He knew that Akira was there, but he didn't ring the doorbell.
Instead, he used his keys to open the door.
As soon as he stepped inside, he called out in a tired, dull voice.
The good vibes that Kuronu gave to him disappeared like magic.
His thoughts returned to what happened that day.
"I'm home…" Kai said.
No enthusiasm. No energy. Just exhaustion and lingering frustration.
From the kitchen, a familiar voice responded.
"Oh? Welcome back, brat."
Akira peeked out from the doorway, a wooden spoon in her hand.
But the moment she saw his expression, her usual teasing smirk disappeared.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She stepped closer, drying her hands on a towel, then folded her arms as she examined him.
"You look like someone just spat in your food," she said bluntly. "What happened?"
Kai hesitated for a second.
Then, with a sigh, he muttered, "Nothing."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "Try again. And this time, without the obvious lie."
Kai exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"...I saw Hana." Kai said with a sigh while dropping his schoolbag on the floor.
Akira didn't react immediately.
She simply gave him a "tell me more" look and waited until he spoke.
Kai felt "under presure" and then continued, his voice bitter.
"She was with some guy." he added.
Still, Akira said nothing.
Kai clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Laughing with some guy," he corrected, his fists clenching slightly. "And then when she saw me, she looked like she got caught doing something she shouldn't have."
Akira's expression didn't change, but something shifted in her eyes.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Kai scoffed. "That's all you have to say?"
Akira leaned against the counter, crossing her legs.
"What do you want me to say, brat? 'Oh no, Hana has a boyfriend'? 'Poor little Kai feels betrayed'?" she teased, smirking.
Kai glared at her, but she wasn't done.
"You think this is just about feelings, huh?" she continued. "About whether or not she moved on? Don't be naive, Kai."
Kai's expression hardened. "Then tell me what I should be thinking."
Akira held his gaze for a long moment.
Then, with a serious tone, she finally spoke.
"You should be thinking about why she looked guilty. And you should think that this was nothing more than an attempt to deceive you." Akira said, sounding like military leader.
Silence.
Kai didn't respond.
Because he already knew that she was probably right.
The only thing that came out of his mouth was nothing more than a sigh.
Noticing his silence, Akira stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes.
"Listen to me, boy. I don't know who this Hana is and how she looks. The only thing I know for sure is that she's probably crazy." Akira said, while placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Nobody who considers himself normal makes a deal with the Kurotakas. They're dangerous. And I tasted their threath." Akira added, while moving her hair to the side , revealing her eye patch.
"Do you see this, Kai?" Akira asked, pointing her missing eye.
The young man didn't speak.
He just nodded in silence.
After that, Akira removed her eye patch for an instant.
Kai's eyes widened.
A big scar, maybe the remaining of a burn was on the place revealed by the eye patch.
Akira didn't even have her right eye anymore.
There was nothing.
"This is what happens to their preys and everyone who works in this world full of shit." Akira said.
Kai remained silent.
His eyes were still locked on the deep scar where Akira's right eye used to be.
A grotesque reminder.
A brutal truth.
For the first time since meeting her, he saw not just the tough, teasing, deadly Akira—but the scars she had endured.
The pain.
The price of survival.
And it was a price she had paid in blood.
She held his gaze for a long moment before letting out a slow exhale.
Then—before Kai could react—
She pulled him into an embrace.
It wasn't playful.It wasn't mocking.It wasn't even a calculated move.
It was… raw.
Real.
Kai's body stiffened at first, caught off guard. Akira had never been the affectionate type.
But then—
Something about it felt different.
Something about it felt... heavy.
Like there was a story behind it.
A story that had nothing to do with him—and yet, everything to do with him.
Kai slowly let his arms drop to his sides, feeling the tension in Akira's grip.
She was holding on tighter than she probably meant to.
And in that moment—
She wasn't Akira, the deadly ex-sniper who could put a bullet between a man's eyes from over a mile away.
She wasn't Akira, the sharp-tongued survivor who had clawed her way out of the worst situations imaginable.
She was just… someone who had lost too much.
And maybe, just for a second—
She didn't want to lose any more.
Kai could feel the way her breathing slowed.
Like she was trying to push something down.
He didn't say anything.
He didn't need to.
Because in that moment, he knew—
This wasn't about him.
This was about someone else.
Someone from her past.
Someone who wasn't here anymore...