Ruki stood by Kai's bedside, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in thought. She hesitated, then asked carefully, "Kai… how do you know I'm part of the Awakeners Guild? That I'm a resident there?"
Kai tilted his head, his smile playful—almost childlike.
"Well, it's very simple, President," he said with exaggerated slowness, stretching out the word like a joke. "I have very good hearing."
Ruki's breath caught as he tapped his ear lightly with one finger.
"I heard you arguing with Taural once," Kai continued, voice casual. "He seemed… higher ranked than Alia. But he didn't push back against you, didn't fight back like he would with others."
He leaned forward, eyes sparkling with unsettling clarity.
"Even if you're my sister's best friend, that doesn't explain why someone like you can talk back to Taural and walk away without punishment. Curious, right… Pre-si-dent?"
He spoke the title slowly, syllable by syllable, like it was a puzzle he'd already solved.
Ruki felt a chill crawl down her spine. That eerie logic. That uncanny insight.
This boy wasn't just aware—he was watching. Listening. Connecting dots others didn't even see.
She swallowed, her voice quieter now. "Kai… do you know that you're an Awakener?"
Kai's expression didn't change. He simply nodded.
"Yes. I've known for a while," he said, tone light as if discussing the weather. "It's been trapped inside me for so long. But don't worry, President… my shell personality doesn't know that yet."
He smiled sweetly.
"So there's no need to be alarmed. Everything's fine."
But Ruki didn't feel calm. Her mind raced.
How did this version of him surface? Was it the explosion? A trigger? A loss of control?
Before she could voice the thought, Kai suddenly cut in, as if reading her mind.
"I don't really know why I came out," he admitted. "One moment, everything was black… and then the explosion happened. I felt… pulled toward it. Drawn in."
He tapped his chest gently.
"And then… here I was. Back in control."
Ruki stared at him, trying to make sense of it all. Before she could ask more, Kai's eyes fluttered.
He tilted his head once more and whispered, "Ah… looks like my other self is waking up."
He gave her one last smile.
"Nice talking to you, President."
And just like that, the light faded from his expression.
His body, once animated with eerie clarity, slumped.
The sharpness in his eyes dulled instantly, returning to that vacant, lifeless gaze. The same blank stare that haunted her from the beginning.
Ruki moved closer, voice low. "Kai… do you remember what we just talked about?"
He turned to her slowly, his face empty of emotion.
Then, silently, he shook his head—and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over himself.
Ruki stared at him for a long moment, hand running through her hair in frustration.
"This kid…" she muttered. "He's even more mysterious than Yuri."