Kai kept staring for a few more seconds at Hina's hands — hands that trembled almost imperceptibly.
There was something disturbing her.
She was nervous, anxious, afraid — but Kai couldn't tell whether it was because of him, or something else.
Yet one thing was certain:If they were going to work together again, and if this was truly their last mission before they could live peacefully, he needed to reconcile with her — and soon.
The only option left was to find the courage to speak.
So, Kai took a deep breath and whispered a faint, hesitant "Hey…" while scratching the back of his head.
Hina flinched, perhaps caught off guard, rubbing her fingers nervously.
Then, she turned her head toward him, while Kai looked away, glancing awkwardly around the room.
"W-What is it, Kai?" Hina asked, her voice almost fearful.
"We need to talk," Kai replied, this time more firmly — his eyes finally locked on hers.
"…"Hina didn't answer immediately.
She stayed silent for a few moments, alternating her gaze between Kai and her fingers a couple of times.
"I suppose you want some answers," she sighed.
Kai nodded.
"Yes. I think I need them," he said, rising from the chair.
Hina followed his movement, and the two now stood face to face.
"Where do you want me to start, Kai?" Hina asked in a cold tone.
"I just want to know the real reason," Kai replied, keeping a few steps of distance between them.
In front of him now stood not the ruthless, cold-blooded killer he had seen before.
Instead, all he saw was only a fragile, powerless, frightened girl.
"There's not much to say, Kai… that was my last mission. I was trying to erase every connection after I found out they were investigat—"
"No, Hina." Kai interrupted her, his voice steady."I want to know the real reason why you lied to me."
"…" Hina's eyes widened, and for a moment she was silent.
"…Kai… do you really want to know, even if you already know what I'm about to say?" she asked softly, her tone sad.
"Yes, Hina. I want the truth," he replied more firmly.
Hina sighed before answering. "Fine… simply put, I was afraid of losing you."
"I don't understand… I really don't understand, Hina," Kai said, his voice starting to tighten.
"What…?" she asked faintly.
"I don't understand what's so special about me," Kai said, frustration creeping into his tone."I'm weak. Stupid. Useless. I've lived an easy life despite my loneliness. I've only ever been a burden to you. I'll never be as strong as you, and I'll never be able to protect you the way you protect me. So tell me — what did you see in me? Did you really think I could ever run away from you? I'm sure you wouldn't have let me… so WHY?"
His voice was filled with anger and frustration, disguised beneath a calm, almost passive-aggressive tone that cut like a blade.
Hina froze, stunned. It was the first time she had ever seen Kai react like this.
The boy was trembling, his heartbeat pounding fast, his breathing uneven.
A deafening silence filled the room until Hina finally spoke.
"You have no idea, Kai…" she whispered, slowly stepping closer, her eyes wide open.
Kai felt a strange pressure weighing down on his soul.Was it… fear?
"You have no idea what you are to me," she continued. "No idea what kind of potential you hold. You don't know how beautiful it felt... being able to dream of a happy future again after all the people I've killed in my life and after the countless wounds I've received. You can't imagine how happy I was when you accepted me as I am, even after I gave you every reason to run away…"
She spoke as if under hypnosis, her gaze locked into his.
Kai instinctively stepped back until his spine met the cold wall behind him.
"…You've always been the only one, Kai. The universe made you with the sole purpose of standing by my side. And the moment you confessed that you'd killed someone for the first time… I was happy. Do you know why?" she whispered, her voice sliding closer like silk turning into venom.
Kai's breath caught.
Hina's lips trembled, trying to form the ghost of a smile.
She looked like a wolf slowly approaching its prey.
"Why?" he asked, his voice almost trembling.
All the anger and rage inside him had vanished, replaced by a deep, primal fear.
"…Because in that moment, I realized that you're identical to me," Hina said, inching closer and closer. "Someone who's ready to kill for the happiness of his other half... but you still haven't discovered it. If you had, you would've never accepted me. And that's why… I could never lose you. Not after you went that far, all because of the love you feel for me."
Kai said nothing , frozen, his gaze trapped in her gray, hollow eyes.
"I never wanted you to find out what I did to your best friend," Hina went on. "And I'd be lying if I said I regretted it. But it was a necessary step... "
Then her body pressed against his. Her chest leaned into his, and her hands rose to his face, cupping his cheeks gently.Their faces were only a few centimeters apart.
"…But I understand that now you hate me for nearly killing your childhood friend," she whispered. "So, just this once, I'll give you a choice. And I promise I'll accept whatever you decide."
Her tone was hypnotic... soft, sinuous, serpentine.
"What kind of choice, Hina?" Kai asked, his arms frozen at his sides.
"I'll let you decide, Kai," she murmured. "Do you still want to be with me… or not? If you say yes, I'll be happy. If you say no, I'll respect your decision and leave you in peace for the rest of this life..."
As she spoke, her fingers caressed his right cheek with heartbreaking gentleness.
And in that very moment...
…the world seemed to stop.