Ren's heart stopped for a second when he saw her face.
It was Siya.
He didn't think. Not for even one breath. He pushed through the last few people in the crowd, dropped to his knees, and lifted her into his arms.
She was so light.
Too light.
"I know her," he said loudly, firmly, looking around at everyone. "I'm taking her home."
One of the girls in the crowd blinked at him. "You know where she lives?"
Ren opened his mouth, then closed it. No, he didn't. He knew she lived nearby. Same city. Close. But not exactly where.
But before he could panic, a middle-aged woman from a nearby shop stepped forward.
"I know where the Fujiwaras live. Just down the street, take the left, third house—the one with white gates and two tall trees."
"Thank you," Ren said, already starting to run.
She was still unconscious in his arms.
His legs moved fast, but the five-minute run felt like five hours. The wind hit his face, the world blurred around him, and all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.
Why did she faint?
Was she sick? Hungry? Overworked?
She's always feeding cats, birds, squirrels. Did she forget to feed herself?
His thoughts were racing. A mess of worry, confusion, and fear. Her head rested against his shoulder, her hair tickling his cheek. She was too still.
He turned the last corner and saw it.
A mansion.
Tall white gates. Two enormous trees on either side. Security cameras. A wide, beautiful garden visible just behind the fence.
Two suited bodyguards stood at the entrance.
As Ren approached, panting, one of them rushed forward, eyes wide.
"Miss Siya?! What happened?!"
Ren didn't stop. "Open the gate!"
They did. No questions. No hesitation.
He ran inside, through the long driveway lined with flowers, barely noticing the beauty of the garden, the elegance of the fountain, the sculptures. He didn't care. Siya was in his arms. And something was wrong.
She wasn't just some cheerful, rich girl. Something serious was going on.
As he reached the grand front steps, the mansion door flew open.
A woman came running out—beautiful, elegant, her long dark hair tied up in a neat bun, wearing a house kimono.
Siya's mother.
Her eyes widened in panic. "Oh my god! What happened to her?!"
Ren was breathless. "She fainted… near the stationery shop… I found her there… she didn't move…"
The woman covered her mouth. "I told her not to go out alone!"
She looked at the bodyguards, her voice sharp. "Why weren't you with her?!"
One of them lowered his head. "She insisted she wanted to go without security today."
Ren stepped forward. "Where should I take her?"
Siya's mother didn't waste time. She turned and motioned him in. "Follow me."
The mansion inside was grand. The floors shone like glass, chandeliers sparkled above, and the scent of fresh lilies filled the air. In the center of the wide living room stood two curved staircases, wrapping around a grand wall, meeting at the balcony above.
Siya's mother hurried up the right staircase, and Ren followed, still holding Siya close.
"It's the second door to the left," she said, already knocking for someone inside.
The door swung open. Two people in white coats appeared—a man and a woman. Doctors.
Personal doctors.
Ren blinked.
She has doctors in her house?
He carried Siya inside. The room was large but cozy. Pale walls, a bookshelf lined with storybooks and science magazines, a desk filled with papers, a bed with soft pastel blankets and plush toys. A corner of the room had a monitor. Medical equipment. A cabinet of pills and devices.
The female doctor took Siya from Ren's arms. "Put her down gently, thank you."
The male doctor was already checking her pulse.
Ren stood back. Watching. Unable to move.
His breathing slowed, but the storm in his chest didn't.
She has personal doctors. In her home. Equipment. Medicine.
This wasn't just about skipping meals. This wasn't just being overly cheerful or feeding animals.
This was something big. Something serious.
He felt like someone had dropped him in a different world.
He looked around the room again. Everything was spotless. There was a warmth in the decorations—photos, books, flowers—but the machines at the corner told another story.
The female doctor was checking Siya's eyes now. Talking in low tones with her colleague.
Siya's mother stood behind them, pressing her hands together, eyes full of worry.
Ren stood by the door, silent.
Uninvited. Unprepared.
Still, no one asked him to leave.
He could hear his own heartbeat.
In the time between her heartbeats… something had shifted.
He thought of her bright laugh. Her teasing voice. Her feeding a cat, whispering to a flower. Her glowing honey-colored eyes in the sunset.
And now this.
A hospital room inside a mansion. Doctors on standby.
Who are you, Siya Fujiwara?
And why does it feel like I know so little about you.
🦋🦋🦋
Ren stood silently outside Siya's room.
His back rested against the cool wall, his eyes fixed on the slightly open door. From inside, he could hear the muffled voices of the doctors and soft beeping sounds from machines. The scent of antiseptic and flowers mixed in the air.
He felt like a stranger.
Everything had happened so quickly. One moment he was walking to a stationery shop, and the next, he was running with a girl in his arms. Not just any girl. Siya Fujiwara.
And now here he was.
In her house. A mansion. With guards, doctors, and worried family.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was usually calm. Always.
Ren was known for being the quiet, composed one. People said he had a sharp brain and a steady heart. Never rushed, never rude.
But today...
Today, he had broken every rule he lived by.
He didn't ask before lifting her.
He didn't explain before entering the mansion.
He didn't greet anyone properly or bow politely.
He had just run. Pure instinct.
And now he was standing in the hallway of a stranger's home. Not just any stranger. Siya Fujiwara, the girl who laughed at flowers and fed cats and smiled at every single person, every single day.
He closed his eyes.
Why does this feel so heavy?
Footsteps brought him back. He looked up.
Siya's mother was standing a few feet away, also watching the room. Her hands were tightly clasped in front of her chest. Her shoulders were tense. Her eyes were red.
She wasn't crying. But she was close.
Ren hesitated, then took a small step closer. "Aunty..."
She turned slowly to face him.
Ren bowed his head respectfully. "I'm sorry for running into your house. I didn't know what to do."
Her face softened, and she shook her head gently. "No, dear. You did the right thing. Thank you for bringing her back."
He nodded slowly, then, after a pause, asked quietly, "What happened to her?"
She looked at him for a long moment.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Her throat moved as she swallowed the tightness.
Then, slowly, as if something inside her broke open, her eyes filled with tears.
"She..." she whispered, voice trembling, "She has a hole in her heart."
Ren felt like all the air left his body.
He blinked. "What...?"
Siya's mother looked away, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.
"It's a congenital heart defect. From birth. We found out when she was very little."
Ren was frozen. His brain was trying to process, but the words didn't land properly.
"She looks so happy," he said softly. "She's always laughing, playing, helping others..."
Her mother nodded, smiling weakly. "Yes. That's Siya. She never lets anyone see her pain. Never wants to be a burden."
The hallway was quiet, heavy.
"That's why I always tell her," her mother continued, more tears falling now, "Don't go out alone. Don't run around too much. Don't overexert. But she never listens. She says... she just wants to live a normal life. That being followed by bodyguards makes her feel like a prisoner."
Ren listened, quietly.
"She's free-spirited," her mother said. "Loves animals, people, nature. She talks to everything like it has a soul. She's always been that way. Gentle. Kind. Too kind."
Ren looked at the floor. He remembered her laughing with her friends. Laughing when he made sarcastic comments. Laughing even when he wasn't trying to be funny.
"She's the kind of person," her mother said, her voice breaking again, "who would give everything to make someone else smile. Even if it hurts her. Especially if it hurts her."
Ren felt something deep inside his chest twist.
"She always said," her mother continued, "'I don't want a heart transplant. Someone who donates a heart is in a desperate situation. They probably need money. I don't want to take advantage of someone else's pain.'"
Ren looked at her, eyes wide.
Her mother nodded. "She offered to help people financially instead. But she refused the idea of taking a heart. Even though that's what she needs."
She sniffed, holding her arms tight across her chest.
"She wants to give love to everyone," she whispered. "But she forgets to love herself."
They stood in silence.
Ren didn't know what to say.
His brain felt full. Heavy.
A girl who laughed at everything.
Who smiled at the sun, the rain, and even annoying classmates.
Who treated every cat like royalty.
And she had been fighting this battle silently. Every day.
She never showed it.
Never let anyone see.
And somehow, he felt... angry.
Not at her.
At himself. For not seeing. For assuming she was just careless or silly.
He clenched his fists. Not out of frustration. But because he didn't know what else to do.
"I just want her to be safe," her mother said, her voice small now. "I know she wants to live freely. I understand. But it's hard. Watching your child hurt themselves with kindness."
Ren finally spoke. "I understand."
She looked at him.
He took a deep breath. "She's... different. But not in a bad way. I used to think she was too happy. Too cheerful. Like she didn't take anything seriously."
He paused.
"But now I realize... maybe she takes everything too seriously. Especially the feelings of others. Maybe that's why she never shows her own."
Her mother gave him a long, thoughtful look. Then she smiled through her tears.
"You're very wise for your age, Ren-kun."
He looked away, a little embarrassed.
"You can stay, if you want," she said gently. "I'm sure she'll want to thank you when she wakes up."
He nodded slowly.
Then turned to face the door again.
Behind it, Siya was resting.
Behind it, the girl who smiled at everything was fighting something invisible.
And for the first time in his life, Ren realized how strong a smile could be.
How much pain it could hide.
And how much he still didn't know.
But one thing was clear.
He wanted to know her.
Truly.
Not the laughing version.
Not just the funny, cheerful, strange girl who spoke to flowers.
He wanted to know the girl behind all that.
The girl with a heart that gave love freely, even when it was broken.
And he didn't know how or when...
But someday, he would find a way to tell her that.
Even if she laughed at him.
Even if she didn't believe it.
He would wait.
In the time between heartbeats.....