DANCING WITH THE DEVIL | CHISHIYA X OC |

41. No safe place

He sighed.
She's in no shape for this.

"You should hide somewhere," he said flatly.

Seina's brows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His tone didn't change. "With injuries like that, you won't be able to run if things go south. If someone comes after you, you're dead."

Seina's jaw tightened. "So what? You want me to just crawl into a hole and wait?"

"More or less."

"Yeah, that's not happening."

Chishiya sighed again, clearly already expecting this fight. "Pick a place. Somewhere no one would think to look for you."

Seina crossed her arms, ignoring the dull throb of pain. "And where exactly do you suggest?"

A small smirk tugged at Chishiya's lips. "Aguni's room."

Seina blinked. "What?"

"Think about it," he continued. "Who the hell would check there? It's Aguni's space, no one's stupid enough to go snooping around his room right now. You'd be safer there than anywhere else."

Seina hated to admit it, but it wasn't a bad plan. Still, the idea of hiding while everything went to hell around her made her stomach twist.

She exhaled sharply. "And what about you?"

Chishiya shrugged. "I'm going after Niragi."

Kuina sighed. "Great. And I guess that leaves me to babysit the rest of the executives and see if any of them start acting shady."

"Exactly." Chishiya nodded.

Seina ran a hand through her hair, frustration simmering beneath her skin. She wanted to argue, to fight back against the idea of just hiding—but the truth was, Chishiya was right. Every move still sent sharp pain lancing through her body, and if someone did come after her, she wouldn't last long.

Still, the thought of sitting still while they ran headfirst into danger made her want to scream.

But she swallowed it down.

"...Fine."

Chishiya tilted his head slightly. "Was that so hard?"

Seina glared at him. "Shut up before I change my mind."

A soft chuckle escaped Kuina, but the tension still hung heavy between them.

They were about to split—each one walking straight into their own version of hell.

Seina hesitated, then reached out, her fingers brushing over Chishiya's hand. It was a fleeting touch, but it made him pause, his gaze snapping to hers.

"Be really fucking careful," she muttered.

For a split second, something unreadable flickered across his face. Then, as quickly as it came, it was gone.

He simply smirked. "No promises."

Seina rolled her eyes, pulling back.

And then, without another word, they all turned and walked away.

***

Chishiya had always found Niragi's methods distasteful. Unimaginative.

Mowing people down from a rooftop like some deranged sniper? Please.

It wasn't even sport.

He crouched in the shadows of the ransacked supply room, sifting through the scattered junk.
He wasn't looking for a gun.
Guns were Niragi's thing, and he had no interest in playing by Niragi's rules.