The air was thick with dust and the sharp scent of blood. My body ached, but I forced myself to sit up, my back pressed against the cold, cracked floor. The fight was over, FOR NOW
Satoru was gone.
I could still hear the fading echo of his footsteps—calm, unhurried, as if he had never intended to stay. His presence had been suffocating, and even now, long after he had disappeared into the night, the weight of it lingered.
Ayane was beside me, motionless. Not unconscious—just still.
She hadn't spoken since he left.
Her fingers hovered near the cut on her leg, but she wasn't tending to it. She wasn't moving at all. Just staring blankly at the floor, as if the fight had drained something deeper than just her strength.
I exhaled slowly, wincing at the sharp pain in my ribs.
I wanted to say something.
But what could I even say?
That I was sorry? That I should've stopped him? That I should've never left her in the first place?
She wouldn't accept any of it. And I wouldn't either.
So I stayed silent.
I closed my eyes for a second, forcing myself to breathe past the pain.
And then—
Footsteps.
Not Satoru's.
Slow. Measured.
Ayane tensed. So did I.
A figure stepped forward, emerging from the dim light…
The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty space. Slow. Measured.
Ayane tensed. So did I.
A figure stepped forward, emerging from the dim light. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in dark clothing that blended into the shadows. His black hair fell over sharp eyes—eyes that struck me with a sense of familiarity I couldn't immediately place.
He stopped a few steps away from us, hands in his pockets.
And then, with a calm, almost bored voice, he spoke.
"So… you're Ayane."
Ayane stiffened. Her gaze flickered between me and the stranger, wary but composed.
"Who's asking?" she shot back, arms crossed.
The man tilted his head slightly, studying her. Too closely.
"Kaito." A pause. "I'm your cousin."
Silence.
I felt Ayane's confusion before she even spoke.
"…What?" Her voice was sharp, but underneath it, there was hesitation. Doubt.
Kaito exhaled lightly, as if expecting that reaction.
"I figured you wouldn't believe me." His gaze flicked toward me. "And I doubt he will either."
I said nothing. Just watched.
Something was wrong.
He chose his words too carefully. The way he looked at Ayane wasn't like someone seeing a long-lost family member for the first time—it was like someone confirming something.
Ayane scoffed. "Yeah, no. That's some weak proof. You show up out of nowhere, say you're my cousin, and expect me to believe it?"
Kaito didn't flinch. Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out something small, holding it between his fingers.
A metal pendant.
He tossed it toward Ayane. She caught it out of reflex, flipping it over.
I barely got a glance before my chest tightened.
I knew that crest.
A black emblem, etched into silver. An intricate design that I had seen years ago—one tied to a family that most people never heard about.
Kaito's gaze flickered toward me. Just for a second.
He knew that I recognized it.
"That's the family crest," he said, voice smooth. "It belonged to your mother."
Ayane frowned, turning it over in her hands. She didn't recognize it.
But I did.
Damn it.
She glanced at me, eyes narrowing. "You know something."
I stayed silent.
I could feel Kaito watching me. Waiting.
Ayane clicked her tongue, turning back to him. "Nice prop. But that doesn't prove anything."
Kaito gave a small, amused smile. "You're stubborn."
"You're suspicious."
He actually let out a quiet chuckle.
"Fair."
I studied him carefully. He wasn't defensive—he expected this. Planned for it.
He wasn't trying to convince Ayane outright. He was planting the seed.
And he was testing me.
"If you're really my cousin," Ayane said, tone sharp, "where the hell were you all this time?"
Kaito's smirk faded slightly. "I never knew you existed."
Liar.
His expression was unreadable, but his words were what gave him away.
Not I didn't know about you until recently. Not I just found out.
"I never knew you existed."
Like he had to convince himself of that.
Ayane stared him down. "…And now you do?"
Kaito nodded. "Yes."
Her fingers tightened around the pendant. "How?"
He didn't answer immediately. He glanced at me first.
A second too long.
"…Circumstances," he finally said.
Vague. Deliberate.
Ayane scoffed. "Wow. That's real convincing."
Kaito's smirk returned, but this time, it was softer. Less amused.
"You don't have to believe me." His gaze flickered toward the pendant in her hand. "But if that feels familiar… maybe you already do."
Ayane hesitated. Just for a second.
And Kaito saw it.
His job was done. He had planted doubt.
She clenched her jaw. "I don't need long-lost relatives."
Kaito's smile didn't falter. "That's fine." A pause. "…But that doesn't mean you never had them."
Her shoulders tensed.
I watched her carefully. This was exactly what she didn't need right now. Another person claiming to be from her past. Another shadow of a life she never got to know.
Kaito turned slightly, glancing at me again.
Testing. Calculating.
Then, he simply said—
"You recognize it, don't you?"
I kept my expression neutral. "What makes you think that?"
His smirk was almost imperceptible. "Because you haven't denied it."
I really didn't like him.
Ayane turned to me sharply. "Ken."
I finally met her gaze.
"Do you know something about this?"
I hesitated.
She caught it.
And that hesitation was all it took.
Her expression hardened.
"…You do."
I could see the thoughts racing in her mind. How much had I kept from her? How long had I known?
Kaito tilted his head, voice casual. "Looks like I'm not the only one with secrets."
He was enjoying this.
Ayane took a slow step back, her grip tightening on the pendant. "…I don't trust you."
Kaito simply nodded. "Good."
She frowned. "That's all you have to say?"
He exhaled lightly, then looked her straight in the eye.
"…Trust is something earned. Not something I expect."
That caught her off guard.
For the first time, her expression wavered.
And that's when I realized—
Kaito was dangerous.
Not because of strength. Not because of secrets.
But because he knew exactly how to handle Ayane.
He wasn't forcing her to believe him. He was letting her own doubts do the work.
And worse?
He was dragging me down with him.
Kaito's gaze lingered on Ayane, his smirk never quite reaching his eyes. Then, without warning, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small folded piece of paper, and flicked it toward her.
The paper fluttered through the air before landing at her feet.
Ayane didn't move. Her fingers twitched slightly, but she kept her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"If you truly want to learn the truth," Kaito said smoothly, "come to that address."
His tone was light, almost indifferent, but there was weight behind his words. A quiet challenge.
Ayane's eyes darkened. "And if I don't?"
Kaito shrugged. "Then you stay in the dark." He took a slow step back, tilting his head. "Your choice."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, without another word, Kaito turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the silence.