Aira stood near one of the larger installations with a cup of iced boba tea in her hand, tilting her head as she studied the sculpture’s surface. It twisted upward in layered planes of textured material, catching light in strange, deliberate ways. From one angle it looked sharp and angular; from another, it seemed to soften and curve.
“Do you see that?” she asked, pointing toward a section near the top. “It’s changing shape! How did they do that?”
Akio, standing beside her with his own iced tea, followed her gesture and took a small sip before answering.
“It’s not actually changing shape,” he said calmly. “It’s an optical illusion. See how the layers are offset? The depth variance and the texture are designed to manipulate perspective. When you shift your angle, the shadows fall differently, so it looks like it’s moving.”
Aira squinted at the sculpture again, shifting a step to the side and then back. “Huh. Is that how that works? That’s actually kind of cool.”
“It’s a common technique in contemporary sculpting,” he continued, warming slightly as he spoke. “They build the planes at very specific intervals so the surface disrupts your visual processing. Your brain tries to reconcile conflicting depth cues, so it compensates by ‘correcting’ the shape.”
She immediately lifted her free hand to cover one ear. “Ugh, I didn’t bring you here to lecture me on sculpting techniques.”
Akio’s expression remained polite, faintly amused. “Would you prefer a lecture on mineral oxidation instead?”
She shot him a look and elbowed him in that familiar sibling way. He feigned innocence, blinking as if he had no idea what he’d done, which only made it worse.
“You’re such a nerd,” she said, though the insult carried no real bite. “How do you even remember all this anyway?”
He glanced back over the installation, thoughtful. “I’ve always had a good memory. I used to read the encyclopedia growing up.”
She planted a hand on her hip. “Yeah, that checks out. Honestly, if you weren’t so smug about it, I’d say it’s kind of impressive.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, brief but unmistakably fond.
Aira felt her own expression soften without meaning to. It had been a while since they’d hung out like this, just the two of them with no urgency, wandering around campus with drinks in hand. She’d heard enough stories from friends about siblings who barely tolerated each other, constant arguments, grudges that stretched for years. She had never had that problem, and she was grateful for that.
Turning to him, she beamed. “We should do this again! Since neither of us have class during this time, we can totally hang out.”
“That would be nice,” Akio replied warmly.
Aira grinned, satisfied with the thought, then tipped her head back to glance up at the sculpture twisting above them. The layered metal caught the sunlight in strange angles, shifting as clouds passed overhead.
“It’ll be so fun,” she said brightly. “Hyakki is free during this time too. It’s a shame he couldn’t come with us today.”
“Ah, yeah.”
The reply was simple, but something about it made Aira glance sideways instinctively.
Akio stood beside her exactly the same as before—posture relaxed, drink in hand, expression mild. If someone else looked at him, they probably wouldn’t notice anything at all. But Aira could see the subtle change: the slight cooling in the air around him, the faint thread of disapproval he hadn’t voiced.
She frowned, studying him. “Why’d you say it like that?”
Akio turned his head toward her, polite as always. “Like what?”
“Your tone.” She narrowed her eyes at him, investigative now. “You don’t sound happy.”
He tilted his head slightly, as if considering the accusation. “That’s just the way I talk.”
“No it’s not.” Aira folded her arms, still studying him. “You sound different. Like… more judgmental.” She paused, struggling to explain. “I don’t know how to describe it exactly, but I can tell.”
She pointed at him, gesturing animatedly as she tried to put the feeling into words. “It’s like—vibes, I guess? Whenever you don’t like something, you get this look. You feel more distant or something. Colder. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know when you’re doing it.”
The corner of Akio’s mouth lifted faintly. He exhaled through his nose, the tension easing just slightly.
“Fair enough,” he admitted. “You got me.”
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Aira immediately leaned forward, curiosity sparking. “What’s wrong? Do you not want to hang out with us?”
He shook his head lightly. “No. It’s just… I have a few reservations, is all.”
“Reservations?” Aira scratched the side of her head, puzzled. “Like concerns?” She hesitated before adding, “If it’s about the bad influence thing, Hyakki and I don’t do delinquent stuff anymore, so—”
“Well,” Akio said carefully, choosing his words with visible thought, “not exactly. But it is… tangentially related.”
Aira blinked. “What do you mean by that?”
There was a brief pause. Akio looked out toward the sculpture again before answering, his tone still polite, still calm.
“To put it simply,” he said, “I’m not too fond of your friend.”
“What?” she said, baffled. “Why?”
Akio stood quietly with his drink, gaze lingering on the structure as if he were analyzing it. His expression shifted into something clinical when he spoke.
“There are certain aspects of him that I don’t like.”
She turned toward him immediately. A small knot of defensiveness formed in her chest before she could stop it.
“Like what?” she asked, pressing a little more insistently than she intended. “I swear you two were getting along great when we met like a day ago.”
Akio shifted his gaze to her, his expression remained composed. “We were,” he agreed. “But after thinking about it more carefully, my opinion changed.”
Aira frowned. “Why?” she asked. “What changed?”
Akio lifted his drink and took a small sip before answering. “During that conversation, your friend revealed several things about himself that I found… concerning.”
Aira stared at him. “That was one meeting,” she said, frustration creeping into her voice. “You literally just met him. How can you judge someone that fast?”
Akio didn’t look bothered by the challenge. If anything, he seemed almost infuriatingly matter-of-fact about it.
“People are patterned,” he replied calmly. “If you know what to look for, it’s not difficult to determine someone’s character fairly quickly.”
Aira let out a small incredulous laugh. “Okay, sure,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “Maybe you can guess what type of person someone might be. But that’s not the same thing as actually knowing them.”
Akio tilted his head slightly. “Intent matters,” he said. “And based on what I observed, I’m inclined to believe he may have malicious intentions.”
Aira’s head snapped back toward him.
“Malicious?” she repeated, her voice rising slightly. “What are you even talking about? He’s literally my friend. I’ve known him for years! What makes you think you know him better than I do?”
Akio seemed to notice the shift in her tone immediately. His expression softened just a fraction, the edge leaving his voice.
“I’m sorry, Aira,” he said gently. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He paused before continuing. “It’s just that… there are some things about him that make me worried about you. So I’m a bit wary. That’s all.”
Aira blinked, processing that.
“Worried about me?” she repeated slowly. “Hyakki has never hurt me or made me feel unsafe before. He literally carried me to the police station that night after the Hollow almost killed me.”
Something flickered across Akio’s expression, so quickly she almost missed it.
“So it seems,” he said. Then, after a brief pause, he added quietly, “But I still have doubts about his intentions.”
Aira crossed her arms, calmer now but still trying to understand what he meant. “He was worried about me,” she said. “He comforted me for hours and then went out of his way to bring me there. What exactly is there to doubt?”
Akio tapped his chin lightly with one finger, thoughtful. “Several things, actually,” he said mildly. “Given the circumstances, the situation could also be interpreted as a form of emotional leverage.”
For a second, Aira simply stared at him.
Then the realization hit.
“Oh my god.”
She dragged a hand down her face and groaned.
Of course. Of course that was what this was about. Sometimes Akio’s protectiveness was so intense it almost circled back around into being funny.
Straightening up, she turned toward him with the confident energy of someone presenting a closing argument.
“Okay,” she said firmly. “I think I understand now. You think we’re dating.”
Akio didn’t react.
“First of all,” she continued, holding up a finger, “no. I don’t like him like that. He’s my friend. Second, he doesn’t like me like that either, okay? He’s not my boyfriend. You don’t need to worry.”
Akio looked at her for a moment before replying mildly. “It’s not like that.”
Aira threw her hands up in the air.
“Then what is it?” she demanded. “I swear you’re always like this with any guy I’m even remotely close with.” She gestured at him dramatically. “And you definitely scared off at least one of my past boyfriends. Every time you talk to them it feels like you’re judging them.”
She shook her head, exasperated. “God, you’re so overprotective sometimes. I swear.”
The frustration slowly faded as she turned back toward the sculpture, letting the conversation settle for a moment. After a quiet breath, she spoke again, a little calmer now.
“Whatever,” she said. “You’ll probably change your mind once you actually get to know him.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could feel Akio watching her for a moment. Then he looked away and answered politely.
“Right.”
Aira stuck her tongue out at him before letting out a small sigh. Her gaze drifted back toward the sculpture before her thoughts wandered elsewhere. Inevitably, they circled back to Hyakki.
A faint warmth settled in her chest as she thought about him. He could be dry sometimes, and he definitely had a habit of stirring trouble just to see what would happen. But he never pushed things too far. And beneath that strange, unsettling first impression he gave people, she knew there was someone much more considerate than he let on.
He was awkward sometimes, kind of quiet. A little weird in ways that made other people uneasy. But Aira had long since learned how to read past that. Hyakki noticed things most people didn’t. He paid attention. He adjusted for people. He made quiet efforts to be helpful or kind in ways that were easy to miss if you weren’t looking closely. Especially now that he was back, she noticed it more clearly than before.
The thought made her soften a little.
She trusted him completely. Whatever Akio thought he had “analyzed” from a single conversation didn’t really bother her that much. Besides, Akio was hard to impress anyway. If anything, that was one of the few things about her brother that genuinely irritated her. His standards were absurdly high. Everything had to be done correctly, efficiently, perfectly. People rarely passed his quiet evaluations on the first try.
He’ll come around eventually, she decided. He’s just being overprotective again.
With that settled, Aira stretched her arms above her head as if physically shaking the thoughts loose. Then she turned back toward him, the earlier tension already fading from her mind.
“Anyways,” she said suddenly, brightening as a new thought popped into her head. “I have to show you this hilarious video I saw earlier.”
She pulled out her phone and stepped closer, already launching into an excited explanation before the clip had even started playing, words spilling out one after another as she pointed at the screen. Akio leaned slightly toward the phone to look, his expression calm and mildly interested as he listened to her commentary. Within moments the earlier tension dissolved completely, replaced by the familiar, easy rhythm they always seemed to fall back into when it was just the two of them talking.
For now, at least, Aira decided this wasn’t really a problem worth worrying about.
─ ? NEXT CHAPTER POV ? ─
Hyakki
Turned into a vampire, so why not be a hero?
Kang Eun-Woo died the way he lived—exhausted, broke, and saving someone else.
The truck should have been the end. Instead, he woke up in a Manhattan penthouse with no heartbeat, perfect skin, and a B+ blood quality that even veteran vampires would kill for.
In a city where immortal creatures wear business suits, Eun-Woo makes a choice: if he's going to be a monster, he'll hunt the wolves, not the sheep.
What to expect:
- ? Urban vampire progression (Weaver System)
- ? Stat-based tracking & Blood Manipulation
- ? Hunter squad with trust issues
- ? Brutal, graphic vampire combat