Sakura stared the huge men in black down, her gaze as sharp and cold as steel. "I don't know who you are or what you want," she warned, her voice a low growl that cut through the silence of the dining hall. "But you'd better start walking away, or you're dead."
The two men didn't flinch. Their expressions were a mix of shock and dismissive amusement. "Wait, she's a bodyguard?" one of them thought, a smirk playing on his lips. "She's too young for that. Must just be a friend." He began to raise his hand, reaching for Hikari with a deliberate slowness. He knew they weren't supposed to cause a scene, but a little show wouldn't hurt.
Before his hand could even twitch, the world became a blur. BANG! Sakura's spin kick connected with his jaw, the crack echoing like a gunshot. The man's body flew backward, crashing through a table before collapsing in a heap on the floor, blood gushing from his nose.
His partner didn't even see it happen. He stared at his colleague in stunned silence, then turned his wide, confused eyes back to Sakura. Did she do that?
Kaito immediately stood up and rushed to Sakura's side, his voice low and urgent. "Sakura, you can't cause a scene here! If the police get involved, they'll charge you and Hikari with a public mafia war."
"I told him to back off," Sakura said, her fists clenched. She kept her eyes on the remaining man, who had taken a cautious step back. "Whether we go to jail is up to them."
The man on the floor struggled to sit up, a grimace of pain twisting his face. "Son of a bitch…" he muttered, pressing a hand to his broken nose. He glared at Sakura, his eyes burning with fury. "You bitch, how dare you—"
"That's enough." A new voice, calm and authoritative, cut through the tension.
A woman walked into the hall, and every head turned. Dressed in a flowing dress that exuded a mix of beauty and menace, she was stunning. The two men immediately bowed their heads and stepped to her side. The woman, Akane, walked straight toward Hikari, a polite smile on her face.
"I apologize for my men's behavior. They can be... idiotic sometimes," she said, her tone dripping with mock sincerity. She regained her posture and placed a hand on her hip. "My name is Akane, and believe it or not, we didn't actually come here to fight."
Sakura remained suspicious. "If that's the case, what do you want?"
Akane's smile widened slightly. "Well, you see, I was told to protect Hikari from Sora."
A jolt of shock went through Sakura. "How do you know Sora?"
Akane's expression remained perfectly calm. "He asked me to watch over her while he went to meet with Jiro. He told me he'd be in touch with Hikari directly, so I just assumed he would call you after."
Sakura's suspicion grew. "He would have called me to tell me he was sending someone."
Akane chuckled softly. "Ah, but he said he'd call Hikari. Hikari, would you mind checking your phone to confirm?"
Hikari patted her pockets, her brows furrowed in confusion. "I can't find it. I must have left it in the changing room."
"Then you don't mind if I follow you to go get it?" Akane offered sweetly, stepping closer to her.
Sakura immediately blocked Akane's path. "Like hell. I'm going with Hikari, and that's final."
Akane sighed dramatically, a few fake tears welling in her eyes. "Look, I get that you're very protective of her, but I have a job to do, and if I don't, Sora will have my head. So, unless you have proof that I don't know Sora or that I'm lying, you can't stop me from doing my job."
Sakura stared her down, the tension thick between them. Finally, she turned to Kaito, who was standing there, startled by the whole ordeal.
"Kaito," she said. "When Sato and Daiki get back, tell them to wait for us. We'll be right back."
Sakura, Hikari, and Akane, with her two bodyguards in tow, headed toward the changing room, leaving Kaito to stand in the aftermath.
Sora
Miles away, Sora sat back in his chair, a gun resting in his hand as he scowled at the endless line of cars in traffic. It's good I finally heard from Hikari, even if she did act a bit odd. I hate to say it, but I wish Jiro were here right now to make this easier. This line is fucking long.
Just as his frustration peaked, the traffic began to move. "Finally," he said with excitement, dropping the gun and stepping on the gas.
The Ambush
Outside the changing room, Akane's two bodyguards stood watch. Inside, Akane, Sakura, and Hikari began to search for the missing phone. Hikari spotted it on a bench almost immediately. "There it is!" she said, rushing toward it.
As Sakura and Hikari hurried to the phone, Akane moved quietly behind them, pulling a small, dart-like weapon from her dress. She aimed it at Sakura's neck.
Sakura and Hikari reached the phone at the same time. The screen showed twelve missed calls from Sora and a text history that neither of them remembered. "I never said this," Hikari whispered, her voice filled with confusion.
The realization dawned on them, but it was too late. Akane fired. A tiny pin, not a bullet, struck Sakura in the neck. She crumpled to the floor, unconscious. A moment later, Hikari felt a similar prick and fell into a deep sleep beside her.
Akane tapped the door, and the two bodyguards entered. They looked down at the two sleeping girls. "They're out cold," Akane said with a smirk. "Grab Hikari. I swear, this was too easy."
The bodyguard with the broken nose looked at her, confused. "Wait, why not kill Sakura? Wouldn't it make sense to make sure she can't come after us?"
Akane's smirk vanished, replaced by a cold, serious expression. "Don't be a fool. If we kill her here, the cops will be on our tails, and that will lead to Kuro Kyoufu realizing we were the ones who took Hikari. We're going to leave this messy situation behind. The girl is strong, but I doubt she can do anything from now on."
As they took Hikari and left, the successful kidnapping complete, Sakura lay unconscious on the cold tile floor.