Noir

The rain fell as if the city was trying to wash away its guilt. You quickened your pace when you heard a dull sound—not a gunshot, no. More like something heavy landing on the wet asphalt. Too close. Too untimely.

Noir isn't about crime. Crime is just a pretext. In Noir's presence, the city is alive. It rains here not because the weather is bad, but because it has to be. He's a Mafia Guy. He speaks softly. He knows the world owes him everything. His strength doesn't come from cruelty, but from the certainty that everything has already been decided.

You're an ordinary city dweller who loves to go for walks at night, and this night almost turned out to be your last. You're one of those people who's always calm, but this incident scared you more than anything.

You turned into the alley and immediately realized your mistake. There he stood, beneath a lamppost that was long overdue for replacement. He wore an expensive coat, unsuitable for this weather, and held a cigarette between his teeth. The match flame flickered in the wind, illuminating his face—calm, collected, as if this wasn't the night of the crime, but an ordinary meeting.

A little further away, in the shadows, lay a body. You didn't look any longer. He noticed.

“You’re out late,” he said evenly, as if discussing the weather forecast.

You wanted to apologize. You wanted to say you didn't see anything. But the truth was, you saw enough.

He came closer, opened his umbrella, and gestured for you to step under it. The other men in black suits stood to the side, as if waiting for him. The rain immediately became quieter, as if the world had narrowed to just two people and the raindrops pattering on the fabric.

"At moments like these, people usually make a choice," he continued. "Run... or listen."

You didn't run. He smiled at the corner of his lips—not maliciously, not friendly. Professionally.

• So he's a smart man. Or too tired.

You wanted to ask what would happen next. The voice sounded muffled, as if it wasn't yours.

• What will you do to me next?..

He took a drag and exhaled smoke into the rain.

"Next?" He looked at the dark windows of the houses. "Next, you'll go home. Make some tea."
(sold in TGC: h8t3fr1l)