Walking through the streets, Alexia idly kicked a pebble, watching it skitter ahead of her in uneven little hops. Her mind kept circling back to Markus and Liddle—ever since they’d met, the two had been practically glued together.

  She shoved her hands in her pockets, letting the late afternoon breeze ruffle her hair. The city hummed quietly around her—distant chatter from café patios, the low rumble of a bus pulling away, the faint scent of roasting chestnuts from a nearby cart.

  That’s when she froze mid-step. Up ahead, half-hidden by the crowd, was a face she knew—one she hadn’t expected to see here of all places.

  “Sid!” she called, skipping toward him with a bright smile and a sudden rush of energy. “It’s so nice to see you! Feels like fate brought us back together.”

  “Good to see you too, Alexia,” Sid replied with a small smile.

  She reached out without thinking and ruffled his hair, grinning. “Oh wow, you dyed it? That sky blue looks amazing!”

  Sid shook his head, a faint laugh escaping him. “Actually, I stopped dyeing it. The school wasn’t a fan of my natural color.”

  Alexia’s smile widened. “Well, it really suits you! It goes perfectly with your eyes—” she paused, tilting her head with mock seriousness, “—well… one of them, at least.”

  She leaned in, her grin widening. “Has anyone ever told you how cool it is that you’ve got two different colored eyes? Blue and red—seriously, it’s striking.”

  Sid rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. “Can’t say they have.”

  “Then let me be the first to say it’s… cute. I mean—” Her face heated instantly. “I really like it. Not that it’s cute because I like you—well, not that I don’t like you, I just—”

  “Um… Thanks.”

  “And you’re even wearing a red glove to match your eye! Totally nailing the look. Don’t pretend you don’t know it—you have to know it.”

  Sid checked the time on his phone. “Anyway, I’ve gotta get going.”

  “Oh, yeah! Going. I go places all the time too.” She laughed—quick, a little too loud—and instantly wished she could reel it back in. “Where to?”

  “The dojo.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Sword fighting, huh?” She raised an imaginary katana and dropped into an exaggerated battle stance. “Hyaaah!”

  Sid nodded. “Yeah. Kendo.”

  She leaned in with a teasing grin. This was her element—she literally fought monsters for a living. A golden opportunity. “I’d love to go with you. You know, to the dojo. With you. Like… be with you. I mean—not be with you, I mean train! Train with you. Kendo.”

  Sid’s mouth twitched, amused. “If you’re serious, classes are open to guests on Wednesdays.”

  “Perfect!” Alexia beamed, then blinked. “…Wait. What day is it?”

  A short walk later, they arrived at the dojo. Alexia stopped in the doorway, her hand still on the frame, surprised to find the wide, polished floor completely empty. The faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, and sunlight spilled across the tatami mats in golden stripes—but not a single person was in sight.

  “The dojo’s closed on Saturdays,” Sid explained, setting his bag down. “I’m just volunteering to help clean it up for the masters.”

  Alexia blinked. I wonder if he likes girls who clean…

  “Oh! Well, since I’m already here… can I help?”

  Sid shrugged, offering a faint smile. “I guess.”

  Score.

  Alexia snatched up a broom and fell into step beside him, their shoulders brushing now and then as they swept. She stole glances at him while he worked—focused, steady, brushing dust into neat little piles like he’d done it a hundred times before.

  “So… how often do you do this? It’s really nice of you to give up your free time like that,” she asked, aiming for casual.

  “Just whenever I have time, really,” Sid replied.

  “Yeah… time’s great. There’s so much we can do with it,” she blurted, then immediately winced.

  To cover, she bent down and swept with exaggerated precision, even lifting a bench to get underneath. She shot him a quick look that said, See? I’m hardworking too.

  “Wow,” she added, putting her back into it. “This place is gonna sparkle by the time we’re done.”

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  Nearly an hour later—after sweeping, dusting, and wrestling a few stubborn cobwebs into submission—the dojo was spotless. Alexia leaned on her broom, wiping her forehead with the sleeve of her hoodie.

  “Thanks for the help,” Sid said, packing away supplies. “I know you came here to sword fight.”

  “No, I didn’t—I mostly just wanted to be with—” She caught herself mid-sentence, cheeks warming. “I mean, I like cleaning! Cleaning is its own reward. And now I know when to come back… Thursday.”

  “Practice is Wednesday,” Sid corrected, one brow rising.

  “Right. Wednesday. Totally what I meant.” She smiled, still flustered. “Sounds like a date to me. I mean—not a date, but… you know.”

  Sid chuckled. “If you don’t tell anyone, I could grab some equipment—show you a few basic moves.”

  Alexia’s eyes went wide, her face lighting up like a kid promised candy. “That would be so great, Sid—you’re the best!”

  He handed her a helmet. “First rule—don’t swing at anyone unless they’re wearing one of these.”

  As Alexia pulled on the kendogi, Sid walked her through the safety basics and handed her a shinai—the wooden sword every beginner started with. With practiced ease, he helped her into the protective bogu.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She barely had time to nod before—thwack—Sid tapped her shoulder with the shinai.

  “See how easy that was?” he said casually.

  “Ow—rude,” Alexia muttered, rubbing her shoulder.

  Sid smiled, adjusting her grip. “Hold it in front of you, like this. Makes it harder for someone to land a clean hit.”

  Stepping behind her, he gently shifted her stance. “Here—this will help so you’re not getting hit with wood every two seconds.”

  “I don’t mind getting hit by your wood,” Alexia blurted—then froze, eyes going wide in horror.

  “…Anyway,” Sid said after a pause, clearing his throat and moving her left foot slightly behind her right. “Lift your left heel a bit—makes it easier to move when you’re lighter on your feet.”

  Alexia nodded stiffly, face burning. Smooth. Real smooth.

  Sid stepped back and called, “Men!”—then gently swung for her head. This time, Alexia raised her shinai just in time to block.

  “Good. That stance is called Chūdan. Use it well.”

  Then, with a twist of his blade, he hooked around hers and bopped her on the head anyway.

  Oh, come on! I fight monsters! How am I failing this badly?

  Sid slowed his movements, breaking the technique down step by step. They practiced it in slow motion until she finally nailed the counter.

  “You’re the best—thank you,” Alexia beamed, unable to hide her excitement.

  “Glad you had fun. See you Wednesday,” Sid said, starting to remove his gear.

  “Of course! I can’t wait. I’ll beat you next time—just you wait.

  “Oh?” He chuckled, locking up the equipment. “Before then, we should get you your own gear.”

  “That sounds great! You probably know all the best stuff. Maybe… you could come with me? Help me pick it out?”

  Sid nodded. “Sure. If you want, we can grab some cake on the way.”

  Cake? Can it be?! “Yes!” Alexia cheered, bouncing on her toes. “I love you, too!”

  There was a beat of silence.

  “…Um, what?” Sid asked, clearly caught off guard as Alexia threw her arms around him.

  “I think you’re really cool, and I want to take you out. Because if we’re dating, we can have more days like this—and that would be cool. Like a dream. So cool. So… Do you love me?”

  Sid pauses. “I don’t know.”

  Alexia’s heart sinks.

  “I won’t know for sure until we try,” he adds. “I guess we’ll see where it goes.”

  He gently pulls her under his arm. Alexia wraps her arms around him.

  “This is really happening,” she whispered, glowing. “Thank you. I’ll be your girlfriend—just you wait. I’m going to make you love me.”

  Sid raised an eyebrow. “Is that a threat?”

  “No,” she said, meeting his mismatched eyes without flinching. “It’s a promise.”

  They exchanged phone numbers before parting ways.

  As Alexia pulled out her phone, a new message popped up:

  Liddle is at the house. We need to talk when you get back.

  She practically skipped all the way to her car, her mind nowhere near the message. Instead, it spun with thoughts of Sid—what kind of dates they might go on, the sound of his laugh, the way he’d looked at her when he said we’ll see where it goes.

  “Heya, Markus, I’m home!” she called as she stepped inside, heading straight for his room.

  “Wow—one day, and there’s already a girl in your bed?” Alexia teased with a grin.

  Markus didn’t smile. “We need to talk.”

  Her expression softened instantly, sensing the shift.

  “She was sleeping in a shed,” Markus said quietly. “She needs somewhere safe. Just… until we can figure something better out. So please—can she stay here?”

  Alexia’s gaze shifted to Liddle, curled up asleep on Markus’s bed. A faint smile tugged at her lips.

  “So she was poor and barely had a place to live. Reminds me of you. No wonder you fell in love.” She puckered her lips in an exaggerated kissy face.

  “Alexia, please. Can you take this seriously?” Markus’s voice rose.

  “Of course,” she said quickly, her tone softening. “Why wouldn’t she be able to stay? I get it. I noticed something was off with her back when she transferred to school. Thank you for… seeing what I didn’t.”

  “I haven’t figured anything out,” Markus admitted quietly. “I don’t know what she’s been through. But I hope she’ll trust me… in time.”

  “We’ll worry about that later,” Alexia said gently. “Get some rest. You must be exhausted.”

  Markus asked for a spare blanket and pillow. After setting up a spot on the floor beside the bed, he glanced at Liddle.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

  No answer—she was already lost to sleep.

  Markus lay down on the floor, close enough to hear her breathing. He meant to stay awake, to keep watch… but the steady, peaceful rhythm of it worked its way into him. Before long, his eyes drifted shut too.