Cherry's car stopped in front of an old café hidden in a forgotten corner of the city. The wooden sign above the door swung with a creak in the night breeze. It looked abandoned, but Cherry and Kail knew this was the place. They stepped out of the car and walked inside.
The café was empty, dimly lit by flickering bulbs. A staircase at the far end led downward. Without speaking, they descended. At the bottom, a massive guard blocked the doorway. "Permit," he demanded. Kail handed over the black card with a red X emblem. The guard examined it, then asked coldly, "What's your relationship?"
Cherry opened her mouth, but Kail spoke first. "She's my girlfriend."
Cherry turned sharply to him. "What the fu-?!" she muttered, but the guard allowed them to pass.
The basement opened into a roaring underground fight club. The crowd cheered around a ring where two men brawled viciously. Cherry scanned the place while Kail tried to speak with onlookers. They ignored him. Frustrated, he shouted
"Who owns this permit?"
The crowd fell silent. The fighter in the ring, Matsuha,
stopped mid-strike and stepped out. "You want to know who owns that card?"
"Yes," Kail replied.
"I'll tell you if you beat me. But if you lose, your girlfriend is mine."
Cherry's eyes widened. "Why does everyone think I'm his girlfriend?!" she snapped, but Kail entered the ring.
The bell rang. Matsuha charged, punching Kail hard in the face, then grabbed his neck, twisting his head toward Cherry with a cruel grin. "You're losing. She's mine now."
With a roar, Kail grabbed Matsuha's arms, lifted him, and slammed him out of the ring. He leapt down, pinning him and punching brutally, rage consuming him. "Cherry is mine. Look at her again, and I'll melt
glass into your eyes!" he growled.
Matsuha raised trembling hands. "Please... stop... I'll tell you everything..." But Kail ignored him, driven only by anger. Cherry rushed forward, shouting, "Kail! Stop!" When he didn't, she slapped him hard. The crack echoed, and Kail froze. Her voice softened. "Don't become what they were." Slowly, he released Matsuha.
Later, in the waiting area, silence lingered. Cherry's voice trembled. "I was weak once. Some boys bullied me, beat me, humiliated me, even buried me alive. I thought it was over- until you came. You saved me, killing the boys who hurt me. If you hadn't, I wouldn't be here."
Kail clenched his fists, saying nothing. A man entered. "The fighter is awake."
In the medical room, Matsuha sat bruised and
trembling. Kail's rage flickered, but Cherry
grabbed his hand. "Stay in control."
"The permit," Matsuha said weakly, "belonged to Nako. He was the strongest man before me. Two years ago, he left the club. No one knows why. He vanished."
Cherry pressed him. "Anything else?"
Matsuha scribbled an address and handed it to her. "That's all I know."
Cherry gripped the paper tightly as they left. The name Nako hung between them like a shadow. The next step was clear, but the danger was far from over.
Who is this Nako? What was the reason for his
disappearance? What is the secret behind Jennifer death? Is he the one who killed Jennifer?
End of Chapter 2