9:17 P.M.
The creak of the garden gate was familiar and comforting. He pushed it open with his shoulder while sorting through his keychain. The little front yard was neatly kept. The soft glow from the patio lamp shimmered through the curtains.
He took a deep breath. The air out here in Takarazuka smelled different from Osaka. Cleaner. Like a whole other life.
The front door opened before he even reached it. Kanako stood in the doorway, her black hair tied back in a loose ponytail, a smile on her lips.
"You're home early," she said softly. "Trouble at the office, Rudi?"
Rudi shook his head and gave her a tired smile, not the cold grin he wore at the club.
"Nah, just wanted ta get home earlier. Fer the kids.."
Kanako raised her eyebrows but stepped aside to let him in.
"They're waiting for you." She smiled warmly. "Junpei finished his origami swan for tomorrow and can't wait to show you."
Rudi nodded as he took off his jacket and hung it neatly on the hook. He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket briefly, fiddling with his second phone, the one with the pictures on it. It was muted.
Good. His shoulders relaxed a bit.
The house was warm and cozy, filled with the smell of apple strudel and fresh laundry. Nothing here reminded him of the stench of cheap perfume and sweat that always hung around the club.
"DADDYYY!"
The shout came from upstairs, followed by the patter of little feet on the stairs. Junpei, eight years old with a messy mop of dark curls, came racing down, clutching his origami tight.
Rudi crouched down and opened his arms wide.
"My big guy!"
Junpei threw himself into his arms. Rudi lifted him up, spun him around, and let the innocent kid giggle comfort him.
"Look! I made a swan!" Junpei held the origami up proudly.
Rudi took the paper swan and admired the clean folds. He felt real warmth spreading in his chest.
"That's awesome, my boy!" he praised, ruffling his son's curls affectionately. "I'm so proud of ya!"
"Daddy?"
Another voice from upstairs. Kaede leaned on the stair railing with an open book in her hand. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders. Even in the dim light, Rudi could see how much she looked like Kanako.
"Can you read to me tonight?" Her voice was still childlike, even at eleven years old.
Rudi set Junpei down and nodded.
"Of course, sweetheart. After dinner, yeah?"
Kanako gently touched his arm.
"It's ready. You just need to change."
Rudi nodded and headed upstairs. He passed Kaede, planting a kiss on her forehead. In the bedroom, he closed the door and let his shoulders drop. With practiced movements, he opened the safe in the closet. He stashed the second phone and the bundles of cash from today's earnings, including Jochen's "compensation."
Then he took off the business clothes he always wore when leaving the house. His wife believed he was a sales managerfor a rabbit food company. A clean cover for what he really did. He'd never given her any reason to doubt it.
Changed into jeans and a comfy shirt, he went back downstairs. His family was already at the table. The smell of tonkatsu filled the room.
During dinner, he listened to his kids, asked questions, and laughed at Junpei's school stories. It was a whole different world. His real world, or so he told himself sometimes.
Afterwards, he helped Kanako load the dishwasher. They worked side by side, a smooth routine.
"You look tired," Kanako said quietly.
Rudi shrugged. "The job. Things're busy right now."
"Still those staffing shortages with that big client?"
"Yeah, exactly," he lied smoothly. "But it'll work out."
She brushed his cheek gently, and for a moment, Rudi felt a pang of guilt. He pushed it away quick.
"I'll head up 'n read to the kids, yeah?"
In the children's room, he snuggled up with both of them on Kaede's bed. Junpei had his favorite teddy, and Kaede had her book about idols. It was a ritual they'd kept for years, whenever he got home this early.
"So, where'd we stop last time?" He opened the fairy tale book.
"With the girls walking home together," Junpei piped up eagerly.
Rudi started reading, his voice was soft and warm. So different from the sharp, commanding tone he struck at the club. He made voices for the different characters, made his kids laugh, and savored the pure, innocent moments.
When he finally put Junpei in his own bed and tucked him in, the little one held onto his sleeve.
"Daddy?" he asked sleepily.
"Yeah, big guy?"
"Will you be home early tomorrow too?"
Rudi felt a stab in his heart.
"I'll try, yeah? But Daddy has to work late a lot so we can afford this nice house."
Junpei nodded, way too understanding for an eight-year-old. "Okay. I love you."
"Love ya too, champ. More than anythin' else in the world."
He kissed his son's forehead, turned off the light, and closed the door quietly. In the hallway, he paused briefly and took a deep breath.
Later, with the kids asleep, he sat on the couch with Kanako, a glass of wine in hand. She cuddled up to him.
"How was it really today?" she asked softly.
Rudi paused for a second.
"Exhaustin'. Sometimes I wish I had a simpler job."
"Couldn't you work less? We're doing more than fine."
He chuckled, running his fingers through her hair.
"Ya know me, darlin'. I'm not the type fer half measures."
"No," she agreed. "You never were."
At first the comment flattered him, but the aftertaste was bitter, like the wine in his hand.
A few sharp sips later, he looked up. "Might be some business trips comin' up in the next few weeks"
Kanako lowered her wine glass a bit.
"Oh, but that's normal for your job, right?"
"Yeah, but this time it might be longer," he explained.
"I see, so they're sending you all over Japan again?" Kanako guessed with a sigh.
"The company's expanding, so it's gotta be done."
For a few seconds, only the soft piano music filled the room. Rudi swirled the last sip in his glass. Then he downed it and turned to Kanako.
"I hope ya can forgive me fer that.." He smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Of course," Kanako smiled back and kissed him. Then she snuggled against his shoulder again.
Later in bed, Rudi stared at the ceiling. Kanako was already asleep. Tomorrow he'd go back to the club. Back to that other life he kept far from here.
He turned on his side, watching Kanako's peaceful face in the faint moonlight. She knew nothing. Would never know. And he'd do anything to make sure it stayed that way.
His two worlds could never touch.
He closed his eyes. For a moment, he thought about Hana and Lyra. About what he had planned for them. They were just goods. Nothing more.
Fer the family, he thought as he drifted into uneasy sleep. Everythin' I do is fer my family.
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1:05 A.M.
The rustle of sheets broke the silence of the dark apartment. Hana turned over for the third time now, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Shadows from passing cars danced across the wall.
The alcohol's calming effect had long since faded. Her body was exhausted, but her mind refused to shut down. The images came the second she closed her eyes. Hands. Weight. Pain.
She opened her eyes again and breathed shallowly. The sweat on her forehead felt cold.
Why did I tell her? she thought.
Why Lyra, of all people?
She'd never meant to talk about it. Not with her. Not with anyone. It was her secret, her shame, her cage.
But there had been something in Lyra's touch. Different from anything she'd felt since that day.
Hana sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She could make out the outline of the couch where Lyra lay. She saw the slight rise and fall of the blanket with her breathing.
She's surely asleep.
Right now, even the smallest touch felt like a short circuit, she knew that. But the thought of being alone with the images in her head was even worse. The night's silence just amplified the echoes racing through her mind.
Hana stood up, her legs shook right away. The floor was cool under her feet as she carefully took a few steps to the couch.
"Lyra?" she whispered.
The movement under the blanket changed. A deep breath, then the rustle of fabric.
"Hana?" Lyra replied. "Everything okay?"
"No," Hana said. Her own honesty surprised her.
"No, nothing's okay."
Lyra rolled over to face her her.
"I..." Hana swallowed, the words wouldn't come.
"I can't sleep."
A pause where all she heard was her own heartbeat.
"Me neither," Lyra said quietly.
Hana stood there, arms wrapped around herself. Like a kid scared of the dark. The words stuck in her throat.
Please hold me. Please don't leave me alone... I don't even know why, but I need you close right now...
But she couldn't say it. The fear of rejection was too big. The fear of closeness just as much.
"Would you like to…" Lyra hesitated. "...sit down?"
Hana nodded, not sure if Lyra could even see it. She carefully sat on the edge of the couch, making sure not to touch Lyra.
Hana swallowed hard. Her hands trembled a little as she set them on her thighs. A small movement beside her. Lyra had sat up.
"Do you want me to… come to bed with you?" Lyra stammered. "Just to sleep, I mean."
The question hung between them, vulnerable and open.
Hana held her breath. Everything inside her screamed. But there was something else too. A deep, desperate need for closeness.
"Yes," she whispered before fear could take over. "But I don't know if I can..."
"We don't have to touch," Lyra interrupted gently. "Just lie next to each other."
Hana nodded, felt a single tear run down her cheek. She wiped it away quick, grateful for the darkness that hid her weakness.
They both stood. Lyra took her pillow and blanket from the couch. Silently, they went to the bed. Hana lay against the wall, leaving the edge for Lyra. They kept a deliberate distance between them.
Lyra's breathing was close, soothing, but Hana only heard the rush of blood in her ears. Her body was tense, as if expecting danger.
"Is this okay?" Lyra asked softly.
"Yeah," Hana answered, even though her body said the opposite.
Minutes passed. Slowly, Hana felt the tension in her shoulders ease. Her breathing steadied. Lyra's warmth nearby was comforting, not overwhelming. A quiet calm against the chaos in her head.
"Lyly?" she whispered into the dark.
"Yeah?"
"Could you..." Hana hesitated, unsure if she was allowed ask. "Could you hold my hand? Just my hand."
A soft rustle of the blanket. Lyra's fingertips gently reached for Hanas hand. No demanding grab, just a careful offer.
With a pounding heart, Hana opened her own hand. Their fingertips touched, so fragile and gentle.
"Is it okay like that?" Lyra's voice was small.
"Yeah," Hana said. "This is good."
The darkness felt less threatening now. The shadows lost their edge. And eventually, without noticing, they fell asleep, fingertips still connected softly.