Chapter 127: Realization

Akira slowly knelt down to match his height. Her face, usually unreadable, softened for a brief moment as she gently stroked his back...

Such an instinctive gesture, almost maternal.

The touch was light, but it was enough.

Kai felt the warmth of her hand through the fabric of his shirt, and for some reason, that simple touch forced him to stop, like he snapped back to reality.

His ragged breathing slowed, his tense shoulders relaxed just a little.

When he lifted his gaze, he realized how close she was.

Only a few centimeters apart.

His heartbeat quickened again, but this time for a different reason.

Kai suddenly backed away, almost too abruptly, as if the ground beneath him was burning.

Using his arms and legs, he pushed himself backward in a clumsy retreat, making him look even more flustered.

Akira didn't move.

She just watched him, her expression unreadable, yet subtly surprised.

She didn't understand.

Kai only stopped when his back hit the wall.

His already erratic breathing became even more uneven.

His wide eyes darted around in confusion, as if his own body was betraying him.

"No. No, not like this." He said to himself.

He shut his eyes tight, pressing a hand against his chest in a desperate attempt to regain control. He inhaled deeply.

Then again.

And again.

The silence between them grew heavier, broken only by the rhythmic sound of his breathing, still struggling to return to normal.

Akira continued watching him without saying a word.

Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of what she was witnessing.

That boy, who had seemed so composed just moments ago, was now crumbling before her eyes.

And in him… there was something she didn't recognize.

Who was Kai, in that moment?

Akira knew when something was dangerous, and she felt her life at risk for an instant.

She also knew that the demon she saw in Kai could easily kill her without any kind of remorse.

After a few beats of silence, disturbed only by his deep breaths, Akira finally spoke.

She was still at his height, though she had shifted slightly, giving him the space he seemed to need.

"Are you okay?" Her voice wasn't the usual sharp and confident tone.

It was softer... almost gentle.

Kai opened his eyes and found her still there, unmoving, watching him.

A flicker of concern mixed with something deeper in her gaze.

That was when he noticed something unusual.

Akira wasn't wearing her eyepatch. Instead, her crimson hair naturally fell over the right side of her face, covering the eye that no longer worked. If not for that subtle shadow of insecurity in her expression, she might have seemed like the same old Akira. Strong. Untouchable.

Kai lowered his gaze slightly. Now that his breathing had stabilized, he felt ridiculous.

"I don't know what happened to me." He shook his head slightly, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

Akira's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile, as if his reaction amused her in some way.

"Don't worry." She stood up in a fluid motion, brushing a bit of dust off her pants. "I think I said too much."

Kai looked at her for a moment longer, but this time, he didn't avoid her gaze.

There was something strange in the air.

As if something important had happened between them.

Something neither of them could quite understand yet.

A small silence formed between them until Akira spoke, to answer Kai's earlier question.

"I didn't tell you earlier because I wanted to protect you," she then added, her voice gentle. "You've been through so much already, and I perfectly knew that there was something deeper behind Hiro's call. I couldn't put you at risk and let you go alone there at night." Akira said.

Kai's anger flared again, but this time it was mixed with a deep, aching sadness, despite he tried to remain calm.

"Protect me?" he repeated, his voice steady. "By keeping me in the dark? By letting me think everything was fine when it wasn't?"

Akira's eyes flashed with a glimpse of frustration.

"Yes, Kai. To protect you. Even if it means to keep you in the darkness. As I said, I couldn't let you go there alone. I know that you're the type of guy who likes to do things alone..." Akira said.

"..." Kai didn't speak. He knew that he couldn't reply.

"...and that's why I tried to investigate. To be honest, I also had to kill a member of the gang on my way here, just to return." She said, while offering her hand to Kai. "Now , stand up and go to sleep. Tomorrow is gonna be a hard day."

Kai grabbed her hand and stood up with her help.

"You've got a point. But please, speak to me about these things next time." He said, with a sigh.

Akira nodded her head, leaving Kai's hand and she then leaned close to his ear.

"But moments ago... I had the proof that you can be very dangerous. You're not what you show to others, Kai. Now I finally understand what Hina saw in you. And I have the feeling that not even you know your true self." She whispered with a low and almost sensual voice. 

Kai's eyes widened as he remembered what he was feeling earlier.

As Kai's anger boiled over, he felt something shift inside him.

It was like a fire igniting in his chest, spreading through his veins until his vision blurred.

He barely noticed that the person in front of him was a friend, and the way she took a step back as his own eyes glowed with an unnatural, bloody red.

He only felt pure anger and bloodlust.

And in the moment he heard Akira's words, he realized that an unknown part of him was about to show itself to the world.

Kai didn't even replied to Akira.

He remained in silence, remembering the exact moment he killed that man to save himself.

A normal person would feel bad.

But Kai showed no sign of remorse after a short time.

"Good night, Boy." Akira softly said after gently "slapping" his back.

"Y-Yeah. Goodnight." He replied, while Akira walked towards her room.

After that, Kai grabbed some water from his fridge before walking back to Hina.

"What a shitty situation..." He said to himself.

He then reached his room and found that Hina was still peacefully sleeping. 

"Oh. She didn't hear anything, did she?" Kai said to himself, while placing the bottle of water next to his bed.

After that, he lay back down next to Hina and closed his eyes.

His girlfriend gently clung to him again, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head between on his chest, snuggling a little.

Kai held her softly and looked at her.

Hina, a murderous lunatic girl who, in that moment, was the most vulnerable person in the world...

"Tomorrow is gonna be so fuckin' hard..." He said, before drifting back to sleep.