Cold rain hammered relentlessly against the alleyway.

A narrow alley where a single old streetlight flickered dimly. The rainwater flowing through the gutters had swollen enough to soak one's shoes, and raindrops dripped incessantly from the edges of the eaves. In the night street where not a single person passed, only the sound of rain echoed.

Toya sat huddled in a corner of the alley.

His entire body was already drenched. His blue hair clung to his forehead and cheeks, and his thin shirt stuck to his skin, revealing his body shivering from the cold. His fingertips were pale blue, and his hands gripping his knees were squeezed so tight they had turned white.

Every time he took a breath, he trembled as if his throat were closing up.

He didn't even know how long it had been since he ran out of the house.

His father's cold voice still wouldn't leave his ears. Sit at the piano. Don't make a mistake. Nothing but classical has any value.

Emotions are unnecessary.

The countless repetitions of coercion and pressure had broken Toya's heart bit by bit, very slowly. The music he once loved became an obligation, and the piano keys felt like the iron bars of a prison.

He couldn't breathe anymore. So he ran. But once he actually burst out, there was nowhere to go.

The rain grew heavier, and the cold air pierced through his wet body.

The tears he had held back and held back finally burst out all at once.

It was then.

The sound of someone running through the rain could be heard from a distance. With heavy breathing, a person skidded to a halt at the entrance of the alley.

Akito, who looked as if he had searched the entire neighborhood, froze the moment his eyes found Toya huddled at the end of the alley.

Toya couldn't even lift his head despite sensing someone's presence. Tears and rainwater mixed together, streaming down his face.

"Ugh... hic..."