After being "forcibly" dragged away by Hina, a strange heaviness settled in Kai's chest.
Not just confusion. Not just tension.
Worry.
And that nagging sensation again—like they weren't alone. Like someone was watching them.
Before they even started walking, Hina leaned in close and whispered something cold and sharp in his ear.
"Follow me. Play along. And don't ask stupid questions."
Her voice wasn't annoyed or teasing—it was flat. Professional. Like an undercover agent on a mission.
Kai didn't react. He didn't nod. He didn't even blink.
He just let his expression go blank, like someone who had no idea what was going on. The face of an idiot. Or rather, someone normal.
Then, without warning, Hina grabbed him by the wrist.
Not his hand—his wrist.
And she started walking.
No—marching.
Her pace was fast, almost furious, and her grip was like steel.
Tight enough to cut off his circulation.
"Why the wrist and not the hand?" Kai wondered as he struggled to keep up. "Geez... she's really strong."
He tried to match her steps, but her stride was too quick, too determined.
There was something anxious in how she moved, something urgent.
It left Kai unsure whether she was just acting—or if this was something serious.
"Hina—ow—Hina, you're hurting me! Slow down a little!" Kai said, panting, trying to keep his balance.
She didn't even look back.
"Shut up and walk," she snapped, her tone low and threatening.
And just like that, Kai went silent.
She had that effect on people.
Step after step, Kai realized something else—Hina wasn't taking him home.
They were going the opposite direction.
He frowned, glancing at the streets around them.
This part of town wasn't exactly unfamiliar, but it definitely wasn't the way back to his place.
"Where the hell is she taking me…?" he thought.
But he already knew that asking such a question to his girlfriend would've been useless.
She wouldn't have listened to him or she would've only gave him a deadly glance.
Hina was clearly in control, as always.
As they moved through the neighborhood, Kai noticed something else—people were staring.
Not all of them, but enough to make him uncomfortable.
Pedestrians paused mid-step.
Some turned their heads and whispered.
A few looked away quickly, pretending not to notice.
The kind of reaction you'd give when witnessing something unusual, maybe even a little frightening.
And it looked weird, didn't it?
A teenage girl dragging her boyfriend by the wrist like a hostage.
Kai sighed under his breath.
And yet, that feeling of being watched hadn't gone away. If anything, it was growing stronger.
There were eyes on them.
Not curious pedestrians.
Someone else.
Someone… trailing them.
Kai didn't dare look directly behind him. But he caught shadows shifting in reflections. Footsteps that didn't belong.
He felt it.
Someone was following at a distance.
He tried not to panic.
He kept walking.
After nearly ten more minutes, they reached the edge of the commercial district—where the streets got wider and emptier.
That's when Hina suddenly veered off the main sidewalk and headed toward a taxi stand tucked in a side alley near a closed pharmacy.
Kai glanced around.
There weren't many people here.
"We need that one," Hina said, nodding toward a lone taxi parked at the far end of the street.
Kai followed her without protest.
As they neared, Hina knocked on the window—three quick taps.
The driver's window slid down smoothly.
And inside, to Kai's utter shock, was an old man with slicked-back white hair and a very recognizable mustache.
It was Yuto.
The same man who had once taken Kai and Sakura to her underground hideout.
He didn't say a word.
He just gave a subtle nod and unlocked the doors.
Without hesitation, Hina yanked open the back door and shoved Kai in—less violently this time.
She slid in beside him and only then released his wrist.
Kai winced and rubbed his arm, but didn't complain.
The interior of the car smelled faintly of antiseptic and leather.
Cold. Clean. Controlled.
And then he noticed the person sitting in the passenger seat.
A girl with short, messy blue hair, dressed in casual clothes—hoodie, ripped jeans, and headphones around her neck.
Her eyes were a piercing ice-blue, but , despite she was a stranger, there was a strange familiarity to the young Kai.
He blinked, not recognizing her outright, but something about her presence triggered a memory just out of reach.
Then she turned around in her seat, leaned on the headrest, and smirked at him.
"Oh hey, lovebirds. Took you long enough," she said with a teasing tone. "Kai, you seemed to be having so much fun playing the popular boy back there."
"Not now , Akira. There's no time. We need to go away from here" Hina said, with a very serious voice.
"Jeez, come on, let me tease this boy." Akira replied with a sigh.
Kai's mouth opened.
Then shut.
Then opened again.
"…Akira?!" he said, his voice jumping half an octave. "Wait—you're Akira?! What the hell happened to you?!"
She laughed.
"A good soldier knows how to blend in, remember?" she said with a wink.
Gone was the eyepatch.
Gone was the scar.
It was like looking at a different person.
But Kai could feel it.
It was still her.
The energy, the confidence—that glint in her eye.
"You—You don't even look like you," he said, stunned.
"Good," she said smugly. "That means the disguise worked."
Hina didn't say a word.
She was staring straight ahead, tense.
She finally spoke up, her voice low and serious. "Akira, I'm not gonna speak again, no more jokes. We need to leave. Now."
Yuto raised his eyebrows slightly, then gave a nod and started the engine.
The car eased forward, then picked up speed as it took a quick left, heading for the highway out of town.
As the city lights began to fade behind them, Kai glanced at the rearview mirror.
There was no one behind them.
But somehow, he didn't feel safe yet.
"Are we… going to Sakura's place?" he asked cautiously.
No one answered.
But he already knew.
That was the only place left where any of this might start to make sense.
And yet, somewhere in his chest, Kai had the creeping sense that the road ahead would only get darker.
He looked out the window, the night sky passing in a blur.
While he was daydreaming, a clicking sound caught his attention.
Kai moved his eyes towards Hina and noticed something... not that beautiful.
His eyes widened.
Hina was holding a gun.
A pistol, to be specific.
She had just reloaded it.
Moreover, she looked like she liked what she saw.
"H-Hina, what's this?" Kai asked, with a shaky voice.
"A Glock-17. Can't you see?" Hina said, with a very "innocent" voice while showing the weapon to him.
"Why do you have a gun? And why did you just pull it out now?" Kai asked, with anxiety in his voice.
"You'll find out very soon, darling." Hina replied.
"Oh... shit." Kai repeated in his mind, while moving his glance towards the window again.