The massive military truck rumbled as it pushed its way through a muddy, narrow path, heading toward an unknown destination wrapped in mystery. The metal walls buzzed with a faint hum every time the wheels struck a hole or rock. Inside, silence reigned like law—broken only by the ragged breaths of youths exhausted by merciless tests.
Kaido sat at the back corner of the vehicle, leaning against the cold iron wall, his gaze fixed through a small slit letting in faint light. He didn't speak. His expression didn't change. It was as if he had wrapped himself in an unbreakable shell of solitude.
Then, a sudden lively voice cut through the gloom like a crack of thunder.
"This silence is killing me! Is this a truck or a tomb?"
Kaido slowly raised his eyes to see a boy around his age—messy brown hair, bright confident eyes—sitting across from him, one foot casually propped up on a metal crate like he owned the place.
The boy grinned and said,
"You're Kaido, right? Heard about you. You made Instructor Minamoto take a step back! Not bad—though I'm pretty sure he was going easy on you."
He popped a piece of gum in his mouth with a loud snap, and continued without waiting for a reply,
"I'm Hiro Shin. Star of this generation. Loud, brilliant, and unapologetic!"
Kaido didn't respond. He simply turned his gaze back to the slit, sinking into his usual silence.
Hiro leaned in slightly, still grinning,
"Come on, man! Say something! Insult me, ignore me, anything! Just don't treat me like thin air!"
He pointed two fingers at himself and winked,
"I'm Hiroooo. You hearin' me?"
Before he could push further, a sharper, colder voice cut through the air.
"Enough with the noise, you clown."
The air tensed. All eyes turned toward the source of that voice.
It was Tsuki—standing tall at the opposite end of the truck, arms crossed, her face calm but piercing like steel. Her glare alone could silence a battalion.
Hiro cleared his throat and adjusted his posture,
"Apologies, Ice Queen. Just trying to liven up this graveyard on wheels."
Tsuki walked toward him with steady, unshaken steps, stopping just in front of him without a word—just that silent, soul-piercing stare.
Hiro muttered under his breath, slightly stunned,
"Beautiful… Cold… Deadly."
Suddenly, he raised his hand to scratch his nose and shouted,
"Ouch! My nose! It's bleeding!"
A few chuckles broke out from others in the truck, as Hiro grabbed a tissue and looked at Tsuki dramatically,
"Your words were the first to touch my soul… I swear I'll be silent. For a few minutes, at least."
Tsuki said nothing. She simply turned and walked back to her spot.
And for the first time, those watching noticed something unexpected—
A faint, barely-there smile on Kaido's lips.
Fin chapter