It was the 6th of May—a usual day in Nagasaki City. Electric cars hummed softly through the narrow streets, their quiet buzz threading between the chatter of morning life.
Vendors called out in melodic voices, selling warmth and spice from carts draped in faded colors, while children's laughter danced through the air like wind-blown petals.
High above the street, in the boys' room, the squad gathered early, sprawled in silence beneath the pale morning light. The walls held their boredom like dust, thick and unmoving.
No missions stirred. No alarms, no fire, no call to rise. Just the still ache of warriors without a fight—men built for action now stranded in peace.
They longed for the rhythm of conflict, for the pulse of danger that once stitched them together. But all that came was the quiet, and the city's distant breath.
"Eh... what the hell... it's unusually quiet" Itoshi muttered.
He said lazily as he lay sprawled on top of the couch.
"Dang, indeed..."
Kirashi added. Resting his head against the table as he sat down.
On the same table, Aldrin sat.
"Ryujin and Ayro-san are taking too long..."
He said, his fist resting against his cheek.
"What the hell are they even doing?"
Itoshi asked, frowning.
"They're doing daily reports,"
Aldrin replied.
"But... there's nothing to report"
Kirashi argued, lifting his head slightly.
"Even so... the organization still needs the report,"
Aldrin added.
All of a sudden, the door slammed open. Kara stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with intensity.
Itoshi and Kirashi lifted their heads and said in unison,
"Ah... it's Kara."
Kara blinked, taken aback by the absolute boredom etched on their faces.
"Jeez... you guys really yearn for battle that badly?"
She asked.
The two nodded without hesitation.
"Not me, though. Not really"
Aldrin said with a shrug.
She took a deep breath, a spark lighting her eyes. Then, with a grin, she pulled something from her back and held it up for the others to see.
"Jenga tower!"
She shouted, excitement bubbling in her voice.
But everyone just stared back—blank faces, unmoved by her excitement.
[A few moments later]
Ryujin and Ayro walked back into the apartment. Ryujin noticed something was bothering Ayro.
"Hmm? You okay?"
Ryujin asked, his voice cool and calm.
"Ah... nothing"
Ayro replied, avoiding eye contact.
Ryujin smirked.
"Hmm... you must be thinking about that girl you cheated with."
Ayro just stared at him, expression unreadable.
"Jeez, man, you're way too serious"
Ryujin said flatly.
"Never thought I'd hear that from you"
Ayro shot back.
As they stepped onto the floor of their room, Itoshi's voice suddenly echoed through the halls: "NOOOOO, PLEASEEEE!"
Instantly alert, the two rushed toward the noise and slammed the door open—only to find something completely unexpected.
The Jenga tower had collapsed, toppled by Itoshi himself. He was curled up on the floor, crying, while Kirashi, Aldrin, Kara, and Jayu laughed at his misery.
"What the hell happened?!"
Ayro asked, concerned.
Kirashi stammered between chuckles, "Itoshi t-toppled t-the tower... haha."
"Now he has to dance at the railway station"
Aldrin added, laughing harder.
"He lost his own bet!"
Little Jayu chimed in, grinning.
Ryujin, the leader, couldn't help but smile as he watched his squad laugh together. Ayro glanced at him closely and sensed something was definitely shifting beneath Ryujin's calm exterior.
After that, the squad gathered for lunch near the railway station by the port—the very place where Itoshi had lost his bet.
True to his word, Itoshi climbed up to the roof of Ohato Station, clearly visible to everyone passing by.
Kirashi's voice rang out, loud and encouraging,
"Go, Itoshi! You can do it!" His cheer echoed across the plaza.
The whole squad giggled, while Ryujin and Ayro exchanged small, knowing smirks.
Meanwhile, Hoshi watched the squad once again, blending seamlessly into the crowd as he sat quietly on a nearby bench.
Itoshi's face flushed a deep, bright red, embarrassment flooding him.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, he shouted,
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" catching the attention of every passerby.
Without hesitation, he launched into an impromptu Kabuki performance, dramatic and loud, drawing curious eyes from all around.
Every passerby watched, amused and entertained, Hoshi included—except the police.
"Sir, get down from there!"
They shouted, their voices sharp and urgent.
"It's dangerous!"
They tried to coax Itoshi down from the station rooftop, but suddenly, without warning mid performance, he passed out.
His vision blurred and began to fade. Every squad member—Hoshi included—stood frozen in shock. She rose abruptly from her seat, shouting,
"What the hell happened?!"
Ryujin's eyes widened in alarm, while Ayro, without hesitation, quickly unleashed his dark ability to save Itoshi.
Ayro caught Itoshi before he hit the ground.
"Itoshi? Itoshi?"
He shook him urgently, but there was no response.
"What the hell was that?!"
Ryujin muttered to himself as a growing crowd began to gather around them.
As the crowd thickened, one peculiar man slipped away from the station. Hoshi's eyes narrowed.
"A ronin?" She murmured to herself. Suspicious, she followed him at a careful distance.
Walking just behind, she caught fragments of his words:
"How embarrassing, What a disgrace." he muttered, his voice heavy with annoyance.
"He did it? Did he?"
Hoshi wondered, her heart quickening. To her surprise, the man suddenly stopped, giving her just enough time to catch up.
"You're following me, aren't you?"
He muttered, loud enough for her to hear.
Hoshi didn't respond. She simply kept walking forward, eyes fixed ahead.
The man simply stared after Hoshi as she walked away, then turned down a different path.
"How did he know?"
She wondered, a flicker of unease creeping in.
"I didn't follow him that far... I had to pretend I didn't hear him."
Hoshi paused in a narrow alley, taking a moment to rest after all the walking. She sat down calmly—but suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.
She glanced to the side—and there he was. The man, standing just across from her in the shadows.
She sprang to her feet, eyes sharp and voice fierce.
"Who are you? What do you want? I'm not someone you can easily mess with!"
The man chuckled softly.
"Hoh?"
He said, stepping closer.
Hoshi lunged to attack—but her body betrayed her. She couldn't move. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision.
"W-what...? I'm fading... just like he did... This man didn't use any gift... What did he do?"
She wondered, panic rising within her.
She collapsed onto the ground as the man approached like a shadow, his only visible feature—glowing red eyes—piercing the darkness. He reached out and grasped her face gently but firmly.
The towering ronin lifted her up, studying her with a faint smile. But the smile quickly vanished.
"Nah... it's not you"
He muttered softly.
Hoshi's teary eyes widened in shock as he released her, letting her fall back to the ground.
Without another word, the ronin turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving her fading alone in the dark alley.
~~~To be Continued~~~