And so, after Akira's remark, the atmosphere in Kai's house was painted with a deep, unsettling red.
Kai had little time left to learn how to survive in the terrifying world that had formed around him.
Despite everything, his desire to protect Hina and give her a happy life had only grown stronger even more after realizing that there was no going back.
He realized one thing very clearly now: he couldn't trust anyone.
Not even his own shadow.
Kai knew he was weak, and he couldn't rely on being protected forever.
"So, what's the plan for tonight?" Akira asked, breaking the tense silence that had filled the room.
"Absolutely nothing," Hina replied bluntly, walking down the corridor toward the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower and then… read a book." Her tone was almost annoyed, as if everything was a mere inconvenience to her.
"And the plan for Sabushi?" Akira pressed, a slight edge in her voice.
"You clearly don't know Sakura," Hina replied as she stopped in her tracks for a moment. "She'll tell us everything a day before. She's probably still calculating her next move. If she wanted us to act tomorrow night, she would've already given us the details." With that, Hina resumed her path toward the bathroom.
Kai, feeling left out, finally spoke up. "And what about me?" His voice was soft, almost hesitant, but it drew the attention of both women.
Hina turned to look at him, her gaze hard and piercing, like a predator sizing up prey.
"You'll stay here and behave," she said with a tone so cold and commanding that it left no room for argument. "That's my decision."
"Absolutely not," Kai retorted, surprising both women. His heart pounded in his chest, but his voice remained steady. "I want to help. I have to help."
"Oooh~," Akira teased, clearly enjoying the sudden tension, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Hina let out a frustrated sigh, clearly irritated by his response. "Kai, you have no idea who Sabushi is. That man is a monster, and he' has probably calculated every possible move. On top of that, I don't even know who Emi truly is yet. We need to continue acting like everything is normal, and we can't afford to miss any more days at school."
Kai's fists clenched as he felt a surge of frustration bubbling within him. "And… what does that mean for me?"
"It means," Hina continued, her voice softening slightly as she looked at him with what could almost be described as tenderness, "for your own safety, and for ours, you'll stay here. Safe."
Kai bit his lip, a clear sign of his growing anger.
He felt useless, incapable of doing anything meaningful.
The fact that Hina didn't want him involved, even though he had already killed to protect her, was like a slap in the face. It stung.
"… What's the better idea?" Kai asked, not lifting his gaze from the floor.
Hina's tone shifted, taking on a more motherly softness.
"When we move, you'll go to the hospital to visit your friend Hiro. You'll stay with him for the night. That way, you'll be completely safe."
Kai's eyes widened at the mention of Hiro.
He had almost forgotten about his childhood friend.
He hadn't heard any news about Hiro or Hana since the day Yuna was kidnapped.
Perhaps it was time to check in on him.
It would've made sense.
"…Fine," Kai replied, his voice heavy with reluctance.
Hina noticed his disappointment and moved closer to him, gently stroking his head, trying to comfort him.
"Darling, I truly appreciate that you want to protect me, but you'll protect me even more by staying safe. I don't want you getting your hands dirty again. You're a good person, Kai, and I want you to stay that way," she said softly, planting a tender kiss on his forehead.
Her words revealed the vast difference between someone like Hina, who was hardened by countless experiences, and Kai, who, despite his recent violent act, had lived a sheltered life for most of his years.
Kai clenched his fists even tighter, accepting his girlfriend's words in silence.
He wasn't the protagonist of his story, after all.
He wanted to protect everyone, but he was weak.
He had even killed to prove himself to Hina.
But evidently, it wasn't enough.
Her gratitude for his actions didn't seem to change her view of him.
In his heart, after hearing Hina's words, Kai began to feel a growing desire for redemption.
He probably wanted to get his hands dirty again, only to prove to her just how far he was willing to go to protect her.
To be the man she needed him to be.
"…Fine," he muttered once again, his voice a barely audible whisper, as if speaking any louder would make him break.
"Good boy~" she said.
Satisfied, Hina smiled and turned toward the bathroom.
The only sound that followed was the soft click of the door closing behind her.
Akira, noticing the storm brewing inside Kai, tried to approach him, to offer some kind words of reassurance, perhaps.
But there was no point.
Kai was too bitter, too consumed by the weight of his own inadequacy.
He couldn't protect the people he loved. It was Hina who was doing everything.
"Why is she going trough all of this just for me?" Kai kept asking himself, the question gnawing at him like a festering wound.
Hina had gone so far as to wipe out her old gang to protect him.
She had forgiven Akira, and she even worked with Sakura, a woman she seemed to hate with all her heart.
All for his sake.
All to keep him safe.
There had to be something special about him, right?
Otherwise, why would Hina go to such all these things that happened?
"Hey, kid—" Akira started to speak, but Kai cut her off before she could finish.
"I'm going to lie down for a bit. See you later."
His words were clipped as he turned and headed toward his room.
Akira let out a resigned sigh and gave up.
She knew Kai wouldn't just sit and watch everything.
He would've surely done something.
"Maybe Hina said all those things just to spark his fighting spirit?" Akira thought to herself, wondering if Hina had planned this all along.