The teammate looked at Kawaki Aoba, the anger in his voice gradually fading and giving way to a trace of sympathy. He could not help saying, "Even if you were betrayed and hurt before, you can't condemn everyone because of it! There are still people in this world who genuinely care about you, and beliefs worth holding on to.
"Look at Shinku. He genuinely wants to help you, genuinely wants you to find yourself again. Can't you trust him just once?"
Kawaki Aoba's gaze swept over his teammate before returning to Shinku. Seeing the sincerity and concern in Shinku's eyes, a flicker of hesitation passed through his own. It was faint, but Shinku caught it and hurriedly said, "Kawaki Aoba, I know it's difficult for you to trust others, and I know you've endured a great deal of pain. But I promise you, I will not betray you. I'll keep helping you until you find yourself again.
"Just tell me where Sasori is. We'll find him together and have a proper talk with him. Maybe we can still wake him up and bring him back. All right?"
Kawaki Aoba remained silent for a long time. The secret chamber held only the sound of the three of them breathing, along with the occasional howl of wind and sand from outside. Under the dim lights, the shattered puppets looked especially eerie.
After a long while, Kawaki Aoba finally spoke slowly. His tone remained cold, but there was the slightest, almost imperceptible softening to it. "I can tell you where Sasori is, but I have one condition."
Shinku's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Name it. What condition? As long as it's something I can do, I'll agree! No matter how difficult it is, I won't back down!"
"After we find Sasori,