CHAPTER 79: TO NEW BEGINNINGS [1]

The air in the small hospital room was practically crackling with tension, as two figures locked eyes with unwavering focus.

"Are you ready?" A young, striking man, with a chiseled face, jet-black curtain hair, and piercing blue eyes asked.

A soft chuckle escaped the lips of the stunning man he faced.

Pale lilac hair tied in double buns and pale lilac eyes. "Never been more ready."

They both raised their clenched fists and shouted, "Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

The striking blue-eyed man, who sat in a chair beside the sickbed that the stunning man was upright on, clutched his head in frustration and yelled, "How did I lose ten times in a roll?"

The stunning man laughed heartily, his shoulders rising with mirth. "Don’t mess with your creator, Matt."

Matt sighed, then turned his gaze toward the door. "Hey, Kai..."

Kai, who was still staring at his hand, glanced at his friend. "Hmm..."

Matt shifted his eyes away from the door. "Never mind."

Matt had only a single plaster on his cheek and wore Noctis’ white uniform. Kai, on the other hand, had plasters on various parts of his face and arms with no visible injuries in sight.

According to the nurse in charge of the room, she couldn’t allow even the slightest injury to mar his face.

Because of that, he had been stuck in the hospital for five days now.

Noticing that Matt had dismissed what he was about to say, Kai inched his hand closer to his friend, and as soon as Matt’s gaze turned to the door, he then threw his arm around his neck, trapping him in a headlock.

Matt tapped on his arm while kicking his feet. "I can’t breathe... I can’t breathe, Kai!"

Kai laughed at his struggle. "You can still shout. That’s a good sign. Next time don’t stop your words midway after building the hype."

Matt’s expression twisted. "I get it... so can you please let me go." He then added in a crazed tone. "Or I should ruin your pretty face?"

He raised his left hand and summoned bland vales, ready to swing the unsheathed blade, when the door swung open.

Both of them turned simultaneously toward the door.

The three female figures who entered the room looked at them like they were misbehaving children, before Amy laughed awkwardly.

"It seems you two still have plenty of energy..."

Kai wasn’t particularly bothered by Amy or Reni seeing him and Matt in that state, but the one he did have an issue with was Hari.

Kai slowly turned to Hari, only to find her eyes vacant, as though her soul had departed from her body. She then murmured, "So that’s how it is..."

"No, it is not," both Matt and Kai shouted in unison, which only solidified her suspicion.

Only Amy, among the five, didn’t fully grasp what was happening and turned her head left and right, puzzled.

Kai then sighed and released Matt. "So, what did you guys bring?" Kai asked, offering a soft smile.

The group felt as though light had filled the room, while Matt somehow found himself no longer seated in the chair.

Reni, now sitting beside Kai, unwrapped a bento box, revealing a lavish, Korean-style meal.

"Wow!" the entire group exclaimed as drool pooled at the corners of their mouths.

Kai turned to Reni, who was smiling, her deep golden eyes appearing oddly soft and comforting. "Is this for me?" Kai asked, seeking reassurance.

"Who else would I cook for, if not for Darling?" she replied, shaking her head.

Tears welled up in Kai’s eyes as he took a bite of the meal.

It had been too long since someone had fed him.

Reni’s inner demon grinned broadly. ’With this, Darling won’t stop thinking of me.’

As Kai lifted his chopsticks to take another bite, Amy snatched the food away and replaced it with a lunch box she had prepared.

Her face was flushed, and she struggled to speak. "Stop calling him Darling..." She paused, fumbling with her fingers. "And, if you don’t mind, taste Amy’s food too."

The entire group had the same thought as they stared at her... "Cute."

Reni may have appeared refined and mature, and Hari looked stunning and approachable.

But Amy was simply adorable — from her petite frame (despite being a tank) to every one of her features and reactions, she was a mature yet cute girl.

"Thanks, Amy..." Kai opened the box, then quickly shut it. "You know what?... I think I’m actually full."

Amy’s eyes widened as tears began to form. "Is Amy’s cooking really that bad?"

Kai forced a smile. "It isn’t... right, Matt?"

Matt looked at him, confused, then Hari added, "Amy, at least we’re in this together."

Amy walked over to Hari and began crying into her chest.

Kai leaned back gently and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes briefly before locking eyes with Reni, who rested her head on the bed, smiling softly with a flushed face.

"I hope you’re alright. Does anything still hurt?" she asked gently.

Kai looked away from her face, his cheeks reddening just like hers. "Yeah, I think the teachers want to have a meeting before I’m discharged." He paused, glancing through the window beside him. "And the academy’s still under reconstruction."

Hari, noticing his brief shift in expression, jumped onto the bed, her legs facing his head. "Scoot over, I want to lie down too."

"What?! You know I’m a convalescent, right?"

"Huh? Sounds like someone’s asking for a beating."

Amy, Matt, and Reni looked at the two before Matt asked, "I’ve been meaning to ask this, but... are you two related? At first, when Kai fought me, I thought you were lovers..." He could feel the glares from the other two girls, but continued. "But seeing how you two interact without self-consciousness, I was curious."

Hari nodded as Kai tried to pull her legs away from his face. "This is my oppa, and he’s my cousin. You could even say he’s my brother."

Reni looked at the two, noticing little resemblance, and knowing the Blackwood family, she asked, "Is it biological?"

Hari tilted her head. "Of course."

Kai stared at her, dumbfounded by her statement. It was true, but no one would believe that they had both been transmigrated.

The three nodded in response as Amy murmured, "Okay."

The room fell silent for a moment before Matt asked another question. "So... will you tell us how you killed Deerheart?"

Kai nodded, pulling Hari’s foot away. "I killed myself, obtained divinity, then came back and beat him."

Even Hari stared at him with dead eyes before they all nodded. "... I see. It seems both you and Cordelia aren’t quite right today," Matt replied.

The group went silent again, as Hari asked. "Isn’t it about time you remove those cute buns?"

Silence fell on the room again as Kai’s face controted. "It was you who tied it up in the first place."