Footsteps echoed closer through the half-built structure.
Zero and One's argument must have ended.
We turned as they approached.
Zero wore his usual grin, hands buried deep in his pockets.
"I'm guessing the others already introduced themselves," he said casually.
My eyes drifted to his outfit…a black hoodie layered beneath a brown leather jacket. Stitched boldly across it was the BOYZ emblem.
Zero glanced at the man beside him.
One sighed, like he was already tired of everything.
"…Allen. Codename One," he muttered.
Allen looked young…maybe my age. Sharp features. Black hair like mine. But his eyes stood out most…deep, piercing blue, the kind that felt like they could see straight through you.
Zero clapped his hands together, pulling them free from his pockets.
"Alright. We've done what we came here to do."
His gaze shifted to me.
"Now we head to the hideout. That's where you'll learn more about BOYZ, Zack."
I nodded.
One by one, the group raised their hoods against the rain. I followed, the simple motion making me feel… strangely… like I already belonged.
Before we left the construction site, Zero gave the order.
"BOYZ, you know the drill. Split up. One by one. Regroup at the hideout. Zack and I will go together."
Everyone nodded.
Allen hesitated…just for a moment…before finally turning away.
Maybe that was what their earlier argument had been about.
Melton moved first.
He rose smoothly, then vaulted through a nearby window frame with dancer-like grace…clean, effortless. For a second, he looked like a character straight out of a parkour game.
One by one, the others disappeared in different directions, swallowed by rain and shadow.
I was about to follow Zero when a thought hit me.
"Zero," I said. He glanced back. "I still have to be at my part-time jo—"
He cut me off before I could finish.
"Zack, don't worry. One of our BOYZ is already covering for you. We've got everything under control."
His tone shifted…firm, but reassuring.
"And when we're outside, in the city… call me Max."
Then Max and I left the construction site the same way we'd entered.
The rain was still falling, water dripping steadily into the alley, filling the silence with a slow, hollow rhythm.
….
We walked without speaking.
I didn't know how to start a conversation…and maybe he didn't want one…so we let the silence stretch between us.
Eventually, we entered a residential neighborhood.
It looked ordinary. Houses lined the sidewalk, each with a small garden in front, white wooden fences separating neighbors. Some homes were identical; others differed in size, floors, roof designs…small variations in an otherwise quiet street.
By then, the rain had stopped, and night had long settled in.
Only the cold wind remained, carrying the damp chill of wet pavement and soaked earth.
Suddenly, Max stopped and turned toward one of the houses.
"Max," I whispered as we stepped into the garden, "where are you going?"
"To our hideout, of course," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I stared at the two-story house in front of us.
To think their hideout was just a normal house…sandwiched between two others on an ordinary street.
Not gonna lie, I thought it would be an abandoned mansion in a forest. Or some cozy place in the sewers. Or maybe under a bridge.
Yeah, I've watched too many movies. Never thought their hideout would be this… Ordinary.
Knock...Knock…
We reached the door. Max knocked with his usual grin, hands back in his pockets.
The door creaked open slowly…
A girl appeared. She looked older…maybe nineteen…with brunette hair tied loosely in a ponytail. Her dark brown eyes lit up when she saw Max, a smile flickering across her lips before fading.
She stepped into the doorway, arms folded, her striking features sharp in the dim light.
"Max," she began, her tone like a mother scolding her child for coming home late. "Do you know what time it is now?"
Max kept his hands in his pockets, smiling. "I dunno…six?"
Her eyebrows twitched. "No. Guess again."
Max reached into his pocket, but before he could check his phone, she snatched it away.
"No. You. Have. To. Guess." Her voice was sharper now, irritation rising.
Max's grin faltered. He finally seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"…Umm, seven?"
"It's nine! You said you'd be here around dinner, not hours later!" she snapped.
Max scratched his head.
"…I'm sorry, Elize, but something's happene—"
"I don't care, Max! You know the rules. You're the man of the house…you can't break them!"
'Eh…Man of the house?'
"And no buts. You broke the rules, and you'll be punished. You're an example for the kids already."
'Kids?' My eyes widened.
Max raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'll be more careful."
"You said that last time!"
"The last time wasn't my fault…it was because Kyle—" He stopped himself, air shifting.
"Anyway, I'm starving. Can we come inside now?"
Her irritation softened. She sighed.
"Alright. But next time, you'll sleep outside."
"Don't worry," Max said, grin returning as he stepped inside.
Her eyes landed on me.
"Is this the new recruit?"
I gulped. Maybe it was my turn to be scolded.
Max glanced at me. "Yeah, his name's Zack. Treat him kindly…he'll be staying tonight."
'…No! I have my own place.'
Before I could protest, she extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Zack. My name's Elizabeth…you can call me Elize."
I sighed, forcing a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Elize."
Her smile warmed. "The pleasure is all mine."
And with that, we stepped inside.