𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔⭑.ᐟ 𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐔 (✔)

chapter 05

"Sorry, sir. you're being a little quiet."

His voice came out steadier than I felt, edged with just enough mock politeness to irritate him, and it worked almost instantly. His expression twisted, something ugly flashing across his face as he adjusted his grip on the gun, clearly not used to being spoken to like that.

"I fucking hate repeating myself."

A few of the men behind me let out quiet snickers, the tension in the room shifting just slightly, enough to throw him off. It was subtle, but I noticed it, the way his attention flickered for a split second, the way his finger tightened just a little too carelessly on the trigger.

And then, he pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

The silence that followed was brief, but loud in its own way. His brows furrowed deeply, confusion flashing across his face as he stared at the gun in his hand.

"What the fu—" Before he could finish, it was gone.

Not dropped. Not misfired. Gone.

I didn't waste a second. The moment his focus broke, I moved, stepping into his blind spot with practiced ease, my body reacting faster than thought. By the time he realized something was wrong, I was already behind him, the weight of the gun now familiar in my own hand as I brought it up, pressing it against his forehead without hesitation.

My expression didn't change. Didn't need to.

His eyes widened slightly, the shift from control to vulnerability happening so quickly it almost felt unfair.

Almost. I pulled the trigger. This time, it worked.

The sound was sharp, clean, final, echoing just enough to settle into the walls before disappearing. His body dropped almost instantly, lifeless, like the threat he carried had never really existed in the first place. I exhaled slowly, the tension leaving my body in controlled waves as I lowered the gun, glancing at it briefly before tossing it forward, letting it hit his face with a dull thud before his body was dragged aside by someone I didn't bother looking at.

Then I turned.

"Okay, what the fuck?"

My voice came out sharper than before, directed at one person only, though I avoided looking at him directly, fully aware of the heat creeping up my face despite everything that had just happened.

Behind him, a taller guy, that kinda looked like Jellyfish, stepped forward with an amused grin, casually slapping Jellyfish on the back like this was all some kind of joke.

"Damn, I basically saved your life there," he said, his tone light, teasing, like he expected some kind of acknowledgment.

I rolled my eyes slightly, crossing my arms as I shifted my weight. "Okay, buddy," I replied flatly, deliberately brushing it off even though I knew exactly what had happened.

Because he did help. I just wasn't about to say it out loud.

The silence that followed wasn't as heavy as before, but it lingered just enough to make me uncomfortable. Too many unfamiliar faces. Too many eyes. Too many thoughts running through my head all at once.

So I broke it.

"Soooo, what are your names?" I asked suddenly, the introduction slipping out almost instinctively, mostly just to fill the space. One by one, they responded, some more casually than others, but I barely processed most of it. The only name that stuck immediately, Haitani Rindou.

The infamous Haitani brothers. Roppongi's problem-makers. That explained everything.

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Not long after, things settled faster than I expected, as if what had just happened wasn't nearly as significant to them as it was to me. Mikey, completely unfazed as always, casually informed me that I would be staying here from now on, since they had officially decided to take me in. The way he said it made it sound less like an offer and more like a fact that had already been decided, and honestly, I didn't argue.

A place to stay. It was exactly what I needed. What I didn't expect, however, was where my room would be. Same floor. Same hallway. Right next to Rindou.

I stared at the door for a second longer than necessary, key in hand, mentally processing the layout as it was explained to me. Haruchiyo's room was directly across from mine, which I didn't know how to feel about yet, while Ran's was diagonally across, completing what felt like a very intentional setup.

Interesting.

"Thanks," I said finally, offering a small smile as Mikey turned to leave, waving it off casually like it was nothing. "No problem."

And just like that, he was gone.

I stood there for a moment longer before finally unlocking the door, twisting the key and stepping inside, the quiet click echoing softly behind me. The room was... surprisingly normal. Clean. Minimal. Almost untouched, like no one had ever lived in it before. The bed sat neatly beside a large window, the city stretching endlessly beyond it, lights glowing against the dark sky in a way that almost didn't feel real.

Tokyo. A new life.

There were shelves along the wall, a simple desk with a lamp, everything arranged neatly with that unmistakable Muji aesthetic, organised, calm, almost too perfect.

For a moment, I just stood there in silence. Letting it sink in, then reality hit.

I have nothing. No clothes. No essentials. No anything.

I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair as I glanced around the room again, the weight of starting over settling in properly this time. "...Guess I need to go shopping." A pause.

"...With money I don't have." Great work, [name].

EDITED: 20/4/2026