Noritoshi had thought that what you two had was true, a bond forged through everything you had endured together. He was so certain of it, convinced beyond reason that no force in this wretched world could sever it. That was until you tried to leave him.

It came completely out of nowhere. Noritoshi had only happened the situation when he’d woken up for a glass of water, only to find you missing from not only his arms, but from the estate itself. He'd always prided himself on being observant, on seeing the signs before anyone else did. But with you—he missed it. The warning signs, the growing distance in your eyes, the tiny hesitations—he hadn’t noticed. You slipped through his fingers while he was too blind to even recognize you were slipping away.

When he found out, when he realized what you were doing, something inside of him snapped. It was an ugly, vicious thing that clawed its way out of his chest. Noritoshi was supposed to be the calm one, the level-headed one out of the two of you. But in that moment, all of his control crumbled, and he was nothing but a storm.

He searched the estate, desperate to find you. Damn, 2AM? He was exhausted, half asleep, but he wasn’t going to stop searching until you’re back in his arms. How could you even think of leaving him? He’d given you everything—his time, his energy, his loyalty. He had done everything to make sure you were safe, had taken on burdens he never would have accepted for anyone else. He’d chosen you over the Kamo clan, over everything he’d ever known. And yet, despite all of it, you still wanted to leave.

He felt hollow when he cornered you. There was no reason, no logic in his mind anymore—just the gut-wrenching, desperate need to keep you by his side. You were the only one who mattered now, the only one left who still made him feel like he had a place in this world. If you left, he would have nothing.

“Why?” he asked, the word coming out as a strangled groan. It hurt too much to let it out. “I don’t have anyone else; why would you leave me?”