The Next Day
The first threads of morning light slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains, cascading softly across the quiet room and brushing against Ren's sleeping face with gentle warmth. It didn't take long before he stirred slightly, drawing in a few uneven, warm breaths — and then he felt that familiar weight on his chest... along with the faint, sweet fragrance filling the air around him with a tender intimacy.
He slowly opened his eyes, trying to process the moment, only to find Rui's sleeping face resting peacefully against his chest. Her hair flowed over his skin like a stream of silk, her lips parting ever so slightly with each calm breath, while her arms wrapped around him tightly — as if afraid he might vanish from her grasp.
The white sheets were tangled around them in beautiful disarray, silent witnesses to a long night of passion and mingled breaths. Morning light reflected on her bare skin, making it glow like soft radiance upon polished marble. Ren found himself staring for a long moment, watching her tranquil face, feeling a serenity he hadn't known in ages.
He raised his hand gently, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. She sighed in her sleep, a quiet sound that drew an involuntary smile to his lips.
"You look calmer than you did last night..." he murmured softly, almost afraid to wake her from her pleasant dream.
He turned his head slightly toward the window — the pale blue sky stretched beyond, and a cool morning breeze slipped through the curtains, brushing his skin with a strange sense of peace. This morning felt different... quieter, as if the world outside this room had momentarily stopped, granting them a rare moment of stillness.
His fingers traced lightly along her back. She shifted slightly in his arms but didn't open her eyes, and that small reaction made him smile faintly.
He leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to her forehead. Rui sank deeper into his warmth, lost in a deep sleep, a small smile still drawn across her lips.
"…" — A faint smile spread over Ren's face as he watched her sleep for a while.
"Do you enjoy watching people while they're asleep?" — Rui's soft, teasing voice broke the silence as she opened her crimson-violet eyes, puffing her cheeks playfully.
"Heh, I've been caught then." — Ren replied quietly, his tone warm as his fingers gently combed through her hair.
Rui yawned lightly, lifting her head just a little before resting it back against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I was staring at you too…" she whispered drowsily, her voice soft before letting out a small laugh. "But it seems you woke up first this time."
"I don't usually wake up this early," he said with a slow exhale, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling, "but the morning light is more curious than you are."
"Then maybe we should buy heavier curtains next time," she said jokingly, looking up at him. Ren smiled faintly before replying with a half-serious tone:
"Instead of curtains, I think getting a new house nearby would be better. We can't exactly relax while the family's around."
"Oh?" — Rui blinked at him, raising an eyebrow with a sly look. "Does that mean you're planning something serious, Ren?"
"I'm only planning for quieter nights," he replied flatly, though the faint smile curving his lips was enough to make her heart skip lightly.
Rui chuckled softly, stretching out on his chest as she tilted her chin up to look at him from a closer angle. "You say that like a model family man... I never expected that kind of line from you."
"And I didn't expect you to still be talking after a night like that," he said calmly, his tone deliberate as he brushed his fingers along her cheek. His voice was low and warm — more like a whisper to the air than words meant for her.
Her face turned crimson instantly, and she murmured shyly as she smacked his chest, "Stop saying things like that so early in the morning!"
"I'm only speaking the truth," he replied with a crooked smile, clearly amused by her flustered reaction.
"Well, we should get up now," Ren said as he stretched lazily, revealing a small purple orb pulsing faintly in the center of his chest.
"…" — He stared at the orb, watching as it slowly fused with his body. He ignored it for now — especially since ordinary people like Rui couldn't see it anyway.
For a brief moment, the air in the room seemed to still as Ren gazed silently at that faintly glowing orb. Its rhythmic pulse was like another heart beating within him, sending soft vibrations through his body.
He raised his hand slowly, brushing his fingers over the spot as if to feel what was happening beneath, but the light gradually faded until nothing remained.
"What's wrong?" Rui asked, tilting her head curiously. "You were staring at your chest like you saw a ghost."
"Nothing important," he answered calmly, standing up and grabbing the towel draped over the nearby chair. "Just... something I'll have to check later."
"Hmm?" — Rui raised an eyebrow, her violet eyes glinting mischievously. "You say that in the same tone you use when you're hiding something."
Ren chuckled as he wrapped the towel around his waist.
"Who said I'm good at hiding things? Maybe you're just too observant."
"It's not hard to notice you — especially when you're walking around like that," she teased with a small smirk, pulling the sheet over herself.
"You really enjoy teasing me in the morning."
"Because you seem calmer after last night," she replied playfully, her tone carrying a warm undercurrent. Then, stretching lazily, she added, "Go shower first. I'll get dressed and return to my room through the balcony before my mother comes to wake me — she needs my help with breakfast."
Ren nodded lightly, heading toward the bathroom as his quiet footsteps faded. Soon the sound of running water filled the room, mingling with the faint scent of soap, while Rui remained on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a soft smile, trying to absorb the warmth of that strange morning.
Her fingers brushed over her skin, still feeling the lingering heat of the night before. She sighed softly, rising to her feet and looking around for her scattered clothes. A small smile tugged at her lips when she spotted Ren's shirt draped over the couch. She picked it up slowly and slipped it on, enveloped by his calm, familiar scent.
"...Weird," she murmured to herself in the mirror. "I never thought I'd get used to this feeling."
Her reflection looked subtly different — her cheeks flushed, her eyes shimmering with a sleepy glow, and a faint smile that refused to fade. A small moment of warmth… yet it carried the weight of an entire world.
A few minutes later, Ren opened the bathroom door, stepping out quietly as water droplets slid down his silver hair and broad shoulders. He looked at her — standing near the window, bathed in morning light and wearing only his shirt — and for a moment, the sight before him felt like a painting of stillness and grace.
"You look like you're deep in thought," he said in a low voice, drying his hair with the towel.
She turned to him slowly, smiling faintly. "Maybe I'm just trying to remember how all this started."
Ren paused for a moment, then walked toward her — slowly, until only a few inches separated them. He lifted his hand and brushed it gently along her cheek, making her close her eyes without thinking.
"You don't always need to remember, Rui," he whispered, his voice deep and calm. "Some things are meant to be lived, not understood."
She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze — that mysterious look she could never quite read. Warm yet distant. That was Ren — a man who felt close enough to touch, yet as unreachable as the sky.
"...Maybe that's why I stay with you," she said softly, smiling. "Because I can't explain you."
He chuckled quietly, turning toward the wardrobe as he replied in a half-playful tone,
"That's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"
"Interesting, yes… but exhausting sometimes," she answered, picking up her small bag from the floor. "Still, I'll overlook it today. I feel like I could use a little peace."
He opened the window, letting in the cool morning breeze and the faint sounds of the distant city.
"You should go before your mother sees you," Ren said, glancing at the clock. "It wouldn't look good if she found out you stayed here all night."
Rui smiled mischievously, holding the edge of the sheet as she stepped closer and whispered, "Oh, don't worry… I know how to disappear without being noticed."
"I doubt that," he replied with a teasing smile — but before he could say more, she leaned in quickly and kissed his cheek.
She waved lightly before stepping out onto the balcony, jumping gracefully to her own room's terrace next door and slipping inside before anyone — neighbors or family — could see her. After all, it would be quite the scandal if someone caught her leaving her step-brother's room wearing nothing but his shirt, carrying her wrinkled clothes like a bundle.
Rui didn't know that Ren had used a Curtain to conceal what happened in both their rooms. Even the old man Isshin couldn't sense it — much less know what went on inside the hidden space it created.
...
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