[The Annex Setup Arc] This place totally feels like a secret base

—The day after the gym incident, just before evening.

On the edge of a quiet residential neighborhood,

up a narrow staircase in a shuttered shopping arcade—

stood a small, faded sign on the second floor:

“Siempre”

In front of it, Kosuke Kaname was unlocking the door.

“Whoa! This place totally feels like a secret base!”

Hayata exclaimed with innocent excitement.

“This is going to be our base of operations?”

Rena Henmi asked offhandedly, arms crossed.

“Temporary base.

The official budget hasn’t come through yet.

For now, we’re just ‘borrowing’ this vacant property—an annex of the Urban Nightlife Crime Unit.”

Kaname shrugged slightly as he fiddled with the key.

“So the ‘other matter’ you mentioned yesterday…

was this.”

Rena narrowed her eyes slightly and smirked.

“Pretty much.”

Click.

The lock released with a soft sound, and the worn door creaked open just slightly.

Inside, it was surprisingly well-kept—

as if someone had used it until recently.

Little dust, neatly arranged tables and chairs.

“Whoa… This place is actually kind of stylish!”

Hayata ran inside, already impressed.

“The owner used to run a café here for years.

He shut it down just last month.

I heard it’d be sitting empty for a while, so I jumped on it.”

“For you, that’s… surprisingly efficient.”

“That supposed to be a compliment?”

Masato Kai peeked behind the counter and smiled gently.

“Beans and the machine are still here… That’s a nice bonus.

Maybe I’ll brew a cup.”

Watching him, Rena shrugged and muttered under her breath.

“You really love coffee, don’t you.”

Hayata laughed.

“Hey, it’s a win-win.

If Kai-san’s here, we get fresh coffee every day!”

“…I can never tell if you’re motivated or just lazy.”

Rena sighed, but glanced around the space with a thoughtful look.

“…Still, not bad.

Compact, discreet.

Not the kind of place that draws attention.”

Kaname nodded.

“Right? I’ve always thought—

this place has a good underground vibe.”

Rena snorted softly.

“Huh. So you do pay attention to the details.

That’s unexpected.”

“…You could just say thanks, you know.”

Kaname smirked teasingly.

“Wh—! No, I just said it’s… fine. That’s all!”

Rena turned away, flustered.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Kaname waved it off.

Kai and Hayata chuckled along.

A quiet, calm space.

Once abandoned, now slowly waking back to life—

as the first place these four—barely acquaintances—would come to share a purpose.

The creak of the old wooden floor,

and the faint aroma of coffee,

marked the start of something new.