The fluorescent lights of the SmileMart 24/7 hummed a flat, lonely tune. Outside, Tokyo slept under a blanket of rain and neon. Inside, Aiko Tanaka was in her kingdom. A tiny, brightly-lit empire of order where every rice ball was perfectly aligned, every soda can faced forward. The night shift was her sanctuary, a predictable rhythm of stocking shelves and wiping counters, a shield against the messy chaos of the world.
She felt safe here. That was her first mistake.
The cheerful chime of the door sensor cut through the quiet. Two men slid inside, bringing the damp chill of the street with them. They didn't look like late-night snack seekers. They wore cheap tracksuits, their eyes sharp and predatory, scanning the empty store before landing on her. Aiko's heart gave a single, hard thump against her ribs.
"Well, well," the taller one said, flashing a grin that didn't reach his eyes. He leaned against the magazine rack, blocking the aisle. "Look what we found. Little mouse all alone."
"This store sits on Kageyama turf now," the shorter one added, taking a step closer to the counter. He smelled like stale cigarettes and menace. "And everything on our turf belongs to us. Including the employees."
Aiko froze. Kageyama. She'd heard whispers, seen the nervous glances from other shopkeepers. A Yakuza clan known for being aggressive, expanding their territory. She tried to reach for the silent alarm button under the counter, but the taller one moved faster, slamming his hand down just inches from hers.
"Ah-ah," he tutted. "We wouldn't want to bother the police, would we? We just came to... collect our dues." He grabbed her wrist, his grip like steel.
Panic, cold and sharp, clawed its way up Aiko's throat. This wasn't a robbery. They were here for her.
Suddenly, the lights flickered. Once. Twice. Then went out completely, plunging the store into absolute darkness, save for the weak emergency light above the exit. Both thugs swore, startled. The grip on Aiko's wrist loosened slightly.
And then, he was there.
He hadn't entered through the door. He was simply in the store, standing near the darkened refrigerators, a silhouette against the faint streetlights outside. He was tall, dressed in a suit so black it seemed to drink the shadows, and he moved with a silence that was utterly unnatural.
"This store," a low, cold voice said, cutting through the darkness, "and everything in it, belongs to the Ishikawa-gumi. You are trespassing."
The Kageyama thugs stiffened, recognizing the name. Fear replaced their arrogance. "Ishikawa-sama," the taller one stammered, dropping Aiko's wrist. "We didn't know... We were just..."
"Leaving," the voice finished for him. It wasn't a suggestion. It was a command laced with something ancient and terrifying.
The shorter thug, perhaps emboldened by the darkness, reached inside his jacket. "We ain't scared of no Ishikawa ghost—"
He didn't finish the sentence. The dark figure moved. It wasn't human speed. It was a blur, a whisper of displaced air. Aiko heard a soft thud, then a wet gasp. The emergency light flickered back on just enough for her to see the shorter thug slumped against the instant noodle display, eyes wide with shock, unmoving. The taller one stared, paralyzed by terror.
The figure in the suit stepped fully into the weak light. Kaito Ishikawa. Impossibly handsome, perfectly composed, not a hair out of place. But his eyes... they weren't entirely human. They held a faint, cold, predatory glow. And the shadow he cast seemed just a little too long, a little too dark.
"You have five seconds," Kaito said calmly to the remaining thug, "to carry your friend out of my territory and disappear. Or you will join him on the floor."
The man didn't need five seconds. He grabbed his unconscious partner and practically dragged him out the door, vanishing into the rainy night.
Silence descended once more, broken only by Aiko's ragged breathing. She stared at Kaito Ishikawa, the man who had appeared from nowhere, moved like a demon, and dispatched trained thugs without breaking a sweat. She was terrified.
He turned his cold, glowing gaze on her. He walked slowly towards the counter, his expensive shoes making no sound. He stopped directly in front of her.
"You saw that," he stated. It wasn't a question.
Aiko could only nod, unable to speak.
"The Kageyama have marked this store. They have marked you," he continued, his voice devoid of emotion. "You are now a liability. A loose end in my war." He leaned closer, invading her space, his scent clean and cold like night air. "Your normal life ended the moment they walked through that door. You can never go back. You are no longer safe."
His hand came up, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was possessive, final.
"But do not worry, little mouse," Kaito Ishikawa murmured, his glowing eyes pinning her in place. "From now on, you belong to me. And I always protect what is mine."