Haruka frowned when he heard those words from Lila. To think Lila has thought this way this entire time. He always a.s.sumed that Lila and Kiryu had a perfect relations.h.i.+p with one another. But it turns out there are more problems than he thought. Is there anything he can do for her? As Haruka racked his head for an idea, Lila suddenly let go of her hand and rushed over to the railing area.She closed her eyes and extended her hands out like she was embracing the wind. "The sea breeze feels so good."
Haruka walked over to where she was. "Yeah, I guess this is nice once in a while."
One of his earliest memories regarding the sea was something unpleasant, though.
You b.l.o.o.d.y monster.
Haruka recalled how he lost control of his hanyou abilities for the first time. His mother only left him alone for a few minutes, and that was when it happened. He lost control of his footing and almost fell in the ocean; luckily, he steadied himself. But people saw him; they saw what happened. He sprinted away as fast as he could, but it still felt like people were chasing him.
n.o.body had ever called him a monster before. It is not unusual for people to look at him that way due to his father. Father seldom spent time with them, and instead, he focused on chasing after a married woman.
What would you call someone who chased after a married person?
A homewrecker.
So many people insulted him for insisting on seeing Teras.h.i.+ma Sumire. But no matter how many people said things, his father never listened. When Teras.h.i.+ma Lila was born, and he left them for good. Haruka didn"t say anything, but deep down, he recalled the words monster. The real monster is this man.
A monster is nothing like what they portray in legends. No, the real monsters are the ones like his father, who would abandon his family without a second thought. The real monsters are the ones disguised by human flesh.
The second time he was called a monster, he was ten years old, and that was when he met Zane. It was the first time he took a human life because if he did not kill them, he would be the dead one.
He remembers using a weapon for the first time. In a modern society like this, why would anybody need weapons like spears? But at that time, he had nothing to lose by using it. It was heavier and larger than him, so it was hard to swing around and use. But with that spear, he harmed someone.
For the first time, he indeed became a monster. But none of that bothered him. All that went on his mind then was that he needed more time to train. He doubted he could do that during this situation, though.
The last words of that person were "you"re a monster."
The third time he was called a monster was when he formally became a member of Zane"s organization. Zane held a tournament for those people who would work directly beside him. He made his way to the finals easily, and the last person he faced was Zane"s, right-hand man.
People called him a monster because he beat an adult. The other contenders were adults, too, but they did not say it then. Was it because people saw him
The fourth time was when he was dating Rikka.
"Believe me, someone who tastes violence so early cannot become anything but a monster."
She did not call him a monster directly, but by saying those words, she implied it.
"By the way, this shopping trip was an excuse for you to gather information, right?"
"Hmm? You figured it out?"
Lila nodded and looked down. "I"m sorry I got in your way. During times like this, I am not much help. I can"t investigate like you and Kiryu; my presence attracts too much attention."
This girl is thinking of silly things again. Haruka extended his hands out and flicked the girl"s forehead. At that comment, she rubbed the sore part of her forehead, puzzled.
"You don"t have to worry about that; your plenty helpful. If it weren"t for your helpful insights, earlier those people would have tricked me."
Lila is good at sensing people"s bad intentions.
"But honestly, we came here for a change of pace too." He pinched her cheeks lightly. "You look stressed and troubled lately, so I wanted to do something for you."
He knew the only way to get Lila to leave the house was to say they need supplies. Haruka felt strange about his wife spending so much time with Kiryu. But he quickly shrugged such thoughts away. Kiryu is sick, and he needs help. Unfortunately, he isn"t the best person to take care of a sick person. Ayase and Kiryu are friends, but she barely knows him.
When one is sick and defenseless, having somebody you know to take care of you is better.
Haruka felt her gaze on him, and his heartbeat sped up again.
"So, uh, I want to make you feel better.."
To his surprise, she suddenly grabbed hold of his hands. "By make me feel better, you have to take me out on loads of dates."
Uhh, she has requirements?
Why does this feel like she is going to go off-script again?
"You have to do everything I say."
Uh, it seems his wife wants to add to the script again.
Her gaze softened. "But, thank you, Haruka." Lila laughed. "You"re so kind to me."
People call him a monster, but Teras.h.i.+ma Lila has never done that. This girl has always remained by his side no matter what happens. This girl has always laughed and told him that she loves him, that she doesn"t want anything more than him.
The main reason why he could stand against Zane is because of Teras.h.i.+ma Lila. She gave him the confidence he lacked this entire time. If he were to tell her that it was because of her, Lila would surely get angry and tell him that he is wrong. "You worked hard, hubby!"
His lips curve to a smile at the thought.