The night was too quiet. The kind of quiet where even her own heartbeat felt deafening.
Aika sat frozen on the steps, tears still streaking her face, when Kaito tilted her chin upward with a single finger. His touch was feather-light, but her body jolted like he'd shocked her.
"You put up such a fight," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "But in the end, you always find your way back here."
Her breath hitched. "I didn't— I didn't come for you."
"Didn't you?" His smirk curved, sharp and knowing. "You ran from the crowd, but you didn't hide. You wanted me to find you."
"That's not true." Her voice trembled, but the words rang hollow. Even to her.
---
He sat beside her, close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. Not forcing, not demanding — just there, filling every inch of her space.
"You hate me," Kaito said softly. "But you can't stop thinking about me."
Her pulse pounded in her ears. His words weren't lies; they were daggers carved from truth.
She tried to pull away, but his hand caught hers, firm yet unhurried. "Aika." His tone dropped, deeper, heavier. "Do you really want me to let go?"
Her lips parted, but no sound came. The war inside her burned hotter than ever — fear clashing with something darker, something she didn't dare name.
---
The silence stretched. His thumb brushed over her knuckles, slow, deliberate. A caress disguised as a trap.
"You see?" Kaito whispered, leaning close enough that his breath stirred her hair. "Even your silence betrays you."
Her chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. She should scream. She should slap him, run, tell Mina everything.
But she didn't.
Instead, her eyes locked on his — those sharp, dangerous eyes — and in them she saw not just the predator… but the boy behind the mask. Wounded. Lonely. Starving for control because without it, he was nothing.
That was the most terrifying part of all.
---
And before she could stop herself, Aika whispered, "I don't know what I want."
Kaito's smirk faded into something unreadable. For a moment, the game slipped. And then, with a low chuckle, he stood, releasing her hand.
"That's the first honest thing you've said to me, rabbit."
He turned to leave, but his words lingered like chains around her throat.
"Next time, don't lie to yourself. Or I'll make the choice for you."
---