One evening, Ren had been in his office at the Kazama residence when an encrypted message came through his private channel. The sender was unverified, but the contents were detailed. It claimed that several of Riku Hoshino's men had been seen gathering near the old industrial zone behind the café district. The message included exact coordinates and the time of the meeting. It read too specific to be a hoax and yet vague enough to raise suspicion, but Ren had no intention of ignoring it. He couldn't afford to take chances when it came to Riku. Not after what happened to Emi.
Daiki had just stepped out to handle a shipment detail, and rather than wait or inform anyone, Ren decided to go alone. He reasoned it would be a quick check. A presence like his could easily scatter low-ranking men if that was all it was.
He drove himself to the location, parked a few blocks away, and approached on foot. The streets were quiet. Nothing unusual at first. He circled around to the back of the designated building, entering a narrow alley between dumpsters and concrete walls.
As he turned into the narrow alley behind the building, two masked men came at him from the shadows. He fought them off, but not before one of them managed to stab him deep in the side. The second attacker struck him from behind with a pipe. Dazed and bleeding, Ren tried to hold his ground, but when he realized more men might be coming, he forced himself to move. Stumbling through the shadows, he ended up in the alley behind the café, the pain worsening with every step until his knees buckled and he collapsed against the wall.
Emi had just finished her late shift at the café and was dragging two full garbage bags out to the alley behind the building. She yawned as she reached the dumpster, too tired to notice the sound of footsteps at first. But when she turned to leave, something sharp sliced through the night air. A low groan followed, and it stopped her cold.
She paused, listening again. The sound came again, a strained breath followed by a soft thud, like a body hitting the ground. Emi's heart skipped. She took a few cautious steps forward and turned the corner toward the deeper part of the alley.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Ren was there, slumped against the wall, his shirt soaked with blood. He had a hand pressed weakly against his side, his face pale and slick with sweat. Near him stood a masked man holding a knife, but as soon as he saw Emi, he fled into the shadows.
"Ren!" she cried out and dropped to her knees beside him.
His eyes fluttered open for a moment. "Emi…" His voice was hoarse, weak. "You shouldn't be here…"
She ignored that, already ripping off her apron and pressing it against the wound on his side. "You're bleeding too much. Stay with me. Please stay with me."
Ren tried to speak again, but his head tilted back, and his body went limp.
"No. No, no, no," she whispered, fumbling with her phone. Her hands were shaking too hard to dial, but she managed to call Daiki.
"Daiki, it's Ren. He's hurt. I found him behind the café. There's so much blood. Please come now. Please—hurry!"
"I'm on my way," Daiki's voice came through immediately.
Emi didn't hang up. She left the phone on speaker and went back to holding Ren, pressing down on his wound. "You're going to be okay. You're not leaving me like this. Do you hear me, Ren?"
As Emi pressed the apron against Ren's wound, trying to slow the bleeding, she heard something shift in the shadows behind her. Her eyes darted upward. There were two of them, stepping into the faint light with knives drawn.
Emi froze for a heartbeat, her body trembling, but when one of the men stepped forward, raising his knife, she immediately shifted her body to cover Ren, her arms spread wide.
"Don't come any closer!" she shouted, her voice cracking.
The taller one laughed under his mask. "Move, girl. Unless you want to get hurt."
"I won't let you touch him," Emi said, her voice shaking but firm.
The man lunged forward. She stood her ground, shielding Ren's body with her own.
The knife gleamed as it came down toward her.
But before it could reach her, Ren moved.
With a growl of effort, Ren pushed himself up with the last of his strength and threw his body in front of hers. The blade sank into his shoulder instead, and Emi screamed as his blood splattered across her hand.
The attacker tried to wrench the knife free, but Ren, bleeding and staggering, twisted and slammed his fist into the man's jaw. The second attacker rushed at him, but Ren ducked low and tackled him into the wall. The pain was unbearable, but he did not stop. He landed another punch, and another, until both men scrambled away into the dark, stumbling out of the alley.
Ren collapsed back against the wall, gasping. His shirt was soaked through now, and blood was running down his arm and side in thick streams.
Emi dropped beside him again. "You idiot," she sobbed, pressing both hands against his wounds. "Why did you protect me? Why did you do that?"
Ren's breath came out ragged. "Because… you matter more than anything… more than my life…"
Moments later, Daiki's car skidded into the alley. He jumped out, eyes wide as he took in the scene.
"Ren!" Daiki ran forward and helped lower him gently to the ground. "Stay with me, boss. I've got you."
Emi's face was streaked with tears, her hands shaking and soaked in Ren's blood. Daiki glanced at her, then back at Ren.
Sirens and headlights arrived minutes later. Daiki and several men from the Kazama group jumped out of their cars and rushed to her. Paramedics were behind them. Daiki pulled her back gently as they took over, his face tight with shock and worry.
"Who did this?" Daiki asked as he helped her to her feet.
"There were two men in masks. They ran off before I could do anything," she said, her voice trembling.
Daiki's jaw clenched. "Riku."
Ren was loaded into the ambulance. Emi climbed in with him, refusing to let go of his hand.
At the hospital, doctors worked to stabilize him. The wound was deep and dangerous, and the blood loss had been massive. After hours of surgery, the doctor came out with a grim expression.
"He's alive," the doctor said. "But he's unconscious. We'll monitor him closely, but he's in a coma for now."
*****
Emi sat beside Ren's hospital bed every day, her fingers gently curled around his hand, waiting for any sign of movement. The machines beeped steadily around them, the rhythm both comforting and cruel. Each morning she arrived before the sunlight filtered in, often before the nurses made their rounds, and each night she stayed until someone from the Kazama group gently reminded her to eat or rest. Sometimes she ignored them. Sometimes she nodded and only left the room for a few minutes before coming right back.
Daiki visited often too, usually bringing updates from the outside or standing by the door quietly, offering silent support. Neither of them spoke much. Words felt too small for the weight of those hours.
Emi would sit close to Ren and speak softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She told him about the café and the customers who ordered the same drinks every day and complained about the weather. She told him about Sora, who had dropped by with bentos and forced her to eat even when she had no appetite. She shared it all, every little thing, because she was afraid of the silence swallowing her whole.
But mostly, she talked about him. About how much she missed him. About how she regretted leaving. About how scared she was when she found him in the alley, broken and bleeding, and how her heart stopped in that moment.
"I thought I'd already lost you once," she whispered one night as she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. "But that night… when I saw you like that, it felt different. It felt like something was being torn out of me." Her voice trembled. "I thought you might really leave me this time. And the truth is… I don't want to live in a world where you're not breathing somewhere in it."
She leaned closer, pressing her forehead lightly against the back of his hand. "I was so stupid. I thought leaving you would protect you. But I only ended up hurting both of us. You didn't push me away. I did that all on my own." Her eyes brimmed with tears. "If you open your eyes, I'll make it right. I'll fight to stand beside you, I promise. I'll do everything I can."
The door opened quietly behind her. Emi turned and quickly wiped her eyes when she saw who it was.
"Granny Chiyo…" she whispered, rising from her seat.
The older woman walked slowly toward the bed, her eyes landing on Ren before turning back to Emi.
"You haven't left his side," Chiyo said, her voice gentle.
Emi shook her head. "I can't."
Chiyo reached out and touched her arm. "You must rest too. You're no good to him if you collapse."
"I know," Emi said, her voice soft. "But I feel like if I close my eyes, even for a moment, I might miss it. What if he wakes up and I'm not here?"
Chiyo looked at her for a long time, then slowly moved her hand to cup Emi's cheek.
"My dear girl," she said quietly. "You've already become part of this family in ways even Ren doesn't realize. No one here doubts your place. But you must also remember that you are human. You need strength to stay by his side, and that strength comes from resting, eating, breathing."
"I'm just… scared," Emi admitted, her voice barely audible.
"I know," Chiyo replied. "But you are braver than you think. You've already shown that. Let me stay with him for a while. You go take a short nap. Just an hour or two. Come back stronger."
Emi hesitated but finally nodded. She bent over Ren and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
"I'll be right back," she whispered. "So don't go anywhere."
Then she stepped out of the room, her heart heavy but just a little lighter knowing she wasn't alone. Behind her, Chiyo took the seat she had left, her fingers quietly reaching out to take Ren's hand.
"You stubborn boy," she said softly to Ren, her eyes filled with warmth and steel. "Wake up soon. She needs you. And whether you know it or not, you need her more."
*****
It was the fourth night since Ren had been brought to the hospital. Emi had barely left the room, except when forced, and even then only for short stretches. That evening, she sat in the chair beside his bed again, his hand in hers as always, her head resting against the edge of the mattress. Her eyes were closed, not quite asleep but not fully awake either, her exhaustion clinging to her body like a weight she couldn't shake.
Then, she felt it.
The slightest movement. A twitch of the fingers curled within her grasp.
Her eyes flew open. She sat up sharply, staring at Ren's hand. For a moment she thought she imagined it. But then it moved again. Slow. Weak. Real.
"Ren?" Her voice cracked as she leaned over him. "Ren… can you hear me?"
His brow furrowed slightly. A breath caught in his throat. And then, slowly, painfully, his eyelids fluttered open.
It took him a moment to focus, but when he did, his gaze settled on her.
"Emi…" His voice was barely there, no more than a rasp, but it was him.
She gasped. Tears welled instantly in her eyes as she leaned closer, gripping his hand tightly. "You're awake. Ren, you're awake…"
He gave a weak smile. "You didn't… leave…"
"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered, the tears spilling freely now. "I'm right here."
Ren's gaze wandered across her face as if memorizing every line. He lifted his hand slowly, struggling with the effort, and Emi guided it to her cheek. His fingers brushed against her skin, warm with tears.
"I thought I lost you," she whispered, placing her hand over his.
He winced softly as he tried to move again, but Emi stopped him gently. "Don't. Just rest. You're safe now."
"Did they… hurt you?" he asked, even now trying to protect her, even from the bed.
"I'm okay. You protected me," she said.
She kissed his hand, her lips trembling. "You scared me so much. I thought… I thought I'd never get to hear your voice again."
He tried to speak again, but his voice broke. She shook her head quickly. "It's okay. You don't need to say anything else. Just stay awake, okay? Just stay."
Emi fumbled for her phone with one hand, still holding his with the other. She called Daiki first.
"Daiki. He's awake. Ren just woke up."
The other end was silent for a moment before Daiki responded, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm on my way."
She ended the call and immediately dialed again. "Granny Chiyo… he's awake. He's really awake."
A soft breath of relief came through the line, followed by a quiet, "Thank you, child. I will be there soon."
Emi looked back at Ren, who was still watching her with tired but steady eyes. She reached forward and pressed her forehead to his, her voice low and full of emotion.
"I'm not leaving your side again. No matter what."
Ren's eyes, though still heavy with exhaustion, softened as he looked at Emi. His hand, though trembling, managed to brush her hair gently behind her ear. He let out a faint breath and whispered, "You're here. That's all I need."
Emi's heart clenched at the sound of his voice. She leaned in, pressing her forehead to his and nodded as tears slid silently down her cheeks. "Always," she whispered back.
Ren gave her a faint smile, the kind she hadn't seen in so long, the kind that reminded her he was still fighting, still holding on. She cupped his face carefully with both hands, her thumbs brushing over the curve of his cheekbones. Then, without hesitation, she leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.
It was soft and brief, but full of the pain, fear, and longing that had lived between them for the past weeks. It was a promise, silent but certain, that she wasn't going to run anymore. That no matter what came next, she would stay.
Ren closed his eyes as the kiss lingered against his lips. When Emi pulled back slightly, he whispered again, his voice faint but certain, "I missed you."
Emi nodded, her voice catching. "I missed you too. More than anything."