One Killer Maze

Epilogue: Kagekao

The knock was sudden and rapid, but the door was thrown open with such force that she was sure the door would fly off its place on the wall. She noticed immediately the one standing in the doorway with the monochrome outfit staring straight at her.

"よかった(Thank goodness!)!" The male's hand on the frame of the door slid downwards, dropping at his side, "you're okay..."

Y/N stared at him, then around the room. It was small but quite nice. The bed she lay on wasn't small, but it wasn't that big either. There was a cubby window to her left, giving a nice view of the outside, autumn branches brushed close to the window; were they on a second story? Y/N turned back to the masked killer, but then saw he had gotten much closer than before.

The female inched away, smiling nervously.

"I'm-" She stopped speaking, touching her throat. It was rough and a bit painful to speak. Of course, she had been asleep (or passed out) for a long time. She focused back onto Kagekao and blinked hopefully. He stared forward, both hands on the end of the bed, then straightened up, his hands hurrying to his black and white scarf around his neck.

"Oh!" He then took off the accessory and tossed it towards her, "I'll get something for you!"

Kagekao ducked slightly at the doorway and exited the room, his footsteps disappearing down the hall, then distantly below. Y/N picked up the scarf that he had tossed at her and was surprised at how soft and delicate it was. The cloth drooped between her fingers, but it was warm nonetheless, which she was grateful for, and wrapped it around slowly around her neck. Y/N looked to the window again, a few of the orange leaves on the waving branch detaching and falling away.

Y/N moved her body towards the edge of the bed and slipped off, a sudden noise jolting her from her sudden trance. It was mechanical, but she realized it was just the heater turning on since a wave of clear and warm air hit her bare skin out of nowhere. She had only short, black pajama pants and a baggy, white t-shirt on; the scarf was not forgotten.

The female shivered one last time and made her way slowly to the window, peering through the glass slowly, down to the earthy floor. It was clear to her now what her situation was like.

Bad.

No, even more than bad. Terrible. And that wasn't even the worst of it all.

Why were they out in the middle of the forest? Y/N turned away from the window and looked around the room. There was nothing to signify why or what was happening, only that she was here. With Kagekao.

Speaking of which, footsteps slowly approached the top of the stairs, the sound of soft humming accompanying it. Kagekao appeared around the corner from the stairs, spotting Y/N out of bed. He straightened suddenly.

"You should take it easy, you know. You've been through a lot," he entered the room with the slight duck of his head. He was holding a small plate with a small mug on it, visible steam wafting from the top of it. He moved across the room, near Y/N, who didn't move when he neared her. The male settled the small plate and cup down on the closest table to the two of them and waved her over silently. Y/N's throat still felt quite sore, so she moved over to the cup and gently fixed a grip on the handle, slowly lifting it to see if she could handle the weight.

Kagekao watched her carefully, his eyes settling happily on the scarf around her neck and he touched his own neck, where the scarf would usually be. He hummed as her face visibly relaxed to have something warm to drink and moved away from her to give the survivor a bit of space, but he didn't move too far, just on the edge of the bed.

Y/N edged the cup again to her lips but paused.

"Kagekao...why are we in the forest?" She asked in a hushed voice. Kagekao leaned back, his hands propping himself against the blankets on the bed.

"You aren't exactly safe anywhere else, you know? You're technically famous!" He chided, lifting his hands to slouch forward, "it's all to keep you safe. I've been assigned..."

He trailed off, looking away when Y/N's gaze landed on him, but he soon spoke up again, but a bit bashful.

"I decided I wanted to be the one who'd stay with you...until it was safe for you again."

Y/N stared at him.

"私はあなたが好きだから(Because I like you.)."

There was an eerie silence between them, but Y/N suddenly flinched, her eyes widening. Her grip had faltered with the mug she had been holding. Kagekao saw it too and darted forward, grasping the warm cup, the tea inside only slipping out in small drops, nothing to actually cause a big spill.

"Ah...that was close," he laughed, straightening himself up as he had to jump from the bed and make a hero land to catch the falling cup. He glanced over at Y/N, who did not respond as quickly as she usually would, and tilted his head in surprise. Her entire face was filled with a dark hue of color which spread to her ears, cheeks, and nose.

It then donned on him.

He laughed sheepishly, setting the cup on the plate that sat on the small table by the window and gripping his other hand tightly in a fist.

"Aha, I forgot...you can understand me..." He shifted awkwardly. Awkwardness; something he hadn't usually felt in a long time. Being his outgoing, teasing self, the awkwardness was new to him.

"I.." Y/N outstretched her hand, reaching to touch the other's shoulder, arm, hand, anything, but found herself hesitant. Y/N sucked in another breath, this one just as shaky as the last.

"I'm...g-glad," her hand had chosen to loosely grip the stray part of Kagekao's sleeve on his hoodie, which caught him by surprise. He lifted his head and turned it slightly. He craned to hear her again. By the silence and the way he was looking at her, Y/N thought he didn't hear her; so she sucked in a needy breath again.

"I'm glad..!" She spoke with a louder tone this time (and a bit of annoyance). Kagekao turned around, tilting his head and cupping his ear, as is to say, "say again?" His white eyes and smile were shining, the key sign to know that he was happy.

"You... You heard me the first time!" She tugged down on his sleeve and hit the side of his head softly. The male only laughed, standing to his regular height once more, the awkwardness washing away as quickly as it came.

"But..." Y/N's E/C eyes caught the white flash and gave her own fond smile, "I'm glad...you feel that way."

Suddenly, Kagekao picked Y/N up from the floor, the girl letting out a small noise of surprise and shock. He moved backward suddenly, his body the thing she would be cushioned by whatever they were falling on. Which was the bed.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The two of them were so close, when she peered upwards, she could make out the underside of his jaw and spotted the beginnings of his ears, something that she had never thought to see before as he never took off his mask.

"We're going to lay here and enjoy our rest!" He stated, bringing Y/N closer each time she wanted to provide at least an inch of space between the two of them.

Kagekao rested his head above her own, the light from the window becoming darker and darker, but the light from his mask never dimmed.

~

Route completed.

[Up next; BEN Drowned]