"Don't worry, it's okay."
After ending the call, Kenji slid his phone into his pocket.
The sky had darkened, and the early moon hung low, its pale surface tinged with an eerie red, as though stained with blood.
Kenji stepped off the train, blending into the evening crowd. He followed the Nakano sisters from a distance, their chatter faintly audible. Despite his casual stride, no one noticed him.
He sighed internally.
It was almost laughable how oblivious they were.
Just then, Kenji noticed a policeman nearby, pushing a white bicycle along the street.
In Japan, such sights were common. Local police often patrolled neighborhoods this way, a method rooted in practicality and transparency. Budget constraints, environmental consciousness, and city congestion all played a part in this tradition.
Kenji's calm demeanor didn't falter under the officer's gaze. His high school uniform and composed expression helped; the policeman soon lost interest and moved on.
Kenji smirked faintly. If he'd shown even the slightest hint of unease, things might've gone differently.
Sometimes, bluffing confidence was key. Even in the face of uncertainty, one had to act as if nothing was wrong.
For example, if a girl at Sobu High forgot to wear certain undergarments, the best way to avoid suspicion was to behave normally. It was the ones who acted awkward or self-conscious that drew attention.
Ahead, the Nakano sisters entered the high-end apartment building they called home. The towering structure loomed against the darkening sky, its lights flickering on floor by floor.
Kenji stopped at the park adjacent to the complex, his gaze following the girls until they disappeared inside.
Their apartment spoke volumes about their family's wealth. Supporting five daughters, especially a foodie like Itsuki, was no small feat.
Sitting on a park bench, Kenji let his thoughts wander.
"So far, the only irregularities involve the Nakano sisters..." he mused.
His eyes shifted to the sky. Above Chiba City, the ominous crack shimmered faintly, like a portal threatening to unleash chaos.
Kenji knew this anomaly wasn't normal. If cracks began appearing outside the city, it would mean the situation had spiraled beyond control.
The thought made his chest tighten.
He recalled the desolate world on the other side of the cracks—ruined cities swallowed by darkness, a perpetual night illuminated only by a haunting blood moon. Skyscrapers lay in shambles, roads split open, and monstrous skeletons loomed over the barren land.
A nuclear wasteland.
The critical point, as he called it, was an apocalyptic mirror of the real world.
Kenji had explored it extensively, finding nothing but ruins across Japan. Even the oceans were lifeless, devoid of any semblance of existence.
Sometimes, he wondered if the critical point was a glimpse of this world's future—a fate sealed by humanity's own recklessness.
His memories of that world were suffocating. The first time he ventured into it, he had barely survived. Alone, wounded, and burdened by the weight of failure, he had confronted horrors beyond comprehension.
How he managed to defeat the Void Demon back then was still a mystery to him.
Shaking off the dark memories, Kenji stood and glanced back at the apartment.
"No more waiting," he muttered.
Just as he stepped out of the park, a cheerful voice called out.
"Kenji-kun!"
Startled, he turned to see Yotsuba bounding toward him, her green bunny-ear headband bouncing with each step.
Her energy was contagious, her radiant smile lighting up the dim surroundings.
With a playful hop, she landed in front of him, her skirt fluttering briefly, revealing a flash of her thighs before settling.
"Hi!" she greeted, her hands on her hips.
Kenji blinked. "Yotsuba? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, so you were following us!" she teased, leaning in with a knowing smirk.
"..."
How is she this perceptive?
Kenji cleared his throat, choosing to ignore her remark. "Actually, I need your help with something."
Yotsuba blinked in surprise but quickly recovered. Placing a hand on her chest, she declared, "If it's Kenji-kun asking, I'll do my best!"
That was... too easy.
Kenji raised an eyebrow. "You're not even going to ask what I need help with?"
She tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"What if I wanted help with something... inappropriate?" he asked, his tone dipping ominously.
Yotsuba's face turned crimson. She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest.
"J-Just to be clear," she stammered, "those kinds of things are off-limits!"
Kenji suppressed a chuckle. "What kind of things, exactly?"
"Y-you know... those things!" she spluttered, avoiding his gaze.
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yotsuba, you know a lot more than you let on."
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red as she covered it with her hands. "I-I don't know anything!"
Kenji sighed, shaking his head. She really was something else.