A month had passed.
The world outside hadn't changed much. The virus was still spreading in distant cities, and people were still afraid of what tomorrow might bring.
But inside the small house, life had slowly settled into something quieter.
Morning light filtered through the kitchen window, falling across the wooden table where Aoi sat surrounded by scattered papers. His pen moved slowly across a notebook filled with notes about the virus—observations, theories, things he had been thinking about for weeks.
Across the room, Ren leaned against the counter, watching him in silence.
It had become a familiar sight.
Aoi working.
Ren nearby.
Neither of them mentioned it, but they had grown used to being close like this.
From the stove, Ms. Aiko hummed quietly while preparing breakfast. The soft clatter of dishes and the faint sound of the television filled the room with the kind of ordinary noise that had been missing from their lives for months.
For a while, no one spoke.
Aoi paused in his writing and rubbed his eyes slightly, tired from staring at the same page for too long.
Ren noticed immediately.
"You've been looking at that for an hour," he said.
Aoi didn't even look up. "I'm thinking."
"You're overthinking."
That finally made Aoi glance at him.
"…Says the man who barely talks."
Ren didn't answer. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly instead.
Aoi looked back down at his notes, but his attention drifted. When Ren reached up to the cabinet above the counter to grab a glass. As he stretched, the hem of his shirt lifted slightly.
For a moment, Aoi's eyes caught the faint marks on his side.The scars.
Two pale lines that hadn't been there before.
His pen stopped moving.
Ren noticed the silence and looked down at him.
"They healed," he said simply.
Aoi's gaze lingered for a second longer before he finally looked away.
"I know."
The television continued murmuring in the background until suddenly—
"Oh!"
Ms. Aiko's voice broke the quiet.
She turned the volume up quickly.
"Wait—listen to this."
Both Aoi and Ren looked toward the screen as the news reporter spoke.
"After months of global crisis, researchers have announced a breakthrough earlier today. A working vaccine for the virus has finally been developed and will soon begin distribution in several major regions…"
Ms. Aiko's eyes widened with relief.
"A vaccine… they actually did it."
For the first time in a long while, hope softened her voice.
"Maybe this nightmare will finally end."
Aoi didn't answer right away.
He stared at the screen, thoughtful.
Then he quietly said,
"…If it works."
Ren wasn't watching the television anymore.
He was watching Aoi.
And for the first time in weeks, the future didn't feel quite as impossible as it once had.
The television continued speaking about distribution plans and research teams, but Ms. Aiko eventually lowered the volume.
"That's still good news," she said, turning back to the stove. "Even if it takes time."
Aoi nodded slightly, though his expression stayed thoughtful.
Ren finished pouring water into the glass and finally sat down across from him at the table.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Ren leaned back in his chair.
"You're thinking again."
Aoi looked up.
"…I always think."
"Too much."
Aoi huffed quietly and closed his notebook.
"Someone has to."
Ren didn't respond immediately. His gaze shifted briefly toward the window where soft sunlight touched the floor.
For the past month, things had been like this.
Quiet mornings.
Simple conversations.
No running. No gunshots. No alarms.
Just breathing.
Ms. Aiko placed plates on the table and wiped her hands on a towel.
"Eat before it gets cold."
Aoi pushed his notebook aside and reached for the food.
Ren watched him for a moment before starting to eat as well.
Halfway through the meal, Aoi spoke again.
"…Does your side still hurt?"
Ren glanced down briefly.
"Sometimes."
That was all he said.
But Aoi frowned slightly.
"You shouldn't pretend it's nothing."
"I'm not."
"You got shot twice."
Ren shrugged faintly.
"I'm still here."
Aoi didn't like that answer.
His fingers tightened slightly around his fork before he forced himself to relax.
Ms. Aiko noticed the shift in mood and quickly changed the subject.
"Actually," she said casually, "you two have been stuck in this house for weeks."
Both of them looked at her.
"You should go outside today."
Aoi blinked.
"Outside?"
"Yes, outside," she repeated. "Like normal people."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"…We are normal people."
Ms. Aiko laughed softly.
"You're the worst liars I've ever seen."
Aoi looked slightly embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We go outside sometimes."
"You go to the yard."
"That counts."
"No, it doesn't."
Ren quietly watched the two of them argue, the corner of his mouth lifting just slightly.
After a moment, Ms. Aiko crossed her arms.
"Go into town. Walk around. Buy something. Do anything."
Aoi hesitated.
It had been a long time since things were normal enough for that.
But the thought didn't feel impossible anymore.
Slowly, he looked at Ren.
"…Do you want to?"
Ren met his gaze.
For a moment he didn't answer.
Then he stood up.
"Get your jacket."
Aoi blinked.
"…Is that a yes?"
Ren was already walking toward the door.
"If you take any longer, I'll leave without you."
Aoi quickly stood up.
"Hey—wait!"
Ms. Aiko smiled quietly to herself as she watched them go.
Outside, the day looked calm.
But far away, somewhere beyond the quiet streets and ordinary people…
Someone was already searching.
For Aoi.
….
The town looked almost normal.
People moved between small stores. A few cars passed slowly along the street. Some shops were still closed from the months of chaos, their windows dusty, but others had reopened.
Life was trying to return.
Aoi walked beside Ren, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket.
For a moment he just looked around.
"…It feels strange."
Ren glanced at him.
"How?"
Aoi exhaled quietly.
"Like everything is pretending nothing happened."
Ren didn't answer immediately.
They passed a small bakery. The smell of fresh bread drifted into the street.
Aoi stopped walking.
Ren took two more steps before noticing.
"…What."
Aoi pointed slightly toward the shop.
"I haven't had real bread in months."
Ren stared at him.
"You're a scientist."
"And scientists eat bread."
Ren sighed quietly.
A minute later they walked out with a small paper bag.
Aoi tore a piece off and handed the rest to Ren.
Ren looked at it like it was a suspicious object.
"You bought it."
"Yes."
"So you eat it."
"…You're unbelievable."
Aoi pushed the bag into Ren's hands anyway.
Ren took a small bite.
Aoi watched him carefully.
"Well?"
Ren chewed slowly.
"…It's bread."
Aoi stared at him in disbelief.
"You're the worst person to share food with."
Ren's mouth twitched slightly, almost like he was trying not to smile.
They continued walking.
For the first time in weeks, Aoi felt something close to normal.
No running.
No gunshots.
No alarms.
Just the quiet sound of people talking and distant traffic.
But after a few minutes, Ren's pace slowed.
Slightly.
His eyes moved across the street.
Aoi noticed. "…What is it?"
Ren didn't answer right away.
Across the street, a black car sat parked near the corner.
The windows were dark.
Too dark.
And it had been there when they passed the last intersection.
Ren's gaze stayed on it for only a second before he looked away again.
"…Nothing."
Aoi frowned.
"You don't say 'nothing' like that."
Ren stopped walking.
The street noise continued around them.
For a moment, he looked completely calm.
But his voice dropped slightly.
"…We're going home."
Aoi blinked. "What— why?"
Ren's eyes flicked once more toward the parked car.
Then back to Aoi. "Now."
Aoi's chest tightened slightly.
Because Ren only used that tone when something was wrong.
And suddenly the quiet town didn't feel as safe anymore.
Behind them, inside the parked car—
someone lifted a phone.
"…Target confirmed."
Ren's hand suddenly caught Aoi's wrist.
Not roughly.
Just firm.
"Don't turn around," he said quietly.
Aoi's body went stiff immediately.
"…They're following us?"
Ren didn't answer directly.
Instead, he began walking again—this time turning into a narrow street between two buildings.
Aoi followed without question.
The noise of the main road faded behind them.
The street was quieter. Almost empty.
Aoi lowered his voice.
"How many?"
"Not sure."
Ren's eyes moved briefly to the corner behind them.
"But the car moved."
Aoi swallowed. "So it wasn't nothing."
Ren didn't reply.
Instead, he turned again—this time into an even smaller alley that curved behind several shops.
The ground was uneven and a few trash bins lined the wall.
Aoi frowned slightly.
"You know where you're going?"
"No."
"…Great."
But Ren's pace never slowed.
He walked like someone who had done this before—changing directions, avoiding the straight path back to the main road.
After a minute, he stopped.
He stepped slightly closer to the wall and glanced back toward the entrance of the alley.
Aoi stood beside him, heart beating a little faster now.
"…Are they still there?"
Ren watched the corner for several seconds.
Nothing moved.
No footsteps.
No car engine.
Finally, he spoke. "…No."
Aoi let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"So we lost them?"
Ren didn't look convinced.
"They stopped."
"That's the same thing."
"No."
Ren's eyes hardened slightly. "It's not."
Aoi felt a small chill run through him.
Because Ren only got that serious when he understood something before anyone else did.
"…What do you mean?"
Ren pushed himself away from the wall.
"They weren't chasing us."
Aoi blinked. "Then why follow us?"
Ren looked back toward the street they came from.
"To confirm something."
Aoi's stomach dropped.
"…Confirm what?"
Ren met his eyes. "That it's really you."
A silence fell between them.
The kind that made the air feel heavier.
Then Ren started walking again. "Let's go."
"Home?"
"Yes."
Aoi didn't argue this time.
But as they left the alley and returned to a different street—
far away, inside the black car they had noticed earlier—
a man lowered a pair of binoculars.
"They changed direction three times," he said calmly.
Another voice came from the driver's seat.
"Smart."
The man in the passenger seat lifted his phone.
A single message was sent.
Target confirmed.
There was a pause.
Then the reply came.
Do not engage yet.
The man looked back toward the street where Ren and Aoi had disappeared.
"Understood."
Another message followed.
Wait for the order.
The phone screen went dark.
And somewhere far from the quiet town
—
someone else was already deciding when the hunt would begin.
By the time they reached the house, the sky had already begun to dim slightly.
Aoi pushed the door open first.
"Ms. Aiko?" he called.
From the kitchen, her voice answered almost immediately.
"You're back already?"
She stepped out a moment later, wiping her hands on a cloth. But the moment she saw their expressions, the small smile on her face faded.
"…What happened?"
Ren closed the door behind them.
"We were followed."
Silence filled the hallway.
Ms. Aiko's brows pulled together.
"Followed?"
Aoi nodded slowly.
"There was a car watching us. Ren noticed first."
Her eyes shifted to Ren.
"Did they attack you?"
"No."
"Did you recognize them?"
Ren shook his head once. "But they recognized him."
Aoi leaned back against the wall slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"They didn't chase us either."
"That's what worries me," Ren said quietly.
Ms. Aiko folded her arms.
"So they were confirming something."
Ren nodded.
"That he's here."
The room grew quiet.
For the first time in weeks, that uneasy tension returned—the same feeling that had followed them for months.
Aoi looked down briefly.
"…So the quiet month is probably over."
Ms. Aiko walked closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We don't know that yet."
Ren didn't say anything.
But his eyes moved toward the window.
Watching. Always watching.
Aoi noticed.
"You think they'll come again."
Ren's answer came without hesitation.
"Yes."
Aoi exhaled slowly.
"…Great."
Ms. Aiko straightened slightly.
"Then we prepare."
Ren looked at her. "How?"
Her voice was calm, but firm.
"The same way we always have."
Protect each other.
The moment stretched quietly between them.
Outside, the wind brushed lightly against the trees around the house.
For a moment, it almost felt peaceful again.
⸻
Far away from the small house…
inside a dimly lit room filled with quiet voices and glowing screens—
a man stood near a large window.
He was tall, dressed in dark clothing, his posture relaxed but controlled.
A phone rested in his hand.
He read the message once.
Then again.
Target confirmed.
The man chuckled softly.
"So he really is alive."
One of the men standing nearby spoke carefully. "Orders?"
The man finally looked up from the phone.
His eyes were sharp.
Calculating.
"…Not yet."
He walked slowly toward a large table covered with files and photographs.
One picture rested at the center. Aoi.
The man tapped the photo lightly with his finger.
"We waited five months."
His voice was calm.
"We can wait a little longer."
The other men in the room stayed silent.
Then he added quietly—
"But this time…"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"…we don't let him escape."
—
Night settled slowly over the house.
The lights in the living room were dim, casting soft shadows across the walls.
Ms. Aiko had already gone to sleep upstairs after reminding them—twice—not to stay up too late.
Aoi sat at the table with his notebook open, a pen resting between his fingers.
But he wasn't writing.
His thoughts kept circling back to the afternoon.
The car. The feeling of being watched.
Across the room, Ren leaned against the wall near the window, arms folded.
He had been standing there for almost ten minutes.
Watching outside.
Aoi finally looked up.
"You're going to burn a hole through the glass if you keep staring like that."
Ren didn't turn around.
"Maybe."
Aoi sighed and closed the notebook.
"They're not coming tonight."
"You don't know that."
Aoi stood up and walked closer.
"They followed us once."
"That's enough."
Aoi stopped beside him.
For a moment, both of them looked through the dark window.
The trees around the house moved gently in the night wind.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Aoi spoke again, quieter this time.
"…You've been like this all evening."
Ren finally glanced at him.
"How should I be?"
"I don't know. Less like a guard dog."
Ren's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"That's a new one."
Aoi leaned his shoulder against the wall beside him.
"You didn't relax for a second."
"Someone has to."
Aoi looked at him for a moment.
Then he reached out and lightly grabbed Ren's wrist.
The movement was small, but it made Ren pause.
"…You don't have to protect me every second."
Ren's gaze dropped briefly to Aoi's hand on his wrist.
Then back to his face.
"That's literally my job."
Aoi frowned. "I didn't hire you."
Ren's expression softened slightly. "No."
A moment of quiet passed between them.
The tension from earlier still lingered in the air, but something else was there too—something calmer.
Aoi let go of his wrist slowly.
"…Still."
Ren studied him for a second before speaking.
"If they come," he said quietly, "I'll know."
Aoi looked at him.
"You can't promise that."
Ren didn't hesitate. "Yes, I can."
Aoi opened his mouth to argue.
But then he stopped.
Because Ren wasn't joking. He meant it.
So instead, Aoi sighed softly and leaned back against the wall.
"…You're impossible."
Ren's mouth twitched slightly.
"And you're alive."
Aoi didn't reply.
But after a moment, he shifted a little closer without realizing it.
And Ren didn't move away.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Just the quiet sound of wind outside.
⸻
Outside the house…
hidden among the trees beyond the fence—
a figure stood in the darkness.
A pair of binoculars lowered slowly.
Through them, the man had been watching the living room window.
Watching the two figures inside.
He spoke quietly into a small radio.
"Visual confirmed."
A voice crackled back. "Any movement?"
"Negative."
The man glanced again toward the house.
"They're inside."
A pause. Then the voice answered again.
"Continue observation."
The man lowered the radio.
His eyes stayed on the house.
Waiting.
Because this time…
they knew exactly where their target lived.
…
Morning came quietly.
Soft light slipped through the curtains in the living room.
Aoi was the first one awake.
He walked into the kitchen half-asleep, running a hand through his hair while opening the fridge.
"…We're out of milk."
No answer.
He glanced toward the living room.
Ren was already awake. Of course.
He sat near the window again, arms resting on his knees, watching outside.
Aoi groaned softly. "You're doing it again."
Ren didn't look away from the window.
"Doing what."
"Guard mode."
Ren ignored the comment.
Aoi poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter.
"…Did you sleep at all?"
"Yes."
"Liar."
Ren finally turned slightly. "I slept."
Aoi narrowed his eyes. "For how long."
Ren didn't answer.
Aoi sighed and walked closer to the window.
"See? Nothing happened."
He reached to push the curtain aside slightly
And paused. "…Ren."
Something in his tone made Ren look immediately.
Aoi pointed outside toward the dirt road near the fence.
"Were those there yesterday?"
Ren stood up instantly.
On the ground outside the fence…
were fresh tire tracks. Deep ones.
The kind made by a heavy vehicle.
And they hadn't been there the day before.
Ren's expression hardened.
"They came back."
Aoi's stomach tightened. "…Last night?"
Ren nodded once. "They stayed."
Aoi stared at the tracks for a moment.
Then a cold realization settled in.
"They know where we live now."
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Finally Ren stepped back from the window.
"We move today."
Aoi looked at him. "…Move where?"
"We'll figure it out."
⸻
Meanwhile…
In a large, dim room somewhere far from the town…
several men stood around a table covered in maps.
A screen on the wall displayed a satellite image.
At the center of it—
A small house.
The house.
One of the men spoke.
"Surveillance confirmed. He hasn't left the location."
Another voice asked,
"What about the protector?"
A short pause. "Still with him."
Then the door opened.
The room went quiet.
A man walked in slowly. The others immediately stepped aside.
This was the first time we properly see him.
Calm.
Sharp eyes.
The kind of presence that made people stop talking.
He looked at the screen showing the house.
"…So this is where he's been hiding."
No one interrupted him.
His gaze lingered on the image.
Then he smiled slightly. Not warm. Not kind.
Just interested.
"After five months," he said softly,
"…we finally found you, Aoi."
The room remained silent.
Then he gave his first order.
"Prepare the team."
A man beside the table asked carefully,
"For capture?"
The leader's eyes remained on the screen.
"Yes."
A small pause. Then he added—
"Alive."