20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTzCPZ5xpU
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cvhcWANUq
The image of the woman lingered in her mind, laughing, as if the woman had been there forever, killing people. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kmTrUu6n9
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN0BZ882je
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18m5V827Km
"I have to let him survive..." she mumbled to herself before lying back down and drifting into an uneasy sleep. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw4ABCRFFO
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..." 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhu4b4bFhi3
Akira suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, her heart pounding. She struggled to calm herself, her body sweating. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT45FGZPO9o
Kanzaki stirred a bit and sat up, looking at her. "What's wrong?" he asked. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jFbzvFXk5
"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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHd6APBQPzh
Kanzaki stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing. "Weird... What did you experience, Akira?" he wondered, biting his bottom lip. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiAF47re8O
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUhnMTQzYZ
He slipped out of bed carefully, to not wake her up, and made his way to the bathroom. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzzusjPXy2
As he splashed cold water on his face, he exhaled. When he looked at the mirror, his heart nearly stopped. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5YQJu7joF
She was there... Standing behind him. Silent. Motionless. Black fog started appearing everywhere, making him unable to see. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CtGtDqZEO
Slowly, he turned around, stepping back. He knew it, she was here to make a deal. "Go away..." he muttered, trembling. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluXG8CWfDg
The woman stepped closer, her presence suffocating. Leaning in, she whispered, "Leave the girl alone... I'll leave Kawasaki then." 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtxl7my4GL
"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!" 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIuXBfw2Vy
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXtvtqSgse
"My father in exchange for Akira? Hell no!" he yelled. The decision was made. The woman chuckled before vanishing into thin air. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzJaqKLbaT
Kanzaki stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His hands trembled as he observed the room. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3FXO4ciDm
"No footprints..." he whispered to himself. "Is she really a ghost...?" Kanzaki stood there, thinking about who the woman really was. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11ttcNOYMv
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrnOHA91iv
He looked up at her for a brief moment. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said, his tone casual. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtgHMNdxHW
He was hesitating to tell her something. Akira nodded but didn't reply. Her mind replayed what they experienced at night. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoenUerZokq
Kanzaki stopped writing, setting the pen down. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9R40ttVri
"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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscbBIygRva
She knew it was true. Kanzaki wasn't stupid. He could see the truth. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEeXQOcsrL
"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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVGb5pcB5n
"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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxWQ3NCZh5
Akira stared at the ground, trying to accept it. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vRIi9Ja2Z
She finally looked up, her voice lower than a whisper. "Will you come with me?" 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfsd4TdaUNt
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDSkzwkXnF
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rs7XGy8gZ
She reached out her pinky. Kanzaki's face darkened for a moment, thinking about the weight of the situation. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xvsinrtzf
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPYOt2Bnrr
For the first time in a while, Kanzaki smiled, actually glad. "I'll make sure of it," he said quietly as he stood up. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJeWkLS5LI
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECa80R9XDV
The silence between them was heavy until Akira spoke up. "We'll still talk on KakaoTalk, right?" she asked. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV6homdc8N
"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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdcTjdBdLT
"I wish I just dared to tell him how I really feel... I... I just can't live without him..." she thinks, dozing off. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49jvGjb5wi
"Mrs. Daydreamer, you know we're walking right now, don't you?'' Kanzaki asks, startling her. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsVEqHbuZ0
''Yeah, I do. Sorry,'' she answers. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FJaZVBnl6
Kanzaki frowns. "What are you even apologizing for, baka" he asks, staring at her as if he was trying to look into her soul. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kISdcxncK
"Shut up," Akira says, grinning. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5Q92WiGAs
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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKnZrd9zRn
Kanzaki bought a ticket for Akira. Moments later, the train arrived with a blue-and-white exterior. The doors opened. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmtqyirq5l
"Sayonara, Akira. I wish you the best," Kanzaki said, about to leave. Akira hugged him tightly. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVOA8JGH5v
"Goodbye, Kanzaki," she whispered. As she pulled away, she snapped a picture of him before disappearing into the crowd. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbxTelPyyJ
"Kamii-sama... If you're listening... Please protect Akira..." Kanzaki murmured, his voice quiet with hope. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKq375vwsX
With a final glance at the crowd, he turned and left the station. There was an itching sensation in his heart. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGdc6q5q0Z
Walking home alone felt different. With Akira by his side, it had always felt lively, full of purpose. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqCfAP14pV
Now, it felt quiet. "If no one stops it, then I will..." he thought, his determination growing.
