Chapter 17
Yuri hadn't come down even for dinner.
Worried, Y/N brought a tray to his room, gently knocking — once, twice — but there was no answer. Not even a sound from inside.
Her heart sank.
She returned to her room with the untouched tray, stomach heavy with emotions she couldn't name. The night dragged on endlessly — her mind looping back to the way he passed her by earlier… cold, distant, unlike the Yuri she'd grown used to.
Sleep didn't come.
Around midnight, the soft breeze from the balcony tempted her outside. She wrapped herself in a light cardigan and stepped out.
Then she saw him.
Yuri was on the rooftop balcony, just across from her line of sight — his silhouette outlined by the faint moonlight. He stood still, eyes fixed on the sky, one hand holding a half-burned cigar. The smoke curled around him like a silent storm.
There was something in that moment — something broken, something distant — and yet… so familiar.
She quietly walked toward him, the soft sound of her footsteps barely audible beneath the rustle of the night wind.
But he didn't turn — not at first — though she knew he felt her presence.
Still, she softly called out,
"Yuri…"
He turned around.
Their eyes met, his gaze piercing through the silence — dark, heavy, and filled with something she couldn't quite name. The cigar slipped from his fingers, falling to the ground unnoticed.
Under the pale moonlight, he stepped forward.
His hands reached out, gently cupping her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks with a tenderness that made her heart skip.
She froze.
But looking into his eyes… she could see it.
Sadness.
Frustration.
Pain.
He didn't speak.
He simply leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, closing his eyes ,his fainted smells of cigar .The world seemed to pause. Time stilled.
Then, without a word… he pulled away.
Turned his back.
And walked away — leaving her under the moonlight, breathless and speechless.
She whispered to herself, barely audible over the night breeze,
"Yuri… what are you thinking?
It hurts… when you act like that."
Her fingers curled slightly by her sides as she watched his back fade into the shadows — the ache in her chest growing heavier with every step he took away.
Time Skips — Morning
Hanamitchi Residence — Breakfast Table
Yuri stepped into the kitchen, school bag slung lazily over one shoulder. The air was still, except for the clinking sound of cutlery. Haru sat with his usual straight-backed posture, newspaper folded beside his plate.
Haru: "Yuri, we need to talk."
Yuri (flatly): "There's nothing to talk about right now."
Haru (voice hardening): "When did you start disobeying me?"
Yuri clenched his jaw, his gaze fixed on the floor for a second before lifting it—his eyes darker than usual.
Yuri: "There's too much going on in my head… Please, Dad. Can I just get a break?"
Haru (calm, but firm): "Either way, you're taking Y/N to college today, aren't you?"
Yuri's fist tightened around the strap of his bag, his voice sharp and low.
Yuri: "Why always her? Am I just some weapon you use to protect her?"
His words hung in the air, heavy with frustration. Haru stayed silent for a beat, meeting Yuri's eyes—but even he could see the storm quietly brewing inside his son.
As Yuri turned around to leave the kitchen, his footsteps echoing sharply against the marble floor, he halted—just for a moment.
Standing a few steps away, right at the corner of the hallway, was Y/N.
She wasn't supposed to be there. But she was.
Her eyes were wide, a subtle tremble in her fingers as she gripped the strap of her bag.
She had heard everything.
Yuri froze. Their eyes met briefly—his were dark and unreadable, while hers were mixed with hurt and confusion.
He didn't say a word.
Not even a glance back at his father.
He simply walked past her without a sound, brushing against her shoulder slightly, leaving a heavy silence behind.
Y/N stood there for a moment, swallowing hard.
A whisper escaped her lips, barely audible.
"Am I… just a burden to you?"
Yuri waited by the car.
She walked past it without even glancing at him.
He honked and rolled down the window.
"Hey, miss? I'm your driver, your protector. Can't you see I'm waiting for you?" he said, looking away.
She didn't stop—just kept walking, silent.
Yuri opened the door and stepped out, blocking her path.
"Are you deaf, Miss Fernandez?"
Y/N stopped in her tracks, her fists clenched at her sides.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes—those familiar, burning red eyes that once felt like warmth but now stung like fire.
With a calm but wounded voice, she said,
"Do I really mean that little to you, Yuri? Just a mission? Just someone to protect because your dad asked you to?"
Yuri's jaw clenched. He didn't reply right away.
"Even if you don't want to get in the car," Yuri said, his voice low and firm, "there's no way you can run from me, Miss Fernandez. I'm your bodyguard."
Without another word, he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of rice and carried her straight to the car.
He opened the passenger door and dumped her into the seat.
The car ride was thick with silence—awkward and heavy.
Yuri kept his eyes on the road, but then he heard it—a soft, muffled sob coming from her side. Y/N had turned her face toward the window, trying to hide it, pretending she was fine.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened. That sound, her trying not to cry, pierced through him more than he expected. His heart ached, but he said nothing.
Even though they sat side by side the whole day—through lectures, lunch, and quiet moments in between—not a single word passed between them. The silence felt louder than anything they could've said.
Yuri would glance at her from time to time, but she never once met his eyes.
And that silence… was slowly eating him alive.
At lunch, Cin and Rakki sensed the tension right away.
"Did you two fight?" Rakki whispered to Y/N, but she only shook her head, eyes lowered, picking at her food without really eating.
Yuri, sitting just across the table, clenched his fork tighter. He could feel the distance—each second of silence between them growing heavier, thicker. It was unbearable.
When classes ended, the halls buzzed with chatter, laughter, and the sound of students rushing home.
But for Yuri and Y/N, everything felt muted.
He followed her silently to the parking lot, unlocking the car with a beep. She opened the door without a glance, slid into the seat, and faced the window again—same as the morning.
Yuri sat behind the wheel, fingers gripping it like he was trying to keep himself from unraveling. His voice was low, almost a whisper.
"Are you gonna keep ignoring me forever?"
Y/N didn't reply. The silence answered for her.
Yuri hit the steering wheel softly with his palm, frustrated.
Still, no response.
The engine started, but it was clear—this wasn't just an argument.
This was the beginning of something deeper, messier.
Something they both weren't ready for… but couldn't run away from.
Yuri's POV:
I said something awful to her. I ignored her all day yesterday like an idiot. But now… now that she's the one ignoring me?
I can't take it.
It's stupid, right? But the silence from her—it hits harder than anything else. Like every second she turns her face away, it's a needle to my chest.
My heart… it's literally pinching. Like it's trying to remind me I messed up.
I glanced at her, sitting beside me, her eyes fixed outside the window, pretending I didn't exist.
And for the first time in a long while… I felt helpless.
Yuri's POV (continued):
"Am I really that heartless?" I muttered under my breath, staring at my own reflection in the rearview mirror.
I clenched the steering wheel tighter. Her quiet sobs from earlier—damn it, they're still echoing in my head. I wanted to say something. Anything. But I just sat there like a coward.
What the hell's wrong with me?
She's hurting… and all I did was make it worse.
I'm really sorry for hurting you, he thought as he leaned his head back against the seat
I never meant to ignore you… but if I keep treating you the way I want to—if I act normal—I'll fall even harder. And once that happens, I won't be able to see you as a sister anymore.
His jaw clenched, frustration and longing tangled in his chest.
What the hell am I supposed to do with these feelings?
They arrived at the Hanamitchi residence.
Y/N got out of the car without saying a single word and headed straight upstairs to her room.
Yuri remained behind, his hands still gripping the steering wheel.
The tension between them wasn't just noticed—it was felt, even by his dad, who stood quietly from a distance, observing everything.
Yuri parked the car and slowly made his way toward the house, looking like every ounce of energy had been drained from him.
Yuri's POV:
I dragged myself to my room and collapsed onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh. Just as I shut my eyes, there was a knock on the door.
Dad: "Yuri?"
I sat up straight and looked toward the door.
Yuri: "Come in."
He stepped in, calm as always, and sat on the edge of my bed.
Dad: "Son… I need to talk to you."
I didn't reply, just stared at the floor in silence.
Dad: "Did you and Y/N fight?"
Yuri: "No."
Dad: "Oh… good, then."
There was a long pause before I spoke again.
Yuri: "What do you need me to do?"
He smiled faintly, then looked ahead with a distant gaze.
Dad: "Yuri, Renzo is back… we need to be careful."
Yuri knew Renzo was their enemy, but only the surface of the story—never the depths.
Yuri: "Dad… can I ask you something?"
Dad: "Hmm?"
Yuri: "Is Renzo connected to the danger around Y/N?"
Haru paused. A long, heavy silence filled the room before he gave a slight nod.
Yuri's eyes narrowed, his voice low and tense.
"So everything traces back to him…"
Haru looked away, guilt flickering in his expression.
"Yes. She was kept with her grandmother for a reason… to keep her hidden from Renzo."
He paused, the weight of the truth thick in the air.
"He's connected to Y/N's mother's murder."
Yuri's breath hitched, his fists slowly tightening.
Haru continued, his voice heavier than before.
"Fernandez couldn't rest after what happened. He dug deep—followed every lead, questioned everyone he could. For years, he chased the truth. And everything pointed back to Renzo."
Yuri's eyes darkened with anger.
"And you never told me?" he asked, voice low but shaking.
Haru sighed.
"I wanted to protect you both. But now that Renzo's back… there's no more time to hold back the truth."
Haru's voice dropped to a grave tone, his gaze fixed on the floor.
"He knows Y/N is with us now."
A cold silence followed, tension thick in the air.
"I know him, Yuri… he won't sit still. He'll take action soon."
Yuri stood still, the weight of the revelation settling in his chest like a storm. His heart pounded—not just with fear, but with something fiercer.
"Then we won't let him get close," Yuri said, jaw clenched.
"Not to her. Not ever."