After knowing the new fact about Hana's partecipation with the Kurotaka Syndicate, Rei had to make a new plan.
He perfectly knew that such an unexpected twist of events could have a great impact on this mission, so he had to calculate every single possibility, about everything.
"So... the Kurotakas now have a hostage... an important hostage... but we don't know where she is... That's amazing..." Rei said to himself, after returning to the monitors.
A loud silence filled the room.
Hina and Akira looked at each other, wondering what was about to happen.
They didn't speak.
Not another single word.
The hallways of Rei's underground fortress felt colder now—emptier, even as they buzzed with operatives moving with mechanical precision.
After the last explosive discussion, Rei simply waved his hand and gestured to two of his soldiers.
"Escort them to their rooms. I need to think."
His tone was clipped. Final.
No one argued.
Two soldiers moved in sync, motioning for Akira and Hina to follow.
Yuto stayed behind, arms folded, still silently analyzing Rei's every word.
As they were led away, Hina walked in silence, her thoughts circling like vultures.
They rounded a corner—one of the many sterile hallways reinforced with polished steel and stone—and that's when she saw her.
Hiromi Tanaka.
Short. Slender. A woman who looked barely older than twenty-five, with storm-grey hair that curled just below her jaw and eyes so pale they could cut glass. Her presence seemed out of place in this militarized labyrinth. She looked soft—almost too soft—but something about her made the air feel sharp.
Hiromi was walking in the opposite direction, clipboard in hand, humming lightly to herself.
As she passed Hina, her expression never broke. She smiled.
But Hina's eyes?
Those didn't smile.
They locked on Hiromi for just a second too long.
There was something biting in that glance.
And Hiromi, trained assassin or not, felt it.
It wasn't just hostility.
It was something deeper.
Possessiveness?
Territory?
Kai's scent lightly lingered faintly on Hiromi's clothes.
And Hina had noticed.
Akira, walking beside her, didn't comment—but she caught it too.
As Hiromi disappeared around the corner, Akira finally broke the silence.
"Who the hell was that? She looked like a librarian, but I swear my spine tingled."
Hina didn't answer. She didn't need to.
She only felt a her blood boil for a second.
"Kai's scent was on him..." She mumbled to herself.
"Another victim... another prey..." She repeated in her mind.
Akira didn't speak.
They just kept walking until they reached their assigned room a few moments later.
Standard quarters. Twin beds. A small desk. Minimal decor.
The guards shut the door behind them with a heavy click.
Akira exhaled and flopped backward onto one of the beds.
Hina sat down more slowly, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
The silence between them stretched.
Then, softly, Akira said, "Hey, Hina, I now need you need to tell me what really happened when you almost killed Kai's best friend."
Hina didn't look up. "I already—"
"No," Akira interrupted. "Not the excuse you gave Rei. The truth. The real version. What happened to Hiro's house? Why was Hikari there?"
Another long pause.
Then a sigh.
Hina's voice came out quieter than usual—less controlled.
"I was given an order, the last one, to be specific." She began. "Hikari had started leaking information to Hiro. Details about the Dragons. About Sabushi. I don't know how far it would've gone, but if the police had gotten even half of it…"
She shook her head.
"She was naive, thinking she could escape the weight of the name Kobayashi. That she could love a normal boy and destroy everything her uncle built. Moreover... It was my last gift to father."
"And Hiro?" Akira asked.
"He was just collateral," Hina said, her voice dull. "I was supposed to kill them both. But Hiro escaped. He ran before I could finish the job."
"So you burned the house," Akira murmured.
"I couldn't leave evidence," Hina whispered. "Not after everything I'd done for the Dragons. I was still bein gloyal despite I had left. They knew too much, and police could also get me."
"And now?" Akira asked.
Now.
Hina looked up.
Now, her eyes weren't just full of guilt—they were broken.
"Now... it's becoming pretty difficult to forget," she said. "Every time I looked into Kai's eyes, I had always thought how much he would've suffered from the loss of his friend… And by my hand, the one who always tried to protect him."
Her voice cracked.
"That night is part of me, too."
Akira sat up, her eyes softer than usual.
"You started to really love him."
"Yeah but... it's complicated." Hina replied immediately. "I lied to him. I hid everything. I didn't think he'd ever find out. I thought… maybe I could bury the past and build something with him."
Akira gave a small, sad smile. "You underestimated how loud the past can scream."
Silence again.
They both stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Then Akira, after a moment, said, "He's not going to forgive you overnight."
"I know," Hina said.
"But if he does…"
"I'll wait," Hina interrupted again. "For as long as it takes."
They didn't speak after that.
Akira saw the sadness in Hina's empty eyes.
The eyes of someone who saw everything in her life.
She wanted to hug her , to comfort her, but that wasn't what Hina wanted.
Hina probably wanted to stay alone.
But, there was a question that Akira wanted to ask to Hina.
A curiosity.
"Hina," she spoke.
"Yes?" Hina replied.
"Why do you love Kai?" Akira asked, with a soft voice.
In that moment, Hina's eyes widened at her question.
She had never asked herself something like that.
Her feelings were... natural, but she never asked herself why she loved Kai so much, to the point where she killed some of her old criminal companions.
She knew that she could kill her own father just for Kai's safety... but why?
"I... don't know, Akira." Hina replied, while nervously rubbing her fingers together.
"Eh? There must be a reason. There surely must be a reason! Come on, you were also about to kill me!" Akira said, while jokingly slapping Hina's back.
"Well... to be honest... I cannot answer something like that. My feelings for Kai became strong very slowly... despite I was being possessive with him since the first moment." Hina replied, with a soft voice.
Akira knew that she shouldn't have asked more , so she changed topic.
"Sis, I also remember that you dated a guy before Kai, right?" Akira asked.
Hina nodded her head.
"Yeah... Shota. And I killed him... because he cheated. He tried to escape when he found out who I was, after someone told him about a lot of things, and I'm really lucky that I didn't go further than a kiss with him. But for Kai is different..." Hina said, probably understanding a lot of things.
Akira kept listening carefully.
"Kai... didn't take advantage of me, he always told me the truth, he even killed for me... but-" Hina swallowed some saliva before speaking up again. "- Most importantly, he didn't escape when he found out who I was. He kept fighting for me in his own way, and he made me feel accepted, wanted, loved... That's probably why I love him this much. I felt happiness for the first time. And I don't want anyone or anything to steal this beautiful feeling from me. The world can burn, and I'm done with my bloodshed." Hina said, while laying down on the bed and stretching her arms.
Akira listened to Hina very carefully.
She even felt some of her words.
Kai never judged anyone.
Instead, he kept helping everyone and doesn't want people to get hurt.
But, she also knew that Kai had an hidden homicidal and psycho part in his personality, that comes out during hard times.
"I guess you're really lucky to have him, then. Can we share him sometimes?" Akira said, jokingly.
Hina looked into her sister's eyes, but there was no malice or jealosy in her look.
Instead, she laughed a little.
"Maybe, if I'll get heavily injured or I'll be unable to take care of him, MAYBE I can allow for you to touch him." Hina said, with a small chuckle.
Despite her sadness for Kai, Akira's presence and words made her feel better.
It had been a long time since had a "Sister-like" conversation.
After Hina's last joke, they kept talking for some other time about different topics.
Then , they simply lay back on their separate beds, the faint hum of the underground base lulling them into uneasy quiet.