The bowling alley hummed with life — pins crashing, shoes squeaking against polished floors, neon lane numbers glowing softly overhead.

Kyoya stood near one of the lanes with his three friends when the doors slid open again.

Cassie stepped in first, Viara and Julianna beside her, followed by Zen, Finn, and Madoka.

Kyoya turned at the sound of footsteps.

A slow, confident grin spread across his face.

“Well, well,” he said smoothly. “Didn’t expect a family reunion today.”

Cassie stopped short.
“Ugh… Didn’t expect to run into a walking ego with legs,” she said flatly, eyes rolling.

Viara blinked. “You didn’t tell us you were coming here.”

“I come here almost every day,” Kyoya replied.

Kyoya took a few relaxed steps forward, his friends falling in right behind him like a shadow.

His gaze drifted upward — straight to the white cap on Cassie’s head.

A knowing smirk curved his lips.
“Still wearing that dumb cap, huh?” he said, tilting his head.
“Doesn’t really suit a princess, does it?”

Cassie’s jaw tightened.

One of his friends chuckled.
“Yeah, looks kinda childish.”

Another added with a grin, “Thought royals had better fashion sense.”

Cassie’s eyes narrowed, but she stayed composed.

Kyoya shrugged casually. “Anyway — since you’re already here, how about a little fun?”

He gestured toward the lanes.
“Four versus four. Friendly match.”

Cassie scoffed. “I have zero interest in playing with you.”

Kyoya smiled wider. “What’s wrong? Losing confidence already?”

His friends snickered behind him.

One of them leaned forward with a grin.

“Or are you sca—”

“WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!” Cassie shouted, furious.

It detonated through the bowling alley.

Kyoya’s three friends practically jumped backward.

Someone dropped a bowling ball.

A nearby group froze mid-cheer.

Cassie was pure fury — eyes blazing, teeth clenched, aura almost visible.

Then, just a heartbeat later, she straightened and cleared her throat.

“Apologies,” she said, perfectly calm again. “That was unnecessary.”

“But since you insist on provoking me,” she said coolly,
“I accept your challenge.”

Kyoya blinked.

“A four versus four bowling match,” Cassie said. “We start in five minutes.”

For a beat, Kyoya just stared.

Then his grin widened. “Heh. I was hoping you’d say that.”

As Cassie walked back toward her group, Kyoya’s friends leaned in close to him.

“Damn,” one whispered. “She really is intimidation incarnate.”

Another nodded quickly. “Like— terrifying.”

Kyoya chuckled softly, eyes following Cassie.
“Still explosive as ever.”

Cassie turned back toward her team, fire already gone from her eyes.

“Alright,” she said briskly. “Four versus four. Who’s in?”

Julianna smiled, stretching her shoulders slightly.
“I do love a challenge.”

“I’ll sit this one out. You guys play,” Zen said.

Cassie nodded once. “Okay. Then it’s me, Julianna, Madoka, and Finn.”

Madoka’s lips curved into a confident, amused smirk.
“This should be fun.”

Finn cracked his knuckles. “Let’s kick some ass.”

Nearby, Zen and Viara calmly took a seat on an empty bench, settling in to watch.

Zen pulled out his phone and began texting Saya.

Zen: “You got anything?”

Saya: “Two guys. One was sitting on a bench across the street. He made a call and left for a van at the parking lot. The other was at the bookstore by the alley. Followed the first one to the van.”

Saya: “What about you?”

Zen: “Two guys in brown and black jackets, having coffee at the café across the street. Caught them staring. Not sure though.”

Saya: “I’ll keep an eye on them too.”

Zen: “Text me if you spot anything else.”

Saya: “Copy.”

The air in the bowling alley was filled with energy — pins crashing, laughter echoing from nearby lanes.

Cassie, Julianna, Madoka, and Finn faced off against Kyoya and his three friends.

The first game kicked off fast.

Kyoya sent the ball flying down the lane — strike.

His friends followed with clean throws, fists pumping, shoulders bumping as they flexed as if they’d already won.

“Too easy,” one of them laughed.

Cassie stepped up, rolled — only a few pins fell.

She clicked her tongue. “Okay… warming up.”

Julianna did better. Madoka nearly cleared the lane. Finn came close but missed the spare by a hair.

Kyoya glanced at the scoreboard and smirked. “Already pulling ahead.”

As the game rolled on, the gap kept growing.

Kyoya landed strike after strike, his team hyping him up every time — flexing, shouting, acting like pros.

Cassie struggled early, though a lucky spare finally earned a small cheer from her side. Julianna stayed steady. Madoka landed a clean strike that made Viara cheer from the seats.

“They’re really competitive,” Zen said.

“That’s Kyoya for you,” Viara replied, smiling.

As the final frame approached, Kyoya’s team had amassed 212 points, while Cassie’s team was at 167. The first game ended decisively in Kyoya’s favor.

Kyoya stretched smugly. “We won.”

“Rematch,” Cassie said, arms crossed.

Kyoya smirked. “You sure? You might get embarrassed again.”

“I’m sure,” Cassie replied, already stepping forward.

The second game started almost immediately — tension thicker than before.

Cassie adjusted her cap. “This time’s different.”

Kyoya grinned. “We’ll see.”

This round was tighter.

Julianna opened with a perfect strike — their side erupted in cheers.

Madoka followed with a strong throw, smiling proudly. Finn knocked down most of the pins and pumped his fist when he cleaned it up.

Cassie started landing spares consistently now, each one earning louder encouragement.

Kyoya answered back with another strike.

His friends whooped, flexing exaggeratedly.

“Still got it!”

Back and forth it went — no one pulling ahead for long.

Finn slipped up once, groaning when a single pin stayed standing.
“Ah, come on!”

But a few turns later, he stepped up again, focused.

The ball rolled.

Strike.

Their whole team exploded in cheers.

Kyoya glanced at the scoreboard — the lead had flipped.

Last throws. Cassie nearly cleared the lane. Julianna cleaned up perfectly. Madoka kept it close.

Finn took a breath, rolled — another clean hit.

Silence.

Then the scoreboard updated: Cassie’s team 203 — Kyoya’s team 200.

Cheers burst out. High-fives. Madoka crossed her arms smugly. Finn laughed in pure relief.

Kyoya stared for a second… then smirked.
“Huh. Lucky.”

Cassie met his eyes calmly. “Or improving.”

Kyoya chuckled. “Don’t get used to it.”

He glanced back at his friends, who were groaning and stretching with exhaustion.
“We’ll settle this score some other day.”

Warm orange light stretched across the commercial zone as the glass doors slid open.

Laughter and tired sighs spilled out with the group.

Kyoya’s driver rolled their car to a smooth stop by the curb.

His friends piled into the back, still arguing about missed throws and lucky strikes.

Kyoya paused before getting in.
“Next time, let’s see who really comes out on top.”

His eyes met Cassie’s. “The exams will be more interesting than bowling.”

“Take care of yourself,” he said, glancing at both Cassie and Viara.

Cassie huffed. “You’re going down.”

Kyoya chuckled as he stepped into the car and slid into the front seat beside the driver.

The door shut. The car pulled away and disappeared into traffic.

Madoka stretched her arms above her head.
“I actually had fun.”

Julianna nodded. “Same. We should do things like this more often.”

Viara smiled softly.

Meanwhile, Zen’s eyes had already drifted across the street.

The two men at the café.

Still there.

One held a cup near his lips, pretending to drink.
The other stared at his phone a little too hard.

When Zen’s gaze met theirs—

Both looked away instantly.

Too fast.

Too rehearsed.

Zen turned calmly.
“Anyone want something to drink?”

“Oh, yes,” Viara said immediately. “Something sweet.”

“Coffee for me,” Cassie said.

Madoka smirked. “I’m in.”

They crossed the street together and entered the café.

A waitress approached with a polite smile as they took a seat at a table for six.

Orders came quickly.

Coffee.
Sweet tea.
Something iced and fruity.

Zen’s eyes casually scanned the surroundings.

The two men had gone stiff.

One whispered something urgently.

Chairs scraped.

Bills were slapped onto the table.

They stood up fast and left the café.

Zen didn’t move. Didn’t react.

Just lifted his cup when it arrived.

From two hundred meters away, Saya watched it all through her scope.

The café doors burst open.

The two men hurried out.

A taxi pulled up almost immediately.

They got in.

The vehicle sped off.

A second later, the white van followed.

She paused, watching. Then her gear's hood and mask slid into place. Thrusters fired up low. Magnetic wings deployed.

She lifted into the sky in silence.

High above the traffic flow, her sensors locked onto all three vehicles, each one marked on her HUD.

Seconds passed. Then minutes.

The taxi and van tailed Kyoya’s car until they slowed and turned right, peeling off.

Kyoya’s car continued straight.

They split.

Saya exhaled slowly.

Back at the café, Zen’s phone vibrated. Messages from Saya appeared in his notifications.

He read them silently without changing expression, as steam curled from his coffee.

Madoka silently sipped. She knew what was going through Zen’s mind.

The table settled into casual conversation. The city outside moved on as if nothing had happened.