Night settled quietly over the hideout again.
The hum of generators softened into a steady, distant thrum, and the lanterns in the halls dimmed to their low-power glow. Somewhere far off, water dripped against stone. The place felt almost peaceful, in a strange, hollow way.
Kanesaki was half-asleep when he heard it.
Soft footsteps.
Then a hesitant knock.
'…Kanesaki?'
His eyes opened. He stared up at the wooden ceiling for a second before pushing himself up on one elbow.
'Yeah?'
The door cracked open. Yasuko peeked in, her hair loose now, her usual sharpness dulled by exhaustion. She lingered in the doorway like she wasn't sure she was allowed to be there.
'Hey,' she said quietly. 'Um… I—'
She hesitated, then sighed. 'I can't sleep in my room. It's too quiet. My head won't shut up.'
Kanesaki studied her for a moment. Her eyes were tired, a little too alert for someone who was supposed to be resting.
'…You can come in,' he said, scooting back. 'If you want.'
Relief flickered across her face.
She slipped inside and closed the door behind her, standing awkwardly for a second before glancing at the bed. 'You sure?'
'Yeah.'
She nodded, then moved toward it, climbing on and sitting near the edge. For a moment neither of them spoke. The small lamp by the bed cast soft shadows across the room.
Kanesaki cleared his throat and started to rise. 'I'll just take the floor. It's fine—'
Before he could even get a foot off the mattress, Yasuko grabbed his sleeve.
'Oh no you don't,' she said, suddenly more like herself. 'You're not sleeping on wood and stone like some dramatic martyr.'
'I don't—'
'Bed,' she insisted, giving his sleeve a tug. 'Now.'
He looked at her hand on his arm, then up at her face. There was a faint smirk there, but also something stubborn and worried beneath it.
'…You're bossy,' he muttered.
'And you're injured,' she shot back. 'Get back here.'
With a tired huff, he gave in, sitting back down and lying against the pillows again. Yasuko shifted to make space, pulling the blanket up around herself.
They ended up side by side, not quite touching, both staring at the ceiling.
For a few moments there was just the sound of their breathing.
Then Yasuko shifted, rolling slightly toward him as she got more comfortable. Her arm brushed against his.
'Sorry,' she murmured, but she didn't move away.
'It's… fine,' Kanesaki said quietly.
He could feel her warmth beside him, the faint rise and fall of her breathing. The air felt charged somehow, even though neither of them said anything.
She wriggled a little, trying to find a better spot, the blanket rustling softly.
'You're really stiff,' she muttered.
'Had a rough couple days,' he replied dryly.
That earned a quiet, breathy laugh from her. It faded quickly into a sigh.
'…Thanks,' she said, softer now. 'For letting me stay.'
'Anytime.'
They lay there in silence again, the tension between them unspoken but undeniable.
Eventually, Yasuko's breathing slowed, growing steady.
Kanesaki closed his eyes too, the ache in his body still there — but dulled, just a little, by her presence beside him.
The quiet didn't last.
After a while, Yasuko shifted again, restless, staring up at the ceiling instead of sleeping.
'…You still awake?' she asked softly.
'Yeah,' Kanesaki replied. His voice was rough, but gentler now. 'You?'
She nodded, even though he couldn't see it. 'Too much in my head.'
He let out a slow breath. 'Same.'
They lay there, shoulder to shoulder, the dim light from the lamp casting long shadows across the room.
'I keep replaying it,' Kanesaki murmured. 'The cave. Yasui going down. Leaving you alone. Everything just… falling apart.'
Yasuko swallowed. 'Yeah. Me too.'
A pause.
'So… what now?' she asked. 'We're… rogues. That's what Akami said, right?'
'Yeah.' He turned his head slightly toward her. 'But that doesn't mean it's over. It just means it's harder.'
She let out a weak, humorless laugh. 'You make it sound simple.'
'It's not,' he admitted. 'But we'll find a way back to them. To everyone.'
Yasuko was quiet for a moment. Then, softly, 'You really think we can?'
'I know we can.' His tone was steady, almost stubborn. 'They're not the type to give up. And neither are we.'
She turned onto her side, looking at him now. 'You really think she's okay? Yasui, I mean.'
'I do,' he said. 'And you'll see her again. I promise.'
Her eyes glimmered faintly in the low light. 'She's… kind of my hero, you know,' she admitted. 'My captain. The way she moves, the way she fights… I just— I want to be like her.'
He smiled faintly. 'Yeah. I can tell.'
Yasuko shifted closer without really thinking about it, their shoulders pressing together. The space between them felt smaller, warmer.
'…Thanks,' she whispered. 'For not giving up on me. For saving me. For everything.'
Kanesaki hesitated, then carefully reached under the blanket, his fingers brushing hers. She didn't pull away — she laced her fingers through his instead.
'Always,' he said quietly.
They lay like that, hands clasped beneath the covers, breathing slowly as the tension in their bodies finally began to ease.
Yasuko's grip tightened just a little.
'Don't disappear again,' she murmured, already half-asleep.
'I won't,' he promised.
And in the soft hum of the hidden sanctuary, the two of them drifted off together.
***
A faint hum from the power lines threaded through the walls marked the passage of time more than any sunrise ever could down here.
Kanesaki stirred first.
He blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the dim amber glow of the lamp by the desk. For a moment he forgot where he was — then memory crept back in all at once. The stone beneath the walls. The smell of recycled air. Yasuko's warmth beside him.
He turned his head slightly and caught sight of the small digital clock on the desk.
09:14
'…Damn,' he muttered under his breath.
Yasuko shifted at the sound, a soft noise leaving her as she rolled onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then narrowing as she registered the unfamiliar ceiling.
'Oh—' she whispered, then looked toward him. 'You're still here.'
'Yeah,' he said quietly. 'Of course I am.'
Before either of them could say more, a sharp knock echoed through the wooden door.
'Hey, Kanesaki?' Akami's voice called from the other side, casual and bright. 'You alive in there?'
Yasuko's eyes went wide. She shot upright in a panic, clutching the blanket around herself as she scrambled.
'Shit, shit—' she hissed, half tripping over the edge of the bed.
Kanesaki sat up just as fast, rubbing a hand over his face. 'Relax, relax—just—uh—give us a second!'
Akami paused. '…Us?'
There was a beat of silence.
'…Oh,' Akami said, very slowly. 'Ohhh.'
Yasuko froze, mortified, then groaned and buried her face in her hands. '...Idiot.'
Kanesaki let out a quiet, helpless laugh. 'We'll be fine. Just— hang on.'
After a scramble of pulled-on clothes and hastily smoothed hair, Kanesaki cracked the door open. Akami stood there with crossed arms and a very knowing grin.
'Well,' she said. 'Looks like you two settled in fast.'
Yasuko peeked out from behind Kanesaki, face burning. 'It's not— I mean— I couldn't sleep well alone, okay!'
Akami waved a hand. 'Relax. I don't care. Just didn't expect it so early.'
She leaned past them to glance at the clock inside. 'Anyway. You two are wanted upstairs, just be out in five.'
Kanesaki nodded. 'We'll be there.'
Akami stepped back with a grin and disappeared down the hall.
The door shut again, and Yasuko let out a long breath.
'...Us!?' Yasuko smacked him on the arm, Kanesaki playfully laughing, a hint of nervousness hidden within.
Chapter 64 — end