The sushi bar Luna led Leroy to was tucked in a quiet alleyway, one of those old local gems that never had to advertise—just a lacquered wood sign, paper lanterns swinging lazily in the breeze, and a warm scent of grilled eel and freshly steamed rice wafting from within.
As they entered, the elderly chef behind the counter gave Luna a brief nod of recognition. "Back again, Miss Velvet?" he said slyly, but loud enough only for her and Leroy to hear.
Luna sent him a look that promised no tip if he didn't shut it, and the chef grinned, saying no more.
They settled in a cozy corner booth. The amber lighting cast a mellow glow across the dark wood table, and the soft clink of chopsticks and quiet hum of jazz set a comfortable tone. Luna casually texted her father.
"Will be late for dinner, having sushi with a friend. Don't wait up. 🍣"
Emmerich's reply came fast.
"Understood. Be safe. Don't forget to hydrate. 🥤"
Luna chuckled softly to herself and glanced at Leroy, who was surveying the menu with cautious reverence—as though unsure if he was allowed to enjoy this.
"It's my treat," Luna said. "So go wild. Get that deluxe platter if you want."
Leroy raised an eyebrow. "Big spender tonight?"
"This is where I go when I feel like pretending I'm rich," Luna said with a smirk. "Only once in a while. And… I figured you deserve something nice too."
They placed their order—salmon, eel, tuna belly, and that ridiculous tower of sushi rolls Luna always dared someone to finish—and after the waitress walked away, a thoughtful silence lingered.
Luna stared at her tea. "Kana and I visited Mary's place recently," she murmured. "She's… she's really fading."
Leroy looked up, sensing the shift in her voice. "I've heard. Kana mentioned she's... not got much time left."
Luna nodded. "It's surreal. She's younger than my dad. Bright. Funny. And now… she's just tired. So tired."
For a moment, she didn't speak, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup.
"I'm not good with death," she said finally. "It scares me. The death of people I love. I always think I'll be strong when it happens. But—" she shook her head, eyes on the warm liquid in her cup, "—what if I'm not?"
Leroy didn't speak. He just waited.
Luna turned to him then, gaze earnest and open. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers behind his ear, where the faint scratch still lingered.
"You should take better care of yourself," she said quietly. "Because you're someone dear to me too, Leroy. And I don't want to lose you either."
For a second, Leroy forgot how to breathe. The way she looked at him—soft, real, unguarded—hit him harder than any punch he'd taken in a ring. But before he could say something too serious—
Luna pulled her hand back and grinned playfully. "Now order more food before I decide you're too moody for dinner."
Leroy blinked, then snorted. "Yes, ma'am."
They laughed, the weight momentarily lifting as the waitress returned with a tray full of sushi delights.
And in that golden booth, between the laughter, the shared food, and the shadow of quiet fears, Luna and Leroy carved out a moment—a small, warm sanctuary from the looming unknowns of life and loss.
The air was cooler when Luna and Leroy stepped out of the sushi bar, the late evening settling in with a hush and the scent of grilled food lingering in the breeze.
They stood outside the softly glowing restaurant entrance, neither quite ready to break the quiet bubble they'd shared. Luna gave Leroy a gentle elbow to the ribs as they walked toward the main street.
"Now don't get used to luxury dinners like that," she teased. "It's a once-in-a-blue-moon thing. I still live off instant ramen fifty percent of the time."
Leroy grinned faintly, his hands tucked in his coat pockets. "I'll make sure to treasure the moment, then."
Their steps slowed as they reached the street corner where their paths would split. Luna gave him a nod.
"See you tomorrow at the café. Don't be late, or I'll let Madam Mu interrogate you."
Leroy gave her a lazy salute. "I'd rather face Mu than Ken whining if I'm late, honestly."
With a shared smirk, they parted ways.
As Luna boarded the late-night bus, she slipped into a side seat by the window, the city's neon blur flickering past. She pulled out her phone, absently tapping a message to Kana.
Luna: "Leroy's being weird and moody again. Like that time he disappeared and came back all wrecked. So I dragged him to sushi to keep him from spiraling. He's fine, I think. Just… quiet. I figured food's the safest solution."
Kana's reply came instantly.
Kana: "That's sweet of you. But hey, be careful, Lu."
Kana: "You treating him like that might be giving off a message you don't mean to send."
Kana: "If it's just a close friendship, maybe be a little clearer with him. Leroy's not the type to play games, and it wouldn't be fair if he's hoping for something you can't give. Even if it's unintentional."
Luna blinked, her fingers hovering above the screen.
Her heart gave a tiny jolt—not guilt exactly, but… a twinge. A pause.
She stared out the bus window as streetlights flickered over her face.
Was she... being unclear?
She hadn't really thought of it that way. Leroy had always felt like a constant—like the quiet, steady type you could just sit beside and share silence with. And sure, she worried about him. Took care of him. Maybe hovered a little.
But that didn't mean she—
Her fingers tapped the screen.
Luna: "He knows I treat him like a little brother. Right? 😅"
There was no immediate reply. Kana was probably already typing a lecture, but Luna didn't wait. She slipped her phone back into her coat pocket and leaned against the cool window.
The city moved past her like a soft, glowing dream.
"Little brother," she murmured to herself, more to convince herself than anything else.
Then, with a soft sigh, Luna closed her eyes.
Tomorrow could deal with the complicated things. Tonight, she just wanted to enjoy the soft hum of the road and the warmth still lingering in her chest from dinner.
The sushi bar's warm glow slowly faded behind him as Leroy walked alone through the quiet backstreets of the city. His hands were stuffed deep into his jacket pockets, shoulders hunched slightly—not from the cold, but from the weight of thoughts pressing on him like wet cloth.
Luna's laugh still echoed in his ears.
That light, easy laughter that made things feel normal, even if only for an hour.
He sighed softly and tilted his head back to look at the stars peeking through the high-rise skyline. The night air was crisp and carried the faint scent of sea breeze from the bay.
She noticed.
The scratch behind his ear. The slight limp in his step. The bruising on his arm, he thought, he'd concealed under layers.
Of course, she noticed.
Luna always did, no matter how good he thought he was at hiding things. She had a way of peering through people like sunlight through mist—gentle, warm, and entirely disarming.
But her touch earlier… the way her fingers gently brushed the wound behind his ear, the concern in her eyes—he knew it wasn't the kind of affection he wanted.
He gave a soft, bitter laugh to himself.
"Older sister," he murmured, voice dry. "Yeah, I know…"
He wasn't an idiot. He could see the careful lines Luna had drawn. The way she kept their bond safe, snug in that in-between space, not too distant, not too close. Affectionate, yes. But never lingering long enough for hope to grow.
Still, beggars can't be choosers.
If her affection came dressed in band-aids and worried scoldings, then he'd take it. He'd swallow his feelings, bury the selfish ache, and endure another bruise or mission if it meant she'd look at him again like that.
He just… wanted more time with her.
Even if he had to earn it recklessly.
As he neared the rusted gate of the underground building his unit operated from, a soft ping vibrated against his hip. He pulled his phone from the tactical pouch clipped at his side, already expecting a mission update.
[NEW ASSIGNMENT: CLIENT – EDWARD SOLA]
TYPE: BODYGUARD DETAIL – HIGH RISK EXPOSURE
DURATION: 7 DAYS
BRIEFING IN 2 HOURS.
Leroy blinked at the name and scoffed under his breath.
"Well, shit. Caught a bigwig's attention, huh?"
Edward Sola—part tech mogul, part walking enigma, and a man whose name had been the topic for elites in both the rich and combat circles, like a ghost everyone wanted to meet but no one wanted to serve.
Leroy rubbed his temple, already dreading the headache of it all.
Still, if Edward Sola was requesting him personally… it meant he'd been noticed. It meant someone up there saw him.
And maybe… just maybe that meant more time. More weight. More reasons to keep pushing forward.
"Fine," he muttered, squaring his shoulders and pushing through the security door.
He could bleed a little more.
So he could have the influence and power he needed to protect her.