The bald man gave her a soft smile as he approached.
"Ma'am?... Are you okay?"
Hoshi trembled slightly, her voice unsteady as she kept her eyes fixed on the pavement.
"Y-yeah... so-sorry about that..."
The man tilted his head, studying her awkward posture.
"Eh... You've been staring at the ground this whole time. I thought you hurt your neck or something."
"N-no... I-I'm okay... I'm gonna go now!"
Without waiting for a response, Hoshi quickened her pace.
But the tall, bald man casually followed, keeping up with her stride.
"Hey? Ain't that a bit rushed? Why don't we take a moment to get to know each other?"
Hoshi clenched her teeth, her walking turning into a near power-walk as he stayed by her side.
"How about no, sir! Now stop walking with me!"
The man chuckled, still walking beside her.
"Oh come on... No need to be so—"
Suddenly, Hoshi stopped and snapped, raising her voice.
"Shut up! I have a boyfriend! I'll scream if you don't leave me alone!"
The man froze in place as Hoshi stormed ahead, her steps heavy with frustration.
"It's that man... Nee-san..."
She bit her lip as the frustration simmered in her chest.
[Minato Park, Nagasaki]
"Ugh! It's hot!!"
Once again, Itoshi's familiar groaning echoed as the group hung out beneath a wide tree in Minato Park.
The morning sun was barely up, but the heat was already bothering him. Around the table sat Kirashi, Aldrin, Kara, and Jayu, enjoying their breakfast.
Itoshi slumped over the table dramatically.
"Koya! Sit properly! That's super rude while we're eating!"
Kara crossed her arms and gave him a small glare.
Jayu joined in with the small scolding.
"You're setting a bad example, Onii-tan!"
"Mmmm... I don't care... I just wanna sleep. You guys eat faster... I'm suffering here..."
Kara huffed, cheeks puffing out as she scolded him.
"Honestly! You always act like you're melting every morning!"
Aldrin teased.
"He's like a candle, Kara-san. As soon as the sun comes up, he starts drooping."
The table chuckled.
Kirashi joined in with the endless teasing.
"Maybe if you didn't sneak into the girls' room last night just to kidnap Jayu like some weird sleepy bandit, you'd actually get some rest."
Kirashi suddenly stopped chuckling when Itoshi stood up without warning. Before anyone could react, Itoshi grabbed his cup of water and splashed it right into Kirashi's face.
There was a brief pause as everyone stared.
Then, with water dripping from his cheeks, Itoshi pulled the sides of his mouth wide with his fingers, sticking out his tongue.
"BLEH!"
Kirashi shot up from his seat.
"WHAT THE HELL!?"
But before he could do anything, Itoshi spun around and started dancing in place, taunting him.
Kirashi's frustration boiled over.
"Damn you, wait!!"
He lunged after him, chasing Itoshi like a pair of children let loose from school.
Meanwhile, Kara facepalmed as Aldrin and Jayu watched.
"It's so hard to get a normal morning..."
The two weaved through the crowd of early parkgoers, Itoshi laughing wildly while Kirashi tried to catch him.
"OI! WAIT!"
"Haha! Catch me if you can!"
Focused on teasing Kirashi, Itoshi kept glancing backward, not watching where he was going. Suddenly, his shoulder slammed into someone—a tall man walking steadily through the crowd.
"Ah! Sorry, sir!"
Kirashi finally caught up, giving him a light but firm bonk on the head.
"Damn you!"
The tall figure turned toward them calmly.
He wore a black coat, his long black hair falling just above his shoulders. But it was his eyes — cyan, dull, almost lifeless — that made both of them freeze momentarily.
"No... It's alright."
His gaze settled on Kirashi.
"Ah... You're from Squad Segment 663, right?"
"Yes! I am!"
Kirashi replied with pride in his tone.
"Ah... I see..."
Without hesitation, the man seized Kirashi's ear and yanked him forward, forcing their eyes to meet. His breath was cold and steady, the kind that made Kirashi's skin crawl.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!"
Itoshi barked.
The man's voice dropped into a sharp, venomous whisper.
"Your squad is a fucking disgrace to this organization... You're parasites in U.W.D.S. Unwanted. Unworthy."
His fingers dug tighter into Kirashi's ear, almost as if testing how much pain he could inflict before it snapped.
"Damn you! Let go!"
Kirashi blew a sharp burst of wind at the man's head. But the man swayed back like it was nothing. No tension. No effort. His pale cyan eyes remained wide open — glassy, dead, but terrifyingly focused. Unmoving.
The sounds of the park faded under the pressure of his gaze. Only the dull pulse of fear remained.
Itoshi took a tense step forward, fists clenching instinctively.
"The hell's wrong with this guy...?"
The tall man stared deeper into Kirashi's eyes as he muttered with a faint, disappointed growl:
"Tch... I guess that flame user is not here."
Itoshi stiffened, his breath caught for a moment.
"He's looking for me..."
The man's free hand hovered slightly — as if he was debating whether to escalate further — but after a brief pause, he finally released Kirashi's ear.
"Sooner or later... you'll see where you truly belong."
Straightening his coat, he stepped back into the passing crowd. Even as people passed between them, his dead, cyan stare lingered on them like a shadow that refused to leave.
For several seconds, neither Kirashi nor Itoshi said a word.
"...What the hell was that..."
Itoshi whispered quietly, just loud enough for Kirashi to hear.
Kirashi exhaled sharply, trying to shake off the unsettling weight still pressing on his chest.
The pair quietly made their way back to Minato Park, their playful energy completely gone.
Itoshi and Kirashi rarely felt fear — not like this. That man's presence had shaken something inside them. Both tried to shake it off, but the weight still clung to their shoulders.
"Hmm?... Are you guys okay?.."
Aldrin asked, one brow raised, tone still teasing.
They sat back down with the others, but neither spoke. Instead, both of them simply stared at Aldrin in silence, their eyes distant, still replaying the encounter.
"E-eh?.. Did... something happen?"
Kara tilted her head, noticing their mood instantly.
"You two were just chasing each other like kids a moment ago... What's wrong?"
Suddenly, Itoshi slammed his fist down on the table, making everyone flinch.
"Damn!"
He growled through clenched teeth, his breathing uneven.
"What the hell is up with that guy?!"
His hands trembled slightly as he stared at them, unable to fully control the shaking.
"H-His... what is that darkness he's carrying...?!"
The group went completely silent. The atmosphere shifted from concern to something far heavier.
Kirashi lowered his head, his jaw tight.
"I-It felt like... like he was staring right into my soul..."
His fists clenched tightly.
"It was frustrating... suffocating... How did he do that?!"
A heavy pause followed. Even Kara and Aldrin couldn't find any words to answer.
The cheerful morning was gone. Only an unsettling silence remained.
Then.. A familiar voice broke the silence, it was their leader, Ryujin.
"Hmm?... What's happening?.."
Ryujin and Ayro approached, noticing the heavy air around the table. The others shrugged slightly, while Itoshi and Kirashi still sat stiff, trembling slightly.
Kirashi quickly turned toward Ryujin, his voice still shaky.
"Ryujin! There was a weird man! He carried the insignia of UWDS!"
"Hmm?.."
Ayro hummed.
"We had an encounter with this man... He's a bit taller than Ayro-san, black hair, and cyan eyes... Dead cyan eyes... Behind his coat, "U.W.D.S." was written."
Ayro furrowed his brow slightly, his relaxed posture straightening a bit.
"Cyan eyes?"
Kirashi nodded quickly, still unsettled.
Ryujin's eyes suddenly widened, the color draining slightly from his face as he recognized who they meant.
"Shit! Where is that man right now?!"
Itoshi replied, low tone.
"He walked away from here."
Ryujin's jaw tightened. Without wasting a second, he tapped his comms, voice sharp and authoritative.
"Dispatch, this is Ryujin. Send UWDS SUVs to Minato Park immediately. Extract squad Segment 663."
The others exchanged worried glances as Ryujin's gaze remained fixed, steely and alert.
[Boys Room]
Back in the cramped boys' room of the JAL apartments, the squad retreated, still shaken from the encounter.
They gathered once more in a tight circle, Ryujin standing rigid in the center, the weight of the moment pressing down on everyone.
"So?.. Who was that man...?"
Itoshi asked.
Ryujin took a slow, deep breath, his eyes scanning the room.
"Itoshi... you need to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."
The pressure in the room thickened, nearly suffocating. Even Itoshi, usually loud and brash, felt the crushing weight of Ryujin's tone.
"That man you met... he's a Neck."
A stunned silence fell over the group.
"A Neck is someone who could become a Skull of this organization sooner or later."
Shock rippled across every face.
"He's also... the man you will have to surpass."
His voice dropped, grave and resolute.
"The First Potential Flame Prodigy... Ryo-Ryo Mukori."
The name hung in the air like a shadow.
Kara's eyes narrowed slightly, her usual confident demeanor flickering with a rare softness.
"Ryo-Ryo Mukori..."
She repeated the name quietly, as if tasting the weight behind it.
Her gaze shifted from Ryujin to Itoshi and Kirashi.
"If he's the one you have to surpass, then this isn't just about strength or skill."
Ryujin continued, he folded his arms, his voice steady but serious.
"It's about surviving the shadow he casts — and making sure none of us get lost in it."
His words hung heavy in the room, a silent reminder of the stakes they all faced.
"He must've come here after seeing your trend... Itoshi."
Ryujin continued, his voice was low, heavy with warning.
"Your Scarecrow got his attention... That can only mean one thing—he's protecting his throne. Whatever happens, Itoshi, avoid that man at all costs."
He paused, with slight regret in his tone.
"I forgot to consider about him... Damn it."
"But what about the missions?!"
Itoshi asked as he shot up from his seat.
"You stand back for now, if you want to survive."
He met Itoshi's fierce gaze without flinching.
"I'm sure he's looking for you. He'll be waiting in the crowds when a Seele attacks. He'll take his chance then."
"What the hell am I supposed to do then?! Just stand back?!"
Ryujin let out a deep sigh, the weight of the situation clearly pressing down on him.
"Yes."
"B-But what about the Seele?!"
"We'll find a way."
Ryujin replied, but his tone not so confident.
Itoshi's fists clenched, his voice cracking with determination.
"N-No... I can't just wait here and do nothing. I have to prove them wrong, right?!"
At that moment, Ayro stepped forward calmly.
"Indeed... And Ryo's going to stop you from doing just that."
He fixed Itoshi with a steady look.
"A lot of eyes are on you, Itoshi. If you show up and he unleashes his flame... That could mean..."
"People will think... all flame gifted are the same ruthless killers.."
Kara concluded.
Ryujin nods, arms crossed.
"Precisely. Ryo does not care about his reputation.. Even if he does something wrong, The media will change it anyways.. His goals are exact opposite of us.. So we must avoid him at all cost."
Ayro let out a slow, heavy sigh, his voice low and resigned.
"I guess... we really are going to leave Nagasaki after all."
Ryujin's gaze was firm, unwavering.
"For now... we'll continue the normal cycle. But I won't allow you on the field, Itoshi."
Itoshi clenched his fists tightly, his eyes locked on the floor, teeth grinding as frustration and helplessness churned inside him.
Later that evening, after everyone had finished dinner and settled into their rooms, Kara sat on Jayu's bed, reading her favorite storybook.
Jayu clutched Kara's teddy bear tightly, eyes wide with wonder.
A sudden knock at the door made Kara pause.
"Hold on, Jayu-chan... let me get it. Coming!"
She hurried to the door, leaving Jayu sitting quietly on the bed.
Kara opened the door, her face illuminated by the hallway light.
"Hoshi-sa!—... an?"
Her cheerful greeting faltered, replaced by a flicker of concern.
There stood Hoshi, dressed in her usual clothes, but with her hoodie pulled low, shadows hiding her eyes beneath the fabric.
The warm moment shifted, an unspoken tension filling the doorway.
~~~To be Continued~~~