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

ごじゅうさん | fifty three

もののけ | kaiju | monster

53

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Akira

A DEEP FROWN ETCHED ITSELF ONTO my face as I stood rigidly outside the temporary office of my Captain. The sounds from within were a cacophony of chaos—shattering glass, heavy objects being thrown against the walls, the sharp clatter of things breaking. Each crash sent a jolt through me, though I fought to keep my expression neutral, trying not to let the turmoil inside affect my composure. But it was hard—impossible, really—when the evidence of their argument was so loud, so explosive. It felt like the entire room was coming apart at the seams.

She had returned from the west side only a few hours ago, victorious as always, having completely eradicated the threats that had been plaguing that region. It was what we had expected from her—total domination, no loose ends. But she hadn't returned alone. Kazuya was with her, and from the moment they stepped back into the base, I knew something was off. My Captain, usually so composed, so cold, had an expression I rarely saw—one of tension, barely restrained, like she was holding something back, something that could shatter her icy facade at any moment.

I could see it in her eyes, the way they hardened even more than usual, like she was trying to hide whatever had happened between them. But the cracks were there, no matter how much she tried to cover them with that stone-cold expression of hers. They had fought, that much was obvious. Even if she didn't want anyone to know, even if she was determined to keep it locked away behind those walls she had built around herself, I could tell. I could always tell when something was wrong.

And now... now, standing here outside her office, I was forced to listen as that tension boiled over into something uncontrollable. It was as if a bomb had gone off inside the room, and there was no stopping the destruction that followed. Shouts erupted from within, angry, desperate—arguments that seemed to tear at the very foundations of the room.

And then, amidst all the chaos, I heard it—her cries.

The sound was faint, but unmistakable, cutting through the noise like a blade. I knew she didn't want anyone to hear it, didn't want anyone to know how much she was struggling. But here, behind closed doors, it was as if she couldn't hold it in anymore. As if, whenever she was with him, all the emotions she fought so hard to suppress came crashing down around her, too powerful to control.

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of helplessness wash over me. There was nothing I could do—nothing anyone could do.

This always happens... Every single time they're together. Every time he shows up. From the very start, it's been like this, since the moment I became Vice-Captain—chosen by my Captain herself. I remember the day clearly, the pride I felt at being selected by her, of all people, to stand by her side. But it was also the day I first saw him... standing beside her, as if he belonged there. And no matter where she went, he was always there—always hovering, always clinging to her like a leech.

At first, I thought they were involved in some kind of relationship. I mean, anyone who saw them together would assume the same. The way he stayed close to her, the way she allowed it... It gave off the impression that there was something deeper between them, something beyond the professional. And maybe there was.