly kneeling and looking at the person who was working hard to write. In his heart, he wanted Genjitsu to care about him more.

And he wanted to care about Genjitsu with the same way. Because, he is the person that Kanryo respects most in the class, not Tomoyo like the others.

What is this feeling?..

I have never felt so deeply connected to Genjitsu..

It's not just simple respect or admiration.. But other than me and Kaori, no one can stay close to him for long.

Suddenly, Genjitsu put down his pen and turned to Kanryo:

"I'm done. You can do whatever you want, I will submit it this afternoon."

"Cool!" - Kanryo is somewhat excited.

Genjitsu suddenly extended his palm toward him.

"Huh?"

"Are you bored sitting on the floor?"

"No.."

Guessing that Genjitsu wanted me to hold his hand, Kanryo took it.

The entomologist pulled the brunette and sat on the little chair. The two are now sitting closer to each other than usual.

"H-hey, isn't the chair too tight?" - Kanryo is like a tomato now.

"I don't care anymore."

Sitting like this is a bit..

At that moment, something fell out of the drawer. Kanryo immediately bent down to pick it up, and it turned out to be a notebook without a cover, the spine of the book was tied with some kind of string.

"This is.."

Genjitsu said nothing. Kanryo read it through once and said:

"I don't understand anything, the writing is so abstract and complicated! Did you write this?"

"Show me."

Genjitsu took the notebook, and going through the pages.

"You probably shouldn't read it. I just write this when I'm free."

"Come on, I'm curious."

Genjitsu sighed, returning to the first page:

"The first three pages are a story, about a boy searching for the meaning of empathy, and perhaps love too.. He has never felt the care and love of his parents - who had abandoned him. Seeing his peers get what he doesn't have, he asks himself what it means to be connected, what is sharing and empathy, and why God hasn't given him these things.

Regardless of the gossip around, he kept looking, searching, until the social pressure had almost been carried to death on those newly grown shoulders, then a new person found it in that situation.

It was another boy, also lacking in affection, coming to him, saying: I feel your heart is so empty, but it has never been frozen into stone. Then he reached out his hand to the poor boy: Let me make it up for you.

The boy looked up, also feeling the other's emptiness. That stranger was like him, needy but not stoned yet. Since then, he has come to understand that: Empathy is understanding and sharing, the ability to sympathize with emotions and to put oneself in the shoes of others to understand them deeply.

Those two became each other's support, filling each other's emptiness. Not sure if he has found the meaning of love yet, but he and his new friend will definitely find it."

Kanryo heard that, sitting dumbfounded.

Genjitsu.. wrote it for real? A person like him.. can write such a story.

"As for the second pages.. Don't read it. It's too negative for someone like you. But do you understand now, Kanryo?"

"Yeah.."

In Kanryo's ears, the voice of Genjitsu was still ringing. It is not gruff and rude as usual, but quieter and gentler.

So this is another side of Genjitsu that people never see?

"Kanryo.." - He whispered.

"Huh?"

Genjitsu's hand touched Kanryo's cheek lightly, stroking the smooth skin. His eyes were fixed on Kanryo, though he didn't show any emotion. From cheek, then to ear, through a few strands of brown hair.

"W-what is it?"

He let go of his hand and said:

"Nothing. Looks like it's almost noon, come back and eat, you're going to work this afternoon, right?"

"Ah.. Yeah."

The two walked out the door, Kanryo said while wearing sandals:

"I'm going home, bye!"

Genjitsu just waved back.

The story of that empathy.. What if those two boys were the representations of Genjitsu and Kanryo?