Chapter 20: Is it hallucinations or stress?

Rei's fingers curled slightly as he turned toward the door. The knock had been soft, but in the silence of his empty house, it felt heavier than it should have.

He didn't move right away. His mind went through the possibilities. He lived alone—there shouldn't be anyone here.

Another knock.

Slower this time. Almost... patient.

A trick of his mind? He had been on edge all day, thinking too much about Hana, about Yuuto. Maybe exhaustion was finally messing with him.

But then, a third knock.

Rei inhaled, steadying himself. He forced his body to move, crossing the short distance to the door. His fingers hesitated over the handle before finally pulling it open.

Nothing.

The dimly lit hallway stretched before him, undisturbed. No signs of movement. The air was still.

Rei's gaze flickered toward the front door. Still locked. The windows were shut. He was alone.

A part of him wanted to check outside, to be sure. But another part of him—the part that had learned not to chase things that didn't make sense—told him to leave it alone.

Maybe it was just his imagination.

Or maybe… it wasn't.

He exhaled slowly, stepping back and locking the door behind him. He wasn't scared. Just tired. That was all.

Lying back onto his bed, he stared at the ceiling. The weight of the day pressed against his chest. The whispers at school, Hana's presence, Yuuto's persistence—it was all circling his mind, refusing to let him rest.

But whatever had knocked at his door tonight, whether real or not, wasn't something he had the energy to deal with.

He closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would come. And he would deal with it then.