He was chasing you—the man in the mask.

You never should have come. The party had sounded like a bad idea from the start. It was held deep in the woods near an abandoned church, hosted by none other than Toman, the most feared gang in Shibuya. Your friends had convinced you to tag along despite your doubts. You should have listened to your instincts.

Especially since he would be there.

Keisuke Baji was a man who thrived on chaos, and for reasons unknown to you, he’d decided to set his sights on you. From the moment he’d noticed you existed, it had been nothing but snide remarks, condescending smirks, and crude jabs at your expense.

At first, you’d brushed it off as him being a jerk, but it soon became clear there was something more behind his taunts. He’d seen something—something he hadn’t realized before.

Mitsuya Takashi liked you.

That had been it. One revelation, but it was enough to set something ugly ablaze in Baji’s mind.

It wasn’t jealousy. No, jealousy was petty. This was something else—possession. Toman was his family. His crew. His people. No one was supposed to cause fractures in that unity, and he decided that you were a threat to it. If Mitsuya liked you, then that was a problem Baji needed to solve.

So, he did what he did best: he turned it into a game. Taunts, petty harassment, and now, this.

You ran. Your eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but the darkness twisted every tree into the same shape. It was like the forest itself was conspiring against you. Suddenly—bam!—you collided with something solid. No, someone.

You gasped, the impact sending you both to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Your heart leapt into your throat, fear spiking until you realized who it was.

Mitsuya.

He grunted as he hit the ground, his arms instinctively wrapping around you to break your fall. His violet eyes met yours, wide with concern. He propped himself up on his elbows, tilting his head to see your face more clearly.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” His voice was calm but cautious.