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The next day...

Kohaku was assisting Professor Hokuri like usual in Warmadewata University who was busy with his lectures to the bachelor's degree students, he noticed that his friends are outside--Andrew, Julian, Juan and Shania. He mouthed 'after this' gesture to them, smiling a little before he paid attention to his lecture. Professor Hokuri was teaching Heat Transfer, which is the importance of a heat exchange, how to convert energy to a usable form, and how to determine temperature. As this one is a difficult subject, which requires calculating the transfer process--changing energy from one place to another.

It was three hours lecture, so Kohaku decided to meet them in the canteen with Byakuya who was chilling with them. "Kayana, there you are," Sherry greeted, wrapping her arms around his arm that surprised them (except his best friend) and Shania's face grew sour when her high school friend got along with his colleague.

"The fuck," Andrew whispered under his breath, smiling uncomfortably at his childhood friend. Kohaku could feel her interlocked her fingers together, making him glared at her in return. Sherry chuckled at his glare that directed towards her, her beautiful wine-colored eyes stares deeply into his magenta-red colored eyes. "Can you stop getting attached to me, I don't like your eyes on me all of the time."

"Kayana, did you got a girlfriend already? Didn't you supposed to tell your best friend?" Julian asked him, but received a smack on his head from Kohaku's best friend Byakuya who is cold as him, but totaly opposite personality compared to his. "No, she's not my girlfriend--she's my colleague in work!" he added, which they are confused. "Say what?"

Kohaku facepalmed, seriously Sherry didn't even let go of him. "You should listen to him, since he's your closest friend," Byakuya warned them, the sandy blonde haired girl sitting beside Andrew began to have a sense of jealousy inside her--although he was just a high school friend of hers; best friends, to be exact. She hated it when he was hanging out with her instead, as Kohaku introduced him that the one who has a hold of his arm is 'Sherry Simalungun'. "You're quite a femme fatale, don't you think?"

Shania stated, standing up and approaching them confidently. "We should hang out together to get to know each other!" she told the older girl, as Sherry raised her eyebrow curiously and tilted her head to the side. "Okay," Sherry replied, which made Shania widened her eyes in surprise. "But, one more thing..." she added, making Shania flustered when she took her hand and kissed it--regardless if Kohaku looked confused. "W-What are you?!"

Kohaku knew she can be suave when seducing someone, he rolled his eyes at her actions. "Sorry, but I don't swing that way," she replied, folding her arms. "Also, I had some errands with him because our boss need us."

Kohaku gave off a death glare at his colleague, making him shudder. "Thanks a lot."

By the end, Kohaku had to go with her (since she locked her hands around his arm and led him to somewhere else)--because he can't let his friends know about this and Byakuya had to cover them up. As they were far from the college campus, Kohaku felt her hands releasing his arm as he glanced down at her. "You shouldn't show up like that, you know," he reminded, before Sherry sighed. "Fine, sorry about that," she muttered. "But, your boss give you a mission and he sent me to see you."

Sherry started, looking away from him. Kohaku was right about what he meant earlier, Hifumi might see their encounters and may be suspicious about this after the incident he cause before. "What does he want?" he asked, before she folded her arms. "In the village of Ubud, keep an eye on the the suspicious presence to protect the locals. That is where we have to be assigned there to investigate, something mysterious had happened lately but we don't know what it is... so it is best if you investigate on it. The information was confirmed, this might be the secret that every villagers keep secret and the source is in Ubud."

Kohaku listening while crossing his arms, of course he has to investigate on it. "Alright then," he replied, he was about to walk off until Sherry stopped him with her arms holding him--surprising him a little. "Before you go, let me reveal something to you..." she smiled, making him look away and she cupped her hand under his chin to turn him to face her, even though he resists at first. As her cold and calculating eyes met his warm and friendly ones, she couldn't help but feel compelled to do so with him. Her skin is warm enough against his neck and she pushed herself, her body pressed against his now. "What?" he asked.

"Do you remember the words I said before we went to Ubud for our mission?"

She repeated, with her eyes staring intently at his, looking at them without blinking or breathing. Kohaku shake his head no, although he had remembered before. "If it is the favor you meant, just warn me to not mention anything to anyone besides our team. I won't betray you."

Of course, he won't betray someone's trust. "Really?"

He nodded to her as she smiled, she was reaching out to catch him and brought him closer to her. Pulling him down into a hug, she was fond of his presence and slowly resting her head against him. 'You're easy to be commanded, but how can you difficult to be teased?' she thought and this lasted for several minutes. It's not every day a member can hear the story of other members, of course Hifumi is jealous when seeing the strong bonds--he wonder how long have been their interactions together?

Sherry pulled away from the hug, why didn't he resist to her hug? "You're good, even though sometimes you're a little naïve and kind. Don't worry, because if you have the bonds you can continue to live longer and won't be tainted by the shadows, don't make any regrets. However, if you hesitate to strike back... you can never walk out of the darkness because this world is unforgiving."

Kohaku listened by her unusual encouragement, what is the purpose of this kind words? Is she being nice for the reason or just nothing in particular, she would just leave him to be fine on his own? He won't be surprised by this. "Alright, thanks. Sherry," he responded with his reply, there is no lie in his voice or even a doubt.

That night...

Kohaku was walking down the streets of Ubud because he was tasked to patrol around the area, since he was told to make sure no one interrupt Nadya's mission in finding their next target--after he got paired on the mission with her and Sherry. He kept an eye on the houses, making sure no people saw him. He fixed his signature assassin attributes like usual by adjusting his black formal shirt and sleeveless black coat-like vest over his black pants and knee-length boots, while he kept his weapon with him. "Stop holding me, please..." he grumbled, because Sherry keep on holding him just as his mind had its own thoughts. "What's wrong with her?" he mouthed.

Sherry smirked, watching Kohaku who seems irritated as she chuckled at him. "Your reaction was too adorable, even on your first day," she recalled, as Kohaku look at her with irritated frown on his face. "I can't believe she's holding my hand like nothing matters," he grumbled under his breath. "Stop, you're ruining my focus! Do you want to die? Huh?!" he growled in response. "You can make me be in your mercy," she teased, staring deeply into his eyes that she added as she look away from him with a sinister smile. "... if you like."

Silence.

Her eyes widened that he already disappeared, making her look around. "Huh, where is he? Kayana?!"

Kohaku was panting heavily as he already sneaking away from her, he was in area near the paddy fields where the Subak or the water management in Bali to construct a complex, pulsed artificial ecosystem in the paddy fields. "Good, now she's out of my reach..." he said, standing up on his feet and began to patrol around to the path--until he saw a lamppost and he heard someone spoke from there.

"Oh my, look who we got here."

The tall youthful middle-aged Malaysian man with mild-featured presence and half-British descent stated, standing near the lamppost with a smoking pipe on his hand that surprised Kohaku. He has a brown scholarly short hair with bangs framing over his light brown eyes and he has porcelain complexion, enhanced by a frameless glasses. He wore an elegant white silk Chinese-style robes with golden trims, a black silk vest with a purple scarf, and a dark teal pants. He looks like a scholarly type of man but he's far from being gentle.

He was Marduk Kamal--or his real name Datuk Marduk Hamidshah bin Kamal, the thirty-two years old businessman in Malaysia and the leader of Hanging Garden--an assassin group under Malaysia's shadow government. He operates and born in Kuantan, his hometown in Peninsular Malaysia and currently lived in Ubud; in the city of Bali. Not only he's well-known for his illegal businesses with gambling, arms trade, and murder-for-hire--he was the tycoon of palm oil industry and the Malaysian underworld feared his wrath. But, he didn't seem that dangerous if Kohaku should care about him.

"Oooooh? What's this? An assassin? Interesting, young boy," Marduk Kamal greeted him, looking very delighted to meet him. He has influence over oil palms industry, which is the best-in-class and the largest industry in Malaysia. He was titled Datuk because he has several contributions to the kingdom, including his philanthropic works and charity. How come the upper echelons do this kind of disgusting things, not Kohaku himself don't care about that. "My oh my, everyone had been wondering who you are because of this and that," he whispered with a smirk, stepping forward to him who stood in the spot.

"What are you doing here?" Kohaku asked, trying to catch the slightest sign of what Marduk might be feeling at this moment. He's not a talkative type, and he's very secretive--the only thing they knew about him was his name, and the fact that he's a genius and an eccentric. "Ah, the day is finally getting better," Marduk replied with a faint smile on his lips. "What am I doing here? I'm on holiday, of course. Where else would I go for a break from work if not here in the beautiful city of Ubud?"

What is he talking about... But Kohaku needs to stay on his toes. He knows that if he slips up now, everything will be lost forever. Marduk seems relaxed and unarmed, even though his hands are hidden under his thick robe--one can assume that his weapon is probably hidden somewhere. "Well, I'm being honest here," Marduk said, while still smiling. "Fine, I'll prove it to you," he said as he showed Kohaku his hands, it was indeed empty--well fuck he was right. "I was thinking if you can visit Kuantan someday--who knows, we can spend the whole time having fun in the jungle or even explore the caves. If you're interested," he spoke kindly and friendly with his soft voice. His words were gentle and kind, he sounded like he cares about Kohaku's wellbeing and he meant well.

Holy shit, is this a tactic of criminal mastermind who try to gain others' trust without much trouble? That's kinda bad. What's even worse is that he was smoking without wasting the fumes. If only Kohaku brought a camera to take a picture of this beauty in front of him, except there's nothing much but--when Marduk exhaled again while making a small cloud of smoke. Fuck him, he was staring too much.

"Sorry, what do you think?" Marduk asked after hearing no answer. Kohaku remained cautious, his words may be enticing but that's a farce. No one can pretend to be so gullible and innocent. As they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Kohaku does it all the time to see if their foes can fool him. "... as much I'd like to go to Kuantan someday, I respectfully decline your offer because I'm a broke-ass assassin with a job."

Okay, so he does decline without any hesitation. No wonder, Kohaku can sense that Marduk looks disappointed from the inside. "Really?" Marduk asked as he let out a sigh, making a long pause before continuing. "Usually, assassins are paid with high amounts of money--not everyone can do it for free. As much as I'd like to persuade you to join us, I need to have your cooperation," he warned him. "How long will you last? You're not the man you think you are, if you're playing a game with me. I'm just trying to save you," he said, while he stepped forward and walked close to him. His piercing gaze was dead set on him.

Kohaku must came up with a good lie, he was good at lying when it comes to this situation--so, he have to make one good lie that has many benefits and it makes him different than others. "I... I can't do it," Kohaku replied, thus stopping Marduk Kamal from walking. "What do you mean? Did someone hold a gun at your head?" he asked in response, which Kohaku responded with: "... I have TBC."

There was a comical awkward silence and a strange pause that followed.

"Tuberculosis?!" Marduk was taken aback after hearing him, oh how Kohaku want to break the fourth wall because he look so funny. Kohaku shook his head, trying his hardest not to break into laughter within him. 'Why did I came up with this shitty stupid lie?! Oh god, I'm such an idiot! Is he gonna believe me?!'

The real Kohaku thought, he seriously doesn't mind being sent in the killing zone. "W-What?! How can you be so casual about this?!" Marduk exclaimed while raising his hand as if to cut off an argument he had been trying to make for an extended period of time. "I can't say much word, you know..." Kohaku replied, before he let out a cough. Fuck him, he had been trying not to fake a cough that leads him to accidentally being affected by the disease.

"A-Are you serious about this?! Were you really infected with tuberculosis?" Marduk asked out, starting to panic. "My... father was someone who struggled a lot to defeat his TBC, and it got hard when my mother passed away... No matter how happy and fulfilled his life is, if this came into the picture... it won't end well, will it?"

Kohaku did it with his lie AGAIN, it worked with this criminal mastermind--but, should he take this as an advantage? He wasn't sure if Marduk has any hidden agendas that he wasn't aware of, but he does know that he could be using his lies for other purposes. "Yes..." he replied, this time his acting worked but DAMN WHY DID HE LEFT HIM DEADASS SAY THAT.

"Do you have someone who takes care of you? Because you can't handle your problems alone, there are plenty of medications around," Marduk leaned forward, invading his personal space as Kohaku shake his head. "Don't... come closer, please," he muttered and stepped back because Marduk was TOO CLOSE, despite having his guard up--before he coughed in front of him that made the criminal mastermind stepped back in shock. "OKAY OKAY! Just don't cough near me!" Marduk stated, he raised his hands in defeat as he stopped panicking. "I promise not to disturb you again, okay? I have to go," he said before he ran off.

What in the holy world was that. Kohaku slapped his face, realizing he accidentally did that while he can feel his blush becoming so obvious. God... Why does his gut tell him that someone's watching? "There you are," Sherry said, making Kohaku shrieked as he turn around behind him to see her and Nadya are here. "What took you so long?" Nadya asked.

"S-Something went wrong, and..."

"What the hell did you do, Kayana?"

Sherry stated, seemingly unimpressed with her arms folded and Kohaku doesn't know why Sherry was a tad frustrated with him. "I met an assassin, a British-Malaysian assassin," he whispered, making both of his friends raised their eyebrows. Before they continued on their way, Nadya insisted him that they have to meet up with Damien--who seemed very exhausted upon seeing their arrival. "I couldn't believe I'm faking my own tuberculosis just to scare off the enemy," Kohaku sighed, wanting to strangle himself and dragged into the fight because he can't do that.

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Later that day, Hifumi learned what happened and laughed out loud, with Kiryu was laughing at him for doing something stupid like that--realizing what's up. "What?" Kahayana asked his son Kohaku, seeing his embarrassed face while Damien trying not to laugh at this shit he just did. Byakuya facepalmed, shaking his head as Kyouka snickered. "You USED to have TBC and you're acting it up in front of this infamous criminal mastermind? Are you insane?" his father asked, while Kohaku heard his best friend Byakuya mentioned to Kyouka that he couldn't believe he did that and tell them that he was really in deep shit.

Kohaku gulped, trying to keep a straight face as he sat with his fellow students. It felt terrible that they knew about that shit that he did, especially Sherry and Nadya. What if Marduk gonna kidnap him and throw him into jail because of this issue--this is really embarrassing. He doesn't have any idea, the more people knew the most embarrassing for him. Because he was doing such bullshit that lead him nowhere, or get any praise--like meeting a very familiar person. "You know, it's a good choice," Damien started, making the latter surprised. "What?"

"Kayana, it's the best way to keep enemies stay away from you. You did the right thing," he praised, knowing it had potentials. Hifumi still can't believe it, and it's annoying him so much. "After I fucking lied about that, you said it's... good idea?" Kohaku couldn't believe it, even Sherry seems a bit impressed that Kohaku can scare their enemies away. Nadya understood that logic, because she was bad at lying--she asked for Damien's motives so she can cover up her traces before killing her targets. Kiryu had a bad stomachache so bad from laughing and even laughed to the point tears on his eyes, while Kahayana sighed with his arms folded. Hisato huffed, looking at his subordinate. "Be grateful that you're still alive, or else..." he threatened, and Damien gave Kohaku a thumbs up.

"Now, it should be the time for you to stop and not continuing with this nonsense from now on."

The next day, when Kohaku returned to continue his own task--where he secretly began to approach one of the suspicious buildings he's been targeting to infiltrate. He was using his light steps, with his small but skillful jumps when he was using rooftops and he decided to use his climbing rope to climb up to his target. Until he heard someone was walking below him...

Oh, it was Kyoran.

His somber expression look up at his friend, watching Kohaku landed on the ground to see his friend is here. "What are you doing here?" he asked the Japanese-American psychic, Kyoran simply replied: "I know you are a decent person, not dangerous."

His somber expression look up at his friend, watching Kohaku landed on the ground to see his friend is here. "What are you doing here?" he asked the Japanese-American psychic, Kyoran simply replied: "I know you are a decent person, not dangerous."

While Kohaku was staring at his friend who can predict for the future, he always cautious whenever Kyoran is here--even though they are friends, but they had to be aware if someone is planning something--namely they are about to deceive someone to get their own gains. Of course it does bother him, although he still loves a friend even though there's something suspicious. "Alright, what vision do you have for now? I know you're a psychic but still--" Kohaku asked, he might as well as trying to hear what kind of information he obtained.

"Actually, I was on my way to head home after I finished my activities in uni and saw you walking in Ubud's neighborhood. I did not seen any signs of danger, so don't worry."

Kyoran told his friend who stand in the spot, before he pat him on the back. Kohaku sighed with relief upon listening to the reply from his best friend, when they were finished for the last day's studying session. "Huh, you almost fucking scared me, alright?" he scoffed, before Kyoran looked surprised to see him standing by the door to get his stuffs. He adjusted his rounded spectacles on his eyes, while Kyoran blurted out something from his lips. "Black umbrella."

Huh? What does he mean about the 'black umbrella'? The auburn-haired Indonesian was confused when hearing about that. "Wait, what?"

"A rain surrounds the femme fatale who uses a long black umbrella in the corner of the street," he divined, making Kohaku raised an eyebrow as he noticed the weather is getting worse (it's already raining outside)--except the light lightning. "With the group with black umbrellas on their hands, she lowered down the umbrella as the rain turns into downpour--revealing her alluring beauty."

Okay, something's going on here. Damn, why the hell is he divining some bullshit in his life all of the sudden? 'He might not use his powers for a long time, but why do I feel uneasy about this?' Kohaku thought, he might as well as taking an advice... but it sounds like he was predicting the future. "Two will down in the tragedy of cataclysmic event, the group will be revealed and have its last turn turn--dealing with the death and curse. And darkness will spread slowly."

"What the fuck, you had the fucking worst prophetic aura ever," he told Kyoran, who frowned a little. "It just appeared in my eyes, I couldn't help it. Have you ever received it?" he asked, in which Kohaku shake his head. "Honestly, it's painful and terrifying to dream about those visions. No wonder some psychics or clairvoyants had to endure the intense mental pressure with stress, why it has to be so difficult."

"Maybe you're being haunted?"

"No, it isn't haunting me... it's driving me insane. If it isn't, I'll never lie for the sake of someone and get tortured under their will... please, never ever let me do that again."

Kyoran's voice trailed off, a hint of tears was in the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry..." Kohaku muttered, it may or may not have helped his friend deal with his powers, even though the psychic didn't use them that much. There was a silence between them, before Kyoran sensed some kind of feeling from Kohaku's heart--just by looking at him. "Pray tell, Kohaku... not only you're a victim of the assault... but you also suffered a lot of pain in the past, you always strong and tough--while deep down you're dealing with your grief," he stated. "Someday, you have to remember what happened... the trauma might haunted you until it took control of you. If only I know how to help you recover..."

Kohaku nodded, before he turn around with a weak smile. "I used to be born in poverty with my dad, after my mom passed away because of malaria. Every time, when I was little... I remembered how he struggled a lot. There's no way I can... imagine being his own child, he believed that he failed me... but he was wrong. My childhood wasn't the best, because I had to change everything for him... back before he became a government official--our lives weren't very good. It's really horrible. It's still horrible, but to me... sometimes it's better that way, because there are many other people who are facing far worse."

"You don't deserve to suffer all of this, you know..."

Kyoran spoke, hearing Kohaku's bitter laugh echoed--deep down he has been hiding his true self for too long. He learned how to suppress it and eventually give up feeling that it's not right, but sometimes it's still there. It can cause him a lot of trouble, so he has to stop himself from being serious again. "I always took scholarships when I was in school so I wouldn't pressure my father so much, until he was accepted in becoming a government official so we aren't poor anymore. But still, thinking about it... making me realize that everyone can't reach that level. Many people... some people like to use the system to their advantage, while others are simply unprepared or out of luck. So many people went bankrupt when the global economy collapsed, they always put people's livelihood above the market--that should be normal and good thing."

The somber young man's gentle hand came over, resting it softly on Kohaku's shoulder in support. "Being honest is rare nowadays, after being deceived by many it will tear off some trust between other people in the society. I can tell that you're a good person, don't get discouraged by it. You'll be fine, even if you're alone and no one can be on your side--you still have some friends with you."

Kohaku would cry, in fact--he didn't know what to say in response. He sensed that Kyoran already disappeared, only to be met by his father--Kahayana who were looking for him. "Kayana..." he muttered. "Is everything okay?" he asked, as the former sighed. "Kyoran told me about his visions of mine..." he mumbled, to which Kahayana gave him an indecipherable expression but concerned one. "He also ask me about my past... if it's true that I was born with that," he finished, to see his father looked like he was surprised. "Did you told him about your childhood?"

"Mostly... it's true, there are no lies," Kohaku replied.

There is a long silence between them, Kohaku knows his childhood is very sad and he can't even share his pain to others--it pains them as well, because they are burdened by the past--where the society scorns them. His father hugged him from behind, a gesture of love--an embrace full of acceptance and compassion. "There's no need to be ashamed, many people deal with the difficulties of growing up--they go through the worst of it as well, because it doesn't matter if you've got broken by someone--you're not the only one... Kayana. I'm sorry for believing that... I failed you as a parent, which you don't blame me. We're both at fault, for both of our losses. I can't lose you, that's all. I feel like it's always wrong to feel weak, because you've seen a lot."

The gentle voice of his father reassured him, making him feel much more loved. In his voice are emotions such as empathy, love, understanding and support--all held together in such a supportive tone of voice. The touch of his fingers stroking through his hair--a lot of things kept on going through his mind. Kohaku sniffled, his magenta-red eyes staring at the pale blue sky after letting out a relieved sigh, taking away all the negative feelings out.

"Thank you for everything," he replied.

"You're welcome, son."

He brought him to his car and Kohaku let his father drive him to the way, since he had to rest after finishing his activities. "Are you okay? You look pretty exhausted, do you want me to buy you anything to eat on the way?" Kahayana asked. Kohaku nodded, before he heard his father continued. "I'm glad that you have finished your master degree's studies and thesis, are you going to work as a lecturer or continue on learning even further?" his father asked curiously, seeing his son yawned as he take off his glasses and wiped his tears--damn, he look so sleepy. "No, seriously... well, not yet. Also, this isn't the first time Kyoran pointing out someone's past before. Damien was even the same, even after he was 'introduced' to Secret Garden... I bet many people who got deceived once thought they've got fooled by it."

His words echo in the car and there's no time for hesitation, considering it took a few minutes for Kahayana to wait for the signal. "He indeed has pointing out about Byakuya and his younger sister... Kyouka's past before, he said that they have a tragic background even when they came from Shinobu clan... after their parents died because of an assassin, Byakuya had to be the backbone of a family... and Kyouka had the same problems. Although it's true that, at least I got to know the real them. Siblings dealing with the same pain, yet they learned to grow... stronger in the end."

Kahayana's eyes widened in response, what did he just mentioned? "You might be right, because he pointed out my problems too--so I assumed that he was good and wanted to be friends with him, while Byakuya insisted to give him a chance. His insight is amazing, yet... why does his prediction of my life came so devastating?" Kohaku added, as Kahayana pulled the car's brake when the traffic light signals on the red color for a second. "I see... I did encounter him one time, he also said something about: 'You have a beautiful soul' to me when he divined my future too," he said, he smiled fondly before continuing. "But, I wonder where did he get that ability from..."

"He even read some of our pasts too, not to mention he also unafraid to do that. It's kinda not bad at all, but to think he knew our dark secrets. He usually stay quiet and rarely said things about us, so we decide to let him join us because he lost so much in the past."

Kohaku was in awe of the kindness of Kyoran's soul, as well as the strong front his father showed. He looked up at him--to the same man who cared for him as his son. "If you have a problem, please don't hesitate to tell me and your friends... we'll be there to support you. I don't want to lose you, because you're the only child I have and I won't let anyone take you away," Kahayana swore, Kohaku nodded--he didn't want to leave his father in despair, and if someone come to hurt him again...

He'll make sure they won't be any longer alive in this world.

His father's hand patting his head, ruffling his hair which made Kohaku stunned in disbelief. But, he smiled because he wasn't alone. "You're worried if someone's gonna hurt me in the future, right? Don't worry, I'll be fine," he assured, holding his promise by a pinkie--in which his father accepted it.

***

"Kayana, uhm..."

There he goes again, this time Nadya who was his colleague in Secret Garden--the notorious and lethal assassin known for her golden stiletto-like sharp weapons wanted to talk to him. Shania felt like a time-ticking bomb because even though Kohaku always couldn't care less about people with power and hierarchy or position, as long as they treat him like a person. "Oh, Nadya... you're done with your thesis hearings already?" Kohaku asked, seeing Nadya nodded with a smile. "Thank goodness, I didn't expect those professors asking me the things that I know in answering the difficult questions!" Nadya explained, before giving Kohaku a look. "You see, there will be a Kecak dance in Uluwatu. Can you join us? We have to escort some of the performers to check on them, however, Commander ordered you to assist me with the task--because we need to secure the temple from any potential threats... is that okay?"

Kohaku always wanted to see that, even though he's an Indonesian--he never had a chance to see the dance for the first time. So, why not make use of his free time to see this one? "Yes, I can't refuse with a rare chance," he answered to her request, which made Nadya surprised by his reaction and replied like that. Nadya is known for her attitude being extremely shy and well-mannered. Despite her professional competence, she has a startling lack of common sense and rather clueless when it comes to nearly all situations outside her assassin work which Damien used to reprimand her in the field training. After all, the poor thing almost broke one's bones when she hugged Kohaku with a happy greeting.

"Even though, you're still a newcomer to this job. I'm sure you will eventually love it in here."

"I never say I hate it, I'm just finding some reasons to actually get used to it," he shrugged in response to her words, who told him that he'd be more relaxed than ever when he's with them. "Next time, please loosen up your grip--you almost break my ribs."

Nadya shrieked when Kohaku said that she almost broke his ribs.

Although they are different, when it comes to a deep trust of other colleagues--with proper knowledge and skills to fully support the others will allow an assassin to able to fight back or defend themselves, even survive in this kind of job. "Thank you for your help, Kayana!" Nadya thanked him, hugging him that made Kohaku gasped comically--her grip is super strong and suffocating that made him struggling from her hug as he fainted from her surprise attack. Nadya's eyes widened in shock when she didn't expect to hurt her friend and cried for his safety, until Kohaku patted his shoulder--his face went dark as he muttered. "Don't. Do. That. Again."

"Hey, how dare you hurt him!"

Shania scolded her, making Nadya turn around with a shriek as Kohaku stand up--trembling from the crack of his bones. "Sorry about that... Kayana," Nadya told him apologetically, making Kohaku responded with 'it's alright'. "What's your business with him?" she asked her, looking at a female student who looked innocent even though she's actually an assassin in covert. "Huh? I'm his colleague in work, we worked in city hall!" Nadya said happily, poking Kohaku's foot with hers because Damien told both of them to cover their true occupations as an assassin, which isn't always necessary but every leader was being careful.

"Yeah, and she's working with me to arrange the flowers in her flower shop too," he added to her response, in which Shania looked at him with a frown on her face, making him shudder by the sight of that. "Okay, but can you like back off from him?" she snarled with a glare, making Nadya flinched with wide eyes when she saw her reacts like that toward her. "I can't bear someone taking him away from me!"

Kohaku twitched his eyebrows, before he snapped. "Shania, you're my friend from high school--I understand that you're worried but you can't just interfere with her conversation! For once, you can wait. And I met her from my workplace, so yeah."

Nadya felt relieved that he comforted her, she didn't expect him to say that. "Also, Nadya... try to control yourself--maybe you can manage yourself not to hug someone by those same level of strength."

Shania just stood there and watched the two interact, feeling doubtful and upset. Kohaku would notice her sad expression, before he stepped forward and sighed heavily, patting her shoulder. "Listen, Shania... you can come by tomorrow to see me, and maybe we can have lunch together with our friends," he added, making the woman looked at him with a confused look. "Really?"

"Yes, of course. BUT DON'T INTERFERE WITH MY PERSONAL BUSINESS INCLUDING MY WORK!" he scolded, raising his voice a bit since some of them turned around and glared at them for yelling, making them turn away and feel scared. Nadya was unfazed because she has seen him angry before, even when someone pissed him off or making him sick just by either knowing or listening to them. Shania was surprised, though she have seen him like this before--he was very strict and yet somewhat endearing like this, something that is more of a friendly banter. Kohaku always keeps his cool as much as possible, and he doesn't like it when other people disrupt his relationships with everyone. "Get it?" he repeated.

"Okay," the woman replied as Kohaku sighed deeply, rubbing his temple in annoyance.

However, even though Nadya was a sweet woman--Damien was aware of her attitude as being a deadly and terrifying assassin that she is, she tends to being nice as she is pretty warm and welcoming, even though sometimes she almost lost it just by overreacting or overly excited about something. He had also know about Kohaku's compassion despite he's still in training--there is no room for emotion, especially someone like Kohaku. He likes everything the way it is, without being bothered.

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