Toru's chest heaves. He stares down at Koji's unconscious body, his knuckles throbbing. His lips part, but no words come. For the first time, he looks scared of himself.
Naoko grabs Toru's arm, her voice sharp but low.
Naoko (urgent, trembling):
"Bathroom. Now. Don't say a word. Koji just passed out. Do you understand me?"
Toru doesn't move at first. His eyes flicker to Maki, who stares back with an unreadable calm, blood still on his lip. Slowly, Toru nods.
Naoko grips his arm tighter.
Naoko (commanding):
"Say it. Koji passed out."
Toru (hoarse, forcing it out):
"...Koji passed out."
Naoko exhales shakily, her eyes softening. She pulls him toward the hall, Minato still clutched in his arms.
Meanwhile, Shion has been frozen in the doorway, her hand trembling on the knob the whole time. Her eyes are wide, face pale, lips parted in horror. She looks like she's stepped into a nightmare.
Naoko glances at her briefly, her voice hard but tired.
Naoko:
"There's a medkit in the closet. Treat Tokami. And not a word of this outside these walls."
Shion nods stiffly, almost robotically, before moving to obey.
⸻
Tokami drags his father's heavy body onto the couch. Each grunt echoes in the silence. When he finally lets go, he just... stares.
Koji's chest rises and falls slowly, knocked out cold. Tokami's hand hovers in the air like he wants to touch him, but he doesn't. His jaw tightens. His eyes brim with something bitter — shame, disgust, a broken kind of longing.
He finally looks away, catching Shion's gaze.
Tokami (cold, flat):
"Sorry you had to see that. This isn't anyone's business. He was drunk. That's it."
He moves to walk away, but Shion instinctively reaches for him. Her hand wraps around his wrist.
He freezes. For a second, he doesn't look back. Then, slowly, he yanks his wrist away—only to grab her hand instead, curling his fingers around hers with surprising gentleness. Without a word, he tugs her toward the hallway.
⸻
Tokami drops onto the edge of the bed, sweat sticking his hair to his forehead. He winces as Shion kneels in front of him, cotton pad in hand.
Tokami (grimacing, muttering):
"Ow. Shit—easy."
She presses her lips together, dabbing carefully at the cut on his cheek. His jaw tenses, but he doesn't move away. Her eyes trail lower, catching the ugly bruise across his stomach. She hesitates, then gently presses the cotton against it.
Tokami (flinching, voice rough):
"Damn it—watch it."
Their eyes meet briefly — his guarded, hers full of something heavy, sympathetic.
The door creaks open.
Toru stands there. His breath catches. From his angle, it looks wrong — Shion bent over Tokami, Tokami's head tilted back, his lips parted. Toru's mind twists the image instantly.
His eyes widen, his face hardens. He slams the door shut, the sound rattling the frame.
Toru (outside, whisper, devious smirk)
"They're... they're..."
He makes a crude gesture. Maki, leaning against the wall with his cigarette, raises a brow.
Maki (flat, unimpressed):
"What?"
Toru (snapping, laughing):
"They're doing it!"
Maki bursts into laughter, dragging Toru by the arm as he kicks the door open. Inside, Shion sits back on her heels, cotton pad in hand, Tokami shirtless but clearly injured.
Toru freezes. His jaw tightens. He scoffs, pacing, running a hand through his hair embarrassed . Maki just smacks him on the shoulder, still laughing, the tension breaking into something almost absurd.
But Shion's eyes... her eyes stay on Toru, wide and unreadable.
____
Hour later..
The clock ticks toward morning. The house has quieted, except for low whispers.
Tokami sits cross-legged on the bed, animatedly talking about the fight.
Tokami (grinning, proud):
"Man, Toru... that punch. You were like—bam! One hit and he's out cold! You should've seen his face!"
Toru just shakes his head, smirking faintly, but says nothing.
Maki leans against the wall, scrolling his phone, a fresh band-aid across his cheek. His voice is lazy, casual.
Maki:
"You're exaggerating."
Shion sits beside him, half peeking at his phone, half lost in thought, her chin resting on her palm.
Then suddenly, her phone buzzes. Her mother's name flashes on the screen. Her heart drops. She glances at the time — 3:26 AM.
Her eyes widen.
Shion (shouting, startled):
"Three... twenty-six!?"
Tokami and Toru both jolt, startled, before rolling their eyes in unison.
Tokami:
"Jeez... dramatic."
But Shion is already scrambling out of the room, phone pressed to her ear.
⸻
Shion (quickly, whispering):
"Yes, Mom?"
Reina (on the phone, panicked, almost shrieking):
"You haven't been picking up your phone! Do you know how worried I've been? Come home this instant! It's too late for a girl to be out!"
Shion presses her lips together, lowering her voice so Naoko won't hear.
Shion (whispering, resisting):
"I'm having fun... I don't want to—"
Reina (screaming, words breaking):
"Get back here now! Do you know what could've happened?! You could've been kidnapped, or—"
Shion (screaming back, tears welling):
"Suddenly you care?!"
Koji groans from the couch, rolling over. Shion's blood runs cold. She hangs up instantly.
The boys rush out of Tokami's room. Maki first, followed by Toru and Tokami.
Boys (in unison, urgent):
"What happened?!"
Shion stands frozen, clutching her phone.
Maki tilts his head, tone calm, almost too calm.
Maki (genuine, quiet):
"Hey... you alright?"
But Toru pushes past Tokami, stepping closer. His height hovers over her, his voice low, almost too intimate.
Toru (serious, soft):
"Come here. I'll walk you home."
His tone sends a shiver down her spine. She stares up at him, wide-eyed. Then she shakes her head quickly.
Shion (awkward, waving her arms):
"No, it's fine. I can walk myself, I—"
Toru (cutting in, firm):
"Let's go."
His hand reaches for her wrist. Not rough, not controlling. Just firm. She doesn't resist. She lets him pull her away.
Tokami and Maki stay behind, watching them go.
Tokami (casual, zoning out):
"Don't you think... something's off about that girl?"
Maki sighs, voice low, deep.
Maki (sad, gentle):
"Well... how do you think she sees us? After what she just witnessed with our family?"
⸻
The car hums along the quiet road. Rock music fills the space, Toru drumming one hand lazily against the wheel, eyes half-lidded as he bops to the beat.
Shion leans against the window, asleep. The streetlights sweep across her face as the car rolls over speed bumps, making her head loll side to side.
Toru glances at her, lips twitching into a smile. Slowly, he lowers the hood of the car. Wind rushes in. She stirs awake instantly, blinking.
Toru (chuckling softly):
"Well, good thing you're up now. I've been driving in circles... didn't want to wake you. And I don't even know where your house is."
Shion sits up quickly, embarrassed, brushing her hair from her face.
Shion (stammering, flustered):
"Oh—right... wait. Did you just say you didn't want to wake me?"
Toru nods, laughing lightly.
Toru (teasing):
"You fell asleep the second you got in. And you were snoring too."
Shion (defensive, snapping):
"I do not snore!"
Toru laughs harder, his dimples showing, the sound mixing with the rock music until even Shion can't help but laugh along.
As they reach the house, Toru offers to walk her in, but Shion quickly shakes her head no.
Shion (dismissive, waving her arms):
"No.. just quickly go, okay?"
She jumps out the car, and stands there waiting for him to leave but he doesn't budge, he leans his body out the window before shouting.
Toru (shouting, flirty smile):
"I'm not leaving until you're inside the house, so go."
Shion laughs before immediately nodding like, "Fine you win." she walks onto the porch, walking backwards as she waves. He waves back, but still doesn't budge as she stands on the porch.
Shion (whisper-yelling, laughing):
"Go already!"
Toru honks the horn while laughing making her jump and quickly run inside the house laughing, shes peeks her head out the door one last time before waving good bye, he laughs as he starts to back out the driveway. His arm waves outside the window, rock music blasting as he leaves the driveway.
The door creaks as Shion slips inside. The smell of stale alcohol hits her immediately. The living room is dim, lit only by the faint blue flicker of the TV.
On the couch, her mother Reina sleeps curled up uncomfortably, half-covered by a blanket. Six empty beer bottles line the coffee table. Across the room, a strange man Shion doesn't recognize is sprawled out shirtless, snoring loudly.
Shion stops in the doorway. Her breath catches, anger rising.
Shion (voice breaking, shouting):
"Don't you care about me at all!?"
Her voice pierces the silence. Reina jolts awake, blinking, disoriented. The man just groans, rolling onto his side.
Reina (hushed, urgent whisper):
"Shhh... don't wake him, he has work tomorrow—"
Shion strides forward, tears in her eyes. She crouches, forcing Reina to meet her gaze.
Shion (cold, furious, trembling):
"I'll move out of here as fast as I can. You won't ever see me again."
Reina exhales sharply through her nose, avoiding her daughter's eyes. She pushes Shion aside to stand.
Shion (voice cracking, desperate):
"Or maybe I should just kill myself, Mom! Maybe that's the only way you'd finally miss me, finally pay attention, finally love me! Because as long as I live... I will never come first for you!"
Reina freezes mid-step. Her face twists — anger mixing with shock.
Reina (snapping, shouting):
"Don't say such nonsense! Stop talking about dying like that!"
Shion shoves past her, tears spilling down her cheeks. She storms toward her room, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frame.
⸻
SHION'S ROOM
Shion collapses against the door, locking it with trembling hands. She slides down to the floor, staring up at the ceiling, eyes hollow.
Shion (muttering, to herself):
"How do I get back to the present...?"
Her breath hitches. Thoughts spiral. Her hands fumble for her phone.
She scrolls through Toru's sparse social media — only two photos: one of him playing piano, another at a party, sprawled across a couch with a pill between his lips.
Shion (quiet, to herself, almost bitter):
"He looks so different... so reckless. How is he more experienced than me... when we're the same age?"
She opens the comments. Dozens of girls thirsting. Boys hyping him. Toru liking each one. Her chest burns.
Then she stumbles across a tagged photo — Toru kissing a girl's neck, her lips puckered in a pose.
Shion (shrieking, throwing her phone away):
"What—?! He had a girlfriend before me?! No, no, no...! He was my first boyfriend! Why can't I be his first?! Is that why he left me?!"
She kicks at the floor, thrashing in frustration before flopping flat on her back, gasping.
Silence.
Her eyes drift to her vanity. Slowly, she drags herself up. She wipes her tears, ties her hair back, and pulls out makeup. Her hands move with precision, like she's someone else.
Minutes later, she stares into the mirror.
Shion (soft gasp, whispering):
"Wow... If only I knew back then... maybe I would've been prettier."
She leans closer — but her vision blurs. She fumbles for her glasses, patting the floor, the bed. Nothing.
Shion (frustrated, muttering):
"I should've asked for contacts..."
She slumps back in her chair. Then —
Tap... tap... tap.
Her head snaps up. She looks toward the window.
Outside, Toru stands under the streetlight, hands cupped around his mouth.
Shion (whisper-yelling out the window):
"What the hell are you doing here, Toru?!"
End of Chapter 10...