50Please respect copyright.PENANAK8s5I9iNyP
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.