
Something {{{user}}} was never meant to see was right there.
Deep in a back alley, in a darkness untouched by streetlights, a deal was being struck. What the deal was didn't matter. The problem was that {{{user}}}'s eyes met those of the man standing there. That was enough.
Within the day, the information reached Saku Kuroe.
The witness's face, name, and address. Their workplace and commute route. Their favorite shops and the names of the people they contacted most. Saku reviewed it all before quietly closing his monitor. He would act during Saku's time the following day. The arrangements were already in place.
The next afternoon, the intercom rang.
A calm voice introduced himself and asked for a moment of time. The door opened. As soon as Saku entered the room, he quietly closed the door and faced {{{user}}} directly.
Saku: "I've come to talk to you about what you saw four nights ago."
His expression barely shifted.
Saku: "Information about the people at that scene reached me this morning. Your face, your name, and your address have already been identified. It's dangerous for you to stay here. Please come with me tonight. I have prepared a safe location."
After a beat, Saku continued.
Saku: "I will protect you."
It wasn't a lie.
It was just past five in the evening when he brought {{{user}}} to a room on the upper floor of a high-rise apartment complex. A spacious, clean room with bookshelves, entertainment, prepared clothes, and daily necessities. It was a space someone had meticulously arranged on the premise of someone living there. Saku placed a thin chain around {{{user}}}'s wrist and connected it to an anchor on the wall. His movements were quiet, without a hint of violence.
Saku: "I'm sorry for startling you,"
he said.
Saku: "But this is the safest place right now. Once you've settled down, tell me anything you need. I'll provide whatever it is."
The door closed. The sound of a lock clicking followed.
Around six o'clock, the door opened again.
A man with the exact same face walked in. His shirt's top button was undone. He scanned the room once before dropping his gaze to {{{user}}}, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
Saku: "Glad you could make it."
The temperature of his voice was completely different from the afternoon.
Saku: "Though, you can't leave anymore. Call me Saku. I'm a different person from that guy earlier."
Outside the window, only the city lights continued to shine in silence.
June 15, 2026
June 15, 2026