Chapter 23: Ghost between us

Chapter 23 — Ghosts Between Us

The new hideout was an old, abandoned ramen shop Sai somehow had the keys to. Dust coated the counters, and the air smelled like old wood and forgotten memories. The team was scattered — Jin inspecting the kitchen, Tora setting up some basic security, Ryuuji dramatically pretending to mop while flirting with Mira, and Kuro curled up on a counter, watching it all.

Hotaru stood near the window, staring at the night sky, but her mind was years away.

Sai stood beside her, leaning against the wall. He lit a cigarette, the glow illuminating his face just enough to make her stomach twist.

"You gonna keep ignoring me all night?" Sai asked quietly.

Hotaru's fingers clenched the window frame. "Why are you here, Sai?"

He exhaled smoke, slow and tired. "Because I owed you. Still do."

Hotaru laughed, but it was sharp and bitter. "Owe me? You really think after what happened, you can just—" She cut herself off, swallowing the lump in her throat. "You don't owe me anything, Sai. You paid your debt the moment you walked away."

The others had gone quiet, sensing the storm brewing between them.

"Tell them, Hotaru." Sai's voice was soft, but it hit like a knife. "Tell them why you hate me so much."

She spun around, eyes blazing. "You want me to spell it out? Fine."

She took a deep breath, voice trembling as she spoke:

"He was my brother, Sai. My only brother. And you left him to die."

The room went dead silent. Even Ryuuji didn't crack a joke.

Mira's eyes widened. "Wait…you had a brother?"

Hotaru's nails dug into her palm, but she forced herself to keep talking. "His name was Ren. We were a team back then — me, Sai, and Ren. We grew up together, fought together. I trusted Sai with my life... and with my brother's."

She turned to Sai, her voice breaking. "We had a mission. A high-level target. It was supposed to be simple — in, out, no casualties. But something went wrong. There was an ambush. Ren got hurt. I was fighting off the attackers, and when I turned around…" Her voice cracked completely. "Sai was gone. And so was Ren."

Mira's hand covered her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes. Tora whispered, "That's…that's messed up."

Sai's face was unreadable, his cigarette burning down between his fingers. "You never asked me why I left."

"Because I didn't need to!" Hotaru snapped. "What excuse could matter after that?! My brother died alone because you ran away!"

Sai finally turned to her, his usual smirk replaced with something raw and broken. "I didn't run."

Hotaru froze.

Sai's voice was quiet, but every word felt heavy. "There was a second squad — assassins trained to kill all of us if we got too close to the truth. Ren was bleeding out, and I knew if I stayed, we'd all die. So I made a choice." His hand shook slightly, the cigarette almost falling from his fingers. "I lured them away. Bought you and Ren time."

Hotaru shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "Then why didn't you come back? Why did you leave me to find his body alone?"

Sai's voice cracked for the first time. "Because when I came back…he was already gone. And you— you looked at me like I was the one who killed him."

Hotaru's heart pounded painfully in her chest. Memories flooded back — the rain, her brother's blood on her hands, the empty silence where Sai should've been. All these years, she'd held onto her rage like a shield. Because it was easier to hate him than to wonder if she'd misjudged everything.

"I lost him," she whispered. "And I lost you too."

Sai's eyes were red-rimmed, but he smiled — soft and sad. "You never lost me, Hotaru. I just...didn't deserve to come back."

There was nothing left to say. Just silence, heavy with grief and all the words they'd left unsaid for too long.

Ryuuji wiped his eyes dramatically. "This is better than any drama I've ever seen."

Tora threw a slipper at him.

Mira quietly walked up to Hotaru and hugged her, no words needed.

Kuro, who had been silent the whole time, jumped onto Sai's shoulder and swatted his face. "That's for being an idiot."

Sai chuckled through his tears. "Fair."

Hotaru wiped her face and turned back toward the window. "We have work to do. Kurogane won't wait for us to sort out our feelings."

Sai grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Almost," Hotaru muttered. "This time…I'm not losing anyone else."

The past couldn't be erased — but maybe, just maybe, they could face the future together.

To be continued.