That night passed in an unusual way. Kai remained locked inside his room, showing no signs of coming out.
The pressure weighing down on him had grown immensely, and it was becoming clear that a normal boy like him couldn't possibly withstand the burden of living a criminal life.
Who could blame him? In his position, who would act any differently?
There were still countless uncertainties, unresolved issues, and questions that had yet to be answered.
Who set fire to Hiro's house? Why was Hina so obsessed with Kai? And why had Akira so easily accepted defeat and joined their side?
The young man's mind was flooded with too many questions, and the responsibility that came with the life he was forced to adopt was crushing him.
Every day, he pretended not to think about it, pushing forward as if everything were normal, while the weight in his heart grew heavier, more oppressive than any burden a normal person would bear.
It hadn't been long since he and Hina started dating, yet he was already at a point of no return.
The only way to protect his loved ones—his family and his closest friends—was to become as ruthless and unyielding as Hina, to embrace the darkness he feared so deeply.
Could he do it ? He still thought that he wouldn't be able to.
But there was another question lingering in his mind.
The feeling of terror he had when remembering the moment he killed a man, disappeared.
That memory now seemed like a normal one.
No negative feelings, just nothing.
Meanwhile, in the next room, Akira sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
She couldn't get Kai out of her mind.
The intensity of his determination, the spark that she saw in his eyes when he was pushed to the edge—it was something she recognized.
"That boy has a special talent for killing," Akira whispered to herself, twirling her thumbs as she sank deeper into her musings. "Otherwise, Hina wouldn't have paid him any attention."
Her thoughts then shifted to someone she had desperately tried to forget: Jin.
She thought she'd never have to hear his name again, yet the past had a way of clawing its way back into the present.
"Jin… that damned assassin. It's impossible that he's still alive. I saw him die with my own eyes," she muttered, a shiver running down her spine. "But if, by some cursed chance, he's out there…" She trailed off, her words interrupted by the sudden sound of a door opening.
Akira's attention snapped to the source of the noise.
Hina had just stepped out of the bathroom, her hair damp, skin glowing with freshness as she prepared to rest.
Hina stretched her arms over her head and cast a quick glance at Akira, a small, genuine smile playing on her lips.
Akira returned the smile, though her mind remained clouded with doubt.
Her eyes followed Hina as she gracefully walked toward Kai's room, a subtle sense of worry flickering in her expression.
Hina reached the door and hesitated for a brief moment, taking a deep breath before knocking softly.
The silence that followed was thick, and Akira watched from a distance, sensing the unease that was growing within the house.
Kai was inside, struggling with thoughts of inadequacy and frustration.
He clenched his fists tightly, the anger and helplessness swelling in his chest.
He felt useless, incapable of protecting the people he loved most.
Hina was out there, facing dangers he could barely comprehend, while he stayed behind, suffocated by his own fears.
"Why is she going so far just for me?" Kai asked himself, his voice a broken whisper in the dark.
He remembered all that Hina had done—her relentless fight to protect him, even to the point of eradicating her old criminal gang.
She had even forgiven Akira and formed alliances with those she once despised, all for his sake.
What made him so special? What did she see in him that drove her to these lengths?
Just as he began to sink further into his self-loathing, there was a knock on the door. It was soft, almost hesitant.
He knew it was Hina.
Before she could say anything, Kai spoke up, his voice hollow. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. I'll see you later."
Akira sighed from her spot in the living room, sensing that tonight was only the calm before the storm.
Hina, instead, hesitated a little before doing anything.
She knew that her words actually had an impact on Kai, and she felt a little bit sad for speaking to him like that.
She knew Kai wouldn't simply stay put when everything around him was changing so drastically.
He was probably being tested by Hina, by fate, and by his own resolve.
"Maybe Hina said all those things to ignite his fighting spirit," Akira thought, a small smile tugging at her lips as she gazed at the closed door.
The night was far from over, and they all knew it.
Then, Hina opened the door and saw Kai resting in a fetal position.
He always used to sleep like that whenever he felt down for something.
"What's wrong, darling?" Hina said, with a lovingly tone before closing the door behind her and making her way next to Kai.
"…" he didn't answer, pretending to sleep as his eyes were closed.
"Oh… okay, you've been clear." Hina said with a sigh, lying down next to him and hugging him from behind.
Kai didn't do anything, he just kept "sleeping".
"You know, Kai, I've never had a peaceful life. And that's why I want to protect these moments…" she said in a soft voice, while gently tightening her hug on Kai.
"I've felt loved for the first time… and all thanks to you." She said, while gently caressing Kai's body.
Kai still pretended to sleep.
"So please… I'll take care of everything. But you must stay safe… your life is still… untouched and pure. And should remain like this. There's no point in becoming a monster… that wouldn't be you. So please, just love me and remain like this." She said while gently burying her head in his neck from behind, feeling his scent and holding into him like she didn't want to let go.
"…I… love… you…" she then whispered.
Kai's eyes were open wide while she was speaking these words and he clenched his fist a little while listening.
He understood her point, but… what he had done had actually marked him for the life.
"Love…? Monster…? Does she know how I'm feeling right now?" He thought in his mind.
While lost in his thoughts, the sound of hina's voice got actually replaced by a soft snore.
She started to peacefully sleep next to her lover, in a tight embrace full of "love".
Kai then gently closed his eyes again before letting out a small sigh.
"I'll save you, Hina." That was his final thought before closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, Akira, kept sitting on the couch, thinking about the possible plan to strike on Sabushi.
But suddenly, a phone started to ring and caught her attention.
It was Kai's.
Akira stood up from the couch and walked towards the phone.
"Oh, he actually forgot it…" she said, before reading the name on the display.
"Hiro… who is this guy?" She asked to herself, before picking up the phone.
"Should I answer for him…?" She said while analysing the phone.