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

にじゅうはち | twenty eight

もののけ | kaiju | monster

28

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Soshiro

NO, IT MUST BE MY EYES PLAYING TRICKS ON ME. But deep down, I know Kiyomi better than anyone. There was no mistaking the petty jealousy in her actions a moment ago. An almost scoff escaped my lips as I replayed the scene in my head, analyzing each detail. It all made sense now. That was her jealousy rearing its head, clear as day.

Kiyomi had always shown a jealous side when we were dating. I remember the subtle signs, the possessiveness that would seep into her words and actions. Even a hint of jealousy was enough to make her act out, and today was no different.

Kiyomi Shinomiya is a woman prone to jealousy, and that hasn't changed.

"Hoshina... Vice-Captain Hoshina!" I snapped out of my thoughts at the booming sound of Ashiro's voice. Startled, I flinched a little and turned to meet her stern gaze. She sighed heavily before drowning herself in paperwork again.

"Are you okay? You've been spacing out for a while now. What's up with you? Don't tell me you and the Lieutenant ran into each other again. Did you do something stupid again?"

Her false accusations left me momentarily speechless. To tell the truth, I had been on my best behavior today, and it was the Lieutenant who had done something utterly stupid this time, not me.

"Captain, what makes you think I'm always the one causing trouble?" I spoke, my annoyance evident in my tone. "Come on, I'm your Vice-Captain. You know me so well..."

Without lifting her head from her papers, she replied, "Yes, you're right. I know you so well that I know when you're lying or when you've done something stupid."

Her words stabbed at my heart. The false accusations really hurt. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. The pain in my side, which had started as a mild irritation, had evolved into a constant, searing agony, each movement feeling like a knife twisting deeper into my flesh. I couldn't suppress the grunt that escaped my lips, my hand instinctively pressing against the injury. It hurt—hurt so badly that I momentarily lost track of my surroundings. But I quickly tried to pull myself together, knowing I couldn't show weakness, especially not in front of Ashiro.

Ashiro noticed immediately. Her sharp eyes caught the flicker of discomfort on my face, and for a whole minute, she studied me intently. I forced a smile, trying to mask the pain that was now causing beads of sweat to form on my forehead and trickle down under my bangs. She finally looked away, diving back into the documents she was holding.

"Are you trying to kill yourself, Hoshina?" she said sharply, not looking up from her papers. "Go get that injury of yours checked. The last thing I want is to hear that my Vice-Captain is dead."

Her words hit me like a slap. I flinched, then chuckled nervously, trying to downplay the situation. "Don't worry about it, Captain. I've been treating it on my own. It'll heal in another two or three weeks."