Chapter 196. Kiss
Leo sat on the fallen log, his bandaged hand shaking slightly, the pain from his burned flesh and sword-slashed chest barely eased by the healing potion Rin had applied. His crimson eyes, though tired, burned with fierce intensity as they met Rin’s tear-filled pink gaze.
Her dark pink hunting outfit was torn, her face streaked with dirt and tears.
Even though Leo’s pale face was glistening with blood and sweat, his lips curled into a subtle, playful grin. "Just for a friend of mine? Rin, no." His crimson eyes locked onto hers with a fire that took her breath away, and he spoke in a rough yet steady voice, "I don’t go feral for just anyone."
"I would burn the entire world for you."
Rin’s heart ached as she clutched the mask, its edges digging into her palms, and her tears came more quickly.
Months of suffering and bewilderment had left her voice raw and cracked.
"So why do you push me away? You hardly gave me any attention for months. I thought you hated me when you left!" Her voice trembled with pain and longing as her pink eyes searched his face in a desperate attempt to find the truth.
As he reached for and took a thin chain from around his neck, Leo’s face softened and a trace of guilt appeared on his face. A tiny silver ring hung from it, glinting in the dim forest light, its understated design brimming with subdued significance.
He raised it. "Hate you? You don’t know how much staying away broke me, Rin." His voice faded to a near whisper as his crimson eyes glistened with agony.
"I felt like I was carving out my own heart every day by keeping my distance."
Rin stepped closer, her voice breaking as she shook her head, her eyes watering."Don’t say that, Leo. You can’t just—" She swallowed hard, her hands trembling. "If you cared, why act like I was nothing to you?"
"I’m not lying," he said.