Okay okayāso I want Kimās POV of Kenta being taken captive. Yes, he knows the kind of person Kenta is. He knows Kenta was raised alone, taught to deal with his problems alone. He knows Kentaās default setting is self-sacrifice, that he was never taught how to lean on people. And the few times he has tried? Theyāve thoroughly, absolutely ruined him. Kim knows this is all new territory for Kenta. He knows Pete has been the only constant in Kentaās lifeāromantic feelings or not, Pete is still the only common denominator he has. He trusts him.
He also knows Kenta is dead-set on destroying Tony, on helping them rid the world of that monster. Kentaās priorities are locked inālaser-focused on the bigger picture, the greater good. But no matter how much Kim rationalizes Kentaās silence, it doesnāt make the ache in his heart hurt any less.
The thing is, itās not about trust. Kim trusts Kenta. He trusts him to do what needs to be done and to do it with every ounce of ability he has. The pain comes from when itās happeningāafter the kiss. After the conversation where Kim told him to stop running. To stop running to Pete. To think about his feelings, their feelings. Kim told himāin every way he knew howāthat Kenta would always have him. No matter what. No matter when. Kenta would always have Kim to lean on.
If this had all happened before Kim had said anythingābefore heād laid his heart out like a damn offeringāmaybe he could dull the sting. Maybe he could tell himself it didnāt mean anything. But now? Now Kenta knows. And he still chooses to communicate with Pete, and Pete alone.
Kim isnāt blaming anyone. Heās not pointing fingers, not trying to be angry at the choices people make to survive. Itās justāby now, he had hoped Kenta wouldāve seen his affections for what they were.
And then thereās the whole thing with Kenta specifically telling Pete not to send backup. Not to involve anyone else. Kim gets it, he really does. He understands the sentiment. He knows Kenta has never been the kind to ask for helpānot openly. Not ever. So Kim isnāt angry. But every single time he asks Pete, āAre you sure?ā
āAre you sure Kentaās okay?ā
āAre you sure he doesnāt need help?ā
Every time Pete says something like, āKenta said he didnāt need it,ā or, āKenta told us not toāāitās like a knife. A knife being driven into the same spot, over and over again.
And donāt get me wrongāIām not trying to minimize Kimās feelings, reduce him to bare strings waiting to snap the moment thereās distance or rejection. Iām just sayingāIām hurt for him. Because heās so eager to love Kenta. And itās understandable that Kenta moves slow. That heās hesitant, cautious, bruised by history. But a text? An āIām okayā? A fucking emoji? A missed call? A goddamn typing bubbleāanything. You just know Kim has his phone open on Kentaās chat 24/7, just in case somethingāanythingācomes through for him.
And I know for a fact Kim stays up every night, waiting. Because even if Kenta tells him to trust him, thereās no way heās not falling apart with worry. But he lets Kenta make the choices he needs to make.
Sorry, I got a bit carried awayābut my point is: I want a reality where Kim starts second-guessing whether Kenta actually cares for him. Because when Kenta asked, āAre you coming with me or not?ā Kim thought that was a step forward. He believed it meant something. And now? Now heās faced with this wall of silence. Of absence. Of cold distance.
Thereās no way my baby wouldnāt be disheartened. Maybe Kim starts settling into the idea that Kentaās just not interested. That thisāwhatever it wasāwas never going to be anything more. Maybe it is rejection. Subtle, quiet, unbearable.
And againāheās not mad. Heās not mad at Kenta. Heās not mad at Pete. Heās not even mad at the rejection. Heās just furious at the hope. The kindling in his heart that keeps sparkingāonly to get snuffed out by reality.
Maybe Kim finally realizes the truth: that Kenta doesnāt want him. Thatājust like PeteāKenta never felt anything real for him.
Iām not saying thatās going to change how Kim feels. But maybe it changes how much he shows. Maybe he starts to close off, just a little. Maybe, piece by piece, he retreats into himself. Because the longer Kenta is away, the more he questions if Kenta will ever come back.
He doesnāt have the answer.
But either way, itās all coming crashing down.
Am I selfish for also wanting Pete to be the one who tells Kim to go rescue Kentaāafter realizing the new truth thatās settled over Kimās heart? Like, āHe trusts you the most,ā and Kim just thinks, No, he doesnāt. But he says okay anyway, because he hasnāt quite reached the point where heās hardened his heart completely. Not yet. Even if every passing day feels like Kenta choosing to speak only to Pete and no one else. And Kim still just wants to see him safe. To see Kenta. Out of there. Alive. So he agrees.
And when he does find Kentaāroped up, or chained, or something brutal like thatāKim drops to his knees and undoes the knot without thinking. Just asks, quietly, āAre you okay?ā And Kenta says, āIām fine,ā but Kim can see the gashes, the bruises, torn clean through the rips in his shirt. And he adds itāsilently, tiredlyāto the growing list of reasons why he needs to start locking his feelings up tighter: Kenta still doesnāt trust him enough to tell the truth.
And then, just as Kim is reeling from that, Kenta says, āWhereās Kim? The others? Are they still here?ā And there it goesāKimās last stupid sliver of hope that maybe Kenta would say he missed him. Or that heās glad Kim came. Or even apologize for the silence. But no. Kenta just wants intel. Wants reassurance that everyone else is safe.
Kim takes a breath. He knows Kenta doesnāt mean it like that. Itās not personal. He tells himself that. He tells Kenta what he wants to knowāāPete and Chris are in the lab. The others are on the fourth floor.ā Something like that. And Kentaās only response is, āWe should go help them. They probably need it.ā
And Kimās hands would probably shake. Because Kenta will give help to everyone, but never let himself receive it. Never let himself need.
So Kim nods. Even though itās against Peteās plan of āget Kenta out of there.ā Because logically, Kentaās rightāthey probably do need help. So Kim hands over his extra gun. Hands Kenta his blade. Doesnāt look at his faceācanāt look. Canāt risk seeing worry etched there for everyone else but him.
They run. Up the stairs, around the corner. Kim keeps his ears sharp, tracking Kentaās footsteps behind him, listening for anything off in his breathing, anything that might mean pain. Because Kenta would never admit it, not even now. Kim leads the way, relying on the map etched into his memory.
Heās so focused on Kentaāon his pace, his breath, his silenceāthat he misses the sound of gunfire. Until Kenta yanks him back just seconds before a bullet couldāve taken him out. And Kentaās hand is wrapped around his wrist. Tight. And Kimās heart has the audacity to flinch, to leap, to hope.
But he shuts it down. Because heās seen this film before, and he didnāt like the ending. Back then, hope was fair game. Now? Now itās just reckless.
So he steadies himself. Slowly, gently, he pulls away. Takes Kentaās hand off him without a word.
Donāt get me wrongāI want them to kiss. I want them to kiss and end this whole emotionally devastating circus just as much asāif not more thanāanyone else. I want them to have their soft moment, to finally collapse into each otherās arms, safe and warm and wanted. I want the warmth, the resolution, the overdue comfort. I wouldnāt change a single thing about the seriesānot one damn momentābut my brain has been fermenting, and you know itās never once let a heartbroken character just... breathe. Not once. So here I am, spiralling. That said, I really want to know what you all thinkāhonestly. Do you think Kim would pull away, even just a little? Quietly protect himself before he breaks? Or do you think heād double down, push harder, desperate to prove that love means staying, even now?