Eros. (Benimaru Shinmon)

八十一

Akira shifted his weight slightly, leaning against the wall as he watched me with a knowing look. "I spoke with Benimaru while you were half-asleep," he said casually, though I could hear the underlying seriousness in his tone.

I faked a look of shock, widening my eyes and raising a hand to my mouth. "You caught me?" I gasped, feigning surprise.

Akira chuckled, shaking his head at my playful antics. "You're a terrible actor, you know that?" He paused, his expression softening as he continued, "I know how disgustingly in love he is with you, Inori. But I can't bring myself to forgive him for what he did. Not yet. Still... if you're truly happy with him, I don't want to be the one standing in the way of that."

A smile tugged at my lips as I stepped closer to him, reaching out to cradle his head against my chest. Akira stiffened at first, clearly taken aback by the gesture, but he quickly relaxed, his tension melting away as I held him close. "Akira," I whispered, my voice filled with affection, "you and Ichijiro mean more to me than anything in this world. If giving up a possible life with Benimaru means I get to see your smiles, I would do it a thousand times over. You two are my family. You've been with me through everything, especially after we left Asakusa. You stood by me during the hell we went through at Haijima, through all that brutal training... and that sicko who loved to prey on Ichijiro's weaknesses."

Akira pulled back slightly, a wry smile on his face as he looked up at me. "Yeah, that guy was weird...I think he just loved prey on the weak especially kids...giving pedo...but those were some rough days," he admitted, a glint of nostalgia in his eyes. "But remember when we tried to get training from Vulcan and ended up getting attacked by his inventions? That was something."

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory, the sound light and freeing. "I thought we were going to be pulverized by that giant mech of his and honestly I'm glad he knew my best friend before we almost died!" I said, shaking my head at the absurdity of it all.

Our laughter was interrupted by a soft, almost tentative sound—Ichijiro's small, sleepy giggle. Both Akira and I turned to look at him, and there he was, lying on his futon with the towel still on his forehead, a sleepy smile on his face as he watched us. Tears welled up in my eyes as I reached out to cradle his cheek, my thumb gently brushing over his soft skin.

"I love Benimaru," I admitted quietly, my voice trembling with emotion. "But if giving up that love means your happiness, Ichijiro, Akira, I'll do it. I'll do anything for you both."

Ichijiro's small hand reached up to cover mine, and he blinked slowly, still half-asleep but clearly moved by my words. Akira, too, was quiet, his expression a mix of gratitude and sadness as he processed what I had said.

But then I straightened up, a determined look crossing my face as I addressed them both. "Benimaru knows this. He understands my resolve, and he knows that things aren't the same as they were two years ago. If he's going to win my heart, he'll have to work ten times harder to reconcile what he's done. And you two... you're going to make it extremely hard for him."

Akira smirked, the old fire returning to his eyes. "Oh, don't worry about that. He won't have it easy."

Ichijiro nodded weakly, still holding onto my hand, his smile growing a bit wider despite the tiredness in his eyes. "We'll make sure of it," he whispered, his voice soft but filled with determination.

I smiled down at them both, my heart swelling with a fierce protectiveness. Whatever the future held, I knew that we would face it together. Benimaru might have his work cut out for him, but he wasn't just up against my resolve—he was up against all three of us.

I smiled down at them both, my heart swelling with fierce protectiveness. Whatever the future held, I knew that we would face it together. Benimaru might have his work cut out for him, but he wasn't just up against my resolve—he was up against all three of us.

With that thought in mind, I reached down and gently tapped Ichijiro's forehead, my fingers light as a feather, mirroring a gesture that conveyed both affection and determination. "You get better soon, okay?" I said softly, my voice carrying a hint of the fierce resolve I felt inside. "Because when you're back on your feet, we're going to train harder than ever. You and me, alongside Akira. We're going to be stronger than before, and no one will ever dare hurt us again."

Ichijiro's eyes widened slightly at the thought, but he nodded with a small smile, clearly up for the challenge. But when I turned to look at Akira, I saw his expression twist into one of pure dread.

"More training?" Akira groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically before slowly slithering back into his futon like a snake retreating into its den. He cocooned himself in his blanket, pulling it over his head with exaggerated reluctance. "Why do you always have to bring up training?"

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up from deep within me, and Ichijiro quickly joined in, his giggles filling the room with a lightness that was a welcome contrast to the heaviness of the past days. Akira's over-the-top reaction, combined with the sight of him buried under layers of blankets like a child trying to escape responsibilities, only made the moment more joyful.

Our laughter echoed in the room, but it was abruptly cut off by the creak of the door opening. We all turned our heads in unison to see Benimaru standing in the doorway, a basin of cool water in one hand and bandages and ointment in the other. His eyes swept over the scene, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he took in the laughter that still lingered in the air.

"Alright," he said, his voice laced with a touch of playful exasperation, "who's ready to get their bandages changed?"

But instead of the cooperative response he might have expected, both Akira and Ichijiro instantly turned their backs to him in unison, their expressions filled with mock disdain. It was a clear, albeit humorous, display of their lingering annoyance and mistrust. The sight of the two of them stubbornly presenting their backs to him was so perfectly synchronized that I couldn't help but laugh again, the sound bright and genuine.

Benimaru let out a sigh, his annoyance only thinly veiled by the amusement in his eyes. "You two really don't make this easy, do you?" he muttered, clearly exasperated.

I stepped forward, still chuckling, and gently took the basin and bandages from his hands. "I'll handle it," I said with a teasing smile, glancing back at Akira and Ichijiro's turned backs. "They'll let me change their bandages without any fuss."

Benimaru shook his head, but there was a softness in his gaze as he looked at me. "Fine, fine," he relented, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I'll wait for you out front. Don't keep me waiting too long, or I might think you've forgotten about our date like you have done twice."

I smiled at him, my heart fluttering slightly at the mention of our date. "Hm," I promised, my voice warm.

He nodded, giving me one last look before he turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. As I knelt down beside Akira and Ichijiro to start changing their bandages.

"Let's make me super late!" I smiled evilly as they joined in on my mischief.

Akira and Ichijiro exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up with a mischievous glint that mirrored my own. It was a rare moment of levity, a brief escape from the weight of everything we had been through. I could see the spark of excitement in their expressions, the kind of spark that made me feel like we were kids again, plotting some harmless prank back in the days before everything had become so complicated.

"How late are we talking?" Akira asked, his tone playful as he leaned forward, clearly getting into the spirit of our little rebellion.

"Late enough to make him sweat," I replied with a grin, already imagining the look of exasperation on Benimaru's face as he waited for me outside, wondering what could possibly be taking so long.