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After making a lot of jokes and talking, Kanzaki finally felt tired. He set up a bed for Akira and then collapsed onto his own bed, falling asleep. Akira, stayed awake, lying on her left side. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKtz44y3tJ
The image of the woman lingered in her mind, laughing, as if the woman had been there forever, killing people. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHoddO96YY
Akira felt so vulnerable, so weak... The woman was on a whole other level, she wasn't human at all... A threat to Japan, that's what she was. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20VzvAIUDR
The thought was humiliating, and it caused Akira to hurt herself, just to escape reality... She wished she could turn back time and stop all of this. If she could... She sat up, looking at Kanzaki, her mind racing. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1VWGb2p5s
"I have to let him survive..." she mumbled to herself before lying back down and drifting into an uneasy sleep. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfOUemJu3Y
A chilling voice whispered, cold. "You will not escape from me... I am the queen of the Yurei, my lovely feast. We will meet soon enough, Akira... Please be ready to be another decoration in the forest..." 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV1lPNYWic
Akira suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She struggled to calm herself, her body sweating. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjykODB0in
Kanzaki stirred a bit and sat up, looking at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHfvFnZ0yK
"It's fine, just a nightmare," she answered quickly, pulling the blanket over her face, hoping to protect herself from the fear. She fell asleep once again. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDlCWMf3toA
Kanzaki stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Weird... What did you experience, Akira?" he wondered, biting his bottom lip. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciTjqIHn9Q
The sunlight was seen through the brown curtains. Kanzaki stirred awake, stretching as his eyes adjusted to the light. He glanced at Akira, who was still asleep. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNdsbUwXPI
He slipped out of bed carefully, to not wake her up, and made his way to the bathroom. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafxN7LYysy
As he splashed cold water on his face, he exhaled. When he looked at the mirror, his heart nearly stopped. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyh6i9E4DZ
She was there... Standing behind him. Silent. Motionless. Black fog started appearing everywhere, making him unable to see. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSn9KgzPx26
Slowly, he turned around, stepping back. He knew it, she was here to make a deal. "Go away..." he muttered, trembling. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqL6NMjDEmm
The woman stepped closer, her presence suffocating. Leaning in, she whispered, "Leave the girl alone... I'll leave Kawasaki then." 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuI0vlzu5OI
"No!" Kanzaki snapped, his fear replaced by anger. "I won't let you get closer to her! What do you want from her?! You already ruined enough lives... everyone who entered that forest! You destroyed their happiness!" 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcB6VWA7dSU
The woman tilted her head, her lips curling into a smirk. "The people in the forest aren't dead... They're trapped in there. So is your father." Kanzaki's heart dropped, but his resolve didn't. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1h4yWzNVW
"My father in exchange for Akira? Hell no!" he yelled. The decision was made. The woman chuckled before vanishing into thin air. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpf9awqpf9
Kanzaki stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His hands trembled as he observed the room. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhTWahUCN2
"No footprints..." he whispered to himself. "Is she really a ghost...?" Kanzaki stood there, thinking about who the woman really was. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb3MrG6ohy
Akira woke up at 10 A.M., blinking rapidly. She rubbed her eyes and saw Kanzaki sitting on his bed, writing something in his notebook, focused. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1YZsJZx0b
He looked up at her for a brief moment. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his tone casual. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX8B5Z31Ak
He was hesitating to tell her something. Akira nodded but didn't reply. Her mind replayed what they experienced at night. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiN2Gkp9S0w
Kanzaki stopped writing, setting the pen down. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnPjt0G6lR
"Akira..." he began, his voice soft. "Something happened between you and that woman, am I right or am I wrong? I understand you don't want me to worry, but... You're her main goal." Akira's heartbeat slowed down. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLkMjFgqyO
She knew it was true. Kanzaki wasn't stupid. He could see the truth. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJOW0c2DgO
"I want you to leave Kawasaki. Go to another city or village... Tokyo, or anywhere. It doesn't matter," he continued, trying to hide the shaking of his hands as he crumpled up a piece of paper. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4DtCwhR765
"Just get out of Kawasaki. It's too dangerous here, so please... survive somewhere else," he said. His voice faltered slightly at the end, a mix of sadness and hope in it. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPLGOoI5RL
Akira stared at the ground, trying to accept it. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkltGOul7ej
She finally looked up, her voice lower than a whisper. "Will you come with me?" 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2GkOd1UxL
Kanzaki's answer was immediate. "No." The single word felt like a dagger in her heart, and Akira turned her face away to hide her face. She fought back the tears threatening to spill. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcMjYCsjUuy
A silence filled the room before she spoke again, almost yelling, "Then... you have to survive too!" Kanzaki blinked, surprised by her tone. "Promise?" she asked, looking at him with puppy eyes. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qwtxXaeLI
She reached out her pinky. Kanzaki's face darkened for a moment, thinking about the weight of the situation. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfKZIjCSoz
But after hesitation, he nodded and wrapped his pinky around hers. "Promise!" he said, his voice low. "Promise!" Akira repeated, her intensity higher than his. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMePjMBG20
For the first time in a while, Kanzaki smiled, actually glad. "I'll make sure of it," he said quietly as he stood up. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69TITsV9LS
After shopping with Akira, they packed everything into a dark blue luggage and explained part of the situation to Kanzaki's mother, Mio.
She was 35, born in Shibuya on October 22nd, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. She loves reading and makes the best dishes.
Mio understood and respected their decision. "I'll come back, mom!" Kanzaki informed before he closed the door behind him. "Let's go to Kawasaki Station. Stay safe, Akira," he whispered. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLW7uP9IWHo
The silence between them was heavy until Akira spoke up. "We'll still talk on KakaoTalk, right?" she asked. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqyHHuaJW7
"Yeah, of course. I'm not leaving you alone," he reassured her, smiling. Even though Akira felt relieved, she felt danger... The feeling that something bad would happen if she left. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPjJXyRsMj
"I wish I just dared to tell him how I really feel... I... I just can't live without him..." she thinks, dozing off. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FL34viCds
"Mrs. Daydreamer, you know we're walking right now, don't you?'' Kanzaki asks, startling her. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQoz7uwVrE
''Yeah, I do. Sorry,'' she answers. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg62PvhVFoN
Kanzaki frowns. "What are you even apologizing for, baka" he asks, staring at her as if he was trying to look into her soul. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg4rXTignA
"Shut up," Akira says, grinning. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPcreg6kNA
At Kawasaki Station. Footsteps echoed, announcements were played and a lot of people were talking. Neon lights and LED screens flickered, advertising everything. It smelled like coffee and people were rushing to trains every time one of them arrived. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZVow49hu9
Kanzaki bought a ticket for Akira. Moments later, the train arrived with a blue-and-white exterior. The doors opened. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaQnRu1yVO
"Sayonara, Akira. I wish you the best," Kanzaki said, about to leave. Akira hugged him tightly. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmY8rWSJGBD
"Goodbye, Kanzaki," she whispered. As she pulled away, she snapped a picture of him before disappearing into the crowd. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq4Z8BJZoI
"Kamii-sama... If you're listening... Please protect Akira..." Kanzaki murmured, his voice quiet with hope. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡug7dd4UUbg
With a final glance at the crowd, he turned and left the station. There was an itching sensation in his heart. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsTEfWwskp
Walking home alone felt different. With Akira by his side, it had always felt lively, full of purpose. 50Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOk2GrSBHs
Now, it felt quiet. "If no one stops it, then I will..." he thought, his determination growing.
