Ren's recovery was slow but steady. After waking from the coma, the doctors gave strict instructions for rest and minimal movement over the next several weeks. His body was healing, but the pain hadn't faded. Every step, every shift of his torso reminded him of the blade that nearly took his life. A medical team monitored his vitals during the first few days after his return, but the one who remained by his side longer than anyone was Emi.
Emi had asked Granny Chiyo for permission to stay temporarily at the residence, explaining quietly one evening as they sat over tea in the kitchen, "Granny, I know this is sudden… but I'd like to stay here. Just for a while. Until Ren recovers fully. I'll still go to class and to work. I won't be a burden. I just… I want to take care of him."
Granny Chiyo set her cup down slowly, her eyes not leaving Emi's face. "You've already been taking care of him, haven't you?"
Emi lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening slightly around the teacup. "I want to do more. He's done so much for me. And this time, I want to be the one by his side."
There was a pause, then Granny Chiyo gave a small nod. "You're where you need to be, child. No need to ask permission. This house has always had space for those who care for Ren with a true heart. Just make sure you take care of yourself too."
A soft breath of relief left Emi's lips. "Thank you, Granny."
Granny Chiyo reached across the table and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You're not alone anymore. Don't forget that."
From that day forward, Emi settled quietly into a routine within the Kazama residence. She continued attending her classes and working her part-time job as usual, but every other moment of her day was spent by Ren's side.
She helped him sit up when he was too sore to do it himself. She brought him warm meals and sometimes fed him herself when his hand trembled too much to hold the chopsticks. She read to him from the books on the shelf near his bed. When the medical team eventually withdrew, leaving behind medicine and detailed care instructions, Emi took over the task of changing his dressings. Each time she peeled back the gauze and saw the angry red lines across his side and shoulder, her heart ached.
She knelt beside the bed with the clean cloth and antiseptic. "You have so many scars," she said quietly, her fingers gentle as she worked.
Ren watched her with a faint smile. "Do they scare you?"
Emi shook her head. "No. They make me sad."
His hand lifted slowly to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "The old ones don't hurt anymore. The new ones… they don't either. Not when you're here."
She leaned forward, pressed her lips to one of the scars just beneath his collarbone, and closed her eyes for a moment. "Still, I wish I could've taken some of the pain for you."
"You already have," Ren murmured, pulling her hand to his lips and kissing her fingertips. "You stood up for me. That's something I'll never forget."
When the doctor finally approved gentle movement and short walks, Emi helped him outside into the backyard of the Kazama Residence. She supported him as they made their way across the garden path, her hand always steady under his arm. They sat together on a bench tucked beneath a tree, the quiet surrounding them like a blanket.
Ren looked around slowly, taking in the familiar scenery. "I used to sneak out here when I was a kid," he said. "When the adults were in meetings or yelling at each other inside. I'd come out here, sit under that tree, and dream about being free."
Emi leaned against him lightly. "You're not free now?"
He tilted his head toward her. "I'm freer with you than I've ever been."
Her cheeks flushed. "Even with all the danger I've brought?"
He turned and kissed the top of her head. "You didn't bring danger. You just showed me something worth protecting."
Emi rested her head against his shoulder and let the silence carry them forward. Ren's breathing was still slightly strained but steady. She smiled faintly, grateful he was by her side again.
That night, when they returned to his room, she helped him settle back into bed. He watched her moving about, collecting his pills and refilling the water jug.
"You really don't have to do all this," he said.
"I want to," she replied without hesitation.
Ren reached out and took her hand again. "Then stay with me tonight."
She hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She climbed onto the bed gently, careful of his healing wounds, and lay beside him. Ren pulled her close, his hand resting lightly on her back.
Emi tucked the blanket around them both, the quiet between them filled with something deeper than words. As her head rested against his chest, she could hear the steady thump of his heart, a sound she had missed more than she could admit.
"I went back to the house I used to share with my father," she said softly, her voice muffled slightly against him. "After I left you… that was the only place I could go. It was a mess. He hadn't cleaned anything since I left. Beer cans, old food, the same stink of hopelessness."
Ren's hand paused briefly as it stroked her back. "You shouldn't have had to go back there."
"It was the only place that I should go," she murmured. "I also found a new part-time job at a café near campus. And every day, I told myself I would be fine. That I just needed to get through the day. But even when I smiled or laughed, I kept thinking about you. I missed you… every single moment."
Ren turned slightly, adjusting to look at her face. "You were the one who chose to leave."
"I know," she whispered. "And I regret it. I thought it would protect you. I thought I was doing something brave. But all I did was run from what I really wanted."
Ren exhaled slowly. "You think I didn't feel the same? After you left, I spent most nights drunk. I didn't want to see anyone. I didn't want to talk. Then I forced myself to work until I couldn't think. Anything to stop myself from missing you."
Her eyes welled up again, and her fingers curled into the front of his shirt. "I love you, Ren. I never stopped."
He looked at her, the words settling in his chest like something final and true. "I love you too, Emi. I've loved you longer than you'll ever know."
And when he kissed her, it was slow and tender, like a promise long overdue. Her hand slid to his cheek, and she kissed him back with all the love she had held in for weeks.
Ren's fingers brushed along her jaw, then down her neck, moving with a kind of reverence. Emi pressed closer, her hand resting against his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath his skin. She whispered his name, and he held her tighter, his lips brushing her forehead.
"You're really here," he said, his voice barely audible.
"I don't want to be anywhere else," she replied.