The chill of the morning air did little to soothe the ache in Kaye's chest. She sat huddled on the back deck, a mug of untouched tea growing cold beside her. The vibrant hues of the autumn leaves, normally a source of comfort, seemed to mock her. Each rustle and swirl as they danced across the lake was a painful reminder of the turmoil within.

The absence of Kento, who had departed in the dead of night, was like a gaping wound. Her gaze was fixed on the water. mirroring the depth of her sadness, as memories of last night played like a broken record. The sting of his words. The frustration in his eyes, it was all still so raw. like fresh salt rubbed into an open wound. The beauty of the morning felt out of sync with the storm raging within her.

Kaye continued to gaze over the water, the gentle rhythm of the waves doing little to calm the turmoil in her mind. Her eyes, usually sparkling with amusement, were clouded with worry and confusion. What was going on with Kento? Every interaction lately felt like tiptoeing around a minefield of unspoken words and carefully constructed silences. The casual ease they once shared had been replaced by extreme tension that hung in the air, thick and suffocating. Why all the secrecy? Why the evasive answers, the sudden changes of plans, the furtive glances at his phone? Each unanswered question only fueled the whirlwind of speculation swirling within her, leaving her feeling lost and increasingly isolated. Had she done something wrong? Or was Kento simply drifting away?

Kaye chewed on her lip, the familiar worry gnawing at her. Something was missing, a vital piece of the puzzle that kept her from understanding Kento's recent behavior. It wasn't just a bad mood; it was a deliberate distancing, a subtle but undeniable shift in his interactions with her and the rest of their group. She racked her brain, replaying their last few conversations, searching for any clue, any hint, but nothing stood out. There had to be some kind of logical reason, some explanation that made sense. Kento wasn't the type to act on a whim or to withdraw without a cause. He was grounded, thoughtful, and above all, loyal. This quiet retreat wasn't him, and Kaye was determined to figure out what had changed.

The kitchen felt heavy with a quiet concern. Ryo leaned against the counter, his gaze drifting towards the window, while Rowen sat perched on a stool, his brow furrowed. Cye stood by the sink; his usual playful demeanor replaced with a hint of worry.

"How long has Kaye been out there?" Rowen asked, his voice low.

Cye sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Since early this morning. She asked me where Kento was, and all I did was shake my head. Then she went right out the door with a cup of tea."

The silence hung in the air for a moment before Rowen shifted his focus. "Has anyone seen Sage this morning? I haven't seen him."

Ryo glanced from Rowen to Cye, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Oh, Sage went to town to run a few errands," he explained. "He said he'd be back later."

Cye looked over towards Ryo, "Well, at least he's one less person to be worried about. Did Sage say what these errands were exactly?"

Ryo shook his head. "No, but he did say something about hoping to run into his sister Yayoi today."

Rowen frowned a bit when he looked over at Ryo, "Oh? Why would he be hoping to run into Yayoi?"

"No idea, we'll just have to ask him when he gets back." Ryo pointed out, "But for now all we can do is wait and see."

Meanwhile...

Downtown hummed with its usual midday energy, but Sage was focused on what he needed to get done. He'd almost completed his errands, a task that now seemed a mere backdrop to his real purpose—finding out if people knew about the incident at the Jade Dragon the previous night. He'd approached shopkeepers, food vendors, even a couple of people lingering on corners, but the responses were disconcerting. Most offered vague answers, while others simply turned and walked away, their body language radiating a clear desire to avoid his inquiry.

A frown creased his brow; this wasn't normal. Why was everyone so tight-lipped? He internally shrugged off the oddity, telling himself he was probably overthinking things, and pushed open the door of the final store. As he made his way down the block towards where he'd parked, his gaze landed on a familiar figure. "Yayoi!" he called out, his voice cutting through the city sounds. His sister turned, her face breaking into a bright smile as she waved back, halting her own progress and waiting for him to catch up.

The unexpected sight of Sage caused Yayoi to pause, a surprised smile gracing her lips. "Sage! What a surprise to see you here," she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine curiosity. "What brings you to this part of town? I thought you'd be out with the others."

Sage explained his reasons, finishing with a questioning glance her way. "And what about you, Yayoi? I was pretty sure you were scheduled for a shift today."

Yayoi nodded, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "I am," she admitted. "I had to take care of some things before going to the precinct." She brightened, a playful glint in her eyes. "Why don't we go into that tea house over there? We can catch up properly."

Sage readily accepted her offer, and the two walked side by side toward the quaint establishment, the subtle scent of jasmine and brewing tea wafting from its open door. They stepped inside, the gentle clinking of teacups and soft chatter creating a warm atmosphere.

Yayoi requested a table in the back, and soon they were settled, the privacy affording them a chance for a more personal conversation. As they sat down, Yayoi's perceptive gaze focused on her brother. She could sense a certain unease, a subtle shift in his demeanor. "Okay, Sage," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "Spill. What's on your mind?"

Sage waited until their tea was brought to their table and the waiter was gone before he started talking. He sighed a bit, "Where to start? See, last night the guys, Kaye, and I decided to go and visit Kento at the Jade Dragon; while there, we thought we would have a fun night out. I'm sure you know he works there as a bouncer." He saw his sister nod as he saw her motion for him to continue. "In the beginning, things were fine, but then later on, out of nowhere, this huge muscled guy was coming straight at us. We didn't have time to react, but lucky for us, Kento tackled him out of the way, and the two were locked in a major fight."

Yayoi was going to pick up her teacup but stopped in mid-action as she felt her body starting to tense a bit. "Sage, was everyone alright? Did anybody get hurt?"

"Kento was beaten up pretty good, but he gave it right back just as much. They were matching one another blow by blow. It was like two titans clashing with one another."

Yayoi's expression grew serious. "Sage, can you describe more of what this guy looked like that Kento tangled with?"

Sage studied his sister; he knew right then and there she was in her cop mode. Which made him believe she might know more than what he's telling her. But he complied anyway: "Well, besides being huge and muscular, there was a long scar on the left side of his face and a tattoo of an oni mask on the right side of his neck."

Yayoi narrowed her eyes at his description, "Are you sure? Absolutely positive?"

Sage nodded, "Yes, why? Yayoi, what's going on? What do you know about this guy?"

"I'm sorry, Sage, I can't say much, but I can tell you the person you described, his name is Oni; he's a street fighter working under Lou Yan. He owns the Jade Dragon." Yayoi explained and then looked at her watch as she stood. "I have to go. I'll see you around."

Sage was about to object, but his sister was already out the door and, in her car, taking off. The conversation he had with his sister confirmed more to him than what he could get from the people he talked to while running his errands. He finished his tea and then paid for both of them and left the teahouse.

Sage's return to the manor was quiet, the hour that had passed since he left feeling both long and short. He found Kaye exactly where he'd left her, a solitary figure perched on the deck, her gaze lost in the vast expanse of the water. Without a word, he retreated back inside, the cool air of the house a stark contrast to the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun. He made his way to the living room where Cye, Ryo, and Rowen were already settled.

Cye looked up with a questioning gaze. "How'd it go downtown?" Cye asked, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Sage, his expression serious, replied, "I'll tell you everything, but first, let's get Kaye inside. She needs to hear this too." He turned, already heading back outside, the anticipation of sharing his news pressing on him. As he approached the deck, ready to call out to Kaye, he paused.

She, however, had already anticipated his return, her eyes flicking towards him from the corner of her eye, a subtle acknowledgment that she was aware of his presence.

"I ran into my sister, Yayoi, when I was in town. I found out some information you'd want to hear. I think you should join us inside." Sage suggested as he reached out for her hand.

Kaye turned towards him when she heard what he said. She reached up for his hand and was helped to stand. She then knelt down and picked up her teacup from the deck and carried it with her inside to where she placed it in the kitchen sink and followed Sage to the living room. She then took a seat on the couch and waited for him to tell them what he found.

"When I was finishing my errands, I started asking people if they heard of anything happening at the Jade Dragon last night." Sage started his explanation.

Ryo looked over towards him from the recliner. "How'd it go? Did they say anything?"

Sage shook his head. "That's the weird part: everyone I talked to either gave me vague answers or walked away before I even started asking questions. It was like they were trying to avoid me. Or at least the subject."

Cye frowned when Sage was telling them this, "But why?"

"My guess is it's because either they were scared of something, or they didn't want to get in trouble." Rowen ventured as he spoke up.

Sage nodded, "Right, but I wasn't entirely sure until I ran into my sister. We went to a teahouse and talked. I told her about the fight between Kento and Oni last night. She seemed tense about it. Then Yayoi went into interrogation mode and was asking me about what he looked like. I gave her a description, and she confirmed who he was, a street fighter, and he works under Lou Yan."

Ryo shook his head. "Wait, the same one who ordered the big guy to go home?"

"Yeah, that's him. Turns out Lou Yan is the owner of the Jade Dragon. But Yayoi didn't tell me anymore; she just up and left." Sage finished his explanation.

Kaye studied Sage as she was taking in the conversation, "So then you think this might explain why Kento is acting the way he is? Being secretive, distant?"

Sage looked over towards her, "I think it could be possible. But until Kento comes home and tells us everything, then we're going on pure speculation."

"Except that last night, they didn't even bother to call the authorities about the fight. But maybe there might have been some customers who ended up going to the hospital; they might have called the authorities and reported it. Did Yayoi mention that, Sage?"

"No, she didn't mention it. Yayoi left before I could ask her."

"Well, there's no way we can track Kento since he's not answering our calls or texts. The only place we know for sure he would be is the club." Rowen pointed out that they knew now they had to figure out some kind of plan.

Kaye shook her head. "No, you guys remember, Kento was given the weekend off because he stopped Oni." She frowned a bit. "But even if Kento isn't there, it doesn't mean we can't ask around the club and see what we can find out."

Cye was a bit uneasy about the suggestion, "I don't know; Kento was pretty serious about not wanting us being around the club, especially when Oni is there."

"Then we'll check it out in the daytime. I'm betting with the damage they sustained from the battle they'd be out of operation for a while, at least until the renovations are done. Plus they'd have to restock their supplies." Kaye pointed out. "And if we can't ask the people who work the club directly, then we can see about asking the vendors. They shouldn't be too hard to track." She pushed herself off of the couch and walked over towards a closet and took out her laptop as she walked to the kitchen table and started setting it up. She then turned around and looked at the guys. "I'm going to start searching for their vendors.

"I'll help you," Rowen offered as he got up and walked over towards her, and the two of them got started on their search.

Ryo looked between Cye and Sage. "Well then, that leaves the three of us to come up with a plan to question the club workers."

Kaye glanced back into the living room and then returned it to her screen. "Rowen, I have a plan; it's kind of crazy, and I'm going to need your help with it." She said with her voice quiet so the other three don't hear. "But if you don't want to, I'll do it myself."

Rowen raised a brow at her. "What are you planning?"

"Well, since they're under construction, I was thinking of sneaking into Lou Yan's office to plant a recording device and try to do a little computer hacking. You're better at the hacking than me."

"You know that's absolutely crazy, right?"

"I know, but what other option is there?" Kaye asked, "Look, I'll just do it myself."

Rowen sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, I'll help you. There should be someone watching out for you anyway. The last thing I need is an enraged Kento getting after my ass. But first we'll take a look into the vendors and talk with them before going into your plan. Fair."

Kaye nodded, "Fair enough."

Back at the precinct, Shaw leaned back in his chair, the familiar hum of the station settling around him, when he saw Yayoi practically burst through the door. Her usually composed demeanor was replaced with a restless energy, her steps quick and her expression a mix of concern and frustration. He raised an eyebrow, a silent question forming on his lips. "Whoa, what's the hurry?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that cut through the office's background noise.

Yayoi took a breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "It's my brother, Sage," she began, her words tumbling out. "He's been questioning people, trying to get information, but nobody's giving him straight answers. And then there was the fight at the club... Kento and Oni, it was a mess."

A knot twisted in Shaw's stomach. "Kento hasn't checked in," he said, his voice tightening slightly.

Yayoi nodded, her eyes meeting his. "I think... I think that fight might be why. Maybe he's lying low after everything that happened." Her speculation hung in the air, a heavy, unspoken concern that echoed Shaw's own growing unease.

Shaw's brow furrowed deeper with each passing moment as his fingers danced across the keyboard, the glow of the monitor reflecting in his narrowed eyes. He scanned meticulously through the dispatcher logs, his hope of finding a direct call from the Jade Dragon fading with every negative result. The night had been a blur of shouting and shattered glass, but the official record was distressingly silent.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair, a sigh escaping his lips. "Nothing," he said, turning to face his colleague. "No calls directly from the club about a fight last night." A sense of frustration prickled at him. He knew something had gone down; he'd seen it himself. "But," he added, his tone shifting to a more analytical note, "there are several reports coming in from the hospital. People claiming they were injured in a fight at the Jade Dragon and wanting to file police reports." The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to form, albeit in a jagged and unsettling way. The club might have tried to sweep it under the rug, but the truth had a way of finding its way out.

Yayoi suddenly remembered something: "Sage gave me a description of Oni; it's definitely him, Shaw. The scar on the face, extremely muscular with an oni mask on the right side of his neck. He said the street fighter charged at their table for no reason, and Kento intercepted. That's when the two of them threw down. Kento got beaten pretty bad, but so did Oni. According to Sage, the two of them were evenly matched."

Shaw sighed, "Man, this isn't good. Not good at all."