Dark circles, Dark secrets

---

The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed in the dimly lit room. A small child, no older than five, lay curled on the ground, his tiny frame trembling with each cruel strike.

"N-No, Father! Please… stop!" the boy sobbed, his voice cracking.

A pair of furious eyes loomed over him. A man's silhouette, filled with rage, lifted his belt once more.

Then—darkness.

Akira jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. His breath came in ragged gasps as he sat upright in his bed, gripping his bedsheet like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His heart pounded violently against his ribs.

"Again…" he muttered under his breath, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Without another thought, he got out of bed, quickly dressed, and left for school—alone.

Hinata, waking up slightly late, noticed Akira's absence immediately. A pang of worry settled in her chest. He never leaves without me… she thought. Her mind swirled with uneasy questions as she hurriedly got ready and rushed toward school.

When she arrived, slightly out of breath, she saw something unusual—police officers standing at the front gate. The atmosphere was tense. Students whispered among themselves, hushed voices filled with rumors and speculation.

Hinata spotted Akira in the crowd. His posture was rigid, his gaze sharp as he stared at the officers. There was something in his eyes—something unsettling.

The officers walked towards them. "Your names?" one of them asked, glancing at the students around him.

Hinata instinctively answered for both of them. "I'm Hinata Usuki, and this is Akira Toizawa."

Akira remained silent, his eyes locked onto the officer's badge with an intense, unreadable expression.

The officer sighed. "We regret to inform you that two of your classmates, Sakura Rizoni and her boyfriend, were found dead early this morning."

A sharp chill ran down Hinata's spine. Her breath caught in her throat.

"They were… murdered?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The officer nodded. "Yes. The nature of the crime is consistent with the recent family massacre. It's highly likely the same killer is responsible."

Hinata swallowed, feeling her stomach twist. That family… and now our classmates…

She turned her gaze toward Akira, expecting him to show some sort of reaction—shock, sadness, anything. But what she saw instead sent shivers down her spine.

There was anger in his eyes. A deep, burning frustration—no, hatred.

Why?

Why was he reacting like this?

The rest of the school day felt like a blur. The whispers, the glances, the questions—none of it mattered to Hinata anymore.

When school ended, she made her way home without Akira. He had been distant the entire day, barely saying a word.

As she lay in bed that night, unable to shake off the growing suspicion, a terrifying thought crossed her mind.

Is Akira the murderer?

Her hands clenched the bedsheet tightly.

Tomorrow, she would ask him.

Tomorrow, she would get answers.

---