SAI SHINU
"So… you ate an apple, and the world ended?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "The god of that world forbade us from eating for three days. But I failed. I ate… and everything collapsed. The world ended. Then the lord of that place told me someone had dragged me into that dimension. After that… I woke up."
"So you also carry a story like mine," I murmured.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You've lived something like that too, haven't you?"
"Yes," I admitted. My voice dropped, heavier with each word. "The day my father died, I came home broken. For days I couldn't sleep. Eventually, exhaustion took me, and when I woke… I was in another world. At first, I couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel anything. Then… a man came to me. He gave me something to drink, and my senses returned."
"And… his name?" Yuri asked, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
I clenched my fists. "…His name was Sai Shinu."
Her lips parted, shocked.
"We fought monsters together. I grew stronger with him at my side. But one day, after I collapsed from battle, I woke to his voice… and he told me something. He said a greater deity had forced him to kill himself." My throat tightened. My hand reached into the void of my inventory and pulled out two cold, gleaming daggers. Their metallic edges caught the light of the room.
"He used these." My voice broke with rage. "I swore then… I would find whoever made him do it. And when I do, I'll give them the most painful death imaginable."
Anger flooded me, my whole body trembling as I stood, veins pressing against my skin.
Yuri quickly stood too and grabbed my hands. "Sai," she whispered, her voice soft and steady, "please… calm down."
Her tone broke through the storm in my chest. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to sit down.
"…I think it's time for me to go home," I muttered, gathering the leftovers to throw away.
"It's late," she said gently. "Stay here."
I frowned. "Where would I sleep? I don't even fit on the sofa."
She smiled faintly. "I'll fix that problem… only for tonight."
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Are you sleepy?" she teased while walking up the stairs.
I yawned, following behind her. "A little, yeah… Wait. Do you have two beds in your room?"
She didn't answer. When she opened her door, the faint scent of her hair lingered in the air. I stepped inside, blinking.
Only one bed.
"You mean… we're sleeping here?" I asked.
"Yes," she said firmly, "but don't get any dirty ideas."
I chuckled wearily. "Relax. I'm exhausted. And besides, I wasn't planning anything like that."
Her lips curved into a sly smile. "I thought you were still innocent. But after that kiss… I'm not so sure."
We sat down on the bed. I smirked. "So you liked it?"
Her face hardened. "I will not answer that."
We lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling. The silence was thick, but not uncomfortable. I leaned closer and whispered into her ear, "So… you liked it."
She flinched. "No… I mean yes… I—"
I turned toward her, smiling faintly. "Don't worry. I don't need an answer. I'm just playing."
Flustered, she turned away from me. But before she could speak, I slipped my arms around her waist, pulling her into a back hug.
Her body stiffened, but then I felt her hands slide over mine, fingers gently locking with mine. Her voice was soft, almost shy. "I'm fine if you want to sleep like this."
"You're sure?" I asked quietly.
"Yes."
"Alright."
We pulled the blanket over us. The warmth of her body, the rhythm of her breath—it lulled me faster than I expected. Within minutes, we both drifted into sleep.
JIRO IKIGAI
Half-asleep, my body jolted awake as the ground shook beneath me. At first, I thought it was my weakness again, my mind playing tricks. But no—the floor rumbled, walls trembled, and the air itself vibrated violently.
An earthquake. No—something worse.
The shaking didn't stop. My heart pounded, panic rising. I stumbled outside, the night sky split with tension.
I grabbed my phone and dialed. "Sai!"
He picked up instantly. "Hey, what do you want at this time?"
"What do you mean?!" I shouted. "You don't feel this? The ground—it's like an unstoppable earthquake!"
There was a pause. Then his calm voice: "…No. I don't feel anything."
"What?!" My blood ran cold. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm next to your mother's office," he replied.
"Stay there! I'm coming!" I cut the call and sprinted through the trembling streets, my lungs burning, my mind racing.
Something wasn't right.
Not at all.