"Hmm~"
Early the m, Yoko opened her eyes, feeling surprisingly refreshed.
After a full night's rest, she felt better than she had in a long time.
Once her vision cleared, she realized she had been sleeping on Ren's p.
Wait… I didn't fall asleep like this st night, did I?
As her mind slowly pieced together her scattered memories, she recalled what had happened before she drifted off.
She vaguely remembered Ren pulling her down to rest on his p, his hand pressily against her forehead, making her feel overwhelmingly sleepy.
After closing her eyes, she remembered nothing else.
Realizing this made Yoko feel a bit… embarrassed.
A 22-year-old woman had just spent the night sleeping on the p of a teenage boy, six years youhan her.
Why does it feel like I'm the child here?
But…
Despite hoard the situation was, she couldn't deny the truth.
She had never slept so well before.
Last night had been the most restful sleep she'd had in ages.
Aside from the embarrassment, everything else erfect.
"…"
As Yoko stirred, the slight movement caused Ren's eyelids to twitch.
A moment ter, his eyes snapped open.
"You're awake?"
Casually stretg his shoulders, he loosened his stiff muscles after sitting in the same position all night.
Fortunately, thanks to his experieh part-time jobs, his body wasn't as weak as other kids his age.
"Yeah…"
Yoko felt a bit self-scious but didn't bother pretending to be asleep.
"How do you feel?"
"Huh?"
Still half-asleep, she didn't immediately uand the question.
"Your emotions."
At his reminder, Yoko took a moment to che with herself.
And realized something shog.
Not only had she slept well, but she also felt amazing.
"…Much better."
Yesterday, she had been pletely drained, so exhausted that she had felt like quitting everything.
But now, that feeling was pletely gone.
Even the lingering fatigue had vanished.
"I feel like a different person."
Holy, she was a different person.
Ren had used spirituality and gray fog to methodically ease her emotions, smoothing out her mental exhaustion bit by bit.
Everue gods at Sequence 0 wouldn't receive such personalized treatment.
It was almost like being a new persoirely.
"That's good."
Something about the way he said it caught Yoko's attention.
She khat emotional distress didn't just disappear ht.
She had been struggling with this feeling for a long time there was no way a single night's rest could pletely fix it.
But somehow, she had recovered.
That wasn't a miracle.
That was his doing.
This realization didn't make her suspicious of him.
Instead, it made her feel a bit… regretful.
She had wao take care of him as his kind older neighbor.
Yet, in the end, she was the one being taken care of.
"Well… You ended up looking after me all night, huh?"
Sitting up from his p, Okino Yoko stretched her arms.
"Alright, I'll make breakfast this m."
Gng at the clock, it was still early, only 5:43 AM.
"You should rest for a bit. It's my turn to do something now."
Ren whose legs had gone pletely numb, didn't argue.
At this moment, what he needed most was tain feeling in his legs.
And since Yoko was to cook, he could take the opportunity to fully rex.
"I'll leave it to you, Miss Celebrity."
"Leave it to me!"
Puffing out her chest fidently, Yoko immediately went to her apartme door and brought bagredients.
She then got to work preparing breakfast.
Meanwhile, Reuro his room to catch up on sleep.
This time, he mao sleep for an hour and a half.
Ren had a strong internal clock.
Even while asleep, his body naturally woke up when it seime was running out.
Opening his eyes, he was met with an ued sight—
Yoko standing beside his bed, staring at him.
"…What are you doing?"
"Well… I was about to wake you up."
Ren sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Why did it feel like this woman had suddenly bee less reliable?
Yoko just grinned, lightly tapping his cheek with her fingers.
"Breakfast is ready. Get up already."
"Yeah, yeah."
After a quick wash-up, Ren walked into the living room.
Once again, they sat across from each other, just like the night before.
As she ate, Yoko occasionally g the boy sitting opposite her.
Sometimes, he felt so quiet.
Yet, other times, it was clear he wasn't someone who couldn't talk, he was just someone who chose not to.
"Ha… Sitting across from you like this, I feel like I'm having breakfast with my dad."
"I'm not that serious."
Ren looked up, slightly annoyed.
"I know."
Yoko rested her cheeks in her hands.
"But you do feel muature than me."
"You feel more reliable than me."
"So what, are you saying you're unreliable?"
"No, I'm just saying you're better at taking care of people."
"Really?"
Ren wasn't sure he agreed with that.
He wasly talkative.
He didn't go out of his way to meddle in other people's business.
He didn't seem like the type to take care of others.
"Yes, yes."
Yoko nodded fidently.
She could tell that he was good at looking after people.
But not in the usual way.
He wasn't someone who offered material help.
Instead, he was the type to quietly do things for others without expeg any praise.
It wasn't about seeking reition.
It was just something that came naturally to him.
If people noticed, fine.
If they didn't, he wouldn't say a word about it.
Just like when he had saved her that night.
He hadn't asked for a reward.
He hadn't eveio afterwards.
In fact, he didn't even know who she was at the time.
His as weren't driven by gain, he had helped simply because he could.
And now, there was st night.
Yoko had no idea what method he had used,
But the fact was, her emotional state had improved dramatically.
She had been struggling with mental exhaustion for years.
She knew how long it took to recover from something like that.
It wasn't something that could be fixed in just one night.
Yet here she was, feeling pletely refreshed.
And still, he hadn't said a word about it.
He hadn't boasted.
He hadn't even expined.
This boy… is weird.
But for some reason.
She didn't dislike it.
There were no ulterior motives, no hidden agendas.
His way of iing with others ure and simple.
