ZERO SHIFT

As the night deepened at the orphanage, Ryuji had already left, and the once lively celebration quieted down. Josuke step into the orphanage , gazing at people he knew as his family they had been his family and home for so long. With the sound of the children playing and the gentle murmur of the sisters comforting the new arrival, Eva, filled the air.

Eva, the little girl who had recently been rescued, introduced herself to the orphanage. "My name is Eva… the bad men killed my parents and captured me," she said, bursting into tears. Sister Noelle quickly wrapped her arms around the sobbing child, comforting her as the other children gathered around to offer their support. Noelle, the daughter of Shiro, was like an older sister to all of them, especially to Josuke. She had grown up alongside him in the orphanage, being five years older than him, and shared a deep bond.

As Eva continued to cry, Josuke, who had always been the oldest in the orphanage, stepped in to help comfort her. He gently knelt beside her and said, "You're safe here now, Eva. No one will hurt you anymore." His calming words reassured her as the sisters continued to soothe her.

Seeking some time alone, Josuke slipped away to the rooftop, where he often went to think. He looked out over the city for what might be the last time in a while. Tomorrow, his new life as a ranger would begin, and nothing would ever be the same. His mind wandered to the future, to the challenges ahead, and to the promise he had made to himself—to learn control over his demonic power and use it to protect the people he cared about.

Noelle soon found him there, sitting quietly, lost in thought. She climbed onto the roof and sat beside him, looking at the same cityscape. "It looks like your life is set in stone now, huh?" she said softly.

Josuke smiled faintly. "Yeah, it sure seems that way."

Noelle's voice turned more serious. "Father told me what happened. About… everything." Josuke tensed slightly, surprised by her words. Noelle continued, "Don't feel bad. At least you protected my father and that little girl. You did everything you could."

Tears welled in Noelle's eyes, and before Josuke could respond, she hugged him tightly. "I don't want you to go… I'm going to be all alone here. I wish I could do something to change it, but… I'm just helpless."

Josuke, touched by her vulnerability, wrapped his arms around her, gently comforting her. "Noelle, you're not alone. I promise I'll visit whenever I can. And now that I'm going to be a ranger, I can actually help the orphanage. I'll send money to support everyone."

Noelle sniffled, trying to hold back her sobs. "Yeah, I know, but… it's still hard." Tears fell freely as she wiped her eyes, unable to stop crying.

Josuke smiled warmly, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. "I'll always be there for you and the orphanage. Besides, I need to learn how to control this power… if it's something I can use to protect everyone, then I want to master it. I don't want to go berserk around you guys. Kyle told me that because of my rampage, other ranger units have marked me as a threat."

Noelle sniffled and looked at him, her blue eyes still glistening with tears. "Do you promise… you'll still be my friend? No matter what?"

Josuke laughed softly, ruffling her hair. "Absolutely. Nothing's going to change, Noelle. I'm still me."

Through her tears, Noelle smiled, though it was bittersweet. "You're such a clown, Josuke."

The two sat together on the roof, the stars shining brightly above them. Josuke rested his head on Noelle's lap, feeling the weight of the future on his shoulders but finding comfort in the moment. Noelle gently stroked his hair, her tears finally drying as they both sat in silence, knowing that tomorrow everything would change. But for now, they were just two friends sitting on the roof, as they always had.