Chapter 122: Confusion

Kai stared at the strange book for a moment, with the sound of his heart pounding in his chest.

The worn-out appearance of the little book, the bloodstains, and that overwhelming sense of unease made him feel like he was holding onto a secret too great to bear.

That thing looked different from what Hiro gave to him.

His mind started to swirl in confusion.

He didn't even know what to think or what to do.

"Is this… a hidden part… or the real one?" he whispered to himself, realizing that what Hiro had given him in the past was probably just a fake.

But a lot of questions came up to his mind.

"Why is this book here? What is happening? What should I do?"

Kai didn't know why what has Hiro done.

So, he started to overthink.

"Maybe… he gave me a fake book to… deceive me…? Or has someone stolen this one from him and replaced it with a fake that he gave me…? His house was on fire… I… don't know." He thought.

Hiro was probably trying to protect him.

Maybe he was trying to deceive him ti keep him safe.

He had no idea why, but one thing was certain: this diary would hold some answers.

But this wasn't the time.

Hina's voice snapped him back to reality. "Kai, what are you doing? You're taking forever!"

He jumped, almost dropping the book from his hand.

"I'm coming! I'm almost done!" He exclaimed.

He then glanced at it one last time before placing it on the floor, hiding it behind a stack of old boxes.

"I'll read it later," he promised himself, grabbing the chairs.

Another big mistery arrived.

He had to speak with Hiro.

Bring him that journal, but at the same time…

Even reading that thing in the night would've been difficult.

Hina's sharp senses were fully awaken even in her sleep.

So he had to do something "evil".

He had to put her to sleep with the sleeping medicine pills he used to take when he can't sleep.

It was a risky move.

But he had to try.

He the returned to the kitchen, trying to steady his breathing and keep his thoughts clear.

He knew that Hina had an almost supernatural sixth sense for detecting lies or secrets, and right now, the most important thing was not to let her suspect anything.

Moreover, she knew how to manipulate people into saying what she wants to hear.

That's why he had to act like he saw nothing.

When he entered the room, Hina stared at him for a moment, her eyes sharp as blades, as if trying to cut through every defense he had.

Hina felt a strange sensation in her heart.

She was still, one hand resting on the table, the other gripping a fork tightly.

Kai forced a smile, placing the chairs down as if nothing had happened. "Sorry for the wait, they were a bit buried under all the clutter in the closet," he said with a nervous chuckle.

Hina didn't respond immediately.

She kept watching him, her gaze fixed and analytical.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she finally asked, her tone low, almost cutting, with a fake smile.

Kai felt like a caged animal, but he managed to stay calm. "Yeah, of course. Just a little distracted," he replied, moving around as naturally as he could to arrange the chairs around the table.

Hina didn't take her eyes off him for a second, as if searching for the slightest hint of hesitation, any clue that might betray him.

Kai sat down next to Rei, doing his best to appear relaxed.

"So, is everything ready for the big plan?" he asked, trying to shift the focus of the conversation.

Hina didn't respond but sat down next to him after a few moments, her silence became heavier than any words.

Rei, meanwhile, noticed the tension in the air but continued speaking as if nothing was wrong, going over the plan's details once again.

He knew that something was off and that Kai was probably hiding something.

Kai, however, couldn't focus.

His hands rested on his knees under the table, clenched into fists.

The thought of the diary hidden in the closet consumed him.

He wondered what secrets it held, what truths had been kept from him all this time.

But most of all, he wondered if Hina knew something about it.

After a few minutes, Hina broke her silence.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

"I hope you're really ready, Kai," she said flatly. "There won't be room for mistakes this time."

Kai nodded, holding his breath.

"I am," he lied, while inside he questioned how much longer he could keep this secret.

Then, Akira broke the tension and spoke, with a "happy" tone of voice.

"Itadakimasu!" That's what she said.

Everyone in the kitchen replied to her and started to eat.

The food tasted a little bitter to Kai.

He wasn't enjoying the food.

His mind was full of bad thoughts, as he was about to explode.

Bite after bite, the food became increasingly bitter and sharp, even though it was made of things everyone normally liked.

Despite this, Kai managed to maintain a perfectly calm exterior, drawing no attention to himself, even though his heart was full of conflicting emotions.

It felt as if a small fire was warming his chest, keeping him awake and alert.

He felt the urge to know.

During dinner, Rei repeated the final plan he had devised. Everyone listened in silence, even Sakura.

Meanwhile, Hina spent the entire explanation glaring at Rei with contempt, as if she had unfinished business with him.

In summary, immediate action was no longer the strategy.

Kai would have to spend the next few days with Hina at school, pretending to have arguments and disputes over jealousy and problems in their relationship to draw attention.

After that, amid other staged conflicts, Akira would gather weapons and lead Rei's assassins.

Sakura would handle intelligence and logistics, while Rei would step in at the end with some of his top assassins to confront Sabushi.

As for Kai… well, his role wasn't perfectly clear yet.

A fairly complex plan.

But it was likely that Kai would have a crucial role to play, even if it hadn't been fully decided yet…"