The dim candlelight flickered in Kyojuro's room, casting trembling shadows on the wooden walls. Lying on his futon, he kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling, but his mind was trapped elsewhere, in another time.

The sake had flowed easily that night. Your laughter had filled the room, light and warm, like he hadn't heard in so long. Your cheeks were flushed, and your bright eyes reflected a tenderness that made his resolve tremble.

He remembered the accidental brush of your hands… and how, at some point, it had stopped being an accident.

The memory of your body entwined with his, the soft sighs escaping your lips, the way you had called his name with that broken voice… it all burned inside him.

Kyojuro closed his eyes and pressed his fists against his forehead, holding back a shaky sigh.

"I'm a damn selfish man."

Every time he saw Haruto running through the estate, his heart clenched. The boy carried Sanemi’s fierce gaze, that indomitable spark that never faded. It was impossible not to think of him… not to wonder what he would say if he saw him now, so weak before the woman he had loved.

"Forgive me, Sanemi…" he whispered, though he wasn’t sure who needed that forgiveness more: him, you… or himself.