The neon glow of the Kuoh underground headquarters cast long, sharp shadows across the concrete floor. Jin and Shukaku stood side-by-side, their expressions unreadable, looking at the Shinto priest standing before them.
The priest wore traditional white and purple robes, looking entirely out of place amidst the humming servers and tactical monitors. In his hands, he held a single, sealed envelope.
"So, you know what you have to do," Jin said, his voice flat, though a muscle feathered along his jawline. "I hope you deliver it fast. Do not stop for anything."
The priest bowed deeply, the paper of the envelope crinkling slightly in his grip. "Yes. I will convey your message . Now, I will take my leave."
Jin and Shukaku watched in silence as the priest turned and walked toward the heavy steel doors, the fabric of his robes swishing quietly until the doors sealed shut behind him.
Jin let out a slow, measured breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really hope he shows some urgency."
Shukaku raised an eyebrow, lighting a fresh cigarette. He took a drag, studying Jin through the plume of smoke. "Well, this is surprising. I never thought I would see you nervous. Again."
"You would be nervous too," Jin shot back, his eyes narrowing slightly, "if you actually knew the contents of that letter."
Valerie, who had been standing quietly by the server racks, stepped forward. Her silver hair caught the blue light of the monitors. "Well, Jin," she said softly, her curiosity getting the better of her. "You haven't told us anything. Do you want to lighten your load by sharing it with us?"
Jin glanced at her, his expression tightening into an impenetrable mask. "Forget it."
Jin turned his back on the sealed doors and picked up his jacket. He looked over at his underworld lieutenant. "I will be going to my house, Shukaku. Handle the everything from now on."
Valerie took a quick step forward, her hands instinctively clutching the fabric of her dress. "Umm... Jin-san? Can I also come?"
Jin paused, slipping his arm into his jacket sleeve. He looked at her, his brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "What? You want to come with me? Why? Do you not like your current accommodation?"
Valerie looked down, her pale cheeks dusting with a faint pink. "It's not like I dislike my current housing... but I think, with you, it would be—"
"No, Valerie," Jin interrupted, his tone instantly shifting into a firm, commanding register. He stepped closer to her, his height dwarfing her small frame. "You will become dependent on me this way. I promised you freedom. You need to learn how to stand on your own two feet, not hide behind my shadow."
Valerie's shoulders slumped. She lowered her head, accepting the chiding like a scolded child.
Jin watched her deflate. He frowned, a sudden realization piercing through his usual dense, mindset. He turned to Shukaku. "Wait. Where is her accommodation right now? And how are her studies going?"
Shukaku casually tapped ash into a metal tray. "Well, we have her set up in the luxury mansion adjacent to my main house for now. It's highly secure. And I have hired the absolute best private teachers for her to catch up on modern academics."
Jin stared at Shukaku for three seconds. Then, he slowly raised his hand and face-palmed, dragging his fingers down his face with a heavy sigh.
Shukaku blinked. "What? Did I do something wrong? It's a five-star setup."
"Of course she wants to come with me, you idiot," Jin muttered, dropping his hand. "She is in a giant, empty mansion with a bunch of stuffy tutors. She's all alone."
Valerie, who had been staring at the ground, snapped her head up. Her eyes went wide as Jin accurately diagnosed her quiet misery.
"Well," Jin said, turning back to Valerie, his tone softening but his boundary remaining absolute. "I still can't allow you to come to my house. That would be highly inappropriate."
"I don't mind," Valerie blurted out quickly.
"I do," Jin replied instantly, his voice leaving absolutely zero room for negotiation. He looked her dead in the eye. "No. Either you are my girlfriend or my wife, you are not moving in with me. Which you are neither . Doing anything less before that happens means I am just taking advantage of a vulnerable girl who doesn't know how the world works. And I don't operate like that."
Valerie found herself entirely out of words. The sheer, blunt honesty of the statement—and the casual invocation of words like girlfriend and wife—made her face flush. She opened her mouth to speak, squeaked faintly, and completely shut down, staring at his boots.
"Well, I will think about a better living arrangement," Jin said, turning around and waving his hand dismissively as he walked toward the exit. "Until then, Shukaku, give her Dragon Ball or something to watch. If any of your bodyguards have a daughter her age, have them meet up. She needs friends, not just guards."
Jin left the underground base and stepped out into the cool evening air of Kuoh.
He didn't take a car. He walked. And he walked much, much slower than he normally would.
He took the long way around the residential districts, deliberately kicking loose pebbles, staring up at the darkening sky, and watching the streetlights flicker on one by one. It was as if he was intentionally tying invisible weights to his ankles.
He was stalling.
After what felt like an eternity, Jin's boots crunched onto the familiar gravel of his own driveway.
The house was dark. Silent.
He stopped at the edge of the porch. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, filling his lungs with the crisp night air. He fortified his mind .
He stepped up onto the porch. Unlocked the door.
The lights came on.
From the tree line, the house looked like a doll's house suddenly illuminated. A man moving inside it. Small. Contained.
"I'm home."
The words left his mouth and went nowhere. Swallowed by walls that did not care. He moved further in — television on, its blue light spilling across an empty couch. He walked from room to room .
Outside, on a branch of the old tree, a bat sat without moving. Red eyes fixed on the lit windows. It watched the shape of a man circle his own house. Touching nothing. Settling nowhere.
Just existing in it.
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okay i am gonna change timeline somewhat so we can progress faster and it could be tighter storyline .