After parted ways with Yonghwa, Ren and Jonghyun decided to grab dinner at Japanese restaurant nearby. They climbed inside his car and drove off. Ren let out a small sigh and leant back her head, turning her eyes out of the window, watching watching the city illuminated with yellow lights as they passed along the bridge. Her mind recalled back at Mizuki’s expression earlier.

The way he watched them performed, the way he reacted, and the way he looked at the crowd. She couldn’t say if he enjoyed the show or not but she could tell there was something behind those gaze he threw upon his surroundings. Contrary to her eagerness, his eyes told otherwise. The eyes that told familiarity, yearning yet painful at the same time.

“…”

She wondered… somehow.

“Are you listening?” asked Jonghyun snapped her back into reality. Ren turned her head at him.

“Sorry. I was just dozing off. What did you say once again?”

“…” it was Jonghyun’s turn now to idle. “…it is him, isn’t it?” asked him in a low and deep voice, staring at her for a few seconds before threw his gaze back at the front. He shifted the gear and sped the car. Ren cocked her head to the side, confused. Jonghyun sighed. “You are thinking about Mizuki, am I correct?”

“I’m not.” The words slipped way too fast. Among the four of them, Jonghyun was known best at reading people’s mind. He knew that eyes never told lie. Before he’d realized, she’d better change the subject now. Therefore, she asked, “Are we going to that same ramen restaurant again?”

Jonghyun nodded and flashed her a smile. Good thing she knew his weakness. He would forget everything when he started to talk about his favorite food. Lucky her. Though this trick won’t happen again next time.

______________________

Ren was back at her apartment. She pulled the key out and unlocked the door to meet with a pitch black room. So, he hasn’t home yet. She reached to turn the lights on and closed the door behind her. Ren yawned a bit before dragging herself to the bathroom for shower.

She glanced at the clock and looked at her key on the doorknob. The thought of locking the door washed her.

But… he didn’t do anything harm to her…

“…”

… or not yet.

She grabbed her katana and flopped herself on the couch. Not long when she just turned the TV on, he heard rustling and light footstep. The screen door flung open but she didn’t bother to look. She could she him from the corner of her eyes that he was approaching her and now, sat on the coffee table in front of her, blocking the television from her view.

The nerve he has… thought Ren glaring sharply at him, but Mizuki stared back, unfazed, and for a moment they were at an impasse.

Finally he relented first. “Miss Harada, this has to stop.”

She didn’t answer, just kept glaring while the guy ran a finger through his hair frustrated. He continued, his voice clear and quiet and soft, “I understand this is very troublesome for you, but you hired me for a reason, and that is, to protect you. I can’t have you running around without telling me where you are going anymore. I promise to try my best not to interfere with your personal life, but would you at least let me do my job properly?”

With fury eyes still locked at his, Ren leaned in and brought her face on the same level. Their face were like an inch away. She snorted, “I see my Dad didn’t tell you guys honestly, did he…” Ren cocked her head. “I never hired you at the first place. It is him, the man who called himself as my Dad that hired you for me. In return of his guilty, for abandoning me right after my mom died…”

She hissed. “How ironic of him, calling himself a Dad while all he do was choosing his work as a prime minister over his own family…” she spat the word.

“………………”

There was a long pause. Ren heard rumble, causing the tiles vibrated a bit. In one smooth swift, she got onto her feet and jerked the curtain open. “…. Elli.” She quickly grabbed her long coat and umbrella, along with her katana, then ran out.

Ren arrived at the river side and looked around in dismay. The windy rain didn’t help on finding her best friend’s figure. She wobbled down once she heard howling coming from her right and felt relieved when it ran approached her, wagging its tail.

“There… there… I’m here, don’t worry…” she crouched down and pet Elli while the dog over her face happily. She laughed and lift the umbrella to cover both of them. “I’m sorry I can’t bring you home… my apartment doesn’t allow you to stay…” as if understand her words, Elli let out a low howl, blinking its dark brown eyes.

Elli suddenly growled. She knew Mizuki would follow her. Ren rubbed Elli’s neck and said, “It’s okay. He is a friend.” whispered her to his ear so the dog won’t attack him. 

- - -

Ren’s piercing eyes were dark with fury as she leaned in closer to him. “I see my dad didn’t tell you guys honestly, did he…” she paused. “I never hired you at the first place. It is him, the man who called himself as my dad that hired you for me. I n return of his guilty, for abandoning me right after my mom died…” 

Hearing this did not surprise Mizuki at all. He’d expected something like that—there had never been a client so reluctant for protection before, never a client so eager to get away from the bodyguards. The Katsuragi team was a team of professionals; all of them knew by heart how best to protect someone and still keep from interfering in their personal life. 

As she spoke again, Mizuki frowned slightly. If she had a bad relationship with her father, then it was no surprise she’d refuse his protection so. Before he had the chance to respond, however, Ren suddenly ran out of the apartment—almost as if she couldn’t bear the silence with which he’d answered her story. 

And it was this—her act of running out—that surprised Mizuki. 

Ren had always been fleeing from him ever since they met, had always been so enthusiastic to rid of his company, but there was something in her eyes that seemed less untouchable this time. Vulnerable, even. 

It was a very welcome change to the fury and rage she’d been treating him with in the past two days, and Mizuki stood up to follow after her. 

.

.

When he found her, Ren was standing at the riverbank with a dog nuzzling her leg. She didn’t seem surprised when he stepped into her direct line of vision, instead just whispered in the dog’s ear, as if to convince it of something. 

“It’s okay,” he heard her say. “He’s a friend.”

Fighting the urge to raise his eyebrows at that statement, he extended his hand, silently beckoning Elli to come to his side. It stared at Mizuki in complete silence for two or three seconds before it finally yielded, leaving Ren to go to Mizuki. 

The bodyguard couldn’t help but to smile wryly at this. Animals usually liked him and would come to him without him having to call them, but Elli was just like its mistress. A little more difficult than the rest. 

It was with this thought that Mizuki crouched down to pat the dog. “There’s a good girl,” he murmured, running his hand over its back to it gently, over and over again, the motion rhythmic as if he wanted the dog to familiarise itself to his touch. Soon enough Elli was nuzzling his palm, wagging its tail. Feeling slightly relieved, Mizuki straightened up to look at Ren.

She had been watching them with irritation, and she was still watching them now, her eyes full of something indecipherable. Her long, dark wavy hair swept with the wind as it rustled around them, increasingly violent, the trees swaying in the darkness. Quietly Mizuki stepped a little closer to the woman, almost as if he didn’t want to surprise her with any sudden movement. 

“You ran away,” he said. His voice was soft, careful, and there was a slight smile tugging on the corners of his lips. “Why did you run away?”