Chapter 9: Connection

The next day, after receiving the general explanation from Kai and his crew, he gave them one final instruction:

"After classes, go to the Greek Café in Akihabara."

After walking for a while, they found the ten-story building.

"European-themed café…" Hayato murmured, reading the sign with mild suspicion.

Beside him walked Asley and Sakura.

They weren’t speaking to each other.
They weren’t looking at each other.
They weren’t even breathing in the same direction.

The invisible sparks between them made Hayato sweat more than any enemy ever had.

As they entered, they were greeted by a warm and familiar voice.

"Welcome to Greek—… ah, it’s you!" Hestia exclaimed, smiling affectionately.

"Hello, ma’am Hestia!"Hayato greeted with absolute innocence.

The woman’s smile twitched for a moment.

"Miss Hestia…" she corrected gently, maintaining her composure by sheer force of will.

"I’m so sorry!" Hayato bowed forward so fast he nearly smacked his forehead on the floor.

"Don’t worry. Just remember not to make that mistake again," she said, smiling once more. "Go on to the elevator. Kai is waiting for you on the fifth floor."

The three rushed inside.

When they reached the fifth floor, they found Kai drinking coffee while gazing out at Akihabara through a wide window.

"Welcome, brats!" he called out without turning.

"Good morning, Mr. Kai," the three said in unison.

"Don’t be so formal," he replied casually, walking over to his desk.

On it were three folders with their names.

Kai placed a hand over them like a teacher about to begin a lesson.

"As I told you yesterday, Lighthouse is dedicated to protecting Duals from Liberty’s attacks."

Asley smiled with a confident—borderline arrogant—expression.

"Don’t worry. Valjfreya and I are strong. We can handle those weaklings anytime."

Kai burst out laughing so sincerely that all three of them jumped.

"You’re hilarious, kid," he said between laughs.

The three exchanged confused glances. What had been so funny?

Kai took a sip of coffee, his expression growing slightly more serious, though he didn’t lose his warmth.

"That squad you’ve been fighting these days is the pacification unit," he explained. "Their job is to capture you alive. Let’s just say they’re… the least lethal."

Asley swallowed hard. Sakura frowned. And Hayato began sweating.

Kai set the cup aside and opened one of the folders.

"But you wouldn’t survive against the extermination unit. Those guys don’t hold back."

"They’re soldiers… the most ruthless kind. They’d kill you without hesitation, even if you were little kids."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Even Asley and Sakura forgot their rivalry.

"So from today on, you’ll be living in this building with us," Kai said calmly, "at least until your connection with your Dual soul reaches one hundred percent."

"B-but… my parents would never allow that," Sakura answered timidly, pressing her fingers against her skirt.

Kai opened the folders on the desk.

Inside each one were official documents, stamped and signed by their respective families.

"It was arranged this morning," he informed them. "Your rooms are on the eighth floor. Your belongings should have arrived by now."

The three young teens exchanged stunned looks.

Kai walked over and handed them magnetic cards.

"During the day, you’ll attend school as usual.”
“In the afternoon, the institution allows you to use your club time working at the Greek Café.”
“Your families will receive a subsidy… and you’ll also be paid for your work at the café.”

He crossed his arms.

"Any questions?"

Asley raised her hand as if she were in a classroom.

"Yes, I have one. What happens if… we refuse?"

Kai simply closed the folders calmly.

"Nothing. You can leave without any issue. This isn’t a prison."

The three froze in place.

The answer was so unexpected, it felt unsettling.

"To be honest, this all sounds too good to be true," Hayato murmured suspiciously.

Kai exhaled, almost wearily.

"Well… Hestia always tells me I should be honest and straightforward."

He leaned against the desk and looked at them calmly.

"I intend to form a team of Duals to prove that you’re not a threat… but a solution."

All three teens reacted with surprise at once.

For the first time since they’d met him, Kai’s expression turned serious—completely serious.

"I’ll tell you something confidential. Something Liberty would never admit publicly."

He lifted his gaze.

"They hunt Duals to extract their dual soul.”
“They aren’t trying to protect the world…”
“They’re trying to create a new global order."

The words hit the room like a blunt impact.

"Imagine your Duals ripped away from you by force… and then used as weapons."

Kai straightened up and walked toward the elevator.

"That’s why I want you to stay."

He pressed the button. The doors slid open slowly.

"I’ll leave you alone for a while so you can think about it," he said, turning to look at them. "I’ll be waiting on the sixth floor for your answer."

"If you decide to leave, that’s fine. I won’t bother you again. You know the way out."

He bowed his head slightly.

"I hope you make the right choice."

The elevator doors closed, leaving the three teens in complete silence.

A few seconds passed. The air was so tense it felt like it might crack.

Finally, Asley broke the silence.

"I don’t have any synchronization problems with Valjfreya… so I’ll do whatever Hayato decides," she said naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sakura averted her gaze, her cheeks faintly red.

"I… I’d like to synchronize better with Luminelle," she admitted with a shy tone. "So she doesn’t lose control so easily…"

Hayato felt a small knot form in his stomach.

He remembered that day…
That moment he transformed into a Dual for the first time.

There had been no understanding, no control… only chaos.

"I can’t even make my Dual appear like you two can," he said, staring at his hands with suppressed frustration.

Asley took a step forward and gently held his hand, firm yet tender.

"If we stay here… maybe I can teach you how to bond with your other soul," she said, her eyes shimmering with excitement.

Sakura turned bright red immediately, imagining daily life with Hayato under the same roof.
Her voice trembled slightly.

"Th-that’s right, senpai… This is a good opportunity. And… we could spend more time together…"

Hayato lifted his gaze.

The elevator was still there, closed, silent… like an unmoving judge waiting for his verdict.

Maybe in this place, his life could change.
Maybe here, for the first time, he could find his place in the world.

Hayato took a deep breath and raised his hand toward the center.

"Alright… Let’s do this as a team."

Asley didn’t hesitate for even a second.

She placed her hand over his with a gentle smile.

"I’ll always be by your side, no matter what you decide."

Sakura followed, her face slightly flushed but filled with determination.

"Let’s do our best together, senpai."

And so, the three of them set aside—if only for a moment—their differences, their fears, and the doubts that had chased them since the very first day.

If they wanted to survive, if they wanted to move forward, they had no choice but to join their strengths.

Hayato’s quiet, peaceful life seemed to fade away like a distant dream.

But maybe… just maybe… taking that step forward was the right thing to do.