Naoya-san took a step back. "What do you mean he didn't have a face? Was he wearing another mask or perhaps his face was deformed?"
Ryuga shook his head, his eyes fixed on his right hand. "No, nothing like that. I-It I-It wasn't like that! Ok! I-I… you know what? Forget it."
Naoya-san frowned. He couldn't understand what Ryuga was trying to describe. A person without a face didn't exist, they couldn't exist.
And yet, Ryuga looked genuinely distraught. Naoya-san wanted to help him, but he had no idea how. In the end, he could only let Ryuga do whatever he needed.
"Fine, let's forget this. How about you go check on your friend? I'll try calling the police. Let's hope the call connects."
Running a hand through his hair, Ryuga wiped the sweat gathering on his forehead. "Yeah, no. I'm going home. You stay with these morons. Look after them."
"Ryuga."
"I won't listen to anything else right now. I need some time to… fuck! Do something, ok! I need some alone time."
He didn't wait for a reply. Without checking on Hina, he walked away.
Naoya-san watched his retreating figure, standing still as complex emotions flickered through his eyes.
"This idiot…"
…
Several hours later, Ryuga reached his apartment in the Western Akebono Apartment Buildings. He had taken a taxi to get home, since Naoya-san had stayed behind to take care of the others as he had wished.
Well, it wasn't like he waited to confirm that. Maybe Naoya-san had gone home too. At the moment, Ryuga wasn't in any mental state to question or clarify anything.
His mind kept replaying the same image again and again. Something he couldn't explain, something gnawing at his thoughts and shaking his entire understanding of the world.
"Fuck…"
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he took out his apartment keys and unlocked the door. After kicking off his shoes, he walked straight inside.
Perhaps hearing the commotion, Iuno appeared immediately. "Nii-san—"
Before she could say another word, Ryuga raised his right hand, stopping her. "Please, Iuno, not now. I'm not in the mood."
The persistent little sister refused to back down. "But there's something important—"
"Please!" he emphasized. "I don't want to deal with anything right now. Let me sleep. We'll talk tomorrow morning. Ok? Is that clear, my dear little sister?"
"Ok…" Iuno replied, her expression turning sullen.
"Aaahhhh…" Ryuga sighed. "I don't want to be rude. But I-I-I just can't right now, please understand. I dealt with some bullshit a few hours ago. It's messing with my head. I'll listen to whatever you need to tell me. But not right now, ok."
He gently caressed Iuno's cheek. His hand was nearly the size of her face, covering it entirely. He felt as if she were a child… barely an infant.
This was how he always saw her. Like a child. Someone to protect and care for. Iuno and Kai were his world. A world he had sworn to protect.
Shouting at them, venting his frustration on them, scolding them, none of it felt right. It was as if he were harming himself, cutting off a large part of his own flesh. That was how much he cared.
Iuno snuggled her face closer into his palm like a kitten. "Ok… take care."
Smiling faintly, Ryuga went back to his room. The moment he closed his door, the door beside his cracked open.
Kai poked his head out from behind the half-open door. Tilting his head, he asked, "What happened? Is he tired or something? He seemed worried."
It wasn't like Iuno knew anything. Ryuga hadn't shared, and she didn't want to pressure him.
"If you want to know, you can just ask him. He didn't tell me anything. But yeah, he's worried about something."
"Hmmm…" Kai frowned. "I do want to know what happened but something inside me screams at me to keep my mouth shut. And I'm going to follow that inner scream."
Not wanting to humour him any further, Iuno turned around and went back to the living room. She had another guest to handle. The one she had wanted to inform Ryuga about.
Sitting on the sofa in a graceful posture was a girl around her big brother's age. With long lustrous black hair, thin eyebrows, golden eyes, and porcelain skin, she looked like an otherworldly beauty.
This person was Izumiya Sakuya, a third-year student at Akebono University. She also happened to be Iuno's close friend and Ryuga's girlfriend.
"Sakuya nee-chan! Sorry, but ani is super tired. He went to sleep directly. It's such a pity he won't be able to join us."
Sakuya gave a polite smile and brushed a strand of hair back. "It's not a problem. Kami-kun takes his work very seriously. It's no surprise that he's tired. Let him rest. By the way, the tea you made is really delicious. I know I've said this before, but you're just that good. I can't help repeating it."
The words sent a surge of confidence through Iuno, inflating her pride to absurd heights. Her tiny little smirk widened. "Hehehe… I know, Iuno knows. You don't have to repeat it, but it does feel good."
"That's good to know."
Looking at the clock, it read 11:08. It was pretty late by Iuno's standards. She had to get up early to cook breakfast for her brothers. She was incredibly dependable and a bit of a workaholic.
"Ah, Sakuya nee-chan."
"Yes."
"I think we should go to sleep. We already talked so much, and it's pretty late. I need to get up soon. You know, for making breakfast and all."
It wasn't the first time Sakuya had stayed over. In fact, even before she and Ryuga became a couple, Sakuya used to crash there often.
She was more so Iuno's friend than Ryuga's girlfriend.
"Yes, you're right. We should sleep. But make sure to wake me up too. I'll help you with your chores. I'm not some guest, ok? I already think of you as my sister."
Iuno took the words in a roundabout way, though it brought a bright smile to her lips. "Hehehehe, how did my monkey ani manage to bewitch you so much? Well, it's not like I mind. Having a reliable older sister is a boon I can't reject!"
Sakuya smiled with a hint of strain. She didn't go out of her way to correct her. Iuno was happy, and she didn't want to dull that happiness.
Her and Ryuga's relationship was one of a kind. A rather complex one. So brittle. Tied by a knot that could break at any moment.