Seraphim is a Bystander

Interlude: The Girls’ Struggles
 

In an ordinary household, a girl sat soaking in the bathtub, her mind restless.
“I wonder if Aoi-kun’s… okay?”
The words slipped from the lips of Runa Saionji, though she hadn’t meant to speak aloud. She was so deep in thought, she hadn’t even noticed herself talking—lost in worry over Futaba Aoi, her childhood friend since kindergarten and current classmate.

That morning, the usually punctual Aoi hadn’t shown up even after homeroom had begun. He was never the type to skip, so though no one said it aloud, his classmates were quietly worried. When he finally did arrive after the teacher’s announcement, his appearance threw the classroom into chaos.
Though he had always been somewhat androgynous, the person who walked into the room was unmistakably a girl. His already beautiful features now, transformed, had become something that could be described as nothing less than a work of art. So much so that even after being told this beautiful girl was their male classmate, some students blushed uncontrollably.
Runa sat in her bath, staring up at the ceiling, replaying that moment from earlier.

The Aoi she knew had always been kind, sincere, and someone she admired deeply. Having watched him more closely than anyone, she knew—knew that he was too kind to put himself before others. Knew that he was too strong to show weakness. Knew that he was always desperately striving for something, no matter the cost to himself.
“Aoi-kun…”
Because she understood who he was, what she saw today came as such a shock.

He was someone who never pushed his way into others’ lives and never let others push into his. He didn’t show weakness, and he didn’t flaunt his strengths. And yet today, he’d been distracted—clearly not himself, looking like his mind was somewhere far away.
He’d only vaguely explained that his change in appearance was due to an “ability,” but gave no further details. Runa figured Kenta Katsura—the classmate who always argued with her and was close to Aoi—might know more, but she didn’t want to dwell on that, lest her heart start to ache.
“I’ve never seen that face before…”

Because he was so strong, so composed, she had never seen him show pain like that. It must be something only he could truly understand.
That sorrowful expression—she couldn’t shake it from her mind.
“That face… his face…”

The image of his transformed, beautiful face filled her mind, and slowly, her cheeks flushed with heat.
“…He was really pretty. Wha—?!”
Realizing what had just come out of her mouth, she violently shook her head, trying to deny her own thoughts.

“No no no…! I don’t like girls, I like Aoi-kun—wait, what am I even saying?!”
She kept vigorously shaking her head in flustered denial, unaware that her face was now as red as a boiled octopus.
Her thoughts, whether due to confusion or the thick bath steam, suddenly short-circuited. A few minutes later, her mother found her and came to the rescue.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—a dojo situated on the grounds of a luxurious estate.

A girl was just finishing her martial arts training and changing out of her uniform.
“Phew… Even though Moromiya-sama went out of her way to come, I can’t believe I…”
Looking a little downcast was Yuna Ichijou, the eldest daughter of one of Akatsuki’s most prestigious families. She had been rigorously educated from a young age in various disciplines. That day, as part of her martial arts training, she’d sparred with Renka Moromiya, one of her personal bodyguards.

“She said ‘Your fear is showing in your blade’…”
Renka Moromiya was a woman who never held back ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) in combat. Though she maintained her polite tone, even with the children of her employers, she was blunt and direct in her instruction. Her words had struck a chord deep within Yuna’s heart.
“Aoi-san…”

The one who came to her mind was a boy the same age as her. When they were little, she had mistaken him for a girl—his beauty rivaled any she had seen. And when she had been paralyzed with fear, he had thrown himself between her and danger to protect her.
Before that event, martial arts had been nothing more than a source of pain and fear for her. But what he said that day changed everything.
“‘What’s scarier is not being able to protect someone.’”

She remembered those words clearly, the way he’d said them with a mix of embarrassment and determination, speaking from the heart. Ever since that incident, she had begun training earnestly. For her age, she had already reached an impressive level of skill.
But her heart was still that of an ordinary girl.
When something like that happens again—will she be able to fight? Or will she once again be the one being protected?

The more she trained, the more that anxiety wrapped around her heart. And deep down, she understood. What she feared wasn’t the act of fighting—it was her own weakness.
The same-aged boy who risked his life for her, not out of obligation but of his own will. The helpless girl who couldn’t do anything but cower. That feeling of powerlessness, impossible to erase, still bound her tightly.
“How… how can I become strong like you?”

Her quiet whisper echoed through the changing room of the dojo—and faded into silence.
Just then, her phone chimed with a message. The sender: “Aoi-san.” Flustered, she opened the message.
“Can I drop by during the next break to give you a souvenir from the school trip?”

For a moment, she hesitated, thinking hard. Then she typed her reply with a look of resolve.
After a short back-and-forth of messages, she returned to her room—her steps lighter than they had been all day, her previous gloomy expression nowhere to be seen.