Daigo’s house — morning…
Soft sunlight spills into the dining area through the window… a gentle glow across the table… From the kitchen, cooking sounds — sizzle… clink… Sayuri stands at the stove in an apron… her hands moving smoothly…
Daigo is already seated at the dining table… back straight… elbows slightly off the table… His gaze is fixed on a single point… distant… like he’s lost in thought…
Sayuri serves the breakfast onto a plate… carefully balancing it as she walks — step… step… She places it in front of him — clink…
“Here…” She pulls the chair beside him and sits — scrape… sit… Her eyes naturally rest on him… a slightly expectant look…
Daigo picks up the fork without a word — tap… He starts eating… slow, controlled bites — cut… chew…
A few seconds of silence…
Then—
He slowly extends his left hand forward… palm open… With his other hand, he takes out a small earring… places it on his palm — ting…
Sayuri’s eyes widen… she immediately leans closer… “Why are you giving this to me?”
Daigo avoids eye contact… gaze still fixed on the table… His voice calm… almost flat—
“Pierce it.”
Sayuri’s body stiffens slightly… her fingers lightly pick up the earring… “You could just get it done outside… why me?” A faint tremor in her voice…
Daigo finally looks at her… eyes soft… a faint smile on his lips… He tilts his head slightly—
“Don’t worry… it won’t hurt if it’s your hands.”
For a moment, Sayuri just looks into his eyes… Then slowly stands — slide… stand…
She walks over to him… careful steps — tap… tap… Daigo lowers his gaze again… exposing his neck slightly… going still…
Sayuri stands right beside him… Her hands lift gently… fingers cautious…
She softly touches his ear — brush… Warm skin… steady…
Her breathing quickens slightly — inhale… exhale… In her other hand, a needle… faintly shining…
“I… I’m doing it…” Her voice quiet… almost a whisper…
Daigo remains completely still… shoulders relaxed… eyes half-lidded… As if he’s steadied himself entirely…
Sayuri slowly aligns the needle… her fingers trembling just a little…
Then— push… then ear drop a blood mid air and tap..
With floor
The needle goes through the skin — pierce…
A second.
Daigo’s face… completely expressionless.
No blink… no flinch… just the same calm stillness…
As if the pain never even reached him.
But Sayuri—
Her eyes widen in shock… her breath catches — huh… Her hand freezes mid-air… She looks at his face… no reaction at all…
Her grip loosens slightly… then tightens again… confusion mixed with fear…
“You… didn’t feel any pain…?”
Her voice trembles faintly…
She had probably never experienced something like this— Someone so still… so numb.
Silence spreads across the room… An unfamiliar gap forming between them… something that wasn’t there before.
Daigo’s house — morning, near the gate…
The door shuts — click… They step outside… a light cold breeze — whooshh…
Sayuri in her school uniform… bag neatly set on her shoulders… ribbon swaying slightly… She walks in line with Daigo… then gives a side glance—
“Where are you going?”
Daigo looks at her… keeping the same pace — tap… tap… “I’m just dropping you to school.”
Sayuri doesn’t stop, but her steps slow a little… “Okay…” Her voice soft… thoughtful.
Footpath — morning rush…
People passing by… cars rushing — vroom… whooshh… They walk side by side… a fixed distance between their shoulders…
Sayuri keeps glancing at him… then finally speaks— “Why are you dropping me today… is something serious?”
A faint smile appears on Daigo’s lips… eyes still forward— “No… nothing like that… I just felt like—” He leaves the sentence unfinished… shoulders relaxed.
Sayuri goes quiet… but her mind is loud—
It must have hurt… when I pierced his ear… right…?
Her fingers tighten around her bag strap — tight…
Then—
Daigo speaks without even looking at her… tone completely normal— “I didn’t feel any pain from the piercing, Sayuri… stop thinking about it over and over.”
Sayuri’s step halts for a second — tap—stop She immediately looks at him… eyes wide—
“How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”
Daigo lets out a light chuckle — heh… Gives her a side glance… “It’s written all over your face… that’s exactly what you were thinking.”
Sayuri’s expression turns slightly awkward… she looks ahead again… But her steps shift closer to his… the distance shrinking…
School gate — morning…
The bell rings faintly in the distance — ding… ding… Students rushing in… chatter… murmur…
Daigo stops outside the gate… hands in pockets… posture steady… Sayuri takes two steps inside — tap… tap…
Then—
She suddenly stops… Turns — swift…
And walks back to him… fast steps — tap tap…
Before Daigo can react—
Sayuri wraps her arms around him — wrap… tight…
Her hands press firmly against his back… fingers gripping his shirt… Her face buried against his chest… breath uneven — inhale… shaky exhale…
Daigo freezes for a second… shoulders stiff… “Sayuri… everyone’s watching…”
Sayuri tightens her grip— “Let them.”
Daigo’s brow creases… he leans slightly, trying to see her face… “What’s wrong with you… why are you acting like this?”
Sayuri keeps her face pressed against his chest… voice muffled… “I… don’t feel right… something feels off…”
Her fingers tighten even more… like she doesn’t want to let go…
A few seconds… just like that… The crowd keeps moving around them… but for them, time slows…
Then—
Sayuri slowly loosens her grip… hands slipping away — slide… She takes a step back… head lowered… eyes on the ground…
Daigo watches her… clearly not fully understanding… He leans slightly forward… voice soft—
“Sayuri… pull yourself together… it’s not what you’re thinking.”
Sayuri still looking down… slowly nods— “Okay…”
Silence…
Daigo straightens… trying to form a gentle smile— “I’ll get going, okay?”
Sayuri slowly lifts her gaze… looks at him… A hint of hesitation in her eyes… then a small nod—
“Yeah…”
Daigo turns… step… step… walking away… Sayuri stands there… watching his back…
The wind blows again — whooshh… But this time… whatever she’s feeling inside… has only grown heavier.
2 days later — evening, school gate…
Outside the gate, the usual rush… students walking out in groups… murmur… footsteps… A black van sits quietly by the roadside… engine off… windows tinted…
Inside… a few silhouettes sit still… eyes locked on the gate…
Sayuri steps out… bag on her shoulder… her walk slightly tired — tap… tap… She pauses to cross the road…
Then—
The van door suddenly slides open — shrrk!
Two men rush out — rush… grab!
Before Sayuri can react— One hand clamps over her mouth — muffle… The other lifts her body — snatch!
“mmph—!!”
Her legs kick in the air… her bag slips — thud!
And the next second—
The van door slams shut — BAM!
Engine roars to life — vroom!!
The van merges into traffic… On the footpath, only a fallen bag remains… and the fading sound of tires…
Same time — street near the bungalow…
Daigo and Hio stand facing opposite directions… Hio casually waves his hand—
“Alright, Narumi… see you tomorrow.”
Daigo gives a small nod… “Bye, Hio.”
He turns… his house just a short distance away… Steps steady — tap… tap…
Then—
Phone vibrates — bzzz… bzzz…
Daigo stops… pulls out his phone… looks at the screen… Picks up the call — click…
He stays silent… just listening…
From the other side, a calm, controlled voice—
“Hi… this is Rokura Hayashi.”
Daigo’s eyes narrow slightly… voice flat— “Sorry… I don’t know you.”
A faint laugh… heh… “Wait… you will. You’re the one who took 44 bags on the Shinjuku train, right?”
Daigo’s grip tightens around the phone — tight… “Yeah… that was me. But you—?”
“I’m the owner of those bags. Go to the address I give you… quietly.”
Daigo’s jaw sets… “Why should I listen to you?”
A brief pause… then Hayashi’s tone turns colder—
“You’ll have to, Daigo Narumi… because—”
Daigo cuts in immediately— “Finish it.”
“Your little sister… or should I say, your family… Sayuri Kagami. She’s with me.”
Silence.
The color in Daigo’s eyes seems to change… His breathing stays slow… but something inside snaps—
“…You shouldn’t have touched her.”
Underground parking — night…
Concrete pillars… dim lights flicker — buzz… The space echoes… footsteps reverberate — thak… thak…
Around 30 men spread out… some stretching… some cracking their knuckles — crack… crack… At the center stands Hayashi… hands in pockets… calm authority—
“The one who’s coming… kill him. No mercy.”
All of them take their stances… ready.
From the darkness, a silhouette steps forward…
tap… tap…
Daigo Narumi… An old baseball bat in his hand… grip tight… shoulders relaxed… Eyes sharp… completely cold…
He steps into the light… his face half in shadow…
All eyes lock onto him.
One man squints— “Hey… isn’t he from Masaki’s group?”
Hayashi, seated on a chair… a faint smile— “Yeah… Rank 3 — Daigo Narumi.”
Another lets out a laugh— “Looks like this fight’s gonna be interesting…”
Suddenly—
Five men charge at once — dhad dhad dhad!!
The first throws a punch — whooshh!
Daigo shifts just an inch to the side — shift… The punch cuts through air…
Bat swings — SWOOSH—THUD!!
A solid impact… the man slams straight to the ground — BAAM!
Three more rush in—
A kick from behind — whip!
Daigo half-turns… elbow blocks — thak!
Another charges from the front— Daigo swings the bat downward—
CRACK!
Knee hit… the man screams — aaah!!
and drops…
The third aims a punch at his head— Daigo grabs his wrist — grab… twist…
The man bends forward… Daigo pulls him in — pull!
And—
The bat’s handle drives straight into his jaw — THUD!!
Teeth crack… body goes limp… collapse…
Daigo’s steps remain measured… tap… step… turn…
Every move precise… no wasted motion… His face stays expressionless…
Like this isn’t a fight… but an execution.
The remaining men hesitate for a second… The air grows heavy… tension thick…
Daigo rests the bat on his shoulder… Tilts his head slightly… eyes locking straight onto Hayashi—
The parking floor… small drops of blood slowly spreading — tap… drip… Dark stains forming over the concrete… the air cold… heavy…
In the corner, Sayuri lies curled slightly… eyes half-closed… Her vision blurred… everything hazy… Only faint echoes of sound reaching her… muffled… distant…
At the center—
Daigo Narumi stands… chest rising and falling — haaah… haaah… His breathing is heavy… but his face… completely dead calm…
His grip on the bat tight… knuckles white… Every muscle ready… yet not a single unnecessary movement…
Like he isn’t thinking… just executing.
A little distance away—
Hayashi sits on the chair… legs crossed… fingers lightly resting on his chin… Eyes narrowed… dissecting every move…
“Fearless… just like I heard.”
A few minutes later—
Bodies lie scattered across the floor — thud… Groans fading… some don’t even move…
Only five remain… they don’t even look at each other… They just run — run… run… fade…
Silence.
Only the hum of the AC vent — hhhhhh…
Daigo slowly plants the bat against the ground — tok… His head dips slightly… shoulders heavy… He looks at his hands…
Old scars between his fingers… fresh blood smeared… smudge… He exhales coldly — exhale…
“Finish this quickly.”
Hayashi stands up… brushing dust off his coat — brush… A slow clap — clap… clap…
“Impressive, Narumi.” A thin smile on his lips…
“Let’s bring it.”
The two face each other…
Distance fixed… feet planted… The air goes still… like time itself has paused…
Daigo takes the first step — thump…
A lightning-fast punch — WHOOSH!
Straight toward Hayashi’s face—
Hayashi twists his body — swishh… A clean dodge…
“Ohh… still fast,” he lets out a light laugh…
Daigo doesn’t respond… just tightens his stance… fists raised… shoulders squared…
Clash!
Punch — dodge — counter — step
Elbow feint — low kick — slip — pivot whoosh… thak… tap…
Each strike cuts through the air… but none land clean…
Both reading each other… measuring timing…
After a few seconds—
They both step back at the same time — step… slide… Distance reset…
Breathing heavy… eyes locked…
Hayashi slips a hand into his jacket — rustle… Pulls out a steel knife… the blade gleams in the light — shing…
This time… his expression isn’t playful…
It’s pure focus.
Daigo stands completely still… No surprise… no fear… Just a cold stare…
“Let’s see… whose will is stronger.”
Hayashi dashes forward — dash!
Knife slashes — swishh!
Daigo side-steps — shift…
Second strike — low angle — slash!
Daigo ducks — dip…
Third — reverse flick — snap!
The blade grazes past his cheek — slice…
A thin line… a bead of blood — drip…
But Daigo doesn’t even blink.
The fight accelerates…
Knife flashes — fists counter — footwork tight whoosh… clang… step…
Every second lethal.
Then—
A moment.
Daigo’s gaze shifts for a fraction—
Sayuri.
Lying in the corner… still… helpless…
That’s the opening.
Hayashi instantly pivots — pivot!
Knife flips into reverse grip — flip…
And—
STAB!!
The blade drives into Daigo’s left side, near his ribs — thuk…
Time slows.
Daigo’s breath catches — khh… His body bends slightly… muscles locking…
His eyes go blank for a second…
Hayashi leans in close… near his ear… voice low… cold—
“Checkmate, Narumi… this knife carries a heavy poison… you’ve got ten minutes.”
Daigo’s knees hit the ground — thud… Blood drips down — tap… tap…
Breathing broken… vision shaking…
Hayashi turns… starts walking toward Sayuri — tap… tap…
And in that moment—
Something inside Daigo snaps.
A raw instinct… a violent will…
His fingers dig into the floor — grip… His body forces itself up — push…
Pain ignored… poison ignored…
He takes one heavy step — THUMP!
And—
A right hook with full weight—
BOOOM—THUD!!
Clean impact.
Hayashi’s head snaps… body thrown back… He crashes straight into a black car — BANG!
Then drops to the ground — crash…
Silence.
Daigo stands… body trembling… blood dripping… But his eyes—
Still locked.
Still alive.
Underground parking… the air cold… hhhhhh… Blood spreads slowly across the concrete — tap… drip…
A long second of silence…
Hayashi remains on the ground… chest rising faintly… then he pushes himself up on one elbow — shift… push… He sits up… then stands… as if nothing happened… brushing his coat lightly — brush…
His gaze flicks once to Daigo… then shifts to Sayuri…
He walks toward her with calm steps — tap… tap… Stops in front of her… bends one knee — thud… Extends his hand… loosens the rope — slip… loosen…
“Shhh… you’re done now.”
His fingers precise… the knots come undone… Sayuri’s wrists free… but she’s still weak…
Hayashi stands… one last glance— Daigo… struggling to remain upright… body swaying — unstable…
Then without another word— He turns… and walks away — tap… tap… fade…
No drama… just a controlled exit… Like the scene is already complete.
Daigo is still standing… but his legs are clearly trembling… shake… His hand pressed against the wound… blood seeping — warm… drip…
He takes one step… then another… Reaches Sayuri…
Slowly lowers himself beside her — drop… Takes her hand… his grip weak… but still warm…
He says nothing.
Just his breathing… haaah… haaah…
A few seconds…
Sayuri’s eyelids flutter — tremble… open…
Her vision clears… The first thing she sees—Daigo’s face… Then his hand… the blood… the wound…
Her expression breaks instantly—
“N–no… no!”
She grabs his face with both hands — grab… hold… Tears fall from her eyes — drop… drop…
“Let’s go to the hospital! You’ll be fine! You hear me?!”
Daigo’s eyes half-open… He looks at her… completely calm…
A faint smile… Like he already knows the answer…
He gathers what little strength he has… chest heavy… “There’s no point now, Sayuri… there’s poison in my body…”
Sayuri’s grip tightens… she shakes her head— “No—!” Her voice cracks… “This is all my fault… I’m the one to blame…”
She lowers her head… shoulders shaking… sob… sob…
Daigo slowly places his hand over hers… His thumb moves slightly… rub…
“I want you… to live your life without regret…” His breath breaks… then continues— “This isn’t your fault…”
He looks into her eyes… focus fading, but intent unwavering—
“Will you promise me that… Sayuri?”
Sayuri stops…
She wipes her tears — wipe… wipe… Tries to steady her breathing… inhale… shaky exhale…
She looks straight into his eyes… Slowly nods—
“I promise…”
A soft, satisfied smile forms on Daigo’s lips… Like he’s received what he wanted…
His eyes slowly close — blink… still…
His body relaxes…
Sayuri freezes for a second…
Then suddenly—
She hugs him tightly — wrap… clutch…
Her face pressed into his shoulder… The tears don’t stop — sob… sob…
She doesn’t let go…
She just stays there… Holding onto him…
As if time itself has stopped.
—Chapter 4 end—