Mr. James stood in his room, carefully arranging the fresh flowers he had bought earlier into a glass vase before filling it with water.
Just then, Luna entered the room.
"Dad... why didn't you tell me Yohan was staying at our house?"
Hearing the complaint, Mr. James turned toward her with a warm smile. Seeing him smile only made Luna pout even more.
"Don't just laugh! At least you could've told me I'd be meeting him at school!"
Mr. James walked over and gently patted his daughter's head.
"Oh, sweetheart, don't be angry. I told Yohan last night to go and introduce himself to my kid. But he didn't."
Luna rolled her eyes, "I see. Just wait. The next time I see him, I'll definitely talk to him. Your daughter isn't as shy as she used to be."
That only amused Mr. James even more.
"Oh really? Because just a little while ago, the moment you stood in front of Yohan, you could barely get a single word out."
Luna puffed out her cheeks and turned to leave in embarrassment. But the moment she reached the doorway,
Thud!
She walked straight into Yohan.
Instinctively, Yohan grabbed her wrist before she could lose her balance and fall. Looking directly into her eyes, he smiled lightly, "Careful. Walk a little slower."
Mr. James hurried out of the room after hearing the noise. But before he could say anything, he burst into laughter.
Just moments ago, his daughter had proudly declared she wasn't shy anymore. Yet a tiny bump like this had already turned her face completely red. How could he not laugh?
Luna quickly pulled her hand away.
"Dad! Stop laughing! You're embarrassing me."
Holding his stomach, Mr. James tried to calm himself.
"Alright, alright."
Yohan couldn't help laughing along with him.
After calming down, Mr. James asked, "So, son? Did you come downstairs for something?"
Yohan pointed toward the front door, "Actually, Uncle... I need to head out for a bit. I borrowed someone's motorcycle. He asked me to return it this evening."
The moment those words left his mouth,
Both Mr. James and Luna froze. Mr. James asked in shock, "You're going to ride a motorcycle in your condition? Your ribs are still badly injured! How are you even planning to do that?"
Yohan scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, "I know... But he needs the bike back. I only borrowed it because I had no other choice."
Mr. James still looked worried, "But... You need to think about your own body too."
Yohan smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, Uncle. He doesn't even know I'm injured."
Mr. James couldn't find any words to argue with that. Yohan simply walked between the two of them and headed toward the door. Luna quietly watched him leave.
Just before stepping outside,
Yohan suddenly turned around.
"Oh, right. When I get back... I want to talk to you for a bit."
Luna blinked in surprise.
Mr. James noticed immediately and smiled to himself.
Only moments ago, she had confidently declared she wasn't shy anymore. And besides, Yohan hadn't even gone to introduce himself the previous night.
Straightening her posture, Luna replied firmly, "Yeah. I have something to talk to you about too."
This time,
Yohan was the one left speechless. Even Mr. James looked surprised.
"...O-Okay." Yohan nodded awkwardly before walking out the front door.
The motorcycle was still parked beside the dark alley. Putting on the helmet, Yohan started the engine and headed toward the Red-head's convenience store.
The evening streets of Manhattan shimmered beneath countless neon lights. Cars flowed endlessly across the roads. People crowded the sidewalks.
As Yohan rode through the glowing cityscape, one thought kept circling inside his head.
"Damn... For the first time... a girl actually managed to confuse me."
Meanwhile...
The members of Wild Stomp had already reached the entrance of Yohan's alley. Only Broody and Robin entered. Others were standing outside the alley.
Robin pulled out his phone and checked the photographs.
"Broody. House Number Three."
Without even looking around, Broody simply replied, "Let's go."
Robin immediately stepped in front of him. "Don't keep your jacket tied around your waist. Wear it properly. If the family realizes we're gang members, the police will become a fuckin headache."
Without saying a word, Broody quietly put on his jacket.
The two walked up to the front door.
Knock. Knock.
"Is anyone home?"
A moment later,
Mr. James opened the door.
"Can I help you?"
Robin immediately put on the smile of a well-mannered student, "Uncle... is Yohan home?"
Mr. James looked at them before answering, "No. Are you boys his friends?"
Robin smiled, "Yeah. Where did he go?"
Mr. James smiled back, "I'm afraid I can't tell you. He went out on a motorcycle. Oh! Did you come to pick up the bike?"
Broody looked straight at him, "No. We had something else to discuss."
At that exact moment,.Luna came downstairs while looking at her phone, about to say something to her father. The instant she looked up, She froze.
Broody.
Robin.
Robin's eyes immediately shifted toward Luna.
He silently slipped both hands into his pockets. Without asking another question, he politely bid farewell to Mr. James and walked away alongside Broody. Mr. James simply closed the door and returned toward his room.
The moment he disappeared,
Luna sprinted downstairs and rushed into his room.
"Dad! What were they here for?"
Mr. James looked confused.
"They said they were Yohan's friends. They came to see him."
Luna slapped a hand against her forehead, "No! They're members of the Black Crest gang! Why are they looking for Yohan?"
Almost instantly,
Today's fight flashed through her mind, the brutal battle between Yohan and Yino before the Headmaster had arrived.
"Could it be because of that...?"
Mr. James immediately began calling Yohan over and over again.
No answer.
Not once.
Meanwhile,
Luna rushed upstairs and dialed Kairin's number.
At that moment,
Kairin was sitting at her desk, quietly studying.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Seeing Luna's name on the screen, she answered, "Luna? It's been a while."
Luna didn't waste a second, "Forget that! Why are your brother's gang members looking for Yohan?!"
In an instant,
The color drained from Kairin's face.
"...What?"
Luna hurriedly explained.
"Broody and Robin came to our house. They were looking for Yohan. Is this because they want revenge for what happened with Yino?"
Kairin slowly turned her head toward the bedroom door behind her.
After letting out a quiet breath, she lowered her voice almost to a whisper, "Luna, I'm sorry. But I can't talk about this right now. My brother could walk in at any moment. I'll call you later. Bye."
Before Luna could respond,
The call ended. Luna stared at the silent screen. Then tossed her phone onto the bed before curling into herself, anxiety tightening around her chest.
Meanwhile,
The members of the 3rd Crew were already walking back through the streets.
Broody placed a hand on his head, "My apple bounty slipped away..."
Robin sighed in irritation, "Oh, shut up. Wait. I'm calling Rodriguez."
After a few moments, The call connected.
Before Robin could even speak, Rodriguez's voice came through, "I already know you didn't find Yohan. I was just about to call you."
Robin frowned, "Huh? How?"
Rodriguez laughed, "Kid... I know everything that happens around that house. The only woman No. 3 has ever truly loved lives there. Do you really think I'd leave that house unwatched? I've had people monitoring it for a long time. My spy called me just now. He said Yohan left on a motorcycle."
He smiled so playfully that anyone nearby would think that he just saw a mouse he's about to hunt down with those cat-like teeth of his.
"So I made a prediction. A new kid. Injured. Where would he go alone? I sent one person to every nearby medical clinic and convenience store. He hasn't reached any of them yet..."
Rodriguez's voice suddenly stopped.
A wide grin slowly stretched across his cat-like teeth.
Across the street, Yohan's motorcycle had just come to a stop.
Yohan stepped off the bike...
And walked into a convenience store.
Rodriguez's eyes widened with excitement. His grin grew even broader.
Into the phone, he quietly said, "I'm sending you the location. Bring everyone. The prey has finally arrived."