The rain had stopped sometime before dawn.
Morning sunlight spilled across the narrow apartment, warm and golden, softening the mess of balloons and empty bottles left over from last night's sercet celebration.
Renji blinked awake to the gentle hum of the city outside. His phone buzzed once, a notification he ignored and he sat up slowly, ruffling his hair.
His jacket was still hanging over the couch, the faint scent of Rika's perfume clinging to the fabric.
He smiled faintly.
"Guess that really happened."
[System: Emotional state....content. Minimal tension detected.]
He stretched, yawning. "Yeah, well… can't stay content forever. Life doesn't let me."
[You say that like you're allergic to peace.]
"Maybe I am."
The system didn't respond, and for a moment, Renji enjoyed the silence, the rare kind that wasn't heavy or haunted.
The kind that let you breathe.
