"Haruto?" Hina asked, her tone almost confused.
"I don't think that's possible. Haruto isn't stupid enough to show himself at school," Akira added, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Yes. It was definitely him. I saw him at school, and I even talked to him," Kai said, his voice firm.
Hina stared at him for a few moments, her expression almost incredulous, as if her boyfriend had said something absurd.
"Kai, are you sure?" Hina asked.
Kai nodded his head multiple times, more certain with each nod.
"But I'm not sure if it's the same Haruto… this one was completely different," Kai said, remembering the scene on the rooftop vividly, the way Haruto stood there like a shadow from the past.
Hina and Akira exchanged worried glances, the air between them heavy with concern, before they looked back at Kai.
"So? What happened?" Akira asked, her voice more serious now.
Kai took a deep breath, trying to recall every little detail of their encounter, his hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
"Well, it was… a random meeting. I had gone up to the school's rooftop to get some air, and I saw him standing there, still, like he was waiting for someone," Kai said, his voice cold as he touched his chin, the memory making his stomach tighten.
Akira and Hina listened intently, their focus unwavering, not missing a single word.
"Then, he started talking to me like nothing had changed. He acted the same as always, asked why I'd been absent." Kai continued, but there was an edge to his voice, a slight tremor that betrayed his discomfort.
"And… how did you react?" Hina asked, her worry showing in the way her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"I played it cool. I didn't let him suspect anything, especially that I'd been involved in Yuna's kidnapping just days before," Kai answered.
Hina's eyes widened, not expecting such quick thinking from Kai. Maybe she had underestimated him.
"Keep talking, Kai. I need to know everything," Hina said, her tone almost demanding now.
Akira, meanwhile, leaned back slightly, picking up her glass of water, her eyes never leaving Kai's face as he spoke.
"The Haruto I saw in front of me was different. He didn't have any scars, not on his arms, not on his face. He looked just like the Haruto from our group of friends, the one I grew up with." Kai began to sway slightly in his chair, as if the weight of the memories was pulling him down.
"What else? What happened next?" Akira asked, sipping her water, her gaze sharp.
Kai glanced toward her and continued.
"That Haruto seemed like he was trying to get somewhere, like he wanted to provoke a reaction from me. His tone was different, too… cold, calculating. He mentioned meeting Hana and Hiro, like he was fishing for a reaction, trying to see if I had been involved in Yuna's kidnapping. At least, that's the feeling I got," Kai said, his tone direct, almost as if he was speaking to himself.
Akira chuckled teasingly, clapping her hands a couple of times as if congratulating Kai for his awareness.
"Well done, kid. I think I underestimated you. Your instincts are sharper than I thought," she said, her tone proud.
Hina continued to listen, silently, knowing there was more to the story.
Kai was taken aback by Akira's reaction, not expecting praise from her. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"And then? How did it end?" Akira asked, her curiosity piqued.
Kai cleared his throat before continuing.
"He said Hana told him about Yuna's kidnapping, but he didn't believe her since there was no news coverage about it and because Yuna was still attending school. It was like he was trying to get under my skin, but I stayed calm, pretended like nothing was wrong, until Naomi interrupted and dragged me off to the principal," Kai said, letting out a small sigh, finally feeling a sense of relief after recounting the events.
There was a brief silence, the tension in the room almost palpable, before Hina finally spoke, having processed everything.
"I think I understand the situation now," Hina said, standing up from her chair.
"What do you mean, Hina?" Kai asked, looking up at her, his brow furrowed with confusion.
"We're being watched. And Haruto knows that as long as he's standing in front of us at school, no one can touch him—not us, not the police. It was a smart move," Hina explained, her tone sharp, calculating.
"First of all, don't fool yourself. Your friend and that criminal are the same person, and Haruto's playing dirty. He's keeping us under surveillance until he finds the perfect moment to strike," Akira added, her voice colder now. "And he probably knows about my desertion, too."
Kai still couldn't fully grasp what Haruto's endgame was, so he asked Hina, hoping she could provide some clarity.
"Hina, can I ask… what's Haruto's goal? Why would he want to keep us under surveillance?"
Hina's eyes locked onto Kai's, her gaze intense.
"Very simple, darling. He wants to become the head of the Kobayashi Dragons, and he needs me to do it because I know every single secret, every loophole in that criminal organization," Hina said, her voice icy, almost angry.
"And it's not just that. He wants control over all criminal operations, to build an empire. I used to be part of his 'rebel squad.' He promised us the world… but it was all smoke and mirrors. I realized that when he left me to fight alone against Hina. I was just a sacrificial pawn," Akira added, her fists tightening as she spoke, the anger in her voice barely restrained.
Kai felt the pieces of the puzzle starting to come together, the weight of the answers almost crushing him, but there was still one more question burning in his mind.
"Hina, how did you and Haruto go to the same school for all this time?" he asked, confused.
"The answer is simple, love," Hina said with a bitter smile on her face. "Both of us wanted to escape that life. We tried for a while, but he fell back into it. And he's always used the school as a cover. From the start, I told him to leave me out of his schemes, that if he ever tried to drag me back in, I'd hurt him badly."
"I see…" Kai murmured, rubbing his chin.
It was starting to make sense now. In hindsight, Haruto's distant behavior after seeing Hina with Kai seemed logical.
But another question surfaced in his mind.
"And why didn't he just go after me directly? Wouldn't it have been easier to kidnap me?" Kai asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
Hina raised an eyebrow and then answered.
"And that's exactly what he did, Kai," Hina said, her voice turning cold.
Kai blinked, confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Haruto lured you in like a mouse using your friends. His goal was to get you in a certain place to kidnap you himself, but he miscalculated the timing because I had already anticipated his plan," Hina explained.
"And most importantly, he couldn't just grab you out of nowhere. Not with parents as important as yours. It would be found out immediately, and he'd be in serious trouble," she added.
The information was overwhelming for Kai.
"In short, his plan was to forcefully recruit you so he could manipulate Hina. But since that failed, now he's trying to figure out if you were involved in Yuna's kidnapping," Akira said, her voice cold, her words precise.
Kai's heart sank at the thought.
"And… what would he have done if he knew?" Kai asked, his voice trembling slightly with fear.
"He would have manipulated and threatened you, probably tried to frame you for some scandal. Criminals do that all the time," Hina replied.
Kai realized he had played things well, and he let out a sigh of relief, but his relief was short-lived.
"So what should we do now?" he asked, taking a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
Hina sat back down and spoke in a calmer tone.
"We have to act like nothing's wrong, even though I'd love to take him out. I'm sure he's planning something for the festival. We need to watch everything from the sidelines and figure out his next move," Hina said, her voice filled with icy resolve.
"And… what about Yuna and Naomi? Hiro and Hana?" Kai asked, his voice almost pleading.
"Yuna and Naomi will be protected by Sakura. As for Hana and Hiro… who are they?" Akira asked.
"They're my childhood friends. We need to protect them, too. I don't want them to get caught up in this," Kai said, sadness creeping into his voice.
"It's too late, Kai. No one gets out of this without getting hurt. This is real life, not some movie," Hina said bluntly, her coldness cutting through any hope Kai had left.
Her words weren't what he wanted to hear, but he knew deep down that she was right.
Kai bit his lower lip, clenching his fists for a few moments before calming down.
Now, Haruto could strike at anyone to hurt him.
The situation was growing tighter, more dangerous with every passing moment.
Kai took a deep breath, trying to digest Hina's cold words.
It was the truth, no matter how much he wished otherwise.
His friends, the people he cared about, were in danger, and he was powerless to stop it.
Akira tapped her fingers on the table, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.
"So, what's the plan then? We can't just sit around and wait for Haruto to make his move," Akira said, her voice sharp and filled with impatience.
Hina nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing in thought.
"For now, we gather information. We need to figure out exactly what Haruto's planning for the festival. There are a lot of questions without a proper answer and I can't prevent everything." Hina said, her voice steady, though there was a hint of frustration in her tone.
Kai looked at her, concern written all over his face.
He had to learn about a lot of things from her.
He wasn't ready for that life… but he was so determined to protect his friends… and Hina.
So, with a rapid movement, he stood up and looked at Hina with a very high intensity in his eyes.
"Hina, I'll protect my friends and you, no matter the cost. I promise to be a man worthy of you." He said, with a very direct voice.
His sentence actually a very strong effect on Hina.
Her eyes widened in surprise since she had never seen her boyfriend so determined.
Akira was also surprised.
Hina then smiled mischievously at her boyfriend.
"I know you will, Darling~" she whispered in a low voice.
The next day , would've been the first of many…