Without the slightest desire to leave her warm bed, Sayuri stretched slowly, trying to wake up her body still heavy with sleep.
But when she reached for her neck, she realized her necklace was gone. Instantly, she threw the covers aside, searching through the sheets, under the pillow, and among the clothes tossed over the chair, but nothing.
"No… no, no…"
She hurried out of bed and knelt on the cold floor to look underneath it.
That was when she heard the sound of suitcases being dragged through the hallway.
She stood up so quickly she almost tripped over her own pajamas and walked out onto the balcony, her hair still messy.
She looked at her father as he placed the last suitcase into the trunk of the car.
"Good morning, Sayuri." He shut the trunk firmly. "Is this any time to wake up?"
Still trying to catch her breath, she asked,
"You're leaving already?"
"Yes, for Osaka, remember?" he replied quickly. "We'll be back on Monday."
Her mother, already seated in the passenger seat, rolled the window down slightly.
"I left money on the kitchen table, although I doubt you'll need anything. Don't forget to study for your exams."
Sayuri tried to hold back a smile.
"I know, Mom…"
She tried to sound calm. Normal.
"Have a good trip," she said, waving.
"Behave yourself," her father replied before getting into the car.
Sayuri stood there on the balcony, waving as she watched the car disappear around the corner.
Silence.
Two seconds later—
"YES!!"
She practically ran back into the house.
"Finally!"
The whole house to herself, with no one around to stop her from enjoying the Halloween party.
She rushed upstairs and threw herself onto the bed, hugging a pillow.
Immediately, she grabbed her phone and typed a message to Yume:
Good morninggg
See you at six!!
xoxo, Say
As soon as she sent it, she turned on upbeat music and started dancing around her room.
The lilac dress had already been carefully set aside next to the witch hat resting beside the mirror.
Every time her eyes landed on the costume, a strange chill ran through her stomach. Sayuri had the feeling that tonight would be special.
Maybe it was just anxiety.
Or maybe… not.
The hours flew by, and when she glanced at the clock, her eyes widened.
"No way… it's already this late?!"
She hurried around the room, grabbing the last few things in a rush.
Carefully, she folded the lilac dress so it wouldn't wrinkle and tucked it into her bag. Then she placed the witch hat on top to protect it, checked everything one more time, and took a deep breath.
"Tonight, no rules. The proper Sayuri is staying home, hidden between her books," she murmured to herself.
She turned off the lights one by one, grabbed her bag, and left. A small smile appeared on her lips as she walked toward the night she had been waiting for so eagerly.
When she arrived at Yume's house, Sayuri rang the doorbell, trying to control her excitement. Seconds later, the door opened.
"Hi, Sayuri!" Yume's mother greeted her warmly. "Come in, Yume's upstairs."
"Thank you."
As soon as she stepped inside, Sayuri heard loud music coming from upstairs, followed by a noise that sounded like… something falling.
She climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door, only to find complete chaos.
Clothes scattered across the floor, makeup spread all over the bed, pantyhose hanging from a chair, a hairdryer still running, and in the center of that beautifully organized disaster… Yume.
Wearing an enormous heat cap while staring into the mirror like an artist preparing a masterpiece. Sayuri couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Oh my God… what happened in here?!"
Yume turned so fast she nearly knocked over a makeup palette.
"YOU'RE HERE!!"
She dramatically ran toward Sayuri, almost tripping over her own clothes.
"I'm freaking out! Tonight is going to be perfect!"
Sayuri kept laughing as she looked around the room.
"It looks like a hurricane passed through here."
"The hurricane's name is Halloween."
The two burst into laughter together. Then Yume grabbed Sayuri's hand and pulled her toward the bed.
"Oh! And the guys will be here in an hour, so we need to hurry."
"The guys?" Sayuri asked.
Yume pulled the cap off her head, messing up her hair.
"Kenji and Jun."
"They're meeting us here before the party?"
"Yep," Yume replied.
The moment she heard his name, Sayuri felt excited. Jun would be there, and she would get to see him again. She didn't know why, but the thought alone made her happy.
Distracted while searching for eyeliner, Yume kept talking without noticing her friend's reaction.
"But forget about them for now. Tonight we're going to look amazing."
She pointed dramatically at Sayuri.
"So come on before I have an emotional breakdown trying to pick a lipstick by myself."
They spent over an hour surrounded by makeup, clothes tossed onto the bed, and endless gossip.
Yume made dramatic comments about absolutely everything while Sayuri unsuccessfully tried to stop laughing.
"No, because honestly, if I see my ex at this party tonight, I'm pretending to faint."
"You never even had a real ex."
"But those are just details."
When they finally finished getting ready, both of them stopped in front of the mirror.
"Wow…" Yume murmured.
The lilac dress fell perfectly against Sayuri's body, delicate and elegant at the same time. The witch hat added a sweet yet mysterious touch, matching her soft makeup and the subtle sparkle in her eyes.
She looked like she had stepped out of a fairytale.
Yume, on the other hand, looked completely different. Dressed as the Queen of Hearts with red and black details, bold makeup, and a teasing smile that suited her perfectly.
"We look gorgeous," Yume declared.
"Conceited."
"A little."
Sayuri ended up laughing.
There were still a few minutes left before the guys arrived. Yume went back to her room searching for some missing accessory while Sayuri headed downstairs to grab some water.
She was way too nervous.
Not because of the party.
But because Jun would be there in just a few minutes, and the mere thought of it filled her stomach with noisy butterflies.
She grabbed a glass of water and took one sip, then another.
Then—
DING DONG.
The doorbell rang, and instantly, she lost her breath.
When Sayuri opened the door, she was surprised. Kenji looked incredibly handsome.
The perfectly fitted black suit hugged his body flawlessly, silver details shining under the porch light. His blond hair was partially hidden beneath an elegant top hat, while the dark eyeliner and slightly smudged red lipstick gave him a dangerously attractive look.
He smiled the moment he saw her.
"Wow…" he murmured. "You look beautiful."
"You look… different too."
Kenji gave her an exaggerated bow.
"So the costume worked."
She laughed softly.
"What exactly are you supposed to be?"
"A vampire."
He leaned a little closer.
"A sexy vampire."
"Oh, of course… now it makes sense," she replied awkwardly.
At that moment, Yume came downstairs and immediately burst out laughing when she heard him.
"Oh my God… a sexy vampire? Seriously?"
Kenji placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"You don't understand art."
"Oh, I do. And that right there is pure narcissism."
The two began jokingly arguing while Sayuri discreetly glanced outside.
But… no Jun.
Yume stopped.
"But wait…" she looked around. "Where's Jun?"
Kenji answered sarcastically,
"He came dressed as an invisible man."
Yume laughed.
"Idiot."
"I'm kidding," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "He said he might not come. I think he had a date or something."
"Jun and his mysterious dates…" Yume muttered, shaking her head.
But Sayuri felt a little disappointed.
A date?
Maybe with the girl from the park…
She tried to ignore the discomfort and act normal.
"W-well…" she adjusted her hat quickly. "We should probably go before the party gets crowded."
Sayuri hated admitting it, but part of her excitement disappeared with his absence.
The streets downtown looked magical. Orange lanterns, golden string lights, and beautifully eerie decorations illuminated every corner. People in costumes wandered from one side to the other while old Halloween songs echoed from nearby bars.
Balloons, artificial fog… everything looked like it had come straight out of a movie.
Sayuri watched everything through the car window with sparkling eyes.
"Wow… this year looks amazing," Yume commented excitedly. "The city really outdid itself."
Kenji parked near the main entrance. The moment they stepped out of the car, Sayuri saw him.
Leaning casually near the event gate, as if he naturally belonged to that dark atmosphere.
Too handsome to ignore, Jun wore a black suit with red details, a dark overcoat, and heavy combat boots. His messy hair fell slightly over his intense eyes, making him look even more attractive.
Sayuri couldn't look away.
"You came!" Kenji shouted, waving.
Jun pulled one hand from his pocket and answered casually,
"Yeah… I didn't have anything better to do."
But before he could finish the sentence, his eyes found Sayuri.
His gaze slowly traveled over her lilac dress before rising to her lips.
"Wow…" he murmured almost inaudibly.
Then he quickly looked away and swallowed hard.
"You look cute, Yume," he said casually.
"Cute? That's it?" she complained dramatically.
Jun shrugged.
"Fine… terrifyingly annoying, then."
"Much better," Yume replied proudly.
As they entered the main hall, Jun headed straight to the bar, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and his thoughts. Even if he refused to admit it, Sayuri affected him far too much.
Meanwhile, the others chose a comfortable table near the dance floor, surrounded by orange lights that made everything look even prettier.
Sayuri tried to act normal.
Tried not to look at him.
But failed miserably.
Within minutes, Jun was already surrounded by gorgeous girls in costumes, all leaning a little too close, laughing loudly, clearly competing for his attention.
Sayuri tightened her fingers against her lap.
"Wow… he's really popular with girls," she commented before realizing it.
Yume glanced toward the bar and rolled her eyes.
"Who? Jun? Please. People act like he hooks up with everyone."
Kenji laughed.
"And he doesn't?"
"No." Yume shrugged. "He just leads everyone on."
A brief pause passed before she continued.
"By the way… did he finally get over that mysterious girl?"
Kenji glanced toward Jun.
"Good point. He hasn't mentioned her in a while. Maybe he gave up looking for her."
Sayuri quickly looked away, but it was impossible not to feel bothered watching those girls touch Jun so easily.
When one of them grabbed and caressed his arm, Jun lifted his eyes and looked directly at Sayuri while slowly wetting his lips.
He noticed that every time she looked away trying to escape his gaze, she blushed even harder.
And every little sign of jealousy affected him dangerously.
A slow smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Jun grabbed his whiskey glass and walked toward the table.
Straight toward Sayuri.
Ignoring every other empty seat, he sat beside her.
Now he was too close, and the scent of vanilla and old books wrapped around her once again.
He was addictive.
So mysterious that he completely swept the ground from beneath her feet.
Jun noticed the effect he had on her.
Sayuri unknowingly held her breath every time he smiled, and strangely enough… he liked that.
Much more than he should have.
She tried to act normal, but she couldn't stop staring at him.
The long fingers holding the glass.
The skin illuminated by the reddish lights.
The slow movement of his throat whenever he drank.
She bit her lip discreetly every time the whiskey touched his mouth.
She wanted to say something.
Anything.
Wanted to get closer.
Wanted his attention.
Wanted to confess that she had been thinking about him long before even learning his name.
But just as she finally gathered the courage to speak, Yume grabbed her hand.
"Let's dance!"
"Right now?"
"Yes, right now!"
On the dance floor, the two girls looked like free birds. The lights passed over their bodies while the music vibrated through the entire hall.
From afar, Jun watched silently, and through his whiskey glass, his eyes followed her every movement.
The delicate way she laughed. The way her body spun with every beat.
She looked far too beautiful for that place. Far too beautiful for his world. He took another sip of whiskey.
"She shouldn't be here…" he murmured to himself.
"Did you say something?" Kenji asked.
Jun looked away immediately.
"Nothing… this is boring."
Kenji laughed as he stood up.
"Relax. Sooner or later you'll find something interesting to do."
He looked toward a girl across the dance floor and grinned.
"Because I already did."
"What an easy guy…" Jun muttered, sinking back into the seat while his eyes involuntarily drifted back to Sayuri once again.
After a few songs and far too many drinks, Yume eventually needed to use the bathroom, leaving Sayuri alone at the table.
"I'll be right back. Don't disappear!"
"Okay, go."
At that moment, an older man who had been watching the girls for quite some time slowly approached. The way he smiled immediately made Sayuri uncomfortable.
"I've been watching you… you're very beautiful," he said, leaning closer.
Sayuri took a step back, trying to avoid him, but before she could say anything, an arm wrapped firmly around her waist and pulled her close.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jun asked in a low, cold voice.
The man immediately raised his hands.
"Nothing… I thought she was alone."
"She's not." Jun tilted his head slightly. "So it'd be better if you left."
The man walked away without insisting further.
Jun continued holding Sayuri for a few seconds longer. His hand unconsciously caressed her waist.
"He's gone already…" she whispered softly.
Jun let go of her immediately, as if touching her body had awakened something dangerous inside him.
"Right…" he muttered, avoiding her eyes.
Without saying anything else, he walked away from the dance floor.
A few seconds later, Yume returned from the bathroom.
"Hey, I think I stepped on something disgusting."
"That's gross! You took forever."
"The bathroom was packed. Wait… was that Jun? What did he want?"
Sayuri quickly fixed her hair.
"I think he was looking for Kenji."
Yume suddenly widened her eyes and shouted:
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"What?!" Sayuri asked, startled.
Yume discreetly pointed toward the bar.
"That!! He looks like an octopus. Seriously, look where his hand is!"
Sayuri followed her gaze and found Kenji sitting far too comfortably beside a red-haired girl.
She looked at Yume, and the two burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Okay, I need to sit down…" Yume said breathlessly from laughing too hard.
But a few minutes later, her laughter slowly faded. Her movements became sluggish.
"I think I drank too much…" she murmured.
Sayuri quickly grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her.
"Drink this."
Yume took a few slow sips.
"Should we leave? I think you need to rest."
"Probably…" Yume laughed weakly. "I might've overdone it."
"You're still laughing? Come on, let's get a taxi."
Outside the venue, Sayuri helped Yume into the car.
"Text me when you get home," Sayuri said while closing the door.
"You're not coming? Are you sure you'll be okay here alone?"
"I'm fine. I'll catch the next one," Sayuri reassured her.
The taxi drove away.
Now alone, Sayuri decided to walk toward the train station.
But while crossing the street, she suddenly touched her head.
"My hat…"
She hurried back into the venue and, while passing through the entrance hallway, accidentally bumped into Jun.
He was talking to a stunning girl dressed in a revealing catwoman costume.
Embarrassed, Sayuri tried to act normal.
"Hey, you. Where's Yume?"
"Yume already left… she wasn't feeling well," Sayuri replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "So… have a good night."
Jun quickly glanced toward the empty hallway behind her.
She was alone.
And that bothered him immediately.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, visibly annoyed.
"Wait. I'll walk you home."
He stepped closer, but Sayuri looked away.
"You don't have to, seriously…" she replied, her jealous tone impossible to hide. "Don't leave your company alone."
Her eyes involuntarily shifted toward the catwoman girl.
Jun followed her gaze briefly before looking back at her.
"She can take care of herself."
Without giving her room to protest, he started walking beside her. The two returned to the table in silence.
Sayuri noticed he still hadn't finished his drink.
"I'll wait for you to finish," she said, sitting down.
Jun sat beside her, slowly swirling the whiskey in his glass as if organizing his thoughts.
"So…" he finally began. "We haven't really talked much, have we?"
Sayuri nodded nervously.
Jun lifted his eyes and looked directly at her.
"I watched you tonight… while you were dancing."
Her heartbeat quickened instantly.
"You're different from the girls who come here."
"Different how?" she asked curiously.
Jun slowly leaned closer.
"In a good way," he teased.
Another sip of whiskey, never breaking eye contact.
Sayuri could barely breathe anymore.
Then, without asking permission, he gently took her hand.
"Maybe it's the alcohol…" he exhaled softly. "But I want to dance with you."
At that point, Sayuri could hear nothing except her own heartbeat. Without the strength to resist, she allowed him to guide her toward the dance floor.
Sayuri could no longer hear anything besides her own breathing. Without the strength to resist, she allowed him to guide her onto the dance floor.
Colored lights flashed around them while the music pulsed through the entire hall. Jun placed a hand on her waist, slowly pulling her closer, sending shivers through her entire body.
She could feel the warmth of his body, his breathing, his scent… everything about him felt overwhelming.
As if he were trying to understand her, his eyes slowly traveled across her face, absorbing every detail: her delicate skin, her rosy lips, the shy way she avoided holding eye contact for too long.
It intrigued him and attracted him far more than it should have.
Jun didn't understand why he was acting this way; these feelings were completely new to him.
Slowly, he leaned even closer to her.
Sayuri held her breath. For a moment, Jun almost told her the truth. Almost admitted that she was the girl who had occupied his thoughts since that day. But just as the distance between them was about to disappear—
"HEY!"
Kenji suddenly appeared out of nowhere, throwing an arm around both of their shoulders.
"Are you two hiding things from me now?" he asked, laughing.
Sayuri quickly stepped away while Jun closed his eyes in annoyance.
"You always show up at the worst moment," he muttered.
"What moment?" Kenji asked, clearly drunk.
Sayuri took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"I think… I should go. It's getting late."
Without waiting for an answer, she hurried back to the table to grab her hat. Her hands trembled slightly.
She needed air but before she could reach the exit, Jun grabbed her arm. His touch was firm, yet careful.
"I'll take you home."
Sayuri turned her face away.
"You don't have to… stay with Kenji. I'll be fine."
She tried to pull away, but Jun didn't let go. There was something different in his eyes now.
Something intense.
"I said I'm taking you home. Don't be stubborn."
She thought about refusing again, but without fully understanding why… she gave in.
"Okay…"
Jun nodded once and, as soon as they stepped outside the venue, he stopped on the sidewalk.
"Wait here."
He disappeared toward the back street while Sayuri remained standing there, clutching her witch hat against her chest as the cold wind brushed against her face. A few minutes later, the sound of an engine cut through the silence.
Jun appeared on a black motorcycle, stopping right in front of her. Without saying much, he grabbed a helmet and handed it to her.
"Get on."
She looked at him sitting on that motorcycle, impossibly attractive beneath the city lights, and felt a dangerous mix of fear and adrenaline rush through her body.
Taking a deep breath, she put on the helmet and climbed onto the back seat.
"Hold on tight," Jun said as he started the engine.
"Hold on… where?" she asked nervously.
Jun let out a low laugh, then gently took her hands and guided them around his waist.
"Here… trust me."
The motorcycle sped through the illuminated streets of the city. Wind crashed against her face while the lights around them blurred into streaks of color.
With every turn, Sayuri leaned closer against him and, without realizing it, held him tighter. He made her feel alive.
When they arrived, Jun got off first and helped her remove the helmet.
"Thank you… for the ride."
Jun didn't answer.
He only looked at her.
Sayuri fixed her hair and turned toward the door.
Something inside her begged her to look back.
But she didn't.
Until—
"Sayuri!"
His voice came intensely, almost like a command.
She stopped and before she could say anything, Jun closed the distance between them.
Without hesitation.
Without asking permission.
He kissed her.
It was intense.
Impulsive.
Almost desperate.
As if he had spent the entire night trying to fight against those feelings and had finally surrendered to them.
Sayuri froze, too shocked to react. The world seemed to stop and in that instant, she realized nothing would ever be the same again.
Because the problem was no longer discovering who he was. The problem now… was that she was completely in love with him.