... is actually more of a question for the audience (mainly Cinzia tbh) this time rather than me giving people an on the spot, written concept inspired by something.

if yunaaki got isekai-d, what world (already existing media/story) would you rather have them end up in?

Oooh, this chapter is full of Kaito goodness, hehe 😊✨

Happy May, btw. It’s almost summer~

Expect a very long post ahead cuz as always, I’m not leaving a single detail out when it comes to my favorite boi in the whole world!! 😆💖

Akiho can come fight me on that, I’ll gladly lose to her 🤣

So some magic stuff happened in chapter 27, nothing really YunaAki-relevant.

Until Akiho is in danger, then Kaito will naturally already be there ahead of everyone else to move her away from the threat.

Before that though, Momo has to make a comment about how fake (“like a lie”, 嘘っぽい) his smile is. This surprises him because he thought he made it seem natural (自然) enough.

To which Momo counters “if you have to put in effort to look natural, then it’s not natural at all 😑”, hahaha

And she’s right cuz that’s his customer service smile. By now, we can all tell which one is which, yea?

This smile is the one that appears friendly and approachable but hides who Kaito truly is.

If he were greeting guests at the house, it wouldn’t be out of place but in this situation, it’s just plain weird and belies what he’s scheming underneath that pleasant mask he always wears.

But since time has stopped and nobody can hear him anyway, Kaito drops the façade to revert back to his real self. You can see it in his expression, especially his hooded eyes.

He’s a guy in the middle of a mission and he’s nowhere near done with his job. He’s weary but pushing through because there’s something he must do no matter what.

He goes on to explain that since the last time he came here to pick Akiho up, he can now confirm that someone had chosen (『選んだ』) this spot to serve as the home of the Kinomoto family.

Because this location possesses a power similar to that of a kekkai so it can protect those living within its boundary.

As usual, Kaito is very thorough in his investigation. He plans to entrust Akiho into this family’s custody following his sacrifice, after all.

Even if none of them had magic and were just normal people living ordinary lives, he’d still comb through everything to make sure the place Akiho will live in is suitable and safe for her.

But since the family is entangled in magic, then that’s all the more reason to ask all the questions he needs to ask before transferring Akiho over.

In this case, who was the one who chose this house? This house which not only protects those living inside but is also capable of storing strong magic. Such as the cards and guardians left behind by Clow Reed, the most powerful sorcerer in history.

That’s definitely something he shouldn’t ignore. Especially if there’s a possibility that Akiho might be rejected because she doesn’t meet the “criteria” set by the person who chose this house.

They determined it couldn’t be anyone from the current generation, meaning the home was chosen before Sakura was born.

However, there’s another pressing matter (今すぐ対処しなければならない問題) Kaito must deal with first and he leaps on over to where Akiho is to inspect it.

Interesting to note here, in the manga, he’s drawn as very light and agile on his feet, almost as if gliding through the air like Peter Pan or something.

While in the anime, they chose to show him walking instead by having him descend like he’s going down a flight of stairs.

Either way, it serves the same purpose. Kaito is portrayed as someone who knows how to control his magic well enough to the point that it looks effortless.

It supports the information that has already been presented about him. That he’s powerful and capable of doing what he sets his mind to.

Whether that be something as simple as levitating or crazy like completely shutting out interference from another magician, even a reincarnation of Clow Reed. For him, he can do it.

We’re reminded that Yuna D. Kaito is formidable. Not just because of his enormous magical strength but by how far he’s willing to go to achieve his objective.

Which we will see in a bit in a few more panels later…

Back to the problem at hand, what’s “inside”/中 (aka the artifact) has been “opened” (開きかけた).

Appropriate but still frightening terminology he’s using here since the artifact is indeed a book. But one that overtakes the host’s consciousness once it has been activated.

And what else can get a magical item to react if not contact with something else that is also magical in nature? In this case, the Kinomoto basement library that Akiho had set foot in moments ago. The same library where the original Clow Cards had been sealed in for a period of time.

This is a reiteration of how dangerous it is for Akiho to be near anything that possesses supernatural power. The book that’s been planted inside her is programmed to absorb as much magic as possible into its pages and it does not have an “off” button.

So letting Akiho get close to someone like Sakura is actually the worst idea. Not only is her friend a magic user, she’s practically descended from the most powerful sorcerer and is always surrounded by magic in other forms (her boyfriend, her guardians, her cards, even her own damn house).

Having Akiho near them would constantly be setting the artifact off and hastening it towards completion. And perhaps the reason that hasn’t happened yet is probably because Kaito had placed many seals on Akiho beforehand.

However, for his plan to transfer the artifact into himself to succeed, having the two girls develop a good friendship is necessary. If there were any other way, he surely wouldn’t have gone for this method because it risks Akiho’s safety too much.

But the happy ending he wants for Akiho outweighs the dangers. Her survival is worth the risks so he has no other option but to let them interact while always keeping a watchful eye on whatever activity happens around her. Even if the artifact so much as slightly shifts, he has to get to Akiho immediately so that he can contain it.

He also needs to monitor Sakura’s fluctuating power levels and learn just how deep her magical capacity is. Not just to prevent the issue with the artifact from escalating but also to keep himself prepared for any situation where he might clash with her.

Momo then calls Kaito out on having “bad taste” for having Akiho bring over sweets that have been enchanted by him to peek into Sakura’s memories.

Which is an odd thing for her to accuse him of because frankly, this is just gathering intel? Yea, it’s not an honorable thing to do but it’s not the worst thing a magician in this series has ever done either. Like say, a 30/40 something year old man posing as a grade schooler. 😑

This is all for the sake of making sure Akiho can be left in the right hands and not with people who would mistreat or abandon her.

The more Kaito knows about the family he chose to entrust Akiho to, the better. Questioning the methods used are for those who have the luxury to do so.

Which he and Akiho, on their limited time, do not have.

Additionally, Kaito said that the spell he used to peek into Sakura’s memories is one that only allows you to observe at a mere fraction of what you’re looking into (あの程度の術では読めるものなんてほんの一部).

Which sounds like he’s making up excuses but it’s believable because he’s not looking for any super private information. He just wants to know if this family is a good fit for the person he loves most in the world.

Also, if there was magic that was so convenient to let you know everything, then it’s totally possible Kaito could’ve found a better method to resolve this issue earlier. He wouldn’t have had to resort to using someone else’s power or maybe even bring Akiho all the way to Japan if there was another way he could remove the artifact himself.

But from the information he gathered (or rather, what he was told) and growing urgency locking him out of any other available options as the years went on, transferring the artifact into himself became the only plan he could rely on without it seriously damaging Akiho.

The ends over the means. It doesn’t matter how he does it, it’s the result that’s more important.

For Akiho who did not have a home nor kind friends or a warm family or any happy memories growing up.

Kaito is so desperate for her to have all that.

The more he saw other kids like Sakura living a normal life, the more it highlighted everything Akiho was missing. Everything that he knew Akiho deserved.

It pains him because he, too, had none of those things when he was little.

He empathizes with Akiho on being born into a society without love. He understands exactly what it’s like to be mistreated and exploited. To be alone.

He wants to comfort her which is why he reaches out to her with his arms outstretched. He wishes to envelop her into his embrace, to be her shield against anything that can harm her and reassure her that she she isn’t “useless” as those wretched magicians said she was. That she has worth and that she is loved and cherished.

He cares about Akiho’s emotional wounds even more than his own because unlike him whose magic afforded him at least some protection, Akiho didn’t have any. That’s why she was criticized and abused even further.

Kaito can’t stand that. He can’t accept that someone as innocent and good as Akiho should be fated to a miserable existence as the property of those twisted magicians, her will completely erased so that she can never fight back.

The hatred of that thought and his guilt over accidentally contributing to the experimentation on Akiho are what drives his determination to save her.

More than correcting his mistake, he must save her. He has to ensure that those monsters can never reach her again. That she is in environment where she can thrive and be happy.

Kaito’s willing to do anything and everything he can, even become the villain who will eventually be defeated in the story, so that his wish for his beloved Akiho can come true.

We don’t get to see the expression that shows all those emotions that Kaito is feeling during this scene but… Momo does.

“If only you can see the face you’re making right now, Yuna D. Kaito.”

Upon hearing that, Kaito is alarmed.

Because for a moment, he actually let his guard down and wasn’t aware he was doing it.

Kaito, who always makes it a point to not let any of his weaknesses show, ended up doing just that.

He lost himself to the feelings that overcame him. The feelings he has for Akiho.

In other words, Akiho is his greatest weakness because she’s the only one he’s not willing to compromise anything for but also the only one who he’s willing to give up everything for.

That must be what his face looked like then. From that one look, anyone can tell what it is he’s fighting for, who it is he’s fighting for.

And he’s afraid. It shows in the way his head perks up. He might be aware of his feelings but he’s not ready to acknowledge them. He’s not ready to admit just how much Akiho means to him as that would no doubt affect his concentration on what he needs to do save her.

Fortunately, Sakura showing movement within the stopped time gives Kaito a chance to distract himself from confronting his true feelings for now.

Because he can’t have his target catching on to his scheme. Not when the card he needs hasn’t manifested yet and not when there’s not enough magic (カードはまだ足りていません) to fuel the taboo spell that will rewrite everyone’s memories.

He has to undo everything that would have Sakura chasing after his tail. Starting with her witnessing the activation of the artifact through Akiho in the library.

Momo instantly panics when he intends to rewind time as far back as before Akiho left to go to her friend’s house.

She’s yelling all the reasons why he shouldn’t. That simply using time magic already causes an immeasurable burden on the caster, taking their life force (命を消するもの) in order to fulfill the spell.

What’s worse is that we learn Kaito also used time magic multiple times already. If freezing time is taking so much from him, there’s no telling what would happen if he rewinds time back several hours. He could collapse or worse, die.

But it’s clear that Kaito won’t heed Momo’s warnings because if he doesn’t undo the incident in the library now, then his whole plan to save Akiho will be derailed.

Still, Momo is demanding that he scale it down, going only as far back as before Akiho entered the library. This is the first time we see her so frantic. She forces Kaito to listen to her by threatening to change back into her true form. And it’s only then does Kaito agree to do what she says because he does not wish to fight head to head with her (mhm, mummy was gonna whoop his stubborn butt 😂).

Maybe Kaito conceded because he thought it would be too much of a hassle to argue with Momo on top of shouldering the strain of rewinding time…

But it’s important to note that this is one of the more prominent moments where Momo is undeniably fighting for Kaito’s sake. Meaning, she cares about him and is not okay with seeing him hurt. She doesn’t want him to die. Not just for Akiho but also for himself.

She wants him to live just as much he wants Akiho to live.

And yet, Kaito still doesn’t (or perhaps, refuses to) see what Momo wants him to understand because he doesn’t think his life is worth caring about! バカ！🥺

Well, anyway, the rewind worked.

Right before the girls are about to go down to the basement, a message on Akiho’s phone stops them.

And her shocked reaction upon reading it is as expected.

“Kaito” told her he suddenly came down with a fever so he won’t be able to do his chores like usual.

The message makes it sound like it’s no big deal. It’s just a notice of sickness, which is normal.

But for Akiho, who has known Kaito long enough to also know that it’s super rare for him to take a sick day or actually inform her that he’s not feeling well, this is a very serious matter.

Because even around Akiho, there isn’t a moment where Kaito is not pretending he’s okay. He’s always in peak condition, ready to assist and serve her. He’s afraid to be honest with his own feelings so of course he won’t let Akiho know if there’s something wrong with him (具合が悪くてもわたしには何もおっしゃらないんです).

Basically, it’s out of character for him to not be “perfect”.

For Kaito, it detracts from his mask that he uses to hide his weaknesses and true self. The real him that he doesn’t want anybody to see.

For Akiho, it means he really must be hurt or suffering somewhere and that scares her. Even the thought of it being a high fever (but not a fatal one) sends her clutching her phone in a tight grip 👆

Akiho loves her hubby Kaito more than anything so it’s natural she would be very worried when he’s in pain. It’s a given that once she starts worrying about him, she can’t think of anything else except rushing back to his side to make sure he’s alright and wanting to care for him till he’s better again.

So they take a rain check. The library can wait but right now, she has to go home to be with the person she loves most.

Meanwhile, lol, a lesson in how to be dramatic so your wife will come home faster 🤣

But seriously, this scene is hilarious. Akiho was freaking out while Momo was pretty much telling Kaito “That’s how you do things properly! Work smarter, not harder, you idiot!” and he’s so light-hearted in his response like “yea yea, problem solved, yaaaay~” 😂

Cuz his head is so filled with Akiho that he’s already forgotten that he almost could’ve died with that rewind 🙄😅

Kaito is so touched by her concern, though. Akiho would give up the chance to see more of the books she loved so much because she’s more worried about “somebody” getting sick. He has such a hard time believing she was born into “that clan” (and the disdain can even be heard in print with that “あの”) when they’re so evil and she’s an absolute angel.

He says all this with the softest eyes and the gentlest smile on his face, too. Like, does he even realize his guard is still down? That he’s showing his weakness right there in the open where anyone can see him as he gazes down fondly at the girl rushing home to him?

Akiho really is the only person who can get him to act this way. To be able to bring his true self to the surface and have it stay there. It’s so obvious he’s in love with her, why won’t he just acknolwedge it?!!?!?

ლ(ʘ言ʘ ლ )💢 💢 💢

Oh, because he’s dumb about emotions 😑

In fact, he’s so infuriatingly oblivious (whether by his choice or not, it’s still annoying) that Momo looks like she’s ready to pummel him into the future.

“It isn’t just “somebody” (that Akiho is worried about)” she grumbles to his face.

Alas, Kaito is clueless and hopeless so the best she can do is shoo him home, tell him to quickly put on his jammies, get into bed and do his best to act like he’s terribly sick so that Akiho will pamper the f*ck outta him that he’ll have to admit his feelings for her and they’ll mutually confess their love to one another and avoid all the unnecessary drama in the next 50 chapters won’t suspect something odd.

Kaito is like “ok~, I can do that~” because hey, he doesn’t have to do chores tonight so he gets to spend time with Akiho, yea? Sounds great, he’s so happy~ 😄

aaaaAAAAAAaaaaagghhhhHHHHHHH 😩

Now I need that whole scene where Akiho’s fretting over Kaito while he’s smiling like a dummy in bed, pretending to be sick but actually enjoying the attention he’s getting from her!! 😫❤️💦

<- Previous: Chapter 26

Losing not one but two children she's known for years.

Losing that young boy she contracted with not because he went crazy for power but because he did everything out of love for an innocent girl who was abused to the point that she was almost beyond saving.

It's too hard knowing how hopeless Momo must've felt about this plan, how much she must've hated its outcome yet couldn't do anything to go against it because one, if she actually did have control over the book she guarded, she would've been too powerful. That's why limiters have been put in place to prevent her from breaking the rules lest she wrecked the world for the sake of her own bias. Otherwise, Akiho and Kaito never would've gone through all that suffering in the first place because Momo wouldn't have allowed it to happen.

And two, because in the end, she had no choice to but to agree with Kaito that they were always going to put Akiho's safety before anything else. Akiho didn't have anything to defend herself from that artifact planted inside her. So the only method they could grab that was within their reach was to switch Akiho out and have someone take her place, eventually losing Kaito.

Then, Akiho wakes up with a whole new history inserted into her head, absolutely no clue about what they both did to preserve her life and enjoying a superficial "happy ending".

Akiho doesn't remember the precious bunny who's been with her since she was just a baby. She doesn't even remember there used to be a person she loved very much, more than anything in the world.

It's no wonder why Momo is not shown by Akiho's side despite there being nothing to stop her from doing so. She likely chose to stay by Kaito, not just to protect him while he's probably in a coma but also because she can't bear to look at Akiho who is only half her true self.

This is not her Akiho. This is not the Akiho that Momo knows. The Akiho who despite all the unfair treatment she received, still found the strength to overcome her pain and keep her pure heart and compassion.

This Akiho is just her surface personality but her real substance is hidden somewhere until the spell of this "happy ending" wears off.

So Momo has to wait, has to wait for all the fail-safes they put in place to activate. The ones that can finally lead Akiho to remember her true past, her love and the only person who can ever make her feel that way.

But there was no telling when that might happen. By the looks of it, weeks have already passed since the Exchange was carried out. Maybe even one or two months by the time Record played this message Momo left in that room. So there's a possibility it could've taken even longer if they weren't so lucky that Sakura managed to talk with Lilie in a dream and sensed the remains of the leftover card shortly afterwards.

Still, this is the only time Momo is shown post-Exchange and it isn't even her real self. It's a recording of her and she still doesn't show up after its playback is done.

She is still patiently, loyally, waiting by Kaito''s side somewhere. She will not go to Akiho, she's waiting for Akiho to come to them. No matter how long it takes or how painful it is to wait for that day to come, Momo chose to believe in Akiho. That Akiho will eventually go to reclaim her true self.

Honestly, it goes without saying that this "happy ending" was never going to last either. The clues (including Kaito's pocket watch) that got left behind and the discrepancies (like the pain in Akiho's heart when she felt like there was something missing, that essentially being her muscle memory that wasn't affected by the rewrite) would have triggered its undoing.

It's been proven before that spells can be broken (Kaito's silencing spell, the two "Alice"s remembering who they really are in Clockland) so this is just another case of that.

Moreover, narratively, this "ending" is very incomplete and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Because even though everybody and their dog can attest with confidence that Akiho will never be mistreated in the Kinomoto household, the care she's receiving is based more on principle than anything. A principle that is based on the rewrite of their actual memories.

It's akin to showing warm hospitality to a guest and less like true familial love that runs deeper.

Akiho deserves that. Not this façade where she's constantly being viewed as part of a twin set with another person. She deserves to be acknowledged as her own separate individual.

After all she's been through, she should be with people who not only know and accept her entire past but truly comprehend from a similar place how hard it was for her to survive it. People who will know the right words to say specifically to her, who understand how hard it's always going to be for her to remember...but something she's never going to forget because those scars are a part of her. Her sorrow, loneliness, all those darker sides that also make her who she is today.

Nobody else but Kaito and Momo know that Akiho.

And that's why she can never be happy with just "being happy", just being safe with half herself.

No one can be complete by denying the less than perfect aspects of themselves.

You must embrace every part of you to know how whole you really are.

That said, I can understand why Kaito went as far as he did.

With what few ways there were available for him to make use in his situation, too.

It would've been enough to switch his watch for the artifact and then put Akiho in a non-magical family. It didn't have to be the Kinomoto family. He didn't have to alter everyone's memories to make them believe Akiho was born as Sakura's twin.

Another kind family would've been just a good as long as they could provide Akiho with a normal life.

But as spells can break under any circumstances, he wasn't willing to risk that chance of Akiho being in danger again, especially when he wasn't going to be there to protect her.

Should the rewrite become undone somehow, Akiho's clan and the Association will remember who it really was they planted the artifact in and come after Akiho to reclaim her. Possibly even retry the experiment again on her since they failed the first time because Kaito foiled their plans.

That's why he installed her in the Kinomoto house where there would be sufficient protection should that occur. Where there was at least one person (Sakura) who was capable and willing to defend Akiho no matter what.

Nothing about his plan was ever impulsive. Impulsive does not include forethought. Impulsive is acting on the spur of the moment, on reckless behavior or emotions that overtake logical thinking.

Everything he did, he did it meticulously so that there would be no weak spots where Akiho's safety was concerned.

Nobody else could've accomplished this task but him.

Taking Akiho under his protection to escape from a society that sees them as nothing more than tools. Needing to constantly fend off attacks from those magicians, always having guns aimed at his back while on the run. Having to hide all these terrible truths from Akiho for years so that she could grow up in comfort and security and learn to smile without worrying.

Throwing a giant net and luring a young and powerful yet dangerously untrained magician into his trap despite being outnumbered by her group, despite his health rapidly failing him the more he used time magic, and STILL managing to outsmart every single one of them and succeed in his goal.

All for the sake of saving Akiho who means more to him than anything, including his very own existence.

Nobody loves her more than he does so nobody would've been able to go as far as he did for her either. Nobody could've given their everything for her like he did.

This is based on a generalized assumption that Kaito is an adult. Is he generally assumed to be older than the main cast? Yes. But height alone is not definitive proof. Height in the CLAMP world is so inconsistent and ridiculous it should never be used as a basis for age.

Not to mention, nowhere in the manga or anime series does it mention that Kaito is an adult or over 18.

Does he buy food, make food, and clean on his own? Yes. But so does Syaoran in the original CCS manga when he was still a child. In this world it’s totally normal for children to live on their own in their own flat. And in Clear Card both manga and anime, he comes back to… once again, live on his own in his own flat.

Let’s also go back to the fact that Sakura’s brother and Yukito were both towers in the original anime and they were still in HIGH SCHOOL.

Another argument might be “well, Kaito doesn’t go to any school” —how do you know? Again, it doesn’t mention anywhere any of these details because they are all assumed.

We know Touya and Yukito now go to college (18+) because it was mentioned that they do. And they never changed height.

Both Kaito and Akiho are considered foreigners from England; Kaito could also very much be a self study student which would make SENSE given the magical clan they come from and how underground they are.