Chapter Text
The late afternoon sun spilled gold across Tegavillage’s cobblestone street as Hoeru pushed open the creaky wooden door of Ryugi’s little coffee shop. The scent of coffee and tea mingled in the air, familiar and grounding after a long day of part time work.
“Welcome back, Hoeru-kun.” Ryuji called from behind the counter, his voice warm.
“Any luck in your part time work?” Rikuo asked softly from a corner of the cafe, where he was preparing his own merch for his fans.
“Not really, I got fired again.” Hoeru sat down on the high chair across from Ryugi and picked up a flower bud, slowly drinking its juices, a habit he developed when he was in the No One world.
“Don’t worry Hoerutchi, you’ll get another one. Maybe even a full time job!” Kinjiro encourages him as he pats Hoeru on the shoulder before going back into the kitchen to prepare some dinner.
“Full time job? He’d be lucky to even get another part time one.” Sumino’s snark comment which Hoeru didn’t paid much mind. But, something… or someone else caught his attention.
She wasn’t alone today.
A woman in a crisp black jacket and neat slacks leaned casually against the table where she sat with Sumino, her long brown hair swept to one side. She had a half-smile, easy but sharp, and her eyes….
Hoeru didn’t know why, but her eyes were alluring. Very alluring.
“This is a friend of mine, Umara Hayane.” Sumino introduced proudly, “Back in my cop days, she was my partner, and frankly, the better shot.”
Umara’s smile widened before replying, “Sumino’s exaggerating, I just had faster reflexes.”
She stood up, walking around the guys in the room as she continued: “I heard about you guys, the new friends she’s made. After what happened with Oto, Sumino was practically obsessed with her disappearance. It’s nice to see her indulge in something else for a change.”
Umara gazed back to Sumino, continuing: “When you said Oto-chan came back without her memories and then was taken again, I was really shocked, but more so confused. But when I went to investigate, I realised I might’ve some leads that are recent enough and figured I could be of help.”
Rikuo’s ears perked up, he then blinked, surprised by the information he had just heard, “You… found something?”
“Bits and pieces,” Umara said, tone smooth, almost conspiratorial. “Street chatter. The Gray eyed man seen in places they shouldn’t be. Nothing solid yet.” She let the pause linger just long enough for everyone’s ears to perk up. “But sometimes, the smallest hint leads to the biggest find.”
While Sumino turned to get some more coffee from Ryugi, Hoeru felt a subtle shift in the air. It was like he was being sized up without knowing what for. It was the same thing he felt when he was in the No One world. He felt like prey, the predator’s blood thirst being the only thing he could sense. He just couldn’t quite place where it was coming from. The blood thirst dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Hoeru gazed towards Umara, who gave him an unsuspecting smile. Hoeru turned back, his cheeks turning slightly pink.
“Maybe I’m just imagining things.”
Umara’s gaze flicked down briefly, where Hoeru’s jacket hung slightly open. The faint metallic glint of a ring peeked from an inner pocket.
Target, found.
Coffee was served, conversations carried on. Umara asked causal questions about Tegavillage, about these new friends of Sumino’s and also about Sumino’s current goals. She laughed easily, grabbed Sumino’s arm when recalling old patrol stories, her presence slipping perfectly into the rhythm of the shop.
“I’ll go and bring dinner out for us, Ryugi and Kinji might need some help. Byakuya, help us out back here.” Sumino shouted as she and Rikuo walked into the kitchen; Umara almost smirked when that happened.
Such a dear like always, Sumino-chan.
“So Hoeru-kun, why can’t you hold a part time job? You’re not mentally challenged or anything, right?”
“Ummm…I’m not mentally challenged or anything, I just try to do my best and the next thing I know…”
As Hoeru was distracted by Umara’s question, her fingers moved with precision, one smooth step closer to Hoeru, one practiced reach, and the Go-Busters, Boukenger, and Lupinranger rings were gone, nestled into the lining of her jacket without so much as a whisper. By the time the others came out with dinner, Umara had went back to her seat as if nothing had happened.
—————
“Let’s meet again Sumino-chan, I’ve got to get back to work.” Umara said as she waived goodbye to everyone in the room.
“Oi Second Gen, ask your friends to make me dinner, I think I’m in the mood for honey chicken and—” Mashiro didn’t finish as he bumped into the customer who was walking out.
“Oh, sorry about that.” Umara said with that same disarming half-smile. Her eyes met his: whole, unblinking.
Mashiro froze.
That face.
The sharp angles, the sly warmth. For an instant, he saw another face overlaying hers: a yellow visor, her warm smile.
Impossible. The Calamity destroyed all the others but the reds. None of them could’ve come back… right?
Umara tilted her head slightly, like she could read the recognition in his stare. “You’re cute, staring at me like this.” The women commented, voice filled with amusement.
Mashiro opened his mouth, wanting to fight back, but she stepped past him before the words even formed, heels tapping rhythmically against the stone road. By the time Mashiro realised the woman had just walked out the door, she was already halfway down the street, slipping into the thinning crowd.
“Hey—!” he called out, but she didn’t look back.
Mashiro just stood there, frowning at the empty street. As a thief would, she had slipped away.
“It can’t be…,” he muttered, but his gut told him otherwise.
That face was definitely hers. So how in the hell?
And somewhere down that twisting street Umara Hayane’s hand brushed against her jacket pocket, fingers curling possessively around three stolen rings. The smile that played at her lips was nothing like the one she’d worn in Tegavillage.
“Didn’t expect to see him there. I guess we’ll be having the whole team together soon.”