Outside the bungalow, the engine of a sleek luxury car purred to life.
Kirishima sat behind the wheel, his expression unreadable as he shifted gears and accelerated, leaving the base behind in a blur of speed.
A short while later, the car pulled up at the entrance gates of a towering corporate building.
After a brief security check, Kirishima drove inside and parked, heading straight for the elevators on the left.
He reached a private cabin and pushed the door open without knocking.
Inside, a businessman sat behind a mahogany desk, his eyes glued to a glowing computer screen.
Kirishima walked in with measured, silent steps.
He pulled back a chair and sat down, lounging with a casual confidence.
The businessman didn’t even look up.
“Speak,” he muttered, his fingers still dancing across the keyboard.
A sharp smirk played on Kirishima’s lips.
“Listen, Shin.”
“Huh. I’m listening,” Shin replied, his gaze never wavering from the monitor.
“I found him,” Kirishima said, his voice dropping an octave.
“The operator of the CS—the Bounty App.”
In an instant, Shin’s eyes snapped away from the screen.
He practically lunged for his desk phone, pressing the receiver to his ear.
“I need that file. Get to my cabin. Now.”
While they waited, Kirishima looked around the office, his eyes scanning the expensive decor.
A few moments later, a bodyguard entered, placed a thick folder on the desk, and vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
Shin slid the file across the desk.
“Here. These are the details I managed to scrape together.”
Kirishima opened the folder, his focus narrowing as he pored over the documents.
Beside him, Shin was already back on the phone, coordinating something else.
After a few minutes, Kirishima looked up.
“According to this… the conclusion is that fifteen businessmen are under high suspicion.”
Shin nodded, finally hanging up.
“I’ve done as much as I could. But if you’re looking for the strongest lead, my money is on the Shinijawa Residency.”
Kirishima stood up, his height casting a long shadow across the desk.
He extended his hand.
“Thanks. I’ll take it from here.”
Shin stood and met his grip with a firm handshake.
Kirishima turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.
Meanwhile, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the city footpaths.
Souta and Ren were walking side-by-side, the rhythm of their footsteps the only sound between them.
Souta stared down at the concrete, a distant look in his eyes as a flash of Shion Amano’s face crossed his mind.
“I really wanted to bring Shion Amano into this family too,” Souta murmured, his voice laced with a rare touch of melancholy.
“But…”
The weight of the unspoken words hung heavy in the air.
Ren felt a pang of sadness in his chest, his own memories of Shion flickering in his mind.
“I know,” Ren replied softly, his voice barely a whisper.
“I feel Shion’s absence too… every day.”
Tap.
Tap.
Ren’s footsteps echoed softly against the pavement as he walked home.
Standing by the entrance, staring quietly at the ground, was Yeamori.
Seeing her there, a sudden wave of relief washed over Ren’s tired eyes.
His heart skipped a beat.
*’Yeamori…’* he thought, his pace quickening as he approached her.
Hearing his footsteps, Yeamori looked up.
Her expression was a mix of relief and annoyance.
“Where were you?”
Caught off guard, Ren stuttered.
“I— I was, uh…”
Yeamori stepped closer, crossing her arms.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting out here for you?”
Ren immediately lowered his head like a scolded puppy.
“Sorry…”
As he stood there, he instinctively tried to hide his left arm behind his back.
But Yeamori’s sharp eyes caught the unnatural movement.
Without a second of hesitation, she reached out, grabbed his left wrist, and forcefully pushed his sleeve up.
A fresh, raw scrape marred his skin.
Yeamori’s eyes narrowed.
“Did you go out and get into another fight?”
“No! I swear!” Ren defended quickly.
Yeamori raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
“Oh? So what, you got this while sleepwalking?”
“What? No, of course not!”
Trying to hide an amused smile behind her hand, Yeamori continued to tease him.
“Why don’t you just say you tripped and fell flat on your face while sleepwalking? It’s a much better excuse.”
Ren’s face flushed red with irritation.
“Don’t just make up fake scenarios in your head! I didn’t fall while sleeping… I just slipped in the bathroom, okay?!”
Yeamori let out a tiny, victorious smile.
“Okay. If you say so.”
She finally let him lead the way inside.
As they entered his flat, Yeamori looked around, her eyes widening slightly at the pristine, minimalist interior.
It was incredibly neat and clean.
She gently tugged on Ren’s sleeve, causing his face to flush red all over again.
“You know, I’ve never actually seen the inside of your place before,” she murmured, looking at the ceiling.
“This apartment must be really expensive, huh?”
Standing beside her, Ren couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of his own apartment.
*’Why is this girl admiring the flat instead of looking at me?’* he grumbled in his mind.
Snap!
Yeamori snapped her fingers right in front of his face.
“Hello? Where did you zone out to?”
Ren blinked, shaking his head.
“Nowhere. It’s nothing. Please, go sit down.”
They walked into the living room and sat down on the soft hallway sofa.
“Sit closer. Go grab your first-aid box so I can change that bandage for you.”
Ren quietly brought the box over and sat beside her.
Yeamori gently rolled up his sleeve, carefully peeling off the old bandage and applying a fresh one.
Ren sat perfectly still, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
A faint blush dusted his cheeks.
‘Back in high school, things were simple.
No one really noticed her that much,’ Ren thought, watching the gentle focus on her face.
‘But now that we’re in university…
with her fitness and how pretty she’s gotten, there must be so many guys trying to get her attention.’
“There. All done,” Yeamori said, smoothing down the edges of the bandage.
Ren quickly broke out of his thoughts.
He cleared his throat.
“Hey… it’s getting close to dinner time. Do you want to stay and eat here?”
Yeamori smiled warmly.
“Yeah, why not? I can cook something for us right now.”
Ren looked at her softly.
“You know how to cook?”
“Of course I do! I make my dad’s tiffin every single morning, Ren.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a pang of guilt hit Ren’s chest.
He sat alone at the dining table while she worked in the kitchen.
*’I already knew her mom passed away…
why did I even ask such a stupid question?’* he mentally scolded himself.
But if Yeamori was bothered by it, she didn’t show it.
She hummed a quiet tune in the kitchen, her expression completely calm and soft.
A little while later, she walked out carrying two steaming plates.
“Tadaa~!” she chimed, placing the food on the table with a bright smile.
“Tell me how it is!”
She pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down, resting her chin on her hands as she watched him eagerly.
Ren took a bite.
His eyes widened, and a genuinely adorable expression of delight crossed his face.
“It’s amazing,” he said sincerely, looking right at her.
“Thank you, my lady.”
Yeamori’s cheeks flushed a light shade of pink, but she covered it with a proud smile.
“Hehe~ That’s more like it, assistant!”
Time passed quickly as they ate and talked.
Soon, it was time for her to leave.
Standing by the front door, Yeamori slipped her shoes on.
She turned back to look at Ren, who was standing in the hallway to see her out.
“Well, I’m heading out,” she said.
She opened the door, stepping halfway out before throwing one last teasing glance over her shoulder.
“Try not to do too much sleepwalking tonight! Okay, bye!”
Before Ren could even open his mouth to reply, she swiftly stepped out and shut the door with a sharp *click*.
Left alone in the quiet apartment, Ren just stood there, staring at the closed door.
A soft, uncontrollable smile spread across his face.
—Chapter 18 End—