The moment Ren unlocked the door to his apartment, Lilia spun inside like a princess entering her ballroom. "We live in such a small palace," she said with genuine fascination, kicking her heels off. "But it's cozy. Like a rabbit's den!"
Ren sighed, tossing his jacket onto the couch. "It's a one-room apartment, not a royal suite. We're lucky it even has a door that closes."
She twirled on the spot. "I call dibs on the bed!"
Ren blinked. "No."
She pouted. "Why not? You're a gentleman, aren't you?" "I'm also someone who values his personal space and mental stability." "I'm someone who was almost kidnapped in a dark alley. Surely that earns me a pillow at least?"
Ren stared. She stared back with glittering eyes.
He lost. Scene: The Bed Dilemma "I can sleep on the floor," Ren muttered, tossing a blanket down.
Lilia peeked out from under the covers, already curled up in his bed like it was hers by birthright. "But there's only one blanket..." "Then don't hog it." "I'm fragile, Ren. I'll freeze." "You were trained in royal sword arts and took down a guy twice your size with a heel kick." "I bruise easily!" she huffed.
He rolled his eyes and turned off the light. "Just go to sleep."
Silence.
Then: "...Ren?" "What." "Thank you. For letting me stay."
His body stiffened. "...Yeah. Whatever." Scene: Midnight Mayhem Ren tried to sleep.
He really did.
But Lilia kicked in her sleep. And talked. And rolled over. And once, elbowed him directly in the ribs.
At 2:14 a.m., she latched onto his arm like a stuffed toy and mumbled something about "enemy knights."
At 2:25 a.m., she rolled over, taking all the covers with her.
At 2:42 a.m., she kicked him off the bed.
He slept on the floor.
Scene: Morning Chaos Ren awoke to something warm... and soft.
Something... very close.
He cracked one eye open.
Lilia was sleeping beside him on the floor now, snuggled under the stolen blanket — one leg casually tossed over his waist, her face inches from his.
He turned red. "Wake up," he whispered.
She mumbled, "Mmmm... Ren... so warm..."
He tried to shift away.
She held tighter.
The doorbell rang.
Ding dong. "Oh no," Ren whispered.
Ding dong.
He peeled himself from her like a man disarming a bomb and stumbled to the door.
Kaito stood there. "Yo! I brought you guys breakfast—"
He looked past Ren and spotted Lilia on the floor, hair tousled, wearing one of Ren's shirts like a nightgown.
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "...Siblings, huh?"
Ren shut the door slowly. Lillia sat at the tiny table, sipping miso soup in the same oversized shirt, looking smug. "That Kaito friend of yours has quite the imagination."
Ren sat opposite, head buried in his hands. "I'm going to die of stress before graduation."
She giggled. "But you'd miss me if I was gone, right?"
He looked up at her — flushed, irritated, but something soft flickered behind his tired eyes. "...You're still not getting it huh"
The day was normally gone with Lilia holding arms with Ren in the convinience store and having their meal out,people mistaking them for being modles and were probably dating ....the intense atmosphere around him was too overwhelming for him
Night had fallen, and the room was quiet.
Ren laid on one side of the bed, facing the wall, trying to fall asleep. But Lilia's quiet voice broke the silence. "...Hey," she whispered.
He didn't turn. "What." "Can I ask you something?" "...
You're already asking."
She ignored that. "You live alone, right? Since when?"
Ren didn't answer right away. Then he sighed deeply. "Since I was in middle school," he said. "Around 13."
Lilia blinked in the dark. "That young...? Why?"
There was a pause. Then Ren spoke, voice a little shaky, but trying to sound cold like usual. "My parents... used to fight. A lot. Every day, shouting, throwing things, blaming each other for stuff. One day, they just... left. Both of them. Didn't even say goodbye."
Lilia gasped. "What?!" "Yeah. They left me enough money to rent a flat near school and said I'd 'be better off without them.' Haven't seen them since."
Lilia sat up slightly. "T-that's awful..."
Ren chuckled bitterly. "I guess I got lucky. At least they didn't leave me on the street."
Lilia looked at him, her expression soft. "...That's why you always act cool and distant, huh?" "I don't act," he grumbled. "This is just me. I don't need people."
There was a small silence. Then Ren turned slightly. "Anyway. What about you? You ran away from a palace, didn't you?"
Lilia went quiet. For a moment, Ren thought she wouldn't answer. But then she did. "...A noble tried to kill me."
Ren turned around fully this time. "What?" "Yeah..." she said quietly. "There was this noble who wanted the throne. My father's health hasn't been good, and I was next in line. That noble tried to get rid of me... so he could take the crown."
Ren's eyes narrowed. "That's messed up." "I had to escape... My knight tried to protect me, but we got separated. I still don't know if he's alive or not..." Her voice shook just a bit. "I didn't know where to go. I just ran. And somehow... I ended up in your world. In front of you."
Ren stared at her, silent for a while. "...So both of us got left behind," he muttered. "Yeah. Guess we're the same that way."
There was a silence, but not the awkward kind. It felt... real.
Then Lilia smiled gently. "But I don't regret it. Because I met you."
Ren quickly turned back toward the wall. "You're really dumb."
She laughed softly and pulled the blanket up to her chin again.
"Good night, Ren." "...
Yeah.
Good night, princess."