It was bright early in the morning when Angel and Kaitou tiredly exited the train station.
What greeted them was the towering sight of Tokyo's most famous district, Shibuya.
"So why are we here?" Kaitou turned and glared at the pixie head beside him.
They had just stopped by Angel's hotel to grab her bag, the one that carried her mom's journal, the key to every truth. It was time to start their investigation.
Fujino Uiji had begged to tag along, whining all morning to be included, but he had school. Angel was strict about that, so she kicked him out and sent him to class.
"There's something I need to see for myself," Angel said, pulling out an old-looking notebook.
She flipped to a marked page, checked the written address, then marched confidently down the bustling streets of Shibuya.
Kaitou followed behind silently, his face radiating unapproachable aggression. Everyone nearby made space for them. It was obvious they weren't normal civilians; they had that underworld presence.
"Your mom's journal?" Kaitou asked, hands buried in his pockets.
"Yeah," she nodded, eyes scanning the street like a curious cat.
Shibuya was nothing like where she grew up. Everything fascinated her.
"We're heading to a special place my mom talked about a lot." She grinned and picked up her pace.
"Heh." Kaitou smirked and matched her stride.
Eventually, they arrived.
In front of them stood a grand, luxurious building. A club, but not just any. It looked like a palace, complete with towering columns and statues flanking the entrance.
"Um…"
"Tokyo Manji Lounge? This what you wanted to show me?" Kaitou looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"Well…" She sighed, then chuckled softly in defeat. "Definitely not what I expected." She flipped open the journal again.
"What are you doing?" Kaitou scratched his head, watching her hustle.
"Look." She pointed at a picture glued onto the page.
"Akiyama Night Club…" Kaitou muttered, eyeing the sleek architecture in the old photo.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Kaitou: "It looked better before."
Angel: "Rightttt?"
They exchanged a judgmental look, then turned back to the flashy building in front of them.
"Our parents had way better taste."
"Obviously. Whoever designed this needs to have their license revoked."
"Definitely." She laughed. "According to Mom, this place was the heart of Akiyama and the underworld back then."
"It still is, in a way," Kaitou said. "Except now it's under the Tokyo Manji Group."
"Tokyo Manji Group, huh?" she muttered. "Unfortunate."
Footsteps approached from behind.
"Why unfortunate?" A childish voice chimed in, clearly having overheard their conversation.
They turned around.
Two teenagers stood behind them, wearing sloppy school uniforms and glaring suspiciously.
"Who the hell are you two?" the taller one asked. He was muscular, tall, with the sides of his head shaved, revealing a dragon tattoo on his left temple. "This is Tokyo Manji territory. That club belongs to us. What business do you have here?"
Angel's eyes widened, blinking with faux innocence. Her head tilted slightly, thinking, ehhh…?
Kaitou raised an eyebrow, silently judging the dragon tattoo on the guy's head. Interesting.
But neither said anything.
"Oi, are you deaf?" The big one lost his patience and took a step forward.
Before he could get far, the smaller one grabbed his shirt and held him back.
"Wait, Ken-chin," he said with a light, childlike tone. He was shorter, had pitch-black piercing eyes, and mid-length blond hair tied at the top. "Are they even from the underworld? They got no bracelets or anything..."
"Hah?" Dragon-head growled and looked down at their empty wrists.
"…"
"Pftt." Angel suddenly burst out laughing. "Isn't that the first thing you should check? Before trying to pick fights with civilians?"
Kaitou sighed and rubbed his temple. "What a drag."
It was painfully obvious to almost anyone that Angel and Kaitou were from the underworld. Their aura alone gave it away. So obvious, no one even thought to question it.
"Hahhh…" Angel calmed down. "Anyway, we're just civilians, got it?" She crossed her arms, her grin playful and mocking. "Y'all should be more careful next time, yeah?" She slapped Kaitou on the back. "Come on, Kai-san. We've got a few more places to check."
"Ah." Kaitou shrugged and followed along.
"Oi, wait," Dragon-head called after them. "Who the hell are you?"
"You two are kinda weird," the shorter one added, pouting. He looked genuinely suspicious.
"…"
"…"
Angel and Kaitou turned back.
"Uh… Angel," she said, patting her chest. "Kai-san," she added, pointing at the guy beside her.
"Hah? Since when?" Kaitou frowned. "Kaitou da. Kimura Kaitou."
"Hai hai." Angel giggled. "We're just random nobodies." She glanced at the two nosy teens. "What about you guys?"
"Kimura Kaitou…" Dragon-head muttered. That name rang a bell.
"Mikey," said the shorter one. His face was pale but confident. He stood straight, like someone who feared nothing. There was a soft smile on his face.
"Hehh." Angel hummed with amusement.
"Tokyo Manji Gang's leader, huh," Kaitou noted.
"You know them?" Angel raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed.
"That's the brother of Sano Shinichiro, leader of the Tokyo Manji Group." Kaitou crossed his arms. "A rising star, this faction."
"Oya oyaa. Looks like we ran into the big shots."
"Knowing that from just a name?" Draken narrowed his eyes. "So much for being civilians."
"Don't mind, don't mind." Angel chanted playfully. She tilted her head. "What about Mr. Dragon-head? Who are you?"
"Draken," Mikey answered, wearing the same innocent but slightly eerie grin. "My best buddy. Tokyo Manji Gang's No. 2."
Draken crossed his arms, chin raised with pride.
"Dragon?" Kaitou looked confused. "It's supposed to be a dragon?"
"Heh? Uhh… yeah?" Angel smirked, half hesitant. "Isn't it?"
"…" Kaitou squinted. "That's a lizard."
"Pfft." Mikey couldn't hold back his laughter, quickly covering his mouth.
"LIZARD?" Draken exploded. Veins popped along his temples. "Are you blind, you damn lazy eyes?" He stormed over and grabbed Kaitou's collar.
"Nah." Kaitou's lips curled into a dangerous grin. "Get your damn hands off me." He gripped Draken's collar in return.
The two glared at each other, teeth clenched, like wild dogs about to snap.
"Hahaha." Mikey chuckled, amused. "You two wanna join our gang?"
"HAH?" Draken recoiled, glaring at his friend. "What are you even saying?"
Mikey just shrugged, playing it cool.
"Listen here, you…" Draken dropped Kaitou's collar and stomped toward Mikey.
"It's fine," Angel interrupted with a soft, airy voice. All eyes turned to her small figure.
"???"
"We're not interested." She smiled, light as ever.
"You sure?" Mikey blinked, tilting his head.
Angel: "Yeah."
Mikey: "What about you… Kaitou-kun?"
Kaitou: "Nah. No thanks."
"Hehh. Why? You scared?" Mikey teased.
"Scared? Pfft." Angel cracked up. "Hahahaha, yeah maybe." She giggled and twirled away. "We've got other places to be. See y'all." She waved quickly and walked off, Kaitou following close behind.
"Hm."