The strategy room was dimly lit, a long table covered in scattered documents, maps, the burned mission report, the stained recorder, and the scorched cloth—proof of the past. A monitor flickered softly beside them. Beyond the door lay Iwao's private chamber, silent and heavy.
Seri, Taehyun, and Junho stood around the table, eyes fixed on the evidence.
The door creaked open. Kobayashi stepped inside, calm and composed, his sharp gaze sweeping across the items.
"How did you know these were hidden in the forest?" he asked quietly.
"Kenji," Seri replied with a steady voice. "He left a trail, one only I would see."
Kobayashi exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair. "Then we must act fast. I heard Takeda's men… they're gathering. Plotting something new. Dangerous. You've shaken them."
"Let them gather," Seri said coldly. "We're not running anymore."
"Still," Taehyun muttered grimly, "this is Takeda. He doesn't repeat tactics. He'll twist something out of the box."
Seri's fingers tightened around the edge of the table, her mind turning sharply.
Junho stepped forward, voice steady, eyes firm behind his glasses. "I'll read him."
Both Seri and Taehyun looked at him.
Junho crossed his arms, scanning the maps and evidence. "We only need to watch our steps, right? Once he shows up… I'll read him. I'll find out who's really behind this."
"That's the best way," a voice said from behind.
The sound of soft wheels rolled across the wooden floor. They turned.
Iwao appeared at the doorway, seated in a sleek, black wheelchair, guided silently by one of his trusted men. His expression was calm, yet the weight of age and experience lingered in his sharp eyes.
"Iwao…" Seri stepped toward him quickly, concern in her gaze.
He raised a hand gently, signaling he was fine. "There's much more hidden than what you've found. Things even I don't know. Things even you, Seri, were never told."
Taehyun bowed respectfully, his posture low and steady. "Soke…"
Iwao's faint smile deepened. "Ken… you're looking well."
"It's an honor to hear that from you, Soke," Taehyun replied, straightening just enough to meet his eyes.
"That's Soke Iwao," Kobayashi said quietly, his voice carrying a grim undertone. "The man who's walked through rivers of blood. They say he's ended men without lifting a blade…just a look was enough. Even Takeda once knelt before him… not out of respect, but fear. Trust me… if you value your life, never make that man smile at the wrong time."
Seri and Taehyun tried to offer a polite smile, but it died halfway.
Junho stood frozen, lips slightly parted. He suddenly regretted saying he'd help. If there had been a rewind button, he would have pressed it twice.
Iwao spoke low, his eyes narrowing just enough to sharpen his words. "Takeda… his crimes run deeper than we first thought. He has more people in his pocket now, people we once trusted. That's why we needed you, Junho." He paused, the weight in his voice hanging in the air. "I'm sorry if it felt like we were using you. But trust me… we needed your help. Still, if you choose not to be part of this…" His gaze locked onto Junho, polite in tone but edged with warning. "…then Aira…no, Seri…will have to handle this alone."
Silence filled the room, thick and unyielding.
"I'll help," Junho said steadily, his eyes firm. "I'll do what I can. Seri's saved me more than once… and not just with her hands."
The others turned toward him, some impressed, others surprised, all of them moved.
"Then we start planning," Taehyun said, stepping forward with a determined nod. "We don't have much time. Takeda will expect a move soon." He glanced around the room. "But first—we attend the gala tomorrow night. Like it or not, it can't be avoided. That's where the next move begins."
"They'll all be there," Kobayashi said quietly. "Every key figure in the council."
The weight in the room deepened. Proof of Takeda's secrets lay scattered across the table…maps, reports, and truths that had been buried for years.
Iwao's eyes flickered between exhaustion and warning as he looked at Seri. "If you're going… you already know what must be done."
Seri rose slowly, her hand brushing the side where her weapon usually rested. "This time," she said coldly, a quiet fire in her tone, "I'm wearing my nunchaku over the gala dress."
"Then make it a night they won't forget," Iwao replied, his voice grim.
Taehyun smirked. Junho exhaled sharply, his heart pounding. Kobayashi only nodded, already knowing what that meant.
The soft glow of the shoji lanterns bled through the paper walls, casting muted silhouettes across the hallway. Seri moved quietly, a folded towel in one hand and a small tray of food balanced in the other. She hadn't seen Hanna since last night, when her fever had broken. Iwao's medic had said she only needed rest, but Seri wanted to see for herself.
The corridor outside Hanna's room was warm, the faint smell of herbal medicine lingering in the air. Seri reached for the sliding door, her hand just brushing the wooden frame—then froze.
Inside, Hanna's voice floated out, low but steady, no longer weakened by illness. "You've been in and out all day, Junho. Tell me… what's going on? Everyone's tense. Even Taehyun won't joke around."
There was a pause. Then Hanna's tone softened, but sharpened at the edges. "If something happens… you'll protect me, right? Or will it always be her?"
Seri's grip on the tray tightened. She stood perfectly still, the quiet thud of her heartbeat in her ears.
Junho's voice came, low and measured. "Hanna…"
Seri took a half-step closer to the door.
"You know I won't let anything happen to you," he continued.
Junho's gaze softened, memories flickering behind his eyes. Since they were kids, he had carried the same vow—one he never once let slip. Through every scrape, every night of worry, every silent watch from the shadows, he had been there. He had been her shield without fail, the constant she could always find no matter how the world shifted. Leaning in, his voice lowered until it was meant for her alone.
"I protect you with any cost."
Hanna's lips curved faintly, though her eyes held a depth that made her smile feel like a veil. She reached across the narrow space between them, her fingers curling gently around his hand. "You can't stay tied to Seri," she murmured, the softness in her tone carrying an unshakable certainty. "She will only pull you deeper into the line of fire. You're not safe with her. You saw it yesterday, the way she fought. It was as if her life was bound to blood, as if danger has claimed her for good."
In the doorway, Seri stilled. She caught the moment…their joined hands, the tilt of Hanna's face toward his and something sharp lodged in her chest. The towel in her grip felt heavier. Without a sound, she stepped back into the dim hallway, her shadow melting into the flicker of candlelight.
In the shadow of the doorway, Seri's breath caught. What Hanna said… maybe it was true. Her life had been steeped in blood for as long as she could remember. And that wasn't the world Junho should ever have to face. Yet the truth, spoken so plainly, felt like a blade sliding between her ribs. It cut deep, leaving an ache she couldn't touch, only endure.
Inside, Junho's jaw tightened. "You can't say that," he replied, his voice firm. "Seri's saved my life more times than I can count." His tone carried weight, steady and unyielding. "I protect you with any cost. But protecting doesn't mean choosing the safest place…it means standing in the worst place so someone else doesn't have to. I'd do that for her, just as I've always done for you."
But in the hallway, Seri never heard those last words. All she carried with her was the image of Hanna's hand in his, the sting of a promise she thought was never meant for her, and the truth that broke her heart.
As Seri stepped away from their room, her mind was still tangled with the words she had overheard. She nearly bumped into Taehyun in the narrow hallway, the sudden jolt pulling her out of her thoughts.
His eyes searched her face immediately, catching the faint redness in her cheeks, the way her expression was composed but not calm. "Seri. Are you okay?"
"Yes," she replied with a small smile, brushing it off. "Just… wondering if Hanna was feeling better or not. Guess she's fine."
She didn't wait for his response. Her smile stayed, but her pace quickened, carrying her down the hall until her figure disappeared beyond the corner.
Taehyun remained still for a moment, the unease settling in his chest. Something wasn't right. Without overthinking it, he stepped toward Hanna's door.
Through the small opening, he saw her speaking with Junho. Her hand rested gently over his, a moment too personal to be mistaken. Perhaps that was what Seri had seen earlier… the reason behind the look on her face.
He knocked softly, stepping in just enough for his voice to carry. "We have to gather. Time to head back to the hotel. It's getting late."
Junho's hand withdrew from Hanna's instantly, the movement quick, almost too quick, like he didn't want anyone to notice it had been there at all. Hanna's fingers lingered in the empty space, her face betraying neither surprise nor emotion.
Taehyun's eyes caught the shift, filing it away without a word.