Ren climbed the stairs alongside Lysera toward the guest rooms.
After taking a few steps, he glanced at her and gave a faint smile.
“Well… it’s still early, but I think we should get some sleep. We’ve got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.”
Lysera nodded.
“Alright, Ren.”
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
“Thank you… for talking with me out there.”
Ren shook his head.
“It was nothing.”
For a brief moment, his eyes lingered on the cloth covering part of her face.
Without really thinking, he spoke.
“But… you don’t have to keep that cloth over your face all the time.”
Lysera blinked in surprise.
Ren awkwardly continued.
“You’re beautiful… you don’t need to worry so much about what other people think.”
An uncomfortable silence settled over the hallway.
Lysera remained completely still.
After several seconds…
“H-Huh…?”
Ren’s eyes widened slightly.
“Damn…”
“A-Ah… sorry!”
He scratched the back of his neck, utterly embarrassed.
“I… I caught a glimpse of your face that one time and…”
He quickly looked away.
“Ah… just forget it.”
He took a deep breath.
“Good night.”
Before she had a chance to respond, he hurried into his room and quickly shut the door.
He leaned his back against it.
Closing his eyes, he let out a quiet groan.
“Damn…”
“What the hell did I just say…?”
A soft voice came from the other side of the door.
“Good night, Ren.”
There was a brief pause.
“…Thank you.”
Ren slowly opened his eyes.
He stared silently at the floor while listening to Lysera’s footsteps gradually fade down the corridor.
Then he let out a long sigh.
Slowly, he walked over to the bed.
He sat down.
Resting his elbows on his knees, he intertwined his fingers, his gaze fixed on the door.
“This situation…”
“It reminds me of the first day Misaki and I went to university…”
“…The university I ended up dropping out of.”
…
His memories slowly began to surface.
Ren stood at the university entrance wearing a freshly ironed shirt, pacing back and forth.
“Damn…”
“I’m nervous.”
“In the end…”
“We both managed to get into the same university.”
“Misaki even got into her first choice.”
A cheerful voice suddenly echoed from outside.
“Matsudaaa!”
Ren quickly turned around.
Misaki Arai was walking toward him.
She was eighteen years old.
Her long blonde hair swayed gently with every step.
She wore an elegant white long-sleeved blouse tucked neatly into a navy-blue high-waisted skirt that reached just above her knees.
A neatly folded beige cardigan rested over her shoulders.
A simple pair of brown leather shoes completed her outfit.
Her appearance was elegant in the most natural way…
Impossible to ignore.
Ren froze completely.
His eyes widened.
Misaki tilted her head slightly as she approached.
“Matsuda?”
She smiled.
“What is it?”
Ren quickly shook his head.
“A-Ah…”
“It’s nothing.”
He scratched the back of his neck.
“It’s just…”
He gave an awkward smile.
“I didn’t know you dressed this well.”
She laughed.
Then lightly punched his arm.
“Of course I do.”
“Did you really think I’d be wearing a high school uniform forever?”
Ren let out a small laugh.
“Haha…”
Then, almost without realizing it, he murmured,
“You… look really beautiful.”
Misaki stopped walking.
She looked straight at him.
Ren immediately panicked.
“A-Ah!”
“I mean…”
“You look great!”
Misaki absentmindedly played with a strand of her hair as she started walking again.
“Hey…”
Ren looked at her.
“Yeah?”
She kept walking.
“We’ve been dating for a year now…”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“I think we can start calling each other by our first names.”
She turned her head slightly.
“Don’t you think?”
Ren immediately started sweating.
“O-Of course…”
He took a deep breath.
“A-Arai…”
Misaki stopped.
She stared at him in complete disbelief.
Ren froze.
“AAAAAH!”
“I called her Arai!”
A quiet laugh reached his ears.
“Hahaha…”
She covered her mouth with one hand.
“You’re…”
“…kind of adorable sometimes.”
Ren turned bright red.
“A-Adorable?”
She gently grabbed the sleeve of his shirt as they continued walking.
“When we graduate…”
She looked ahead.
“What do you want to do?”
Ren took several seconds before answering.
“Well…”
He took a deep breath.
“Getting a good job in marketing…”
“…one that pays well…”
He smiled shyly.
“And then…”
“…start planning our future together.”
Misaki came to a complete stop.
She simply stared at him.
Frozen.
Ren immediately panicked.
“A-Ah!”
He raised both hands.
“You were the one who asked!”
“I was just saying whatever came to mind!”
“Sorry!”
Misaki covered her mouth. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Her eyes sparkled.
“Awww…”
She smiled sweetly.
“So…”
“You want us to live together?”
Ren instantly turned his face away.
His ears were bright red.
“S-Shut up…”
She burst into laughter.
“I’m never going to let you forget you said that.”
Ren let out a small laugh.
“D-Do whatever you want…”
She smiled.
He smiled back.
Then the two of them continued walking toward the university entrance together.
…
The memory slowly faded.
Ren returned to the present.
Still sitting on the bed inside the inn.
“I had so many plans…”
“I was going to graduate in Marketing…”
“…and work together with Misaki…”
“She managed to graduate in Fashion Design.”
The room fell completely silent.
Ren slowly stood up.
Then began walking around the room.
“Whenever I think about Misaki…”
“…all kinds of memories come back with her.”
“My father always encouraged Touka and me…”
“When I was sixteen…”
“He kept telling us Mom’s breast cancer would be cured.”
He stopped in front of the wall.
Slowly rested his forehead against it.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Watching Mom’s funeral…”
He closed his eyes.
“…hurt far more than I ever imagined.”
He remained motionless for several seconds.
Then slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.
“I was twenty.”
“Touka was seventeen…”
“…when we found our father…”
“…with his wrists slit.”
…
The memory returned.
Ren opened the front door.
“I’m home…”
No answer.
Touka was sitting alone at the kitchen table.
Her gaze was completely empty.
Ren quietly took a deep breath.
“I’ll…”
“…make us something for dinner.”
She didn’t respond.
Several minutes later…
As he was cooking…
He heard a quiet voice.
“…Why?”
Ren immediately turned around.
Touka was crying silently.
Tears streamed down her face, yet her expression remained completely blank.
Ren slowly walked over to her.
“Touka…”
He took a deep breath.
“I…”
“…don’t know what to say either.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I thought I understood Dad…”
“…but I realized…”
“…I didn’t understand anything.”
Touka clenched her hands.
“He ended his own life because of Mom?”
Her voice trembled.
“What about us?”
She looked directly at her brother.
“Didn’t we mean anything to him?”
Ren remained silent.
She continued.
“You’re acting like nothing happened.”
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
“As if…”
“…we didn’t find him on that couch…”
Her voice broke.
“…just last week…”
Ren suddenly interrupted.
“That’s enough, Touka!”
She looked at him.
Still sobbing.
Ren took a slow, shaky breath.
“…I’m sorry.”
He closed his eyes.
“I promised Dad…”
“…that I’d take care of you.”
He looked at her again.
“I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Even…”
He forced a hollow smile.
“…I accepted a part-time job after my university classes.”
Touka slowly turned away again.
“Don’t you see?”
Her voice sounded empty.
“Dad left all of the burden…”
“…on your shoulders.”
She looked back at him.
“And even now…”
“…you’re still looking for his approval?”
Ren said nothing.
Touka slowly stood up.
“I’m going to my room.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She quietly disappeared down the hallway.
Ren returned to the kitchen.
He finished preparing dinner.
Served himself a plate.
Sat down alone.
Folded his hands together.
“Thanks for the meal.”
Then he began eating in silence.
For just a moment…
Another memory surfaced.
The table full of life.
His mother smiling.
His father telling jokes.
Touka laughing.
Him wondering which game he’d play the next day.
…
When reality returned…
The table was empty.
Silent.
Ren stopped chewing.
He sat perfectly still.
Without realizing it…
A single tear slipped down his cheek.
It slowly fell…
…onto his plate.
Without saying a single word…
Ren quietly broke down.
Now, back in his room at the inn, Ren took a slow, deep breath.
“Ever since that day…”
“I feel like I’ve just been living on autopilot.”
“Misaki…”
A faint smile crossed his face.
“The time I spent with you… was truly wonderful.”
His smile lingered for only a moment.
“I’m glad I got to see Touka’s salon before accepting that truck delivery…”
“They’re both doing well.”
Slowly, he rested his forehead against his knees.
His voice trembled.
“W-What…”
“…should I have done differently…”
He shut his eyes.
“…Dad?”
Suddenly—
BLAAAM!!
Ren instantly raised his head.
“W-What was that?”
He quickly wiped away the tears from his eyes.
Standing up, he opened the door to his room.
He saw Garrick walking down the corridor toward the staircase.
“What happened?”
Garrick looked over his shoulder.
“I came to check too.”
The two hurried downstairs.
At the bottom, they found Mirelya standing silently, staring toward the main hall.
“Mirelya?”
“What happened?”
Without taking her eyes off the scene, she replied,
“Do you remember that idiot from the Lions Guild?”
Ren frowned.
“Which one?”
Garrick looked toward the man arguing with Tessa.
“That guy…”
He thought for a second.
“His name was… Brak, right?”
Brak was shouting at the top of his lungs.
“This dump is the worst place I’ve ever stayed!”
Tessa maintained her composure.
“Sir…”
“I’ll have another mea—”
CRAAACK!!
Brak smashed a wooden table apart with a single punch.
“I already told you!”
“I don’t want anything from this place!”
“And I’m not paying for this garbage!”
“B-But, sir…”
Garrick stepped forward.
“Hey, big guy.”
“I think you’ve had enough.”
He glanced around the tavern.
“And the food is excellent.”
“I honestly don’t know what you’re complaining about.”
Brak sneered.
“Oh…”
“The rookies.”
“You showed up at the perfect time.”
Ren immediately answered,
“The perfect time for what, you idiot?”
Mirelya and Garrick both looked at him in surprise.
Brak’s grin slowly turned sinister.
“Idiot…?”
He cracked his neck.
“I was actually planning to go easy on you.”
The smile disappeared from his face.
“But now…”
“I’m going to smash the faces of all three of you.”
Mirelya’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“But I didn’t even say anything!”
Brak shrugged.
“If you’re with those two…”
“Then you’re part of it too.”
Garrick crossed his arms.
“Enough.”
He pointed toward the door.
“Let’s take this outside.”
A confident smile appeared on his face.
“I haven’t fully recovered yet…”
“But it’ll still be more than enough to beat you.”
Brak laughed.
“Then come.”
“If you’re really a man.”
Ren looked at Garrick.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
“Just stay here.”
The two of them started walking toward the exit.
Before they could reach the door—
Edric appeared.
“Good evening.”
He calmly looked at Garrick.
“From what I’ve heard…”
He smiled.
“You seem exhausted, adventurer.”
He made a small gesture.
“Leave this man to me.”
“You may return to your room.”
Garrick shook his head.
“No offense…”
He looked Edric up and down.
“…but you don’t exactly look like someone who fights.”
A small grin spread across his face.
“Leave him to me.”
Edric answered just as calmly.
“Mr. Garrick…”
“I insist.”
His gentle smile never disappeared.
“You’ve all been wonderful guests.”
“I’d rather not have you dirty your hands dealing with trash.”
Brak rested a hand on Edric’s shoulder.
“Trash?”
He smirked.
“So…”
“You’ve got a death wish, you—”
VROOOOSH!!
In a movement so fast that no one could follow it—
Edric grabbed Brak and hurled him straight through the entrance.
BOOOOM!!
The front door exploded into splinters.
Brak was sent flying into the middle of the street.
Everyone stood frozen in shock.
Edric simply smiled.
“I assume…”
“…you still wish to continue.”
Brak slowly pushed himself back to his feet.
He spat blood onto the ground.
“Now…”
His face twisted with rage.
“Now you’ve really made me angry.”
“I’m going to kill you.”
Edric remained perfectly still.
“If you don’t truly come at me with the intent to kill…”
His smile slowly faded.
“…you won’t even be able to touch me.”
He took a single step forward.
“Let’s get this over with.”
He glanced briefly toward the tavern.
“You’re disturbing my guests.”