The silence in Li Wei's room was thick with unspoken questions and simmering suspicion.
Ren lay on the bed, feeling the soft give of the mattress beneath him, a stark contrast to the hard reality of their situation.
Li Wei sat cross-legged on the floor, her usual composure now a fragile shield against Maya's unwavering glare.
Maya, perched on the desk chair by the door, arms crossed, was a sentinel of indignation.
"Alright, Li Wei," Maya began, her voice tight with suppressed anger. "Start explaining. And it better be good. Why is my brother here, and why did you two look like you were running from a zombie apocalypse?"
Li Wei took a deep breath, her gaze steady as she met Maya's. "Maya, what I am about to tell you is... difficult to believe. But it is the truth. And it is why Ren must stay here tonight. For his safety, and perhaps, for yours."
Maya scoffed. "My safety? What are you even talking about? Is this some kind of elaborate prank for the school festival?"
"No," Li Wei said, her voice firm, cutting through Maya's skepticism.
"This is not a prank. There is something... dangerous. Something that has been following Ren. An unseen presence. I felt it today, very strongly, as we were walking home."
Ren, from the bed, nodded grimly. "She speaks the truth, Maya. I did not perceive it myself, but Li Wei's senses are... acute."
Maya's eyes darted to Ren, then back to Li Wei, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"A 'presence'? What, like a ghost? Are you two serious?" She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "You're telling me Ren has to sleep over at your house because he's being followed by a ghost?" Her gaze hardened. "And that's why you were holding hands?"
Li Wei's cheeks flushed again, a faint pink that Ren found strangely endearing even in this tense moment.
"It is not a ghost, Maya. It is... an entity. A powerful one. And it is connected to why Itami has been acting so strangely."
At the mention of Itami, Maya's expression shifted, a flicker of genuine concern replacing some of her anger.
" Itami? What does he have to do with this 'entity'?"
"Itami is... under its influence," Li Wei explained, choosing her words carefully. "His mind has been... altered. He is being used. And this entity, this 'shadow,' as I perceive it, is targeting Ren. It seeks to isolate him, to... control him."
Maya stared, her mouth slightly agape. "Control him? Like... mind control? Li Wei, this sounds like something out of one of Ren's weird historical dramas!"
"The realities of our situation are far stranger than any drama, Maya," Ren interjected, sitting up on the bed. "This entity, it is ancient. Powerful. It has already corrupted Sakura. And now, it seeks to ensnare me."
Maya's eyes widened at the mention of Sakura. "Sakura? What about Sakura? She's been acting weird too! She barely talks to anyone anymore, and she hangs around Hiroshi all the time, looking all... creepy." Her voice trailed off, a dawning realization slowly creeping onto her face. The pieces, though fantastical, were beginning to align in her mind, albeit reluctantly.
"Exactly," Li Wei said, seizing the moment. "Sakura is a vessel. A puppet. And the entity that controls her, the one that has influenced Itami, is now actively pursuing Ren. If Ren were to go home, he would lead this entity directly to your family. I could not allow that risk."
Maya was silent for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the floor. Her anger seemed to have been replaced by a genuine, if still skeptical, fear. She looked up, her eyes searching Li Wei's face, then Ren's. "So... you're saying my brother is in danger, and he has to stay here, in your house, because some invisible... thing is after him?" She still sounded incredulous, but the edge of fury was gone, replaced by a deep, unsettling worry.
"For tonight, yes," Li Wei confirmed, her voice gentle but firm. "It is the safest course of action. My home offers a temporary sanctuary. We will devise a more permanent solution. But for now, we must remain here, unseen."
Maya chewed on her lip, clearly struggling to reconcile the outlandish explanation with the evident seriousness on their faces. Her phone buzzed again, a reminder of her earlier text to their mother. She glanced at it, then back at Ren, a flicker of helplessness in her eyes. "Mom's going to freak out," she mumbled, more to herself than to them. "She's already worried."
"We will explain what we can to your mother later," Li Wei said, her voice reassuring. "But for now, our priority is Ren's safety. And ensuring this 'shadow' does not find its way to your home."
Maya sighed, a long, defeated sound. She still looked deeply suspicious, but the fear for Ren seemed to outweigh her personal outrage. She slumped back in her chair, still guarding the door, but her posture was less defiant, more resigned. The reality of the unseen threat, however bizarre, was beginning to sink in.
Ren, watching his sister's struggle, felt a pang of guilt. He was dragging her into this, too. But at least, for tonight, they were safe. For now.
As dusk settled, painting the room in hues of orange and purple, Ren drifted into a restless nap on Li Wei's bed, the day's events finally catching up to him.
He was dimly aware of hushed movements, the soft click of a door, and the distant clatter of pots and pans. When he finally stirred, blinking his eyes open, the room was bathed in the soft glow of a bedside lamp.
The scent of something savory and warm filled the air.
Li Wei was no longer on the floor. She had disappeared for a while and returned, now sitting cross-legged on the rug again, carefully arranging three bowls of steaming noodles on a low table. Maya, still in her chair by the door, was watching Li Wei with an almost hawk-like intensity, her phone clutched in her hand, a silent, ever-present guardian.
"Food is ready," Li Wei announced, her voice calm, a stark contrast to the earlier panic. "You must be hungry, Emperor. And you, Maya."
Ren sat up, his stomach rumbling in protest, suddenly aware of how famished he was. He swung his legs off the bed, but before he could join them, Maya's voice cut through the quiet.
"So," Maya began, her eyes fixed on Ren, a suspicious glint in them. "About you two. What exactly is going on?" She gestured between Ren and Li Wei with a pointed finger.
"You're telling me about 'entities' and 'shadows,' but you still haven't explained why you were holding hands, and why you're suddenly sleeping over at a girl's house."
Ren sighed inwardly.
He knew this was coming. He tried to recall some of the modern phrases Itami used to describe relationships, to sound less like a man from another era.
"Maya," he began, trying for a casual, reassuring tone, "It's not... it's not like that. Li Wei and I are... allies. We're on the same team. We have a shared... objective."
He paused, searching for the right word, something that conveyed closeness without implying romance. "We're... partners. In a very... official capacity."
The word "official" hung in the air, heavy and loaded.
Li Wei, who had just picked up a bowl of noodles, froze. Her eyes widened, and a deep, crimson blush exploded across her face, spreading from her neck all the way to her hairline. She nearly dropped the bowl, her hands trembling slightly. She stared at Ren, her mouth slightly agape, a mixture of shock and something else Ren couldn't quite decipher in her eyes.
Maya, meanwhile, let out a gasp so loud it echoed in the quiet room. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes, wide with horror, darted from Ren to the now-flustered Li Wei. "Official?!" she shrieked, leaping out of her chair.
"Official?! Ren, what are you talking about?! Are you two... are you two dating?!" Her voice rose to a furious crescendo, utterly shattering the fragile peace of the evening. The mundane world, it seemed, was still very much present, and very, very loud.