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

ごじゅうきゅう | fifty nine

もののけ | kaiju | monster

59

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Soshiro

"IT MUST BE AN ALLERGIC REACTION," Kiyomi stated calmly, her voice even as she continued to chew her food slowly. I watched her, silently analyzing her every movement, every expression. I had made chicken curry for us, one of her favorites. The spices filled the room with their warm, comforting aroma, but all I could focus on was the strange, rough patch on her arm. The one she dismissed so easily.

"I have a new medication," she added, her tone casual, almost dismissive. "It's a bit stronger than the usual one I take."

I nodded, but I didn't miss the hesitation in her eyes, the way she carefully avoided my gaze. Kiyomi was trying to mask her uncertainty with her usual composure, but I knew her too well. Something wasn't right. I'm no expert in skin conditions, but that mark didn't look normal to me. Still, I pushed my concerns aside, deciding to trust her judgment, for now.

"Are those common side effects?" I asked, my voice laced with concern as I nodded toward the spot on her skin that had sparked this conversation.

Kiyomi barely reacted. With a casual shrug, she responded, "Maybe..." Her tone was indifferent, as if the words didn't carry the weight they did for me. I cocked an eyebrow at her nonchalance, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. She wasn't taking this seriously at all, and it was driving me crazy. I'm here, hella worried about that thing on her skin, and she's just brushing it off like it's nothing.

I sighed deeply, placing my utensils down on the table with more force than I intended. "Kiyomi, please take this seriously," I implored, my voice edged with desperation. "I'm just worried."

Her demeanor shifted, and she placed her utensils down as well, turning to face me with a gaze that was as hard as steel, meeting my worried eyes with a challenge in her own. "I asked you this before, but were you bothered if a woman had a scar on her skin? Does this make me look unattractive to you?" Her voice was firm, serious, and there was something in her tone that caught me off guard.

Where is she getting these thoughts?

My lips curled into a frown, and I leaned forward, my eyes searching hers for any sign of what might have triggered this insecurity. "Kiyomi," I called her name seriously, my voice softening as I reached across the table to take her hand. "I already answered this, I'm not bothered by it. I'm just worried, okay?" I said, my tone genuine, hoping she would understand that my concern came from a place of love, not judgment.

But she wasn't done. Her eyes darkened, and she pressed further, her voice now laden with a seriousness that made my chest tighten. "Soshiro... if I tell you this could grow multiple patches on my skin... would you hate me? Would you not look at me the same way again?"

Her words struck me like a physical blow, and I felt my heart clench in response. I couldn't believe she was asking this, couldn't believe that she thought something like this could change how I felt about her. My brows furrowed together, confusion and hurt mingling in my expression as I tried to make sense of the pain in her eyes.