Hina was still resting on my shoulder, and she was really relaxed.
We looked like a totally normal and surely not crazy couple.
Despite the positive feelings and what Hina said to reassure me, I still felt some tension in the air, like something was actually off.
Hina and I were both sitting on the sofa with her head on my shoulder.
She was gently tracing lines on my chest in silence, and she wasn't looking me in the eyes.
She was displaying all of her affection through gestures, in a loud silence.
"Kai-Kun..." She called me in a whisper, while still caressing my chest.
"Yes, Hina? What is it?" I asked, while gently caressing her head.
"You know that I really love you, right...?" She asked in another whisper.
Her words sent a warm feeling into my heart.
I smiled at her warmly.
I gently lifted Hina's chin, guiding her eyes to meet mine.
"Of course, Hina. I know you love me," I responded, my voice soft and reassuring. "And I care deeply for you too," I said, with a loving and reassuring tone of voice.
All of my words and sensations were genuine despite all the tension around us.
Hina's eyes sparkled momentarily, and she smiled, but there was something in her gaze—a shadow of doubt or fear.
Her fingers paused for a moment on my chest, then resumed their gentle tracing.
"I'm glad to hear that," she murmured. "I just... sometimes I worry, you know? That something or someone might take you away from me... I'm so scared to lose my only source of happiness... the only thing that keeps me human." Her voice was barely above a whisper, laced with a fragile vulnerability.
Her words sent me a shiver down my spine in a positive way.
Nobody ever told me such beautiful words.
This girl needed to be protected from dangers... but most of all, she needed to be protected from herself.
I felt a twinge of concern.
Hina's possessive nature had always been intense, but this seemed different—deeper, more desperate. I knew I had to tread carefully, not wanting to stir any fears or insecurities further.
"Hina, you don't have to worry," I said, trying to sound as sincere and comforting as possible. "No one is going to come between us. We're together, and that's what matters."
She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine as if looking for something—maybe reassurance, maybe honesty.
I kept my gaze steady, hoping to convey the truth of my words.
After a moment, she seemed to relax slightly, resting her head back on my shoulder.
But there was still a tension in her body, a subtle unease that lingered in the air.
I could feel her heart beating faster, her breaths a bit shallower.
"Kai-Kun," she said again, her voice a mix of softness and uncertainty. "Would you promise me something?" She asked while looking me intensely in the eyes.
The grey shade of her iris was very beautiful.
Her eyes seemed colorless, but I could feel all the emotions coming from them, like they were speaking directly from her soul.
You could say that her eyes could be of a thousand different colors.
"Of course," I replied, my tone gentle. "What do you need me to promise?" I asked.
She hesitated, as if weighing her words carefully. "Promise me... that you'll always be honest with me. That you'll never keep secrets, no matter what... You know that I hate liars."
Her request took me aback.
Given the recent events, especially the earlier tension with the fact that I met a girl, I knew this was a sensitive topic for her.
And more than that, talking about her past was difficult, but at the same time she was my only source of truth.
People like her cannot lie...
But looking into Hina's eyes, I saw a genuine fear—fear of losing trust, of losing me.
"I promise, Hina," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'll always be honest with you."
She seemed to relax a bit more at that, a small, relieved smile crossing her lips.
"Thank you, Kai," she whispered. "That's all I needed to hear." She added, before giving me a small kiss on my lips and burying her face into my chest.
She was acting like a totally normal girl... Every bad memory was replaced by what I was seeing in that moment.
A normal couple doing normal things in a normal house like normal lovers.
We sat there in silence for a while, her head resting on my shoulder, and my arm around her.
The room felt quiet, the earlier tension slowly dissipating.
But even in this moment of calm, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still amiss, like an undercurrent of unease beneath the surface.
All I could do was enjoy my moment of peace with Hina, pretending that the world outside didn't exist.
And at the same time, I had finally accepted the fact that my normal life as a student was over.
"I've been missing from school for quite some time now... I should ask a favor of Yuki Nakamura..." I thought in my mind, while gently petting Hina's head.
She was leaning into my touch even more, searching for even more comfort and reassurance.
It seemed like she was saying, "Please, do it more! Touch me more! I need much more than this...!"
During these moments, Hina was in a very vulnerable state, and it was probably the only moment of peace for her.
I was thinking about different things.
"How did Hina get close to me in such a short time...? Was it really because of a book...?" I asked myself.
But only time would've given me answers...
"I love you, Kai..." Hina whispered, while pressing her body against mine in a tight hug.
Her words had a strange effect on me.
A mix of love and fear, like every step I took toward our relationship would've led to a very dangerous event.
I felt a lot of love for Hina... but I knew that it wasn't the right moment to say the most famous three words of this world.
I loved Hina, but not enough to spell "I love you."
In return, I hugged her even more tightly and kissed her passionately.
I felt her body twitching when our tongues met.
Then, I rapidly found Hina putting herself on top of me and removing her shirt, leaving only the bra.
"Is it going to happen again...?" I thought in my mind.
We were going to make love again...
I felt my body temperature rising because of arousal and excitement.
But... then something unexpected happened.
A random buzz from my phone interrupted our sweet moment.
My phone kept ringing, indicating that it was a call.
At the sound of it, Hina stood up quickly, and her pupils narrowed as if she'd gone on alert.
Then, her demeanor changed totally.
"Kai-Kun, who is it?" She asked in a cold voice while looking at the telephone.
To make her calm down and to make her know that I had nothing to hide, I said:
"Well, why don't you answer the phone for me?" I replied with a gentle voice.
My reply caught her off guard as she smiled.
"Oh... I knew that I could trust you... hehe..." She said, while her demeanor returned to normal. "But no, you should answer. I don't want to invade your privacy." She added, while getting off me and grabbing the phone.
After hearing her words, I was the one actually caught off guard.
I didn't expect something like that coming out of her mouth.
"Oh... you're so kind, but I just want to make you feel relaxed about these kinds of things," I said, with a smile on my face.
Hina giggled, then took a quick look at the name on it and gave it to me.
Maybe it was just my impression, but it looked like I saw a murderous aura around her for a split second before she returned to her normal self.
I saw the name "Hana".
Well... I wondered why she called me after everything that happened.
But... that wasn't the right moment to call me.
A shiver of fear ran through my spine.
My life actually hung on her words.
I swallowed some saliva and then answered the call.
"Yes, Hana? What is it?" I asked with a calm voice.
But on the other side...
"KAI! PLEASE!! A GROUP OF MEN HAS KIDNAPPED YUNA!!! PLEASE CALL THE POLICE, SAITO OR WHOMEVER YOU KNOW! I'M TAKING REFUGE INSIDE A BAR!!!" Hana's was screaming through the phone, and you could tell from her voice that she was having a panic attack.
My eyes widened in shock.
Hina was looking at me with a very worried look.
I didn't know what to say...
I had... a very bad feeling, and for some strange reason, the first person who came to mind was Haruto.