Chapter 12 - THE REQUEST

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The café was warm in a way the university never was.

Steam curled lazily from my cup, fogging the edge of the window as Tokyo moved past outside—people walking faster than they felt, the city already done caring that we'd graduated today.

Cheryl sat across from me, coat tossed carelessly over the back of her chair, phone face-down on the table like a secret waiting to be revealed. She stirred her drink once. Twice.

Too quiet.

"You know," she said casually, eyes still on her cup, "I've been holding this question in since the ceremony."

I didn't look up. "That's never a good sign."

She smiled. Slowly. Dangerously.

"Wasn't Ren your bully?"

My hand paused mid-movement.

"Cheryl."

"No, no—hear me out." She finally flipped her phone over and slid it across the table. "Because bullies usually don't look like that."

The screen lit up.

The photo.

Not the group one—the other one. The accidental one. The one I hadn't seen yet.

Ren and me. Standing too close. Too still. His gaze fixed on me like the rest of the world had fallen away. Mine caught mid-turn, eyes locked on his without meaning to be.

Intense. Unfiltered. Honest in a way photos weren't supposed to be.

My breath hitched before I could stop it.

Cheryl leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes bright. "Are you serious?" she whispered dramatically. "Akari, you two look like you're about to confess something life-changing—or start a war."

"That was a moment," I said too quickly, pushing the phone back. "Nothing else."

"Mhm." She raised an eyebrow. "Because moments usually stare at each other like that."

I felt heat creep up my neck. "He was not my—" I stopped. Corrected myself. "…not exactly my bully."

"Oh?" Cheryl grinned. "Because last year you called him emotionally unbearable."

"That doesn't cancel out."

She laughed softly, then tilted her head, studying me. "So what is it, Akari?"

I looked back at the photo once more before turning the phone face-down.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "And that's the problem."

Cheryl's teasing softened—just a little. "You don't look confused in that picture."

I stared at the surface of my coffee, watching the steam blur everything it touched.

"That doesn't mean anything," I said.

"It means everything," she replied gently. "And you know it."

Silence stretched between us. Outside, a bus passed. Someone laughed too loudly at another table. The world kept intruding, impatient.

Cheryl didn't rush me. That was the worst part.

"Akari," she said finally, quieter now. "Tell me what's going on between you and Ren."

I shook my head once. "It's complicated."

"I like complicated."

"Not this kind."

She leaned back, arms crossing. "You're avoiding. Again."

I exhaled, long and tired. "Cheryl—"

"Wasn't he supposed to be the problem?" she interrupted. "The guy you complained about. The one who made your life difficult." She tapped the table lightly. "People don't look at their problem like that."

I closed my eyes.

She waited.

Again.

Finally, I sighed, the sound coming from somewhere deep in my chest.

"Okay," I said. "Fine. I'll tell you."

Her posture straightened instantly.

I didn't look at her when I spoke.

"I live in his house."

"What?"

"My parents—his parents—found me. Long story." I rubbed my temple. "They went back to their country. Ren and I stayed. Same house. Same space. Every day."

Cheryl blinked once. Twice.

"…You live with him?"

I nodded. "Have been for a while."

Her mouth opened, then closed. "Okay. That's already insane. Continue."

"There's more." I swallowed. "My identity isn't what everyone thinks it is. My past—my family—it's… complicated. Dangerous, even." I hesitated. "Ren knows. All of it."

Her teasing expression was gone now. Completely.

"And him?" she asked carefully. "What about him?"

I let out a breath that felt like surrender.

"I hate him," I said. "I care about him. I'm angry at him. I trust him." My fingers tightened around the cup. "And I think about him more than I should."

Cheryl didn't interrupt.

"I'm not confused," I continued quietly. "I'm aware. And that's worse."

I finally looked up at her.

"I'm obsessed with him," I admitted. "The way he watches me. The way he knows me. The way he refuses to let go." My voice dropped. "And the worst part is—he's obsessed with me too."

For a second, Cheryl just stared.

Then—

Her eyes lit up.

She slapped a hand over her mouth, half horrified, half thrilled.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "Akari."

I frowned. "That's not the reaction I was expecting."

She leaned forward, eyes shining. "Are you serious? This is—this is giving me full dark romance vibes."

"Cheryl."

"No, listen." She grinned, voice dropping conspiratorially. "Shared house. Secret identity. Mutual obsession. Tension so thick it shows up in photos?" She shook her head in disbelief. "If this were a book, I'd be yelling at the characters to just ruin each other already."

Heat rushed to my face. "This isn't funny."

"I know," she said softly. Then smiled again. "That's what makes it terrifying."

She glanced at the phone on the table.

"And graduation day?" she added. "Yeah. That was not the look of two people about to walk away."

I swallowed.

"I'm not going to tell him," I said quietly.

Cheryl's smile faded just enough to show she was listening.

"Not now. Not like this." I traced the rim of my cup with my finger. "I can't propose my feelings to him when my life isn't even steady yet. I need to focus on myself—on what comes next. Residency. My future. Everything that isn't us."

She studied my face. "So you're running?"

"No," I said immediately. Then softer, more honest, "I'm choosing myself first."

That earned a nod. A real one.

I hesitated, then kept going—because once I'd started, stopping felt impossible.

"I never told you about my parents," I said. "Not really."

Cheryl leaned back, giving me space.

"My mother ran away," I continued.

"From everything. From people who thought they had the right to decide her life."

My voice stayed calm—too calm. Practice had taught me how to tell the truth without letting it bleed.

"Her family didn't accept the man she loved," I said. "They refused the marriage. So she left. No permission. No blessing." I looked down. "Just choice."

Cheryl's expression softened.

"She changed her life completely," I went on. "New place. New surname. Not to disappear—but to survive. To protect what she chose."

I didn't say names.

Some truths weren't ready to be spoken yet.

"And your father?" Cheryl asked gently.

I hesitated.

"That part is… complicated," I said quietly. "Not bad. Just unfinished."

Cheryl waited.

I took a breath.

"My parents… they died before I was born."

Cheryl's face softened, silent, waiting.

"My dad died protecting my mom. My mom… she died giving birth to me."

I looked away, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"I was left alone in an orphanage here in Japan."

Cheryl's voice was gentle. "How did you end up with Ren?"

"That's when Ren's parents found me," I said.

"They were best friends with my parents—my mother's closest friends."

"They saw the ring my mom wore—the one Ren's mom designed herself. That's how they recognized me."

"They took me in, told me to live with Ren while I studied here."

"They wanted me to feel safe. Like family."

Cheryl's eyes were wide. "That's… a lot."

I nodded. "But after I graduated, I asked Ren's parents if I could live on my own."

"They didn't want me to leave."

"But I kept asking."

Then I told her the rest—how Ren's parents told me about my uncle in Russia.

How my mom had run away from her family because they opposed her marriage to my dad.

How she changed her surname to protect me—and cut ties with them forever.

Cheryl leaned back, processing it all.

"So you're going to Russia?" she asked, surprise in her voice.

"Yeah," I said. "It's where my mother's family is from. My uncle lives there."

Cheryl's face lit up. "No way—I'm Russian."

"What?" I leaned forward.

"Born there. Family is still there," she said with a grin. "I was planning to go after graduation."

I felt something like relief in that.

Cheryl nodded. "Then you won't be going alone."

I looked at her.

The weight of it settled between us.

"I'm coming with you."

"But we have to find him... argh," I said, rubbing my temples and looking at Cheryl with a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

Cheryl grinned confidently. "Don't worry. I'll find him. My family has a serious talent for finding people."

Hearing that, a bit of my stress eased.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She took a slow sip of her chocolate tea, eyes sparkling. "Well, what's your uncle's name?"

"Silas Cedric Velnor," I answered.

Cheryl nearly spit out her tea.

I jumped up, alarmed. "What the—Cheryl!"

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she laughed. "No need to find him. I already know where he is. Seriously, Akari, you have a knack for having the most bombastic relatives and connections."

I blinked, caught off guard.

"Uh…"

Then I remembered something and added, "Oh, and which I forgot to mention—my real name is Crystal Lizoyora Fynn. Or maybe Crystal Cedric Velnor sounds better."

Cheryl started coughing violently.

"Akari!!! You're seriously going to be the death of me!"