"Okay! Careful, careful!" Daichi said to Ikazuchi as the two carried an unconscious Teshii – Daichi holding him by the shoulders, and Ikazuchi gripping his legs.
Together, they gently placed Teshii down on the couch. Daichi removed Teshii's signature crimson shades and placed them on the table nearby. Ikazuchi stood with his arms crossed, silently staring at the unconscious man.
He let out a heavy sigh.
"I can't believe we're seeing this guy completely knocked out."
As Hikaru watched Daichi and Ikazuchi tend to Teshii, he turned his focus back to Sora. The others' attention followed his, all of it now on the boy who sat quietly on another couch, hands resting on his knees.
Then–
"So…" Satoshi spoke, his arms crossed as he stepped forward, "Sora, tell us… how did your stepsister and her friends cause your gynophobia?"
Sora looked up slowly, glancing at each of them in turn. Haruto, Reito, and Moriya sat nearby, watching him with quiet attentiveness. Satoshi stood beside Hikaru, eyes serious. Reina and Mei, who had instinctively kept their distance, also looked on, concern etched into their faces.
Even Ikazuchi and Daichi, though near Teshii, were silently listening.
Sora let out a long, drawn breath… then nodded.
"I'll start from the beginning…"
5 Years Ago…
The sky was grey – not stormy, just still.
As if the heavens themselves had paused out of respect.
The funeral grounds were quiet.
Not silent – but quiet in a way that made every breath feel louder than it should.
Black umbrellas dotted the small crowd. The soft patter of light rain landed on shoulders, sleeves, and folded hands. A faint wind stirred the edges of jackets and swept scattered petals across the grass.
At the front, the casket rested beneath a white canopy, a bouquet of lilies laid gently across the lid.
Among the mourners stood a young Sora – around 12 years old – his grey hair soaked from the rain.
His green eyes were fixed on the casket, where a framed photo sat: a woman with the same grey hair and green eyes as him.
"Mom…" Sora whispered, barely audible over the sound of the rain.
He slowly turned his head to the left.
Beside him stood a tall man with black hair and cold blue eyes, his face void of expression, unmoving as he stared at the casket.
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Ryoma Arashii
Species: Human
Age: 37
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Blue
Height: 5'8
Weight: 155lbs
Occupation: Unknown
"Dad…" Sora murmured again.
He raised a small hand and clutched the sleeve of his father's suit. Together, they stood in silence – father and son – gazing at the resting place of the woman they both loved.
3 Years Later…
A now 15-year-old Sora sat at his desk, hunched over a textbook in his bedroom, quietly studying.
He paused and looked up, eyes drifting toward a small framed photograph on the corner of his desk – a picture of his mother.
Then–
"SORA!"
A voice echoed from downstairs.
Sora glanced toward his door, brows furrowing slightly.
"Dad? I wonder what he wants…"
He stood up from his chair, walked toward the door, and opened it.
As he descended the stairs, he saw his father standing in the front hallway with two unfamiliar women beside him.
One of them had sleek black hair and sharp green eyes. The other had bright yellow hair and striking blue eyes, her posture relaxed and confident.
Sora raised an eyebrow, confused as he looked between the two women.
"Dad, who are they?"
Ryoma gave his son a proud smile and gestured toward the woman with black hair.
"Sora, this is Yumi. We've been dating for a few months, and… we're thinking about getting married."
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Yumi Kakuage
Species: Human
Age: 41
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Green
Height: 5'4
Weight: 129lbs;
Occupation: Secretary
Yumi bowed politely to Sora.
"It's nice to meet you, Sora."
"Y-Yeah," Sora nodded, unsure. "It's nice to meet you too."
Then, Ryoma gestured to the girl beside Yumi.
"And this is Saki – Yumi's daughter. Your new stepsister."
The girl with yellow hair raised a hand casually, a smug smirk curling on her lips.
"Yo, stepbro."
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Name: Saki Kakuage
Species: Human
Age: 20
Hair Colour: Yellow
Eye Colour: Blue
Height: 5'4
Weight: 126lbs
Occupation: College Student
"H-Hi," Sora said, hesitantly, giving her a polite nod.
But as his gaze lingered on her, he noticed something unsettling–
Saki was staring at him. Not in a friendly way. Not even in a curious way.
Why… is she staring at me like that?
A few months had passed since Sora met Yumi and Saki. Ryoma and Yumi were now married, and the four of them lived together under one roof.
Hsssshhh…
The sink was running in the kitchen, steam rising gently from the warm water as Sora washed the dishes.
In the living room, Ryoma and Yumi sat on the couch, flirting playfully, lost in their own world.
And Saki?
She stood silently at the entrance of the kitchen, watching Sora's back as he scrubbed a plate.
Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
She stepped forward and–
"YO, STEPBRO!"
Without warning, she hugged him from behind, catching Sora off guard.
"W-What are you doing, Saki?!" he stammered, grabbing her arms with his soaked hands, trying to pry her off.
"Just hugging my lovely, amazing stepbro~," Saki cooed playfully.
"W-Well…" Sora growled. "Get off me!"
But Saki leaned in even closer, her lips near his ear.
"You know, Sora…" she whispered, voice low and suggestive. "I like men like you."
"Huh?" Sora blinked, confused.
But then – her hands drifted downward, from his chest to his stomach and onwards.
"Oh? Saki grinned, raising an eyebrow. "What do we have here?"
Sora's eyes went wide in shock.
Without hesitation, he shoved her away, forcing her to stumble back a step.
"Oh?" she said again, still smiling. "Playing hard to get, huh?"
Sora gritted his teeth.
"Shut up!"
He stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Saki standing there alone–
Still smiling.
A few days had passed.
Sora sat at his desk in the classroom, silently flipping through the pages of his textbook. He focused on each word, trying to keep his mind from drifting.
Then–
"Hey, Sora!"
He glanced up. A classmate, someone he barely knew, waved at him from across the room.
"What is it?" Sora asked, his tone flat.
The classmate grinned.
"Is it true you've got a stepmom and a hot stepsister?"
Sora's eyes narrowed.
"Y-Yeah…?"
His classmate's eyes gleamed
"For real?! What are they like? Are they actually hot? Do you guys live together? C'mon, tell me everything!"
Sora clenched his fists beneath his desk.
"U-Uh…" He didn't know what to say.
BANG!
Sora slammed the door behind him as he returned home that afternoon. His breathing was heavy. He didn't lock the door. Normally, he would
"That guy… seriously needs to shut up."
He sat down at his desk, trying to calm himself.
"I'll just study. That'll clear my mind."
He pulled out a textbook, flipping to the chapter he'd left off on–
Creeeaaak…
The door slowly opened.
Sora turned his head toward it.
Saki.
Behind her were two other women, girls Sora didn't know – but their expressions mirrored Saki's: amused, twisted, amused by something he couldn't understand.
One of the women locks the door behind them.
"Saki?" Sora said, already on edge. "What are you doing here? Who are they?"
No response. Saki simply walked toward him. The other two followed.
A bead of sweat ran down Sora's temple.
"S-Seriously, what are you doing–?"
Saki held up a finger to his lips, cutting him off.
"Shhh, stepbro," she whispered. "We'll be quick."
"What…?" Sora's eyes widened.
Then–
She grabbed him.
He froze.
Her lips pressed against his.
He didn't move. He couldn't.
His mind screamed, but his body went still – paralyzed by shock.
Back to the Present…
"What the f*ck!" Ikazuchi blurted, completely shocked as he tried to process what Sora had just revealed.
Everyone else was just as stunned as Ikazuchi, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Sora, still steated on the couch, stared at the floor.
"T-They did it to me so many times," he said quietly, voice trembling, "and… it traumatized me."
Hikaru, who stood beside Satoshi, looked at Sora with sympathy in his eyes.
"Those girls…" he muttered, clenching his fists. "…they're unforgivable."
Then–
"That's not all," Sora added.
Everyone, except for Teshii who was still unconscious, turned to him with concern and curiosity.
"After that day…" Sora said, his voice lowering, his eyes still cast down. "They… became pregnant."
The room froze.
"What?" Haruto gasped, eyes widening. "With your child?"
"I-I'm not sure," Sora replied, his tone pained. "My stepsister, Saki and her friends all had boyfriends at the time. There's a chance the child belongs to one of them… or it could be mine."
Silence.
No one spoke. Everyone just stared at Sora, their expressions softening – even Ikazuchi, who had looked the most stunned moments ago.
Then–
"This is so f*ucked up."
Everyone turned toward the voice that cut through the quiet.
It was Teshii, now fully awake, sitting upright, his golden eyes wide open.
"Teshii?" Hikaru said, surprised. "You're awake?" He squinted. "Wait… are your eyes golden?"
"Yeah." Teshii nodded. "But forget that!"
He stood up and marched toward Sora, sitting beside him on the couch and throwing an arm around his shoulder.
"Mr. Teshii?" Sora said, glancing sideways at him.
"Zephyr," Teshii said firmly, "forget those girls. You have us now – your new friends. Your new family. Bros before–"
"Huh?!" Reina cut in sharply, raising a sceptical eyebrow.
"I mean… yeah," Teshii muttered quickly, catching himself. "Just forget them, okay?"
"Y-Yeah…" Sora nodded, a faint smile on his lips.
Teshii stood up, walked over to the nearby table, and grabbed his crimson sunglasses. With a smooth motion, he slid them back over his eyes.
"Alright, guys," he said, turning to face the others. "Can everyone close your eyes?"
Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Just trust me," Teshii replied, waving it off.
Everyone sighed, some grumbling under their breath, but eventually closed their eyes.
Teshii watched them with a smirk, then raised one hand dramatically.
"Okay, guys! Open them!"
Everyone opened their eyes – and were greeted by a bizarre sight.
Teshii stood in front of them, holding a fishing rod.
"Um… Teshii?" Hikaru asked, pointing at it. "Why are you holding a fishing rod? And… where did it even come from?"
Teshii grinned smugly. "That doesn't matter. I'll be going off fishing now. Bye, guys!"
He turned and strolled toward the exit, fishing rod in hand.
Everyone stared after him, dumbfounded.
"What the f*ck just happened?" Ikazuchi asked. "How did we go from Sora's traumatic past to Teshii going fishing?"
Haruto shook his head, still in disbelief. "I don't even know anymore."
Then–
Satoshi sighed and turned to Sora.
"Sora," he called gently.
Sora turned to look at him.
"Since you're still a high school student, we normally would've contacted your parents for permission to join the Order," Satoshi said. "But… you seem determined to stay away from your family. So… I'll allow you to join the Order without their consent."
Sora's eyes widened with emotion. He stood up from the couch and bowed deeply to Satoshi.
"Thank you very much, sir!"
Satoshi nodded.
The other Elements – Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi, Reito, and Daichi – all exchanged smiles, silently welcoming Sora among them.
Even Reina and Mei smiled, happy to see Sora finally find a place where he belonged.
And with that, Sora officially joined the Order of the Elements as the Element of Air.
20 Minutes Later – With Teshii…
Outside the Safehouse, Teshii stood calmly at the edge of the lake, fishing rod in hand, waiting for the next bite.
Beside him sat a large bucket, already filled with fish – at least twenty-five, their silver scales glinting under the moonlight.
As he watched the still water, the fishing line gently rippling on the surface, he murmured to himself:
"C'mon, c'mon… I need five more."
The bait drifted lazily with the current. It had been nearly five minutes since his last catch.
Then–
Thump. Thump.
Footsteps echoed softly across the quiet clearing.
Behind him.
Teshii smiled.
Without turning, he glanced over his shoulder.
"I didn't think I'd see you here," he said casually.
The footsteps stopped. A figure now stood just a few feet behind him, shadowed under the trees.
Teshii's smile remained as he turned his head slightly, his golden eyes narrowing behind the crimson lenses of his sunglasses.
"So…" he said calmly, "how can I help you…
Yami?"
TO BE CONTINUED!!!