The air felt heavy for Aoi.
He looked away, unable to answer—unable to even let himself think about it. For a moment, he just stood there, jaw tight, eyes fixed on nothing.
Then he turned to Ren.
Aoi took his hand and examined the wound again. The skin around it had darkened further, the edges swollen, wrong. He checked Ren's pulse.
Still steady. That almost made it worse.
The thought of Ren turning struck him hard, sudden and sharp, like losing him all over again. The fear settled deep in his chest.
"...How do you feel?" Aoi asked quietly.
Ren didn't answer. He knew Aoi was avoiding the question.
Ren watched him for a moment before slowly sitting up. "You're not answering me."
Aoi's gaze dropped to the wound again, his expression tightening.
Before he could respond, a sharp pain split through Ren's head. His vision swam.
He swayed.
Aoi reacted instantly—one hand gripping Ren's back, the other pressed against his chest to steady him.
They were too close.
Ren's breath was hot against Aoi's collarbone. Aoi froze for half a second, startled by the heat radiating from him. "...You're burning up," Aoi muttered. Ren lifted his eyes to meet his. "You're shaking," he said quietly.
...
A sudden knock echoed through the apartment. Three sharp taps.
Aoi and Ren froze. "That'll be Ms. Aiko," Aoi said, though something in his tone hesitated. From the other side of the door, they heard her voice. "Just a moment." Ren frowned.
His head throbbed again—sharp, sudden.
"...Aoi," he whispered. "Something's wrong." Aoi turned to him. "What do you mean?"
Before Ren could answer, the door opened. At first the man outside looked normal. Disheleved. Pale. Breathing hard, like he'd been running for a long time.
"Please," he said, voice shaking. "I—I need help."
Ms. Aiko stepped closer, concern written all over her face. "Are you hurt?" she asked gently.
The man lifted his head. His movements stuttered—jerky, unnatural. His jaw clenched too tight. His shoulders twitched. Then he lunged.
"Aiko—!" Aoi shouted. The sound of something crashing into the wall rang out. Ren felt it before he saw it
The scream tore through the air, sharp and sudden, sending another wave of pain through his skull. He was already moving.
The door burst open as Aoi rushed out, gun raised, heart pounding. Ms. Aiko stumbled backward, barely keeping her footing.
The man wasn't a man anymore. His movements were wild now—uncontrolled, violent.
Ren's ears rang. Every sound felt too loud. Too close.
"Aoi," he said again, louder this time. "He's—he's not in control."
Aoi didn't ask how Ren knew. He just moved.
Aoi raised his gun. His finger tightened over the trigger. "Aoi—wait!" Ms. Aiko's voice cut through the chaos.
For half a second, he hesitated. He turned toward her. That was enough. The infected lunged.
The impact sent Aoi crashing onto his back, the gun skidding from his hand.
Air left his lungs in a sharp gasp. The man's weight pinned him down, movements wild and jerking, hands clawing toward his throat.
Aoi struggled, pushing him back, trying to reach for the gun—
But Ren was alreadg there. He didn't remember moving. He didn't remember picking it up. The gun felt heavy in his hand. The world sounded muffled—like he was underwater.
The infected raised its arm—A shot rang through the hallway. Silence followed. The body collapsed.
Ren stood there, breathing hard, the gun still raised. Aoi stared up at him. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Ren lowered the gun slowly. "...I didn't think," he said.
And that was the problem. The echo of the gunshot still lingered in the hallway. Then footsteps, Ms. Aiko rushes forward.
"Aoi—!" She rushed toward him, hands hovering near the blood. Then she looked at Ren. "Ren...are you hurt?" Ren shakes his head slowly. "I...I'm fine."
Aoi pushes himself up, chest still tight. His eyes stay on Ren. Not the gun. Not the blood. Too steady.
Ms. Aiko grabs Ren's arm, checking him frantically.
"We need to move. Now. There could be more." Ren nods. He hands the gun back to Aoi.
Their fingers brush. Ren doesn't pull away. Aoi takes it—but his grip falters for a second.
"…You saved me," he says quietly. Ren looks at him. Something flickers across his expression.
"I didn't want you to die." That's when Aoi realizes—Ren didn't hesitate. And that terrifies him more than the monster did.
Aoi's gaze lingered on Ren for a moment longer than necessary. Then he turned to Ms. Aiko. "Ms. Aiko... I'm afraid this place isn't safe any more."
She looked at him, still shaken "What are you saying?"
"I think... you and Ren should move."
Silence stretched between them. "Move where?" she asked quietly.
Aoi hesitated.
"I prepared somewhere. For situations like this."
Her expression shifted—surprise, then understanding. "...You expected this."
Aoi didn't answer.
—
The safe place wasn't far. A small apartment, quiet and almost painfully neat. It looked untouched, like it had been waiting.
Aoi set up a room for Ms. Aiko first. Clean sheets. Water by the bedside.
For Ren, he prepared the other room. A simple bed. A chair beside it.
Aoi never left the chair.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled Ms. Aiko into sleep.
But Ren stayed awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, staring at nothing.
Aoi watched him. Ren glanced at him once—like he wanted to speak.
"Aoi…" The word came out thin. Aoi leaned forward slightly. "Yeah?"
Ren's expression shifted. A flicker of discomfort. Then pain.
His hand flew to his head, fingers tightening in his hair.
"Ren?"
Another wave hit harder. His breathing turned uneven.
He squeezed his eyes shut, jaw clenching.
"It's fine," he muttered through his teeth. "Just—" His body swayed.
Aoi was already moving. Ren collapsed forward, and Aoi caught him before he hit the floor.
"Ren—!"
His skin burned. Too hot.
Aoi lowered him carefully onto the bed, checking his pulse. Still steady. But something felt off. "Ren. Stay with me." No response.
Minutes passed. Too many.
Aoi didn't move from his side. He barely blinked, his hand resting lightly over Ren's wrist, monitoring.
Then—A shallow breath. Ren stirred. His eyes fluttered open slowly. Unfocused at first.
He blinked once. Twice. "…Aoi?" Relief hit Aoi so sharply it almost hurt.
"I'm here."
Ren tried to sit up but winced faintly.Aoi leaned closer without thinking. And that's when he noticed it.
For a split second, he thought it was the light.
But it wasn't. Ren's eyes looked… different. The color wasn't gone. But it wasn't the same either. Faded. Washed out. Like something inside him was dimming.
Aoi's breath caught.
"Do I look that bad?" Ren asked weakly, attempting a faint smile.
Aoi blinked. He forced his expression steady. "No," he said quietly. And he hated how easily the lie came.
Ren relaxed slightly, trusting him. Aoi stayed there, watching. Because they had run.
But whatever was inside Ren—It had followed.
They said nothing more that night. And somehow, they slept.
—
Morning light slipped through the curtains. For a brief moment, it almost felt normal.
Until it wasn't.
Ms. Aiko was the first to see the news. Her hand tightened around her phone.
Cities on lockdown. Infection rates rising. Reports of "violent incidents." Entire districts collapsing into chaos. The virus had spread further than Aoi had imagined. Further than he had prepared for.
And they were running out of food. He had no choice. "I'll go," Aoi said.
Ren stood up before he could finish. "I'm coming."
—
The streets were too quiet. Not empty. Just… watching.
Aoi kept his gun ready but lowered, scanning every movement. Ren walked beside him, unusually silent.
On their way back, they saw it. A figure. Wrong posture. Jerky movements. A monster.
They ducked behind a broken wall, barely breathing. They waited. And waited. The creature eventually moved further down the street. But neither of them relaxed.
Ren was standing close. Too close. Aoi could feel the heat from his body.
Then—
Ren looked at him. Not like before. Not soft. Not confused. Something else.
His pupils thinned slightly. His breathing slowed. A strange sensation crawled under his skin.
Aoi shifted slightly—And that movement did it.
Ren's hand shot out. Aoi hit the ground hard. "Ren— what are you—"
Ren's hands were shaking, but they didn't stop. His eyes flashed pale. Not fully white.
But wrong.
He pinned Aoi down, fingers digging into his coat. For a split second—
It wasn't Ren. It was instinct.
His nails tore through fabric.
A sharp sting. Aoi sucked in a breath as warmth spread under his shirt. Blood.
The scent hit Ren like a shock. His body stiffened. His eyes widened. Color returned.
Reality crashed back in.
Ren stumbled back like he had been burned. His hands trembled.
Aoi stayed on the ground for a second, stunned, breath uneven. Warmth spread beneath his shirt. He glanced down. Blood. Not deep. But enough.
When he looked up again, Ren wasn't looking at him. He was staring at his own hands.
"…I didn't…" His voice sounded foreign. Like it belonged to someone else.
Aoi pushed himself up slowly, wincing.
The monster they had been hiding from was long gone. The street was silent again. Too silent.
Ren took another step back. Like distance would undo what just happened.
Like space would make it less real.
"Aoi, I—" His breathing was unstable now. Confused. Horrified.
Aoi saw it. Not aggression. Not madness. Fear. Of himself.
Before Ren could step away again—
Aoi reached out. His fingers caught the fabric of Ren's sleeve. Not tight. Just enough.
"Ren."
Ren froze. He looked down at Aoi's hand gripping him. Then at the blood staining Aoi's side. His jaw tightened.
"You should let go," Ren whispered.
Aoi didn't. "It's nothing," Aoi said quietly.
It wasn't. They both knew it wasn't. But his hand didn't move.
Ren's eyes flickered again — just for a second — something pale passing through them before settling back.
That scared him more than the blood.
He slowly knelt in front of Aoi. Like he was afraid to get any closer.
"...I heard your heartbeat," Ren admitted, voice barely audible. "It was loud."
Silence.
Aoi didn't answer.
Ren swallowed. "And when you moved... my body reacted before I could think."
The words hung between them. Not an excuse. Not a justification. Just the truth.
Ren's fingers curled into his palms, knuckles pale. "It wasn't you," he added quietly. "For a second… I didn't see you."
Aoi's grip on his sleeve loosened. Not because he was afraid. But because he understood what that meant.
Ren stared at the ground between them, jaw tight. "I almost…"
The sentence broke apart before it could finish. He didn't need to say it.
Aoi stepped closer anyway. Close enough that the distance between them disappeared again. Close enough that Ren could hear it—
The steady rhythm in Aoi's chest. Alive. Human. Not prey. Not a threat. A person.
And Ren looked like he was standing on the edge of something he didn't know how to step back from.
—
They didn't speak on the way back.
Aoi walked ahead, one hand pressed subtly against his side. The bleeding had slowed, but the sting remained — sharp enough to remind him with every step.
Ren walked a pace behind him. Not beside him. Behind.
As if afraid to match his rhythm again.
The streets were still too quiet. Somewhere in the distance, something metallic clattered and echoed between buildings. Ren flinched at the sound. Aoi didn't look back.
When they reached the door, Ms. Aiko opened it before they could knock.
Her eyes dropped immediately to the red seeping through Aoi's shirt.
"Aoi—!"
"It's nothing," he said quickly. It wasn't convincing. Her gaze shifted to Ren.
Ren couldn't hold it. He looked away first.
Inside, the room felt smaller.
Aoi sat down and peeled back the torn fabric carefully. The scratch wasn't deep — angry, but survivable.
Ms. Aiko moved to help, but Aoi gently reassured her again. "I've handled worse."
Ren stayed near the doorway. Watching. Not stepping closer.
Every movement Aoi made sounded louder to him. The rustle of fabric. The soft inhale when antiseptic touched skin. And beneath it—
That steady rhythm.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Ren's jaw tightened. He turned his head slightly. It was louder now.
Or maybe he was just more aware of it.
Aoi finished wrapping the bandage and stood up slowly. When he did, their eyes met.
There was no anger in Aoi's expression.
That almost made it worse.
Ren forced himself to speak. "I'll… get some water." He didn't wait for a response.
He stepped into the hallway, then further, until the walls felt safer than the room. He pressed his back against them and closed his eyes.
The sound followed him anyway. He could still hear it faintly through the door.
Alive. Human.
And for a second that afternoon, he hadn't seen it that way. His hands trembled again.
Not from hunger. From memory.
Inside the room, Aoi adjusted the bandage once more. He had noticed the distance.
He had noticed the way Ren wouldn't come near. He exhaled quietly.
That night, when the lights were dim and the house had fallen into uneasy silence, Ren stayed awake. He sat on the edge of the bed, staring at nothing. Listening.
To the quiet breathing from the other room. To the pulse he wished he couldn't hear.
He curled his fingers into his palms until the trembling stopped. But the awareness didn't.
And neither did the fear.