Chapter 153: Don’t Die For Me
Night grabbed my hand and we immediately ran out of the cottage. "There they are!" I heard someone shouting, causing my heart to stop, but Night didn’t let anything happen as he pulled me into his arms and we hurried away.
"Hang in there." He said as we ran out of the forest, but the moment we got into the highway, we saw foreign cars waiting for us. "Shit." Night cursed aloud as he pulled me back into the forest and it was a never-ending run for my life again.
The rain isn’t helping either and I can feel bumping onto leaves and being scratched by low branches. Night’s grip on my hand tightened and I know he wouldn’t let go. He’s desperate to find an escape for the both of us. He could just give me up and be free from this bothersome situation.
My legs started giving up and I almost tripped again due to the branch of a tree lying on the ground. "Noelle? Are you alright?" Night asked while I was trying to catch my breath.
Negative questions started filling my head. If I’m not with Night, then he wouldn’t have to go through something bothersome like this. I started asking myself, what if I should just give up? Is this even worth it? What if those people catch up to us even after running like our lives are on the line?
"Noelle?"
I stood up straight and gazed at Night. "Don’t you just want to hand me over to them?" Night doesn’t like bothersome things, that’s what I know about him. "I-I think I can’t run anymore. My legs are giving up." All I could say were excuses, but I am really far too exhausted and I can’t run any further.
"No."
I could feel my head getting all dizzy and I couldn’t even stand straight anymore. "I-I’m a deadweight again. They’re after me, they won’t care if you escape now." I told Night as I was about to sit on the floor, but he pulled me up and carried me bridal style. My energy left my whole body and I can’t even retort.
"I’m going to find a place where we can rest." He said while carrying me. "I’m not going to let them get ahold of you." Hearing his voice made me feel relieved, but my breathing started to grow heavier. ’Did I catch a cold again? I’m too weak.’
I can hear Night’s pants while I try my best to keep my consciousness, but my head keeps getting dizzier and I couldn’t even open my eyes anymore. "You should rest. Leave it all to me." He said as he hugged me tighter.
"I’m sorry."
When I woke up, I saw a ceiling above my head, and my whole body’s dry. "Night!" I immediately got up from the bed after realizing that I am somewhere unfamiliar to me again.
"Good timing, I prepared the food." Night said as he entered this small house. It’s in a mess and has signs of being abandoned. Objects are lying on the ground with a web of spiders on them. "I don’t know who owns this place, but it’s not that far from the villa." He said as he gave me the food he prepared.
"It’ll be good if we can move out as soon as you feel alright." He said.
I balled my fists as I looked at my legs. He covered me with his clothes even though he must have been cold too. "Why don’t we just stop?" It’ll be selfish of me if I keep holding onto Night like this and make things more difficult. "It’s not like those people will actually kill me, right? I-If you got in contact with the oyabun then you can just help me again."
I’m weak, I will never be strong like them. This is the only way I could protect Night from harm.
Night slammed the door so hard that it got loose and almost fell to the floor. "I will never do that." He sat beside me and held my hand. "I would rather kill them all and become full of sins again than lose you." His eyes were dead serious as he stared at me.
"I will never hand you to them. Even if I die."
I felt goosebumps hearing him say that. ’W-What if I cause Night’s death just like how Tomoe told me? What if he sacrifices himself just for me?’
"I don’t want that." I grabbed Night’s arm. "D-Don’t die for me."
Night pulled me into a hug. "I won’t die." He’s shirtless right now so I can feel his body’s warmth mixing with mine. "As long as you stay by my side I’ll survive until the end. So don’t ever say that you would rather be with them."
I closed my eyes shut. "But this is getting harder for the both of us. And I can’t run anymore." My body’s tired. I’ve never been this tired before.
"We just need to endure until Kenji and the others arrive with help." That’s what he told me, but as soon as we finished our food, Night and I didn’t have a choice but to leave that small house. We heard footsteps, so we can’t let them see us there, or else it’ll be the end of this chase.
"After this, we’ll be able to rest for a week, so please endure it." He said. Even though he can run and get rid of those people alone, he’s trying to keep up with me.
He’s doing all of these for me...
I took a deep breath as my grip on Night’s hand tightened. We walked into the muddy road towards I don’t know where.
"We just need to make time until Kenji and the others arrive." Night repeated as he looked at me. "We’ll be safe after that."
I nodded and smiled.
After we got far from those people and there are no sounds of footsteps near us, Night and I decided to rest inside a cave in this forest.
"I know this might be scary, but it’ll be over soon." Night reassured me with a smile. "Everything will be alright." He keeps telling me those words.
I took a deep breath. "I’m sorry for saying those things before." It’s shameful and it makes me embarrassed that I did something like that when Night already showed me how much he hates losing me.
"I didn’t consider your feelings and just thought about how tired I am."
I felt Night’s hand on my head. When I looked at him, he was smiling from ear to ear. "You know you are the most important to me."
"But I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me." I held Night’s hand. "Please, don’t do something like that, okay? We must survive together."
Night chuckled which caused my forehead to crease. "Of course, we wouldn’t be separated no matter what. I won’t let that happen."
I trusted his words because I know that he means them.
"You really did make me run, huh?"
I immediately stood up from the ground after hearing an unfamiliar voice.
"You!" Night quickly pulled me out of the cave, but some men blocked our way. "Shit!"
Night suddenly let go of my hand and he started kicking those men away. "Run!" He said as he quickly held my hand again and we started running away.
This is the third time that we’re running together in a day. ’I don’t know what to feel.’
With my head feeling all confused, I suddenly heard Night’s laughter.
"W-Wha— are you laughing?"
I couldn’t believe my ears.
"Isn’t this fun? We’re running hand in hand like children." He said. "I have never experienced something like this before."
Those words were weird, but they made me smile as I screamed at the top of my lungs. We’re running for our lives, but it is indeed... fun.
’Am I becoming someone with psychotic tendencies? Who would enjoy being chased like this?’
Maybe I could enjoy something like this because I’m with Night. Even if we go running into a field of snow barefooted, I think I would still enjoy it as long as he holds my hand and won’t let go.
Night and I ran, as fast as we could... but things didn’t go like how I expected them to.
"Ugh." Night grunted as we ended up near the edge of a cliff. There’s no way out of this. Night didn’t let my hand go as he hid me behind him.
"Night." I whispered his name as we keep backing away until there was no more land to step on.
When I looked behind, all I could see was the roaring waves crashing to the rocks near it. The rain already had stopped but the sky was still dark.
"Ha... you really made us chase after you for hours." A man wearing a black suit with a black coat said. He’s smoking and is looking at Night with a smile. "Did you really love Maki’s child? It’s the first time I saw my nephew be that desperate."
Nephew?
"Shut up." Night said. "You really have no shame. After being kicked out, you’re still yapping like a dog. It’s pathetic."
The man— no, Night’s uncle, Junichiro, started laughing like a madman. He even held onto his stomach as he threw his cigarette away.
"Just when I thought you’re all grown up now, your arrogance did grow too, huh?" He said as he walked towards us. "Just hand the girl already and we’ll be over this."
"What do you want from Noelle?"
Junichiro tilted his head. "I don’t have any obligation to tell you." He said as he reached out his hand. "Come on, young lady. You should go with us if you don’t want me to hurt my precious nephew right in front of you."
I gulped after hearing that as I looked behind us. There’s really no escape for us now. ’What should I do?’
"Night... there’s no way now," I muttered and made Night look at me.
However, I didn’t expect the expression he had on his face. He was... smiling?
"You’re stronger than you think, Noelle." He said. "I know you can handle this."
My eyes went wide as I could feel myself falling from behind. D-Did Night just... pushed me off? I was baffled and I couldn’t scream. It’s as if things turned slower and all I could see was Night’s silhouette.
"Why?"
I saw how the sun came out from the sky and it shone a light on Night making me unable to see the expression he had after he pushed me. The men after us started coming at Night one by one and I felt my body crashing into the huge waves.
