Aiko woke up to a room bathed in soft morning light. For a blissful, hazy second, she didn't know where she was. The sheets were softer than anything she'd ever slept on, and the bed was massive. Then, a purring orange cat nudged his head against her chin, and the memories of the last twenty-four hours came rushing back. The thugs. The shadow monster. The escape. Kaito.
This was her life now.
She got up and cautiously opened the bedroom door. The apartment was silent. In the main living area, the grey morning light poured in through the giant windows. Kaito was standing in front of one, a black silhouette against the sprawling city. He was already dressed in a fresh black shirt and pants, and he held a phone to his ear, listening. He hadn't been sleeping on the couch; he'd been watching over his city. Over her.
He must have sensed her, because he ended the call and turned. His face was as unreadable as ever. "Good morning, Tanaka-san."
"Morning," she replied, feeling awkward. "Is it… is it safe?"
"For now," he said. "This location is clean. No one in my organization knows it exists except for one person. And no one in the Kageyama clan could find it."
An uncomfortable silence filled the room, broken only by Mochi meowing for breakfast. Aiko saw it as an escape. "I should… I'll make some food."
The kitchen felt even stranger in the daylight. She opened the perfectly organized refrigerator, feeling like an intruder. She found eggs, milk, and bread. It was a simple, mundane task, and she clung to it. She needed something to do with her hands, something that made sense.
She opened a drawer to look for a spatula and froze.
Next to the wooden spoons and kitchen utensils was a gun. A sleek, black handgun, sitting on a felt cloth. It was a stark, brutal piece of reality in the middle of a domestic search. It didn't belong here, but it also defined the entire situation.
"It's a Sig Sauer," Kaito's voice said from behind her. He had moved without making a sound. "The safety is on."
Aiko swallowed hard and closed the drawer, her hands shaking slightly. "Do you… do you expect them to find us here?"
"I expect nothing," he said, his voice cold and precise. "I prepare for everything."
The moment was interrupted by a soft chime from the front door. Aiko jumped, her heart leaping into her throat. Kaito didn't even flinch. He walked to the door and glanced at a small screen on the wall next to it.
"It's clear," he said, and opened the door.
A man in a sharp suit stood in the hallway, his head bowed respectfully. He was older than Kaito, with short, greying hair and a grim face. He carried a silver briefcase and a few shopping bags.
"Ishikawa-sama," the man said. He did not look at Aiko.
"Kenji," Kaito replied with a nod. "Is it done?"
"It is done. Her apartment has been cleaned. All traces of the visit have been erased. We left a few things to make it look like she is away on a family emergency." Kenji held out the bags. "As requested. Clothes, a laptop, a secure phone, and supplies for the animal."
Kaito took the bags. "Good. Report back to me in the evening."
"Hai, sama." Kenji bowed again and was gone. The door closed, and the silence returned.
Kaito placed the bags on the counter. He pulled out a slim, new laptop and a simple black phone.
"The laptop has a secure connection," he said. "For work, or entertainment. So you do not go insane from boredom." He pushed the phone towards her. "This is for you. It has only one number in it. Mine. Keep it with you at all times."
Aiko looked at the gifts. A computer she was sure he could monitor. A phone that could only call her jailer. He was giving her tools to survive her confinement, but they were also just more bars on her golden cage.
She picked up the phone. It was light in her hand.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He just nodded, his attention already elsewhere, as if he were planning his next move in a war she was only just beginning to understand.