Ren reached into the drawer and carefully picked up the small object wrapped in cloth.
It was heavier than it looked.
He slowly unfolded it—
A ring.
Simple. Old. Dark metal.
No shine. No decoration.
But something about it felt… wrong.
Like it wasn't just an object.
Like it was aware of him.
Before he could think further—
Footsteps.
"Ren?"
He froze.
Haruka Aoyama stood at the doorway, looking tired but calm.
"Oh… you're home."
Ren quickly closed his hand around the ring and turned slightly.
"…Sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be in here."
Haruka's eyes moved briefly to the desk, then back to him.
Her expression softened.
"No… it's fine," she said quietly. "It's just your father's old things in here."
A pause.
"I'm going to start dinner. Just close the door when you're done."
Ren hesitated for a moment.
"…Okay."
Haruka left.
Her footsteps faded down the hallway.
Silence returned to the office.
Ren looked down at his hand again.
The ring was still there.
Still cold.
Still strange.
He didn't fully understand why, but he felt like he shouldn't keep it open in this room.
So he quietly stepped out.
As he walked back into the hallway, he closed the office door behind him.
Click.
The house felt normal again.
But the ring in his hand didn't feel normal at all.
Later they eat dinner.
Dinner was quiet at first.
The house felt calmer now, like the earlier tension had been pushed aside for a moment.
Ren and Haruka sat across from each other at the table.
The food was simple, warm, familiar.
But the silence between them wasn't uncomfortable—just heavy with everything that had happened.
Haruka stirred her food slightly, not really eating.
"…I should probably throw all that old stuff of your father away," she said softly.
Ren paused mid-bite.
"…Why?"
Haruka looked down.
"He used to work so much… he was barely home. That office, those notes… it's all just reminders of him always being gone."
Her voice was calm, but there was something tired underneath it.
Like she had been carrying that thought for a long time.
Ren stayed quiet for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"No."
Haruka looked up at him slightly.
Ren continued, more steady now.
"Don't throw it away."
A pause.
"He worked a lot… yeah. But it's still him."
Haruka didn't answer immediately.
Ren lowered his gaze to his plate.
"…We should keep it," he said quietly.
"So it can remind us of him."
A long silence followed.
Haruka's expression softened.
Not fully agreeing… but not rejecting it either.
"…You really think so?" she asked gently.
Ren nodded once.
"Yes."
Haruka let out a small breath.
"…Alright," she said finally. "We'll keep it."
The tension eased slightly after that.
But something stayed with Ren.
The ring.
Still in his pocket.
Still cold.
Still silent.
To be continued...