Leaving the tourist area behind, Logan and Olivia merged into the crowd of Shibuya.
The previous night's snowfall had been shoveled to the sides of the road, with chunks of ice trampled into dirty slush. Sunlight gleamed against the settled snow, making everything seem bright and serene.
For a few minutes, neither of them spoke.
"That girl…" Olivia was the first to break the silence, "Her name is..."
"Hoshino Sumika." Logan picked up where she left off, sensing it was best to be straightforward.
He glanced at the street signs, they were walking the same route as two days ago. With a goal in mind, he unconsciously quickened his pace.
Olivia thought about it again, glanced at Logan with an unexplainable look, and asked with special scrutiny, "That's a Japanese name, isn't it?"
"Well, you can say that." Logan replied with a light chuckle, keeping it honest.
Back when he had brought Sumika here, they had always spoken in Japanese, and Olivia had seen it firsthand, so she was probably just setting up for the real questions to come.
Two nights ago had been unforgettable. The solemn words, the intense atmosphere… it was all still fresh in Logan's mind.
But there had been too many immediate problems to deal with. Logan hadn't dared to rest, not even for a moment, as he carried Sumika down from the Tokyo Skytree, exhausted to his very limits.
And the first person he turned to for help was Olivia, who is calmly sipping coffee at a cafe.
"Senior, sorry for the wait. Do you have a place to stay?"
"..."
At this time, the commercial street in Shibuya was crowded. As Olivia was walking on the way to the hotel where she was responsible for checking in, she recalled that moment and found herself shaking her head.
"Your injuries from that night… Are you okay now?" Olivia's gaze swept over Logan, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Back then, his body had been covered in burns, bloodstains, and the lingering scent of smoke. The intense aura he had carried seemed completely absent now. Dressed in fresh clothes, he looked like a different person.
"I'm fine. I just need some time to recover." Logan stretched his arms casually and struck a few playful poses, "See? Moving around just fine."
Olivia gripped her bag straps slightly tighter, her brows knitting together for a brief moment.
She didn't say anything.
Even for someone with Logan's years of experience as a Ninja, those injuries had been severe. And 'a bit of time' wasn't a short period at all.
While Logan looked fine on the surface, Olivia knew better than to believe he was fully healed. Still, the most critical phase was over, and now it was just a matter of tying up loose ends. There was no need to dwell on it.
…
After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a well-furnished high-rise hotel.
The staff was polite and professional. After stating their business, they took the elevator to the 11th floor. Logan, who had rehearsed this moment countless times in his mind, quickly stepped up to a specific room, eyes gleaming with anticipation as he looked back at Olivia.
For several reasons, Sumika's current hotel stay had been arranged under Olivia's name.
Olivia took out the key card at an unhurried pace. But just as she was about to tap it against the sensor, she paused, looking at Logan with an odd expression.
"Why are you staring at me? Shouldn't you knock first?"
"Oh." Logan snapped out of his thoughts, "Why?"
Olivia stared at him speechlessly. As a woman, she didn't even feel like explaining.
Then, Logan remembered that one time in the Capital when he had accidentally walked in on Sumika while she was in the bath, abd immediately understood.
"Excuse me… who is outside?"
Suddenly, Sumika's soft yet cautious voice came from inside the room.
Hearing it, the familiar connection they shared, the kind that had been forged through hardship, suddenly felt incredibly real, washing over him like a clear mountain spring. Logan forgot the entanglement of the previous second, "It's me, Sumika."
"Hattori-kun!" Sumika's voice instantly brightened with joy, despite the fact that this wasn't the first time he had come to see her.
Logan glanced at Olivia again, wordlessly signaling her. She rolled her eyes but swiped the key card anyway.
"Eh? Hattori-kun, I can really see you through the peephole! And that kind lady who helped me as well." Sumika's curious voice came from inside. She seemed to be peeking at them through the door, " why do you both look tilted…?"
Beep.
The door opened, and before anyone could react, Sumika stumbled forward with a startled yelp.
Logan's reflexes were as sharp as ever, so he caught her firmly and her soft warmth pressed into his arms.
"Be careful."
"The door suddenly opened..."
Olivia turned her face away expressionlessly. Noticing her reaction, Logan figured it was best not to comment further. He supported Sumika on her feet and said, "Let's head inside first."
Sumika gave him a small, bright smile, then turned to Olivia. Straightening her posture, she politely held the door open and bowed with elegance, "My apologies for the trouble. Please, come in."
"..." Olivia looked at Logan.
"You know how it is. That's just how Japanese people are." Logan explained wittily.
Olivia remained noncommittal, keeping her usual cool demeanor. As she stepped inside, she let out a soft, almost dismissive chuckle, perhaps directed at Logan, or at Junka's formality.
"Hah. This room was booked under my name, anyway."
…
The hotel room was spacious and immaculately clean, meeting the standards of a four-star or higher establishment.
Olivia made herself comfortable, heading straight for the sofa near the window. She crossed her legs as she sat down, tossing her bag onto the small round table.
Sumika couldn't understand Japanese, so she simply smiled as she watched Olivia settle in.
As Logan shut the door behind him, Sumika leaned in close and whispered: "What did that lady just say?"
"She said you're really beautiful."
"…Liar." Sumika clearly didn't believe him. Her eyes shifted slightly as she processed something, "Am I not supposed to do that kind of etiquette?"
She was still adjusting to this new world, aware that customs and traditions here were different from what she knew. She wanted to learn.
"For people from my country like her, yeah, it's a bit much. But don't worry about it." Logan reassured her.
Looking around, he noticed how everything in the room was neatly arranged. No scattered bottles, no misplaced clothes, no towels left lying around. Even the bed was perfectly made.
Logan couldn't help but chuckled at this.
Whether it was her way of adapting to the concept of a 'hotel' or simply her personal habits, one thing was certain… any housekeeping staff would definitely give Sumika a thumbs-up.
Olivia leaned against the sofa, surveying the room before her gaze settled on Sumika, who looked ethereal, graceful, and untouched by the mundane. The more she observed, the more questions arose in her mind.
Meanwhile, Junka attempted to make tea. She had the kettle halfway through boiling before realizing she had forgotten the next step, as it was too complicated.
Logan was about to tell her it wasn't necessary, but seeing her struggling, he stepped in to help. When she reached for a tea bag, he gently stopped her.
"Forget the tea, they charge for them."
"They charge for them?" Sumika's eyes widened in shock. Her gaze then drifted toward the hotel cabinet, where several pre-packaged snacks had already been opened. She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"It's fine, really." Logan reassured her. To ease her nerves, he casually ripped open a tea bag himself, letting the leaves spill out. "Actually, it doesn't cost much."
Olivia, the rightful owner of the room's key card, silently watched Logan's little performance.
…
The conversation carried on, though there wasn't much of real substance being discussed. Still, to Sumika, Logan was the only person she knew and trusted in this unfamiliar world. Even just having him around was comforting enough.
The kettle finished boiling. Logan poured some tea and then sat across from Olivia with a bright smile, "Senior, do you want to drink tea?"
Olivia wordlessly slid her cup forward, "Just hot water."
Logan's hand froze mid-pour.
'What a heavy counterattack…'
Seeing him visibly deflate, Olivia didn't press further. Instead, she shifted gears to the main issue, "About her..."
She nodded toward Sumika, who was sitting on the bed, attentively listening even though she couldn't understand their words. Logan had already mentioned that he would be asking for the 'kind lady's' help in settling her down, so she remained focused on the conversation.
"Are you serious about this request?" Olivia asked.
Logan straightened up and nodded seriously, "Yes."
Bringing an extra person into existence, at least legally, was no simple task. Logan had initially considered taking Sumika back to his home country.
But flying was out of the question, and alternative means of transportation? Smuggling across borders was far too complicated.
Not to mention the language barrier and strict identity verification policies in the United States. That idea had to be scrapped.
Leaving her in Japan, where the culture was more familiar, seemed like the better choice. As for the unfamiliarity of modern society and the situation of not knowing anyone, Logan believes that as long as the problem of 'identity' is solved, he could handle everything confidently.
However, even if he wanted to obtain a legal identity in Japan, which has relatively relaxed audit procedures, (Japan does not have a unified national ID card), it would still be difficult for Logan to do so.
And that was where Olivia, his guiding lighthouse in this storm, came in.
"You want me to create a clean, legal, and long-term identity for this 'Hoshino Sumika' so she can live in Japan without trouble?" Olivia said with a frown.
Olivia glanced at Sumika, who appeared quiet, gentle, and completely harmless. She tapped the small round table before turning her sharp gaze back to Logan, her tone growing noticeably colder, "I understand what you're asking, but Logan, don't you think this request sounds a bit..."
She didn't finish the sentence. Instead of stopping at surface-level concerns, her upbringing and analytical mind pushed her to dig deeper.
"Where did she come from?" Olivia raised an eyebrow, gesturing toward Sumika on the side.
Logan knew he couldn't avoid the question. With a wry smile, he replied, "Senior, just think of it as me rescuing her from a dire situation."
'Considering Logan's supernatural abilities and the massive airborne vessel that had roared through the sky that day, this explanation was way too vague...' Olivia is certainly not satisfied with this answer. She has continued to help him in the past few days, including this one, at the tail end of her trip… This was a different kind of favor entirely. She looked into Logan's eyes and said bluntly: "I trust you realize that forging an identity and booking a trip are two very different matters."
A heavy silence followed.
Logan understood what the other party was worried about, and said frankly: "Senior, you don't have to worry. There's nothing dangerous about her background. And rather than falsifying an identity, it's more accurate to say we're registering one. Think of her as a complete 'blank slate'. If I had my own channels, I wouldn't have come to trouble you with this."
"So this matter will never bring you any trouble, Senior, I can guarantee that." Finally, Logan changed into a very serious and formal tone.
The tension in the air remained thick. Even Sumika, who couldn't understand the conversation, became nervous as she watched the exchange unfold.
However, Logan still saw the dissipation of the sharp edge in Olivia's eyes. She changed her posture and said, "… Is that so?"
Then, out of nowhere…
"What exactly is your relationship?"
Logan was suddenly stunned, not only because Olivia had blindsided him with the question, but also because she had said it in fluent Japanese. Her pronunciation was precise, her grammar perfect… It was clear that she had prepared for this moment.
And she wasn't asking Logan. She was asking Sumika.
Sumika blinked in brief surprise, but quickly reacted. First, she glanced at Logan, then she looked at Olivia's meaningful gaze and said with a smile, "We are husband and wife."