The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the room.
I woke up to find Hina still nestled in my arms, her face peaceful and serene.
I must admit that seeing her still sleeping peacefully was strange, but I pretended not to care about it.
The events of the previous day seemed like a distant nightmare, but the weight of our conversation still lingered in my mind.
I carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to wake her.
Hina didn't wake up; instead, she kept sleeping.
Maybe this was a sign that she really trusted me.
Considering that she was trained to be a ruthless assassin, she could wake up in an instant at the slightest feeling of anything.
Hina's arms gently slipped off me while I woke up.
Her face seemed so calm, and the little snores coming out of her mouth were adorable.
I smiled at her and walked towards the kitchen.
As I made my way to the kitchen, I couldn't help but think about everything she had shared with me.
Her past, her fears, her need for affection—it all made sense now.
From what I could understand, Hina never had a normal childhood.
Despite all she had done and all the people she killed, I felt that she was a gentle soul who grew up in the wrong place.
I still had to know a lot of her past, but I also knew that it would've required a lot of time.
And it made me even more determined to protect her and support her in every way I could.
I started preparing breakfast, the familiar routine helping to ground me.
The images of the dead people didn't bother me anymore.
There was Hina with me.
As I cooked, I thought about what Hina had said about her past.
It explained so much about her behavior, her need to feel secure and loved.
She had surely lost someone important to her, and this should be connected to the fact that she hates lies.
"Her ex-boyfriend… but… I was the first… I need to investigate." I said to myself.
I wanted to be that haven for her, the person she could always rely on.
Just as I was setting the table, Hina appeared in the doorway, her hair slightly tousled from sleep.
She rubbed her eyes a little, and she yawned a little.
She looked so cute, like a normal girl.
She was still wearing one of my oversized shirts, and the sight of her brought a smile to my face.
"Good morning," I said, walking over to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I made breakfast."
She smiled back, though I could see a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Good morning, Kai. Thank you... I was so tired…" she said, while hugging me for a short time.
Then, after our little display of affection, we sat down to eat, the silence between us comfortable but charged with unspoken thoughts.
I knew she was still processing everything from the day before, and I wanted to give her space, but I also wanted to reassure her.
*To be more correct, I am talking about her past*
It looked like she was spacing out, like she was in a completely different world filled only by her thoughts.
"Hina," I began, reaching across the table to take her hand.
"I know yesterday was a lot, and I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it." I said, while smiling at her.
I felt like an idiot for saying the same things as before, but Hina seemed to appreciate my words.
She squeezed my hand, her eyes meeting mine with a mixture of gratitude and sadness.
"Thank you, Kai. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything. It feels like my past is always lurking, waiting to drag me back… but… uh… I'm not feeling so well sometimes. I'm sorry for dragging you into this… I… just wanted to be a normal girl… for once…" Hina said, while looking at an empty point around the room.
Her eyes were open wide, and it seemed like she was thinking about something painful.
My lips curved into a bitter smile.
I slowly stood up from the chair and hugged her from behind.
But… there was no reaction from her. Nothing.
She was still lost in her thoughts.
"Hina, don't worry about it," I said while my arms were around her.
No reaction. She kept staring at a random point in the kitchen.
Then, after some moments, she snapped back to reality.
Her body twitched, and her hands touched my arm.
"T-thank you, Kai," Hina whispered.
Then, she stood up and "broke" the hug.
I was surprised, not expecting something like that from her.
Hina then looked into my eyes with a sad look, and I noticed that her body was slightly trembling.
Instinctively, I remembered the first time I saw her have a mental breakdown.
She was having this behavior…
I was prepared for the worst, and I swallowed some saliva.
"Kai-Kun…" Hina whispered.
Her eyes were wide open, but her pupils narrowed.
"What is it, Hina?" I said, trying to sound as natural as I could.
"I need some moments… alone. I'll message you… la-later…" Hina added, while rubbing her legs together.
"Hina…? Are you okay? I can-" I tried to say while stepping towards her.
"No. Don't get closer to me, please… I need… some time…" she said, with a very cold and broken voice, like she was on the verge of tears.
I immediately stopped, caught by surprise.
I noticed that she had a hand placed on her heart.
Then, Hina walked into my room.
I tried to stop her but in vain.
She changed into some more casual clothes.
But… she wore girly clothes.
I never had something like that in my closet.
I didn't even have time to realize everything when Hina gave me a fast kiss on my lips and walked outside my house.
I didn't even have the time to think that she was already gone.
Then, after she closed the door, I remained still, stunned.
"What the…" I said to myself, while blinking my eyes a few times.
I had the feeling that I had escaped certain death.
Then, I walked back into my bedroom to see if she had left something behind.
All of the things she used were on the floor, and my closet was slightly open.
I had a strange feeling about it.
So, I opened it and noticed something "strange."
There were female clothes and school uniforms in it, and all of them seemed to belong to Hina.
But I didn't remember her doing something like taking her clothes from my house.
Then, I remembered something.
When Hina prepared breakfast some time ago, I had the sensation that she woke up way earlier than usual…
My eyes widened a little.
I had the feeling that Hina walked towards her home to take her clothes and come back to my house.
But how could I not notice something like that?
There was nothing wrong about it, but… I had a strange feeling lingering inside of me.
Why did she do something like that?
"But wait…" I said.
That could mean that Hina could have scanned all my house… and that would be another reason why she found out the fact that I investigated her past…
And she could kill me.
But she didn't…
A little wave of fear washed over me, making me realize that I risked my life multiple times without even knowing.
"Today is a new day… and the past is the past. I should think about the present…" I said to myself before changing into more casual clothes for the day.
Then, I heard my phone ringing for a few seconds.
It was a message.
I picked up my phone, thinking it was a message from Hina, but I was wrong.
"Kai!!! Good morning !!! Are you ready to visit Hiro?? He's waiting for you impatiently !!!" This was a message from Hana.
The recent events made me forget the existence of my friends.
I had to visit Hiro. I totally forgot…
"Oh yes! Sure! When do you want to go?" I replied with a sigh.
The reply arrived almost immediately.
"Mmmm, in one hour? I'll come to your house so we'll go together, okay~?" Hana replied.
"Yeah, I'll wait for you here," I replied.
"Okay!! I'm coming!!" Hana texted back.
Well… I had the feeling that Hiro wanted to talk to me about something very important…
I still had to meet Haruto for a confrontation.
So I had to think about a plan to meet him somewhere isolated.
If he was working with the criminal gang, I had to take some precautions…
A new mission was about to start, but this time I knew that I would've been totally alone.