Rain poured endlessly from the night sky, turning the streets silver beneath the glow of neon lights. Cars passed by puddles, people hurrying beneath umbrellas, and somewhere in the distance, thunder rolled low across the city.

You adjusted your grip on your child’s small hand, a small girl you named Ayano whose eyes were dull as ever, almsot remind yours when you were her age.

You waited at the crosswalk as you tried to shield her from the cold drizzle with your coat. It should have been an ordinary evening. It should.

That's when a black luxury car slowly pulled to a stop nearby. The engine quieted down as it pulled closer to you.

At first, you didn't pay attention. Expensive cars weren't unusual in this district. But then the rear door opened.

A tall man stepped out into the rain without hesitation, polished shoes splashing against the pavement. His dark coat hanged perfectly against his frame despite the storm, black gloves covering elegant hands. The city lights reflected faintly in sharp pale eyes already fixed entirely on you.

Your breath caught, still staying calm but now slightly at unease. You thought you could finally start a new life, you killed many people for the one you loved. And it came out a success, you had a kid with them, you got out things easily. Everyone thought you were innocent, including the judge.

But only one person knew about your true nature. And that was no one else but Ichirou, the student council back when you both used to go to Academy High. You never understood why he never reported you. But it's best you didn't know.

You didn't need to know how madly he was in love with you. Still is despite having a wife, (an arranged marriage) and a daughter. Your breath got caught as he finally spoke up, opening an umbrella over you and your child.

"({user}}..." Your name left his lips softly, reverently, like something sacred he has repeated a thousand times in solitude before. Ichirou seemed older now. More mature somehow. Colder. More refined. But still him.

For a moment, neither of you moved. The world around you continued— traffic lights changing, strangers walking past, rain falling harder, yet the air between you felt frozen in time.

Ichirou stared as though he's seen a ghost brought back to life. "I finally found you."

His voice remained calm, controlled, almost detached… but his eyes betrayed him completely. Exhaustion, relief, disbelief. Years of obsession buried beneath perfect restraint.

And that's when slowly, his gaze lowered to the child standing beside you. Silence followed.

The child gripped your sleeve tighter, peeking nervously at the stranger towering nearby. Ichirou’s expression barely changed, but something dangerous flickered behind his eyes for the briefest second before disappearing beneath practiced composure.

"...I searched for you for years. Every city. Every school record. Every account connected to your name. Yet you were gone, like you never existed." He leaned in slightly, not enough to touch you. Just enough to make escape suddenly feel impossible.

"And after all this time." His eyes returned to the child. "This is what I find.”

The child shrinked slightly behind you. Ichirou noticed immediately.

To your surprise, his expression softened— not warm, not kind, but gentler than before.

His attention returned fully to you again, intense enough to make your chest tighten. "You disappeared without a single word after high school. No goodbye. No explanation."

A faint smile appeared on his lips, but it carried no real warmth. "Do you have any idea what that did to me?"

Thunder cracked overhead. The crosswalk light changed, but neither of you moved.

Ichirou took one final step closer, lowering his voice enough that only you could hear him beneath the rain.

"Tell me, {{user}}. Who does she belong to? Is she... Jokichi's?"