Page 44 of The Oni's Heart

"I’m asking you to stop being an idiot," I spat back, the frustration rising in my chest. "If we’re going to survive, we need to think this through. We can’t afford any more chaos. Momoi is in this mess, and we owe her. I owe her. You understand?"

There was a strange pause, an eerie quiet before the demon’s voice spoke again, less mocking, more contemplative.

"Fine." The word was heavy, laced with the twisted amusement that always came when the Oni had its way. "But remember, Tatsuya... I still want what’s mine. And I won’t forget. Not after what you’ve put me through."

The demon’s words were a warning, a promise. But for now, it seemed to have agreed to my plan—perhaps out of necessity,or perhaps because it too understood that this was the only way to get out of this alive.

"We’ll do this your way," the Oni murmured, its tone shifting, dark but compliant. "But when the time comes, we’ll settle the rest."

And with that, for the first time, the two of us—demon and human—had come to an uneasy agreement. The plan was set, and I had no idea whether it would work. But I knew one thing for sure: if we were going to escape this hell we’d created, we’d have to rely on each other.

25

The Quiet Before the Storm

MOMOI

Icouldn’t help but be taken aback by how quickly Tatsuya had shifted into action. One moment, he was this monstrous, terrifying Oni; the next, he was pulling himself together, his voice calm and controlled. It was akin to watching two people share the same skin—his demonic side constantly clawing for dominance and the human part of him desperate for control.

But I wasn’t going to argue about it. Not when he was somehow managing to hold it together enough to make a phone call—though, how he knew the shady people who had apartments for rent, I couldn’t say. There was no way I was going to ask. Not when the reality of what we were dealing with sank in. His mind was always shifting, unpredictable, and I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or terrified by how quickly he adapted to a situation.

It was a gritty, old part of town—one that reeked of neglect and crime, the kind of place where only the most desperate or dangerous would end up. And Tatsuya... well, he was a magnet for danger.

We’d moved into a nondescript building, a decaying structure that seemed as if it had been abandoned for years but somehow still had a purpose. The hallway smelled of dampness, the floorboards creaking beneath our feet, but it was a place to lay low, and I supposed that was all that mattered.

He had found the place quickly, knowing just who to contact and making sure to keep his voice low and steady, no trace of the demonic growl in his tone. It worked, and by some miracle, we had an apartment. One of those "random" ones he mentioned, which could stay indefinitely, if necessary. And right now, we both needed a place to breathe, even if it was just for a few hours.

As soon as we got inside, Tatsuya dropped onto the couch with a sigh, his body still tense, the demon lurking in the background, but he looked… calmer. He had his moments where I thought he was himself again, and then there were times when the weight of what he'd become almost crushed him.

I paced the small apartment, trying to steady my own racing thoughts, but everything felt... wrong. It had only been a day, and yet it felt like we were on the edge of some inevitable collapse, as if, at any moment we would run out of time.

"So, what now?" I finally asked, breaking the silence. My voice was steady, but there was a tinge of unease that I couldn’t mask. The adrenaline was fading, leaving me with questions I couldn't push away.

Tatsuya didn’t answer immediately. His hands were clasped in front of him, his gaze distant. And just as I was about to repeat the question, he finally spoke, his voice strangely calm for someone who had just become an Oni.

"We handle it." His eyes met mine briefly, the weight of those words settling between us. "You stay here. Out of sight."

I stared at him, my mind racing. Stay out of sight? I was in this mess just as much as he was. I couldn’t just sit back and wait while they made decisions for us. But he didn’t offer me anymore details. His expression hardened, that familiar wall he put up whenever something bothered him.

"Handle it?" I repeated, crossing my arms. "What does that mean? You're not going to—" I didn’t even want to ask the question, but the way he looked at me, I knew the answer wasn’t going to be good.

Tatsuya looked at me, weighing his words carefully. “The Yakuza will come looking for us. We’ll deal with them. And you stay here. It’s the safest thing for you right now.”

My eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t quite keep the suspicion from my voice. "And what, you think I’m just going to sit here and wait for you two to finish this mess? You don’t even trust me enough to tell me what’s really going on, do you?"

He didn’t flinch. “It’s not that. It’s that you’ve already been through too much. We can’t risk putting you in danger again.”

There was something about how he said it—so calm, so composed—that set my teeth on edge. I wanted to argue, to demand answers, but something in me told me not to push it further. Not yet.

I peeled the clothes I had on away from myself. “I’m going to need a few things…”

The Oni’s nostrils flared, and I narrowed my eyes. I could tell, Tatsuya quickly took over again after that slip.

I lowered my arms and stepped toward him, standing there silently for a moment before speaking again. “The Yakuza are not one to be messed with or easily taken out, you know this right? They’re the same as roaches, infested everywhere even if you can’t see them… but they can see you."

Tatsuya didn’t respond at first, but then he sighed deeply, running a hand through his demonic form’s long, black hair. "You can’t change what’s already been set in motion. But if we handle this the right way, we can end it. Without it coming back to bite us."

I still didn’t feel great about the situation. But what else could I do? He wasn’t offering me any other choice. And the longer I stared at him, the more I realized I didn’t just want answers—I wanted to believe in him. To believe that, even in this twisted situation, he would find a way to protect us both.

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