Chapter 5 The No. 6

Kana, on the other hand, has already went back to her job as an assistant store manager. She has actually applied for an indefinite leave and her reason was to take care of her bedridden mother, but their job finished earlier. So she returned earlier as well.

Of course, her reason was pure lies. She doesn't have any family member. The only people she considered as her closest family are the members of the Shadows.

She has just finished high school when she was accepted in this job as a regular cashier. Her excellent performance and likeable personality earned her the current position just after working for two years.

Well, it was also because the store owner's son has taken a liking on her, although he has never confessed yet. He is a university student taking up medicine from a prestigious medical school in Osaka, and whenever he goes back to Tokyo, he would always give her some presents.

He was a good man, older than her by 2 years, but her heart has already decided who to love. Since that fateful night that she learned who saved her from that fire that killed her parents.

She just became a Shadow more than 3 years ago, and their mentor told her that she was the first ever female member in Japan. It was all just a coincidence. She could still clearly remember how she became part of it.

She was in her 1st year in high school when she witnessed a murder. She came from her part time job late that night as a hotel kitchen cleaner. At 16 years old, it was her first part time job because younger than 16 is not yet allowed to work under normal conditions in Japan.

But she was an orphan. She was studying under the orphanage's sponsorship until she graduated from the Junior High School as the highest academic awardee. Then, she applied for government scholarship to pursue High School, and since then started part time job. It was also then that she began to live by herself on her own one-bedroom apartment.

It was past 11:30PM when she finished taking out all the trash from the hotel's restaurant. So, it was past 11:40PM when she finally was able to go home. On her way back, she took the short cut, which was a poorly lighted backroad not usually being used for vehicles. She then witnessed a person slitting another person's throat. The blood splattered everywhere.

She was shocked, and could not move an inch from where she was standing. Then, the man noticed her, and before she realized what was about to happen, he was rushing towards her with every intent to kill her as well.

However, her training in kendo, judo, and karate made her mind able to process everything in that instant and she parried the man's attack with her own nimble movement. She was unarmed, and petite and was only 145cm tall on that night. She was also fatigued from work.

But the adrenaline rush made her strong and brave. The man attacked her again, and after a couple of minutes, she was able to knock the knife away from him. With one fast, fluid movement, she took the knife and brought it to his heart with all the strength that she could muster. The man looked at her with disbelief, before falling facedown, making the knife dug deeper within him.

She was breathing heavily looking at the man in front of her. She has just killed a man. But with a grim expression on her face, she walked towards him, kicked him over to see if he was really dead.

"People like you are not supposed to roam around free on this country." She said finally, feeling victorious of what she has just accomplished.

"Indeed."

A man's voice from behind made her gasp and as she spun around, she tried to kick the man. But her attack was neutralized with just one bare arm. She tried to attack him again but he just dodged every single attack that she threw on him.

When the man stepped on to the light, she noticed that he was wearing a mask and a dark eyeglasses, obviously hiding his face.

She finally stopped attacking him, because she noticed that he didn't even moved an inch with all the attacks that she threw on him. He just defended himself, but he never attacked. She then realized that no matter how skilled she was, she could never land a blow on him.

"Who are you?" She asked, her senses heightened in preparation. She could feel that this person is strong, so she decided to sprint away as soon as the man would try to attack her.

She would still have to live, she is just a 16 year old normal high school girl, after all. She had never even have a boyfriend!

There is no way she would allow herself to die tonight.

"Relax, little lady." The man said, his voice became friendly. "I saw how you defeated a man much larger and stronger than you are. And I saw how your eyes danced upon seeing him dead."

Kana winced, the man was like telling her that she enjoyed killing.

It was her first time to kill a man, and it was self-defense!

"He attacked me first, and I just defended myself." She said, thinking that the man might call the police and turn her over. Her life would be over in an instant if it happened.

"I know, " the man answered, at her confused look, he added, "I was watching the whole time."

"What? You were watching the whole time and you didn't even dare to help a weak girl like me?" She said, surprised of the calmness on her voice, and by the way she just made that statement.

It seemed like she wasn't at all disturbed by witnessing a crime, and doing a crime by herself. What's gotten into her?

The man chuckled in amusement.

"That's the kind of spirit I am looking for, little lady, " he said. She relaxed a little as she realized that the man has no intention of harming her. She squinted her eyes on him, trying to recognize his face.

"Don't try to recognize me, girl, " his voice became suddenly thick, and a sudden gush of wind made Kana close her eyes to protect herself from being blinded.

She froze when she heard his voice behind her, as he whispered on her ear, "I need you on my organization, little girl. We are assassins. Once you made up your mind, find me." He said, slipping a calling card on her trembling hands.

Before she could turn around to face him, he was already gone.

It took her only two weeks to decide to call the number on the card. Because since that night, for every night, her blood boiled excitedly from the prospect of the same adrenaline rush that she felt while defending herself earlier from her attacker.

After being trained physically, mentally and psychologically for 1 year in secret, she was finally given a number.

She was the No. 6. and her first assignment was to trace the whereabouts of No. 2, who ran away with the parcel.

She didn't know that her first assignment would be the time where she would meet the blue-eyed prince on her dreams.