A Man With A Camera

Yuna stood in my doorway, pressing the fox plush tightly against her chest.

“...Ren… can we… talk?”

Her fingers were pressed into its soft fabric like it was the only thing keeping her upright.

Up close, I could see how exhausted she looked. Her eyes were swollen at the corners, lashes clumped together like she’d rubbed them too much. Her hoodie sleeves hung past her hands, making her look smaller somehow. She looked so different from the girl I’d seen at the beach… or at the summer festival.

“I… wanted to thank you. For the food.”

A pause.

“And… for this.”

Her grip tightened even more around the plush.

Behind me, something shifted.

My sister's head popped up over the back of the couch.

She grinned, then exaggeratedly said: “Well! I just remembered that I have very important… anime to watch. Alone. In my room.”

She grabbed her bag, went towards the door, then stopped beside Yuna.

“Hi Yuna!” she said politely, giving her a small bow. “I’ll leave my useless brother in your care.”

“U–Um… o-okay.” Yuna blinked.

My sister shot me a thumbs-up, mouthed good luck, and walked out.

Suddenly, it was just me and Yuna, alone.

“...Do you want to come in?” I asked.

She hesitated. “... I don’t want to bother you.”

“Yuna… we’ve had this before.” I said immediately, stepping aside.

She looked down, then nodded.

“...Okay, just for a bit.”

—--------------------------------------

She sat on the edge of the couch, the fox plush rested in her lap, her hands never leaving it.

“I’m sorry.” she said suddenly.

I frowned. “For what?”

“For not answering, and hiding… and making you worry.” she whispered.

Her voice trembled.

“I didn’t know what to do anymore.”

I sat down on the coffee table infront of the couch and leaned forward, facing her.

“I figured you were overwhelmed. Anyone would be… With everything that’s happening… online.”

Her shoulders jumped at the word “online”.

“I tried to pretend nothing happened.” she said quietly. “But then I saw your note… and the plush…and I knew…”

She finally looked up at me. “...You know.”

“Yeah, I do.”

A heavy silence settled between us.

“How much? Even... yesterday?” she asked, barely audible.

“Yeah.” I said honestly.

Her eyes filled instantly. “I didn’t want you to find out like this. I wanted to tell you... so many times. But I just– I was scared.”

“I know.” I said.

That was all it took. Her composure cracked.

“I lied.” she sobbed. “I lied to you. I lied using your name. You must hate me. I said those things on stream and… and I hated every second of it.”

Tears kept slipping down her cheeks.

“I don’t hate you.”

“But I…”

“I watched the stream.” I interrupted her. “I saw your face when you said it, I heard your voice. It doesn’t matter if it’s virtual. That wasn’t someone happily announcing she’s dating. That was someone being cornered.”

Her lips trembled.

“I don’t know everything.” I continued. “I don’t know the exact details of your contract or what he has on you. But I know fear when I see or hear it. And I know you wouldn’t drag me into some fake PR stunt on purpose. You’re not that kind of person.”

She froze for a second. Then:

“I’m so tired.” she cried. “They tell me I have to stream... That I have to smile.... They say that while I’m shaking… and throwing up mid-stream… and… my baby… I worry about my baby…”

Her hand flew to her belly.

I didn’t think, I just moved and sat beside her… pulling her into a hug.

She stiffened for a second, then collapsed against me.

Her forehead pressed against my shoulder.

“I’m so tired.” she sobbed again.

“Is it because of the contract?” I asked softly. “The reason you push yourself until late at night? Even now? Even though you’re pregnant?”

She nodded against my shoulder. “...Yes.”

“They really force you to stream?” I asked, anger starting to simmer under the worry. “No matter your condition? That’s why your boss showed up after you took just 2 days off after the hospital?”

“Y–Yes.” she choked out. “He said, if I don’t keep numbers high, sponsors will leave, merch won’t sell, and I’ll be the reason everyone loses money. He said… he’d make sure I regret it if I ruined everything. That he’d make sure certain clauses in my contract would come into effect…"

My hands curled into fists behind her back.

“I’ve seen how scared you are of him.” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “The way you flinch when someone knocks. How you were ready to let him stand outside your door all night rather than talk to him... I’ll help you.”

She drew in a shaky breath.

“But… there’s nothing anyone can do.” she murmured. “He has my contract… he owns my channel, my avatar, everything. If I try say something bad about them on stream, they'll just shut off the stream.”

I pulled back just enough to look at her. Her eyes were red and hollow with resignation.

“Don’t say that. Maybe you can’t see a way out right now... You’re tired, you’re scared… that’s normal. You’ve been alone with this for how long?”

She didn’t answer.

“Exactly… too long.” I took a breath. “But you’re not alone anymore.”

Her eyes widened just a tiny bit.

“I don’t have all the answers, I’m not a lawyer… but… I can read… I can ask people… I can find someone who knows how contracts work… and I will.” I squeezed her shoulders gently. “I don’t care how far I have to go, or how much of a pain it is… I’m going to help you. I’ll take that whole agency down if I have to.”

“Ren…” she whispered, stunned.

I continued: “I don’t care if he’s the CEO or the final boss of this corporate hell dungeon. He doesn’t get to treat you like this. And I’m sure… there has to be something in your contract… Something that just can't be legit.”

Her eyes shimmered again, but this time with something else in them…

Hope.

“You once told me you were always alone… and I think I already told you this, but… you’re stuck with me now.”

A small, broken laugh escaped her.

“...You’re an idiot.” she murmured, wiping at her cheeks.

“Probably.” I agreed.

We talked for a while after that… but not about contracts. Not about work…

I didn't ask whether or not she'd known that I was Renno the whole time. That could wait.

Just small things… memories from the beach, the summer festival… the kind of moments that didn’t hurt to remember.

Slowly, her shoulders relaxed, and her breathing evened out.

She stayed longer than either of us had planned. We watched some TV… I cooked her dinner… 

It was peaceful.

Eventually, she yawned.

“I should probably go back.” she murmured.

I nodded and walked her to the door.

In the hallway, outside her apartment, she turned back to me.

“Ren…” she said softly. “Thank you… for listening, and… just everything.”

I smiled. “Always.”

She hesitated. Then stepped forward and hugged me.

It was brief and awkward, her belly pressed lightly between us, and I froze in place, terrified of moving wrong. For some reason it’s totally different when you’re not the one who starts the hug.

She took a small step back. “S–Sorry, that was… um…”

“It’s fine.” I said quickly. “You’re allowed to hug the neighbor who keeps feeding you.”

She let out a small, shy smile and stepped back toward her door.

“Good night, Ren.”

“Night.”

She opened her door, then paused in the doorway as she turned to look at me one last time. “Thank you!”

I nodded with a smile and turned toward my own apartment.

And that’s when I saw it.

A glint of glass.

A mechanical click.

The shape of a camera lens peeking out from behind a concrete pillar at the end of the hallway.

My body reacted before my brain did.

I took a step forward. The person behind the pillar jerked back.

Sunglasses, black cap, mask, camera clutched in both hands.

“...Hey!” I snapped.

He took off.

I heard Yuna’s startled “Ren?” behind me, but I was already running.

Someone had just taken pictures of us. Of her, pregnant, next to me.

I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if those pictures ended up online. Especially now… in this situation. It was obvious what the internet would make of them.