Tucked away in an alley, not far from where Neneko had asked him to meet with her. Jin held his head with both hands, fingers digging into his scalp as he tried to hold himself together. Each step closer to where they were due to meet had brought him excitement, but at the same time it flooded him with anxiety. He was so happy to be able to see her and it was ruined by the underlying fear that he would mess this up, that something bad was going to happen.

Truly conflicted with these two extremes, he had no choice. He had to wait it out until he could force himself to act at least semi-normal. So he remained hidden in the alley, teeth gritted so hard he was surprised they had not cracked. His heart was hammering so fast that he legitimately worried that every passerby could hear it.

Neneko…I want to see her! I want to go to her, but I can't…when I'm like this! I'll say something rude and she'll never forgive me! I don't want to hurt her! Come on! She knows what's up! He shook his head, on the verge of tears from the struggle of resisting. His mask was tucked into his pocket, just waiting for when he finally broke down and put it on.

She deserves better than this! No, we're a perfect match! Soulmates! Jin opened his eyes and stared at the wall across from him, a tear slipping from the corner of his right eye. "…soulmates…"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It was already ten minutes past when she had asked him to meet with her. He had no desire to make her wait any longer. Jin tried to think of something that would make him feel better. Something that made him feel whole.

The answer was simple. Thinking about Neneko's warm, soft lips caressing his. Thinking about his head resting on her lap while she looked down at him with that gentle, sweet expression on her face. Thinking about waking up on her couch and finding Neneko asleep in his arms on top of him. The answer was simple: thinking of her made him feel whole.

Jin finally released a shaky exhale and rubbed at his right cheek, trying to get rid of any sign that he had shed a tear. If the last thing he wanted was to make her wait, the second to last thing was to make her worry. Even if he was just a double, which he was still sure he might be, Jin wanted to do everything he could to make her comfortable. To make her happy.

He managed to get to the café's door when he spotted her and his heart skipped a beat. Neneko was sitting at a table near the back, a cup of steaming tea a little to her right and an open notebook in front of her. She was writing something down and paused to lift a hand, delicately chewing at her thumbnail in a way that made his pulse pound faster. In her oversized sweater, she looked so fragile, but so cute. It made him want to protect her from everything.

Suddenly wishing that he had brought some sort of gift, Jin entered the café. He walked with a slouched posture, his head down to keep himself from looking directly at her and becoming too excited. I should have brought something. My presence is present enough!

The man approached her table with a painful mix of hesitation and elation, trying to keep his facial expression under control. "Neneko…"

Soft violet eyes lifted from her notebook to meet his gray-blue ones and Neneko's lips curved into a shy, small smile. She drew her hand further over her mouth so her sweater sleeve hid most of her smile. "Jin…I apologize for asking you to meet me so far from…our part of town…"

"I-it's fine." He sat across from her, having to stop himself from blurting out how happy he was to see her. His eyes moved toward her open notebook, catching sight of a few words in a foreign language before she closed it. Jin frowned, mumbled his own apology, and rubbed the back of his head.

Across the table, Neneko seemed tense. She was chewing at a loose thread on the hem of her sleeve, her gaze lowered to the table's surface. Unable to look at him. Shoulders slouching forward and trembling as she appeared to consider her words with care.

Jin kept his hands away from her, despite wanting to reach over to hold her hand. "So what did you…want to talk about?" he forced out.

She blinked in surprise at the direct question and gave a slow nod. "Yes…yes, of course…you must be wondering why I invited you here today, Jin…I apologize. This must be so confusing…frustrating, even…"

"N-no! I just…I'm just glad that I'm with you," he admitted. His pulse raced as he glanced across to her, waiting for her response and subconsciously holding his breath in anticipation. She's so cute. No way! She's hot! No, that's…that's rude. Look at those eyes!

Neneko's soft, pink lips were moving as she spoke. Her gentle voice was just above a whisper and she slowly lowered her gaze to her tea as she talked. Steam was still lightly coming up from the teacup, giving her a rather mystical sort of look as she attempted to explain her need to meet with him.

Unfortunately, Jin was distracted from her words by staring at her. His object of affection. His soulmate. So, when he did finally notice what she was saying, it was at the worst possible moment. At a moment that made him feel like his heart was sinking into his stomach. A coldness fell over him as Jin stared at Neneko, trying to figure out why she was saying she could no longer be around him.

Shift P.O.V

She bowed her head as she tried to carefully explain the situation. Of course, he knew about the attack on Kita; he had been the one to rescue him. "I greatly appreciate you coming to Kita-kun's aid, however…I cannot allow you to put yourself in such danger again. Associating with…Shigaraki…is dangerous enough as it is. I have no desire for you to be harmed simply for speaking to me…"

A tightening began around her heart. Neneko's stomach twisted in knots as she watched the steam swirl in the air above her cup. She wanted to keep seeing him. She wanted to spend more time with Jin, but she was terrified of him losing his life just for being seen with her. Losing his life, suffering the way that her admirer had. Neneko forced herself to lift her gaze, hoping to see understanding in his eyes.

Across the table from her, Jin had his head bowed. His eyebrows furrowed, making the scar on his forehead appear deeper. The man had kept his hands beneath the table until this point, but now crossed his arms in front of him. One hand fidgeted with his lighter; absently clicking it as he seemed to mull over what had been said to him.

Neneko could see his mouth twisted into a deep frown and she felt the clutch of guilt tighten around her heart. Her vision started to blur as tears sprang to her eyes and she lowered her head, half-bowing. "Jin…I am truly sorry that this has to happen…I greatly enjoy your company and I…this is forward of me, I realize, but…I've grown extremely fond of you…I have no desire for this to happen, but it would be selfish of me to…allow you to be in danger…"

"It's not selfish." He said this through gritted teeth, gray-blue eyes lifting to meet her violet ones. "Neneko…please don't do this."

She shook her head. "I…ngh…J-Jin, it…has to be this way…today…this meeting…has to be our last…at least…until I'm able to take care of the danger myself…" Neneko reached across the table, gently resting a hand on top of his left hand. Tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks, her shoulders trembling.

The translator had experienced heartbreak a few times before; when her mother left her, when her friends deserted her, when past lovers decided she was not worth the trouble. This heartbreak hurt worse than any before. They had grown so close and she dreaded the idea of not talking to him.

His lighter was dropped and he put his other hand over hers. "It doesn't have to be this way! I can take care of myself, Neneko! Just…let me show you I can handle it…I won't let anything happen to you and I won't-!"

"Jin…p-please…" She drew away quickly, fighting back sobs. Fighting back the urge to just throw her arms around him and not let go. If she showed any more affection toward him out in the open like this, his safety would be put even more at risk. Her shady yakuza client would know. He had so many connections that there was no doubt he would know about this meeting. As he was supposed to.

This was a break up, even if they had never started dating. She had to make it this way. Anyone that might be connected to her yakuza client would see this break up and report it. He would assume that she had cut ties with her "distraction" and he would be satisfied. That is, until she made her next move.

It was terrifying to think about, but she knew it had to be done. To insure her safety. To insure Jin's and Kita's safety. Neneko would need to be brave, bold, and break her own character. She was prepared. Even if it meant raising her voice.

She left the café before Jin could further try to convince her that he could protect her. Neneko ran as fast as she could and only stopped when she was at home. Door locked. Phone put to silent. She sat in her office among the various plants, trying to calm down.

Panic was starting to surface and she wrapped her arms around herself, taking a shuddering breath. What would come soon was enough to make her heart race, her blood turn to ice in her veins. Neneko and Jin could no longer be together, but Mystic could watch over Twice from a distance. That was how it had to be. How she could continue to try to insure his safety.

Neneko would have to force herself to be around those villains, pretend to be a villain, stay close with them. The thought of having to stay in character as Mystic made her so fearful that she tasted bile. Her stomach did a flip and for a moment, she thought she might vomit.

A soft meow to her right made her jolt and Neneko's head snapped in that direction. Her cat tilted her head, staring up at the translator curiously. "…Yori…I apologize…I was lost in thought…I just…I had to do something quite difficult today…something that I wish never had to happen, but…for Jin's benefit…I…"

The cat rubbed its cheek against hers, purring quietly. She stroked along the cat's spine, feeling the soft, snowy fur glide beneath her fingertips. I had to break my own heart…in order to protect Jin. It's only temporary. Only until I settle my issue with…Chisaki-san. Once that is done, I swear that I will be reunited with Jin. I swear it.

Shift P.O.V

It hurt worse than almost anything he had experienced before. Like having a chunk of himself torn away. To Jin, the next week passed by like an eternity. Agonizing, depressing. He kept thinking about her and it hurt a little worse every time.

A few calls had been attempted before he stopped. He had no desire to make her upset and he was afraid of bothering her or even scaring her. She might think he was a stalker. She might decide she was disgusted by him.

Despite that, he still found himself wandering over to her building every time he left the motel. He would never go inside; just stand out in an alley next to it or on the sidewalk nearby. Jin wanted to see her, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. However, his luck had been bad so far.

It seemed like this day, the seventh day, was when his luck turned. Jin saw her emerge from the maintenance door in the alley. He had to quickly hide himself behind a pile of crates and listened to her footsteps. She was moving down the alley and, thankfully, was lost in thought.

Her head was bowed, a hand lifted as she chewed at her thumbnail and staring at the ground below. A bag was slung over her shoulder and her footsteps were quick. The translator was mumbling to herself in Korean and it sounded like she was listing things.

Jin followed her at a distance; always making sure that he had a place that he could hide if she suddenly looked back. She never looked back though. He started to sweat a little as he realized that it was getting late. Getting close to time for his next meeting with the League of Villains.

I can't just leave her! I haven't seen her in a week and…she looks as cute as I remember! My heart can't take it! I just want to grab her! I can't do that! Jin held the side of his head, teeth gritting as he tried to keep himself together. Then he heard the rustle of cloth.

He peered around the corner of the crates he was hiding behind and realized that she was just a short distance away, hiding behind another crate. His heart began to pound, a bit of blood trickling from his nose, as he noticed that she was taking off her oversized sweater and skirt. Jin held a hand over his nose as it began to gush crimson.

Since she always wore baggy clothes, he had never noticed how she was really built. Her bust and hip size made warmth rush through him as he found himself staring. He knew it was wrong and he felt guilty, but he was unable to look away. The excitement lasted about forty seconds before it turned to confusion and then absolute alarm.

Neneko had shed her sweater and skirt for a reason. She was now putting on a formfitting dark blue dress with red ribbons laced along the sleeves and a low neckline. The translator set about putting on the rest of the costume; ribbon necklace, lower face mask, gloves. When she finished, Jin was no longer looking at Neneko. He was looking at the villain Mystic.