𝕳𝖎𝖘 𝕺𝖇𝖘𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓 ||ᴀᴍʙᴡ

𝟭.𝟬

I woke up with a splitting headache, wincing as I touched my forehead. A bandage wrapped around my head reminded me of the chaos from the night before. Panic shot through me when I didn't see Alyssa. My heart pounded as I stood, not even noticing that the room was different from before. I rushed to the door and twisted the knob, expecting it to be locked. But it opened easily.

The building I was in was massive. High ceilings loomed above me as I descended the stairs cautiously. My hand instinctively reached for the pocket knife I usually kept with me, but it was gone. My heart raced as I scanned the room for anything to defend myself with. I grabbed a nearby vase, my hands gripping it tightly as I moved downstairs.

When I reached the bottom, I froze. Standing in front of me was a tall man with broad, well-toned shoulders. His hair was styled in a half-up, half-down bun, and he wore a white wifebeater and black pants. His presence was overwhelming, and he seemed to already know I was there.

"You're up," he said, turning to face me.

"Stay back," I warned, holding the vase out in front of me. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but notice how striking he was. His gaze dropped to the vase, and he chuckled—a sound as smooth as his appearance.

"Please don't," he said, nodding toward the vase. "My grandmother gave me that."

"I'm Kurosawa Kenji," he introduced himself casually. "You can call me Kenji."

He stepped closer, and I found myself frozen as he gently took the vase from my hands and set it aside. I felt defenseless.

"Where's my friend? Did you save us, or did you take us?" I demanded, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

"Both," he answered, shrugging nonchalantly. "Your friend's upstairs, sleeping. Maybe she's awake by now. Who knows?" He smirked. "And you're welcome."

"For what?" I asked, keeping my guard up.

"For saving your life," he replied, stepping closer again. His eyes locked onto mine, and his hand brushed my cheek. "Kireina," he whispered, his hand trailing from my face to my neck.

My mind screamed at me to push him away, but my body betrayed me. I stood there, rooted to the spot, his touch sending shivers down my spine. My chest tightened as I realized how inappropriate this was. I have a boyfriend, I reminded myself, my thoughts racing.

"Stop," I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What's your name?" he asked, his face now inches from mine, our bodies almost touching.

"Personal space?" I muttered, stepping back, trying to regain control of myself.

He laughed and backed off slightly. "Apologies."

"I'm pretty sure you already know. It's Leila," I replied, still trying to steady my breath.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman," he said with a grin.

I forced myself to stay calm, despite the strange tension that hung between us. Just then, Alyssa appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes.

"Alyssa, this is Kenji—"

"Kurosawa," he corrected, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"He helped us last night," I finished quickly, trying to defuse the tension.

Alyssa didn't miss a beat. "He's fine as hell," she whispered in my ear, completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere.

Kenji's eyes flicked to Alyssa, his expression shifting as he turned his back to us. "Follow me," he instructed, leading us toward what appeared to be a kitchen.