He wasn’t sure what was hidden inside the pendant.

  But somehow… he knew.

  Hiroto had given him a way out.

  Even after his death, he had kept his promise.

  Tears shimmered in Sota’s eyes.

  He had finally met Takashi, Hiroto’s beloved son. And now Takashi was in danger.

  That should never have happened.

  Sota couldn’t bear the thought that something might happen to him.

  His feelings for Takashi had grown stronger with every passing day, and the pain in his chest only deepened.

  That night, he had taken the knife meant for Takashi.

  His own life had never seemed important.

  For a long time now, Sota had considered himself worthless… a living ghost.

  But Takashi...

  Takashi needed to live.

  He needed to live for his father.

  And for Sota.

  He had made that decision the moment he met Takashi.

  He would help him find his justice.

  And he would protect him no matter the cost.

  Now it was time for him to give Takashi a way out… to give him the peace he had been chasing for so long.

  The thought brought him a strange sense of calm.

  Slowly, he closed his eyes.

  Exhausted, his body still numb from the medication, Sota drifted back into sleep.

  He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep, but when he opened his eyes, night had already fallen.

  This time he felt a little stronger.

  His mouth was dry. He needed water.

  Slowly, he looked around the room.

  After a moment, his gaze found Takashi.

  Takashi was sitting beside the bed, his head resting against the mattress, fast asleep while still holding Sota’s hand.

  Seeing him like that filled Sota’s chest with a warmth he couldn’t expin.

  It reminded him of the moment Takashi had said, “I’m coming home. Wait for me.”

  And in that moment, Sota understood something clearly.

  Takashi was his home.

  He had never felt like he belonged anywhere… until he met him.

  Carefully, Sota slipped his hand out of Takashi’s grasp and gently brushed Takashi’s hair aside.

  This calmness… this quiet moment… was everything Sota had ever needed in his life.

  But it had come too te.

  There had never been justice for Sota in this world.

  First, they took his family.

  Then they took Hiroto from him.

  And now they wanted to harm Takashi too.

  Sota had never finished school.

  He had never lived the life other children did.

  He had learned to read and write from his mother.

  In many ways, his life had ended when he was only seven years old.

  Whenever Hiroto spoke about Takashi,about his school, his achievements, Sota listened with complete attention.

  He imagined the life he had never had.

  A life that had always been impossible for him.

  Hiroto had promised to take him home one day.

  To give him an education.

  A real life.

  But that promise had been crushed… along with the st hope Sota had left.

  Sensing Takashi beginning to stir, Sota gently pulled his hand away from Takashi’s head, trying not to wake him.

  But Takashi opened his eyes anyway.

  Still half-asleep, he looked straight into Sota’s.

  A soft smile appeared on his face as he lifted his head.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked quietly. “Do you need anything?”

  Now he was fully awake.

  “No, I’m all right,” Sota replied with a faint smile. “You should sleep more. You looked exhausted when you came to see me today.”

  He coughed lightly.

  “I’ll get you some water,” Takashi said immediately, already standing up.

  “I don’t think you should drink too much right now,” Takashi said softly.

  “But a little water will help.”

  He stepped closer, sliding his arm gently beneath Sota’s head and lifting it slightly.

  With careful movements, he tilted the gss and let a small sip of water touch Sota’s lips.

  “That’s enough for now,” he said after a moment.

  He set the gss back on the nightstand.

  Then he carefully lowered Sota’s head onto the pillow again.

  Takashi straightened Sota’s hospital shirt and brushed his hair back from his face, moving with quiet care,

  like he was holding something fragile.

  Something that could break at any moment.

  And he couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “Thank you. I’m feeling much better,” Sota said with a faint smile.

  “I’m all right. Don’t worry so much.”

  He could sense Takashi’s concern, see the guilt still lingering in his eyes.

  “Dr. Akiyama said you’ll be okay in a few days,” Takashi replied.

  “You should be discharged soon.”

  He paused for a moment and sat back down on the chair beside the bed.

  “They allowed me to stay with you… to take care of you until you recover.”

  He looked at Sota with a gentle smile.

  “And you’re pnning to sleep like that? On the chair?” Sota asked with a soft ugh.

  “I think you should go home and get some proper rest. I’ll be fine.”

  Takashi reached out and took Sota’s hand.

  “No. The chair is fine for me. I can’t leave you here alone. Not when they know everything.”

  The reality of their situation settled between them.

  “I found a pce outside the city,” Takashi continued quietly.

  “Kenta’s brother has an empty apartment there. We can stay there for a while after you leave the hospital.”

  He lowered his head slightly, still holding Sota’s hand.

  “Are you okay with that?” he asked softly.

  “You’re not pnning to go back… right? You’ll stay with me?”

  Then he lifted his head, searching Sota’s eyes.

  Sota lifted his head slightly.

  “That’s good,” he said quietly.

  “You should hide too… at least for a while.”

  Takashi exhaled deeply, relieved to hear those words.

  Knowing that Sota had agreed to stay with him brought a small sense of calm to his chest.

  He had already made a pn with Kenta.

  Once Sota had fully recovered, they would find a way to give him a new identity, a new life far away from Shirogawa and the mafia cn.

  That was all that mattered to Takashi now.

  But first, he needed to be sure Sota would stay with him until then.

  A heavy pressure settled in his chest.

  How was he going to tell him?

  Would Sota even accept something like that?

  Takashi lowered his gaze.

  Still, he would do anything to make Sota leave that cursed pce behind… even if the thought of it made his heart ache, knowing it might mean never seeing him again.

  He was determined to get Sota out of this madness and give him the chance to live his life.

  “We should get some sleep,” Sota said, turning his head toward Takashi.

  “You look exhausted,” he added with a faint smile.

  “I think the bed is too small for both of us,” Sota continued quietly,

  “but I don’t think you can get proper sleep like that.”

  Takashi smiled softly.

  “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” he said.

  “I think I slept better on that chair today than I ever have before.”

  A few days had passed, and Takashi had never left Sota’s side.

  Today, however, he needed to step out for a while to prepare the apartment for both of them.

  Dr. Akiyama had said that Sota could be discharged tomorrow, and hearing that filled Takashi with relief.

  Still, he didn’t want to leave him alone.

  He needed to move out of his own apartment and bring some clothes for Sota.

  “Please, Dr. Akiyama, take care of him. I’ll be back soon,” Takashi said hurriedly.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Mori. I’ll do my best,” she replied with a soft ugh, watching how restless he seemed, clearly unwilling to leave Sota even for a moment.

  Sota ughed as well.

  “Don’t worry. I’m in good hands. You should go now.”

  He looked much better now.

  The color had returned to his face, and his eyes were shining again.

  He could even walk on his own.

  Seeing that made Takashi truly happy.

  And he left, leaving the two of them alone in the room.

  As soon as the door closed behind Takashi, Sota’s expression changed.

  The smile disappeared from his face.

  He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Yuna,” he said in a serious tone.

  “Can you bring me a ptop? I need to check something.”

  He turned his head and looked straight into her eyes.

  Her face grew pale.

  She could feel that something was wrong, like he had been waiting for Takashi to leave so he could finally drop the act.

  “What is it, Sota? Is everything all right?” she asked, stepping closer.

  “I need you to do me a favor,” Sota continued calmly.

  “Can you bring the ptop? Then I’ll expin everything.”

  She was clearly worried, but she didn’t question him further.

  “I’ll bring it right away,” she said and started walking toward the door.

  “Yuna,” Sota called after her.

  She stopped and turned around.

  “You need to keep this a secret,” he said quietly.

  “Takashi mustn’t know about this.”