Sato's Grill was the kind of place that smelled like heaven but sounded like a riot.
Every table was taken, the air thick with smoke from sizzling meat, laughter and the clinking of beer mugs.
Aya was waiting outside when I arrived. She waved, smiling in that way that was warm enough to melt a glacier.
"You made it" she said.
I gave a half-shrug. "Couldn't pass up free food."
She laughed softly. "It's not free. My friends are paying. But... play nice, okay?"
Inside, she led me to a low table tucked in the back.
Three people sat there:
• A tall guy with dyed silver hair and a blazer too expensive for his personality.
• A girl with neon-pink tips in her hair and the kind of energy that made you tired just looking at her.
• Another guy, broad-shouldered, silent, wearing a plain black shirt but with eyes that missed nothing.
Aya made the introductions, but I forgot their names immediately. Not out of rudeness, I just didn't expect them to matter.
Silver Hair smirked. "So you're the friend from school Aya's been talking about. What do you do?"
Waste management" I said without missing a beat.
Neon Tips raised a brow. "You mean like… trash?"
"Exactly. I specialize in the dangerous kind."
Aya shot me a look that said don't start. I held my hands up in surrender.
We ordered drinks and food.
Plates of marinated beef, pork belly and skewered chicken arrived in rapid succession. I handled the grill while Aya chatted with her friends.
At some point, Neon Tips leaned toward Aya, clearly thinking I couldn't hear over the noise.
"He's cute, but he's... intense. What's his deal?"
Aya just smiled. "He's better than he lets on."
Halfway through the meal, Silver Hair started talking about hunters.
"Did you hear about that C-rank dungeon near Minato? The one that was cleared but somehow still killed half an Ebon Claw team?"
I froze mid-bite.
"They say the monsters inside went berserk and started killing each other" Silver Hair continued. "Guild's trying to cover it up, but I heard a guy came out alive when no one else should have."
Aya glanced at me. Just for a second.
I set my chopsticks down slowly. "Sounds like a fun place. Maybe I'll check it out sometime."
Broad-Shoulders gave me a long, unreadable look.
The rest of the evening went by in bursts of conversation and laughter, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd been clocked. Someone at this table knew more than they were saying.
Aya caught me as we were leaving. "Thanks for coming, Rian. It... meant a lot."
I gave her a small nod. "Yeah. I'll see you around."
As I walked into the cool Tokyo night, my phone buzzed again.
A message from an unknown number:
If you want to know the truth about Minato, meet me tomorrow. Alone.
I stared at it for a long moment, then smirked.
"Guess life really is changing."