"Kenji, wake up. Kenji… wake up, we're going to be late for the office. Kenjii…"
A soft voice reached my ears. At first it felt like a dream, faint, far away, like a whisper carried by the wind. Then I felt something warm on my cheek. A hand. A palm pressing lightly, almost stroking me.
My eyes opened a little, heavy and blurry. I live alone. Nobody should be here. My heart jumped.
"Wait—what?" I shot up straight from the bed. "Whoaaa—!"
The sudden movement almost threw me off balance. My breath came out rough. My eyes darted around in panic. The room wasn't mine. The ceiling was high. The curtains were thick and neat. The sheets smelled faintly of lavender. Then it hit me.
Emi.
I turned my head and there she was, standing right beside the bed. Emi, in a simple shirt and skirt, hair a little messy, her eyes half-tired but still sharp. She looked down at me with a faint crease on her brows.
"What are you doing, Kenji?" she muttered softly, but there was no anger—just weariness. "Wake up now."
And just like that, the memories started to piece themselves together in my head.
I wasn't in my own room. I was at Emi's house. Yes… last night… I remembered coming here. We were supposed to have dinner. I went to the washroom. And then…
My chest tightened.
Don't tell me.
I clutched the blanket, panic crawling up my throat. Did Kenji 2… did he take over again?
My hand shot toward the nightstand. My phone. I unlocked it quickly, fingers trembling. Notes app. My eyes scanned the screen—empty. No new notes. No pictures. Nothing strange.
A shaky breath escaped me. Relief.
Okay. Okay. Maybe this time he didn't do anything crazy. Maybe he just… ate? And then… went to sleep? That would explain why I woke up in bed, instead of the floor.
But I needed to be sure. I turned to Emi.
She was watching me. Not like usual, not casually—but with this strange, unreadable expression. It made my throat dry.
"Emi…" I said carefully.
"Yes, Kenji?" she answered, her voice calm, her eyes steady.
I swallowed hard. "Did… something happen last night?"
Her brows lifted slightly. "What?"
"I mean—" I rubbed the back of my neck, looking away. "I just want to make sure. Between us… everything is fine, right?"
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then, without warning, Emi moved closer. Just one step, but the air in the room suddenly felt smaller. My heart pounded.
"Everything is fine between us, Kenji," she said gently.
Her words should have eased me. And they did—halfway. I sighed, letting the relief wash over me. "Damn… nice."
But before I could relax too much, her eyes narrowed just slightly.
"But…" she added.
My chest froze. "But?"
She leaned closer again. I could see her face now—really close. Her breath brushed against my skin. Her eyes locked on mine, firm, unwavering. My body stiffened, my lips dry.
Her voice dropped lower, softer, almost teasing.
"But the answer to your first question…"
She leaned in, almost at my mouth now.
"…many things happened last night, Kenji."
And then—I felt it.
Something soft. Pressing against my lips. Warm. Gentle. Real.
My mind went blank.
Just as suddenly, she pulled back. "Now get ready," she said, her voice snapping back to its usual tone. "It's already 8:30. We're going to be late."
She turned away, calm, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, I sat there frozen, blood rushing through my ears, face burning.
For a long second I couldn't move. Then, with a jolt, I scrambled out of bed and hurried into the washroom, almost tripping on the way.
...
Because of Emi's car, we reached the office earlier than usual. The time was only 9:40, still a good twenty minutes before work officially began.
I sat quietly for a moment, looking outside through the window before stepping out. The parking lot was nearly empty. My hand rested on the car door handle, but for some reason, I hesitated. It felt strange coming here with someone else. Normally, I walked alone or came in quietly without anyone noticing.
Emi noticed.
"Are you embarrassed because of me?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a small smile.
"Absolutely not," I quickly replied, shaking my head. "It's not that. It's just… you know, I don't really have many friends here in the office."
She tilted her head. "None?"
"Well… except one," I corrected myself, thinking about her.
For a second, her eyes lingered on me before she smiled. I didn't know why, but that small smile made my chest feel lighter. Without saying more, we both walked into the building together.
Inside, the office was silent. No sounds of keyboards, no ringing phones, no footsteps—only the faint hum of the air-conditioning. I went straight to my desk. She went to hers.
The minutes passed. Slowly, people began trickling in. Chairs moved, computers turned on, voices started filling the space. But me—I stayed quiet. No one greeted me, and I didn't greet anyone either. I just worked.
Tomorrow was Saturday. Week off. That thought gave me a little strength to push through the reports. I planned to do nothing at all—just rest.
After finishing a chunk of my work, I felt my throat dry and decided to grab a coffee. Black coffee. I don't know why, but I'd grown to like the taste—bitter, but clear, sharp.
I walked to the cafeteria. The vending machine stood against the wall, humming, its light flickering a little. I pulled a coin from my pocket and held it in my palm. Just as I was about to insert it, I noticed someone standing beside me.
It was a young man, smiling.
"Good morning, coworker," he greeted warmly.
I blinked. "Good morning to you too."
He extended his hand confidently. "My name is Haruto. You may already know, but since yesterday, I've been assigned here. I'll be in your care from now on."
I shook his hand politely. His grip was firm but not overbearing.
"Yes," I said, nodding. "Myself, Kenji. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Kenji," he replied. He seemed genuinely cheerful. "So, you're here for coffee as well?"
Just as he started talking, a voice interrupted.
"Good morning, Haruto!"
I turned. Another coworker. Then another. "Good morning, Haruto." "Haruto!" "Good morning."
One by one, they came—Ayana, Ryo, Shinji, and several others. They all crowded around him, their voices overlapping with laughter and easy chatter. He greeted each one naturally, like he had already known them for years, even though it had been only a day.
Meanwhile, I quietly slid the coin into the machine. The clink echoed in my ears. I pressed the button, and the cup dropped down. Dark liquid poured into it, steaming faintly. Not black this time, just plain coffee. But it didn't matter.
I reached down, took the cup, and turned to leave.
"Kenji, wait!"
Haruto's voice cut through the noise. Everyone turned their heads at once. Their eyes landed on me. My chest tightened.
Haruto started walking toward me. "Why are you leaving? Join us for coffee," he said, still smiling.
The others followed him with their eyes. Ayana waved.
"Oh, hi Kenji! Did you lose weight?" she asked suddenly, her words playful.
I forced a small laugh. "Hi, Ayana." I shook my head. "Maybe a little."
"Then join us," she added brightly.
Haruto insisted again, stepping closer. Ryo and Shinji just chuckled to themselves, whispering something I didn't catch.
I tightened my grip around the coffee cup. The warmth stung my hand, but it gave me an excuse to look down. "Sorry, guys," I said firmly but politely. "Thanks, but I have a lot of work."
Before they could answer, I turned and walked off quickly, heading back to my desk. The coffee sloshed a little as I moved, but I didn't care. My footsteps felt too loud in the hallway, echoing until I reached the quiet of my desk again.
Only then did I sit down, place the cup beside me, and breathe.