Sunlight streamed through the open hospital window, softly illuminating the white room. Kaien was still lying in the bed, unconscious. Beside him, Yuki slept deeply, her head resting against his abdomen, exhausted after spending the entire night there without leaving.
The silence was almost comforting.
Kaien moves his hand with difficulty. His fingers tremble. His breathing quickens and, suddenly, he wakes up gasping, jerking his upper body upright.
— What happened… damn it…
The movement wakes Yuki instantly. Startled, she lifts her head quickly.
The memories return like a blow: the gunshots, the blood, the henchmen, the blackout. Kaien squeezes his eyes shut and tries to slam his hand against the bed in frustration.
Before he can, Yuki gently grabs his hand.
— Kaien… are you okay? Don't get upset…
Her voice is soft.
Kaien stops.
His body relaxes slightly at the sound of that voice. He exhales deeply. His blue eyes always so confident now fill with tears that spill uncontrollably.
— Yuki… there's no turning back… damn it… I'm going to be marked…
Yuki's heart breaks.
Seeing those blue eyes eyes that always carried calm, strength, and irony now sad, almost crying, hurts more than she expected.
She gently touches Kaien's face.
— Kaien… I'm here… forget about that…
For a moment, he almost gets angry, but he controls himself. In the end, a weak smile appears on his lips.
— I'll try… but, Yuki… I have to move. Leave this place. Now. I don't know who sent them… but those guys came to kill me…
Yuki thinks for a few seconds and releases his face.
— That's normal. You killed a mafia boss because she stole your car and defeated all her men.
Kaien laughs, but feels pain.
— But that wasn't easy at all…
Yuki rolls her eyes and lightly hits his arm.
— I know, you idiot…
Kaien pretends to be in more pain than he really is.
— Wow… such aggression, miss.
Yuki smiles.
— But okay… no more crying now. Get up. We're going to the agency.
Kaien tries to move… but fails.
— I can't… Yuki…
She looks at him seriously.
— You can. If you don't… we need you, Kaien…
Especially… I do… — Yuki thinks silently.
Kaien simply nods.
He rips off the medical equipment, stands up with difficulty, grabs an anesthetic, and injects it. The pain disappears momentarily.
Shortly after, the two head to the agency.
Yuki speaks with the staff about the attention now focused on Kaien. Meanwhile, he sits at his desk, in front of the computer, analyzing reports and criminal files.
Until he stops at a name.
Tu.
Boss of the Wolves Mafia.
A powerful mafia… but weak compared to the others.
Before he can dig deeper, a loud crash shatters the silence.
Something flies through the agency window.
A box.
Kaien reacts fast, catches it midair, and opens it.
Inside, a pair of black glasses… and a letter.
> Kaien… are you doing well, my son?
— Lina, your mother.
Kaien's blue eyes instantly fill with tears.
— Mom…
His entire body aches. He cries softly, clutching the glasses the same ones he received when he was six.
Childhood memories.
Young Kaien playing spy with his father.
— Ice gun!
— Pew, pew!
His mother approaches, kneels down, and hands the black glasses to little Kaien.
He puts them on, smiles happily, and hugs her tightly.
Back to the present.
Kaien cries even more.
At that moment, Yuki leaves the meeting and sees him.
— Kaien? Are you okay?
Quickly, he hides the glasses and the letter back inside the box, slides it under the desk, and wipes away the tears.
— Yeah… I'm fine…
Yuki senses something is wrong. She's worried. But she decides not to invade his privacy and simply heads to the restroom.
As soon as she leaves, Kaien cries again. He stores everything inside his blue backpack.
At the end of the day, he returns home.
The blood still stains the floor.
The couch still holds the memory of the attack.
Kaien sits down, closes his eyes… and, in silence, cries in pain and suffering.
…
…
Somewhere else.
Gunshots echo.
Bullets tear through a sheet of paper pinned to the wall.
On the paper, an image of Kaien as a child.
Tu, the boss of the Wolves Mafia, watches.
— Kaien… what a shame…
— If I can't attack you…
He fires once more.
— …I'll attack the person you love the most.