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After making a lot of jokes and talking, Kanzaki finally felt tired. He set up a bed for Akira and then collapsed onto his own bed, falling asleep. Akira, stayed awake, lying on her left side. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05OcA6IW1k
The image of the woman lingered in her mind, laughing, as if the woman had been there forever, killing people. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVm5xeh2bC
Akira felt so vulnerable, so weak... The woman was on a whole other level, she wasn't human at all... A threat to Japan, that's what she was. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCp7IcuxWj
The thought was humiliating, and it caused Akira to hurt herself, just to escape reality... She wished she could turn back time and stop all of this. If she could... She sat up, looking at Kanzaki, her mind racing. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfmsikjdR5
"I have to let him survive..." she mumbled to herself before lying back down and drifting into an uneasy sleep. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfnQSDvqYE
A chilling voice whispered, cold. "You will not escape from me... I am the queen of the Yurei, my lovely feast. We will meet soon enough, Akira... Please be ready to be another decoration in the forest..." 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTNhrITYe3
Akira suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She struggled to calm herself, her body sweating. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPAXwS2330
Kanzaki stirred a bit and sat up, looking at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIw2byyLBHZ
"It's fine, just a nightmare," she answered quickly, pulling the blanket over her face, hoping to protect herself from the fear. She fell asleep once again. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6gnk8pPnU
Kanzaki stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Weird... What did you experience, Akira?" he wondered, biting his bottom lip. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZQ5VmdYnj
The sunlight was seen through the brown curtains. Kanzaki stirred awake, stretching as his eyes adjusted to the light. He glanced at Akira, who was still asleep. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4A0OezbIhK
He slipped out of bed carefully, to not wake her up, and made his way to the bathroom. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIySv7ZmwK
As he splashed cold water on his face, he exhaled. When he looked at the mirror, his heart nearly stopped. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNe0uTuGtr
She was there... Standing behind him. Silent. Motionless. Black fog started appearing everywhere, making him unable to see. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpPrep7SvP
Slowly, he turned around, stepping back. He knew it, she was here to make a deal. "Go away..." he muttered, trembling. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShVwcgqmyb
The woman stepped closer, her presence suffocating. Leaning in, she whispered, "Leave the girl alone... I'll leave Kawasaki then." 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLrKUgzPQc
"No!" Kanzaki snapped, his fear replaced by anger. "I won't let you get closer to her! What do you want from her?! You already ruined enough lives... everyone who entered that forest! You destroyed their happiness!" 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwSSGPL41c
The woman tilted her head, her lips curling into a smirk. "The people in the forest aren't dead... They're trapped in there. So is your father." Kanzaki's heart dropped, but his resolve didn't. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaA6khmmL6
"My father in exchange for Akira? Hell no!" he yelled. The decision was made. The woman chuckled before vanishing into thin air. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBt6LxxFRWD
Kanzaki stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His hands trembled as he observed the room. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD4UsP4XJQ
"No footprints..." he whispered to himself. "Is she really a ghost...?" Kanzaki stood there, thinking about who the woman really was. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNoBK4Af26
Akira woke up at 10 A.M., blinking rapidly. She rubbed her eyes and saw Kanzaki sitting on his bed, writing something in his notebook, focused. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12JRDBQRTL
He looked up at her for a brief moment. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his tone casual. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsjZHDwYRj
He was hesitating to tell her something. Akira nodded but didn't reply. Her mind replayed what they experienced at night. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbSzvgBY20
Kanzaki stopped writing, setting the pen down. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwr4tWtbPJd
"Akira..." he began, his voice soft. "Something happened between you and that woman, am I right or am I wrong? I understand you don't want me to worry, but... You're her main goal." Akira's heartbeat slowed down. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwVZMc8dMt
She knew it was true. Kanzaki wasn't stupid. He could see the truth. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdfYdJmldH
"I want you to leave Kawasaki. Go to another city or village... Tokyo, or anywhere. It doesn't matter," he continued, trying to hide the shaking of his hands as he crumpled up a piece of paper. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZZElNnSDs
"Just get out of Kawasaki. It's too dangerous here, so please... survive somewhere else," he said. His voice faltered slightly at the end, a mix of sadness and hope in it. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZFNB6Ub4e
Akira stared at the ground, trying to accept it. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQCCqkAme8
She finally looked up, her voice lower than a whisper. "Will you come with me?" 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31dv3ahXwO
Kanzaki's answer was immediate. "No." The single word felt like a dagger in her heart, and Akira turned her face away to hide her face. She fought back the tears threatening to spill. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBfDyw2b7n
A silence filled the room before she spoke again, almost yelling, "Then... you have to survive too!" Kanzaki blinked, surprised by her tone. "Promise?" she asked, looking at him with puppy eyes. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOqghOdrbT
She reached out her pinky. Kanzaki's face darkened for a moment, thinking about the weight of the situation. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7pWASPTml
But after hesitation, he nodded and wrapped his pinky around hers. "Promise!" he said, his voice low. "Promise!" Akira repeated, her intensity higher than his. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhpvOELRoq
For the first time in a while, Kanzaki smiled, actually glad. "I'll make sure of it," he said quietly as he stood up. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUAK4aRPzm
After shopping with Akira, they packed everything into a dark blue luggage and explained part of the situation to Kanzaki's mother, Mio.
She was 35, born in Shibuya on October 22nd, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. She loves reading and makes the best dishes.
Mio understood and respected their decision. "I'll come back, mom!" Kanzaki informed before he closed the door behind him. "Let's go to Kawasaki Station. Stay safe, Akira," he whispered. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxeAqNAotc
The silence between them was heavy until Akira spoke up. "We'll still talk on KakaoTalk, right?" she asked. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpxMmI63PH
"Yeah, of course. I'm not leaving you alone," he reassured her, smiling. Even though Akira felt relieved, she felt danger... The feeling that something bad would happen if she left. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHA8TTMo4l
"I wish I just dared to tell him how I really feel... I... I just can't live without him..." she thinks, dozing off. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLuatnHCmP
"Mrs. Daydreamer, you know we're walking right now, don't you?'' Kanzaki asks, startling her. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bsuJkrP72
''Yeah, I do. Sorry,'' she answers. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIm0ZllrKGR
Kanzaki frowns. "What are you even apologizing for, baka" he asks, staring at her as if he was trying to look into her soul. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa5DWSlyuZ
"Shut up," Akira says, grinning. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmErbi8xlCj
At Kawasaki Station. Footsteps echoed, announcements were played and a lot of people were talking. Neon lights and LED screens flickered, advertising everything. It smelled like coffee and people were rushing to trains every time one of them arrived. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhC5ZwLnac
Kanzaki bought a ticket for Akira. Moments later, the train arrived with a blue-and-white exterior. The doors opened. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJudYJGLNO
"Sayonara, Akira. I wish you the best," Kanzaki said, about to leave. Akira hugged him tightly. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqUi3K0aar
"Goodbye, Kanzaki," she whispered. As she pulled away, she snapped a picture of him before disappearing into the crowd. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5uZ91jlvR
"Kamii-sama... If you're listening... Please protect Akira..." Kanzaki murmured, his voice quiet with hope. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kLb0C1U3a
With a final glance at the crowd, he turned and left the station. There was an itching sensation in his heart. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLseuG2Kydz
Walking home alone felt different. With Akira by his side, it had always felt lively, full of purpose. 18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYd5efDbnW8
Now, it felt quiet. "If no one stops it, then I will..." he thought, his determination growing.
