The room was still when Ren woke.
For a moment, he didn't move. His eyes stayed on the ceiling as if he was trying to remember where he was. Then the memory returned all at once.
Aoi.
Ren slowly turned his head.
Aoi was still asleep beside him, his face half buried in the pillow. His breathing was slow, but something about it looked… uneasy.
Ren shifted slightly, about to sit up, when his hand brushed against Aoi's. Cold.
Ren froze.
Aoi's fingers were colder than they should've been, and when Ren looked closer, he noticed the faint trembling in his arm. It was small, almost unnoticeable — but it was there.
Shivering.
Ren stared for a second longer than he meant to. Then he quietly stood up. For half a second, he hesitated.
His eyes moved back to Aoi, who hadn't woken up. The blanket had slipped halfway off him during the night.
Ren exhaled softly. Without saying a word, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it back over Aoi's shoulders, making sure it covered him properly.
His hand lingered there for a moment. Then he stepped away.
Ren left the room without another look.
⸻
The water from the shower ran longer than usual.
Ren stood under it silently, letting the water fall over his head and shoulders. His eyes were closed, his expression unreadable.
By the time he turned the water off, the air in the room had already cooled.
He dressed quickly and stepped out into the hallway.
And almost immediately—
"Ren?"
Ren stopped. Aoi was standing a few steps away, still looking slightly disoriented like he had rushed out too quickly after waking up. His hair was messy, and there were faint shadows under his eyes.
For a moment, Aoi looked relieved to see him. "…Ren?"
Ren didn't answer. He walked past him.
Straight to his room.
The door closed behind him with a quiet click.
Aoi stood there, unmoving.
The hallway suddenly felt too empty.
He stared at the closed door for a few seconds, like he expected it to open again.
But it didn't.
Aoi slowly lowered his gaze.
"…Right."
His voice was quiet. He didn't knock.
Instead, he just turned around and walked away.
After that, it started happening more often.
Whenever Aoi tried to talk to him—
Ren would leave the room.
If Aoi asked a question, the answer was short. Cold.
"Did something happen?"
"No."
"Are you busy?"
"Yes."
"Ren—"
"I have work."
And every time, the conversation ended there.
Like a wall had suddenly appeared between them. Aoi didn't understand when it had been built.
But he could feel it growing higher every day. It didn't stop.
Days passed, and the distance between them only grew thicker.
Ren avoided him without making it obvious. He left rooms first. He answered only what was necessary. Sometimes he didn't answer at all.
Aoi noticed everything. The way Ren wouldn't look at him anymore.
The way conversations ended before they even started.
At first, Aoi told himself it was nothing. Maybe Ren was just busy. Maybe he was tired.
Maybe—
But the silence kept stretching longer.
And longer.
Until it started to hurt.
⸻
That evening, Aoi finally caught him.
Ren had just finished speaking with someone in the hallway and was about to walk past him again. Like always.
But this time—
Aoi reached out. His fingers closed around Ren's sleeve.
Not tight.
Just enough to stop him.
Ren froze. For a moment, neither of them moved.
Aoi's hand trembled slightly where it held the fabric. "…Ren."
His voice was quiet.
Careful.
Like he was afraid the moment would break.
Ren didn't turn around. "…What."
The word was short. Flat.
Aoi swallowed.
His grip tightened just a little. "Did I… do something wrong?"
The question came out softer than he intended.
Ren's shoulders stiffened.
Silence filled the space between them.
Aoi kept speaking before he could lose the courage. "You've been avoiding me."
His voice cracked slightly near the end, but he forced himself to continue.
"If I did something, you can just tell me."
Ren still didn't move. The hallway felt unbearably quiet.
Finally—
"…You didn't."
Aoi blinked. "Then why—"
Ren slowly pulled his sleeve free from Aoi's hand. Still not turning around.
"…It's nothing."
Aoi stared at him. "That's not nothing."
Ren took a step forward. Another step.
Walking away again.
And this time—
Aoi didn't try to stop him.
But the look on his face made it clear. He understood one thing now.
Whatever had changed between them…
Ren wasn't going to explain it.
..
The call came later that evening.
Aoi stared at the number on the screen for a moment before answering. "…Hello."
"Aoi." Takeda's voice was calm as always. Too calm.
"I heard you've been staying with Ren lately."
Aoi leaned back slightly against the wall, his expression turning blank.
"…Who told you that?"
"That doesn't matter." There was a brief pause.
Then Takeda continued, his tone lowering slightly. "You shouldn't stay around him."
Aoi's eyebrows tightened faintly. "What?"
"I'm serious," Takeda said. "That man isn't someone you should trust."
Aoi let out a quiet breath through his nose.
For a second, he considered just ending the call.
But something in Takeda's tone irritated him.
"…That's none of your business."
The words came out colder than expected.
Silence fell on the other side of the line.
Aoi expected Takeda to argue. Or raise his voice. But instead–
Takeda simply said, "Meet me tomorrow."
Aoi frowned. "…What?"
"Tomorrow. Afternoon." His voice was steady again. "We'll talk properly."
Aoi didn't answer immediately.
Takeda spoke again before he could refuse. "And Aoi."
There was a small pause. "You should listen this time."
The line went dead.
Takeda had already hung up.
Aoi lowered the phone slowly, staring at the screen. His expression darkened slightly.
He hated when people acted like they could decide things for him.
—
The next day, Aoi went to meet Takeda. The building stood near one of the guarded streets that separated the safer parts of the city from the areas where monsters wandered freely. What used to be a small police station was now surrounded by stacked sandbags and metal barriers. Two armed guards stood by the entrance, their eyes scanning everyone who passed.
Aoi slowed slightly as he approached. One of the guards looked at him. "You Aoi?"
Aoi nodded once.
"He's waiting inside." The guard stepped aside and let him pass. Inside, the air smelled faintly of metal and disinfectant. Radios crackled quietly somewhere in the room. Maps of the city were pinned across the walls, marked with circles and notes.
Takeda stood near one of the desks.
When he noticed Aoi entering, his expression softened slightly—more than it usually did around other people. "You came."
Aoi stopped a few steps away from him.
"You said it was important."
Takeda studied him for a moment, as if making sure he was alright. "Have you been safe?" he asked.
Aoi gave a small nod. "Yeah."
For a brief second, neither of them spoke. The silence felt heavier than it should have.
Then Takeda finally said it. "That man who's staying with you… Ren."
Aoi's eyes sharpened slightly. "What about him?"
Takeda's gaze didn't waver. "He's infected."
Aoi didn't react the way Takeda expected. Instead, his voice came out calm. "I know."
For the first time, Takeda's expression shifted. "You know," he repeated slowly.
"Yes."
The air between them turned tense.
Takeda folded his arms. "And you're still letting him stay with you."
Aoi's eyes narrowed a little. "He hasn't done anything."
"That doesn't matter," Takeda replied, his tone firm. "People like him lose control. It's only a matter of time."
Aoi's jaw tightened. "He's not like that."
Takeda's gaze hardened slightly. "You're trusting something that isn't human."
Aoi didn't answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter—but steady.
"You don't know him."
Takeda watched him carefully. "I know what infection does to people."
The way he said it made the air feel colder.
Then he stepped a little closer to Aoi. "If you stay around him, you'll get hurt."
Aoi held his gaze. "That's my choice."
For a moment, Takeda didn't respond.
Something unreadable passed through his eyes—annoyance, maybe. Or frustration.
He didn't like being ignored.
Finally he said, more quietly, "You're stubborn."
Aoi didn't deny it.
Takeda exhaled slowly, then looked at him again. "Just remember this, Aoi."
His voice lowered slightly.
"When he loses control… don't say I didn't warn you."
The words lingered between them.
When Aoi returned, the house was quiet.
The late afternoon light slipped through the dusty window, stretching long shadows across the floor.
Ren was in the kitchen.
Not cooking. Just standing there, rinsing something in the sink like he had been doing it for too long without thinking.
The door closed behind Aoi with a soft click. Ren glanced over his shoulder briefly.
"You're back."
Aoi nodded as he stepped inside. "Yeah."
That was all.
Ren looked at him for a moment, like he was about to say something else, but instead he turned back to the sink.
Water kept running.
Aoi moved past him slowly and set his phone down on the table. His shoulders felt heavier than usual, but his expression stayed calm.
Too calm.
"You ate?" Ren asked after a moment.
"No."
Ren turned the tap off and grabbed a towel to dry his hands.
"I'll make something."
"You don't have to."
"It's fine."
The conversation ended there.
Aoi sat down at the table, leaning back slightly in the chair. His eyes wandered across the room but didn't settle on anything.
Ren moved around the kitchen quietly, the sound of utensils and cupboards filling the silence.
After a few minutes, he placed a bowl in front of Aoi.
Aoi looked at it. "Thanks."
Ren pulled out the chair across from him but didn't sit. He just rested a hand on the back of it.
"You were gone longer than usual," he said casually.
Aoi picked up the spoon. "Met someone."
Ren didn't ask who. He only nodded once. "Oh."
Aoi took a bite, though he wasn't really hungry.
The silence stretched again.
Ren finally sat down across from him.
For a while neither of them spoke.
Aoi finished half the bowl before setting the spoon down. "I'm going to rest," he said.
Ren nodded.
"Okay."
Aoi stood up and walked toward his room.
His steps were steady. Normal. The door closed softly behind him.
Ren remained at the table.
For a moment he stared at the untouched half of Aoi's meal.
Then he looked toward the hallway where Aoi had disappeared.
Something felt… slightly off.
But he couldn't say what it was. So he said nothing.
Later that night, the house was silent.
Ren sat alone on the couch in the dim light of the living room. The lamp beside him flickered faintly, casting weak shadows along the walls.
Aoi had gone to his room hours ago. Ms. Aiko was already asleep.
The entire house felt still.
Too still.
Ren leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as his hands loosely clasped together. His eyes remained fixed on the floor, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Takeda's voice returned to him.
Clear. Cold.
"If you want his safety… then you should let go."
The words had followed him the entire day.
No matter how much he tried to ignore them, they stayed.
Quiet. Persistent.
Ren exhaled slowly and leaned back against the couch.
For a moment he closed his eyes. And then another memory surfaced.
Uninvited.
A flash of blood.
Aoi's body hitting the ground. His own hands shaking after he realized what he had done.
Ren's eyes snapped open. His jaw tightened slightly.
The room suddenly felt smaller. He looked toward the dark hallway.
Toward Aoi's room.
After a long moment, Ren finally stood up.
His footsteps were quiet as he walked down the hall.
He stopped outside Aoi's door. For a second, he hesitated.
Then he leaned slightly closer to the door, listening. Nothing.
No movement. No sound.
Aoi was asleep.
Ren slowly pushed the door open.
The room was dark except for the faint moonlight slipping through the window.
Aoi was lying on the bed, turned slightly to the side.
The blanket had slipped down, barely covering him.
Ren stepped inside and walked over. Carefully, he pulled the blanket up and covered Aoi properly.
Aoi shifted slightly in his sleep but didn't wake.
Ren paused there.
His hand lingered on the edge of the blanket before slowly pulling away.
For a moment, he simply stood there. Watching him.
Aoi looked peaceful when he slept. Too peaceful for the kind of world they were living in.
Ren's expression tightened slightly. His gaze softened for half a second—
Then steadied again. The decision had already been made.
He turned toward the door.
And this time…
He wasn't planning to stay.
—
Morning light filtered through the window as Aoi stirred slowly.
For a moment he stayed still, staring at the ceiling, his mind still foggy with sleep.
Then the memory of the other day returned.
The monster. His mother.
Ren.
Aoi sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes before pushing himself out of bed.
When he stepped into the hallway, he immediately saw Ms. Aiko coming from the kitchen.
"Aoi," she called softly.
He stopped.
Her expression held a trace of confusion. "Did you see Ren anywhere?"
Aoi frowned slightly. "No… why?"
"He's not in the house," she said. "I thought maybe he left early, but I haven't seen him at all."
Something uneasy settled in Aoi's chest. Without answering, he walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Ren's door.
He knocked once. No answer.
Aoi pushed the door open. The room was empty.
The bed was untouched. No bag. No sign that Ren had even slept there.
Aoi stood there for a moment, his jaw tightening. Then he stepped back into the hallway and pulled out his phone.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds before pressing a contact.
Takeda.
The call connected after a few rings. "I need to see you," Aoi said.
...
The meeting place was quiet—an abandoned checkpoint near the edge of the district.
Takeda was already there when Aoi arrived.
He leaned casually against the side of a damaged vehicle, arms crossed.
When he saw Aoi approach, he straightened slightly. "You called," Takeda said.
Aoi stopped a few steps away. His eyes were cold.
"Do you know where Ren is?"
Takeda raised an eyebrow. "No."
Aoi didn't look convinced. "Did you do something?" he asked.
Takeda exhaled through his nose, almost amused. "You really think I have time to chase your friend around?"
Aoi's voice hardened. "You told him to leave."
Takeda's gaze sharpened. "So he listened."
Aoi took a step forward. "What did you say to him?"
Takeda's patience snapped slightly.
Before Aoi could react, Takeda suddenly stepped forward and pushed him back against the nearby wall.
Aoi's shoulders hit the concrete. Takeda's arm slammed against the wall beside Aoi's head, blocking his escape.
The sudden closeness made Aoi tense instantly. "What are you doing?" Aoi demanded.
Takeda didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes studied Aoi carefully.
Slowly.
Almost like he was inspecting him.
Then Takeda reached up and grabbed Aoi's chin, tilting his face slightly upward.
Aoi's breath hitched in surprise.
"Relax," Takeda muttered.
And before Aoi understood what he meant—
Takeda dragged the edge of his thumb sharply across the side of Aoi's neck.
The nail cut the skin just enough to leave a thin red mark. Aoi flinched.
"What the hell—"
He shoved Takeda away immediately. Hard.
Takeda stepped back but didn't look bothered.
Aoi touched the side of his neck, anger flashing across his face.
"What is wrong with you?"
Takeda only watched him. His expression unreadable.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I just wanted to see something."
Aoi glared at him. "See what?"
Takeda's eyes narrowed slightly. "If he comes back… we'll find out."
...
Aoi didn't look back when he left. The walk home felt longer than usual.
His thoughts kept circling the same question over and over.
Where did Ren go?
By the time he reached the house, the sky had already begun to dim.
He stepped inside quietly.
Ms. Aiko called something from the kitchen, but Aoi barely responded. A short answer—something that sounded like "I'm fine."
Then he went straight to his room. The door closed behind him with a soft click.
Aoi leaned back against it, exhaling slowly as if the air in his chest had been trapped for hours.
He lifted a hand to the side of his neck. His fingers brushed the thin line Takeda had left there.
It stung faintly.
Aoi frowned and pulled his hand away.
The memory of the moment replayed in his mind—the sudden shove, the wall against his back, Takeda's cold expression.
His jaw tightened. "…What was that supposed to prove?"
There was no answer. The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Aoi sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. He didn't go downstairs for dinner.
He didn't answer when Ms. Aiko knocked once to check on him.
The hours passed slowly. But Aoi barely noticed.
His thoughts stayed stuck on the same person.
Ren.
Where he was.
If he was safe.
And why—
Why he had left without saying a single word.
Aoi lifted his hand again, touching the mark on his neck absentmindedly.
Then he let his hand fall.
The room grew darker as evening settled.
And Aoi remained there the whole day,
thinking.
Night came slowly.
The house had grown quiet.
Aoi hadn't moved from his room for hours.
The dim light from the window had faded, leaving the room in shadow. Only the faint glow of the hallway slipped under the door.
Aoi lay back against the bed at some point, though he didn't remember when.
Sleep didn't come. Every time he closed his eyes, the same thoughts returned.
Where did you go?
His hand drifted again to the side of his neck.
The mark was still there.
Aoi frowned slightly before dropping his arm over his eyes. "…Idiot."
The word slipped out quietly.
He didn't know if he meant Takeda.
Or Ren.
Or maybe himself.
Silence filled the room again.
After a while, Aoi turned his head slightly. His gaze landed on the empty space beside the bed.
Ren used to sit there sometimes.
Quietly. Watching over him.
The memory made something in Aoi's chest tighten. "…You said you wouldn't leave."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
No one answered.
Outside, the wind moved softly through the empty streets.
Inside the house—
Aoi finally closed his eyes.
But sleep still refused to come.
And Ren was nowhere to be found.
And that night, the space Ren left behind felt larger than the room itself.