Kiss of death

Beneath the moonlight, his sculpture was finished, showing an extraordinary vehemence and ardor.

The sculpture was naturally the picture of Nezu, but unlike Nezu, who had always appeared amiable and gentle, he gave off a different image in this sculpture.

Nezu was like a beast. The claws on his two hands were sharp, and he roared.

This roar gave a lot of meaning, especially with many humans under him trying to grab him. Some wanted to kill him, catch him, and curse him. They were all trying to bring him down, but some were different. Some were kind, giving him kindness and giving him trust.

When this situation became one, it gave a different meaning to this roar, especially when his body was charred with wounds, rain, blood, and tears.

Nezu was enraged, yet he was also sad.

However, what Nezu wanted to do was just try to stay alive. He did nothing wrong, but everyone wanted to bring him down, using him for their selfishness, so he fought and struggled to bring down his opponents.

However, in his life, not all humans were bad. Many were gentle, and he once again believed in kindness.

Yet his life had never been easy, and this sculpture perfectly showed how hard his life was.

Kodai looked at the finished sculpture in a daze and couldn't say anything for a while. Her expression was blank, but her emotion almost burst out since she could feel many emotions growing inside her heart. She might not realize it, but she shed tears, and they couldn't be controlled.

Strong, yet weak.

Sad, yet vigorous.

Beautiful, yet ugly.

The two elements, which were impossible to merge, became one, yet it didn't feel forceful but natural.

He was able to sculpt such a poignant magnum opus.

"It's amazing."

"Right? This should be my best." He nodded and felt proud of his work since he felt this was the best sculpture that he had made, yet he didn't feel surprised since, unlike his previous sculptures, which he made for the sake of having fun, he poured his soul and emotions into this work since he felt Nezu was like him.

Nezu was an animal, and the world had never been kind to the animal, and many humans were also treated indifferently. The human world wasn't a place he belonged to, but he was forced to enter because he had a "Quirk."

While Nezu didn't want to, he had to since he was special, but a human was cruel and never thought of him as an individual but only a tool to satisfy their greed.

In the end, Nezu fought.

Mineta realized he had been overthinking and was blessed compared to Nezu. Yet he knew that similar to Nezu, this world wasn't suitable for him, so he decided to change it and fought.

"Isn't it too early for you to wake up?"

"I just happened to wake up, so I thought to check on you." Kodai looked at Mineta, who was still covered in sweat and couldn't help but show distress. "Have you been sculpting for the entire night?"

"I couldn't stop." He showed an awkward laugh, but then he thought, 'How do you change this world?' The only thing he knew was to become stronger, but besides that, he knew nothing.

"Then, hurry up and rest!"

"Okay."

He didn't bother to fight Kodai and spread the bamboo mat on the soft ground he had made using his "Carpentry Mastery" before. He lay there without hesitation and used his hand as a pillow. While he was quite well-off now, he wasn't so in the past, so he still retained his hobby like this.

"Why did you sleep here?" Kodai asked helplessly. It might be because she was worried about him that she hadn't talked with her usual "Mm!"

"I am going to sleep here. The air is nice, and the moon is beautiful."

If he entered, he was afraid he might entangle Kendo or Ibara, so he decided to sleep outside.

Kodai was helpless but said, "At least put on a blanket."

"No, it's okay. I don't feel cold."

"No, you have to! Wait for me here. I will take the blanket for you." Kodai didn't care about his answer and went to the hall to take the blanket.

He stared at her back and wondered about the feeling this girl felt toward him.

Kodai had always been taciturn and never showed much expression on her facial features. He didn't have a mind-reading ability, so it was impossible for him to guess what was inside her mind. The only thing he had was probably the confidence he could make any girl fall for him.

"......"

'What am I hesitating for?'

He had made up his mind for the greater cause. The wounds, infamy, and everything he bore were nothing. He thought for a moment before he did a test. He lay on the bamboo mat and closed his eyes as if he was sleeping.

Soon, Kodai returned with a blanket in her hands. "Mm..." She let out a long sigh, watching him sleep peacefully on the bamboo mat. She then gently put a blanket on him, so he wouldn't wake up before she observed his profile.

He slept so soundly, and there was a frown on his brows as if he was having a nightmare.

She frowned, feeling worried, before gently caressing his messy hair.

His expression was slightly at ease, and his breathing became gentler.

She smiled and was suddenly attracted by his lips. She stared at his lips for a while, hesitating, yet the thought of what had happened a few days ago reappeared in her mind. Her expression, voice, and everything made her blush, and it also made her heart dark.

She sat gently on the bamboo mat and caressed his hair, playing with his bangs for a while. By the time morning came, it was impossible for her to do this. When the morning came, their relationship would return to how it was. They were good friends, nothing more, and nothing else.

Yet she didn't have to complain, and she was satisfied.

She should be, yet her heart grew heavier and heavier as she could only see him from a distance and was unable to touch him. Yet she could do it since he was sleeping. They were so close, yet they were so far apart.

She showed a helpless smile before she looked at his sculpture.

In this sculpture, Nezu fought, even if he didn't want to.

Could she also fight?

She shook her head since Nezu's enemy was clear, but her enemy was her friend, and if she fought, it was a betrayal, and she would hurt her friend.

'Even so, just today, can you forgive me?'

She knew it was impossible, so she didn't try to fight, yet she still had some selfishness in her heart. She tucked her hair gently behind her ear and kissed his lips. She closed her eyes, trying to engrave this memory into her heart before she noticed his eyelash flickering. Her heart was beating so fast that she stood up and ran away in panic.

He opened his eyes and raised his body, watching Kodai, who had returned to the hall. He touched his lips and didn't say anything, only looked at his reward.

<As you have taken Kodai Yui's first kiss, you have received a "Doppelganger" ability (Expert)>

This was his reward, and he should be happy, but all he felt was a coldness that froze him. He felt like he was empty, nothing like the shell of a cicada.

'No.'

As he thought about his ambition, his heart grew hotter, and he knew he could no longer stop.