The evening air outside the cafe was thick with the kind of heavy humidity that seemed to linger, suffocating the city in its heat. Inside, the soft clinking of cups and murmurs of conversation filled the atmosphere, but Rose sat in a corner, alone. The dim glow of the streetlights outside bled through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. She stared down at the empty table in front of her, the leather of the chair beneath her making her shift uncomfortably. She wasn't here for the coffee. She was here for answers. Or, perhaps, for something more personal.
Her fingers tapped nervously against the table, but she didn't notice. Her mind was racing, memories of old conversations swirling around her—of a time before everything had gone so horribly wrong. She could still feel the weight of that moment when everything changed, when Kazou had been there beside her... before.
As if summoned by her thoughts, the door to the cafe opened with a soft chime, and Kazou Kuroda stepped inside. He looked just the same—slightly disheveled, his dark eyes haunted with the same unspoken anguish that had lingered in them the last time they'd spoken. His gaze scanned the room, and when it met hers, his face softened, almost imperceptibly. He approached her table, his footsteps slow and deliberate, the weight of the past hanging heavily between them.
He sat across from her without a word. The waitress approached almost immediately, her voice polite as she asked, "What can I get you?"
"Coffee," Kazou said, his voice low and calm, as if it had always been this way between them, this distant, neutral exchange. Rose mirrored him with a quiet nod, her lips dry as she murmured, "Black, please."
The waitress departed, leaving them in a thick silence. Rose couldn't bring herself to meet Kazou's eyes, and he, too, seemed to retreat into himself. They both waited in that uncomfortable stillness, the ticking of the clock in the background the only sound.
The coffees arrived, their fragrant steam curling into the air between them. Rose's fingers wrapped around her mug, the warmth of the ceramic grounding her as she took a deep breath. It was now or never.
She opened her mouth, her voice quiet, but steady. "Kazou… Can we have another chance?"
Kazou froze, his gaze snapping up to meet hers. His expression was unreadable, but his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. Rose's heart thudded in her chest, but she pushed forward, her eyes now locked with his.
Before he could speak, she reached out across the table and, with surprising tenderness, placed her hand over his. Her fingers curled around his, and his gaze dropped to their intertwined hands, as if the touch alone had shocked him into silence.
"I've missed you," she whispered, the words leaving her like a confession, like a truth she'd been holding in for far too long.
Kazou's expression softened, but there was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He didn't pull away, but the silence between them thickened, suffocating both of them.
She could feel the weight of it all, the layers of pain, confusion, and longing. She had never stopped caring about him, no matter how many years had passed, no matter how much they'd both tried to move on. And here, now, the truth was undeniable.
She pulled her hand back reluctantly, the warmth fading in an instant. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "But… Kazou," she said, her voice quieter now, "I need to ask you something. I can't ignore it anymore. Who is Casimir Bielska?"
Kazou's face went instantly rigid. His breath caught in his throat, and he quickly withdrew his hand, as though the question had physically stung him. His eyes darted away for a moment, and Rose could see the struggle behind them.
"He's…" Kazou's voice faltered, the words barely escaping his lips. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated. "A month ago... Four was killed. Casimir killed him."
Rose's heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Four? Killed? By Casimir?" She repeated the words, as if hearing them again would make more sense, but they only hit her harder, like a hammer to the chest.
Kazou's jaw clenched as he nodded, his face shadowed by something darker now. He didn't meet her gaze.
"There's no record of him," he added quickly. "No receipts. No evidence. I can't prove he even exists… not in any way that makes sense." His words trailed off, as if the very thought of Casimir was enough to bring back the horror of that night, of everything that had led them here.
Rose sat back in her chair, the revelation sinking in. She had expected to find answers, but this... this was more confusing than anything she had imagined. Her mind was spinning, but she tried to ground herself.
Kazou's tone shifted, becoming softer, more empathetic, though his eyes were distant. "Rose, you don't need to worry about this. It's dangerous. It's a mess. You should start fresh. Live a new life. You don't need any of this."
Rose felt a flicker of frustration rise in her chest, and before she knew it, the words were out, raw and desperate. "I want to restart! I miss you, Kazou!" Her voice cracked with emotion, the weight of all the years she'd spent thinking about him crashing down on her all at once.
Kazou looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Do you really think that would work?" His voice was gentle, but there was a finality in it that made her stomach tighten.
Rose's eyes stung as the tears began to form. "Kazou… let's start over. I love you." The words slipped out, trembling on her lips, and for a moment, she could barely breathe as the enormity of her confession hung between them.
Kazou's eyes softened, but his lips parted with a sigh. "No…" His voice was almost a whisper. "I love you, too, but I want what's best for you. I always have."
The pain in his words hit Rose like a blow, and she felt her heart break all over again. Kazou stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. He didn't look back at her as he started to walk away, and Rose's breath caught in her throat.
"Kazou!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she stood up and rushed after him, ignoring the startled looks of the other customers. "Kazou, wait!"
But he didn't stop. He didn't even glance back.
And Rose stood there, her hand reaching out for him in vain, as he walked out the door. Just as Kazou reached the door, Rose couldn't hold it in anymore. She ran after him, leaving the cafe.
Kazou's footsteps echoed against the pavement as he made his way down the sidewalk, the heavy weight of his words lingering in the air. Rose's heart pounded in her chest, her breath shallow as she ran. Her voice broke through the silence, sharp and desperate.
Rose stood a few paces away, her posture tense, eyes wide with something he couldn't quite read at first. She took a step forward, her breath coming in short, frantic bursts.
"The Polish soldier!" she called out, her voice breaking through the cool evening. "Casimir is Ten!"
Kazou's body was locked in place. His breath hitched. His heart, which had been cold and still moments ago, now hammered against his chest, as though it had suddenly awakened.
"Ten?" Kazou repeated the name, his voice flat, but his mind was anything but. He took a step back toward her, almost imperceptibly, as if he were caught in a gravity he couldn't escape. Ten. That name—Ten—it had haunted him since the night everything fell apart, since that moment when he had stood helpless, watching Casimir do the unthinkable.
Kazou's eyes met hers, searching for the meaning in her words, but his mind was already spiraling. His mind jumped back to that night in the warehouse, to the cold, merciless expression on Casimir's face.
"The night Casimir carried out that execution…" Kazou said, almost as though speaking to himself, his voice tinged with an old, familiar fear. "He told me he was Ten."
Rose's breath caught. She stepped closer, her heart racing in her chest, but her gaze remained fixed on Kazou. "Akane… Akane told me everything. She told me what happened that night—everything. She said that Ten killed Fujino!"
Kazou blinked. A flood of images rushed to the forefront of his mind—the blood, the sound of gunfire, the cold, emotionless eyes of the man who had carried out the execution. He remembered how he had been frozen in place, paralyzed by something darker than fear.
Flashback:
The gun in Casimir's hand gleamed under the harsh fluorescent light, its cold metal reflecting a face that seemed devoid of life.
Kazou wanted to scream, to rush in, to stop it, but he couldn't. His body wouldn't move. The finality of what he was witnessing held him in place, as if he were witnessing a truth he was unwilling to accept.
And then, the words.
"I have found a name. Casimir Bielska."
A shot rang out, its echo lingering in the stillness. Four collapsed, lifeless, on the cold, unforgiving ground.
End Flashback.
Kazou's breath came in uneven gasps as he was snapped back to reality. He looked at Rose, his eyes wide, his hands trembling slightly. The weight of what she said, of what she had just revealed, pressed down on him with a suffocating force.
"That book," Kazou whispered, his mind racing, trying to grab hold of something, anything, to make sense of this. "The children's book he read… Where is it? Do you know who wrote it? The one from 12 years ago."
Rose shook her head, her face pale. "I don't know, Kazou… I don't know."
Kazou's gaze darkened as he rubbed his temples, trying to gather his thoughts, trying to put the pieces together. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like something—something—had set this all in motion long before they ever crossed paths.
"Cloning…" he muttered under his breath,"We kept the memories of their past lives… something from his past life must have triggered him. He was a soldier… but we need more. We need to understand why."
Rose took a step closer, her voice low but unwavering.
"Kazou," she said, her gaze steady on him. "We don't have to be together like before. But I can help you find out the truth. I can help you find out more about his past, about who he was, what made him do this. Maybe the Tokyo History Museum has records, or something hidden in their archives. There must be something."
Kazou glanced at her, his expression softening for the briefest of moments, before the cold reality of their situation settled in once more.
"You're right. We can't let it end like this." His voice faltered, "We'll find the answers. But you... You don't have to get involved. It's too dangerous."
Rose's expression hardened, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Kazou, I've already been involved. You don't get to walk away from this alone. We will find the answers."
For a moment, they stood there, locked in a silent understanding. Kazou took a breath, and as he turned to walk away, Rose's voice stopped him once more. It was quieter this time, almost pleading.
"Kazou," she said, stepping closer, her voice trembling, "Please… don't walk away. We can start over. We don't have to go back to what we were, but I can help you, help us both. Let me help!"
Kazou turned slowly, his face a mask of uncertainty. He wanted to reach for her hand, to pull her close, to say that they could pick up the pieces and rebuild what they had lost. But he knew—he knew too well—that it wasn't that simple.
"I want you to have the life you deserve, Rose," he said quietly, his voice rough. "I want you to be free of this... this madness. This isn't the life I want for you."
Rose's eyes filled with frustration, a storm brewing beneath the surface.
"I want you," she said, her voice cracking, her tears threatening to spill over. "I want to start over. We can find the truth together, Kazou. We can fix this. We can be together again. Casimir stole our relationship!"
Kazou's breath caught in his throat. He could feel his heart breaking, but there was no way forward, not like this, not with the ghosts of the past still clinging to them. He turned away, his heart aching with every step he took.
But as he walked away, Rose ran after him, her voice breaking through the air with a desperation that stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Kazou!" she cried out, her voice hoarse and raw.
Kazou stood frozen for a moment, the world seeming to stand still, as he felt the weight of her call on his back. Slowly, he turned.
And then, Rose's voice rang out once more, louder than before, as she shouted the name that had haunted him for so long:
Rose's eyes widened as she approached him.
"Kazou... do you realize what this means? We have to find out everything we can. About the past, about Casimir. We need to understand why he did it. What made him Ten! Let's go to the Tokyo museum! I'm serious! If you really don't want me getting involved, please at least let me go to Tokyo with you.
Kazou nodded slowly, a glimmer of determination flickering in his eyes.
"You're right. The museum... we'll start there."
Rose stood a little taller, her expression hardening with resolve.
"We'll find the truth, Kazou."