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

ろくじゅう | sixty

もののけ | kaiju | monster

60

[Season 3]

[TRUTH OF THE PAST]
PART 1

[A lengthy chapter ahead]

Kiyomi

PLEASE, SOMEONE SAVE ME. The suffocation is unbearable. I feel as though I'm drowning, sinking into an abyss of darkness. I fall into it every day, every hour, every minute, every second. The pain has become so numbing that it's as if my soul has been hollowed out.

This is my existence now—nothing but darkness and unrelenting misery.

Everything around me is an endless void, a pitch-black expanse that has become my world. I've grown accustomed to it, embraced it as a part of who I am. When did this all begin? The answer is bitter, a smile of resignation tugging at the corners of my lips.

It all started... on the day I died.

I remember the boy—the one I fell for so deeply, the one who showed me what love truly meant. I can still see him clearly in my mind: a young man practicing his sword with such precision that it was almost like watching a dance. His movements were fluid, graceful, and each strike was executed with a dedication that left me in awe.

He was not just skilled; he was mesmerizing.

I had never believed in love at first sight until that very moment.

The way he moved, the way he handled his sword with effortless grace, it struck me with a force I couldn't ignore. His eyes—almost cat-like in their squint—held a depth that seemed to see straight through me. Those eyes, so intense, so focused, were paired with a face that was both delicate and striking. His two fangs, small and almost mischievous, peeked out when he smiled a little, adding to the unique allure he possessed.

I remember how, on that day, he noticed me even though I was a stranger. I had injured my ankle, and he was the first to come to my aid. There was a tenderness in his touch that spoke of a kindness I had seldom experienced. He held me carefully, as if I were something precious and fragile. His concern was genuine, and despite my bubbly nature, I felt a warmth spreading through me.

It was in that moment, with him so close, that I realized I had fallen in love.

Soshiro Hoshina—his name was like a melody to me. He was the embodiment of everything I never knew I needed. The way he looked at me, the way he cared for me, it was as if he saw something in me that I had long lost sight of.

It's a good thing I accompanied my mom back then, or I wouldn't have met him.