Kara entered the girls' room quietly, the door clicking softly behind her. The heavy air of the warehouse felt miles away here, replaced by the soft sounds of giggles filling the space.
Hoshi sat cross-legged on the floor, her movements patient and focused as she helped Jayu dress a teddy bear in various scraps of colorful cloth. The little girl beamed with delight, her world small and safe, totally unaware of the shadows looming just outside their shared moment.
Kara paused at the door, taking it all in. The constant tension in her shoulders didn't fully ease—the weight of their situation was too great for that—but the sight of them steadied her.
She slowly closed the door and slid down to the floor, her back pressing against the cool wood. With a deep breath, she sat in silence, her legs pulled in tight and her arms wrapped loosely around them.
Hoshi looked up, her sharp eyes softening as they landed on Kara.
"Kara-san... is something wrong?"
Kara shook her head faintly, though her eyes remained weary.
"No... just needed to breathe."
Her voice was calm, but there was a palpable weight behind it.
Hoshi studied her for a long second, searching for the unspoken words, before looking back down to place a tiny, makeshift blanket over the teddy bear.
"Did your boss say something?"
Hoshi asked quietly.
Kara nodded slowly, her gaze drifting up toward the ceiling.
"She doesn't trust you," she admitted. "But I told her I do."
Silence followed, thick and heavy.
"That's not enough proof that I can be trusted, though..."
Hoshi thought to herself. The guilt gnawed at her, a reminder of the mask she usually wore and the secrets she still carried.
Hoshi quietly rose to her feet and approached Kara.
She knelt gently in front of her, the fabric of her clothes rustling against the floor. Her fingers curled slightly against her knees, and her voice was a soft, low murmur.
"Sorry I caused you all this trouble..."
She kept her eyes cast toward the floor, unable to meet Kara's gaze.
Kara straightened her posture, blinking in surprise at Hoshi's lowered face. A calm, respectful silence settled between them for a moment. Then, Kara reached out and gently patted the top of Hoshi's head.
"Don't worry about it,"
Kara said, a warm, genuine smile blooming on her face like light breaking through clouds.
At that moment, Jayu, fueled by a sudden burst of energy and completely oblivious to the lingering tension, jumped onto Hoshi's lap with a playful laugh.
"Pyon~!"
Hoshi stumbled back a little, caught off guard by the small, energetic force, but a soft smile quickly replaced her surprise.
She hugged the little girl tightly, the teddy bear clutched between them in a messy, heartwarming embrace. Kara watched them, her smile lingering—quiet, grateful, and a little tired.
Moments later, the laughter began to fade. Hoshi gently lifted Jayu off her lap and placed her back on the floor beside the toy.
Her eyes drifted toward the window, watching the way the light hit the glass, before returning to Kara.
"I'll be going soon," she said quietly.
Kara's expression snapped, her eyes widening.
"Ehh?! But..."
Hoshi forced a small, practiced smile as she stood up.
"I have a job, Kara-san. Don't worry. Apart from being the Kunoichi of Nagasaki... I work as a waitress. Of course I need the money."
Kara scrambled to her feet, grabbing Hoshi by the shoulders. Her grip was firm, her eyes sharp and desperate.
"It's not safe! It's..."
"I'll get taken, right?"
Hoshi finished for her. Her voice was calm, but a deep-seated pain hid just beneath the surface.
Kara froze, her hands trembling slightly against Hoshi's shoulders.
"Y-You knew?.."
Hoshi's gaze lowered once more.
"My nee-san was a victim of it... I want to be taken. I need to be taken so I can find her,"
She said, her voice turning firm and unyielding.
"So that's your reason..."
Kara thought, her heart sinking.
"That's why you've been fighting alone all this time."
Kara's eyes widened in horror at the realization of the risk Hoshi was choosing to run. She stepped back, shaking her head sharply.
"T-There must be another way!"
Her voice echoed through the room, filled with raw emotion and the helplessness of someone trying to save a person who refused to stay still.
"Joining this squad could've given me a chance... it is another way,"
Hoshi mused silently. But aloud, she simply sighed, her eyes looking distant and hollow.
"Of course there is another way... but it's just not possible. At least, not anymore."
Kara opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. She wanted to scream, to point out the flaws in the plan, to block the door with her own body if she had to—but she didn't.
She knew this wasn't a decision Hoshi had made lightly. It was a burden years in the making, and Kara realized she couldn't force her to stay.
The silence hung thickly, suffocating the room, until small footsteps rushed forward.
Jayu clung to Hoshi's legs with all her might, her little arms trembling.
"Don't go... Hoshi-nee..."
She whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked up.
Hoshi froze.
Something inside her cracked. She reached down and gently patted the girl's head, her hand trembling as much as her heart. The words cut deeper than any blade.
Hoshi knew that plea too well; she knew exactly how it felt to beg someone not to leave, only to be left behind anyway.
The warmth of her sister's hand was a phantom sensation, a shadow in her memory that she reached for every night.
She knelt down to Jayu's level and pulled her into a gentle, protective hug. Her voice was a bare whisper, intended only for the little girl's ears.
"You're such a brave girl..."
But inside, the kunoichi was screaming.
"I won't let my sister be just a memory too... I can't."
She paused mid-thought.
"I have to carry my own.."
Kara turned away slightly, her hand gripping the edge of the wall until her knuckles turned white.
She couldn't look anymore, because she knew that if Hoshi walked out that window, she might never come back. She took a steadying breath and looked at Hoshi again, her voice soft but steady.
"When will you be going?"
Hoshi glanced away for a moment, then met Kara's eyes.
"I guess... tonight."
She forced another tired smile, one that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes.
"I lost a day at work already. I'll get quite the scolding from my boss."
It was a fragile attempt at humor, a flickering light before the dark. Kara's heart clenched, but she simply nodded.
"Then... I won't be able to play with Hoshi-nee anymore?"
Jayu's small voice broke the quiet once more.
In Hoshi's mind, the words repeated like a fragile, haunting echo.
"Sorry, little one... I'm so sorry."
But she didn't let the apology reach her lips. Her dedication to finding her sister was a silent, unwavering vow. Nothing could stop her now.
Then, a sudden question bubbled up through Hoshi's thoughts.
"Umm, Kara-san?"
"Yeah?"
"How did you hide my identity?"
Hoshi asked, genuinely curious.
Kara blinked, then smiled softly.
"It wasn't me... It was Ayro-san."
Hoshi went quiet, processing the information.
"Maybe I can trust these two... just maybe. That flame boy, though... I'm not so sure about him."
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the room in deep oranges and long shadows, Hoshi gathered her mask and her belongings.
She moved with quiet, deliberate precision, checking her gear one last time.
"Are you really gonna go?"
Kara asked, her voice heavy with the weight of the coming night.
Hoshi stepped closer and, for the last time, gently patted Kara's head.
"Don't worry, Kara-san. We'll still see each other,"
She said, her smile faint but genuine beneath the dark fabric of her mask.
"Bai bai... cya in a bit."
With that, Hoshi opened the door. The door to the boys' room across the hall was slightly ajar, and she felt every pair of eyes inside fix on her. She didn't look back. With her mask on and her gaze cold and determined, she walked calmly down the hall.
She reached the window at the far end, slipped through the frame, and with a fluid, graceful leap, she disappeared into the night.
Kara and Jayu hurried to the window, their footsteps light but urgent. From the height of the building, they watched as Hoshi's figure melted into the shadows, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with effortless skill.
She blended seamlessly with the darkness, a ghost returning to the city that created her.
~~~To be Continued~~~