The Edge of Process

(Akane's PoV)

—

Then, after saying that she was about to begin the sterilization process, Hoshiko gestured toward the center of the room, tapping the polished armrest of a massive leather chair - the kind of specialized comfortable seats you usually only find in elite tattoo studios.

"Make yourself comfortable, Shin. Take a seat right here," she said, her tone shifting back into that smooth, practiced rhythm of a professional technician as she moved toward the stainless steel supply counter.

After her words, Shin didn't speak at all. He just walked over, his black cargo pants rustling softly in the quiet workspace, and sat down in the chair.

He then leaned his back against the cushion, his posture straight but slightly stiff under the harsh, direct glare of the spotlight.

I stepped back, my boots making a quiet thud against the concrete before I propped my spine flat against the cool concrete wall, crossing my arms tightly over the front of my black hoodie as I prepared to watch the entire 'purification' event.

Meanwhile, Hoshiko was humming a low, generic tune under her breath, deep in her own element as she began to tear open sterile packaging and prepare the tools.

Then, she slid a pair of thick, black latex gloves onto her hands with two sharp, clean snaps of the rubber against her wrists.

Looking at the rigid line of Shin's shoulders, I could tell that he was experiencing an unfamiliar pocket of pure anxiety.

He kept his eyes fixed on the tray of silver needles, his jaw tightening just a fraction before he let out a dry, quiet jibe to break the tension.

"I have a strange feeling," he murmured, a lazy, nervous smirk touching his lips as he looked up at the ceiling. "It feels like I'm preparing for a complete internal organ donation."

Hoshiko burst into a bright chuckle that filled the space between the counters.

Then, she stepped closer to the chair, holding a sterile antiseptic wipe in her fingers, and gave his right shoulder a playful, friendly little shove as she finished sorting the gear.

"A beautiful, tough guy like you is actually scared of a single microscopic hole? Come on, don't be a baby," she joked.

As the words cleared her throat, her long fingers lingered on the sleeve of his heavy black sweater, her palm sliding down just enough to trace the firm, hard contour of his bicep beneath the wool.

It was a brief, deliberate touch—a little physical evaluation to "feel" his frame under the guise of reassurance. 

'Tch—'

A sharp, sudden spark of controlled jealousy flared up through my chest, my fingers tightening against my ribs under my hoodie.

I knew her tricks too well, but the feeling remained under my command, quiet and harmless, because deep beneath my possessiveness, I trusted Hoshiko, and I trusted Shin even more.

So, I remained silent against the wall, watching the interaction with my arms crossed and my chin slightly tilted.

Shin didn't follow her touch. Instead, his eyes slid sideways, throwing a quiet, searching glance straight toward me.

I caught his gaze, my lips curving into a warm, loving smile before I even realized it.

I held his gaze for two long seconds, letting the silence tell his mind what he needed to hear: "Don't worry, you're in perfect hands. Just stay quiet and relax, ghost boy."

And then I gave him a little reassuring thumbs-up. He just replied with a half smile, nothing more.

After our little exchange, Hoshiko cleared her throat and pulled a small, specialized ice pack, wrapped in sterile cloth, from the mini-fridge near her desk.

Then, she leaned over him and gently pinned his earlobe between her fingers before pressing the ice pack against it.

Within seconds, the skin turned pale.

She held it there for several seconds, not moving her eyes from it.

But right as she removed the ice and picked up the heavy, hollow piercing needle, her body shifted.

She leaned deep into his personal space, her face moving so close to his that her dark fringe was practically brushing against his forehead, with her lips positioned only a few inches from his mouth as she aligned the tip of the steel.

My fingers violently and involuntarily clenched into two tight, white-knuckled fists inside the pocket of my hoodie, a cold heat flaring behind my back teeth.

'Too close.' 

Shin didn't look at her; the exact microsecond she was close to his face, he clamped his eyelids tightly shut, his face turning into a flat, stone-still neutrality.

And, before I could even tell her to back off, Hoshiko executed a single, lightning-fast thrust of her wrist.

The steel needle sliced through the frozen lobe, followed by the smooth insertion of a sleek, polished silver loop.

Then, she snapped her torso backward, pulling a clean wipe across the skin as she offered a bright, triumphant grin.

"There you are! The organ donation is officially complete!" she declared, tossing the tool into the plastic waste bin.

After her words, Shin opened his eyes, with a look of complete, unadulterated surprise crossing his features as his hand rose to touch the side of his neck.

"Eh? Already done?" he muttered quietly, his voice full of genuine confusion. "I didn't feel anything at all. Zero."

Hoshiko laughed, stepping away from the leather chair to approach my wall, her shoulders shaking with amusement.

"Well, she's a true professional, Shin," I cut in, my voice returning to its usual low, raspy purr as I met his gaze. "When she pierced my right eyebrow with that silver hoop two years ago, I didn't feel a thing. Her technique is absolutely flawless."

"Here! Listen to the baby wolf, she knows everything!" Hoshiko agreed, nodding proudly before spinning around to examine the final result of her work.

The white spotlight caught the reflection of the silver loop against his dark hair and the clean line of his jaw.

In that moment, Hoshiko's eyes suddenly widened, her posture freezing for a brief second as she processed the aesthetic transformation.

"Ah, damn it..." she whispered, a low, genuine appreciation trailing through her voice as she stared at his profile. "You look pretty hot with that, Shin. It completely changes your aura. In fact... you look so good that I'm actually thinking it would be an absolute crime not to do the exact thing on the right lobe. What do you say? Let's do the second one right now. It's on the house!"

After her words, I stepped away from the concrete wall, my boots making a sharp click as I closed the distance between us.

Then, I reached out my right hand, my fingers playfully pinching the soft skin of her flank to pull her back from his perimeter.

"Don't dare to overstep, Hoshiko," I warned, a small, possessive smirk curving my lips even as I felt a genuine wave of attraction vibrating through the studio air. "One gift is more than enough."

Shin watched the tiny battle between us from the leather chair, a slow, lazy grin breaking over his face.

He looked at my eyes, his expression turning into something incredibly soft and deeply personal as he adjusted his posture.

"What do you think, Akane?" he asked, his gravelly voice cutting through our bickering with a smooth, calm gravity. "Do you believe my face would look good with a second earring?"

The question took the wind out of my sails, and a deep, beautiful calm washed through my veins as I realized he was placing the decision about his appearance in my hands.

He didn't care about Hoshiko's professional praise; he only cared about my approval.

I crossed my arms, looking him up and down with an air of cold, deliberate calculation, letting the silence stretch for three seconds before I let out a soft sigh.

"Well... Mmmh..." I said, rubbing my chin, "Considering the fact that you would probably look handsome even if you decided to walk down the high street with a dead marmot resting on top of your head," I grumbled, my voice a low rasp. "Yes. You have my absolute, official approval."

Shin smiled lovingly at my statement, turning his head back toward the counter as his hands rested on his knees.

"Go on," he said to Hoshiko, his tone calm and decisive. "The boss has spoken."

"Yaay~ I'll be fast, I promise—" Hoshiko said, smiling mischievously.

—

Ten minutes later, the double operation was over.

Hoshiko stepped back, clearing the tray away, but her eyes remained half-stunned as she stared at the boy sitting in her chair.

Despite two tiny things on his ears, the change to his appearance was massive.

With the dual silver loops catching the neon blue light against his messy, dark hair and the oversized black wool sweater, Shin looked like a completely different person—sharp, dangerous, and so damn attractive, a perfect dark masterpiece who looked like he belonged directly at the center of my personal world.

"Jesus..." Hoshiko murmured, shaking her head in pure, unvarnished disbelief as she peeled off her latex gloves. "And to think that back in middle school I used to think that you were a total normie! I take everything back. I was wrong. You're a shadow monarch now, Shin."

Then, I stepped right into his personal space, my arms flying out to wrap themselves tightly around his left bicep, clinging to his arm with an absolute, white-knuckled pride as I looked at her face.

"Well... everything you see is entirely my doing, you're welcome," I declared arrogantly, lifting my chin with a massive, satisfied smirk.

Then, I turned my head to look up at his profile, my voice softening into a low whisper to his ear. "You look so much more handsome like this, Shin. You look... free."

After my words, Shin let out a quiet, warm chuckle, with his face turning a deep, endearing pink under the spotlight as my praise hit his ears.

Then, he reached out his free hand, his fingers scratching the back of his neck with a look of genuine, sweet embarrassment.

"Thanks, Akane..." he whispered softly.

Then I pulled away from him and reached into my hoodie pocket for my small leather wallet, before looking back at Hoshiko. "Alright, how much do we owe you, Hoshiko?"

But Hoshiko waved her hand dismissively through the air, turning her back on the counter as she began organizing her design folders.

"Absolutely nothing, baby wolf. It's on me. Though... I actually have one small favor to ask you..."

I paused, my eyebrows knitting together in immediate suspicion as I held my wallet.

Hoshiko was a fiercely independent, proud lone wolf who had never once asked me for a single crumb of favors since the day we met.

"A favor?" I murmured, my voice dropping into a dry register. "This is really strange, Hoshiko. I pray to God it doesn't involve covering up a murder."

Hoshiko burst into laughter, her loud amusement echoing off the concrete walls as she shook her head.

"Well... I'd be more than happy to erase a few particular clients from their existence, but no. It's way more legal than that."

"Then what is it? Spit it out," I commanded.

After my words, Hoshiko's confidence suddenly faltered for a microscopic second.

She turned toward us, nervously twirling a loose strand of her dark hair around her thumb, her gray-blue eyes unusually soft and hesitant beneath the neon lights.

"The truth is... my life is always so lonely, Akane, and you know it," she confessed, her voice dropping into a fragile thread that lacked any teasing edge. "I actually have no friends, and my routine is nonexistent outside of these walls. So... what do you two think about going for a short walk somewhere in the city center tomorrow evening? Just a casual hangout... only the three of us?"

After her words, Shin and I exchanged a long, silent glance across the leather chair.

One look was enough to understand each other's thoughts.

Logically, my possessive soul loathed the idea of allowing an outside female to invade our private weekend space; I wanted to spend every single hour of the weekend only with Shin.

But as I looked at Hoshiko's wide, hopeful face and remembered that she had never once asked for a single drop of human connection in three years, my defensive armor began to soften.

She always listened to every story I've told her, and every single time, she was always there, no matter how fucked up my life was.

Moreover, she had just gifted Shin a piece of his freedom without demanding a single yen.

And I trusted her like a sister.

So, I turned my face back toward her, forcing my lips to stretch into a genuine, warm smile.

"Alright. Accepted," I announced. "Wait for me outside my apartment building at exactly 6 P.M. tomorrow evening. I'll send you the position later. We will be waiting for you."

After my words, Hoshiko literally jumped for joy again, her boots striking the concrete as she let out a loud, childish cheer. "Yayyy! Horray! Finally, I'm going to experience a real sample of ordinary social life!"

Then, she turned her sharp gaze straight toward Shin, and a playful, brilliant spark returned to her gray-blue eyes. "I also possess a ton of rare dark fantasy manga volumes hidden in my back room that I need to pass down to you, Shin... so... you better be ready."

Shin chuckled, his hands sliding back into his cargo pockets as he gave a calm nod. "Absolutely—I'll be ready for them, Yuki."

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I saw Hoshiko blushing like a little girl for an instant.

And then, before we could push through the exit, Hoshiko lunged forward, wrapping her long, tattooed arms tightly around both our shoulders, pulling us into a single, massive, and wholesome embrace.

"Thank you both for making my entire existence better today," she whispered against our hair. "I think that I was hoping for something like that."

A deep, quiet wave of peace settled behind my ribs.

No jealousy or bad feelings, just warmth. Genuine warmth from someone who deserved it.

Then, after a few moments, she broke the hug, stepping back toward the heavy iron front door as I offered her one final, classic dry jibe.

"If you'll be even a second too late, Hoshiko," I spoke, my voice a low rasp, "I am going to sneak into your apartment during the night and violently suffocate you with your own bedroom pillow."

"Yeah, yeah, suuureee... whatever you say, baby wolf," she giggled, waving her hand as she returned to her desk. "Have fun out there!"

After her words, the heavy iron door clicked shut behind our heels, locking the quiet sanctuary of ink and neon behind us as we stepped back out into the cool fresh air of afternoon.

We kept walking until we emerged back into the wide, concrete space of the main urban center.

The city was packed with the standard weekend crowds: families walking through the square, couples holding shopping bags, and street vendors shouting down the avenues.

Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out my smartphone to check the hour.

Without even noticing how much time had flown, it was already 4 P.M.

'Ah... damn... it's already this late...'

I kept walking with Shin, not knowing where to go, until we came to a stop beside the wide stone fountain, turning to face each other.

Before either of us could say a word, a loud, deep rumble suddenly rolled through my stomach, breaking the silence between us.

Shin immediately froze, his lips parting for a fraction of a second before a low, amused laugh rumbled under his breath.

In that moment, a fierce, burning crimson flush exploded across my cheeks, my face turning a vibrant, hot red as I pulled the collar of my hoodie up to my nose in an absolute frenzy of embarrassment.

I crossed my arms over my chest, pulling my face into a defensive pout as I glared at his laughing eyes.

"I-It's not my fault, baka-kawa!" I grumbled, my voice dropping into its usual gravelly rasp. "My body had to burn through a ridiculous amount of energy just to keep my jealous-girlfriend instincts under control while that girl from middle school was practically hanging off your arm and leaning three inches away from your face. Keeping you safe takes work. So... as your official punishment, you're buying me lunch. And you'd better get moving and take me somewhere to eat right now, because I'm starving."

Shin laughed, the sound clear and warm above the splash of the fountain. His dark eyes crinkled with such quiet tenderness that my heart nearly melted.

"Alright, alright. You win, boss," he said with a warm smile, gently pinching my cheek between his fingers. "How about we find a traditional Italian restaurant around here?"

My golden eyes blinked, curiosity quickly replacing my embarrassment.

"An Italian place? That actually sounds pretty interesting... but let's just keep walking down this street for now. I'm sure we'll find a good place."

I knew this part of town like the back of my hand.

About ten minutes down the main avenue stood a cozy little Italian bistro famous for its pasta and peaceful atmosphere. It was exactly the kind of place I had in mind, even though our looks wouldn't be suited for such places.

I reached for his sleeve, curling my fingers around the rough black wool, and gently tugged him along the crowded sidewalk, pointing toward the intersection ahead.

"Even though my stomach's empty and every instinct I have is screaming at me to jump on you and bite your face off right here on the sidewalk... we're walking to that restaurant first," I said, keeping my eyes fixed ahead.

Shin only smiled and matched my pace without a word, slipping his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants as we made our way through the sea of weekend shoppers.

The cool breeze rustled the banners hanging above the storefronts, yet walking beside him made the bustling city feel strangely calm.

We crossed the first square and turned into the older, quieter part of the district, where rows of office buildings lined the broad, tree-shaded streets.

The crowds gradually thinned, replaced by the peaceful silence of the business district. I kept clinging to him like a lifeline, both proud and jealous to show him to everyone.

We'd been walking for about five minutes when something caught my eye.

Ahead, near the entrance to a narrow stone alley, a small commotion had formed.

My steps slowed on instinct, my grip on Shin's sleeve tightening until my knuckles turned white.

Standing with her back pressed against a brick pillar was none other than the beautiful angel Sora Fujimoto.

She was wearing casual clothes, and the student council president's composed confidence was nowhere to be seen.

Her face had gone deathly pale beneath the gray afternoon sky, and I could see that her clear blue eyes were wide with unmistakable fear as she clutched her leather bag tightly against her chest like a shield.

Four older guys surrounded her in a tight circle.

Dressed in bulky varsity jackets, they wore smug, predatory grins as they deliberately blocked every possible escape route, edging closer with each passing second.

The city clock chimed across the avenue, and in an instant, everything else seemed to fall silent.

The danger standing before us had suddenly become very, very real, and I saw that even Shin had noticed that.