I'm on my way
Just set me free
Home sweet home.
"Home Sweet Home" ~ Mötley Crüe
Hikari felt like she'd been on an airplane for a thousand years. No, a million years. Everything felt slightly surreal—her home was familiar, but the jet lag made it feel like a dream, as if she hadn't really quite arrived yet.
The second her family's taxi pulled up in front of their apartment building, she practically jumped out, eager to be back in familiar territory. The exhaustion from the flight clung to her like a lead weight, but at the same time, there was a sense of relief washing over her. Home.
She dragged her suitcase up the stairs, her parents trailing behind her, and unlocked the door to their apartment. Stepping inside, she let out a deep sigh of contentment. The smell of her home, the feel of her familiar surroundings—it was exactly what she needed after the endless hours of traveling. She'd enjoyed visiting her mom's side of the family, sure, but there was something about coming back to Japan that made everything feel... right.
Rachel smiled at her, setting her bags by the door. "You're happy to be back, huh?"
Hikari nodded, rubbing the back of her neck as she stifled a yawn. "Yeah. I missed everything. Especially my bed."
Rachel chuckled. "I'm sure you did. Go ahead and unpack tomorrow if you want. You've earned a good night's sleep after that long flight."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Hikari said, already heading down the hallway toward her room. The sight of her bed practically beckoned to her, and she wasted no time dropping her suitcase by the closet and flopping face-first onto the mattress.
Home. Finally.
The moment Hikari's head hit her pillow, she felt the exhaustion settle over her like a heavy blanket. The steady hum of the city outside her window was a comforting, familiar background noise, and even with jet lag making her feel like she was floating, this—this was home. Her bed, her room, her life here in Tokyo, waiting for her to fall back into place.
But, as much as she was ready to drift off, her thoughts circled back to Keisuke. Two weeks had never felt so long, and despite her drooping eyelids, she couldn't help but feel that itch to see him again, to catch up on everything face-to-face.
Just then, her phone buzzed. She squinted at the bright screen, reading his latest text:
"Bet that bed feels pretty amazing, huh?"
She snorted softly, shaking her head as she typed back.
"Amazing doesn't even cover it. After that flight, I'm pretty sure I could sleep for a year."
His reply came almost instantly:
"Then I'll let you go to sleep. I'll bring you some snacks tomorrow. Just in case you need extra recovery fuel."
She grinned, imagining him saying it in his usual, slightly gruff way that always managed to come off as oddly thoughtful. Snacks. That was so Keisuke.
She settled back against her pillow, warmth filling her chest. She was home. And tomorrow, she'd be back with her friends, with her life exactly as she'd left it—well, minus the chaos with Yotsuya Kaidan. She'd catch up on that soon enough.
For now, she let her phone rest on her nightstand, her last thoughts drifting between the soft hum of Tokyo outside and the promise of seeing Keisuke tomorrow. With a deep, contented sigh, Hikari closed her eyes, letting herself sink fully into the familiar calm of home.
*
Baji hit "send" and shoved his phone back in his pocket, glancing one last time at Hikari's window from the street below. The lights were off, and he could picture her already dead to the world, crashed out after the long flight. Good. She wouldn't hear him creeping off into the night. He'd timed it just right, waiting until she'd be too close to sleep to come checking on him if she suspected anything.
His hand clenched around the handlebars as he started to push his bike silently down the street. He didn't fire up the engine, didn't want the roar of it cutting through the quiet and waking anyone up—especially not her. Not when she deserved a night of rest in her own bed without the world of Toman dragging her back in.
Ahead, the street stretched out under the dim glow of the streetlights, the emptiness pressing down like a silent pact between him and the dark. Ryusei, Chifuyu, Kojiro—they'd all be waiting for him soon enough, ready to settle things with Yotsuya Kaidan once and for all. He'd made sure it was just the core group. They'd handle this without dragging anyone else into it.
And Hikari? She'd stay out of it, warm in her bed, right where she belonged.
It was bad enough that the gang was back on their radar. Now, Kensho, the old leader and Kojiro's older brother, had returned, and things were heating up fast. If Baji could settle this without dragging more people into it—most especially Hikari—then he'd damn well make sure of it.
The quiet buzzing of the streetlights illuminated the empty road as Baji fired up the bike and sped off, the sound of his engine fading into the distance. The stillness that followed was thick, almost heavy—a calm that felt borrowed, like it was bracing for something to come. And in the shadows of the empty street, Baji disappeared, leaving nothing but the quiet echo of his own silent promise: Keep her safe.