«Do you have any idea how huge of a favor you're asking me…? Just sitting here with you already puts me at serious risk—never mind if I actually went along with your request,» Vincent Carreaux says, looking Shin straight in the eye.
Vincent is tall and muscular. Fiery red hair, hazel eyes and a stern expression.
He's seated with Shin and Kagura in a private room at a luxurious three-story restaurant in Paris.Though calling it a room doesn't do it justice—Kagura booked the entire third floor to ensure total discretion.
«Oh, come on, my dear Vincent. Don't tell me you're not willing to do a favor for an old friend. Now that you're the director of HESPARC's French division, granting my request should be a walk in the park,» Shin replies.
«You know better than I do what would happen if anyone found out I did something like that.Best-case scenario, I end up like you—Shin Tendo, ex-director of HESPARC's Japanese division. Worst case? They might just bring back the guillotine.»
«If you're just scared of losing your job, that's not a problem!» Kagura cuts in. «I probably don't need to remind you, but I've got more than enough money. I'm already supporting Shin and his son—one more mouth to feed won't change a thing.»
«When you say it like that, it sounds awful, you know? You're making me look like some freeloading hobo…» Shin mutters.
«I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Thanks for the dinner.»
Vincent starts to rise from the table, but Shin stops him. «I figured you'd say that, so I've got another favor—something a little… less compromising.»
«What is it?»
«Your daughter—Chantal Carreaux—is the same age as my Hakuto, if I'm not mistaken, right?»
«Yes, and so?»
«The daughter of HESPARC France's director can't possibly attend a public school. And private schools are pretty expensive these days—especially the prestigious ones.»
«I've told you a thousand times to stop beating around the bush. Get to the point!»
«Alright, alright… you've gotten even gruffer than I remembered, you know…? As a member of the Carreaux family, Chantal is surely following in your footsteps, so… I'd like you to transfer her to the same high school as my son and Kagura's daughters. Of course, room, board, and tuition will all be covered by us. I'm sure Hakuto and Chantal would be thrilled to see each other again after almost six years—and they'd have plenty to learn from each other. Especially with parents like us.»
Vincent slowly sits back down, narrowing his eyes at Shin. «What are you planning?»
Shin smiles. «I'll tell you now.»
♡♡♡
«Sorry to keep you waiting! I found the perfect outfit for your first cooking lesson!»
Yuzu returns—wearing a white kitchen apron. That wouldn't be a problem… if she weren't wearing literally nothing underneath. Most of her huge boobs spill out from the sides, and the apron barely covers anything below. The back completely open.
«W-What kind of outfit is that?!»
«To make sure you stay focused on the lesson and don't get distracted unnecessarily!»
~Stay focused? This is gonna have the exact opposite effect…~
«Anyway! Now we're making omurice—with ketchup and mayo on top! So simple even a three-year-old could cook it!»
Yuzu starts whipping up fresh mayo while Hakuto chops onions beside her at the counter.Surprisingly, things go better than expected. At first.
«Come on, Hakuto! At this rate, we'll be eating omurice for breakfast!»
«I-It's not my fault…!»
Tears pour from Hakuto's eyes. He's never cried this much in sixteen years.
Yuzu sighs. «Let me show you how to slice onions properly.»
—BOING!
Yuzu presses her chest against his back, wrapping her hand over his to guide the knife. The apron is thin. No bra. He can feel everything.
«Y-Yuzu… what are you doing?!»
«Teaching you to cook, duh. What else?»
She's so casual that Hakuto actually starts feeling guilty.
~Wait… is she actually serious this time? So why am I the one thinking dirty stuff?!~
«Big bro, you're hopeless in the kitchen…» Yuzu sighs again. «I'll handle the onions. You whisk the mayo and check the noodles. And don't overcook them! I don't like soft things in my mouth—I prefer them hard.»
«Why do you have to make everything sound so wrong…?!»
«Who said I was talking about cooking?»
«Yuzu…!!»
Hakuto furiously stirs the mayo in a big bowl, eyes burning.
~Damn onions… I can't see a thing!~
«B-Big bro… what did you do…?»
Yuzu's voice comes out soft—almost like a teasing moan.
With a wild flick, Hakuto accidentally flings a blob of mayo right onto her chest and face.The thick white mess drips down between her boobs and under the apron.
«S-Sorry, Yuzu! I didn't mean to! Let me clean it!!»
Still half-blind, he grabs a damp cloth and starts rubbing—fast and hard.
«Oh, Hakuto… so forward. If you keep rubbing like that, I might—aaah…»
«Forward? What—?!»
Only then does Hakuto realize— He's been massaging her boobs. Like crazy. But blinded by onion tears, he didn't notice how intimate everything looked.
Panicking, he stumbles toward the sink and Yuzu casually adjusts her apron, covering herself again like nothing happened.
After Hakuto's cooking fiasco left them with no dinner, takeout was the only option.
«Ugh... is the delivery guy riding a turtle or what?! I'm starving to death here!» Yuzu complains, throwing her arms up like she's in some over-the-top drama.
«Yuzu, it's only 7:30, and the food's supposed to be here by 8. Complaining won't make it come faster!» Rika snaps, clearly irritated.
—DING DONG!
Rika doesn't even finish her sentence before the intercom chimes through the living room.
To stop delivery guys from wasting five minutes walking through the giant garden, the villa has a second entrance on the west side—the only one facing the road. The two intercoms make different sounds, so it's easy to tell whether someone's buzzing from the north side—like Hakuto and Shin did on their first day—or from the delivery entrance.
But that DING DONG isn't from the west. It's from the north.And not from the gate, either—it's from the front door of the house.
Which means whoever rang it had to climb over the gate and walk through the entire garden. They all realize it at the same time.
A moment of silence follows. Hakuto, Rika, and Yuzu exchange confused looks.
«Who could it be at this hour? Maybe Kagura and Shin came back early from their honeymoon?» Yuzu mouths silently.
Hakuto shakes his head.
~It's not them. If it were, they wouldn't need to ring—they have keys. So who the hell could it be...?~
The intercom rings again.
Hakuto gestures silently for the girls to hide. Something about this feels off.
He walks slowly toward the door, each step careful. He gulps, fists clenched, ready to fight if he has to. He leans in, peeks through the peephole, and—
«Itzu…?!» Hakuto exclaims, yanking the door open.
«Yo, Hakotto… bet you didn't see this kind of surprise coming!»
Itzu's grin is way too playful for the moment. It feels completely off—like a clown showing up at a funeral.
«I've told you a million times my name is—» Hakuto stops. «Forget it. What are you doing here? And how did you even get in?»
«Yeah, I'd like to know that too! You do realize this is trespassing, right?!» Rika snaps.She and Yuzu step out of hiding, Rika recognizing Itzu's voice immediately.
«You better have a damn good excuse or I'm calling the cops!» Yuzu adds, phone already in hand.
Itzu raises both hands in surrender, faking a dramatic frown. «Didn't expect such a cold welcome.»
As he says that, blood starts dripping from his right arm. Only now does Hakuto notice the deep cut on Itzu's palm—still bleeding.
«Itzu, what the—» Hakuto freezes.
Itzu's eyes aren't brown anymore. They glow—scarlet red, unnatural.
Hakuto steps back, stunned.
Rika and Yuzu drop to their knees, terrified. They cling to each other like the world just ended.
Itzu mouths something. Then, the blood from his hand begins to float—no longer liquid, but glowing crimson energy. It swirls above his palm… and becomes a sharp rapier. He grabs it like it's nothing.
His smile turns dark. Sadistic. He points the blade at Hakuto's throat.
«I'm here for the Kurotsuki sisters. Play nice, and maybe I'll let you live. I actually like you, no joke. So let's keep it simple: I take the two half-demons behind you, erase your memories, and boom—happily ever after.»
~The two half-demons behind me… Yuzu and Rika… They're demons?!~
«Come on, they're the daughters of one of the richest and most powerful women in Japan. Stuff like this happens all the time. You and your dad inherit the Narkhalis fortune. Sounds like a win-win, right?»
«Hakuto, run! That thing… he's a vampire!» Rika cries, her voice shaking. She clings tightly to Yuzu—who stays completely still, empty-eyed, like her soul already left her body.
~A... vampire?!~
Hakuto stares straight into Itzu's glowing eyes. His expression is firm. «I don't care if they're demons or not. Rika and Yuzu are my sisters. That's all that matters. I won't let you touch them!»
«H-Hakuto, you idiot…!» Rika sobs, her heart pounding—not just from fear, but from his words.Words that hit deeper than she'd like to admit.
Itzu raises his rapier toward the sky. «So, you've chosen death. Too bad for you!»