Ryō lies down, too, and pulls the cover over himself and Towa. "I could get another ring..."

"Would you still love me if I were a woman?"

"—of course."

"So you do swing both ways."

"...yes. You don't...?"

Shrug. "Women are too much hassle."

"Is that so?"

"I don't like topping."

"Women can top."

"Didn't you want to talk about something?"

"...tomorrow. It's late and we're both very tired."

"...alright." He closes his eye and turns over to face the ceiling. "Good night."

"...good night, Towa." What a confusing interaction.

He can't find it in himself to mind, though.

"...Haruto. This is Mei. She's going to start living with us."

There is a girl, there, or the mental impression of one. She looks sad, and afraid, and angry, and proud. She's younger than Haruto, but taller. Once she sees him she tries to smile, or it looks like she does, even though she doesn't have a face.

Haruto feels like he's seen her before, like he should remember her face, but he doesn't. After gazing at her for a couple of seconds he looks up at his mother again. "Okay."

"She'll be like your little sister! You should make her feel welcome."

"How?"

"You know how. You've done it many times before."

He's tied to a bed, his eyes covered by a blindfold, and he's so cold. He's not wearing anything and even though the heater is on he can't feel any warmth.

It's probably the blood loss, says what's left of him, the part of him that hasn't been locked tight in a box until he's safe again.

There's soft crying nearby. "I'm s-sorry, Haruto," the voice says, quietly, in between hiccups.

"It's not your fault," he replies, confidently, reassuringly, even though his voice is weak. Even though she was the one who hurt him. It comes naturally, he knows how to reassure people.

"Onii-san will come save us. I know he will."

"Don't be silly, little girl. Haruto is your new onii-san. Everything is going to be ä̴̭̯̝́l̷̳͓̩̂͐̈́ṙ̴̻͐i̵̝͚̐̈́͊g̸̦̮͈̋̄̈́h̶̛̻͖͖ţ̶̯̓ͅ."

Haruto is still blindfolded but he can see anyway. It's red, everywhere, the floor and the walls and the ceiling and the mother and the sister. They're all red. Red carpet and red wallpaper and red lights and red lipstick and red blood.

His blood?

Her blood. She's covered in her own blood.

And Haruto can't see her whole body. He can see her face, or he can see her torso and her dress, but not both at the same time.

"Mother?"