The next morning, the quiet of dawn broke as the sun slowly rose, spreading soft light over the town. On the table, golden toast was crisp and warm, the butter melting in the heat and looking very tasty. It was the same simple breakfast that many homes had, but Shimizu Ken could always feel his mother's love in it. She knew his taste so well, maybe because she was his mother.
He looked at the toast on his plate, but his eyes were really on his phone. A new message blinked on LINE. He picked up the phone and saw it was sent at 12:17 a.m. last night by Amamiya Iori.
'Shimizu-kun, I really wanted to see you......'
"Was she still awake that late?" he said softly. They had talked on the phone until a little after eleven, but she clearly did not sleep after that.
Ken typed a reply with one hand while holding the toast with the other and taking a bite.
'Sorry, I fell asleep last night. Did something happen?'
He was about to put his phone down when she answered at once.
'It's nothing. You don't need to worry, Shimizu-kun.'
"Was she always this fast?" he wondered. A few strange ideas crossed his mind, so he sent another message just to keep the talk going.
'What are you doing now? Are you already up?'
'Yes, I'm making today's bento (lunch box). I made tamagoyaki because you like it, Shimizu-kun~'
'You should hurry too. Same place as yesterday, let's go to school together!'
Two messages came one after another.
"Ken, don't play with your phone while eating," his mother said.
"I know," Ken answered. He pulled his hand back, but his eyes were still on the screen.
Hoshino Akiko gave a teasing smile. "You really care about your girlfriend, hmm?"
"What?" He understood the words, but not why she said them.
"If you start dating, you must tell your mom everything about your love story," she said.
"What are you talking about? It's Amamiya from my class. You know her. She came here once last year."
"Oh! That girl. She was very cute. I wouldn't mind if she became my daughter-in-law one day." Akiko covered her mouth and gave him a deep, knowing look.
Ken ignored her. As a former "gal", his mother liked to say such playful things.
He checked the clock. It was time to go. Ken stuffed the rest of his toast into his mouth, drank his milk in one go, chewed fast, swallowed, and called, "I'm done!" before running out the door.
Outside, he yawned and did not walk toward the meeting spot with Iori. Instead, he walked alone along Route 32 in Shinjuku, seeing the suspended train line above the road.
Ten minutes later, at the station platform, he opened LINE and found "Kondo Yuuichi".
'Come to the Shinjuku line before 6:20.'
As he waited, he checked the time in the top corner of his screen. It was 6:03. Yuuichi lived close, so five minutes should be enough.
Three minutes later, a reply came.
'But I'm eating the onigiri (rice ball) Iori made. We planned to walk to school together.'
'......'
Ken had no words. He typed again, trying to convince Yuuichi to come, but at that moment the train gave a warning sound for departure. He clicked his tongue and jumped in before the doors closed.
This was not his usual train to school. If he rode it to the end, it would take thirty minutes longer. But he had a reason to get on this train.
He did not sit down. Instead, he walked through the cars, looking around like he was searching for someone. In the third car, he saw a man around forty, with a messy face and stubble like a hedgehog. He wore a loose black T-shirt and dirty yellow shorts. Even though the car was not full and many seats were open, the man stood near the door.
It was clear why. It made escape easier.
Since a moment ago, the man's eyes had been fixed on a boy with short light-gold hair standing with his back to him. The boy wore Bluetooth earphones, tapping his right foot on the floor with the beat of his music. He looked about Ken's age, maybe a bit older, around one meter seventy-two, with the same school uniform as Ken. The tie color showed he was a year above him.
But his chest muscles looked very big and firm. Lost in his own world, he had no idea he was being hunted.
As the train gently shook, the man waited for the right moment to pretend to fall forward. Ken checked the time again, then opened LINE to message Yuuichi.
'Are you still not here?'
The train would stop at the next station for a short time. There was still a chance.
His phone vibrated again.
'Yeah. Iori said she doesn't want to take the train lately, so I won't either. We'll wait for you at the usual place. Come soon.'
Ken sighed and put his phone away. He moved into a corner. He had done everything he could. Any more, and he might spoil the story.
While most people stared at their phones, Ken took out the Guata mask from his bag. He knew this part of the route would have several small brakes in a row, because he had already lived this once before.
Two minutes passed. At 6:17, the mask was on his face. He saw the man near the door getting excited, his round face folding into a dirty smile.
Ken, who had spent two and a half years in his "first run", could easily read that look. It was the hungry look of a man toward a woman, the look of a hunter toward his prey.
He took a deep breath. He only had to do what he did yesterday. In movies, if you wear a mask, people never know who you are. If a man can hide everything with just glasses, this should work too.
About thirty seconds later, the train began to brake just as he expected. The man smiled, thinking his plan was perfect. As the train shook, he pretended to lose balance and jumped toward the gold-haired boy.
But—
"Thud!"
A loud sound echoed in the car. The man had missed and fell hard on the floor. Some passengers thought it was an earthquake and looked up in fear.
"Who did that!?" he shouted, his pain turning to anger. He jumped up and turned.
Shimizu Ken was holding a smooth, soft arm. The gold-haired boy was now in Ken's arms, looking very confused.
Up close, Ken could not help but admire the boy's face. It looked like a fine work by God Himself, each detail perfect. It was the true meaning of "cool" and "handsome".
The boy had bright light-gold hair with a few black streaks at the front, piercings in both ears, and earrings that made him look like a bad boy. Many people would see him that way.
But under the mask, Ken's cheeks grew hot. A soft spring-like scent brushed his nose, and the warmth in his hand made his heart jump. His palm felt firm yet warm muscle across the boy's chest.
He squeezed without thinking...
Notes:
• Amamiya Iori - JK heroine; targeted; her mother is the hostage. Long-haired and busty.
• Hoshino Akiko - Ken’s mother; late 30s but youthful; ex‑gal style; warm and supportive; single parent after criminal father’s death.
• Kondo Yuuichi - Original main protagonist; timid; Iori’s childhood friend; freezes despite push.