Apparently, while Haruto was trying to wrap his head around all this Awakened stuff, Jun had been busy being a good citizen. The moment he'd seen Haruto go down, he'd apparently called the cops. Haruto barely remembered the sirens, the flashing lights, or the paramedics. The world had gone fuzzy, the pain from his battered ribs and face finally catching up to him, and then… darkness.
When Haruto finally stirred, his vision blurred at the edges, the sterile white of the hospital room slowly coming into focus. And there—pressed against him, warm and intoxicating—was Satsuki.
She lay curled possessively at his side, her lithe body draped over him like a second skin. One arm was slung across his chest, fingers splayed as if claiming him even in sleep. Her silken hair spilled over his collarbone, each strand carrying the faint, seductive scent of jasmine. The thin fabric of her blouse had slipped just enough to reveal the delicate curve of her shoulder, her breath slow and rhythmic against his neck. Even unconscious, she looked like a dream—one that clung to him with quiet, dangerous obsession.
Then he shifted—just slightly—and her eyes flew open.
Not drowsy, not groggy. Instant.
Like a blade unsheathed.
Her gaze locked onto his, and for a heartbeat, her expression was raw—relief flooding her features, lips parting in a trembling exhale. But then, like a storm rolling in, something darker twisted beneath the surface.
"Haruto." His name spilled from her lips, velvet-soft yet laced with something jagged. Her fingers traced his bruised cheek, feather-light, reverent. "You're awake." A pause. Then, like ice cracking: "Who. Did. This?"
The temperature in the room plummeted. Haruto's breath fogged in the sudden chill, his skin prickling with goosebumps. The machines around them stuttered, their electronic hums distorting into something warped, unnatural. The fluorescent lights flickered, casting jagged shadows across Satsuki's face.
Her voice dropped to a whisper, but the weight of it filled the room, suffocating. The air itself seemed to freeze as her pupils dilated, swallowing the warmth in her irises until only black remained. A coldness radiated from her—unnatural, suffocating—creeping through the hospital like a living thing. The machines hummed quieter. The lights flickered.
Haruto's spine prickled.
He tried to push himself up, but a sharp pain in his ribs reminded him to take it easy. "Seriously, I handled it. They ran off. It's over." He tried to sound nonchalant, but his internal alarm bells were screaming. The way she looked at him, the barely veiled possessiveness in her touch… it was all making the hair on his arms stand up.
She leaned in close, her gaze burning into his, searching. "You're sure?" Her voice was laced with an unnerving calm. "Because if they ever come near you again… I won't be so forgiving." A cold, decisive glint flickered in her eyes, a promise of swift, brutal retribution. It wasn't the kind of protectiveness a normal sister showed. This was something else entirely.
Satsuki didn't blink. Her thumb brushed his split lip, slow, deliberate. Then her hand stilled.
"Fine?" she repeated, voice dripping with venomous sweetness. The temperature dropped further. His breath fogged in the air between them. "You were bleeding. Unconscious." Her fingers tightened—just a fraction—against his jaw. "Tell me their names."
The demand hung in the air, sharp as a guillotine.
Haruto swallowed. He knew that look. Knew what it meant.
And for the first time since waking up, he was afraid—not of the men who'd hurt him, but of the woman who'd burn the world to ashes for daring to touch what was hers.
Later that evening, after being discharged with a stern warning to rest and a handful of pain meds, Haruto finally made it back to his room. Satsuki had hovered over him every second, practically tucking him into bed herself. He half-expected her to stand guard outside his door.
As soon as he was alone, he collapsed onto his bed. The system interface, apparently triggered by his focused attention flickered back into existence, glowing faintly in the dim room.
He then clicked on each section.
『 Status Window 』
>• Name: Haruto Kurokami
>• Awakening Rank: D
>• Primary Skill: [Moonlight Sword Manifestation]: B-rank Skill
- Level 1: 247/1000 EXP
- Current Limit: 3 simultaneous blades
- Range: 50 meter radius
- Duration: Limited by user's stamina
>• Primary Skill: [Abyssal Devour]: A-rank Skill
- Level 1: 189/1000 EXP
- Under moonlight, the blades gain +20% damage and +10% lifesteal.
- During a full moon, the skill's range expands to 70 meters and ignores 40% defense instead of 30%.
>• Hidden Skill: [Yandere EXP Farm]
- Gain one Yandere point when Yandere Affection Level exceeds 70%. You can You can use it at any time to double all EXP stats.
- Current active sources: 1 (!!!!)
As if summoned by his thoughts, there was a soft, almost imperceptible knock on his door.
"Haruto? I made your favorite for dinner. Why don't you come down and eat?"
Satsuki's voice was warm, caring, perfectly normal. But now, Haruto found himself dissecting every syllable, searching for hidden meanings, for undertones of that chilling possessiveness.
"I'll be down in a minute," he called back, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Take your time," she replied, her voice soft and sweet. "I'll keep it warm for you. I'll always keep everything warm for you, no matter how long you need."
Her footsteps retreated down the hallway, but Haruto couldn't shake the feeling she hadn't gone far. He imagined her standing just outside his door, listening, waiting.
And then, Miki's warning echoed: "Your sister isn't what she seems."
Haruto quickly opened the system interface, and sure enough, there was still one item he hadn't seen yet.
>• Subject: [Satsuki Kurokami]
>• Classification: S-Rank Yandere
>• Awakening Rank: Unknown (Potential: Unknown)
>• Primary Skill: [Unknown]
Outside his window, the sun was painting the sky in fiery oranges and deep reds. It looked too much like a burning world. Somewhere in the distance, he heard the faint wail of sirens – police, ambulance, fire department, he couldn't tell. But something told him his quiet, normal life was about to become a whole lot more complicated.
The system interface flickered one last time before fading away, leaving him with a stark, unsettling realization.
>• New Quest: Uncover the Truth
• Reward: Discover the truth of Satsuki Kurokami.
• Reward: 1000 EXP
• Time Limit: No
Haruto closed his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands against them, and tried to pretend that tomorrow would be just another ordinary day.
He knew it was a lie, a comfortable delusion. But sometimes, lies were a lot more comforting than the terrifying truth that was knocking on his door.