The silence inside the car feels haunting.
Etsuko sits quietly beside me in the passenger seat, yet her words keep echoing inside my head.
"Am I not pretty enough to be your wife…?"
It won't leave me alone.
And the truth is—
she is pretty.
Painfully pretty.
A kind-hearted woman with the warmest smile, always caring more about others than herself.
Anyone would be lucky to have her.
So why can't I be enough for her?
My grip tightens around the steering wheel.
Because no matter how hard I try, my heart keeps tangling itself around Erika.
It keeps running back to her.
And that's exactly why I can't ruin Etsuko's life.
I can't spend years watching her question her own worth just because I stand beside her with a distracted heart.
She deserves more than half-hearted love.
More than a man who hesitates every time she reaches for him.
Maybe she deserves someone far better than a jerk like me.
It hurts remembering the way she cried helplessly in my arms.
But maybe hurting her now is still kinder…
than destroying her slowly for the rest of her life.
"Stop the car over there…"
Her hollow voice snaps me out of my thoughts.
I glance at her briefly before slowing the car.
"It's still far. I'll drop you to your apartment."
"No. It's fine."
Her voice is cold.
Clear.
Like she has already made up her mind.
I don't protest again.
Maybe letting her go is the kindest thing I can do for her right now.
The moment the car stops, she steps out into the quiet night.
Her white dress sways softly against the wind, the pale fabric clinging slightly to her silhouette.
I stay still behind the wheel.
Watching her walk away.
And somehow—
I can't move.
She looks so small.
So helpless.
My chest tightens painfully.
"Damn it…"
Before I can stop myself, I grab my jacket and umbrella before rushing after her.
"Etsuko."
She pauses but doesn't turn immediately.
I hold the umbrella above her first, then carefully place my jacket over her shoulders.
The warmth of her trembling body reaches straight into my chest.
"You shouldn't be alone right now."
""Go away…!"
Her voice breaks apart beneath the sound of the pouring rain.
"I'm better off alone."
She shoves against my chest weakly, tears mixing with the rain running down her face.
"You're the worst kind, you know that?"
A shaky breath escapes her.
"You bloody jerk…"
But the anger in her voice collapses into helpless sobs.
My chest aches hearing it.
"Etsuko…"
I pull her closer before she can push me away again, shielding her beneath the umbrella even as the rain soaks through my sleeves.
"I know," I whisper hoarsely. "That's exactly why I'm stepping out of your way."
My arms tighten slightly around her trembling body.
"So you can find someone better than me."
"Shut up!"
Her voice cracks loudly through the rain.
She grips my shirt tightly, almost desperately.
"Did I ever ask you for the best, huh?!"
The words hit harder than they should.
Her tear-filled eyes finally meet mine.
And somehow—
that hurts even more.
"Ren…"
Her lips tremble.
"You never understand my love."
A painful smile forms on her face, completely broken.
"And you probably never will."
For the first time that night—
I have no words left.
Go to hell…"
Her voice comes out fragile beneath the rain.
"And live with your witch…"
The words sting instantly.
"The one you kept staring at in the hotel…"
Pain flickers through her expression as she laughs bitterly at herself.
"But even she can't love you the way I do, you jerk…"
Before I can answer, she suddenly turns away.
I think she's leaving.
But halfway through—
she stops.
For one brief second, her shoulders tremble.
Then she storms back toward me and crashes her lips against mine.
My entire body freezes.
I don't move.
Don't breathe.
The world around us disappears beneath the sound of rain striking the pavement.
And somehow—
that makes it worse.
Because even now, I hesitate.
Etsuko slowly pulls away.
The hurt in her eyes is unbearable.
That tiny hesitation was enough.
"Don't ever try to meet me again."
Her voice is barely steady.
"Don't cross my path."
A tear slips down her cheek.
"I hate you."
Another broken breath.
"I hate you so much…"
And then she runs.
Straight into the apartment building without looking back.
Leaving me standing alone in the rain—
unable to chase after her this time.
I force myself to accept it.
Maybe this is how things are supposed to end between us.
My eyes drift toward her one last time as she walks toward the apartment building, her figure slowly disappearing beneath the rain and dim lights.
For a moment—
I almost call out to her.
Almost.
But I stop myself.
Because holding onto her any longer would only hurt her more.
A bitter smile forms on my lips.
I hope someday…
you find a man who adores the very floor you walk on.
A man who never hesitates when it comes to loving you.
Unlike me.
The thought sinks heavily into my chest.
Then I quietly turn away and walk back toward my car alone, the rain soaking through everything as the silence follows me once again.
The drive home is cruel.
Every red light feels heavier than the last.
My mind keeps replaying everything I did wrong with Etsuko…
And still drifting back to Erika.
"Fuck…"
My fist hits the steering wheel.
"What the hell is she doing?"
That old man… looking at her like she's nothing more than property.
A wave of disgust rises in me.
"Don't touch her…"
The thought won't leave.
Before I realize it, I've taken her phone.
I trace everything I can.
Her location.
Her past routes.
And I find it.
An old apartment building.
"Erika!"
My fist pounds the door.
"Open up!"
No response.
Only silence.
A neighbor opens her door cautiously.
"Are you here to threaten her?"
Her voice is sharp.
"Why can't you leave her alone?"
"I'm not here to threaten her."
I show my ID and hold up Erika's phone.
"Just tell me where she is."
The girl hesitates.
"People keep coming for her… what if something happens because of you?"
"Please," I say quietly. "Just tell me."
Her expression softens slightly—but not fully.
"I can't tell you where she went."
Pause.
"But she left."
"She looked… happy."
My chest tightens.
"Like she finally found peace after a long time."
Then she closes the door.
Leaving me alone again.
"Damn it…"
My voice echoes in the hallway.
"Erika…"
My fist hits the wall.
"How can you just disappear like this…?"
"To go to him?"
Something inside me burns.
"No… you can't do this."
I search everywhere.
Stations.
Bus stops.
Airport.
Nothing.
No trace.
No direction.
Just absence.
I finally reach home.
Soaked.
Exhausted.
Empty-handed.
I stand in the middle of my room, water dripping onto the floor.
"…Why is this affecting me so much?"
My head hurts.
Damn it.
It's morning now.
The rain has stopped.
Everything outside looks calmer.
Too calm.
But inside me, nothing has settled.
I stare at my phone sitting on the couch.
For a moment, I don't even move.
Then I reach for it.
"Fuck…"
My eyes widen.
No way.
One hundred and fifty missed calls.
All of them stacked one after another like something has been collapsing in real time without me noticing.
"What the hell happened…"
My thumb hovers over the screen.
Before I can process it fully, notifications start loading in.
News alerts.
Trending articles.
Headlines flooding the screen.
"Furukawa Conglomerate Succession Battle Heats Up"
"Tycoon Furukawa Kenji's heirs: Arata vs Miyo"
My grip tightens.
Scrolling further, the tone shifts darker.
Public discussion.
Opinion pieces.
Comment threads exploding with speculation about Miyo's credibility as a successor, dragging her name through every possible angle of scrutiny after the recent controversy tied to her personal life and associations.
Some call it "bad timing."
Others call it "proof of incompetence."
And the internet—
it doesn't hesitate to tear into her.
I exhale sharply.
"Seriously…?"
Another headline loads.
A debate over whether she's fit to lead the empire at all.
Not because of strategy.
Not because of skill.
But because of perception.
Because of noise.
Because of what people think they know.
I toss the phone back onto the couch.
My head still hurts.
But now it's worse.
Because this isn't just chaos.
It feels like everything is starting to connect in ways I don't like.
And I don't even know yet—
where I stand inside all of it.
Everything is spiraling faster than I can even process.
I lean back against the couch, letting out a long breath that feels heavier than it should.
"…Seriously."
A bitter laugh slips out before I can stop it.
"What on earth did I decide to become a PR manager for?"
My eyes close for a second.
Because this isn't just work anymore.
It's chaos.
It's people.
It's lives colliding in ways I can't cleanly fix with words or strategy.
And somewhere in all of this—
I'm already standing in the middle of a storm I didn't fully see coming.
The phone buzzes again.
I don't move right away.
Just sit there.
Listening.
Waiting.
Knowing full well—
this is only the beginning.
To be continued:....