章 72: Chapter 72: The price of silence
*Before going into their rooms*
The interior of the villa was just as imposing as the exterior.
Everything was immaculate, from the polished marble floors to the chandeliers that cast a soft, golden glow over the hallways.
Yet to Kai, it felt more like a museum than a home.
The overwhelming grandeur only amplified the feeling of isolation that had haunted him since he was a child.
Every piece of furniture, every painting on the wall, spoke of wealth and prestige, but none of it brought warmth or comfort.
"Please, follow me," Ayame said as she led them down one of the corridors. "We've prepared the guest rooms in the east wing for Miss Hina and Miss Yuna. Dinner will be served shortly." She said in a very formal tone of voice.
Kai kept walking, his feet dragging slightly. He could feel Hina's eyes on him, concerned but patient.
Yuna, however, remained in her own world, still not uttering a word.
He wanted to reach out, to say somethin-anything, to ease the tension, but his throat felt tight, his mind clouded with memories of countless evenings spent alone in this place, pretending to be someone he wasn't.
As they reached the guest rooms, Fumihiro finally spoke, his voice warm but authoritative.
"You girls will stay with us tonight." He said, with a firm but friendly tone.
Kai didn't know why his parents wanted to make the girls stay for the night, but you could read from Fumihiro's face that he probably knew something.
Hina smiled and nodded graciously again. "Thank you so much, Mr. Suzuki. I really appreciate your hospitality."
Yuna, however, hesitated before nodding silently.
She still couldn't bring herself to look at Kai.
Haruka stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Yuna's shoulder.
"Don't worry, dear. We'll make sure you're comfortable here. Just relax." She said.
Yuna forced a small smile, but inside she felt like she was unraveling.
"Comfortable… how could I be comfortable here?" she thought.
She glanced at Kai one more time, her heart sinking as she saw him standing so close to Hina.
" I just need to survive this night..." She thought.
Kai watched the interaction and felt a pang of guilt.
He knew that something with Yuna was off and he could see it in the way she avoided him, the way her smiles didn't quite reach her eyes anymore.
But what could he say to her? How could he possibly fix this when he wasn't even sure how to deal with his own feelings?
As Ayame ushered Hina and Yuna into their respective rooms, Kai stood frozen in the hallway, the walls of the villa suddenly feeling even closer than before.
He couldn't shake the unease that clung to him like a shadow.
This place, his parents' presence, Yuna's sadness, Hina's concern… everything felt overwhelming.
He needed air.
He needed space.
But most of all, he needed to figure out how to get through this night without breaking apart himself.
**
And so, the three were directed to their luxurious rooms.
Kai was led to the room where he had grown up, a room he had left behind long ago to pursue his studies.
He didn't miss it at all.
In fact, only bad memories resurfaced in his mind.
Memories of playing alone in his room, with little contact with the outside world.
Entire days spent in solitude, with few friends and rarely venturing outside.
His family's wealth had always allowed him to have anything he wanted, but it never filled the emptiness he felt inside.
It was as if a sense of negative nostalgia had rooted itself deep within his soul.
Kai never cared for material things.
His parents had always tried to spoil him with toys and love, but it was never enough.
As he grew older, the lack of many friendships and a sense of normality became more and more apparent.
He fought many battles during his adolescence to gain independence.
In a way, someone as rich as he was wouldn't have even needed to attend a "normal" school, but that was what Kai wanted.
His mother was very protective of him and had always raised him in a glass bubble, shielding him from the harsh realities of the world.
Yet, despite this, both Haruka and Fumihiro had done well in their roles, always being there for Kai and ensuring he never felt neglected due to their work.
As soon as Kai entered the room, he kicked off his shoes and threw himself onto the bed with his arms spread wide, as if saying, "Finally, some peace…!"
However, he quickly realized that his clothes were still dirty and sweaty, and after a moment, he noticed the unpleasant odor coming from him.
"Ugh… what a stink…" he muttered, getting up from the bed.
His "room" was almost the size of a small apartment, equipped with a bed, a bar, a kitchen, and even two bathrooms.
And it's worth mentioning that he was a collector of action figures.
He had almost the entire collection of action figures dedicated to the animated series "The Spirit of Vengeance," written by his father.
He glanced quickly at the shelf where the figurines were displayed.
A small but nostalgic smile crept onto his lips as he walked toward the bathroom.
The happy days were over, replaced by a story teetering on the edge of horror, filled with blood and violence.
He opened the bathroom door, and after undressing, stepped straight into the shower.
As the hot water cascaded over his body, Kai began to think about how he could escape this situation.
Every time he recalled the moment he killed a man, he felt a tightness in his chest, causing a deep pain mixed with a sense of anguish.
He constantly felt the urge to cry and run away.
He remembered the blood on his face, the look of pain, the life slowly draining from the man's body… he remembered every single detail.
But he also knew he shouldn't feel guilty.
It was pure survival instinct.
Kai remained silent in the shower for about twenty minutes before stepping out.
Then, after wrapping himself in a bathrobe, he began to dry his hair.
In front of him was a mirror.
He didn't have the courage to look himself in the eyes.
The kind, dreamer boy who had lived a completely normal life until recently had almost disappeared, replaced by a man fighting for his own survival and that of his loved ones.
He did his best not to think about it, despite the sense of anguish gnawing at him from the inside like a crawling worm.
After finishing drying off, he put on more comfortable clothes for dinner.
He knew his parents would prepare a grand feast for their guests.
After changing, he threw himself back onto the bed, ignoring everything and everyone.
"Why me? What did I do wrong?" he began to ask himself.
Amid the millions of intrusive thoughts, Kai even considered ending it all… but he knew that wasn't the right choice.
The only thing he could do was talk to Hina.
Kai lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, his thoughts spiraling into a chaotic mess.
He barely heard the soft knock on his door before it slowly creaked open.
"Kai?" His mother's voice was gentle, almost hesitant, as if she already sensed something was wrong.
Kai quickly snapped out of his reverie, pushing himself up on the bed and forcing a smile. "Hey, Mom."
But he felt like she was gonna talk about something he didn't expect…
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