Stubborn

It did not take them long before they reached the area covered in debris. To begin with, the stands were not made of sturdy materials, so the attack's impact destroyed everything.

He watched Lila frantically search, but there was no need to look for long. There, in the center of the destroyed fruit stand, was a woman with long white colored hair and amethyst colored eyes. It was Lila's mother, Terashima Sumire.

Lila sighed in relief, also spotting her.

"Are you unhurt, madam?"

"I am fine, oh dear, but your face."

Sumire laughed weakly. "I am okay. Everybody head to the shelters. The people from Hyou4 will escort you."

People gradually began to disperse; due to Sumire-san arriving promptly, Kiryu noticed the people going past did not have any injuries. She must have put a barrier up and deflected the rest of the explosion.

This woman is truly amazing.

"Hey Sumire, did you-" Yuhi-san appeared from the corner.

Right in the middle of the people evacuating, there was a child huddled and scared. Kiryu watched as Yuhi-san rushed over and shielded the young girl. In that second, there was another explosion.

"Fath-"

Kiryu grabbed hold of Lila immediately and pulled her into his arms. "Oi don't go there."

"But father is-"

"Trust me, Lila, if anything happens to you. Your father would kill me."

Besides, is there any need for Lila to go? After all, Kiryu briefly glanced over at Lila's mother, who had a dangerous aura around her.

'It would be far too dangerous to get close.'

…

Eventually, Lila stopped resisting, and it did not take him long to realize why. The girl's fever had returned, and she was burning up a lot. He quickly headed to the base and placed Lila on the bed in his room. The moment he did, Haruka entered the door with a defeated look on his face.

"Did you let her go even though-"

"You know when she is determined, I can't stop her. Moreover, if I did stop her, it would feel wrong."

"You don't have to feel guilty."

He already knew what his position in her heart was. He will come second now. If Haruka was upset at the same time as him, Lila would remain with Haruka.

Haruka walked over, and the moment he did, Lila extended her hand out. "My husband?"

"Hey, did you have fun?"

"My mother and father-"

"Don't worry; those two will rush back here in no time. Get some sleep, alright? Your fever returned, and you're very pale."

Kiryu looked down to confirm Haruka's words. It was not even night yet, and the girl's condition resembled the one she had at night. Could it be? Is it getting worse? Is that why Sumire-san came back? He felt bile rise to his throat at its thought when he heard the sound of a tray.

He glanced over and saw Kotori wheeling a tray of food in.

Kiryu's eyes widened, alarmed. "H-hey, you should still be in bed."

"I feel restless." Kotori trailed off and turned to him. "Whose fault is it?"

He stared at her speechless. Well, it is his fault, it's his fault that she even got dragged into all of this-

Kotori chuckled. "I am joking, Kiryu-kun. I was feeling hungry, and Nobu isn't good at cooking. I heard that Lila-chan dragged you along in her condition, so I thought I would treat her to nice food."

'It wouldn't surprise me if she blamed me, but Kotori is not doing that even now.' Does she love him that much?

Lila, who looked like she was on the verge of death, perked up once she saw the food. "Kotori's cooking!"

"Yes, yes, it's all for you."

Lila tilted her head and turned to Haruka. "Feed me?"

When Kiryu saw Lila like that, it felt like an arrow struck his chest. How can she be so cute? Earlier she looked very mature even when she bickered with him.

Haruka's entire face had turned red, and he hugged Lila tightly. "What on earth was that? A surprise attack? Are you trying to kill me seriously?"

Lila laughed softly. "Um, I really do just want you to feed me."

His gaze softened at the scene before him. It's already fine like this if the two people he cares about the most in the world are happy. Kiryu's thoughts broke off when he saw Kotori place her hand on her eye. He frowned and picked her up.

"Wait, Kiryu-kun?!"

"I'm taking Kotori back to her room. Lila, make sure you eat everything, and Haruka give her blood just in case." With those instructions, he swiftly left the room.

Kotori kept telling him to put her down, but he did not do so. It did not take long before they reached her room, and he placed her down. Kotori sat up pouting. "Kiryu-kun, your too stubborn."

"You're the stubborn one."

His outing with Lila did cheer him up, and his thoughts felt clearer. "I feel like I owe you a lot."

"I don't want to be together with you out of guilt."

Kiryu laughed. "You're very insistent on that, even though you could easily do so."

"Is that what Miyazawa Rosalia did to you?" Kotori immediately covered her mouth. "I am sorry it's just-I-"

"Yeah." Kiryu trailed off. "At first, I truly pitied her; she did a lot for me back then. But I could never return her feelings. I was extra kind to her because of that. I remained with her, hoping she would eventually move on. But then several accidents happened to Lila. It was before she went to Light town, back when we still dated. There were a few minor incidents before then, but after we started dating, she got attacked a lot more. During those times, I would consult with Rosalia."

That woman gave him advice and looked all worried and concerned. But who would have thought that she was the one behind all those accidents? He felt sick at the mere thought. How could she give him advice when she was the one who did everything.