Chapter 35: A Place to Call Home

The rain had finally eased into a soft drizzle by the time they reached the edge of the city. Sai led them to an old storage building hidden beneath layers of graffiti and rusted metal gates.

"Here?" Mira raised an eyebrow. "This looks like a crime scene."

"Perfect for us then," Ryuuji grinned, wringing rainwater from his shirt. "We are walking crime scenes."

Hotaru ignored them both, too busy scanning the street for any signs of Kurogane's hunters. The coast was clear — for now.

Sai punched in a code on the rusted keypad, and the heavy metal door groaned open. Inside was...surprisingly decent. The floor was clean, the lights worked, and there were even a few ancient but comfortable couches shoved against the walls. A small kitchen sat at the back, complete with a hot plate and a rice cooker that looked like it belonged in a museum.

"This was my dad's old mechanic shop," Sai said quietly, his voice echoing in the empty space. "After...everything, I kept it off the grid. Nobody should know about it."

Hotaru nodded, appreciating the thought. A safehouse they could actually trust was rare.

Kuro hopped down from Mira's shoulder and immediately claimed the driest couch, curling into a judgmental loaf. "Even the cat's tired of running," Mira muttered, tossing her soaked jacket over a chair.

Ryuuji, naturally, started exploring every cabinet and drawer like a child looking for hidden treasure. "Any snacks? Emergency ramen stash? A secret vault of gold bars?"

Sai sighed. "There's instant noodles and some canned food. That's it."

"Better than nothing!" Ryuuji cheered, already tearing into the kitchen like a hungry raccoon.

Hotaru sank onto the couch beside Kuro, who immediately shifted to rest his head on her leg. She scratched behind his ears, her mind spinning faster than her heart could handle. They had a base again — but how long until Kurogane found them?

Sai stood near the window, watching the rain. His shoulders were tense, jaw clenched so tight it looked painful.

Hotaru knew that look. She'd seen it in the mirror too many times.

"Hey," she said softly, "you okay?"

He didn't answer right away, but then he sighed, turning back to face her. "I just... never thought I'd bring anyone here. This was the one place I kept for myself."

Hotaru leaned back, staring at the cracked ceiling. "Funny. I used to think the same about my dad's old office. Then it became a battlefield."

The silence stretched, comfortable in its heaviness.

Mira plopped down across from them, wringing her hair out dramatically. "So, what's the plan, fearless leader? We sit here until Kurogane drops a missile on the roof, or do we actually fight back?"

"Fight back," Hotaru said immediately. "Always."

Ryuuji emerged from the kitchen with a pot of instant ramen so large it could feed a small army. "I second that. But we eat first."

They gathered around the tiny table, steam rising from the ramen like a peace offering after the storm. Sai even cracked a rare smile when Ryuuji insisted they say a prayer "to the ramen gods."

Kuro batted at a stray noodle, Mira tried to sneak extra broth into her bowl, and for a moment — just a moment — they weren't fugitives. They were a team. A weird, dysfunctional, ramen-fueled team.

But the moment didn't last.

A phone buzzed on the table — Sai's burner. He stared at the screen, expression darkening. Without a word, he slid it toward Hotaru.

Unknown Number: "You thought you could run forever? Cute. See you soon."

Hotaru's grip on the phone tightened, but she forced a smile. "Guess we have a dinner guest."

Ryuuji slurped a mouthful of noodles. "Good. I was starting to miss punching people."

Mira cracked her knuckles. "Let them come. We finally have a home worth defending."

Sai's eyes flickered with something — not fear, but resolve. This wasn't just his hiding place anymore. This was their base. Their safehouse. Their battlefield.

"We'll make them regret ever finding this place," Hotaru said quietly.

And just like that, the storm outside no longer felt so heavy.

Because inside this broken-down mechanic shop, they weren't just running.

They were ready to fight back.

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End of Chapter 35