Oshi No Ko; You are my World (SEASON 2 BAYBEH)

45: Cherry

"Eh?" Ai's dumbfounded reaction amused Y/N, who stood beside her, and he couldn't help but smile at her innocence. The desire to pat her head was an unexpected urge that washed over him. Her hair, damp from the rain, felt surprisingly soft against his fingertips, like a gentle caress that soothed his soul. It reminded him of the comforting sensation of petting a cat, something Yumenji often mentioned.

"Very good," Y/N praised the feeling, closing his eyes to savor the tranquility of the moment. Yet, his mind was not solely lost in the peaceful gesture. He was, in fact, using this opportunity to regain his strength and placing his trust in the man who had just revealed himself as Kakyoin.

"Hmph, Kakyoin," Y/N called out to the red-haired man, who huffed in response and casually pushed away the strands of wet hair that obscured his vision.

"Did you enjoy watching me get ganged up on?" Y/N inquired, half-jokingly, as he noticed how Kakyoin seemed unfazed by the chaos around them.

"It was definitely amusing. I considered joining in, but I refrained," Kakyoin nonchalantly replied. As he walked past the bewildered Hol Horse and Anubis, they cautiously kept their distance, wary of his previous vicious attack that had left half of the hallway in ruins, with emerald stones protruding from various places.

"It seems you had a change of heart," Kakyoin commented, looking up at Y/N before sighing. "Why are you so tall?"

Y/N couldn't help but smirk at the remark. "Is this really the time to ask that?" he retorted, playfully. "Perhaps it's just my marvelous genes, ensuring that my marvelous self has a marvelous body."

"Funny that you mentioned time," Kakyoin remarked, casually changing the subject.

"Don't you dare," Y/N warned, knowing that Kakyoin was clever enough to exploit any information he could glean from him.

Kakyoin nodded, acknowledging the caution. "Your power is useless if the enemy knows it," he conceded. Suddenly, he found himself surprisingly comfortable talking with the once great Dio on equal terms.

He had been living a simple life in this new world, unaware that Dio had been reincarnated alongside him. Yet, seeing Y/N on the big screen had sparked his suspicions, and now he realized that he had been right all along. Dio, the once formidable vampire, was now choosing to become human and leave his reign of terror behind.

"Hey, Kakyoin," Y/N called out, directing his attention to the adversaries behind him. "You're the sidekick, right? Go and fight them for me while I recover."

Kakyoin couldn't help but smile at Y/N's cocky attitude, even in his weakened state. "I see that your confidence hasn't waned, Di— I mean, Y/N."

"If I'm no longer the villain, then that would make me the main character, does it not?" Y/N retorted, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Perhaps, but still..."

"Please."

Kakyoin's expression softened, and he hesitated for a moment. "How can I be sure that you haven't planted one of your flesh buds on me, and I'm merely hallucinating all of this?"

Y/N's plea was an unsettling and unexpected sight, prompting Kakyoin to check his forehead for any signs of manipulation.

"Wow, I tried to be nice, and this is how you react?" Y/n quirked an eyebrow, looking somewhat amused at the banter between him and Kakyoin.

"Give me a break, you mind-controlled me once already," Kakyoin retorted, not willing to let Y/N forget their past encounter.

"That was when I was a vampire," Y/N countered, seemingly conceding the point.

"Fair point," Kakyoin admitted, acknowledging the difference in their circumstances.

With a casual sigh, Kakyoin cracked his knuckles and turned his attention back to the two adversaries before him. "Normally, I would ask for both of you to stand down as I hadn't faced either of you before," Kakyoin began, his voice calm and collected as he slowly approached, causing the two to instinctively take up battle stances.

"But, your eyes speak loudly enough," he added cryptically.

And so, it began. As a single raindrop fell on top of Kakyoin's head, Hierophant Green manifested itself, and a barrage of emeralds was unleashed towards the wielder of Anubis. Swift and agile, the man jumped onto nearby railings, effortlessly slicing through the emeralds like a knife through butter.

Kakyoin, his face devoid of emotions, was honestly surprised at the sharpness of the sword. He focused on exploiting the elasticity of his Stand, aiming to apprehend the sword's wielder. Yet, to his dismay, Hol Horse's bullets deftly maneuvered around the spider web Kakyoin had created, landing a shot on his shoulder.

"I was hoping for a better performance than this," Kakyoin grumbled, shaking off the pain as he shifted his focus back to attacking.

"None can escape the Emerald Splash!" he declared, leaping off the ground. Y/N, seemingly unfazed, merely smirked as he watched Hierophant Green wrap itself around Kakyoin's waist, bringing the two adversaries crashing down together. In an instant, Kakyoin unleashed a torrent of emeralds, mercilessly pummeling Hol Horse half to death while effectively restraining the wielder of Anubis.

"Hmph," Y/N grinned, stretching his aching body, and glanced down at Ai, who gazed up at him in silence. He knew exactly what she was thinking without her having to say a word.

"Close your eyes. Everything will be over soon," Y/N whispered, attempting to be gentle, though his voice carried an underlying strain. Ai giggled at the attempt, her presence a source of comfort to him.

"...don't die," she whispered back, squeezing his hand, silently praying for the bloodshed to end. She began to understand the reasons behind Y/N's actions, and even though the sight of death was horrific, she would convince herself that it was just a bad dream, to be forgotten after tonight.

Y/N, recognizing her unspoken wish, vowed to do his best to refrain from taking another human life. At least, he would try not to do it in front of her.

With a determined nod, Y/N's gaze locked onto Hikaru, and without hesitation, he scooped Ai up in his arms and jumped down to assist Kakyoin in bringing the confrontation to an end.