Saeko stepped out of the courtroom, her head spinning from all the turmoil. It was just the first day of her father's trial, but the tension already seemed too much to bear.
Without even thinking about it she found herself calling Sota. She felt like the only thing that could calm her was seeing the guys. She craved their comfort, their reassurance. They always had a way of making everything feel lighter, brighter, and easier to bear.
No answer. She tried again, and finally...the call went through.
She heard a woman's voice.
Yumeko. Saeko immediately recognized her voice.
She often visited the guys. She was a photographer by profession, the one who handled their promo pictures and videos, not just for the band, but for Sota's stunt profile as well.
"What do you want?" Yumeko asked sharply. She was always cold with Saeko, but she had never sounded so openly hostile before.
"I just... I just want to talk to the guys," Saeko stammered.
"They're recording the demo for their new songs," Yumeko replied curtly.
"Oh... I forgot," Saeko admitted, shame washing over her. They had told her, but she had been too consumed by her own misery to remember.
Yumeko let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Forgot, huh? You've got some nerve, taking advantage of them like this. If you care about them even a little, show some consideration for a change and leave them alone."
Saeko's face burned as she stammered, searching for a reply. She couldn't come up with anything. She didn't know what to say or how to defend herself. Deep down, she agreed with Yumeko. She knew too well she didn't deserve all their care. The self-loathing inside her only grew.
Not knowing how to deal with her anxiety, she ended up in a small café, settling down for a strong coffee and trying to make sense of everything that had happened. Her father's trial felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.
The first testimony had come from the pregnant woman, Tsumi, who shared the boarding house with her father. She didn't appear in person, citing safety concerns and emotional distress caused by the incident. Instead, the court permitted her to testify remotely via video.
"When it turned out a man who had just come out of prison was moving in, everyone warned me. They were all worried about me. But I trusted him. I really did." She paused for a moment, getting emotional. "At first, I thought he seemed like a nice guy. He took care of the housework, insisted on doing it himself whenever I tried to grab something from the pantry. But as it seems… He probably just kept his supplies there. I'm lucky I wasn't home that night when the disturbances happened. If something had happened to my baby…" She broke off, crying.
Naturally, everyone seemed to side with the crying pregnant woman, who painted herself as the victim. All the evidence screamed that Saeko's dad was guilty, but he kept denying it, swearing he had no clue where that paper bag, or the stuff inside, had come.
Even with all the disappointment and how bad it all looked, Saeko couldn't shake this tiny, annoying thought: what if her father was really innocent.
Hours passed, it was getting dark already, Saeko realized she should head home. But just as she was about to leave, a heated argument from a nearby table caught her attention.
"You cheated on me, didn't you?"
"I would never!"
"Don't lie! I recognise that paper bag. You got it from that love hotel, Diamond, didn't you?"
„I can explain… It's not what you think…" he muttered.
Saeko's heart skipped a beat as her gaze inadvertently landed on the sleek, crimson-coloured paper bag the man was clutching. It was the same as the one found by the police in her father's possession.
Her mind raced. What if that paper bag was from the same place… a love hotel? Every instinct told her there was more to find out.
She found the hotel in one of the city's seedier districts. Seeing how people dressed as they walked in and out, she realized her usual attire wouldn't do. To blend in, she'd had to buy a new outfit, one that barely covered her and attracted hungry gazes from every corner.
I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought. But she had no choice. She needed answers. She stepped inside, her pulse quickening, greeted by an unnervingly polite receptionist.
"How can I help you, miss?" he asked, glancing behind her, as though expecting an escort.
"I would like to get to the…,"she trailed off, unsure how to continue. She glanced at the signs for the floors, and realized that every floor was signed with a different colour. Then she would probably need the… "Crimson floor?" she mumbled, the words coming out as more of a question.
The man's expression flickered.
"New here?" he asked. She nodded, swallowing hard, trying to mask her nervousness but failing miserably.
"It's simple," he continued, handing her a crimson keycard. "Just ask for the V.I.P. key next time, and you won't raise... you know, suspicion." He gestured toward the elevator.
Inside the elevator, each floor was marked with a different colour, rather than numbers. Only the highest floor, the crimson level, required a keycard for access.
When the doors opened, she stepped into a dimly lit hallway lined with doors. Just then, a strange man staggered toward the elevator, almost knocking her over. He clutched a paper bag tightly in his hand.
Her suspicion grew stronger. Is there a drug den operating on the top level of this love hotel?
„Can I help you?" a guy sneered behind her.
"I'm looking for someone," Saeko said, trying to steady her voice. "I was advised to look for…" She forced herself to say her father's name. "Mr. Kobayashi"
The man smirked. It seemed as it sounded familiar to him.
"What a coincidence. Suddenly, two newbies show up, asking about the same name I have never heard before…"
Then through the shadows, Saeko noticed a hooded figure at the far end of the hallway talking to someone. Something about the way he moved, his gestures, his posture, it felt so familiar.
Before she could see his face, she already knew. Sota.
Saeko's eyes widened in recognition for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it with indifference.
What is he doing here? Is he a regular here? No, it couldn't be...
"Do you happen to know each other?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes, as they faced each other.
"No," Saeko answered flatly.
Sota shook his head dismissively, his expression smug.
The man chuckled. "Come on, she looked like she knew you."
"So what? I can't remember all the girls I slept with," Sota said coldly, his tone dripping with indifference. His eyes distant, not even looking at her.
"Ah, I see…" The man sneered. "Then I guess you won't mind if I take a turn."
He reached out toward Saeko, but before his hand could touch her, Sota grabbed his wrist, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Look at that," he mocked, as Sota tightened his grip. "Still familiar? What a pity..." He chuckled, a dark humour in his voice.
"Compared to her, you were actually quite the actor. Almost had me."
Moments later, the two were shoved into a small room. The door locked behind them.
"Would you be so kind to wait for the boss?" the man mocked, his voice fading as he walked away.
Before Saeko could fully grasp the severity of the situation, Sota had already opened the window.
It wasn't even locked? But really… Who would be stupid enough to try escaping from the top floor through the window?
He turned to Saeko. "Are you coming, or do you prefer to wait for them?"
"Do you want to kill me?" she gasped, as she stepped closer the window.
"Did I bring you here in the first place?" he snapped, his expression dark.
Without waiting for her reply, he pulled himself up onto the roof, then extended a hand to her.
"Come on, just like that morning," he said, his tone surprisingly calm given the circumstances.
She didn't have time to hesitate. Trusting him, she grabbed his hand.
After a few unnerving moments, they were both on the rooftops. The dimly lit city stretched out beneath them, its streets glowing faintly in the night.
"We did it," she whispered in disbelief.
"We need to jump to the next building," he added, scanning the area.
"What?" She gaped. "No, I can't..."
"Are you sure?" he asked but didn't press the matter, as if he had a backup plan.
Soon, they heard footsteps approaching.
That was fast. They were already pursuing them, and they were getting closer. Sota pulled Saeko in the shadows, pushing her against the wall to hide, covering her mouth with his hand. They were sweeping the area.
Saeko slowly reached beneath her skirt and pulled out a knife. Sota's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he'd never expected such a move from her. She thought it was a waste to use it this way, but they needed a distraction. With precision, she tossed the blade in the opposite direction, creating a noise that briefly directed the searchers that way. It worked.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Sota scooped her up and sprinted across the rooftops with Saeko in his arms. He leaped from one building to another, Saeko gripping him tightly, her heart pounding.
So that was the plan B…. That lunatic.
As they dashed across the rooftops, Saeko glanced over his shoulder, keeping an eye on their pursuers. "There are three of them," she warned him. "Two from the right, one from the left."
With a swift motion, Sota stayed in the middle, jumping over the obstacle in front of him instead of dodging it. They didn't expect that. He maneuvered them brilliantly, Saeko giving him directions.
"Close your eyes and hold me tight," he panted. "I will jump down."
They were closer to the ground than before, but this building was still high.
Instead of shutting her eyes, Saeko stared wide-eyed at everything, a silly smile spreading across her face despite the danger.
They landed on a pile of stacked cardboard boxes, cushioning their fall. Sota quickly helped her crawl out and yanked her to her feet. "Run!" he barked, pulling her along. She matched his pace.
"Follow me," he said, diving to the right.
"This is a dead end!" Saeko hissed, panic creeping into her voice.
Sota dashed deeper into the alley and kicked over a couple of barrels draped with tarps, revealing his motorbike.
How prepared was he?
He swung onto the bike and rolled it over to her.
"Get on," he said, handing her his helmet.
As Saeko moved to climb on behind him, he changed his mind. If their pursuers started shooting by chance… she'd be an easy target.
Without a word, he grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap so she was facing him. Holding her legs firmly, he guided them around his waist.
Saeko's breath hitched at the sudden motion, her mind briefly forgetting the danger. The closeness made her heartbeat race for an entirely different reason.
"Keep an eye out for me," he said sharply, his voice snapping her out of it.
She nodded, gripping him tightly. Her gaze darted behind him, scanning the shadows as the bike roared to life. They sped off into the night.
"Anything suspicious?" he asked.
"There's a black SUV catching up," she shouted over the roar of the engine, "pushing others off the road!"
Sota glanced at the rearview mirror for a split second. Gotcha.
He began weaving through the traffic, evading the oncoming vehicle.
"There's a red car pulling up on the right!" Saeko yelled.
Sota tightened his grip on the handlebars and maneuvered sharply, keeping them ahead of the pursuers.
After a series of tense, high-speed twists and turns, Sota veered into a narrow alley. The space was barely wide enough for the bike, let alone the cars chasing them.
Smart move. Saeko cheered inwardly, gripping him tighter.
Halfway through, he came to a sudden stop and began rolling the bike backward.
"What are you doing?" Saeko asked.
"They'll expect us the other end," he said, his tone calm and calculated as he reversed up the slope.
Saeko kept scanning the alley behind them, looking for anything suspicious. To her relief, there was nothing.
Sota guided the bike back up, emerging onto a different road. He revved the engine and sped off in another direction.
For a few minutes, they zipped through the streets, Saeko keeping her eyes peeled. When it seemed they weren't being followed anymore, Sota finally pulled over across a run-down bar.
Saeko's grip on him loosened as the tension momentarily eased, and she slid slightly lower in his lap.
Sota's hand shot to her waist, steadying her. They stayed in the posture a heartbeat longer than necessary, then with a swift motion, he shifted himself out from under her.
"Get off. We're going in here," he said curtly.
Saeko snapped out of her daze, quickly scrambling off the bike. She hesitated as she glanced at the building.
"What? But that's a bar…"
"There's no better escape than not escaping but blending into the crowd."