[Masato Kai Arc 7] Why not work with us?

—Outside the gym. Late afternoon in a back alley.

The drug dealer, now bruised and with his clothes torn, was being shoved into a patrol car by uniformed officers.

“…Hey, why are his clothes all ripped?”

Rena frowned.

“…I, uh, kinda saw the whole thing.”

Hayata muttered, almost guiltily.

—

Just moments earlier:

As soon as the drugs were found in the man’s bag, the atmosphere in the gym had shifted.

“The hell’s your problem, dragging Kai-san into this!?”

“Get lost, asshole—I’ll kill you!”

Shouts rang out as several gym members surrounded the man, furious.

Cutting through the noise came Masato Kai’s familiar voice.

“Now, now—violence is no good! Calm down, everyone, calm down~ Ha-ha-ha!”

He laughed from a distance, making no real effort to stop them.

And yet, somehow, the tension in the room melted away.

—

Back in the present.

“…That guy’s got a screw loose somewhere.”

Rena said flatly, half exasperated.

“Or maybe… it’s just that he’s perfectly adjusted to Kabukicho.”

She added quietly.

Hayata gave a sheepish smile in response.

“He seems gentle, but yeah… there’s definitely something odd about him…”

Rena nodded slightly in agreement.

—

The late sun stretched Kai’s tall shadow down the alley.

Hayata bowed deeply.

“Thank you for your help today!”

“Mmm. I was just thinking—

You’ve got a nice spring in your step, you know?”

“Wait, really? You think so?”

“Definitely. Your pelvis moves cleanly, and your rebound is natural.”

“You were watching that closely…?”

Hayata laughed nervously.

Next to him, Rena was staring quietly at Kai.

“…You used to do martial arts, didn’t you? For quite a while, I’d guess?”

Rena blinked.

“Well… a bit, yeah.”

“I thought so.”

Kai smiled warmly, then pulled two cans of coffee from a plastic bag and offered them.

“Coffee?”

“Th-thank you…”

Hayata took one with both hands, and Rena accepted hers a bit more hesitantly.

—At that moment, a hand landed on Kai’s shoulder.

“…Nice work today.”

A familiar, breezy voice.

Kai turned to find Kosuke Kaname standing there.

“Wha—?! When did you…!”

Kai jumped.

Rena burst out laughing, and Hayata followed.

“Ha… ha-ha-ha…”

Soon Kai laughed too,

and a soft sense of unity settled in front of the gym.

—

“This one’s Hayata. That one’s Rena.

We chase crime in this city, but we do it a bit differently.

Kind of like what you did today.”

Kaname continued gently, but directly.

“Why not work with us?”

Kai narrowed his eyes, then smiled faintly.

“…You’re very straightforward, huh?”

“You seem like the type who prefers it that way.”

Kai nodded.

“I can’t do every day…

But Tuesdays and Thursdays—when I’m not on shift—yeah. I’m in.”

His voice held a quiet sense of resolve.

Rena and Hayata said nothing, just looked at him with calm eyes.

—

The sun dipped low, disappearing into the valley between buildings.

And the four of them began to walk, each at their own pace, into the approaching night.

Kabukicho shifted once more, revealing its nighttime face.

[End of: Masato Kai Arc]