𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 | 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘺𝘢 𝘵. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

017. | ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ᴅᴏᴏʀꜱ ᴘᴛ. 2

The room fell silent once more, the only sound being their ragged breaths. The tension between them was thick, hanging heavily in the air like a fog that refused to disperse.

Mitsuya's eyes were fixed on Kana, his expression a mixture of confusion, disbelief, and concern. He felt as if the rug had been pulled from beneath him, the world suddenly off-kilter. He stared at her, trying to process the words she'd just spoken. "That's not funny, Kana."

There was a pause as Kana looked up to meet his gaze, her usually vibrant eyes now dull and resigned. "I'm not joking, Mitsuya," she murmured.

Mitsuya studied her face, searching for any sign of deceit, of a lie. But all he saw was solemn certainty. His heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, his breath caught in his chest.

"You're serious..." he finally got out, his voice hoarse. "You're actually serious."

Her next words were heavy, a bitter realization that weighed down on them both.  "I didn't just know I was going to die, Mitsuya. I know because... because Takemichi is a time leaper. He's seen my death in the future and he came back to try and change that."

The revelation hit Mitsuya like a punch to the gut. Time travel? Takemichi going back in time to try and change her fate? It was hard to wrap his mind around it, it sounded straight out of a sci-fi movie.

"He's from the future?" he managed to get out, his voice incredulous. "And he's seen you... die?"

Kana nodded, her expression resigned. "Yeah. It's called 'time leaping '. He can travel back in time to try and change the future." She let out a humorless chuckle. "That's why he's been so overprotective. But my death. He.. he hasn't found a way to change that yet."

Mitsuya felt a surge of emotions – shock, confusion, sadness – all vying for space in his chest. The idea that Takemichi was a time traveler was hard to accept, especially with the weight of Kana's revelation.

He shook his head, disbelief etched in every line on his face. "I can't... I can't believe this. This is... it's insane." He ran his hands through his hair, trying to make sense of everything. It felt like he'd been thrown into some kind of dystopian sci-fi novel. "So... you're telling me that Takemichi is a time leaper, and he's seen... your death? And he can't find a way to change it?" His voice was laced with disbelief and fear.

Kana nodded, her expression weary. "It's a lot to take in, I know. But it's all true."

She took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. "And yes... he's seen my death in the future. Multiple times. And no matter how hard he tries, he can't change it. My death is a constant he can't escape from."

The silence in the room seemed to stretch forever, the only sound being the low hum of the air conditioner. Mitsuya's eyes were fixed on Kana, his mind grappling with her revelation.

Kana took a deep breath, her eyes distant as she stared at her hands.

"It started weeks ago," she began softly. "I started feeling weak, exhausted. I couldn't eat or sleep right, everything just... felt off. I tried to ignore it, thought it was just stress or maybe I was coming down with something. But then..."

She trailed off, her voice trembling slightly. "Then it lead up to me fainting that day with you. It came without warning. I just passed out without any explanation."

Mitsuya listened intently, the memory of the day she fainted with him flashing through his mind. He remembered how scared and worried he'd been, how panicked he'd felt as he carried her limp form home.

He swallowed, his heart sinking further at her revelation. "I remember... God, I was so worried about you that day," he whispered.

A small pang of sympathy and warmth pierced through the sadness in Kana's heart at his words. She looked up at him, her gaze softening slightly.