Chapter 16: Ch 16 - Mika’s Confession
Days had passed since Keita’s transformation and his public assertion of control, the lines of his reality blurring into something more defined, more dangerous. The world felt sharper, colours perhaps more intense, the presence of Mika amplified tenfold – her touch magnetic, her words carrying sharper edges now, laced with the possessiveness that felt like a declaration of war on anyone else who might intrude.
Keita felt the storm brewing within her, a tension humming beneath his skin like a second heartbeat. He tried to distance himself, retreating into the anonymity of the library’s books or the meticulous organization of his (now shared) apartment, but it was a losing battle. Mika found him, cornered him, always. Her eyes held a rawness that cut deeper than any argument.
He’d been in his study, trying to regain a semblance of control over the narrative – arranging the newly manifested sketches depicting twisted scenarios involving Reina and Aiko-sensei, his own distorted face staring back from the pages. Mika didn’t need words.
He heard the soft click of the bathroom door unlocking, the distinct sound of her bare feet padding softly on the cool tile floor outside. He didn’t turn around immediately, pretending to focus on a drawing of Reina’s distorted face contorted in agony.
"Keita," her voice was low, a silk rope coiling around his spine.
He sighed, a sound tight with suppressed frustration. "What do you want, Mika?"
"Everything," she whispered, her presence suddenly filling the doorway. She wore nothing but his discarded shirt draped over her shoulder. Water droplets clung to her dark hair as if she’d just stepped out of a steam room. The air in the study felt heavy, charged with her proximity.
He finally turned, meeting her gaze. The anger he saw there was worse than usual, sharper. "Don’t be childish."
"Mika," he tried again, his voice losing some of its edge.
Her expression shifted then, from furious to something... rawer. Vulnerable? Betrayal flickered across her face before being swallowed by intensity. "You think you can ignore me?"
"No," he admitted grudgingly. "I just don’t know what you want."