The car slid to a stop outside the towering building, its sleek, modern design rising above the city like a sentinel watching over the chaos below. Wordlessly, Ryou led her into the lift, taking her up to the top floor. As the doors opened, Sera blinked, her eyes wide, unsure of how to process the sight before her.
As they crossed the threshold, her breath caught in her throat. The inside of the mansion was nothing like she had imagined.
The walls gleamed with dark wood and marble accents, sleek and minimalist yet undeniably luxurious. The air smelled faintly of something rich, like polished leather and fresh linens. Every detail was immaculate, from the elegant furniture to the subtle lighting that bathed the room in a soft glow.
"This is…" Sera trailed off, her words failing her. She had never seen anything like this. The rundown apartment she had lived in before was a far cry from the pristine mansion now surrounding her. She felt both awed and strangely out of place.
"You can choose another one downstairs if you don't like this," Ryou said, his tone nonchalant.
Her breath hitched at that. "Wait… did you mean you own this entire building?"
He didn't respond, but his silence answered her question loud and clear.
Sera hesitated, then spoke, her voice a little quieter. "It's fine, I'll just sleep here for a couple of weeks." She tried to keep it casual, but Ryou ignored the second part of her sentence and led her further inside.
"It's not that I don't like it," she added, glancing around, "it's just… seems like a lot of work to clean up."
"No need to clean up," he replied without missing a beat. "There's a cleaning robot."
Sera blinked, momentarily speechless. "Right… a cleaning robot." She shook her head, at a loss for words.
"Are you staying the night?" Sera asked quietly as they stepped into the vast bedroom, her eyes drifting to the oversized bed, the emptiness of the space making her feel even smaller.
"No," Ryou answered without pause, his tone calm but distant.
Sera felt a pang of disappointment she hadn't expected. She hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Mn, will you… come eat with me again tomorrow? Ah, but if you're busy, I mean, you don't have to, you could just come for dinner…" Her words tangled in her throat, and she flushed, her eyes dropping to the floor as if hiding from the vulnerability of her request.
Ryou studied her for a long moment, noticing the way her fingers fidgeted, the way her face softened with hope. His gaze softened too, something unfamiliar stirring in him. He exhaled quietly. "Fine. I'll come for dinner tomorrow."
Her boss had told her to take the rest of the week off after she fell sick from working double shifts to save for her move. Now, she only worked morning shifts at a nearby convenience store. It was how she ended up having dinner with Ryou every evening—though only one of them ever truly looked at the other.
Ryou felt a gnawing unease about their growing familiarity. He had always been cautious, slipping into the building unnoticed, ensuring no one could connect them. But even with these precautions, he couldn't shake the feeling that this closeness was dangerous. If anyone opposed to him—or his organization—discovered their connection, it could put her life in jeopardy.
He needed to step back, maybe even disappear entirely, returning to the shadows to protect her from afar, unseen—even by her.
It was Sunday, and they were in the middle of another quiet dinner. Sera had taken to cooking for both of them since she'd moved into the mansion. Tonight, she had prepared chicken katsu curry with steaming white rice. To her, it was a simple, unremarkable home-cooked meal. She even felt a twinge of guilt serving something so humble to someone like Ryou, a man who clearly belonged to a world of luxury and extravagance.
But to Ryou, it was priceless.
There wasn't a Michelin-starred restaurant in existence that could rival the warmth of this meal. A plate of curry and rice, cooked by someone waiting for him to return, felt more precious than any delicacy. He stared at the dish for too long, the perfectly arranged slices of katsu and the golden sheen of the curry almost too beautiful to disturb. The savory aroma filled the air, stirring memories of a home he never had. Yet he hesitated.
Sera, her gaze fixed downward as always, noticed his stillness. Without looking up, she spoke softly. "Do you… not like curry? It's okay. You don't have to eat it if you don't want to—"
"I like curry," he interrupted, his voice firm yet unusually gentle. "I was just… spacing out."
Finally, he scooped a spoonful of curry with a bite-sized piece of chicken katsu and rice. The moment it touched his tongue, the taste overwhelmed him. It melted into his soul, a warmth that seeped into the cold, unreachable places within him. As he swallowed, his gaze lifted, drawn to the sight of her downturned lashes and the quiet stillness that seemed to wrap around her like a cloak.
How could he ever think of keeping his distance now?
"Are you tired?" Sera asked after a moment, her voice hesitant. "You can stay the night if you want. I'll sleep on the couch—it's almost as big as my old bed."
"What? No. You sleep on the bed," he replied firmly.
"Then you'll take the couch?" she asked, her tone brightening. "I just did the laundry. You can use the fresh blanket. I even tried a new fabric softener; it smells so good. Ah, but maybe you'd prefer your luxurious scented—"
"I'll take the one from your fresh laundry," he said, his golden eyes fixed on her face.
Her small smile softened him in ways he hadn't anticipated. It unsettled him, the way her quiet presence slipped through cracks he hadn't realized existed, chipping away at walls he thought were unbreakable. He braced himself for what he had to say next, even though it felt like tearing something fragile apart.
"But I can't come over next week."
Her smile faltered, and the room fell into a suffocating silence.
"Are you going on a business trip?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"I won't be coming over even after next week," he said slowly, his words deliberate, weighted with finality.
Her face froze, and for the first time, her gaze lifted, meeting his. The sight of his golden eyes startled her, locking her in a moment of stillness that felt like an eternity. But panic quickly overtook her. She looked away just as suddenly, her hands trembling in her lap.