もののけ | monster | soshiro hoshina (Kaiju No. 8) (COMPLETE)

じゅうよん | fourteen

もののけ | kaiju | monster

14

Soshiro

THIS ISN'T THE KIYOMI I KNOW. This is a whole other person. I stood there, silently watching her in disbelief. Even in her weakened state, she had the strength to look at me with eyes filled not with warmth, but with fuel, with hatred. That look she gave me shattered my heart into a million pieces. I couldn't understand her right now.

"Why are you here?" Her tone was icy, cutting through the air like a knife. It was as if she was speaking to a stranger—not to the person who loved her more than anything.

Instinctively, my protectiveness kicked in when she tried to sit up, struggling against her pain. Without thinking, I moved to help her, but before my hand could reach her, she swatted it away as if it were a pest. The rejection stung, something inside me crumbling at her rejection.

"Don't touch me," she said, her voice dripping with venom. Her actions and words pierced me deeply. She managed to sit up on her own, despite the obvious pain it caused her, refusing any assistance I tried to offer.

I do not understand you, Kiyomi. Why are you rejecting me as if I'm the last thing you want to see?

Again, I tried to reach for her, desperate to feel her warmth against mine, to reassure myself that she was still here with me, breathing the same air. Even if she refused, I just wanted her in my embrace again, Kiyomi. But once more, she slapped my hand away, her strength surprising me despite her weakened state. It hurt physically, but not as much as the pain in my heart.

"Kiyomi," I spoke softly, my voice pleading as I struggled to comprehend her unusual behavior. "Please, baby, let's talk. Talk to me—"

"What's there to even talk about?" she cut me off sharply, her tone cold and ruthless. Her eyes bore into mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. This wasn't the gentle Kiyomi I knew.

This was someone else entirely... someone I couldn't reach.

I want to know...I need to know why she's behaving like this. I look at Kiyomi again, sitting there amidst the sterile medical equipment, and I can't recognize the vibrant woman I fell in love with. No, I'm not used to this.

Kiyomi, it's not you.

This isn't you.

Why are you acting like this?!

I tried to talk to her again, my voice filled with understanding despite the cruel actions she was directing towards me. "Kiyomi, I do not understand—I do not understand you right now, but please don't refuse me. I know I must look desperate and miserable, but I am desperate. I miss you..." I pleaded, my words heavy with emotion.

She remained silent, refusing to meet my eyes. Determined, I reached for her hand again, and this time she didn't pull away. Our fingers intertwined, and I held her pale hand in mine, sharing what warmth remained.