[Location: Hikaru's Home Country]
The night felt delicate, light as a feather beneath the moonlit sky. Pale silver light spread gently across the city, blessing the streets with a strange sense of peace. A cool wind drifted through the towering man-made structures, sliding between narrow roads and slipping through the open gaps of countless homes, quietly easing the exhaustion buried within people after a long day.
Compared to the chaos of daytime, the crowds had thinned considerably. The city was slowly beginning to settle into the calm embrace of night.
Somewhere along the roadside of a nearly empty street, a lone bar remained open despite the late hour. Warm yellow light spilled through its windows, becoming the only source of brightness along that stretch of road. Beyond its glow, darkness swallowed everything else.
Inside, however, the atmosphere was alive.
Colleagues, friends, old men, strangers—people from every walk of life filled the room, enjoying drinks and loud conversations. Laughter echoed across the bar while glasses clinked against wooden tables. Cigarette smoke drifted lazily beneath the hanging lights, blending with the smell of alcohol and fried food.
At the counter sat a man whose presence naturally stood out.
His lean yet athletic frame was wrapped in a formal black outfit that contrasted against his messy dark green hair, which reached his shoulders. On top of it rested a black cap marked with the letter "R."
But his eyes—
Those were impossible to ignore.
Sharp vertical pupils sat within bright green irises that reflected the yellow bar lights like mirrors. They gave off the unsettling feeling of a predator constantly searching for prey.
It was Recardo.
"Hey man, you've started drinking a lot lately," a woman bartender said while cleaning a glass nearby.
Her clothes were casual, and her tone carried both concern and familiarity. "If you keep drinking like this, someday your liver's really gonna get upset. And if that happens…" She pointed lightly at him. "Well, I don't think I need to explain the rest."
Recardo lazily lifted his glass without much interest.
"When the treat is from someone else," he replied in his usual tired voice, "it's worth drinking as much as you want."
The bartender sighed helplessly while shaking her head.
As their conversation continued, the door of the bar opened once more.
A man stepped inside.
He wore black shoes and black pants paired with a white shirt whose sleeves were neatly folded to his elbows. A loosened black tie rested around his neck, and a dark blazer hung casually from his right arm. His messy dark hair shifted lightly as he scanned the room with sharp brown eyes searching for someone.
It was Kio.
The moment he spotted Recardo sitting near the counter, a huge grin instantly spread across his face.
Without hesitation, he walked over with energetic steps.
"Yo! It's been a while since we met," Kio announced loudly from behind him. "I bet you're really excited to see my face."
He dropped into the seat beside Recardo with zero invitation.
Recardo didn't even bother looking at him.
"Don't be delusional," he replied flatly. "You're the person who annoys me the most."
Kio immediately placed a dramatic hand over his chest before looking sorrowfully toward the ceiling.
"So this is what the world calls friendship…" he sighed deeply. "Am I destined to always be lonely?"
"Can't you act normal for once?" Recardo asked in a deadpan voice. "Why are you dramatic at every step?"
Kio shrugged shamelessly.
"What can I do? I'm naturally like this." He leaned back proudly. "That's also why girls like me and not you."
"Like I care," Recardo answered without emotion.
At that moment, the bartender placed a chilled glass of beer in front of Kio. Frost clung to the surface of the mug while red chili powder rested strangely along the rim.
"Here," she said with a smile. "Your cold iced beer with chili powder. Honestly, I still don't understand your food combinations. They're seriously weird."
Kio lifted the drink proudly.
"Hey, it actually tastes amazing. If you don't believe me, take a sip."
The bartender immediately recoiled in disgust.
"Eww, no way," she said. "I'm not drinking that combo. I don't wanna get sick."
Meanwhile, Recardo quietly stared at Kio's drink for a few seconds before muttering under his breath,
"Yeah… that definitely looks like poison."
Before the conversation between Kio, Recardo, and the bartender could continue any further—
SHATTER!
A loud crash suddenly exploded through the bar, instantly crushing the lively atmosphere.
The sound of laughter and conversation died almost immediately.
Everyone inside the bar—except Recardo—turned toward the direction of the noise.
Near one of the tables sat four young adults: three boys and one girl, all dressed in expensive clothes that practically screamed wealth and influence. Broken glass glittered across the floor near them, fragments reflecting the warm yellow lights above while spilled alcohol slowly spread across the wood.
One of the boys slammed his palm against the table and shouted at an elderly woman standing nervously nearby.
"Is this how you serve your customers?!" he barked loudly. "Where's the lemon in my drink?!"
The old lady flinched slightly at the harsh tone. Her hands trembled weakly as embarrassment spread across her wrinkled face under the gaze of the entire room.
"S-Sir," she replied softly, struggling to keep her voice steady, "I did as you asked. You said you didn't want lemons, so I removed them…"
"So what?" the boy snapped instantly, his voice growing even louder. "Don't you know who I am? Are you saying this is my fault, you bitch?!"
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.
The old woman lowered her head, unable to withstand the humiliation any longer. Tears gathered in her tired eyes as she silently endured the insults thrown at her.
Then the girl sitting beside the boy sighed dramatically before standing up.
"Oh, come on, honey," she said lazily while fixing her hair. "What are you doing? She's just a filthy old woman. Leave her."
The boy turned toward her.
"But babe—"
"Oh?" the girl interrupted with a playful smile. "So you want to punish her? Well… maybe I can punish her instead."
Her heels clicked sharply against the wooden floor as she walked toward the trembling old lady. Standing directly before her, she crossed her arms and looked down arrogantly.
"Why don't you lick and clean my heels?" she said coldly. "If you do that… maybe he'll spare you."
The old woman's heart tightened painfully.
Her fingers trembled harder as she looked around helplessly.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Everyone in the bar understood exactly who these four were—not ordinary rich kids, but the sons and daughter of powerful people. People no one wanted trouble with.
The old woman slowly bent down, her frail body shaking as tears finally slipped uncontrollably from her eyes. The humiliation crushed whatever pride she still had left.
The entire room watched in silence.
"Look how pathetic she looks," one of the boys mocked with a grin.
The other two burst into laughter, their cruel voices echoing through the once-lively bar.
As the old lady slowly lowered herself, about to humiliate herself before the four young adults while they prepared to mock her further—
"I wouldn't prefer that. That's not how we treat an elder person."
An unfamiliar voice suddenly cut through the tense silence.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't angry either.
Yet somehow, the tone alone carried an unsettling weight that instantly made the atmosphere colder.
"I seriously don't know what's wrong with rich asshole kids these days."
The four young adults immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
And froze.
Kio was sitting casually on top of their table with his legs folded comfortably, as if he belonged there. One hand lazily held a fork while the other reached toward the expensive food they had ordered, shamelessly eating from their plates.
The sharp tip of the fork rested dangerously close to one of the boys' throats.
Kio smiled brightly.
But the boy's body instinctively stiffened the moment their eyes met.
Because somewhere deep inside—
He realized that smile did not belong to someone trying to solve things peacefully.
The bartender behind the counter suddenly felt a severe chill crawl down her spine.
"W-When did he even move from his seat…?" she thought in shock.
Beside her, Recardo calmly took another sip from his drink.
"Hey," he said lazily, "stop zoning out and do your work. Or your boss is gonna cut your salary, you know that, right?"
The bartender snapped back to reality.
"Huh?! I-I need to stop this before it escalates even more!"
Recardo placed his glass down.
"Do your work," he replied flatly. "Kio and I will handle it."
With that, Recardo slowly stood from his chair and walked toward the trembling old lady still kneeling on the floor.
The atmosphere inside the bar had completely changed now.
Nobody dared to speak.
Recardo crouched down to the old woman's level and gently held her trembling hand.
Though his voice remained naturally flat, there was still a strange softness hidden beneath it.
"Hey, grandma," he said quietly, "stand up. These filthy people don't deserve your respect."
The old lady stared at him in shock for a moment before slowly standing with his support.
As soon as she got back onto her feet, the bartender hurried over and carefully guided her away.
"Don't worry, grandma," the bartender said gently. "They'll handle it. Please come rest inside."
The old woman nodded weakly as tears continued running down her face while the bartender escorted her into another room.
The moment they disappeared—
Recardo stood up.
And instantly snapped.
Before anyone could react—
He grabbed the girl by the throat and slammed her violently onto the table.
THUD!
The impact echoed painfully throughout the bar as glasses rattled and drinks spilled across the wood.
The girl's eyes widened in terror.
Recardo's grip around her neck felt like solid iron.
"H-Hey—leave me!" she choked out desperately while clawing and slapping at his arm, trying to break free.
But Recardo didn't move even slightly.
His sharp reptilian eyes stared down at her coldly beneath the dim yellow lights of the bar.
Recardo placed one leg on top of the table and stared down at the girl struggling beneath his grip.
"Come on," he said coldly. "Lick it."
The girl's face had already turned pale from lack of air. Her hands desperately clawed at Recardo's wrist, but his grip only tightened further around her throat.
This time, his voice rose slightly, carrying a dangerous edge beneath the usual flat tone.
"Didn't you hear what I told you?" he said slowly. "I… said… lick my shoes."
The entire bar remained silent.
Nobody dared to interfere.
The three boys sitting nearby could only watch helplessly, too terrified to move with Kio casually sitting on their table, the fork still spinning lazily between his fingers.
The girl trembled violently, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as panic overtook her.
Then Kio suddenly spoke up.
"Hey now, don't kill her," he said casually, his carefree tone completely clashing with the tense atmosphere.
He turned his attention toward the three boys, smiling lightly.
"Now, now… it's not entirely your fault," Kio said. "You guys just don't understand how the world works yet."
He leaned slightly forward, his brown eyes narrowing faintly.
"So let me give you one interesting piece of advice."
The smile on his face remained, but the air around him felt strangely sharp.
"Don't live under the illusion that the world revolves around you." His voice softened. "Because no one truly knows who stands above whom."
Silence followed.
The three boys said nothing.
Not because they didn't want to—
But because fear had completely stolen their voices.
A few moments later, Recardo finally released the girl from his grip.
Her unconscious body collapsed limply onto the table before sliding partially onto the floor.
Neither Kio nor Recardo spared her another glance.
Both calmly returned toward the counter as though nothing significant had happened.
And still—
Nobody in the bar dared to stand up and help the unconscious girl.
As Kio reached the counter, stretched his shoulders lazily before speaking.
"Hey, we're leaving. Please give me the bill."
The bartender quickly came out from the back room and hurried toward the counter. This time, however, the warm smile she wore earlier was completely gone.
Only nervousness remained.
Her hands shook slightly as she placed the bill onto the table.
Kio casually glanced at it.
Then froze.
"AY YO—WHAT THE HELL?!" he blurted out loudly. "4285?!"
His eyes widened in genuine shock.
"What the hell did Recardo even drink to make it reach this amount?!"
Kio immediately turned to question Recardo—
But Recardo was already gone.
The bar door swung lightly in the wind, showing he had already walked outside.
Kio stared blankly for a moment before sighing deeply in defeat.
"…That bastard escaped."
Grumbling under his breath, Kio reluctantly pulled out the money, paid the bill, and walked out of the bar while the stunned silence inside still lingered heavily behind him.