"I could've just gone with her," Ryūta muttered to himself, standing in front of the map as he realized that the ominous destination lay in the same direction Sanae always took to go home. "Well, maybe it's for the best. At least this way she definitely won't get involved..."
He spent about ten more minutes in the underpass, lost in thought, before heading back to the platform where he had said goodbye to his classmate earlier.
After boarding the train and settling into his seat, he shut out almost everything around him. He leaned his elbow on the armrest and pondered in silence. Where was he headed? What would he do, or what wouldn't he do, once he got there? What if it really was a trap? As time passed, uncertainty crept deeper into the boy's expression. He was just moments away from crumbling under the weight of it when a gentle, clear voice called out to him.
"Big bro, are you okay? Why do you look so desperate?"
Ryūta lifted his head at the sound but saw no one. He glanced right, then left, up, and even over his shoulder, in every direction but one. Not until something tugged at the sleeve of his blazer did he finally notice.
"I'm down here!" the voice chirped again, and Ryūta at last found its source.
Looking down, he saw a little girl with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes staring up at him with concern.
"A foreigner?" Ryūta thought.
Considering that he himself crossed the city's borders and, in a way, the country's almost every day, "foreigner" wasn't exactly the right word. Still, he couldn't think of anything better at the time, since he had never seen one so young before. After glancing around once more to confirm she was, in fact, talking to him, he finally spoke.
"Do you need something from me? Are you lost? Where are your parents?"
The girl blinked at the barrage of questions, then suddenly broke into a wide smile.
"I'm not lost. I was just exploring the train."
"Exploring? All by yourself?" Ryūta asked, surprised.
"Nope! I'm with my mom. I just always get too excited and run ahead. She always scolds me afterward, but I know she's not actually mad. My mom is really kind. It's like she can see right into people's hearts."
"Then why do you do it?" the boy asked as he crouched down beside the girl, who responded with downcast eyes.
"Mom doesn't like it when I talk to strangers..."
"Well, I think I have to agree with her on that," Ryūta replied, which made the girl almost desperately protest.
"But why? I like talking to people, and you seem nice!" she said innocently and sincerely, something that felt surprisingly comforting to the boy in that moment.
"That's exactly the problem. Appearances can be deceiving."
"You mean... you're not actually nice?" the girl gasped and recoiled. Ryūta realized his comment needed a bit of clarification.
"I wasn't talking about myself. But you got the point..." he said, easing her doubts, then repeated his earlier advice. "Anyway, listen to your mom and don't talk to strangers."
"My name is Mina. Wilhelmina Engels," the girl introduced herself, prompting the boy to do the same.
"Mine is Kagayaki Ryūta."
"Heehee! Then we're not strangers anymore, so it's fine to talk!"
"I give up..."
Just as the boy sighed, the sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention. Looking toward the noise, he saw a woman stop beside them.
"Mina, how many times do I have to tell you not to run off like that?" she asked the girl, then turned to Ryūta. "I'm so sorry! I hope my daughter didn't cause you too much trouble."
"Not at all," the boy replied with a smile as he stood up, but the moment he got a better look at the woman, his mouth fell open in surprise.
"I know what you're thinking. She doesn't look a bit like me," the woman laughed. Unlike Mina, she had straight black hair, brown eyes, and the soft, round face typical of Japanese women. "She takes completely after her father. He's German. But we won't bother you any longer. Sorry again," she added with a remorseful bow, then turned to the girl. "Mina, say you're sorry too, and let's get back to—"
"Mom, I think something's bothering big bro Ryūta!" the girl interrupted, making the woman look up in surprise.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No, thank you. I'm fine," Ryūta said, raising his hand in polite refusal just as Mina's mother suddenly stepped toward him.
The boy recoiled in surprise, but the woman kept approaching. He said nothing, only stared back while she locked eyes with him, as if searching his heart. A few seconds later, her expression shifted. Deep concern and sorrow filled her gaze.
"You're about to do something dangerous, aren't you?" she asked quietly, though her voice carried the weight of already knowing.
Ryūta didn't answer, but lowered his eyes and clenched his fists, swallowing the tears rising in his throat out of sheer pride. Mina's mother gently reached up and placed a hand on his face, her touch full of quiet hope.
"Are you sure there's no other way? Whatever it is, you don't have to face it alone. There has to be someone you can lean on."
A moment later, she seemed to understand everything. Her gaze still lingered on his face with maternal tenderness when she spoke again, this time with a trace of horror.
"Oh my... You recently lost someone so dear to you, didn't you? And now, there's another person you've started to doubt. That's why you think you have to rely only on yourself."
The boy gently took her hand from his face.
"I'm sorry. I have to get off soon," he said, eyes still cast downward.
Although he wasn't lying, the real reason was that he knew if this continued, he would completely break down.
The woman suddenly snapped out of it and shook her head.
"Forgive me. I didn't mean to overstep..." she pleaded, flustered. Then, in a softer voice, she added, "It's just... you remind me so much of my son. He would be your age now... if he were still alive."
That was the moment Ryūta truly understood he wasn't the only one suffering, and he began to reflect deeply on himself. Seeing the sorrow in her eyes, he steeled his heart.
"I'm really sorry... and thank you. Take care of yourselves," he said, then turned toward the door, never looking back. "She's right. I'm not alone. Sanae and Shinji... they're counting on me. I can't falter now."
As the train began to slow down, the boy closed his eyes.
"Let's go over this again. If this really is a trap set by the president, what would be the reason? She knows I'm looking for answers, she could just call me. No need for mysterious scraps of paper. But if the president is a hostage, the same logic applies to the captors. Why didn't they leave a clear message? There are two possibilities. First, they did, but not for me. The note I found might've just been dropped by accident, and they're not expecting me to come, which could mean I can gather information without drawing attention. Second, the message was meant for me, but they don't care whether I understand it and show up or not. They know where I live. Sooner or later, they'll come for me anyway. In that case, whatever I decide probably won't change anything."
Moments later, as the train doors slid apart, Ryūta's eyes opened as well, filled once again with determination.
"All right, let's go."
When he stepped onto the platform, it felt like he had entered another world. Everywhere he looked, there were upscale boutiques, fancy restaurants, and luxury hotels, bustling with people.
"So it's straight ahead, right...?" he murmured uncertainly to himself as he scanned the map on his phone, then headed toward one of the busiest streets in that direction.
He didn't get far though. Barely fifty meters down the road, he spotted his classmate standing in front of a store window.
"Sanae? What's she doing here?" the boy wondered, more surprised by the time than the place itself. After all, the girl had quite a head start on him, yet she clearly hadn't taken advantage of it. "What now? It's dark, but there's no way I can sneak past her in such a narrow street. Should I take a detour?" he thought as he glanced at his phone again. "No, that's hopeless too. This place is a maze, I'd never make it in time... I guess the best option is to keep a reasonable distance and follow her until she turns off somewhere."
Despite his cautious optimism, that didn't happen. Sanae continued walking straight ahead until she reached a large square dominated by a towering building that stretched dozens of floors into the sky.
By then, even Ryūta was starting to find things suspicious. He checked his map one last time but nearly dropped it.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
The skyscraper the girl had entered stood exactly where the boy had been heading. While most of the building's walls were made of glass, only the ground-floor windows were actually see-through. Based on what passersby could see, it was clearly a hotel.
As Sanae stepped through the sliding doors, which were also made of glass, two burly men began walking toward her. A wave of unease washed over Ryūta, but he second-guessed himself when she greeted them with a cheerful smile.
"What the hell is going on? Why did she come here?" the boy wondered again, trying to catch up to his classmate without drawing attention, but he was too late.
Sanae entered one of the elevators with the two men.
"Damn it!" Ryūta shouted, losing his cool. Abandoning any pretense, he stormed into the building and headed straight for the reception. "That girl who just walked in and got in the elevator. Which floor did she go to?" he demanded from the middle-aged man behind the counter, who looked surprised but remained completely composed.
"Do you know the young lady, sir?"
"She's my friend! Where did those two guys take her?" the boy said, practically leaning over the counter.
"Your friend? Then I suppose I have the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Kagayaki Ryūta?" the man raised an eyebrow. Ryūta took a step back.
"How—"
"—do I know? I would be doing a poor job if I did not," the receptionist replied with a smile, throwing the boy completely off. He continued, "Please follow me. You're expected."
"Expected? By who?"
"What a question… by those you came to see, of course."
The cryptic reply made it clear that pressing the man further would be pointless. Even if he knew something, he probably wouldn't say. So the boy decided to follow, hoping to find answers from "those he came to see".
Although he still clung to the hope that this was all just a misunderstanding and not some kind of trap, he didn't let his guard down for a second. He watched everything closely, from the faces of the people passing by to the potted plants lining the hallways.
"We need to go up a few floors," the receptionist said as they reached one of the elevators, which was already open. "After you," he added, gesturing ahead.
"In movies, getting into an elevator like this usually doesn't end well... Not that I really have a choice," he thought before stepping inside.
The control panel clearly showed their destination, and as time passed, Ryūta grew increasingly tense. Unsure of what to expect, he closed his left eye out of caution and perhaps a bit of curiosity. After what felt like hours but was really just two minutes, the elevator stopped on the forty-second floor.
Though the doors hadn't yet opened, Ryūta already knew there was nothing waiting on the other side. As he had hoped, he had seen the moment play out about a second in advance. When the doors parted and they stepped out, a long hallway stretched before them. They walked about halfway down its length.
"We are here," the man said as he opened one of the doors, revealing what looked like an entirely ordinary room.
"Maybe I was worried for nothing," the boy breathed in relief. His guide gave a small nod, as if granting himself preemptive approval.
"Well then, if you will excuse me, I will return to my post," he added, and as soon as Ryūta stepped inside, he closed the door behind him.
Meanwhile, a few kilometers away at the Takeda residence, Shinji was in his room, sitting at his computer, searching for information.
"Damn it, there's nothing here... If only Nao would answer her phone... I have a really bad feeling about this," the boy muttered, scrolling through one website after another, finding nothing relevant.
A few moments later, he heard a soft knock and a gentle female voice coming from the direction of the door.
"May I come in?"
It was Shinji's mother, holding a tray with a steaming bowl of hot soup.
"I know you're working hard, but you should eat something."
"Thank you, Mom," the boy replied without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Is this another one of your student council things?" the woman asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
"Not exactly. I'm helping a friend."
"You mean that boy, Ryūta?"
"Yeah. I'm trying to find some information about this hotel, but it's like it doesn't even exist," he said, pointing at the screen.
"Maybe it's just an ordinary hotel," the woman remarked skeptically as she leaned in, but Shinji shook his head.
"That's exactly what makes it weird. No website, no reviews, it's not even on the map. This satellite image is the only place it shows up..."
"My, that really is strange... But why is your friend so interested in this hotel?"
The boy didn't respond right away, and from his silence, his mother drew her own conclusion.
"You're not planning anything dangerous, are you?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Shinji admitted, his uncertainty evident.
The woman sighed. She knew her son's heart was in the right place, and that she wouldn't be able to change his mind, so she continued.
"Alright. But promise me you won't do anything reckless. If you even start to feel like things are getting out of hand, talk to your uncle. You know he's always there for us."
"Okay, I promise," the boy said with a smile, and hers widened in return.
"Good. Now eat your soup before it gets cold."
"Alright, alright!" Shinji replied, then suddenly stared at the screen. "Wait... What is this? No way! I have to tell Ryūta!"
As soon as the thought hit him, he grabbed his phone and dialed his friend's number, but no luck.
"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
"Damn it, I can't get through! Something's definitely wrong now!"
Seeing the look of distress on her son's face, the woman's smile faded too.
"Shinji…?"
"Sorry, Mom, I have to go!"
"But... but where are you even going?" the woman asked, her voice edging on panic.
"I don't have time to explain!" the boy replied, and a moment later, he burst through his bedroom door, ran downstairs, and out onto the street.
He had barely made it a block when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the name flash on the screen, he picked up immediately and shouted,
"Nao!"
"Don't come here. Everything's fine," the girl said on the other end, her voice disturbingly calm.
"Nao! What the hell is going on?! Why was Ryūta lying unconscious and beaten up in the yard where he was supposed to meet you?! Please tell me you had nothing to do with this!" the boy burst out.
The president responded in the same even tone.
"Calm down. I promise I'll explain everything. But for now, go home and stay there until I call you."
"Where are you, anyway? Are you okay?" Shinji asked, now sounding a little calmer himself.
"I have to go. Please, trust me."
The line went dead. When the boy tried calling back, he got the same result as before.
"Damn it...!"
As the door clicked shut behind Ryūta and he found himself alone, the lights suddenly went out. A second later, when they came back on, the room had completely changed. The walls, once a warm brown, were now a dull gray, and the furniture and curtains had vanished, as if he had stepped into an entirely different space.
"Welcome to the Black Tower," announced an armed man standing in the center of the room with five others beside him, including their leader, Hoshizume Nao.