Chapter 11: Blood in the Rain

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Hinata's breath hitched as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.

The man standing before her—soaking wet, his clothes clinging to his skin—was Akira.

But something was off.

The dim glow of the flickering streetlamp revealed dark stains on his shirt. Blood.

Hinata's pulse quickened. Why was he covered in blood in the middle of the night?

Swallowing her fear, she forced herself to speak. "A-Akira? What happened? Where were you?"

Akira tilted his head slightly, his gaze unreadable. Then, in a calm voice, he said, "I went to meet a friend… but on the way, I saw an accident. A man was badly injured, so I took him to the hospital. I waited for his family to arrive. Once they came, I left."

His explanation was perfectly logical, yet something about it made Hinata uneasy.

Had she offended him by asking?

She lowered her head. "I-I see… Sorry for asking like that. Um… will you come tomorrow to watch the movie?"

Akira looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

Relief washed over her. She managed a small smile. "Okay… then, good night."

Akira simply turned and walked back to his apartment. The door shut behind him.

The night was not the same for all. Especially not for Akira.

And definitely not for the family that never made it home.

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Scene Change – The Next Morning

Hinata was up early, cleaning her entire apartment.

It had to be perfect.

She had never taken something this seriously before, but today was different. Today, she was spending the entire day with Akira.

At exactly 10 AM, she walked over to his door and knocked.

A moment later, it opened.

Akira stood there, looking… surprisingly normal. His usual tired expression, his dark circles, his lazy posture—it was all the same. As if last night had never happened.

"Good morning!" Hinata greeted cheerfully.

Akira blinked at her, then smirked slightly. "Morning."

He stepped outside, and together, they headed back to her apartment.

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The Perfect Day

For the first time in a long while, Akira seemed to enjoy himself.

They spent the whole day together—cooking, watching movies, and just talking.

Hinata had expected him to be awkward, but he wasn't. He was calm, composed, almost… happy.

It was perfect.

But perfection never lasts.

At 5 PM, Hinata's phone rang.

She answered it without thinking.

"Hello?"

Her mother's voice came through the speaker. "Hinata, don't forget—tomorrow is your birthday!"

Hinata's eyes widened.

She had been so focused on today… that she had completely forgotten about tomorrow.

And somehow, deep down, she had a strange feeling.

Tomorrow wouldn't be like today.

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