10:04 PM
Ren stared at his phone, Hana's message glowing on the screen. His heartbeat thundered in his chest.
Ren: "Naoki. She just texted me. Someone's in her house."
Naoki was up in seconds. "Go. My house is closer. I'll call the cops."
Ren was already putting on his shoes.
10:07 PM
Snow whipped against Ren's face as he sprinted down the empty streets, each step pounding like a war drum. Lights blurred past him. His lungs burned—but none of that mattered.
He reached Hana's street in minutes, eyes scanning windows.
Her house was dark, except for a dim light in her room upstairs.
He was too late. The front door was open.
He burst inside.
Footsteps. Movement upstairs.
He called out—"HANA!"
A thud.
The sound of furniture being shoved.
He rushed up the stairs. At the top, a man turned from Hana's door, holding a knife. A mask covered most of his face, but his eyes—cold and frantic—locked onto Ren.
Ren didn't stop to think. He tackled the man into the hallway wall. The knife grazed his arm, tearing fabric and skin.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ren shouted, ignoring the pain.
The man shoved him off—but before he could lunge again—
Naoki burst in from behind. "You picked the wrong girl to stalk!"
Together, Ren and Naoki overwhelmed him. Ren pinned his arm, Naoki kicked the knife away. The stalker writhed, but with both of them, he couldn't move.
Police sirens wailed in the distance.
Ren turned to Hana's door—she was crouched behind her bed, trembling.
"Hana," Ren said softly, his voice hoarse. "It's okay now. We're here."
She rushed to him, tears falling freely. She didn't say anything—she just clung to him, burying her face in his chest.
Ren winced from the cut on his arm but wrapped his arms around her tightly, like he was holding the world.
---
30 Minutes Later
The police took the man away. Hana gave her statement, hands still shaking slightly. Her parents rushed back as soon as she called—but everything had already happened.
Ren was sitting on the couch, holding a towel to his bleeding arm. Hana's parents entered, breathless and panicked.
"Who are you?" her father asked.
Ren stood, quiet for a second.
Then, confidently:
"I'm her boyfriend. Nice to meet you."
There was a pause—then her mother smiled slightly.
"Thank you... for protecting our daughter."
"We'd love for you to stay for dinner sometime," her father added.
Ren nodded. "I'd like that."
---
Later that night
Ren was about to leave, but Hana tugged his sleeve.
"Can you stay?" she whispered.
"Of course."
He stayed in the guest room. Before she went to sleep, she stood in the hallway, looking at him under the dim light.
"I was really scared, Ren," she said.
"I know."
"And I'm glad it was you."