Love beyond words(Kuroxkotoka)
In/Spectre: A Love Beyond Worlds
Beneath the branches of an ancient sakura tree, where the boundary between the living and the spectral blurred, Kotoko Iwanaga sat quietly, her cane resting beside her. The soft pink petals drifted down like whispers from the past, settling in her lap. The wind carried the scent of spring, but there was something else in the air—a presence, unseen but familiar.
Kurou Sakuragawa approached, hands in his pockets, his dark eyes reflecting the faint glow of the moon. “You called?” he asked, his voice calm as always.
Kotoko smirked. “Of course. I always have a reason.”
Kurou sighed but sat beside her anyway. This had become their routine—their meetings, their strange partnership, the way she wove herself into his life with an effortless stubbornness. She was the Goddess of Wisdom for the yokai, after all, and he was the man cursed with abilities that defied fate itself. Together, they had faced monsters, both supernatural and human.
But tonight was different.
Kotoko stared at the stars, her golden eye reflecting their light. “Kurou, do you ever think about the future?”
He glanced at her, silent for a moment before replying, “I don’t have the luxury of thinking too far ahead.”
“Because of your powers?”
“Because of what I am.”
She reached for his hand—small fingers intertwining with his. “And what if I told you that didn’t matter to me?”
Kurou didn’t pull away. Instead, he studied her, the mischievous yet determined woman who had declared her love for him long ago and had never wavered since. She had fought for him, suffered for him, and still, here she was, holding his hand as if he were something precious.
“You never give up, do you?” he murmured.
Kotoko leaned closer, her warmth pressing against his arm. “Not when it comes to you.”
A ghostly whisper passed through the trees, the spirits watching, listening. Even the yokai who once doubted her devotion now murmured in approval.
Kurou exhaled, looking away. “If you stay with me, you’ll always be caught between worlds.”
Kotoko grinned. “I already am. And I choose this world—the one with you in it.”
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions. Then, slowly, Kurou lifted his hand, brushing a stray petal from her cheek. His touch lingered, and for once, his expression softened.
“You’re reckless,” he murmured, his voice quieter now.
“Only when it comes to love,” Kotoko whispered back.
And then, without hesitation, she leaned in, pressing her lips softly against his.
For a moment, there was nothing but the soft rustle of leaves, the unseen hands of spirits brushing against the fabric of reality. Kotoko felt the warmth of his breath, the slight hesitation before he responded—before his fingers curled gently against the small of her back, pulling her closer.
When they finally parted, Kotoko’s cheeks were flushed, but she refused to look away. “See? Not so scary, is it?”
Kurou chuckled softly, brushing his thumb over her hand. “Maybe not.”
A slow smile spread across Kotoko’s lips as she placed a hand against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “Kurou, I love you,” she said, her voice unwavering. “And I’m not afraid of what you are. I never was.”
Kurou’s fingers gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “I know,” he murmured. “That’s what scares me the most.”
She laughed softly. “Then you’ll just have to get used to it.”
He sighed, but there was no resistance in his touch as he cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin with surprising tenderness. “I guess I will.”
And this time, it was Kurou who leaned in, kissing her with more certainty. The spirits stirred around them, the sakura petals swirling in the air like a quiet blessing.
Kotoko melted into him, her heart pounding against his as she clung to his jacket. The kiss was slow, lingering, as if they were sealing something unbreakable between them.
When they finally pulled apart, Kotoko let out a breathless giggle. “Well, that’s one way to accept your fate.”
Kurou shook his head, his lips barely hiding a small smirk. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you love me for it.”
Kurou sighed, but the way his arms tightened around her told her everything she needed to know. “Yeah. I do.”
The wind carried his words away into the night, but Kotoko would never forget them. Because in a world of gods, ghosts, and monsters, love was the one thing that even fate couldn’t predict.
And as the moon bathed them in its gentle glow, Kotoko whispered, “Then let me love you, Kurou. In this life, and in every one after.”
Kurou looked at her—really looked at her, as if seeing something inevitable yet beautiful at the same time. Then, with the faintest smile, he rested his forehead against hers.
“I don’t think I could stop you even if I tried.”
Kotoko grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Good. Then I’ll just have to make sure you never want to.”
Kurou sighed, defeated, but there was no mistaking the warmth in his expression. He let his forehead rest against hers a little longer, his fingers tracing gentle circles against her back. “You already have.”
They stayed like that, wrapped in each other’s presence, as the night stretched on. The spirits of the forest, the gods who watched over them, all bore witness to a love that defied reason, fear, and even fate itself.
Because Kotoko Iwanaga had chosen Kurou Sakuragawa a long time ago. And no matter how many times fate tried to break them apart, she would always choose him. Again and again.
The night deepened, the sakura petals swirling in the air like whispers of forgotten spirits. Kotoko remained in Kurou’s arms, her heart steady against his chest, savoring the rare moment of quiet between them. But the world they lived in never allowed peace for long.
A chill drifted through the air, and Kotoko felt the unmistakable shift—a presence lurking at the edge of their reality. She pulled back slightly, her golden eye glimmering in the darkness. “Kurou,” she murmured, tilting her head toward the shadows.
He sighed, already sensing what was coming. “We’re being watched, aren’t we?”
A deep, gravelly chuckle echoed from the trees. A figure emerged, draped in the remnants of twilight, its form shifting between human and something far older. “So the Goddess of Wisdom and her monstrous knight share a tender moment beneath the cherry blossoms,” the voice mused. “How poetic.”
Kotoko straightened but didn’t let go of Kurou’s hand. “If you’re here to spoil the mood, I suggest you reconsider. I’ve been waiting too long for this moment to let some nameless specter ruin it.”
Kurou cast a sidelong glance at her. “You make it sound like we were having a grand romantic confession.”
Kotoko grinned. “Weren’t we?”
The figure let out a slow hum, stepping closer. Its face flickered between a skeletal grin and the mask of an ancient nobleman. “I come with a warning, not threats,” it said. “There are whispers among the yokai—of forces moving against you both.”
Kotoko’s fingers tightened around Kurou’s. “Let me guess: a vengeful spirit? A restless god? Perhaps an old foe who didn’t take their defeat well?”
The entity tilted its head. “Something worse.”
Kurou’s expression darkened. “Go on.”
The specter circled them like a wraith caught between worlds. “There are those who do not believe in your union, Goddess. The balance you claim to maintain—it is being questioned. Some say a being like him should not exist. That a monster should not love nor be loved.”
A silence stretched between them. The words hung in the air, poisonous and cruel.
Kotoko, however, merely scoffed. “Is that all? I expected something more original.”
Kurou arched a brow. “This doesn’t bother you?”
“Not in the slightest.” She turned toward him, her expression unwavering. “I chose you, Kurou. I will choose you every time, no matter what the gods, the yokai, or the entire world has to say about it.”
Kurou studied her for a long moment before releasing a quiet chuckle. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you love me for it.”
The specter watched them, its form flickering like a dying flame. “Your defiance will have consequences, Goddess. Are you prepared for them?”
Kotoko’s smile didn’t falter. “I was prepared the moment I fell in love with him.”
The air grew still. Then, with a final lingering gaze, the specter dissipated into the night, its warning left behind like an unspoken curse.
Kurou let out a slow breath. “You really aren’t afraid of anything, are you?”
Kotoko turned to him, her golden eye glinting. “Not when I have you.”
Kurou shook his head but couldn’t hide the warmth in his gaze as he pulled her back into his arms. “Then I guess we’ll face whatever comes next—together.”
Kotoko rested her head against his chest, her smile softening. “Together.”
And beneath the watchful eyes of spirits and gods alike, their love remained unshaken, unyielding—eternal.
The moon hung high, bathing the world in silver light. Kurou and Kotoko lingered beneath the sakura tree, their hands still entwined. The specter’s warning should have left an ominous weight in the air, but instead, Kotoko found herself feeling lighter.
Perhaps it was because, for once, Kurou didn’t pull away.
He remained close, his warmth grounding her in a way that even her status as the Goddess of Wisdom never could. She shifted slightly, tilting her head up to look at him. His dark eyes were unreadable, but the way his fingers brushed absently against hers told her all she needed to know.
“You’re thinking too much,” Kotoko murmured.
Kurou let out a quiet chuckle. “And whose fault is that?”
She grinned, squeezing his hand. “If I make you think, then I consider that a victory.”
A breeze swept through the trees, rustling the petals above them. Kotoko watched as a few strands of Kurou’s dark hair were tousled by the wind. He looked almost peaceful—until his gaze flickered downward, locking onto hers.
“Are you really not worried?” he asked softly.
Kotoko tilted her head. “About what? That some bitter old spirits don’t like the idea of me loving you? That gods and yokai whisper behind my back?” She smirked, shaking her head. “They can do all the whispering they like. It won’t change a thing.”
Kurou studied her for a long moment before sighing. “You’re too stubborn for your own good.”
“And yet,” Kotoko leaned in, brushing her fingers against the fabric of his sleeve, “you love me for it.”
Kurou’s lips parted slightly, but he said nothing. His silence, however, was more telling than words.
Kotoko’s heart skipped a beat.
She had always loved him. That much had never changed. But Kurou… for all his calm, for all his unreadable expressions and reluctant sighs—he had always been careful. Always hesitated.
But not tonight.
Tonight, he didn’t pull away.
Instead, he lifted a hand, his fingers grazing the side of her face, slow and deliberate. Kotoko stilled, breath catching as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“You say that so easily,” Kurou murmured. “Like it’s the simplest thing in the world.”
Kotoko swallowed. “Because it is.”
Kurou exhaled, his thumb grazing her cheek. “You really don’t know when to stop, do you?”
Kotoko smiled, leaning into his touch. “Not when it comes to you.”
A beat of silence passed. Then, without another word, Kurou closed the space between them.
His lips met hers, and the world faded.
Kotoko had imagined kissing Kurou a thousand times—dreamed of it, longed for it—but nothing could have prepared her for the way it felt. The way he held her, steady and sure, his touch warm against her skin. The way he kissed her—not with hesitation, but with certainty.
As if, after everything, he had finally decided.
Kotoko sighed against his lips, her fingers clutching the fabric of his jacket. Kurou’s other hand rested gently against her waist, holding her close but not trapping her. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her fingertips, steady and strong, and for the first time in a long while, she felt invincible.
When they finally pulled apart, Kotoko’s face was flushed, her lips tingling from the contact. Kurou remained close, his forehead resting lightly against hers.
Kotoko grinned, breathless. “I was right.”
Kurou blinked. “About what?”
“That you wouldn’t stop me.”
Kurou chuckled softly. “No… I don’t think I could.”
She giggled, burying her face against his chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her tighter.
The spirits that had once watched in silent judgment now whispered among themselves. The air, once thick with tension, had softened, as if even the gods had resigned themselves to the inevitable truth:
Kotoko Iwanaga loved Kurou Sakuragawa.
And now, at last, he loved her too.