Her dark blue hair sprawled on the soft white bed as she breathed evenly. She had a little frown on her face as if she wasn't satisfied with something. Her head was wrapped around with a bandage. Her knees and ankles were bandaged too.

The crimson haired man stood by the bed and stared at the blue haired asleep woman on the bed. He felt like he could stare at her for the rest of his life.

But he also knew it was just a ridiculous thought. The kind of thoughts that always comes to him whenever he meets this particular girl.

It didn't matter where or when. Back then and even now, whenever he sees her, he always feels like he could stare and watch over her for the rest of his life.

The red haired man had a bandage wrapped around his forehead. When he raised his arm a little to touch it, he winced in pain. Not on his forehead but in his arms. His arms must have hurt too when he literally thrown himself over the girl, to save her.

He chuckled lightly on his own.

The Akashi Seijuro who is literally incapable of taking rash and thoughtless decisions just displayed his moment of weakness and his only reason for weakness in front of a whole ballroom filled with people. If that wasn't funny enough for him, he didn't know what was.

He didn't care though.

He saved her. She was safe. That's what mattered to him. That's the only thing mattered to him.

But he had more important things to think about too.

The chandelier.

It wasn't just a mere accident. Such an accident shouldn't have occurred in a party hosted by Akashi himself. It was just impossible.

Akashi stood by the bed for some minutes, his mind drifting off to many things that could possibly led him to a conclusion. But for the first time he felt like he was at his wit's end. Just thinking of the fact that there was someone out there who was trying to harm Ena, made his fist clench tightly. But he didn't let his anger and frustration take over him as he clearly knew that it would cloud his judgement and then he wouldn't be able to find the real culprit quickly. He inhaled deeply.

"I think I need some sleep." He said in a exasperated voice, raking his long fingers through his red spiky hair.

He stared at the dark blue haired girl on the bed for some time, smiled on his own then slowly walked out of the room.

_

I was slowly opened my eyes and what instantly blinded my eyesight was the bright sunlight coming through the large window.

Instinctively, I looked around and the room and the furniture was oddly familiar.

I was laying on a huge king size bed, the walls were painted creamy white, the furniture were of minimalistic design yet very traditionally elegant. The heavy sky blue and golden colored curtains on the windows complimented the decoration of the room in a fashionable way.

I narrowed my eyes.

And everything in this room was oddly familiar.

I got up from my slumber and sat there. A splitting pain shoot up my head as if it would slice my brain into million pieces. I closed my head for a moment.

What in the world happened?

As soon as a voice spoke out that question inside my head, everything from the previous night came rushing back into me. All the answers.

I looked up hearing the squeaking noise and the gigantic chandelier was nearing face.

"ENA MOVE!!"

Did I move?

Something happened with me. Some kind of accident, I think. And I was hurt. Because my whole body ached. My arms were bruised and there was a bandage wrapped around my head. My ankles were wrapped too.

Where am I?

Another question raised in my head and as if my subconscious mind was just waiting for it, passed me the answer.

Akashi Mansion.

My eyes widened.  

I looked around frantically. The minimalistic yet traditional decor. The sky blue amd golden curtain. The king sized bed. The refreshing scent of lavender in the air. Yes, it really was Akashi mansion.

I frowned at the sudden revelation. What in the world am I doing here? Don't tell me I spent my night here or something? Does that means I missed my classes too??

I turned my head to look at the digital table clock on the bedside table that was showing a bright red colored 9:39 AM on the screen.

I rubbed my palms over the bed and the blanket lightly, to feel the soft, smooth surface on my fingers. I looked outside as I assessed my current situation.

Now that I'm already here amd most probably spent my night here, there's no use of sneaking out of here right now... And I most probably had an accident or something, even though, I can't remember clearly what happened, I can guess... Let's just wait and see what all of these takes me. I too tired and hungry now anyway.

I yawned.

As if on cue, the door opened and a crimson haired man walked in. Akashi Seijuro marched inside the room with a butler behind him who had a tray on his hand. Akashi had a bandage wrapped around her head too and I saw dark shadows under those big red eyes. Looks like he didn't get a goodnight sleep.

As soon as Akashi entered, he looked at me. "Finally, you woke up."

"How long was I out?"

"For around 10 hours. All of these took a huge toll on your body apparently."

Akashi reached in front of the bed and just stood there looking at me. The butler behind him also stopped in his track and placed the tray on the table before bowing to me and Akashi and then leaving the room promptly.

"Speaking of which, what exactly happened with that chandelier thing earlier? Did it crash on me or something?" I lightly touched the back of my head and I felt a dull pain there.

"Do you not remember?" Akashi raised his brows.

I stared at the bandage on his head then stared into his eyes. "Not entirely. The last thing I can remember is the giant ass chandelier nearing face."

He looked at me with amused eyes. "Judging by your appearance and talking, you don't seem mentally hurt or traumatized or anything."

I scoffed in a playful manner. "Oh, come on, Akashi. It's just a giant ass chandelier. I've dealt with much worse, don't you know?" I raised my one brow and stared into his piercing eyes that turned a little bit darker.

"I know. You're a strong girl." He said.

I looked down at my hands, making my bangs hide my eyes and he slowly sat down on the bed by my side. Blur yet clear pieces of my dark past rushed inside my brain right in a second. He softly brushed aside my hair from my vision but I still didn't look up as I kept fidgeting with my fingers.

"You saved me." I said quietly. It was not a question. I knew it already, seeing him.

He remained silent as he kept brushing my disheveled hair lightly.

"Didn't you?" I said once again but this time, meeting his soft eyes.

"Why are you asking even?" He asked. "Thought I wouldn't?"

"I thought nothing at that moment." I said honestly. "There were many times in my life when I wanted to die. But surprisingly, most of the time, I was saved by you right at the last moment."

His crimson eyes turned unfathomable and a shade darker. His expression aloof and apathetic but I knew he was listening to my every words.

"It didn't matter if you were there or how much far you were from me. You always came to save me. Back then and... even now." I felt my throat constricted as if a cry would come out and I would burst out in tears in any moment. "And even though I wanted to die at those moments, surprisingly, I was relieved every time you saved me."

I felt a single tear rolled down my eyes.

"Did you want to die... yesterday too?" He asked quietly. I couldn't guess his emotion hearing his monotonous voice but I also couldn't meet his eyes.

I shook my head slightly. I couldn't utter a single word and my body began trembling.

His warm hand left my hair and slowly I felt them wrapped around my trembling body protectively. His one hand reached the back of my head and pressed me against his chest softly. I pressed my tear stained face on his chest and let my tears flow silently and relentlessly.

We were so close that it almost felt unreal to me. And in the spur of the moment, I forgot everything.

Why I hated him. Why I left him or he left me. Why we weren't together. What he did to me.

And also what I did to him.

He caressed my head for a long time and I stayed there for a long time. As if the time around us stopped and the only thing mattered to us was our each other's existence. If only I could erase that part of my past.

He slowly lifted my head and his thumb lightly brushed off the tears from my face.

"Don't cry, Ena."

"Why? I want to cry more."

"Okay then."

Then I smiled, choking on my own tears. He smiled too.

"And don't say thank you." He said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because that sounds like you didn't expect me to save you in the first place." He said sternly.

"Okay then, Akashi." I sighed.

Then I pushed him away from me. His eyes widened as he looked at me bemused.

"Go away now, Akashi." I said with venom in my voice. "I need to wash up."

He stared at me for some time before he chuckled on his own. A small smile appeared on my lips as I saw him laughing. "Are you ordering me right now in my own house?" He asked me.

"Yes."

He chuckled lightly again.

"I will leave for now then. Come downstairs as soon as you're finished. You need proper breakfast in order to heal."

"Alright."

_

After I washed up, I got out of the bathroom and found some fresh clean clothes placed neatly on the bed. A white sweatshirt and a pair of blue pants. I was so grateful that they didn't give me some dress to wear. I've always felt more comfortable in t shirts and pants rather than dresses. Akashi knew it too and maybe that's why they gave this to me.

I stripped out of the shorts and the blue t shirt and went to wear the new clean clothes---

Wait a minute.

Why was I wearing shorts and t shirt? I was wearing a gown last night. And I don't think I was in a position where I could change my clothes after last night's incident.

I looked at the clothes I just stripped, horrified. I slowly picked up the familiar clothes from the floor and looked at them carefully before realizing something even more terrifying.

The shorts and the t shirt were mine.

How in the world?!

I slowly reached for the new clothes on the bed and wore them quietly.

There was only one person who could answer my questions right now.

_

"Who changed my clothes last night?" I asked Akashi coldly as soon as I came downstairs and went to the dinning room.

Akashi was sitting on the first chair at the long dinning table, doing something on his phone. Hearing my voice, he looked up and glanced at me up and down once. He ordered the butlers and the maids to bring the dishes on the table without answering my question.

"I asked you something, didn't I, Akashi?"

"I ordered the maids to change your clothes." He said looking at me with a bored expression. "You're panicking over nothing."

"I see." I said quietly as I sat down on a chair which was after two chairs from Akashi's.

"Did you think it was me?"

"No!"

"I mean, I could have. It's nothing I've never seen." He uttered looking on his phone once again.

Heat rushed to my face as I looked at him infuriated. "What did you say!?"

"You heard what I said, Ena." Akashi sighed. "Was I wrong?"

I refused to answer that cocky little shit as I glared down at the table. I heard a deep hearty laugh and I clenched my fists knowing that he was making fun of my discomfort. Now, I regret not sneaking out of here earlier.

"I'm never wrong. Don't be embarrassed. I apologize for making fun of you, Ena."

"Shut up!"

He chuckled again as if he was dealing with a child.

Soon, the butlers and the maids filled the long table with various kinds of dishes amd fruits for breakfast and nostalgia hit me. There was a time, when I was a part of this house. Now, I was not anymore. It shouldn't hurt this much after all these years, but I guess, seeing the house once again, stirred up the emotions I wanted to suppress.

"What's wrong?" Akashi asked me when he saw me just staring into the space.

I snapped back to the reality. "Nothing."

He stared at me for some time. He looked like he wanted to ask some more but he kept quiet in the end. He took a toast and buttered it up neatly. The maid poured a glass of orange juice to him and me.

"Where's Aihana, your fiancee?" I asked looking at him. He was just starting to eat when his actions halted suddenly. He slowly looked up and stared at me with his emotionless eyes. His gaze turned calculating as he tried to read my mind.

I didn't even know why I asked that question in the first place. I didn't know Akashi's  feelings so, it might be uncomfortable for him too.

But that's the toxic thing about me. Sometimes, something snaps inside me as if like a trigger. When that happens, something inside me- a voice inside me- starts nagging continuously.

Remember, this is the guy who hurt you. He left you. He threw you away like a chewing gum, like fucking chewing gum...

Then I don't feel relieved until I hurt him. Until I hurt him to heart's content. Like he did to me once.

"Won't she mind that you're here having lunch with me behind her back?" I said with little smile playing on my lips.

"I'm doing nothing behind her back, Ena." He said coldly.

"How did she react when she saw her loving fiance rushed down to save another woman? To think that you divorced me for being a cheater..."

"Saving you is something I will always do. It's does not mean I'm being infidel or betraying her."

"Oh, you sound like one trustworthy, loving partner... unlike me." I smirked darkly. "Good to see."

He looked at me and when I saw pain flashed in his eyes for a split second, I instantly regretted my harsh words. He, soon, covered his real emotions, but I was quick to notice them.

I hurted him with my words. Again.

That burning rage inside me calmed down but now, guilt and regret was eating me up.

Why did I have to hurt the person who risked his life to save me? Why am I so twisted? What in the world is wrong with me?

If I was going to go through this much emotional turmoil after hurting him, then I shouldn't have said such things in the first place.

I looked away, masking my true emotions. With my face hard like granite and expression as cold as ice, I didn't want to meet his eyes.

No matter how much we both cared for each other, we had something inevitably dark in our past and our hearts became way too destroyed to repair. We couldn't get past that, no matter how much we tried.
We could play the happy reconciliation card, we could act and pretend like that all day, but our hearts and actions were far too twisted for that.

My mind was far too unstable for that.

We were more alike than we could imagine. In a way, that's almost way too scary.

I took a toast on my plate and put some chocolate spread on it. Then I quietly nibbled on it. I forcefully blanked out my mind.

Akashi quietly ate his breakfast too with his eyes never meeting mine.

Not a single word was uttered between us after that. We both finished our breakfast, then left the room. Just like that.

_

A/N: How did like the bittersweet interaction between these two?

This chapter revolved only around these two and honestly, it's not much. But I just wanted to give an insight of the emotional instability Ena experiences whenever Akashi is involved in the situation. She has confusing feelings for him and because she is not a girl who grew up in a normal household and didn't have a normal life from her teenage, her defense mechanism works a bit differently than most people. Plus she's still recovering from the accident, it's normal that her emotions are all over the place.

She hurts him thinking that it will make her feel good. In the end, she ends up being even more miserable and hurting herself. Even in the past, Ena made mistakes just like Akashi did.

I honestly hate explaining my story like this and my characters as I want my readers to understand them on their own but I felt like I should give an elaborate explanation for this chapter.

Unedited.

Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked this chapter. 💜💜

||By my leave||