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

ごじゅうろく | fifty six

もののけ | kaiju | monster

56

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Soshiro

"KIYOMI, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE CAME FROM," I said, my voice a mix of panic and desperation as I took a step towards her, my hands raised in surrender. "I swear, I've never seen those before in my life. This is my apartment—there's no one else here. Baby—You have to believe me."

But her expression didn't soften. If anything, it grew colder, more distant, as if a wall had suddenly sprung up between us, one that I didn't know how to break down. Shit. She looked at me with such cold in her eyes, it felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to make sense of the situation, my mind scrambling for the right words. "Baby, listen to me," I pleaded, my voice thick with desperation as I stepped forward, placing the bags I was holding onto the floor in an attempt to show her that I was serious, that I needed her to hear me out. "Kiyomi, it's not what it looks like—"

Before I could finish, she cut me off, her finger pointed sharply in my direction, her eyes narrowing with an intensity that made me freeze in place. "Don't you dare come close, or I swear I'll fucking break your hand, Hoshina," she hissed, her tone leaving no room for doubt. This wasn't a mere warning; it was a promise, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

Shit. She didn't even call me by my first name. She called me by my surname. She's really mad. "Kiyomi, listen to me—" I tried again, but before I could get another word out, she tossed the heels in my direction with a force that made me instinctively raise my arms in defense, blocking them just in time.

"Who's your side bitch?" she demanded, her voice laced with fury, her eyes burning with an anger I had never seen before. There was something more there, something deeper—a betrayal, a pain that cut her to the core, and it was all directed at me. "Hoshina, you better answer this truthfully, because you're not going to like it if I get my hands on that bitch!" she spat, her voice cold and menacing, dripping with a threat that made my stomach churn.

I sighed heavily, realizing how serious and heavy the situation had become. This wasn't just a misunderstanding; this was something that could break us if I didn't handle it right. But how could I explain something I didn't understand myself? "I really don't know," I said, my voice softer now, pleading for her to believe me. "I don't know how a pair of women's heels could be in my apartment. In fact, I'm barely home as it is! You know that..."

"So, you're not going to answer me?" she challenged, her gaze flickering around the apartment as if searching for more evidence of my supposed betrayal. "I can smell women's perfume in here," she added, her voice tinged with disgust, and my heart sank even further. How could this be happening? None of this made any sense.

"Kiyomi, seriously—" I began, but she wasn't listening. I watched as she flicked on the light switch in the living room, illuminating the space that had always been my sanctuary, a place of comfort and peace, now tainted by suspicion and doubt. She stepped into the room, not bothering to put on any slippers, her bare feet making soft thuds against the cold floor.