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For a moment, everything was fuzzy.
It was almost like his entire core was in scrambles, static buzzing throughout his body, pins and needles prickling every last nerve. He didn’t know whether he was asleep or awake, alive or dead. Just that he felt scattered, engulfed in the white noise.
Yet, even as his fragmented core struggled to piece itself back together, a vivid part dwelling deep within his very heart was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to reach out… He could see a silhouette in the distance, a dark spot against the white void of his mind. Something about their figure was familiar – he believed them to be a woman. He instinctively extended an arm, his veins pulsating with nervousness and excitement… The tender smile lighting upon the woman’s lips as she turned to face him changed his hunch into unshakeable conviction. Yes, he thought as his fingers were only inches away from her own outstretched hand, he was certain he had already seen that woman before… She looked a bit like… a bit like…
“…chi-kun? …up.”
A voice pervaded his mind, a female one, but it didn’t belong to the woman that stood before him. Her saintly smile widened, her gaze shifted into a twinkling crescent shape – maroon, he noted restlessly, her eyes were maroon –, he wanted to touch her face, to see if she was real—
“Wake up, Akechi-kun.”
He forgot all about his dream the moment he heard that voice again.
It sounded remote, as though he were listening to it from underwater, a gentle and soothing tone spoken in a hushed whisper. The distant rumble his awakening senses were slowly starting to pick up again all around him felt pleasant and lulling, almost coaxing him to let himself be consumed by the darkness once more, yet distinct enough to stir the stagnant pieces of his consciousness into a measured swirl.
Reluctantly, Akechi Goro opened his eyes.
The picture that slowly came into focus as he blinked the blur away was that of a car – its inside. He remained still while taking in the sight, lips slightly parted, eyes dull and vacant. His body felt sluggish, mere prey against the same torpor that was claiming both his brain and mind. There was, however, one area where the fog was less omnipresent, unclouding a minuscule part of awareness which was able to sense a presence to his right. With what felt like an inhuman effort, he lifted his head to meet the gaze of a person – a woman – whose crimson eyes gleamed an obvious hint of worry. It took his leaden brain longer than normal to associate the correct name to her face among the dozens floating inside his head, but at long last, the two pieces of the puzzle interlocked.
“Sae-san…” he muttered, his eyelids feeling heavy with slumber. Niijima Sae’s features were free from harshness.
“We’re here,” she said softly, her tone worlds apart from the usual bossiness and impatience she usually addressed him with. His incomprehension must have shown on his face, for she promptly elaborated. “We’ve arrived at your apartment building.”
“Oh…” he replied vaguely as blurry fragments of recollection bobbed to the surface of his mind. “Right…”
With this, he groggily dragged himself out of the car, sneezing once, twice, three times into his surgical mask all the while before retrieving his attaché-case. The look of pity she threw him went unnoticed.
“Thank you for driving me back home, Sae-san…” he mumbled, accompanying his gratitude with a polite yet feeble bow.
His eyes felt tired, small and red. The prospect of being only minutes away from his bed was the most alluring moment of his day so far, but close as he was from his long-awaited goal, his exhaustion only seemed to gain ground in consequence. As Sae-san acknowledged his departure with a nod, he turned around and began hobbling away from the car, taking a couple of steps before stopping short.
In front of the main entrance to his building stood a small crowd, people he recognized as his neighbors. At his sight, the nearest woman, an old lady in her late sixties, greeted him. “Ah, Akechi-chan… Good evening.”
“Good evening…” he replied mechanically, trying to shake off the sudden goosebumps erupting all over his upper body as a high wind suddenly came and went. “Did something happen…?”
“Nothing too serious… But there’s a blackout in the entire building.”
The teenager looked up. Perhaps for the first time today, someone managed to grab his full attention.
“Right now, not a single apartment's got the electricity back, and nobody knows when we will… It’s already been one hour…”
“One hour?” Sae-san said from her car, prompting him to glance over his shoulder at her. “That’s strange. They usually restore the power within minutes.”
“Maybe they’re having issues at the facility…”
But Goro wasn’t listening anymore, too out of it to keep up with their conversation. It was only when he heard the prosecutor speak his name that he remotely remembered she was here.
“Well, this complicates things, Akechi-kun… And it’s getting rather late.”
“Huh…?” he mumbled, lifting very heavy, very tired eyes at her.
“I’m saying you should probably spend the night at my house,” she elaborated, features serious. “I know you can handle yourself fine on your own while being sick, but adding a blackout on top of that is pushing it.”
Goro was taken aback.
“But… I don’t have any spare clothes or nightwear on me, or anything—”
“We’ll manage. Even if you returned to your apartment to grab your necessities, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a bag and a pair of shoes with the state you’re in anyway, let alone in the dark.”
A teasing, knowing smile had crept up her face. Goro blinked at her slowly, the implications of her offer penetrating with difficulty through the numb layers of his mind. His first reaction was to decline, but he found himself physically unable to part his lips and do so, much less shake his head in denegation – either because he didn’t have any strength left, or because he knew there was no point when he was all too aware she wouldn’t take no for an answer anyway.
In the end, he managed a tiny nod, so feeble it might not have happened at all.
“Good. Now get in,” she said simply as she rested her hands on the wheel, her attitude very much cavalier in the face of the inner turmoil she elicited. A louder rumble of the engine later, and they were gone.
The ride was spent mostly in silence, much against the teenager’s wishes. He didn’t want to appear rude, but he simply had no idea what to say. Besides, his hardly functioning brain barred him from keeping a conversation going anyway, completely ruining the sociable image he spent years carefully crafting and polishing. But even that worry, usually a source of great anguish, was little next to the overwhelming lethargy numbing his eventual self-torment and rendering him an unresponsive shell. He just hoped she didn’t mind.
What he couldn’t know, of course, was that Niijima Sae certainly didn’t.
Seeing Akechi-kun so exhausted, a complete opposite from the bubbly self he usually presented to the world, was novelty. She blamed his cold for that, but it was no secret he was being overworked as well, no matter how many times he handwaved that assessment with a chuckle each time she brought it up. Multiple TV appearances, solving cases left and right, lending the police a hand, juggling with high school duties, assisting her in whatever whims she had in store… She couldn’t help a slight sense of guilt coiling around her heart. Involuntary as it was, she had probably played a part in his worsening condition. It was only natural she would offer him a place to stay in his hour of need… as a way to make up for her unfortunate contribution.
By the time she parked and turned off the ignition, Akechi-kun was dozing off again. She had to call out his name a couple of times to get a semblance of reaction out of him, and several more seconds before he realized what she meant by ‘being here.’
“Looks like someone's evening will be very short,” she said, her teasing smile peeking out again before making way at once for the strict speech that was so characteristic of her. “Dinner and then straight off to bed with you.”
Akechi-kun only mumbled something unintelligible in return. Looking very much like he was acting on autopilot as he followed her out of her car, he wobbled and lagged behind, attaché-case hanging limply by his side. Thankful more so than usual that her apartment building had an elevator – she wasn’t sure Akechi-kun could have handled three flights of stairs, and she was even less sure she could have carried him all the way there –, she pressed the button and they stepped in. Moments later, she was opening the door to her apartment, the rattling of a chair against parquet signaling Makoto’s incoming greeting.
“I’m home,” Sae said, ushering Akechi-kun in all the while seeing as he seemed hesitant to cross the threshold. Her little sister came into view, and an obvious look of surprise flickered across her face at the teenager’s sight.
“Hi, Sis—oh, you didn’t tell me you were bringing someone over,” she said, tilting her head to the side at Akechi-kun’s dazed appearance. “That’s… your partner, right? Akechi Goro-kun…”
“Mhm. He’s a bit sick” — Akechi-kun sneezed twice then, as if to illustrate her point — “and there is a power outage at his apartment building, so I suggested he spend the night here,” Sae explained hurriedly as she slipped her shoes off. “Akechi-kun, this is my little sister, Makoto.”
“Nice to meet you, Niijima-san…” Akechi-kun responded in return with a slight bow of the head, clearly mustering the last drops of his polite cheerfulness. Sae couldn’t help but feel impressed at how strong he was holding it together despite the couple of tears trails on his cheeks and the many sniffles his sneezes elicited. “Forgive me for intrud—”
“You’re not intruding at all,” Sae cut off, the hint of a glare in her gaze. The surprise flashing across his eyes didn’t get past her. “Makoto, did you already make dinner?”
“Not yet,” she replied, already starting to turn around. “I’ll go take care of it.”
“I’ll help you. Go lie down on the sofa, Akechi-kun.”
“Shouldn’t I help too—” he began sheepishly, only to be interrupted once again.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Remove your shoes and make yourself comfortable.”
Clearly caught off-guard but choosing not to protest further in the end, Akechi-kun obeyed her command and hobbled to the sofa, though he didn’t dare lie down, only sit. His eyes closed right away, and soon enough, his chest began rising and falling in a gentle pattern.
“He really is out cold, isn’t he,” Makoto commented as she boiled some water, Sae meanwhile chopping a bunch of carrots.
“He is, but we will have to wake him up eventually. I don’t want him to head off for the night without having a proper meal first. He also needs to take medicine.”
“He’s got a simple cold, right? There must be something appropriate in the pharmacy… I’ll fetch some.”
Sae smiled – a weary, tiny smile, but warm nonetheless. “I appreciate it, Makoto.”
Half an hour later, a chicken and vegetable soup was boiling merrily around, the salivating smell of soy broth, cooked leeks and marinated peppers permeating the living room. Sae took a spoonful, brought it to her lips, and nodded to herself in approval. Her lack of time usually left her no choice but to relegate the cooking to Makoto, yet she could still handle herself after all – even if she had no interest in cooking whatsoever. Nonetheless, there had been a task to accomplish, and she did so just fine… like always.
Feeling somewhat glad that dinner-making was out of the way, she threw Akechi-kun a glance. His posture hadn’t changed whatsoever, save for his head which hung lower on his chest, and the absence of his surgical mask upon his face. It was now loosely discarded by his side – he had probably removed it in his sleep. She couldn’t help a tender smile at the sight. He looked very vulnerable there, with his reddened nose, slightly disheveled hair, and audible respiration coming in short breaths. In fact, he reminded her a bit of Makoto when she was much younger and frailer, completely defenseless like a little child.
It was with a faint apologetic smile lingering on her face that she came to his side to wake him up.
Calling his name yielded no results, prompting her to lay her hand upon his shoulder and shake him gently. Several seconds went by before his eyes fluttered open, revealing a half-lidded, slightly dazed gaze.
“Dinner’s ready, Akechi-kun,” she said as quietly as possible, like one would speak to a newborn infant. “Come sit down.”
Akechi-kun nodded feebly before following her around the sofa. The moment he reached the table erased all traces of his sluggish manner instantaneously, if only for a short time – he merely stood rooted to the spot, his widening eyes the biggest she had seen them today.
“Is that… really for me?”
She understood his astonishment. The table might be more covered in food than the three of them truly needed, even when two growing teenagers were taken into account. White rice, marinated vegetables, fried tofu, green tea, inari bites, a huge portion of steaming broth – it was no wonder Akechi-kun was dumbfounded.
“Of course it is,” Sae replied, motioning impatiently at him to take a seat. He looked at her for a few seconds, then gingerly sat as ordered beside Makoto. He gaped at the numerous bowls in front of him, eyes very big and very round, almost like those of a child who just found out Christmas had been scheduled to an earlier date. Sae observed him, curiosity and confusion splitting her mind in equal parts. She was rather pleased that her efforts were received so positively, of course, but something about this absolute amazement struck her as a bit odd, too. His eyes were bright, very bright… too bright. Almost as though the concept of a homemade meal was a foreign one to him…
This was as far as this thought would go. Without warning, Akechi-kun glanced up at her, immediately becoming aware of her gaze upon him. He visibly stiffened up, awe sliding off his face into an awkward chuckle, like he were in a hurry to hide something shameful.
“Still, this amount of food… You didn’t need to do that, Sae-san, Niijima-san,” he said, grazing his cheek with his index finger – a habit Sae had come to interpret as one of embarrassment.
“I didn’t do much,” Makoto responded as she reached for the jug and poured him a glass of water. “It was all Sis.”
“It was…?” he replied, lifting a very sheepish gaze at the prosecutor. “You overdid it, Sae-san…”
“I didn’t. Besides, it’s a special occasion, isn’t it,” she countered with a dignified poise in between two sips of green tea. “It’s not everyday we have a guest.”
Akechi-kun peered straight into her eyes for a moment, a frozen expression of surprise on his face. The very faint traces of an emerging blush mottled his cheeks when he looked away, but Sae pretended not to notice.
“…I suppose.”
The rest of their dinner went on in a lighthearted atmosphere, though Sae couldn’t help but cast cautious glances at Akechi-kun every now and then. He made short work of his meal despite his state, meaning he wasn’t sick to the point of having lost his appetite, which she found a good thing. As she watched him gobble up the last of his mochi – courtesy of her sister’s afternoon trip –, she stood up and began putting the soiled plates and bowls away. Makoto hurried to imitate her.
“I’ll help too—” Akechi-kun began as he reached for his own dinnerware, only to be cut short.
“You’re the guest here, Akechi-kun,” Sae retorted, a furrow of disapproval creasing her forehead. “Let us handle this.”
But Akechi-kun shook his head right away, a gentle smile on his lips. “I can’t do that, Sae-san. This is the least I can do to show my appreciation.”
And before she had time to protest further, he was already piling up a large number of dishes in his hands, bringing them to Makoto’s side who accepted them graciously. The two perfect crescents his eyes formed brightened up his face in a way that even his dark circles, greyish complexion and reddened nose seemed to fade somewhat, making way for a radiant glow unlike anything Sae had seen before on his part. Yes, Akechi-kun looked beaming more often than not whether on his TV appearances or even in private, but those instances seemed strangely duller in the face of that one moment. She couldn’t help wondering what exactly made him feel so happy all of a sudden… but something told her this was a boundary best left uncrossed.
“All done. Thank you, Akechi-kun,” Makoto said as she put the last of the dishes into the washer.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” he replied back genuinely. “I had a wonderful time.”
Makoto answered with a smile of her own, but before she could reply, Akechi-kun stifled an unanticipated yawn – Sae’s cue that the evening had overstayed its welcome.
“Someone’s sleepy,” she teased, causing him to straighten up in a flash. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“I am not tired at all,” he protested, and his obvious lie reminded her of a petulant child trying to negotiate more play time before going to bed. “Besides, it would be rude going to bed that early while you two welcomed me into your home…”
Sae was about to argue – Akechi-kun could truly say the silliest things sometimes – but Makoto was the fastest, instead aiming for a middle ground. “Well, if Akechi-kun feels like it, how about watching a movie since we’re all together? He doesn’t have to stay up until the end, just a little bit is fine.”
“I take it you’re done with your homework, Makoto?” Sae nagged, though she knew this was a rhetorical question. “I wish I could say the same… I have plenty of case files to retype on my laptop and sort out…”
“Sae-san, you need to take a break once in a while,” Akechi-kun chimed in pleasantly. His intervention apparently seemed to encourage Makoto, who perked up and insisted.
“It’s been ages since we’ve spent some time together, Sis… Come on, it’ll be fun.”
Sae considered the two of them for a moment. Makoto’s gaze was anxious and intent, while Akechi-kun’s cheerful smile, weary as it was, remained. Work had always been her number one priority, but something in her didn’t find the heart to disregard Makoto’s offer. A mellow, gentle spirit was taking possession of her, momentarily overshadowing her no-fun-allowed persona at the reminder that yes, it had indeed been ages since she last enjoyed a sisterly evening with Makoto. Akechi-kun’s presence only added pressure on her part.
“…Fine, a movie it is. Hurry up and get changed before I change my mind.”
This was all it took to send Makoto trotting to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Akechi-kun let out a chuckle, and when Sae addressed him, his eyes were bright.
“Let’s go.”
With this, she led him to the end of the corridor where awaited once a very much inhabited room, now merely a glorified storage one. Cardboard boxes filled to the brim with various clothes and miscellaneous items crowded the floor, but Sae made it a point to keep the dust and dirt away at all times. In the middle of the room stood the bed Akechi-kun would be sleeping in, big enough to accommodate two people.
“Here,” Sae said as she rummaged the cupboard in search of what she was looking for, “it might be a bit too large on you, but…”
Without further ceremony, she held out the pajamas set to him. But Akechi-kun didn’t take it.
She was about to raise an eyebrow and ask him what the matter was when—
“Are you sure…?”
Sae did raise an eyebrow in the end, but for an entirely different reason.
“Is it really okay for me to stay the night?” Akechi-kun continued, his strange gaze shifting from the pajamas in her hands to her eyes. “I’m… not being a bother, am I?”
They remained still for a moment, stares interlocking together. Those maroon depths conveyed a lot, more so than Sae could have ever imagined. Worry, anxiety, a strong desire to be reassured, and…
In that moment, right there within the crowded spare room of the Niijima household, Sae felt like she saw Akechi-kun for the very first time.
“Akechi-kun…”
She reached out one hand toward his face. He blinked once, then twice, his big, round eyes reflecting nothing but pure incomprehension.
…Then she pinched his nose.
“You’re being ridiculous again,” she chided, deaf to the sudden protests and agitation she prompted. “Stop saying silly things already and get changed.”
Even as she released him, Akechi-kun merely lifted confused eyes at her, clearly wondering what in the world was that for. The hint of a reassuring gleam upon her eyes seemed to quell him down, however, for he finally accepted the pajamas with a grateful, if sheepish smile.
“Here you go. I left you a toothbrush in the bathroom, second door to your left when you're in the corridor. You can use those slippers too.”
With this, she promptly turned around, his timid gratitude reaching her even as she left the room. Only a short while passed before he joined the two sisters in the living room, face freshened up, hair slightly more tame, and pajamas sliding off his shoulder every now and then.
“Ah, that's…” Makoto began at his sight before trailing off, a fond glint glazing up her suddenly distant gaze. Akechi-kun threw her a curious glance, but she didn't elaborate. Sae, for her part, remained imperturbable.
“Makoto chose a family movie. It's supposed to be comedy, I believe? Take a seat.”
A bit hesitant in his manner, as though he weren't sure he had the right to intrude despite being explicitly told to do so, Akechi-kun gingerly approached and let himself sink in the sofa by Makoto’s side. Once everyone was comfortable, she unpaused the movie and a cheerful music signaling all but a lighthearted, silly story rang on. It tackled the life of a man who was on his way to get married, only for hijinks to start pouring down when his car gave up the ghost on the side of the road. As much as comedy movies weren't Sae's cup of tea – Makoto had been so eager, she didn't have it in her to burst her bubble –, she got caught up in the game and found herself laughing heartily alongside her little sister. Akechi-kun chuckled many times as well, and when he didn't, a permanent smile was brightening his face. Sae couldn't help but wonder for the second time what exactly made him feel so happy.
The first thing that greeted him was warmth.
It was a wonderful sensation, pleasing to the senses, one that made him want to snuggle and curl up to bring in even more heat. He didn't have the will to move or even the inclination to do so. All he could focus on was this warmth, healing and soothing, wrapping his body in its embrace, providing solace to his very soul.
He wanted to wallow in this warmth forever. It felt too good, too comfortable. Almost like a terrible weight had been lifted off from his shoulders. Like the holes upon his heart had become complete.
He didn't want to open his eyes.
But when he met Niijima Sae's gaze through a fluttering, half-lidded sight, he found he didn't mind leaving the nothingness that much after all.
“You're awake,” she breathed, her speech much lower than usual. “Thank goodness. I was feeling bad about having to wake you up one more time today.”
Goro merely blinked at this, not comprehending – until he noticed the couple of pills and the glass of water left on his nightstand. A glance around informed him he was in the Niijimas' spare bedroom, tucked safely in bed underneath two layers of blankets.
“Your medicine. You need to take it before turning in for the night.”
The light inside the room was dim, coming solely from the bedside lamp in a diffused glow. Goro contemplated the softness of it before speaking again.
“What time is it…?” he asked as he laboriously lifted himself into a sitting position. “Where's your sister…?”
“It's nearly midnight. Makoto went to bed about half an hour ago.”
She gave him an expectant look, urging him gently to take his medicine, which he did. “You fell asleep during the movie. Makoto and I didn't dare disturb you, so we finished the movie together. She went to bed afterwards, while I woke you up and guided you to bed. You probably don't remember it, though… You were practically sleepwalking.”
“Ah…” was all he found to say. He made a face then, caught off-guard by the pills' bitterness. Sae-san seemed to notice, for a little smile made its way to her shadowy features.
“It tastes awful, doesn't it,” she said in a display of sympathy as he gulped down his glass of water in one go. “Wait, I know exactly how to remove the aftertaste.”
With this, she left the room, taking the empty glass from his hands all the while. His sense of hearing was the fastest in picking up what she was doing, as the telltale beeping of the microwave came off several minutes later. Her return was then announced with his sense of smell, for the strong, salivating aroma of chocolate soon pervaded the room. The fumes drifted from the mug she was carrying on a dessert plate, and judging by the smokey wisps escaping it, the drink was more than scalding.
“Hot chocolate?” he muttered as she laid the plate on the nightstand. “I'm not a child, Sae-san…”
“With the amount of silliness you displayed today, you might as well be one,” Sae-san retorted sharply, though one glance at her was enough to tell she wasn't genuinely annoyed. “Just drink it. It will help with your cold too.”
Sensing that arguing further would be very much fighting a losing battle, Goro nodded and took several sips, taking care not to burn his tongue, and couldn't help but close his eyes as he savored the flavor. He didn't want to admit it, but the taste of hot chocolate was definitely one he had missed… since the day he swore to replace it with the grown-up drink, coffee.
“Is it good? You don't feel the taste from the pills anymore, do you?”
Goro shook his head, clutching the mug tight in his hands. The pleasant warmth penetrated through his skin, heating his entire being from his fingers to his toes.
“Do you do this for your sister too?” he asked, taking another sip.
“I do, but not hot chocolate. Makoto finds it too sugary,” she replied matter-of-factly. “I usually make tea for her when she's sick.”
“I see…”
This was the last of their conversation. Sensing drowsiness fast approaching, Goro left the half-full mug to his side, his eyes prickling with newfound exhaustion, and slowly lay down against his pillows.
“Well then, Akechi-kun,” Sae-san said as she pulled the covers up to his chin, “I wish you good—”
“I had a dream about my mother today.”
The words were out before he had even thought them. Sae-san interrupted herself. He could tell she had frozen up.
“…What sort of dream, exactly?” she asked, her face conveying all but sorrow.
Goro frowned. This dream of his, forgotten until only moments before, was suddenly pouring into him, taking possession of his very being, rushing through his veins, running across his every fiber. He remembered. He remembered everything.
Even so, Sae-san's question remained unanswered.
"Was it a happy dream?” she prompted in encouragement.
“No… I think it was a sad one.”
A silence ticked by. It was deafening.
“Your mother… How was she like in your dream?”
“She was…”
His voice trailed off as he gave himself time to think. He wanted to find the perfect words, the perfect expression that could describe her. Anything else short of that would be unacceptable.
“…Kind. She was kind. She had a bright smile on her face.”
He interrupted himself again. His thoughts seemed to reach his lips slower.
“She was beautiful, too. Taller than me. Her eyes were the same color as mine.”
His eyelids were heavy. It was quiet, and he felt warm…
“And not only that… She was a bit strict, too. She was scolding me… because I threw a tantrum…”
It was so quiet, and he felt so warm… so comfortable…
“But even so, I wasn't angry at her… Because she cared about me… Because she was… devoted…”
Heavy maroon eyes rose, meeting crimson ones. The silence was at its highest point.
“…Just like… you…”
The final word ended on a whisper. The next moment, his regular breathing became the sole source of sound.
Sae stared. The seconds changed to minutes. The minutes felt like they changed to hours.
Slowly, she reached out and brushed his bangs out of his eyes in a gentle caress. His cheeks were slightly warm.
“Good night, Akechi-kun,” she whispered, the ghost of a sad smile upon her face.
He didn't stir once.
In between three nagging phone calls from work and the dishwasher suddenly breaking down the next morning, Sae couldn't exactly pretend this day was starting well. It was with a certain impatience that she went through her morning routine, still managing to put up an acceptable front at Makoto's greeting.
“Shouldn't you check up on Akechi-kun, Sis? I hope he feels a bit better.”
Makoto had a point – with such a hectic morning, Sae had almost forgotten about the young detective. Knocking on his door produced no response, prompting her to discreetly open it a crack. Sure enough, Akechi-kun was still sound asleep, the top part of his head down to above his nose the only details that peeked out of his covers. Sae approached, unsure whether to wake him up or leave him be – she wanted to at least check his temperature – when she stopped.
The hot chocolate mug from the previous night was still atop the nightstand. It was empty.
Akechi-kun stirred then, mumbling something unintelligible. Sae couldn't tell what exactly he was seeing in his sleep, but the way his barely visible eyes turned to crescents told no lies.
She hoped his dream was as pleasant as the faint aroma of hot chocolate lingering about the room.