Eternal Melody

"Queen, you're looking quite pale." Eli pointed out.

Sumire sighed deeply. I'll be investigating that missing family case in more detail today. Also, stop spam messaging me!"

She is as reckless as ever, going on missions when she is sick. Toh sighed. It seems like Aki is still working her hard. Even though Sumire is not living in Star town, her responsibilities haven't changed.

Eli chuckled. "I thought you wanted to know how your precious Mamoru-kun was doing?"

"He is alive and well; that's enough for me-" Sumire coughed.

She must be sick. It pained Toh not to rush over to her side. Just a few more days; he has to be patient.

A man appeared by her side and sighed deeply.

"Hey, didn't you promise not to leave my sight?"

"You didn't hold my hand Hino, so of course, I snuck off."

"I really need to invest in a leash," Hino mumbled.

Narasaki Hino, this is the guy Lucifer told him to be wary of.

Eli chuckles. "Since Hino-kun has become your babysitter, I'm surprised you're able to go anywhere."

At those words, Hino frowned. "I don't want to hear it from you."

So, these two don't get along, huh? Anyhow, despite arguing with Eli. Toh noticed how attentive Hino was being around Sumire. He kept patting her back every time she coughed.

She must trust him. If she didn't, Narasaki would never be able to touch her.

"Alright, you two enough. You need to learn to get along, even if you don't like each other. Or else, I will ditch both of you and work by myself."

The two immediately stopped fighting; judging from the faces on their faces, they didn't like the idea. Of course, they wouldn't; look at her state right now. Why is she so sick?

"Queen, I think you know this, but there is something off about that mansion."

"I know it's haunted!" Sumire said with bright eyes.

"Hino-kun, please invest in that leash."

"For once, I have to agree with you. I thought it was weird she was so enthusiastic, this girl and her love for the unknown."

Sumire pouted. "You two are just boring. My dearest likes everything I do."

"Yuhi spoils you too much."

'My dearest, huh? How rare of her to use such a cheesy nickname. She seems happier too.' However, his purpose hasn't changed. He will take her away from this place. He doesn't trust anybody with Sumire other than Mamoru, and even Mamoru can't help her right now. What Lucifer wants with Sumire is still unclear even to him.

But the fact that Lucifer made an entertainment company when he had no interest in this industry and even recruited the artists who disliked her. Toh understood that Lucifer would continue breaking her down before approaching her.

Toh listened to their conversation for a few minutes and frowned, hearing the details of the job. It's no normal missing family case; it's another drug-related case. Why does that man always send Sumire on drug-related cases? Those are the most dangerous ones since they involve dealing with the addicts directly.

His thoughts broke off, feeling an eerie presence and he scanned the surroundings, hiding in the opposite trees on the other side were a group of people cloaked in black.

There is gunfire in a matter of seconds, and Eli appears by his side again.

"Playing hide and seek?" Eli said with a grin.

'What hide and seek? I am only hiding because you asked me to.'

"You--" Toh shakes his head. It shouldn't surprise him; anybody Lucifer takes an interest in ends up being unusual. Not just Lucifer but also

"Why aren't you helping her?"

He already figured from the exchange just now that Sumire asked Eli to infiltrate as a spy.

"If I stay, my cover will be blown."

"But she is sick," Toh said worriedly.

"Do you think that matters? Besides--" Eli turns to the scene of Sumire dodging the bullets. "-she isn't top of the underworld for no reason."

Toh follows Eli's gaze, indeed, despite her flushed face. Sumire was evading the bullets. He wonders how many times she has fought when she was sick.

She used to get a sick a lot when they were dating too. The top of the underworld, huh? A girl like her shouldn't have to take on such a burden.

'Sumire, I really have missed you. I want nothing more than to go to you now and hug you tightly.'

Toh stared at her for a few minutes before deciding to leave. Not yet; he still has a few stuff to prepare. But, the minute he turned to leave, grey smoke covered his surroundings, and he clicked his tongue annoyed. Using a smoke screen?

He turned back to the scene before him and found Sumire in the center alone. Narasaki Hino was calling out for her, but she couldn't hear him. The group of men who had been hiding in the bushes were now slowly surrounding Sumire.

She is bad at detecting enemies when they use the smoke screen. So the people who attacked her know that much, huh? Normally she would be fine, but right now, she is sick. Toh didn't want to risk anything bad happening to her.

Tsk, so much for not appearing before her yet. No, he doesn't necessarily have to intervene directly. He can take advantage of the smoke screen. Toh takes out a gun from his side pocket and aims it towards the men.

Sumire raises her head and takes advantage of the opening he left. Because he fired that shot, Sumire was able to find the guys. She takes one look at them before punching and kicking them and then taking her gun out.

Her gaze was dim. "It's unfortunate for you all know, but I have no mercy for people like you who reek of blood. How many lives have you taken?"

Toh didn't wait to see what had happened and fired another shot, alerting her to the other group. Once he guaranteed no more enemies left, he quickly turned to walk away.

Recalling the look in her eyes, Toh sighed. It seems like he made the right call to return to Japan.