Night was falling, and inside an old abandoned warehouse lit only by a few lamps, one of the thugs from the tavern was slammed violently against the floor. He was gasping for breath, his face twisted in pain.
In front of him stood a boy with white hair and dark green eyes, staring down at him with contempt. He wore a black jacket and trousers, his hands covered by matching gloves.
"P-please, Shirogane…!"
The boy didn't answer right away. He walked closer, his gaze icy.
"I told you to go and bring her to me," he said in a calm but menacing voice. "And what did you do? You let yourselves get beaten up by some brat?"
One of the other men, still lying on the ground, tried to defend himself.
"That guy was a monster! And besides… we didn't know that girl was the one we were looking for!"
"And yet I described her to you—clearly!"
Shirogane's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man, then he gave a slow nod.
"But you're right about one thing."
A cold smile spread across his face. For an instant, the thug seemed relieved. But before he could say another word, Shirogane's hand moved with terrifying speed—piercing straight through his chest.
Blood spilled onto the floor. The man trembled for a few seconds before his body collapsed lifelessly. The other two froze in terror.
Shirogane turned toward them, his expression unchanging.
"If you don't want to end up like him, go back to the tavern," his voice was like ice. "Tell Yume that Shirogane wants to see her—and bring me that boy too."
His eyes dropped briefly to the corpse.
"And this time… don't draw attention."
The next morning, at the tavern.
Sunlight streamed through the window. Kaito's bed was empty.
Yume walked up the stairs carrying a tray and knocked softly on the door.
"May I come in?"
No reply. She slowly pushed the door open—and froze.
Kaito was in the middle of the room, doing push-ups.
For a moment Yume just stood there, her eyes wide.
"E-eh! Sorry, sorry!" She spun around quickly, her cheeks flushed red.
Kaito stopped his training and calmly put his shirt back on.
"Don't worry. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."
"N-no, it's fine! I just brought you breakfast… I hope you like it!"
She set the tray down on the nightstand, carefully avoiding his gaze. Kaito sat on the bed and grabbed a slice of bread.
"Thanks. Anyway… how are you feeling after what happened yesterday?"
"I'm fine. People like them don't scare me," she answered with a smile that looked a little forced.
Kaito studied her quietly as he took a bite of bread. She doesn't seem that calm to me… he thought.
The girl left the room soon after.
Kaito finished his breakfast and headed downstairs.
The tavern was as lively as the day before. Behind the counter stood the old man from yesterday—Hauromi—staring worriedly at his phone.
"You alright?" Kaito asked, walking over.
The man looked up, visibly troubled.
"Oh, Kaito… it's nothing serious. Just a problem with the supplier—his truck broke down and I'm running out of stock," he explained.
"My hands are tied," he added with a faint laugh, as if trying to find humor in the situation.
Kaito frowned slightly. "I can go for you, if you show me the way."
The old man blinked, clearly surprised by his offer.
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"It's no trouble," Kaito replied simply.
The man smiled at his answer.
"Yume, could you go with him?" he asked the girl, who was wiping down a table nearby.
"Me? Of course, no problem." She folded the cloth she was using.
"Thank you. Just show him the way and tell him what to buy. I'll take care of the customers in the meantime," Hauromi said, picking up some glasses.
"Got it," Yume nodded, then turned to Kaito. "Shall we?"
The two left the tavern and turned right. The sandy road was quiet, wooden houses lining both sides.
"You sure you're okay? You still look a little pale," Yume said while walking.
"Yeah, don't worry," Kaito lowered his gaze.
He didn't push the matter further. Instead, his eyes wandered—watching a group of children playing ball, while mothers stood on balconies keeping an eye on them.
"You travel a lot, don't you?" Yume asked suddenly, eyes fixed ahead.
"Yeah, quite a bit," he replied vaguely.
"Can I ask why?" she said hesitantly.
Kaito stopped in his tracks and turned toward her.
"I have my reasons." His voice and eyes burned with anger and hatred for a brief moment—then just as quickly, they softened back to normal.
They continued walking side by side in silence.
But Kaito grew more suspicious. The neat houses had faded into decaying buildings. The stench of mold and rotting wood—leftover from the recent rain—grew stronger.
Yume had quickened her pace slightly, avoiding his eyes, saying nothing.
Kaito followed for a few more minutes before halting abruptly.
"Why did you bring me here?" he asked, his voice serious, scanning the isolated area.
Yume's expression changed instantly.
Behind them loomed a warehouse. On its rooftop, a figure with white hair sat watching them.