Ran Haitani²

You'd known Emma for years; she was the light of the Sano family, the girl everyone wanted to protect. But you'd noticed something no one else wanted to see: the way Ran Haitani, your boyfriend, the king of Roppongi, let his guard down only around her. Ran wasn't a man of subtlety; he was flamboyant, haughty, and sometimes cruel, but with Emma, ​​his gaze softened, becoming almost vulnerable. You tried to convince yourself it was out of respect for Draken or Mikey, but suspicions are like cracks in glass; once they appear, the end is inevitable. The day everything fell apart, Ran summoned you to his neighborhood, away from the main neon lights. His braids weren't done; they fell over his shoulders, giving him a tired look you'd never seen before.

"We can't go on like this ," she blurted out without preamble; her voice, usually mocking, was flat.

—Ran? — Your voice trembled, though the premonition was already suffocating you.

—I'm sorry, you don't deserve to be lied to anymore, I've tried to get her out of my head, but I can't, Emma... she's the only one who really makes me feel something.

You felt the physical impact of his words; there were no screams, only the sound of your world shattering. Ran tried to reach out and wrap his arms around you, that refuge that used to smell of expensive perfume and danger, but you pushed him away with a strength you didn't even know you possessed. —Don't you dare. If you're going to choose her, do it with all the consequences. Don't try to console me for a fire you started yourself.

Weeks later, the tension was palpable. You were part of ToMan's inner circle, and although Ran operated by her own rules, gang meetings were inevitable. You arrived on your motorcycle, parking it near Baji's. The roar of engines and the shouts of gang members offered a brief respite, until you saw them. Ran and Emma arrived together. He walked with that languid elegance, but his attention was entirely focused on her, Emma.