Perched on a barstool by the counter, Aoi’s gaze drifted across the space as the man behind it worked on a meal. The place had a split identity—half diner, half convenience store, sharing the same roof. To the left, the diner buzzed faintly with the aroma of grilled food and fresh coffee, while to the right, shelves of snacks, bottled drinks, and everyday essentials lined the walls. A door between the two sections made it easy for customers to wander from one to the other. Near the back, a lone customer browsed the drink aisle in silence. Above the counter, a wall clock ticked steadily—7:15 p.m.

“Hot curry rice, fresh off the stove. Dig in.” The man set the plate down in front of her, steam curling upward in delicate wisps. The aroma of fried spices clung to the air, teasing her senses and making her stomach stir with anticipation. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a few bills, but as she moved to place them on the counter, the man lifted a hand, gently stopping her.                                                                              

“No charge. It’s on the house,” the man said with a small grin tugging at his lips.

“Huh? Why?” she asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

“You’re serious? You helped me get my money back. Feels like the least I can do.” He turned to the sink, casually rinsing some utensils as if it were nothing.

Aoi blinked, caught off guard by the gesture. Her eyes lingered on his back. “…Thanks,” she murmured, gaze dropping to the food in front of her.

“Name’s Kota Shirakawa, by the way,” he added, glancing at her with a friendly smile. “So, what did you say your name was again?”

She hesitated a moment before replying, eyes shaded beneath the hood. “Aoi… Aoi Sakuraba.”

“Sakuraba? That last name does ring a bell”. He mused aloud, eyes shut and fingers tapping his chin in thought. Her gaze narrowed as he suddenly formed an 'o' with his mouth, snapping his fingers as the memory returned.

“Oh, now I remember.” His eyes lifted slightly as the pieces fell into place. “Sakuraba—yeah, the luxury fashion and real estate empire in Urban Tokyo. Owned by Haruto Sakuraba, right? The CEO of the Sakuraba Group?” His gaze snapped back to her, recognition flashing in his wide eyes. “You’re his daughter.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” She shrugged, glancing back at the food. I mean, other people are bearing Sakuraba, she mused, her lips pursed.

“Are you being sarcastic?” Kota asked, his hands on his hips.

“What can I say? There are other families with the last name Sakuraba.” She replied softly, then took a spoonful of the curry and brought it to her lips. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened just a bit. The rich, savory flavors spread across her palate, warm and comforting. A faint glow touched her cheeks as her eyes shimmered with quiet surprise.

But there aren't other families with that last name, he mused, a bead of sweat draping down his temple as he stared at her expression. “Huh? What’s wrong?” he asked as she regained her composure, shaking her head.

“Nothing. I’m just surprised that a grown man like you can cook food this good.”

Was that a compliment or… he mused with his arms crisscrossed, his right eyebrow arched with a bead of sweat draping from his temple.

“It wasn’t a compliment.” She interjected while chewing, earning a sweat drop from him. “But really, it's delicious,” she added, earning a surprised look from him. A warm smile crept up to his face as he watched her eat, the memory of a woman, a friend he once knew, overshadowing Aoi’s form dimly.

“So, what’s up?” Her question snapped him back to reality as he blinked. “Huh?”’

“You’re staring at me,” She mumbled through a mouthful of food, and his jaw practically dropped in disbelief.

“You can tell without looking?”

“I’ve got a high sense. So tell me, why were you staring? I know I look oddly familiar, but you don’t have to make it weird.” She murmured before slipping a spoonful into her mouth, her lashes fluttering shut as she quietly relished the flavor.

“What? No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just... I’ve never seen you around before. What’re you doing in a town like this anyway? It’s not every day people get to move here, considering how backdrop it is,” he answered truthfully.

“I've been in this town longer than you think.” She purposely deflected his question, lifting another spoonful to her lips instead. As she chewed, her gaze stayed fixed on the plate, deliberately avoiding his eyes.

“Really? How long?” He leaned in, intrigued, as she looked up at him, her lavender eyes soft but unreadable.

“Would you like to know?” she retorted.

“Huh? Of course I do.” He replied, his hands on his hips again. “Come on, for how long, Aoi?” How her name slipped from his lips caused Aoi to widen her eyes slightly. No one's called my name like that for a long time. It sounds... weird, she mused, shifting her eyes sideways.

“Well, for about—” The door’s bell chimed loudly as it swung open, cutting her words short. Both of them turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, her long, waist-length deep brown hair cascading down her back. Her emerald green eyes swept across the room before settling on them. She was dressed in a dark navy-blue cropped jacket over a white, sleeveless undershirt, black pants that hugged her frame, and sturdy black boots. Leaning against the door, her chest rose and fell with each breath, as though she had just run for her life.

“Oh man! That was close!” She let out a breath, brushing the back of her left hand across her forehead, her eyes closed in a relaxed smile. Aoi raised an eyebrow, watching her, while Kota’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Reina?! What're you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be out this time of night. Ryo and Misora would be worried sick looking for you.” He muttered, his voice laced with disapproval, as she moved toward the counter and sat down next to Aoi. That uniform... she mused, her gaze lingered on the girl’s jacket, eyes drawn to the crest on the left side of her chest.

“Ah, don't worry. They won't find me here. This store's the last place anyone would want to look for me,” The girl, Reina, replied, her eyes remaining closed as she spoke, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. Kota blinked once, then exhaled softly and folded his arms in thought.

“W-Well, I guess that's true.” He replied, a flicker of realization lifting his brow.

“And besides,” she said as his eyes met hers, “I wanted to get out and see what’s happening around town. I’m not a kid anymore. You can’t really blame me for being a little curious.”

“But still, you shouldn't ghost the others like that,” he responded, his voice soft but firm.

“Yeah, I know,” she sighed in defeat and looked to him with a smile. “Fine, I'll head back... after I get something to eat.”

Kota chuckled. “The usual, I take it?”

“That's right. With extra vegetables, please,” she smiled.

“Coming right up.” He answered without turning around, busy preparing her order. Their conversation continued as if Aoi didn’t exist, a feeling she had long grown used to. After all, it had been that way for the past five years.

“Hey,” a voice said, and Aoi looked at the girl, her green eyes shining with a warm smile.

“Hey,” Aoi responded, her eyebrow arched.

“Are you new to this town? It's not like I've ever seen you around here before.”

“Uh...” Aoi started before Kota interrupted.

“Not really,” he replied, catching their attention as they turned toward him. His back remained to the counter, but he offered a small sidelong glance while continuing his task. “She’s been around a while, though I’m not sure how long exactly… Still, I’m glad she is. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably have been robbed tonight.”

“Robbed? What do you mean?” Reina asked, her expression clouded with worry and seriousness.

“Those guys showed up again,” he explained, his voice steady but laced with frustration. “They demanded money. I told them I didn’t have any, but they still forced me to hand over the little allowance I’d been saving.”

Reina let out a quiet scoff at the mention, her fingers brushing past her bangs, already knowing exactly who he meant.

“So, the Shikkari Batsuzoku group was at it again. A small-time gang known for petty theft, corner-store heists, and low-level intimidation. They think they’re tough, but most real gangs don’t take them seriously. They like to take from society and punish anyone who disobeys them. Both male and female, they desire to have what they want. To them, punishment is their motto, which they think sounds cool, but most people see them as a bunch of reckless wannabes trying to act like big-time criminals,” she quipped, her eyes closed with disinterest.

“That’s right. But this time, they came in a group of four to rob me,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “Then they ran off—only to get stopped and beaten to a pulp by this girl right here.” His words made Reina turn to Aoi, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Batsuzoku. So that's the name of their gang, not a familiar one. Maybe it's because they're one of the new gangs that just came up, Aoi mused silently, only to jolt when Reina suddenly grabbed her shoulders, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“What?! Seriously?! That’s awesome! You can fight? That’s amazing!” Reina beamed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

“Uh, yeah… thanks,” Aoi mumbled, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple.

“If it weren’t for Aoi, I would’ve lost the money,” Kota chimed in, placing a steaming bowl of ramen on the counter in front of Reina. Her gaze instantly shifted to it, and she let go of Aoi.

“I see. Well, time to eat! Thanks for the meal!” she said cheerfully, clasping her hands together before breaking her chopsticks and digging in without hesitation.

Aoi watched her slurp the noodles with closed eyes and a hum of satisfaction. The blue-haired girl turned back to her own food, just as Reina spoke again mid-bite.

“Nothing tastes better than your ramen after the day's work, Mr. Shirakawa. It's top-notch!” She grinned, earning a warm smile from Kota as he wiped his hands with a napkin.

“Glad you’re enjoying it,” he said, turning to face the two girls as they ate. A comfortable silence settled for a moment until Reina spoke up.

“Your name’s Aoi, right?” she asked, still chewing her food as her gaze shifted toward the blue-haired girl.

“Hm.” Aoi nodded, shoving a bit as she chewed.

“I'm Reina Hoshizuki, a third-year student of Sayonaki High,” she introduced, her lips laced with a grin.

“That explains the uniform,” Aoi answered while chewing, her eyes never leaving her food.

“Huh?” Reina slurped her noodles, glancing at Aoi, who lifted her gaze and looked at her.

“I've seen the uniform countless times here in the city. It isn't exactly a new thing for me.”

“Come to think of it, Mr. Kota here mentioned you've lived in this town for a while now. Why don't you tell us?”

“She was about to when you bolted in.” Kota sighed as Reina looked at him.

“Is that so? Guess I'm really lucky. So, how long then?” she chuckled as they both looked to her in expectation, a small sigh escaping Aoi's lips as she spoke.

“I'm sorry but... I have to leave now.” She said, attempting to stand when Reina placed a hand on her left arm.

“Hey now, wait a second! Don't leave. We'd like to know. Come on, please?”

“It's alright, Aoi. You can stay a little longer.” Kota added, his eyes warm as Aoi let out a small sigh.