Chapter 28 - A Friendly Talk

The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting long shadows over the skate park nestled between two rows of aging apartment buildings. The sound of wheels grinding rails and occasional bursts of laughter filled the air as Raito stepped onto the concrete, hands in his pockets, his expression as unreadable as ever.

He spotted them near the far end—three teens loitering around a worn-out bench, their school uniforms half-unbuttoned and ties loose like they were badges of rebellion. Just as Raika had described.

Kurai's voice echoed lazily in his mind.Ooooh, the big bad insurance man's out to investigate some delinquent teens. What are they gonna do, kickflip their way into your villa?

Raito ignored her as he approached, switching on his signature fake smile—polite, effortless, and disarming.

"Yo," he said casually. "You kids hang around here a lot?"

The teens looked up, puzzled at first. One of them narrowed his eyes. "Yeah? Who's asking?"

Raito kept the smile going, letting his tone stay friendly. "Just someone curious. You were around a certain neighborhood earlier this morning, right? Near a big villa?"

The teens exchanged quick glances. Suspicion flickered in their eyes.

"Nah, man. Don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Really?" Raito tilted his head, feigning surprise. "Because I live there. And my cameras picked up three teens who look a lot like you."

A tense pause.

Then one of them coughed awkwardly and asked, "Hey… that girl—in your house, right? She live with you?"

Raito's eyes narrowed slightly, but his smile didn't falter. "She's my sister and she is just visiting for a while."

All three of them visibly relaxed at that.

One grinned. "Phew. That's good, man. For a sec, we thought she was your girlfriend. That would've been awkward."

Raito didn't respond, just raised an eyebrow slightly.

The tallest of the group then leaned forward with a smirk. "Look, since you're her brother and all… think you could help us out? She's super cute. We just wanted to, you know, get her number or something."

"Yeah," another chimed in, nodding confidently. "You seem like a chill dude. Help a couple of guys out?"

There was a long pause. Raito blinked, his expression unreadable… then tilted his head back and laughed once—dry and brief—as he scratched the back of his neck.

They're just dumb kids, he thought. I was worried for nothing.

Kurai snorted in amusement. All this because you thought they were secret assassins or some mercenary recon squad. You're getting soft, Raito.

Better to be safe, Raito replied silently. Now I know.

But then the laugh stopped.

His hand dropped from his head, and his fake smile evaporated like mist. The shift in atmosphere was immediate. He looked at them again—not with the pleasant eyes of a friendly stranger, but with the cold, flat stare of someone who didn't appreciate being played.

The teens went stiff.

Raito took a single step closer, his voice low and sharp. "How annoying."

The lightness in the air disappeared.