Chapter 5 The Beginning of Possession

The walk home should have been ordinary.

It wasn't.

Aira couldn't stop thinking about Ren's words.

"They don't see what I see."

Nobody had ever defended her before.

Nobody had ever looked at her as if she mattered.

For years she had lived like a shadow.

Ignored.

Forgotten.

Invisible.

Yet somehow Ren treated her as if she were the most important person in the world.

And that scared her.

Because people didn't become that attached without a reason.

The next morning, Aira arrived at university early.

She hoped for one peaceful day.

Unfortunately, fate seemed to have other plans.

As she entered the classroom, she noticed something strange.

Her desk was covered in ink.

Cruel words were written across its surface.

"Attention Seeker."

"Stay Away From Ren."

"No One Likes You."

Aira froze.

The classroom fell silent.

Everyone watched her reaction.

Nobody helped.

Nobody spoke.

The familiar ache returned.

For a moment she simply stood there.

Then she quietly picked up a tissue.

She started cleaning the desk.

One word at a time.

As if it didn't hurt.

As if she was used to it.

The truth was—

She was.

The classroom door suddenly opened.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the room.

Ren.

The moment he entered, he noticed Aira.

Then he noticed the desk.

Silence.

A dangerous silence.

Aira felt it immediately.

Something changed.

The atmosphere became suffocating.

Even students who had nothing to do with it looked nervous.

Ren walked toward the desk.

His expression revealed nothing.

Which somehow made it worse.

He looked at the cruel messages.

Then at the class.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

"Who did it?"

His voice was calm.

Terrifyingly calm.

No one answered.

Aira quickly spoke.

"It's fine."

Ren didn't even look at her.

His eyes remained fixed on the students.

"Who."

Still silence.

A chair scraped against the floor.

Someone stood.

A boy near the back.

His face had turned pale.

"It was just a joke."

Wrong answer.

Everyone knew it immediately.

Ren took one step forward.

The boy took one step back.

Aira grabbed Ren's sleeve before things could escalate.

The touch surprised both of them.

Ren immediately looked down at her hand.

His attention shifted instantly.

Like a switch.

The anger disappeared.

Only for her.

"Aira."

"It's okay."

"No."

His voice was firm.

"It's not."

For a second, something dangerous flashed through his eyes.

Something possessive.

Something intense.

Then it vanished.

But Aira had seen it.

And it made her heart race.

Not entirely from fear.

Later that day, Ren sat alone on the rooftop.

The city stretched endlessly before him.

Haru appeared a few moments later.

"You look murderous."

Ren remained silent.

Haru sighed.

"Let me guess."

"Aira."

"Obviously."

Ren's gaze darkened.

"They made her cry."

That surprised Haru.

"Aira cried?"

"Not in front of them."

His hands clenched.

"But she wanted to."

The realization seemed to genuinely upset him.

Haru had known Ren for years.

He had never seen him care this much about anyone.

Not family.

Not friends.

Nobody.

Except Aira.

It wasn't normal.

At this point, it was far beyond normal.

"Ren."

No response.

"You need to be careful."

Dark eyes shifted toward him.

"Why?"

"Because you're becoming obsessed."

Silence followed.

A long silence.

Then Ren smiled.

A small smile.

The kind that worried Haru most.

"I know."

Haru nearly choked.

"You're admitting it?"

"Why would I deny it?"

That wasn't the response Haru expected.

At all.

Ren looked toward the university courtyard.

Toward the place where Aira usually spent her lunch breaks.

His expression softened.

A rare sight.

"She's spent her entire life alone."

"That doesn't mean—"

"I know exactly what it means."

His voice became quiet.

Dangerously quiet.

"It means nobody was there for her."

Haru suddenly understood.

And that understanding worried him even more.

Because Ren wasn't simply interested in Aira.

He had made a decision.

A permanent one.

And Ren Kurozawa never changed his mind.

That evening, Aira stopped by a convenience store.

She bought instant noodles and a small drink.

Nothing special.

Just enough for dinner.

As she exited the store, she noticed three men standing near the parking lot.

Their laughter immediately made her uncomfortable.

One of them stepped into her path.

"Hey."

Aira froze.

The feeling in her stomach wasn't good.

"Can I help you?"

The man grinned.

"How about giving us your number?"

"No."

She tried walking around them.

Another man blocked her path.

Her heartbeat quickened.

This wasn't good.

Not good at all.

The parking lot was nearly empty.

Nobody seemed to notice.

Aira's grip tightened around her bag.

Then suddenly—

The men went silent.

Completely silent.

Their expressions changed.

Fear.

Pure fear.

Aira turned around.

Ren stood there.

He wasn't smiling.

He wasn't speaking.

Yet somehow he looked more intimidating than she had ever seen him.

The three men immediately stepped back.

One muttered an apology.

Then another.

Within seconds they were gone.

Practically running.

Aira stared.

"How did you—"

"You forgot dinner yesterday."

She blinked.

"What?"

"You usually buy food every Tuesday."

Aira's brain stopped working.

That wasn't the important part.

The important part was—

"You know when I buy groceries?"

Ren realized what he had said.

For the first time since meeting him, he actually looked slightly embarrassed.

Only slightly.

"A little."

"A little?"

His silence was answer enough.

Aira laughed despite herself.

Actually laughed.

A genuine laugh.

Ren froze.

The sound seemed to catch him completely off guard.

For several seconds he simply stared.

Then something softened in his eyes.

Aira noticed immediately.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ren's answer came quietly.

"Because I like hearing you laugh."

The words struck her harder than expected.

Nobody had ever said that before.

Nobody.

Aira quickly looked away.

Her cheeks felt warm.

Ren noticed.

Of course he did.

He noticed everything.

And for some reason, that thought no longer felt quite as frightening as before.

That night, after Aira fell asleep, her bedroom remained dark and quiet.

Across the city, Ren sat beside his apartment window.

His phone displayed a single photograph.

Aira.

Smiling.

The picture had been taken earlier that evening.

At the convenience store.

A normal person would have deleted it.

Ren wasn't a normal person.

His thumb brushed lightly across the screen.

A small smile appeared.

"You're finally smiling more."

His voice was barely a whisper.

The city lights reflected in his dark eyes.

There was affection there.

Warmth.

Protectiveness.

And something else.

Something far deeper.

Something far more dangerous.

Because somewhere along the way, Ren's desire to protect Aira had become something more.

Something possessive.

Something consuming.

And if anyone tried hurting her again...

They would discover exactly how far Ren Kurozawa was willing to go for the girl he couldn't stop thinking about.

The girl who was slowly becoming the center of his entire world.

To Be Continued...

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