Kant

I knew Fadel hated me, absolutely. He always thought I was distracting Bison from his work, from the jobs they did. He despised my presence, my words, my everything. And he made sure I knew it, loud and clear. It wasn't subtle-he hated my guts. And, truth be told, I couldn't blame him. I was distracting. But it wasn't Bison I was distracting. It was Fadel.

The whole situation was delicate. I couldn't tell Fadel the truth-that Bison and Style were seeing each other. Bison had made it clear that if Fadel ever found out, he'd probably kill Style. He wouldn't be surprised. So, I stepped in, offering myself as the perfect distraction. I'd get under Fadel's skin, keep his focus on me, and let Bison and Style be together in peace.

But every time I saw Fadel's clenched jaw, the sharpness in his eyes when I was near him, I couldn't help but wonder: Will he snap one day? Will he kill me out of sheer anger?

I wouldn't be surprised. His tension, his frustration-it was so obvious, even I could feel it. It wasn't a good sign, not for me.

"Do you want anything else, lanchai?" My grandpa's voice interrupted my thoughts, snapping me back to the present. I turned to smile at him, feeling the familiar warmth flood through me. Did I mention the owner of this noodle shop was my grandpa?

Fadel was frozen for a moment, his eyes wide with disbelief, and I could see the wheels turning in his head as the realization hit him. He blinked a few times, staring between me and the grumpy old man who had just casually offered me another serving. The look on Fadel's face was priceless-pure shock.

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my tea as I watched the scene unfold. He was still processing it, the idea of me being so intimately connected to this place. But to me, it was simple. This was my family's shop. I'd been coming here since I was a kid. It wasn't anything special to me. But I could see the wheels turning in Fadel's mind as he tried to piece together the layers of this unexpected connection.

"Your... your grandpa?" Fadel's voice was barely a whisper, the words sounding almost foreign to him. His disbelief was almost comical, but I didn't let it show.

I smiled at him, the corners of my lips curling up just a little more. "Yeah. Did I not mention that?"

It wasn't like I hid it-just that Fadel had never been around long enough to care about things like this. He was too focused on the work, too wrapped up in his mission to even think about me outside of that context. And yet, now, as the realization hit him, I could see his whole demeanor shift. The tension in his posture, the tightness in his eyes-it was a different kind of surprise, a mix of shock and confusion.

For a moment, I felt like I had the upper hand. Fadel wasn't the kind of person who liked surprises, and this one seemed to throw him off. It was rare for me to catch him off guard, but here I was, dropping little bombs on him, one after another.

"Yeah, my grandpa," I repeated, my smile still in place as I took another sip of my tea, watching Fadel's discomfort grow. "I've been coming here for years. Kind of a family tradition."

The silence stretched between us, Fadel still looking between me and my grandpa, processing the new information. I let the moment hang in the air, just long enough for him to fully grasp the weight of the connection. I wasn't just some outsider, some annoying presence in Bison's life. I had roots here, in this place, with these people. It was a small thing, but it felt good to watch Fadel squirm a little.

Fadel's POV

I couldn't process it fast enough. My mind kept running in circles, trying to grasp the idea that Kant had this connection to this place. That the guy I'd been trying to ignore, the one who seemed to get under my skin so effortlessly, had ties to something so simple, so familiar. My sanctuary. This was supposed to be my place, my quiet corner where I could escape everything-where nobody would know me, where I could just exist without the noise of the world around me. And now, somehow, he had ruined it.

I felt a raw, unspeakable anger bubbling up from somewhere deep inside, something darker than anything I'd felt in a long time. It wasn't just the surprise of finding out Kant was here; it was the feeling of violation, of this small part of my life being tainted by him. A place I had kept so carefully separate from the chaos of my work, from Bison, from everything I hated about this life. And now, it was connected to him.

I didn't say a word. I paid for my food in silence, not sparing another glance at Kant or his damn grandpa. The taste of the noodles in my mouth felt like ash. Everything felt tainted now.

I stood up quickly, leaving a few bills on the table, and walked out without another look. The air hit me as soon as I stepped outside, but it didn't feel fresh. It felt suffocating. The noise of the street was all wrong, everything was off, my mind clouded with that simmering anger I couldn't get rid of.

I told myself I'd never come back here. I wouldn't let this place become another link in the chain that kept me tangled up in this mess. My feet moved faster, almost running as I rounded the corner, the alley ahead of me a quick escape. It was just me, the cold night air, and the rhythm of my breathing.

That's when I heard the footsteps behind me, light but quick.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I'd felt him watching me. I'd felt his presence like a weight on my back the entire time I was there. Kant.

"Fadel." His voice was calm, too calm for the situation. "Running away again?"

I didn't stop. I couldn't. If I did, I knew I'd end up saying something I'd regret. I could already feel my anger surging again, that tight knot in my chest threatening to choke me. So, I kept walking, determined to lose him in the maze of the city. But he was persistent, always one step behind.

"You know," Kant continued, his voice almost too smooth, "you really don't have to make everything so difficult. I'm just here to-"

The words cut off abruptly. There was a loud bang. The sound echoed through the alley, sharp and sudden. Then another shot. A third.

Everything froze.

The world around me seemed to slow down, the noise from the street fading into the background as the realization hit me. Gunshots. Close. Too close.

Without thinking, my instincts kicked in. I whipped around, my hand already going to my side, but before I could react, I saw Kant's face. His eyes were wide, not from fear, but from surprise.

"Stay low," I hissed, my voice barely audible over the ringing in my ears.

He didn't need to be told twice. He dropped to the ground, the last traces of his calm demeanor slipping away. But I could tell he was ready, just like me. It was second nature-when the shots rang out, you moved. You didn't think.

I moved quickly, crouching, already scanning the alley for the source of the shots. I didn't know if they were meant for us or if this was just some random attack, but I wasn't about to wait around and find out.

Kant stayed silent beside me, but I could feel him there, tense and aware. He wasn't as calm as he usually was. He was just as on edge as I was, maybe more so now, given the way he was handling this situation.

We crouched in the shadows, the shots continuing, the sound of them echoing off the walls, too close. I forced myself to focus, ignoring everything else, ignoring the fire in my veins, the anger still simmering beneath it all. There were bigger problems now. And they weren't going to go away if I kept running from them.

I took a breath, steadying myself. We had to move. And we had to move fast.

The silence that followed the last shot was almost worse than the noise itself. The feeling of being watched, of being trapped in this moment, was overwhelming. But I couldn't afford to be distracted. Not now.

The shots were still coming, but they weren't aimed directly at us-not yet. I didn't know if we were the targets or if this was just a random shooting, but I wasn't about to gamble on it. I dragged and shoved Kant against a wall, keeping him low.

"Stay down," I snapped, my voice low and urgent. My mind was already working fast, processing everything in an instant. The sound of the gunshots, the number of times the gun had fired-it wasn't random. Whoever was shooting was aiming for something. Maybe us. Maybe not.

I took a quick glance around, trying to make sense of our surroundings. The alley was narrow, surrounded by old brick buildings on both sides, a dead end up ahead. The only way out was behind us or through the side street to the left. I had to think fast, had to keep moving. We couldn't stay here much longer.

"What's going on?" Kant asked, his voice sharp with urgency now, not the calm facade he usually wore.

"We're getting out of here, now." I didn't waste time explaining. He didn't need to know everything right now. I didn't even know what the hell was going on. All I knew was that staying in this alley was a death sentence.

I reached into my jacket, feeling for the gun at my side. I always kept it close. You never knew when something like this could happen and tonight seemed to be the night. I checked the clip quickly, making sure everything was loaded and ready. I didn't want to use it, didn't want to escalate this any more than it had to be. But I wasn't about to die in some damn alley either.

"You're not gonna outrun them, Fadel," Kant said, his voice cutting through my thoughts. "What's the plan?"

His words snapped me back into focus. He was right. We weren't going to outrun anyone. The only way out of this was strategy, not speed.

"First, we need to get to higher ground." I glanced over at him, my jaw tight. "Then, we'll figure out who's after us and what their next move is."

I wasn't sure if I believed that myself. But it was the only plan I had. There were a dozen possibilities running through my head, none of them good. Whoever was out there didn't want us alive.

I grabbed Kant by the arm again, pulling him toward the left side street, moving quickly but carefully. I didn't want to make any unnecessary noise, didn't want to attract attention. The gunshots had already drawn the attention of anyone within a few blocks, and I wasn't about to make this worse.

We turned the corner, the sound of footsteps behind us telling me someone was following. But I wasn't sure if it was just random pedestrians or if they were after us. I wasn't going to risk it.

"We need cover," I muttered to Kant, my eyes scanning the street ahead. There were a couple of alleyways, but they all looked like dead ends.

Kant moved closer to me, his hand brushing against mine as we navigated the dimly lit street. I didn't say anything. We didn't need to talk. I knew he understood what I was thinking. There was no time for explanations, no time for anything but survival.

Ahead of us, I spotted a fire escape on the side of a building, the ladder hanging low enough to reach. Without a word, I pointed to it.

"Up there. Now."

Kant didn't hesitate. He followed me as I ran to the base of the building, grabbing onto the ladder and pulling myself up. I glanced down once, making sure he was right behind me. He was.

We scrambled up the rungs, the noise of our climbing muffled by the sound of distant voices and the occasional gunshot. By the time we reached the roof, I was out of breath, my heart pounding in my chest.

I took a second to steady myself, scanning the street below us. I could see the flashes of movement in the shadows, but no clear figure. Whoever had been shooting was still out there, and I wasn't about to wait around to find out if they were coming for us.

"We stay here," I said firmly, my voice low. "And we wait for them to make their move."

Kant gave a sharp nod, not questioning my decision. He knew the importance of keeping low, staying out of sight. I could feel his presence beside me, tense but calm now. For a moment, the world felt like it had slowed down again, the only sound the beating of my own heart in my ears.

But I couldn't relax-not yet. We weren't safe. Not until I knew who was after us and why.

"Fadel..." Kant started, but I held up a hand, cutting him off.

"I know," I said quietly. "Stay sharp."

We both fell into silence, crouching low behind the roof's edge, waiting for the next move.