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

✍🏻  Story by : Seraph

𓂃🖊 Edited by : Violet

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

The sound of the phone ringing cut through the steady patter of rain on the windshield .

A blond man sat behind the steering wheel of his parked rented car , his hand hovering over the vibrating device beside him .

With a sigh , he finally picked it up .

" Dean , where the hell are you ? " a voice came filled with both worry and restrained fury .

The caller didn't wait for a response " you went there , didn't you ?

I told you i'd investigate what happened ــــ why are you there already ?

you've got a shoot next week !

what am i supposed to tell the staff ? "

Dean remained silent , his blue eyes gaze fixed on the rain streaking down the glass . The voice on the other end dropped to a frustrated mutter : " you son of a bـــ"

Dean let out a long sigh . He heard it loud and clear .

He knew he was in the wrong for not telling anyone where he was going , but Ezra's nagging always grated on his nerves .

" Don't worry , Ezra !" he said flatly .

It was the only response that came to mind , and predictably , it did nothing to ease his assistant's frustration .

Before Ezra could speak again , Dean cut him off .

" I'll call you later , okay ? "

He ended the call before Ezra had a chance to argue , tossing the phone back onto the passenger seat .

He turned his head to stare out the window once more , his expression shadowed by something deeper than the weather .

Sadness lingered in his eyes . The downpour outside only seemed to echo the heaviness in his chest .

Then a sudden noise broke through the rhythm of the rain ـــ a sharp , hollow thud .

Dean frowned and scanned the street through the fogged-up glass . His eyes caught sight of a figure collapsed on the sidewalk . A girl !

She looked hurt .

Without thinking , he grabbed the umbrella from the back seat and jumped out into the rain . Water soaked his shoulders in seconds , but he didn't care .

He approached the girl cautiously and knelt in front of her .

" Are you okay ? Can you get up ? "

The girl slowly lifted her head , her eyes blinking against the rain . She didn't speak , but her slight nod was enough to tell him she wasn't seriously injured .

Dean reached out to help her ـــ but just as his hand moved toward hers , a sharp click cut through the air behind him .

The unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked .

A low , hostile voice followed ..

" step away from her , you damn bastard !"

TO BE CONTINUED .....

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

🌸 Author's Note

Hello everyone!

This is the same story i previously shared here as a chat story ــ but now it's back, rewritten as a novel version!

I poured in extra details and deeper scenes that i hope  you'll enjoy even more.

I decided to remove the old version because my focus is fully on this novel now, and i want to share it with you in it's best form.✨

Thank you for giving this story another chance ــ i truly hope you enjoy the ride!🫶🏻

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐ ٍSeraph ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

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

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

✍🏻  Story by : Seraph 

𓂃🖊 Edited by : Violet

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

The moment the man with the gun spoke , the girl recognized him immediately . She clicked her tongue and replied in a soft voice that matches her delicate appearance :

" Calm down . He's just trying to help me . "

Her tone was steady , unshaken . Like she was used to this kind of situation .

Dean realized he had stepped into something serious . even if his intentions had been good ,  now he was stuck and he needed to do something ــ anything to show them that he meant no harm and wasn't a threat .

Slowly , he turned around , keeping his hands at his sides in a surrendering gesture .

But when he saw the man holding the gun behind him ... he froze !

He couldn't believe his eyes . His mind spiraled into confusion , frozen with disbelief.

" This ... it can't be !"

that was all he could think as the shock took over him . Still , he tried to stay composed , hiding everything behind a calm mask ــ at least until he was sure .

Dean swallowed hard and finally spoke , trying to de-escalate the situation .

" I didn't mean any harm .. "

He knew this could very well be the end of him , but he continued anyway .

" I was just trying to ــ "

But , the man didn't seem to care . He wasn't really listening . With a cold glance , he lowered the gun and stepped past Dean , heading straight for the girl .

his voice  shifted from threatening to deeply concerned .

" Are you okay , Ayane ? "

She let out a sigh and responded with three simple words :

" I am fine ."

But the man wasn't satisfied . He looked around . Aside from Dean , she was alone . His expression hardened .

"Why are you out here alone ? where's your bodyguard ? "

Ayane's expression didn't change , it was as if she'd expected the question.

" We got separated at some point ." she replied casually .

The man clenched his jaw . His anger wasn't directed at her ــ but at whoever was supposed to protect her .

" That idiot . I'm going to have a long talk with him later . It's cold and dangerous out here ــ he should've known better . "

Ayane tilted her head slightly , a faint smile tugging at her lips . She leaned closer , her voice lowering to a whisper .

" If only they knew .. the boss of the Tiger Group is actually a blind , seventeen-year- old girl . "

The man said nothing .

He couldn't counter that . He knew exactly how much weight she carried . For someone so young , it was more than heavy ــ it was crushing . Even he might not have been able to bear it ... and would've run away ـــ just like he did once before .

After a moment of silence , he simply said :

" Let's go inside . "

He pointed toward a restaurant just a few steps away .

They began to walk , but then Ayane stopped .

she remembered the stranger who tried to help her - Dean !

She hadn't even thanked him properly .

" Wait ! " she said suddenly , turning toward the man holding her shoulders " what about the guy who helped me ? Did he leave already ? "

He looked at her , surprised . Why would she ask about a stranger , that never happened before . never !

Still , he turned and glanced over his shoulder .

Dean was still there ــ kneeling on the ground , soaking wet , lost in his thoughts , trying to process what had just happened . Even the man , who had pointed a gun at him a moment ago, felt a twinge of sympathy .

In a voice that was rough but oddly gentle , he called out :

"You ـــ little boy !"

Dean turned slightly toward the voice , his eyes filled with emotions no one could decipher .

"come inside until the rain stops ."

TO BE CONTINUED ....

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

🌸 Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading  even then , i'll see you again .

I hope you're enjoying the story so far .

and .. stick around ــ there's so much more to come.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐ ٍSeraph ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

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

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

✍🏻  Story by : Seraph 

𓂃🖊 Edited by : Violet

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

 Th interior of the restaurant was warm and inviting, pleasant enough to soften the chill still clinging to Dean's clothes.

It was mostly western style with hints of Japanese cultureـــ the kind of blend that felt both elegant and  charming.

Dean stood for a moment, silently taking it in, soaking in the soft lighting and calm atmosphere ... until a hand suddenly extended toward him, offering a clean towel.

The sudden gesture startled him slightly.

The man didn't say anything ـــ just held out the towel in silence, eyes fixed on Dean with unnerving intensity.

Dean hesitated, then took it. His fingers trembled slightly. He kept swallowing hard, more from nervous than the cold.

The man's stare didn't waver.

It wasn't just eye contact ــ it was piercing, the kind of look that made it feel like every layer of thought could be peeled away.

But it wasn't just the gaze that unsettled Dean.

Now under the light, without the cover of night, he was sure.

The man in front of him was the one he'd met years ago.

The one whose face had haunted the edges of his memories all these years.

The one he thought he'd never see again.

Even if his demeanor now felt colder, more guarded ـــ his movements sharper ــ there was no doubt.

It was him.

The same man Dean met when he was just eleven years old.

He should've felt joy, maybe even relief .... but instead , he said nothing.

The man looked at him without recognition. Of course he didn't.

Dean was just a kid back then. A different face. A different life.

Now, he was a stranger.

The silence between them stretched thin, taut with a recognition Dean couldn't voice.

He feared the man might hear the pounding of his heart, the weight of old feelings pressing at the surface.

Finally, the man spoke. His voice was low and calm, but it carried a quiet gravity.

"You're not Japanese."

Dean blinked, caught off guard by the comment. That was the first thing he said? After all these years?

"..Huh ?" Dean replied, unsure what the man was getting at.

"You speak Japanese well," the man continued. "But you're not one."

A pause. Then more directly:

"So what's a foreigner doing out here in this weather ــ at this hour ?"

Dean stiffened.

It was just a question. Maybe even a fair one.

But coming from him ــ and paired with that unreadable expression ـــ it felt like an interrogation.

He glanced away for a moment, then back again, trying to collect himself.

His voice stayed calm, carefully measured :

"I was out with some friends and got lost, that's all." he said, pulling the towel off his head.

The man didn't respond. He just stared.

The expression on his face said it all ... he didn't believe Dean.

Dean's chest tightened. The tension in the air was suffocating.

He couldn't stay here.

If he lingered, his emotions might get the better of him.

And that couldn't happen. Not now.

He looked past the man toward the window, where faint light glimmered on the wet glass.

"Looks like the rain stopped." He said quietly. Then added, with a soft exhale:

"Anyway ... thanks for everything."

He tried to hand the towel back, but the man didn't move.

After a second of awkward stillness, Dean placed it gently on the table and began to rise.

"I should go before it starts raining again."

But just as he turned to leave, the man stepped forward ـــ calm but firm ـــ placing a hand down on the table, blocking Dean's path.

It wasn't violent.

But it was deliberate. Unspoken.

Enough to stop Dean in his tracks.

Dean's brows furrowed, surprise flashing into frustration.

What was that ?

Did he really think I'm some kind of threat ?

After all these years ... this is how you look at me?

Anger flickered in Dean's chest, uninvited.

Before he could catch himself, the words slipped out:

"... What the hell ?"

Their eyes met again, sharp and silent.

Dean's lips parted, ready to speak ـــ ready to demand the man to step aside ...

But before he could say a word, a soft voice broke through the tension:

"Mom said dinner is ready... if you want to eat."

TO BE CONTINUED .....

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

🌸 Author's Note

This chapter was a quit one, but heavy with meaning. Dean's past and present finally cross paths ـــ though not in the way he hoped.

There's still so much unsaid between them, but this is only the beginning.

Thank you for reading, and for being here with me on this journey.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐ ٍSeraph ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

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