25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP4vLC4pku
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGf4m0okFlV
The image of the woman lingered in her mind, laughing, as if the woman had been there forever, killing people. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYV1M7tIZE
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvM9MHr1pL
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFg9byllOz
"I have to let him survive..." she mumbled to herself before lying back down and drifting into an uneasy sleep. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj23HywpIg1
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..." 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVzW60moex
Akira suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She struggled to calm herself, her body sweating. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1Q3trRdp3
Kanzaki stirred a bit and sat up, looking at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX9mO14YpF
"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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfe1IwmBX5
Kanzaki stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Weird... What did you experience, Akira?" he wondered, biting his bottom lip. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1eI9ZAIxD
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEVVwnRRa3
He slipped out of bed carefully, to not wake her up, and made his way to the bathroom. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkL1gdNaEu
As he splashed cold water on his face, he exhaled. When he looked at the mirror, his heart nearly stopped. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLDhNwmOQr
She was there... Standing behind him. Silent. Motionless. Black fog started appearing everywhere, making him unable to see. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyxWSjozy6
Slowly, he turned around, stepping back. He knew it, she was here to make a deal. "Go away..." he muttered, trembling. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdFmjCDfNm
The woman stepped closer, her presence suffocating. Leaning in, she whispered, "Leave the girl alone... I'll leave Kawasaki then." 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksdRaMkIpO
"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!" 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6acGZrjcP
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQn2ttT3Bkn
"My father in exchange for Akira? Hell no!" he yelled. The decision was made. The woman chuckled before vanishing into thin air. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7H22c0aS3h
Kanzaki stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His hands trembled as he observed the room. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUcJmx0feO2
"No footprints..." he whispered to himself. "Is she really a ghost...?" Kanzaki stood there, thinking about who the woman really was. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdGSIwPkRm
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagMIGeMQqB
He looked up at her for a brief moment. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his tone casual. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzU5L24jY0
He was hesitating to tell her something. Akira nodded but didn't reply. Her mind replayed what they experienced at night. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhku3PxvVkw
Kanzaki stopped writing, setting the pen down. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn51NOrjvwc
"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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQF2MMbZynK
She knew it was true. Kanzaki wasn't stupid. He could see the truth. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMtGjQSuho
"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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfGclrGN2x
"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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK98nWmOM2
Akira stared at the ground, trying to accept it. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bIoAZqBrQ
She finally looked up, her voice lower than a whisper. "Will you come with me?" 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aZOFsg1v4
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6RLJg09Im
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MBHGu3sLe
She reached out her pinky. Kanzaki's face darkened for a moment, thinking about the weight of the situation. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEpzoxWMpk
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztHUAJVyXk
For the first time in a while, Kanzaki smiled, actually glad. "I'll make sure of it," he said quietly as he stood up. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfADAuryj3
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYGOMJdfgd
The silence between them was heavy until Akira spoke up. "We'll still talk on KakaoTalk, right?" she asked. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Zug5Saxd
"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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtpPX3yeHK
"I wish I just dared to tell him how I really feel... I... I just can't live without him..." she thinks, dozing off. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk11J1q309l
"Mrs. Daydreamer, you know we're walking right now, don't you?'' Kanzaki asks, startling her. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKf2zMaI1V
''Yeah, I do. Sorry,'' she answers. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5AJIMmbW6M
Kanzaki frowns. "What are you even apologizing for, baka" he asks, staring at her as if he was trying to look into her soul. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQUtPGh73l
"Shut up," Akira says, grinning. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Wzm31G9f0
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. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoxvOJFub1
Kanzaki bought a ticket for Akira. Moments later, the train arrived with a blue-and-white exterior. The doors opened. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3Dmrdg356
"Sayonara, Akira. I wish you the best," Kanzaki said, about to leave. Akira hugged him tightly. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWr0qcs1zD
"Goodbye, Kanzaki," she whispered. As she pulled away, she snapped a picture of him before disappearing into the crowd. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEzRxeDw3A7
"Kamii-sama... If you're listening... Please protect Akira..." Kanzaki murmured, his voice quiet with hope. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUYdDIz5j4
With a final glance at the crowd, he turned and left the station. There was an itching sensation in his heart. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmclVrYlaTM
Walking home alone felt different. With Akira by his side, it had always felt lively, full of purpose. 25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPWlbmJOFR
Now, it felt quiet. "If no one stops it, then I will..." he thought, his determination growing.
