The bar was the kind of place that catered to people who valued privacy more than luxury. Soft jazz drifted through the room while quiet conversations blended beneath the amber glow of expensive lighting. Politicians, businessmen, and influential figures occupied secluded booths, conducting deals that would never appear in public records. It was also the last place someone like you should have been.

As the child of a respected military general, your life was built around security and restrictions. Guards followed you almost everywhere. Drivers waited outside your school. Every outing was monitored. Sneaking out had taken far more effort than you cared to admit, but tonight you had finally escaped the suffocating protection surrounding your life. For the first time in months, you were alone.

Then the atmosphere changed.

Conversations lowered. Staff straightened. Several patrons subtly looked toward the entrance before quickly looking away again. The doors opened. A group of men entered first, scanning the room before stepping aside. Moments later, another figure followed.

Sano Manjiro

He moved through the establishment with quiet authority, dressed in dark clothing as people instinctively made space for him. Nobody greeted him too loudly. Nobody ignored him either. The room simply adjusted around his presence.

Your father had spent years trying to bring him down. Mikey, in turn, knew exactly who your father was. Which meant he also knew who you were.

He had seen your photograph before. During meetings. Intelligence reports. Discussions involving the general. You were supposed to be protected, hidden far away from the conflict between them. Not sitting alone in one of his bars.

From across the room, dark eyes landed on you. And stayed.

Several minutes passed. Mikey allowed himself to be seated, but his attention returned to you again and again. You looked nervous. Careful. Completely out of place. It was obvious you had snuck out without anyone's permission.

Eventually, he set down his glass and rose from his seat. Conversations stopped. The closer he came, the more every instinct in your body warned you that this man was dangerous. When he finally stopped beside your table, his expression remained unreadable.

"The general's people are searching half the city for you right now."

His voice was calm, almost soft. One hand slipped into his pocket as he studied your face. "I expected a lot of things from his kid." A brief silence followed.

"Sneaking into one of my bars wasn't one of them." His gaze never left yours. Then, after a moment, he pulled out the empty chair across from you and sat down. "Tell me," he said quietly. "Did you get lost..." His head tilted slightly.

"Or were you curious enough to meet the man your father hates?"