Eternal Starlight (Kaito x Maki)

Chapter 9: A Shattered Reality

Kaito stared down wordlessly at the plate of scrambled eggs he'd prepared for breakfast. He had his head propped up on his fist, mainly because it was so heavy that it would sink to the table if he didn't. Slowly, he brought a forkful of the yellow mush to his mouth as he sat in silence.

He had barely slept last night after the shock from discovering that unnerving truth about Maki. But to his surprise, even though he knew her true identity as an assassin, he never once felt any disgust toward her. Only thoughts of how desperately he wanted to help her, to save her, had raced through his mind in the late hours of the previous night. Between the pain in her eyes and the way she'd been acting, he found it hard to believe that she was doing it of her own accord.

Although, Kaito knew all too well that he couldn't mention this to anyone. Not Shuichi, not Kaede, and not Maki. Not yet, anyway. The more people knew about her secret, the more danger she'd be in. Even so, knowing that he couldn't tell anybody about what he'd learned weighed down on his shoulders, making him feel even more defeated than he had yesterday.

All he'd ever really wanted was to help her, but he was only now realizing just how much of a challenge that would be.

However, thanks to his experiences these past few days, he'd also learned that he couldn't give up, no matter what. Despite how painful they were, those events help to strengthen his resolve and better him as a person. And now, he would help Maki achieve that state of betterment too. Somehow.

After a quick mental pep-talk, Kaito stood up and began to get ready for school. The dance was this upcoming Friday, and he already had a general idea of what he wanted to do there. It was something he was really looking forward to, but it all depended on whether or not Maki would feel up to going.

He pushed open the front door and set off on his normal path to school. A couple of minutes passed as he made his way through the hallway, down the stairs, and to the front lobby.

He walked out the door and was greeted by a refreshing gust of cool, crisp, autumn wind. It forced a smile out of him as he stared up at the blue-gray sky, which was dotted with puffy clouds. It was all so pleasant; sometimes the gorgeous scenery had a way of making one's worries melt into nothingness.

It was then that Kaito heard a familiar voice calling to him from behind.

"Kaito!" it called loudly and clearly.

He nearly gasped as he recognized the voice and turned around to face it. "M-Maki roll?"

Kaito watched as Maki hustled over to him from a distance. She slowed to a stop as she got closer and huffed at the ground indecisively before looking up at him. His breath caught in his lungs for a moment as their eyes met. Her expression seemed strong yet soft, and carried with it a certain warmth that it always had, though it'd been lost these past few days.

"I wanted to tell you something," she began, motioning for him to walk with her, "I know that I've been a little... distant since Monday."

Kaito nodded as he hurriedly stepped forward a few feet, then slowed to match her pace. Maki was facing the sidewalk ahead as she talked, glancing over at him periodically to ensure she still had his attention.

"I also know that you, being the hopeless idiot that you are, were probably worried sick." she continued, not missing the opportunity to sneak in the subtle jab, "So, I figured I should tell you that I'm feeling more like myself today than before."

He stared in awe as she spoke. She sounded so relaxed, and she even threw in that sly remark; it was the exact opposite of how she'd behaved yesterday. It was like she was *trying* to console him.