The morning air is crisp, sunlight dappling through the trees as Yua adjusts the bandages on Kyou's arm. He winces but tries—and fails—to hide it.
"Stop being annoying," he mutters, scowling at her hovering hands. (A lie. He hates being vulnerable, but part of him doesn't mind the attention.)
Yua presses down just a little firmer than necessary, grinning when he hisses in protest. "Don't be a baby."
Kyou grumbles about as Yua bandages him, but there's a hint of amused resignation in his eyes.
"You're enjoying this," he says, half-accusatory and half-teasing.
Yua shrugs, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Maybe a little." Her fingers dance gently over a particularly nasty cut, and he hisses again.
"Careful," he grits out. "That one actually hurts."
As Yua tends to Kyou Ren, her thoughts keep straying back to Ryo's reaction yesterday. The disgust on his face—the way he looked like he'd rather deal with anyone else in the world over Kyou Ren...
Her hands pause briefly, a frown marring her features. It stings, more than she'd like to admit.
In a flicker of vulnerability, Yua lets herself wallow in those feelings—the hurt of being judged, the loneliness of being misunderstood…
Then, she shakes her head, pushing the thoughts aside. She can't focus on that now. Not when there's more important things to deal with. She focuses on Kyou again, the frown on her face replaced by a determined line of her lips.
Kyou sees Yua's face and gives her a dry look.
"You know, I can take care of myself," he says, tone almost petulant.
Yua snorts, clearly unamused. "Yeah, because you're doing such a great job of it right now," she shoots back, rolling her eyes.
He grunts, annoyed that she has a point…
As Yua finishes up, her thoughts dart back to Ryo again. But she pushes that aside and instead turns to Kyou with a smile that's just a little too bright.
"So," she says casually. "I guess you're not getting rid of me yet, huh?"
Kyou grunts (whether in annoyance or grudging agreement, it's hard to tell). "Seems so," he mutters.
Yua grabs Kyou's hand, a sudden grin lighting up her face. Then, before he can protest, she's pulling him after her, racing off into the trees with a sound that's half laugh, half challenge.
Kyou stumbles after her, caught off guard by her sudden playfulness. He opens his mouth to complain (he's supposed to be all stoic and aloof, dammit!) but stops himself. Instead, he lets her pull him along…
The city is alive with color and sound, people bustling about in the streets as the city hums with energy.
They pass stalls selling exotic foods, vendors peddling their wares, children running through the crowded streets with carefree laughter. Everywhere they go, Yua seems to know exactly where to go—pulling Kyou along like she owns the place.
Kyou, meanwhile, looks both annoyed and mildly intrigued (he's not admitting that he's enjoying himself.)
Kyou grumbles at Yua, his competitive side rearing up again.
"Shouldn't I be the one helping you?"
Yua shoots him a cheeky look as she continues dragging him along.
"Please," she retorts. "I've got the best tour guide already."
Kyou raises an eyebrow. "Oh? And who would that be?"
Kyou doesn't miss the hint of pride in her tone, and it annoys him more than he wants to admit.
He lets out a scoff, trying to mask his irritation. "Let me guess… Ryo?"
Yua nods, the ghost of a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "The one and only."
The sun is dipping low by the time Yua tugs at Kyou's sleeve, her expression alight with excitement. "Okay, one more place!"
Kyou—who has been dragged through market stalls, street performances (he will deny ever watching them), and enough food stands to feed a small army—grumbles. "You said that three stops ago."
She grins. "And yet here we are~!" Then leans in conspiratorially: "Trust me. You'll like this one."
Yua leads Kyou through a narrow alleyway, the sounds of the city fading behind them. They climb a rusty fire escape, each step creaking under their weight—Kyou mutters something about "this better not collapse," but Yua just laughs and keeps going.
At the top, the rooftop opens up to reveal an unobstructed view of Serenia bathed in golden sunset. The entire city stretches below them, rooftops glowing like embers in the fading light. Even Kyou can't hide his slight inhale (it's breathtaking).
Yua plops down on the ledge, swinging her legs carelessly over the edge as she glances at him with a satisfied smirk:
"Worth it?"
Kyou doesn't answer. He just stares—at the city, at the way the light catches on Yua's face, at how absurdly alive everything feels in this one stolen moment.
For someone who always has a sarcastic quip ready… he's completely silent. (And maybe that says more than any words could.)
The scene below and the moment above shift, a sudden shadow passing over Kyou's eyes as the memory of his parents' deaths rises unbidden.
The city escape, the breathtaking view, even Yua's presence all fade into the background as he's transported back to that moment. The sounds of that night return, the smell of blood still fresh in his memory....
Kyou shudders, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face in his arms.
Yua doesn't say anything, just pulls Kyou gently down onto her lap, resting his head on her thighs. He goes quietly, though there's a flicker of surprise in his eyes (he's not used to this kind of tenderness).
His expression remains closed off, but he doesn't resist as her fingers card through his hair in soft, soothing strokes.
In the quiet intimacy between them, Kyou speaks softly, the words spilling out almost without him meaning to.
"I thought about killing you, once."
Yua's hand pauses in his hair, but she doesn't stop. "Why didn't you?" she asks, her voice just as low.
Kyou sighs, looking up at her with a heavy gaze.
"Because... I couldn't."
The confession hangs in the air, heavy and bitter. There's a moment where they just look at each other, both understanding the weight of that fact.
Then Kyou closes his eyes, leaning into her touch. "You make me weak," he admits, the words almost lost in the soft night air.
Kyou's chuckle is a bitter one, more self-deprecating than anything.
"Can you blame me, really? Never in a million years did I think I'd be laying on a hunter's lap, talking about feeling weak."
Yua smirks down at him, fingers still threading through his hair lazily.
"Guess you're just full of surprises, huh?"
Kyou exhales sharply—half a laugh, half a scoff—before closing his eyes again. "Shut up." But there's no bite to it. Just tired acceptance… and something else he won't name yet.
Yua's fingers pause in his hair, her expression turning serious for once.
"You could've been great," she says, blunt and honest. "You still could be."
Kyou stiffens slightly under her touch, jaw tightening (that old defensiveness rising up). But before he can bite back with some sarcastic remark—she continues:
"Potential like yours doesn't just disappear. You just... buried it." Her gaze is unflinching when she adds: "Doesn't mean it's gone."
Kyou falls silent for a moment. Then, he opens his eyes and looks up at Yua. There's a vulnerability there, something he usually hides deep under layers of stoicism.
"Fine," he says softly. "I'll try."
He doesn't say anything more, but the way he softens his gaze says it all.
For her—he'll try.
Before Kyou can react, Yua presses a quick kiss to his forehead—warm, fleeting, and entirely unexpected.
Kyou freezes. His face does something complicated (half stunned, half flustered), before he abruptly sits up with a scowl. "What the hell was that for?" he snaps—but his ears are suspiciously red.
Yua just grins at him (unrepentant). "For luck."
Yua grins widely, the biggest smile yet, while Kyou looks like his entire day has been thrown off track. He's still scowling, but there's no real anger behind it.
The sky above them darkens as night descends fully, the city lights coming alive like a thousand scattered stars.
"I'll remember this forever," Yua teases, the wind playing with her hair.
Kyou huffs. "You better not."
🌀 End Of Chapter Thirty Three