A key turned inside one of the lockers.
The metal door opened with a faint creak, blocking most of the person standing in front of it. A hand reached inside and pulled out a neatly folded black T-shirt, a pair of trousers, and work shoes.
The clothes were taken out, and the locker door was pushed shut again with a dull metallic clang.
At the same moment, the locker beside it opened.
Haruno stepped out while adjusting the sleeve of his uniform. He casually glanced to the side—
Then stopped.
His hand froze halfway through fixing the cuff.
His eyes widened in surprise.
"Kaito…?"
He stared for a second longer, as if making sure he wasn't mistaken.
"Kaito, where have you been?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "No calls, no texts… you just disappeared without a word."
Kaito slipped the locker key into his pocket and answered calmly.
"Nothing serious. One of my relatives passed away," he said. "And when I was coming back from my last shift, my phone got stolen."
Haruno blinked, clearly not expecting that.
"Man… that's really bad luck," he said with a small sympathetic smile. "Well, at least you can get a new phone."
For a moment the conversation seemed finished.
But Haruno's eyes didn't move away.
They stayed on Kaito's face.
He tilted his head slightly, studying him more carefully.
"…Hold on."
Kaito frowned. "What?"
Haruno squinted, as if trying to figure something out.
"There's something different about your face," he said slowly. "I can't really explain it…"
His gaze moved across Kaito's jawline and eyes again.
"…Hmm."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"I don't know why," he murmured, "but you look a little more mature than before."
Kaito looked slightly awkward hearing that.
"Nah," he said, brushing it off. "You're just daydreaming."
He gave a small shrug and started walking away.
But even as Kaito turned toward the stairs, Haruno was still standing there, staring at him with a puzzled look.
Like he still couldn't figure out what had changed.
Kaito walked down the metal staircase slowly.
Each step echoed softly in the quiet building.
Haruno's words kept repeating in his mind.
Your appearance looks a little more mature…
Kaito frowned slightly.
What was he even talking about…?
His fingers brushed lightly across his cheek as he walked.
Did my face structure actually change…?
The thought lingered for a moment.
Could it be because of Calistain…?
He hadn't looked properly at his reflection in days.
With a small sigh, he pushed the thought aside and reached the bottom of the stairs.
He pushed the glass door open.
Inside the brightly lit showroom, racks of clothes stood neatly arranged under white ceiling lights. The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the room.
Behind the counter, someone suddenly froze.
"Kaito…?"
Ayame's voice came out sharp with disbelief.
She had been arranging folded shirts, but her hands stopped mid-movement.
Her eyes widened.
"Kaito… is that you?"
For a second she just stared at him.
Then the relief hit her.
And right behind it—
Anger.
She walked straight toward him, quick steps closing the distance between them.
"Where have you been?" she asked in furious.
Her voice trembled slightly, but it wasn't weakness.
It was frustration.
"No calls. No messages. Nothing!"
She stopped right in front of him now.
"I even went to your apartment," she continued, her brows tightening. "The door was unlocked, and the whole place looked like a complete mess ."
Her hands clenched at her sides.
"Do you know how worried I was?" she said, her voice rising. "I thought someone kidnapped you!"
She exhaled sharply, almost like she had been holding it in for days.
"I was so furious I even filed a missing report!"
Kaito's eyes widened instantly.
"You did what?"
The words burst out of him.
For a moment he just stood there, staring at her in shock.
Processing everything she had just said.
Ayame looked back at him, breathing slightly faster now, still clearly upset.
Then something in Kaito's expression softened.
His shoulders relaxed.
A faint smile appeared.
"I understand," he said quietly. "I really do."
Before Ayame could react, he gently placed his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
"Thanks for worrying about me."
Ayame froze.
Completely.
The anger that had filled her face a moment ago disappeared in an instant.
Her eyes widened slightly again—but this time for a different reason.
A faint warmth rushed to her cheeks.
"..... idiot," she muttered under her breath, quickly looking away.
But she didn't step back.
Not immediately.
For a brief second longer, she just stood there—face slightly red, trying very hard to look annoyed again.
Even though the relief in her eyes hadn't disappeared yet.
You want this part to feel like a smooth time-skip transition, not a full scene. So it should be short, flowing, and cinematic. Here's a polished version:
The clock on the showroom wall ticked steadily as the day moved on.
Customers came and went through the glass doors—some browsing through racks of clothes, others leaving with shopping bags in hand. The store remained busy for most of the evening.
Kaito, Ayame, and Haruno worked as usual behind the counters and along the aisles, helping customers find sizes, answering questions, and handling payments.
Hours passed.
By eleven o'clock, the crowd had finally begun to thin. The once-busy showroom slowly grew quieter as the last few customers finished their shopping and stepped out into the night.
At eleven-thirty, the store officially closed.
The lights over the display racks dimmed one by one as the shutters came down.
After changing back into their normal clothes, the three of them left the showroom together .
The streets were quiet when they stepped out.
Most of the shops had already pulled down their shutters. Only a few streetlights remained on, casting long yellow pools of light across the empty road. Cars passed occasionally, their headlights sliding briefly across the pavement before disappearing again.
Kaito walked between Ayame and Haruno, his shoulders slightly slumped from the long shift.
After a few steps, he let out a deep breath.
"Man… that was exhausting."
Haruno chuckled lightly.
"You think that was bad?" he said, stretching his arms behind his head as they walked. "Ayame and I handled the second floor alone for the last five days."
He glanced sideways at Kaito with a teasing grin.
"That was way worse than today."
Kaito scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yeah… about that," he said quietly. "Sorry. I should've at least told you guys what happened."
Haruno shrugged.
"Relax. You're here now, that's what matters."
Beside them, Ayame had been unusually quiet.
Her eyes stayed on the road ahead, but her mind clearly wasn't there. She seemed to be thinking about something, hesitating.
After a few more steps, she suddenly spoke.
"…Hey."
Both of them glanced at her.
"Maybe we should get dinner together," she said, trying to sound casual. "I mean… the three of us have never actually done that before."
Haruno lifted his wrist and checked the time.
He sighed slightly.
"I'd like to," he said, sounding a little apologetic. "But most places are probably closed already."
He pointed toward the end of the street.
"And I need to catch that bus."
Ayame waved her hand quickly.
"No, no—it's fine," she said. "I was just suggesting."
At that moment, Haruno noticed the bus at the stop turning on its engine, ready to leave.
"Oh—there it is."
He stepped back slightly.
"Alright, see you guys tomorrow."
Then he jogged toward the bus stop.
Kaito raised a hand.
"See ya."
Ayame waved lightly.
"Bye."
They watched Haruno board the bus before it slowly pulled away.
For a moment, the street became quiet again.
Only the hum of distant traffic and the soft buzz of the streetlights remained.
Ayame glanced sideways at Kaito.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"…Hey," she said softly.
Kaito looked at her.
"You want to grab dinner somewhere?"
Her voice sounded slightly uncertain now, like she wasn't completely sure how he would respond.
But Kaito didn't notice.
He simply shook his head.
"Maybe some other time," he said. "I still have a bunch of assignments to finish tonight."
Ayame nodded quickly.
"Oh… yeah. That makes sense."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to act normal.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it."
They reached the corner where their paths split.
Ayame stopped there.
"Alright then," she said with a small smile. "See you tomorrow."
Kaito nodded.
"Yeah. See you."
They went their separate ways, their footsteps fading into the quiet night.
Ayame walked along a narrow side street.
There were no proper streetlights here—only faint light leaking out from a few apartment windows. Most of the small two- and three-story buildings stood dark and quiet, their balconies casting crooked shadows onto the pavement.
Somewhere in the distance, a stray dog barked loudly.
Then another answered from farther down the street.
The sound echoed through the empty road.
For most people, walking here this late would feel unsettling.
But Ayame didn't seem bothered.
Her steps were calm and unhurried as she walked past the silent buildings. Her mind was too occupied to notice the lonely street.
She was thinking about something.
About someone.
Her brows slowly pulled together.
"…Why am I like this?" she murmured under her breath.
Her gaze lowered to the ground as she walked.
"Why do I feel… strangely relieved whenever he's around?"
The question lingered in the quiet air.
A dog barked again somewhere behind her.
Ayame exhaled slowly.
"Why did his absence bother me that much…?"
Her steps slowed slightly.
She stopped for a moment, staring at the empty road ahead.
"just why.....?"
She shook her head lightly and started walking again, the faint sound of her footsteps fading into the quiet street.
On the other side , Kaito walked along a different road.
This street was far quieter than the one near the store. Every shop along the road had already closed. Metal shutters were pulled down, and the glass fronts reflected the dim light from the few lampposts standing along the sidewalk.
Most of the road was swallowed by darkness.
Only small circles of yellow light from the lampposts broke the shadows here and there.
No cars passed.
No footsteps echoed.
Not a single person was anywhere on the street.
Kaito walked slowly beneath the lights, his hands inside his pockets, his mind deeply occupied.
His thoughts kept returning to the same strange thing.
My eyes…
Earlier, when Haruno mentioned it, the comment had stuck in his head.
They did look different.
Sharper.
His fingers brushed lightly against his jaw as he walked.
Not just my eyes… my face structure looked sharper too.
He frowned slightly.
Why are these sudden changes happening?
The thought didn't stop there.
Something else had been bothering him all evening.
Normally after a full day—university classes, work shifts, constant movement—his body and mind would be completely drained.
Usually by the time he walked home, he wouldn't even have the energy to think clearly.
But tonight felt completely different.
His breathing was steady.
His body felt light.
His mind felt… awake.
I should be exhausted right now.
Yet he didn't feel tired at all.
It feels like I haven't even used twenty percent of my energy.
Kaito's brows tightened.
Why do I feel this fresh…?
Even stranger was how his mind was processing things.
Every small detail around him—the distance between lampposts, the height of buildings, the direction of the wind—registered instantly in his head.
His brain seemed to analyze everything automatically.
Faster than his conscious thoughts.
Then suddenly—
His eyes stopped.
A tall electric pole stood beside the road under the dim lamplight.
Concrete.
Thick.
Supporting several heavy cables stretching across the street.
Kaito slowed down and looked at it carefully.
Then he looked at his own hand.
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
A strange thought appeared.
With my current strength…
Could I break that pole with a single punch?
The moment the thought formed—
His brain reacted instantly.
Not like normal thinking.
More like a system activating.
His eyes measured the pole automatically.
Height: roughly eight meters.
Diameter: around thirty centimeters.
Material: reinforced concrete.
His mind continued.
Concrete density.
Internal steel reinforcement.
Impact angle.
Punch velocity.
Force transfer.
Stress concentration points.
The information assembled itself like a blueprint forming in his head.
Then his brain simulated the strike.
A single punch hitting the base of the pole.
Crack lines spreading through the concrete.
Structural failure point forming near the lower stress section.
The result appeared clearly.
If I increase my punching force by approximately ten percent…
The pole will break.
Kaito stopped walking completely.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…What?"
He stared at the pole again.
His mind repeated the calculation instantly.
Same result.
He looked down at his fist.
"Damn…"
His voice was quiet in the empty street.
"If I adjust my punch by just ten percent… that pole would snap."
His brows pulled together in confusion.
"But how did my brain even calculate that?"
He had never studied structural mechanics.
Yet the answer had appeared in seconds.
Like his mind already knew the formula.
Kaito looked at the silent road around him.
The lamppost above him buzzed faintly.
For a moment, the quiet street felt heavier than before.
He slowly unclenched his fist.
"…Maybe I shouldn't think about this power too much."
He exhaled and started walking again.
Tappp… tappp… tappp…
Kaito walked along the empty road, his footsteps echoing lightly against the closed buildings. The sound carried clearly in the silence, repeating in a steady, predictable rhythm.
For a while, nothing felt unusual. Just his steps. Just the empty street.
Then—his ears caught something.
Another step.
It came from behind, but it blended so well with his own that he didn't react. It felt like an echo at first—something the empty road could easily create.
Kaito kept walking.
Tappp… tappp… tappp…
A few seconds passed. Then the sound came again.
This time, it didn't fade. It followed.
His step landed—tappp. Then another step answered it—tappp, behind him.
Kaito's attention sharpened. He didn't turn.
He walked a few more steps, listening carefully as the pattern repeated itself. The distance stayed the same. The timing stayed controlled.
It wasn't an echo. It was someone matching him.
Kaito stopped.
His last step faded into the silence—and the other step stopped with it at the exact same moment.
The road went completely quiet.
Now it was clear. Someone was behind him.
He turned slowly, his gaze moving across the road behind him, scanning the edges of buildings, the gaps between dim lights, and the still shadows resting along the walls.
Nothing stood out. No movement, no shifting figure—just the same empty stretch of road lying silent under the weak glow of the streetlights.
His eyes lingered there for a moment longer than necessary, as if expecting something to reveal itself.
"…Maybe I heard my own footsteps."
The words came out low, almost dry, more like a thought slipping out than something meant to be said.
After a brief pause, he turned back and started walking again, letting the silence settle once more as his steps returned to their steady rhythm.
He started walking again, his steps falling back into rhythm as the sound stretched along the empty road, echoing faintly off the silent buildings.
Tap… tap… tap…
For a few seconds, it was just that. Just his footsteps, steady and familiar.
Then another step slipped into it.
Closer this time. Clearer. Not something that could be mistaken anymore.
Kaito stopped again—faster than before—and turned instantly.
His gaze cut through the darkness, moving across the road behind him, catching the edges of buildings, the gaps between weak streetlights, the still shadows resting along the walls. He searched deeper this time, not just looking—but trying to catch something that didn't belong there.
Still nothing.
The road remained empty.
But it didn't feel the same.
The silence had changed.
It no longer felt like absence—it felt like something was there, just outside what he could see. Like the moment he turned, whatever had been following him had already stepped back, slipping into the darkness before his eyes could catch it.
Kaito stayed still, his gaze fixed ahead, listening to the silence that now felt heavier than before.
A faint flicker buzzed from the broken streetlight above, the light stuttering once before stabilizing again. For a brief moment, the road dipped into uneven shadow—
and in that instant, something shifted at the far edge of the street.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
Just a slight movement where nothing should have moved.
Then it was gone.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, locking onto that exact spot as if forcing it to reveal itself. He didn't blink, didn't move—just stared, waiting for something to break the stillness again.
Nothing did.
No movement. No confirmation. No sign that anything had been there at all.
Only darkness.
After a few seconds, he slowly turned forward again and resumed walking, his steps quieter now, more controlled, the sound no longer careless but measured.
Tap… tap… tap…
Then it came back.
Not just the sound.
Something else.
A weight.
A presence settling behind him, aligning itself with his movement like it had never left.
The footsteps followed again—same rhythm, same distance, precise to the point it no longer felt natural.
Too controlled.
Like it was being done on purpose.
Kaito didn't turn this time. He kept walking, his gaze fixed ahead, but his focus had already shifted behind him, listening carefully to every step that followed.
Is it Phantom Unit following me…?
The thought came sharp, cutting through the silence.
Were they following me from the varsity…?
Another step echoed behind him, steady, unchanging.
Then why didn't they tried to capture me…?
The rhythm stayed controlled, almost deliberate.
Is it Because of people…?
That didn't feel right.
The road was empty now.
Was they waiting for an opening…
Another step.
Closer.
The pattern didn't break.
Kaito's thoughts began aligning faster, clearer, no longer scattered. Every possibility ran through his mind with unnatural precision.
I should press the button and inform them about my current situation.
For a brief moment, that felt like the safest move.
But then—
His eyes hardened slightly as the thought settled.
No.
The decision came instantly.
I should confirm first who is actually following me.
The footsteps didn't stop, staying steady behind him as if they had no intention of hiding.
But if it is Phantom Unit…
The thought settled heavier this time.
And if I press the button after confirming…
The sound behind him shifted slightly, closing the distance just enough to feel wrong.
They might catch me before I even move.
Kaito kept walking .
What should I do…
The silence stretched around him, pressing in with that same unseen presence.
Should I press it now…
No answer came.
Only the feeling of being followed.
What if it's not Phantom Unit…
The idea lingered for a moment before another thought formed.
Maybe it's not phantom unit someone else… a thief…
It didn't sit right.
That thought collapsed almost instantly.
This didn't feel like a thief.
This felt intentional.
Kaito stopped completely, letting his last step fade into the silence.
…and the footsteps behind him stopped too.
This time, it was closer than before, close enough that the silence between them no longer felt empty—it felt shared.
Not fear. Recognition.
"I need to take a risk," he said, his voice low and steady. "I can't call them just by my own prediction. I should confirm it first."
"Even if it is Phantom Unit…"
A sudden shift in the wind passed through the street, making a loose piece of metal somewhere in the distance creak sharply.
"…I will fight."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"I have this power after all."
A pause followed, long and heavy, stretching the silence until it felt almost suffocating.
Then something changed.
The footsteps didn't come again. They didn't move, didn't retreat, didn't make a single sound.
That was worse.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, the stillness pressing harder than the sound ever did.
Then he turned.
Sharp. Instant.
His gaze cut straight through the darkness behind him, locking onto the space where the presence should have been.
"SHOW YOURSELF."
"It's really obvious that you were tailing me for a long time."
The words hung in the air.
This time, the silence didn't feel empty.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then—
Tap…
A single step broke the silence.
This time, it wasn't distant. It came from directly ahead of him, slow and deliberate, echoing clearly through the empty road.
Another step followed.
The sound grew heavier as a figure began to emerge from the darkness, walking forward without hurry, each step steady, controlled.
Tap… tap…
The outline became clearer under the flickering streetlight—a person moving toward him, one hand hanging low, gripping something long.
A bat.
The faint metal glint caught the light for a split second as it swung slightly with each step.
The figure didn't stop.
It kept walking.
Closer.
Closer.
The face was still hidden in shadow, but the posture… the way he walked…
It felt familiar.
Kaito's eyes narrowed, trying to catch the details as the light finally reached the figure's face.
And then—
Recognition hit.
"…Masato?"