Chapter 23- Marriage~1!
'It's super embarrassing.'
The thought emerged for the third time in Kei's mind as he found himself and Kaori in such an odd situation.
Ryuuta, along with Aoi, Hana, and Sayaka, has left the two for more than five minutes now, but after the initial exchange of words, neither of them had spoken anything yet.
It was natural for Kei to feel embarrassed since they had met after more than five years, and the previous Kaori he remembers had taken an abortive turn in various ways.
Unlike in the past when the woman used to behave like a tomboy and had a free mind to express whatever she came up with, the current her was more dignified and felt a little distant.
Kei was used to the previous Kaori since she didn't give him a sense of being self-conscious. But now, even sitting on the same couch as her, made him slightly unsettled.
"It's been long, Kei. You have grown up."
Kaori almost bit her lip as she found herself sounding like an old aunt. But she had to initiate a conversation, or Kei might leave the place.
Kaori was very well aware of Kei's tendency to get awkward very easily, and she understood how uncomfortable he was with her, which made it all the way necessary for her to take the initiative.
"You also have changed and also become...beautiful.."
Kei choked on the word since it was hard for him to say something like that straightforwardly. Not to talk about the person in front was his childhood buddy.
'How does that bastard do it so causally... '
"Is that so..."
Meekly responded the older one as she tried her best to cover her ears as she felt them heating up. She had forgotten how long it's been since she had felt this nervous.
Even her first mission didn't make her as enthralled as the guy in front was making her. Even seeing him like this in such an intimate space and smelling the long lost fragrance of him made her inner beast quite troubled.
She was shy indeed but more than that; she was greedy for Kei.
"How is work? I mean, you found one yet?"
Kei finally decided to come out of his shell and break this atmosphere, but the first thing he asked might have been a little rude if Kaori had not been a superhuman working for the Organisation.
"Y-Yeah, after graduation, I found a reputed job and have attained a decent position."
Kei couldn't agree more since he had sensed what prowess Kaori carried, and with that strength, it was natural for her to reach a higher position in less time.
"Be careful, Kaori, since, in nowadays companies, employees die early because of heavy workload."
Kaori's job as a Hunter undoubtedly contains high risk. Despite being strong, Kei knows how terrifying beings are out there who could erase Kaori from existence just with a single snap.
Kaori believed that Kei was advising her regarding the typical 9 to 5 jobs, but she couldn't help asking as she tilted her head.
"Are you worried for me?"
Without hesitation, Kei also turned his head and spoke his genuine thoughts.
"Of course I am. You and Ryuuta are the two most important people to me. Even if we haven't been able to catch up lately or would get distant with time, it doesn't change the fact that you are an irreplaceable being in my life."
Throughout his confession, Kaori's eyes were twinkling like she had been put under a spell, but at the end of his words, her face became dyed red.
Turning her head, she found it challenging to keep looking at him currently. Previously she thought that other than his appearance, nothing had changed, but she was wrong...
'When did he become so bold! '
Kaori was fidgeting at her place, and on the other side, Kei felt slightly embarrassed to say something like that.
But before he could utter a single word, his pupils dilated a second before a massive crimson circle summoned around the room, engulfing the couch as its center.
A look of horror adorned Kaori's face as she moved at a frightening speed to push Kei away but failed to do so.
"Kei!!"
...
...
After a short while, the place where the duo opened their eyes was a massive hall that had stone walls all around, and a high stage at the distance where stood various figures.
There were a decent amount of armor-wearing guards surrounding the place. Looking around, Kaori found herself inside a mana cage.
Looking to her left, she was about to approach Kei when a manly voice resonated in the hall.
"He is bonded with Curse Seal, Kaori-san. If I were you, I would have trodden carefully."
Enhancing her senses, Kaori observed that, indeed, Kei's body was tied with red chains, which gave away an ominous vibe.
Turning her head with extreme anger muddling her mind, she saw the person who caused her Kei such discomfort.
But soon her eyes went slightly wide as she saw the young man sitting on the throne with his eyes not leaving Kaori.
"You...."
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A/N: - Guess who ;)
There is going to be a revelation of Kei's origin in upcoming chapters. So look forward to it and drop a comment ~