April 9, 2005 - Day 2 of the 3-Day Deadline,
Kaito's Apartment,
8:47 AM.
No alarm.
For the first time in weeks, Ren woke naturally. No blaring phone, no panic about being late, no jolt of adrenaline. Just slow consciousness. The weight of blankets. Sunlight filtering through thin curtains, painting his room gold.
Saturday morning.
For a few still seconds, he simply lay there, breathing, listening.
His ribs still ached but it was duller now, healing but far from healed. His jaw was tender on the left side, the scar on his eyebrow pulled whenever he raised his eyebrows. His knuckles were purple and black, scabs forming where skin had split.
But it was manageable, bearable at the very least.
"Two days since the fight with Yuto. " Ren thought, easing himself up. "Feels like a lifetime ago. "
