Toman's Black Cat

Izana's POV

Seeing her try to grasp an explanation as to why she sought out someone who she knew was hurting the ones she cared about, shouldn't have been a stumper. He could handle a lie. He could handle the truth. He couldn't handle her response in the composed manner he was used to handling anything else.

The only one who ever came willingly to see me was Shinichiro. The only one…until now. So why…?

I never even tried to treat her like I cared. She knew coming here was dangerous and I could still kill her…

There are so many other ways she could have gone about helping her little friends, helping Mikey, yet she's here….why?

Surely she knows that….?

When she looked back up in his eyes, tears still streaming like rivers down her face and started laughing, he felt his heart crack.

It wasn't a laugh of joy that he had overheard from her before during the many times he had spied on her from afar, but a laugh he was much more than familiar with. The laugh that says 'I get it. My life is a joke. I can't win.'

Oh, how he wished his heart didn't feel this way for some chick that loves Mikey.

She is treasured by Mikey….my enemy…treasured by all of my enemies…yet…still…

He knew Kakucho had seen him stare at the picture he had of Y/n several times. It wasn't the best picture, and he was grateful Kakucho never asked because he wouldn't be able to answer either, much like Y/n couldn't answer his question now.

The picture he had of her should have filled him with something other than agony. Something like success, happiness that he was getting his way and winning little by little, bit it didn't feel that way at all.

He got her. Even better, she didn't go running back to Mikey, even when Mikey came to apologize, she still held back. Even knowing that, he couldn't seem to feel anything more than pain looking at her while she looked so empty. So cold.

Ruining her had been entirely his idea. Seeing her smiling and happy with Mikey pissed him off to no end. He thought seeing her broken would ease that rage, but it didn't. He kept telling himself why he shouldn't care. Lying to himself saying he didn't.

He had been watching for quite some time and his eyes always happened to fall on her. Kisaki and Hanma were the ones who informed him of how easy it was to make her look like a traitor. How Mikey was the first to turn away, but many hesitated as if they knew something wasn't right.

Seeing her that night when she looked crazed out of her mind, it would have been easy to kill her then. He had been following her, anyway, filled with determination.

Determination to do what?

Everything he had put in motion to remove her from Mikey's side worked. That's exactly why he hated Mikey even more.

He had everything. Y/n loved him with her entire heart, and he believed lie after lie about her even though it should've been clear he was being led further and further away from support.

Admitting how deeply envious of Mikey he was when it came to a woman would prove nothing except that he had clearly grown weak, but standing here seeing her eyes turn more and more lifeless did something to him he couldn't explain. So, he wasn't going to try to explain.

Mikey had his chance. I will still end him like I plan, but you….

He cupped her face with a gentleness he didn't know he had and began swiping away her tears with his thumbs. If it had been any other time, any other life, things would be different.

He felt the cold rage he held close turn into a warm flame as his lips connected with hers.

…Now you're mine.