Kouhei stood at the stove, the faint sizzle of eggs on the hot pan filling the small apartment. The smell of tamagoyaki drifted through the air, light and sweet, mingling with the subtle warmth of the morning sunlight pouring through the window. His movements were steady, though his mind was anything but calm.
Even though he wasn't living here anymore, his aunt still paid the rent, utilities, and everything else. Every time he thought about it, guilt gnawed at him like a dull blade scraping against bone. He didn't want to waste her money, but with his life in constant danger, what choice did he have?
"I should tell her I'm staying somewhere else now," he muttered, flipping the egg with practiced precision. The soft, golden-yellow surface shimmered under the heat, filling him with a small sense of pride. "But how do I even explain that?"
