The dragon wouldn't leave her mind.
Not its fierce eyes. Not the blood-red waves that curled like flame across his back.
Not the scars beneath it that whispered of violence he never spoke of.
Aika knew that tattoo.
Or at least, she knew what it meant.
---
Thread One: Seeking Answers
Aika didn't go home right away that day.
Instead, she headed to a quiet teahouse tucked behind an old alley in the city—one that belonged to the Kurohane family under a shell name.
Inside, a man in his late 40s sat alone in the back booth. He was dressed simply, but his posture and presence screamed former enforcer. His name was Unagami—a soldier of her father's clan, someone who once held blades for power, and now served tea with the same discipline and someone who she can trust.
He raised an eyebrow as she entered.
"Miss Aika," he said, standing. "To what do I owe the honor?"
She sat across from him, her expression firm. "I need to ask you something. And I need the truth."
Unagami nodded. "Then I will give it. If it's within my reach."
She took a breath. "What does it mean when someone has a full-back dragon tattoo—one with red waves and a lotus?"
Unagami's face didn't move for a full five seconds.
Then, softly, he asked, "Where did you see it?"
"I didn't ask where," she said. "I asked what it meant."
He leaned back, staring out the window.
"That's not a tattoo you get from any street corner. That's a mark of someone raised in the old ways. The dragon represents bloodline, dominance, and a vow taken in violence. Red waves? That's death—sign of a clan that's drowned rivals in their own blood. And the lotus…" He paused. "The lotus means rebirth through suffering."
"So it's Yakuza?"
Unagami nodded once. "But not just any Yakuza. That's the kind of mark you only see on the untouchables. The ones even our family watches from a distance."
Aika's voice dropped. "Like… the Tatsugami-gumi?"
At that name, Unagami's eye twitched—just barely.
"I didn't say that," he said quickly.
But he didn't need to.
Aika stood, her heart pounding in her chest. "Thank you."
Before she leaves, she asks him to keep their conversation a secret from her father.
She left before he could stop her.
---
Thread Two: The Watcher Returns
Ryuji leaned against the rooftop fence of the school building. The breeze cooled the sweat on his neck. His shirt was fresh, his expression as unreadable as ever.
But his mind wasn't calm.
She saw it.
He'd let her.
And now… eyes were moving again.
Someone was following him—not students, not teachers. Professionals. Shadows in cars that lingered one minute too long. A flash of metal tucked behind a jacket. They were careful, but not careful enough.
He closed his eyes.
"They're starting to move."
He didn't know if it was because of the girl, or the promise, or both—but either way, it meant one thing:
Time was running out.
---
Closing Scene: Aika's Choice
That night, Aika stood on her balcony, staring at the city lights.
She had confirmed it.
He wasn't just dangerous. He was something worse.
And yet… her heart was still drawn to him.
She couldn't decide what scared her more—what he was, or what she felt.
It wasn't just curiosity anymore. That was the problem.