Yuuto stood by the bridge as the city lights shimmered below. His knuckles were white from gripping the railing. The night wind was cold, but not as cold as the silence Aiden would feel when he woke up — alone.
He stared at his phone, countless unsent messages glowing on the screen:
> "I'm sorry."
"Please forgive me."
"I had no choice…"
Delete. Delete. Delete.
Tears slipped down his cheeks.
"I had to save you… even if it meant breaking you."
---
Meanwhile, in the private hospital suite, Aiden lay still, barely able to move.
He blinked, body aching. Machines beeped beside him. Everything felt hazy — until his vision focused on the man sitting beside his bed.
Lucas.
"Where's Yuuto?" Aiden asked, his voice hoarse.
Lucas gave a soft, fake smile. "He left."
Aiden's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"He didn't even stay to see if you'd wake up. Said it was too much. That… he's not ready for this."
Aiden's heart stopped.
"That's not possible. He'd never—"
"I'm just telling you what I was told," Lucas said smoothly, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "Some people love until things get hard. Some people… disappear."
Aiden turned his face away, chest tightening.
He wanted to scream, to cry — but all he could do was feel the absence where Yuuto's hand should've been.
---
Later that night, Lucas returned to his penthouse — and Yuuto was waiting there, curled on the couch, eyes red, face hollow.
Lucas shut the door behind him, voice cold. "What are you doing here?"
Yuuto stood, trembling. "Just… wanted to know… how he is."
Lucas crossed the room. "He's alive. Barely. And he hates you."
Yuuto winced. "He doesn't know why I left…"
"And he never will," Lucas said firmly. "That was the deal."
Yuuto nodded weakly.
Lucas's eyes trailed over him — broken, quiet, vulnerable.
He stepped closer. "You look like hell."
"I feel worse."
Lucas reached out, brushing a tear from Yuuto's cheek. "You sacrificed everything for him. Now it's time someone takes care of you."
Yuuto flinched as Lucas leaned in — too close, his breath warm, his lips near.
"I don't want you to feel alone anymore."
Yuuto whispered, "I already am."
And for the first time, Lucas didn't smile.
Because now, the game was real.