THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Chapter 4: Truth and Trust

Kyou stood on Kristel's porch, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been agonizing over his friends' warnings all day, and he knew he had to talk to Kristel about it. He had to know the truth.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Kristel opened it, her face lighting up at the sight of him.

"Hey," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "I was just thinking about you."

"I was thinking about you too," Kyou said, his voice a little shaky. "I need to talk to you about something."

Kristel's smile faded. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I don't know," Kyou said, his eyes searching hers. "My friends... they said some things about you. They said that you're a player, that you break hearts."

Kristel's breath caught in her throat. "What?" she asked, her voice rising in disbelief. "Who said that?"

"It doesn't matter," Kyou said, his voice growing stronger. "What matters is, is it true?"

Kristel felt a wave of anger and hurt wash over her. She had never been accused of anything like that before. She had always been honest and upfront with her boyfriends, and she had never intentionally hurt anyone.

"Of course it's not true," she said, her voice shaking with indignation. "They're just jealous. They can't stand the fact that I'm happy with you."

"But they said you've been through a string of boyfriends," Kyou said, his voice filled with doubt. "They said you dump them the minute they get too close."

Kristel sighed. "Okay, maybe I haven't always been the best at relationships," she admitted, her voice softening. "I've made mistakes in the past. But I'm not like that anymore. I'm different now."

"How can I be sure?" Kyou asked, his eyes pleading. "How can I be sure that you won't hurt me?"

"You can't be sure," Kristel said, her voice filled with a quiet desperation. "But I promise you, I won't hurt you. I like you, Kyou. I really like you."

She reached out and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. "Trust me," she whispered. "I'll never do anything to hurt you."

Kyou looked into her eyes, searching for the truth. He saw the sincerity in her expression, and he felt a glimmer of hope. He had been so afraid of getting hurt, but he couldn't deny the powerful connection he felt with Kristel.

"Okay," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I trust you."

Kristel smiled, a genuine, relieved smile that lit up her face. She had passed the test, and she was determined to prove to Kyou that he could trust her.