NOVPUBDr. Hana Watanabe turned her attention to Haruto, her eyes lighting up in recognition. Dressed in her white coat, she looked every bit the dedicated doctor she was.
"Oh, Haruto Hayase! We meet again—what a surprise." She smiled brightly but quickly refocused on Rin, her expression turning serious.
"I told you not to move! You need to continue with your treatment!"
Watanabe scolded, gripping Rin's hand as she fixed the IV. The blood had started to rise into the tube, making her panic.
"Why would I?" Rin scoffed. "I'm going to die anyway. I might as well do something useful before that happens."
The two launched into a heated argument while, nearby, Asuka shot Haruto a sharp glare, arms crossed.
Her body language demanded an explanation—who was this doctor, and how did he know her?
Haruto placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She was my psychiatrist when I was a child," he admitted.
Asuka's expression softened slightly, but before she could probe further, Haruto shifted the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"About the bodyguards—you can hire new ones if you want, but I still hope my friends can be involved too."
His voice was firm, almost pleading. "I promise they're trustworthy. They won't betray us or become moles."
"He's right," Enji chimed in, arms folded across his chest. "This is a gang problem. Red Fang broke our agreement—there has to be consequences."
"Damn right!" Arataki added, a dangerous grin on his face. "No one lays a hand on one of ours and gets away with it."
But Haruto had a different plan.
"You won't need to move just yet," he said, his voice steady. "Old Futto told me—the data is ready."
Enji and Arataki exchanged looks of realization before Arataki grinned wider. "So, we're moving to the next phase?"
"Exactly." Haruto's gaze sharpened. "It's time to finally go for Ren's throat."
Determination flared between them. Months of planning, of suffering, of waiting—it was all about to pay off.
Asuka let out a sigh, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Fine. But I don't want a house too far from the city. I still have work to do."
Haruto shook his head. "No. You need to take a break—at least until I make sure everything is in place. Until I know for certain that none of you are in danger."
His fists clenched, jaw tightening.
"I won't make the same mistake again."
This time, he would be prepared. No more miscalculations, no more oversights.
The only ones who would suffer—would be his enemies.
Asuka shook her head, sighing. "Haruto… don't be reckless. You only have one life." She stepped closer, cupping his face gently between her hands.
"Don't forget—there are people who love you, waiting for you to come home." She pinched his cheek, making him chuckle.
"You're talking like I'm never coming back." He grinned, full of confidence. "I won't lose, Asuka. I won't."
His unwavering certainty only made her more annoyed. With a scoff, she pinched his nose.
Haruto flinched. "Aww! If you're that worried, you should just kiss me instead!"
"Tch, you really are an annoying brat!" Asuka pouted, playfully smacking his head before breaking into laughter.
"Man, I'm jealous," Enji sighed dramatically. "I wish a strong, independent alpha woman would love me." He winked at Rin, who merely rolled her eyes in response.
Rin smirked. "And what about me, then? I'm coming with you guys, right? We're all screwed anyway—one big package deal."
"No, you're staying in the hospital!" Watanabe snapped, unwilling to back down.
Rin let out a frustrated sigh. "You know my survival chances are only five percent, even with chemo, right? Just let me go." She grabbed Watanabe's hand, her gaze firm.
"You always said I've never done anything useful in my life. Well, this is my chance—maybe the only one I'll ever have."
Determination burned in her eyes. "Let me go."
Watanabe's face darkened, exhaustion seeping into her features. "Do you think Keiko would be happy seeing you like this?"
Rin froze, her fingers loosening around Watanabe's hand. Her expression twisted for just a moment before she scoffed.
"She'd welcome me in heaven. Or hell. Whichever one exists."
"Either way, this isn't your business." Her tone turned cold. "You might've been Keiko's stepsister, but you mean nothing to me. So just get the hell out of here."
Watanabe sighed heavily. Rin always lashed out when she was cornered, but it didn't make her words hurt any less.
"Then let me come with you," Watanabe said, her decision firm. She turned to Haruto. "You said you needed a safe house, right? Let me join you."
Enji, ever the opportunist, immediately stepped forward. "Of course, Doctor! You're more than welcome."
He extended his hand. "I'm Enji Miyamura. Just call me Enji—I'm the leader."
Everyone in the room, except Ayaka—who was still resting—and Watanabe, rolled their eyes. Enji truly had no shame.
With everything settled, Watanabe decided to leave. Watching her go, Haruto knew this was the perfect chance to ask about his past—about the mental illness and treatments he had undergone as a child.
After his conversation with Ayaka, he was sure he had become a different person. But why? What had changed him?
As Watanabe exited the room, Haruto followed, matching her pace.
"Dr. Watanabe." He greeted her cautiously. "Can we talk for a bit?"
She came to a stop, her red heels clicking against the floor as she turned to face him.
"Oh my, Hayase." She smiled. "I'm actually really busy today. Why don't we talk when we're in the same house? We'll have plenty of time then, right?"
"I see…" He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to mask his disappointment. "Sorry for bothering you."
"No, it's fine." Her smile softened. "I'm just glad to see you living a normal life now. Goodbye, Hayase. Let's talk again later."
She gave his shoulder a light pat before walking away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Haruto sighed, rubbing his temples. 'For now, I can't just make random guesses… though it's probably because of the medication.'
'Maybe I was a psychopath in the past or something?' He rubbed his chin before shrugging it off. 'She'll answer me later. For now, I need to focus on what's in front of me.'
With that, he headed back to Ayaka's room. She was already awake, speaking to Asuka in an apologetic tone, though Asuka simply dismissed it.
"This isn't your fault," Asuka said flatly. "It's Haruto's. I'll just blame him."
Haruto let out an awkward laugh at that. But seeing Asuka, Ayaka, and Mari together in the same room—peaceful, without arguments or tension—filled him with hope.
A future where they could all be together without drama or fights… Maybe it wasn't so impossible.
Then his eyes widened. 'Wait… I feel like I forgot about someone…'
'Ah! Right, Haruka!'
He facepalmed and quickly checked his phone. It was already 9 PM, but there were no messages or calls from her.
'She's probably still at cram school,' he reasoned, sighing in relief.
Haruto turned to Enji. "I need to borrow your car to pick up my sis.'
Enji tossed him the keys without hesitation. "Sure, but don't you dare do anything dirty in my car." He shot Haruto with a sharp glare.
Haruto nodded, unbothered.
***
Haruka stepped out of cram school, hugging herself against the sharp bite of the early winter wind.
Thankfully, Chiyo had prepared her a thick jacket and scarf, saving her from freezing.
She decided to check on her phone since it kept vibrating nonstop when she was still studying. She frowned upon seeing several missed calls and messages from Chiyo.
Her eyes widened as she read the last message.
'Don't come home.'
'What?' She scratched her head in confusion.
'Why? Then where am I supposed to go?'
Before she could process it, a hand suddenly tapped her shoulder.
Haruka's breath hitched. 'Brother?' She turned around, only for her stomach to drop.
It wasn't Haruto.
It was him.
The suspicious man she had met in Kyoto.
"Well, well, we meet again," he mused, a slow smirk curling his lips.
"Isn't this too much of a coincidence? Or maybe… we're fated soulmates?" His dark eyes gleamed as they locked onto hers, sending a shiver of unease through her.
Haruka instinctively stepped back, frowning. Without a word, she turned and started walking away.
But before she could take another step, his hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly.
"Wow, playing hard to get, huh?" His smirk deepened as he yanked her closer. "At least tell me your name."
Haruka shoved at his chest, trying to break free.
The man only chuckled, unfazed. "That's bold of you."
His voice was calm, almost amused. "I already told you my name, didn't I? Or did you forget?"
He tilted his head mockingly. "Let me refresh your memory. Daiki Yamada. And you are?"
Haruka didn't answer.
Every instinct in her screamed that something was very wrong. Her heart pounded as her mind kept flashing red alerts—Run. Get away from him. Now.
But before she could act, Daiki placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"What do you say we go somewhere fun?" His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "That might make you want to talk."
His grip tightened as he started dragging her toward a black sedan parked nearby.
Panic exploded in her chest.
"Stop! Or I'll scream!" Haruka struggled, pushing against him, but he was too strong.
Daiki only leaned in closer, his breath ghosting against her ear.
"Try it." His voice was eerily soft, but his eyes had turned pitch-black, an abyss swallowing every trace of light. "And I'll break your precious hand."
Haruka froze.
A cold sweat broke out on her skin as her body trembled involuntarily.
'Brother… where are you? Please… help me!'
