✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Enchanted waters (Ken Sato x OC)✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

chapter 16

It's been about a month now, and Kenji wasn't looking too well. His hair was frayed, his movements sluggish, and his ability to care for himself seemed to have vanished completely. The once confident, collected person I knew had been reduced to a shadow of himself, burdened by the constant strain of balancing baseball and caring for the baby kaiju.

I couldn’t help but feel guilty for keeping my distance. I wanted to help, but I wasn’t sure how. I watched in silence as he slouched on the couch, letting out a low groan, his exhaustion painfully obvious. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, dark circles resting under them like bruises, and his body sagged into the cushions as if they were the only thing keeping him upright.

He ran a shaky hand through his messy hair, his frustration palpable. In his other hand, he held a mug, loudly sipping whatever was inside. The sight of him like this made my chest tighten with an unfamiliar mix of guilt and pity.

"I'm so, so, so tired," he groaned, his voice thick with weariness as he brought the cup to his lips, sipping slowly.

I couldn’t tell if the drink was giving him any comfort or if he was just going through the motions at this point. The way his hand trembled, the way his gaze stared off into nothing—it all felt wrong. I wanted to say something, to offer a word of comfort or help, but my throat tightened every time I thought about approaching him.

“I need to sleep, but at the same time, I can't, and I have a game tomorrow,” he whined, scratching his head as he continued groaning. “I really hope that thing wakes up before I do so I can actually sleep,” he whispered, his head now resting against the couch, facing the ceiling. He lightly slapped his own face, trying to keep himself awake.

Not liking when people hurt themselves, I slowly stepped out from behind the pillar where I’d been hiding and quickly walked toward his slumped body before his hand could connect again.

Kenji’s shock at seeing me was immediate. His hand froze mid-slap, hovering awkwardly by his face as he blinked, clearly processing my sudden presence. His exhausted eyes widened, locking onto mine as I quietly stood there, caught between wanting to help and being unsure how to express it.

"Kimora?" His voice was a low whisper, almost as if he wasn’t sure it was really me standing there. He tilted his head back further, straining to get a better look, his gaze full of disbelief.

I stepped closer, slowly and carefully. His breath hitched as I reached out, my fingers gently resting on his arm, stopping his self-inflicted slaps. His muscles tensed beneath my touch, but he didn’t pull away.

For a long moment, Kenji stared at my hand on his arm, the silence between us heavy with the weight of all the days I’d spent avoiding him. His brow furrowed, lips parting as if he wanted to say something, but the words didn’t come. I could see the confusion in his eyes—the mix of frustration, guilt, and maybe even relief—but there was something else there too, something I couldn’t quite place.

“Long time no see, huh?” he said, chuckling awkwardly as he averted his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. Guilt gnawed at me for avoiding him in his own house.

His gaze shifted from my hand to my face, searching for an explanation. He opened his mouth again, but instead of speaking, he let out a breathy, half-laugh—one that carried no humor, only exhaustion. “Why did you stay away?” His voice cracked, and his eyes, once filled with frustration, now showed something softer, something almost pleading.

I froze, not expecting him to jump right into the obvious tension between us. However, he didn’t give me time to respond before continuing.

“I really didn't have anybody to talk to except Mina, and even if I did, most of my time is taken up by the kaiju,” he paused, catching his breath. “You've been helping me for the past month, haven't you? Feeding her, hushing her, and spending time with her along with Mina so that it wouldn’t affect me too much...”