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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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2dE5MZOy6
The image of the woman lingered in her mind, laughing, as if the woman had been there forever, killing people. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdAmA87q9M
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVuAky6j7aR
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSNfIqqazm
"I have to let him survive..." she mumbled to herself before lying back down and drifting into an uneasy sleep. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalKhXxDGXh
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..." 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WyLrhk6e1
Akira suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She struggled to calm herself, her body sweating. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVRhcMJxGa
Kanzaki stirred a bit and sat up, looking at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8NS54DY1V
"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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6B3rkdsBf
Kanzaki stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Weird... What did you experience, Akira?" he wondered, biting his bottom lip. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75qVAGKHV3
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMYz1NTFY7
He slipped out of bed carefully, to not wake her up, and made his way to the bathroom. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhcODTp1fV
As he splashed cold water on his face, he exhaled. When he looked at the mirror, his heart nearly stopped. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqwNN5rh9g1
She was there... Standing behind him. Silent. Motionless. Black fog started appearing everywhere, making him unable to see. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomeCXvyv1F
Slowly, he turned around, stepping back. He knew it, she was here to make a deal. "Go away..." he muttered, trembling. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAZ2akE1UQ
The woman stepped closer, her presence suffocating. Leaning in, she whispered, "Leave the girl alone... I'll leave Kawasaki then." 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgc4l42RLWL
"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!" 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNdoqeda7p
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW220SXUIt
"My father in exchange for Akira? Hell no!" he yelled. The decision was made. The woman chuckled before vanishing into thin air. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JcEPB13Fu
Kanzaki stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His hands trembled as he observed the room. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYXe26G3Ky
"No footprints..." he whispered to himself. "Is she really a ghost...?" Kanzaki stood there, thinking about who the woman really was. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlxjFqZiXy
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf95fcIeLbh
He looked up at her for a brief moment. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his tone casual. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rG4vz62gr
He was hesitating to tell her something. Akira nodded but didn't reply. Her mind replayed what they experienced at night. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrAsYGmAnRM
Kanzaki stopped writing, setting the pen down. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfydm2eGdZW
"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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmGFLWMnLV
She knew it was true. Kanzaki wasn't stupid. He could see the truth. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbNVBHEGnw
"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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZOhPQjNC9
"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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQlzUkOTJ6
Akira stared at the ground, trying to accept it. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvq8JSTWhH
She finally looked up, her voice lower than a whisper. "Will you come with me?" 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHCUr4XwKl
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESnZTiXKsf
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaL0CCI1Uwm
She reached out her pinky. Kanzaki's face darkened for a moment, thinking about the weight of the situation. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAngvx9urs
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjNvw9oATZ
For the first time in a while, Kanzaki smiled, actually glad. "I'll make sure of it," he said quietly as he stood up. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT4GbkecV2
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoZ6FqcahS
The silence between them was heavy until Akira spoke up. "We'll still talk on KakaoTalk, right?" she asked. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBcGOwD14X
"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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sQC012jmt
"I wish I just dared to tell him how I really feel... I... I just can't live without him..." she thinks, dozing off. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiolFDLI2Lj
"Mrs. Daydreamer, you know we're walking right now, don't you?'' Kanzaki asks, startling her. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNK6oNgBkl
''Yeah, I do. Sorry,'' she answers. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLR22Yfn3I
Kanzaki frowns. "What are you even apologizing for, baka" he asks, staring at her as if he was trying to look into her soul. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6gW7OvKTA
"Shut up," Akira says, grinning. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCHjnhwhhq
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. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueN5JujOsg
Kanzaki bought a ticket for Akira. Moments later, the train arrived with a blue-and-white exterior. The doors opened. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3h3p7gm8Yg
"Sayonara, Akira. I wish you the best," Kanzaki said, about to leave. Akira hugged him tightly. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLFPKiEACnM
"Goodbye, Kanzaki," she whispered. As she pulled away, she snapped a picture of him before disappearing into the crowd. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIf2lNKygMP
"Kamii-sama... If you're listening... Please protect Akira..." Kanzaki murmured, his voice quiet with hope. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡir4pXLMlpw
With a final glance at the crowd, he turned and left the station. There was an itching sensation in his heart. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkXDFsoDg7
Walking home alone felt different. With Akira by his side, it had always felt lively, full of purpose. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLvqs39Yrb
Now, it felt quiet. "If no one stops it, then I will..." he thought, his determination growing.
