Would You Mind Listening To My Story?

Chapter 85 - Would You Mind Listening To My Story?

Saeko's hands trembled slightly as they rested on Mahiro's head. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.

"You're... perceptive," she said softly. "Yes, I... I do have those tendencies. When I fight, when I kill... I feel a thrill, a rush of excitement. It's always been there, even before all this."

She paused, her voice barely a whisper. "Does that... disgust you?"

Mahiro gazed up at her, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.

"Disgust me? Not at all. In fact, I find it rather... intriguing."

Saeko's eyes widened in surprise. "You... you do?"

Mahiro sat up, turning to face her. "Saeko, in this world we're in now, that part of you could be our greatest asset. Your skill with a blade, combined with that intensity... it makes you a formidable fighter."

He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I don't judge you for it. In fact, I admire your honesty. And I think we understand each other better than you might realize."

Saeko's eyes glistened with unshed tears. For so long, she had hidden this part of herself, afraid of being seen as a monster. But here was Mahiro, accepting her fully, even praising her for it.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning into his touch. "I've never told anyone about this before. I was always afraid..."

"You don't need to be afraid with me,"

Saeko's lips trembled as her heart raced faster. She couldn't believe it. He didn't see her as a monster, but rather as someone to be admired. 

A person who could help them survive, especially in this new world they found themselves in. Above all, she felt understood. She leaned in closer, her soft breath fanning his face lightly as she whispered, "I'm... I'm so grateful for that."

Mahiro smiled gently, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face before tucking it behind her ear tenderly. The scent of sweat and blood mixed with the faint fragrance of her shampoo filled his nose; it was intoxicating. 

He took in a deep breath before leaning in again and capturing her lips in a tender yet passionate kiss. As their tongues danced together, Saeko let out a soft moan into the kiss while running her fingers through his hair. Their bodies pressed closer together, their hearts beating wildly against each other's clothes.

When they pulled apart, both panting heavily, Mahiro rested his forehead against hers and murmured, "I want more than just your lap pillow."

Saeko giggled lightly before asking an question, her fingers unconsciously stroking Mahiro's forehead.

"Would you mind listening to my story?"

Although Saeko often held swords, her hands were well-maintained and soft. Mahiro felt a sense of comfort and enjoyment.

"Back when I was in junior high..." Saeko began, her voice slow and reflective.

Saeko came from a family of kendo practitioners and had been learning kendo from a very young age. Even in junior high school, with a sword in her hand, she had the strength to completely overpower an adult.

Looking at Saeko now, it was clear she had been a beauty since childhood. In junior high, though she didn't have her current figure, she was undoubtedly a cute girl.

However, her striking appearance also brought troubles.

One night, while returning home, she was targeted by a pervert.

At that time, she had just finished training at the kendo club, so she was still carrying her wooden practice sword.

With the sword in her hand, Saeko could have easily dealt with the pervert. But she didn't act immediately.

Instead, she pretended to be weak, drawing out the pervert's animalistic nature before striking back.

However, her counterattack was more severe than she intended.

She nearly beat the pervert to death, leaving him severely disabled.

In any country, injuries of that level would likely be judged as excessive self-defense.

But at the time, Saeko was still a junior high student, a minor, and the pervert was clearly at fault, so she was let off.

Even so, the incident cast a long shadow over Saeko, haunting her for years.

"Well, Saeko, you sure know how to enforce the law," Mahiro joked.

Saeko shot him a blank look, but his words lightened her mood considerably.

"Do you think I'm a bad person? I could have just defended myself, but instead, I used extreme methods to punish that pervert, ruining his life," Saeko asked, her face clouded with guilt.

"If it were me, I might have been even more ruthless. I might have killed him on the spot," Mahiro replied indifferently.

Saeko was taken aback.

"Perverts like that need a harsh lesson, or they won't learn. Honestly, it was fortunate you were the one who encountered him," Mahiro continued. "If it had been an ordinary girl, she might have been the one destroyed."

"That's true, but..." Saeko's voice trailed off, and she laughed bitterly at herself. "Don't you think that kind of mentality is disgusting?"

It wasn't the events themselves that haunted her, but the thrill she felt in hurting someone.

Especially when she used the wooden sword to defeat and injure him, seeing him lying on the ground, writhing in pain—it gave her an extreme sense of pleasure.

"Having a clear enemy can be a pleasure in itself, can't it?" Mahiro said, his tone unchanged, hitting a nerve in Saeko.

"It's been said that this kind of mentality is normal."

"Of course, I won't deny that it's a pathological thought," Mahiro said calmly. "Almost everyone who holds a weapon has, at some point, the desire to test their strength on a living person."

"Even the urge to experience what happens when a weapon cuts into a living being."

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