Born with abnormalities, Chomei faced a challenging start to life. His parents, unable or unwilling to care for him, sold him off. Subsequently, he was brought to Japan by a trafficking group and thrust into an underground arena.

Chomei escaped at a given opportunity where he was let out on an outing through exchanging for the highest reward although being guarded and shackled with electric tracking bracelets to prevent them from escaping, which he broke free from and knocked the guards out before jumping on the back of a truck and zoomed away

Upon reaching Kyoto, near the central district, Chomei deemed it a safe location. He scavenged for survival amidst food scraps, utilising his adept skills in hiding, camouflage, and discrete movement. His combat experience from the arena proved valuable in evading unwanted trouble and assisting others, but only when there were benefits for him.
[^ this is also where he started making a name for himself amongst the homeless and street kids ]

However, this lifestyle became increasingly unsustainable, especially during winter. The cold weather dulled his senses and caused fatigue, hindering his ability to sneak around and find sustenance. Consequently, he found himself sleeping more and more, even during the daytime.

On a snowy day, Awa discovered Chomei half-asleep, leaning against an alleyway wall on his way back to the car from practice. The boy appeared excessively thin, with exposed skin bearing old scars. The left side of his face was entirely covered in bandages, and he wore mismatched, dirt-covered clothes, looking disoriented. Despite hesitations about bringing him back suddenly, Awa ran back to the car, instructing the driver to buy food and warm clothes. The confused driver compiled, and Awa returned with the items.

Approaching Chomei, Awa placed the food near him. When he tried to put a jacket over Chomei, despite his suboptimal condition, Chomei instinctively reacted, swiftly putting Awa on the ground. Initially scared, Awa observed that Chomei wasn't exerting strength and noticed his single eye struggling to open. Despite the awkward position, Awa wrapped the jacket around Chomei, gently pushing him back against the wall and arranging the clothing items. Chomei gradually regained consciousness, opening his right eye to see Awa caring for him. Awa, seeing Chomei more awake, asked him to wait there again tomorrow at the same time, promising to bring more food. Chomei didn't respond verbally, but Awa believed he heard and agreed.

The next day, the snow had stopped, leaving accumulated snow everywhere. Awa went to the alleyway, hoping to find Chomei, but no one was there, and there were no footprints. As he was about to leave, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Chomei, now wearing the clothes he left him, with only the upper half of his face visible under the high collar, holding the convenient store bag that had been folded into a tiny plastic square. Awa noticed Chomei's unique pupil shape but found it cool. Surprised to find Chomei a head taller than him, Awa handed him a new bag of food, instructing him to meet again the next day.

As Awa attempted to leave, his hand was grabbed by Chomei's cold, rough, bony hand, feeling something like plastic placed into his palm. Chomei gently curled his fingers around the foreign objects, whispering a faint "see you tomorrow." When Awa turned around, Chomei had vanished, leaving only a single pair of footprints in the snow. The wind began to blow.

Awa returned to the car and opened the gift left by the stranger. It was a folded plastic bag, and through its semi-translucent material, he noticed something shiny reflecting the light from the car window. Unfolding the square, he discovered a piece resembling a scale of unknown origin. The scale was nearly transparent, displaying rainbow colours when held under the light, ever-changing as it rotated. He cherished it but wondered about its origin. Once home, he carefully placed the gift in the nicest-looking jar. Attempting to fold the plastic bag back into a square proved futile, prompting him to decide to ask the other boy about it the next time they met.

Days passed, and each day Awa brought a new bag of food to the alleyway. The other boy would appear, exchange food, and give him a new plastic bag square along with a piece of scale. Gradually, Awa sensed the other person becoming more comfortable with his presence. Occasionally, the boy would open the food on the spot, and when he took a bite, Awa could see his single eye squinting up as if he were smiling. Sometimes, small flowers were tucked in the square along with the scale. Awa felt a sense of accomplishment as his jar collected more scales, but a sense of defeat at the pile of unfolded plastic bags he never got to inquire about.

After a couple of weeks, Awa's parents learned of his strange behaviour through the driver. When Awa shared the story, his parents offered support for any decision he made regarding the other boy. Touched and tearful, Awa returned to the spot the next day. The same exchange occurred, but this time, just before leaving, he clutched onto the taller boy's sleeve and bravely asked if he wanted to come home with him. Awa promised food, clothes, and a comfortable shelter, sparing him from wandering in the cold. Awa anxiously awaited a response, fearing denial. However, he felt a cold touch on his sleeve, gently releasing his grip, followed by another hand cupping his between the palms. The boy chuckled softly and urged Awa to open his eyes.

When Awa complied, he was astonished to find the other boy kneeling in front of him, hands over his own, the single eye no longer half-asleep but filled with reflection. The boy guided Awa's hand to his face, lowering his head and leaving a feather-like touch of his lips on Awa's hand. "I will forever stay by your side, master," vowed the boy. Awa felt a mix of confusion and surprise.

Deciding to accept everything as it was, Awa brought the still nameless boy home. His parents warmly welcomed the newcomer, treating him with kindness despite his abnormalities. They asked Awa to show the boy around, get him settled, and then they planned to have some get-to-know-each-other time after the boy felt comfortable. Awa took the boy to the bathroom and found some clothes for him, leaving him to get dressed. However, Awa was called back into the bathroom by the other boy's call for help. Through his tone, the boy seemed ashamed for not knowing how to use the bathtub.

Entering the bathroom, Awa found the boy sitting naked in the tub, holding his head low. It was the first time Awa got a good look at the other person, observing that the majority of their body was covered in both old and new scars, creating snarly lines across pale skin. Some parts of the skin looked more reflective, resembling scales. As Awa approached to guide the boy in using the bathtub, he was surprised to discover these unnatural-looking parts were indeed scales.

Noticing that the bandage across the boy's face was still there, Awa asked if he wanted to remove it. The boy hesitated and then said, “… please promise me you won’t freak out?”

“Promise, I won't.”

Taking a deep breath, the boy held his head low, allowing his hair to cover his face. Slowly, he guided his hand up to his face and removed the bandages. When he lifted his head again, Awa saw a scene beyond description. Instead of an eyeball, there was now an empty hollow in the eye frame. The skin around it had mostly healed, but patches of mismatching new skin revealed the extent of the injuries. A long vertical scar travelled down his cheek, starting from the bottom of the eyelid and reaching all the way to the chin, hidden just below it. Awa took a shaky breath to steady himself.
“That must have been painful. Do you want me to call the doctor?”

“Don’t worry, master. They have already healed now.”

“Can… I do anything for you?”

“… please stay here with me.”

“Ok.”

TBC.