Four days later, after the S.A.O office building massacre…
The world had moved on from the chaos, but the danger had never truly left the city. Life returned to its usual pace, wearing a mask of normalcy.
Morning settled quietly over a hospital.
The atmosphere was calm. Nurses moved through the corridors with practiced steps, doctors passed by in hushed conversations, stretchers rolled softly across polished floors. Patients came and went—some leaving, some arriving—while the staff carried on with their routines.
His vision slowly cleared, his breathing growing steadier with each passing second. Hikaru opened his eyes.
The surroundings felt safe.
He was lying on a hospital bed.
"Sir, you're awake," a nurse beside him said in a soft voice. She held a clipboard with a medical chart clipped to it.
"I don't know how you survived that much damage," she continued calmly, "but you were very lucky. You arrived just in time."
Hikaru lay there in silence, listening.
Hikaru spoke in his usual no-nonsense tone.
"How many days has it been since I got here?"
Before the nurse could answer, another voice filled the room.
It wasn't hers.
It was familiar.
"Including today, it's day four," the voice said casually, "and you owe me one lakh now."
Hikaru's eyes shifted.
Kio was sitting on a chair behind the nurse.
The nurse turned around in surprise. She hadn't noticed him enter—hadn't even heard the door open.
Kio was wearing a red shirt, black pants, and slippers. A relaxed smile rested on his face, his eyes as mischievous as ever. His gaze drifted toward the nurse as he leaned back slightly and said in a flirty, playful tone,
"A beautiful woman like you shouldn't be working here. Someone like you should be treated like a princess."
The comment caught the nurse off guard.
Her face flushed red instantly.
Kio continued, his voice still laced with mischief.
"Anyway, could you leave us alone for a while, Ms.Nurse?"
The nurse was still too stunned by his earlier comment to respond properly. She nodded faintly and stepped out of the room. The door closed softly behind her.
Silence settled in.
The air grew heavy.
Kio stood up from the chair, stretching slightly. Hikaru shifted and slowly sat upright on the bed, his body still aching.
Kio looked at him calmly, his tone casual—as if commenting on the weather.
"Hikaru… you've really gone weak," he said. "I thought you were still strong, though."
The words hung between them.
Hikaru replied with words Kio had never expected.
"I will rejoin S.A.O."
The words cut sharply through the air.
For a split second, Kio froze. Then he leaned forward, one hand cupping his ear dramatically.
"Did I just hear that right?" he muttered to himself. "You said you'll rejoin S.A.O?"
He shook his head slightly. "Did I mishear, or are my ears finally giving up? No, that can't be it—I'm not old enough for hearing problems."
Before Kio could say anything else, Hikaru continued. His expression left no room for doubt.
"I'm serious."
Kio stopped joking. He looked at Hikaru for a moment, then smiled—slow and knowing.
"If that's what you're thinking," he said, "then you're very lucky. After you left the organization, a few rules changed."
He continued casually,
"The Specialized Assassination Operatives Entrance Test—S.A.O.E.T. It's held once every four years now."
Kio's smile widened slightly.
"And the next entrance test is coming up soon. In just a few days."
Hikaru stood up and walked out of the room without saying a word.
Kio called after him, his face exaggeratedly comical.
"Hey, wait for me!"
They stepped into the corridor. The hospital was alive with activity—patients flowing in and out, doctors and nurses rushing past, the hum of routine filling the air.
Hikaru and Kio approached the reception desk. Behind the counter, a woman receptionist tapped methodically on her keyboard, entering patient numbers.
"I need a discharge, right now," Hikaru said flatly, his voice cutting through the hum of the hospital.
The receptionist didn't look up. Her tone was weary, as if she hadn't slept in days.
"Do you have permission? You need to ask the doctor first,"
she replied, her words sharp with exhaustion, betraying the irritation she felt.
Kio stepped forward. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled out a Glock and placed it on the counter. He looked at the receptionist with wide, blinking eyes and a smile like a child asking for a favor. Innocence itself.
The receptionist froze, staring at the gun, unsure of what would happen if she refused.
"Please," Kio said softly, "give him the discharge slip."
Sweat formed on the receptionist's brow. Her hands trembled as she typed Hikaru's details into the computer. Within moments, the discharge slip printed out.
She handed the slip to Hikaru, her hands trembling so violently she could barely hold it. Her gaze never left the Glock on the table. It was as if her body had frozen, cold creeping over her like ice
Hikaru took the slip, turned his back to her, and walked away, leaving Kio beside him.
"Hey," Kio called, watching Hikaru move. "It's bad manners, you know. Don't you know how to thank people who help you?"
Hikaru's reply was flat, emotionless, almost chilling in its calmness.
"Shut up. Done here, then let's go."
Kio shrugged and began walking after him—but then suddenly stopped. He turned back toward the receptionist. Her body stiffened, fear tightening her chest as Kio approached the counter again.
He stopped directly in front of her, leaned slightly, and pulled the trigger.
Pop!
A small, marble-shaped chocolate ball shot out from the barrel, landing on the counter. Kio's smile widened as he placed it carefully in front of her.
"Here. Take it," he said, his tone light and teasing. "A gift from my side. This poor guy can't afford more than this for a beautiful woman like you."
Without another word, Kio turned and left.
The receptionist stared at the chocolate, her emotions tangled into a mess impossible to describe. Relief. Tension. Fear. A strange, shy happiness. All at once, her body slowly began to thaw from the frozen grip of terror.Her heart pounded, breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as relief and fear warred within her.