Shion POV
Sometimes I hate that my life has gotten like this.
At one point, I hated Toru so much that even hearing his name disgusted me.
But now? Whatever these dreams are, or if this is actually time travel... then I'm falling in love with Toru again.
His cross earrings glinting in the night. His eyes, dark but shining, always half-lidded like he's teasing me even when he's not. That voice — deep, sometimes blunt, sometimes soft, always carrying that edge of something seductive. And the way his hair bounces when he rolls his eyes, strands falling onto his forehead.
The more I travel into the past, the more I realize... the problem was never Toru. It was me.
⸻
FLASHBACK – ONE YEAR AGO
The Kanzaki estate loomed in the night. The mansion's lanterns glowed faintly against the dark sky, reflecting on the still water of the stone fountain in the garden. Flowering plum trees swayed lightly in the breeze, petals scattering across the pool in the backyard. A sleek black car sat quietly in the driveway, its chrome rims catching the starlight.
Hana stood just beyond the gates, her small hands trembling as she fidgeted with her phone. The muffled sound of piano keys drifted from inside the house — haunting, fluid, and sad. She gripped the phone tighter, her throat dry.
The piano cut off. A heavy silence followed. Then the door slid open.
Toru stepped out into the night, shirtless, his damp hair sticking to his forehead. A towel hung over his shoulder, his posture lazy but his gaze sharp. His eyes, cold and unreadable, locked onto Hana.
Toru (impatient, voice flat):
"What's up, Hana? Tell Tokami and Maki I don't want to hang out today."
Hana shot to her feet, her cheeks glowing red. She bowed quickly, trying to steady her breath.
Hana (stammering, nervous):
"H-hey... Toru... could I talk to you, please?"
Toru (sighing, already turning away):
"Come on, Hana. I've got family stuff. Not tonight. We'll talk another time, yeah?"
But Hana clenched her fists, her voice cracking as she shouted—
Hana (blurted, trembling):
"I WANT YOU TO BE MY BOYFRIEND! I LOVE YOU!"
The night froze.
Toru's eyes widened briefly, panic flashing across his face. But in a blink, it vanished. His mask slipped back into place — cold, unreachable.
Toru (low, serious):
"You need to leave before my mom sees you."
Hana (tears spilling, lips trembling):
"Toru... I love you. I can't fake it anymore. I hate when you wink at girls in the hallway. I hate that you look so good outside, like you stepped out of a movie. I love you so much that I hate you."
His expression cracked. The glare softened, the tension in his jaw loosening. Something flickered in his eyes — confusion, pity, maybe even guilt.
He reached out slowly, his thumb brushing away her tears. Then he pulled her against him. Her small body pressed into his chest, her sobs shaking them both.
Toru (gentle, whispering like a scold):
"I hate when girls cry. Don't cry like this."
His arms wrapped around her tightly, but his blinking betrayed the storm inside him.
Hana (sobbing harder, clutching him tighter):
"I love how kind you are. I love how you make me laugh. I even love it when you bully me instead of acting fake-nice like everyone else. I love that you're blunt, that you don't lie. I... I love you."
Toru shut his eyes. He searched for something — for a spark, for a future, for a truth. But all he found was silence. He cared for Hana. But was it love? Or just comfort? She was too quiet. Too closed off. Too broken for him to fix.
Toru (softly, conflicted):
"...Then speak to me more. Don't keep hiding everything. I don't even know where you live, Hana. You're just a closed book."
Hana looked up at him, her tears still shining. She didn't care whether his feelings matched hers. She only wanted him to know.
Hana (whispering, firm):
"It might be sudden... but just don't date any other girl. Don't look at anyone else."
Toru furrowed his brows, but sighed and nodded faintly.
She smiled through her tears, waved once, and walked backward into the dark street.
Toru (muttering to himself, conflicted):
"...We barely talk. How can I even get to know her?"
Hana turned away finally, cheeks flushed.
Hana (thoughts, bittersweet):
"If I stayed any longer... I could've kissed him."
_____
End of flashback..
Narrator Pov...
Suddenly, her door bursts open.
Mumu stands there, her smile wide, eyes sparkling.
Mumu (excited, squealing):
"SHION! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!"
Shion gasps, joy flooding her face. She leaps from the bed, crashing into Mumu's arms. They spin, squealing, before bumping hips like kids again.
Shion buries her face briefly in her friend's shoulder. God, she missed her smell.
⸻
EXT. QUIET STREET – NIGHT
The two walk side by side under the glow of a lone streetlamp. Their shoulders brush every few steps, the gravel crunching under their shoes.
Mumu keeps glancing down, her hands fiddling with her sleeves. Shion notices and bumps her shoulder harder.
Mumu (laughing awkwardly, rubbing her arm):
"Hey... that hurt."
Her laugh fades. Her cheeks blush as her gaze falls to the ground.
Shion tilts her head, raising a brow. She clasps her hands behind her back, rocking on her feet with each step, her eyes squinting suspiciously.
Mumu bursts into exaggerated laughter, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Mumu (smirking, teasing):
"Fine, fine... I may or may not like someone now."
Shion's mouth forms a perfect 'O.'
Shion (grinning):
"Who?"
Mumu slaps her shoulder lightly, giggling.
Mumu (teasing, singsong):
"Itsuki. Duh."
Shion freezes. She claps a hand over her mouth, then crosses her arms, giving Mumu a dramatic side-eye.
Shion (snapping, playful):
"Oh, come on. You and Itsuki always argue. As if you'd actually like him."
But Mumu's laugh fades. She fidgets with her hands, her expression falling.
Mumu (quiet, serious):
"...I know you like him too. But I really—"
Shion (cutting her off, laughing softly):
"If you like him, you like him. It's fine. My crush on him was old news anyway. ...When did this even start?"
Mumu's cheeks flush as she remembers.
⸻
FLASHBACK – 3 NIGHTS AGO
Mumu's small apartment. A worn brown couch with red pillows. The TV flickers in front of her, a drama scene playing. She laughs softly. Her cat, Saori, leaps onto her stomach, kneading his paws until she giggles uncontrollably.
Mumu (giggling, petting him):
"Saori! Stop— that tickles!"
Ding Dong.
She frowns, rolling her eyes, dragging her pajama-clad body to the door. Her glasses slide halfway down her nose, her hair in a messy bun. She peeks through the lens.
Itsuki stands outside, shivering in the cold, rubbing his arms.
She flings the door open.
Itsuki (weak smile, voice hoarse):
"Mumu Mu—" he coughs.
Her heart clenches. She pulls him in immediately, guiding him to the couch.
Mumu (worried, serious):
"What happened? Why are you like this?"
Itsuki (half-smirk, leaning back):
"I'm not going home tonight. And Shion and Daiki live too far. So... I came here."
Mumu pouts, handing him a glass of water before turning on the heater.
Mumu (muttering, sarcastic sing-song):
"Funny. Even though we were friends first, you always liked them more than me."
Itsuki chuckles weakly, putting down the glass. Then he leans forward, crawling closer until he's sitting criss-cross in front of her. His eyes, dark but sincere, lock onto hers.
Itsuki (serious):
"Then let's change that. We should hang out more. Just you and me. Yeah?"
Mumu blinks, startled. Her lips curve slowly into a smile as she nods.
⸻
PRESENT –
Shion leans closer, curious.
Shion (pressing, teasing):
"And what happened after that?"
Mumu (dismissive, waving arms):
Suddenly, her door bursts open.
Mumu stands there, her smile wide, eyes sparkling.
Mumu (excited, squealing):
"SHION! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!"
Shion gasps, joy flooding her face. She leaps from the bed, crashing into Mumu's arms. They spin, squealing, before bumping hips like kids again.
Shion buries her face briefly in her friend's shoulder. God, she missed her smell.
⸻
The two walk side by side under the glow of a lone streetlamp. Their shoulders brush every few steps, the gravel crunching under their shoes.
Mumu keeps glancing down, her hands fiddling with her sleeves. Shion notices and bumps her shoulder harder.
Mumu (laughing awkwardly, rubbing her arm):
"Hey... that hurt."
Her laugh fades. Her cheeks blush as her gaze falls to the ground.
Shion tilts her head, raising a brow. She clasps her hands behind her back, rocking on her feet with each step, her eyes squinting suspiciously.
Mumu bursts into exaggerated laughter, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Mumu (smirking, teasing):
"Fine, fine... I may or may not like someone now."
Shion's mouth forms a perfect 'O.'
Shion (grinning):
"Who?"
Mumu slaps her shoulder lightly, giggling.
Mumu (teasing, singsong):
"Itsuki. Duh."
Shion freezes. She claps a hand over her mouth, then crosses her arms, giving Mumu a dramatic side-eye.
Shion (snapping, playful):
"Oh, come on. You and Itsuki always argue. As if you'd actually like him."
But Mumu's laugh fades. She fidgets with her hands, her expression falling.
Mumu (quiet, serious):
"...I know you like him too. But I really—"
Shion (cutting her off, laughing softly):
"If you like him, you like him. It's fine. My crush on him was old news anyway. ...When did this even start?"
Mumu's cheeks flush as she remembers.
⸻
FLASHBACK – 3 NIGHTS AGO
Mumu's small apartment. A worn brown couch with red pillows. The TV flickers in front of her, a drama scene playing. She laughs softly. Her cat, Saori, leaps onto her stomach, kneading his paws until she giggles uncontrollably.
Mumu (giggling, petting him):
"Saori! Stop— that tickles!"
Ding Dong.
She frowns, rolling her eyes, dragging her pajama-clad body to the door. Her glasses slide halfway down her nose, her hair in a messy bun. She peeks through the lens.
Itsuki stands outside, shivering in the cold, rubbing his arms.
sex
She flings the door open.
Itsuki (weak smile, voice hoarse):
"Mumu Mu—" he coughs.
Her heart clenches. She pulls him in immediately, guiding him to the couch.
Mumu (worried, serious):
"What happened? Why are you like this?"
Itsuki (half-smirk, leaning back): cb
"I'm not going home tonight. And Shion and Daiki live too far. So... I came here."
Mumu pouts, handing him a glass of water before turning on the heater.
Mumu (muttering, sarcastic sing-song):
"Funny. Even though we were friends first, you always liked them more than me."
Itsuki chuckles weakly, putting down the glass. Then he leans forward, crawling closer until he's sitting criss-cross in front of her. His eyes, dark but sincere, lock onto hers.
Itsuki (serious):
"Then let's change that. We should hang out more. Just you and me. Yeah?"
Mumu blinks, startled. Her lips curve slowly into a smile as she nods.
⸻
PRESENT –
Shion leans closer, curious.
Shion (pressing, teasing):
"Well what happened after that?"
Mumu body tenses up, as if she couldn't say before immediately dismissing the matter.
Mumu (smiling, changing the subject):
"Have you talked to your old ex yet?"
Shion eyes quickly go wide then into a soft smile, she shakes her head no before slightly showing her teeth, her eyes shining.
"You have pretty legs." Ran through her head in speed, his curls in the night rain damped, the way his laugh sounds so low but yet seductive.
"You should give me a rose everyday."
___
Toru (shouting through the air, hair whipped by wind):
"You know whats so beautiful about Roses?"
Shion's grin is bright in the dark.
Shion (daydreaming like):
"The color.. the aesthetic.. and the-"
Toru sits back, dimples cutting deep even in low light.
Toru (smiling, dimples showing):
"Roses.. they protect themselves with thorns, even while being the most beautiful flower, fragile beauty.."
___
Ms. Endo:
"Aht! Not your seat anymore. You'll be sitting next to.. Shion Asagiri."
The name drops like a stone.
Toru (blinking, muttering):
"Who the hell is that—"
Shion:
"That would be me."
Toru (grumbling, to Ms. Endo):
"Great. Fantastic. Sit next to the pretty girl, huh?"
___
End of her little daydream..
Mumu (waving her arm in front of Shion):
"SHION HELLOOO?"
Shion quickly snaps out her daydream before smirking a bit and stopping her walk.
Shion (casual, playing it off):
"Well let's go eat now, my treat."
_____
The low thrum of bass pulsed through Toru's room, the sound looping, glitching, replaying under his touch. The glow from his computer screen painted his face in pale blue, shadows falling over the curve of his jaw. His mouse clicked with steady precision, fingers moving sharp and deliberate. There was something magnetic in the way he worked — a kind of lazy control, as if the music bent to his will.
The phone buzzed against the desk. Toru exhaled slowly, spun in his chair, the movement casual but fluid. His black hair fell into his eyes as he tilted the phone up.
Toru (flat, detached):
"...Moshi moshi?"
Jyuho (soft, trembling):
"Toru-kun?"
He frowned.
Toru (sharp, suspicious):
"Jyuho?"
A silence lingered before she laughed softly, the kind of laugh that used to pull him in without effort.
Jyuho (soft, teasing):
"Still sounds strange, doesn't it? Hearing my voice."
His jaw tightened.
Toru (low, tense):
"Why are you calling me?"
Jyuho (hesitant):
"Because... I wanted to see you. I'm nearby."
Before he could reply, the knock came. Sharp. Too confident.
The old wooden frame of the genkan shivered under her fist. He slid the door open, and there she stood — Jyuho.
Her hair was long, silky, framing a soft, almost innocent face. But her clothes told a different story. A black camisole that clung to her chest, straps slipping thin against her skin, paired with a skirt so short it barely brushed her thighs. She wore a light cardigan draped open, no effort to hide herself, her lips tinted a soft pink. Her eyes, wide and glassy, looked up at him as though daring him to say something.
Toru (sharp, quiet):
"Are you insane? Showing up here dressed like that? My mother is in this house, Jyuho."
Jyuho (mocking, scoffing):
"It's not that bad."
He dragged his eyes over her once more, then shook his head.
Toru (cold, biting):
"You look like—" he cut himself off, jaw tightening "—like a hostess sneaking out after midnight. What are you trying to prove?"
Jyuho (mocking smile):
"What's wrong, Toru? Afraid your mother will think I'm your girlfriend?"
Toru (lower, darker):
"She'd think worse. And she wouldn't be wrong."
Jyuho's smirk faltered for half a second, but she covered it by stepping closer, her perfume sweet but heavy.
Jyuho (soft, daring):
"You still talk like you hate me. But you don't push me away."
He stared at her, silent for a moment, the weight between them thick. Finally, he moved aside, sliding the door further open.
Toru (flat, resigned):
"Come inside before someone sees."
The tatami mats creaked faintly as she stepped in, heels clicking against the wooden floor until she slipped them off. She followed him down the narrow hallway, the dim lantern light flickering off the wooden beams. His door slid shut behind them, soft but final.
The second the lock clicked, Jyuho's hand was already on his chest. She leaned up, her lips pressing against his without hesitation. The kiss was hot, desperate, tasting faintly of cigarettes and gloss. Her fingers tugged at his shirt, slipping under the hem, tracing up his skin as if she was reclaiming something lost.
Toru kissed her back for a breath, rough and unthinking, his grip tightening at her waist. Her other hand slid down, fumbling with the button of his pants.
But then he broke it. His palm pressed against her shoulder, pushing her back, his breath ragged.
Toru (low, controlled):
"Stop."
Jyuho (in disbelief):
"What?"
Toru (short, flat):
"I need water."
Her lips parted, eyes narrowing.
Jyuho (scoffing, irritated):
"Seriously, Toru? That's the excuse you're going with?"
He didn't answer, already moving toward the door.
Toru (curt, warning):
"Stay here. Don't make a sound."
Jyuho (rolling her eyes, mocking):
"Why should I hide? If someone sees me, then so what? You're not embarrassed of me, are you?"
He froze for a moment, jaw clenched, before sliding the door shut on her words.
The hallway was darker now, quiet except for the faint hum of the fridge in the kitchen. As he stepped inside, glass in hand, he found Akari already there.
She leaned against the counter, arms crossed, her eyes sharp in the half-light. Suspicion clung to her expression, her gaze narrowing the second it landed on him.
Akari (flat, cold):
"...Who's in your room, Toru?"
Toru froze, the glass halfway to his lips. His shoulders stiffened, but his eyes stayed calm, unreadable.
Toru (low, dismissive):
"No one."
Akari's gaze sharpened, her arms tightening across her chest.
Akari (accusing, angry):
"You think I'm stupid? I heard the door. You brought another girl inside, didn't you? Always sneaking them in and hooking up like this house is a love hotel."
His jaw clenched. He set the glass down harder than necessary, the water rippling inside.
Toru (irritated, sharp):
"What I do in my room isn't your business."
Akari stepped forward, her slippers brushing against the wooden floor, voice rising.
Akari (furious):
"Not my business? This is our house, Toru! Hitomi won't even let me have my boyfriend here, but you—" she jabbed a finger at his chest, "—you think you can get away with dragging girls in like it's nothing? Why would she let you and not me?"
Toru rolled his eyes, a low, humorless laugh slipping past his lips.
Toru (mocking, cold):
"You're comparing your little high school romance to me? Don't make me laugh."
Akari's cheeks flushed red, anger burning in her eyes.
Akari (threatening):
"Keep laughing. I'll tell Hitomi. She'll throw you out faster than you can blink—unless..." she tilted her head, her smirk sharp, "you pay up. Then maybe I forget what I saw."
Something in Toru snapped. The smirk fell from his face, replaced by a sharp glare. In one sudden movement, he shoved Akari back, her body hitting the wall with a soft thud. Before she could even gasp, he grabbed her wrist, dragging her across the hallway and pushing her into her room.
The door slid shut with a violent snap. He leaned close, voice low, dark, biting.
Toru (furious, cutting):
"Sneak him in here for all I care. Just stay out of my business. You aren't my girlfriend."
Akari's breath caught, her wide eyes staring up at him. His grip loosened, but the tension in the air stayed thick, humming like static.
Toru stepped back, running a hand through his hair, his tone softer now but laced with venom.
Toru (low, warning):
"You say one word to Hitomi, and you'll regret it. I don't owe you anything."
END OF CHAPTER 13