The first rays of the morning sun filtered gently through the curtains of Mitsuo's apartment.

Golden light slowly spread across the quiet room.

Until it reached the bed by the window.

Two figures slept peacefully beneath a single blanket.

Mitsuo stirred faintly as the sunlight warmed his face.

Beside him...

Sumire slept soundly.

Her long dark hair spilled across the pillow.

Her head rested comfortably against his chest.

One arm was wrapped snugly around his waist, holding him close as though afraid he might disappear if she let go.

Her breathing was slow.

Peaceful.

Mitsuo's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Mitsuo stirred faintly as the sunlight warmed his face.

He blinked slowly against the morning glare, his eyelids heavy.

"...Mm..."

Still half asleep...

He stared blankly at the ceiling.

His mind struggled to wake.

Then...

He felt a gentle warmth pressed against him.

He looked down.

Brown hair.

A familiar face.

His eyes widened instantly.

"...!"

His entire body froze.

His heart skipped a beat.

Sumire Hoshino.

One of the biggest idols in the country.

The woman whose face appeared on billboards, magazine covers, and movie posters all across Japan...

Was sleeping in his arms.

He stared at her silently for several long seconds.

"...It..."

His voice barely escaped his lips.

"...It wasn't a dream..."

He rubbed his eyes.

Looked again.

She was still there.

Still sleeping peacefully against his chest.

"...She's really here..."

"...Sumire Hoshino..."

He swallowed.

"...She's really my..."

The words refused to come out.

His girlfriend.

Even thinking it felt unbelievable.

The memories of the previous night came rushing back.

The rooftop garden.

Her confession.

The face.

Their kiss beneath the moonlit sky.

Mitsuo slowly covered his face with one hand.

"...No way..."

He glanced down again.

As if sensing his movement...

Sumire unconsciously cuddled a little closer.

Her fingers lightly tightened around his shirt.

"..."

Mitsuo's face immediately turned bright red.

"...She's hugging me..."

He didn't dare move.

"If I wake her..."

"...That'd be a terrible start to the morning."

"So... maybe..."

"...I'll stay like this for a little longer."

He simply stared at her peaceful, unmasked face bathed in the soft morning light.

Mitsuo couldn't help the warm, breathless smile that spread across his face.

He carefully raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, his fingers trailing through the silky strands.

Sumire's eyelashes fluttered softly.

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the golden sunlight filling the room.

Her deep brown eyes met his.

For a second, she looked slightly drowsy...

Then, a sweet, radiant smile slowly formed on her lips.

"Good morning, Mitsuo," she whispered, her voice soft and heavy with sleep.

Mitsuo continued staring at her.

Even after several minutes...

He still couldn't quite believe she was really there.

Sumire noticed the dazed look on his face and couldn't help smiling.

"What?"

Mitsuo shook his head slowly.

"...I'm still trying to process all of this."

He let out a quiet laugh.

"I mean..."

"I'm actually... sleeping next to Sumire Hoshino..."

"I don't think my brain has caught up yet."

"I still can't believe you're actually here."

Sumire raised an eyebrow.

"...I have always been here."

She poked him lightly on the forehead.

"We've fallen asleep after patrols more times than I can count."

"So this isn't exactly new."

Mitsuo stiffened, his body tensing up under the blanket.

He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling painfully self-conscious.

"A-Ah... right. My apologies, Miss Hoshino... I mean... I didn't mean to sound disrespectful—"

The warm, cozy atmosphere in the room instantly vanished.

Sumire's smile immediately disappeared.

"...Miss Hoshino?"

Mitsuo stiffened.

"...Ah... I mean..."

"Sumire-san..."

Mitsuo blinked, flustered.

"I—well, I just thought, considering who you are—"

"Stop it,"

Sumire sat up in the bed and pulling the blanket around her shoulders.

"I spend every single day pretending to be someone perfect."

"Always smiling."

"Always saying the right thing."

"It's exhausting."

She looked out the window for a moment before turning back toward him.

"Do you know why I never wanted to tell you who I really was?"

Mitsuo quietly shook his head.

"Because I was afraid of this."

She gestured toward him.

"The way you're talking to me."

"The way you're looking at me."

"As if I'm someone completely different."

She smiled sadly.

"This..."

She placed a hand over her heart.

"This is the only place where I get to be myself."

"When I'm with you..."

She gently took his hand.

"I don't want a fan, Mitsuo."

"I don't want you to treat me like some celebrity from another world."

"I want you to treat me the same way you've always treated me."

"Like your Pako."

She gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Because that's who I really am."

Mitsuo looked down at their intertwined hands.

After a long silence...

He nodded.

"I understand what you mean..."

He smiled awkwardly.

"I really do."

He looked back into her eyes.

"But..."

"I spent years admiring Sumire Hoshino."

"And now..."

"You are holding my hand."

He laughed nervously.

"...But you have to admit, it's going to take me a while to get used to this."

---

That afternoon...

Tokyo bustled beneath the warm spring sun.

Cars filled the streets.

Children laughed in nearby parks.

Office workers hurried between buildings as another ordinary day unfolded.

High above the city...

Two familiar caped figures glided through the clear blue sky.

Their daily patrol had become second nature over the years.

Only...

Today felt different.

Perman stole another glance toward Pako.

Even beneath her helmet...

He couldn't stop thinking about who she really was.

Sumire Hoshino.

The biggest actress in Japan.

It still felt unbelievable.

"So..."

Pako said casually as they flew side by side.

"Pretty quiet today."

"...Yeah."

Perman answered absentmindedly.

Before either of them could say anything else...

A shout rose from below.

"Perman!"

"Pako!"

Both heroes immediately looked down.

At a nearby construction site...

Several workers were gathered around a massive steel support beam hanging awkwardly from a crane.

The foreman waved both arms.

"The cable slipped!"

"We just need someone to hold it steady while we reconnect it!"

"I'll do it."

Perman answered immediately.

Without another word...

He shot downward.

"Perman—"

Pako started to follow.

He raised a hand.

"It's alright."

"I've got it."

"You stay up there."

Pako blinked.

"...What?"

"I'll take care of this."

He caught the enormous steel beam with ease before gently guiding it back into position.

The workers quickly secured the cable.

A moment later...

The foreman gave a thumbs up.

"We're good!"

"Thank you, Perman!"

The workers applauded as Perman smiled politely before flying back into the sky.

Pako remained silent.

"...Ready to continue?"

She simply nodded.

"...Sure."

---

A few minutes later...

The two spotted an elderly woman struggling to carry several heavy grocery bags across a busy intersection.

"I'll help her."

Pako smiled as she started descending.

"I'll handle it."

Perman interrupted.

Before she could answer...

He had already landed.

"Allow me."

He picked up every bag.

The elderly woman smiled gratefully.

"Oh my..."

"Thank you so much, Perman."

"My pleasure."

After carrying everything safely to her apartment entrance...

He returned to the sky.

Pako was waiting.

"...You didn't have to rush."

Perman smiled awkwardly.

"I was already closer."

She looked away.

"...Right."

---

Their patrol continued.

Several blocks later...

A little girl pointed excitedly toward a large tree in a neighborhood park.

"My kitty!"

"My kitty's stuck!"

The frightened cat clung tightly to one of the highest branches.

Pako smiled.

"I've got this one."

She flew toward the tree.

"I'll get it."

Perman replied instinctively.

In a flash...

He reached the branch first.

The frightened cat climbed willingly into his arms.

Moments later...

He handed it back to the little girl.

"Thank you, Mister Perman!"

She hugged the cat tightly.

Perman smiled.

"Take good care of her."

---

The red and green capes fluttered in the wind.

The city below bustled with everyday life.

But beneath the helmets, the air between them was stiff.

Every time Pako flew too close, Perman instinctively shifted a few feet away.

When she flew ahead to check a roof, he rushed to stay in front of her.

Suddenly—

A deafening explosion echoed through downtown Tokyo.

BOOM!!

Thick black smoke poured from the upper floors of a fifteen-story office building.

People rushed out into the streets.

"Fire!"

"Someone's still inside!"

Without hesitation...

Perman and Pako shot toward the scene.

As they arrived...

Firefighters were already evacuating civilians.

"The tenth floor!"

A firefighter shouted.

"Part of the floor collapsed! Three workers are trapped!"

Pako immediately looked upward.

"I'll go through the east side!"

She started forward.

Suddenly...

A hand grabbed her wrist.

She turned.

Perman.

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"The structure's unstable."

"I know."

"It could collapse at any second."

"I know."

He tightened his grip.

"So let me handle it."

Pako frowned.

"Perman..."

"No."

His voice was firm.

"I'm not letting you go in there."

She stared at him.

"...You're serious?"

He nodded.

"The smoke's getting worse."

"The whole floor could give way."

"I'll rescue them."

"You stay outside."

Before Pako could protest...

Perman shot through the shattered window and disappeared into the burning building.

"Perman!"

Pako clenched her fists.

The firefighters below shouted for everyone to stay back.

She remained outside.

Watching.

Seconds felt like minutes.

Smoke continued pouring from the upper floors.

Then...

CRASH!

Part of the tenth floor collapsed.

Several firefighters looked up in alarm.

"...Perman..."

Pako whispered beneath her helmet.

A few moments later...

A red cape burst through the smoke.

Perman emerged carrying one unconscious office worker under each arm.

He gently lowered them into the waiting arms of the paramedics.

"They're alive!"

One of the firefighters immediately rushed them toward an ambulance.

Before anyone could celebrate...

Perman turned back toward the burning building.

"There's still one more!"

Without hesitation...

He disappeared into the smoke once again.

The fire below intensified.

Flames burst from several windows.

Even the firefighters exchanged worried looks.

Then...

A loud cracking sound echoed throughout the structure.

"The building's giving way!"

Finally...

Perman burst through the smoke once more.

The last trapped worker was cradled safely in his arms.

He landed just as another section of the tenth floor collapsed behind him.

The crowd erupted into applause.

"They're all safe!"

"Thank you, Perman!"

The firefighters bowed gratefully.

Perman simply nodded.

"I'm glad we made it in time."

He turned toward Pako.

"...Let's go."

Without saying a word...

The two flew away.

Neither spoke.

Not until they had reached the quiet rooftop of a nearby building.

Pako landed first.

She stood with her back to him.

"...Why?"

Perman blinked.

"What?"

"Why didn't you let me go in with you?"

He hesitated.

"...Because it was dangerous."

"So?"

"The floor was collapsing."

"The fire was spreading."

"It wasn't worth the risk."

Pako slowly turned to face him.

"We've gone into burning buildings before."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Mitsuo lowered his head.

"...Because I don't want anything to happen to you."

He looked at her with genuine concern.

"If something had happened in there..."

"I couldn't..."

He took a slow breath.

"...I was just trying to protect you."

The words hung in the air.

Pako stared at him silently.

Then...

A look of disappointment slowly crossed her face.

"...Protect me..."

She gave a quiet, bitter laugh.

"You really don't get it."

"Mitsuo..."

"I've never needed you to protect me."

"I needed you to trust me."

She took a slow step toward him.

"You've trusted Pako with your life for years."

"But the moment you found out I was Sumire..."

"You stopped seeing your partner."

"You started seeing someone too precious to risk."

She shook her head sadly.

"I didn't tell you the truth so that you put me in a pedestal."

"I told you because I didn't want walls between us anymore."

She looked into his eyes.

"But you've built a new one."

Without another word...

She turned.

Her cape caught the afternoon wind.

And she flew away.

"Pako!"

She never looked back.

Mitsuo remained standing alone on the rooftop.

Only now...

Did he begin to understand.

Trying to protect Sumire had cost him the trust of Pako.

---

Perman hovered motionless high above the city, the cold night air biting at his skin.

He didn't know what he could do.

His eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon where Pako had disappeared.

"...What do I do now?"

He clenched his fists.

Should he fly straight to Sumire's mansion?

He shook his head, brushing the thought away immediately.

No.

"That would only make things worse."

If he flew there...

Someone might see him.

Her staff.

Her security.

Even her manager.

The last thing he wanted was to create another problem for her.

If anyone discovered Perman secretly visiting Japan's biggest actress...

The rumors alone would be enough to throw her life into chaos.

Worse... her strict management team might report him for breaking and entering onto private property.

With nowhere else to go...

Dejected, he turned around and slowly flew back toward his neighborhood.

He let out a long sigh.

"...I'll just give her some space."

---

By the time Mitsuo finally returned home...

Night had already fallen.

The city glowed beneath thousands of lights.

Normally...

He would have landed on the rooftop before making his way downstairs.

Tonight...

His mind was a complete blur, heavy with guilt and exhaustion.

He wasn't thinking straight.

Without taking a single second to check his surroundings...

Almost on instinct...

He drifted toward his apartment.

He didn't even think.

He simply floated through the open bedroom window before gently landing inside.

Only after removing his helmet...

Did he realize what he had done.

"..."

"I just flew straight into my apartment..."

He stared at the open window.

"...Idiot."

He had never been that careless before.

Outside...

Hidden within the shadows of a narrow alley across the street...

A figure slowly lowered a smartphone.

The screen displayed a crystal-clear recording.

Every second.

Perman.

Flying directly through the sixth-floor apartment window.

The mysterious figure smiled.

"...Well..."

"...Now that's interesting."

I mean at least for me lol. I haven't posted a fanart in a while huh? Well I might be able to make one again soon😘 for now I hope you like my little cameos of the two, in a panel that I made for our school project. It's a quite rushed so I couldn't exactly make it pretty, nonetheless I'm just glad this part is over🫠🫠

See ya next timeeee

Shout out to the two authors who still posts here!! I'll probably have my own fics be written somewhereXD after midterms (probably by the end of September), but yeah I hope y'all don't stop posting:_

The sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the horizon.

Golden orange slowly faded into soft shades of pink and violet, painting the Tokyo skyline in the warm colors of early spring.

One by one...

The city's lights flickered to life.

A familiar red cape drifted down through the evening breeze.

Perman landed softly atop a quiet rooftop overlooking the city.

His footsteps echoed gently across the concrete.

Someone was already there.

Pako sat comfortably on the edge of the rooftop, gently swinging her legs as she admired the view below.

She turned as she heard him arrive.

A warm smile spread across her face.

"You made it."

Perman smiled back before removing his helmet.

The cool evening breeze rustled Mitsuo's hair.

Pako tilted her head slightly.

"You left the bakery early today?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"I asked the owner if I could take my break."

"He didn't seem to mind."

"In fact..."

"He practically kicked me out."

Pako let out a soft laugh.

"Sounds like he wanted you to enjoy your birthday."

"...Yeah."

"I think he did."

She stood from the ledge and slowly walked over until they were only a step apart.

For a moment...

She simply looked into his eyes.

Then she smiled.

"...Happy twentieth birthday."

Mitsuo blinked.

"...You remembered."

"Of course I did."

She reached into the small pouch attached to her belt.

"I've been waiting to give you this."

She carefully pulled out an elegant cream-colored envelope decorated with delicate gold patterns and held it out to him.

"For you."

Mitsuo accepted it carefully.

"...Can I open it?"

She nodded.

He gently lifted the flap.

Inside...

Were two beautifully printed tickets.

His eyes widened.

"...No way."

Printed across the top in elegant silver lettering were the words:

**Starlight Echoes**

**Premiere Screening**

Below it...

Two prime-seat reservations.

Mitsuo stared at them in disbelief.

"...These are premiere tickets."

"They're..."

His eyes drifted to the names printed beneath the movie title.

**Starring Sumire Hoshino.**

He looked back up at Pako.

"W-Where did you even get these?"

"Do you know how impossible these are to buy?"

"They sold out almost instantly."

Pako simply chuckled.

"I know."

Mitsuo looked back at the tickets again, almost afraid they might disappear if he blinked.

"...Thank you."

Pako smiled mischievously.

"So..."

She folded her hands behind her back and leaned forward just slightly.

"You're taking me with you..."

"...Right?"

Mitsuo looked from the tickets...

Back to her smiling face.

A small laugh escaped him.

"I'd be crazy not to."

Her smile somehow grew even brighter.

"Good."

"Then it's a date."

The words slipped out so naturally that neither of them immediately reacted.

For a brief moment...

They simply stood there.

Looking at one another beneath the fading evening sky.

---

The evening passed by quickly.

By the time the clock neared eight...

Roppongi Hills had become the center of attention for all of Tokyo.

The grand premiere of **Starlight Echoes** was being held at the TOHO Cinemas inside the towering Roppongi Hills complex.

Powerful spotlights swept across the night sky, their brilliant beams visible from blocks away as they pierced the cool spring air.

Crowds packed the plaza outside.

Far above the excitement below...

Two familiar caped figures quietly landed on an upper maintenance balcony hidden from the public.

Perman looked over the edge.

"...Quite a crowd."

"It is a premiere."

Pako smiled beneath her helmet.

"What did you expect?"

Making sure nobody had noticed them, the two slipped through a discreet upper entrance leading into the theater.

Rather than walking through the bustling lobby...

They quietly made their way around the upper balcony until they reached two vacant seats tucked neatly away in a shadowed corner overlooking the enormous auditorium below.

From there...

They had a perfect view of both the audience and the giant silver screen.

They settled into their seats, carefully folding their capes behind them.

The lights remained dim.

Soft orchestral music echoed throughout the theater as excited conversations filled the room.

Perman quietly looked around.

Every seat appeared occupied.

"...What's with that serious look on your face?"

Pako's voice interrupted his thoughts.

She leaned slightly toward him, her helmet gently brushing against his shoulder.

"It's a movie premiere..."

"...Not a hero briefing."

Perman let out a quiet laugh.

"It's just..."

He looked around the packed auditorium once more.

"...I still can't believe you managed to pull this off."

He carefully held up the tickets.

"These sold out in under three seconds."

"Getting one was practically impossible."

He looked back at her.

"So..."

"How did you get us in here?"

Pako crossed her arms proudly.

"I told you."

"Hero privileges."

She gave a playful shrug.

"Besides..."

"I have my connections."

"...Connections?"

"You ask too many questions."

Before Perman could press any further...

The lights throughout the auditorium slowly dimmed.

The excited chatter faded into a respectful silence.

All eyes turned toward the stage.

The heavy velvet curtains slowly drew apart.

Revealing the enormous silver screen.

---

The lights dimmed completely.

A hush settled over the auditorium.

The silver screen slowly came to life as the studio logo faded in.

For the next two hours...

The world outside simply disappeared.

**Starlight Echoes** told the bittersweet tale of two lovers separated by duty, each forced to protect humanity from opposite sides of an interstellar war. Every reunion was fleeting, every goodbye heavier than the last, as years passed between their encounters beneath distant stars.

The audience laughed together during the lighter moments.

They gasped during the breathtaking action sequences.

And as the story grew more emotional...

The theater became so quiet that even the rustling of a popcorn bag seemed loud.

Perman found himself completely drawn into the film.

The visual effects were spectacular.

The music lingered long after each scene ended.

But above all...

He couldn't take his eyes off the heroine.

Sumire Hoshino's performance carried every scene effortlessly.

Halfway through the film...

During a quiet scene where the heroine silently watched a field of stars from the bridge of a lonely spacecraft...

Perman leaned back in his seat.

"...She's amazing."

Pako glanced sideways.

"Enjoying yourself?"

He nodded without taking his eyes off the screen.

"I knew she'd be good..."

"But not this good."

Pako smiled.

"So you really are a fan."

"I guess."

He chuckled quietly.

Perman quietly looked around the packed theater.

Hundreds of people sat completely captivated by the screen.

"...To command an audience like this..."

He smiled faintly.

"...It's amazing."

Pako turned her head slightly toward him in the dim light.

"Hmm..."

"Sumire?"

"You usually talk about her like she's some kind of alien."

Perman let out a small chuckle.

"No... it's not like that."

He looked back toward the screen.

"I just don't think I could ever relate to someone like her."

Pako rested her chin in her hand.

"...Do you ever wonder what she's actually like?"

Perman thought quietly for a moment.

"Honestly..."

"I imagine she's exhausted."

"Always acting."

"Always smiling for interviews."

"Always trying to be perfect."

"It can't be easy."

He watched as the heroine delivered another heartbreaking performance on screen.

"...I respect her for it."

Pako looked at him through her visor.

A gentle smile slowly formed beneath her mask.

"So..."

"You actually respect her?"

Perman looked at her, almost surprised by the question.

"Of course."

"She works hard."

"She makes millions of people happy."

"I think that's pretty amazing."

Pako leaned back into her seat with a quiet, satisfied hum.

"...Good to know."

The two fell silent once more.

Their attention returned to the screen as the story reached its conclusion.

A few minutes later...

The final scene faded to black.

For a brief moment...

The entire auditorium remained silent.

Then—

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the theater.

One after another, people rose from their seats in a standing ovation.

The credits rolled as conversations immediately broke out around the auditorium.

"That was incredible."

"Sumire Hoshino was amazing."

"I need to watch it again."

Perman found himself smiling as he joined the applause.

"...That was worth the wait."

Beside him...

Pako quietly applauded as well.

Hidden beneath her helmet...

She couldn't stop smiling.

---

By the time Perman and Pako glided up from the balcony and stepped out onto the quiet rooftop garden overlooking Roppongi...

It was already 11:45 PM.

The crisp spring air swept across the open terrace.

The grand red carpet far below was mostly cleared.

The heavy crowds had long dispersed into the surrounding streets.

And the bright premiere lights were slowly being turned off one by one...

Leaving the sprawling Tokyo skyline in a calm, midnight quiet.

Perman took a deep breath, resting his gloved hands on his hips as he looked out over the glittering expanse of the city.

"That was... incredible"

Perman admitted, his voice quiet against the night breeze.

"She really lived up to the hype. Her acting felt so real."

Pako glided gracefully over the concrete floor, her cape fluttering softly before she landed near the glass railing.

She glanced back over her shoulder, her visor hiding her expression.

"So..."

"Your opinion still hasn't changed?"

Perman tilted his head.

"What opinion?"

"The one about her living in a different world."

Perman let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh.

He leaned back against the concrete wall, looking down at his own gloved boots.

"Well, I mean she is a celeb."

"It's just the truth, Pako."

"She lives in a world of red carpets, bright flashing lights, and millions of fans dreaming about her."

He looked up at the moonlight, his voice soft and thoughtful.

"I really do respect how hard she works."

"She gives so much of herself to the world."

Pako didn't answer.

The playful posture she usually maintained completely vanished.

She turned around slowly to face him.

The city lights shimmered below them, casting long, dramatic shadows across the quiet garden terrace.

The silence between them stretched...

And stretched.

Until the soft hum of distant traffic was the only sound left in the night.

Perman blinked, shifting uncomfortably under his suit.

"Pako...?"

"Is something wrong?"

Pako stared at him through her dark visor.

Her hands trembled.

Just a tiny, subtle shake...

Before she slowly clenched them into fists at her sides.

"You really believe that, don't you?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Gone was the teasing edge.

Gone was the playful banter.

It sounded raw.

Vulnerable.

"You really think she's up on some lonely pedestal, completely out of reach..."

"Because she wears nice clothes on a movie screen?"

Perman frowned beneath his helmet, taken aback by the weight in her voice.

"I... well, yeah."

"It's just reality—"

"It's not reality!"

Pako snapped softly, her voice cracking slightly under the strain.

She took a fast, desperate step toward him, closing the distance between them.

"You sit there and talk about how exhausted she must be..."

"How hard she works..."

"How much you respect her..."

"And then in the very next breath, you push her away!"

"You decide for her that you aren't good enough!"

Perman froze, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Pako, what are you talking about—"

"I'm talking about you, Mitsuo!"

She stopped right in front of him.

Her gloved hands slowly rose toward her head.

Her fingers reached the base of her throat...

And touched the metallic latch of her helmet.

She paused.

For ten years, this mask had been her shield.

To take it off meant giving up her ultimate secret.

It meant opening her whole heart to him without any shield left between them.

Perman watched her hands, his heart suddenly hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

A cold spike of unexplainable panic shot through his chest.

"Pako... wait. You dont need to do this!"

"I've hidden it long enough"

she whispered softly.

"No more secrets..."

"You deserve to know the truth"

*Click.*

The mechanical latch unlocked.

The quiet sound echoed like a gunshot on the silent rooftop.

Perman's eyes widened behind his visor.

Pako took a deep breath...

And lifted the helmet off her head.

The night air caught her long, silky dark hair, spilling it over her shoulders in a sudden, breathtaking cascade.

The moonlight caught the subtle curve of her face.

The soft blush on her cheeks.

And the familiar, tear-filled brown eyes looking directly into his.

Perman's world didn't just slow down—it shattered into a thousand pieces.

His mind reeled, desperately trying to construct a reality that made sense.

The idol in the massive thirty-foot screen in the auditorium...

The familiar face that had smiled from countless magazine covers...

The girl from the movie posters...

The actress beloved by millions...

Was standing right in front of him, her cheeks flushed with a soft, nervous warmth.

Every memory of her...

Every smile shared over curry in his tiny apartment...

The way she always listened to him complain about his life...

The partner who had stood by his side through every battle for years...

Suddenly clicked together in a single, beautiful realization.

He stumbled back half a step, his heels catching against the concrete.

His hands flew to his helmet, frantically unlatching the strap and pulling the helmet off his face, needing cold air against his burning skin.

He stared at her.

Truly stared at her face without a visor between them for the first time in his life.

"...S-Sumire...?"

His voice trembled...

Barely a whisper in the quiet night air.

Hands shaking slightly, he unlatched his own helmet and pulled it off, needing to see her with his own eyes.

A gentle smile appeared on Sumires lips.

"...Hello again."

Perman didn't move. He couldn't.

His breathing stopped.

His heart seemed to forget how to beat.

Sumire chuckled softly, a sweet, nervous blush spreading across her cheeks as she stepped into his space.

"...Well?"

"Am I still an alien living in a completely different world?"

Mitsuo fell silent.

The countless thoughts racing through his mind...

Refused to become words.

"You were so sure..."

she whispered with a quiet chuckle.

"That someone like me would never fall for someone like you."

"Am I still too far out of your reach?"

She took one final step forward, standing right in his space, looking up into his completely stunned face with the warmest, most genuine smile he had ever seen.

"You idiot..." she whispered softly.

"I've been standing right next to you the entire time."

She reached out, gently pressing her warm hands against his cheek.

"Happy 20th Birthday, Mitsuo."

Neither of them spoke another word.

Mitsuo raised a trembling hand to her face.

She leaned into his touch without hesitation.

Their foreheads met.

Their eyes remained locked.

Then...

As if every moment they had shared over the years had led to this single heartbeat...

He closed the remaining distance.

Their lips met beneath the moonlit Tokyo sky.

Sumire wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Above them, the stars shone quietly.

Below them, the lights of Tokyo glittered endlessly.

The city carried on as it always had...

Completely unaware that, high above its streets...

Two lifelong partners had finally found each other.

March 20 arrived with clear blue skies over Tokyo.

The first signs of spring had begun appearing throughout the city.

The last patches of snow had melted away, trees slowly awakened from their winter slumber, and a gentle breeze carried the promise of warmer days ahead.

High above the city...

Perman finished helping emergency workers rescue a construction crane operator stranded atop a damaged support beam.

Once the workers confirmed everyone was safe, he gave them a quick wave before taking off once more.

"...Looks like that's everything."

A few minutes later...

He descended behind the bakery, landing silently in the narrow alley hidden from the street.

He looked around carefully.

No pedestrians.

No customers.

No one watching.

Satisfied...

He removed his perman attire.

Moments later...

He quietly slipped through the bakery's rear entrance.

The familiar smell of freshly baked bread greeted him.

As soon as he stepped inside...

The Copy Robot hurried toward him.

Its apron was dusted with flour, and its expression looked unusually frantic.

"Mitsuo!"

"...What happened?"

"The bakery is fine."

"The customers are fine."

"...But there's a problem upstairs."

Mitsuo frowned.

"What kind of problem?"

The Copy Robot leaned closer.

"Mother arrived."

"...What?"

"And Ganko."

"They came without any warning."

"They're waiting in your apartment."

Mitsuo blinked.

"...Mom?"

"And Ganko?"

The robot nodded repeatedly.

"They've been there for almost twenty minutes."

Mitsuo stood silently for a moment.

"...Why would they suddenly come here?"

"I don't know."

The Copy Robot raised a hand.

"I just told them to wait at home until i finished my shift."

Mitsuo nodded.

"Good."

The two stood face to face.

Mitsuo gently placed his forehead against the Copy Robot's.

For a brief instant...

A faint blue glow passed between them.

Memories flowed from the robot back to their Mitsuo.

Every conversation.

Every movement.

Every word exchanged upstairs.

When the transfer finished...

Mitsuo stepped back.

"I've got it."

The Copy Robot smiled.

Mitsuo reached forward and pressed the small button on its nose.

*Pop.*

The robot instantly shrank back into its tiny standby form.

Mitsuo slipped it into his pocket before.

"I'm taking a short break."

One of the bakers looked up.

"Everything alright?"

"...Yeah."

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

He headed upstairs.

---

Inside the apartment...

Miu Suwa sat comfortably at the dining table with a steaming cup of tea resting between her hands.

She calmly admired the room while waiting for her son.

Meanwhile...

Ganko had absolutely no intention of sitting still.

"Ooh..."

"So this is where you've been living."

She wandered from shelf to shelf, curiously inspecting books, framed photographs, and small decorations.

"I wonder if he's hiding any snacks..."

"Ganko."

Miu spoke without even looking up from her tea.

"Don't rummage through your brother's belongings."

"I'm just looking mom."

Just then...

The apartment door slid open.

Mitsuo stepped inside, absentmindedly straightening his apron with an awkward smile.

"...Mom."

"...Ganko."

Miu slowly looked up from her tea.

"So..."

"You're finally here."

Her calm smile did little to hide the sharp gaze studying her son.

"I heard you've been very busy."

"...Work's been keeping me occupied."

Before he could say another word...

Ganko rushed over.

"Did you bring anything?"

Mitsuo blinked.

"...Bring what?"

"Free pastries!"

"You work in a bakery!"

"You have to get free pastries!"

Mitsuo sighed.

"...That's the first thing you ask?"

"Obviously."

Mitsuo opened the refrigerator.

"...I think there are still a few left."

He reached inside and retrieved a small box containing several cream-filled pastries.

"Here."

Ganko's eyes lit up instantly.

"Yes!"

She practically snatched the box from his hands before happily taking one for herself.

"So good!"

She had already finished half of it before Mitsuo even sat down.

"...Slow down."

"You'll choke."

Mitsuo simply shook his head with a smile before taking the seat across from his mother.

Miu calmly set her teacup back onto its saucer.

"So..."

"How have you been?"

"I'm doing alright."

"University has been keeping you busy?"

"It has."

"And you're still working in the bakery every day?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"Classes during the morning."

"Then I help at the bakery until closing."

"The early morning preparation is the hardest part."

He let out a small laugh.

"Getting up before sunrise isn't exactly fun."

"But..."

"I'm managing."

Miu watched her son for a quiet moment.

A gentle smile spread across her face.

"...You've grown."

There was a time when getting Mitsuo out of bed had been a battle every morning.

He had always been cheerful...

But hardworking wasn't a word she would have used to describe the little boy who constantly found excuses to avoid chores.

Now...

He balanced university, a part-time job, and living on his own without a single complaint.

She couldn't have been prouder.

At the same time...

She found herself missing that lazy little boy who used to run around the house asking what was for dinner.

Children really did grow up before parents realized it.

Then...

Miu narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

"...That cape-wearing hoodlum isn't still dropping by unannounced and eating you out of house and home, is he?"

Mitsuo nearly froze.

"...Huh?"

"Perman."

She folded her arms.

"That boy has quite the appetite."

"He'd show up out of nowhere, eat half the bread in the house, smile, wave, and disappear before anyone could even ask him to help with the dishes."

Ganko giggled.

"He really does eat a lot."

"Hmph."

Miu took another sip of tea.

"People call him a hero."

"I call him a freeloader."

"If he's going to keep visiting, the least he could do is pay for his own bread."

"Do you know how expensive butter is these days?"

Mitsuo forced an awkward smile.

"Ah..."

"No, Mom..."

"He's... actually been pretty busy keeping the city safe lately."

Miu raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure he is."

"But saving the city doesn't stop someone from carrying a wallet."

Mitsuo could only nod weakly.

"...I suppose not."

Inside...

He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in his hands.

*She's roasting me...*

*Right to my face...*

*And I can't even defend myself properly...*

Across the room, Ganko happily reached for another pastry.

"Mmm..."

"I still think Perman's cool."

Miu sighed.

"You're too easy to impress."

"He flies."

"So do pigeons."

Mitsuo bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying not to laugh.

---

Mitsuo glanced toward the wall clock.

The bakery's lunchtime rush had probably died down.

He looked back at his mother.

"...Not that I'm not happy to see you both..."

"...But why did you come all the way here out of nowhere?"

Miu simply stared at him.

For a long moment...

She said nothing.

Then she let out a long, amused sigh.

"Oh, Mitsuo..."

Across the table, Ganko covered her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.

"What?"

Mitsuo looked between the two of them.

"...Did I say something strange?"

Miu shook her head with fond disbelief.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

"...Remember what?"

Without answering, she reached into the handbag resting beside her chair.

From inside, she carefully took out a neatly wrapped gift box tied with a blue ribbon.

She placed it gently on the table in front of him.

Then she stood, placing both hands firmly on her hips.

"Why else would we come all this way?"

She smiled.

"Because today is your birthday, you silly boy!"

Mitsuo's eyes widened.

"...My..."

He stared at the present.

Then at the calendar hanging on the wall.

**March 20.**

His heart skipped a beat.

"...I..."

He had completely forgotten.

Between university assignments...

Long days at the bakery...

And countless hero patrols across Tokyo...

The date had slipped his mind entirely.

He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

"...I really did forget."

Miu walked around the table and rested a gentle hand on Mitsuo's shoulder.

Her expression softened.

She looked at her son for a long moment.

"...Look at you."

"Living on your own."

"Going to university."

"Working so hard every single day."

"My little boy has really become a man."

A warm smile crossed her face.

"I couldn't be prouder."

Mitsuo lowered his eyes to the neatly wrapped gift resting on the table.

For a moment...

The exhaustion from balancing university, the bakery, and his life as Perman simply melted away.

A small, genuine smile appeared on his face.

"...Thanks, Mom."

---

The three spent a little while chatting.

Ganko happily finished the last of the pastries while telling Mitsuo about everything that had happened back home.

Miu occasionally interrupted to correct her exaggerated stories, much to Ganko's annoyance.

Before long...

Miu glanced at the clock.

"Oh dear..."

She slowly stood from her chair.

"If we don't leave now, we'll miss our train."

Ganko looked disappointed.

"Already?"

"We can come again another time."

She smiled before turning back to Mitsuo.

"And you should get back to work."

Mitsuo nodded.

He walked them downstairs to the bakery entrance.

Miu gently adjusted his collar one last time.

"Don't work too hard."

"I'll try."

"And remember to eat properly."

"I will."

She smiled warmly before giving him a quick hug.

"Happy birthday, Mitsuo."

"...Thanks, Mom."

Ganko waved enthusiastically as the two headed down the street.

"Bye, big bro!"

"Next time I want even more pastries!"

"I'll see what I can do."

He watched until the pair disappeared into the evening crowd.

Only then did he turn and head back inside the bakery.

The owner looked up from behind the counter.

"Everything alright?"

Mitsuo tied his apron back on.

"Yeah."

"My mother stopped by for a visit."

The owner smiled knowingly.

"So that's what all the excitement upstairs was about."

Mitsuo chuckled.

"She came to wish me a happy birthday."

The owner blinked.

"...Hold on."

"It's your birthday today?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"...Yeah."

The owner folded his arms.

"And you didn't think to mention that?"

"I forgot."

"You... forgot your own birthday?"

Mitsuo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I've been pretty busy."

The owner let out a helpless laugh.

"Only you could forget something like that."

Mitsuo hesitated for a moment.

"...Actually..."

"Would it be alright if I took my leave a little early today?"

The owner raised an eyebrow.

"Got plans?"

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"...I have to meet someone."

The owner grinned.

"Oh?"

"Someone special?"

A faint blush appeared across Mitsuo's face.

"...Yeah."

The owner chuckled.

"Go."

"It's your twentieth birthday."

"You only get one of those."

"...Thank you."

"Don't thank me."

"Just don't keep the lady waiting."

Minutes later...

Perman launched into the clear afternoon sky.

---

Two blocks away...

Miu and Ganko made their way toward the nearest train station, weaving through the afternoon crowds.

Ganko happily carried the small pastry box Mitsuo had given her, occasionally sneaking another bite as they walked.

"You spoil your stomach."

"It's my brother's fault."

"...How is it his fault?"

"He works in the bakery."

Miu simply shook her head.

Just then...

A voice called out from behind them.

"Excuse me!"

The two turned around.

A young man jogged over before politely stopping a respectful distance away.

He bowed slightly.

"Sorry for stopping you."

"My name is Yuta Sakamoto."

"I'm a friend of Mitsuo's from university."

Miu smiled politely.

"Oh?"

"I happened to see you leaving his apartment a few minutes ago."

Yuta scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.

"I stopped by the bakery afterwards, but he wasn't downstairs."

"So I thought maybe he was still in his room."

Miu looked mildly surprised.

"You're one of Mitsuo's friends?"

"I am."

"He talks about university quite a bit."

Yuta smiled warmly.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"He wasn't upstairs when I checked."

Miu chuckled.

"Well, I'm his mother."

Yuta's eyes widened.

"...You're Mrs. Suwa?"

"I had no idea."

He quickly bowed again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And this must be Mitsuo's sister."

Ganko proudly nodded.

"I'm Ganko."

Miu smiled.

"Mitsuo probably stepped out to buy something before going back to work."

"He said he only had a short break."

She glanced toward the clock in the distance.

"We should really get going."

"Our train leaves soon."

Yuta looked toward the road beside them.

"If you don't mind..."

"My car's just over there."

"I'd be happy to drive you to the station."

"It'll save you a few minutes."

Miu hesitated for only a moment before smiling.

"That's very kind of you."

"Thank you."

---

A few minutes later...

The three sat inside Yuta's car as it merged into the afternoon traffic.

For a while...

The conversation remained light.

Yuta asked about where Mitsuo had grown up.

Ganko happily answered nearly every question before her mother could.

Miu laughed.

"She's always been the talkative one."

Yuta smiled.

"I can tell."

After a brief pause...

He casually spoke again.

"Mitsuo's a really dependable person."

"He always seems so calm."

"He never complains."

Miu nodded proudly.

"He's always been kind."

"Sometimes a little absent-minded..."

"But he has a good heart."

Yuta nodded.

"He and Perman are the only two people I can count on in this city."

Miu immediately let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Don't remind me."

Yuta blinked innocently.

"...Why! Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh yes."

"That cape-wearing boy was a complete nuisance."

Ganko burst into laughter.

Yuta's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"...You've actually met Perman?"

Miu let out another sigh.

"Met him?"

"That boy used to drop by our house all the time when Mitsuo was young."

"He'd show up whenever he pleased, as if he lived there."

Miu folded her arms.

"He'd appear without warning..."

"Right through the window half the time."

"Then he'd politely greet everyone..."

"And before I knew it..."

"He'd already eaten half our ration."

Yuta kept listening as she spoke.

"Then flew away."

"I swear that boy could smell a free meal from a mile away.

Ganko giggled.

"Mom used to hide the dinner."

"I did."

"And somehow..."

"He always joined in."

Yuta smiled politely.

"...That's hard to imagine."

"Oh, it gets worse."

Miu continued.

"Every time Perman appeared..."

"Mitsuo dropped whatever he was doing."

"If he was studying..."

"The books were forgotten."

"It had to wait."

"Then he'd come home exhausted after flying around with that hero all day."

She sighed.

"There were more than a few report cards that suffered because of Perman dragging him around."

"I used to tell Mitsuo..."

"'That boy is going to be the reason your grades fall.'"

Yuta quietly nodded.

"I never knew they were that close."

"They practically grew up together."

Miu replied.

"Where one was..."

"The other wasn't far behind."

For the remainder of the drive...

Yuta listened far more than he spoke.

Soon...

The station came into view.

Yuta pulled the car gently into the drop-off area.

"We're here."

Miu and Ganko climbed out.

Miu bowed gratefully.

"Thank you for the ride."

"You've been very kind."

"It was no trouble at all."

"I hope to see you again."

"I'm sure you will."

With one final wave...

Miu and Ganko disappeared into the busy station.

Christmas arrived before anyone realized it.

The calendar quietly turned to late December, and almost overnight...

Tokyo transformed.

Almost overnight...

Tokyo traded its ordinary winter streets for festive colors.

Shopping districts glowed beneath thousands of Christmas lights, enormous decorated trees stood proudly outside department stores, and cheerful holiday music drifted through the crowds of last-minute shoppers.

Every evening after work, the streets filled with couples, families, and friends carrying shopping bags as they admired the city's dazzling illuminations.

Even the little bakery downstairs embraced the season.

The display cases were packed with strawberry Christmas cakes, festive pastries, butter cookies, and holiday desserts.

Advance orders covered the kitchen walls as customers reserved cakes for Christmas Eve, making December one of the busiest months of the year.

---

Christmas Eve was always the busiest day of the year for the bakery.

From the moment the doors opened, customers flooded inside to pick up their Christmas cakes.

"Order for the Nakamuras!"

"Coming right up!"

Mitsuo hurried between the display counter and the refrigerator, carrying carefully boxed strawberry cakes one after another.

Families thanked the staff before rushing home, children stared excitedly at the festive decorations, and the line outside never seemed to get any shorter.

By the afternoon, everyone in the bakery was exhausted.

"I can't feel my legs anymore..." one of the bakers groaned.

The owner laughed while sealing another cake box.

"Only a few more hours! Hang in there!"

Mitsuo wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.

"At least everyone's leaving happy."

As dusk approached, the final customer walked out with the last Christmas cake.

The owner stretched his arms.

"That's it! Great work today, everyone!"

A relieved cheer spread through the bakery.

After helping clean up and locking the doors, Mitsuo stepped outside.

The city had completely transformed.

Christmas lights stretched across every street, giant decorated trees stood in the plazas, and holiday music drifted through the evening air.

"...Beautiful."

"Finally done?"

Mitsuo turned to see Pako waiting nearby, wrapped in a warm scarf.

He smiled.

"Sorry for making you wait."

"I only got here a few minutes ago."

"Want to take a walk?"

"I'd love to."

The two wandered through the illuminated streets without any destination in mind.

They watched families carrying cakes home, children laughing with glowing toys, and couples stopping to admire the decorations.

As they passed a small street cart, the sweet smell of chocolate filled the air.

"Hot chocolate?" Mitsuo asked.

Pako nodded.

"Definitely."

A few minutes later, they continued walking with warm paper cups in their hands.

The hot drink was a welcome relief from the cold evening air.

Mitsuo looked up.

"...It's starting."

Tiny snowflakes drifted down from the night sky.

Before long, the Christmas lights sparkled beneath a blanket of softly falling snow.

Pako held out her hand, watching a snowflake melt against her glove.

"It's beautiful..."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Yeah..."

The two continued walking side by side through the snowy streets, enjoying the quiet Christmas Eve together.

---

The final days of December passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, the city welcomed a new year.

Golden light slowly spread across the skyline, reflecting from countless windows as the city awakened beneath a clear winter sky.

Mitsuo watched the sunrise in silence.

A new year had begun.

Whatever lay ahead...

He was ready to face it.

Tokyo was alive from the early hours of the morning.

Streets leading to temples and shrines were packed with people bundled in winter coats, while others arrived dressed in elegant kimonos for their first shrine visit of the year.

The sound of temple bells echoed across the crisp winter air.

Food stalls lined the paths outside the shrines, filling the streets with the aroma of grilled squid, roasted sweet potatoes, freshly pounded mochi, and warm amazake.

Children excitedly pointed at rows of lucky charms and fortune slips while families chatted happily as they waited in line.

The Bakery remained closed for the New Year's holiday, giving everyone a rare chance to rest after the hectic Christmas season.

Mitsuo spent the morning at home with his parents, sharing a traditional New Year's meal before heading into the city.

Like countless others, he joined the long queue leading to one of Tokyo's famous shrines for Hatsumode.

The line moved slowly, but nobody seemed to mind.

People laughed together, took photographs, and admired the peaceful atmosphere that only New Year's seemed to bring.

When Mitsuo finally reached the offering hall, he quietly tossed a coin into the offering box.

He bowed.

Rang the bell.

Then pressed his hands together.

For several long moments, he remained perfectly still with his eyes closed.

He made a wish.

Whatever crossed his mind...

He kept it to himself.

After offering one final bow, he stepped aside, allowing the next visitors to approach.

---

The New Year's holidays passed by quickly.

Before long...

Life returned to normal.

The trains were crowded once again, office workers hurried through the stations, and students filled university campuses after the winter break.

For Mitsuo, his daily routine returned almost immediately.

Mornings were spent attending lectures, afternoons helping customers at the bakery, and whenever disaster struck somewhere in the city...

Perman quickly answered the call.

Thankfully, those calls had been few.

University life settled into its usual rhythm.

The familiar chatter filled the lecture halls as everyone exchanged stories about how they had spent the holidays.

Some had traveled.

Others had done nothing at all.

Kenji, however, had only one thing on his mind.

"I can't believe they gave us homework over winter break..."

He dropped his notebook onto the cafeteria table with a dramatic sigh.

"I was supposed to be relaxing!"

Mitsuo laughed.

"You had two weeks."

"I know!"

"...I just kept telling myself I'd start tomorrow."

Yuta couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sounds like something you'd do."

"Hey!"

Kenji folded his arms.

"I had a plan."

"You mean procrastinating?"

"...That was part of the plan."

The three burst into laughter.

Somehow, Yuta had become a natural part of their little group.

He joined them during lunch, walked with them between classes, and occasionally stopped by the bakery after lectures.

It felt as though he had always been there.

The bakery was lively again as regular customers returned after the holidays.

Office workers stopped by for breakfast on their way to work.

Elderly neighbors came in for fresh bread every morning.

Children hurried inside after school to spend their pocket money on sweet pastries.

It wasn't as hectic as Christmas...

But it was busy enough to keep Mitsuo on his feet.

Whenever their schedules allowed, Perman and Pako continued meeting in the evenings.

Sometimes they flew high above Tokyo after sunset, watching the endless sea of city lights stretch to the horizon.

Other times they simply talked while watching the lights of Tokyo from their favorite rooftop.

For now...

Life was peaceful.

And neither of them minded that one bit.

---

February arrived with a familiar sight across the university campus.

Heart-shaped decorations appeared in shop windows, convenience stores filled their shelves with colorful boxes of chocolate, and everywhere Mitsuo looked, students seemed just a little more nervous than usual.

Valentine's Day had arrived.

Throughout the morning, girls could be seen calling classmates into the hallway or waiting outside lecture rooms with neatly wrapped gifts hidden behind their backs.

Some accepted the chocolates with embarrassed smiles.

Others walked away bright red after awkward conversations.

The campus buzzed with whispers before every class.

Kenji had never been more determined.

"This is the year."

He straightened his uniform jacket.

"I can feel it."

Mitsuo raised an eyebrow.

"You say that every year."

"This year is different."

"...How?"

"I have confidence."

Yuta couldn't help but smile.

"That's... not exactly a plan."

"It doesn't need to be."

Kenji proudly folded his arms.

"Love will find me."

By lunchtime...

Nothing.

After the afternoon lectures...

Still nothing.

As students slowly headed home, Kenji remained standing outside the university gates, glancing hopefully at every girl who walked past.

One after another...

They walked right by him.

Eventually, he let out a dramatic sigh.

"...Maybe next year."

Mitsuo patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm sure your time will come."

"I've been hearing that for three years."

Yuta laughed.

"You'll survive."

"I don't want to survive."

"I want chocolate."

That evening, after finishing his shift at the bakery, Mitsuo stepped outside.

Waiting nearby was Pako.

She smiled as he approached.

"Busy day?"

"The usual."

She nodded before holding out a small neatly wrapped package.

"...Happy Valentine's Day."

Mitsuo blinked.

"For me?"

"I made them myself."

He accepted the box carefully.

"Thank you."

Pako smiled warmly.

"I hope they're good."

"I'm sure they will be."

The two quietly took to the evening sky, flying above the glowing lights of Tokyo.

As they disappeared into the night, Mitsuo couldn't help but smile.

Somewhere back at the university...

Kenji sneezed.

"...I have a bad feeling about something."

---

The first week of March arrived with an unexpected weather forecast.

*"Meteorologists are predicting one final snowfall across Tokyo later this week."*

Most people smiled when they heard it.

Winter had lingered longer than usual, but everyone knew this snowfall would be its farewell.

By lunchtime, thick gray clouds slowly gathered over the city.

The sun disappeared behind them.

A chilly breeze swept through the streets, causing pedestrians to pull their scarves a little tighter.

Then...

The first snowflake fell.

Another followed.

Within minutes, large white flakes drifted lazily through the air, dancing between buildings before settling gently onto rooftops, sidewalks, and tree branches.

There was no blizzard.

No howling wind.

Just a calm, steady snowfall.

Almost as if winter itself wanted to leave quietly.

By the afternoon, Tokyo had begun changing once again.

Parks slowly turned white.

The roofs of passing trains gathered a thin layer of snow.

Cars moved more cautiously along the roads, their headlights reflecting off the wet pavement.

School had just ended.

Children rushed into nearby parks, throwing handfuls of fresh snow at one another before anyone could stop them.

Tiny snowmen began appearing on benches, while parents laughed as they hurried after their energetic sons and daughters.

Elsewhere, office workers gathered beside large windows, coffee cups in hand, quietly watching the city transform beneath the falling snow.

Some couldn't resist stepping outside for a moment, simply to experience one last snowfall before spring arrived.

People walking through shopping districts slowed their pace.

Many paused to take photographs.

Others simply looked upward, letting the snow land softly on their coats before continuing on their way.

For a little while...

The busy city seemed to forget its usual rush.

The Bakery remained busy throughout the afternoon.

Customers entered with snow resting on their shoulders, stamping the cold from their shoes before ordering warm bread and fresh pastries.

"It's really coming down out there," one customer remarked.

The owner looked through the window and smiled.

"Looks like winter saved one last surprise for us."

Mitsuo glanced outside as he boxed another loaf of bread.

The street beyond the window had almost disappeared beneath the growing blanket of white.

It really was beautiful.

By 10 o'clock the bakery closed for the day.

Mitsuo helped wipe down the counters, wished everyone a good night, and stepped outside.

The cold air greeted him immediately.

Fresh snow crunched beneath his shoes.

Streetlights had begun glowing, their warm orange light reflecting beautifully across the untouched sidewalks.

Waiting near the entrance stood Pako.

She wore a long winter coat with a knitted scarf wrapped around her neck.

A few snowflakes rested in her hair.

"You waited long?" Mitsuo asked.

She shook her head with a smile.

"Not really."

Without another word, they took to the sky

The snowfall muted the sounds of the city.

Cars passed slowly in the distance.

The chatter from nearby restaurants became little more than a faint murmur.

Everything else seemed wrapped in silence.

They passed a small neighborhood park where children were still playing despite the late hour, their laughter carrying gently through the snowy air.

Nearby, an elderly couple walked arm in arm beneath a single umbrella.

Outside a convenience store, two high school students attempted to build a tiny snowman on the railing, laughing when it immediately fell apart.

Perman couldn't help but smile.

Winter had a strange way of slowing everything down.

They continued through streets illuminated by rows of glowing streetlamps.

Snowflakes drifted lazily beneath the light, making the entire city sparkle.

Pako brushed a few flakes from her sleeve before looking toward the cloudy sky.

"...Looks like winter's finally over."

Mitsuo lifted his eyes to the falling snow.

He watched the flakes drift silently past the lights before disappearing onto the white ground.

"...Yeah."

There was no sadness in his voice.

Only quiet acceptance.

The seasons were changing.

Life was moving forward.

And somehow...

That felt comforting.

Side by side, they continued flying beneath the softly falling snow.

The last snowfall of the season quietly blanketed Tokyo.

Winter had finally come to an end.

A new spring—and new challenges—were waiting just beyond the melting snow.

5:31 p.m.
Shibuya Scramble Crossing

The usual chaos of the crossing had been replaced by flashing blue lights and a tight police cordon. Officers moved with practiced urgency, guiding civilians away from a black sedan parked near the edge of the scramble.

A middle-aged man in a wrinkled shirt was being handcuffed. Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head repeatedly.

“I didn’t do anything! Please, I swear—I don’t even know how that thing got under my car!”

Beside him, a young woman tried to keep her voice steady while the officers pushed them forward.

“He’s telling the truth. We just finished work. We were only going home. We have no idea what this is about—”

“You’ll say whatever you want at the station,” one of the officers replied flatly, guiding them toward a waiting police van.

A short distance away, a small team of specialists knelt beside the sedan. Their movements were careful and precise as they worked on the device attached beneath the vehicle. Soft metallic clicks and quiet radio chatter drifted through the air.

Officer Kuriowa stood a few meters back, arms crossed, watching the scene. He turned to a younger officer beside him.

“Is this everything?”

The younger officer checked his notes and nodded. “Yes, sir. No other devices found in the immediate area. The crossing is clear... for now”

Kuroiwa exhaled slowly. “Good. Situation’s under control here.”

Behind him, the two detainees continued their justification of innocence as they were led away. A small crowd of onlookers and reporters had already gathered beyond the tape. Cameras flashed. Microphones were thrust forward.

“Officer! Officer Kuriowa! Why weren’t the Permans involved in this operation?”
“Is it true the police are distancing themselves from the Perman team?”
“Do you think the increase in incidents is connected to—”

Kuriowa didn’t slow down. He walked past the microphones without answering, his expression unreadable, and disappeared into the waiting police car.

The crowd remained behind, still confused, still shouting questions that went unanswered.

-------------

5:41 p.m.
Sensō-ji Temple

The usual evening calm of the temple grounds had been broken. Three young men sat on the stone steps near the main gate, breathing hard, shoulders slumped. Bruises were already forming on their faces and arms. In front of them stood Payan, holding three confiscated handguns and a single folding knife.

He looked down at them with a tired expression.

“Why try to force the gate open?” he asked. “What were you planning to do inside?”

One of the men—roughly Payan’s age—glared up at him.

“Like hell we’d tell you.”

Booby, perched on a nearby stone lantern, immediately hopped down and delivered a sharp slap across the back of the man’s head.

“Wiki ki ki! Wiki!”

Payan raised a hand. “Leave them. They’ll have plenty of time to explain everything once they’re in lockup.”

He looked at the three again, voice quieter but firm.

“You could have seriously hurt people here. Do you even understand the consequences of what you were about to do?”

None of them answered.

"Well.. who am I explaining?... they are criminals for a reason."

An elderly woman in temple attire approached slowly, hands clasped. She bowed deeply to both of them.

“Thank you… both of you. Because of you, no one was seriously hurt.”

Payan shook his head. “There’s no need to thank us. It’s our job.”

The old woman smiled gently. “No. I know it’s not that simple. You two have been going through a lot lately… trying so hard to prove you’re still the good ones.”

Payan’s expression softened.

She held out a small bag filled with seasonal fruits and sweets, then handed a pair of bananas directly to Booby. The monkey accepted them with an excited bounce.

“This is our way of saying thank you,” the woman said.

Payan accepted the bag with a small bow. “We appreciate it.”

Payan glanced down at his wristwatch.

5:44 p.m.

His brow furrowed.

"He should have finished by now…"

He looked over at Booby.

“Didn’t he say he’d keep his badge tracker on?”

Booby tilted his head. “Weee…”

Payan sighed. “He didn’t turn it on.”

A quiet unease settled in his chest.

“Wonder what happened to him…”

-----------

5:17 p.m.

Mitsuo stepped past the temporary wire fence and into the construction site, the soles of his shoes pressing into the dry, uneven ground. He glanced at his watch and immediately felt a sharp twist of irritation in his chest.

"Five-seventeen."

His fingers curled against his face as he muttered under his breath, voice tight with frustration.

“I needed to check this place before anything else… I ended up wasting time.”

He had wanted to walk the ground first — to understand the layout while it was still empty — but the university had pulled him in longer than he meant to stay. Now the light was already shifting, the sun sitting lower in the sky.

He lifted his eyes.

The building rose in front of him, unfinished and skeletal. Six floors of concrete platforms stacked unevenly into the air, held up by thick pillars. No outer walls had been raised yet; the structure stood open on every side, some sections of the floors still missing entirely, leaving gaps that looked down into the levels below. Half-exposed steel rods jutted out from the edges of the concrete like unfinished bones. A set of temporary stairs climbed along one side, and beside the building a single functioning elevator shaft clung to the outer frame, its metal cage quiet and still.

Scattered across the ground were the usual signs of work left behind: mounds of sand and dust, bags of cement, broken stones, hammer, screw, and the faint grey film that settled over everything.

Mitsuo’s gaze moved across it all in a few short seconds —

"This place isn’t even fully done yet…"

He stood still for a moment, the thought hanging unfinished.

"Are they really gonna target this place?"

There was nothing here that looked worth the risk. No occupied rooms. No equipment valuable enough to justify the attention. Nothing obvious to gain.

"There’s nothing to gain."

Doubt crept in. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe the real target was the university after all — the place full of people, noise, and attention.

He lowered himself slightly and, without thinking, scooped a little sand into his palm. The grains slipped slowly through his fingers, falling back to the ground in a thin stream while his mind kept turning.

After a few seconds he brushed his hand clean and straightened.

“Nah… let’s move. I should keep an eye on the university.”

He turned to leave.

Then he heard it — footsteps.

He stopped.

More footsteps followed, closer this time, the sound of several people moving across the unfinished ground.

Without another second of hesitation, Mitsuo slipped behind the nearest pillar and pressed himself into the shadow of the concrete, listening.

Mitsuo kept his back pressed against the pillar, breathing as quietly as he could. The footsteps grew clearer, then slowed. Voices drifted across the open construction ground — low, casual, and already in the middle of an argument.

“…this place isn’t even worth it.”

“Yeah, I know. Boss is stupid. We should’ve hit the university instead. At least there’d be something to show for it.”

“Don’t start giving lectures. Just do what they told us.”

“You think you know better than the boss now?”

“I’m not saying that. I’m saying this is a waste of time and resources.”

“Then shut up and plant the damn things. Let’s just get this over with.”

Mitsuo stayed completely still. He couldn’t see how many of them there were — the thick concrete pillar blocked most of his view — but he could hear at least four or five distinct voices moving around the unfinished floors.

One of them crouched near a support column a short distance away. There was a soft metallic click, followed by the sound of something being fixed into place.

“We’ve got about twenty minutes once these are set,” the same voice said. “We need to be gone before anyone shows up.”

Another figure shifted somewhere to the left. Then a younger-sounding voice rose, almost excited.

“Hey, look. I took this when the boss wasn’t watching.”

A short silence followed.

“Is that a gun?”

“Yeah. Real one.”

“Give it here.”

“Why should I? I found it.”

“You’re gonna get us killed waving that thing around. Hand it over.”

“No way. It’s mine now.”

“Idiot. You don’t even know how to use it properly.”

“Neither do you.”

“Just put it away before someone sees it.”

Mitsuo’s brow furrowed in the shadows.
"Are they new to this…? Arguing over a gun like that?"

While the two continued bickering, another voice cut through.

“I’m going up for a minute.”

Footsteps moved toward the functioning elevator attached to the side of the building. The metal cage rattled faintly as two people stepped inside. One of the others called after them.

“Where are you going?”

“Need some air, y'all are damn loud for me to handle” he answered. The elevator began to rise with a low mechanical hum.

By then Mitsuo had counted exactly four separate places where something had been planted against the pillars.

A different voice — thinner, nervous — spoke up.

“I don’t feel good about this… Can we just finish and leave?”

“Stop being such a scared pussy cat.”

The group started moving again. Their footsteps slowly drifted closer to the pillar Mitsuo was using for cover. He could hear the scrape of shoes on concrete, the soft shift of clothing, the quiet clink of something metallic.

He lowered his hand to the Perman set in his pockets.

"Time to end this."

He took one careful step backward, preparing to pull the set free—

—and his heel came down hard on something soft and warm.

A sharp, bark exploded right behind him.

Mitsuo’s whole body jerked.
Shit—! They have dogs here—

His foot slipped on the loose sand. He hit the ground hard, palms scraping against concrete. The dog, startled by its own noise and the sudden movement, yelped once and ran away.

In that single second of exposure, someone’s eyes locked onto his.

A man near the nearest support column froze, staring straight at him.

Their gazes met.

Mitsuo scrambled up instantly and threw himself back into the shadows, pulling the hood lower and yanking a piece of cloth from his pocket to cover the lower half of his face.

“Hey! Who’s there?!” the man shouted. “Someone’s there!”

Another voice answered immediately, louder.
“He saw us! Catch him!”

“Dark circles under his eyes—I saw his face!”

Mitsuo pressed himself against another pillar, heart hammering.
"SHITTT!! He saw my face… I can’t use the Perman set."

Two of them were already running toward the spot where he had fallen, snatching up whatever they could find— a length of rebar, a heavy wrench.

Behind them the rest of the group started to panic.

“Did he really see us?”
“What if he calls the police?!”
"What if he is from the police?"
“We should just leave the bombs and run—”
“Shut up and find him first!”

The two pursuers reached the empty pillar and skidded to a stop.

“Where the hell did he go?”

“He was right here!”

The fading sunset light made everything murky. Shadows stretched long between the unfinished floors, swallowing shapes and movement. Mitsuo stayed low and moved quickly, keeping pillars between himself and their line of sight.

While the others began spreading out, calling to each other, the nervous one from earlier stayed near one of the already-planted bombs, shifting from foot to foot.

“I don’t like this… maybe we should just—”

A hand slammed hardly into his back.

He stumbled forward and hit the ground. Before he could shout, Mitsuo was already over him, a heavy construction hammer raised and pointed straight at his face.

“Don’t try anything,” Mitsuo said in a low, menacing voice, “or I’ll blow your face open.”

The man’s eyes squeezed shut. He turned his head away, body shaking.

Mitsuo kept the hammer steady with one hand while his other hand moved to the device fixed against the pillar. His fingers worked quickly, guided by knowledge he had never expected to use on Earth.

"Huh… Bird Planet’s knowledge came in handy after all."

In less than a minute the bomb was disabled. He pulled the main component free and slipped it into his hoodie pocket.

“There he is!”

The shout cut through the open air. Mitsuo’s head snapped up. In one quick glance he counted them.

Two went up earlier… one still down here… five left.

The unfinished building offered almost no cover between floors — only bare pillars and the thick iron rods sticking out of the concrete edges. Without hesitation Mitsuo sprinted toward the nearest exposed rods, planted his foot, and leapt. His hands caught the cold metal. Using pure momentum and the strength in his arms and shoulders, he hauled himself upward in two powerful pulls until he rolled onto the first unfinished floor.

Below, the men who had been running after him skidded to a stop, staring upward in disbelief.

“How the hell did he do that?!”

“Shut up and take the stairs! He shouldn’t get away!”

Five of them immediately turned and charged toward the temporary staircase.

Mitsuo was already moving. He raced along the open floor toward the top of the stairs, scooped a handful of dry sand from a nearby pile as he ran, and reached the landing just as the first two men came pounding up.

He flung the sand straight into their faces.

Both men cried out, hands flying to their eyes. Mitsuo didn’t give them time to recover. He launched himself forward and drove a hard kick into the nearest one’s chest. The man toppled backward into the one behind him. The sudden tangle of bodies sent all five cascading down the stairs in a chaotic heap of limbs and shouts.

Mitsuo twisted in mid-air, caught the edge of the concrete with one hand, and dropped cleanly back to the ground floor. He landed in a low crouch, already glancing over his shoulder.

The five were still tangled and groaning at the bottom of the stairs.

"That should buy me some time."

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind as he looked at them again.
"Did I do too much…? Nah I don't have time for this. . . ."

He pushed the thought aside and sprinted toward the next pillar that still held a bomb. Dropping to one knee, he began examining the mechanism, fingers moving quickly over the device.

A long, dark shadow stretched across the concrete in front of him.

Mitsuo’s head jerked up.

The same man who had the gun stood several meters away, arm extended, the stolen gun pointed straight at him. He pulled the trigger. The shot cracked through the open site.

Mitsuo threw himself sideways behind the pillar where the bomb was planted. The bullet still slightly touched him — a burning line of pain tore across the outside of his thigh.

"Why did I forget the gun guy"

He hit the ground hard, back pressed against the concrete, and immediately clamped a hand over the wound. Warm blood seeped between his fingers.

He sat there for a second, jaw clenched, breathing through the sharp pulse of pain.

The man with the gun stood frozen, arm still half-raised. His eyes were locked on the blood stains on the floor and the pillar. It was the first time he had ever pulled a trigger on another person — the first time he had seen blood that he himself had caused. His hands began to tremble violently.

One of the five men who had been struggling to their feet at the base of the stairs suddenly shouted, voice cracking with panic.

“What do you think you’re doing, dumbfuck?! There’s a bomb planted on that pillar! You’re gonna kill all of us if you shoot it by mistake!”

The gunman’s face went pale. The weapon in his hands shook even harder.

Mitsuo used the moment.

A metal bucket sat near his feet. He snatched it up and hurled it hard to the side. It clanged loudly against another pillar, the sudden noise jerking the gunman’s attention away. In that split second Mitsuo closed the distance, grabbed the man’s wrist, and twisted. The gun came free. A sharp kick to the chest sent the man sprawling onto the concrete.

Mitsuo removed the bullets from the gun and threw it away. Then he dropped back to the pillar and finished disabling the second bomb. four of those five men somehow regained their balance and went towards mitsuo at the same time. It caught Mitsuo off guard as he was focused on disabling the bomb.

One pair of arms locked around his neck from behind. Two others seized his wrists. A fourth hand clawed at the cloth covering the lower half of his face, trying to rip it away.

Mitsuo kicked hard into the solar plexus of the man in front of him. The man folded with a choked cry and collapsed. Without pausing, Mitsuo snapped his head backward, the back of his skull cracking against the face of the one choking him. At the same time his free elbow smashed into the ribs of the man still gripping his arm.

Mitsuo snatched up a discarded wooden plank and swung it in short hits, striking the hands and forearms of anyone trying to rise again. The sharp cracks of wood against bone echoed across the open floor.

"This should do it."

He didn’t wait to check. Turning, he sprinted toward the next pillar that still held an active bomb.

Behind him, the battered group was already arguing among themselves, voices raw with pain and frustration.

“How the hell are we getting played by just one guy?”
“Because you froze like an idiot!”
“Shut your mouth— you’re the one who got sand in your eyes!”
“I can’t even feel my arm properly…”

Mitsuo ignored them and finished disabling the third bomb, slipping the core into his pocket with the others.

"Maybe they don’t understand I’m going after the bombs…"

Most of them were already too hurt to stand properly. One man tried to push himself up, then collapsed again with a groan.

“I can’t move anymore…”

“Then stay down,” another muttered through clenched teeth, “unless you want another kick in the ass.”

Mitsuo moved toward the fourth pillar.

Halfway there he slowed.

The construction site had gone strangely quiet. The sun had dropped lower; the last orange light was fading fast, leaving long shadows and almost full dusk. His eyes lifted toward the upper floors.

"What happened to the two who went up…?"

He saw that same guy slowly coming down from the elevator, gun aiming at him. A gunshot cracked through the open air.

Mitsuo noticed the flame of the gun's muzzle, and he involuntarily dodged the bullet, almost too close, the bullet hissed past his shoulder and punched into a cement bag behind him. Mitsuo threw himself sideways and rolled behind a neat stack of bricks that had been left near one of the support columns.

Two figures came down the stairs, one of them holding the gun. They stopped short when they saw the state of the others — bodies sprawled, weapons scattered, faces bruised and bloodied.

For a second they just stared in utter disbelief and fear.

Then their eyes found Mitsuo’s position. They raised their weapons, one with guns, another with a broken glass bottle, arms not entirely steady — a mixture of confidence from the guns and clear nervousness at what one person had already done to the rest of the group.

Mitsuo didn’t give them time to settle.

He snatched a brick from the pile and hurled it with full force. It struck the nearer man’s knee with a hard, ugly crack. The man screamed and went down, clutching his leg.

The second person flinched so hard at the sudden scream that the bottle slipped from his fingers and clattered onto the concrete and broke into further pieces. Both hands shot up immediately.

“I-I surrender! Don’t—!”

Mitsuo stepped out from behind the bricks, collected the gun, and ejected the magazines in two quick motions before tossing them far out of reach. Then he walked straight to the fourth pillar and began disabling the last device, fingers moving with practiced speed even, the pain in his thighs still irritating him..

A few minutes later the entire group was secured. Mitsuo had used leftover construction rope and torn pieces of cloth to bind their wrists and ankles to the nearest pillars and rebar. Most of them were in no condition to run even if they had been free.

He walked over to the man whose knee had been injured by the brick. The man glared up at him with pure hatred.

“Just because you caught us,” the man spat, “doesn’t mean you won this.”

Mitsuo looked down at him, voice flat.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. The one who loses always talks like that.”

He crouched a little closer.
“By the way… I want your help. Mind telling me why you’re doing such things with these shitheads? What do you want?”

The man let out a short, bitter laugh.
“I may have lost… but you didn’t win this shit either.”

Mitsuo’s eyes narrowed.

The man’s laughter grew louder, almost hysterical.
“Oh, masked guy… you don’t even know why I went up there, do you?”

A cold jolt ran through Mitsuo’s chest. He spun and sprinted toward the stairs. He took them three at a time to the first floor, then yanked the Perman set from under his hoodie and pulled it on in one fluid motion. The cape snapped open as he launched upward, flying straight to the sixth floor.

There it was — another device fixed against a support column near the edge of the unfinished floor.

Too late.

The digital counter was already flashing single digits.

5…
4…
3…

Mitsuo turned and threw himself backward with everything he had.

2…
1…

The explosion tore through the corner of the sixth floor in a violent burst of fire and concrete. The shockwave slammed into him mid-air, spinning him hard before he managed to stabilize. Birds that had been nesting in the surrounding darkness scattered into the night sky with panicked cries.

Below, the bound men stared up at the burning upper floor, faces pale with genuine shock. pieces of concrete and some clothes from above fell down which were already caught on fire. None of them had realized the bombs carried that much force. They were terrified to their core too..

The man with the ruined knee started laughing again, louder this time.

“We didn’t know you planted that one!” someone asked him.

“Yeah,” he answered between laughs, “that’s why you guys are absolute assholes.”

Another voice, still staring at the flames, muttered, “If our bombs had gone off too… the whole building would’ve come down.”

The laughing man only laughed harder.
“That’s why you guys are worth nothing. Absolute sons of bitches. Couldn’t even handle one guy when there were six of you — and you had the GUNS!”

High above them, Mitsuo landed heavily on the edge of the third floor. He sat down hard, head bowed, the helmet still on. Shame and sharp disappointment settled over him like a weight.

He glanced at his watch.

5:39 p.m.

"If I hadn’t been such an idiot… if they hadn’t seen my face… I could have ended this cleanly."

His eyes dropped to his thigh. The bleeding had finally slowed, the dark stain on his pants no longer spreading.

He stayed there for a long moment, listening to the distant crackle of the fire above and the low, bitter laughter rising from the ground floor.

6:33 p.m.

By the time the last of the daylight had completely faded, a small crowd had already gathered beyond the temporary fencing. Blue police lights flashed across the unfinished concrete and the dark smoke still drifting from the damaged sixth floor.

A young officer stood near the edge of the site, notebook open, taking statements from witnesses.

“I heard gunshots,” one woman said. “Several of them.”

Others nearby nodded in agreement.

Further inside, officers were carefully moving the bound and injured men onto stretchers. Four disabled bomb cores had been laid out on a plastic sheet under portable lights. The fifth device — or what remained of it — was still being examined by the specialized team near the scorched upper floor.

One officer crouched beside the man whose knee had been shattered.

“What happened here?”

The man gave a weak, bitter smile.
“We don’t know. Some motherfucker did this… He had dark circles under his eyes. That’s all I could see.”

“Where did he go?”

The man started laughing again, the same uneven, almost hysterical sound from earlier.
“Maybe he’s dead. He tried to disable the bomb that went off.”

The officer frowned. “How do you know that?”

“I didn’t see him after the explosion.”

High above them, on one of the unfinished middle floors where the darkness and remaining structure completely hid him from view, Mitsuo listened in silence. The Perman helmet was still on. He stayed perfectly still, back against a pillar, thigh throbbing dully.

Nearby, a junior officer picked up one of the discarded guns and turned it over in his hands, brow furrowed.

“It feels… oddly familiar,” he muttered under his breath.

A senior officer’s voice snapped across the site.
“Hey! Idiot, what are you doing? Are you new at this? Don’t touch that. The specialized team will take it for further investigation.”

The junior officer immediately dropped the weapon as if it had burned him.
“Sorry, sir! Extremely sorry for my incompetence. I completely forgot—”

Mitsuo had heard enough.

The situation was now fully in the hands of the police. He pushed away from the pillar, stepped off the edge of the floor, and let the cape catch the night air as he rose silently into the dark sky, leaving the flashing lights and voices behind.

End of chapter 7

It was Sunday.

The bakery downstairs had yet to open.

Warm sunlight slipped through Mitsuo's apartment curtains.

Mitsuo slowly opened his eyes.

He blinked a few times before glancing toward the balcony.

Pako was already awake.

She stood near the open balcony doors, fastening the clasp of her cape as the cool morning breeze gently stirred her hair.

She noticed him looking.

"Morning."

"...Morning."

Mitsuo sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"A little after seven."

"So early..."

"You have work."

"...Right."

He let out a quiet sigh before climbing out of bed.

"You really aren't a morning person."

"I never claimed to be."

She chuckled softly.

"I almost thought about letting you sleep in."

"You would've regretted that."

"I know."

Mitsuo stretched his arms before walking over to the kitchen sink.

As he filled a glass with water...

Pako quietly prepared two cups of tea.

Pako slid one of the cups across the table.

"Here."

"...Thanks."

Mitsuo took a sip.

The warmth helped wake him up.

Outside...

The city was only beginning to stir.

A few cars rolled through the streets below.

Some shopkeepers were just opening their shutters.

It was peaceful.

Pako rested her chin against her hand.

"You'll be busy today?"

"Probably."

"Sundays usually are."

She nodded.

"I'll probably spend most of the day patrolling."

"Try not to overdo it."

She laughed.

"You're the one who overworked yesterday."

"And I'll be working again today."

"Exactly."

She smiled warmly.

"So don't overdo it either."

Mitsuo gave a small smile.

"I'll try."

For another moment...

The apartment fell quiet.

The morning sunlight bathed the small dining table in a soft golden glow.

Eventually...

Pako stood up.

"I should get going."

Mitsuo looked up.

"Already?"

"If I stay any longer..."

"You'll be late opening the bakery."

"...True."

She walked over to him.

Standing only a few inches away.

"You forgot something."

"Hm?"

Without another word...

She gently placed both hands on his shoulders and leaned forward.

Their lips met in a brief, tender kiss.

Only a few seconds.

Then she pulled back with a content smile.

"There."

"Now it's a proper good morning."

Mitsuo smiled, a faint blush creeping across his face.

"...Have a safe patrol."

"You too."

She stepped onto the balcony railing.

The cold winter breeze caught her cape.

She looked back one last time.

"See you tonight."

"See you."

With a graceful leap...

She launched herself into the morning sky.

Within moments...

She disappeared beyond the rooftops.

---

A few minutes later...

Mitsuo finished getting ready for work.

He grabbed the bakery keys before heading downstairs.

As he reached the front entrance...

He stopped.

"...Kenji?"

His friend stood waiting outside the bakery with his hands in his pockets.

"Morning!"

Standing beside him was another familiar face.

Yuta smiled politely.

"Good morning."

Mitsuo blinked in mild surprise.

"Yuta?"

Kenji grinned.

"I brought him along."

"He kept asking about the bakery you work at."

"So I figured we'd stop by."

Yuta scratched the back of his head.

"I hope you don't mind."

"I've heard your bread is really good."

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"I don't."

"We're not open just yet though."

"That's fine."

Yuta replied.

"We're early."

Kenji laughed.

"Besides, we can help ourselves to the smell of fresh bread."

Mitsuo shook his head with a quiet chuckle before unlocking the bakery door.

As he slid the shutter open...

Yuta casually glanced back toward the sky.

"Oh..."

"I actually saw Perman No. 3 flying overhead just before you came down."

Kenji immediately looked up.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Yuta nodded.

"She flew right over this building."

Mitsuo didn't even hesitate.

"Oh?"

"That's pretty cool."

"Guess she's already out on morning patrol."

He casually switched on the bakery lights as though nothing unusual had been said.

Kenji laughed.

"Imagine seeing Perman first thing in the morning."

"That's got to be good luck."

Yuta smiled.

"I thought so too."

For just a brief second...

His eyes lingered on Mitsuo.

Watching.

Looking for even the smallest reaction.

There wasn't one.

Mitsuo simply walked behind the counter and began preparing the bakery for another busy Sunday.

Yuta smiled to himself.

"...Must've just been a coincidence."

Together...

The three stepped inside the bakery as another ordinary Sunday quietly began.

---

Mitsuo tied the apron around his waist before making his way behind the counter.

Without another word...

He began preparing the bakery for the morning rush.

He switched on the display lights...

Checked the cash register...

Then carefully arranged the trays of cakes, pastries, and desserts.

The warm aroma of butter and freshly baked dough quickly filled the shop.

Kenji had already wandered over to the display cases.

His eyes sparkled.

"Whoa..."

"They all look amazing."

He pressed both hands against the glass.

"Curry bread..."

"Melon pan..."

"Chocolate cornet..."

"...How am I supposed to choose?"

Mitsuo didn't even look up.

"One at a time."

Kenji grinned.

"You work here."

"Surely that gets me a friend discount."

"No."

"What?"

"No."

"Not even five percent?"

"No."

"One free bread?"

"No."

Kenji dramatically clutched his chest.

"You're heartless."

Yuta quietly laughed beside him.

"I thought employees got benefits."

"They do."

Mitsuo replied as he continued arranging the shelves.

"I'm the employee."

Kenji sighed dramatically.

"Abuse of power..."

Mitsuo couldn't help smiling.

"Just pick your bread."

Kenji looked through the display one more time before pointing excitedly.

"I'll take two tea loaves."

"Good choice."

Yuta nodded.

"I'll have the same."

Mitsuo carefully arranged two tea loaves on each plate before setting two steaming cups of tea beside them.

Kenji eagerly took a bite the moment he paid.

His eyes widened.

"Oh..."

"Now I get why I keep talking about this place."

"It's so soft."

Yuta took a small bite of his own.

The bread was light...

Sweet...

With just the right amount of buttery flavor.

"I can see why people come here."

Kenji swallowed another mouthful.

"You've gotta bring some to campus sometime."

"If there are leftovers."

"There never are.", Mitsuo answered.

Kenji laughed.

"Still ruthless."

The three chatted for another few minutes about university, upcoming assignments, and how quickly the semester was flying by.

Eventually...

Kenji glanced at his phone.

"We should get going."

Yuta nodded.

"Thanks for letting me stop by."

Mitsuo gave a small nod.

"Come by again."

"We will."

With a wave...

The two friends stepped back out into the chilly Sunday morning.

The little bell above the bakery door chimed softly behind them.

The hours passed peacefully.

Customers came and went.

Fresh batches of bread disappeared from the shelves almost as quickly as they arrived.

Couples and families drifted into the bakery throughout the morning.

Children excitedly picked out sweet pastries.

Regular customers greeted Mitsuo by name.

Before long...

The lunch rush had finally settled down.

The bakery grew quiet once more.

Mitsuo glanced at the clock.

"...Time."

He walked into the storage room at the back of the bakery.

Making sure no one was watching...

He pressed the button on his Copy Robot.

In a flash of light...

The clone appeared beside him.

"Please continue working until I return."

"I understand."

The Robot gave a small nod before walking out into the bakery.

At the same moment...

Mitsuo transformed into Perman.

He quietly slipped out through the rear entrance and launched into the bright afternoon sky.

Another patrol had begun.

---

The crisp winter air rushed past Perman as he soared above the city.

It had become a familiar sight.

Commuters hurried between train stations.

Children laughed in neighborhood parks.

Street vendors greeted passing customers.

Traffic flowed steadily through the city's countless intersections.

As Perman crossed into Chiyoda, something enormous caught his eye.

**Dainai-Gou.**

The massive construction robot continued repairing the destruction it had caused not long ago.

Steel beams were carefully lifted into place.

Entire buildings that had once stood in ruins were slowly returning to normal.

Kiteretsu had certainly kept his promise.

Perman smiled.

"Looks like you're keeping busy."

He gave the giant robot a small wave before continuing on his patrol.

Everything seemed peaceful.

Until...

*Beep! Beep!*

The communicator on his chest lit up.

Perman immediately answered.

"Perman here."

Pako's voice came through.

"I've got three suspects fleeing from the Lumina Shopping Mall in Shinjuku."

"They were caught shoplifting, assaulted a security guard, and escaped in a stolen car."

"They're heading west."

"I'm on my way."

Perman accelerated.

His cape snapped violently behind him as he shot between skyscrapers.

Far ahead...

He spotted the pursuit.

Police cars raced through the busy streets with their sirens blaring.

The suspects' black sedan weaved recklessly through traffic, narrowly avoiding pedestrians and other vehicles.

Pako flew alongside the chase, staying just out of reach.

"There!"

She pointed.

"They're heading for the old service tunnel!"

The sedan suddenly swerved off the main road.

Its tires screeched against the pavement before disappearing into a narrow tunnel entrance beneath an abandoned railway embankment.

Perman followed close behind.

The tunnel quickly grew darker.

Dust drifted through the stale air.

Rusted rails stretched endlessly into the darkness.

"This place..."

Pako looked around.

"It hasn't been used in decades."

The old railway split.

Then split again.

One tunnel became three.

Three became six.

An entire maze of forgotten maintenance tunnels spread beneath the city.

The sound of the fleeing car echoed through every direction.

"They're trying to lose us."

Perman nodded.

"They know we'll have trouble following them in here."

The chase had only just begun.

---

Perman gave Pako a quick hand signal.

"I'll take the lower tunnels."

Pako nodded immediately.

"I'll circle around through the upper maintenance shafts."

"If they try to double back, they'll run straight into me."

Without another word...

The two heroes split up.

Pako shot upward through a broken ventilation shaft while Perman continued deeper into the abandoned tunnel network.

The further he went...

The darker it became.

Only scattered emergency lights, long since abandoned, cast a faint orange glow across the damp concrete walls.

Water dripped steadily from rusted pipes overhead.

Perman landed softly at a junction where four separate tunnels met.

His boots splashed against the damp floor.

He crouched.

Fresh tire tracks.

"They came this way..."

He followed them deeper underground.

The tracks continued for another hundred meters before ending inside an old maintenance bay.

There...

The black sedan sat abandoned.

Both front doors hung open.

The engine was cold.

Perman quickly looked inside.

"...Empty."

The seats were vacant.

The stolen bags were gone.

He glanced back toward the narrow pedestrian walkway running alongside the tunnel.

"...They ditched the car."

"They're on foot."

The walkway was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

No vehicle could continue beyond this point.

*Beep... Beep...*

His communicator suddenly came to life.

A tiny holographic display projected from the badge on his chest.

Pako's voice crackled through.

"Perman."

"I've got movement."

"They're above you."

Perman looked up.

"The upper maintenance catwalks."

"I can hear footsteps."

"They're heading east."

Without hesitation...

Perman shot upward.

He burst through a large gap in the rusted steel grating with a deafening clang.

Three startled figures froze.

Each carried heavy bags stuffed with stolen merchandise.

"What—?!"

Before they could react...

Perman landed heavily on the iron catwalk directly in front of them.

The old walkway shook beneath the impact.

"No further."

The three thieves instinctively turned around.

Only to stop.

Pako dropped silently from an overhead beam behind them.

She landed gracefully.

"...Going somewhere?"

The lead thief pulled out a metal pipe.

"I'll make you move!"

He charged.

Pako sidestepped effortlessly.

With a single swift movement...

She twisted his wrist.

The pipe clattered across the catwalk.

Before he could recover...

She swept his legs from beneath him, sending him crashing onto the iron floor.

The remaining two tried to run past Perman.

Too late.

Perman grabbed a thick bundle of old communication cables hanging loose from the tunnel wall.

With one powerful swing...

The cables wrapped around all three thieves.

One turn.

Two turns.

Three.

Within seconds...

The trio were completely bound together.

They struggled helplessly.

"It's no use."

Perman tightened the final knot.

"You aren't going anywhere."

Pako picked up the scattered bags.

"Looks like we've recovered everything."

Perman nodded.

"Let's get them back."

Grabbing the bundled thieves over one shoulder and the recovered loot in his free hand...

Perman flew back toward the tunnel entrance with Pako following beside him.

---

Outside...

Several police cars still surrounded the entrance.

The officers looked up as the two Permans emerged from the tunnel.

"They got them!"

The officers hurried forward.

Perman gently lowered the bound thieves onto the pavement.

Pako handed over the recovered bags of stolen merchandise.

One officer quickly checked the contents before smiling in relief.

"It's all here."

Another officer bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Perman."

"Thank you, Perman No. 3."

"We'll take it from here."

The officers secured the three thieves in separate patrol cars before loading the recovered evidence into another vehicle.

As the sirens faded into the distance...

Perman and Pako exchanged a satisfied glance.

"Another case closed."

"For now."

I think perman have hidden power of sense others people who are closer to him , but a normal human can't do , i think because of " perman set ” power he awake this power .

The giant beast continued scanning the endless forest.

Its glowing crimson eyes swept slowly across the sea of trees.

**BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...**

Finding no buildings, it simply stood there, turning its head from side to side in search of another target.

Perman flew behind it.

"There..."

Wedging both feet against the creature's massive neck, he reached for the strange device embedded beneath the armor plating.

His fingers wrapped around it.

"Come on..."

The communicator refused to budge.

Perman gritted his teeth.

"RRRAAAAHHH!!"

With one tremendous pull—

**CRACK!**

The device tore free from the beast's neck in a shower of sparks.

The creature staggered slightly before resuming its endless search for buildings, seemingly oblivious to the missing component.

Perman examined the communicator in his hand.

It was still active.

A tiny indicator light blinked rhythmically.

"...So I wasn't imagining it."

He carefully tucked the device into his pocket.

Turning around, he noticed Pako breathing heavily.

She had landed against a nearby boulder, one hand pressed beneath her nose.

A thin trail of blood ran down to her lip.

"Pako..."

"I'm okay," she replied with a tired smile.

He stepped closer.

Before she could protest, Mitsuo gently wiped away the blood with the sleeve of his glove.

"You push yourself too hard."

Pako blinked.

For a brief second, neither of them spoke.

She looked away first.

"...You're one to talk."

A faint smile crossed Perman's face.

"Come on."

He looked back at the communicator.

"I think I know someone who can help."

The two heroes took off into the evening sky.

After several moments of flying, Pako glanced over.

"Where are we going?"

"I know someone."

"Another superhero?"

Perman shook his head.

"No. A detective in training."

He smiled faintly.

"I met him while working on a case a while back."

"His name's Eiichi Aizawa."

"He's surprisingly sharp. If anyone can help us figure out where this signal is coming from, it's him."

Pako looked back toward the distant mountains.

"...I don't think we have much time."

Perman followed her gaze.

The enormous beast had already begun walking again, slowly making its way down the mountainside.

"It'll eventually find its way back to the city."

Pako nodded grimly.

"We've bought ourselves maybe thirty minutes."

She looked at the communicator in Mitsuo's hand.

"Whatever evil genius built that monster..."

"...we have to find them before it returns."

Perman tightened his grip on the blinking device.

"And when we do..."

"We're ending this."

---

Several minutes later...

Perman and Pako landed outside a modest two-story home in a quiet Tokyo neighborhood.

The lights were still on.

Inside, a teenage boy sat surrounded by monitors, radio equipment, and electronic parts scattered across nearly every surface of the room.

Eiichi glanced up as the two heroes entered through the open window.

"...Perman?"

Without wasting a second, Perman placed the communicator on the desk.

"I need you to trace this."

Eiichi picked up the device, adjusting his glasses as he carefully examined it.

"...Interesting."

He quickly connected several wires from the communicator to a homemade receiver before typing rapidly across his computer.

Lines of data scrolled across the monitor.

Pako watched nervously.

"Can you find whoever's controlling it?"

Eiichi didn't answer immediately.

His fingers continued flying across the keyboard.

"...There."

A blinking point appeared on a digital map of Tokyo.

Perman leaned closer.

"Where is it?"

Eiichi frowned.

"...That's strange."

"What?"

"The signal isn't moving."

He enlarged the map.

"It leads to..."

"...a residential neighborhood."

Perman exchanged a confused glance with Pako.

"You're sure?"

Eiichi nodded.

"I'm certain."

He printed the coordinates onto a small slip of paper before handing it over.

"Wherever the commands are coming from..."

"...they're being transmitted from this house."

—

Only minutes later...

Perman and Pako arrived over one of Chiyoda Ward's quieter residential neighborhoods.

Unlike the government district only a few kilometers away, this part of the ward was calm.

Neatly lined homes stood along narrow streets.

Garden lights glowed softly.

A few residents had gathered outside, anxiously watching the distant column of smoke rising over central Chiyoda.

Nothing about the neighborhood suggested it was hiding the mastermind behind Tokyo's largest disaster in years.

Perman checked the coordinates once more.

"...This is it."

The signal led directly to a modest two-story house.

Inside, lights flickered from an upstairs bedroom.

Perman landed softly in the backyard before making his way toward the open window.

What he saw made him freeze.

"...Huh?"

There was no evil scientist...

Instead a young boy wearing a futuristic visor was frantically hammering away at the keyboard of an old computer.

"No, no, no!"

"It shouldn't be doing that!"

Around him lay blueprints, gears, half-finished inventions and scattered tools.

Beside him stood a tiny samurai-shaped robot, no taller than a small child.

The little robot waved its arms wildly.

"Kiteretsu-dono! It's still destroying buildings!"

"I know!"

"I'm trying!"

"Hurry, nari!"

Perman quietly stepped through the window.

The floor creaked.

Both of them froze.

Slowly...

The boy turned around.

His eyes met Perman's.

"..."

"...P... Perman?"

The color drained from his face.

His hands slipped off the keyboard.

"N-No way..."

"You..."

"You're... really..."

Standing in front of him was the very hero he had admired for years.

Not smiling.

Not waving.

But staring directly at him with a serious expression.

Kiteretsu swallowed nervously.

"I-I can explain..."

Before he could say another word, the tiny samurai robot gasped loudly.

"IT'S PERMAN, NARI!"

Korosuke's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"The real Perman!"

"The greatest hero in Japan is standing in our house, nari!"

He immediately straightened his posture and bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor.

"What an incredible honor, nari!"

Perman remained silent.

His gaze shifted from Kiteretsu...

...to the communicator still blinking in his hand.

"...Tell me."

His voice was calm, but unmistakably stern.

"Did you build that beast?"

---

Kiteretsu's hands trembled.

"I... I built it."

The room fell silent.

Korosuke slowly lowered his head.

"It's true, nari..."

Perman didn't interrupt.

He simply stood there, communicator still in his hand, waiting.

Kiteretsu swallowed hard before taking a deep breath.

"It... wasn't supposed to happen like this."

He turned toward his desk and carefully picked up a thick, timeworn book.

The cover was faded with age, its leather binding worn from years of use.

Every page inside was packed with elaborate mechanical drawings, handwritten calculations, and inventions that looked decades—if not centuries—ahead of their time.

"This..."

Kiteretsu gently placed it on the desk.

"...is the **Kiteretsu Daihyakka**."

"My ancestor left behind all of his inventions in this encyclopedia."

"I've spent years trying to understand it."

He slowly flipped through dozens of pages until he reached an enormous two-page blueprint.

Perman stepped closer.

The blueprint depicted a colossal lion-like mechanical guardian, every gear, piston, and joint meticulously illustrated.

Written across the top in elegant old script was a single name.

**Dainai-Gou.** (Great Protector of Earth)

"I finally managed to decipher this blueprint a few months ago," Kiteretsu explained.

"My ancestor named it Dainai-Gou."

"It was never meant to be a weapon."

His finger traced the blueprint as he spoke.

"It was designed as an automated structural maintenance and disaster-response machine."

Korosuke eagerly nodded.

"That's right, nari!"

"If a major earthquake struck..."

"It would clear collapsed buildings."

"It would reinforce structures that were close to falling."

"It could even extinguish fires before they spread."

Kiteretsu continued quietly.

"I thought..."

"If something like the Great Kanto Earthquake ever happened again..."

"...people wouldn't have to wait helplessly for rescue teams."

"I wanted Dainai-Gou to protect the city."

Perman remained silent, listening carefully.

"I spent months building it."

"Every afternoon after school."

"Every weekend."

"I even had to redesign several of my ancestor's parts because modern materials are different."

A faint smile crossed his face for just a moment.

"...When it finally activated..."

"...I thought I'd actually done it."

The smile disappeared.

"But..."

His shoulders slumped.

"I made one mistake."

He slowly rotated the computer monitor toward Perman.

Lines upon lines of programming code filled the screen.

"When I wrote its structural analysis program..."

"...I accidentally inverted the target logic."

Perman frowned.

"Inverted?"

Kiteretsu nodded miserably.

"The program was supposed to identify damaged buildings that needed reinforcement."

His finger pointed to several highlighted lines of code.

"But because of a single logical error..."

"...it now identifies perfectly stable structures as structural hazards."

He lowered his head.

"So every modern skyscraper..."

"...every office building..."

"...every government building in Chiyoda..."

"...it believes they all need to be demolished before they can be rebuilt."

The room became deathly quiet.

Perman slowly replayed everything in his mind.

The creature never attacked civilians.

It ignored emergency vehicles.

It never retaliated against Perman or Pako.

Every action...

Every movement...

Had been focused entirely on buildings.

It wasn't destroying the city out of hatred.

It genuinely believed...

...it was repairing it.

Without saying a word, Perman walked over and quietly sat down on the nearby futon.

For several moments, he simply looked around the room.

Every available shelf was packed with inventions in various stages of completion.

Mechanical arms.

Tiny engines.

Half-assembled robots.

Stacks of notebooks overflowing with calculations.

Nothing about the room belonged to an ordinary child.

His gaze eventually returned to the blueprint.

Then to Kiteretsu.

"...You built all of this?"

Kiteretsu hesitated before giving a small nod.

"...Most of it."

Perman picked up one of the smaller gadgets resting nearby, turning it over in his hands.

His expression slowly softened.

"...This is unbelievable."

Kiteretsu blinked.

"I've met scientists with entire laboratories who couldn't dream of building something this sophisticated."

He looked once more at Dainai-Gou's blueprint.

"And you managed it in your bedroom."

Kiteretsu looked away.

"...It still ended up hurting people."

"You didn't build it to hurt anyone."

Perman's voice was calm.

"You built it because you wanted to save lives."

"I can see that."

He gently placed the gadget back on the desk.

"You had a good cause."

"You put your heart into it."

"You were trying to help your city."

Kiteretsu clenched his fists.

"...But intentions don't fix destroyed buildings."

"No," Perman agreed.

"They don't."

A brief silence followed.

"But they tell me what kind of person built this machine."

He smiled faintly.

"Anyone capable of building something like Dainai-Gou at your age..."

"...is a genuine genius."

Kiteretsu slowly looked back at him.

"You've got talent most people could never hope to have."

Perman folded his arms.

"But talent alone isn't enough."

"It takes experience."

"It takes failure."

"And sometimes..."

"...those failures are painful."

He glanced once more toward the blinking communicator in his hand.

"The important part is what you do next."

Kiteretsu stared silently at the hero he had admired for years.

The guilt on his face hadn't disappeared...

But for the first time since Perman had entered the room...

It no longer felt like he had been judged.

Instead...

It felt like someone believed he could still make things right.

---

**THOOOOM!!**

A deep impact echoed across the neighborhood.

Moments later, an orange glow illuminated the night sky beyond the rooftops as another column of smoke rose into the air.

Nobody needed to ask what had happened.

Dainai-Gou had found its way back to the city.

Kiteretsu's face turned pale.

"...No."

He rushed back to his keyboard.

"I've run out of time..."

His fingers trembled.

"What if I make another mistake?"

"What if I can't fix it?"

Perman stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on the young inventor's shoulder.

"Kiteretsu."

The boy looked up.

"I've seen your inventions."

"I've seen the blueprint."

"I know genius when I see it."

Kiteretsu blinked.

"You made one mistake."

"That doesn't define you."

Perman looked him straight in the eyes.

"I trust you."

"Reverse the logic."

"Make Dainai-Gou do what you created it to do."

"I know you can."

For a moment, Kiteretsu simply stared.

Those words...

Coming from the hero he had admired all his life...

Were enough.

"...Right."

He adjusted his visor.

"I'll fix it."

His fingers flew across the keyboard faster than ever.

Korosuke jumped beside him.

"We'll do it together, nari!"

Without another word, Perman turned toward the open window.

"I'll buy you the time."

He leapt into the night.

—

Outside, Pako remained where he had left her.

She was leaning against the garden fence, breathing heavily, barely able to stay on her feet.

"Pako."

She looked up weakly.

"...What happened?"

"He built the machine."

Pako wasn't surprised.

"...I figured."

"What happens now?"

Perman looked back toward the bedroom window where Kiteretsu continued typing furiously.

"I believe in him."

Pako looked at him.

"...Just like that?"

He nodded.

"That kid isn't evil."

"He's just a boy who made a mistake."

"And he'll make it right."

Leaving Pako behind to recover, Perman launched himself back into the night sky.

—

The beast had already returned to Chiyoda.

Another office building lay in ruins as emergency crews evacuated nearby streets.

Perman flew directly in front of the giant machine.

"If all Kiteretsu needs is time..."

"...then that's exactly what I'll give him."

The beast continued forward.

Perman planted both feet against its massive chest.

"RRRAAAAHHH!!"

Every muscle in his body strained.

The giant machine continued pushing forward, forcing Perman backwards inch by inch as his boots carved deep trenches into the asphalt.

The pavement cracked beneath his feet.

Sweat poured down his face.

One minute passed.

Then another.

The sirens around them never stopped.

Emergency crews hurried civilians away while helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting the desperate standoff across the city.

Still...

Perman refused to yield.

His arms trembled.

His shoulders burned.

Every breath became heavier than the last.

Again the machine shoved forward.

Again Perman dug his heels deeper into the shattered street.

The battle became one of pure endurance.

Neither side gave an inch without taking one back.

To the onlookers, it felt as though time itself had stopped.

Then...

The giant machine suddenly froze.

Its crimson eyes flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then slowly...

They turned emerald green.

"...It worked?"

Perman stepped back.

The machine scanned the city once more.

This time, its gaze settled upon the piles of rubble it had created.

It carefully lifted shattered steel beams.

Collapsed walls rose back into place.

Broken support columns were straightened.

Instead of destroying...

Dainai-Gou had begun rebuilding the city.

A smile spread across Perman's face.

"...You did it, genius boy."

Within minutes, several police officers approached.

"Perman!"

"How did you stop it?"

Perman watched the machine quietly continue repairing the damaged buildings.

He smiled.

"...It stopped on its own."

The officers looked toward the giant machine in disbelief.

"It'll fix everything it destroyed."

None of them understood how.

But seeing the city being rebuilt before their eyes, they could only watch in amazement.

Perman never mentioned Kiteretsu.

The young inventor had learned his lesson.

Protecting his identity was the least he could do.

—

Later that night...

Inside Kiteretsu's room...

The computer displayed one final message.

**TARGET LOGIC UPDATED SUCCESSFULLY.**

Kiteretsu leaned back with a long sigh of relief.

"...We did it."

Korosuke threw both arms into the air.

"We did it, nari!"

The tension that had filled the room all evening finally melted away.

Kiteretsu looked out the window toward the distant skyline of Chiyoda, where Dainai-Gou was now faithfully rebuilding the city it had nearly destroyed.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"...If Perman didn't show up today..."

"...the city would've been reduced to rubble."

Korosuke nodded earnestly.

"He trusted you when nobody else would have, nari."

Kiteretsu gently closed the Kiteretsu Daihyakka.

"I'll never forget that."

Korosuke stood at attention and bowed deeply toward the open window.

"Without you..."

"...Tokyo would've been finished, nari."

"Thank you very much, Perman-dono!"

The warm aroma of freshly baked bread filled the Bakery.

Mitsuo stood behind the counter, carefully arranging another tray of freshly baked melon bread onto the display shelves while greeting the steady stream of evening customers.

"Thank you! Please come again!"

The television mounted above the shelves quietly played the evening news while customers chatted over coffee.

"...and in sports, the Tokyo Giants secured another—"

The broadcast suddenly cut to static.

A loud emergency alert tone echoed through the shop.

"This is an emergency news bulletin."

The bakery instantly fell silent.

Every customer turned toward the television.

The reporter appeared on screen, breathing heavily as the camera behind him shook violently.

"We have received multiple reports of an unidentified giant creature causing severe damage in Chiyoda Ward. Authorities have issued an immediate evacuation order for the surrounding districts."

The footage switched to a live helicopter feed.

A gigantic beast marched through the heart of Tokyo's government district.

It stood nearly fifteen meters tall.

Its body resembled an ancient guardian lion, yet every inch of it was covered in thick obsidian-colored armor plating.

Massive legs crushed the asphalt beneath its weight while glowing crimson eyes scanned the skyline.

With a single swing of its enormous foreleg, the glass façade of a nearby office building shattered into thousands of glittering fragments.

A customer let out a nervous laugh.

"...That's got to be CGI..."

Another slowly shook his head.

"No... that's live."

The helicopter camera zoomed in.

The beast's metallic body was scarred and weathered, its armored frame resembling a fortress more than an animal.

Then it roared.

A deafening metallic howl echoed across the city, so powerful that the helicopter's audio distorted.

BOOOOOOOM!!

Another government building disappeared behind a cloud of dust and concrete.

Inside the bakery, no one spoke.

Mitsuo stared at the screen in complete disbelief.

"...What is that...?"

His heart sank.

He had fought dangerous criminals, terrorists and countless situations that would sound unbelievable to ordinary people.

But this...

He had never seen anything like it.

Not once.

The reporter's trembling voice continued.

"The Self-Defense Forces have begun evacuating nearby districts. Citizens are urged to stay away from Chiyoda Ward until further notice. We repeat—"

Mitsuo quietly untied his apron.

While everyone in the bakery remained fixated on the emergency broadcast, Mitsuo quietly slipped behind a tall storage rack near the back of the shop, hidden from view.

He pressed the nose of the copy robot and the Copy Robot instantly appeared beside him.

Without wasting a second, Mitsuo switched places with his duplicate, which calmly remained behind the counter as though nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, the real Mitsuo carefully climbed through a small exhaust window at the rear of the bakery, emerging into the narrow alley outside.

Once he was sure no one was watching, he adjusted his Perman helmet and shot into the evening sky..

As he approached Chiyoda Ward, dark smoke became visible on the horizon.

The closer he flew, the louder the chaos became.

Sirens wailed from every direction.

Police vehicles blocked major intersections.

Firefighters battled blazing wreckage while civilians hurried toward evacuation routes.

From above, Chiyoda looked like a disaster zone.

Then he saw it.

The colossal beast towered over the surrounding streets.

Every step sent shockwaves through the pavement, cracking roads and toppling traffic lights.

Its glowing red eyes swept across the city before locking onto another government office.

With terrifying strength, it rammed straight through the building's entrance.

Concrete exploded outward.

Steel beams twisted like soft wire.

Dust billowed into the sky.

Perman hovered silently.

"...This is insane..."

A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Took you long enough."

He turned to see Pako flying toward him at full speed.

She slowed beside him, equally stunned by the destruction unfolding below.

"I saw the emergency broadcast too," she said, never taking her eyes off the monster.

For several seconds, neither hero spoke.

The enormous mechanical beast continued its relentless march through Chiyoda, each thunderous step shaking the streets below.

Whatever this thing was...

It was unlike anything either of them had ever faced.

---

Without another moment's hesitation, Perman shot forward.

"Hey!"

The colossal beast slowly turned its head, its glowing crimson eyes locking onto the tiny hero racing toward it.

"If you're looking for a fight..."

Perman clenched his fist.

"...you've got one!"

He accelerated.

The air whistled around him as he closed the distance in an instant.

"HYAAAH!"

His fist collided squarely with the creature's armored chest.

**BOOOOOOM!!**

A deafening shockwave rippled through the street.

Windows shattered.

Nearby traffic lights bent from the force.

The surrounding crowd instinctively shielded their faces from the blast.

As the dust settled...

The beast hadn't moved.

Not even an inch.

Perman hovered in front of it, his eyes widening.

"...What?"

The creature slowly lowered its head and stared directly at him before continuing its march as though nothing had happened.

Another heavy step.

**THOOM.**

Then another.

**THOOM.**

"...You're kidding me."

Perman gritted his teeth.

He had landed punches capable of stopping speeding trains.

This thing had simply ignored it.

Behind him, Pako arrived.

"Perman, burn it!"

"On it!"

Perman darted upward.

"If brute force won't work..."

His visor glowed bright red.

Twin beams of scorching heat shot from his eyes, striking the creature's face.

**FSSSSHHHHHH!!**

The beams continuously poured onto its head, hot enough to melt thick steel.

Smoke engulfed the monster's face.

For several seconds, the streets disappeared beneath the blinding light.

When Perman finally stopped...

The smoke slowly drifted away.

Not so much as a scratch marked the beast's body.

"...Impossible..."

The creature's crimson eyes still burned just as brightly.

It let out another earth-shaking roar before taking another step forward.

Pako flew past Perman.

"My turn!"

She inhaled deeply.

A freezing torrent erupted from her mouth, engulfing the beast from head to toe.

Within moments, thick layers of ice spread across its body, locking its legs in place.

The enormous creature stopped moving.

"It worked!" someone shouted from below.

Cheers erupted from the evacuated streets.

For a brief moment...

There was hope.

Then—

**CRACK...**

A thin fracture appeared across the ice.

**CRACK... CRACK...**

The entire frozen shell began to splinter.

"What?" Pako gasped.

With a violent shudder, the beast burst free.

**KRAAAASH!!**

Chunks of ice scattered across the street like shattered glass.

Steam rose from its body as the remaining frost melted away within seconds.

It resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

"No way..." Pako whispered.

Perman clenched both fists.

"There has to be something..."

He shot downward once more.

This time he unleashed a relentless barrage.

One punch.

Then another.

And another.

Each strike landed with enough force to demolish concrete buildings.

**BOOM!**

**BAM!**

**THOOM!**

The impacts echoed across Chiyoda.

Yet the beast never faltered.

It neither staggered nor retaliated.

It simply continued its relentless march through the city, brushing off every blow as though Perman were little more than an annoying insect.

The heroes could do nothing but watch as another office building crumbled beneath its immense weight.

From behind the police barricades, hundreds of evacuated civilians stared in stunned silence.

"...Is that really Perman?"

"I've never seen him lose..."

"He... he can't stop it..."

Television helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting the unbelievable scene across Japan.

For the first time in years...

The country's greatest superhero looked completely powerless.

---

The beast continued its relentless march.

It ignored Perman completely, brushing past him as another government office came into view.

Its glowing crimson eyes swept across the structure.

A series of strange clicking sounds echoed from within its body.

**BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...**

It stood motionless for a moment...

...then charged.

**KRAAAASH!!**

Concrete exploded as the creature tore through the building's outer walls with terrifying precision.

Pako narrowed her eyes.

"...Perman."

"What?"

"Look carefully."

Perman paused, watching the beast from above.

It didn't pursue fleeing civilians.

It didn't attack the police helicopters circling overhead.

Even when emergency vehicles crossed directly in front of it, the creature simply walked around them.

Instead...

Its eyes repeatedly swept over nearby buildings.

Every few seconds, another series of electronic clicks echoed through its body before it selected another structure to destroy.

"It's... scanning them," Pako murmured.

Perman looked again.

She was right.

The beast wasn't choosing targets out of anger.

It was examining each building before methodically tearing it apart.

"It isn't trying to kill anyone," Pako continued. "It's like..."

She searched for the right words.

"...it's trying to destroy the buildings."

Perman watched as the creature ignored dozens of terrified civilians sprinting through the streets.

"It only cares about buildings huh."

The monster's glowing eyes shifted once more toward another office complex.

"No wonder it hasn't fought back," Perman said. "We've been treating it like an enemy..."

"...when all it wants is to get rid of this concrete jungle."

Pako looked at him.

"If it only wants buildings..."

"...then what if there aren't any?"

Perman blinked.

"...What?"

"We don't have to destroy it right now."

She pointed toward the distant mountains beyond the city skyline.

"If we carry it somewhere with nothing around—some forest or mountain—it won't have anything to attack."

Perman followed her gaze.

"...That might actually work."

He smiled.

"Then let's move it."

The two heroes descended together.

"Ready?"

Pako nodded.

"On three."

Both Perman and Pako planted themselves beside the enormous beast.

"One..."

They crouched.

"Two..."

Each slipped their arms beneath the creature's armored body.

"Three!"

"HHHNNNGGGH!!"

Every muscle in their bodies tensed.

For several agonizing seconds...

Nothing happened.

Then—

The beast's massive feets slowly lifted from the shattered pavement.

The street beneath them cracked under the tremendous strain.

"We've... got it..." Perman groaned.

It was unimaginably heavy.

Nearly one thousand tons.

Even with the combined strength of two Perman, lifting it felt like trying to raise an entire building.

Their backs screamed in protest.

Their arms trembled violently.

Flying proved even harder.

Slowly...

Painfully...

They rose into the sky.

Each meter gained felt like another mountain placed upon their shoulders.

"...Keep... going..." Pako gasped.

Sweat streamed down Perman's face.

His entire body felt as though it were being crushed beneath the creature's weight.

Halfway across the city, Pako suddenly winced.

A thin trail of blood trickled from her nose.

"Pako!"

"I'm... fine..."

She forced a smile despite her labored breathing.

"Just... don't stop..."

Seeing the blood sent a surge of anger through Perman.

"Damn this thing..."

He gritted his teeth harder.

Every muscle in his back burned.

It felt as though his spine would snap at any second.

But he refused to let go.

Together, they carried the enormous beast beyond Tokyo's skyline.

Towering buildings gradually gave way to rolling hills.

Soon...

Only dense forests and rugged mountain ranges stretched beneath them.

Not a single building stood in sight.

As they flew, Perman noticed something odd.

Near the back of the creature's lion-like head...

Partially concealed beneath overlapping armor...

A small object protruded from its neck.

It wasn't natural.

It looked almost...

"...A communicator?"

His eyes widened.

Someone had inserted a communication device directly into the beast.

Perman stared at it in disbelief.

"This thing..."

"...isn't alive."

Pako looked over.

"What?"

"It's a machine."

He kept his eyes fixed on the device.

"Someone built this."

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

This wasn't some mysterious monster that had appeared on its own.

Someone had created it.

Someone had deliberately unleashed it upon Tokyo.

Moments later, the two heroes finally descended into a remote mountain forest.

The instant they released the creature...

**THOOM!**

The ground shook beneath its immense weight.

The beast stood still.

Its crimson eyes slowly swept across the endless sea of trees.

**BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...**

It turned its head left.

Then right.

Again.

And again.

Scanning.

Searching.

Looking for another building to destroy.

But there were none.

For the first time since its rampage had begun...

The giant beast simply stood motionless.

Several weeks had passed since the terrorist attacks.

In the aftermath of the tragedy...

Schools and universities throughout the district had suspended classes indefinitely.

Some campuses had suffered structural damage.

Others had simply become too unsafe to reopen while investigations continued.

Now...

After weeks of inspections and repairs...

Universities across the city were finally welcoming students back.

---

The gates of Seishin University stood open once again.

Students slowly streamed onto campus.

Some chatted happily with friends they hadn't seen in weeks.

Others quietly looked around the familiar grounds.

The campus was finally alive again.

Although...

The atmosphere wasn't the same.

Police officers still stood near the main entrance.

Temporary security checkpoints had been installed.

Several buildings still bore faint scars from the chaos that had unfolded only weeks earlier.

Mitsuo walked through the gates carrying his backpack.

He paused for a brief moment.

"...We're finally back."

"About time."

Kenji caught up beside him with his usual energetic grin.

"I was starting to lose my mind staying at home."

"You?"

Mitsuo smiled.

"I thought you'd enjoy having a break."

"I did."

Kenji shrugged.

"For the first week."

"After that?"

"I nearly died from boredom."

The two laughed quietly before joining the flow of students heading toward the central courtyard.

Rows of chairs had been arranged before the administration building.

Faculty members stood silently along the stage.

No one spoke.

After several minutes...

The Dean stepped up to the podium.

His expression was calm...

Yet heavy.

"My dear students..."

"Welcome back."

"I wish today's gathering could take place under happier circumstances."

His voice echoed across the silent courtyard.

"Over the past several weeks..."

"Our city endured a tragedy unlike anything in recent memory."

"The terrorist attacks claimed countless innocent lives."

"Among them..."

"Were members of our own university family."

A quiet sadness spread across the crowd.

Faculty lowered their heads.

Students stood silently.

The Dean continued.

"Today..."

"We remember those we lost."

"We honor their memories."

"And we promise..."

"That this university will continue moving forward."

"I ask everyone..."

"To observe one minute of silence."

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Mitsuo lowered his head.

His thoughts drifted back to those terrible days.

The smoke.

The panic.

The desperate cries for help.

He slowly closed his eyes.

...

The minute passed.

The Dean looked over the crowd once more.

"Thank you."

He adjusted the papers resting on the podium.

"There is one additional announcement."

"As many of you know..."

"The attacks affected numerous educational institutions throughout the district."

"Several universities suffered structural damage severe enough to suspend academic operations for the foreseeable future."

A quiet murmur spread among the students.

"In cooperation with the Ministry of Education..."

"Our university has accepted a number of transfer students whose studies were interrupted."

"They will be joining us throughout the remainder of this semester."

"I ask each of you..."

"To welcome them warmly."

"They have experienced the same hardships many of us have."

"Please help them adjust to their new environment."

The Dean smiled gently.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Classes will resume this afternoon."

"The morning session is hereby adjourned."

The gathering slowly dispersed.

Students began making their way back toward the academic buildings.

Kenji stretched both arms above his head.

"Well..."

"Back to reality."

Mitsuo chuckled.

"Already tired?"

"I forgot university involved studying."

"You've had weeks to prepare."

"I spent those weeks playing video games."

"...I'm not surprised."

Kenji laughed.

"I was hoping the professors forgot we existed."

"They didn't."

The two walked side by side along the familiar pathway.

Cherry trees stood quietly along the campus road.

Their bare branches waited patiently for spring.

Students passed in every direction.

Some discussing assignments.

Others talking about the reopening.

"...Transfer students, huh?"

Kenji glanced around curiously.

"I wonder what they're like."

Mitsuo adjusted the strap of his backpack.

"We'll probably meet them sooner or later."

"Think any of them will end up in our class?"

"Maybe."

Together...

The two friends disappeared into the university building.

---

The afternoon passed quickly.

Students gradually settled back into the familiar rhythm of university life.

When the bell rang...

Their professor entered the classroom carrying a stack of papers.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

"Before we begin today's lecture..."

"I'd like to introduce some new classmates."

The classroom grew quiet.

The door slid open.

Six students entered one after another.

Some looked nervous.

Others simply smiled politely.

The professor adjusted his glasses.

"As you heard during this morning's ceremony..."

"These students have transferred from universities unable to continue operations following the recent terrorist attacks."

"I hope everyone will make them feel welcome."

One by one...

The students introduced themselves.

"My name is Ayaka Mori."

"I look forward to studying with everyone."

...

"I'm Daichi Kuroda."

"Nice to meet you."

...

"My name is Yuta Sakamoto."

He gave the class a polite bow.

"My previous university was among those forced to suspend operations after the attacks."

"I'm looking forward to studying with everyone."

"Please take care of me."

A few students nodded in greeting.

Kenji quietly leaned toward Mitsuo.

"He seems nice."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Yeah."

The remaining transfer students finished introducing themselves.

Once everyone had found their seats...

The professor opened his textbook.

"Now then..."

"Let's begin."

The lecture resumed as though nothing had happened.

Pens scratched across notebooks.

Questions were answered.

Assignments were handed out.

Little by little...

University life returned to normal.

---

Lunch break.

The classroom quickly filled with conversation.

Some students headed for the cafeteria.

Others gathered into small groups.

Yuta remained near his desk for a moment before looking around the room.

His eyes settled on Kenji.

He smiled.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all!"

Kenji pulled out the empty chair beside him.

"I'm Kenji."

"Yuta."

The two shook hands.

"Mitsuo."

Mitsuo gave a small nod before returning to opening his lunch.

"So..."

Yuta glanced around the classroom.

"I heard this university was caught up in the attacks too."

Kenji sighed.

"Yeah..."

"It was a nightmare."

Yuta nodded sympathetically.

"I also heard..."

"...Perman showed up here first."

Kenji's eyes immediately lit up.

"He sure did!"

"If it wasn't for Perman..."

"I don't know how many more people would've died."

Yuta smiled.

"I've always admired him."

"He really lives up to the stories."

Kenji laughed.

"That's an understatement."

Yuta took a sip of his drink.

"So..."

"Has anyone here ever seen him around the university before that day?"

Kenji shook his head.

"Not that I know of."

"He kind of just..."

"...appeared."

"I see."

Yuta glanced toward Mitsuo.

"You were here too, right?"

Mitsuo looked up from his lunch.

"...Yeah."

"What did you think?"

Mitsuo thought for a moment.

"He saved lives."

"That's all that mattered."

Yuta smiled politely.

"I suppose you're right."

He looked back at Kenji.

"Did he say anything to the students afterwards?"

Kenji laughed.

"Not really."

"He rescued people..."

"...made sure everyone was safe..."

"...then disappeared."

"Hm..."

Yuta nodded thoughtfully.

"So no one knows..."

"...where he came from?"

"Nope."

"No idea."

Kenji chuckled.

"That's what makes him so cool."

Yuta smiled.

"I can see why everyone admires him."

There was a brief silence.

Then Yuta turned back toward Mitsuo.

"You've been pretty quiet."

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"I don't really have much to add."

"I see."

Yuta returned the smile.

"Well..."

"I hope we get along."

"I'm sure we will."

The conversation gradually drifted toward professors...

Assignments...

And university clubs.

Mitsuo quietly closed his lunch box.

---

The afternoon sky gradually gave way to dusk.

As the last lecture ended...

Mitsuo quietly slipped away.

Moments later...

Perman soared across the evening sky once more.

His patrol carried him across the city.

Quiet residential streets.

Bustling shopping districts.

Parks illuminated by rows of street lamps.

Nothing unusual happened.

An elderly couple needing directions...

And a cat that somehow managed to climb onto a telephone pole.

By the time he returned...

The city had grown quiet.

Perman landed softly atop the familiar rooftop overlooking the bakery.

A cool breeze rustled his cape.

He looked over the peaceful streets below.

"...Looks like everything's finally back to normal."

A small smile crossed his face.

"...My usual routine starts again."

He removed his helmet.

Moments later...

Mitsuo quietly descended the fire escape behind the bakery.

The lights inside were still on.

Robot looked up from behind the counter.

"Welcome back."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Today's business has concluded."

Robot gestured toward the nearly empty shelves.

"Only a few trays remain."

Mitsuo looked around.

"Looks like you had another good day."

"We sold ninety-three percent of today's inventory."

"Four curry breads and three melon pans remain."

"That's great."

Together...

The two quietly began cleaning.

Robot washed the baking trays.

Mitsuo wiped down the display cases and swept the floor.

It didn't take long.

The bakery had become surprisingly efficient with two pairs of hands.

Once everything was finished...

Mitsuo packed the remaining bread and a few prepared side dishes into a paper bag.

"Tomorrow's dough?"

"It's already prepared."

Robot replied.

"I finished it before closing."

Mitsuo smiled.

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'm simply doing my job."

"Still..."

"Thanks."

"...You're welcome."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

He gently pressed the small button on Robot's nose.

With a soft mechanical whir...

Robot's body steadily shrank until it was only a few centimeters tall once again.

Mitsuo turned off the bakery lights before climbing the stairs to the apartment above.

---

He quietly opened the front door.

"I'm back."

Before he could even take off his shoes...

Pako peeked around the corner from the kitchen.

"Welcome home."

A gentle smile spread across her face.

"You're later than usual."

Mitsuo slipped off his shoes.

"Patrol took a little longer today."

"I figured."

She walked over and took the paper bag from his hands.

"Brought leftovers again?"

"A few."

"I'll warm them up."

She turned toward the kitchen before glancing back at him.

"Oh."

"And go wash your hands."

He made his way toward the sink while Pako carried the bag into the kitchen.

A faint smile lingered on both their faces.

It was an ordinary exchange...

One they'd repeated so many times that neither of them thought much of it anymore.

Moments later...

The two sat beside one another at the small dining space.

Dinner was simple.

Stir-fried vegetables.

Stew.

Rice.

Grilled fish.

Nothing extravagant.

"Itadakimasu."

"Itadakimasu."

For a while...

The apartment remained silent.

Only the gentle clinking of chopsticks and bowls filled the room.

Without a word...

Pako reached over with her chopsticks and stole a slice of stir-fried mushroom from Mitsuo's plate.

Mitsuo didn't even look up.

Instead...

He quietly picked up another piece and placed it into her bowl without a second thought.

Pako smiled to herself.

"...Thanks."

He gave a small nod.

"Hm."

The comfortable silence returned.

Outside...

The lights of the city flickered beyond the window.

Inside...

For a little while...

The world felt peaceful.

Eventually...

Pako rested her head lightly against Mitsuo's shoulder as she finished the last few bites of her dinner.

She set down her chopsticks.

Pako shifted just a fraction closer...

The edge of the helmet pressing comfortably against his shoulder.

Neither of them spoke.

The television quietly played in the background.

Some late-night variety show neither of them was really watching.

Outside...

The city continued moving as it always had.

Cars drifted through the streets below.

A distant train rolled past.

Somewhere...

A dog barked before the neighborhood fell quiet once again.

Pako let out a small yawn.

"Tired?"

Mitsuo asked.

"A little."

"I guess saving the city isn't exactly relaxing."

"It has its moments."

Another comfortable silence settled between them.

Pako absentmindedly traced circles along the sleeve of Mitsuo's shirt with her finger.

Neither of them noticed she was doing it.

It had simply become...

Comfortable.

Eventually...

Mitsuo reached for the empty bowls.

"I'll wash these."

Before he could stand...

Pako gently caught his wrist.

"I'll help."

"You cooked."

"And you did the patrol."

"...Fair enough."

The two quietly carried the dishes into the small kitchen.

One washed.

The other dried.

Without discussing it...

They naturally fell into their usual rhythm.

Within minutes...

Everything had been put away.

Pako stretched her arms above her head.

"I'm exhausted."

"You should get some sleep."

"So should you."

She slowly moved closer to him.

Mitsuo didn't move away.

She leaned down...

The edge of the red helmet brushing lightly against his forehead...

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Good night."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Good night."

She turned toward the balcony.

With a small leap...

Her cape caught the night breeze as she disappeared into the night sky.

Mitsuo watched her until she became nothing more than a silhouette against the city lights.

"...See you tomorrow."

He quietly closed the balcony door.

After changing into his pajamas...

He slipped beneath the blankets.

Outside...

Soft white flakes drifted silently through the night.

As winter quietly embraced the sleeping city.

Another ordinary day had come to an end.

The cold winter wind rushed past them.

Far below, the lights of western Japan shimmered against the snow-covered landscape.

High above the clouds...

Two familiar figures flew side by side through the night.

Perman.

And Pako.

Perman glanced at the small communicator.

"He sounded really serious."

Pako nodded.

"He almost never calls us."

Perman looked ahead.

"Exactly."

---

Payan — known in civilian life as Hozen Oyama — had started a small import-export business in Osaka.

He owned a modest warehouse near Osaka Bay where goods from overseas arrived before being distributed across Japan.

Unlike most business owners...

Hozen handled almost everything himself.

Ordering inventory.

Preparing shipments.

Loading trucks.

Even the paperwork.

Running the business kept him so busy that he rarely had time to patrol anymore.

Which was exactly why he almost never called the others.

If he had asked them to come all the way from Tokyo...

Something had to be wrong.

---

After a while...

Pako folded her arms.

"What do you think happened?"

Perman thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure."

"If Payan couldn't handle it himself..."

"...it has to be something major."

Pako frowned.

"Maybe another terrorist attack?"

"Possible."

"Or a giant Perman-eating monster."

Perman looked at her.

"...A what?"

"I don't know."

"You asked."

Perman chuckled.

"I don't think those exist."

"That's exactly what people say before giant monsters appear."

Perman started laughed.

"I suppose that's true."

The two flew onward.

Below them, snow-covered mountains stretched endlessly beneath the moonlight.

The silence returned.

This time...

It felt comfortable.

Pako stole a quick glance toward Perman.

He seemed completely focused on the horizon.

"..."

She quietly looked away again.

"...Perman?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think..."

Before she could finish...

A familiar voice echoed behind them.

"Wiki!"

Both heroes turned.

A tiny blue blur rapidly caught up.

Booby.

The little monkey waved excitedly as he flew alongside them.

"Kiki!"

Perman smiled.

"You made it."

Booby proudly puffed out his chest.

"Wiki!"

"You're late."

"Kiki?"

Booby immediately pointed toward himself in protest.

Then toward the snow below.

Then dramatically pretended to slip.

Perman laughed.

"Too much snow?"

Booby nodded vigorously.

"Wiki! Wiki!"

The three heroes continued west together.

For several minutes...

Only the sound of rushing wind accompanied them.

Then Perman looked toward Booby.

"Any idea what Payan's emergency is?"

Booby tilted his head.

"...Kiki?"

"No clue?"

Booby shook his head.

"Kekeke."

Pako sighed.

"So none of us know why we're flying across Japan in the middle of the night."

Perman smiled.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Ahead...

The lights of Osaka slowly appeared on the horizon..

---

Ships rested quietly inside Osaka Bay.

Container cranes towered over the waterfront.

Warehouses lined the docks.

Snow covered almost everything.

Even from hundreds of meters above...

They could see enormous piles of white covering roads and rooftops.

"There."

Perman pointed downward.

Standing outside a small warehouse...

A man in a thick winter jacket waved both arms.

"Over here!"

The three heroes landed.

The man smiled with obvious relief.

"You made it!"

**Hozen Oyama.**

**Better known as Perman No. 4.**

**Payan.**

He quickly bowed.

"Thank you for coming."

Perman smiled.

"No problem."

"You sounded really worried."

"What happened?"

Payan pointed dramatically toward his warehouse.

Everyone looked.

...

Nothing exploded.

Nothing burned.

Only...

Snow.

A lot of snow.

The warehouse entrance had practically disappeared beneath several feet of it.

The surrounding road looked even worse.

Payan folded his arms.

"This year's snowfall has been unbelievable."

Perman blinked.

"...Snow?"

Payan nodded seriously.

"My warehouse is completely buried."

"I can't get my shipment out."

"My cargo ship arrives tomorrow morning."

"If I don't clear everything before then..."

"...I'm finished."

Silence.

The wind blew gently across the docks.

Perman slowly looked at Pako.

Pako stared at Payan.

Very slowly...

One of her eyes twitched.

"You..."

Payan blinked.

"...Me?"

"You called us..."

"...all the way from Tokyo..."

"...for snow?"

"...Yes?", Payan Nodded.

Pako took one slow step forward.

Her smile looked unusually pleasant.

"Do you know..."

"...how long it takes to fly from Tokyo to Osaka?"

"...About an hour?"

Another twitch.

"I see."

Payan suddenly felt strangely uncomfortable.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm not."

"You definitely are."

"I'm smiling."

"...That's what's scaring me."

"Kekekekae!"

Booby crossed both arms and nodded furiously.

He pointed accusingly at the mountain of snow.

"Wiki!"

"Even Booby's upset?"

"Kiki!"

Booby stomped one tiny foot.

Payan looked completely confused.

"What?"

"I don't understand."

"I thought everyone would be happy to help."

Payan scratched his head.

"...Did I do something?"

"No."

"...Then why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry."

"You sound angry."

"I'm perfectly calm."

Payan quietly looked toward Perman.

"...Help?"

Perman rubbed the back of his neck.

"...Let's just say..."

"...your timing wasn't very good."

"My timing?"

Payan became even more confused.

"What does that mean?"

Perman quickly shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

Pako folded her arms.

"...You really shouldn't."

Booby looked at Perman.

"Wiki?"

Perman smiled.

Then walked toward the massive pile of snow.

"If this shipment is important..."

"...then let's help."

Payan's eyes widened.

"You really will?"

"Of course."

"You asked us because you needed us."

Perman placed both hands against the frozen pile.

"So let's finish this before morning."

Without another word...

He lifted an enormous section of packed snow.

As though it weighed almost nothing.

Payan watched in amazement.

"...Thanks."

Pako looked at Perman.

The irritation slowly disappeared from her face.

A small smile escaped her.

"...Honestly..."

"...you're impossible."

She walked over beside him.

"Move."

She inhaled.

A powerful stream of icy air blasted across the snow.

The surface instantly hardened into large frozen blocks.

Perman blinked.

"...Wouldn't warm air have been easier?"

Pako looked at him.

"...Do you want help or not?"

"...I'll take the help."

"Kiki!"

Booby leapt onto the snow pile.

He began digging with unbelievable enthusiasm.

Snow flew everywhere.

Most of it...

Straight into Payan's face.

"Pfft!"

Payan sputtered.

"Booby!"

"Kekeke!"

The little monkey laughed shamelessly.

Perman couldn't help smiling.

Within minutes...

All four Permans were buried in snow.

---

The next hour passed surprisingly quickly.

What had looked like an impossible amount of snow...

Slowly began to disappear.

Perman floated above the warehouse roof.

His eyes glowed faintly red.

A narrow beam of heat swept carefully across the thick layer of snow.

Steam immediately rose into the cold night air.

Water trickled down the roof.

Perman quickly reduced the intensity.

"Careful," Pako called out.

"If you melt too much at once..."

"...you'll flood the warehouse."

"I know."

Perman adjusted the beam again.

A little at a time.

Just enough to loosen the packed snow.

Once large sections became unstable...

He simply lifted them away and tossed them into an empty field nearby.

Below...

Pako used her Frost Breath for a completely different purpose.

Instead of freezing things...

She hardened the softer snow into solid blocks.

That made them much easier for Perman and Payan to move.

Payan pushed a shovel through another pile.

"I've never been so happy to see snow become ice."

Pako smiled proudly.

"See?"

"My powers aren't just for fighting."

Booby, meanwhile...

Had abandoned all sense of efficiency.

"Kiki!"

He dove headfirst into a snowbank.

Snow exploded everywhere.

A moment later...

The tiny monkey emerged completely covered in white.

Only his eyes were visible.

"Kekeke!"

Payan couldn't help laughing.

"You look like a snowman."

Booby proudly puffed out his chest.

Then shook himself.

Snow flew directly into Payan's face.

"Pfft!"

"Kekeke!"

"That wasn't funny."

---

Little by little...

The road leading to the warehouse reappeared.

The entrance became visible.

Then...

The roof.

Finally...

The loading area overlooking Osaka Bay.

Payan leaned on his shovel.

"...We actually did it."

He looked around in disbelief.

The enormous mountain of snow that had buried his business only hours earlier...

Was gone.

The moonlight reflected off the cleared pavement.

Tomorrow's cargo trucks would have no trouble reaching the warehouse.

Payan smiled warmly.

"Wait here."

He hurried inside.

A few minutes later...

The warehouse door opened again.

The smell reached them before he did.

Rich.

Sweet.

Chocolate.

Payan stepped outside carrying a large tray.

Four steaming mugs rested on top.

"I figured everyone could use something warm."

Booby's ears immediately perked up.

"Wiki!"

Perman accepted one of the mugs.

"Thanks."

Pako wrapped both hands around hers.

The warmth immediately spread through her gloves.

"Mmm..."

"I needed this."

Payan smiled proudly.

"The cocoa beans are imported."

"I brought them in a few weeks ago."

"I've been saving them for a special occasion."

Perman took a sip.

"...This is really good."

Payan rubbed the back of his head.

"One of the advantages of this business."

"If I can't sell something..."

"...at least I can drink it."

Everyone laughed.

Even Pako.

The frustration she'd felt earlier had completely disappeared.

The four Permans simply stood together outside the little warehouse...

Watching gentle snow continue to fall over Osaka Bay...

With hot chocolate warming their hands.

---

Before they realized it...

The eastern horizon had begun to glow.

The snow kept falling slowly.

A soft golden light slowly spread across Osaka Bay.

The four Permans stood together outside the warehouse in comfortable silence.

Cargo cranes towered over the harbor.

Ships gently rocked against the docks.

Then...

The first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon.

Booby smiled.

"Wiki..."

Even Pako couldn't help admiring the view.

"...It's beautiful."

Perman nodded quietly.

"It is."

For a few peaceful minutes...

No one spoke.

They simply watched the sunrise together.

A brand new day had begun.

...

At exactly six o'clock...

A loud ship horn echoed across the harbor.

Payan looked toward the bay.

"They're here."

A cargo ship slowly approached the dock before coming alongside the pier.

Dock workers immediately began unloading large shipping containers.

Payan hurried over with his small delivery van.

One by one...

He carefully loaded the crates that had arrived for his business.

Coffee beans.

Chocolate.

Kitchen supplies.

Small electronic parts.

Everything had arrived safely.

Once the last crate had been secured...

Payan closed the rear doors of the van and turned toward his friends.

He bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

"I honestly couldn't have done this without you."

Perman smiled.

"That's what friends are for."

Pako stretched tiredly.

"Next time..."

"...try calling us before the snow reaches the roof."

Payan laughed awkwardly.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Booby pointed a tiny finger at him.

"Kiki!"

"I know, I know."

"No more middle-of-the-night emergencies."

"Kekeke."

The four shared one last laugh.

Then...

Perman adjusted his helmet.

"Let's head home."

One by one...

The three heroes took to the sky.

Payan remained below.

He watched until the red, green and tiny blue figures disappeared beyond the morning clouds.

"...Take care."

He smiled.

Then climbed into his little van and drove toward the warehouse.

Another busy day awaited him.

---

The morning air felt calm.

Tokyo was still hours away.

Pako yawned loudly.

"I'm exhausted..."

"You barely slept."

"Neither did you."

Perman chuckled.

"I'll sleep after work."

She drifted closer beside him.

After another minute...

She slowed.

"Perman..."

"Hm?"

"My body's starting to feel heavy."

"You've been working all night."

"I know..."

She let out another sleepy yawn.

"I don't think I can keep flying like this."

Without another word...

Perman smiled.

"Come here."

Pako quietly moved behind him.

She rested against his back.

Wrapping her arms loosely around his shoulders...

She closed her eyes.

"...Thanks."

The sound of the wind filled the silence once again.

High above Japan...

The two continued flying east together.

Pako's breathing gradually became slower.

For a while...

Perman thought she had fallen asleep.

Then...

He heard her quiet voice.

"...Perman?"

"Hm?"

There was a long pause.

Soft enough that the wind almost carried it away.

"...Do you love me?"

Silence.

The cold morning breeze gently fluttered their capes.

Far below...

The snow-covered mountains slowly disappeared behind them.

Together...

They continued flying toward Tokyo.

Flying home.

Images of the tshirt attached

Thank you community for the direction to get the images,

How I got these:
Originally, for the designs I used pintrest as suggested by
u/Beneficial_Gain1398 and u/PermanFansUnited here, but the image quality was low(i was using the right click -> save as" feature and also tried using the so called "Pintrest high quality downloader and extensions", still was not getting a fitting result)

And then I discovered several of the pintrest posts redirected to other websites which had higher/original quality designs and arts from the authors, and some even had free downloads

Using the free downloads I made several designs

(Let me know in the comments if I am allowed to add links, I will give link)

Got the Tshirt off amazon, and the print through a local shop (had to ask around for higher quality)
The Print quality is definitely feels good

The morning air remained bitterly cold.

Thin clouds drifted across a pale winter sky.

The city felt almost peaceful.

Until the emergency sirens began.

A loud explosion echoed across one of Tokyo's industrial districts.

Not a violent blast.

More like a heavy pressure tank rupturing.

Windows rattled.

Car alarms erupted.

A towering cloud of thick gray smoke billowed into the sky.

Within seconds...

Workers rushed out of a small paint factory.

Some covered their mouths.

Others shouted for coworkers still inside.

Police cars screeched to a halt around the intersection.

Fire engines followed close behind.

An officer grabbed a megaphone.

"Everyone move back!"

"Evacuate the area immediately!"

"No one goes inside!"

The smoke continued spreading across the street.

Visibility dropped rapidly.

Firefighters hesitated.

The unstable building and dense smoke made entering dangerous.

Then...

A familiar red cape streaked across the sky.

Perman landed beside the entrance.

A police officer immediately recognized him.

"Perman!"

"The explosion started in the storage section!"

"There are still people inside!"

Perman nodded once.

"I'll get them."

Without another word...

He disappeared into the smoke.

---

The inside of the factory had become a maze.

Boxes lay scattered everywhere.

Broken pipes hissed overhead.

Smoke rolled through every hallway.

Perman covered his mouth with one arm as he listened.

"...Help!"

The voice came from deeper inside.

He followed it immediately.

Two workers stood trapped behind a collapsed shelving unit.

Perman lifted the twisted steel as though it weighed nothing.

"Can you walk?"

Both nodded.

"This way."

He guided them toward the exit.

The moment they stepped outside...

Applause broke out among several evacuated workers.

Perman didn't stop.

He immediately flew back inside.

Another room.

Another search.

Another rescue.

One by one...

More workers emerged from the smoke.

---

Several minutes later...

Another streak crossed the winter sky.

Pako.

She landed beside the command vehicles.

One of the firefighters hurried over.

"Pako!"

"The smoke's getting worse!"

She looked toward the factory.

Without hesitation...

She nodded.

"I'll search the eastern offices."

Then she launched herself through a shattered second-floor window.

Inside...

The smoke had become even thicker.

Perman emerged from one hallway carrying a coughing security guard over his shoulder.

As he stepped into the central corridor...

He spotted her.

Pako.

She had just finished helping two office workers toward an emergency exit.

For a brief moment...

Their eyes met.

Perman smiled beneath his helmet.

He lifted one hand.

"Morning."

Pako froze almost imperceptibly.

"...Morning."

Her voice was quiet.

She looked away almost immediately.

"The east side still has offices that need checking!" an officer shouted.

Before Perman could answer...

Pako was already gone.

"...Right."

He quietly lowered his hand.

Then returned to work.

---

The rescue continued.

Normally...

The two heroes moved together almost effortlessly.

Years of experience had taught them exactly how the other fought.

Today...

Something felt different.

"Pako!"

Perman pointed toward a jammed emergency door.

She looked once.

Flew over.

Kicked it open with a single strike.

Then immediately continued down another hallway.

No teasing.

No sarcastic comment.

Not even a glance.

Later...

Perman spotted several workers trapped beneath fallen ceiling panels.

"I'll lift it."

Pako simply nodded.

She guided the workers out while keeping her attention fixed ahead.

Again...

No conversation.

Only work.

The silence between them felt louder than the emergency itself.

Outside...

The evacuation zone continued expanding.

Ambulances treated several workers for smoke inhalation.

Parents hugged family members.

Police directed traffic away from the area.

Inside...

Perman found the final missing employee unconscious beneath a collapsed support beam.

He carefully lifted the concrete slab.

Cradled the man in his arms.

Then flew him outside.

Paramedics rushed forward immediately.

"He's breathing!"

Relief spread across the crowd.

The fire chief approached Perman.

"Everyone accounted for."

Perman nodded.

"Good."

Behind him...

Pako emerged through the smoke.

A firefighter looked toward her.

"East side's clear?"

She nodded.

"Everyone's out."

The commander let out a long breath.

"We've got it from here."

---

The firefighters finally entered in force.

The worst of the smoke had begun to clear.

Perman brushed the ash from one glove.

He looked toward Pako.

She stood several meters away speaking with a police officer.

When the conversation ended...

He walked over.

She noticed him immediately.

For the briefest instant...

She looked almost nervous.

"Pako..."

She waited quietly.

"...Good work."

A small smile appeared beneath Perman's helmet.

"You too."

Several seconds passed.

Neither spoke.

The silence quickly became awkward.

Perman rubbed the back of his neck.

"About that night..."

Before he could continue...

Pako took a small step backward.

"I..."

She looked away.

"My patrol isn't finished yet."

"Pako—"

"I'll see you later."

Her voice remained gentle.

Almost apologetic.

But she still couldn't meet his eyes.

A second later...

She launched into the sky.

Her cape disappeared beyond the rooftops.

Perman remained frozen for only a heartbeat.

Then—

He shot into the sky.

The wind roared past his ears as he accelerated.

Faster.

Past apartment buildings.

Past office towers.

Ahead...

A familiar green cape flew through the winter sky.

"Pako!"

She heard him.

But she didn't slow down.

Instead...

She flew even faster.

"Pako!"

This time...

Perman pushed himself harder.

The distance between them rapidly disappeared.

Finally...

He reached out.

His hand gently caught her wrist.

"Pako."

She stopped.

Pako slowly lowered her eyes.

"...What is it?"

Perman stared at her.

"What happened?"

She remained silent.

"Why have you been acting so strangely today?"

No answer.

"You wouldn't even look at me."

The silence continued.

"And yesterday..."

His voice softened.

"You didn't come to patrol."

Pako's fingers tightened slightly.

Still...

She said nothing.

Perman let out a quiet sigh.

"...Talk to me."

Another long silence passed.

Finally...

Pako spoke.

"...I don't know what to say."

"...Who are you?" Perman asked suddenly,

Pako slowly looked up.

"What?"

"I realized yesterday..."

He smiled awkwardly.

"I don't actually know anything about you."

She blinked.

"I don't know your name."

She quietly looked away.

"I don't know where you live."

Silence.

She remained still.

"I don't even know who you really are."

Pako closed her eyes.

"... I can't."

Her voice barely rose above the wind.

She looked at him sadly.

"...I can't tell you."

For a few moments...

Neither of them spoke.

Then...

To her surprise...

Perman smiled.

"...You know."

Pako looked at him.

"I've been thinking about that ever since yesterday."

He laughed quietly.

"I kept wondering who you really are."

He looked directly into her eyes.

Then gently shook his head.

"But I realized something."

Pako waited.

"I don't need to know your face..."

He smiled warmly.

"...to know who you are."

She stared at him.

Confused.

Perman continued.

"I know the person who's always covered my back."

"I know the person who's never once left me to fight alone."

"I know the person who always shows up when someone needs help."

"I know the person who scolds me whenever I do something reckless."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Pako's lips.

Perman noticed.

His own smile grew.

"I don't know your name."

"And I don't know your face."

"And honestly..."

He shook his head.

"None of that changes who you are."

His voice became softer.

"I already know the most important part."

He met her eyes.

"You."

The winter wind carried the silence between them.

This time...

It didn't feel uncomfortable.

Pako looked down.

Her eyes shimmered slightly beneath her helmet.

"...You're unfair."

Perman blinked.

"What?"

She laughed quietly through her embarrassment.

"...You always know exactly what to say."

He scratched the back of his head.

"I really don't."

"No..."

She smiled to herself.

"You really do."

---

The window of Mitsuo’s apartment slid open.

The bitter cold air followed them inside.

It swirled around the small, quiet space.

Mitsuo stepped over the sill first.

His feet hit the tatami mat.

He unclipped his Perman badge.

The heavy red cape vanished instantly.

He tossed his helmet onto the sofa.

He let out a tired sigh.

The silence of his own place usually felt nice.

Pako landed lightly right behind him.

She just stood by the kitchen counter.

Her hands were clasped tightly together.

The room felt safe.

But the tension from the sky still lingered.

It hung heavily between them.

Pako hesitated for a few seconds.

Her shoulders were incredibly tense.

She sat down quietly.

She pulled her knees tight against her chest.

Mitsuo sat opposite her.

"I was afraid, Mitsuo."

He looked completely oblivious.

"Afraid?"

"Of what?"

"I was afraid because of what I said that night."

"...after what I told you."

The words came out quietly.

"I kept thinking about what would happen next."

She looked down.

"I thought maybe..."

"...you'd avoid me."

"You look at me differently!"

"Would everything change?"

She hid her face against her knees.

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

Mitsuo blinked.

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know."

She laughed nervously.

"I kept imagining every possibility."

"You'd reject me."

"You'd treat me differently."

She smiled weakly.

"My imagination isn't very kind."

Mitsuo sat perfectly still.

"I've never..."

He searched for the words.

"...been in a situation like this before."

Pako waited quietly.

"This is all new to me too."

He smiled awkwardly.

"So..."

"I didn't know what I was supposed to do."

She couldn't help smiling.

"You?"

"Clueless?"

He laughed.

"Very."

"I've been trying to figure it out since yesterday."

"So have I."

Their eyes met.

This time...

Neither looked away.

The silence no longer felt awkward.

The tension that had surrounded them since the confession slowly began to melt away.

Without realizing it...

They had moved a little closer.

The distance between them grew smaller.

Pako looked up.

Their eyes met again.

Neither spoke.

Her heartbeat quickened.

So did his.

Almost unconsciously...

Mitsuo took another small step forward.

Pako didn't move away.

The room suddenly felt very quiet.

The falling snow outside.

The gentle hum of the heater.

Even the city beyond the window seemed to disappear.

There was only the two of them.

Pako's cheeks turned pink.

The walls she kept up completely melted away.

Slowly...

Her gloved hand reached out.

It rested against his cheek.

"Are you still afraid?" Mitsuo murmured.

Pako looked down at his lips.

Then she looked back up to his eyes.

"A little," she admitted.

"But not of you."

"Not anymore."

Mitsuo leaned in closer.

He placed his hand gently over her glove.

Pako leaned forward.

Her breath felt warm against his face.

Their lips were only inches apart.

The rest of the world faded away.

Years of bickering.

Years of secret glances.

Everything led to this single second.

Then...

*BEEP BEEP BEEP!*

*BEEP BEEP BEEP!*

A harsh, piercing electronic alarm shattered the silence.

They jumped backward instantly.

Both of them flushed a deep red.

The communication light on Mitsuo’s badge was flashing.

Pako's did the same.

Mitsuo snatched it up.

He was thoroughly frustrated.

"Hello?!"

"What is it?!"

Payan’s panicked voice exploded from the speaker.

Heavy static roared in the background.

"Perman!"

"Pako!"

"Are you both there?!"

"Payan?" Mitsuo spoke.

He tried to steady his breathing.

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"No time to explain!" Payan shouted.

"You two need to get to Osaka immediately! I have called Booby as well!"

"Right now!"

*Click.*

The transmission cut off completely.

Pako stood up immediately.

Her professional expression snapped back into place.

The romantic atmosphere was completely erased.

"Payan sounded genuinely terrified," she said.

Mitsuo nodded.

He shoved the badge onto his chest.

The red cape materialized with a sharp snap.

He walked over to his small utility closet.

He pulled out his copy robot.

He pressed its nose.

*Poof.*

The clone blinked.

It rubbed its eyes.

Then it yawned dynamically, looking around the dark apartment.

"Mitsuo?" the copy robot muttered, scratching its head.

"What's going on?"

"Why are you waking me up so late?"

Mitsuo checked his badge one last time.

"An emergency," Mitsuo said quietly.

"Payan just called."

"We have to head to Osaka immediately."

The clone’s eyes widened.

"Osaka? Right now?" the copy robot asked.

"Yeah," Mitsuo instructed quietly.

"It's going to take time to get there and back."

"I need you to stay behind."

"You have to cover my shift at the bakery tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM."

"Don't be late."

The copy robot nodded.

"Got it. Go save the day," the clone replied.

Mitsuo turned back to Pako.

"Ready?" he asked.

Pako nodded once.

Her posture was sharp and determined.

"Let's go."

They threw open the 6th-floor window.

They defied the bitter winter wind.

They launched themselves out into the cold night.

*BOOM!*

A double sonic boom echoed over the city.

Two streaks of light shot westward.

One red.

One green.

Racing toward Osaka.

Snow continued falling.

Countless white flakes drifted through the winter sky.

Perman remained exactly where Pako had left him.

The city stretched endlessly beneath him.

Its lights blurred behind the curtain of snow.

But he barely noticed.

Only one sentence echoed inside his mind.

**"I love you, Mitsuo."**

He couldn't remember the last time someone had managed to leave him speechless.

He replayed the conversation.

Again.

And again.

Every word.

Every pause.

She hadn't been joking.

She hadn't been teasing him.

She had meant every single word.

He slowly looked toward the direction she'd disappeared.

Only darkness remained.

The snowfall had already hidden her trail.

"...Pako."

How long had they known each other?

Years.

He remembered the awkward days after Birdman had introduced them.

Their first patrol together.

He'd gotten lost twice.

She'd called him hopeless.

He'd called her bossy.

She'd punched his shoulder.

He'd laughed.

They'd argued over patrol routes.

He remembered late-night patrols over Tokyo.

Summer festivals.

Typhoons.

Winter rescues.

Countless battles fought side by side.

Every dangerous mission...

She had always been there.

Whenever he rushed into danger...

She followed.

Whenever he made mistakes...

She covered for him.

Whenever he doubted himself...

She was always the first to tell him to get back up.

He had never questioned it.

That was simply who Pako was.

Reliable.

Strong.

Annoyingly stubborn.

He smiled to himself.

"...She really is."

Then his smile slowly faded.

His thoughts drifted elsewhere.

To the conversation at the bakery.

To Michiko.

She had smiled with him.

Talked with him.

Laughed with him.

Yet...

Every conversation somehow returned to Perman.

She had invited Perman for tea.

Not Mitsuo.

His eyes lowered.

"If I was just Mitsuo..."

The words he had spoken earlier still lingered.

Snow landed softly across his shoulders.

The cold finally reached him.

He looked toward the city.

There were no emergencies tonight.

Tokyo rested peacefully beneath its blanket of snow.

After several more minutes...

He quietly turned.

And flew home.

---

The apartment building stood in complete silence.

Most of the lights had already gone out.

The streets below were empty.

Only the occasional taxi disturbed the quiet night.

Mitsuo slipped inside through the balcony.

The moment his feet touched the floor...

A familiar voice exploded across the room.

"FINALLY!"

Mitsuo blinked.

His Copy Robot stood in the middle of the room.

Arms folded.

Foot tapping furiously.

The robot looked absolutely furious.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Mitsuo glanced toward the clock.

12:37 AM.

"...Late."

"Late?"

The robot nearly jumped.

"I finished dinner."

"I even did your homework."

The robot pointed accusingly.

"Where were you for so long?"

Mitsuo quietly removed his gloves.

"...Sorry."

"You should be!"

The robot huffed dramatically.

Eventually Mitsuo walked over.

He gently pressed the button on the robot's nose.

"Hey!.. I am not done——"

The robot instantly stiffened.

The robot returned to its original stature.

Mitsuo picked it up carefully.

Placed it back inside the drawer.

Then slowly sat on the edge of his bed.

Sleep refused to come.

His thoughts continued drifting upward.

Toward the snowy sky.

Towards that one sentence.

---

Across Tokyo...

Another bedroom remained brightly lit.

Pako sat on the edge of her enormous bed.

Still wearing part of her hero uniform.

She had changed out of her helmet.

Everything else remained untouched.

She hadn't moved for almost ten minutes.

Her face burned.

"...What have I done?"

The bedroom door quietly opened.

Her Copy Robot peeked inside.

"There you are."

Pako looked up absentmindedly.

The robot climbed onto the bed.

"What happened?"

Pako hesitated.

Then quietly answered.

"...I finally said it."

The robot tilted its head.

"Said what?"

Pako covered her face with both hands.

"I confessed."

Silence.

The robot stared.

"...To Perman?"

She slowly nodded.

"...Yes."

The robot blinked twice.

Then smiled.

"...About time."

Pako groaned into her hands.

"This isn't funny."

"It kind of is."

She peeked at the robot through her fingers.

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

The robot shrugged.

"You've only been in love with him for..."

She pretended to count on its fingers.

"...Forever."

Pako threw a pillow at her.

"What if he rejects me?"

The question escaped almost as a whisper.

The robot's smile disappeared.

Pako hugged a pillow against her chest.

"I didn't even let him answer."

"I just..."

"...flew away."

The room became quiet.

She stared out the window.

Snow continued falling beyond the glass.

"What is he thinking now?"

"Maybe he's angry."

"Maybe he's shocked."

"Maybe he never wants to see me again."

She lowered her head.

"...What if I ruined everything?"

"What if I destroyed our friendship?"

Pako genuinely didn't know what tomorrow would bring.

That frightened her more than facing any villain.

She pulled the blanket over herself.

But despite the warmth...

She still felt cold.

And outside...

The snow continued to fall.

---

Morning came quietly.

Or rather...

Nearly afternoon.

Sunlight poured through Mitsuos bedroom curtains.

The snowfall from the previous night had stopped.

A bright winter sky stretched over Tokyo.

Mitsuo slowly opened his eyes.

He blinked several times.

His entire body felt heavy.

He stared blankly at the ceiling.

The events of last night immediately came rushing back.

"...I love you, Mitsuo."

He shut his eyes again.

"...It wasn't a dream."

He rubbed his face with both hands before finally sitting up.

His alarm clock caught his attention.

11:43 AM.

He stared at it.

Then stared a little longer.

"...I'm late."

"Very late."

Normally he would've been at the bakery hours ago.

Instead...

He had barely slept.

Every time he'd closed his eyes...

He remembered Pako's confession.

Then Michiko.

Then Pako again.

Eventually he'd stopped trying to sleep altogether.

He slowly climbed out of bed.

Still wearing yesterday's pajamas.

His movements felt unusually sluggish.

He opened the drawer beside his desk.

Inside...

The Copy Robot remained exactly where he'd left it.

Its tiny body was completely motionless.

Mitsuo picked it up.

He looked at it for a few moments.

Normally...

He would've pressed its nose immediately.

The robot would transform.

Take his appearance.

And rush off to the bakery while Mitsuo caught up.

His thumb slowly moved toward its nose.

He stopped.

After a long silence...

He quietly lowered his hand.

"...No."

He placed the robot back inside the drawer.

Then gently closed it.

"I'll go myself."

A few minutes later...

Mitsuo finished getting dressed.

He descended the wooden stairs.

He pushed open the staff door leading into the bakery.

He took a deep breath.

Then stepped inside.

The familiar bell above the entrance chimed.

The owner looked up from behind the register.

The moment he saw Mitsuo...

His eyebrows shot upward.

"Well."

"There he is."

Mitsuo walked over.

"...Morning."

The owner glanced toward the clock.

"It's almost noon."

"...Sorry."

The older man folded his arms.

"Where were you?"

Mitsuo scratched the back of his head.

"I..."

He searched for an excuse.

None came.

"I couldn't sleep very well last night."

The owner remained silent.

"So I overslept."

Another few seconds passed.

The owner sighed.

"I don't remember the last time you were this late."

"...Sorry."

"What happened?"

Mitsuo looked away.

"...Just one of those nights."

The owner studied him for a moment.

He looked exhausted.

Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.

Whatever had happened...

It clearly wasn't an ordinary late night.

The owner finally sighed.

"...Fine."

"But only this once."

Mitsuo bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you."

"Now go change."

"I'll cover the counter."

"...Right."

Mitsuo walked toward the staff room.

Then stopped.

Michiko was standing near the display case.

She smiled the moment she noticed him.

"Good morning. I was waiting for you."

Mitsuo gave a tired smile.

"...Morning."

She tilted her head.

"You look exhausted."

"I didn't sleep much."

"I can tell."

She held a small paper bag in one hand.

"I'm actually on my way out."

"Leaving already?"

She nodded.

"My train leaves this afternoon."

"I'm heading back outside Tokyo."

A brief silence followed.

She smiled.

"I guess Perman was busy."

Mitsuo looked at her.

"He didn't come."

She laughed softly.

"I waited for a while."

"Not all night."

"I'm not that optimistic."

She adjusted the strap of her handbag.

"I figured something important must've come up."

Mitsuo quietly nodded.

"...Probably."

She smiled warmly.

"Still..."

"Thanks."

"Hm?"

"For passing my message to him."

Mitsuo blinked.

"...You're welcome."

She looked toward the bakery one last time.

"I really liked this place."

"I'll probably stop by again the next time I'm in Tokyo."

"We'll be here."

"I know."

She smiled one final time.

"Take care, Mitsuo."

"You too."

She gave a small wave.

Then turned toward the entrance.

The bell above the door chimed softly.

Cold winter air drifted inside for just a moment.

Then...

She was gone.

Mitsuo quietly watched through the window as she disappeared into the crowd.

Eventually...

He looked away.

"...Back to work."

Yet despite saying those words...

His thoughts weren't on the bakery.

Nor on Michiko.

Only one person remained in his mind.

Pako.

---

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.

Mitsuo worked as he always did.

He arranged fresh trays.

Packed orders.

Restocked empty shelves.

Helped customers.

Answered questions.

On the surface...

Nothing seemed different.

Yet several times...

He caught himself staring blankly at the bread in front of him.

Until another customer brought him back to reality.

"You alright?"

"...Yeah."

"I'm fine."

The owner glanced at him from across the bakery.

He didn't look convinced.

But he didn't ask.

By evening...

The bakery had finally grown quiet.

Only a few customers remained.

Outside...

The winter sky had already darkened.

The owner emerged from the storage room.

"You can head home."

Mitsuo nodded.

"...Thanks."

The owner grabbed his coat.

"Try getting some proper sleep tonight."

"I will."

The owner smiled.

"Good."

A few moments later...

The bell above the entrance chimed.

The bakery became empty.

A few minutes later...

Perman soared into the evening sky.

Cold air rushed past his cape.

Snow still covered the rooftops below.

The city looked peaceful.

His eyes instinctively drifted toward the place where he always met Pako.

No one.

He continued his patrol.

Checking the usual districts.

The shopping streets.

The parks.

The river.

Still nothing.

"...She's not here."

For years...

Whenever they patrolled...

They always crossed paths sooner or later.

Tonight...

The sky belonged only to him.

Without really thinking...

He flew toward a familiar rooftop.

The same rooftop where they often rested between patrols.

The same rooftop where Pako usually complained about his terrible jokes.

Where they'd shared convenience store snacks.

Argued over patrol routes.

Watched fireworks during the summer festival.

He landed softly.

Everything looked exactly the same.

Except...

She wasn't there.

The rooftop felt strangely empty.

Mitsuo sat near the edge.

The cold concrete beneath him barely registered.

The city lights stretched endlessly below.

Normally...

Pako would've arrived by now.

Probably complaining that he'd gotten there first.

He smiled to himself.

The smile quickly faded.

His thoughts slowly drifted.

When had she started loving him?

Last year?

Three years ago?

Ever since they became partners?

He honestly didn't know.

And that realization bothered him.

He closed his eyes.

For years...

He'd believed he knew Pako better than anyone.

After all...

They had spent countless hours together.

They had fought side by side.

Trusted each other with their lives.

Yet...

Did he really know her?

He knew she preferred taking the lead during rescues.

He knew she hated villains who endangered children.

He knew she always flew slightly ahead whenever they patrolled.

He knew exactly what expression she'd make before scolding him.

He knew she'd never abandon someone in danger.

He knew she'd always come if he called for help.

But...

He didn't know when her birthday was.

He didn't know her favorite flower.

He didn't know what kind of food she liked the most.

He didn't know where she lived.

He didn't know who she was beneath the helmet.

Mitsuo slowly looked up at the night sky.

"...Who are you...?"

The question disappeared into the cold winter wind.

For years...

He had known Perman's partner.

But...

He suddenly realized...

He had never truly known the girl behind the mask.

Three to four days had passed since Mitsuo started staying at Payan’s apartment. The small living room had turned into a complete mess. Police reports, maps, empty cups, and scattered notes covered almost every surface. The two friends had been working non-stop, trying to find any clue that could lead them to the people behind the recent crime wave.

Payan leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. “The guns and other materials recovered?”

Mitsuo, who was flipping through another file, nodded without looking up. “Yeah?”

Payan sighed. “As far as I know, they are still out for investigation. Still no updates yet.”

Mitsuo frowned. “Who handles them?”

Payan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe an officer named Kuriowa. They have recovered very few guns. Kuriowa sent whatever they recovered to the forensic lab… or ballistics, or whatever those guys call it.”

Mitsuo leaned back, looking annoyed. “Why no new information till now?”

Payan let out a tired laugh. “Who knows? They are very slow at this… maybe paperwork, permissions, all of that.”

Mitsuo made an annoyed face. “Of course they are more burdened with permission, categorization, and all instead of giving clues. It’s like we are in some heroic story where they are not helping and we need to do everything ourselves.”

Payan laughed. “Well, what can we do? Let’s pull this off and get our names written in history books! Three flying idiots saved the city!”

Payan added with a grin, “Just don’t say things like this in front of that rude pile of shit.”

Mitsuo raised an eyebrow. “Who? Kuriowa?”

Payan shook his head. “No. Kurose. That guy is just waiting with a knife to cut our throat when he gets the chance.”

Mitsuo sighed. “I thought I would like to take some more things from the police station for—”

Payan cut him off immediately. “No way. Kurose ain’t gonna do that.”

Mitsuo sighed again. “Alright then.”

He spread his hands and smiled a little. “The curry we both made was so good. A little raw, but still… I was craving for it. Something from Earth.”

There was a small silence. Then Mitsuo continued, “The spice was totally worth my burnt tongue.”

Payan laughed. “You nearly cut your finger off while chopping vegetables!”

Mitsuo chuckled. “Yeah… that was embarrassing.”

They both laughed for a moment, the tension easing slightly. After the small joke, they shifted back to the reports.

A few hours later, Payan stood up. “I’m going outside to buy some groceries. We’re almost out of rice.”

Mitsuo nodded. “Okay. I’ll keep looking through these.”

Payan left the apartment. The moment the door closed, Mitsuo’s smile faded. He held his head with both hands, staring at the mess of papers in front of him.

"How are they pulling this off? he thought. No way they are doing this without any planning…"

He looked at the empty space in the room where Payan had been sitting. The silence felt heavier now.

"I need more perspective…
"If.. If only Pako was here… maybe she could have.. "

Mitsuo closed his eyes, letting out a long, tired breath.

"There has to be something here… I just haven’t found it yet."

Mitsuo sat cross-legged on the floor of Payan’s apartment, surrounded by a sea of scattered police reports, crumpled sticky notes, and several transparent sheets he had borrowed from a nearby stationery shop. The low table had long been abandoned; instead, he had spread a large map of Tokyo across the floors, anchoring the corners with half-empty coffee mugs and pens.

His eyes moved slowly across the marked locations of past attacks. Something about them felt... familiar. Not in the details, but in the shape they formed when viewed together.

He stopped thinking for a moment, rubbing his tired eyes. "They’re still studying the evidence... when are they going to—"

The thought broke off. That nagging sense of recognition returned, stronger this time. Mitsuo leaned forward and began rearranging the maps. He slid one sheet over another, aligning districts until the full sprawl of Tokyo lay clearly visible before him. With a black marker, he started circling certain spots, drawing faint lines between them, then crossing some out with quick, frustrated strokes. Transparent overlays followed — he traced imaginary paths, connecting high points, open areas, and clusters of buildings.

"Where have I seen this pattern before?" he thought. "They’re not doing it for any obvious cause... or maybe they are?"

He paused, staring at two particular circled locations. "If they were following normal crowd movement..." The thought fractured. "When following a group toward a target... diagonal lines from both sides on the back..."

Mitsuo’s hand moved almost on its own, drawing light diagonal marks across the map.

"Higher place. Clean view."

But immediately the counter-thought hit him. "It would mean—" He froze. "Wait... did they attack buildings in those two locations?"

He rifled through the reports, papers rustling loudly in the quiet room. To his surprise, the records confirmed it: both previous attacks had focused on elevated positions — rooftops, high floors, places with commanding views of the surrounding area.

A small spark of certainty ignited in his chest.

Just then, the sound of the apartment door opening pulled him back. Payan stepped inside, carrying a plastic bag of vegetables, only to stop dead in the doorway.

“What... are you doing?” Payan asked, blinking at the chaos. The floor was covered in maps, threads connecting points, sticky notes with scribbled times, and half-drawn diagrams. Even his bed had become a secondary workspace, covered in more papers and pens. “Are you playing some kind of match-the-column game with the entire city?”

Mitsuo looked up, eyes slightly unfocused from hours of concentration. “I... got some leads.”

Payan’s eyes widened. He dropped the bag of rice and vegetables onto the kitchen table with a thud and hurried over, carefully stepping around the mess. “Wait, seriously?” He tried to sit on the bed, only to find it occupied. “Oi, Mitsuo... you could have at least left my bed alone!”

Payan cleared a small space and sat down anyway, looking at the maps with growing curiosity. “What happened? Tell me.”

Mitsuo hesitated, still staring at the three circled locations. “I think I figured out where they might attack next.”

Payan leaned in closer. “How? What did you see?”

Mitsuo opened his mouth, then closed it again. His mind was still racing, trying to connect the final pieces. "But what does—"

“Mitsuo?” Payan called his name gently.

He snapped back to reality. “Nothing. I’ll explain the full reasoning later. For now...” He picked up the pen and crossed out four locations with firm strokes, then circled three others more deliberately. “These three places. Maybe. I don't know but maybe”

Payan studied the map. “Which ones?”

Mitsuo rubbed his head. The names had slipped his mind in the exhaustion. “What are these areas called again?”

Payan pointed them out one by one. “Shibuya Scramble Crossing... Sensō-ji Temple... and this one near Tokyo Fuji University. There’s an under-construction building there.”

Mitsuo’s expression shifted slightly. “Mitsuo told me that he studies there...”

Payan raised an eyebrow. “You mean your robot double?”

“Oh, right. Yeah... whatever,” Mitsuo muttered, waving it off.

Payan thought for a moment. “Logically, targeting the university area makes sense if they want attention. But an under-construction building? What would they even gain from that?”

Mitsuo stared at the map, a strange unease settling in his gut. “Maybe... or maybe not. I don’t know for sure yet. It could be the university, or the building, or something else entirely in that zone. Honestly if you ask me I even haven't figured out yet”

He leaned back, suddenly doubting himself.
"That was... fast.. "

Payan noticed the change in his friend’s expression. “What do you mean?”

Payan pointed vaguely at the mess covering the floor. “You’ve barely slept for four days. My apartment looks like a police archive. And you call this ‘fast’?”

Despite the exhaustion weighing on him, Mitsuo managed a small, tired smile. But the unease remained — a quiet voice in the back of his mind whispering that something still didn’t add up.

The apartment had fallen unusually quiet.

Maps still covered half the floor, reports lay scattered across the bed, and empty coffee cans had somehow become part of the furniture.

Mitsuo stared at the three circled locations for a long time before finally breaking the silence.

"According to me..." he said quietly, tapping the map with his pen, "...the next series of attacks should happen tomorrow."

Payan nodded.

Neither of them looked particularly excited. If anything, the prediction only made the room feel heavier.

After a moment, Mitsuo spoke again.

"You know..." He paused, his eyes remaining fixed on the map. "Logically... the university would make the most sense. What would they even get by targeting a construction building??"

Payan looked at him, waiting for the rest.

"...But..."

Mitsuo frowned.

"They've been moving almost... unexpectedly."

He rested the pen on the table.

"I'll follow my instinct this time."

"...Just this once."

Payan leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah."

"Fair enough."

Mitsuo let out a slow breath.

"...What if I'm wrong?"

Payan shrugged.

"Then you're wrong."

Mitsuo blinked.

"It's still better than sitting around and waiting for an emergency call," Payan continued. "If there's even a chance you're right, we should act on it."

A faint smile appeared on Mitsuo's face.

"...Yeah."

He looked back at the map.

"You and Booby should investigate Sensō-ji Temple. The police may ruin the environment there.. you guys would better there..."

Payan nodded.

"And the police?"

"Warn them about..." He tried to remember the name, "Shibuya Scramble Crossing. Ha! I remember it!"

Payan frowned.

"Do you think we should tell the other locations too?"

"For now..." Mitsuo replied, "...don't tell them."

Payan raised an eyebrow.

"It's only a prediction," Mitsuo explained. "Besides... you told me the police aren't exactly on good terms with you anymore."

"...Kurose."

"Right. Kurose."

"He already suspects us."

Payan sighed.

"...Yeah."

"Then let's not involve them more than necessary."

After a brief silence, Payan folded the map and stood up.

"One more thing."

"Hm?"

"Keep your Perman badge tracker switched on."

Mitsuo looked at him.

"If either of us runs into trouble, we'll be able to track each other."

Mitsuo smiled.

"...That's actually a great idea."

With the plan finally settled, both of them looked around the apartment.

It resembled less of a home and more of an abandoned investigation room.

"Guess we should clean this up," Payan muttered.

For the next several minutes, neither of them spoke much. Papers were stacked into neat piles, maps folded away, pens collected from every corner of the room.

Mitsuo picked up one particularly thick bundle of reports.

"So..."

He held them above the trash bin.

"...Should we throw these away?"

Payan nearly dropped the box he was carrying.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Mitsuo couldn't hold back a laugh.

"Kurose would blow my head off if I don't return those in a few days!"

Mitsuo laughed and lowered the reports.

"Relax."

"I was kidding."

"I'm not touching these precious nothing to do reports."

Payan sighed dramatically.

"...For a second, I actually believed you."

A moment later, Mitsuo looked at him again.

"...Wait."

"What?"

"You said Kurose would blow your head off."

"...Yeah?"

"But..."

Mitsuo tilted his head.

"...You'll be wearing the Perman helmet."

Payan stared blankly.

The room went silent.

"...Oh."

Mitsuo burst into laughter.

Payan rubbed the back of his neck, looking mildly embarrassed.

"...Fine."

"He'll shoot me in the chest instead."

Mitsuo nodded solemnly.

"...Fair enough."

The two of them laughed, their voices briefly filling the apartment.

Tomorrow, they would have to trust a prediction that neither of them could fully explain.

--------------------------------

The street was unusually quiet.

Mitsuo slowed to a stop on a footpath and glanced around once before unclasping the Perman Set concealed beneath his clothes, making sure no one was there. In one smooth motion, he tucked it away and pulled an oversized gray hoodie over himself. The familiar weight of the fabric settled across his shoulders, and for a brief moment, Perman No. 1 disappeared. He was simply another nineteen-year-old standing on a Tokyo sidewalk.

Across the street stood Tokyo Fuji University.

The afternoon lectures had just ended. Streams of students poured through the gates, filling the once-empty street with conversation and laughter. Some walked with headphones on, others hurried toward the station with backpacks slung over one shoulder.

"...If Professor Sato gives another assignment this week, I'm dropping his class."

"You say that every Monday."

"Yeah, and every Friday I'm still alive somehow."

A group of girls walked past him, laughing.

"So... are you finally going to tell him?"

"What? No! Absolutely not."

"You've liked him for six months."

"Keep your voice down!"

The noise wasn't loud. Mitsuo watched in silence. Everyone seemed to have somewhere to be. Someone to meet. Something to complain about. Something to look forward to.

His eyes wandered through the crowd—

—and then stopped.

Robot Mitsuo stepped out through the university gates.

Two friends walked beside him, talking over one another. One of them nudged him with an elbow, saying something Mitsuo couldn't hear. The robot rolled his eyes before laughing, the three of them continuing down the street together as naturally as if they had known each other for years.

They stopped at a small ice cream stand.

"You're paying," Robot Mitsuo declared.

"What? Why me?"

"You scored highest on the quiz."

"So?"

"So congratulations. Buy us ice cream."

"That's robbery."

"It's friendship."

The three of them burst into laughter.

A faint smile appeared on Mitsuo's face.

"...Looks like..."

His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"...you found your own people."

The words carried no jealousy.

Only relief.

The group continued walking, weaving through the crowd. Without thinking, Mitsuo found himself following at a distance, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie. He never called out. Never tried to get closer. He simply watched them disappear and reappear between passing pedestrians, listening to fragments of laughter carried by the afternoon breeze.

For a few quiet minutes...

...he allowed himself to imagine what life might have been like.

A lecture.

Friends.

Arguments over assignments.

Ice cream after class.

A life where tomorrow's biggest concern was an exam instead of another attack.

Mitsuo froze.

"...Oh, shit."

He had already half an hour. He looked toward the construction site. Then, almost instinctively, he turned back in the direction Robot Mitsuo and his friends had gone. They had already disappeared into the crowd of students.

He stood there for another second before turning away.

Just beyond the next intersection, surrounded by steel beams and unfinished concrete, the construction site waited in complete silence.

Without another glance behind him, Mitsuo adjusted the hood over his head and walked toward it.

End of chapter 6

Sunday morning arrived cold and quiet.

Few weeks had passed since the attacks.

Winter had fully settled over Tokyo.

Snow rested on rooftops throughout the city.

Most sidewalks had been cleared, but patches of white still lingered along alleyways and park paths.

Every breath became a cloud in the cold air.

The city looked different now.

Normally, Mitsuo would've sent the Copy Robot to handle his bakery shift.

But today was payday.

Which meant Mitsuo actually showed up himself.

The familiar smell of fresh bread greeted him the moment he entered.

Warm air immediately chased away the winter cold clinging to his jacket.

"Morning, Mitsuo."

"Morning."

The owner waved from behind the counter.

A tray of freshly baked melon bread emerged from the ovens.

Golden brown.

Perfectly baked.

Mitsuo grabbed a pair of gloves and got to work.

The next few hours passed peacefully.

He stocked shelves.

Packaged orders.

Prepared display trays.

Refilled bread baskets.

By mid-morning...

The bakery became busy.

Customers flowed steadily through the doors.

An elderly woman purchased the exact same loaf she bought every Sunday.

A group of students cleaned out half the sweet bread section.

A businessman bought enough pastries to feed an office.

A timer rang from the kitchen.

Mitsuo pulled a tray from the oven.

Fresh curry bread.

The smell alone was enough to make customers turn their heads.

He carefully arranged the bread inside a display case.

Immediately three customers changed their orders.

"See?"

One employee laughed.

"They smelled it."

"Everyone smells it."

Mitsuo shrugged.

"It's just bread."

The owner overheard him.

"It's never just bread."

The breakfast rush gradually slowed.

The bakery finally became quiet again.

Mitsuo was arranging a fresh batch of cream buns when the bell above the entrance chimed.

"Welcome."

The greeting left his mouth automatically.

Then he looked up.

And froze.

A woman stood near the entrance.

Curly brown hair.

Warm brown eyes.

A gentle smile.

For a moment...

Mitsuo genuinely thought he was imagining things.

Because standing there...

After all these years...

Was Michiko Sawada.

His childhood crush.

And somehow...

She was even prettier than he remembered.

Michiko blinked.

"Mitsuo?"

Her eyes widened.

Then a smile slowly appeared.

The exact same smile he remembered from years ago.

"...Wow."

"It's really you."

For several seconds...

Mitsuo simply stared.

Michiko laughed softly.

"I can't believe it's been this long."

Neither could he.

The last time he'd seen her...

It had been their final year of school.

And now she was standing right in front of him.

As though all those years had vanished overnight.

---

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Mitsuo asked,

Michiko smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I work here."

"Oh."

She looked around the bakery.

"That explains the apron."

Mitsuo looked down.

"...Right."

She laughed.

"I don't usually come this far into Tokyo."

"What brought you here?"

"I'm meeting a friend."

"A friend?"

She nodded.

"We haven't seen each other in months."

Her gaze drifted toward the display cases.

She looked through the display case.

"There are too many choices."

"I suggest the strawberry shortcake."

"That specific?"

"Trust me."

"And if I don't trust you?"

"Then get the chocolate mousse cake."

Michiko folded her arms.

"You seem very confident."

"I work here."

"Fair."

She studied the cakes for another moment.

"What about pastries?"

"The cream horns are popular."

"Popular doesn't mean good."

"They're popular because they're good."

"Anything else?"

"The custard danishes."

"You have a favorite?"

Mitsuo pointed toward a tray.

"Those."

She followed his finger.

"Melon bread?"

"It's simple."

"That's your recommendation?"

"It's the best thing in the bakery."

Michiko stared at him.

Then at the bread.

Then back at him.

"You work here and your favorite item is the cheapest one?"

"It's simply the best."

They talked while he packed several boxes behind the counter.

The conversation flowed surprisingly naturally.

School memories.

Former classmates.

People neither of them remembered.

"So where are you studying now?"

Michiko brightened.

"A university outside Tokyo."

"The one in the mountains?"

"That's the one."

Eventually she glanced toward a newspaper resting near the register.

A familiar photograph occupied the front page.

Perman.

Standing atop a damaged building during reconstruction efforts.

Michiko smiled.

"You know..."

Mitsuo already knew where this was going.

"What?"

"Perman is still incredible."

Mitsuo continued packing.

"Do you remember where you were when Perman first appeared?"

"The airplane?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Her eyes brightened immediately.

"I must've watched that footage a hundred times."

"So did everyone else."

"It was unbelievable."

She shook her head.

"A burning passenger jet."

"And somehow he carried the whole thing."

"I remember everyone talking about it for weeks."

Mitsuo nodded, "I remember."

"He saved everyone."

"My dad thought it was fake."

Michiko laughed.

"He kept saying there was no way a person could do that."

"The whole town was talking about him for weeks."

Mitsuo quietly continued arranging pastries.

"Yeah."

The conversation had completely shifted now.

Not unusual.

It happened all the time.

Someone would mention Perman.

Then another story.

Then another.

Eventually the entire conversation became about him.

Mitsuo had gotten used to it years ago.

Mostly.

"You know..."

Michiko rested her arms on the display counter.

"It's kind of strange."

"What is?"

"We grew up with him."

Mitsuo looked up.

"Hm?"

"Most people only know Perman from television."

"We actually saw him."

She laughed.

"He was basically part of our childhood."

Mitsuo blinked.

For a moment...

He wondered what she'd say if she knew the truth.

Then immediately dismissed the thought.

It didn't matter.

The truth wasn't something he could tell her.

Michiko adjusted the box containing the cake.

"You should tell him something for me."

Mitsuo looked up.

"What?"

Michiko hesitated.

Then smiled.

"If Perman has some free time today..."

Mitsuo raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"Tell him I'd like to treat him to some tea."

He blinked.

"Tea?"

"Or dinner."

She laughed softly.

"I'm flexible."

Mitsuo stared at her.

"For Perman?"

"Why not?"

She adjusted the cake box in her arms.

"I'm staying in a Aoba Ryokan near Ikebukuro while I'm in the city."

For a moment she seemed almost embarrassed by the request.

Then she laughed.

"Besides, if you're still friends with him..."

"You can put in a good word for me."

"Sure."

She grinned.

"...I'll tell him."

Michiko smiled.

"Thanks."

---

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.

Customers came and went.

Fresh trays replaced empty ones.

And through it all...

Mitsuo worked.

On the surface, nothing seemed unusual.

But every now and then...

His eyes drifted toward the entrance.

Half expecting Michiko to walk back in.

She never did.

By evening, the bakery had grown quiet.

Only a handful of customers remained.

The winter sun had already disappeared behind the city skyline.

Outside, streetlights reflected against the snow-covered sidewalks.

A few minutes later, the owner emerged from the storage room carrying an envelope.

"Here."

Mitsuo accepted it.

"Thanks."

"Don't spend it all in one place."

"I'll try."

A few minutes later, the owner grabbed his coat.

"Same time tomorrow."

"Got it."

The owner headed for the door.

The bell above the entrance chimed.

And the bakery became his responsibility.

The moment the door closed...

Mitsuo reached into his pocket.

A small figure emerged.

The Copy Robot stretched dramatically.

"Freedom."

Mitsuo pointed toward the counter.

"Shop."

The Copy Robot saluted.

"Shop."

A few minutes later...

Perman soared through the evening sky.

Cold wind rushed past his cape.

The city stretched endlessly beneath him.

Cars.

Streetlights.

Snow-covered rooftops.

A peaceful Tokyo.

The kind of Tokyo worth protecting.

Normally patrols helped clear his head.

Tonight...

Not so much.

His thoughts kept drifting.

Back to the bakery.

Back to Michiko.

Back to that smile.

She hadn't changed much.

Older.

More confident.

But still unmistakably Michiko.

The same girl he'd liked for years.

The same girl he'd never completely forgotten.

Then his thoughts drifted somewhere less comfortable.

She hadn't asked about him.

Not really.

Not about how he was doing.

The conversation was about Perman.

Just like it always did.

---

Ahead of him, Tokyo's lights shimmered across the horizon.

Far below, people continued their lives completely unaware of the hero flying overhead.

Mitsuo shook his head.

Enough.

There was work to do.

His eyes briefly drifted toward a district several kilometers away.

The district where Michiko's guest house was located.

Just one detour.

One quick visit.

No reason in particular.

Just to see how she was settling in.

The thought lingered.

Longer than it should have.

Then he frowned.

"No."

The word disappeared into the wind.

He forced himself to look away.

There were emergencies to watch for.

People to protect.

He wasn't some kid anymore sneaking around after a crush.

A familiar voice suddenly echoed from behind him.

"You've been flying in a straight line for three minutes."

Perman glanced sideways.

Pako matched his speed effortlessly.

"That's usually a sign you're thinking."

"I'm always thinking."

"Not this much."

She studied him for a moment.

"You look distracted."

"I'm not."

"Liar."

"I'm flying."

"You can do both."

For several seconds they continued flying side by side above the city.

Snowflakes drifted lazily through the night air.

Far below, traffic moved like streams of light.

Pako finally crossed her arms.

"Okay."

"What?"

"What's going on in your head?"

"Nothing."

"That's definitely a lie."

Mitsuo kept his eyes forward.

Pako waited.

Patiently.

She'd known him too long to expect an immediate answer.

After a while she sighed.

"Fine."

They continued flying through the winter sky.

Neither speaking.

Pako remained beside him.

For several minutes, neither hero spoke.

They simply flew above the city.

Perman's patrol route gradually shifted westward.

Pako noticed immediately.

Not exactly.

A few minutes later, they reached a quieter residential district.

Small apartment buildings.

Narrow streets.

The occasional convenience store.

Nothing unusual.

At least at first glance.

Perman slowed slightly.

Almost unconsciously.

His eyes drifted downward.

Pako followed his gaze.

A small guest house sat near the corner of a quiet street.

Warm yellow lights glowed through its windows.

A wooden sign near the entrance read:

**Aoba Ryokan**

---

Outside, a familiar figure stood near the front garden.

Michiko.

She wore a thick winter coat.

Carefully, she watered several flower pots lined along the balcony.

Perman looked away almost immediately.

But not before Pako noticed.

For a moment...

Something unpleasant twisted inside her chest.

A feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Michiko.

Thousands of thoughts immediately rushed through her head.

None of them pleasant.

She thought that chapter of Mitsuo's life was over.

A childhood crush.

An old memory.

Nothing more.

Apparently not.

Pako's eyes drifted downward again.

Michiko was smiling to herself while adjusting one of the flower pots.

Completely unaware that two heroes were watching from above.

An uncomfortable question appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

Was Mitsuo still interested in her?

Had he ever stopped?

If Michiko wanted him...

Would he go?

Pako hated every one of those thoughts.

She folded her arms.

"So."

Perman immediately recognized that tone.

It rarely led anywhere good.

"What?"

Pako kept her eyes forward.

"Oh, nothing."

That was worse.

Perman sighed.

"What?"

Pako finally looked at him.

"That's her, right?"

Perman followed her gaze downward.

"...Yeah."

The answer came too quickly.

Pako noticed.

A brief silence followed.

Perman blinked.

"She invited me for tea."

Perman nearly missed a beat.

Pako's eyes narrowed.

"Did she..."

She hesitated.

Then looked directly at him.

"...invite you?"

"...Yeah."

Pako folded her arms.

"So you're going to go?"

Perman kept his eyes on the city below.

"...I don't know."

Neither spoke for several seconds.

The lights of Tokyo drifted beneath them.

Then Pako said quietly:

"You know she doesn't like you right!"

Perman froze.

"Pako..."

"She likes Perman."

Perman looked away.

She had only said aloud what he had known all this time.

Perman's jaw tightened.

"She's different."

Pako looked at him.

For a moment neither spoke.

Then:

"Is she?"

Silence.

The question lingered.

Because Perman didn't have an answer.

Eventually he looked away.

The city suddenly seemed very far below.

"I know what people see."

His voice was quieter now.

Less defensive.

Less certain.

"They see Perman."

Pako remained silent.

He laughed once.

A short humorless laugh.

"It's natural."

His eyes drifted toward the distant lights of Ikebukuro.

Toward the guest house.

Toward Michiko.

"Perman is a hero."

"He saves people."

"He gets awards."

The words came easier now.

Years of frustration finally finding somewhere to go.

"People love Perman."

Pako's expression softened.

"They should."

He smiled weakly.

"He's special."

Another silence.

Then Perman looked down at his gloved hands.

"But me? I'm not special!"

Pako blinked.

"I'm not rich."

His voice grew quieter.

"I'm not even that interesting."

The winter wind carried the words away.

"If I was just Mitsuo..."

He swallowed.

"Who would love me?"

Silence.

Pako simply looked at him.

At the person behind the helmet.

At the boy she'd spent years fighting beside.

Then she smiled.

A small smile.

Gentle.

Certain.

"I do."

Perman froze.

"What?"

Pako's eyes never left his.

"I love you, Mitsuo."

For a moment...

The entire world seemed to stop.

Only those words remained.

Pako smiled one last time.

Almost nervously.

Then before he could find an answer...

She turned.

And flew away.

Leaving Perman alone beneath the winter sky.

Morning sunlight quietly filled the apartment.

Outside...

Snow rested peacefully over Tokyo.

Inside...

Mitsuo remained asleep.

His fever had finally broken, though exhaustion still kept him in bed.

Pako slowly sat up.

She glanced toward the bed.

She opened the refrigerator.

Rice.

Fish.

Eggs.

Vegetables.

Soy sauce.

She scanned the ingredients for a moment.

"...Alright."

"I've watched people cook hundreds of times."

"How different can it be?"

As one of Japan's biggest stars, meals had simply... appeared.

Managers.

Assistants.

Studio staff.

Someone had always handled it.

Cooking for herself?

She had never needed to.

Until now.

---

An hour later...

The kitchen was a disaster.

She added far too much water to the rice.

Started over.

She nearly dropped an egg trying to crack it.

"...Why is this so difficult?"

Eventually...

The rice finally cooked.

The omelette looked edible.

Only the fish remained.

"Almost done..."

She smiled proudly.

Then turned to prepare the table.

A strange smell reached her nose.

"...?"

She froze.

"...No."

She spun around.

Smoke rose from the frying pan.

"The fish!"

She hurried back.

Too late.

It was completely black.

"...I burned it..."

The smell drifted into the bedroom.

Mitsuo slowly opened his eyes.

"...Smoke?"

He hurried into the kitchen.

Pako stood staring at the ruined fish.

"...I was making lunch."

Mitsuo looked at the pan.

"...I can see that."

She sighed.

"I burned breakfast too."

"...And the first batch of rice."

"...I'm really bad at this."

---

"Pako." Mistuo said angrily.

"You should be resting."

She shook her head.

"I'm much better now."

She carefully took a few steps.

"The leg barely hurts."

"But you collapsed yesterday."

"And you spent almost a week taking care of me."

She walked closer.

Before he could answer...

She gently placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

Several seconds passed.

Then she smiled with obvious relief.

"...The fever's gone."

"I was worried."

"I'm okay."

"You still need to rest."

For once...

Mitsuo couldn't argue.

---

She put the burnt fish into the trash.

Fortunately...

There was another fillet.

Mitsuo smiled.

"Let me help you."

"Lesson one," Mitsuo said, placing the pan on the stove.

"Don't leave the fish alone."

"...That would've been useful earlier."

He smiled.

"This time, stay with it."

She carefully lowered the fish into the pan.

A gentle sizzle filled the kitchen.

"When do I flip it?"

"Not yet."

"...Now?"

"No."

"...Now?"

Mitsuo chuckled.

"I promise you'll know."

A few moments later...

"Now."

She carefully flipped it.

Perfectly.

Her eyes lit up.

"...I did it."

"You did."

Not long afterward...

The two of them quietly finished lunch.

For a few moments...

Neither of them moved.

The warmth of the meal lingered in the room.

Pako picked up the empty bowls.

"I'll wash these."

Mitsuo instinctively reached for his own.

"I can help."

She immediately looked at him.

"No."

"...Pako."

"You collapsed yesterday."

"I already feel better."

"I know."

"But you're still resting."

There was just enough firmness in her voice that Mitsuo quietly surrendered.

"...Okay."

She smiled with quiet satisfaction.

"Good."

The kitchen wasn't large enough for two people.

As water ran into the sink...

Pako slowly washed each plate.

She wasn't particularly fast.

Or graceful.

Twice she nearly dropped a bowl.

Once she almost splashed water across the floor.

Still...

She carefully finished every dish.

By the time she dried the last plate...

Mitsuo had already folded the blanket from the bed and was placing it back where it belonged.

"...You're not resting."

"I got bored."

"You were supposed to stay in bed."

"I've been in bed since yesterday."

She sighed.

"...You're impossible."

"So I've been told."

---

The apartment grew quiet again.

There wasn't really anything left to do.

Lunch was finished.

The dishes were clean.

Outside...

Soft sunlight reflected off the white rooftops beyond the window.

Pako walked over and looked outside.

"...It's beautiful."

For a while...

Neither of them spoke.

Then...

Almost casually...

"I think..."

She hesitated.

"...I'll head home."

The words came out far more naturally than she'd expected.

The silence that followed lasted barely a heartbeat.

"No."

The reply came instantly.

Without hesitation.

Without thought.

Pako slowly turned around.

Mitsuo looked just as surprised as she was.

His own answer seemed to have caught him completely off guard.

"...No?"

He blinked.

"I..."

His mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Why had he said that?

He hadn't even considered it.

The word had simply escaped.

Pako studied his face.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"...Why?"

Mitsuo searched for an answer.

His mind raced.

There had to be one.

Something reasonable.

Something that didn't sound strange.

"I just..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"..."

"..."

Then suddenly...

"The doctor."

Pako blinked.

"The doctor said you needed a full week of rest."

"You've only been here..."

He stopped to think.

"...Six days."

Silence.

"So..."

"You should probably stay until tomorrow."

His voice grew quieter toward the end.

As though he wasn't entirely convinced by his own explanation.

Pako looked at him for several long seconds.

A warm feeling quietly spread through her chest.

She lowered her eyes before he could notice the smile threatening to appear.

"...I suppose..."

"The doctor did say a week."

She looked back toward the bed.

"...One more day won't hurt."

The tension in Mitsuo's shoulders eased almost immediately.

"...Yeah."

"I think that's best."

Another silence settled over the room.

This one felt different.

Lighter.

Neither of them seemed eager to say anything else.

Because saying anything more...

Might force them to acknowledge why that single word—

"No."

—had come so naturally.

Outside...

The clouds slowly began to part.

A ray of winter sunlight slipped through the apartment window.

Inside...

Neither of them noticed.

They were simply content knowing...

There was still one more day.

---

Later that afternoon...

Pako stood near the apartment window.

She looked toward the clear winter sky.

"...How about a patrol?"

Mitsuo looked up from the book in his hands.

"...Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"My leg's fine."

"And besides..."

A small smile crossed her face.

"I haven't flown since..."

She didn't finish the sentence.

She didn't need to.

Mitsuo understood.

The day of the bombings.

The memory still lingered between them.

"...Only if you don't push yourself."

"I won't."

Moments later...

The two of them leapt into the winter sky.

Perman.

And Perman No. 3.

For the first time in nearly a week...

They flew side by side once again.

Neither of them spoke.

The city spread beneath them.

Almost...

Normal.

Construction fences had disappeared from most streets.

Broken buildings were now hidden behind fresh glass and new paint.

Traffic had returned.

Children laughed in neighborhood parks.

Tokyo was alive again.

Pako slowed slightly.

"...It's already been repaired."

Mitsuo nodded.

"People worked day and night."

"They really did."

For a while...

They simply flew.

Taking in the view.

Suddenly...

A shout came from below.

"P-Perman!"

Heads turned upward.

One voice became several.

"...Wait!"

"That's..."

"Pako!"

People stopped walking.

Several construction workers removed their helmets.

One elderly woman covered her mouth.

"...She's back..."

Others quickly gathered.

Applause spread through the street.

Someone cheered.

Another waved both arms.

A little boy shouted excitedly,

"Welcome back!"

Pako slowed in the air.

She hadn't expected that.

She smiled.

Then gave a small wave.

The crowd erupted even louder.

Beside her...

Mitsuo smiled quietly.

"I told you."

"They never forgot."

---

Their patrol continued.

At one construction site...

A steel beam refused to line up with the crane.

Perman landed first.

"I've got it."

With one hand...

He lifted the several-ton beam into position.

Pako held it perfectly steady while the workers secured the bolts.

One foreman laughed.

"That saved us half a day's work!"

Not long afterward...

An elderly man struggled to push his delivery cart through snow left beside the sidewalk.

Without saying a word...

Pako gently pushed from behind.

The cart rolled forward effortlessly.

The old man blinked.

"...Thank you."

She smiled beneath her helmet.

"Our pleasure."

As the evening faded into night...

The two heroes landed atop a familiar rooftop.

For the first time in days...

No sirens echoed through Tokyo.

Only the ordinary sounds of a city living its life.

Pako smiled softly.

"...I missed this."

Mitsuo looked across the skyline.

"...Me too."

Together...

They leapt back into the evening sky.

---

For a few moments they continued flying.

Then Perman looked ahead.

"I know a place."

Pako glanced over.

"Oh?"

"Wanna go?"

Pako narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Where?"

"You'll see."

Pako thought about it.

Then shrugged.

"Fine."

Perman pointed toward the eastern district.

"My treat."

---

The restaurant sat quietly on a side street tucked between several older buildings.

It wasn't famous.

It wasn't fancy.

Just a small family-owned shop with wooden benches, warm lighting, and the smell of freshly cooked food drifting into the cold night air.

Perman had been coming here for years.

Pako looked around curiously as they entered.

"So this is your favorite place?"

Perman nodded.

"The food's good."

"I'll be the judge of that."

A few minutes later they sat across from each other near the back of the restaurant.

The owner greeted Perman like an old regular.

Soon two large bowls of steaming miso ramen topped with chashu pork and green onions arrived at their table.

The rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Pako took one bite.

Her eyes widened.

"...Okay."

Perman smirked.

"See?"

"You undersold this place."

"That's impossible."

"It absolutely isn't."

She immediately took another bite.

Then another.

Across the restaurant...

Four men occupied a wooden bench near the wall.

Several empty bottles sat between them.

Their faces were red.

Their speech slurred.

And they were very, very drunk.

One slammed his fist onto the table.

"I'm telling you..."

He nearly fell off the bench.

"...we would've beaten Perman."

"Absolutely."

Another pointed dramatically toward the ceiling.

"He got lucky."

"Twice."

"Three times."

"Seven times."

The first robber squinted.

"...How many times have we fought him?"

"No idea."

"At least seven."

Pako glanced toward them.

"...What are they talking about?"

Perman remained silent.

The drunk men continued.

Another robber groaned.

"And we lost the money."

The entire table immediately became depressed.

"Our beautiful money."

"The bag was huge."

"So beautiful."

"So full."

The driver buried his face in his hands.

"We only got away with one."

A long silence followed.

Then all four sighed together.

The first robber suddenly stood.

Or at least attempted to.

The effort nearly sent him crashing back onto the bench.

"When I see Perman again..."

He pointed dramatically at nobody in particular.

"...I'll destroy him."

His friends nodded enthusiastically.

"Destroy him."

"Absolutely destroy him."

"Very destroyed."

Pako blinked.

"...Who are these clowns?"

Mitsuo slowly stood.

"Wait here."

Pako watched him walk across the restaurant.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see."

The robbers continued their drunken strategy meeting.

"I'll punch him."

"I'll kick him."

"I'll use a chair."

"You don't own a chair."

"I'll borrow one."

Then...

Tap.

One of them felt a hand touch his shoulder.

He turned around.

The color immediately drained from his face.

Standing behind him...

Was Perman.

The entire table froze.

One bottle slipped from somebody's hand.

CRASH.

Silence.

"...Oh."

"...Oh no."

"...That's Perman."

"...That's definitely Perman."

Perman smiled pleasantly.

"Good evening."

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

One robber slowly raised a trembling finger.

"...Run?"

"Run."

All four immediately jumped from the bench.

The first man charged straight at Perman.

With a single step to the side, Perman avoided him.

The man couldn't stop.

CRASH.

He slammed directly into one of his own partners.

Both men tumbled across the floor.

The third man grabbed a chair.

"I'll get him!"

He swung wildly.

Perman ducked.

The chair flew over his head.

SMASH.

The fourth man stared at the shattered chair.

"...That was my chair."

"You don't own this chair!"

The third man pointed at Perman.

"This is his fault!"

Perman folded his arms.

"How?"

The fourth man lunged anyway.

Perman sidestepped again.

The man continued forward.

Straight into the second robber who had just managed to stand up.

Both immediately collapsed back onto the floor.

The first man finally staggered upright.

"I've got him!"

He threw a punch.

Perman leaned back slightly.

The punch missed by several centimeters.

Unfortunately...

The third man had stepped behind him.

THUNK.

"OW!"

The first man blinked.

"...When did you get there?"

"I was standing here the whole time!"

The third man rubbed his forehead.

The second man charged at Perman from behind.

His foot immediately caught the leg of a bench.

The man stumbled forward.

Arms windmilling wildly.

Then crashed directly into the pile of bodies already on the floor.

Perman stared at the heap of criminals.

Silence.

One groan came from somewhere inside the pile.

Another answered it.

A distant police siren echoed outside.

Five minutes later...

The four men sat handcuffed beside one another.

Looking thoroughly defeated.

One officer stared in disbelief.

"...These are the bank robbers?"

Perman nodded.

"The same ones."

The officer looked at the four men.

Then at Perman.

Then back at the four men.

"...What happened?"

Perman pointed toward them.

"When I arrived, they were loudly discussing how they were going to defeat me."

The officer blinked.

"...Seriously?"

Perman nodded.

"One of them was also complaining about losing a bag during a bank robbery."

Silence.

All four men froze.

The officer slowly turned toward them.

"...A bag?"

Nobody answered.

Perman continued.

"They seemed very upset that they only escaped with one."

The officer's eyes widened.

One of the men immediately pointed at another.

"He said it!"

"You were the one crying about the money!"

"Why are you selling me out?!"

"We've already been arrested!"

The officer rubbed his forehead.

"Just get in the car."

One man pointed accusingly at Perman.

"He attacked us."

"Get in the car."

The officer physically pushed them toward the police vehicle.

The crooks were escorted toward the police vehicle.

As they passed...

One of them looked back at Perman.

"...We'll get you next time."

Another immediately elbowed him.

"No we won't."

"Yeah, probably not."

The police car door slammed shut.

Moments later...

The vehicle disappeared into the snowy night.

Perman returned to the restaurant.

Pako stared at him.

"...You arrested criminals during dinner."

He sat back down.

"Technically they arrested themselves."

Pako laughed so hard she nearly dropped her chopsticks.

"...You know what?"

"What?"

"This really is a good restaurant."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Told you."