Hey there, so after a long time, I decided to rewrite and change this whole chapter (not that I don't do this often or something... đź‘€). I never liked the previous version, think I feel way better with this. I miss this fanfic, hope it would still have some people interested in reading it.


When Shuichi opened his eyes, the bedroom was still filled with darkness. It wasn't yet the time to get up –regardless, there he laid with his mind fully conscience and unwilling to get back to sleep.

The images of his night with Shiho flooded his mind soon enough. Shuichi closed his eyes and held a breath in. Shiho. He let the air out slowly, along with a little groan. There was no point in denying his feelings. His mind would call him on his bullshit from now on because the only thing he got confirmed tonight was that he loved her. He loved her close contact, her warmth, and having her covered by his body. It's only been a few hours and he already misses it. Nevertheless, Shuichi couldn't deny a heavy feeling that he tried to push to the back of his mind, for it was far outweighed by his contentment.

Shuichi turned to the side to seek her. He wondered if she felt as he did. Even if she voiced it out loud, did she really think this was worth it? Would that heavy feeling he felt outweigh her down? Or did she love his closeness as he loved hers? Does she miss it as he missed hers?

The agent stopped in his tracks, surprised to find the bed near him empty. Nothing but a bundle of messy sheets were there, with no sign of Shiho.

He closed his eyes, already knowing the answer to his questions. Shuichi buried his face in the mattress with a bitter feeling. It smelled awfully like the redhead, making him pull himself up to avoid it.

It didn't matter that it was three in the morning, no way he was going back to sleep now. Slowly, he got up to the side of the bed and planted his feet on the floor. Even her clothes that were at one point spread around the room had all disappeared. Shuichi held his head between his hands as he looked at the place. He accepted that their night was a risk that could cost them each other, he just wasn't ready to accept that it really would. His head ached for a smoke. He thought it would be good to have that with a glass of whisky, not caring if the hour wasn't reasonable.

Just when he got to his feet, Shuichi heard a little thud. His eyes widened.

"Shiho." He called obliviously, with a low voice at first before repeating a little louder. "Shiho!"

Shuichi got nothing in return. He walked outside the bedroom with steady paces when the lights of the bathroom struck him in the hallway. She was still here! Shuichi fastened his steps towards the door and knocked.

"Shiho."

A long moment passed with him getting nothing in return. Shuichi slid his hand down to the doorknob, turning it slowly. When he opened the door, he found no sign of her inside.

The agent found himself thrown back into a bitter disappointment that soon printed all over his face. He punched the door lightly before turning back to the kitchen that opened to the living room. As expected, no sign of her was in there either. She must've left, and left the damn bathroom lights on.

He opened the cupboard to get the bottle he urgently needed. Green eyes played around in search, not to find their target. He closed it and searched the cupboard near it when he heard yet another thud that made him turn his head around fast.

"Are you looking for this?" Shiho asked from the balcony, holding the bottle of liquor in her hand.

Shuichi looked at her a moment without saying a word, letting the idea of her presence sink in. The surprise was uncharacteristically clear on his face.

"Bring a glass." She added, turning back to disappear into the balcony, in the same red dress she came in wearing.

Shuichi's eyes didn't seem to move after her disappearance, they lingered on the space Shiho had occupied for a while. He turned to grab a glass, but before he could join her, he passed by the table to get himself a cigarette then headed outside.

Shuichi found her looking out the balcony, forearms on the fence. She did not dare look at him closely, and neither did he. Instead, he eyed the bottle he was searching for, which lied on the sill right near Shiho's feet. Shuichi filled himself a glass and joined her in looking at the calm city beneath.

He was hungry for his cigarette, thirsty for his drink, overfull to speak a word. Shiho eyed him from the corner of her eye noticing all of that.

"How long have you been awake?" Dai finally asked, tucking back the cigarette to silence him again. Eyes still on the city. Shiho turned his way, however.

"I haven't slept."

"I thought you left when I couldn't find you."

"…I'd lie if I say I didn't think about it."

Only then that he turned to look her way, making both their eyes meet. Shiho had to avert her gaze from the intense look he was sending her. However, she raised her head back up when the sound of the sliding door reached her ear.

It took her a moment to let that sink in, to follow Dai's steps and get behind him to where he had preceded her. Shiho stood by the bedroom door when she saw Dai sitting at the edge of the bed. She didn't dare step back inside of that room. Not with its swallowing silence. She rested her shoulder against the doorframe, staring at him inhaling his cigarette.

"What's wrong?" She asked, soft but too loud to the penetrating silence. "...Dai san?"

"It's nothing." He answered.

Shiho swallowed. "Alright, then… I'm gonna go."

Shuichi turned to her from the corner of his eye. "At this hour?"

She nodded.

"You're calling a taxi?"

Shiho shook her head. "I'll walk."

Shuichi turned his head to look at her better. "Walk!"

"I need the fresh air." She explained.

With the heavy feeling starting to get the best of him, Shuichi knew that if she went now and he's left there alone it would only magnify. So much was on his mind. Not only from his shared night with Shiho and what followed it, but from her reaction now and her wish to leave so early as though she was escaping.

"Why didn't you then? If you thought about leaving why didn't you just go?"

His sharp tongue that never finds a boundary insulted her, who looked down at the floor.

"Just needed time to think." Shiho said, turning around to slowly withdraw from the door.

The last thing she saw was Dai turning to look ahead of him, away from her. He got busy with his cigarette again. She walked away very slowly, hesitantly, the sound of her steps and breath breaking loud through the night silence. She hoped he would say something to amend his sharpness, she was slow for it. But it would be idiotic to wait for him to speak when he wouldn't straight up do. She got to learn that the hard way before.

Only after taking the third step away, Shiho stopped.

"You know what, Dai san? You always make these decisions easy for me. I don't need thinking anymore once I speak to you."

Shiho waited for his response without turning back, his silence came as answer enough. She aimed at the door again with a sparkling anger when...

"Wait."

Shiho stopped. She turned around to look at Dai. This time she found him turning her way, with an unclear yet naked expression.

"Stay."

Shiho glared at him in silence.

"I will drive you home in the morning."

"Not so tempting when I feel like my presence isn't wanted."

"That's not true." He said, calm and with conviction.

As she stared at him skeptically, Dai called her name apologetically, answering her with his soft eyes. Shiho looked at him back, giving in to their softness and what they seemed to hold behind. She walked back to him and sat near him on the edge of the bed.

"I don't think we should keep this up. There's an elephant in this room that we're both guilty of avoiding. But it's clear that you're thinking of it, as I am."

"Do you regret it?" Shuichi asked, eyes worried. He was worried about losing her. And her will of leaving only kept him at unease. Shiho stared back into his eyes deeply.

"...You know, I asked myself this question a million times. Why did it have to be you? The only answer I could find is that… you're a special person, Dai san. Apart from being my sister's boyfriend. I don't think if it were someone else in your shoe would do any of what you did for me. So I won't blame myself for wanting you, when I wouldn't have wanted anyone else. There's this feeling at the back of my mind, it feels bad. But I don't regret this at all. I would do the same again if I had to."

Shuichi stared at her, his worries didn't seem to dissolve for the eyes of Shiho.

"Say something." She demanded.

Shuichi looked away, burdened by the drama he found himself caught into. He couldn't forget that this was not his real life, yet he caught real emotions in it. He made two women fall in love with him, two sisters who have nothing but each other in this world. All when he was nothing but a fake who would one day go and leave them. His feelings, however, were too big to deny their realness.

"...I would've done the same thing again, too." He finally uttered.

Shiho smiled lightly. Seeing her from the corner of his eye, Shuichi wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

Just like a magic button, Shiho found all of her thoughts disappear away in thin air. She found herself melting into Dai's hug, resting her tired body against him. His scent and warmth felt too good to her.

Shiho pulled a little back to meet his eyes. She found them faint and tender, reflecting the nightlight inside of them. Quite the opposite from what she was used to seeing in Gin.

They were both feeling the heat of each other's closeness. Shiho's heartbeats turned into chaos when she noticed Dai was closing the distance to her. It was already too close, but he was painfully slow. She froze in the same place, staring at him in anticipation until their lips met. Shiho kissed him back softly, savoring the taste she enjoyed.

When they broke the kiss, she pulled back with heightened breaths. She knew where this would lead and she needed to think before going down that path again. Shiho hadn't much left of a brain being near Dai. She needed those few inches to breathe.

"I don't think I should spend the night on this bed." She muttered.

Shuichi nodded, staring into her eyes with understanding. "You take it. I will go sleep on the couch."

She'd always loved how understanding he is. Shiho thought, feeling too helpless with him. She can't think of anything she dislikes about him, even his bad qualities make him who he is, the man she loves.

She held his hand and tightened her palm around it, not to let him leave upset. She smiled softly when he turned to her.

Shuichi flipped his hand over to cup hers instead, tightening his palm around her before letting go and leaving the room. He too acknowledged that they both needed to clear their minds before they talk any further. He would've proposed the same had she not preceded him. Hugging Shiho was enough relief for him to be able to sleep the rest of the night like a baby.


Hope you liked this version as I do. Tell me what you thought, I would love to hear from you. And please await the next chapter to come.