ꜱᴛᴀʀ-ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱᴇᴅ - toji f.

ɪɪ - ᴛᴡᴏ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴄᴏʟʟɪᴅᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ

-星が交差した-

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ | ᴄᴜʀꜱɪɴɢ, ꜱᴍᴏᴋɪɴɢ.

ɴᴏᴛᴇꜱ ɪ | ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴩᴏᴠ.

☾ • • • 𖤓

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ᴩᴏᴠ

Aoki wandered through the wide, immaculate streets of Minato Ward, luxury bags dangling from her arms, each one a symbol of wealth and power.

Her father’s instructions echoed in her mind—stay in line, represent the family well, always be composed. The store attendants had been overly polite, bowing deeply, their smiles perfectly rehearsed.

Her personal bodyguard, Kaito, a skilled professional detective before being hired by the governor for his daughter, trailed closely behind, ever watchful, blending into the scenery yet ever-present.

But Aoki barely noticed the designer bags or the compliments whispered behind her back.

Her mind was somewhere else. No matter how much she tried to focus on the glamorous world surrounding her, her thoughts kept drifting to that night—to the streets she’d wandered into, to the man who had helped her find her way back.

Toji, the man with the scar on his right lip.

There had been something about him that stuck with her.

The way he didn’t seem to care about her family, her wealth, or the rules that had defined her entire life.

He lived on the other side of a line she’d never dared cross before, and for some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Her feet slowed as she passed a polished storefront, her eyes drifting down a side street. The narrow alley looked so different from the sleek luxury of Minato Ward, with its towering buildings and pristine sidewalks.

It was more chaotic, the noise of people haggling, street vendors shouting, and a world she wasn’t supposed to belong to.

Curiosity tugged at her.

Without thinking, she turned toward the alley, Kaito immediately stepping forward. “Miss Aoki, this is not a safe area,” he said firmly, his hand gesturing for her to return to the main street. “We should head back.”

Aoki hesitated, glancing between the alley and the Kaito. “It’s fine,” she murmured, but her feet were already moving in the direction of the alley. The sounds of the bustling market called to her, far more alive than the sterile luxury she had just left behind.

Kaito followed her closely, keeping his distance but clearly uneasy.

Aoki walked past street vendors selling fresh vegetables, old trinkets, and handmade goods. It wasn’t like anything she had ever seen up close before.

The smells, the noise—it all felt so real compared to the sterile, polished life she was used to.

As she wandered deeper into the alley, her eyes landed on a small, unassuming restaurant tucked between two bustling shops.

Its sign was faded, the windows a little grimy, but it seemed to have a steady stream of people entering and leaving. A small, hand-painted sign out front read:

"Best Ramen in Town—Affordable & Delicious”.

Through the window, her gaze caught on a familiar figure sitting at one of the small tables near the front—a man, tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair and sharp eyes.