The days passed fastly after Kento’s arrival.

We fell into a rhythm of sorts, though calling it "normal" would be a stretch.

He’d sit in the living room, constantly checking his phone for updates from Sasaki, while I would pretend to occupy myself, my thoughts always drifting back to Mitsuo Nagasuki lurking out there.

But something unexpected happened over the course of the next few days: Kento and I became, well… almost friends.

At first, it was purely professional.

He’d sit quietly, only speaking when necessary, reminding me of my situation and offering updates. But eventually, the silence became too heavy, and in an attempt to fill the void, we began to talk.

It started with simple questions—how long he’d been with police, what it was like working with Sasaki.

Kento was easygoing, quick to laugh, and surprisingly young for someone tasked with babysitting a guy who was being hunted by one of the most dangerous men in the city.

But he had that calm, unflinching demeanor of someone who had seen his fair share of trouble and wasn’t easily shaken.

"You ever get used to it?"

I asked him one day, folding a fresh load of laundry as he lounged on the couch.

"The constant danger, the waiting?"

Kento shrugged, not looking up from his phone.

"You get used to it being around you. But getting used to it? I don’t think so. It’s more like learning to live with it."

I thought about that for a moment, nodding slowly.

That’s what I had been trying to do—live with the looming threat of Nagasuki—but it wasn’t as easy as Kento made it sound.

One afternoon, about a week into our forced coexistence, I glanced out the window and spotted my downstairs neighbor, Kozumaru-san, tending to his plants on the balcony.

He was bent over a row of potted flowers, his usual grim expression fixed in place.

His wife wasn’t in sight, which was unusual; she was always hovering nearby, giving him instructions on how to properly water the plants, as if he hadn’t been doing it for decades.

A thought occurred to me then.

Before the accident—before everything—I had been at odds with Kozumaru-san and his wife.

I remember that even Sasaki asked me something about it, it seemed that they reported me.

We’d had a series of awkward, tension-filled run-ins about noise, stairs cleaning, and other petty grievances.

They were the kind of problems that could’ve been resolved with a few calm conversations, but instead, they had festered into an uncomfortable, silent feud.

And now, with everything that had happened, I realized I’d been avoiding them.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Avoiding everything, really.

My life had been turned upside down, and I hadn’t even tried to make things right with the people closest to me—literally right beneath my feet.

I turned to Kento, who was scrolling through something on his phone.

"Hey, Kento"

I said, feeling a knot of nerves tighten in my stomach.

"I think I’m going to go talk to my neighbor. I need to… I don’t know, fix things. Clear the air."

Kento raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in my focus.

"You sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you’re supposed to be here no matter what, remember?"

I nodded, knowing he was right but also feeling like this was something I needed to do.

"I’ve been here low for long enough. And besides, it’s just downstairs. I’ll be fine."

Kento studied me for a moment, then shrugged.

"Alright. I’ll come with you, just in case."

The knot in my stomach loosened slightly, and I managed a small smile.

"Thanks, Kento."

Together, we headed downstairs, the quiet of the apartment building making each step feel heavier than it should have.

Now i remember that I never talked about it so i'll tell it now.

I live in Mukō, Kyoto Prefecture, in a two-story apartment building that extends horizontally.

There are eight small apartments, making it affordable for me to rent one.

I live in 2B, which is the second apartment (in order of entry) among four on the first floor.

My neighbors live in 2A.

I hadn’t spoken to Kozumaru-san or his wife since before the accident, and the weight of that silence hung between us as we approached their door.

Kozumaru-san was in and probably his wife too.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Kento, who gave me a small nod of encouragement.

"Hey, Kozumaru-san"

I knocked on the door, my voice sounding more strained than I had intended.

He opened slowly, his stern face softening slightly in recognition.

"Mori-san"

His tone neutral.

"What do you want?"

I swallowed, feeling suddenly unsure of myself.

"I wanted to… talk. About, well, everything. I know we haven’t exactly been on good terms lately, and I just—"

I paused, trying to find the right words.

"I just want to apologize. For all the trouble before."

Kozumaru-san stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

I could feel Kento’s silent presence beside me, but for some reason, it didn’t make the situation any less daunting.

"Apologize?" Kozumaru-san finally said, his voice low and measured.

"Don't make me laugh"

I looked at him and his prideful eyes penetrated my soul.

"After all you’ve done to us, you dare ask for forgiveness?"

I looked at him speechless while glancing occasionally at Kento who seemed entertained.

He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"If you don't want anything more, goodbye Mori-san."

I blinked, caught off guard.

"Wait let me-"

He shutted the door in front of us.

I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.

I looked back at Kento.

"I had that feeling."

He said crossing his arms.

"What you mean?"

"When you are in war you can't go in enemy territory without a plan."

I blinked multiple times.

He thought something that would have never appeared in my head.

He had six years less than me but yet he was wiser than i ever was.

As Kento and I made our way back upstairs, I thought about what he said before. I didn’t expect things to magically settle down, but at least that Kozumaru-san would accept my apology.

I had changed since then.

But perhaps what was obvious to me was not so obvious to others.

When we got back to the apartment, Kento leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk on his face.

"Next time-"

He said.

"Next time it'll go better."

I let out a small laugh, the tension in my chest easing just a little.

He was believing in me?

Lately more people are starting to count on me.

Hana, Sasaki and now even Kento?

I guess that my charisma is growing.

Or maybe others aside of me are starting to see my change.

"Yeah, definitely"

As I sat back down on the couch, Kento’s phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, his expression tightening for a brief moment before he slipped it back into his pocket.

"Any news?"

I asked, sensing the shift in his demeanor.

Kento shook his head, though his smile was a little forced.

"Nothing concrete. But we’re close, Keisuke. We’re getting closer to Nagasuki."

I nodded, the familiar dread creeping back in.

No matter how much progress I made, no matter how many small victories I had, Nagasuki was still out there. And until he was caught, I couldn’t truly move forward.

But for now, I’d take the small steps.

Even if they weren’t enough to solve all my problems, they were better than standing still.

And maybe, just maybe, they’d be enough to get me through whatever came next.