The next morning, Emi woke up and got ready for class. It still felt strange to be quiet and peaceful. After everything she'd been through, days without chaos felt unfamiliar. She was still learning how to breathe in a world that didn't demand survival every second.
But that quiet didn't last long.
As she approached campus, she stopped in her tracks. Standing just outside the gates was someone she never expected or wanted to see.
"Dad?"
His face twisted with frustration. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you! You destroyed the marriage contract, and now I'm banned from entering the pachinko!"
She stared at him. "That's good, isn't it? You should stop gambling and start working to live."
"I don't care," he snapped. "You need to come with me. They said if I bring you to them, they'll let me back in."
Her stomach dropped. "What? Are you going to sell me away again?!"
"No," he muttered. "They just want to meet you. That's it."
She resisted, but his grip tightened. And then he said something that froze her in place.
"Don't tell me you've hooked up with the Kazama heir. Ren Kazama himself?"
She didn't respond. She didn't owe him an explanation. Her silence was answer enough, and before she could pull away, he was already dragging her toward a car parked nearby.
She didn't know the driver, but her father did. That alone made her feel sick.
The car took them to an unfamiliar location, some kind of underground office. Inside, a man appeared. His hair was tied back, his sharp features marked with an arrogant smirk. She didn't need to be introduced.
"You must be Emi Fujimoto," he said. "The girl Kazama Ren has been protecting. Honestly… I expected more. I thought you'd be someone hot. Or at least interesting. Didn't know Ren was into plain types."
She stared at him, unmoved. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Riku said casually. "I was just curious. Wanted to see what kind of girl could make Kazama act so noble."
"Well," Emi said, her voice flat, "you've seen me. I'll be leaving now."
As she turned, two men blocked her path.
Her tone sharpened. "What do you want?"
Riku's smile widened. "I'm tired of Ren's arrogance. Acting like he owns the city. Thought maybe I'd shake him up a little. See what happens if I touch the girl he's been so desperate to keep hidden."
Emi scoffed. "You think too much of it. Ren doesn't care about me. I'm nothing to him."
Riku tilted his head. "You sure? Because the last time I saw him, he warned me not to touch you."
"He says that to everyone he doesn't like," Emi replied coolly. "And looking at you now, I understand why. If anything, I think he just needed an excuse to shut you down. You really don't leave a good impression."
The smirk vanished. Riku stepped forward and grabbed her by the neck.
She didn't fight. She looked him in the eyes.
"So this is what you're capable of?" she said, her voice steady despite the pressure against her throat. "Luring me here with my father? Using dirty tricks instead of real power? That's how you try to win?"
Riku's grip didn't loosen, but he hesitated.
"You think you're strong because you yell, because people obey you out of fear," Emi said. "But I've seen men like you my whole life. All bark. No honor. If you want to beat Ren, do it with strength—not cowardice."
Riku's expression darkened. His grip tightened momentarily, and Emi shut her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of fear.
Then, without warning, he let go.
She caught her breath slowly and looked at him. "Stop wasting your time. I'm just a nobody. Ren doesn't care about me. I've got nothing. No power. No money. You can see that for yourself."
He didn't respond.
"And you can keep banning my dad from your pathetic pachinko hall. But if you let him in again, don't expect me to pay off another debt. I've had enough. You can take my corpse if that's what you're after, but I won't give you anything else."
She turned and walked out.
Her father rushed up to her, eyes hopeful. "So? Did it work? Can I go back?"
She didn't look at him. "I'm not here to buy your way back in. I already told them that I'm done paying for you. If they let you in, it's not because of me. And just so you know, I'd rather die than give you another yen."
She walked away. Her steps were firm until she was far enough, until the weight finally hit.
Then she broke down.
Her legs gave way, and she crumpled against a wall, covering her mouth to stifle the sobs. She had held her mask in place for so long, in front of men with guns, men with power, men like Riku. But now, she let it fall. Let the fear, the pain, the anger spill out.
She cried until her breath ran short, until her hands stopped shaking.
When she could finally move again, she checked her phone. Morning classes were over. She texted Sora and told her that she's not joining her for lunch today. Then a message to Daiki to inform that she's not feeling well and would like to be excused from work.
Dragging her feet, she made her way back to Ren's private house.
It was the only place that still felt like she could breathe.
*****
When Daiki received Emi's message, he read it carefully, his brows furrowed. Without delay, he informed Ren, who was in the middle of a meeting with another mafia group. Ren's expression shifted the moment he saw Daiki's face, but he stayed composed until the business was done. As soon as the meeting ended, he instructed Daiki to drop him off at his private house.
The house was silent when Ren entered. Emi was not in the living room. He went straight upstairs and stopped in front of her door. He knocked once. A moment later, the door opened.
Emi stood there, eyes red and puffy. He could see it clearly. She had cried.
Ren immediately cupped her face in his hands, worry in every movement. "What happened?"
"I'm fine," she said quietly, stepping back to remove herself from his touch. "Why are you here?"
Her voice was flat. Her eyes didn't meet his.
Ren noticed it then. The shift in her tone. The distance. The pain she wasn't saying. And then he saw it. The faint red mark circling her neck. Still fresh.
His voice dropped, sharp with restrained anger. "Who have you met just now?"
"I said I'm fine. If there's nothing else, I'd like to rest," Emi replied, brushing past him. She didn't have the strength to deal with one more mafia man today.
"Emi," Ren said, grabbing her wrist as she tried to walk away.
"Just leave me alone. It's none of your business," she snapped, trying to pull herself free.
"Stop being like this," he said, tightening his grip and pulling her into him. He wrapped his arms around her and didn't let go.
"I care about you, Emi. You know that, right?"
His voice had softened. And something about that broke through her wall.
She didn't respond, but she didn't resist anymore either.
"I'm just a nobody," she whispered. "You don't need to pity me or take care of me."
"No," Ren said firmly. "You're more than that. You matter to me. A lot more than you know."
Emi stared at him, her voice trembling. "I don't understand. You came out of nowhere and cleared my dad's debt. I didn't even know you."
"You don't remember, do you," Ren said quietly. "Two years ago. Back alley. A group of men tried to kill me. You were still in high school. You stood in front of me. A stranger. You didn't hesitate."
Emi blinked. Her breath caught.
"You were the first person who ever did that," he continued. "I never forgot you. I spent years trying to find you. Then, that night, I saw you entering Takahashi's place. I knew."
"I didn't know it was you," she said, stunned.
Ren held her tighter. "I like you, Emi. I've liked you for a long time. I can't change the family I was born into. I can't change what I am. But I know this. Liking you has put you in danger, and I tried to stay away because I thought it would keep you safe. But I can't. I can't stay away anymore. Seeing you like this, seeing you hurt… it tears me apart."
Emi looked up at him. Her eyes glistened. Her lips parted like she wanted to speak, but no words came out. So instead, she stepped closer. Her forehead pressed against his chest. Her hands found his shirt.
Ren tilted her face up gently. She didn't resist when his lips brushed against hers.
The kiss started soft, hesitant, as if they were both testing what it meant. But when she didn't pull away, he deepened it, one hand sliding into her hair, the other still at her waist. Her fingers tightened at the fabric of his shirt, clinging to him like he was the only solid thing left in her world.