Chapter 45: Apologies and Forgiveness

Akira woke up feeling better, the poison was finally out of his system. However, he felt guilty for keeping his condition a secret from his team, which put them all in danger.

He got up and went outside where he found the rest of the team sitting together. They all looked at him as he approached them. Yori was the first to speak up, "We were all worried about you, Akira. Why didn't you tell us you were poisoned?"

Akira took a deep breath and looked at each of them in the eyes. "I didn't want to worry you guys. I thought I could handle it on my own."

Yori shook her head, "That's not how we operate. We're a team, we work together and support each other. If one of us is in trouble, we help each other out."

Kumiho added, "We were all concerned about you, Akira. We didn't know what was going on, and that's not a good feeling."

Hana hopped off Akira's shoulder and sat on the ground, "You scared me, Akira. I thought I was going to lose you."

Sayuri, who had been silent, finally spoke up, "We forgive you, Akira. But next time, please tell us when something is wrong. We're here to help each other."

Akira bowed his head, "I'm sorry, everyone. I promise I won't keep anything from you again."

Yori stood up and put her hand on Akira's shoulder, "We know you didn't mean any harm, Akira. We're a team, and we forgive each other's mistakes. Let's continue on this journey together."

Akira looked up and smiled, "Thank you, Yori. I'm lucky to have all of you by my side."

With that, the team continued their journey, with a stronger bond than ever before. Akira had learned the importance of communication and trust, and he knew that they could overcome any obstacle as long as they worked together.