Chapter 64 — Selfish
---
**Ren's room – Late night.**
Ren sat on the edge of the bed, carton of milk in hand, staring at nothing.
He wasn't sleeping.
Just lost.
Saki passed by the open door — wearing a simple nightgown.
She stopped.
Looked at him.
Something in her chest tightened.
She stepped inside.
Sat beside him.
Touched his shoulder gently.
"What happened?"
Ren didn't look at her.
"Nothing."
She smiled softly.
"You can lie to everyone… but not to me. It's clearly visible."
He finally turned.
Looked into her eyes.
"I just met Kaito. He was going to the Western Peninsula with Hasegawa and Mio. He asked me… but I denied it."
Saki's fingers stayed on his shoulder.
"So… you want to go."
Ren looked down.
"I don't know. But I'm not feeling good about it. I should have gone there… or not. I don't know. But if I think about it… it's like… why would I go? There's no one for me to protect."
Saki moved closer.
She looked at his lips.
Then his eyes.
Then placed her hand over his heart.
"You're even lying to yourself. Your heart, your eyes, your lips… they're not matching."
She smiled gently.
"You know why I like you? It's not because you're good-looking or because you're an asset. It's because you suffer alone… and you don't even know it. But I want you to share it with me."
Ren's breath caught.
Saki continued — voice soft, warm.
"Sometimes… it's good to be selfish. You can go if you want."
Ren looked at her.
Then slowly took her hand.
"Thank you, Saki. I literally don't know what I would've done without you. I'll say it's the reward I'm getting after all the suffering… and I just want to spend my life with you."
He leaned in.
Kissed her.
Soft. Real. Not scheduled.
She smiled against his lips.
He pulled back — determined.
"Yes. I'm going there."
He stood up.
Left the room.
Went to Miku and Riku's room.
The twins were both awake — sitting on their beds, staring at each other.
Ren leaned in the doorway.
"You two aren't sleeping?"
Miku grinned.
"We were seeing which one of us can stay up longer."
Riku nodded.
Ren smiled.
"Okay. Do that tomorrow. We're getting going to the Western Peninsula."
Both twins looked at each other.
Then exploded.
"YES! ADVENTURE!"
Ren shushed them.
"Shh! Keep it down."
---
**Outside the Academy.**
A man in a long black coat stood in the shadows.
The spiked, blood-dripping emblem on his back caught the faint moonlight — a large, jagged star formed from sharp, thorn-covered blades and spikes, with a central vertical sword-like spike running through the center. The entire symbol was rendered in cold metallic silver, edges razor-sharp, as if the emblem itself was bleeding.
He spoke into the darkness.
"Finally… we are here."
Two girls stepped out beside him — also wearing black coats with the same emblem on the back.
One — playful, energetic voice.
"Hmm~ Well, isn't it nice for you coming back to your home?"
The other — calm, almost cold.
"It's not home. It's a prison."
The man chuckled.
"It's what Plan B is. I knew it was the better plan from the start… as it was given by you."
The playful girl laughed — bright, dangerous.
"Hahaha! You shouldn't flirt with me… or else you'll have to become my toy."
The man smirked.
"I wasn't talking to you, sadistic woman."
The calm girl cut in.
"We are not here to fight each other. Let's go. We don't have much time."
The playful girl grinned.
"Yes. It's better to do it fast. I don't want to fight against Hyung."
They moved forward.
Into the night.
---
*End*