Kaito remained standing, scanning the bodies of the enemies on the ground to make sure they were truly out of commission.
Meanwhile, Yume approached the mysterious girl.
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked with a gentle smile.
The girl stared at her for a few seconds, then the expression on her face softened.
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, throwing herself into her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Uh, you're welcome..." Yume replied, visibly uncomfortable, gently pushing her away by the shoulders.
"If it hadn't been for you... I don't know what would've happened to me..." the girl sobbed.
"Don't worry, it's all over now," Yume added, still slightly embarrassed.
At that moment, Kaito approached the two of them.
"So... it's all....."
He suddenly stopped.
"Kaito?" Yume called, confused.
Kaito looked at her closely, his face suddenly tense.
"Reina...?" he muttered, almost unconsciously.
(No... it's not her. She's... she's gone.)
The thought hit him like a distant echo before he snapped back to reality.
"You okay?" Yume asked, noticing his distant gaze.
"Yeah... sorry. She just reminded me of someone I used to know," he replied with a forced smile.
"Alright..." Yume murmured, slightly worried.
Then Kaito turned to the girl, his tone turning serious.
"Can we know your name?"
"M-my name...?" she stammered, surprised.
"Yes," he confirmed, keeping his gaze on her.
"M-my name is..." she took a breath. "Kagura!" she exclaimed, as if it had taken great effort.
"Kagura, huh?" Kaito repeated in a neutral tone. "And what were you doing around here?"
"Well, I..." she looked away, fidgeting with her fingers. "I work nearby... I always cut through here."
"I see. Well, be more careful next time," he said, already turning toward the exit, followed by Yume.
"Wait..." she said hesitantly.
The two of them stopped and looked back at her.
"...Aren't you going to ask for anything in return?" she added, surprised by their coldness.
"We didn't help you to get anything out of it," Kaito replied simply.
Kagura lowered her gaze. She remained silent for a moment, clutching her hands to her chest.
Then, as if she had suddenly found courage, she looked back up.
"You seem like you're from far away... If you don't have a place to stay, I could host you at my hotel!"
Her tone was still uncertain, but more confident than before.
"You have a hotel?!" Yume asked, surprised.
"Y-yes, it belongs to my family... but I'm the one managing it," Kagura replied with a faint voice.
Yume looked at Kaito, then pulled him close by the arm and whispered in his ear:
"Kaito, let's take the offer. This is exactly what we needed."
"Are you sure? We shouldn't trust strangers," he replied, doubtful.
"You're right, but look at her... she doesn't seem like a bad person," Yume pointed out firmly.
Kaito looked at Kagura for a few moments, then at Yume, then back at Kagura.
Finally, he sighed. "Alright... we don't really have many options anyway."
Yume gave him a bright smile, then walked over to Kagura.
The boy blushed slightly...
When suddenly, a vague silhouette, the indistinct reflection of a girl, made him freeze for a moment.
His eyes lost focus, as if something inside him had stopped breathing.
A few minutes later, the three of them left the alley.
"Here... the hotel's just up ahead," said Kagura, avoiding their gaze.
"Are you sure it's not a problem to host us?" Yume asked.
"D-don't worry... you saved me from those guys. I want to repay you," she replied, stammering.
While the two girls chatted calmly, Kaito kept looking around.
(Strange... there's not even a symbol or anything marking the auction's entrance?) he thought.
(I'll have no choice but to ask a local.)
His gaze landed on their new acquaintance.
(All the information I found about the auction was incomplete, and I can't trust the sources. And besides...) he looked at the people walking by.
(Has no one ever tried to arrest the Fuyumi family...?)
Kaito kept wandering through his thoughts when Yume's voice drew him back.
"What?! This is your family's hotel?!" she exclaimed, astonished.
When Kaito looked up, he was speechless.
The hotel was a massive skyscraper, split into two towers: one east and one west, connected by what looked like a suspended corridor. The whole structure formed a sort of "H" shape, surrounded by neon lights in shades of violet. At the base was a smaller building, also made of transparent glass, connecting to the main structure. Inside, wooden furnishings gave it a classic and elegant touch.
Surrounding it were streets and other skyscrapers.
"L-let's head to the reception," said Kagura, walking toward the central building.
"Kaito, isn't this place insane?" Yume whispered to him.
"What's insane is the size... but it doesn't seem as high-tech as the rest," the boy noted.
The reception interior was cozy. Armchairs and small tables were neatly arranged across the hall.
"P-please, this way," said Kagura, slightly blushing, fidgeting with the sides of her skirt.
She positioned herself behind the counter, where a holographic screen appeared.
"It's like the one we saw at the station," Kaito calmly observed.
"A-anyway, I have a few questions for you," Kagura began.
"Like what?" Yume asked.
"Well, do you have any special requests for the room?" she asked.
Yume looked at Kaito, as if waiting for his answer.
"You decide," the boy replied.
Her face lit up. "I want a room with a big bathtub. I haven't been able to take a proper bath after all that rain," she said.
Kagura gave a small smile, then typed something on the screen. A small part of the counter opened, revealing a blue card with a white stripe down the middle.
"H-here you go," she handed it to Yume. "G-go to the right, follow the hallway to the Ai elevator. It'll take you to your room."
"Ai elevator?" Yume asked, confused.
"W-well..." Kagura began, but was interrupted by a voice.
"Good morning."
A woman and a man, likely a married couple, entered the hotel.
"We're here for a room," said the woman.
"O-of course, I'll help you right away," Kagura replied, then leaned toward Yume and whispered: "Sorry, I can't explain right now, but once you're there, you'll understand."
She quickly went to assist the new guests as others began to arrive as well.
"So what did she say?" Kaito asked, leaning against the wall of the right hallway.
"She said we'll understand once we're there," Yume replied.
"Well, I guess we'll have to improvise," the boy added, starting to walk.
Following the hallway, the two reached the elevator.
Once inside, however, nothing happened.
"Why isn't it moving?" the girl asked.
"There aren't even any buttons. Just this pedestal," Kaito added.
"Hello," came a recorded voice.
"It's coming from the elevator," the boy noted.
"Place the card on the pedestal," the AI instructed.
"I guess it means the one Kagura gave us," Yume assumed, placing it on the pedestal.
"Thank you," the AI replied.
Shortly after, the elevator started moving. It began to rise, when suddenly Kaito and Yume found themselves outside the reception.
"What the...?" Kaito began. "It moves on tracks along the building," he said, looking out the glass.
Moments later, the elevator stopped, revealing to the two of them what would become their base for the entire time in Shinkase.