Maki didn't say a word of complaint. Instead, her body relaxed instinctively into the embrace. She let out a soft sigh and shifted back just enough to fit perfectly against him, surrendering completely to the safety of his arms.
Ren rested his face against the soft tangle of her dark green hair and closed his eyes. With Maki tucked securely against him and the quiet hum of the air conditioner filling the room, the exhaustion of the night finally caught up to even his absurd stamina.
Within minutes, his breathing slowed to match the steady rise and fall of her chest, and he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
...
The Next Morning — 10:45 AM
Sunlight slipped through the gap in the blackout curtains, filling Room 401 with a warm glow.
Maki was already dressed, her olive-green skirt and ribbed turtleneck perfectly back in place. Standing beside the bed, she aggressively zipped up her overnight bag. As she shifted her weight, a dull ache flared through her thighs and lower back.
She paused with an annoyed sigh and rolled her shoulders to stretch.
After slinging the strap over her shoulder, she watched Ren grab his duffel from the floor.
"Ready to go, boss?" Ren asked as he pulled the hotel door open.
"Yeah," Maki muttered, stepping into the hallway.
The moment Room 401 clicked shut behind them, the neighboring door—Room 402—opened too. A young couple stepped out at the exact same time.
The guy looked completely refreshed, stretching with a loud yawn. But the girl behind him, Yuka, looked destroyed. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her exhausted expression made it painfully obvious she hadn't slept at all.
The second Yuka locked eyes with Ren and Maki, she froze.
Her gaze lingered on Ren first, filled with disbelief and bitter resentment. Then her tired eyes slowly shifted toward Maki, scanning the green-haired girl from head to toe. She stared at her hips, then her face, like she was looking at some terrifying non-human creature.
Maki frowned, her instincts immediately reacting to the strange scrutiny. Before she could say anything, Yuka quickly lowered her head, grabbed her boyfriend's arm, and practically dragged him toward the elevators.
Maki stood there for a moment, confused. She adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses and wiped at her cheek just in case.
"Is there something on my face?" she muttered, looking up at Ren with a baffled expression.
"Why the hell was she staring at me like that?"
Ren, who instantly understood why the girl next door looked so sleep-deprived, bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.
If Maki ever realized how thin the hotel walls actually were, her pride would collapse and she would probably burn the building down from embarrassment.
"No idea," Ren lied smoothly, draping an arm around her shoulders as he guided her down the hall. "Maybe she was jealous. Come on, let's grab breakfast."
...
They picked up a quick breakfast from a corner convenience store—steamed pork buns and black coffee—before steering clear of the crowded commercial districts.
Maki guided them toward the older, quieter parts of the city, for peace.
Within twenty minutes, the concrete sidewalks gave way to a secluded, tree-lined path winding behind an abandoned Shinto shrine. Morning sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting long shadows across the cracked stone steps.
Maki took a bite from her pork bun.
"Much better," she muttered, adjusting her glasses.
They continued walking in comfortable silence.
^_____^
The gentle morning breeze vanished suddenly, replaced by a suffocating wave of blistering heat. The air became so thick it felt like breathing inside a furnace. Around the shrine, green leaves browned and curled in real time.
Ren stopped dead.
Despite the rising temperature, his blood ran ice-cold.
A short, hunched figure stepped casually from behind the shrine's weathered wooden pillars. He wore an all-black outfit consisting of a loose, quarter-length sleeve shirt and matching pants, topped with a yellow, spotted cape (shawl) and a white scarf. A single massive eye dominated the center of his face, and his head resembled a jagged miniature Mount Fuji. Thin black smoke drifted lazily from the crater on his scalp.
Jogo. Jogo
Ren's thoughts misfired as survival instinct collided with raw dread. The same one from Harajuku alleyways weeks earlier. A walking natural disaster capable of casually incinerating an entire city block.
What the hell was he doing here?
Maki reacted a fraction later, but the change in her was immediate. The relaxed girl from the train ride disappeared completely. Her spine straightened, and her amber eyes widened as every instinct screamed at the suffocating density of cursed energy flooding the clearing.
Her half-eaten pork bun dropped onto the stone path.
Without hesitation, she stepped directly in front of Ren, shoving him behind her to shield him.
"Ren," Maki hissed. Every trace of warmth had vanished from her voice.
She reached into her overnight bag, gripping the concealed hilt of the shortened tactical cursed blade she always carried.