"So are you ready to tell me why you got kicked out…?" Nami asked.
They stood at the base of Kumo Terrace since the staff had practically thrown Koya out. Her car was parked neatly at the side but he remained rooted on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets, making a point of not stepping anywhere near her passenger door.
"I angered a noble and this was expected," he replied with a complete lack of drama, as if offending one of the Ten Great Clans was equivalent to accidentally stepping on someone's shoe.
He raised his hand, flagged down a taxi, and one immediately slowed beside him. "Hopefully you weren't dragged into it. But I can head home from here."
"Koya-kun, wait—!"
But the taxi door shut, the wheels rolled, and the tail lights disappeared into the streets of Keropolis before she could even step forward.
The wind ruffled her hair, and the quietness that followed felt like a personal insult.
"…Mean," she muttered, her cheeks puffing as she spun around and stomped toward her own car. "If he doesn't care about it, then I shouldn't either. Hmph."
The door shut behind her with a louder-than-necessary thunk.
She drove off toward the KCAC with her brows furrowed, muttering Koya's name as though he were a wayward child she'd been saddled with.
…
The taxi stopped outside his apartment complex, and Koya stepped out as the meter chimed.
5 crowns.
He paid through his phone, pocketed it, and exhaled.
'I now know how it feels to beef a higher noble,' Koya thought, walking toward the entrance. The great clans were practically the president's personal forces.
Pissing one off… no, pissing Akari Kagutsuchi off was like poking a rabid dragon with a wet toothpick since he had no backing.
'Should I move out?' he wondered, looking up at the designs lining the building's exterior.
Even if he did, she could still trace him. He wasn't exactly a phantom while nobles had resources, informants and they also had influence.
And apparently, Akari had enough pull to ban him from every café under the Kumo Group in a single afternoon.
'So this is what helplessness feels like, huh?'
He wasn't scared though. Inside a Supercity, violence was strictly prohibited.
There were no assassinations allowed. But outside? If she wanted him dead badly enough, she could send enough mercenaries to turn his bones into chalk dust.
'System… what are the chances of Akari actually assassinating me?'
A blue panel appeared.
「The chances of Kagutsuchi Akari assassinating you sit at a solid 28%. She currently intends to ruin your social reputation until you come crawling back.」
'She'll be disappointed.'
Social life? What social life?
He barely talked to people.
'I just need to raid, get stronger, and hit three-lines as fast as possible.'
…
[Days Later]
"And that's how you survive a bullet to the head."
Reona lay sprawled on the living room couch, staring at her brother's phone as a Toktik video played.
She blinked once then twice
"I see…" she mumbled with the seriousness of a monk discovering enlightenment.
Then she glanced at the time.
"7:30… I have to prepare for school."
Today was her first day of Final year at Middle Division. Today was also her brother's entrance ceremony for ALI.
She froze.
"Oh… I forgot to wake him up!"
She sprang off the couch like a startled cat and sprinted up the stairs, her socks sliding against the polished wood.
"He said 7:00 sharp! Eh, Onii-chan won't mind 30 minutes delay right?" she whispered, despite knowing fully well he definitely would.
She stopped in front of his door, inhaled, and flung it open…
But instead of finding him half-dead under blankets, she saw him buttoning the collar of an expensive shirt.
His blond hair was still damp meaning he'd already showered.
"No fair! You didn't even tell me!" Reona puffed her cheeks, pointing accusingly.
Koya chuckled. "You haven't gotten ready? What a lazy girl."
She threw his phone at him in response.
He caught it with reflexes sharp enough to cut steel though carefully enough not to snap the device in half.
His two-line crest under his eye pulsed, they were darker and bolder than before.
"Whatever, Onii-chan…" she huffed, sticking out her tongue. "I'll get ready before you, believe me."
She stormed out, leaving him alone.
Koya exhaled.
"So today's the day, huh?"
A lot had happened over the past four days.
For starters, he had been banned from every cab service in the Supercity.
How Akari managed that? He had no idea. Magic? Influence? Sleeping with the Cab Union president?
'That woman is a menace,' he rubbed his forehead. 'I can't even book a ride on the app or from the streets. It says: User flagged for potential property damage. What property? People's feelings?'
At least his streaming career was doing fine. He'd reviewed another manga… one with goblins and Izana07, the eternal hater, was still alive and flaming him in the comments.
'I guess some evil can't be killed.'
He looked at the mirror, adjusting his collar. He wore high-quality clothes he'd bought with his raid money.
ALI would give him uniforms later, but until then, he refused to look like trash among nobles.
He grabbed his phone and called Nami.
She picked up immediately.
"Koya-kun~! Are you ready? I'm almost there!"
He hung up without responding to her strange excitement. If he dwelled on it, he'd only get a headache.
Since he couldn't use public transport, he had to rely on her.
Whether she realized she was being used was her own business.
…
A sleek car pulled up outside the apartment building. Koya stepped out of the entrance, having locked his door and activated the defense system which was standard in every Keropolis apartment in case of robberies.
Nami waved eagerly from the driver's seat.
"Koya-kun~! Over here!"
Reona stood beside her brother, holding his hand while wearing her Middle Division uniform. The white and navy colors made her look unusually proper.
"Come on in!" Nami called.
Reona stared at her then she tilted her head.
"Onii-chan… who is this bimbling woman?"
Koya snorted and Nami froze.
Bimbling???
What even—?!
"Reona," Koya said, opening the back seat for her, "this is Nami. My helper from the KCAC. She's driving us to school."
Nami beamed. "Reona-chan, you look so cute~ Your brother has told me sooo much about you!"
'I have?' Koya blinked.
Reona smiled sweetly.
"Thank you…" Reona said politely.
Then she turned to Koya and whispered loudly enough for Nami to hear.
"Onii-chan, why is she dressed like a stripper?"
Silence.
Koya slowly turned his head toward Nami.
She was… indeed wearing something that looked like a swimsuit under an open coat.
"Nami," he deadpanned, "what the hell are you wearing?"
"I—I was invited to a pool party! You can't blame me!" she protested, slamming her hands on the wheel. "It wasn't my intention, Reona-chan!"
Nami internally screamed as she began driving and soon they entered the highway… just to see a long, unmoving line of cars stretched across the highway.
"Well… fuck," Koya muttered, slumping back.
"It'll clear soon!" Nami said optimistically.
"It won't," Reona said. "Your stripper aura attracts congestion."
"Reona-chan!!"