chapter 22: When the past knocks

Hotaru stood outside the ruins of her old house, arms crossed, eyebrow twitching. The whole place had collapsed after the insane fight between her, Jin, Tora, Ryuuji, Mira, and the surprise Kurogane squad that tried to ambush them. Now it was just a pile of splinters and regrets.

Kuro, sitting on Tora's head, lazily licked his paw. "I told you this place was held together by nothing but broken dreams and duct tape."

Hotaru sighed. "That's my broken dream you're talking about."

Before anyone could reply, a loud motorcycle roared up the broken street. The engine purred like a beast, smooth and dangerous. A guy hopped off — tall, effortlessly cool, with a jacket that had seen too many bar fights and a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Yo," he grinned, tossing the cigarette aside. "Need a new base?"

Hotaru froze. That voice. That stupid, cocky voice she knew too well.

Sai.

The others didn't know who he was, but from the way Hotaru's expression went from tired to murderous, they knew this was a whole drama episode waiting to happen.

"Why are you here?" Hotaru's voice was flat, but her hand was already twitching toward the knife on her belt.

Sai just grinned wider. "Oh, come on, partner. You think I'd miss the chance to rescue your reckless ass again?"

"Again?!" Tora whispered to Ryuuji, who was already holding out a notebook labeled Hotaru's Messy Love Life Lore. "What does he mean 'again'?"

Hotaru ignored them. "I don't need your help, Sai."

"Really?" Sai gestured to the pile of rubble. "Because your house disagrees."

She wanted to punch him. She really did. But before she could launch herself at him, Ryuuji popped up between them, grinning like an idiot. "Hi! I'm Ryuuji, professional heartthrob and top-tier informant. Are you Hotaru's ex-boyfriend? Or ex-something? Because this tension is making me feel like I'm watching a soap opera."

Sai gave him a slow once-over. "Who's this clown?"

"Your new competition." Ryuuji winked.

"Please shut up," Hotaru groaned.

Mira, who was standing right there eating a pack of chips she found in the wreckage, nearly choked laughing. "Wait. Sai? That Sai?!"

Sai waved lazily. "Hey, shorty."

"Oh my god, Hotaru! It's him! The one you—" Mira's mouth was immediately covered by Hotaru's entire hand.

"Nope. No talking. We're not doing this." Hotaru hissed in her ear.

The whole squad (minus Sai) stared at her. Tora was the first to break the silence. "What exactly did you do with this guy?"

Sai smirked. "Want me to tell them? Or should we start with the time you fell off the second floor trying to impress me?"

Hotaru's face turned red. "Shut up!"

Jin, ever the wise old man, stepped forward. "Enough playing around, children. This house is gone, we need a new hideout. And if this fool from your past has one, we take it. Got it?"

Hotaru groaned. "Fine. Lead the way, Sai. But don't think for a second I trust you."

Sai walked ahead, hands casually in his pockets. "You never had to trust me, partner. You just had to keep up."

The squad followed, with Ryuuji loudly whispering to Tora, "I smell tragic backstory and unresolved romantic tension. This is my favorite flavor."

Kuro sighed from Tora's head. "Humans are exhausting."

As they walked off into the night, the past trailing them like a hungry ghost, Hotaru silently promised herself one thing: If Sai tried anything funny, she'd bury him under whatever new base they found.

To be continued...

End of chapter 22