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❟❛❟ CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR ❟❛❟
AKAME'S EYES FLUTTERED OPEN, squinting as the muted glow of the bedside lamp seeped into her vision. Her surroundings slowly sharpened into focus: the digital clock on her nightstand flashed 7:00 p.m.
Did I sleep that long? What... happened?
She blinked again. Her silk pajamas were still on, and the bedcovers barely looked touched—neatly draped as if nothing had disturbed her sleep. Yet, despite appearances, her body felt uncharacteristically sore, every muscle taut and aching in ways she hadn't experienced before. A small wave of denial washed over her.
Was it... just a dream?
But she couldn't shake the memory. Vivid, consuming images swirled up from the fog of her mind, each as unsettling as it was painfully real. No, this was more than a dream. Her pulse spiked as her mind tried to make sense of it all.
Akame shifted, intending to stand, but the moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave out beneath her. She sank to the ground, her breath caught somewhere between surprise and frustration.
"Huh?"
She stared, stunned, her breaths shallow as she processed her unsteady body's betrayal. Summoning the courage, she reached up and tugged the neckline of her silk top aside, eyes widening as she caught sight of the deep, red marks that decorated her skin like scattered petals. They traced from the base of her neck, across her collarbone, and further down her chest.
Hickeys.
A rush of heat surged to her cheeks, coloring them as crimson as her Sharingan. Her fingers trembled, hovering over the marks as disbelief and embarrassment intertwined in her mind.
Is this... real?
Memories flickered to life again, making her shiver as heat flushed across her face. The weight of Bakugou's touch, the way his voice had dropped to a murmur only she could hear, and the intensity that had left her breathless—it all surfaced in a rush. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her racing heart to slow, but the warmth spreading across her face betrayed her.
How could this be possible?
Akame braced herself, willing strength back into her limbs as she made another attempt to stand. But the moment she shifted, the sharp throb of soreness gripped her muscles, forcing her to sink back down with a frustrated gasp. A strange, unfamiliar feeling coiled deep inside her—a vulnerability that she hadn't experienced in what felt like lifetimes.
