Chapter 111: Peaceful moments before the storm
Here's the translated and expanded version:
And so, Kai made his way to his room, where Hina was waiting for him.
The girl's eyes were half-closed with sleep when Kai opened the door.
She rubbed her eyes and looked at him, her expression softening.
"Kai? Is everything okay?" Hina asked, her voice still laced with drowsiness.
"Y-Yeah, everything's fine," Kai replied, not expecting her to be awake.
Hina was under the covers, her bare shoulders peeking out as a reminder of their intimate moments from earlier that night.
The air in the room was warm, filled with a lingering sense of tranquility and exhaustion from their shared moments of peace… a peace that felt fragile, threatened by the storm they knew was coming.
Hina shifted slightly, sitting up just enough for the blanket to slide down, revealing more of her skin.
She looked at Kai with concern.
"Kai, you seem tense. Are you sure everything's okay?" she asked, a touch of worry in her voice.
"Yes, really. I just went to the bathroom and ran into Akira," Kai said, his tone casual as he slipped back into bed beside her, careful not to reveal the awkward encounter he'd had earlier with her sister.
Hina let out a small yawn and leaned into him, seeking comfort as she buried her head against his chest.
It was a small, vulnerable gesture that struck Kai deeply.
Despite being the one who protected him, she sought his presence as if he were her safe haven.
Her boyfriend was the only person in the world who could see that fragile and vulnerable side of her.
"Ah… it feels so good to be loved in your arms… *yawn*" Hina said as she closed her eyes.
When Hina was with him, she always slept peacefully.
That was a sign of her trust towards him.
Kai's mind was still racing, trying to push away the memory of seeing the naked Akira.
It was a very beautiful sight but he felt guilty despite it wasn't his fault.
The guilt of what he had witnessed gnawed at him, but he forced himself to let it go.
What worried him more was the strange feeling that had been growing inside him.
A strange sense of numbness.
When he woke up and went into the bathroom, he didn't recognize himself after seeing his face in the mirror.
He stopped smiling.
His usual smile was almost gone.
"When was the last time that I smiled without faking my emotion?" He asked to himself when he touched his face.
He started to realize even more things.
A lot of things.
He was alone.
His sensitivity, that part of him that set him apart from the rest, was fading.
He always had a big heart , enough to see when someone was sad.
He has always done his best to help his friends.
He could still read people, see their true colors, but it no longer mattered as much to him.
Their emotions, their struggles… it was as if they were becoming background noise, irrelevant to his own growing turmoil.
He didn't care anymore.
He just wanted his life to go back to normal, to a time when he wasn't suffocated by the weight of death and violence, by the reality that he was involved in a world where bloodshed was the currency of survival.
He could have asked for help from his wealthy, powerful parents, but the thought of dragging them into a scandal where their son was a killer and involved in criminal life—dating a psychotic assassin, no less—was unthinkable.
But how would he react when he learned the news about Hana? The thought sent a chill down his spine.
Meanwhile , in the bathroom , Akira was debating whether to tell him everything, aware that it could have drastic consequences.
He could change his mind, ignore Sakura and then act on his own.
Kai had always prioritized his few friends that he had, cherishing every moment with them and doing everything he could to ensure their happiness.
He was selfless, a trait that made him who he was.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that everything was slipping out of his control.
As he lay in the dimly lit room, he felt Hina's arms tighten around him, her breathing slowing as sleep overtook her once again.
Despite everything, she trusted him completely, enough to let herself be vulnerable in his presence.
Kai clenched his fists under the covers, frustration bubbling up inside him.
He felt helpless, unable to protect those he cared about.
Hina was out there taking the lead, facing threats he could barely comprehend, while he stayed behind, trapped in the safety she had created for him.
"Why is she going so far just for me?" Kai whispered to himself, the question hanging in the still air.
He thought back to everything Hina had done—the way she had obliterated her former criminal gang, the way she had forgiven Akira and formed uneasy alliances, all for him.
He couldn't fathom what made him so special in her eyes, why she'd go to such lengths for him.
Just as he felt himself sinking deeper into doubt, there was a soft knock on the door.
Before Hina could say anything, Kai spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm just going to lie down for a bit. I'll see you later."
Akira, who had been sitting in the living room after the shower with her own restless thoughts, heard the conversation and sighed.
She took the decision to speak.
She knew that Kai wouldn't simply stay idle as everything spiraled around him.
Maybe Hina's words had been a test, a way to ignite the fighting spirit in him.
"Perhaps Hina said all of that to push him, to make him stronger," Akira mused, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips.
She repeated that phrase in her mind.
But tonight, even as the house grew silent, Kai's resolve was quietly shifting.
He wasn't ready to be the helpless one anymore, no matter how much Hina tried to shield him.
He turned slightly, feeling Hina's warmth as she unconsciously clung to him in her sleep.
"I'll protect you, Hina," he whispered, eyes narrowing with newfound determination.
That was the only thing he could try to do.
Akira remained seated on the couch, deep in thought about the upcoming operation and the mention of Hana's involvement.
She knew that whatever choice she made next could lead to outcomes that none of them could predict.