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Chapter 1 - When the World Was Small

Six months after Yuto was born, Emi gave birth to a baby girl. "Your son's got a six-month head start on mine," she said with a grin, cradling her newborn daughter in the hospital room while Sora laughed beside her.

Sora smiled, eyes soft as she looked at Yuto sleeping in his father's arms. "Don't be too sure. Look at the way she's glaring already. Your Hina's going to run circles around him."

And she did.

By the time Hina could walk, she was already stealing Yuto's toys, tugging him by the wrist wherever she wanted to go. "Come on, Yuyu!" she'd chirp with toddler authority, calling him by the nickname she'd invented before she could properly say his name.

Yuto would glance at his mother, unsure, but Sora would smile and nudge him forward. "Go on, sweetheart. She's not going to wait."

The two families practically raised their children under the same roof. Ren Kazama might have been the most feared name in the city, but around Yuto and Hina, he was softer. He remained stern and composed, but he spoke less and observed more, always watchful.

"You should let them figure things out themselves," he'd say to Emi when she fussed over Hina's scraped knees. "The world won't go easy on them just because they were born into it."

"And neither will I," Emi would reply with a wink, pressing a kiss to Hina's forehead before handing her another rice cracker. "But she gets a little love before the world teaches her anything else."

Yuto and Hina were nearly inseparable. From play dates that lasted till nightfall to shared calligraphy lessons and weekend martial arts classes, the pair moved like they were halves of a single heartbeat.

At five, Hina declared herself queen of the sandbox at preschool and dubbed Yuto her personal guard.

"You stand here," she said seriously, planting a plastic tiara on her head and poking his chest. "And don't let anyone steal my castle."

"But there's no castle," Yuto pointed out, blinking.

"There will be," she grinned. "If you help me build it."

He sighed, already gathering sand in his small palms. "Okay…"

Their mothers watched from the side, sipping coffee beneath the shaded pavilion.

"They're going to be trouble when they grow up," Emi said fondly.

Sora chuckled. "They already are."

Sometimes after dinner at the Kazama estate, they'd all sit in the garden, the children sprawled across a blanket, the stars peeking out as fireflies danced in the summer air. Ren would light a cigar and Daiki would quietly stand by his side, arms crossed, listening more than speaking, just like his son.

"They're lucky, growing up like this," Ren said once, watching as Hina rested her head on Yuto's shoulder, half-asleep.

Daiki nodded. "Let's hope they grow up happily and looking out of each other ."

*****

"Technically, you should take care of me more,"Hina said one rainy morning as they sat beneath the covered walkway outside their elementary school, watching the droplets race down the windows.

"I already do," Yuto replied, holding his umbrella a little higher over her head than his own.

Their friendship had only grown deeper since preschool. Now in third grade, they were still inseparable, sharing the same class, walking home together most days, and spending nearly every weekend at one another's homes.

At school, Hina was always the first to raise her hand, the loudest in group work, and the most competitive during PE class. Yuto preferred to hang back, quiet and calm, but when it came to Hina, he was always first to move. When she forgot her homework, he quietly slid his notes across the table. When she got sleepy during class, she'd rest her head on his shoulder and murmur, "Just five minutes," as he kept still and let her be.

Their lunches were always shared, and his mom packed extra fruit just in case Hina wanted more.

"Your grapes are better than mine," she'd say every time, even though they tasted the same.

"You just like stealing mine."

"I only steal from people I like," she whispered, and Yuto's ears turned pink.

On Saturdays, they attended karate class at the same dojo where Ren and Daiki had trained in their youth. It was serious training, with stern instructors and strict routines, but Hina made it fun, turning each session into a miniature adventure.

"Let's pretend we're bodyguards today," she whispered one morning, tightening her white belt with exaggerated flair. "I'm protecting a secret diamond, and you're my partner."

Yuto gave a small nod, his expression unreadable, but he always played along.

Though Hina was bold in her attacks, she often lost focus. Yuto, precise and steady, was always the one to catch her. Once, during a particularly intense sparring round, she miscalculated and tripped backward. Without thinking, Yuto stepped in and caught her, arms wrapping tightly around her before she hit the mat.

She blinked up at him, cheeks flushed. "You always catch me."

His voice was soft. "Always."

Later that day, she proudly showed off her small bruise to Emi. "I fell during training, but Yuyu caught me," she said, all wide eyes and a secret smile.

Emi glanced at Sora with a knowing smirk. "That boy's already wrapped around her little finger."

Sora chuckled. "He always has been."

One afternoon, after class, they stayed behind at the Kazama estate to help pick flowers for Hina's great grandmother's tea ceremony. Kneeling in the garden, their hands brushed over the same blossom, and Hina paused.

"I hope you never go away," she said suddenly, staring at the sakura petal in her palm.

Yuto looked up, startled. "Why would I?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I feel like… this won't last forever."

He stared at her for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver ribbon bracelet. He'd gotten it from a festival game booth a few weeks ago. Clumsily, he tied it around her wrist.

"Even when I am not by your side," he said simply. "Let this bracelet represent me and stay with you at all times."

Hina looked at the string, then at him. "Okay. I'll never take it off."

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