"By the way, I'm Amane Hayato. What's your name?" I asked, breaking the silence that had lingered between us as we walked side by side.
And yes, she chose to spend the night at my place. Despite me being a complete stranger, she still made that decision—it only proves how desperately she wants to avoid going home. That's why I didn't question her about it. Even so, I still want to know more about her. After all, she's someone I've never seen in the anime before.
"My name is Sanae," she replied softly, her gaze fixed on the ground. But wait—she didn't mention her surname? That's odd… but whatever.
"Then, should I just call you Sanae?" I asked, just to be sure. She gave a small nod in response.
After we arrived home, I told her to sit on the sofa and handed her a glass of water along with some cookies. In the meantime, I went to take a quick shower—a long bath would've been nice, but I didn't want to leave her alone for too long.
After finishing my shower and changing into a comfortable set of clothes, I walked over to her. She was still sitting there in silence, just as I had left her. The glass of water was empty, but the cookies remained untouched.
"Mrs. Sanae, do you want to take a bath?" I asked. Since we were still strangers, calling her by just her name felt a bit awkward, so I decided to go with this approach instead.
"No, I'm fine," she replied before falling silent again. However, her stomach had other plans, letting out a loud growl. When I glanced at her face, I noticed a faint streak of redness creeping up her cheeks.
"Don't be embarrassed, it's only natural," I said with a reassuring smile. "Wait here, I'll prepare our dinner."
With that, I quickly moved to the dining table and took out the sushi, rice balls, and drinks I had bought from the convenience store. But now that I had one more person to feed, it clearly wasn't going to be enough.
So, I checked the fridge and found two pieces of salmon—perfect. Wasting no time, I used them to quickly prepare Teriyaki Salmon, accompanied by stir-fried vegetables and two small bowls of simple miso soup.
Looking at the dining table, I couldn't help but think—tonight's meal was pretty fish-heavy. Still, I didn't mind. More importantly, I realized I was getting really comfortable with cooking.
Now that everything was ready, I called Mrs. Sanae over, but she hesitated. Seeing that, I simply took her hand and gently dragged her to the dining table.
"Don't overthink it. Just eat your fill and get some rest."
She was still hesitant at first, but the moment she took a bite, all hesitation disappeared. She started eating without holding back. I chuckled inwardly—she must have been really hungry.
After we finished dinner, I guided her to one of the empty rooms I had cleaned earlier. And brought her an extra pillow and a futon from my own room.
"Good night. If you need anything, just call me—my room is right in front of yours," I said before heading back to my room.
Slipping under the blanket, I sighed as the cool night air seeped in. The weather was changing—it was a bit chilly tonight.
Lying on my bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling, letting the events of the day sink in. So much had happened, yet it was strangely fun.
I should sleep—I have school tomorrow. But then, a thought crossed my mind. How am I even going to face Takahashi from now on?
Wait… I also forgot to check the messages Kojima sent me!
I let out a sigh. Whatever. I'll check them tomorrow.
As I closed my eyes, I heard the faint sound of raindrops tapping against the window. It seemed the rain had finally started.
With each passing moment, the gentle patter grew louder as the downpour intensified. Soon, the deep rumble of thunder echoed through the night, followed by sharp cracks of lightning splitting the sky.
Just as I fall asleep, a sudden knocking at the door jolted me awake. Rubbing my eyes, I got up and walked over.
"Do you need something?" I asked as I opened the door.
Just as I expected, it was Mrs. Sanae standing there. Well, who else could it be? It's just the two of us in this house, right?
She stood there in silence for a moment, her body faintly trembling. Don't tell me… is she scared of lightning?
"C-Can I sleep with y-you?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. Even she seemed to realize that asking something like this from a guy wasn't exactly appropriate.
I let out a sigh. I had already seen this coming, and since my guess was right, there was no way I could turn her away.
And so, here we are—a teenage boy and girl, alone in the house, sharing the same bed on a rainy night. But I can promise… nothing is going to happen.
It's just, she was still shaking from the lightning strikes, so I offered her my hand and told her to grab onto it if she wants.
Surprisingly, after a couple of seconds of hesitation, she took my hand. Though i was relieved to see her shaking finally calm down.
Still… what kind of situation is this?! There's no way I can sleep like this.
I won't deny it—I'm undoubtedly nervous. And honestly, isn't that natural? Up until a few weeks ago, I had barely even talked to a girl. But now, a girl I just met a few hours ago is sharing a bed with me.
"Are you awake?"
Lost in my own turmoil of thoughts, I heard her voice but didn't respond immediately. After a brief pause, I muttered, "Yeah… somehow."
Silence fell between us again, but it didn't last long.
"Can I ask you something?" she spoke softly.
"What is it?" I asked, still facing the other way. The room was dark, so I couldn't see her expression.
After a brief pause, she spoke again. "We're just strangers… yet you saved me, took me to your house, and even gave me food. But… why? Why haven't you asked anything about my situation or why I ran away from home?"
I paused for a moment, thinking carefully before answering.
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I just figured that whatever situation you're in isn't a good one, and you don't feel comfortable talking about it. Otherwise, you would have told me, right? And honestly… I don't want to pry into someone's problems out of fleeting curiosity without understanding what they're going through."
Silence fell once again. What's with this situation? Every time we talk, it always ends in silence.
After a moment, her soft voice broke the stillness.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me."
"You're welcome," I replied simply.
I thought that was the end of our conversation—but I was wrong.
"Will you listen to my story?" she asked softly.
I wasn't sure what had gone through her mind for her to suddenly decide to put her trust in me, but I could hear the hesitation in her voice.
"Only if you're comfortable with it," I replied. I won't deny that I was curious, but I didn't want to pressure her.
"I think… it's fine if it's you," she whispered.
Why is that? We were technically still strangers.
She took a moment to organize her thoughts before starting her story.
"I lost my father when I was a kid due to an illness," she began. "But I still remember his face—he was a very kind father and a loving husband. My mother and I loved him very much… we were a happy family.
But after his death, all the responsibilities fell on my mother. She started working to provide for us while still raising me with love and care. I did my best to support her—after all, she's my only family now.
But no matter what I did, I couldn't erase the sadness left by my father's death. It was clear just by looking at her that she was pushing herself for my sake. And the worst part? There was nothing I could do about it. That's why… I felt so angry at myself."
She paused to catch her breath before continuing.
"Several years later, my mother introduced me to a man and asked for my approval to remarry him. He seemed kind and treated both of us well. But more than anything, I was surprised to see my mother smile again—the same smile she had lost after my father's death.
That was enough for me. I also wanted her to be happy. So, I agreed to their marriage and accepted him as my new father."
"Years went by, and we lived as a normal family. With both my mother and stepfather working, money was never a problem. We were living a good life.
But everything changed after my 18th birthday.
One day at school, a guy confessed to me, saying he wanted to go out with me. I rejected him politely since I wasn't really interested in romance at the time. But as it turned out, he was already in a relationship—with one of my friends. They had been hiding it, so I had no idea."
"But after that, he broke up with my friend, and she accused me of seducing her boyfriend. I denied it until the end, but no one believed me.
All my friends turned against me, and as the rumors spread, I became an outcast at school. They even started bullying me as revenge."
I could clearly hear her sobbing, her body trembling as she reached this part of her story. It was evident how deeply hurt she was by everything that had happened.
I couldn't help but feel my anger rising. Those damn bastards… If they wanted to blame someone, why not blame that guy who started it all?
I sighed to calm myself, then tightened my grip on her hand, offering what little comfort I could in that moment without crossing any boundry.
She calmed down a bit, finding the courage to continue.
"Whatever happened at school, I could manage it… but at home, I started to notice my stepfather looking at me differently—almost lecherously. At first, I thought I was just overthinking it, all the stress getting to me. But I wasn't wrong.
One day, it was raining heavily, just like tonight, and my mother told me she wouldn't be able to return home that night."
Her voice broke as she reached the end of her story, the pain and fear still fresh in her words.
"That time, it was just me and him alone at home. Just a father and daughter, nothing unusual about it. That's what I thought... but he tried to force himself on me. That was when I realized what kind of man he truly was.
Luckily, I found a flower vase nearby, and I hit him over the head with it. I ran desperately to my room and locked the door. After some time, he came to the door and started threatening me. He said that if I told anyone what happened, he'd kill both me and my mother.
I was terrified. I couldn't do anything but cry the whole night. The next day, I had to act like nothing happened, out of fear.
From that day on, he always kept an eye on me. Whenever there was an opportunity, he would try to make a move on me, and I could only defend myself in silence. I was lucky he never succeeded... until today.
When my mother said she wouldn't be coming home again tonight, I instantly remembered that night and got too scared. I didn't want to be there when he came home. Before he could return, I fled.
I wasn't sure where I was going, I just wanted to get away from him. When I came to my senses, I found myself in this part of the city. It was unfamiliar to me, and I didn't know where to go. I was tired and decided to rest by the side of the road. And that's when those three guys tried to pick on me."
Her sobs were quieter now, but the weight of her story hung heavy in the air.
And i, i clenched my fists tightly, trying to suppress the rage boiling inside me. How could a piece of trash like him still be walking freely in society? If I ever met him, I wouldn't hesitate to break his face beyond recognition.
But more than my anger, my heart ached for Mrs. Sanae. She had already gone through so much. Why is it always people like her who have to suffer? Is that just how this world works?
I already knew the answer. The world is filled with selfish, disgusting parasites—always ready to prey on the innocent.
I hated it.
I hated knowing that no matter how much I despised them, people like him would always exist. That no matter how much I wanted to help, the reality was—I couldn't save everyone.
But that didn't mean I would turn a blind eye to someone who deserved to be saved.
I could handle this matter my own way—I had no doubt about that. But this time, that wasn't the solution.
Mrs. Sanae needed to learn to stand up for herself. From what I had noticed, she was meek and easy to suppress. That might be one of her charming points, but in a world like this, she couldn't afford to stay that way forever.
She had to learn when to fight back.
Because if she didn't, people would always try to take advantage of her naive self, and I wouldn't always be there to save her.
"Why didn't you tell your mother everything?" I asked, my voice calm yet firm.
She sniffled, wiping away her tears before answering, "I already told you… he threatened me. He said if I spoke a word to anyone, he'd kill both me and my mother."
That's true, but he also had to go to work sometimes. She could have found a way to speak to her mother when he wasn't around.
But I understood. She is naive, and when you're constantly under pressure and fear, it's easy to forget the right course of action. The mind doesn't always work clearly in those situations.
"Trust your mother. From everything you've told me, it's clear that you both care for each other deeply. Though it's disheartening that she hasn't noticed your situation, that only proves how much effort you've put into hiding it from her. I understand—you don't want to shatter the happiness she finally regained after so long. But believe me, no mother would ever choose her own happiness at the cost of her child's suffering."
That's right. She never said it outright, but I could tell—one of the reasons she kept silent was because she didn't want to take away the smile her mother had finally found again.
"I-I can't d-do it… H-he will kill my mother."
Just how much had that bastard terrorized her? How deeply had his threats sunk into her heart, chaining her in fear?
I finally turned to face her, gripping her shoulders firmly and giving her a slight shake, forcing her to snap out of her fear-induced daze.
"I said trust your mother! Find the right moment and tell her everything. She's an adult—she'll know what to do. Do you really think staying silent will make everything okay? Do you honestly believe that this illusion of happiness is what your mother deserves?"
My voice was steady but urgent, pressing the truth into her.
"What if something happens to you? Do you think she could live with herself once she finds out what you suffered through alone? She would blame herself for the rest of her life. You are her real family, and she is yours. It's not just your responsibility to protect her—you have to protect each other."
I took a deep breath, my grip tightening slightly.
"And think… what if he loses patience? What if he goes even further? You can't keep running forever. It's always better to take action now than to regret it when it's too late."
"I—I... Can i really do it?" she asked, locking eyes with me. I sensed a spark of hope, great, my words were finally sinking in. All she needed was a little more push.
"Yes, of course you can," I insisted. "If you've endured all this without giving up, it means you're definitely a strong girl. Believe in yourself." My tone soften in the last part as i have her a small reassuring smile, "And if you ever need help.... I'm here for you."
That marked the end of our conversation. As the intensity of our emotions faded, we both became acutely aware of just how close we were. Our faces flushed in unison, and almost instinctively, we put some distance between us.
"A-Ah, alright, let's stop here," I stammered, desperate to escape the awkwardness. "I have school today, so I should get some sleep."
Silence followed for a few seconds before I heard her soft, faint voice.
"Good night."