Alice in Borderland 3 - English Version

Episode 8

"I shouldn't feel this way." Izumi said. "I shouldn't feel these things..."

I took a step towards her without even realizing it.

"For the records, neither should I." I looked into her eyes.

"No, you don't understand..." Izumi sighed. "I couldn't, it wasn't planned..."She then turned around and put her hands on her face, as if to hide.

I swung around around her so I was facing her again and gently pulled her hands away from her face.

Having her hands in mine, even if only for a few seconds, made my heart beat faster and again, I felt that rush of electricity.

"You know, I don't think it's something you can plan." I half laughed and saw her smile.

"Well...no. But it wasn't supposed to happen. This messes everything up." Izumi put a hand over her mouth, as if she'd said something she shouldn't have said.

"Everything what?"

"Nothing, forget it." Izumi started to walk again but I stopped her.

"Izumi..." I looked into her eyes again. "What are you not telling me?"

She didn't answer and sighed.

"I know you are hiding something from me, actually from us."

"Chishiya..." Izumi looked conflicted. "I told you even when we met...not saying something doesn't always mean hiding it."

And here's that enigmatic phrase again.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That I can't tell you." Izumi looked at me sadly. "But I can promise you this: soon everything will make sense. For you, but also for me."

"Huh? When you talk like that I really don't get you." I half laughed.

"I'm sorry."

Her sad look made my heart ache. I terribly wanted to take her hand, but at the same time I was paralyzed.

The moonlight illuminated her face and gave her black hair an odd tinge. Who knows what they were like when she had it loose; for as long as I'd known her, she'd always worn it gathered in a pony tail.

We looked at each other, enchanted, and that sparkle I'd seen last evening, when we were on the terrace, came back to life in her eyes.

"Do you trust me?" She asked me, breaking the spell.

"Um...you just told me you're not telling me something..." I reminded her, giving her a half smile.

"Yes, I know." She smiled too. "But, despite this, do you think you can manage to trust me?"And in that moment, the rational part of me suddenly resurfaced. I had feelings for her, but I still couldn't trust her completely.

Noticing my silence Izumi added, "Okay, I get it."

She was about to walk again, but I took her wrist.

"I'd like to, but I still can't." I told her.

"It's okay, don't worry." She smiled at me. "Shall we go back to the apartment?"

"Okay."

We walked and again silence enveloped us.

Without realizing it, I'd approached her and our hands touched.

"Sorry." We said in chorus, then we laughed.

A special understanding had formed between us, but we both knew it wasn't the time to investigate further, so we limited ourselves to exchanging meaningful glances and smiles.