The driver glanced back through the rearview mirror, her voice steady.
"Where to next?" she asked.
The question hung in the air for a moment, inviting the next move.
Kara leaned forward from the back seat, resting her arms over the front.
She looked at Itoshi with a playful glint in her eye.
"You're gonna buy new clothes too, right, Koya?"
With one eye closed, Itoshi let out a sigh, still lazily chewing his gum.
"Ok... alright," he muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Imma get something new."
Jayu and Kara lit up instantly, their voices rising in unison—
"Yay!"
Their excitement filled the car like sunlight through a window.
Itoshi blinked, baffled. He couldn't quite tell what sparked their joy, Maybe it was the thrill of exploring the city... Or maybe the simple scent of new clothes was enough to make them glow.
Either way, he let out a small chuckle under his breath.
"Say... where's the nearest and cheapest place around here, Mrs. Driver?"
Itoshi asked, his tone unusually polite as he leaned slightly forward.
The gum still rolled lazily in his mouth, but there was genuine curiosity in his voice.
To that, the driver simply nodded with a small smile.
"You got it, sir."
"Ehh? Seems like you're very familiar with this place, ma'am?"
Kara asked, leaning forward with curiosity. "Were you born here?" she added.
Her tone was light, but genuinely intrigued.
"Not really" the driver replied with a faint smile.
"My father was born here. I'm originally from Tokyo."
Her eyes stayed on the road, but her voice carried a quiet trace of memory.
Before the driver could say more, the vehicle slowed to a gentle stop.
"We're here"
She said, shifting into park as the store came into view.
The moment lingered—her story left hanging in the air, like a page half-turned.
The three stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance.
"Woah! It's huge!"
Jayu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
They wandered through Amu Plaza, their footsteps light and full of purpose as they searched for the clothing shop.
Excitement bubbled around them like a gentle breeze—fresh, contagious.
Jayu's boundless energy was especially infectious, her bright spirit lifting the mood of everyone they passed.
Smiles blossomed in their wake, as if her joy could brighten even the dullest day.
Jayu's eyes lit up as she spotted the shop.
"There!" she pointed eagerly. "Unique Lo!"
They stepped inside, the bright lights and colorful racks welcoming them.
Now it was Itoshi's turn to take center stage.
With a mischievous grin, he struck a series of bizarre poses—each more exaggerated than the last—right in front of Kara and Jayu.
As he tried on various outfits, his playful antics drew laughter and cheers, turning the fitting room into an impromptu runway.
They stepped outside just as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink.
Jayu happily nibbled on her ice cream, eyes bright and curious. Suddenly, she tugged gently at Kara's skirt twice, catching her attention.
Leaning close, Jayu whispered something to Kara. Kara nodded softly, reaching into her pocket and handing Jayu some money.
Jayu hurried over to a nearby food stall and returned with a small meal.
Her gaze landed on an elderly man wandering quietly through the plaza—a homeless figure amidst the fading light.
Without hesitation, Jayu offered him the food. The old man accepted gratefully, his eyes warm with gratitude.
"Thank you, dear"
He said gently. Then, looking at Kara and Itoshi, he added,
"You're so kind—your parents must be kind as well."
Jayu bounced back over to Kara and Itoshi, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.
Kara looked at her curiously.
"What did he say? That seemed to brighten your mood even more!"
Jayu leaned in, lowering her voice to a playful whisper.
"He said: 'Kara-nee and Itoshi-nii would make good parents.'"
Kara jolted in shock, cheeks flushing as both hands flew up to cover her face.
"N-no way he said that!" She stammered, eyes wide.
"Said what?"
Itoshi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kara's panic only grew as she glanced between them.
"I-it was nothing, Koya!" she blurted, trying to change the subject.
"I-it's getting dark! Let's go back—Seele's might come anytime!"
Kara said quickly, her voice a little shaky.
Inside, she was silently begging herself,
"Please change the topic, please change the topic."
To her relief, Itoshi nodded and said,
"Ah... that's right. Let's head to that address."
Kara's outward calm cracked, shifting into quiet panic as she realized the address Ryujin had given her was nowhere to be found.
"Oh yeah... where did I put it?"
She muttered, rifling through her bag with growing worry.
The three of them scrambled, panic rising as they searched frantically for the missing address.
They piled back into the SUV and turned to the driver for help.
To their relief, she chuckled softly.
"Haha! You guys need a communication as a squad, license examination's coming up soon. Maybe you should take it."
Her playful snicker eased the tension as she started the engine.
Settling into their seats, Kara sighed with a small smile.
"Oh, that's right... we gotta take that too."
"License examination?"
Itoshi echoed, raising an eyebrow in mild surprise.
As the SUV rolled forward, Kara shot Itoshi a pouty glare.
"Jeez, Koya! You already forgot about that?"
Her tone was teasing, but there was a hint of genuine disbelief.
"Well... the license examination is a must-have for anyone aspiring to be a squad member in the UWDS,"
Kara explained, his eyes glazing over slightly as he mulled over the words.
"It basically makes us an official squad, giving us access to the necessary technology provided by the organization."
"Ahh, that's right. I remember"
Itoshi answered lazily, barely hiding his lack of focus.
"You didn't listen at all, did you?"
Kara exclaimed, half exasperated.
"Jeez, Koya!!!"
She cried out, while Jayu and the driver chuckled softly at their back-and-forth.
As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with fading hues, the driver announced,
"We're here."
Kara's eyes lit up instantly.
"JAL? Hoh! There's a café nearby!"
She exclaimed with a bright smile.
As they pulled up and parked in front of the apartment complex, a group of men in black suits hurried toward the SUV.
Without hesitation, the driver popped open the trunk, and the men swiftly moved their belongings inside the building.
Kara and Itoshi came out, With Jayu having a piggy back ride on Itoshi's back - vast asleep. They tensed at first, startled by the sudden activity — but then they quickly recognized them.
They were one of their own.
They stepped inside, the door swinging open to reveal a spacious, sunlit room.
Kara let out a tired sigh.
"Ugh! I'm beat... Eh?"
Her words caught in surprise as she took in the scene before her.
Kirashi lay face down on the floor, utterly sprawled out.
Meanwhile, Ryujin, Ayro, and Aldrin lounged casually on the couch, sipping coffee with easy smiles.
Kara glanced around, puzzled.
"What happened here?"
Itoshi's eyes swept across the room, catching sight of a tired Kirashi lying on his face.
"Hoh... it's even more spacious than the first one"
He remarked with a small nod.
His gaze returned to Kirashi, still sprawled on the floor, and that same mischievous grin from the morning slowly crept back onto Itoshi's face.
"Ehe"
He chuckled quietly to himself.
"Don't even think about it."
Kara exclaimed sharply.
"What! I'm not even doing anything!"
Itoshi protested, feigning innocence.
Kara squinted, locking eyes with him.
Itoshi quickly looked away and sighed,
"Alright, fine. I'll let it pass... just for tonight!"
"On that note... those personnel were fast, huh? All our stuff is already here"
She muttered, rifling through the things they had brought.
"Ah... Ryujin-san, where should I put Jayu?"
Itoshi asked.
Ryujin replied,
"Ah, they're staying in a different room. Us boys are gonna be in this one."
"Ah, got it"
Itoshi replied.
He gently laid Jayu down comfortably in her bed as she slept.
"That's all good, Koya! I'll go out for dinner later. I'll stay with Jayu-chan for a bit"
Kara said with a smile.
Itoshi nodded in agreement and headed back to the boys' room.
Itoshi barged into the room, greeted by the same laid-back scene he'd left behind.
"How was the trip?"
Ryujin asked casually.
"Not too bad,"
Itoshi replied with a grin.
"Didn't expect to have fun, not gonna lie. How about you guys? What did you do?"
Ayro snickered, a sly grin on his face.
"Heh. We had a bet with Kirashi—he challenged me and Ryujin to see who could climb this building the fastest. Winner gets free coffee. I think you can guess what happened next."
"It explains his situation... but wait, why is Aldrin sipping one too?"
Itoshi asked, eyebrow raised.
"I bought mine"
Aldrin said with a shrug.
"Is that supposed to be a flex?.."
Itoshi thought to himself.
After a few moments, Itoshi's expression softened as he pondered aloud,
"Hmm... maybe I should buy some for me and Kara. We haven't really tried something like this before."
Itoshi glanced around and said,
"Imma be right back."
Everyone simply nodded in return.
He closed the door behind him and stepped out,
descending the stairs into the chilly Nagasaki evening.
The cold wind whispered softly through the streets as he made his way to the café to buy some coffee.
Meanwhile, from a nearby building, the kunoichi watched silently as Itoshi purchased his coffee, her eyes sharp and unwavering beneath the fading light.
"Hmph."
~~~To be Continued~~~