CHAPTER 3: Shadow and Light

After all that had happened yesterday, I was fond to finally confront him. So I stalked him completely… hoping him not to notice, especially the people in this school. I did this on my own without informing Raiden so that she wouldn’t make fun of me. I would spy on him from the way he walks at the halls, eating lunch at the canteen, interacting with others (mostly girls) and much more… But.. in any point, I never got to know which class was he in…

So I asked the other students, especially the girls who would always talk to him. And of course.. negative.

I was eating a sandwich on a bench, after giving up on how to get intel about Hairo. Just wanna forget about it all because it seems so useless and exhausting…

I just kept eating my sandwich until.. Of course, out of all the time in the world, he passes right in front of me… looking at me like he’s been caught red handed.

I finally took this chance to ask him about it all; so I stood up, dropped my sandwich and grabbed his wrist.

“Hey!” I shouted as I tightened my grip holding him.

His eyes grew wider and finally looked at my direction.

“Tell me… who are you..?” I asked him.

“I…”

He went silent for a moment.

Is he speechless or something? Is he mute? Why won’t he speak…

Then I remembered he spoke yesterday when Raiden and I were about to clean Mrs. Yumi’s Storage.

“Talk!” I ordered him.

His head then turned down feeling defeated, so I lightened my grip.

“Look… I’m sorry but…” He lifted his head back and stared into my eyes as he continued to speak. “I have to stay quiet… now pls… leave me be.” He then turned around softly and walked away.

My feelings grew desperate to know even more… his mysterious manner made my curiosity increased. So I chased after him. Until we were surrounded by the crowd, loosing him from my sight.

I just stood there, still trying to find him but unable to do so.

(The Next Day - In Class)

“Alright class, I know you’ve all been hearing about the new student… and now he finally decided which class was he going to! Everyone, let us all welcome Hairo! You may now come in.”

Everyone was in shock, especially the girls were all out in excitement. But the most surprised one… was me of course.

“Hello, My name is Kurayami Hairo. It’s a pleasure to..” He stops for a second as he sees me through the class… “… meet you- all..”

Then the crowd started to applaud him for his introduction.

“Alright! Hairo, you can sit next to Raiden by the window.”

Next to Raiden? So she is my classmate after all.

Since then, Hairo was surrounded by all of our classmates. He seemed pretty popular right now, not only from the girls, but to the other guys as well..

I just observed them for a sec and then dropped my head to my desk, feeling really sleepy at some point.

(After Class)

- Raiden’s POV -

“Hmm? Hikari’s asleep?” I was about to give her a pat to wake her up until someone called my name.

“Yow, Rai! Hurry up… I’m starving.” It was my friend, Yuki.

“Hold your horses, will ya?”

I tried to look for someone to deal with Hikari. And oh boy, this is the right time to tease someone.

I saw Hairo, still packing his things up.

“Hey, Hairo! Could you help me for a sec.”

“Sure.” He said as he walked towards me.

“Could you deal with Hikari for me? I’m really in a hurry, and I’m worried if I leave her alone here.”

“Oh- alright, sur-“ He said in a frightened tone.

“Thanks! See ya tomorrow!” I said as I stormed out of the room leaving the two of them behind.

“H-Hey!-…” He muttered.

- Hairo’s POV -

….

“What did I get myself into…” I said to myself…

I guess I have to wake her up… Why didn’t she wake her up earlier anyways?… maybe she wasn’t waking up?…

I looked closer and moved her hair to her ears, making me able to see her sleeping face.

“Looks like sleeping beauty is having a good sleep right now, huh.”

I gave her a pat, trying to wake her up.

“Hey.. wake up, class is over.”

I tried to pat her once more but she still haven’t managed to awaken.

Looking at her as the sun sets down giving a nice view of the sky from the window.

“You don’t need a light to have your beauty be seen by others… you’re already the light itself.. As for me, I’m just a darkness from a void that could never shine like a sun and star as you are…” I said while glancing at her as I said those words out of a sudden…

“What am I saying just now-”

Loosing from myself, I just ignored my delusions and patted her once more.

“Hey, you should wake up now…”

I kept calling her ‘Hey’ because… I don’t even know her name-.. wait!-

I remembered her friend, Raiden calling her Hikari… so that’s her name? Hikari, huh..

Make sense…

I chuckled after figuring out her name is Hikari which translates to “Light” in Japanese.

A few seconds after she finally started to move…

“Mrrmnghhmmm…” She mumbles.

She slowly opened her eyes and after finally regaining her vision, her eyes widened seeing me at front.

“H-Hello-…” I said awkwardly.

“PFTT- HAHAHAHAHAHA” She laughed mockingly.

“What-? Did I say something wrong-?”

“It’s just-… the way you just greeted me, doesn’t suits your serious and cold demeanor… Ahahaha-“

I looked at her a bit annoyed to the embarrassment I have right now…

“Yeah.. yeah… whatever. I’m gonna go now.”

“Wait-! You’re leaving me already? Weren’t you asked to deal with me for now since Raiden was in a hurry?” She said in a teasing way.

“What-?!.. you were awake this whole time?”

“Nope. I just thought she would do that. I mean, you have no reason to do this anyway, except someone would ask you to do so. And!.. the only one who would care about me is Raiden, so yeah…”

“So smart, huh… whatever-“

“Well… if you could answer all of my questions and give me an explanation, then I’ll let you go.”

I gave her a serious look and waited for her question.

“Explain… everything.” Her mood changes from being a tease to a deadly and serious look.

“Is it about what happened in that cave last summer?”

She nodded in resolve to my question.

“*Sighs*… fine-“

I waited for a few seconds for her reaction but still seriously still, just wanting to let me say the whole story.

“Where should I start?… I don’t want to tell you everything-“

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… personal matters…”

“Why not?”

“Why not? What kind of a stupid question is that?!”

“Fine. If it’s just necessary.. then you have to.”

I looked at her for a few seconds until finally telling her the whole story.

“Alright… well-.. so I guess I should begin about the stone-…

My mom and dad owns a company of a Mining Corporation. But they don’t just sit around and command stuff to their people, instead they do the mining themselves.

My parents held a collab on the Kaminari Clan, since they’re rich and our clan has a great friendship to theirs….

And yep, you heard it right, Kaminari… aka Raiden’s relatives…

Ever since you hung out with her, I thought you already knew everything… or she told you anything about that stone in your neck. But I guess she has personal reasons to do so.

You should go ask her herself. You’re friends aren’t you?”

She gave me a surprised look after hearing the last part.

“I shall now continue…

This was known to the government only, because for some reason… they don’t wanna share it to the public. Not until my family had a discovery of these… gemstones…” I said as I pulled out my gemstone from my pocket.

“You have one too- and it’s purple…”

“Mhmm.. yeah- this is the Shadow Stone.”

“It looks a bit smaller from mine, though-?”

“Let me continue onto why it’s smaller..”

“Alright-“

“Since the discovery of these two gemstones, well- three actually… The Light Stone, The Shadow Stone, and The Lightning Stone, they completely hid the company from the government and thought it was now shut down.

My family kept the Shadow and Light Stone, as per the Lightning Stone, they gave it to the Kaminari Clan as a gift to their support for the company.

Weeks passed by, my family started an experiment about these gemstones because they don’t seem to fit in any category of the elements. Therefore, they figured it special.

One day, as I was strolling at their workplace, I found a dark aura of light from their restricted office where the stones were placed in. Of course this lil ol’ me and my curiosity, I went in the room to check on it.

To my surprise, as I got closer to the gems, the one who kept shining brighter was the purple one. I walked a bit closer, finally touching it. And as I did, the gemstone flashed and returned to its normal state.

After that, my parents slowly got out from their hiding spot. It was a trap experiment all along-… and as a result, they declared me the chosen one for the Shadow Stone.

A few days had passed, my family held an orientation with the Kaminari clan to announce who would be the next one to attain the company.

There lies my big brother, Kairo, expecting that he’s gonna be the next CEO of the Mining Corporation since he’s the first born child.

Kairo was such a good big brother to me. And as we both grew up we would always hangout at our free times. We even look the same. That’s why they thought we were twins.

Things were pretty normal for me and him, until it was announced that… I was the next in line for our company. And that made him shattered…

Ever since then, he ignored me most of the time. I get it, because of jealousy… but it doesn’t mean it has to ruin my relationship to my big brother, right? So I finally confronted him…

I asked him, Why is he avoiding me ever since that announcement.

He said that it’s completely obvious right now. And now he knows why I was the one chosen, not him. All the time he’s been ignoring me, he was investigating the reasons why not him and why me instead.

“It’s about that stupid gem… isn’t it?” He said.

I stumbled to his claim, in confusion of his accusations.

I kind of agreed to his statement at some point, because it didn’t make sense when I was picked.

I proposed him a deal to share this gemstone so that he could get it instead. I didn’t want the responsibility of this company anyways.

So we split the stone in half, because he figures this as the best solution instead of switching gemstones and identities. In that way, in case one is not around, we wouldn’t have to switch on who has the gemstone or not.

This played for a couple of months, until we were discovered by our parents. They accused my brother that he manipulated me about all of this, even though it was my plan from the start. I kept insisting and telling them that it was my fault. But they just kept shhh-ing me that it’s fine now, I don’t have to listen to my brother’s orders and I am now free.

After that, my brother… was kicked from our clan, and is not considered as a Kurayami anymore…

Ever since that happened, I was unable to contact him nor see him again… I tried to find him with the help of the gemstone since he still has it when he was banished. I guess my parents forgot that we split it in half.”

“I don’t get it?… why give the Light Stone to me then?” She asked out of nowhere.

“I’m not finished yet… can’t you be a little more patient? It was you who insisted to make me tell you the whole thing, right?”

“Fine… I’m still interested though-.. although I’m getting a hold about your history and background now, that wouldn’t make it hard for me to date you then.” She said as she chuckled.

“What-..?”

“Nothing\~ I was just kidding… go on\~ continue.” She said that in a very teasing tone.

I gave her an annoyed look and then continued the story…

“The reason why I was in that cave… was because I was hiding from my brother…”

“Your brother?.. but weren’t you looking for him all this time?”

“Well… at that time- he came back. Not to make amends… but to steal the Light Stone.”

“Steal it?… oh I get it now… the way you used to ignore me… the way you said you have to stay quiet and leave you alone… was for my sake.. and the gem…”

“Bingo..! You really are smart at some point.”

“What does that supposed mean?..” She said as she gives me an angered expression.

“Ahahaha- nothing… Anyways, should I still continue?..”

“Yeah, sure!”

“Alright then..

I had an urge to quickly get the Light Stone at that time since he wanted revenge from my family… So I ran from home… I was able to get this far from the power of this stone I have. I got the ability to control the darkness and shadow..

I stumbled across a cave and hid there… that’s when I met you. I was fake sleeping at that time. Since you already saw the gem, not only that… the gem was also shining bright at that time… I figured that-.. you were the chosen one as well for the Light Stone. So I gave you the gem.”

“Wait- what-?” Surprised by the news.

“Don’t get too excited, it was just a theory of mine. Because when I first interacted with the gem too, it was shining as well.”

“I see… well- why knock me out in the first place, then?!”

“So that you won’t further know my identity and this would make the Stone safe from my brother for now since I don’t know who you are.”

“Ohhh-…”

“*Sighs*… and now look, coincidentally, we’re studying in the same school. Great.”

“Maybe we’re destined to meet each other, then?”

“Huh-.. what do you mean?”

“I-I mean… not in a romantic way, okay? What I mean is that the holders of these gems.”

I looked at her, processing her claim. And well- it does quite make sense.

“Well then… let me tell you a secret.” I said.

“Okay?”

“You see… I have this mission- to find all of these gems and secure it from my brother. My parents doesn’t know this mission but they know that I’m far from home to study. And since you now know my whole story arc. Would you help me with my mission?”

She gasped in shock and seems excited about my proposal.

“Of course! I would love an adventure!”

“Hey, don’t treat this to some video game. This is serious. These gems hold such power. If they got placed into the wrong hands… we might meet our doom.”

“Alright! You can count on me partner!”

“Partner?..”

“Yep!”

“Alright… whatever you say.”

She gave me a beautiful smile as the sun’s rays sets to her brown eyes. Seeing such a wonderful view.

- Hikari’s POV -

Ever since that day, the two of us started to work on a search to find the other supposed missing gemstones, hidden around our place, while we face such challenges along the way.

As he becomes the Shadow to my Light, I was the Light to his Shadow…

— END OF CHAPTER —

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