On the watch

It’s been a week since I started to go to Miss Aoi’s gym, we were working out, I was trying to conserve the flow of wind my body while I was running in the machine, just when Miss Aoi stopped me I let the flow of wind out of my body and I saw a giant amount of sweat dropping in the floor, she passed me a drink and a towel while she sit down in the boxing ring, ones I took a sip I look down the floor and sighed.

“What is it, boy?”

“I think I am becoming a little paranoid”

“Paranoid? That’s strange for you, Ren. Is something in your mind right now?”

“Not really… but I have this feeling that someone is watching me…”

“Watching you? Are you worried about the police or something like that, Kazeki?”

“I do but… this is different”

“Hum… I want to say you are imagining things but you are not the type of person who would think something like that…”

“You think an agent is following me or something?”

“I don’t think so, why would they target you, boy?”

“You just started your career after all, there is no reason for it, Ren”

“No… actually they are some headhunters that would look into bottom of the ranking and try to steal them from their managers”

“Ah right, Tatsutsu knows more about this than us, you practically live in the streets”

“Don’t say it like that… but yeah, I have a bit more intel about it than you guys”

“What if we asked Yoru, Ren?”

“No, remember that he said that he is the one contacting us, not the other way around”

“In these scenarios he is practically useless then, right boy?”

“I don’t want to think about him like that, after all he is the one that make me get into the leagues”

“And he abuses his power too, he is doing this for the money, Ren, don’t try to defend it”

“You don’t bite the hand that feeds you, that says something about you, boy, but don’t be so humble either, the line between being humble and humiliation is not that big”

“I suppose… but what do we do then? What should I do?”

“Mmmh… for now let things go as we have, fortunately if you just have this feeling, they have only seen Arima and you…”

“That’s what worries me the most, I don’t want to put Yuki in danger”

“Right… Well, that’s still the best option, for now let’s just keep communicating.

I nodded and after taking a shower, we left the gym and took the bus.

“If anything happens let me know, I will fly to you as fast as I can, okay?”

“You are worrying a bit too much, but yeah, I’ll let you know, you too, if there is something I can do, let me know”

“Sure buddy”

We fist-dumped each other and Yuki got off the bus, I still had some way in to get down and I was looking at the ceiling of the bus just thinking about nothing, once I knew my stop was near, I got up and got down once the bus stopped.

I started walking to my house but I felt that chill sensation again, my whole body felt funny and once I got at the entrance of my house, I turn around fast and saw a shadow moving, in that moment my whole world froze for a second, the streets were already getting dark and this person moved just behind the wall.

What should I do? Do I chase him? If I let him go, I don’t know what he would do now that he knows I am aware of him, I can chase him, I can go for him, I’m not letting this bastard go and disturb my pace of go against Yuki, and if he wants to get me… screw it!

I threw my bag away and I ran, jumping my fence and following the individual. Once I turned around the wall, I saw him running still and I looked to all places, I clutch and with a wind impulse I reach the other side of the street and from there I started to run normally.

I saw him run away and I locked my gaze into him, but something felt off, or better, my legs were strong, without using my wind powers I felt how I was not only running faster and harder, but with an ease that scared me.

It was just a matter of time before I reached the guy but just when I was about to grab him, when I was about to grab him in the corner, he disappeared for an instant and when I looked to both sides he was still running but this time to the left.

I clench my teeth and run towards him, the same thing happened, when I was about to grab him, he smoked out of my hands and he was a meter away from my grasp again.

What is this? There is no doubt, this guy is also an elementer!

I stopped and pressed my shoe against the floor to take a powerful impulse opening my hands and when I did, the image in front of me disappeared and then I grabbed the true culprit.

“Gotcha you bastard”

I lifted my arm and moved around the person to punch him but what I saw made me flinch. Inside the hoodie there was a woman with large hair covering her eyes with her mouth shaking. She looked like she was about to scream and I didn’t know what to do.

“P-p-p-please d-d-d-on’t h-h-hit me M-m-m-mister K-k-k-k-kazeki!”

“Huh? Do you know me?”

“Y-Yoru send me…”

“What?”

A few moments later, we were at my house and I was serving this woman a cup of coffee.

“Sorry about earlier”

“I-Is okay…”

I was looking at my phone to see if I got something from Yoru but I didn’t get any message whatsoever, I sighed and sat down next to the girl.

“So, why did Yoru send you?”

“He wanted me… to keep an eye on you… to keep you… safe…”

“Safe? Why?”

“Safety”

“Yoru worrying about me?... I guess he does worry a bit… but why you?”

“I’m Yoru’s watcher, my power is shadows, that’s why you couldn’t catch me before”

“Did I hurt you before?”

She negated with her head

“I’m fine… your coffee… is… delicious… thank you…”

“Ugh… is the less I can do”

A phone started ringing but it was not mine, it was from hers, she picked it up but I take it away from her, she let out a scream

“Sorry… YORU!”

“Wow! You are not the cutest voice I ever heard, what?”

“Don’t tell me “What?" What's the meaning of this? Why are you keeping me watching? That’s creepy”

“I’m not keeping you watch, I’m keeping you surroundings watch, you know you are going to go up in the ranking if you win your next match right?”

“My surroundings? That’s not what she said”

“Ugh… maybe she phrases it wrong, but trust me kid”

“Well, you couldn’t just tell me this before?”

“I did”

“NO, YOU DIDN’T! MY WHOLE BOX IS EMPTY”

“What? Ough… dammit… this is why I hate phones like this… I send the message to her… ugh… in any case, get along with her and exchange numbers, she is going to be your eyes”

Your hung up and I sighed and gave the phone back to the girl.

“Sorry… What's your name again?”

“I didn’t tell you… is Hana Kuromiya”

“Kuromiya… is nice to meet you, I’m Ren Kazeki”

I write my number down on my phone and show it to her.

“Is a pleasure, Kuromiya”

“Likewise”

She smiled and we stayed silent for a couple of seconds.

“Y-You can go now”

“Where?”

“To your house?”

“I don’t have a house”

“…”

“I need to watch you too”

“…”

“…”

I sighed and started to think

I cannot throw her to the streets, but having a girl sleeping in my house… is not that bad actually, I’ll just give her a couple of blankets, this shouldn’t be so hard

Or so I thought, what I feared the most happened, when I was about to sleep, she was in a corner watching me and I stood up.

“STOP!”

“I-“

“It’s okay, just go down stairs and sleep in the couch, you need to sleep too after all”

“I understand but my mission”

“Is my house Kuromiya, I’ll be okay, I can defend myself, Yoru wants you to watch out for persons that will approach me or follow me in the streets, we are safe in here”

“…”

“Trust me Kuromiya, please, I cannot sleep like this”

“Okay… Good night, Mister Kazeki...”

Kuromiya left the room and closed the door as I looked at the ceiling and sighed in relief, I moved around a bit until I fell asleep murmuring.

“What a day…”