Chapter 11: Words Left Unspoken

Behind him, Reina sighed long and looked at Iris with a disbelieving look, her eyes narrowing with an expression showing she already knew everything. "You know, Iris, if you want attention, there are better ways than pretending to be sick. Ways that don’t make you look stupid in front of your friends."

Iris opened her eyes, her face still red, her cheeks still hot. "I-I didn’t—"

"Never mind," Reina cut in with a voice showing she already knew everything, that she wasn’t fooled at all. "Rest here until the break bell. Next time, don’t play games with your new teacher. He’s still innocent. He doesn’t know you’re just pretending."

Kai walked slowly along the corridor toward class IX-9, his steps no longer as fast as before, no longer as panicked as before. His mind was still filled with worry about Iris—was she okay? Could Reina handle her? Was there something more serious than he knew? He tried to push away those bad thoughts with the fact that Reina was there. Reina, the woman known as the Angel of War, the woman who could save lives in any condition, the woman who never failed to save anyone she treated. If there was one person he could trust, it was Reina.

Kai took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself, trying to stop his still-trembling hands. Calm down, Kai. Iris is in good hands. Reina will take care of her. I have to go back to class and continue the lesson. I can’t leave them too long. I can’t show that I’m panicking.

He returned to class IX-9, opened the door slowly, and eight pairs of eyes immediately fixed on him. The students looked at him with various expressions—some curious, some confused, some amused, and one—Ella—with an expression that said "I knew this would happen" like a fortune teller who never made mistakes.

Kai walked to the front of the class, stood in front of the blackboard, and sighed long. "Sorry, everyone. Iris is being treated in the infirmary. She’s... she’s fine." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Let’s continue the lesson. Open page 32 again."

He took the chalk and began explaining again about poetry, about figurative language, about metaphors and personification. But his mind was still divided—partly in class, partly in the infirmary, thinking about Iris, thinking about whether she was really okay, thinking about whether Reina would scold him again for panicking too much. He explained in a voice no longer as enthusiastic as before, with eyes that sometimes stared blankly at the board, with movements no longer as confident as before.

Time felt like it was moving slowly. Every minute felt like an hour, every second felt like a year. Kai kept teaching until the break bell finally rang—a long sound echoing through the school, signaling that the first lesson was over. Kai sighed in relief, put down the chalk on the board, and turned to face the students.

"Alright, take a break. We’ll continue after break."

The students began to get up from their desks, some leaving to find food, some staying in the classroom. Kai immediately hurried out, walking quickly toward the principal’s office on the third floor. He went down the stairs quickly, passed the second floor corridor starting to get busy with students on break, and walked along the first floor corridor without slowing down. As he passed the regular class corridor, some students greeted him with friendly smiles.

"Good afternoon, Sir!" greeted a girl with short hair and a wide smile.

"Good afternoon too," Kai replied with a slight smile on his face, though his mind was still busy, his eyes still looking for the way to the principal’s office. "Make sure you fill your stomachs before break ends. Don’t be hungry in the next lesson."

He kept walking, went up the stairs to the third floor, and finally reached the principal’s office door. He knocked softly, waiting for an answer from inside.

"Come in."

Kai opened the door and entered. Reina was sitting behind her desk, her hands folded on the desk, her eyes looking at Kai with an expression he couldn’t read—a mix of serious and curious, firm and gentle. The room was quiet, only the sound of a wall clock ticking softly in the background, like a heartbeat on a quiet night.

"What did you call me here for?" Kai asked in a casual tone, trying to hide his unease, trying to sound calm even though his heart was beating fast.

"I just wanted to make sure of something," Reina replied in a flat voice, her eyes not blinking.

"Oh, how is Iris?" Kai asked, his voice slightly louder because of worry he could no longer hide. "Don’t tell me you called me here because Iris’s condition worsened? Is she—is she—"

"No, it’s not about that," Reina cut in quickly, dismissing Kai’s question before he panicked further, before he started running to the infirmary again. "She’s fine. Just a little... embarrassed. That’s all. She’s not sick, Kai. She just wanted attention."

Kai let out a long sigh of relief, like a heavy weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders. "Thank goodness. I was really worried."

"You’ve met my younger sister, haven’t you?" Reina asked, and now she stood from her chair, her eyes looking at Kai sharply, like a hawk eyeing its prey.

"Yes, I met Leina," Kai replied casually, trying to sound unconcerned even though he felt something strange in the air. "I was a little surprised to find out Leina is your sister. But she’s nice. Friendly. I’m glad to meet her. She’s like... like you, but brighter."

"Then this conversation will be quick," Reina said, and she began to approach Kai with slow steps, her eyes not blinking, her smile gone replaced by a serious expression. "So, what were you trying to do to my sister this morning, huh?"

Reina was already standing very close to Kai—so close that Kai could feel her breath, could see the color of her dark brown eyes, could see every detail of her firm yet beautiful face. Kai’s face flushed slightly, and he quickly stepped back, away from Reina, his heart beating faster.

"That’s not it!" Kai said quickly, his hands raised in a defensive gesture, like he was facing a sudden attack. "It’s not what you think! I—"

"Then what?" Reina asked, still looking at him sharply, not giving room to lie.

Kai tried to calm himself, control his breathing, and speak in a calmer voice. "Do you remember why you became a mercenary?"

Reina blinked, confused by the question. Her eyes changed from sharp to confused, and she tilted her head slightly, like trying to understand the direction of this conversation. "What does that have to do with my question, Kai? Don’t change the subject."

"When I asked you that," Kai continued softly, his eyes looking at Reina sincerely, "you said there was someone you wanted to protect."

Reina fell silent. Her eyes began to drift to the past—to those times when she was still a nurse on the battlefield, when she saw endless suffering, when she decided to join the Grim Reaper because she wanted to protect someone. Someone she loved. Someone who kept her going. Someone who was the reason she woke up every morning.

"Reina? Reina?" Kai’s voice called her, and he felt his hand on her shoulder gently, warm and reassuring. "Are you okay? You looked lost in thought."

Reina blinked, returning to the present. "I’m fine," she said softly, brushing Kai’s hand away gently, not wanting to show she was affected. "Continue."

"So," Kai continued in a calmer voice, "after I found out Leina is your sister, I was really happy. So all my efforts to end the war weren’t in vain. I was too happy, and I almost hugged your sister, Reina. That’s all. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just... happy."

He looked at Reina with sincere eyes, and Reina could see that sincerity in his eyes—sincerity she rarely saw from Kai, sincerity that made her soften slightly, that made her heart feel warm even though she tried to stay firm.

"All this time," Kai continued in an even softer voice, "seeing you try so hard when you were still a soldier made me want to end the war quickly. I wanted all this to end, so people like you didn’t have to fight anymore. I wanted... I wanted to protect the people important to you. I wanted you to live peacefully."

Reina fell silent. Her face, which had been firm, began to soften, her eyes, which had been sharp, began to gentle, and she felt something warm in her chest—something she couldn’t ignore, something that made her want to smile even though she tried to hold it back. So that’s the reason, Reina thought. He’s not interested in Leina. He’s just... happy. Happy because the war is over. Happy because I don’t have to fight anymore. Happy because I’m still here.

"Oh... I see," Reina said in a voice starting to calm, the anger in her eyes beginning to fade, replaced by relief she didn’t show clearly. "I thought you were trying to flirt with my sister." She sighed, slightly embarrassed by her misunderstanding, by almost being angry for no reason. "I saw you from my office window. You tried to hug her. That’s why I wanted to hear your explanation."

Kai nodded, relieved that Reina finally understood, that he didn’t need to explain further. "I would never do that, Reina. She’s your sister. I respect you too much to do something like that. I would never hurt your feelings that way."

Reina turned and walked back to her chair, sitting quietly, her eyes looking out the window, watching the schoolyard filled with students playing and chatting under the bright midday sun. "Alright. You may leave now."

Kai looked at the back of Reina’s chair, still facing the window, his eyes unable to see Reina’s expression, unable to read what she was thinking. "Alright. I’ll go back to class."

He turned and walked toward the door, his hand reaching for the cold doorknob, but before he left, he paused and looked back. "Reina."

"Yes?"

"I’m glad you’re here."

With those words, Kai left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Inside the room, Reina still sat facing the window. Her hands, which had been folded on the desk, were now in her lap, her fingers intertwined, and she heard the door close with a soft click. Slowly, a small smile began to form on her lips—a smile she couldn’t hide, a smile that made her face look younger, a smile that made her heart feel light, a smile that made her feel like a little girl who just received the best gift in the world.

He’s here, Reina thought, and a warm feeling began to spread in her chest, like sunlight breaking through thick clouds. He’s alive. He’s still alive. And he’s here, with me. He still remembers everything we went through together.

All this time, Reina thought Kai liked Leina—her beautiful and friendly sister, her sister who always smiled and never hid her feelings. She felt jealous, felt uncomfortable, felt like something was being taken from her. But it turned out Kai wasn’t interested in Leina. He was just... happy. Happy because the war was over. Happy because Reina didn’t have to fight anymore. Happy because he could see Reina living peacefully.

I thought he liked Leina, Reina thought, and her smile grew wider, harder to hide. But it turns out... he just cares about me. He just wants to protect me. He just wants me to be happy.

She looked at the sky outside the window, a clear blue sky without clouds, like a canvas painted with perfect colors. The gentle morning breeze came through the window crack, carrying the scent of grass and flowers from the school garden, a scent that made her feel fresher, more alive. Reina took a deep breath, and she felt calmer than before, more peaceful than before.

He doesn’t like Leina, Reina thought. He just... cares about me. That’s all. Nothing more.

But in her heart, there was a feeling she couldn’t ignore. A feeling she had buried long ago, a feeling she thought had died after the war ended, a feeling that made her want Kai to stay close to her, a feeling that made her want Kai to smile at her like he smiled at others, a feeling that made her want to be more than just an old friend to Kai.

But I can’t, Reina thought, and the smile on her lips began to fade, replaced by doubt slowly creeping in. He’ll never see me like that. I’m just... the Angel of War to him. I’m just the person who saved his life. I’m not... I’m not anyone. I’m just an old acquaintance he met on the battlefield.

But even so, she couldn’t stop the warm feeling still spreading in her chest, couldn’t stop the small hope beginning to grow in her heart, couldn’t stop the desire to see Kai again, to talk to him, to be near him, to hear his calm voice even though it sometimes panicked.

I like him, Reina thought, and for the first time, she admitted it to herself. I like Kai. I’ve liked him since the first time I saw him on the battlefield, when he was still a war machine who didn’t know anything. I’ve liked him since he was young and foolish and full of guilt. I’ve liked him since he looked at me with eyes full of fear and hope at the same time. I like him... and I can’t tell him.

She sighed long, looking at the blue sky outside the window, and let that feeling stay in her heart—without having to be expressed, without having to be spoken, without having to be acknowledged by anyone. She let that feeling grow, like a flower blooming in spring, without fear of withering, without fear of dying.

Outside the room, Kai walked along the corridor toward his class, his steps lighter than before, his mind calmer than before. He didn’t know what was happening inside that room. He didn’t know that Reina liked him. He didn’t know that Reina was secretly holding feelings she had buried long ago. He didn’t know that Reina was smiling thinking about him right now. He only knew that today, he had done something right—he had protected someone, he had been a good teacher, and he had made Reina smile.

Maybe I can be better, Kai thought, and he felt something warm in his chest, something like hope. Maybe I can be someone worthy of respect. Maybe I can be someone worthy of... being loved. Maybe I no longer have to be The Death. Maybe I can be Kai Arden, teacher of class IX-9, a man trying to atone for his sins.

He didn’t know that in the room he left behind, Reina was smiling thinking about him, feeling feelings she couldn’t express. But if he knew, maybe he would stop for a moment, look back, and see the woman who was always there for him—the woman who saved his life, the woman who kept him alive, the woman who might love him without him realizing it.

But he didn’t know. And he kept walking, leaving that room, leaving Reina, and continuing his days at a school full of surprises and mysteries, unaware that behind the closed door, someone was waiting for him, someone who loved him, someone who hoped that one day, he would look back and see her.