Aiko was impossible to miss. Red hair in long twintails, tied with little black ribbons that bounced with every step. She wore a cropped white hoodie unzipped halfway, showing a bright pink sports bra underneath, and tiny black athletic shorts that barely covered the tops of her thighs. White sneakers with pink laces. A thin silver chain around her ankle.
And the scent hit a second later, sweet, fruity, like ripe strawberries and sumr candy, cutting through the burnt-coffee air like a slap.
Every eye in the small café followed her for a heartbeat. The old man at the corner table lowered his paper. The bored guy behind the counter stopped wiping the sa glass he’d been wiping for ten minutes. Even the whispering couple paused.
Aiko didn’t seem to notice... or didn’t care. Her green eyes scanned the room quickly, landed on Nash and Rei, and she froze for half a second, like she’d been caught doing sothing she wasn’t supposed to.
Then the tsundere mask ca back.
Chin up. Arms crossed under her chest, pushing her dium tits up just enough to draw Nash’s eye again. Cheeks already flushing pink.
She walked over, hips swaying more than usual, sneakers squeaking on the worn floorboards.
Rei glanced at her, then back to Nash. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Aiko stopped beside the table, hands on her hips.
"Well, well," she said, voice sharp but already cracking at the edges. "Look who’s having a secret little eting without inviting ."
Rei didn’t even blink.
"I told you I was eting Nash at three. You asked twice what ti. Then you said ’cool, I might swing by.’"
Aiko’s cheeks went from pink to red.
"I—I changed my mind! That’s allowed, right?"
Nash leaned back in his chair, fighting a grin.
"You could’ve just said you wanted to see ."
Aiko’s eyes snapped to him.
"As if! I ca to talk to Rei. Rei Only."
Rei tilted her head.
"You literally asked what ti I was eting Nash. Word for word. Then you asked again. Then you said you might swing by."
Aiko’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"That’s—! You’re twisting my words!"
Nash chuckled low.
"Sounds like you knew I’d be here, Aiko-chan."
"Don’t call that!" she snapped, but she dropped into the chair right next to him anyway, close enough that her bare knee bumped his thigh under the table and stayed there. "And stop smirking. You look stupid."
Rei’s smirk grew, just a fraction.
"You’re blushing."
"I am NOT!"
Nash leaned toward her a little, voice dropping.
"You sure? Your face is pretty red right now."
Aiko turned her head sharply, twintails whipping across his shoulder.
"Shut up, dummy. I’m here for business. Not... whatever this is."
Rei took another sip of coffee.
"Then sit quietly and listen."
Aiko huffed, crossed her arms again, and glared straight ahead. But her knee stayed pressed against Nash’s. And every few seconds her eyes flicked sideways to him, quick and sneaky, like she was checking if he was still looking.
Nash played along. He turned his body slightly toward Rei, like he was focusing on the conversation, but let his hand drop under the table so the back of his knuckles brushed Aiko’s thigh. Light. Barely there.
Aiko stiffened. Didn’t move away.
Rei kept talking, voice even.
"Monique’s deadline is the problem. Two weeks. If we don’t deliver you, she sells our contracts to the parlor. Full debt transfer. We work it off on our backs until it’s zero. That’s the deal she made with Apex."
Nash’s hand stilled on Aiko’s thigh.
"Apex again. You said they own everything up top."
Rei nodded.
"Apex doesn’t own everything," she said. "They own many things. So much that the people up in there don’t even notice. Car factories, food labs, air filters, yeah, the actual oxygen you breathe if you live above is part of their property. And, of course, the entertainnt stuff. Us idol groups." She tapped her fingers once. "They’re everywhere. But quiet. You only see their na when they want you to."
Her eyes flicked back to the picture on Nash’s phone.
"If this Harlan Reiss works for them," she went on, rubbing her thumb over a scratch on the table, "then he’s one of their shadow guys down here. Which is... weird. Usually, their people are all upperworld types. Like Monique, our manager, she only cos down here when she’s forced to. Hates the sll, the dirt, us." Rei snorted. "So if Harlan’s really their guy in the underground? Total lackey. There’s gotta be soone bigger pulling his strings, soone higher up who doesn’t want to get their hands dirty. Harlan’s just the face they send when they need soone to do the gross stuff."
Nash nodded slowly. He had that look where his eyebrows did this tiny frown thing while he processed.
"Yeah," he said finally. "Makes sense. A guy like that stays useful by staying out of sight. But if we find him..." He shrugged one shoulder. "Answers. Maybe sothing good."
Rei’s mouth twitched. Not quite a smile, but close.
"You’re stubborn," she said. "I like that."
anwhile, Aiko had completely stopped pretending to listen.
Her bright green eyes were glued to Nash. Like, not even trying to hide it. She kept staring at his jawline, the way his hoodie stretched over his shoulders, how he leaned back like none of this was a big deal. Every few seconds, she’d catch herself, snap her gaze away, cheeks going pink, then, like a magnet, her eyes would drag right back to him.
Nash noticed. Of course he did.
Their eyes t once, and he smirked. Slow, knowing she was watching him, a little bit annoying, honestly.
Aiko huffed, crossing her arms tighter, turning her head like the cracked wall behind Rei was suddenly fascinating. But her knee stayed pressed against Nash’s under the table.
Nash’s smirk grew, just a little. He didn’t say anything. Just let her fu.
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed in a loose way, like he didn’t have a care in the world. He looked at Aiko, who was sitting there with her arms squeezed tight under her chest, looking like she was trying to crush sothing invisible.
"Hey," Nash said, his voice easygoing, like he was talking about the weather. "Order sothing. Anything. My treat."
Aiko blinked. Like, really blinked. Her face scrunched up instantly, lips pressing together like soone had just insulted her favorite song.
"W-What?" she sputtered, cheeks puffing out. "I don’t need your stupid charity, idiot!"
Nash didn’t move. Just raised one eyebrow. "Didn’t say charity. Said it’s on . You’re here. You’re eating. Pick sothing."
Aiko’s face turned pink, like soone had cranked up the heat. She glanced at the nu board behind the counter, written in ssy chalk on black paint, then back at Nash, eyes narrowing like she was trying to spot a scam.
"I’m not hungry," she muttered, looking away.
Nash shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
He turned back to Rei like the conversation was over.
Aiko lasted exactly seven seconds.
"...Fine!" she huffed, stomping to the counter like the floor owed her money. "One strawberry parfait. Extra whipped cream. And don’t you dare skimp on the sauce!"
The guy behind the counter, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, nodded once and started scooping.
Nash didn’t say anything. Just kept watching Rei.
Rei’s lips twitched, not quite a smile, but close enough.
"You’re good at that," she said, voice low.
"At what?"
"Making people do what you want without it feeling like you forced them."
Nash shrugged again.
"Just hate seeing soone sit there hungry."
Aiko ca back a minute later, holding a giant parfait, layers of pink cream, fresh strawberries, and a mountain of whipped cream on top. She flopped into the chair next to Nash, her thigh pressing against his under the table.
She scooped a huge spoonful, shoved it in her mouth, and, uh oh, let out this tiny, happy "mmph" sound before rembering she was supposed to be mad.
Nash watched her for a second, then turned back to Rei.
"So, Harlan. If he’s really Apex’s shadow guy down here, we gotta move carefully. I’m checking Pier 9."
Rei nodded slowly.
"I’ll check around if there’s sothing about him. Hina and Miko still know people in the lower entertainnt circles. If there’s anything, nas he uses, people he talks to, I’ll find it."
Nash stood up, chair scraping softly. "Appreciate it, Rei."
She stayed seated, watching him.
"And Nash?"
"Yeah?"
"If it’s too risky, don’t push it. I feel bad putting this on you. It’s... really not worth it. That’s our problem."
Nash grinned.
"I think it’s pretty much my problem, on so many levels." He glanced at the quest panel only he could see.
He turned toward the door, but before he could leave,
"Wait!"
Aiko shot up so fast her parfait glass wobbled, spoon clattering against the side.
Nash paused, glancing back.
Aiko’s cheeks were still pink from the dessert, and probably the teasing, but her eyes were wide now, not just flustered, but worried.
"You’re going to Pier 9? Alone?" Her voice was quieter than usual. "This isn’t funny, idiot. You don’t even know what’s in that place... I... I’m not as smart as Rei, but I know Apex. If this Harlan guy’s tied to them, it’s bad. Really bad. You don’t have to rush. It’s not worth getting hurt over."
Nash turned to face them fully. Honestly, seeing her worry about him was kind of funny. He crossed his arms loosely.
"I’m not rushing," he said. "But I’m not waiting either. Not worth it? Seriously? After what happened in the locker room, I made up my mind. Anything about you guys? That’s my problem now. Not Monique’s. Not Apex’s. Mine."
He looked straight at Rei first.
"You trusted enough to tell your story. That ans sothing. So yeah, I’m not walking away. I’ll find a way to get you out of this ss. All of you. Just need ti to figure it out."
Rei’s fingers froze on her coffee cup. She stared at him like she was searching for a lie, but didn’t find one.
Aiko’s mouth dropped slightly, spoon forgotten in her hand.
Nash looked at her next.
"You too, Aiko. I’m not letting this hang over your head. Not when you’re already carrying enough."
Aiko blinked fast, pout disappearing. For a second, sothing fresh flashed in her eyes, surprise, worry, sothing softer she tried to hide behind a scowl.
"You’re... really serious?" she asked, voice small.
Nash nodded once.
"Dead serious."
Rei let out a slow breath, shaky.
"That’s... a lot," she said quietly. "You barely know us."
Nash stepped closer to the table.
"I know enough. You showed who you are. That’s enough for ."
Aiko’s eyes flicked between him and Rei. She set the spoon down, clink, and straightened up, like she was trying to be brave.
"And you’re going to Pier 9 alone? Right now?" Her voice cracked a little on "alone."
Nash t her gaze.
"Yeah."
Aiko rushed forward so fast she almost tripped, stopping right in front of him. She grabbed his forearm with both hands, fingers squeezing tight around his hoodie sleeve. She had to tilt her head back to look up at him, twintails swinging.
"That’s stupid!" she yelled. "You don’t even know what’s there! It could be a trap! Or worse! You think you’re lucky? What if your luck runs out? Huh?"
Nash didn’t pull away. Just looked down at her, calm.
"I’ve been lucky lately," he said. "And I’m not stupid. If it slls wrong, I’ll leave. But I’m not ignoring this lead. Not when it could change everything for you."
Aiko’s grip tightened. Her voice dropped, almost pleading.
"But why? For us? We’re just... we’re just, "
Nash cut her off gently.
"Because I promised. To all of you. I said I’d help. I don’t break promises."
He glanced at Rei over Aiko’s head.
"I want you free. No more debt. No more Monique. No more parlor. Just... free. That’s what I’m fighting for."
Rei’s breath hitched, just once, barely there.
She looked down at her hands, then back up at him.
"You’re...so weird," she said, softly.
Nash smiled.
"More than you could imagine."
Aiko’s fingers flexed on his arm. She looked up at him, eyes way too shiny.
"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" she muttered. "Playing hero."
Nash chuckled low.
"Maybe a little."
He leaned down slightly, voice dropping to a teasing whisper.
"But mostly I just like seeing you worry about . It’s cute."
Aiko’s face turned bright red. She let go of his arm like it burned and stepped back, arms crossed tight again.
"Shut up! I’m not worried! I just don’t want to deal with the paperwork if sothing happens to you!"
Nash straightened, still smiling.
"Sure."
He looked between them, Rei quiet, thoughtful; Aiko flustered, pretending not to be.
Then his tone shifted, playful now.
"Tell you what. Let’s make it interesting."
Both girls looked at him.
Nash held up one finger.
"If I pull this off, if I get you out from under Apex, clear the debt, make Monique back off, I want sothing in return."
Rei raised an eyebrow.
Aiko’s pout deepened, but she was listening.
Nash grinned, just a little cocky.
"You join Blacklist."
User Comments
0 comments from readers