Chapter 15
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding.
Yumi stepped out first.
And immediately stopped.
The penthouse was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls revealed the entire Tokyo skyline, glowing with red and blue neon lights. Rain slid slowly down the windows, making the city look blurred and distant.
The place felt less like an apartment…
And more like a private kingdom in the sky.
Yumi crossed her arms.
"You live here alone?"
Behind her, Ryuji Takeda walked out of the elevator calmly.
"Yes."
"Of course you do."
She walked farther inside, looking around.
Minimal furniture.
Dark colors.
Everything precise.
Organized.
Cold.
"Your place feels like a museum," she said.
Ryuji loosened his cuff slightly.
"I don't spend much time decorating."
Yumi stopped in the center of the living room.
"So where do I sleep?"
Ryuji pointed toward the hallway.
"Guest room."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You're sure?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"You expected something else?"
Yumi rolled her eyes.
"Relax. I just wanted to make sure you weren't planning something weird."
Ryuji looked mildly offended.
"I have better things to do."
She walked down the hallway and pushed open the guest room door.
The room was almost as large as her entire barracks unit.
King-size bed.
Private bathroom.
Another giant window overlooking the city.
Yumi whistled softly.
"Your guest room is nicer than most people's houses."
Ryuji leaned against the doorway.
"Don't get comfortable."
She turned.
"I'm literally living here now."
"Temporarily."
Yumi smirked slightly.
"We'll see."
Later that night…
The rain outside grew heavier.
Yumi sat on the couch in the living room, flipping through channels on the massive television.
Ryuji sat across from her, reading something on his tablet.
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
But it wasn't relaxed either.
It was tense.
Charged.
Like both of them were very aware of the other's presence.
Yumi finally broke the silence.
"You're staring."
Ryuji didn't look up.
"I'm reading."
"You've looked at the same page three times."
He slowly lowered the tablet.
"And you've been pretending to watch the same show for twenty minutes."
Yumi shrugged.
"It's background noise."
Their eyes met across the room.
The tension thickened instantly.
Yumi looked away first.
"This is weird."
Ryuji tilted his head slightly.
"How?"
"Living with you."
He leaned back in his chair.
"You preferred the barracks?"
"At least there people weren't watching me like I'm a problem they're trying to solve."
Ryuji studied her quietly.
"You are a problem."
She looked at him sharply.
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
His voice was calm.
"But not the kind I mind."
Yumi blinked.
That wasn't the response she expected.
She stood suddenly.
"I'm going to bed."
Ryuji nodded.
"Good idea."
She started walking toward the hallway.
Then paused.
"Try not to watch me while I sleep."
Ryuji raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't planning to."
"Good."
She disappeared into the guest room.
The door closed.
Silence returned to the penthouse.
Ryuji remained in his chair.
Staring toward the hallway.
After a moment, he muttered quietly,
"She thinks I'd need to watch."
He stood and walked toward the window.
Looking out over the storm-covered city.
For the first time in years…
This place didn't feel empty.
And that realization was both comforting…
And extremely dangerous.
Meanwhile…
Inside the guest room.
Yumi lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Her mind racing.
This was a mistake.
Living with Ryuji Takeda.
The man she was supposed to destroy.
The man responsible for everything she lost.
But the more time she spent around him…
The more complicated everything became.
She turned toward the window.
The rain tapping softly against the glass.
Then she heard something.
A faint sound.
Footsteps.
Outside her door.
Yumi slowly sat up.
Her instincts sharpened.
Someone was in the hallway.
And the way the floor creaked told her something important.
It wasn't Ryuji.