It was a normal day for Angel, busy organizing books misplaced by a careless client. The bell at the front desk rang, signaling a new customer. She went over quickly, barely paying attention as she checked out the man’s items. But when she handed back his library card, he suddenly grabbed her wrist. Her body froze — his grip was firm, his smile wrong.

“What’s your name, pretty thing?” he asked, voice dripping with ill intent. No normal man would touch a woman like that. Angel’s skin crawled.

Before she could react, a shadow appeared behind him. The man turned, meeting the piercing gaze of her pink-haired boyfriend. Relief washed over Angel — until she saw Ren’s expression. His eyes were dark, threatening, nothing like his usual warmth.

“I don’t think she’s interested,” Ren said, voice sharp and rough enough to cut through the tension.

The man tried to act tough, pushing Ren’s hand off his shoulder and letting go of Angel. “And how would you know, cutie?” he mocked, trying to sound brave but failing miserably.

Ren didn’t flinch. His glare only deepened, shrinking the man’s confidence until he finally scoffed and stormed out, footsteps quick and uneven.

Angel didn’t watch him leave. Her eyes stayed on Ren — her sweet, gentle Ren — who now seemed wrapped in a dark aura. As soon as the door closed, he turned to her, worry replacing that cold intensity. His gaze drifted to her wrist, where faint red marks showed the man’s grip.

“Angel, are you alright?” His voice was soft again, almost tender, fingers brushing the marks gently.

“Y-yeah… I’m okay,” she muttered, still in shock. Her thoughts spun, trying to make sense of the sudden shift. She’d seen him protective before, but never like that. It was as if his whole presence had changed.

Ren studied her for a moment before asking, “Where’s Conan? I’m telling him you’re going home.”

That snapped her out of her daze. “No, no! I’m fine, Ren. I can’t leave Elanor alone for the rest of the shift.”

But Ren was already heading to the staff room. The door shut with a loud thud that made her flinch. She chewed the inside of her lip anxiously until he came back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“He said you can take the day off,” he murmured, leading her out of the library. She knew her boss would agree after hearing what happened, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She was grateful — deeply — but unsettled. How could Ren switch so easily from gentle to terrifying and then back again?

She moved on autopilot as Ren helped her onto his black motorcycle, slipping her helmet on in one smooth motion. The rush of cold wind as they sped through the streets cleared her mind bit by bit.

Was she thankful he stepped in? Absolutely. That was what mattered most. Maybe he’d just gotten angrier than usual — no reason to overthink it. Still, she couldn’t shake the strange unease that lingered.

When the bike finally stopped, Angel realized they weren’t at her house. Instead, they were in front of Ren’s apartment.

“Didn’t you say you were taking me home?” she asked as he removed her helmet.

“My home is also yours, Angel,” he replied softly, placing a hand on her back as he guided her inside.