In a world where a single touch can create an unbreakable emotional bond, Yuji has survived by avoiding all physical contact.
No touch. No weakness.

Until the night a stranger saves him from an accident… and their bodies brush against each other.

Now, Yuji and Ren are connected: they feel every emotion, every pain, every desire the other experiences.
But this bond comes with terrifying side effects — hallucinations, a visceral need to stay close, and a gradual fusion of their emotions.

Worse still, Ren hides a secret: they are not the only ones connected.
An organization is hunting those who share this bond, considering them anomalies to be eliminated… and Ren has already paid the price.

To survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other.
To remain themselves, they’ll have to resist the consuming pull between them.

But some bonds can never be broken.

Every fiber of his being screamed to push Ren out of his apartment, slam the door, and lock it until this nightmare faded.


But the moment Ren stepped inside, the pain that had been crushing Yuji's chest melted away like it was never there.


And that terrified him more than the pain itself.


Ren walked in like he belonged there. He didn't even ask. He glanced around Yuji's small, dimly lit apartment, then shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over the back of a chair.


"You don't like people," Ren said casually, as if it were an observation and not a judgment.


Yuji glared. "Explain. Now. What the hell is happening to me?"


Ren turned to face him fully, leaning against the counter. "It's simple. We're linked. That kind of bond doesn't let you walk away."


Yuji laughed, harsh and bitter. "Bond? What are we, some kind of… freak experiment?"


Ren didn't flinch. "Something like that."


Yuji hated that he could feel Ren's emotions bleeding into him — that faint undercurrent of calm, of quiet control… and something else he didn't want to name.


And worse, he could feel Ren feeling him.


Yuji's stomach knotted. "Stay out of my head."


Ren's lips curved. "If only it worked that way."


Yuji's face burned, and he quickly turned away, putting distance between them.


Not as much as before, but enough for Yuji to curse under his breath and stay in the same room.


Ren sighed softly. "Look, I know this is a lot. But the sooner you accept it, the easier it gets."


"Accept what? That I'm stuck with a stranger who thinks this is normal?"


Ren's gaze softened, almost pitying. "I didn't choose this either, Yuji."


Something in his tone made Yuji pause. It wasn't the usual calmness — there was a crack, a weight behind the words.


Before Yuji could ask, Ren straightened up. "You need to rest. You're not stable like this."


Yuji scowled. "You think I'm letting you stay here?"


Ren stepped closer, close enough that Yuji could feel his breath against his cheek.


"You don't really have a choice," Ren murmured.


And for one terrifying second, he wasn't sure if it was his pulse racing… or Ren's.


Chapter 4 - Close enough to breathe