The scent of fresh paint lingered in the air.
Ren stood barefoot on the wooden floor of the nursery, holding a pastel pink roller in one hand while Aoi sat on a cushioned stool, flipping through baby catalogues. Sunlight stread through the window, catching the slight shimr in her now looser brown curls, her bump prominent beneath her light cardigan.
"I still say lavender would’ve been more mature," Aoi teased with a smirk.
Ren dipped the roller again. "And I still say this room is for our daughter, not a tea salon."
She giggled. "Fine, Daddy wins. But I want bunny curtains. Not up for debate."
He looked over, smiling. "Bunny curtains it is."
They had already decided on a the — a soft wonderland of cream, pink, and mint tones, complete with handmade cloud mobiles, an old bookshelf Ren was repainting, and a custom cradle Ren planned to build himself.
Each brushstroke on the wall wasn’t just decoration. It was love. Protection. A silent vow.
Aoi humd quietly, then looked up. "She kicked again."
Ren dropped the roller imdiately and walked over, kneeling beside her. "Every ti I hear that... I fall in love all over again."
Elsewhere – Tokyo Rooftop Apartnt
Saki stood at the edge of her rooftop, staring down at the glowing skyline below. Her hand clenched around a crumpled pregnancy tracking report.
The news had broken her.
She had followed Ren’s location using a clone of the tracking device she once embedded on his old smartwatch before their college graduation. It had reactivated once she ca near.
She saw the notification two days ago:
"Fetal heartbeat logged. AI confirmation: Maternal and paternal sync – Ren and Aoi."
The AI Lucia had no idea she was watching. But now... she did.
Saki had been quiet for weeks—recovering. Biding ti.
Now, sothing had snapped.
"She’s having his child?" she whispered, eyes wide, body trembling.
A twisted smile grew on her lips.
"I’ll beco the mother of his world, not her..."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a flash drive. Inside was a program she’d been writing—"Project Nestbreaker"—designed to cause erratic behavior in Ren’s cloud architecture.
Not enough to destroy.
Just enough... to scare him.
To make him doubt Aoi’s safety.
And drive a wedge between them.
Back at the Countryside
That night, Ren sat at his desk with Lucia projecting a hologram of the nursery’s 3D layout.
Aoi slept peacefully in their room, her hand protectively over her belly.
Lucia’s voice cut through the silence."Sir. External anomaly detected."
Ren’s brow furrowed. "Source?"
"...Partial external AI signal echoing old user profile: Saki Asakura."
Ren’s eyes darkened.
"Lock down all AI systems. Triple encrypt the nursery’s monitor link."
Lucia’s tone beca serious. "Should I activate Guardian Protocol for the baby’s room?"
Ren stood up, slowly. "Not yet. But we’re being watched."
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