The rooftop door shut with a faint metallic click, sealing the three of them in the quiet glow of the moon. The night breeze tugged at Akira's hair as he studied the man who had intruded on their small refuge.
Inspector Goro Shinazaki looked almost spectral under the pale light. His narrow eyes gleamed with cold precision, his every movement measured. To most, his presence would have felt suffocating. But Akira simply leaned back against the railing, finishing the last sip of his beer as if none of this mattered.
Kikoru, however, bristled. She stepped forward, planting herself just between Akira and the inspector. "You've been sniffing around all day, and now you show up here? What's your deal, old man?"
Shinazaki chuckled softly. "Straight to the point, Shinomiya. I admire that. But I'm not here to antagonize you." His gaze shifted past her, settling on Akira. "I'm here for him."
Akira tilted his head. "Figures. Everyone else has had their turn. Why not you too?"
[Ravan: Threat level moderate. Interrogation intent confirmed. Probability of verbal traps: 76%.]
Akira's faint smirk deepened. "So, what's the trick? Another test? Another theory about what I might be?"
"Not quite." Shinazaki reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a wrapped rice ball. He unwrapped it slowly, taking a deliberate bite before continuing. "You're… curious. An anomaly. A boy who registers as human but performs as something else entirely. That contradiction—it unsettles people like Mina, like me. And unsettled people do dangerous things."
Kikoru's scowl sharpened. "So you're here to threaten him?"
"No," Shinazaki said mildly. "I'm here to give him a choice."
Akira set his empty can on the railing with a soft clink. His dark eyes didn't waver. "Choice, huh? That's rich. Everyone's been making choices for me lately. Funny how no one asks what I actually want."
Shinazaki's lips curved faintly. "Then I'll ask. What do you want, Kurogiri Akira? Power? Safety? Recognition?"
[Ravan: Caution. Question structured for entrapment. Recommend ambiguous response.]
Akira ignored the prompt. He looked past Shinazaki, out at the sea of city lights below. "I want freedom. To decide where I stand when the monsters come. Not to be a lab rat. Not to be shackled because I scare old men with clipboards."
The inspector studied him carefully, chewing the last of his rice ball before brushing the crumbs from his fingers. "Freedom is rarely free. You must understand that. If you stay with the Defense Force, you'll always be under their eyes. If you walk away, you'll be hunted. But…" His gaze sharpened, voice dipping low. "If you join with us—people who work outside the spotlight—you'll have more room. More leverage."
Kikoru stiffened. "Join you? What, you think you can poach him right under our noses?"
Her voice cracked with anger, but Shinazaki didn't flinch. He looked only at Akira. "I'm not poaching. I'm offering him survival. Whether he's human or not, he'll never be treated as one. Isn't that right, Kurogiri?"
Akira's silence stretched. The truth in those words lingered heavier than the night air.
[Ravan: Calculation complete. Inspector attempting recruitment. Probability of hidden conditions: 89%. Recommendation—decline without escalation.]
But Akira's lips quirked, playful despite the weight of the moment. "You talk like you already know how my story ends. I prefer to write it myself."
Shinazaki's gaze cooled. "You'll regret wasting the opportunity."
The rooftop door burst open again before tension could snap further. Hoshina stepped out, his hand resting casually on his sheathed blade, though his smile carried an edge sharper than steel.
"Old man," Hoshina drawled, "if you're done trying to sweet-talk my recruit, maybe it's time you return to your paperwork. Yokohama's got enough problems without you fishing where you don't belong."
Mina appeared behind him, her composure perfect but her eyes narrowed. "Inspector. This conversation is over."
Shinazaki let out a long sigh, turning away from Akira at last. "So young. So eager to stake claims. Fine. Keep him. But mark my words—this one will either save you… or destroy you."
He walked back through the door, leaving only the soft echo of his steps behind.
For a moment, silence reigned. Kikoru let out a sharp exhale she didn't realize she'd been holding. "What a creep. He acts like he knows everything."
Hoshina chuckled lightly, though his hand still hovered near his blade. "That's inspectors for you. Always poking around where they shouldn't. Don't let him get in your head, Akira."
Akira gave a slow nod, but his eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.
[Ravan: Observation—Inspector Shinazaki has not withdrawn fully. Surveillance probability: 64%.]
Akira smirked faintly. "Let him watch. It won't change anything."
Mina studied him in silence. There was something about the boy—calm in the face of scrutiny, steady even under pressure—that reminded her too much of someone else she used to know. Someone who had also chosen to shoulder more than his share.
"Get some rest," she ordered finally, her voice softer than usual. "Tomorrow will be heavier than today."
She and Hoshina left together, vanishing back into the stairwell.
Kikoru flopped onto the railing beside Akira, tearing open another bag of snacks with exaggerated vigor. "Well, that was dramatic. You planning to keep attracting every old man in the Defense Force until they form a club around you?"
Akira chuckled, leaning back against the night breeze. "Better me than Kafka."
Her eyes flicked toward him. "You still worried about him, huh?"
"Always."
Somewhere beyond the cityscape, Kafka and Reno were moving through shadows of their own—hiding, training, deciding their paths. Their bond hadn't fractured under suspicion; if anything, it had tightened.
And here, under the moonlight, Akira carried the same weight, even as Ravan hummed in his head.
[Ravan: Prognosis—conflict escalation imminent. Alliance choices required soon.]
Akira raised the empty can in a silent toast to the night. "Yeah," he murmured. "Soon."
The city below pulsed with danger, with secrets, with futures colliding. For now, the rooftop held its fragile quiet. But dawn would not be so merciful
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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