My Beloved

Ono Rika realized she was being watched.

The faint footsteps that kept following her tormented her nerves without letting up.

Just as she was about to lose her mind and collapse on the spot, her neighbor, Mr. Dazai, who once called himself "Yokohama's conscience," appeared in time and soothed Ono Rika with a cup of hot cocoa.

He even saw her safely home.

And even when Ono Rika was so scared she cried and clung to his sleeve, he only gave a helpless, gentle smile and said tenderly:

"You're safe now. Don't be afraid."

"I'm here."

"I'll take care of everything. Don't worry."

After that night, Ono Rika began to feel something different toward her neighbor. When she accidentally learned that he'd been injured and hospitalized while dealing with a problem, she could no longer hide her feelings.

"I like you, Mr. Dazai."

"Would you be willing to..."

"Sure. I look forward to getting along with you."

Ono Rika, who had expected to be rejected: "I... I look forward to it, too."

*

After they'd been dating for a while, Ono Rika went to her boyfriend's place to pick up a coat she'd left behind, and happened to see a photograph.

It was somewhat faded and gloomy, stained with blood. In it, her boyfriend was forcing her to look up at him, her face filled with terror.

"Riri, what are you looking at?"

[Highlights]

1. Dazai is the love interest.

2. Everyday slice-of-life.

3. My own take on the timeline and plot.

4. Any OOC is on me; all the excellence belongs to the original.

Theme: Life always holds beauty and tenderness.