Saturday – 12:23 PM
Yuuki and Arisa walked through the city like any other couple.
But nothing felt ordinary.
For the first time, they weren't pretending.
Not for an app. Not for anyone watching. Not for themselves.
He held her hand because he wanted to,
And she held his back because for once in her life—
She believed someone would still be there the next day.
---
They stopped at a bookstore.
She dragged him to the manga section.
"Yuuki," she whispered dramatically. "What's your toxic trait?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Mine is falling for emotionally unavailable protagonists in stories where everyone dies by the end."
He smirked. "Mine is letting someone like you bully me into reading shoujo manga."
She handed him one. Volume 1. Two characters holding hands on the cover.
"I like this one," she said. "It's about two people who didn't know how to love right, but tried anyway."
Yuuki stared at it.
Then stared at her.
---
Later – Riverside Park – 3:12 PM
They sat on the grass, her head on his shoulder, his thumb gently tracing the back of her hand.
Wind blew soft through the trees. Laughter echoed from families nearby.
For a moment, it felt like peace wasn't borrowed.
Like they'd actually bought it.
"Do you ever think this is too good?" she asked.
Yuuki turned his head. "Too good?"
"I'm not used to things staying good," Arisa whispered. "Feels like the universe is just waiting to ruin it."
Yuuki didn't answer right away. Just pulled her closer.
Then he said, "Then let's enjoy it so hard that when it ends, we don't regret a second of it."
She smiled. But it trembled.
"Even happy things can hurt when you're not used to them."
He kissed the side of her head. "Then I'll help you get used to them."
---
That Night – Unknown Location – 9:58 PM
Hayato stared at his phone.
An open message thread.
Unread texts.
An old photo of Arisa and him from over a year ago.
> "She told him everything."
The reply came instantly.
> "Good. That means she has something to lose now."
Hayato's fingers tapped slowly, calculating.
> "You still have her file?"
> "Everything. History. Clients. Videos."
His jaw clenched.
> "Then it's time he finds out who she really was… before she turned into his fantasy."
He smiled.
Cold.
Cruel.
Final.