Will you always be by my side?

The warmth of her palm seeping through his skin made her suddenly feel that the humiliation, fear, and despair of this night were all worth it.

"Anu."

She whispered, throwing herself into Naoki's arms and holding him tight.

Naoki's body stiffened for a moment.

Her soft, warm frame collided with his, accompanied by a slight tremor and rapid breathing. Her hands gripped his waist so tightly that he could feel the pressure of her fingertips.

Lowering his head, Naoki looked at Aikawa Yumi, who was gazing up at him from his embrace.

The next second, Aikawa Yumi stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Naoki's neck, closed her eyes, and pressed her red lips against his.

Naoki's body froze.

The moment those soft, warm lips touched his, many things flashed through his mind... the rainy alley, the dim lights, the blush on Hideko's cheeks when he held her arm, and that amulet.

He wanted to push her away.

But his hand, raised halfway, stopped in mid-air.

Aikawa Yumi's kiss was not intense; it was even tinged with cautious probing, as if she were confirming something, or perhaps fearing something. Her eyelashes trembled gently, like a small beast that had finally found shelter after being wounded.

Naoki lowered his gaze.

Moonlight poured in through the window, shrouding the two of them in a cold, silvery glow.

After an unknown amount of time, Aikawa Yumi finally let him go.

She stepped back half a pace, hands behind her back, and looked up at Naoki, her expression both charming and innocent.

"Anu... you do care about your sister after all, don't you?"

Without answering, Naoki looked at the woman whose clothes were torn to shreds, revealing large patches of snow-white skin, and couldn't help but marvel at the Creator's bias in his heart.

In his past life, he had seen many beauties with stunning faces but bodies as flat as a man's, and conversely, he had seen the opposite, but he had never encountered a woman who possessed both, along with such an outstanding temperament...

Naoki took off his outer coat and draped it over Aikawa Yumi's shoulders.

The coat still held his body heat, wrapping her exposed skin in a layer of warmth.

"Let's go." He finally spoke, his voice as calm as ever, "It's not safe here."

Aikawa Yumi wrapped the coat, which carried Naoki's warmth, tightly around herself. She lowered her head to sniff the scent lingering on the collar, and the smile at the corners of her mouth deepened.

"Anu's clothes smell so good."

Naoki did not respond; he picked her up, jumped onto the window sill, and leaped out.

The moonlight, like silk, spilled over the desolate wilderness.

Naoki carried Aikawa Yumi through the shadows of the trees, his footsteps light, making almost no sound.

The woman in his arms was wrapped in his coat, her hands looped around his neck, quiet in a way that was unlike her usual teasing and provocative self.

The wind brushed past his ears, carrying a hint of chill.

Aikawa Yumi looked up. The moonlight fell on Naoki's profile, outlining his cold, sharp contours. His eyes remained distant, as if separated from this world by a thin mist, but those scarlet eyes scanned the surroundings with constant vigilance, taking in every possible threat.

"Anu," she called out softly.

Naoki did not look down, merely grunting an "hm" in response.

Aikawa Yumi's fingers gently stroked the back of his neck, feeling the cool skin and the pulse beating beneath her palm.

She suddenly thought, if only this kind of night, this kind of moonlight, could last a lifetime...

"I thought you wouldn't come." Her voice was very light, so light it was almost scattered by the night wind.

Naoki finally looked down at her.

Under the moonlight, her eyes were extraordinarily bright, as if they held two hidden stars.

Naoki said nothing; he continued to run forward, his pace never faltering.

Aikawa Yumi waited for a moment, and receiving no reply, she wasn't annoyed. She buried her face in Naoki's chest, listening to the steady, powerful heartbeat there, greedily enjoying this fleeting moment.

"Anu," she called again.

"Hm."

"Anu."

"...Hm."

"Anu, Anu, Anu..."

Naoki finally stopped and looked down at the woman in his arms who had suddenly become so childish.

Aikawa Yumi tilted her head back, the moonlight falling on her face, reflecting those sparkling eyes and the irrepressible smile at the corners of her mouth.

"Are you done calling yet?"

"No." She said righteously, "I'm calling my own Anu, what does that have to do with you?"

Naoki was silent for a moment, then continued to run forward.

Aikawa Yumi nestled in his arms, laughing out loud as if she had gotten her way.

The night breeze was cool, yet Aikawa Yumi felt a warmth spreading through her entire body, as if she were soaked in moonlight or perhaps warmed by this silent embrace.

Ahead lay a dense forest, shadows of trees overlapping, with moonlight filtering through the gaps in the foliage to pave the ground with fragmented spots of light.

Naoki slowed his pace and finally came to a halt beneath a large tree.

He set Aikawa Yumi down, letting her lean against the trunk, then crouched to carefully inspect her injuries.

The bruise on her collarbone, the rope marks on her wrists... his gaze lingered on these spots for a moment, his brows knitting together slightly.

"Does it hurt?"

Aikawa Yumi shook her head, then suddenly nodded, looking at him with wide, expectant eyes: "It hurts."

Naoki was silent for a moment, then took the medicine he carried from his robes and began to treat her wounds.

His movements were light, so light they were barely a touch; his fingers, coated in ointment, slowly and cautiously smoothed the salve over her bruised skin.

Aikawa Yumi looked down at the top of his head, watching his hands as they diligently tended to her wounds, and suddenly reached out to gently stroke his cheek.

Naoki's movements faltered, but he did not pull away.

"Anu." Her voice was soft, like melting sugar. "Do you know, back in that bastard's room, I thought I was going to die."

Naoki did not look up, continuing to apply the ointment.

"But I wasn't afraid at all," Aikawa Yumi continued, her fingers lightly tracing his cheek. "Because I guessed that you would definitely come."

"Why?"

"Because you are my Anu."

Naoki finally looked up, meeting her eyes.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, shattering into starlight within her eyes; those eyes, usually filled with lazy teasing, were now impossibly earnest.

He lowered his gaze and continued to treat her wounds.

Once the ointment was applied, he tore a few strips of cloth from his own garment and carefully bandaged the rope marks on her wrists, his movements still gentle, yet even more focused than before.

Aikawa Yumi watched him do all this in silence, then suddenly spoke.

"Anu, will you stay by my side forever?"

Naoki's bandaging motion paused.

He did not answer, simply continuing until he had tied the final knot.

"Silence means consent." Aikawa Yumi laughed, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "My Anu is so well-behaved."

Naoki finally raised his head.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked.

Aikawa Yumi's hand paused for a beat, then returned to its previous rhythm.

"Just a woman who runs a tavern, what else could I be?"