The morning light spilled through the curtains, soft and golden, touching the shelves of books and trinkets in the shop. For once, Min woke without the weight of nightmares. He blinked at the brightness, then slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes.
Downstairs, he could already hear movement—the clink of cups, the shuffle of chairs. Kei, no doubt, had been awake long before him.
Min descended the stairs quietly, finding Kei at the counter with a notebook open, his pen moving in neat strokes. He looked so composed that Min hesitated to disturb him.
Still, Kei's eyes flicked up the moment Min reached the bottom step. "You're up."
Min smiled faintly. "Yeah. You didn't wake me today."
"You needed the rest." Kei closed the notebook, sliding it aside. "Breakfast?"
"I can help," Min offered quickly.
Together they moved around the small kitchen space, Min clumsily cutting fruit while Kei prepared tea. It was such an ordinary routine, yet Min felt strangely comforted by it, as though the walls of the shop had become a fragile shield against the world outside.
When they sat down to eat, Min found himself glancing at Kei more than the food. There was something reassuring about the way Kei carried himself, calm even when the previous night's events still lingered in their minds.
"Kei," Min said softly.
Kei looked up. "Hm?"
"Why do you… do all this? Protect me, I mean."
Kei's gaze held his for a moment too long. Then, with a faint sigh, he said, "Because someone should. And because—" He paused, as though the words were heavier than expected. "Because I want to."
Min's breath caught. The answer was simple, yet it reached deeper than he anticipated. His chest felt tight, but not unpleasantly so.
The shop's bell jingled then, breaking the moment. Airi stepped in, her hair tied loosely, carrying a paper bag that smelled faintly of bread.
"Good morning!" she greeted, placing the bag on the counter. "I thought I'd bring something sweet today. You both look like you could use it."
Min laughed softly, the tension in the air easing. Kei only gave a small nod, but his gaze lingered on Min for a heartbeat longer before he turned to help Airi.
For Min, the morning felt brighter than usual—not because the danger was gone, but because, for now, he wasn't facing it alone.
To be continued....