"And when I was on the verge of collapsing from all this nonsense, I decided to come and tell you everything—because you're the only one who'd listen to me seriously, without any hidden motives." Kojou finished speaking and closed his eyes, bracing for Asagi to slap him, curse at him, or do anything to vent her anger at him.
Rustle.
After Kojou stopped talking, Asagi climbed fully onto the bed, her face turned toward him. Kojou still stared at the floor with a tense expression, even a trace of fear on his face.
"It must've been hard for you," Asagi said softly, hugging Kojou and pulling his head against her chest.
"A-Asagi…?" Kojou froze at the sudden embrace—he'd been prepared for a slap, not this gentle, reassuring hug.
"It's okay," Asagi smiled, lying back on the bed while holding Kojou, patting his head. "It must've been so hard for you."
Hearing Asagi's tender voice and feeling her soothing touch, Kojou couldn't hold back his tears. He wept silently against her chest.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't angry at you for ignoring my feelings, but…" Asagi spoke quietly, playing with Kojou's hair, deliberately not acknowledging his tears. "This isn't just your fault. I didn't have the courage to confess my feelings either. So I have no right to blame you—especially since I know better than anyone how hard you worked to become a professional basketball player. That's partly why I never confessed… I didn't want to distract you when you were so close to your dream."
"Asagi…" Kojou's voice was hoarse as he lifted his head from her chest and hugged her back. "I'm sorry… and I love you."
"K-Kojou?!…" Asagi gasped at the sudden confession but couldn't respond before he continued.
"Truth is, I've loved you for a long time. I wanted to confess after winning the championship, but what happened back then broke me. I couldn't say it—I was just a miserable guy who'd given up on his dream." Kojou laid bare the feelings he'd buried. "When I finally crawled out of depression thanks to you, I was sure of my feelings. I wanted to improve myself and tell you… but then, somehow, I became The Fourth Primogenitor—with no memory of how it happened."
By this point, Kojou's voice trembled, unable to contain the storm of emotions inside him.
"When I realized I'd become a Demon, I decided to bury these feelings forever. I know how kind you are—you'd do anything to help me return to being human. And honestly… I didn't want you to sacrifice so much for someone like me." Fear and anxiety bled into his words. "If the pressure hadn't driven me to the edge, I even considered leaving this island… vanishing so I could stay 'Kojou the lazy idiot' instead of an immortal monster who could destroy the world."
"..." Asagi listened in silence, letting the man she loved empty his heart. She could only cry quietly, her own heart wrenching at everything he'd endured.
Kojou kept talking until the weight on his shoulders finally lightened. Exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep still clinging to Asagi.
"Hwahhh~…" Kojou yawned and opened his eyes to a familiar room—though not his own. "Guess I wasn't dreaming."
Despite the pitiful way he'd broken down, he felt happy. Telling Asagi everything had lifted a colossal burden.
"Oh, Kojou! Good, you're awake. I was about to wake you up." Asagi pushed the door open, carrying a tray with two cups of ramen. "Eat. You must be starving."
"Mmm…" Kojou stared at Asagi for a moment, relieved to see no resentment in her eyes. He nodded slightly and got out of bed.
He sat across from her at the low table, picking up the ramen cup and chopsticks she'd set out. He hadn't eaten since morning—and judging by the sunset outside, hours had passed.
They ate in silence, the room quiet except for the sound of slurping.
"So… what do you want to do now?" Asagi twirled her chopsticks in the ramen, staring at Kojou. "Do you want to go back to being human? Or stay as The Fourth Primogenitor?"
"That's…" Kojou didn't answer immediately. He needed to think carefully. A gut feeling told him the worst wasn't over—he might need his Primogenitor powers to protect himself and those he loved. "Living as a normal human with you… dating, messing around, even getting married…"
The thought made him smile faintly. It was a beautiful future. But unfortunately—
"I can't do that." His gentle smile turned serious. "You know my instincts are rarely wrong. I feel it—chaos is coming. I'll need The Fourth Primogenitor's power to survive it… to protect you and Nagisa. So I won't abandon these powers."
Another Title: Burying the Demon, Embracing the Heart
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