[54] You are not alone anymore

Kaoru knew that everything had resolved far faster than he had anticipated. In less than a week, the entire power network of the Ishiyama family had collapsed, and the city was now free of their influence.

With a cold smile, Kaoru turned away and leave the rooftop, leaving the chaos he had orchestrated behind him. To Kaoru, this was just another episode in the life he had led —without regret, without doubt, and without mercy.

Only Asuka remained.

---

At the same time that Kaoru was watching Takuto's sly movements, Asuka revealed the truth to Kousuke, her stepbrother and childhood friend.

The evening sky on the school rooftop appeared dim, as if it absorbed the tension between Asuka and Kousuke. A soft breeze carried the faint sounds of the city far below. Asuka stood resolute in front of Kousuke, her eyes filled with determination, though a hint of doubt lingered—doubt rooted in the memories of their childhood.

Kousuke, standing not far from her, seemed stiff. His usually gentle eyes now gleamed with pain and suppressed anger. Every word Asuka was about to speak felt like a dagger ready to pierce his heart.

"Asuka..." Kousuke attempted to start the conversation, but his voice was hoarse. Asuka, who used to call him by the affectionate nickname "Kou-kun," now addressed him formally. That hurt Kousuke even more.

"Asuka, you don't have to—"

But Asuka cut him off. She had already made her decision.

"Kousuke..." Asuka bowed her head briefly, then raised it again, her face full of courage. "I've fallen in love with someone else."

The words crashed over Kousuke like thunder. Seconds passed in suffocating silence. Kousuke clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. He wanted to speak, to say something, but his tongue was tied. His mind wandered back to the past, when they were children, running around in the backyard, laughing together, making sweet promises that now felt so fragile.

Asuka continued, her voice trembling slightly. "When you caught us before... I knew your feelings, Kousuke. I knew. And that's why I have to tell you the truth now. I can't accept your feelings anymore."

Kousuke stepped back, as if Asuka's words had struck him with full force. Their past, the memories of the promises they once made, now felt like nothing more than a childhood illusion.

"Do you remember?" Asuka went on, her voice softening, full of nostalgia. "Back then, you promised you would marry me. I was so happy. I believed with all my heart that we'd be together forever. But... things have changed."

Kousuke's face tensed, trying to hold back the pain that was tearing at his heart. Asuka sighed deeply, then with firm resolve, she said, "I want to walk a different path. My feelings have changed. I've given my heart to someone else."

Kousuke finally bowed his head, his voice faint but filled with restrained emotion. "So... this is the end of everything? Our promises, our childhood... none of it meant anything?"

Asuka closed her eyes, fighting back tears that threatened to fall. "It's not that it didn't mean anything, Kousuke. Our past is part of who we are now. But... we can't keep living in the past."

Kousuke's eyes grew misty, his heart shattering into pieces. He had once imagined a future where he and Asuka would always be together, but the reality in front of him was too bitter to accept. "Who is it... the person you love?"

Asuka hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should answer, but finally, she whispered, "Kaoru."

The name pierced Kousuke's ears like an invisible dagger. Kaoru, the person who not only disrupted his life but also took away the one he cherished most.

With a heavy breath, Kousuke weakly nodded, turning away without saying another word. "I understand..." was the last thing he uttered before walking away, leaving Asuka alone on the school rooftop, with the evening breeze seemingly carrying the sorrow of them both.

Asuka watched as Kousuke's figure grew more distant, and in her heart, there was an undeniable sense of regret. But she knew this was the right choice. After all, forcing love would only lead to deeper wounds.

---

The night was late, and the city had started to sink into silence, interrupted only by the soft rustling of the wind weaving between the tall buildings. The clock struck two in the morning when Kaoru, who had just finished his brutal cleanup of the Ishiyama family, now stood in front of a penthouse door marked Koukawa Asuka. His face, usually full of confidence, now appeared somewhat tense. There was something different about tonight—a feeling in his heart he wasn't used to.

Kaoru had taken on the identity of Hatoru Danzou during the cleanup operation, sending a clear and resounding message to anyone thinking of opposing him. But now, he wasn't facing an enemy. He was here for something far more personal. And that made him nervous.

He glanced at the CCTV camera mounted in the hallway. Though he knew he could erase any footage with the magic he possessed, there was an irony in the fact that he was sneaking into the apartment of the person he loved. He didn't care about the risks, because his focus was solely on Asuka—the woman waiting behind the door.

Kaoru took a deep breath, his fingers trembling slightly as he knocked softly. Only a faint sound echoed in the quiet night. He could feel his heart beating faster than usual, something that rarely happened in his perilous life.

'Why am I like this?' Kaoru thought. 'I've faced enemies far scarier than this, so why does this feel like the hardest fight?'

Not long after his knock, footsteps could be heard from inside. The door opened slowly, revealing Asuka, still awake in the middle of the night. She wore simple sleepwear, but under the dim light of her apartment, she looked so graceful and calm.

"Asuka..." Kaoru tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse.

Asuka looked at him for a moment, her eyes holding an unspoken warmth. "I've been waiting for you," she said softly, yet confidently. She wasn't surprised by Kaoru's presence, as if she had expected him all along.

Kaoru swallowed hard, trying to quell his nervousness. "I... I just wanted to make sure you're okay," he said, searching for an excuse. But Asuka knew better. She understood there was more to it than just concern.

"Come in," Asuka said gently, opening the door a bit wider to let him in.

Kaoru stepped inside, his heart still filled with emotions he didn't fully understand. The atmosphere in Asuka's penthouse was peaceful and warm, a stark contrast to the dark world he had just left behind a few hours ago.

The two of them sat in the living room. Asuka poured warm tea, adding to the warmth of the quiet night. "I heard about what you did tonight," Asuka said suddenly, catching Kaoru slightly off guard.

He smiled weakly, but there was no sign of regret in him. "I only did what was necessary," he replied briefly.

Asuka looked at him deeply, as if searching for something behind the cold mask Kaoru wore. "Kaoru, why do you always do everything on your own? Why do you never let anyone into your life?"

The question struck Kaoru. He stared at the teacup in his hands, remaining silent for a moment before finally answering. "I... maybe I'm not worthy of it."

Asuka shook her head and moved closer to him. "No one is unworthy, Kaoru. You just need to learn not to carry everything on your own."

The silence continued to envelop the room, as if the outside world meant nothing compared to this moment between the two of them. Kaoru's thoughts drifted back to his past, when he played the role of a hero in another world. The persona he had built in that world—cold, brutal, calculating—had kept him distant from many people. His face might have been handsome, but the dangerous aura that always surrounded him made others hesitate to approach.

'I've grown too accustomed to fighting alone,' Kaoru thought. 'But in this world, everything feels different... especially when I'm with her.'

Asuka broke his reverie when she suddenly reached for his hand. Her movements were gentle yet firm, as if she wanted to reassure him of something. Without words, she placed Kaoru's hand on her cheek. Her skin felt warm and soft under his touch, and his heartbeat, which had been steady, now quickened.

"Asuka..." Kaoru tried to speak, but his words caught in his throat.

Their eyes met, and Kaoru could feel something more than just nostalgia or old friendship. There was warmth and affection there, something he might have ignored or been too afraid to admit.

"Asuka, why...?"

Asuka gave a faint smile, but her eyes conveyed a depth of emotion beyond the soft expression. "Kaoru, I know how you feel. I've seen it in your eyes for a long time. But you always close yourself off, as if you don't deserve anything but loneliness."

Those words hit Kaoru hard. He had always felt that his role as a protector, both in the other world and in this one, was the only thing that mattered. That happiness or personal relationships were distractions he couldn't afford. But standing before Asuka, that thought felt so small and insignificant.

"Asuka…" Kaoru murmured, this time his voice was softer, almost a whisper. The hand still resting on Asuka's cheek trembled slightly, unsure of what to do. But Asuka held it firmly, easing the doubt within him.

"You're not alone, Kaoru," Asuka said again. Her voice was so gentle yet filled with honesty. "You don't have to bear everything on your own. You can share your burdens, just like you did with me before."

Kaoru looked deeply into Asuka's eyes. There was something there he couldn't resist, a feeling he had hidden for too long that was now pressing to be acknowledged. He knew this wasn't just about the past or simple nostalgia. It was about their relationship now—a connection far deeper than he had ever imagined.

Without much thought, Kaoru moved his other hand, gently stroking Asuka's hair. Slowly, he leaned toward her, and in a few moments that felt like an eternity, their lips almost touched.

But at the last second, Kaoru stopped. He took a deep breath, trying to control the sudden urge that had surfaced. "Asuka, I... I'm afraid I'll ruin everything."

Asuka looked at him with eyes full of warmth, then smiled—a smile filled with understanding. "You won't ruin anything, Kaoru. You just need to believe that you deserve this—that you deserve love, and that you deserve not to feel alone anymore."

Those words pierced the walls Kaoru had built around himself for so long. And before he realized it, the distance between them vanished, their lips finally meeting in a kiss that was soft yet filled with pent-up emotions. The kiss felt like a release from all the tension he had been holding onto, as if in that moment, all his doubts and loneliness disappeared.

Asuka pulled Kaoru closer, their bodies touching in an inevitable warmth. There were no more words that needed to be spoken. The two of them simply lost themselves in the moment, feeling a closeness that went beyond the physical—a connection of souls that had been neglected for far too long.

Time seemed to slow down. It was just the two of them, together in the quiet of the night. For the first time in his life, Kaoru felt that he was no longer alone.