--Sunday, May 31, 2172
"So, how did it all end?"
In the middle of a large bathtub, Kai asked Shino in a calm voice as she snuggled in his arms with a pleased, cheerful expression. Letting her head fall onto her beloved’s chest, Shino replied in a slow, lazy voice.
"A little different from what you expected. Everyone deliberately avoided talking about your powers and only highlighted your important role as a guide and that, thanks to your efforts, we were all able to co back alive."
"That was really unexpected..." Kai comnted, slightly surprised. Shino, with a happy smile, took Kai’s hands and brought them to her chest as she spoke in a placid voice.
"Actually, everyone is very grateful to you and hopes to work together again in the future, so as long as you’re not a villain, they won’t deliberately attack you."
"I see..." Kai replied calmly, then squeezed Shino a little tighter. But at that mont, Kai sensed through his ’Haki’ that the others were starting to wake up, so he remarked with a relaxed smile.
"The others woke up. It’s ti to get out."
"Mmm... I wanted to stay like this a little longer..."
Shino replied reluctantly, but after a few seconds she let go and stood up, leaving her sensual, curvy body fully exposed. As she stepped out of the bathtub, the beautiful heroine rembered sothing, so she looked at her beloved and said with a lovely smile.
"By the way, Tomoko is eager for her date, so don’t make her wait too long."
"Don’t worry, I have sothing in mind."
Kai answered with a smile as he got out of the bathtub. With a little hop, Shino ca up to Kai and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, then stepped away and grabbed a bathrobe as she added brightly.
"Do sothing cute."
After Shino left the bathroom, Kai dried himself with a towel, at which point a set of new athletic clothes floated into the bathroom, courtesy of Sage. After putting on clean clothes, Kai left the room—one of the unassigned ones—and headed to his workshop. Since the U.A. kids weren’t coming today, he planned to spend most of the day working.
...
After a few hours in the workshop, Kai pushed off the table in front of him, sending his ergonomic chair rolling backward, and stretched lazily, then left the workshop to look for breakfast. As he stepped through the door, Kai was intercepted by Salem, who quickly leapt onto his shoulder and owed, demanding sothing, so Kai spoke with an amused smile.
"Don’t worry, your feast will be tonight, and tomorrow we can start building your house."
Hearing his master, Salem owed contentedly, then jumped and landed softly on the floor in front of Tama, who had just co up to Kai. After a casual ow, Salem took the white cat by the scruff and jumped back onto Kai’s shoulder, where he set her down, then hopped to his master’s other shoulder.
As Tama settled on Kai’s shoulder, Salem owed as if asking sothing. Kai spoke in a casual tone as he walked toward the mansion.
"Let’s do Tama’s Accomplice this afternoon."
Salem owed in approval, then rested calmly on Kai’s shoulder as he entered the mansion. Soon, Kai found his whole family gathered in the dining room, while Mrs. Yoshiko and Momo arranged various dishes piled high with food.
Seeing Kai arrive, Momo smiled, visibly smitten, and ran to him. After giving her beloved a tender kiss on the cheek, Momo took his arm and led him to the main chair, which drew a suspicious look from everyone present. Sothing seed to have changed with adorable Momo.
"You’re very happy this morning, Momo." Yumiko comnted with a motherly smile as she looked at the young woman, who couldn’t help blushing a little and cheerfully replied.
"A little."
Yumiko and Nemuri couldn’t help but chuckle softly, while Keiko looked at her daughter and at Kai with a hint of surprise. Almost unconsciously, the beautiful mother subtly licked her lips—a gesture that Shino, who was right in front of her, saw from the front row. With a surprised expression, Shino turned to look at Nemuri and Ryuko, who returned a look that said they were aware.
But Shino couldn’t help noticing that Ryuko looked unusually downcast and kept sending occasional glances at Kai, who looked back at her calmly. With a sigh, Shino joined the quiet conversation that everyone had started, until Momo finished filling the table with food and sat down, officially starting breakfast.
......
After breakfast, Ryuko followed Kai to her room with heavy steps and an apprehensive expression. Ryuko felt like she was walking to the firing squad; after all the ti they’d been in their beautiful relationship, this was their first real fight, and it had been her fault.
That fact filled Ryuko with fear—she didn’t want to damage the relationship or be pushed aside—and thanks to her inexperience in love, she didn’t know how to handle the situation.
Entering the room, Kai took a chair and sat in front of the bed, which he pointed to with one hand, signaling Ryuko to sit across from him. With heavy steps, Ryuko walked over and sat down with her head bowed, wanting to be anywhere else but there. At that mont, Kai began to speak in a serious tone.
"I imagine you’re wondering why I’m talking to you alone when I also have to talk to Chatora about what happened."
Ryuko shook her head and, in a soft, guilty voice, spoke without daring to raise her gaze to et her beloved’s blue eyes.
"...No... I understand. It’s because I’m your woman, and I should support you, but I didn’t... I’m sorry..."
"That’s part of it, but the real reason is sothing else." Kai said calmly, which made Ryuko lift her head to look at him with a touch of worry and panic. In the sa calm voice, Kai looked into Ryuko’s blue eyes and explained.
"Even though on the island you tried to subtly force my hand in favor of the other heroes, it’s not like I don’t know who you are. You’re a pro hero, and therefore you’ll always try to save others, even if you have to sacrifice yourself or your relationships."
Hearing Kai, Ryuko tried to speak, but although her mouth moved, no words ca out. Even though she wanted to deny it and swear that Kai was the most important thing in her life and that she wouldn’t sacrifice their relationship for anything in the world, she couldn’t.
As much as she truly loved him with every last piece of her soul, she could never let soone die in front of her eyes knowing she could do sothing to prevent it—her conscience would never allow it.
"Don’t strain yourself; I understand you. I grew up with you; I know what kind of person Ryuko Tsuchikawa is. Between a stranger’s life and her partner’s trust, the pro hero Pixie-Bob will always choose to save a life."
Kai spoke in a neutral, asured voice as he looked at Ryuko, who couldn’t help biting her lower lip hard, seeking physical pain to distract her from the ache in her ’heart.’
Feeling sad and helpless—since Kai was practically breaking up with her—Ryuko hugged herself as tears began to run down her cheek, but at that mont she felt a warm hand on her face.
"Don’t cry. I don’t intend to hurt you; I just want to point out that we have worldviews that are completely incompatible with each other."
As Kai wiped away her tears, Ryuko looked at him with a calm expression on his face and a small smile on his lips, while a sharp pain pierced her chest. With a trembling hand, Ryuko took Kai’s hand on her cheek and asked through tears full of pain and hopelessness.
"Why is it so hard for you to be a hero, Kai...? Why do you refuse so much to help the needy? Why? Is it because of Iron Palm?"
"Although my father has sothing to do with it, the real reason is sothing else—it’s sothing much more ’fundantal,’ so to speak." Kai replied evenly, then lifted his gaze and began to explain in a thoughtful voice.
"It’s not like helping soone would kill , and I’m certainly not a being without empathy. I can’t be a ’hero’ because of a mix of two things. First, I’m fully aware that people see kindness as weakness. If you’re too ’kind,’ they’ll take advantage of you, take what you give for granted, and demand it as if it were their ’birthright.’
"You only have to look at how many good pro heroes, police officers, and the like are criticized, sued, and repudiated because they didn’t arrive in ti, made a mistake during an operation, or sothing like that. Those they saved at the risk of their lives not only don’t thank them, they bla them for not doing it the way they wanted. And of course there’s never a shortage of people looking to profit.
"So, since I don’t want to live through sothing like that, and I certainly don’t need to be a hero to live, I prefer not to get involved—and that’s not to ntion that fa doesn’t appeal to much. But the second thing that keeps from being a hero is sothing that cos from the deepest part of who I am. Under no circumstances would I be willing to sacrifice what I love for soone I don’t know."
Kai lowered his gaze and focused on Ryuko’s beautiful, slightly surprised eyes, then added in a firm, resolute voice.
"I will never sacrifice you. You are my priority, above everything. If to save you I had to sacrifice the lives of innocents, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. I will always protect my family against anyone and anywhere—no exceptions, no doubts, no delays. I owe nothing to anyone but you, my family. I owe you what I am, and in return I give you my love and my care."
As Ryuko’s eyes widened slightly and she squeezed his hand, Kai showed a slight smile and added in a softer voice.
"I once read sowhere that a true hero is capable of sacrificing the love of his life for the good of the world, while a villain is soone who can sacrifice the world for his ambition. Maybe I’m cut out to be a villain... because I wouldn’t hesitate to destroy everything to protect you."
Feeling her heart clench tightly, Ryuko squeezed Kai’s hand on her cheek as she looked at him with tears in her eyes. She didn’t know what to say—moved and scared in equal parts—so after a few seconds, all she could do was leap forward and cling to him with all her strength. While hugging Ryuko, Kai spoke in a more serious tone.
"That’s why I want you to think very carefully and make a decision. I’m not a hero, and I never will be, so I don’t want you to try to change my mind anymore, nor try to push or manipulate into saving others.
"If I see it’s feasible to help, I will, but if I think doing so puts you in danger, I won’t lift a finger. So if you’re okay with what I am, I’m more than happy for us to stay together and continue our relationship, but if not, it’s best that—"
"No!" Ryuko didn’t let Kai finish and announced in a tearful voice, then pulled back from him and added as she looked straight into his eyes.
"I don’t want to break up with you, darling. I love you from the depths of my heart, and I can feel your love too. Even if we’re different and don’t agree on this, I want to stay by your side, no matter if we argue, fight, or get angry.
"I want to stay by your side, be your woman, enjoy your love and your care; I want to take care of you and support you; I want to be an important part of your life. So I have nothing to think about—I choose to stay with you, and I promise I’ll do everything I can to understand you and support you."
"Are you sure? In the future sothing similar—or worse—than what happened on the island could happen, and you might end up seeing leave soone to their fate."
Kai said with a serious expression, which made Ryuko bite her lip hard. But after just a few seconds, the blonde hero looked her beloved in the eyes and replied.
"My calling is to be a pro hero. Just like you said—that’s what I am. So, since I’m the hero, I’ll be the one to save others. And even if at so point I make you angry again, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart." Ryuko brought her forehead to Kai’s and added in a sincere, tearful voice.
"Our relationship is the most beautiful and valuable thing I have in my life, and if you give the chance, I want to stay by your side until the very last day... Would you give that chance, Kai? Would you allow , as I am, to share my life with you...?"
"How could I say no to my Ryuko?" Kai said tenderly. Ryuko let her tears fall and spoke in a moved, happy voice,
"Thank you, darling... I really love you..."
As Ryuko began a tender kiss with her beloved behind the door, five beautiful won who had been holding glasses to the door let out sighs of relief and looked at each other with joyful smiles. After nodding, the beautiful won slipped away quietly, wanting to give the newly reconciled couple a bit of privacy.
***
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