Yumi stood outside her apartment, her breath visible in the cold night air. Snow crunched under her boots as she climbed the steps slowly.
She reached her door and paused.
"My door… it's open?" she muttered, confusion tightening in her chest. "But… I know I locked it…"
A chill ran down her spine — and it wasn't from the winter breeze.
She stepped inside cautiously.
The living room lights were on.
And seated comfortably in her home… were strangers.
Five of them.
Yumi's eyes widened. Fear gripped her legs.
"Wh… who are you?!" she asked, voice trembling. "Why are you in my home?!"
One man stood up calmly, his aura heavy and unreadable.
"Yumi Ayanami," he said in a deep, controlled tone. "We're here because we need your help."
"H-Help?" Yumi whispered, stepping back instinctively. "Why… me?"
A second man stood beside him, voice gentler but eyes sharp.
"Apologies," he said. "Let's introduce ourselves first."
Yumi's eyes darted to their black cloaks.
"…You're from the organization," she said, barely above a whisper. "Criminals…"
The first man gave a faint smirk.
"That's right. I'm Shiranui. And this," he gestured to the man beside him, "is our second leader — Kurota Kai."
Yumi's breath caught.
"Kurota… Kai?" she repeated in shock.
Shinurai turned toward the dining table, where two more figures sat.
"Over there — Saturo Shiro and Haru Taoka."
A creak sounded behind her.
"And your back door…? That's Kenichi," Shiranui added.
Yumi froze. They had surrounded her.
"W-Why are you here?" she managed.
Shiranui stepped forward. "Like I said — we need your help."
"That makes no sense," Yumi snapped, trying to stay brave. "I don't know you. I don't know anything!"
"Do you know Sol Yoshida?" Haru asked suddenly, his tone casual.
Yumi's heart jumped.
"I… I don't know who that is," she lied.
Laughter echoed around the room.
A quiet, mocking voice spoke from behind — Kenichi.
"You just kissed him tonight," he said flatly. "His name is Sol Yoshida."
Yumi's entire body went cold.
Her secret — exposed.
She turned, shocked, her eyes wide.
"…What… is going on?"
Kurota Kai took a step forward, his presence heavy like a mountain.
"You bring him to us," he said firmly, voice like thunder. "Bring Sol Yoshida."
Yumi's eyes widened. "W-What? Why Sol?!"
Her voice cracked between fear and confusion.
Shiranui crossed his arms, calm but firm. "You care about him, don't you?"
Yumi clenched her fists, heart racing. "That's not the point! Why him? What do you want with Sol?"
Kurota's gaze pierced through her.
"Because," he said slowly, gravely, "he's the only one who can save this world."
Silence.
Yumi's breath hitched.
Yumi's voice trembled. "Save the world...? From who? And why... why only Sol?"
There was a silence. Cold and sharp. It hung in the air like the snow outside.
Shinurai crossed his arms, his gaze unreadable. "You're not ready for that answer."
"What... does that even mean?" Yumi's fists clenched. "And why me?! Why drag me into this?"
From across the room, Haru Taoka took a slow bite of an apple, crunching through the tension. "Hmph... because he trusts you."
Yumi's heart stopped for a second. "He...?"
"If I say no?" she snapped, forcing her voice not to crack. "What if I don't want anything to do with this?"
Haru smirked. "Oh, I like strong girls." He leaned forward, placing the half-eaten apple on the table. "But you should know something before you choose your next words."
He paused. The light caught the red in his eyes.
"If you say 'no'... your mother, your father, your brother—even your precious lover—could all be in danger."
The color drained from Yumi's face.
"M-my family...?" she whispered.
Haru stood slowly, each step deliberate, like a shadow stalking its prey.
"You're already involved, Yumi Ayanami. The moment he kissed you... you stepped into his fate."
Her hand trembled as it hovered near her chest.
"Sol..."
Yumi stood frozen in the middle of her apartment, her thoughts swirling like a violent storm. Her heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear anything else.
What... what is happening...? Why me? Why Sol?
"I know what you're thinking," Kurota Kai said, his voice calm but heavy. "You're thinking about telling someone. About warning everyone."
She turned to him, eyes wide, lips parted in fear. "Ahh... I... I wasn't—"
Kai stepped closer, eyes sharp. "Don't lie. You're not the first to feel overwhelmed. But remember... we came here for peace, not war."
Before she could respond, Saturo Shiro stood from the table. "So, what's your choice?"
Yumi stared at him blankly.
Saturo continued, "You can take time to decide. But don't take too long. The world won't wait."
With that, they began to leave. One by one, the shadows slipped out the way they came—quiet, calm, and terrifying.
As the door shut behind them, Yumi collapsed to her knees.
Her breath was shaky. Her hands dug into the carpet. Her whole body trembled.
"This isn't real..." she whispered, eyes staring blankly at the floor. "It's just a dream... it has to be a dream..."
But the cold silence of her empty apartment answered her.
And deep down, she already knew—
It wasn't a dream.
Yumi slowly pulled herself from the floor, her legs weak beneath her. She staggered toward her phone, lying forgotten on the kitchen counter.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the screen.
Mom... Dad...
She hovered over the contact, thumb shaking.
She tapped.
The call rang once... twice...
But then she stopped. Her thumb froze. She stared at the glowing screen.
She remembered Haru's words:
"Your mom, dad, brother... even your lover. Their lives are in danger."
Her hand dropped.
She canceled the call.
Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't... I can't drag them into this..."
She tried Sol's contact next.
But her hand wouldn't move.
If I tell him… would they hurt him? Would they hurt all of us?
She sank back to the floor, the phone slipping from her grasp.
Tears fell—slow at first, then freely, falling onto her knees as she clutched her chest.
"I don't know what to do... Why me? Why now?"
The weight of the unknown crushed her. The apartment, once warm, now felt hollow and cold.
And in that moment, Yumi cried.
Not as a hero.
Not as a fighter.
But as a girl.
Alone.
Terrified.
Powerless.
The room was dark except for the faint glow of Yumi's phone screen. She stared at it, her eyes red, tears still fresh on her cheeks.
Suddenly, it buzzed.
Incoming Call: Sol Yoshida
Her heart jumped. For a moment, she didn't move. Then, almost instinctively, she answered.
"...Hello?" her voice cracked.
"Yumi," Sol said softly. "I couldn't sleep."
She didn't answer. Just silence. Sol continued, his voice calm, almost teasing:
"I kept thinking about the kiss..."
Yumi tried to smile, but it broke halfway. "Y-Yeah... me too..."
There was a pause. Then Sol's voice changed—gentle, but concerned.
"Are you... crying?"
Yumi quickly wiped her face. "No... it's nothing. Just tired..."
"Yumi." His tone was firm now, but not forceful. "I know your voice."
She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to steady. "I'm okay, Sol. Really."
"You sure?" he asked quietly.
Yumi clenched her fist, nails digging into her palm.
I can't tell him. Not yet.
"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm okay."
Another moment of silence.
Then Sol said gently, "I'm here, okay? If anything's wrong... anything at all... I'm just one call away."
That broke her.
Her eyes welled up again. But she held her voice steady this time.
"I know," she whispered.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Goodnight, Sol."
"Goodnight, Yumi."
She ended the call.
And then, in the quiet that followed, she hugged her knees and whispered to herself:
"I'm sorry... Sol."