Guilt

Although Kuro was much weaker than Ojou, he didn't fail to surprise her.

That was not because of his sudden increases in strength, but because of his sharp footsteps. She knew that Kuro would attain that level of 'sharpness' someday, but she didn't expect him to reach to that level this fast.

When she watched him train through the Demon's Training, he didn't seem to have that much of technique, nor did he train more effective than she expected. Kuro, at best, was average, harshly saying, he was below the average if she went by Oni's standard.

but during this fight, he showed a magnificent 'feat'(bad pun) here. That's why he surprised her... Although she will leave the fact that he casually 'engulfed' the mana around him to enchant himself.

if she wasn't this surprised during the battle, and how he fought like an desperate person in war, she wouldn't have finished him that quickly by launching him to the air.

in fact, she would have played with him like he played with her; let's see... she would have thought of a plan similar to Kuro—she will act cute to stun him, then hug him from behind. Then for the finishing blow, she will says "Ku~ro♥" fumu(nod) perfect plan!

...never mind. Even though she knew that it will work to Kuro, she wasn't that shameless.

While thinking those sort of 'what ifs' plan, Kuro woke up, his body bouncing up from the ground to look around.

Then, after a while, Kuro made an eye contact with Ayame who was looking at him mysteriously. The embarrassment from her face have already gone.

Kuro's body tweaked a bit before his head looked down.

The vague memories began to feel clearly and as it gets clearer, the more his shame and guilt increased.

Kuro's action during Blackening may be not his intention, but in the end, it was his body that did to her. Just by now, the memories of him punching her stomach became clear and it lingered to his mind disgustingly that he felt vomiting. Vomiting over how disgusting he, and his action was.

The 3 souls inside Kuro shook aggressively. if this feeling was to be exampled, it would be when you accidentally murdered someone out of temporary rage. the feeling of something getting cooled down after carrying out a certain action felt too bad for him to calm himself down.

'Shit, I hurt Ojou...(21)'

'Shit, I hurt Nakiri-san...(17)'

'I hurt Ayame-chan...(4)'

Kuro stood up as quick as he gets with his face looking down. Without a single pause, he ran away from the spot, not having the luxury to calmly think around. he may have lived 3 lives, but he have never hurt anyone, not to mention, Ayame.

'I am sorry...(4)(17)(21)'

'I am sorry...'

'I am sorry...'

'I am sorry...'

he felt crying. he suddenly don't know what to do. Apologizing to her seemed making an excuse. Running away from her seemed running from the reality. Staying there without doing anything seemed dumb and rude to her.

he don't know what he should do...

So is that why you're running away from her?

No! if I could, I would have apologized to her!

Something inside him began to argue about something meaningless that doesn't have the 'right' answer.

.

.

.

Let's just run away from her.

She will not forgive me even if I apologized to her. Because, who would want to be friends with someone that may hurt them?

in the end, I am just a bastard befitting the name of 'cursed child.'

They were right... I am just a plague that someone shouldn't even dare to get close by.

he just didn't have the courage to see her face after hurting her.

he just didn't have the courage to face her when she refused his apologies.

he just couldn't muster the courage to apologies to her.

he couldn't bear even just by imagining her look at him with a face of disgust.

he know that she isn't that type of person, but he couldn't help but to imagine it, and once he did, 'escaping from this spot,' such a thought began to seems like a drug to him.

Kuro, was a coward.

...5%

"Kuro, where are you going?"

his 'fear' suddenly appeared by the sides of Kuro was running away with his face filled with tears.

he didn't have the courage to face it...

"Kuro!"

his 'fear' grasped him, causing his leg to stop from moving.

as the warm hands hold his face from both sides, his body began shaking, his heartbeat raising much quicker than when it was already beating so fast.

'I am sorry'

'I am sorry'

'Please forgive me'

fear overtaken him once more that he closed his eyes to keep himself from looking at the 'demon' he imagined.

...6%

"Kuro, look at me."

a seconds has passed.

a moment has passed.

Time seemed like a water that washed everything

While his 'fear's words seemed like a magical word to him. it calmed his chaotic mind that couldn't think of anything but apologies. The calm voice, without a rage nor distress behind it.

to him, her calm voice felt as if there was an supernatural magnetic forces behind it that dragged him back to the world and it made him think more calmly.

Obediently doing as the voice said, he opened his eyes.

in front of him, wasn't one of his 'fear' he imagined but, what pictured in his eyes was purely an Oni. No. Not just an 'Oni,' but Nakiri Ayame.

The cute, and adorable Oni that seemed to giggle anytime. Whenever he said a bad pun, she would laugh as if it was really funny. a princess who treated everyone equally. his friend who would always play with him.

as he looked at the face that was calm, yet somewhat seemingly warm, he couldn't help but shed tears more.

"...I am sorry..."

Nakiri Ayame smiled to him.

"You're forgiven!"

'in the end you're just taking advantage of the current situation.'

'just because you confirmed that she looks fine...'

in contrast of her warm smile, negative thought keep flowing his mind, but it was not the time anymore to be overtaken by these unnecessary thought. he couldn't be coward anymore.

Let's grow up, don't we?

"I AM SWOWY *sob* I DINDT MEAN TWO *sob* HWURT YOU."

"It's okay... It's okay..."

as both of them had the similar height, it was easier for Ayame to pat Kuro's back.

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