HeartBeats - Ruka Sarashina (Kanojo, Okarishimasu)

As Mami leaned closer to me, the world around me began to freeze again. Her speech stabilized, and the sound of the waves abruptly ceased, leaving a strange and unsettling silence. - "Again..." - I realized once again that time had stopped, and around me, the scenery began to distort. The previously calm sea now stirred violently, as if reflecting the dark presence that was approaching.

In front of me, the same frightening creature from before at the bar appeared, floating on the turbulent water. Its appearance seemed even more terrifying under the still sunlight, which cast harsh shadows on its monstrous features. - "That creature from the bar again..." - Those bright eyes fixed on me, and the creature smiled broadly, as if it was enjoying seeing me in this moment of vulnerability.

"Haven't you learned yet, Ryo?" - The creature's voice echoed like distant thunder, and the sea around it rippled, reflecting the disturbance.

I looked at Mami, who was frozen in time, a disturbing contrast to the chaos happening around her. I felt a sense of repulsion for the situation and an enormous urgency.

Prelest then appeared, entwining itself around my arm, taking the form of some kind of sword. - "Let's end this quickly, Ryo. This thing is getting too intrusive!" - Prelest growled, his voice full of determination.

I fixed my gaze and tightened my grip on Prelest's grip, staring at the creature with the same intensity. The sea continued to churn around us, the growing waves reflecting the imminence of confrontation. - "Let's end this thing, definitely this time!"

We both prepared for confrontation as the creature floated above the raging sea, its eyes shining with a disturbing malice. Huge waves rose, the sea seemed like an extension of the creature, as if it could control the waters with its intimidating presence alone.

I held the sword formed by Prelest tightly, feeling the energy pulsate intensely in my hand. With a leap, I struck directly at the creature, but before I could hit it, a violent wave rose and hit me from the side, throwing me hard into the water.

The salty water completely enveloped me, and I felt the pressure as I was dragged by the current created by the creature's supernatural strength. With difficulty, he emerged, taking a quick breath, while the waves kept rising and trying to knock him down again.

"Prelest, I need more strength!" - I shouted, breathing heavily.

"Hold on tight!" - Prelest replied. - "I'll give you as much power as I can, but we need to be quick!"

I tightened my grip as I felt the sword in my arm tingling with the energy channeled by Prelest. With renewed strength, the sword became my fist and with it I threw myself again against the creature. Each step was a struggle against the sea that tried to pull me down, but I advanced with my eyes fixed, determined not to retreat.

The creature watched me from afar, let out a sarcastic laugh and raised an arm, as if to control the waves. A wall of water formed, tall and imposing, and I knew I would have to cross it. - "You will not stop me!" - I channeled all of Prelest's energy, the sword glowing with a blue intensity, and fired a powerful blow, which cut the wave in half. The water parted for an instant, allowing me to advance, but the waves quickly closed behind me.

When I was finally close enough, I delivered a direct blow to the creature, which screamed in anger and pain. But in response, it raised both hands and summoned a series of even more violent waves, as if trying to submerge me completely. The waves crashed down on us, and I had to concentrate to keep from losing my balance and being swept away. The creature let out a war cry, charging toward me with more force, determined to end the confrontation.

I felt Prelest's energy flowing through my arm, as if the two of us had merged. Prelest stopped being a sword and once again transformed into a vibrating fist of power.

I felt the pulsing strength emanating from the fist, a mixture of Prelest's power and my own will to protect everything I loved, especially Ruka.

Without hesitation, I launched myself toward the creature, who now hesitated for the first time. His eyes shone with an almost human fear, an expression of terror that only increased my strength.

I positioned myself for the first blow and, with precision, threw my fist toward the creature's face, the impact emitting a deep, deafening sound that echoed through the air. The creature staggered back, an expression of pain and surprise mixed together.

"This is just the beginning!" - I muttered as I smiled before charging forward again.

With a sequence of methodical and powerful punches, one behind the other, I gave the creature time any chance of reaction. The second punch hit his chest, sending a wave of energy that made the creature tremble. The third and fourth punches were straightforward in his torso, each stronger than the previous one, piercing his supernatural defense with precision and brutality.

With each punch, the sea around reacted, the waves shaking and retreating as the imminence of overwhelming power. The creature tried to protect herself, but the fifth and sixth punches were quick and devastating, hitting her with overwhelming force. The seventh and eighth punches cut the air into rapid arches, and now the monster was already folded, his body emanating a dark and distorted smoke, signs that his power was dissipating rapidly.

"You are a beautiful punching bag!" - I shouted as I wrapped the ninth punch, which made the creature scream in agony, almost crumbling to the knees. She was completely vulnerable, her body slowly crumbling, the evil essence diluted in full air. Without any hesitation, I closed my fist hard and, with the tenth punch, the final blow. I undertook a direct and fatal attack on the creature. The force of impact was such that an explosion of light expanded around, purifying the air, while the shape of the creature disintegrated into shadow fragments.

The creature released a desperate scream, which was quickly swallowed by silence, and her body dissipated like dust in the wind. The sea was calm again, as if it had never been disturbed. The calm returned to the battle scenario. I took a deep breath, and my fist still shining with the energy of Preletast, now weaker but still present.

Preletst spoke in his mind, with a tone of approval. - "It was well done, Ryo. You got it."

Still panting, just nodded, feeling the weight of the battle begins to disappear. The sea returned to its natural calm, as a silent witness of what had just happened.

Time returned to normal in the blink of an eye, and I still saw myself with a nearby mami, but now warns, with the presence of that now erased creature from everyone's memory around. I quickly pulled away from her before she could kiss me. Mami, visibly flushed and embarrassed, tried to disguise his discomfort.

"Ah, i'm sorry , Ryo ..." she said, avoiding looking straight into my eyes. - "I... I lost my balance, that's it. Sorry, I didn't want to... Yeah, good... no big deal. " Mami stirred her clearly disconcerted hair, and stepped back, trying to keep the air casual, but her cheeks handed her nervousness.

I just waved my head, still recovering control over what happened after the intensity of the last moments. - "It's okay, mami ..." - I replied with a calm tone, trying to dispel the tense mood. - "I think ... it was just a misunderstanding." I smiled a brief smile, but I kept some distance respectfully to avoid any embarrassing new situation.

"Well, I ... I'm going ..." - said Mami, still a little hesitant, and threw one last look at me before he walked away, embarrassed. When she finally distanced herself, I sigh of relief, taking advantage of the moment of loneliness to process what had happened, feeling the weight of the recently slowly dissipating battle.

I looked at the horizon, the quiet sound of the sea resuming his usual melody, and silently thanked him for being able to keep everything in order, at least for another day.

I saw Ruka arriving with two sodas in hand, but her dress had changed, this time she had been in a bikini, it was the first time she saw her a bikini visa. Her hair loose in the wind and her classic smile radiating her unpretentious charm.

I felt my heart warm up immediately as I saw her again, I wanted to run to her and kiss her again, but I tried to hold on.

"Hey, Ryo-chan! I brought the drinks! " She said happily, delivering one of the refris to me.

"Ah, the offered." - I answered trying to keep my voice firm, but I felt good to take over my face.

While Ruka was sip of his drink, I ended up remembering what happened to me and Mami. I tried at all costs to look away and keep the conversation with Ruka as casual as possible.

"So ... what are you thinking of the day today?" - I asked trying to sound as natural as possible.

Ruka arched an eyebrow, noting the unusual tension of my speech. - "Yes of course! But are you okay? You look a little... distracted. " She commented, looking at me with a worried expression.

I looked away trying to organize my thoughts, and forced a smile. - "A-Ah, I just ... Yeah, I think I'm tired ... things from work right ..."- I said almost hesitantly.

Ruka quickly noticed that I was dodging her questions, looking away, leaving short answers and walking faster with each attempt at interaction. Sensing that something was strange, she decided that she would not let this situation go unnoticed.

She took a deep breath and put a determined glint in her eyes, entering her "serious mode". Her firm steps were fast enough to reach me and, without hesitation, she blocked my path, standing right in front of me.

"Ryo!" - she called me, her voice firm, enough to make me stop in my tracks.

I looked up in surprise, seeing the intense and serious expression, something I rarely saw in Ruka. Her eyes were fixed on me, daring me not to look away. Her gaze was so penetrating that it seemed to be penetrating my soul.

"Why are you avoiding me?" - she asked, direct, without beating around the bush, while her eyes shone, demanding a truthful answer.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words would not come out. I felt my heart racing, the internal conflict making my mind spin. I wanted to stay calm, but Ruka's intensity made me feel like I couldn't escape without facing what I was feeling.

"I... I'm not avoiding you..." I tried, but my voice sounded hesitant.

Ruka raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. - "Oh, really? Then why are you acting like you've committed a crime? I know you, Ryo. I know something's wrong." I looked away, but Ruka took a step forward, closing the distance between us. - "Eye to eye..." - she said, without backing down. - "I want you to be honest with me, like you always have been."

I felt the weight of her words. That was what scared me about Ruka: how well she knew me, to the point of noticing any change in my behavior, no matter how small. Taking a deep breath, I finally met her gaze and gave in.

"I'll tell you..." - I admitted almost in a whisper, but still holding her gaze. - "So much has happened... And I, I just... I don't want it to hurt you, Ruka."

"You can tell me, feel free." - Ruka said, paying close attention.

I took a deep breath, looked into her eyes and said: "Mami tried to kiss me..." - I looked at Ruka, seeing the surprise and initial anger that passed over her face.

She stood still for a moment, and her gaze became intense, almost deadly. It was as if, at that moment, she was imagining exactly what she would do if Mami appeared in front of her.

Anger seemed to pulse in her eyes. - "She tried what?" - she couldn't help but shiver a little when she saw that unusual expression on Ruka, who, most of the time, was affectionate and playful. I had never seen her react so seriously.

After a few seconds of heavy silence, she exhaled deeply and came to her senses, regaining her calmer expression. She looked at me serenely, but her voice still carried a hint of indignation. - "She really tried... that? Even knowing that I was here with you?" - The intensity in her voice showed how indignant she was. - "How audacious of her..." - she said while smiling macabrely.

I nodded a little awkwardly, trying to calm things down. - "Ruka, I didn't let her kiss me..." - I assured her, hoping to ease the tension a little. - "It was just... a strange and uncomfortable situation. That's why I didn't want to leave you out."

Ruka raised her hand, asking for a moment and looked at me with a more controlled expression. But her gaze still had something sharp. - "I know you wouldn't do that, Ryo-chan. I trust you, but this Mami... it seems she doesn't respect boundaries. First, she shows up at the bar and tries to pick you up using her past with Kazuya, and now, she comes with this desperate attempt to get between us?" She clenched her fists, breathing deeply to keep her anger from taking over.

"If I meet this girl again... I can't guarantee that the situation will be peaceful." - she added, her tone serious but controlled, making it clear that she wasn't joking. - "I'll let it go this time because you were honest with me, Ryo. And that made me very happy." Ruka stepped forward and held my hand, looking at me firmly. - "But please, don't hide these things from me. I'd rather know right away and be able to help you than be surprised by something like this."

I nodded, feeling relieved by her understanding. - "I didn't want to worry you, but... you're right. I'm not going to hide anything from you." - I squeezed her hand back, enjoying that moment.

She softened her gaze and smiled slightly. - "Ryo-chan, of course I trust you, that's what made me feel more at ease..." - she said, loosening her fingers around my hand, making her touch softer. - "But if Mami tries that again... there's going to be a fight!"

I laughed nervously, relieved, and hugged her. - "I hope we don't have to find out, but... if it does happen, at least I know I have someone by my side who doesn't shy away from a fight."

She laughed, but her tone still had a hint of slight threat, mixed with affection. - "You're my boyfriend, Ryo-chan, and no one will take you away from me." - she whispered, making me smile, feeling grateful for having someone so dedicated and loyal by my side.

A while later...

Under the soft light of the sunset, Ruka and I were sitting on the sand, near some rocks, away from the group. The waves broke gently in the background, and the cool breeze made the environment more cozy. We were holding hands, enjoying a rare moment of peace and privacy. I looked at the sea, while Ruka played with my fingers, almost distracted, as if she was rehearsing what she wanted to say.

She broke the silence with a soft smile. - "You know, I ended up meeting Kibe when I was coming back here..." - I raised an eyebrow, surprised. - "He seemed worried about you and... about our relationship too."

I laughed lightly. - "This guy... He always worries. But did he say anything about me?"

She nodded. - "Yes, he did. He wanted to know if I was taking care of you the way you deserved. And of course, I assured him that I was doing my best." - Ruka looked at me. - "Deep down, I think he just wants you to be happy."

I felt a warmth in my chest, surprised by Kibe's silent support. - "He cares more than he seems..." - I commented with a slight smile. - "And... you've done much more than just take care of me, Ruka."

Ruka smiled, squeezing my hand lightly. - "I'm glad you feel that way. I... I guess I just want you to feel like you can count on me. I won't always know what to say, but I'll always be here, you know?"

I nodded, feeling that her words were sincere. The silence between us was comfortable, as if we didn't need words to understand what they felt. But Ruka wasn't done yet.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" - she said, taking something out of her nightgown pocket with an excited gleam in her eyes. - "Kibe gave me this." - And suddenly, two tickets appeared in the palm of her hand. - "It's for a ferry ride." - She explained, showing the tickets with a touch of enthusiasm. - "He told me it was a gift for the two of us... as a way for us to have more fun and get to know each other outside of the rush."

I was surprised, looking at the tickets in her hand. - "A ferry ride, huh?" - I smiled, feeling a growing excitement at the idea. "I never thought Kibe would be so sentimental as to give tickets for an experience like that. And of course, with you by my side... that sounds perfect."

She laughed, a little embarrassed, but her eyes shone with excitement. - "So you really want to go?! We can make it something special, just ours, you know?"

I smiled, running my thumb over her hand. - "Of course. I like the idea of a trip like this, just the two of us, in the middle of the ocean... far from everything, from everything else."

Ruka nodded with a shy smile, looking at the ocean as if she could already imagine the moment. - "Let's make this trip unforgettable."

A few hours later...

The sky was starting to take on shades of orange and violet, signaling the end of the day, as Ruka and I boarded the ferry. The boat was calm, with few people on board, and the atmosphere was surrounded by the soft sound of the waves crashing against the hull.

Ruka held a can of soda, taking sips as she watched the horizon. Every time she looked at the sky dyed by the colors of the sunset, a smile of satisfaction appeared on her face, as if she were absorbing the moment.

I was by her side, I watched her with an expression of serenity. Seeing Ruka so happy, even in the simplest moments, made me feel something deep.

I felt completely at ease there, by her side, as if the time had slowed down just for us. I smiled hesitantly as she leaned over the railing of the ferry, her eyes shining at the sight of the sea and sky blending together on the horizon.

"Has it been a good day?" he asked, trying to hide a smile.

Ruka nodded, turning to me with a playful look in her eyes. - "Definitely. Especially now that we're alone, with no distractions... and only the sound of the waves." - She took another sip of her soda.

I laughed softly. "You have a way of making everything seem special, Ruka-chan. Even a ferry ride becomes something unique with you."

She laughed, trying to hide the slight blush on her cheeks. - "You're the one who makes me feel this way, Ryo-chan... like there's no one else in the world when we're together." - She rested the empty bottle on the railing and intertwined her fingers with mine, without hesitation.

The sky was slowly darkening, the first stars were beginning to appear, dotting the sky like small sparkles of light. The ferry glided calmly across the water, and the city seemed like a mirage in the distance, its lights reflecting on the water. The atmosphere, already full of intimacy, intensified as words became unnecessary.

We stared at each other in silence for a few moments. It was as if the air itself was charged with a unique energy. Without letting go of her hand, I took a step forward, getting close enough so that our faces were just a few inches apart. He took a deep breath, feeling her perfume mixed with the sea breeze.

"Ruka..." I whispered, feeling the weight of emotion. - "I'm really happy to be here with you."

She smiled tightly, and with a soft gesture, rested her head on my shoulder. She placed her hand on her belly and moaned a little.

I noticed Ruka's discomfort too late. She, who was leaning against the railing of the ferry with a pale smile, seemed increasingly unfocused, her face taking on an uncomfortable expression. Before I could ask if everything was okay, Ruka leaned forward a little too much, and in an instant, lost her balance, falling straight into the dark waters below.

"Ruka!"

End of chapter 10