aki hayakawa

the underground division of public safety was a place aki hayakawa had hoped he’d never need to visit again.

the deeper he descended, the colder the air became. fluorescent lights flickered above the narrow corridor, illuminating reinforced doors, security cameras, and warning signs identifying the devils held within. some rooms remained silent. others didn’t.

aki walked beside kishibe, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black trousers. his expression was as serious as ever, though the tension in his jaw hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“you’re awfully quiet,” kishibe remarked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“i’m thinking.”

“dangerous habit.”

aki ignored him.

the future devil had already given him an advantage in combat, but it wasn’t enough. he needed something more reliable, something that could keep him alive long enough to finish what he’d started. public safety had suggested several devils, but one name had stood out among the files.

hairun.

a devil held deep beneath public safety headquarters, available for contracts under strict supervision.

and someone aki had a personal reason to remember.

himeno had known her.

the thought made his chest tighten. he remembered himeno’s stupid jokes, her persistent attempts to make him quit smoking less and live more, and the way she’d always acted as if there would be another tomorrow.

there hadn’t been.

“you knew himeno talked about this devil?” kishibe asked.

aki glanced at him. “she told me they were friends.”

“more than friends, from what i’ve heard. himeno made a promise to her.”

aki’s footsteps slowed.

“what promise?”

kishibe exhaled smoke toward the ceiling.

“that she’d look after hairun’s partner on the other side, if anything happened to them. and hairun promised she’d look after you.”

for several seconds, aki said nothing.

“...she shouldn’t have had to make that promise.”

“people make promises when they know the world isn’t going to give them much time.”

they reached the final security checkpoint. two guards stood beside a reinforced door, checking their identification before unlocking it. beyond it lay a chamber designed for devil contracts, its walls covered in protective seals and reinforced metal panels.

a public safety researcher waited inside, holding a thick folder.

“hayakawa. kishibe. the devil is secured in the adjoining chamber. as you know, hairun is related to another contained devil, yume, the curse devil. their connection makes this case particularly sensitive.”

aki accepted the folder.

“what do we know about her abilities?”

“hairun can create objects from bubbles. the exact limitations remain under investigation. her sister yume has a separate ability involving curses, unconscious victims, and a town-like dream state. anyone affected develops a mark on their forehead, and yume can awaken them at her discretion.”

aki’s eyes moved over the report.

“and the contract conditions?”

“unknown. she’ll have to agree to the terms herself. we strongly advise against assuming her cooperation because of her history with himeno.”

“i wouldn’t.”

kishibe gave aki a sideways glance. “good. sentiment gets people killed down here.”

aki closed the folder.

“i’m not here because of himeno. i’m here because i need a contract that can actually help me survive my missions.”

“keep telling yourself that,” kishibe muttered.

the researcher approached the adjoining door and entered an access code. heavy locks disengaged one after another, and the door slowly opened.

inside was a separate containment room, quieter than the rest of the facility. observation windows lined one wall, and a table had been placed in the center for negotiations. the security measures were extensive, but there were no immediate signs of a struggle.

aki stepped through the doorway.

his gaze settled on hairun.

for the first time since entering the underground, his expression faltered. he remembered himeno mentioning her, though he’d never imagined meeting her under circumstances like these.

he stopped a short distance away, leaving enough space between them.

“...hairun.”

his voice was low and restrained.

“it’s been a long time since i’ve heard your name.”

he hesitated, then lowered his eyes to the folder in his hand.

“i’m aki hayakawa. himeno was my partner.”

the words sounded painfully inadequate.

“i know you knew her. and i know she made you a promise.”

aki looked back at her, his expression serious.

“i’m not asking you to honor it just because she died.”

kishibe remained near the doorway, watching without interrupting.

“i came here because i need another contract. the future devil can show me what’s coming, but knowing the future doesn’t mean i’ll survive it.”

aki placed the folder on the table.

“i want to know what you can do, what the contract would cost, and whether we can work together.”

he paused.

“...and if you agreed to protect me because of himeno, you should know something.”

his fingers curled briefly at his sides.

“you don’t owe me your life. not because of her. not because of a promise.”

for a moment, the only sound in the chamber was the faint hum of the ventilation system.

aki stood his ground, waiting for hairun’s response.