CHAPTER 4 — UNINVITED GUESTS
669 Words
“Sit.”
Obaachan’s voice was gentle, but firm.
Aiko blinked, still caught in the weight of everything Ren had just said. Her thoughts were a storm—questions crashing into each other with no answers.
But her body obeyed.
She slowly lowered herself onto the carpet.
The room felt smaller now.
Tighter.
Like the walls were listening.
Obaachan moved quietly, placing a simple bowl of rice into Aiko’s hands. The warmth seeped into her fingers, grounding her just enough to breathe properly again.
“…Eat,” her grandmother said softly.
Aiko nodded faintly.
Across from her, Ren had already sat down again, as if nothing had happened. Calm. Composed. Unreadable.
The bowl beside him untouched until now.
For a moment—
it almost felt normal.
Three people.
Sitting together.
Sharing a quiet meal.
As if the world outside wasn’t breaking apart.
Aiko lifted the chopsticks slowly.
Her hands still trembled.
But she forced herself to take a bite.
Warm.
Simple.
Real.
Her shoulders eased just slightly.
Ren finally picked up his bowl as well.
The silence between them wasn’t comfortable—
but it wasn’t empty either.
It was waiting.
Then—
knock.
The sound cut through the room like a blade.
Sharp.
Deliberate.
All three of them froze.
Aiko’s grip tightened around her bowl.
No one spoke.
The knock came again.
This time slower.
Heavier.
Obaachan’s expression changed instantly.
The softness vanished.
Replaced by something Aiko hadn’t seen before—
alertness.
Caution.
Ren’s eyes shifted toward the door.
Dark.
Focused.
Dangerous.
“…Stay behind me,” he said quietly.
Aiko’s breath hitched.
The calm from moments ago shattered completely.
Obaachan stood.
Each step toward the door measured, careful.
The room felt colder with every inch she moved.
She slid the door open.
And Aiko’s heart dropped.
Two figures stood outside.
Uniform.
Authority.
Familiar.
Captain Haruto Ishikawa.
And beside him—
Dr. Sora Kanzaki.
Aiko’s chest tightened instantly.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeve.
Them.
Sora Kanzaki stepped forward slightly, her expression calm—too calm for someone standing in the middle of a broken night.
“My apologies for the interruption,” she said smoothly, her voice almost polite.
Her gaze shifted past Obaachan—
landing directly on Aiko.
Sharp.
Measuring.
Like she was looking at something valuable.
Something dangerous.
“Captain Ishikawa wished to offer his apology,” Sora continued, “on behalf of his soldiers… for placing Aiko Takahashi in danger.”
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unbelievable.
Aiko’s stomach twisted.
Apology?
Now?
After everything?
Captain Ishikawa stepped forward, his posture rigid.
“I take full responsibility,” he said, his tone firm, controlled. “The situation escalated beyond expectation.”
His eyes flickered toward Aiko.
Brief.
Unreadable.
But there was something there—
not guilt.
Not regret.
Something else.
Something hidden.
Aiko felt it.
Ren moved slightly in front of her.
Subtle.
Protective.
His presence shifted the air instantly.
Sora’s gaze slid toward him.
Interest sparked in her eyes.
“Well…” she murmured softly, “this is unexpected.”
Ren didn’t respond.
Didn’t even blink.
Obaachan’s voice broke the tension.
“You’ve said what you came to say,” she stated coldly. “You can leave.”
But Sora smiled.
Small.
Knowing.
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
Aiko’s heart skipped.
The air thickened.
Danger pressed in from every side.
Sora took one slow step forward.
“After all…” she said, her eyes locking onto Aiko again, “…we’ve been looking for her for a very long time.”
The words hit like a blow.
Aiko’s breath caught.
Her mind flashed—
Subject confirmed.
Her fingers tightened around the bowl.
Ren’s voice came low.
Sharp.
“She’s not going anywhere.”
For the first time—
Sora’s smile faded slightly.
And Captain Ishikawa’s hand moved—
resting lightly on the hilt of his weapon.
Silence.
Tense.
Explosive.
The kind that breaks everything.
Aiko’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.
One wrong move—
and this fragile moment would shatter.
Completely.
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