Chapter 167: Riku
-8 January 2027-
Today marked my final day off. Tomorrow, reality would return—new job, new schedule, new responsibilities. Yet, here I was, planning something reckless instead of relaxing. Somehow, I always found a way to complicate my own life.
Last night, I told Keiko about my plan—about Junpei’s help, about my determination to track down the man walking around in my body. Keiko had looked at me with that deep, worried frown of hers, lips pressed tightly together like she was holding back an argument.
“Are you seriously going?” she asked again this morning, while fixing her hair in front of the mirror, already dressed for work.
I gave a short nod. No point lying.
She turned, adjusting her coat, eyes narrowed. “Be careful. Promise me. And call me if anything happens.” Her tone was sharp, but her face betrayed genuine concern.
“I will,” I reassured her. I tried to sound casual, but my chest felt heavy.
---
By late afternoon, I stood at the very same street where I’d last seen him—my old self. The bus stop. The place where my life had fractured even more than before.
I planted myself at a café across the street, wearing a hoodie and cap pulled low. Not the best disguise, but enough to avoid attracting attention. My coffee had long gone cold, but I stayed, eyes locked on the bus stop.
The minutes dragged. By 7 p.m., the sky was ink black, streetlights flickering in tired halos. My legs were numb from sitting so long. I sighed, pushing myself up. Maybe this was a dumb idea.
But just as I stepped outside, a familiar silhouette froze me in place.
There he was.
“Finally…” I muttered under my breath, pulse kicking into overdrive.
He stood casually by the bus stop, hands in his pockets, face calm—my face calm.
I slipped closer, heart thundering, keeping several paces behind so he wouldn’t notice. When the bus pulled up, I lifted my phone and quickly snapped a picture of its number, sending it to Keiko. Then, I boarded quietly after him, sliding into the seat a few rows behind.
The bus rattled through the city, neon signs reflecting in the windows. He didn’t look back once, but I stayed tense, every bump in the road shaking my nerves.
Eventually, the bus rolled to a stop in Kabukicho—Tokyo’s infamous red-light district. My breath caught.
Of all places… why here?
I trailed him down the crowded street, the flashing neon lights painting everything in garish pinks and purples. He walked with confidence, weaving through drunk businessmen and groups of laughing women like he belonged.
Then he turned sharply and slipped into a flashy building. I froze, staring up at it.
A host club.
The glossy posters outside gleamed under the neon. Rows of handsome men with styled hair and smug smiles grinned down at potential customers. My stomach twisted when I spotted one face among them.
My face.
Except not me—him. His alias scrawled in glittery font underneath:
Riku.
I stepped closer, scanning the poster, bile rising in my throat. He looked like a completely different person—perfectly styled hair, tailored suit, an expression of practiced charm.
I snapped a picture, quickly sending it to both Keiko and Junpei, along with the address pinned on my map.
So that was his life. A host. Entertaining women, drinking, smiling with my face.
Part of me wanted to storm inside, drag him out, and demand answers. But another part of me hesitated—what if I blew my chance by confronting him too soon? I still knew nothing about him, nothing about his motives. I had to be careful.
I turned, deciding to retreat for now. My chest ached with the weight of everything.
But before I could take two steps, a cheerful voice rang out far too close.
“Miss, welcome!”
I gasped, spinning around. A tall man with bleached hair and a glittering suit was suddenly at my side, smiling too wide.
“You’re really pretty. Want to hang out with us tonight?”
I stumbled back a half step. “Uh—no, I—”
Another man swooped in, just as flashy, leaning in with an oily grin. “Yeah, we’ve got a discount for beautiful ladies like you. First drink free.”
“Wha—?” My brain scrambled to come up with a polite refusal.
Then a third voice slid into the chaos, smooth and disturbingly familiar.
“You already came here. You should accompany me.”
My blood froze.
I turned, and there he was.
Riku.
My face, my body, standing in the neon glow with a smirk that wasn’t mine. His suit shimmered faintly under the lights, his posture relaxed, but his eyes—my eyes—locked onto me like a predator recognizing prey.
Damn it.
I’d been caught.
---
“Uh…” My throat tightened. I forced a nervous laugh, waving my hand. “S-sorry, wrong place. I was just passing by.”
But he stepped closer, his smirk widening. “Really? What a coincidence then. Because you don’t look like someone just passing by. You look like someone who’s been waiting for me.”
My pulse spiked.
The other hosts chuckled, egging him on. “Riku, this one’s already hooked on you, huh?”
Riku—my body—gave them a dismissive glance, then turned his full attention back to me.
“Come inside. Just for one drink,” he said, voice silky but with an edge that made my skin crawl.
I shook my head quickly. “I—I can’t. I have somewhere to be.”
“Oh?” He leaned in closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “Then why were you following me earlier?”
My breath caught. He knew.
I stepped back instinctively, but he reached out, brushing his fingers against my sleeve as if testing how far he could push me. His smirk never wavered.
“Relax,” he whispered. “I’m not going to bite. Not yet.”
I yanked my arm back, glaring at him. “Stop messing with me.”
He chuckled, straightening his suit. “Still fiery. That’s good. I’d hate to see myself turn boring.”
My jaw clenched. I wanted to scream at him, demand he explain how he stole my life, why he knew about Keiko. But the crowded street and the circling hosts left me cornered.
He must’ve seen the conflict on my face, because his grin deepened.
“Don’t look so serious, miss. If anyone sees, they’ll think you’re really into me.”
I exhaled sharply, turning to leave. I had to get out of there before this escalated.
But just as I stepped away, his voice followed, soft and taunting.
“See you again… Ryusei.”
My entire body stiffened.
I didn’t turn back. I couldn’t. My hands were trembling too much. I just shoved them into my hoodie pocket and kept walking, the neon lights blurring in my vision.
He knew. He knew exactly who I was.