Chapter 20 : The Night He Disappeared
Tokyo.
A city that never asked questions.
The night he left home, Riven didn't tell anyone—not his father, not his step-sister, not even himself. There was no plan, only an ache. One that lived under his ribs and whispered things like:
> You're not a person anymore. Just something to be used.
He couldn't sleep. Couldn't breathe.
So he put on his hoodie, slipped out the front door, and disappeared into the dark.
---
2:00 a.m. – A Cold Park and a Familiar Voice
He walked for hours through side streets, past closed ramen shops and flickering signs. The city lights felt dimmer that night. As if the world had decided to let him vanish quietly.
That's when he heard it—
> "Haruto?"
His old name.
He turned, startled.
There she was.
Aika.
A soft voice, even softer eyes. A second-year student from his university, known for her quiet presence in the art club. She lived in her own world—sketchbooks, quiet cafés, and rooftop sunsets.
And she was standing in the middle of a park at 2 a.m., wrapped in a long beige coat, cherry blossoms caught in her hair.
> "What are you doing out here?" she asked, her voice gentle.
> "Just walking," Riven replied.
She looked him over—sunken eyes, trembling hands, clenched jaw.
> "You look like you haven't slept in days."
He gave a half-smile, then said nothing.
She stepped closer.
> "Come to my place. It's warm. And I won't ask anything… unless you want me to."
---
Aika's Apartment: A Small Island of Light
Her apartment was tucked above a quiet coffee shop.
Inside, it was cozy—bookshelves overflowing, canvases leaned against the walls, warm yellow lights strung across the ceiling like fireflies.
Lavender tea steamed on the counter.
> "I live alone," she said. "My parents moved to the countryside last year. I stayed for school… and peace."
She handed him a towel, then rummaged through a drawer and gave him one of her oversized T-shirts.
> "You don't have to talk. Just… stay."
They sat at the low table under her kotatsu, legs warm, steam rising from their teacups.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Then Riven broke the silence.
He told her—not everything, but enough.
About the loneliness. The suffocation. The nights he didn't want to be touched but didn't know how to say no. The shame that clung to his skin like oil.
She didn't interrupt.
Didn't judge.
When he finished, Aika reached out and placed her hand over his.
> "You're not alone," she said softly. "And what she did to you… that wasn't love. That wasn't okay."
His eyes stung.
No one had said that before.
---
The Night Became Intimate
Aika rose to her knees and moved closer.
> "Let me remind you how it's supposed to feel."
She kissed him.
Slowly. Gently. A kiss that asked for nothing.
He shuddered—not from lust, but from the shock of being wanted without being claimed.
Her hands moved to his chest, slipping under his shirt, caressing skin like it was sacred. She undressed him with care. He did the same.
Aika's body was soft, natural. Her breasts full and warm against him, her thighs wrapping around his hips as they moved to the floor, tangled beneath the kotatsu.
> "You okay?" she asked, her lips brushing his ear.
He nodded.
> "Then take your time. I'm here."
She spread her legs, guiding him gently inside her.
The warmth stunned him. She wasn't tight in the way of a virgin, but her body welcomed him deeply, naturally.
They moved slowly.
Her hips rolled in smooth waves. Her nails traced his back.
> "That's it… Riven," she whispered, calling him by the name she knew.
Not forcing him. Not rushing.
Just feeling.
Her pussy squeezed around him with rhythmic pulses, her breath catching every time he pushed deeper. His face buried in her neck, his arms holding her tightly, he whispered her name again and again like an apology.
> "Aika…"
> "It's okay," she murmured. "Come for me… let it go…"
And he did.
Spilling inside her with a shudder, held in her arms like a boy coming home from war.
---
Afterglow
They lay in silence for a long time, tangled in the kotatsu's warmth. Her head rested on his chest, one leg draped over his.
> "Why were you out so late?" he asked finally.
Aika blinked slowly.
> "I was coming back from the river. I like to sketch the city lights on the water when I can't sleep."
She tilted her head and smiled faintly.
> "I guess something told me to go there tonight. Maybe fate."
He looked down at her.
> "You saved me."
> "No," she replied. "You saved yourself. I just made space."
---
Riven didn't go home after that.
He found other places to sleep. Stayed distant. Quiet. The messages from his step-sister stopped after a week.
And though he and Aika never became a couple, she left a print on his soul.
A memory of what it felt like to be touched kindly.