Ryo sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by shadows and tension. The underground organization he worked for had given him a new assignment—one that required every ounce of his focus and precision. He hadn't been to the ramen shop in over a month, and though he had thought about Hana more times than he cared to admit, he couldn't afford the distraction.
His phone vibrated quietly in his pocket. He didn't have to look to know who it was. Hana's name flashed across the screen. A surge of guilt tightened his chest. He had seen her messages—each one more desperate than the last. "Are you okay?" "Hope you're doing well." And the last one, a simple, heartbreaking, "Please just reply."
But Ryo couldn't bring himself to respond. It wasn't that he didn't want to. It was just that he couldn't. The world he was involved in was dark, dangerous, and full of people who wouldn't hesitate to kill to protect their secrets. If Hana knew what he did for a living, if she knew the kind of people he was involved with, she'd never look at him the same way again. And he couldn't bear the thought of losing her, even if it meant staying silent.
His fingers hovered over the phone screen, but he quickly locked it and shoved it into his pocket. There was no time for distractions, no time for messages or sweet moments. He had a job to do. The debt collection wasn't going to handle itself.
Ryo stood up and adjusted his jacket, the weight of his concealed weapon pressing against his side. He had been tasked with collecting a debt from a business owner who had fallen behind on payments—payments that were supposed to be paid to the organization. Failure to pay meant consequences, and Ryo knew better than anyone how unforgiving the underworld could be.
He entered the dark alleyway, meeting a few associates who had been following the debtor. "He's supposed to be at the warehouse," one of them murmured. "We don't expect any problems, but you never know."
Ryo gave a small nod, signaling for the others to lead the way. His mind wasn't entirely on the mission, though. It kept drifting back to Hana. He wondered what she was doing, if she was still waiting for him to reply, if she was still thinking about him.
But the moment they reached the warehouse, all thoughts of Hana disappeared. The cold, calculating part of him took over as he assessed the situation. The business owner was inside, surrounded by armed men. They had no intention of paying, and Ryo's job was to make sure they understood what would happen if they didn't.
As he moved swiftly, expertly taking out a few of the men who tried to resist, Ryo felt the familiar rush of adrenaline, the focus that came with the work he had done for years. But in the back of his mind, Hana's face lingered. He couldn't forget her.
After the job was done and the money had been secured, Ryo found himself back in his car, staring out into the empty street. His phone buzzed again. Hana. Another message.
He opened it, reading her words. "I just miss you. Please come back to the shop soon."
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. He clenched his fists, torn between the two worlds he was trying so desperately to keep separate. He couldn't risk exposing the dangerous side of himself, not when it meant losing her forever.
With a sigh, he put the phone down again, the weight of his choices pressing down on him. He was trapped—trapped in a life he had never wanted, but couldn't escape. And as long as he was in this world, he couldn't let Hana get too close. It was safer for her this way.
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that no matter how much he tried to distance himself, the pull to Hana was stronger than anything else. He was afraid that one day, she might find out the truth. And when that day came, would she still look at him the same way?