The rooftop was flooded with daylight. Bright, harsh, revealing everything the explosion had done.
The explosion had left a crater roughly three meters wide, its edges broken and jagged, chunks of concrete peeled upward like shattered plates. The corpse lay on the far side of the crater, its upper body missing.
Alfred walked across the open expanse, his footsteps steady.
A few men in black followed behind him. With a simple hand signal, Alfred sent them out, and they immediately began sweeping the rooftop. Checking debris, inspecting scorch marks, searching for anything that might explain what had happened.
"It doesn't make any sense," Alfred muttered. "Why would a supposed suicide bomber detonate somewhere with only him around?"
Naoki couldn't give him a clear explanation. The kid just kept repeating the same words. "He killed himself… he killed himself…" over and over again, with a trembling voice.
It took Alfred a while to get him settled, guiding him away from the wreckage and speaking with the quiet firmness of someone who needed answers, but wasn't willing to break the boy to get them.
Only once Naoki stopped shaking did the words finally start to come together. Apparently he chased one of the bombers until they eventually reached the top of this building under construction.
Then the bomber chose to end himself instead of surrendering to the authorities.
There were many flaws in this statement, however with how the boy was acting, he decided to believe him for the time being.
"Sir, over here." one of his men called, pulling Alfred from his thoughts.
"The bombs were already deactivated, sir." he added as he approached.
Getting closer, Alfred saw an open briefcase. On one side lay a fancy suit and a chicken costume, while the other contained two bombs identical to the ones they had found at the market.
The man lifted the bomb, revealing another compartment with a TTI Canik resting at the bottom.
"Grab the clothes and put it in a paper bag. Deliver it to sir Naoki and tell him to change to whichever he prefers." He stopped for a moment, thinking of what he should do with the rest.
"As for the bombs and the gun... dispose of them."
"Yes sir." With that the man rushed of down the building, obediently following his orders.
Alfred began investigating, walking around the premises and inspecting the damage.
He reached a corner where a few men were gathered and saw the head of the corpse that had been tossed out by the explosion.
"Ah, sir, we were just about to call you," one of them said.
Alfred raised an eyebrow as he looked at the man. "Did you find something?" he asked.
"Yes." The man held out his hand, revealing a black chip with blue stripes, miraculously undamaged by the blast.
"We found thi-" Alfred cut him off, grabbing the chip. "Leave now, and do not tell anyone about this."
Some might think it would've been better to calmly take the chip and act as if he was clueless as well, but a chip was far too unusual in this situation. Rumors would inevitably spread.
'So... it was them.' He thought to himself.
'Wait, even if it was them, it wouldn't explain why the bomber choose to explode with only Naoki around.'
Alfred looked at the setting sun, reminiscing on the past.
'They're up to something again... but what?"
***
I quickly wore my date suit and rushed downstairs. Only to see Kuromaku calmly sitting by the side of the car.
"What the heck are you waiting for? Start the engine already."
Kuromaku quickly did as he was told. As I stepped inside, the car shot off into the dark night, illuminated only by lampposts, streetlights, and the glow of distant buildings. I glanced at the clock and said.
"Go faster."
"Is it my fault that you set your alarm at the hour, the HOUR before your date."
"Don't make me repeat myself. Go faster."
Kuromaku smirked, planning something in mind. He looked at me indirectly, with his head still slightly looking at the road. "Alright, you wanna go fast? Then let's do it." He pressed a button on the steering wheel. Suddenly, the car said…
"Electronic speed limiter deactivated."
Kuromaku smirked, clearly plotting something. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"Alright. You wanna go fast? Then let's go fast."
He pressed a button on the steering wheel.
"Electronic speed limiter deactivated," the car announced.
Kuromaku slammed his foot on the accelerator, shifting the gears up again and again. The engine screamed, and I was launched into the backseat, literally, as we shot forward.
We weaved through traffic, blasted past red lights, and carved through the night like a bullet.
"I-is this even legal?" I barely manged to utter.
"Maybe?" Kuromaku replied, seemingly unbothered by the speed we're going.
***
Eventually, the car skidded to a stop near the palace. I stepped out like a boss, adjusting my hair and brand new tuxedo, before heading in.
through the sixteen foot tall doors. The butlers in black suits accompanied me to the dining hall through the so fancy corridors with gleaming chandeliers on top.
"You're late." The princess looked at me strangely, a small ancient clock resting in her hand.
"No, I'm not."
"You're two seconds late, and you don't seriously think a good suit will save you?"
In a slightly awkward tone. "... I think so."
Sophia let out a long sigh and handed the clock off to a nearby butler. "Of course you do."
I held out my arm, and she slipped hers through it with practiced grace. We headed to the dining table together. There, I fixed her seat like a gentleman and sat on my own across from her.
"First time?" Sophia asked ridiculously, with her elbows resting on the table and her hands under her chin.
"Fixing a seat for someone? Weirdly yes."
Sophia laughed in amusement and smiled. "Never knew you could make such jokes despite the cold face."
"And I never knew that a battle maniac like you could laugh like so."
"Keep making jokes and I might forgive you for being late earlier."
And from that, I finally realized that being friends with Naoki actually has quite a significant advantage.
"You're the ketchup and I'm the steak."
"Why is that?"
"Because we go well together."
"..."
"..."
The princess let her smile fade, her expression twisting into something between confusion and mild disbelief. Around us, butlers and maids passed by, placing mouth-watering dishes across the table.
"You do know those two don't go together... right?"
I froze.
Of course I didn't know. Naoki ate those all the time when we arrived at England, and I had naturally assumed that meant they were acceptable.
Maybe being friends with him came with more disadvantages than I thought.
The last pristine white plate of dessert touched the table, and only then did I finally manage to mutter out, "I'm joking."
"Really?" she muttered the single word, her palm resting on her face.
Is a single bad joke really enough to get her mood down by that much? Date's are hard.
"Forget it, let's just eat."
"Yeah, right."
And then, both our appetites were satisfied. Bite after bite, the rich, creamy warmth, the smoky tang of perfectly seasoned grilled meat, the tender richness that melted on our tongues, and added with the smooth sweetness of desserts afterwards all blended into a warm, satisfying finish.
We made some small talk while we ate. Jokes about me becoming her butler, discussions about better ways to fight, but mostly the latter.
My voice slightly sarcastic. "So, did I make up for that joke earlier?"
"Fufu, not yet~"
"Let's go outside." She then added.
"This late at night?"
"Yes, our garden is quite beautiful you know. Especially at night."
"Maybe, but not as beautiful as you."
Sophia let out a soft chuckle as we both rose from our seats, getting ready to head outside. This date was turning out to be much longer than I expected.