𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔⭑.ᐟ 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔 (✔)

chapter 02

Bonten Headquarters, Japan

'Hm, Sanzu. Have I heard that name somewhere?' I thought to myself. The thought lingered in my head as I slowly looked up, my eyes landing on a tall man with slicked-back purple hair, his presence sharp and composed in a way that immediately made the room feel smaller. Next to me, the pink-haired man, Sanzu, apparently, barely reacted. He simply shrugged like none of this mattered, like bringing a complete stranger into what was clearly a highly secured space was just another normal part of his day. Without another word, he turned and walked off into another room, leaving me standing there like I wasn't just dragged into something I didn't understand.

I blinked once. Twice.

...Seriously?

I don't even know where I am, and he just leaves me here? Weird.

"Just bring her to the boss."

Sanzu's voice echoed faintly from the other room, casual, dismissive, like he was talking about an object instead of a person. The tall man with purple hair tilted his head slightly, clearly unimpressed. "Are you sure?"

Sanzu didn't even bother looking up this time. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started typing rapidly, his fingers moving with sharp precision as if whatever conversation he was having was far more important than the situation he had just thrown me into. After a second, he gave a small nod.

That was it. Decision made.

I stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a quiet breath, realizing I wasn't getting any more answers from him. "Follow me."

The purple-haired man gestured lightly with his hand, his tone calm but not exactly inviting. It wasn't a suggestion. I hesitated for half a second before stepping forward. At this point, I was already too deep into whatever this was.

He led me down a hallway that felt too clean, too controlled, like every step was being watched even if I couldn't see it. The air itself felt different here—heavy, calculated. My senses sharpened instinctively, my body slipping into a state I knew all too well.

Stay alert. We stopped in front of a door. He opened it without knocking.

And suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

The room was larger than I expected, dimly lit but not dark, with a long table at the center and several people already seated around it. The moment I stepped inside, I could feel it.

Presence.

Not just people, but power. The kind that didn't need to be announced.

My eyes moved slowly from one person to another, taking in details without making it obvious. The way they sat. The way they carried themselves. The way the room seemed to naturally revolve around them.

Dangerous. Every single one of them.

And then—

My gaze stopped.

A distinctive figure sat slightly off to the side, his posture relaxed but far from careless. His hair caught my attention immediately, neck-length, blond with a faint purple tint under the lighting, styled in a curtain-like fall that framed his face effortlessly. His eyes were droopy, almost bored-looking, but there was something underneath that calm surface that made it hard to look away.

Sharp. Observant.Quietly dangerous.

Kinda hot too—

No. What? Focus.

"Sit down." Sanzu's voice cut through my thoughts as he reappeared, now leaning casually against the wall like he had been there the entire time.

I didn't argue. Didn't question. I just sat on the side.