As Hiroshi gazed into the sky, two enormous blue eyes loomed above him, glowing like twin moons in the swirling white mist. Terror gripped his heart, and his vision blurred. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, unconscious, into the void.
Back in the rain-soaked Tsukimichi Alley, Akio's fist was inches from Hiroshi's face, poised to shatter his jaw. But just as the blow descended, the white light flickered again from Hiroshi's chest, pulsing brighter than ever. Akio noticed it, his eyes narrowing. Just a phone flashlight, he thought, dismissing it. He didn't stop his punch.
But the light wasn't ordinary. It erupted from Hiroshi's chest in a blinding surge, a radiant beam that shot toward Akio like a vengeful spirit. The thug froze, his confidence crumbling as the light enveloped him. The moment it touched him, his body began to burn—not with fire, but with an otherworldly energy that seemed to melt his flesh. Akio's screams echoed through the alley, his body disintegrating into ash as the light consumed him. Within seconds, nothing remained but a pile of dust.
Soma and his remaining men stared in horror, their faces pale. "What is that?!" Ren shouted, his voice trembling. "What kind of weapon does this guy have? He just killed Akio!"
"What do we do now, Soma-san?" another thug stammered, his eyes darting between the ashes and Hiroshi's unconscious form.
Soma, the gang's leader, was shaken to his core. His heart pounded, his breath ragged. He'd seen Akio take down men twice his size, but this—this was no human power. The white light was something else, something unnatural. He took a step back, his instincts screaming to flee. "Run!" he barked, turning on his heel.
The others hesitated, but it was a fatal mistake. The white light, as if alive, surged toward them. It struck each man with merciless precision, their screams filling the alley as their bodies burned and crumbled into ash. The desolate street became a graveyard of dust, the rain washing away the remnants of Soma's gang. Only Soma himself managed to escape, vanishing into the shadows of Yokohama's labyrinthine alleys.
The light, its grim work done, retreated into Hiroshi's chest, fading as if it had never been. Moments later, Hiroshi stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He sat up, dazed, and looked around. The alley was empty—no thugs, no bodies, just the rain and the faint hum of the city. Confusion clouded his mind. Did they run away? he wondered. They were about to kill me… so how…? Maybe they just wanted to scare me and then bolted.
He stood, brushing the dirt from his soaked clothes. His face fell, the weight of his earlier defeat sinking in. He'd lost the fight, and worse, he'd lost the sakura-etched jewelry box—the ring meant for Aoi. With a heavy sigh, he turned to leave, his dreams of proposing to Aoi feeling further away than ever.
But then, something caught his eye. A small, familiar object lay in a puddle, glinting faintly under a streetlamp. His heart leapt. It was the jewelry box. Hiroshi rushed to it, snatching it up with trembling hands. He opened it, half-expecting it to be empty. But there it was—the ring, untouched, gleaming softly. Relief washed over him like the rain. He pressed the ring to his chest, closing his eyes. Thank you, he whispered to no one.
If they wanted to scare me, why leave the ring behind? he thought. Maybe they dropped it by mistake in their hurry to escape. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Some thugs you are," he muttered, mocking the absent criminals. Not wanting to tempt fate, he pocketed the box and hurried out of the alley. He wasn't sticking around in case they returned.
Hiroshi ran through the rain until he spotted a taxi idling near a convenience store. He flagged it down, climbed in, and gave the driver an address in Asakusa, his heart still racing from the night's events.
Meanwhile, on a bustling corner of Asakusa Street, two striking young women stood under a shared umbrella, drawing admiring glances from passersby. Kaede and Hana, Hiroshi's cousins, were growing restless. Kaede, the more fiery of the two, huffed in frustration. "We've been standing here forever, waiting for those two! Neither Hiroshi nor Aoi has shown up, and we're out here looking like idiots. Our reputation's done for!"
Hana, ever the calm one, chuckled softly. "Relax, Kaede. The early bird doesn't ruin their image—it shows they respect time. Besides, you've seen the rain. Traffic's a nightmare tonight. They'll be here soon."
Kaede pouted, crossing her arms. "You always take their side, Hana. Keep this up, and one day they'll be dancing on your head!"
Hana grinned, unfazed. "That's a long way off. But if you keep stressing like this, you'll get pimples, and then what?"
Kaede's eyes widened in panic. She whipped out her phone, using the front camera to inspect her face. "Pimples?! No way! My perfect face can't handle that!" She checked every angle, muttering, "Not one pimple, not one…" After confirming her skin was flawless, she shot Hana a glare.
Hana shook her head, amused. Is she really this vain, or is it just for attention? she thought, but she kept it to herself. Instead, she spotted a familiar figure approaching through the rain. "Look, there he is!" she said, pointing.
Kaede, still fixated on her reflection, misunderstood. "What?! A pimple?!" She frantically checked her face again, cursing under her breath. "No, no, no! My beautiful face can't be ruined! Oh, gods, don't do this to me!" After several checks, she found no blemishes and turned to Hana, fuming. "Stop messing with me!"
Hana sighed, shaking her head. "I meant Hiroshi, you drama queen. Look behind you."
Kaede turned and saw Hiroshi jogging toward them, soaked but alive. She burst out laughing at her own mistake. "Oh, our little brother's here! Guess he's not much better than a pimple himself!"
Hana laughed too, and Hiroshi reached them, panting. "Sorry, guys," he said, catching his breath. "Got held up by a little… problem on the way."
Kaede rolled her eyes. "Of course you did. You're always late because of some 'problem.'"
Before Hiroshi could explain, Hana's gaze fell on his hand. A fresh cut oozed blood, the skin bruised and swollen. "Hiroshi, what happened to your hand?!" she gasped.
Kaede's teasing stopped instantly. She leaned in, her eyes wide with worry. "Yeah, what's with the blood?"
Hiroshi scratched the back of his head, forcing a sheepish grin. "Oh, it's nothing. Slipped getting off the Metro and banged my hand. No big deal."
Kaede's temper flared. "Slipped? Who told you to take the Metro on a day like this? Couldn't you splurge on a taxi for once, your majesty?"
Hana shot Kaede a look, calming her down. She stepped closer to Hiroshi, pulling a handkerchief from her bag. "Sure, 'slipped,'" she said, wrapping the cloth around his wound. "If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. Lucky it's not too bad." She tied the handkerchief gently, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Hiroshi grinned, warmed by his sister's care. She always sees through me, he thought. That's what makes us family. He opened his mouth to thank her, but before he could, a sleek black Toyota Supra pulled up beside them. A faint smile spread across their faces as the driver's door opened.
A tall, elegant girl stepped out, her yellow one-piece dress glowing under the streetlights. Yuki, Aoi's best friend, looked stunning, her presence commanding attention. She ran to Hana, throwing her arms around her. "Hana, my darling! How's my favorite person doing?"
"Surviving, Yuki, my love!" Hana replied, mimicking her playful tone. The group laughed, the tension easing.
Kaede, still impatient, cut in. "Okay, Yuki's here, but where's Aoi?"
At the mention of Aoi's name, Hiroshi's ears perked up, his heart skipping a beat. He leaned forward, waiting for Yuki's answer. She smirked, teasing, "Oh, Aoi? Probably off being useless as usual. Work hard, achieve nothing—that's her motto."
As if on cue, the car's passenger door opened, and out stepped Aoi. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded to her waist, shimmering in the rain. Her star-like eyes sparkled in the dim light, outshining the neon signs around them. Her red lips rivaled the beauty of cherry blossoms, and her slender figure, draped in a sleek black dress, moved with a grace that could make any heart falter. She wasn't just beautiful—she was ethereal, like a celestial being descended from the heavens. To Hiroshi, she was perfection.
His heart raced like a bullet train, pounding so hard he half-expected it to sprint from Yokohama to Tokyo. Aoi, he thought, his breath catching.
Aoi, catching Yuki's jab, shot back with a grin. "Oh, please! Says the girl who can't even put her plate in the sink after dinner. And you're throwing shade at me?"
The group burst into laughter, the playful banter lightening the mood. After a few more jabs, Kaede glanced at her phone. "It's past midnight. Where are we even going now?"
All eyes turned to Aoi, who smiled confidently. "Why stress about it?" She nodded to Yuki, who took the cue.
"We were going to hit a Shinjuku nightclub," Yuki said, "but we changed plans last minute." She gestured for everyone to follow her to the car's trunk. Everyone except Aoi trailed behind, curious. Yuki opened the trunk with a flourish. "This is our plan for tonight!"
The group peered inside, and everyone's eyes lit up—except Hiroshi's. His face froze, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
What was in the trunk that excited everyone but Hiroshi? Why didn't Daichi approve of it? Will Hiroshi finally make Aoi his, or is another twist looming on the horizon?
To find out, keep reading…