Chapter 181: The Morning After Shadows
My body felt heavier than usual when I woke up the next morning.
Every breath dragged like I’d been running all night — probably because Riku’s face was still haunting me. His words echoed over and over in my head: “I want your family too.”
I turned to the side.
Keiko was still sleeping beside me, her hair slightly messy, her glasses resting on the nightstand. The soft rhythm of her breathing was the only thing grounding me in that moment.
I sighed quietly. I have to tell her...
For a while, I just sat there, staring at the ceiling. My mind ran in circles — fear, anger, guilt. Every emotion mixed together like static.
Ten minutes later, Keiko stirred. Her eyes blinked open slowly, unfocused and dazed from sleep.
“Morning, Keiko,” I greeted softly.
She rubbed her eyes, voice muffled and groggy. “Ryusei? Why are you up already?”
I hesitated for a moment. “I… need to talk to you.”
She looked at me, still half-asleep, trying to process my serious tone. “Okay… that sounds bad. Give me five minutes.”
I nodded. “Take your time.”
She sat up slowly, stretching her arms, then reached for her glasses. After sipping some water, she turned to me with her usual calm face. “Alright. I’m ready.”
I took a deep breath. “Last night… Riku came to my bar.”
Keiko froze. Her eyes widened slightly behind the lenses, but to my surprise, she didn’t panic. She stayed quiet, listening.
“I didn’t… do anything to make him come. I swear, Keiko. I haven’t contacted him for weeks. I don’t even know how he found the place.”
Keiko nodded gently. “I believe you.”
That simple sentence almost broke me. I clenched my fists, my voice trembling. “He… said something strange. Something that scared me.”
Her brows furrowed. “What did he say?”
“He said—” I swallowed hard. “He said what if he changed his mind. That he wanted to take you and Rin away from me.”
The words spilled out shakily, every syllable heavier than the last. I didn’t even realize my hands were shaking until Keiko reached across the bed and grabbed them.
“Ryusei…”
“I—” My voice cracked. “I don’t even know how to deal with this anymore. I thought I was fine, but last night… I couldn’t breathe. Every time I close my eyes, I see him there again.”
She moved closer and wrapped her arms around me. Her warmth melted some of the tension off my shoulders.
“We’re in this together, Ryusei,” she whispered.
I felt my throat tighten. I rested my forehead on her shoulder, trying to hold back tears. “I’m scared, Keiko… really scared. I don’t know how to protect you and Rin if he comes after us again.”
“You don’t have to protect us alone.” Her voice was steady, like an anchor pulling me back to reality. “Let’s think clearly.”
I pulled away slightly, meeting her eyes. “Keiko… should we just leave? Go somewhere far away? I don’t care about the body switch anymore, or my original body. You and Rin are what matters most.”
She looked taken aback by my desperation. It wasn’t like me — and I knew it. But now, I was trembling like a child who’d lost his home.
“Ryusei… hey, calm down,” she said softly, rubbing my arm. “We can’t rush this. Take a deep breath with me.”
I obeyed. One inhale. One exhale. Again.
Once my breathing steadied, Keiko spoke, her tone turning analytical. “We’ll handle this carefully. If Riku really plans to threaten us, we need proof.”
“Proof?”
“Yes. You still have the CCTV in the bar, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then we use that. Check the footage from last night. If the cameras caught his face or anything he said, we can use that as evidence.”
I blinked, processing her plan. “Evidence… for the police?”
She nodded. “Exactly. We document everything. If he calls, texts, or shows up again — we record it. The moment he crosses the line, we file a report. We’ll make it impossible for him to come near us without consequences.”
I stared at her for a moment, a mix of admiration and disbelief. Even when I was falling apart, Keiko stayed sharp. She was the calm in my storm.
“You’re really smart, Keiko,” I said, almost smiling.
She smirked slightly. “You just realized that now?”
I chuckled weakly. “No… I’ve always known. I just didn’t expect you to turn into a detective before breakfast.”
Her smile softened. “I’m not letting him hurt you again, Ryusei. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
“Then we’ll play it carefully,” I said, nodding. “No rushing, no emotional moves.”
“Exactly. Since we can’t act aggressively, we’ll act smart.”
I leaned back against the wall, exhaling slowly. The tension in my chest loosened just enough for me to breathe again.
“You’re right. If we do this right, maybe we can finally stop him.”
“We will,” Keiko said, confidence lacing her tone. “First, check the CCTV. See if the camera picked up the audio too — it might have caught his threats.”
“Got it.” I nodded. “I’ll head to the bar after breakfast.”
She reached over and squeezed my hand. “We can win this, Ryusei.”
I gave a tired smile. “I hope so. Just… please be careful while I’m gone. And tell Rin everything. I don’t want her caught off guard.”
“Of course.” She tightened her grip. “You too, okay? Don’t confront him alone if he shows up again. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
We sat there in silence for a moment, holding each other’s hands, letting the morning sunlight slowly fill the room.
Then Keiko suddenly smiled — that soft, gentle smile that always made my heart melt. “You know, you look kind of cute when you’re worried.”
I blinked. “Huh?”
She giggled. “Your face gets all scrunched up like Rin’s when she forgets her homework.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks. I’m glad my anxiety is entertaining.”
She laughed and leaned her head on my shoulder. “I just want to see you smile again. We’ll get through this. Promise.”
I rested my hand on her hair, feeling the warmth of her skin. “Yeah. Together.”
For a while, we stayed like that — quiet, close, safe.
Outside, the city was waking up, and the distant sound of traffic reminded me that life was still moving, even when I felt stuck.
When Keiko finally pulled away, she stretched her arms and said, “Alright, I’ll make breakfast. You go shower, then check the CCTV after.”
“Got it.” I smiled faintly. “Thanks, Keiko.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said teasingly. “Just make sure you bring back some solid evidence. Then we can celebrate with yakiniku.”
I chuckled. “Now that’s motivation.”
She winked and walked to the kitchen. Watching her from behind — calm, determined, radiant in the morning light — I realized something.
Even if the world turned against me, as long as Keiko was here, I could still keep fighting.
“Keiko…” I murmured quietly, almost to myself. “I’ll protect you. No matter what.”
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I know you will, Ryusei.”
I took one last breath before heading to the bathroom, my heart steadier than before.