Chapter 21

Yuki walks slowly toward the train station, her bag heavy on her shoulder. She hasn’t slept well―the memories kept replaying every time she closed her eyes.

Her body feels tense, her thoughts restless. She rolls her shoulders and stretches her neck, trying to ease the stiffness.

Then she freezes.

On one of the benches near the platform sits Dori. His posture is relaxed, almost casual, as though nothing happened.

When his eyes find hers, he stands and lifts a hand in a cheerful wave, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Good morning,” he says lightly, as if greeting a friend.

Yuki’s chest tightens. Fear prickles under her skin, anger burns hot beneath it, but she forces her face to stay still.

Without a word, she turns away, fixing her gaze on the tracks as if the train might appear any second. Her hands grip the strap of her bag until her knuckles pale, but her posture stays calm, her expression unreadable.

Footsteps shuffle closer. Dori comes to stand beside her, leaving a small gap of space between them.

“I’m really sorry about yesterday. I swear I won’t touch you again,” he murmurs. 

He leans slightly closer, a teasing, almost eerie edge in his tone.

“Unless.. you want me to, of course,” he adds softly. 

Yuki’s jaw tightens and her gaze flicks to him. “I don’t. And I never will,” she says sharply.

“I’m telling you―leaving now is the smartest thing you can do. You’re giving yourself false hopes.”

Dori’s expression darkens instantly, but the girl doesn’t break eye contact, holding his stare steady with quiet defiance, until..

“THE APPLE OF MY EAR!”

The shout shatters the air.

Both Yuki and Dori turn just in time to see Worman barreling down the platform, his long scarf whipping wildly around him. For a glorious second, he looks unstoppable―until his boot stomps down on the fabric.

He yelps, legs flying out from under him, and crashes flat onto the concrete with a thud.

Groaning, he scrambles up again, red-faced and panting, his breaths puffing in quick clouds. Without hesitation, he plants himself squarely between Yuki and Dori, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath.

“Apple.. of ear or nose, I don’t remember..” he pants, turning his head toward Dori. “Can you move your nostrils?”

He moves closer, whispering heavily. “Nevermind. I can. And that’s all that matters. I sincerely have to release a waterworm, though.. Like, I’m not even joking―”

Dori’s hand shoots up, pushing him back sharply. “You’re f*cking spitting in my face!”

Worman stumbles uncontrollably and bumps into Yuki, sending her a step sideways.

Dori’s eyes widen. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t―”

Worman spins his head toward him. “No, I sincerely don’t accept your apolog―”

“Shut your f*cking mouth! I’m not talking to you!” Dori snaps.

Worman blinks at his outburst, then turns toward Yuki, lowering his voice.

“Hey uncle, what do you think about this behavior? That is not normal, right? He’s probably on his period or something..” he mutters, eyes darting toward Dori with exaggerated suspicion. 

Yuki blinks, caught off guard by his comment, and then her head instinctively turns toward the approaching train, the sound of its rumble filling the station. As she moves, her scarf shifts slightly, revealing a faint hickey on her neck.

Worman’s expression instantly hardens. Without hesitation, he lunges forward and grabs the scarf, tugging it gently to uncover more.

Yuki gasps startled, her eyes wide.

He freezes for a moment as he notices a few more marks along her neck. His jaw tightens.

“Hey, what the f*ck do you think you’re doing?” Dori shouts, yanking Worman’s arm back. “Don’t touch her―”

“Don’t touch her,” Worman snaps at the exact same time, their words overlapping perfectly. 

Dori freezes, caught off guard, his eyes narrowing in surprise. Worman’s eyes are locked on him in a cold, unwavering glare, and it throws him off, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“..ever again,” Worman adds, before jerking his arm free with a sharp pull. He straightens his shoulders, standing firm between them like a wall.

Yuki frowns slightly, unsure what just happened. She doesn’t know whether to be alarmed or thankful. Her hands instinctively move to her scarf, pulling it higher around her neck to cover the marks.

At the same time, the rumble of the approaching train grows louder, the metal screech of its brakes cutting through the air as it comes to a stop at the platform.

Worman turns to Yuki, a softer expression on his face now, and gestures toward the open train doors.

“Go on, sensei,” he says softly. “I’ll be right behind you.. don’t worry about a thing.”

Yuki stares at him for a moment, taking in the unusual gentleness in his expression. She feels a swirl of emotions―relief, confusion, and a flicker of trust. 

She glances briefly at Dori, and her stomach twists.

His gaze is sharp, almost burning, fixed on the back of Worman’s head, with a wild, almost psychotic intensity―the kind of look that feels like it could snap at any moment.

“Hey,” Worman draws her attention back to him, and nods toward the train. “Let’s go.”

Yuki swallows, her throat tight, and gives a small, quiet, “Yeah.”

Without another word, she steps onto the train quickly, moving toward an empty seat and sitting down. He follows closely behind, sliding into the seat beside her.

Meanwhile, Dori drops into a seat directly across from them, his red eye immediately locking onto Worman.

From that moment, neither of them looks away. 

The train moves along the tracks, the wheels clattering steadily and filling the quiet around them. Outside, the city passes by in a blur, but inside the carriage, everything feels still.

The two men keep staring at each other, neither looking away, while Yuki shifts slightly in her seat, feeling the tension between them.

Finally, after a few minutes, the train begins to slow, the clatter of the wheels softening. A low hiss fills the carriage as the train glides to a stop, and the doors slide open with a soft whoosh.

Yuki straightens, clutching her bag a little tighter, and glances at Worman, waiting for him to move first. 

Worman rises smoothly, giving her a reassuring glance over his shoulder.

Yuki quickly follows him, stepping onto the platform and moving close beside him. She glances back for a second and sees Dori following a few steps behind.

“Worman,” she starts, her voice hesitant.

The boy murmurs quietly, almost under his breath, “Aren..”

Yuki blinks. “Huh?”

“My name’s Aren,” he says, glancing around to make sure no one is paying attention. “Don’t tell anyone, though.”

Before she can respond, he slips a small piece of paper into her bag.

“Read this once you get home,” he whispers. “And I’m really sorry for not being there yesterday when.. that happened..”

He sighs, guilt flickering across his face. “Or well, for all the times you needed help, and I just.. stood there.”

Yuki’s fingers tighten around the strap of her bag, her heart skipping a beat. She swallows hard as a strange mix of surprise and unease coils in her stomach.

He feels like a completely different person, and the contrast leaves her both awed and unsettled.

“Anyway,” he continues. “My waterworm is turning savage. I shall release it into the wild fast. Go throw yourself Madison’s way, and if that granny titan approaches you, just shoot some gas diagonally in his left ear, alright?”

He turns and runs away before the girl can even process what the hell he just said.

She blinks, her mouth opening slightly as she stares at him.

“Does he have a split personality or something?” she mutters to herself.

Then, she notices Dori walking toward her, his gaze annoyed.

She gasps and hastily slips onto the schoolyard, weaving through scattered groups of students, looking for Madi.
 
○○○
 
At the hospital, Hans pushes a trolley down the hallway, the wheels squeaking softly against the polished floor. He’s dressed in a nurse’s uniform, a disposable mask covering half his face, a cap tucked tight over his hair, and a fake badge clipped loosely to his chest.

To anyone passing by, he’s just another tired nurse doing rounds.

He and Aren spent the whole night working on their new plan, and right now, Hans is undercover, trying to find Mei.

Even though they’re almost certain Dori’s the one who attacked her, they need Mei to actually name him. This might force the police to finally act when it comes to him, since she’s the daughter of a powerful man the whole city respects.

He slows as he reaches Room 312.

A large man in a black suit stands by the door, hands clasped in front of him. A bodyguard.

Hans forces a calm smile beneath his mask.

“Good morning. Breakfast delivery,” he says smoothly.

The man gives a short nod and steps aside without a word.

Hans dips his head politely, pushing the cart forward and slipping into the room. Under his breath, he lets out a quiet, shaky laugh.

“Well.. that was easier than I thought,” he mutters, almost in disbelief, his pulse still thudding in his ears.

As he straightens, his gaze drifts toward the hospital bed. Mei lies there, motionless, staring blankly at the ceiling. The morning light slips through the blinds, washing her face in a pale glow. Her expression is empty, distant―like she’s somewhere far away.

Hans’s faint smile fades. He moves closer, careful not to startle her, his voice soft and cautious.

“Mei?” he says. “Hey, can you hear me?”

Mei’s eyes shift toward him slowly, her head barely moving on the pillow. There’s no emotion in her face, but the faint focus in her gaze makes it clear she heard him.

He leans in, keeping his voice low.

“Listen,” he whispers urgently. “I’m an undercover cop, and I’m trying to catch the bastard who did this to you.”

He swallows, glances once toward the door checking the guard, then meets her eyes again. “I know your father wants to handle this himself, but if he does, it could land him in prison. You don’t want that, right?”

Mei blinks, staring at him, a flicker of surprise breaking through her blank expression.

Hans shifts slightly closer, his tone gentle but insistent. “I need you to tell me.. who did this to you?”

She doesn’t answer, only watches him with a faint, uneasy frown.

“It was Dori, wasn’t it?” Hans presses. “Kuroda Dori. Your classmate with the white hair.”

He pulls out his phone, showing her a photo. “It was him, right?”

Her fingers twitch on the blanket. She looks tense, her throat working as she swallows hard.

“I.. I don’t remember anything.” Her voice comes out shaky. “Please leave. Before I call my guard in.”

Hans frowns suspiciously. Something about the way she avoids his gaze, the slight tremor in her voice, sets off alarms in his mind.

She’s lying, he thinks, his gut tightening.

“Mei.. you have to tell me,” he tries again. “Please. We really need you. Another girl.. didn’t make it because of him.”

Her eyes widen at the words. “What..?”

“Yeah.. and if you don’t tell me, someone else could get hurt.. someone could die.” He pauses, letting the words sink in.

“Please, Mei. You can help stop him. You have to help stop him.”

Her eyes go soft for a moment.

Then she turns her head, eyes flicking past him to the curtain next to her bed.

For a beat she stares, thinking, and whatever thought finishes behind her eyes flips something over.

Her face snaps shut. The softness drains out; her jaw clenches, nostrils flaring.

“What part of I don’t remember is so f*cking hard for you to get?”

“But Mei―”

“I said leave! Now!” she snaps, wincing as she squeezes her eyes shut. “A-Ah f*ck―”

She glares at him, chest rising and falling fast. “Get out! Get the f*ck out!”

Hans stares at her for a beat, realizing he’s not going to get anything.

“Shit..” he mutters under his breath, backing away quickly. He slips out of the room, heart pounding, trying to stay calm as he passes the guard.

The door closes. Silence falls again. Mei keeps staring at it, her breathing quick and shallow.

Slowly, her eyes shift toward the curtain beside her bed.

A shadow moves. Someone steps out quietly from behind it. Her chest tightens; her hands tremble.

The person stands there for a minute, looking at her, before letting out a low, condescending scoff.

Then he turns and walks out through the same door Hans just left from.

Mei grits her teeth and tears sting her eyes as she whispers, barely audible, “F*cking h-hell..”
 
 
TO BE CONTINUED…