Dark circles, Dark secrets

---

The morning sun peeked through the curtains as Hinata hurriedly buttoned her uniform. Today, she wasn't just going to school—she was going to get answers.

She stood outside her apartment, shifting on her feet impatiently, waiting for Akira. When his door finally creaked open, she didn't hesitate.

Before he could say a word, Hinata threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Why?" she whispered. "Why are you acting like this?"

Akira stiffened at first, unaccustomed to such warmth. He let out a small sigh before gently prying her arms away.

"I hate the police," he muttered, his voice laced with an edge of bitterness. "They beat innocent people for money. They don't protect. They only take."

Hinata stared at him, wide-eyed. There was something dark in his voice—something real.

"And why do you act like you don't care?" she pressed. "Why do you always look so... tired?"

Akira's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Because I lost everything I loved by the time I reached middle school."

Silence hung between them. Hinata felt a painful weight settle in her chest.

She had always thought of Akira as an enigma, but now, she realized—he wasn't just mysterious. He was wounded.

The words left her lips before she could think.

"Then… now you have me to lose."

Akira turned to her sharply, his expression unreadable.

Then it hit her.

Did I just—

Her face turned crimson as the realization sank in. Did she just confess to him?

Akira stared at her for a moment longer before something rare happened.

He smiled.

A real, genuine smile.

Hinata, still flustered, tried to recover. "A-Anyway! About your dark circles… do you even sleep?"

Akira smirked. "These?" He pointed at his eyes. "They're by default."

Hinata blinked. "Wait, what?"

"I was born with them."

She stared at him in shock. "So all this time, I thought you were losing sleep, but… this is just how you look?"

Akira gave a small chuckle. "Pretty much."

Hinata groaned. "I can't believe this!"

With that, their conversation drifted into lighter topics as they walked toward school. But even as they laughed, Hinata couldn't shake off the lingering thought.

Akira's past was painful.

And for some reason, she wanted to protect him from it.

---