"Uh... senpai."

As I was making my way home, a meek voice called out to me. I looked behind me and saw that my kouhai, Takanori Yuuto, was quietly approaching me.

"Takanori-kun, how are you?"

I greeted him with a smile, causing him to look away shyly. Recently, I've noticed that he only acts so reserved around me.

For example, when I see him with his friends, he usually has a calm and assertive presence about him. However, whenever he tries talking to me, he always seems to become a little weak and helpless.

I don't mind it though... I find it endearing.

"I'm fine."

He's trying to act casual towards me, but I can tell that he's nervous. His hands are fidgeting inside his pockets and he's struggling to make eye contact with me.

"Do you need something?"

He scratched the scar on his left cheek slightly. I've always wondered how he got that, but I've never asked him. It seems like something traumatic happened in his past that caused it.

Otherwise, what could've happened for him to get such a deep mark carved into his face? I don't want to hurt him by accident digging up old wounds.

"Uh... n-not particularly..."

His voice trailed off and he started walking away stiffly. What a clumsy boy...

"Are you sure?"

"Well..."

Takanori stopped, glancing at me with awkward eyes. Noticing my returning gaze, he looked away and his face started turning red.

"Uh... uh..."

He tried to continue speaking, but wasn't able to. I sighed lightly. Takanori can be adorable at times, but he can also be really oblivious too.

I walked over to him, closing the space between us. People walked past us, staring at us, before making their way home.

"Hm? Could you speak up? I didn't hear you."

Takanori lifted his head slightly, raising his quiet voice just a little bit.

"You're... not with Nibiiro-senpai today."

"Ah. He's hanging out with Onibitenbu-senpai and Itteki-senpai."

"Oh... uh, what about Sanou-senpai?"

"She's with Itsuki-kun and Jouji-kun. They're sorting out something for their next livestream."

"All your friends seem pretty busy..."

"Yeah, they're very passionate about that podcast they have."

Takanori continuously averted his gaze from me.

"Then... you're alone... or, uh, rather... f-free...?"

Even though it was a simple question, he still stumbled and mumbled through his words, trying to get through them as quick as possible to hide his embarrassment.

"Yes, I am. Though, I'm planning on going to the gym later in the evening. Would you like to join me?"

Takanori looked at me slightly and nodded.

"Great! I'll see you then?"

"Uh..."

He uttered, but was actually unprepared in conveying what he wanted to say. Though, I could infer what he wanted based on his earlier question.

I guess it's up to me to take the lead, huh?

"Do you want to hang out with me?"

Takanori's face went dark red.

"I-if... you don't mind..."

"Of course, I'd love to!"

Behind those hazy sunglasses, I saw his sparkling blue eyes flutter with joy.

If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that Takanori doesn't show happiness in the usual way. He doesn't smile or laugh. Rather, he expresses his happiness through his actions, his words, and his eyes.

Those eyes of his are particularly beautiful. Like me, he has blue eyes, but they're lighter in colour, a cool sky blue. Unlike most boys, his eyes are large and glossy, giving a hint of innocence, yet they still hide a misty undertone of darkness behind them.

It was almost as if they concealed a peculiar mystery behind him, hiding the vulnerable side of him that he tenderly shows me from time to time... such as right now.

"Is there anywhere you want to go in specific?"

Takanori shook his head no.

"I don't really mind... you?"

"Hmm. I feel like going to Cafe Yuzu today. How does that sound?"

Upon hearing my suggestion, he shivered slightly, but nodded his head in agreement.

"...that's fine."

Together, the two of us headed to Nishi Mall to have afternoon tea at Cafe Yuzu.

Like usual, the place was packed after school. It was quite the popular hangout spot, so finding a free table would probably be difficult.

"Let's take our food to go, since I know a nice place outside we can eat instead."

Takanori nodded as we joined the back of the long queue. He was certainly an obedient boy too... I don't think I've ever seen him complain once whenever we hung out together.

He goes with the flow and adapts to whatever situation is thrown at him. While his dexterity was an admirable trait to have, it would be nice to see him act more assertive...

I sometimes feel bad because it feels like I'm pulling him along all the time whenever we hang out. It'd be nice if he told me what he wanted to do for once, so we could do something he'd prefer together.

I kind of got the vibe earlier that he wasn't a fan of Cafe Yuzu, probably because of how popular the place was. A quiet boy like him didn't fit this noisy place at all.

It's probably for the best if we moved somewhere more suited for his sensitivity anyways...

Just as I had these thoughts, Takanori gently tugged on my sleeve. Catching my attention, I turned around and faced him.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Thanks... for spending time with me today."

He mumbling was so faint, I almost didn't hear him over everyone else's loud talking. I smiled.

"You don't have to thank me for something like that. I enjoy spending time with you, Takanori-san."

"You do...?"

"I do."

Takanori shuffled in his spot slightly, a soft giddiness coming through his frail movements.

"I do too, Shinomiya-senpai... it'd be nice to do something like this again sometime."

"What, waiting around in a line?"

"Uh... not that exactly, but..."

Takanori's face turned red again as I gently teased him. He was surprisingly easy to embarrass.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I know what you mean. Really, it's such a bold thing to put forward."

"It is...?"

"We haven't even gotten our food yet and you're saying you want to do this again. What if you end up hating it?"

"I doubt it. As long as I'm with you... I'll have a good time."

Takanori looked surprisingly cool as he said that line. However, he still wasn't able to look at me in the eyes. Once again, his inclination to passivity revealed that tender weakness.

"I'm glad you enjoy talking to me so much."

Truth be told, me and Takanori don't really talk about much of anything...

We only share a few common interests, such as fitness and Vanguard. Other than that though, we lived in completely different worlds. The only time we got close to another mutual interest was literature.

Takanori really loves reading, and so do I. However, despite both of us enjoying reading books, he preferred light novels whereas I preferred old classics. It made talking about this stuff hard, since he's never heard of stories like Brave New World.

Though, I think he'd really enjoy that one.

That being said, I don't know why Takanori liked being with me so much. Aside from us being gym buddies, there wasn't any real reason for him to stick so closely to my coattails (not that I don't mind of course).

It's clear he has a deeper than surface level interest in me, but I can't for the life of me figure out why.

I know it's not because of something superficial like my appearance. A relationship founded on fleeting qualities like beauty will never last.

For example, I've had 1st Year boys come up to me in the past because I looked pretty, but they quickly gave up on me because we didn't share anything in common.

Meanwhile, Takanori continues to hang out with me in his free time, even though we don't share a lot in common. If he was only interested in my appearance, he'd have given up by now and moved on to some other senpai.

But... he didn't. He decidedly wanted to stick with me as his senpai, and I returned that feeling by making him my kouhai.

At first, I didn't have any strong attachments to him. I thought he was just another average 1st Year, nothing special. But there was something about him that pulled me in.

The first time I laid my eyes on him, he was struggling to get the treadmill to turn on. Even though it was such a simple thing to do, his inability to perform that task was... strangely endearing.

I don't know why, but it almost resonated with me intimately. It made me want to reach out and help him, if only to stop his struggling.

That was my first impression of Takanori... a clumsy boy who was awkward but earnest.

However, once I got to know him better, learning his quirks, his behaviour, his likes and dislikes, I suddenly found myself growing extremely fond of him.

He was the first kouhai I met who really... clicked with me, if that makes sense.

Maybe it was because of his hardworking personality... maybe it was because of his persistent attitude... or maybe it was because I could feel him confiding to me a part of himself that he didn't show anyone else.

It was most likely the latter, thinking back on it.

Around me, Takanori was an oblivious kouhai. His softness, his quietness, his fragility... it was all different to how he usually acted at school. Around everyone else, he was emotionless, but around me, he tried to express his feelings.

Even if it only came through in his glittering blue eyes and periodic fidgeting, I felt some kind of responsibility to nurture this part of him that he chose to reveal to me.

I don't know why, but Takanori places a lot of faith in me. I want to respond to that faith in kind.

I look over my shoulder, glancing at the boy who can't even make eye contact with me, yet still stands close by my side regardless.

Takanori may look like he's frowning, but I can tell he's happy on the inside. That serious person only wants to be loved.

"I'll take a latte and this sandwich to go please."

After all this time, me and Takanori had finally reached the front of the line. I placed my order, and so did he.

"One iced coffee to go. That's it."

After about five minutes, both of our orders were done and we left the cafe.

Takanori plugged a straw into his iced coffee and began sipping on it as we made our way outside into the sunshine.

Seeing his innocent face, it made my heart thump.

"It's so bright..."

It was rare to hear Takanori complain about anything. I guess he didn't like the summer that much.

"It feels like it was brighter than it was at noon."

He nodded in agreement.

"Hotter too..."

"Don't worry, the place I was thinking of going has shade."

"That's good. I think I'll get sunburnt if I stay out here too long..."

We made some small talk as I guided him to an open gazebo at a nearby park.

"Did you put any sunscreen on today?"

"No... I didn't think it would end up being this hot."

"Ah, do you want to borrow my tube then?"

"You have sunscreen, senpai...?"

"Yeah, my skin is pretty sensitive to light too since I didn't grow up here."

"Wait... you didn't?"

I don't know why Takanori looked so surprised. I think it's pretty obvious I'm a foreigner because of my looks.

"Nope. I was born and raised in Germany."

"...eh?"

He looked even more surprised. Did he really not know? I thought that was common knowledge amongst my friends... maybe I haven't brought it up before?

"Yeah. I'm not a foreign exchange student though, I moved to Japan during middle school."

"I had no clue... wait, does that mean you're German, Shinomiya-senpai?"

"Only half. My mother's German, but my father's Japanese."

"Ah... actually, yeah, your family name isn't German. I should've noticed that..."

Then, a look of realisation came on his face.

"...does that mean you're also a halfu, then?"

"Yup! No matter what people say, I'm proud to be one."

Once we reached the gazebo, I took out a tube of sunscreen from my bag and handed it to Takanori. He put down his coffee and started slathering it on his arms.

"I'm still a little embarrassed I didn't realise you were a halfu, senpai..."

"Ha ha, don't be. We never talked about it before."

"In hindsight, it's so obvious though... you had a Japanese name yet you looked European."

"Can't I say the same about you?"

"...fair enough."

I bit into my sandwich as Takanori began applying sunscreen on his face. Come to think of it, I don't know what his non-Japanese side is.

"Are you part German too, Takanori-san?"

"Oh... no, I'm not."

He took off his sunglasses and raised his bangs, applying the sunscreen onto his forehead and the sides of his face.

"Hmm. Part Russian, perhaps?"

"Not that either."

"How about part Belgian?"

"Nope."

He put back on his sunglasses and closed the tube, handing it back to me.

"Oh, I know! You're part Scottish, aren't you!"

"That's... I can't tell if that's an insult or compliment."

"Part Irish?"

"I think that's even worse..."

"Okay, how about part Welsh?"

"Close, but no sheep."

I think he meant to say no cigar there.

"Oh, so you're part English then?"

"Yep... it only took four tries and guessing all other parts of Britain first."

"I didn't do that on purpose, I swear!"

I totally did.

"Wow, part English though... that's certainly a combination I've never seen before."

"I've never met a half German before either."

"Your mother must be very beautiful. English women have such elegant class."

"Uh... my mother is Japanese."

"Oh, she is?"

"Yeah. My English heritage comes from my... other side."

"Ah... um, if you don't mind me asking, why is your last name Japanese then?"

Takanori paused and looked away slightly. He then looked back at me.

"...because it's more convenient to have a Japanese surname in Japan?"

"Oh... fair enough."

I'm a little embarrassed I didn't even think of that.

"How about you, senpai? I'm guessing your father is Japanese."

"Yes. My mother is German. I think a lot of people would have a very hard time pronouncing her maiden name."

"What is it?"

"Engel. It's a bit like angel, in your language."

"That's surprisingly cute..."

"What about you, Takanori-san? What's your father's surname?"

Takanori parted his lips slightly, like he was about to say something, but instead closed them and lowered his head. Did I accidentally upset him with that question...?

"Takanori-san? Is something the matter?"

I tilted my head and asked him that gently. Behind his sunglasses, Takanori's usually bright eyes had dulled slightly, and his usually relaxed eyebrows were furrowed angrily.

It was the first time I'd seen such an intense expression on his face before. It was a little scary, to be honest...

Eventually, Takanori's face relaxed, and he looked at me with those same tender eyes from earlier. It was like he was a completely different person.

"...I'm sorry, Shinomiya-senpai. It's nothing."

He mumbled, picking up his iced coffee and sipping on it. I breathed a sigh of relief, seeing him return to back to normal.

"Is everything really okay, Takanori-san? You looked upset."

"...I did?"

"Well, maybe not upset... perhaps angry might be a better word?"

"Angry...?"

Hearing the genuine confusion in his tone made me realise just how little awareness Takanori had of his own facial expressions. I knew he was a little emotionally stunted, but to think it was this bad... it was honestly worrying.

"You were making a really intense face, basically. I've never seen you look so down before."

"...s-sorry."

"Don't apologise! I'm just worried about you, that's all."

Takanori scratched the back of his neck.

"...but that's what I'm apologising for? For making you worry unnecessarily..."

"I appreciate it, but I don't need it. I'd be happier if you told me what was making you upset."

"But... nothing is making me upset right now."

He said it with such a cool tone and straight face, it was almost as if what happened a minute ago didn't occur.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Even if he says those words, it still feels like something is off... like he's hiding something from me.

"If something is on your mind, you're welcome to tell me. I'm all ears."

Takanori's eyes widened slightly, softly glimmering in awe.

"...thank you very much, senpai. If you want... y-you can also rely on me too."

Once again, his voice went quiet, and his eyes strayed away from me.

"I'll be sure to take you up on that offer. For now though... since you seem uncomfortable with it, let's move onto something else."

"Oh... uh..."

"Hm? Did you have a question?"

"Well... I have a lot for you... but, uh..."

Takanori took a deep breath.

"I was... going to tell you... my other last name."

My eyes widened.

"You were? But I thought..."

"You... you were right the first time. Talking about it... does make me feel uncomfortable..."

"Then you shouldn't force yourself! You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Takanori-san..."

"No, Shinomiya-senpai... it's because you're here that I have the courage to say it."

"Eh? What are you saying?"

"...normally, I wouldn't tell anyone this... but... if it's for you... I'm okay with it."

Placing a hand on his chest, Takanori tightly squeezed it into a fist.

"I want you to be the first and only person to know, Shinomiya-senpai... my real last name."

"Takanori-san..."

Woah... am I really talking to the same person? That sweet expression he was making right now... I gulped.

It's way too cute...!

I had no clue he could make a face like that...

In fact, I think it was the first time I'd ever saw him look so weak before. It made me want to reach out, hug him tightly, and reassure him that everything was alright.

"Can you... promise to keep it a secret?"

"I promise."

He looked away shyly, reluctantly holding out his shaking pinky finger.

"...s-swear on it, please."

"I swear to God I won't tell a single soul."

I wrapped my pinky finger around his, intertwining them together.

"...Blade."

He tightened his finger around mine, not letting go.

"...my last name is Blade."

"I think that's a wonderful family name, Takanori-san."

A soft silence followed, before he nodded a little and unwrapped his finger from mine.

He looked a little embarrassed, but seemed happy that he got to tell me.

Honestly... the more time I spent with him, the more I discovered a side of him that I never thought existed. It's really endearing seeing him open up to me.

"Do you... have family in Germany still?"

"Yes, I visit them often during the summer holidays. That, and to visit the orphanage."

"Orphanage?"

"Oh, I don't think I've ever told you... my family runs an orphanage called the Magnolia Compass."

"...they do?"

"Yes. My grandfather was the one who was in charge of constructing it, but due to a freak accident at work, he ended up in a coma for around... twenty years? Something like that."

"Jeez... is he okay now?"

"Yes, he's woken up since then. Coincidentally, it happened when construction of the orphanage just finished."

"What luck, it almost sounds like something out of a movie."

"I know right? But in all honesty, it was probably just good timing."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Construction ceased after my grandfather fell in a coma since the plans became lost. However, one day while I was exploring my grandma's attic, I discovered the old blueprints filed away in a drawer and got my mother to help resume construction. I was only six at the time, so it was really surprising!"

"Wow... that's amazing. I'm glad things worked out for your family."

"Thank you."

I wished things continued working out for my family after that. Unfortunately, life doesn't always work that way, and it doesn't ever offer such a fairy tale like that without some form of trade off...

Not long after the orphanage was built, my mother died due to a complication while giving birth to my baby brother.

It was a devastating loss to our family, especially to my father, who loved her very much. The main reason he moved to Germany in the first place was to be with her.

Without her in his life, he didn't see much point staying in a foreign country where he still struggled with the language and finding work. In order to raise my brother properly, he moved back to Japan, taking us along with him.

I'll admit, I was sad at first having to say goodbye to all my friends and family in Germany, but I was also excited to go start a new life in another country, especially because I got to use my Japanese more.

Ever since, I've lived in Japan. I've been here since middle school, long enough for me become a Japanese citizen.

I feel kind of bad for my brother though, since he'll never get to experience Germany the same way I did growing up. Then again, I'm a little jealous that I'll never get to experience growing up in Japan, since it seems like a lot of fun as well.

"How about you? Are you in touch with any of your overseas relatives?"

"Oh... no, not really. I've been to England once or twice when I was younger... I don't remember much of it, though."

"Aw, that's a shame. Not even grandparents?"

"My granddad died ages ago. I've talked to my grandma when I was younger... I think so, at least."

"If you can, I think you should visit them during the summer holidays."

"...where's this coming from?"

"You don't seem very close to your extended family. I think it'd be a shame for you to not take advantage of your unique position and get to know more about that side of yourself."

Takanori scratched the back of his neck, looking hesistant.

"I suppose... not everyone can say they have family abroad. Travelling is just a pain in the ass, though..."

"Really?"

Considering Takanori is a shut-in introverted type, I think going outside in general is a challenge for him.

"Yeah... I wouldn't want to disturb my mom about these kinds of things anyways."

"I think she'd be supportive if you told her you wanted to visit England though."

"Maybe. Or maybe not..."

His voice trailed off while his eyes wandered away from me. There was a small air of reluctance in his voice.

"Perhaps... is money an issue for you?"

Travelling can be quite expensive, so maybe that's what deterring him and his family from doing it? I did find it quite strange he only ever mentioned doing it when he was younger. It was almost as if he'd never been to England recently.

"Oh... no, not really..."

He shook his head to deny it, but the I could still hear the same reluctance from earlier pervade him.

"I just... I guess, it's kind of like... I don't really want to...? I don't know..."

Takanori sighed, a little frustrated that he couldn't form the words to describe his feelings properly. Even so, I slowly understood what he was trying to convey to me.

"Do you... not like your family?"

I asked the question softly, as to try and not upset him. Takanori's eyes widened slightly, before he closed them and looked away from me. Then, with a flutter, he opened them, and brought his right leg up to his chest, hugging it.

"...that's a good question."

He leaned his forehead against his knee, his sullen frown rising a little.

"At the very least, I love my mom and my sister. Those two are very important to me."

"Ah... could it be, you're not on good terms with your father?"

Takanori paused, his eyes softening with haze.

"Are you going to Germany this summer holiday, Shinomiya-senpai?"

Instead of answering my question, he replied with his own. Understanding that this was a hint for me to drop the subject, I didn't follow up on my question, and instead continued the conversation with the new topic.

"Of course!"

"That sounds like fun. I wish I could join..."

"Actually... travel between Europe is quite cheap. If you came with me to Germany, we could definitely take a few days to visit England."

"Ah...? W-wait, are you suggesting that... w-we go to Germany together?"

Suddenly, Takanori perked his head up with a small blush.

"And England too, for you of course."

"W-where's... where's this coming from...?"

Switching completely from his unsettling stoicism from earlier, Takanori's face went flustered, and his voice became panicked.

"I felt kind of bad that you've only been to England when you were younger. I've always wanted to go visit there myself, so why don't we just kill two birds with one stone and go together?"

"T-that's... but I wouldn't be able to afford a plane ticket over..."

"Don't worry, I'll pay for it."

"...you will? With what money?"

"The money my family has? You know, it costs a lot to construct a new building, Takanori-san..."

"Oh... I guess that means you're fairly well off?"

"Better than most people, yes."

Takanori took a long sip of his iced coffee.

"...is it really okay? To go with you?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I think it'd be fun if we visited another country."

"Is it okay if I think about it...?"

"Of course. Take your time with it, we still have a month of school left and exams to prepare for."

I smiled at him, making his face turn red.

"Thank you... I appreciate the offer... I really do."

"You're welcome. I hope you decide to come."

Takanori glanced at me slightly, nodding his head.

What a blissfully oblivious kouhai... somehow, I felt lucky to see this side of him.