The night passed almost in an instant.
Kai slept curled up in a fetal position.
He often slept like that when he felt sad or insecure, as if, somehow, it helped calm his anxieties and fears.
His breathing was calm and, in a way, "peaceful."
The atmosphere around him was completely silent.
You couldn't even hear a fly buzzing.
"Hina..." Kai murmured in his sleep, as he unconsciously reached out for her hands.
Maybe he was dreaming.
And then, suddenly, the ticking sound of an alarm clock startled him awake.
"DAMN IT!" he shouted, sitting up abruptly and placing a hand on his chest, trying to calm his rapid breathing.
"Where the hell did this alarm come from?!" he added, pressing the button to turn it off.
Afterward, he sighed and, after a few moments, got out of bed.
He glanced around the room before heading to the bathroom.
He opened the door and finally saw what it looked like.
Just a normal bathroom—like one you'd find in a simple hotel.
Not too big, not too small—just enough space to do what needed to be done.
Kai looked at himself in the mirror and began touching his face, inspecting his features.
The bathroom's white light highlighted the dark circles under his eyes and the tired look on his face.
It felt like he was staring at someone else entirely.
"Well, you're not looking so great, my friend..." Kai muttered with a sigh, before undressing and stepping into the shower.
After turning on the water, he waited a few seconds before stepping in.
For some reason, his mind was in a full state of anxiety, and he tried not to overthink it.
Kai tilted his head back as the hot water poured over him, starting from his head.
The pleasant sensation felt like it was washing away some of the bad memories.
He stayed there for a while, thinking about everything—the situation, the revelation, and everything that had happened the night before.
"Should I really stay angry in all of this?" he asked himself.
And he stood there, imagining too many things all at once.
After about 20 minutes, he stepped out and started drying his hair.
That's when he noticed he didn't have a change of clothes.
He sighed.
"I really don't want to wear those filthy clothes again... Who am I even supposed to call right now?" he muttered, scratching his chin, until he noticed a small note on the desk.
"Where did this come from...? It wasn't here last night," he said suspiciously.
Someone had entered his room during the night, it seemed.
Kai, curious, picked it up.
"It's all in the wardrobe. Uniform and underwear.When you're ready, come down to the main vault. I'm waiting.-Hiromi."
That explained everything.
She had entered his room.
And Kai hadn't noticed a single thing.
And in that moment, he realized just how far he still was from being truly useful to someone.
Hiromi had sneaked into his room during the night and he didn't notice anything.
It could've been anyone, also a killer.
Kai perfectly knew that he would've been dead 3000 times if it wasn't for Hina's help.
With a sigh, he opened the closet.
Inside, neatly folded, was a dark military-style uniform — clean, tight-lined, almost intimidating in its precision.
The fabric felt heavy, durable, not unlike combat gear.
It wasn't flashy, but it definitely screamed "Rei's army."
He stared at it for a moment.
No hesitation.
He took it, got dressed, and fixed the sleeves and collar in the mirror.
When he looked at himself, something felt… different.
The Kai in the reflection didn't look like a high schooler anymore.
He looked like someone being shaped into something else.
He didn't like it.
But he understood it.
Once he was ready, he left the room and followed the narrow corridor that twisted deep underground.
The air grew cooler as he descended, lights flickering at regular intervals.
Every few meters, a silent camera blinked at him.
Finally, he reached the entrance to the meander — A massive underground training hall.
Only… it was empty.
Kai looked around, confused. No footsteps, no voices. Then he noticed the time glowing on a nearby monitor: 05:14 AM.
"...Great," he muttered. "Too early."
And just as he was about to sit down and wait, he heard light footsteps behind him.
Turning his head slightly, he barely had time to react before arms wrapped tightly around him.
A soft body pressed into his, and the familiar scent of mint and metal filled his nose.
"Good morning, Kai-kun!" Hiromi Tanaka beamed, hugging him like they were old friends.
Kai, still stiff, didn't move.
He didn't hug back.
He didn't say anything.
His body language made it clear — he didn't know how to respond to affection anymore.
Hiromi blinked, then giggled nervously, stepping back. "Okay, no hugs yet. Got it."
Kai looked at her, still confused. "Why am I here? Why did you call for me?"
She smiled. "Because you're hungry. Let's fix that first."
Before he could protest, she motioned for him to follow her to a small table tucked away in the corner of the hall, already prepped with a couple of trays.
Bread, eggs, some warm rice. Even tea.
Simple but warm.
Kai sat without a word. Hiromi sat across from him, pouring tea with practiced grace.
He stared at his food for a second. Then asked, flatly,
"Why did you come into my room during the night?"
Hiromi didn't flinch.
She poured his cup and then hers, smiling calmly. "To leave you a note."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "And the real reason?"
Her grin widened slightly — mischievous. "To see you up close. I was curious."
Kai didn't bite. He just stared.
That made her drop the teasing tone.
"Alright," she said, this time more seriously. "I came to talk. You've got fire in you. You took down one of Rei's best soldiers with raw instinct. That's not something I ignore, as I told you."
Kai's brow furrowed. "So what do you want?"
Hiromi leaned back. "To train you."
He blinked. "Train me?"
She nodded. "You said it yourself. You feel lost, broken, like everything's spiraling out of control. I see that. I know that. Oh come on, we already talked about that! You seem to forget things easily!" Hiromi giggled.
Then, she pointed at him, tapping her chest. "I've been there."
Kai exhaled slowly. "You don't know anything about me."
He had forgot about the training.
"I know enough," she replied calmly. "You're hurting. And the only way out of that pain is to make yourself strong enough to never feel helpless again."
Hiromi repeated the same words she already said to him, probably because Kai didn't give enough attention to her.
Silence fell again.
Kai looked down at his plate.
"I don't want to become like Rei," he muttered.
Hiromi's smile softened. "You won't. You're kind. Just like my old brother."
She stood, walked over, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Become someone better. But become someone. Don't stay frozen, Kai. I know how hard is to feel useless when the others are the one who keeps protecting you." Hiromi said, with an almost maternal voice.
Kai felt a shiver down his spine.
She was totally right.
Then she added, "The training starts today. Right after breakfast."
Kai blinked, surprised. "You're serious?"
Hiromi smirked. "Dead serious."