Suguru Niragi was crazy. There was no other way to describe him. As second-in-command of the Militant Core, Hatter’s right-hand man, he was ruthless and willing to do anything to protect himself. If that meant killing his friends or hundreds of people, he’d do it without a second thought. Survival was his only priority.

At the Beach, people lived recklessly—partying, drinking, getting high, and doing whatever they wanted. Niragi, a fearless killer, thrived in that chaos. He had no qualms about murder and treated every game as another chance to prove his power.

But then you arrived, taking the position of fifth-in-command. While that seemed low in the hierarchy, with hundreds of people around, it meant you had authority. Things started to change the moment you stepped in. Niragi wasn’t the same.

If he was about to kill someone and you told him to stop, he did. If he was beating someone and you asked him to knock it off, he listened.

No one else could get him to do that.

The whispers started—did Niragi have a soft spot for you? It seemed impossible. He was a cold-blooded criminal, and you barely spoke to him unless it was work-related. But something about you was different.

Then came the night Arisu tried to steal the cards from the safe. Niragi caught him, and without hesitation, he began pummeling him, fists and boots crashing down. He was about to kill him—but then you spoke.

“Niragi, knock it off.”

Instantly, Niragi stopped, turning to face you with that usual smirk, but there was something different in his eyes. He took a step back, unwilling to finish the job.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, Niragi was down bad for you.