CHAPTER 28: Farewell to the past

Sana's belongings were already packed neatly in the car, a visible sign of her impending departure. The weight of what was happening hit her all at once. It wasn't just her things she was leaving behind; it was the life she had known for so long. Her heart felt heavy, but she tried to keep her emotions in check. But now, the hardest part was here—saying goodbye.

Her mother, who had always been her quiet strength, opened her arms first. Sana melted into her embrace, her tears barely contained as her mother kissed her forehead gently. "Be brave, Sana," she whispered. "You'll be fine. We're always here for you." The words were reassuring, but her mother's soft, teary voice betrayed her own sadness.

Sana nodded, sniffling slightly, and then turned to her father. Her dad had always been her pillar, her first companion, and her partner in every sense of the word. He was more than just a parent; he was her confidant, the one who shared her joys, her fears, and even her silliness. He had never let the weight of tradition or society's rules bind her spirit. He let her be free. She could still remember their little moments—like that day at her school when she didn't have a dance partner for an activity. She had been too shy to ask anyone, and as she stood alone, feeling small and insignificant, her father had stepped in. He held her tiny hand and twirled her around the dance floor. The memory of the crowd cheering and clapping for them always filled her heart with warmth. He had always been there, her protector, her greatest fan.

Sana's voice cracked as she tried to speak. "Dad…" was all she managed before the tears began to flow freely. She fell into his arms, burying her face into his chest, and he held her close. Her father wasn't one for showing vulnerability, but even he couldn't hold back the tears this time. His arms wrapped around her, tight and protective, as if he could somehow shield her from the challenges ahead.

"You'll do great, kid," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We've got your back, always."

The three of them came together in a final family hug, and Sana felt the loss even before she had physically left. She would miss this warmth, this safety.

After a few more lingering moments, she stepped into the car, waving one last time. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and as they drove off, she watched her parents until they faded from view. The familiar streets of her home blurred past the window as they headed toward a new chapter of her life.

Satoru sat next to her, quietly observing. He didn't say much, sensing the storm of emotions brewing inside her. He wanted to comfort her, to somehow break the silence, but he wasn't sure how. Instead, he just stole glances, noticing how her hands trembled slightly. After about ten minutes of driving, Sana seemed to calm down a little, her breath steadying. Satoru wanted to say something, but decided against it, letting her have her space.

After a while, the assistant spoke up from the front seat. "I need to get the car checked real quick. It won't take long."

Satoru gave a quick nod. "Alright."

The car turned into a quieter, more industrial area lined with machine shops and garages. It wasn't a place people visited often—quiet, almost desolate. The assistant parked the car and handed it over to a mechanic for inspection.

Sana stepped out of the car, stretching her legs. As she gazed around, something—or rather, someone—caught her eye. Her breath hitched. It was someone she hadn't expected to see, someone who had once made her heart race, even now sending a jolt of adrenaline through her.

It was Akagi.

Before she could think, her legs moved on their own, carrying her toward him. "Akagi-kun!" she called out, her voice a mix of surprise and joy.

Satoru, leaning casually against the car, watched her with a puzzled expression but didn't intervene. He trusted Sana, though this sudden encounter intrigued him.

Akagi hadn't noticed her approach, his back turned as he worked on a machine part in the garage. When he finally turned around, his eyes widened in surprise, and then something warmer—an almost dangerous glint—crossed his features.

"Sana?" he asked, a slow smile spreading across his face. "What are you doing here?"

The sound of his voice made Sana's heart race. She hadn't seen him in so long, but the feelings she had buried inside began to bubble up. "I… I didn't expect to see you here," she stammered, her pulse quickening.

Akagi leaned back, wiping his hands on a cloth, his gaze never leaving her. "Neither did I. You just can't stay away from me, huh?"

His teasing tone made her smile, but it also made her uneasy. There was something different about him now, something darker beneath the surface.

They fell into an easy conversation, though there was an unspoken tension between them.

After what felt like hours but was only minutes, Sana realized she had stayed far too long. She stood up abruptly, remembering Satoru was waiting. "I should get back," she said, turning to leave.

But as soon as she moved, Akagi grabbed her wrist, pulling her back with surprising force. His sudden touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"Why are you leaving so soon?" he asked, his voice low and intimate.

Sana blinked, startled by the intensity in his gaze. "Akagi, I… I really have to go," she said, though her voice was unsure.

He took a step closer, closing the space between them. "I told you to stay away from me before, didn't I?" he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. His hands tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. "So why are you here?"

His words were a mix of accusation and desire, and they made her heart race in confusion and excitement. There was something dangerous in his tone, something wild. She had never seen this side of Akagi before, and it both thrilled and terrified her.

"I… I didn't mean to—" Sana tried to explain, but Akagi's gaze had darkened with something else entirely. His hands moved to her back, pressing her firmly against the wall of the garage.

"You drive me insane, Sana," he whispered, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his breath. "You know I can't control myself when you're around."

Sana's mind was spinning. She knew she should push him away, that this was wrong, but the way he looked at her, the way he touched her—it ignited something deep inside her that she hadn't realized was there. She was torn between the thrill of the moment and the knowledge that this wasn't right.

Before she could make a decision, Akagi leaned in, capturing her lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. It was nothing like the sweet, hesitant kiss of the past. This kiss was hungry, desperate, filled with a need that bordered on obsession. His hands roamed her body, holding her tightly, almost possessively, as if he was afraid to let her go.

Sana gasped against his mouth, her mind a blur of conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to push him away, to stop this before it went too far, but another part of her—one that she barely recognized—responded to him, her body leaning into his, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt.

Akagi deepened the kiss, pressing her harder against the wall. His hands traveled down her sides, gripping her waist with enough force to leave marks. He pulled away slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. His expression was wild, his breath ragged.

"You know I'm no good for you, right?" he whispered, his voice filled with a dark kind of passion. "But I can't stop."

Sana's heart pounded in her chest, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and desire. She knew she should stop this, that she should walk away, but she couldn't. Not now. Not after everything.

Just as quickly as it had begun, Akagi pulled back, stepping away from her, as if realizing what he had done. He ran a hand through his hair, his expression torn between regret and frustration.

"You should go, Sana," he said, his voice rough. "I told you before, we're no good together."

Sana stood there, stunned, her body still tingling from his touch. "Sana," he breathed her name like a confession, his voice low and rough. "I don't know how to do this."

His words caught her off guard. She blinked, her heart beating faster, though she wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else entirely. "Do what?" she whispered, afraid of the answer, yet desperate to know.

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "This. You." His hand dropped, brushing against her waist, but it wasn't possessive this time. There was a gentleness to it, as though he was afraid she might slip away. "I can't stop thinking about you. Every damn time I try to push you away, you just pull me back in. It's like I'm stuck in this… loop."

Akagi's voice cracked at the end, the vulnerability in his words a stark contrast to the intensity she was used to seeing in him. Sana could hardly breathe. She had never seen him like this—so torn, so raw. His bravado, the confident façade he always wore, was crumbling right before her eyes.

"Then why push me away at all?" Sana asked, her voice small but firm. "If you feel this way, why can't we—"

"Because I don't know how to love you the way you deserve," Akagi interrupted, his voice rising. His grip tightened around her wrist, then softened just as quickly. "I'll ruin you, Sana. I'll ruin everything."

There it was. The fear. The thing he had been holding back all along. His self-loathing, his inability to believe that he could be worthy of her. Sana's heart ached at the sight of him like this, battling his demons, his anger, his past—battling himself.

She reached up, gently placing her hand on his cheek. "You won't ruin me," she said softly. "You're not as broken as you think you are."

He flinched at her touch, almost as if her words hurt more than any insult she could throw at him. "Sana…" His voice was a plea now, broken, and full of the turmoil he had kept buried for so long. "I want you. God, I want you more than anything. But I can't keep dragging you into my mess. It's not fair."

Sana swallowed hard. She could feel the weight of his words pressing down on her, the internal struggle raging inside him. He wanted to keep her, to pull her close and never let her go. But the walls he had built, the guilt he carried, made him feel like he couldn't.

"You don't have to be perfect, Akagi," she said, her voice shaking slightly. "I never wanted perfect. I just wanted you."

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes—hope, maybe. A glimmer of something softer, something that spoke to the part of him that wanted to believe her. But just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by that same haunted look.

"I'm not enough," he said, almost to himself, his hands falling to his sides. "I'll never be enough for you."

Sana shook her head, stepping closer. "You don't get to decide that. I get to choose who I want in my life, and I choose you. If you want me too, then stop running."

Akagi stared at her for a long moment, the conflict in his eyes tearing him apart. He wanted her, but the darkness inside him kept him from believing he could ever deserve her. And yet, he couldn't bear the thought of her walking away, of her being with someone else. He was trapped in the space between wanting her all to himself and knowing that letting her go might be the best thing he could ever do for her.

His hands, now trembling, cupped her face, pulling her close enough that their foreheads touched. "I don't know if I can let you go," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But if I don't, I'll destroy everything good about you."

Sana's breath hitched. She could feel the raw emotion in his words, the battle he was fighting to protect her even from himself. Her hands reached up, covering his. "You won't destroy me, Akagi. You'll make me stronger. Together."

He closed his eyes, his breath shaky, as though the weight of her words was too much to bear. Slowly, his hands slid from her face to her shoulders, and then down to her waist, pulling her against him. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to be vulnerable, to hold her like he had wanted to for so long. His lips pressed against her forehead, gentle and tender.

But then, just as quickly, he let her go, stepping back, his eyes clouded with something like regret. "I can't do this," he muttered, his voice cracking under the pressure of his decision. "I'm sorry, Sana. You deserve better than this—better than me."

Sana's heart dropped, the warmth of his touch fading as he backed away. She felt like the ground was being pulled out from under her, like the one thing she had fought so hard for was slipping through her fingers. "Akagi…" she started, but the words caught in her throat.

"I'll only hurt you more if I stay," he said, the anguish in his voice unmistakable. He turned away from her, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't let you fall for someone like me. I'm not worth it."

Sana stood there, frozen, the weight of his words crashing down on her. She wanted to scream, to tell him he was wrong, that he was worth it, but she could see the pain in his eyes, the way his heart was breaking just as much as hers was.

Akagi took a deep breath, forcing himself to walk away, even though every step felt like it was tearing him apart. He paused at the door of the garage, his back to her. "You'll be better off without me," he said softly, his voice barely audible. "I won't drag you down with me."

And then, without looking back, he walked away, leaving Sana standing there, her heart shattered into pieces.

For a long moment, Sana couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. And it felt like a part of her had gone with him.

But even as the pain washed over her, a quiet determination began to rise within her. She couldn't force Akagi to stay, couldn't make him believe that he was worthy of love. But she could love him anyway, even if it meant loving him from afar.

As she turned and walked back toward the car, where Satoru waited silently, she realized that this wasn't just about Akagi anymore. It was about her, too. She had fought for so long to keep everything together, to be the strong one. But now, she had to be strong for herself. And that meant letting go, even if it hurt.

Satoru was watching her, his expression unreadable. He didn't say anything as she approached, just opened the door for her to get in. He had seen enough to understand what had happened, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

The assistant finished with the car and started driving them to Jujutsu High. The tension in the car was thick, almost suffocating, but neither Sana nor Satoru spoke.

As they approached the entrance of the school, Satoru finally broke the silence. "This is it," he said softly, his tone filled with meaning. "Your new beginning" 

Sana nodded, trying to shake off the lingering feelings Akagi had left in her. She looked up at the school, a place that symbolized a fresh start, a future she was determined to embrace.

She turned to Satoru, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you... for everything."

Satoru smiled, his usual playful demeanor softening into something more genuine. "You don't have to thank me. Just live. That's all I ask."

Without hesitation, he offered her his hand. Sana hesitated only for a moment before taking it, his warmth grounding her, giving her the strength she needed to step forward. They took out the luggage. 

Together, they walked through the gates of Jujutsu High. Whatever lay ahead, Sana was ready to face it.