Chapter Thirty-Five: Preparing for the Cold

With his three master-level martial arts skills, Anhe was confident he could take down all the thugs outside. But before that, he needed to confirm the whereabouts of Kurorai’s daughter—otherwise, even if he dealt with the trouble here, the girl might be kidnapped in the next moment, and things would only get messier.

As for turning a blind eye, Anhe couldn’t bring himself to do it. After all, Shiko Kurorai had a good relationship with him, and there was also the generous reward for ending number four… The thought of his physical abilities doubling made Anhe grit his teeth and resolve himself. To hell with it!

Quickly pulling out his phone, Anhe kept a close eye on the unfolding scene while dialing Haruki Sato.

The phone had barely rung when Sato picked up. Anhe didn’t give her a chance to speak, jumping straight in. “Mrs. Sato, could you please hand the phone to Mrs. Kurorai? I have something to ask her.”

Though puzzled, Haruki Sato didn’t question him. She stopped the group of thugs who were about to leave. As they turned to look, Sato waved the phone and called out to Shiko Kurorai in the crowd. “Miss Kurorai, there’s a call for you.”

“For me?” Shiko Kurorai’s eyes were filled with confusion. The thugs exchanged glances, and a blond-haired one stepped forward, reaching out to take the phone.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” Sato’s brow furrowed as she quickly hid the phone behind her back, snapping, “Kurorai listens to you because she owes you money—I don’t. You have no right to touch my phone.” She waved Kurorai over. “Come take the call. You’re still my employee tonight. If anyone tries to drag my staff out before ten, they’ll have to get through me.”

The blond thug hesitated, uncertain. At the back, a buzz-cut man with a scar on his face—clearly the leader—checked his watch. Seeing it was only six in the evening, four hours still remained before ten. He shrugged. “Let’s do as she says. Besides, we could use a bite to eat.”

He looked at Sato with a wry smile. “I trust the manager wouldn’t let her guests go hungry, would she?”

“Of course not,” Sato replied coolly. As Kurorai approached, Sato handed her the phone and whispered, “It’s Anhe. Don’t let them overhear you.”

Anhe? Shiko Kurorai lingered for a moment between the phone and Sato, then nodded, taking the phone and heading quietly to a corner of the café. The thugs, seeing she remained in sight, paid her no mind. One sidled up to the scar-faced leader, asking, “Boss, we’ve already got the green light from upstairs. Why not just take her now?”

The leader jerked his chin at Haruki Sato, who was busy directing the maid staff to tidy up. “We have friends in high places, but so does she. No sense burning bridges. If the higher-ups get upset, we’ll be the ones to suffer.”

“Ah, I see!” The underling’s eyes shone with admiration.

Meanwhile, in the café corner, Shiko Kurorai found an empty seat, sat down, and after a moment’s hesitation, brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Mrs. Kurorai.” Anhe’s voice came through. The memory of his face and the awkward incident from a few days ago made Kurorai blush, but her dire situation quickly brought her back down.

“Is there something you need, Anhe?” she asked quietly, trying to sound calm.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Anhe reassured her, then got straight to the point. “Do you know where Sakuri is right now?”

“Sakuri…” Kurorai barely registered his words of comfort, but the mention of her daughter’s name made her eyes light up. She spoke into the phone, a hint of excitement in her voice, “Anhe, could you pick up Sakuri for me?”

“Of course,” Anhe replied without hesitation, but before Kurorai could answer, he added, “But I need to be sure there’s no danger around her.”

Kurorai understood instantly. If the thugs could easily name her daughter’s class, they must have someone watching her.

With that, Kurorai made up her mind, standing and approaching the thugs. She steadied herself before speaking. “I need proof my daughter is safe.”

Her words drew all eyes. She took a deep breath and repeated, “I need to make sure my daughter is safe. As long as she is, I’ll go with you now.”

There was a moment of stunned silence. Then the scar-faced man waved his hand dismissively. “No need to make it sound like we’re kidnapping your daughter. We’re gangsters, sure, but we have principles. As long as you pay, we won’t even appear in her life.”

Kurorai knew his words were only half true, but pressed her demand. “I want my friend to pick her up. Once she’s safe, I’ll come with you.”

“No problem,” the scarred man replied instantly. They hadn’t planned to harm her daughter anyway.

Relief washed over Kurorai. For her, her daughter was everything. As for herself…

A hint of resolve flashed in her eyes.

…

“All my savings are in the card in my bedroom drawer. The password is Sakuri’s birthday. If you can, please take care of her for me, Anhe. If not, send her abroad.”

Reading the new message on his phone, Anhe couldn’t help but twitch his lips. He knew this was Kurorai’s “final words.”

Who would have thought such a foolish woman could be so strong?

With that, Anhe quietly slipped out of the main room and headed for the back. He planned to have Sawu Amamiya pick up Sakuri, but to be safe, he needed someone to accompany her.

He dialed another number. The call was answered almost immediately. “You’d better have a good reason for calling, brat.”

A cool female voice came through. Anhe chuckled mischievously. “Sensei, can I ask you for a favor?”

“No.”

The curt refusal didn’t bother him. He simply grinned and pressed on, “That’s a shame. I was planning to buy you some milk tea tomorrow, but I guess I’ll just invite my classmates instead.”

There was a long silence. Then, her voice came again, rougher this time, as if holding back anger. “What do you want?”

…

Back in the staff room, Anhe quickly explained Kurorai’s situation to Sawu Amamiya. She didn’t object upon learning she was to fetch Sakuri.

The two slipped out the back door and reappeared on the street in front of the café.

A few minutes later, a sleek, black-and-green motorcycle rumbled to a stop before them. Its rider was a long-legged woman in a bright orange turtleneck sweater. Though her face was hidden behind a helmet, Anhe sensed a familiar presence and asked tentatively, “Ms. Ito?”

At his words, the woman flipped up her visor, revealing Ito Nobue’s enchanting, almond-shaped eyes.

“Nice ride!” Anhe exclaimed sincerely. Mistaking his praise as a compliment on her appearance, Ito’s lips quirked into a small smile. Not bad for a brat—he’s got taste, she thought. But Anhe’s next words shattered her composure.

“What a waste, though—such a cool Kawasaki ZX10R, and you ride it like a kiddie carousel.”

Seeing her expression darken, Anhe quickly changed the subject, dragging Sawu Amamiya forward. “Ms. Ito, this is Sawu Amamiya. Sorry to trouble you with this.”

He had already explained the situation to her earlier, so Ito simply nodded grimly. “Get on. Don’t keep the child waiting.”

Without another word, Anhe helped Amamiya onto the bike, fastened her helmet, and watched them speed off.

With time to spare, Anhe swung by a nearby clothing store and bought a tracksuit, then returned to the café’s back room. He borrowed the key to Kurorai’s locker from Sato, opened it, and packed all her belongings into a bag.

Just as he finished, his phone vibrated—it was a text from Ito.

“Got her. Taking her straight to my place. That little sweetheart of yours is at your house now too.”

Anhe let out a sigh of relief. With his worries settled, all that was left was…

He took a deep breath, reached into the bag of Kurorai’s clothes, and pulled out a pair of black stockings, slowly pulling them on…