chapter 6: The unrecognisable home

As Hotaru stepped onto the familiar street, her mind was still lingering on the graduation ceremony. The emotions, the speeches, the relief—it all felt surreal. But nothing was as surreal as what she saw when she reached her doorstep.

Her feet halted.

Her house… was sparkling.

The usually messy front yard, where weeds had been winning their battle against the ground, was now neat and clear. The once-dusty windows gleamed under the sunlight. Even the air smelled different, fresh, as if the very essence of the place had been scrubbed clean.

Am I lost?

Hesitantly, she turned her head to the nameplate beside the door. Squinting, she read the familiar characters carved into the wood.

No… this is definitely my house.

A strange chill ran down her spine. What kind of catastrophe hit my house to make it this unrecognizable when I was gone?

Before she could process it further, a voice called out behind her.

"Oh, you're back."

She spun around.

A tall figure leaned against the doorway with crossed arms, watching her. His crimson eyes gleamed under the sunlight, sharp and piercing. The same deep red as—

No way.

Her instincts flared. She took a step back, her gaze darting over his silver hair, his clean clothes, the composed expression on his face.

"Who… are you?" she asked cautiously.

The man raised an eyebrow. "What, don't you recognize me?"

Hotaru's fingers twitched. Her brain scrambled to make sense of this. This man's eyes were identical to Kai's—sharp, a little predatory. But everything else…

She scoffed. "Oh, do you think I'll believe you if you say you're Kai?"

"You won't?"

"Of course not," she said, folding her arms. "Kai looked really shabby—his hair was long, tangled, and messy. His hair was black, not silver. And his posture? He was always hunched over like a lost stray cat." She eyed him up and down before adding smugly, "Although… you two do share the same eye color, I'm certain you're not him."

Silence.

Kai stood still, his expression unreadable. Only his jaw twitched slightly.

"… I see."

"Oh, and one more thing," she added with a smirk. "You actually look attractive. Unlike him."

A sharp crack echoed through the air as Kai's knuckles flexed. His eye twitched.

"You're saying… I was ugly and looked like a shabby stray cat?"

"I mean, I'm saying that to you, so why are you getting ang—"

Before she could finish, Kai—without hesitation—took off his shirt.

Hotaru's brain short-circuited.

"K-KYAAAH—WHY ARE YOU TAKING YOUR SHIRT OFF?!"

She whipped around, slapping her hands over her face. Her ears burned.

"Are you crazy?!" she shrieked.

Kai didn't react to her dramatic response. He simply stood there, his upper body exposed, revealing layers of scars and tightly wrapped bandages across his chest.

Hotaru peeked through her fingers, her embarrassment fading into shock.

The scars weren't random. They were deep, old wounds, layered over fresh ones. Some looked like they had barely healed before another injury was inflicted.

"… What happened to you?"

Kai pulled his shirt back on without answering.

"Come inside," he said flatly.

---

INSIDE THE HOUSE

Hotaru stepped in cautiously, half-expecting to walk into someone else's house.

She didn't.

It really was her house.

Only… it didn't feel like it.

Her eyes darted around. The furniture was neatly arranged, the floor spotless, the walls somehow looking brighter. The scent of cleaning products lingered in the air. Even her old books, which had been scattered carelessly, were stacked perfectly in place.

She blinked. Then blinked again.

Then, just to make sure—she pinched her own cheek.

"W-whoa… this isn't a dream."

Her jaw dropped as she slowly turned around. She thought kai was assisted by someone or someone else did this. But the no.1 possibility was, "Wait… Kai did you do this alone?"

Guilt twisted in her stomach. She thought back to everything she had said earlier—the insults, the mocking.

She glanced at Kai. He had his arms crossed, facing away from her, as if he had already dismissed her presence.

Hotaru bit her lip. Then, gathering herself, she walked up to him.

"… I'm sorry."

Kai didn't react.

She huffed. "Hmph. I said I'm sorry."

Still no response.

Hotaru's eye twitched. Swallowing her pride, she sighed and tried again—this time, sincerely.

"… I really am sorry," she said, softer this time. "I shouldn't have mocked you like that, it was really bad of me."

She offered an awkward smile.

Kai finally glanced at her. He stared for a moment, then sighed. "If you're sorry, buy me a manga."

Hotaru blinked. "What?"

"For the cleaning service I've done," he said simply.

"I don't have money for that."

Kai shrugged. "Then work for it."

"I really don't have money."

A thought struck her.

Her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

"… But would you like to read a manga?"

Kai narrowed his eyes. "That's what I just asked."

"No, not with pictures."

Kai deadpanned. "A manga without visuals is not a manga."

She grinned. "Right, it's not a manga. But it is a book."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you scheming?"

Hotaru's excitement bubbled. Without another word, she ran upstairs and returned moments later, carrying a massive, thick stack of handwritten notebooks bound together.

Kai eyed them suspiciously. "What's that?"

"My manga!" she said proudly, shoving the bundle into his arms.

He hesitated, flipping through the first few pages.

"… How am I supposed to know what's going on if there's only words?" he muttered.

Hotaru leaned in, waiting expectantly for his reaction.

Kai sighed and turned his attention to the first page. His expression was doubtful—bored, even.

But after reading a few sentences…

His fingers stopped flipping the pages.

---

~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter 6~~~~~~~~~

WARNING

This is the original version of the webnovel "Hotaru's assassin" by the author "Hanagaki Ryuka". Please don't copyright or upload it in your name

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O1cON4UEjsjFPMZxqNSY425-fdHW19779uAKscbDsy8/edit?usp=drivesdk