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

よんじゅうさん | forty three

もののけ | kaiju | monster

43

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Soshiro

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO HER. Perhaps it's because she lost so much blood or the fact that she came so close to death. These past few days, Kiyomi has been unusually...affectionate. She's still the fierce and relentless woman I've always known—the cold-blooded bitch that I've always known but lately, she's been showing a softer side.

I can't help but wonder if the near-death experience has made her more aware of the fragility of life, compelling her to express what she might have otherwise kept hidden.

I try to suppress a grin as I glance at my phone screen. Her replies are coming faster now. Where she used to take three minutes to respond, it's now down to just one minute. Aw, she loves me.

"You're unusually in a good mood these days," a voice spoke, jolting me back to reality. I quickly shoved my phone into the pocket of my cargo pants and snapped to attention. It hit me then that I was in the middle of reporting to Ashiro. "I also caught you kicking your feet while reading something on your phone. What are you reading, a fictional story on Wattpad or something?" Her voice was serious, her sharp eyes narrowing as she scrutinized me, searching for the reason behind my atypical behavior.

I couldn't help but break into a genuine, bright smile—the kind I rarely allowed myself. Ashiro raised an eyebrow, clearly curious, before scrunching her nose and returning her focus to the papers in her hand. "Ack, it almost feels like you're in love or something," Ashiro said, her voice laced with curiosity and a hint of amusement. "Don't tell me you're seeing somebody now."

I gulped nervously. Our relationship wasn't exactly a secret, but Kiyomi and I had decided to keep things private for the time being. It wasn't relevant to flaunt it around, although a part of me desperately wanted to boast, especially to ward off those pesky admirers who hovered around her. I took a deep breath, trying to sound casual. "I may seem like I'm seeing someone lately," I said, attempting to keep my tone light and nonchalant, though my excitement was barely contained.

Internally, I was a whirlwind of emotions. I wanted to gush about Kiyomi like a teenager sharing gossip with their best friend. For fuck sake—Soshiro, you're 29 years old, don't act like some giddy teenage girl. The mental reprimand did little to quell the excitement bubbling up inside me.

Ashiro look up to me, her piercing gaze remained on me, clearly not convinced by my attempt at casualness. She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "You're really not going to tell me anything more, are you?"

I shrugged, trying to maintain my composure. "It's still new," I said, hoping that would satisfy her. "We're just seeing where things go."

"Well, I suppose I can't pry it out of you," Ashiro said, her voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of resignation. I nodded, trying to keep my expression neutral. "That's nice. You finally have the guts to move on from your ex."

Her words made my skin prickle with unease. I could feel the beads of sweat starting to form on my forehead. If only she knew the truth.