My body felt heavier than usual when I woke up the next morning.
Every breath dragged like I’d been running all night — probably because Riku’s face was still haunting . His words echoed over and over in my head: “I want your family too.”
I turned to the side.
Keiko was still sleeping beside , her hair slightly ssy, her glasses resting on the nightstand. The soft rhythm of her breathing was the only thing grounding in that mont.
I sighed quietly. I have to tell her...
For a while, I just sat there, staring at the ceiling. My mind ran in circles — fear, anger, guilt. Every emotion mixed together like static.
Ten minutes later, Keiko stirred. Her eyes blinked open slowly, unfocused and dazed from sleep.
“Morning, Keiko,” I greeted softly.
She rubbed her eyes, voice muffled and groggy. “Ryusei? Why are you up already?”
I hesitated for a mont. “I… need to talk to you.”
She looked at , still half-asleep, trying to process my serious tone. “Okay… that sounds bad. Give five minutes.”
I nodded. “Take your ti.”
She sat up slowly, stretching her arms, then reached for her glasses. After sipping so water, she turned to with her usual calm face. “Alright. I’m ready.”
I took a deep breath. “Last night… Riku ca to my bar.”
Keiko froze. Her eyes widened slightly behind the lenses, but to my surprise, she didn’t panic. She stayed quiet, listening.
“I didn’t… do anything to make him co. I swear, Keiko. I haven’t contacted him for weeks. I don’t even know how he found the place.”
Keiko nodded gently. “I believe you.”
That simple sentence almost broke . I clenched my fists, my voice trembling. “He… said sothing strange. Sothing that scared .”
Her brows furrowed. “What did he say?”
“He said—” I swallowed hard. “He said what if he changed his mind. That he wanted to take you and Rin away from .”
The words spilled out shakily, every syllable heavier than the last. I didn’t even realize my hands were shaking until Keiko reached across the bed and grabbed them.
“Ryusei…”
“I—” My voice cracked. “I don’t even know how to deal with this anymore. I thought I was fine, but last night… I couldn’t breathe. Every ti I close my eyes, I see him there again.”
She moved closer and wrapped her arms around . Her warmth lted so of the tension off my shoulders.
“We’re in this together, Ryusei,” she whispered.
I felt my throat tighten. I rested my forehead on her shoulder, trying to hold back tears. “I’m scared, Keiko… really scared. I don’t know how to protect you and Rin if he cos after us again.”
“You don’t have to protect us alone.” Her voice was steady, like an anchor pulling back to reality. “Let’s think clearly.”
I pulled away slightly, eting her eyes. “Keiko… should we just leave? Go sowhere far away? I don’t care about the body switch anymore, or my original body. You and Rin are what matters most.”
She looked taken aback by my desperation. It wasn’t like — and I knew it. But now, I was trembling like a child who’d lost his ho.
“Ryusei… hey, calm down,” she said softly, rubbing my arm. “We can’t rush this. Take a deep breath with .”
I obeyed. One inhale. One exhale. Again.
Once my breathing steadied, Keiko spoke, her tone turning analytical. “We’ll handle this carefully. If Riku really plans to threaten us, we need proof.”
“Proof?”
“Yes. You still have the CCTV in the bar, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then we use that. Check the footage from last night. If the caras caught his face or anything he said, we can use that as evidence.”
I blinked, processing her plan. “Evidence… for the police?”
She nodded. “Exactly. We docunt everything. If he calls, texts, or shows up again — we record it. The mont he crosses the line, we file a report. We’ll make it impossible for him to co near us without consequences.”
I stared at her for a mont, a mix of admiration and disbelief. Even when I was falling apart, Keiko stayed sharp. She was the calm in my storm.
“You’re really smart, Keiko,” I said, almost smiling.
She smirked slightly. “You just realized that now?”
I chuckled weakly. “No… I’ve always known. I just didn’t expect you to turn into a detective before breakfast.”
Her smile softened. “I’m not letting him hurt you again, Ryusei. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
“Then we’ll play it carefully,” I said, nodding. “No rushing, no emotional moves.”
“Exactly. Since we can’t act aggressively, we’ll act smart.”
I leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly. The tension in my chest loosened just enough for to breathe again.
“You’re right. If we do this right, maybe we can finally stop him.”
“We will,” Keiko said, confidence lacing her tone. “First, check the CCTV. See if the cara picked up the audio too — it might have caught his threats.”
“Got it.” I nodded. “I’ll head to the bar after breakfast.”
She reached over and squeezed my hand. “We can win this, Ryusei.”
I gave a tired smile. “I hope so. Just… please be careful while I’m gone. And tell Rin everything. I don’t want her caught off guard.”
“Of course.” She tightened her grip. “You too, okay? Don’t confront him alone if he shows up again. Promise .”
“I promise.”
We sat there in silence for a mont, holding each other’s hands, letting the morning sunlight slowly fill the room.
Then Keiko suddenly smiled — that soft, gentle smile that always made my heart lt. “You know, you look kind of cute when you’re worried.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
She giggled. “Your face gets all scrunched up like Rin’s when she forgets her howork.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks. I’m glad my anxiety is entertaining.”
She laughed and leaned her head on my shoulder. “I just want to see you smile again. We’ll get through this. Promise.”
I rested my hand on her hair, feeling the warmth of her skin. “Yeah. Together.”
For a while, we stayed like that — quiet, close, safe.
Outside, the city was waking up, and the distant sound of traffic reminded that life was still moving, even when I felt stuck.
When Keiko finally pulled away, she stretched her arms and said, “Alright, I’ll make breakfast. You go shower, then check the CCTV after.”
“Got it.” I smiled faintly. “Thanks, Keiko.”
“Don’t thank yet,” she said teasingly. “Just make sure you bring back so solid evidence. Then we can celebrate with yakiniku.”
I chuckled. “Now that’s motivation.”
She winked and walked to the kitchen. Watching her from behind — calm, determined, radiant in the morning light — I realized sothing.
Even if the world turned against , as long as Keiko was here, I could still keep fighting.
“Keiko…” I murmured quietly, almost to myself. “I’ll protect you. No matter what.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I know you will, Ryusei.”
I took one last breath before heading to the bathroom, my heart steadier than before.
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