Chapter 43. Maki (Part 1)

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"I thought there were no secrets between us," came a voice from behind me.

My body tensed up immediately.

Damn!

The sounds of the night seemed to vanish all at once, and my mind raced through every possible scenario. But as I turned around, I couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"Oops," I muttered.

There stood Maki, casually leaning against the wall, like she'd been watching me for a while. The dim light around her felt like it belonged there, and for a second, I could've sworn she was part of the mist — a shadow, unseen until she decided to make herself known. But that was always Maki — stealthy and low-key, until it suited her to step into the spotlight.

Ever since she fully unlocked her Heavenly Restriction, her demeanor, her behavior, even her personality had undergone a profound shift. It's not like she became a different person — no, she was still Maki. But her newfound strength brought with it a confidence that radiated through everything she did. From the way she stood to the determined look in her eyes, full of power, it was impossible to overlook now. She was like a mountain: unmovable, something you could either lean on or crash against.

"Don't you 'oops' me," she said, pushing off the wall and taking a step toward me. "Those two cute little girls are gone now, so there's no one left to stand up for you."

I could stand up for myself… But saying that would be like hitting the self-destruct button right now. Better to stay quiet.

"How much did you hear?" I asked, the more pressing question now, trying to figure out how much I could tell her and what I should keep hidden.

"Enough to not be furious with you as my boyfriend, but still very displeased," she replied, her eyes calm, though that calmness only made the tension thicker.

Well, that's a hell of a way to put it… Not helpful at all.

"Where's Mechamaru?" I asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

Maki rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with my attempt to avoid the issue.

"You're not thinking about the right thing right now," she said, irritation creeping into her voice as she crossed her arms under her chest. That gesture… it was like she did it on purpose to draw my attention. Damn, she definitely knew what she was doing.

My eyes, of course, betrayed me. But then again, she wasn't much better!

I caught her disapproving glare, but there was a faint, almost teasing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Her expression said "No," but her body language practically screamed, "Oh God, yes, keep going!" This was the confidence I was talking about! Who would've thought that the tough, stubborn girl would actually enjoy me checking her out?

Alright, I'll regret this later, but…

"If you want the truth," I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "I'd rather keep this between us. Not that I don't trust him, but… you know, he's a bit of a special case."

Maki narrowed her eyes, as if she was assessing my honesty. But after a small sigh, she brought a hand to her ear, likely tapping her communication device.

"He's fine. Stand down," she said curtly, signaling that external surveillance was no longer in play.

"You sure he's not peeking? He's pretty nosy," I added with a smirk, waiting for her reaction.

Maki looked at me like I'd just said something completely inappropriate. What can I say? Every now and then, I manage to surprise her with my innuendos, though they rarely work in my favor. Still, she sighed and gave in, clearly not wanting to drag things out any longer.

"Mechamaru," she spoke into her communicator again, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Sukehiro and I… we'd like some time alone."

Unbelievable. Just earlier today, she had confidently sat on my lap and teased me in a way no one ever had, and now here she was, blushing with embarrassment. But still, it was nice to see — she only showed this vulnerable side to me.

There was a brief pause, and she must've gotten a response.

"I hope you got that," Maki continued, her voice back to its usual firmness. "Because if not, I'll break those new legs of yours."

I could barely hold back a laugh. Typical Maki — threatening to break a guy's prosthetics the moment he got them. That was my fiery girl.

Once she put the communicator away, silence fell over us again. We stood there under the starry sky, and for a moment, it felt like the world had slowed down. The noise of everything around us seemed to fade into the background, but the real issue wasn't the setting — it was me. I had no idea what to say. I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to tell her everything. That's why I made the effort to get Mechamaru out of the picture — so I'd have no excuses. But it didn't make things any easier.

The internal struggle continued.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me?" Her voice cut through the night again, pulling me back to reality.

I froze for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Her gaze, usually so full of strength and confidence, had softened, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

God, I'm such a bastard…

I'd known from the start that our relationship wasn't going to last as long as I wanted it to. And yet, driven by my own selfishness, I eagerly accepted the fact that Maki had returned my feelings. I had knowingly chosen a path no one would support — a path that was radical and merciless. I knew it would push away everyone close to me, and in the end, I'd be left alone. But even so, I allowed myself the foolish indulgence of getting drunk on Maki's emotions, of losing myself in them.

In that moment, I hadn't even thought of her…

"This wasn't how it was supposed to go," I sighed, shifting my gaze from Maki to the moon hanging over the city. Its cold light seemed even more detached now.

But how was it supposed to go?

Was I meant to hide the truth from her all this time, only for it to come out at the very last moment? Was I planning to drag out our relationship for as long as I could? When had I become this selfish? When had I stopped caring about how she felt?

Maki stood beside me, her presence almost tangible, but I was too lost in my thoughts. Questions kept spinning in my mind, and I had no answers.

"I don't think this will make you feel any better," her voice pulled me out of my thoughts again, "but I've known for a while that you were hiding something… That's why I rushed over here so quickly."

"I guess I'm not such a good liar," I tried to smile, but even I could tell it was forced.

"No," she shook her head, her gaze sharp and unwavering, just like always. "You're actually pretty good at lying. But lately, whenever you're around, I can tell something's eating away at you. And after watching how you've been acting, and seeing everything that's happening now, I figured it out."

I turned away again, letting my eyes drift back to the moon. It hung there, cold and distant, a constant reminder of decisions I'd made long ago but had yet to follow through on.

Tell the truth, or end it all right here and now?

"There are things I don't want to tell you... because I love you," I said reluctantly, turning my gaze back to Maki and meeting her almond-shaped eyes.

"That's not fair," she responded immediately, not even pausing to think. "You know almost everything about me, but what about me? You rarely talk about what bothers you. You barely mention your childhood. And you never tell me what you're really striving for. Why?" That last word — why — was filled with so much sadness that, for the first time in a long while, I felt a genuine pang of guilt.

When did I become this way? When did I stop thinking about her feelings?

"To be honest…" I hesitated, gathering my thoughts. "I fought so hard to be with you, I can't stand the thought of letting you go. But maybe… maybe that's exactly what I should do."

Maki stayed quiet, listening.

Damn it. She's going to find out anyway — sooner or later. It's better if she hears it from me. Better now than from someone else. She deserves that much.

"We're on different paths, Maki," I began, knowing these words could change everything. "From the beginning, we've been different, no matter what Satoru said. You've spent your whole life fighting against ostracism and judgment. Your drive comes from proving everyone wrong. You fight to move forward. And me… honestly, I couldn't care less about the great families or their rules. They've never affected me. What concerns me isn't their fate — it's the fate of sorcerers as a whole. My path, my goal… it's much bigger, much harsher, and far darker."

Maki cut me off suddenly, her voice firm but without a hint of malice:

"I won't leave you because we have different views or because of your past. I won't walk away just because we have different motivations. But…" She stepped closer, so close I could feel the heat of her presence. Her face was just inches from mine, and her eyes locked onto mine like she could see right through me. "I will walk away if you're not honest with me. If you won't tell me what's really going on. Who cares about common goals? That's boring. Typical. I could take down the Zenin clan all by myself. But I like being with you. You make me better. And… I hope I do the same for you. What we have? It's special. And you have no idea how far I'm willing to go for us."

Maki had always been straightforward, strong, ready to face any challenge head-on. But now, in this moment, I saw something different in her. Vulnerability. Openness. And that scared me more than I could have ever imagined.

I looked at her for what felt like an eternity, though it was only a second before I made my decision...