Pak

　　(After the Incident)

　　"Why are you here?"

　　Kano keeps plucking an incoherent melody on his little guitar, the one I stole for him, humming to a song which must only exist in his mind. I don`t think he heard me.

　　"Kano," I say. He keeps twiddling. He still doesn`t hear me.

　　"Kano," I repeat, a little louder. He hums a shrill, misplaced note, convulsing in some imaginary crescendo&

　　"KANO!"

　　He jumps, nearly dropping the instrument.

　　"Sorry," he mumbles. "Did you say something?"

　　He straightens up, scoots into the headboard, and stares towards the mouse hole in the corner. I sigh and shut my eyes.

　　"Why are you here?" I ask, making no attempt to be gentle.

　　"What do you mean?"

　　"Shouldn`t you be in class?"

　　I trundle to the window, focusing on a browning leaf shuddering in the breeze. Kano scoffs, and in the glass, his reflection crosses its arms, the guitar still draped across his lap.

　　"Shouldn`t you?" he says.

　　"They`re not going to come looking for me," I say. "You, however&"

　　"If you want me to leave, I`ll leave."

　　He scoots to the edge of his bed, as if he means to stand, but he doesn`t. We`ve barely spoken for weeks, not since that night. I still haven`t apologized.

　　"That`s not what I meant," I say, scratching my neck. "I just want to know why you`re here."

　　A strong gust shakes the brown-edged leaf. It grips its branch for dear life, even as its siblings break and fall away. Neither of us speaks. Neither of us moves. Kano hums, hesitating. I chew on my cheek, waiting&

　　"People are scared of you, you know," he finally says, sliding the guitar to the floor.

　　"Obviously. I don`t see what that`s got to do with anything."

　　I pace back to my bed and sit down next to Cabbage, who stirs from his twitchy slumber. Kano chuckles humorlessly, collapsing over himself.

　　"They`re not scared of me," he says to his feet, raking his fingers through his hair. I catch a glimpse of his neck. His hair falls, covering the purple and black bruise, but it`s too late. I`ve seen it. My blood goes cold. I breathe deeply, clench my fist, and look away.

　　"Did they gang up on you?" I ask, keeping my voice steady.

　　"Just two," he mutters.

　　"They`re cowards," I growl. "If they weren`t afraid of you, they wouldn`t fight two against one."

　　"It`s not the same. Nobody ever tries to hurt you."

　　"If I could go back to getting stuffed into trash bins and pelted with rocks, I would," I snap. He goes quiet. "Believe me, it`s a lot easier just being hated than it is being hated and feared. I almost k-killed someone&"

　　I sniff, furrowing my brow. Silence lingers like a storm cloud between us. I fix my eyes on my bare feet, focusing on my right big toe, its shape and mossy gray color& Anything but that memory. My toe twitches every time I hear those footsteps behind me, every time I see my knees hit the dirt. It twitches, reminding me of where I am. It keeps me from flashing back& This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

　　But a different memory surfaces: the same stone bench, a little bit later. The same sun, the same patterns in the dirt& a different set of feet.

　　Hey.

　　I glance at the half-human, wilting on his bed.

　　That scar is pretty badass.

　　I blink. My right eyelid drags, just a little. It always does&

　　Can I sit here?

　　It hits me. I stifle my breath. My shoulders tremble. Kano tilts his head.

　　"What&?"

　　I laugh. I can`t help it. His eyebrows pinch together.

　　"I can`t believe I didn`t realize it until now."

　　What are you, anyway? Half orc or something?

　　"Realize what?"

　　Cabbage`s eyes part to slivers, ears twitching. My chest feels as though someone has taken a stirring rod to it.

　　"Why you`re here."

　　He looks like he`s been caught in a lie, hanging his head like that.

　　"You thought they`d stop bullying you if you started hanging out with me."

　　I watch for his reaction. He sits motionless, hugging his stomach.

　　"Look," I say, "I get it—"

　　"Sh-shut up," he whispers.

　　I stop and fold my hands. Cabbage yawns and stretches, poking me with his feet. Kano clutches his head, elbows digging into his knees. I hold my breath. I don`t know why. It feels wrong to disturb the air right now.

　　"It worked for a while," he finally says. "But a lot of people think you`ve left for good since you never come to class anymore."

　　"Mr. Greenhead is a dick," I spit, bristling.

　　"Yeah& My class is almost done with the Du閚 section, though, and I think we started it around the same time."

　　I dig at the dirt beneath my fingernails. Cabbage rolls over and blankets himself with his wings.

　　"I don`t believe a word of it," he says.

　　"You`d have to be an idiot to believe that bull," I grumble.

　　"This place is loaded with idiots," Kano says, finally getting up from the bed to take his cigarettes from his pocket. "We really should just get out of here."

　　I start a little, taken off guard. We? After I said those terrible things&? Why would he want to go with me?

　　He lights up a smoke and passes it to me before lighting one for himself. I steal a glance at his bruise. For as dark and as wide as it is& I shiver, shaking away the thought, and take a deep, warm drag, exhaling the smoke through my nose, steadying my trembling fist.

　　"You know the city better than I do," I say. "Lead the way."

　　He nods. My body unconsciously drifts towards him, like wind pulled into a window&

　　"Just&"

　　I stop. Our eyes connect for a second. I take another drag. Cabbage gives me a knowing look.

　　"Don`t leave without me."

　　He hovers in my peripheral. So close&

　　I focus on the browning leaf. Focus on its tenuous grasp. Focus on keeping my tears hidden away.

　　"I won`t&"

　　Then, the leaf falls from the tree, joining the rest in the grass.