Chapter 4 Mine to Protect

Aira barely slept that night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ren standing across the street.

Watching.

Waiting.

Protecting.

The strange part wasn't that he had been there.

The strange part was that she had felt safer because of it.

Nobody had ever made her feel safe before.

Not her parents.

Not her sister.

Not even the people who claimed to care.

Yet somehow Ren's presence lingered in her thoughts long after she had closed the curtains.

It should have frightened her.

Instead, it comforted her.

That realization scared her more than anything.

The next morning was awful.

Aira entered campus and immediately noticed the whispers.

Again.

People stared.

People pointed.

People talked.

She lowered her head and kept walking.

Unfortunately, trouble found her anyway.

Three girls blocked her path.

One of them was the same girl who had tried talking to Ren a few days ago.

Mika.

Aira recognized her immediately.

Mika folded her arms.

"So you're the reason Ren keeps ignoring everyone."

Aira blinked.

"What?"

"Don't play innocent."

The other girls glared.

"We know what you're doing."

Aira genuinely had no idea what they meant.

"I haven't done anything."

Mika laughed.

"Exactly. That's what's annoying."

The insult hit harder than expected.

Aira looked away.

She was used to being disliked.

Still, it hurt.

It always hurt.

"Stay away from him."

Aira sighed.

"I don't control him."

"Then make him stop following you."

The words made Aira freeze.

Following?

Before she could respond—

A shadow appeared behind the girls.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Everyone became silent.

Aira already knew who it was.

Ren.

The girls slowly turned around.

Their confidence disappeared immediately.

Ren's expression was calm.

Too calm.

The dangerous kind of calm.

His dark eyes settled on Mika.

"What did you just say?"

Nobody answered.

Nobody wanted to.

The pressure surrounding him was overwhelming.

Mika swallowed nervously.

"I-I was just talking—"

"No."

His voice remained soft.

"You were bothering her."

The entire courtyard seemed to grow quiet.

Ren stepped forward.

Just one step.

Yet all three girls immediately moved back.

Aira had never seen anything like it.

People were genuinely afraid of him.

And for the first time, she wondered why.

Ren looked at Mika.

"Don't do it again."

It wasn't a threat.

It wasn't shouted.

It sounded worse.

Like a promise.

The girls hurried away without another word.

Silence followed.

Aira stared at him.

Ren looked completely unbothered.

As if nothing unusual had happened.

"You scared them."

"They scared you first."

The answer came instantly.

Aira opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because somehow he was right.

Ren's eyes softened slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Nobody ever asked her that.

Nobody.

The simple question almost made her emotional.

She quickly looked away.

"I'm fine."

"You don't have to lie to me."

Aira froze.

The words felt too accurate.

Too personal.

Ren noticed everything.

Far too much.

That afternoon, Aira visited the library.

It was her favorite place.

Quiet.

Peaceful.

Safe.

Or at least it had been.

Now she found herself looking around for a certain dark-haired boy.

Which was ridiculous.

She shouldn't be thinking about him this much.

She sat near a window and opened a novel.

Ten minutes later—

A cup of coffee appeared beside her.

Aira jumped.

Ren sat across from her.

She stared.

"How did you know I was here?"

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"You always come here on Wednesdays."

Aira nearly dropped her book.

"You know that?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

The answer came without hesitation.

"Because I pay attention."

Aira's heartbeat sped up again.

Most people would have found the statement romantic.

Unfortunately, Ren said it with such certainty that it sounded slightly alarming.

He wasn't guessing.

He knew.

The realization sent a shiver down her spine.

Ren noticed.

His gaze softened.

"You're thinking too much."

"You know way too much about me."

For the first time, he looked amused.

"You're only realizing that now?"

Aira groaned.

This man was impossible.

Meanwhile, across campus, Haru watched everything from a distance.

And worried.

A lot.

Because Ren was becoming worse.

Not better.

Much worse.

Years ago, Ren had merely observed Aira from afar.

Now?

Now he followed her schedule.

Memorized her habits.

Remembered every detail.

The obsession wasn't fading.

It was growing.

Haru sighed.

This would end badly.

The question was for whom.

That evening, rain poured from the sky.

Aira stood beneath the university entrance, staring miserably at the storm.

Of course she had forgotten her umbrella.

Again.

Just her luck.

Most students had already left.

The remaining ones hurried through the rain.

Aira considered making a run for it.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't."

She turned.

Ren stood beside her.

Holding a black umbrella.

Aira wasn't even surprised anymore.

"You appear everywhere."

A small smile touched his lips.

"I know."

"That's not normal."

"Probably."

Again.

Why was he so casual about it?

Ren opened the umbrella.

"Come on."

Aira hesitated.

"It's fine. I'll walk."

The look Ren gave her suggested he wasn't amused.

"It isn't fine."

"It's only rain."

"You'll get sick."

"I won't."

"You will."

Aira stared.

Ren stared back.

Neither moved.

Eventually she sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

Victory flashed briefly in his eyes.

They walked together beneath the umbrella.

The city lights reflected across wet streets.

Cars passed.

People rushed by.

Yet somehow the moment felt strangely peaceful.

Aira hadn't walked home with someone in years.

Maybe ever.

For several minutes neither spoke.

Then Ren suddenly asked—

"Why do you let them hurt you?"

Aira froze.

The question cut deeper than expected.

"My family?"

"Everyone."

She looked down.

Rain tapped softly against the umbrella.

"I don't know."

The answer was honest.

Because she truly didn't know.

After years of being treated badly, part of her had started believing she deserved it.

Ren's jaw tightened.

His expression darkened.

Aira noticed immediately.

"You look angry."

"I am."

"Why?"

His gaze met hers.

Cold fury burned beneath the surface.

Not directed at her.

At someone else.

At everyone else.

"Because they don't see what I see."

Aira's breath caught.

The intensity in his voice was overwhelming.

Real.

Dangerously real.

Ren stopped walking.

The city seemed to disappear around them.

Only the two of them remained.

For a moment, neither looked away.

Then Ren quietly said something that made Aira's heart skip.

"If they knew how special you are..."

His voice dropped lower.

"...they wouldn't dare treat you that way."

Aira couldn't answer.

Because nobody had ever spoken about her like that.

Nobody.

And deep inside, something began to change.

A tiny crack appeared in the walls she had built around herself.

A crack that Ren Kurozawa seemed determined to widen.

No matter how long it took.

No matter what stood in his way.

To Be Continued...

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