Hunter Instinct
Fuyu wasn't new to following people.
He'd snuck into gang territory before. Tracked cheating teachers. Once even snuck a camera into a politician's office and lived to brag about it.
But Nova?
Nova moved like a ghost.
No footsteps. No breathing. No rhythm.
One blink and she was halfway down the street.
Still, Fuyu was patient.
Persistent.
And curious enough to forget fear.
Tonight, she left Keon's apartment at exactly 9:13 p.m.
Black coat. Head down. No phone.
Fuyu followed.
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Cat and Mouse
She took the long route — alleys, rooftops, side roads that didn't appear on normal maps.
Fuyu was impressed.
"She's not just a bodyguard," he whispered to himself. "She's trained. Military, maybe. Or... mafia."
He stayed two rooftops behind. Moved when she moved. Froze when she paused.
But at 9:41, something changed.
Nova stopped at a quiet intersection, leaned against a lamppost, and checked her watch.
Too casual.
A setup.
Fuyu ducked behind a water tank. Heart pounding.
Then he realized something chilling.
She'd changed her coat.
Same color. Same length. Different hem.
"She left a decoy," he whispered.
He turned — and Nova was standing behind him.
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The Warning
She didn't say a word.
Fuyu backed up slowly, arms raised, breath tight in his throat.
Nova didn't draw a weapon.
She just… looked at him.
Expression flat. Eyes sharp.
"You're not the only one who watches," she said.
Fuyu tried to play it cool. "You're fast. I'll give you that."
"Fast enough to kill you ten minutes ago."
A pause. Heavy. Quiet.
Then she stepped closer.
"I know who you are, Fuyu. I know what you're digging into. I even know what you wrote in your notebook."
His stomach dropped.
She leaned in.
"If you want to live, stop chasing shadows."
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Exit Wounds
Then she was gone.
No footsteps. No sound. Just… gone.
Fuyu stood on the rooftop alone, skin cold, adrenaline shaking his bones.
He reached for his backpack — the one that held his notes.
Gone.
A slip of paper fluttered out in its place:
> "You're smart. Stay that way."
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