Who exactly is it?

After eating, Ryuseki said goodbye to Lin Yingbin and Ryuu Mufei and headed home. It was almost midnight. Ryuseki walked along, muttering to himself, "Who exactly is this guy Ryuu Mufei was talking about?"

He seemed bothered by Ryuu Mufei's words. Suddenly, a shadow flashed past him. Ryuseki immediately sensed the presence of the man from before, the one wearing the crimson-brimmed hat. Extremely curious about this person's identity, he took off in pursuit.

The man was fast, and Ryuseki couldn't keep up from a distance, the gap widening between them. At this point, Ryuseki shouted at the man's retreating back, "Who are you?"

Ryuseki wasn't sure why he was chasing the man, only that he was curious about him on instinct. However, he hadn't considered whether this person was dangerous or safe for him, just rushing forward recklessly. The man, however, paid no attention to Ryuseki's shouts, as if he hadn't heard anything, and continued to run at a steady pace.

This made Ryuseki even more curious. With some unknown surge of energy, he sped up, chasing the man at a pace he normally couldn't reach.

"Hey! Answer me first."

Yet, the man still ignored Ryuseki, speeding on as if no one else was there. No matter how Ryuseki chased or shouted, the man's gaze, with his crimson eyes, never shifted from the distant, silent night.

Ryuseki kept chasing, all the way until he lost sight of the man near his home. He had vanished somewhere, and Ryuseki, unable to find any trace, gave up.

"What the heck?"

Ryuseki looked up at the dim night sky with a reluctant expression before walking back.

The lights at home were off. He fumbled in the dark to turn them on and discovered his older brother, Kouhi, asleep on the living room sofa. Ryuseki fetched a blanket and tiptoed over to cover his brother, but accidentally woke him.

"You're back," Kouhi said, pushing the blanket aside and sitting up. He rubbed his eyes and then told Ryuseki, "Oh, Kikka You's family moved away, and her mom even moved her grave."

"Is that so?" Ryuseki's heart skipped a beat. Images of Kikka You's smiling face flashed through his mind like film frames, and his thoughts were interrupted by his brother.

"I think you should be able to move past the shadow now!" Kouhi said with a slight smile at Ryuseki.

It's not that easy to step out of the shadow... Ryuseki thought, looking down. He then asked in a low voice, clinging to a sliver of hope, "Did Auntie say anything?"

He desperately hoped for forgiveness, even a single word to lighten the burden on his shoulders. He knew deep down that Kikka You's mother could never forgive him, yet he held onto a one-in-ten-thousand chance.

Kouhi shook his head. He remained silent for a moment, understanding what Ryuseki meant by his question.

Ryuseki sighed in disappointment and got up to walk towards the kitchen.

"Oh, right. We have a new neighbor next door. They just moved in today, bought Kikka You's house," Kouhi said, also getting up to fold the blanket.

"Really!" Ryuseki managed a weak smile and then asked, "By the way, bro! Have you noticed a man wearing a crimson-brimmed hat appearing around here lately?" Ryuseki asked as he entered the kitchen.

"I haven't noticed, why? Is he a friend of yours?" Kouhi asked.

In the kitchen, Ryuseki replied, "No!"

As he spoke, he opened the refrigerator and took out a can of soda. After a moment's thought, he continued, "I've just seen him, but he's pretty strong!" Ryuseki began to chug the soda, continuing, "He might be as strong as you!"

"Oh? If I see him next time, I'll tell you."

"That is..." Ryuseki came out of the kitchen, pointing at Kouhi's hand, looking intently at his left index finger.

"This?" Kouhi showed Ryuseki his left index finger, which was bandaged with a plaster. "I cut myself while chopping vegetables," he replied with a smile. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

With that, he folded the blanket and took it back to his room.

"Oh! I see. Get some good rest then." Ryuseki also headed upstairs to his room. After opening the door, he turned back and shouted towards the living room, "Goodnight, bro!"

"Mhm! You too." Kouhi replied with a smile as he turned off the lights.

Ryuseki entered his room. He wasn't in the mood to sleep yet, so he sat down at his desk and looked out the window. From here, he could see the window of Kikka You's former room; the two rooms faced each other. Ryuseki looked at Kikka You's room. Although the window was covered by curtains, he could still see a silhouette inside. It seemed someone was also sitting by the window there, looking at something. After looking at the opposite room, Ryuseki glanced at a photo of himself and Kikka You on his desk and muttered, "Someone really did move in."

In the living room, Kouhi emerged from his room again. He lay quietly on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling as if lost in thought, until he eventually fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in Ryuseki's mind, the man with the crimson-brimmed hat lingered. He was extremely curious about who that person could be.