Earthside: Scars That We Choose

The street was dimly lit. The masked man's steps echoed against the pavement, slow and deliberate.

Kael instinctively shifted in front of Hana, his arm raised slightly to shield her.

"Hana, stay behind me," he said, his tone low and steady.

The man just tightened his grip on the knife, the blade flashing as it caught the streetlight.

Kael's heart pounded. A knife…

For an instant, memories of his adventuring days surged back—raids on bandits, the weight of steel clashing, the rush of danger.

The man lunged.

Kael caught his wrist on instinct, the blade stopping just inches from his side. The masked figure was at the same height as Kael and just as strong as him, forcing Kael back a step. Gritting his teeth, Kael twisted, shoving the man aside with all his strength.

"Run!" he shouted at Hana.

But Hana didn't move. "Kael!" Her voice trembled, clutching the stuffed fox tightly.

The man stumbled, then charged again, slashing wildly. Kael raised his forearm to block, pain searing through him as the blade sliced across his skin. Warm blood trickled down.

But before the attacker could pull back, Kael's hand shot out, clamping hard onto the man's wrist. With a sharp twist, bone cracked audibly. The masked figure screamed, the knife clattering onto the pavement.

Kael didn't stop. He drove his elbow forward, smashing into the man's face with brutal force. The attacker reeled back, clutching his nose as blood streamed down.

For a heartbeat, Kael prepared to strike again—but the masked figure suddenly turned and bolted into the shadows, vanishing into the night.

Kael stood there, chest heaving, his injured arm burning with pain. Hana rushed to his side, horrified.

"You're bleeding—Kael, you're hurt!"

He forced a grin. "It's nothing… I've had worse."

But Hana's hands trembled as she tried to press her sleeve against his wound, her voice shaking.

"That man—why would he—"

Kael let out a sharp breath, clutching his arm. "Doesn't matter… he's gone. You're safe. That's what matters."

Hana shook her head, panic in her voice. "We should go to the hospital—", she snatched up her phone, but the screen stayed dark. "God damn it… it's out of power."

"I don't know where that is," Kael cut in quickly. "But I want to go home. I can take care of myself."

Hana hesitated, then nodded. "Your house is closer. Let's go there."

They rushed through the streets, the night air heavy after the chaos. When they arrived, Hana called as she opened the door, "Mrs. Hasunuma? Mrs. Hasunuma?"

Kael shook his head, already leading her toward the bathroom. "She's gone. Won't be back anytime soon."

Inside, he tugged off his blood-covered T-shirt, flinching as fabric brushed the wound. Hana quickly found the first aid kit, handing it to him. He rinsed the gash with water first.

"This'll disinfect it," Hana murmured.

He poured it over his hand and growled in pain, teeth clenched. "Ahhh—burns worse than the cut."

Hana tried to prepare the needle for stitches, but her hands trembled so badly the thread slipped. Kael gently caught her wrist. "It's alright. Everything's alright. Take a deep breath."

Her eyes met his. Slowly, she nodded and inhaled deeply, steadying herself. With calmer hands, she passed him the kit.

Minutes later, Kael sat in the tub, stitching his own arm with practiced motions. Hana sat on the tile beside him, watching with wide eyes.

"You're good at this," she whispered.

He smirked faintly. "Told you—I've done this before. We didn't have a healer in my party, so… we had to patch ourselves up after every fight."

She pressed a hand to her forehead. "What am I going to tell your mom this time? I already covered for you choking someone out at the sports festival, and now this…"

Kael chuckled. "Guess you're a bad influence on me."

Hana leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Kael… aren't your parents worried about you? Or… is Kazuki doing the same thing you're doing, with your family?"

Kael's expression didn't change as he focused on the stitches. "I don't have parents."

Her breath caught. "…You don't?"

"No." His voice was steady. "I was an orphan. Nobody wanted me and when I was old enough to reach the door handle, I ran away and lived on the streets. That's how I learned to fight Daichi. It wasn't my first time against someone bigger."

Hana hesitated, her voice careful. "I don't want to sound rude, but… why didn't anyone accept you?"

Kael tied off the stitch and glanced at her. "Because I didn't have a magic affinity. All people do. If you don't, you're an outlier—a black sheep. Nobody wants to deal with you."

Her chest tightened. "…Didn't it bother you? Watching others leave with families while you stayed behind?"

He gave a faint laugh without humor. "I still remember their faces. They'd walk toward me, and for a second, I'd think maybe it was my turn. But then the caretakers would whisper what I was, and they'd walk away. Imagine that—everyone else in the orphanage getting chosen, one by one, and you keep waiting. You can't help but hope. So yeah, I felt envious a lot of the time there."

Hana lowered her gaze. "…Then how do you deal with those emotions?"

"The point of those emotions," Kael said, pulling the thread through one last time, "is to tell you what you truly want. I didn't have a family, but that meant I knew I wanted one of my own someday. You find the root of the emotion, then deal with it at its source."

She studied him, her eyes soft. "You're not just physically skilled… you're mentally strong too. 

To go through all that and still push forward. I'm sorry if my questions hurt you."

Kael chuckled and looked up at her. "Am I going to get pity points now?"

She smiled faintly. "Don't push your luck."

He tied off the last stitch and stood. Hana, now calmer, held the gauze. Her gaze lingered on his torso, her cheeks warming. "…You're… really fit."

Kael raised a brow, smirking as he wrapped the bandage.

Her eyes shifted to the wound. "But that scar—it'll leave a mark."

"Scars are beauty marks for men," he said with a shrug. "No worries."

"Eh? And who told you that, wise guy?" Hana replied to him, playfully.

"Experience," Kael said with a wink.

When they finished, they moved to the living room and they sat side by side on the couch, the quiet settling in.

Kael leaned back into the couch, shirtless, watching Hana in silence.

"Don't you want something to eat or drink?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "No… I'm not hungry. Or thirsty."

Instead, she reached over and took his hand, gripping it tightly. Her voice trembled. "It's all my fault. If I refused your offer to walk me home, this never would've happened to you."

Kael looked at her, then slowly raised the same hand she held, resting it against her cheek. Her skin was warm beneath his fingers.

"And what about you?" he asked softly. "What would I do if anything happened to you?"

Hana's lips parted, but no words came out. The weight of his touch lingered, the air between them charged with something unspoken.

Kael - Entry 9

I'm sorry, Kazuki.

Something happened between me and Hana.

One thing led to another and…

There was a feeling within me.

One I couldn't put into words, and…

I don't know if it was right or wrong.

But in that moment, I couldn't deny what I felt.

I'm sorry.