Chapter 18: Between Heartbeats || Kodō no Hazama de

  Shunsuke’s apartment, Roppongi, Minato-ku → October 28th, 2022

  “Whispers of Love and Shadows of the Past”

  Content warning: Contains scenes of intimate nudity (non-explicit) and discussion of irezumi symbolism and an anxious raccoon.

  Miyu's voice was a soft whisper. "Why did you choose higanbana?"

  Shunsuke's body tensed for a second before he relaxed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "I always saw myself in them," he said, his voice low and heavy. "One is for my former self."

  His voice wavered a bit. "The second one is for Ren."

  The others… "Every person I was forced to kill." Here, his voice broke completely.

  Miyu looked at the tattoo, tracing each of the five flowers with a gentle touch. "You wear them on your skin," she whispered, her voice filled with a quiet reverence. "As penance. To remind yourself what you did."

  Miyu's body went rigid. Her hand, which had been gently tracing his tattoo, now hovered over it, trembling. "No… that's…" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.

  Sensing her distress, Shunsuke immediately turned to face her, seeing the storm brewing in her eyes. The laughter and lightness of a moment ago vanished, replaced by a profound and heavy quiet. He gently embraced her. "What is it, Miyu-Chan?" he said softly against her hair.

  Miyu let out a pained, anguished sob. "You're…" her voice strained, breaking with the weight of the realization. "You're the one who saved me back then."

  Shunsuke didn't say a word. He simply held her tighter, pulling her close, a silent confirmation of the truth she had just discovered. Miyu's body was shaking from the revelation—the man who had saved her on the darkest night of her life was standing here, now, with her.

  "I'm sorry, Miyu," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "When you told me about it, I knew you were the girl I saved. I didn't tell you because... because I was afraid you would only love me out of obligation." His voice broke. "I didn't want that. I'm sorry for hiding it from you."

  Shunsuke’s shoulders trembled under her touch, as if each word he confessed was tearing him open. Miyu pressed her face into his chest, her tears soaking into his skin, her sobs a rhythm that matched the frantic beat of his heart.

  “You saved me… and you gave Yuki to me. Thank you,” she breathed, clinging to him as though letting go would mean losing him all over again.

  “That night...it was my first kill. The only one I never regretted,” he murmured. Miyu kissed his chest.

  “My body recognized you before my mind could,” she whispered. “Now I understand why I felt like I knew you for so long.”

  Shunsuke nodded softly. “Yes. And even before that... we once met.” His hand gently stroked her back. “You probably don’t remember, which is fine. It was a long time ago.”

  Miyu looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. “Really? When was that?”

  “I once met you in the garden of my family home. You were afraid, and I made you an origami crane.”

  Miyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You were that? I still have it. It’s on my desk at home.”

  Shunsuke kissed her forehead. “Funny. Somehow, we were always connected.”

  Miyu’s breath hitched, her mind racing back to countless lonely nights when she would hold that tiny crane in her hand, its delicate wings worn soft with time. “I thought it was just a dream,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. “But all this time… it was you.”

  "You wore a similar kimono when we met in Kabukicho," he said softly, "like the one you wore as a child. But I didn't fully recognize it then; my mind couldn't catch up." Shunsuke kissed her forehead again. "When I was at your home that day, I saw the paper crane on your desk, even though I didn't enter your room. That's when I realized you were that little girl."

  Miyu smiled, letting out a relieved sigh. "I'm so happy to know now. It doesn't change anything between us," she murmured. "Maybe my crush on Shun Ishihara wasn't so random after all."

  Shunsuke’s lips curved into the faintest smile, his eyes shimmering with relief and something deeper. “So even back then,” he murmured, “my heart was already walking toward you.”

  Miyu pressed her forehead against his, her voice barely a breath. “And mine toward you.”

  Their lips met in a deep, tender kiss, tongues exploring one another. Shunsuke pressed her gently against the cool tiles of the shower wall, her body melting perfectly into his. Miyu wrapped her legs around his waist, and his lips traveled from her mouth down to her neck, kissing and tasting the sensitive skin. A soft whimper escaped her, raw and content.

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  Then—

  CHIRP!

  A sharp, judgmental sound cut through the steam.

  Shunsuke pulled back, breathless, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. “Kuro is judging us again.” He leaned his forehead against hers, lips curling into a smile. “We should get dressed, or he’ll never stop. Tonight, Miyu… we can continue tonight.”

  Miyu brushed her fingers along his cheek, playful. “Can we bring him to Ryuichi instead?”

  As if insulted, Kuro scrambled closer and let out an indignant squawk, hopping straight into the shower. His fur instantly plastered to his body, dripping.

  Shunsuke laughed outright. “I think he doesn’t like that idea.”

  They both stepped back, but Kuro chirped again—this time sharp and anxious, like: Don’t you dare forget about me.

  “Yes, your royal fluffiness, we’re getting dressed,” Shunsuke soothed, kneeling down and scooping him up. Water trickled from Kuro’s sodden fur, soaking Shunsuke’s chest. He held him close anyway, murmuring softly, “You’re still my favorite fluffy loaf. I won’t forget about you.”

  Kuro let out a quivering trill in protest—whether at the cuddle or the situation, neither could tell. Shunsuke chuckled, grabbing the pet shampoo mischievously.

  “You’re filthy, Kuro. If Ryuichi saw this, he’d never let you into his apartment again.”

  The raccoon froze, then wriggled and gave a panicked squeak at the word “shampoo.” But when Shunsuke began massaging the suds gently into his fur, avoiding his eyes, Kuro gave a soft content chirr, nearly a purr.

  Miyu knelt beside them, watching Shunsuke’s tenderness as he cared for his anxious little companion. Her smile softened. “Is he afraid you’ll abandon him?” she asked quietly.

  Shunsuke’s hands stilled for a moment, his gaze distant. He nodded faintly. “Since I got him, it was just us. Two strays keeping each other company. Now… he’s scared I’ll replace him.” His voice dropped, warm but heavy.

  Miyu reached out, rubbing Kuro’s damp head. “Hey,” she whispered, as if he could understand her words. “I’m not taking Shunsuke away from you. You’re part of this family, too.”

  Kuro’s answering chirp was softer now. Almost… trusting.

  Shunsuke carefully washed the shampoo out of Kuro's fur, then smiled at Miyu. "Can you grab that white fluffy towel over there?"

  Miyu nodded, straightening up to reach for it. "Is that cashmere?" she asked softly.

  Shunsuke nodded and took the towel. "I bought it just for Kuro. He loves being wrapped in it after his wash," he said, gently cocooning the raccoon in the soft fabric and cradling him in his arms. Kuro let out a content purr.

  Shunsuke looked down at his pet. "Give him about ten or twenty minutes, and you'll hear him snoring," he teased.

  Kuro chirped loudly in protest, clearly denying the accusation.

  Shunsuke carried Kuro to the bedroom and carefully set him down, still wrapped snugly in the cashmere towel. Kuro snuggled deeper, soft, contented purrs coming from him. Shunsuke smiled, relieved to see his little friend relaxing again.

  He sat down next to Kuro, who remained perfectly still. "I'm sorry for making you doubt that I would replace you with Miyu," Shunsuke murmured, stroking his little head. "You're still my best friend, Kuro."

  Miyu stood in the doorway, a soft smile on her face as she watched the two. She approached Shunsuke gently. "He seems so peaceful now," she whispered.

  Shunsuke nodded. "He is. When he was still a kit, I snuggled him in this often." A reminiscent look crossed his face. "When I couldn't bring him to Ryuichi because I was needed at the club, I'd wrap him in it and take him with me."

  "He'd be in the staff room while I was in meetings," Shunsuke chuckled softly. "My hosts would take care of him when they could. I always put some of my cologne on the towel, so it would give him the illusion that I was there." He looked at the peaceful raccoon. "Now Kuro is Club Crystal's mascot."

  Miyu chuckled softly. "I once heard that a host club in Roppongi has a raccoon as a mascot, but I thought it was just a joke, or someone took it out of context," she said softly. "And since I never really dared to come to Roppongi, I was never able to see for myself."

  Shunsuke laughed, thoroughly amused. "I even did a photoshoot as Shun Ishihara with Kuro, just for the club," he mused.

  Miyu's eyes lit up. "Really? I never saw those photos... And I had everything from you," she said, a hint of shyness in her voice.

  Shunsuke chuckled. "They were only for the club itself, so I don't blame you for missing them."

  Miyu pouted playfully. "That's not fair..."

  Shunsuke chuckled, thoroughly amused. "I can show them to you sometime." He stood and embraced Miyu, pulling her close.

  "No need," she whispered against his chest, her voice low. "I can see the real Shunsuke. That is far more valuable."

  A soft, rhythmic snoring sounded from the bedside.

  Miyu laughed softly. "Like you said," she murmured, then her hand wandered down his torso, her touch bold and deliberate. "Since Kuro is now asleep..."

  Shunsuke kissed her, his own amusement clear. "Then he'll wake up and scold us again."

  Miyu’s fingers lingered against his skin, tracing slow, teasing patterns. Shunsuke’s breath hitched, his arms tightening around her instinctively. For a heartbeat, he thought of giving in—of letting the moment sweep them both away.

  But then Kuro stirred, letting out a tiny chirp in his sleep.

  Shunsuke laughed softly, his forehead resting against Miyu’s. “See? Even in his dreams, he’s keeping us in line.”

  Miyu giggled, her lips brushing his. “Then maybe he’ll finally learn that love isn’t something to be afraid of.”

  Shunsuke’s smile softened, his heart melting at her words. “Maybe I will too,” he whispered, kissing her once more before gently guiding her down to lie beside him.

  Miyu's head rested on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a sound that always calmed her and made her feel utterly safe. "I forgot to ask you something," she murmured softly. "At the charity event, we danced..." She kissed his chest, right over his heart.

  Shunsuke's body tensed for a brief second before he consciously relaxed. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" Her voice was soft and full of warmth.

  Shunsuke gently stroked her hair. "Ren taught me to dance," he said, a noticeable distance in his voice.

  Miyu kissed his chest again, hearing a slight, momentary flutter in his heartbeat. "Who was Ren to you?" she whispered. "Thinking about him seems to pain you."