POV: AiriLocation: Ren's House – Morning
Something was beneath the floor.
She was sure of it now.
It wasn't just the strange shimmer, or the faint hum of air pressure shifting—it was the instinct, the one that told her Ren was more than what he showed the world.
Her hand trembled as she reached for the corner of the shelf.
But before her fingers touched it—
"Airi-senpai?"
The voice was soft.
Too soft for the silence it broke.
Airi turned, heart leaping.
Standing just behind her was Astraea—Ren's "sister." She tilted her head slightly, long pale hair cascading over one shoulder. She wore a loose sweater and thigh-length shorts, as if she'd just come down from her room.
There was no malice in her expression—only a serene calm. Too serene.
"I didn't mean to startle you," Astraea said. "Are you… looking for something?"
Airi blinked. "I—no. I was just…"
She trailed off.
How could she explain it? That she felt something? That the air felt thinner here, like it was wrapped around a secret?
Astraea stepped closer, her smile never leaving.
"Onii-chan told me you might come early," she said sweetly. "He said you like surprising him."
"R-Ren said that?"
Astraea nodded. "Mm. Come. Let me take you to him."
Without waiting, she turned gracefully, her barefoot steps utterly silent on the wood.
Airi hesitated, glancing one last time at the corner of the shelf… then followed.
Location: Lower Hallway
They descended the stairs quietly, Airi's curiosity simmering just beneath her cautious steps.
But as they reached the landing—
The bathroom door clicked open.
And Ren stepped out.
Shirtless. His hair damp. A white towel draped over his neck, sweatpants hanging low on his hips.
He froze the moment he saw them.
Airi froze too.
His eyes went wide.
"…Airi?"
A crimson blush crawled up his cheeks almost instantly. He looked between the two girls—then instinctively grabbed the towel and yanked it higher to cover his chest.
"W-Why are you… both…?" His voice cracked in that usual soft, awkward tone.
Airi turned her face away, equally red. "S-sorry! I didn't know—you were—I didn't mean to see—!"
"I told her you were home," Astraea said, feigning an innocent giggle. "But I guess she didn't expect this."
Airi looked up—and her eyes accidentally flicked toward Ren's neck.
And she froze again.
There—faint but undeniable—a hickey.
Her eyes widened.
Then another one.
Another.
On his collarbone. His chest.
Her heart thudded.
But—
He looked so shy. So embarrassed. So pure.
"…R-Ren…" she whispered. "What… happened?"
He looked down, clutching the towel, mouth opening like he was trying to find an excuse.
"I-I fell asleep last night," he mumbled. "I… I don't remember much. Maybe I scratched myself in sleep, or bumped into something—"
"That's not a scratch," Astraea said with a smile, stepping in. "I told him not to sleep shirtless again. He always wakes up with marks."
Airi blinked, looking between them. The way he kept his eyes low. The way he stammered and flushed. The way nothing about him felt like he was hiding something cruel.
"…You're so clumsy," she muttered.
He nodded quickly. "S-sorry."
She sighed.
Then stepped forward—and touched his forehead with her own.
"You don't have to be sorry," she whispered. "I just worry. You always push yourself too hard."
Astraea watched in silence, her expression unreadable.
Then smiled, softly.
POV: Ren
Behind the blush, the stammer, the towel clutched nervously to his chest—he watched them both.
One with affection too bright.
The other with knowledge too deep.
He had walked in through the dimensional fold of the house seconds before stepping out of the bathroom door. Slipped in between the air. Between time.
Because it was easier to play this role than explain the truth.
Because pretending was safer.
Even if it meant kneeling beneath the masks he wore.
He said nothing as Airi leaned into him gently, or as Astraea gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
But in that silence—
He was already planning his next move.
POV: Astraea – Ren's Room, Early Morning
The door closed softly behind her.
I didn't move at first—my fingers still touching the wood as if it could bring him back.
He was gone.
Again.
I crossed the room slowly, letting my feet glide across the floor, quiet as always. His scent still clung to the sheets—clean skin, faint musk, the lingering warmth of shared breath.
I sat where he had lain just hours ago.
No goodbye. No glance back. Only silence.
He always left it behind like a ghost.
My fingers traced the edge of his pillow. My lips parted, but no sound came.
Not even to myself.
I had loved him with a devotion so deep it rewrote who I was. I crossed universes for him. I gave up my identity, became his sister, his shadow—just to stay near.
And all he gave me…
Was his presence.
His body. His silence.
Not cruelty.
Not kindness.
Just a void wrapped in warmth.
I didn't cry.
Crying wouldn't reach him. It never had.
He'd already put the mask back on—the one the world could love.
And I had to be the girl who watched it happen. Again.
Even if the real Ren was only ever mine for a heartbeat in the dark.
POV: Ren – Sidewalk to School, Morning
The world smelled like wet leaves and fresh bread.
I walked beside Airi in quiet steps, her hand in mine. Warm. Steady.
She always found my hand, like a tether.
"You feel different today," she said softly, glancing up with that familiar smile.
I didn't answer.
Just let the words pass through me.
"Did you sleep okay?" she asked.
I nodded, slow and deliberate.
"Astraea-chan said you stayed up late. She said you were helping her with notes." Airi's voice was playful, but her eyes searched me carefully. "Are you two secretly becoming rivals?"
I shook my head. "Just catching up."
She leaned closer, her hair brushing my shoulder.
"I love mornings like this," she whispered. "Even when you're quiet."
I didn't respond.
But I squeezed her hand, just slightly.
That was enough for her.
Sometimes I wondered why.
As we reached the corner, Airi tilted her head and leaned toward me, smiling.
"You smell different today," she said. "New shampoo?"
"My sister switched it," I murmured.
"It suits you," she said, voice light.
I nodded faintly.
But I felt her eyes linger.
Just a second too long.
Because she loved me.
And love this deep could see through even the softest lies.
Still, she didn't say more.
She just walked beside me, gentle and bright.
Holding onto the version of me that still smiled.