Shinya

Through The Forrest

"We should stop here for the night, Akane." Saiga said sitting down on a log, I followed, sweat dripping down my neck onto the sweatshirt.

"You seem to know a lot about the town." I said breathing heavily. The sun beat hard on us and the mountains didn't help either. Thunder rolled in the distance.

"Set up camp, we can talk avoid t it later but first we need to beat the storm." I nodded as he got out an old lantern, lit it up and set it in the middle of the clearing.

"Will the tent fit?" I asked pulling it out.

"It should." I took a few steps before noticing the ground.

"Hey Joji, do you see this?" I asked putting the tent on the ground and kneeling into the dirt.

"That's odd." He mumbled going on the other side of me.

"Shinya's foot is a size 11 and by the looks of it, this one is too." I said.

"More than one person can have a size 11 foot Akane-" I cut him off.

"But there's only one person who could have this." I pulled the leather strap out from the dirt.

"It's Ko's pendant that he made when he was a kid. I remember him showing me while he was still an enforcer." I wiped the dirt off revealing one small crack in the side.

"It was the first one he made, and he almost broke it with the crack right here." I showed him. He nodded.

"Storms coming Akane, we have to hurry. But a bare footprint with Kogami's own necklace is a sign that we're close." He said pulling me up by the hand.

"We're close to finding him." I said.

"Yes we'll find him Akane, no need to worry." He said patting me on the shoulder.

"I'm not worried." I said sliding the necklace into my pocket.

"Of course you are, I can see it, you're worried you won't find the man you fell in love with that first day." My mouth dropped, he couldn't possibly know that. He smiled seeing my red cheeks.

"Storms coming Mr Saiga." I said returning the smile.