𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔⭑.ᐟ 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔 (✔)

chapter 09

Morning came quietly.

The kind of quiet that didn't feel peaceful so much as unfamiliar, like the world had decided to hold its breath for a few extra seconds before starting again. Pale yet bright sunlight slipped through the beige curtains in thin, soft lines, stretching across the room and settling against the walls in a way that felt almost too gentle for a place like this.

I woke up slowly, shifting slightly under the blankets as the light brushed against my face. For a moment, I didn't move, my mind still caught somewhere between sleep and awareness, where everything felt distant and unimportant.

Then reality settled back in. Everything that had happened yesterday, or this morning. The warehouse. The mission. The tension. Rindou.

My eyes opened fully.

I stared at the ceiling for a second, blinking away the last traces of sleep before letting out a quiet breath. My body still felt heavy, but it was manageable now, the kind of exhaustion that lingered rather than overwhelmed.

Pushing myself up, I ran a hand through my hair, glancing briefly around the room as everything came back into focus. Nothing had changed. Everything was exactly as I left it.

Except, there was something off. It felt different, empty?

I frowned slightly, trying to place it, but the feeling slipped away before I could fully catch it. With a small exhale, I pushed it aside and swung my legs off the bed, standing up and stretching out the stiffness in my shoulders.

The hallway outside was quiet when I stepped out, which wasn't surprising at this hour. Most people were either still asleep or just unwilling to deal with anything yet.

I walked toward the kitchen without much thought, the faint smell of coffee lingered in the air, which meant someone was already awake. Not surprising.

As I stepped inside, I immediately spotted him.

Rindou stood by the counter, leaning slightly against it with a cup in his hand, seeing his posture relaxed but not careless under his white t-shirt. His hair was still slightly messy, like he hadn't fully bothered fixing it yet, and there was a quiet stillness about him that fit the morning a little too well.

He glanced up when he heard me. Not startled. "Morning," he said, his voice low and steady. "Morning," I replied, just as casual, moving past him to grab another cup. There was no awkwardness or hesitation.

Just a quiet understanding that neither of us felt the need to comment on anything from last night. I poured myself a drink, leaning back slightly against the counter as I took a small sip, letting the warmth settle in.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. It wasn't uncomfortable, just kinda quiet.

"You're up early," I said eventually, glancing at him.

"I didn't sleep much," he replied.

"That obvious?"

"A little."

I hummed softly, not pressing further as I took another sip. It wasn't unusual. Nights like that didn't exactly lead to restful sleep. Still, something about the way he said it made it feel like there was more to it. 

I didn't ask.

Instead, I let my gaze drift briefly toward the window before settling back on him. "You're still here," I pointed out. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "You want me gone?"

"No," I said, a little too quickly before I corrected myself, "I just thought you'd leave early."

"I could," he replied simply. But he didn't move.  I watched him for a second, then looked away, focusing on my drink instead.

"...You're not, though."

"No."

Another pause settled between us, quieter this time, but not empty. And it felt... intentional. Like neither of us was in a rush to break it. I tapped my fingers lightly against the side of the cup, more out of habit than anything, before glancing at him again.

"You always this quiet in the morning?" I asked.

"Only when there's nothing to say."

"That's kinda boring."

"And yet you're still here."

I let out a small breath of a laugh, shaking my head slightly. "You're annoying."

"You came to my room first."

"That was different."

"How?" I paused.

"...I don't know. It just was." He just watched me for a second longer than necessary before taking another sip of his drink, like he had already decided that was enough. The silence returned again, but this time it felt lighter.

I shifted slightly, setting my cup down on the counter before stretching my arms above my head, rolling my shoulders to loosen the lingering tension.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed his gaze flick briefly in my direction before settling away again, subtle enough that I might've missed it if I wasn't paying attention. I didn't comment on it.

Instead, I stepped away from the counter, walking toward the window and pulling the curtain back just a little more, letting the sunlight spill further into the room.

The brightness felt out of place. "...Feels weird," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear across the small room.

"What does?"

"This," I gestured vaguely. "No chaos. No noise. No one yelling."

"Give it an hour," he replied.

I smiled slightly at that. "Yeah. You're probably right." Another pause. "You can stay, you know."

The words slipped out before I really thought about them. Shitshitshitshitshit

I didn't turn around immediately, my gaze still on the window as I added, "It's quieter here." For a second, there was no response. 

Then I heard him set his cup down. "...I wasn't planning on leaving yet," he said.

I nodded once, a small smile tugged on the corner of my slightly chapped lips, even though he couldn't see it.

"Mhm." And somehow, without anything else needing to be said, the quiet didn't feel strange anymore.

EDITED: 21/4/2026