Two days had passed since Sasaki dropped the bombshell that Mitsuo Nagasuki, the ruthless Shima-Kai member, was still out there and aware of my involvement.

During those 48 hours, I’d been on edge, my mind constantly whirring with scenarios of what Nagasuki might do if he found me.

I tried to keep myself busy—cleaning my apartment, I finally got to call Aiko, we talked about my condition—but none of it helped.

The reality was simple: I was being hunted, and there wasn’t much I could do to change that.

I woke up early, the remnants of an uneasy dream clinging to my mind like cobwebs.

The faint light of the rising sun filtered through the cracks in the blinds, casting the room in a dull, gray glow.

My apartment, while cleaner than it had been in weeks, still carried the stale air of old anxieties.

I had barely left the place since my meeting with Sasaki, trying to stay off the streets, just in case.

I rubbed my face, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.

It was too early for this kind of dread.

I stretched, groaning as I worked out the stiffness in my muscles.

My back ached from sleeping on the lumpy mattress, and my neck was sore from the constant tension I’d been carrying since I found out Nagasuki was still at large.

As I pushed myself up, my mind wandered to what Sasaki had said two days ago: lay low.

That had been easier said than done.

The thought of Nagasuki lurking out there had kept me up for most of the past two nights, and I had barely left my apartment since that meeting.

I glanced toward the kitchen, debating whether to get a cup of coffee or just lie back down and pretend the world didn’t exist for a while longer.

That’s when I noticed something off.

The faintest creak of wood.

A figure—no, a person—was sitting on my couch.

I froze.

I blinked, my heart instantly pounding in my chest as a surge of panic shot through me.

Was this it? Had Mitsuo Nagasuki found me already? I hadn’t heard anyone come in.

I squinted through the gloom.

The man sitting on my couch was young, no older than mid-twenties.

He had short brown hair and was perfectly shaved, I even thought if he ever had a beard.

He was dressed casually in dark jeans and a plain shirt, but what caught my eye was the badge clipped to his belt and the holster strapped around his shoulder.

He looked at me, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips.

"Morning, Mori-san"

He said calmly, smiling as if we were old friends recovering from a long day.

"What the—"

I stumbled back, my mind racing.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The man raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"Relax. I’m here for your protection."

"Protection?"

I asked, feeling a cold sweat break out on my forehead.

"Who sent you?"

"Sasaki-senpai"

He replied, leaning back on the couch like he owned the place.

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"He thought it’d be a good idea to have someone keeping an eye on you. Just in case Nagasuki shows up."

I stared at him, my brain struggling to process the information. Sasaki-senpai? He was clearly part of SIT.

It means 'Sasaki Investigation Team'. I called like that the weird guys who worked under him.

If he was there then Nagasuki was closer than he’d let on. Either way, now I had this guy, this guard dog, camped out in my living room.

"How long have you been here?"

I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

"Since about 3 AM"

He said casually, like breaking into my apartment in the middle of the night was perfectly normal.

"Didn’t want to wake you."

I shook my head, running a hand through my hair.

"What’s your name?"

He sat up straighter, extending a hand as though we were making formal introductions at a dinner party.

"Kento Nakajima. I’ve been assigned to you for the foreseeable future."

I stared at his hand, not sure whether to shake it or throw him out of my apartment.

After a moment, I sighed and dropped onto the couch opposite him, my head in my hands.

"So, what now?"

I muttered, half to myself.

"I just sit here and wait for Nagasuki to come knocking?"

Kento shrugged, unfazed by my growing frustration.

"Something like that. My job is to make sure he doesn’t get to you. We’ve got a couple of agents tailing him, but until we find him, you’re under lockdown."

"Lockdown"

I repeated, feeling the word like a slap.

"Great. Just great."

He gave me a sympathetic smile, but it didn’t do much to ease the tension building in my chest.

"So, what, I can’t leave my apartment now?"

I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

"Pretty much"

Kento said, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"We can’t risk you being out in the open. Sasaki-senpai’s orders."

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.

This was the last thing I needed—being trapped in this tiny apartment with nothing to do but stew in my own thoughts.

"And how long is this going to last?"

I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Kento just shrugged again.

"Until we catch Nagasuki."

I let out a long, frustrated breath.

So that was it.

My life was officially on pause until Sasaki and his team could track down a psychopathic gangster.

"And what if Nagasuki never shows up?"

I asked, more to myself than to Kento.

He looked at me, his expression serious.

"Then you stay safe. That’s the priority."

"Yeah, safe"

I muttered, glancing around my apartment. The walls felt like they were closing in already.

It's been almost a week since i left the place who trapped me for two months and now i'm imprisoned again.

I got up from the couch and paced across the small living room, my mind racing.

I couldn’t believe this was happening.

A few days ago, I was trying to get my life back on track, and now I was practically under house arrest, hiding from a guy who would probably kill me on sight if he got the chance.

Kento watched me silently as I paced, his calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the storm brewing in my head.

"Look"

He said after a moment.

"I get that this isn’t ideal, but it’s better than the alternative."

"The alternative being me ending up in a ditch somewhere?"

I snapped, my frustration boiling over.

Kento didn’t flinch.

"Exactly."

I stopped pacing and stared at him, my hands clenched into fists.

He wasn’t wrong.

As much as I hated the idea of being stuck in my apartment, it was better than being dead.

With a heavy sigh, I sank back onto the couch, my head in my hands.

"Fine"

I muttered.

"What do I do now?"

Kento leaned forward, his expression softening slightly.

"You lay low, like Sasaki said. We’ll take care of everything else."

I glanced up at him.

"What about groceries? Laundry? I can’t just sit here and do nothing."

"We’ve got that covered"

Kento said, pulling out his phone.

"There’ll be agents running deliveries for you. Groceries, supplies, whatever you need. Just let me know, and I’ll get it sorted."

I stared at him, my frustration mixing with disbelief. This was my life now? Stuck in this tiny apartment while other people did my shopping for me?

"I need to get out"

I muttered, more to myself than to Kento.

"I can’t just stay cooped up here."

Kento sighed, clearly understanding how I felt.

"I get it, but for now, this is the safest place for you. Once we catch Nagasuki, you’ll be free to go."

"Yeah, sure"

I muttered, standing up and walking to the window.

I stared out at the street below, watching as people went about their normal lives, completely unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows.

It was a beautiful morning, the kind of day where I’d usually go for a run or grab a coffee from the shop down the block.

But now, all of that was out of reach.

I was stuck in here, living in fear of a man I barely knew.

"How long do you think it’ll take?"

I asked quietly, still staring out the window.

Kento hesitated.

"It’s hard to say. Could be days, could be weeks."

I clenched my fists, feeling the anger and frustration rise again. Weeks? I couldn’t stay trapped in here for weeks.

But what choice did I have?

"Alright"

I said finally, turning away from the window.

"Let’s get this over with."

Kento nodded, his expression serious.

"We’ll keep you safe, Keisuke. You’re not alone in this."

I wanted to believe him.

I really did.

But as I looked around my small apartment, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was a prisoner in my own life.

And no matter how many agents they sent to protect me, there was no escaping the fear that Mitsuo Nagasuki was out there, waiting for his chance to strike.

As I get to the bathroom i watch myself in the mirror, the weight of the situation---or the weight of my body--- finally hit me.

This wasn’t just about laying low for a few days.

This was about survival.

And until Nagasuki was caught, I was living in a new kind of prison—one I couldn’t run from.

For the next few hours, Kento and I settled into a strange routine.

He took calls from Sasaki, updating him on Nagasuki’s whereabouts, while I tried to distract myself with mindless tasks like folding laundry and cleaning the already spotless apartment.

It didn’t help.

But looking out the window again I saw Kozumaru-san, the downstairs neighbor, watering the plants and an idea came into my mind.