"Say, gran gran, did Finn drop by today?"

Oliver had already worked his way through half of his noodles when he suddenly remembered the reason they came to the shop. Apparently, he still got hungry even though he hadn't trained that much today.

"The brat? No, he did not."

The old cook seemed particularly displeased, tapping the counter with her pipe before spinning it in her fingers. With customers around, she couldn't just light it up and smoke to her heart's content. Tapping the counter again, she pierced him with her sharp eyes, almost causing him to choke on the noodles he was slurping.

"I was just about to ask you about the other brat." She said. "Would you happen to know why he hasn't bothered to show his face once in the last few weeks?"

The one she was referring to couldn't be more obvious, but Oliver was hesitant to answer.

"Boss… has been a little busy, that's all."

The scoff he got in response told him that she didn't like it, and the snap he heard from beside him only made things worse. Bella broke her chopsticks without realizing it, and the dangerous glint in her eyes made it clear what caused her to do it. Unbothered by the way she glared at her, the old cook tapped the counter again.

"Of course he's busy. He's a big shot now. Too big to come down to this small-time shop."

"C'mon, gran gran, you know that's not true."

Oliver didn't know the reason, but he was sure their boss wasn't avoiding the Bowl of Fortune. The shop had been his favorite for a long time, and he seemed pretty close to the old cook and her granddaughters. Surely he wouldn't stop going there just because climbed higher in the world.

'Come to think of it, did the boss eat anything since…'

Pausing, Oliver slowly lowered his chopsticks.

"If it wasn't true, he wouldn't have sent you here in his stead."

"That's… that's not why we came here."

"Your voice says it all, boy."

"My voi-"

A loud slam cut his words, causing him to jump a little. Beside him, Bella was on her feet, her hands on the counter. For a moment there, it seemed like she was staring at her bowl, but then she looked up and glared at the old cook.

"I thought I would keep my mouth shut, but I can't take it anymore." She said,

"You aren't scaring anyone with your acting, lass." Said Nobara. "Sit down and finish your food."

"No, I won't sit down." Bella shot back. "Not before you apologize."

"Um, Bella, why don't you calm down first and-"

A loud tap cast silence on the entire shop.

"Are you picking a fight?"

"How dare you talk about Boss like that when you don't even know what he has been through?"

"And how am I supposed to know when he doesn't even bother to show up?"

"Why would he-"

Standing between the two, Oliver might as well have been invisible. Thankfully, the rescue arrived just then.

"I suggest you stop before you say something you might regret."

Having heard the commotion, a blue-haired beauty came out of the kitchen, casting a bright light through the shop's interior. The remaining patrons gasped in unison, their breaths stolen by her graceful features. Bella was the only one unimpressed, shifting her glare from Nobara to her granddaughter.

"You…"

"Dante won't be happy to hear that you disrespected grandma." Said Suzuka. "I suggest that you apologize."

The blue-haired beauty's demeanor was simply overpowering, demanding respect.

"I'm not-"

"Are you sure? Because I can send him a direct message right now."

With narrowed eyes, Suzuka showed her hand, and with no cards to play, Bella could only grit her teeth.

"Sorry, I… overreacted?"

"Hmph. Just make sure to finish your bowl. I hate it when food is wasted."

Completely defeated, Bella deflated into her seat, reached for a new pair of chopsticks, and went on with her food. Oliver felt a momentary relief and hoped that it would last for as long as they were eating.

"Did something happen with Dante?"

It was clear that Nobara wanted to ask that question, so her granddaughter did so in her stead.

"I'm not sure…"

The first thing that came to mind was the incident from the previous night, but that didn't seem to be the case. Oliver had a hunch that his training would've been much more intense if the boss were upset about his failed attempts at Soul Manifestation.

"Well, whatever it might be," Said Oliver. "We're trying to find something that could help cheer him up."

"That sounds like a really bad idea." Said Nobara.

"And that's why you were looking for Finn?" Suzuka asked.

"Yeah. I thought that if anyone knew, it would be him." As if realizing something, he turned to the old cook. "Unless you can give us some hints, Gran Gran."

In fact, Oliver had already figured out just the thing to lift their boss's spirits.

"Want my advice? Just leave him be. That one is a tough kid. He doesn't need your cuddling."

The same answer again. Somehow, Oliver got the impression that no matter who he asks, so long as they're close enough to their boss, they would just say to leave him alone. But that hardly felt like the right answer.

Therapy might not be an option, but he still wanted to do something for him—something to remind him that he wasn't alone, and that he had people he could rely on.

"Say, gran gran." Looking up from his bowl, Oliver smiled at the old cook. "How about you make him his favorite dish? Maybe if we-"

"Nope." The old cook interrupted. "Not happening."

"Wha-"

"We don't do deliveries. If he wants to eat, he can come here."

And just like that, the topic was closed shut. Defeated, Oliver finished his food and dragged his feet out of the shop. Bella hadn't said anything since she was forced to apologize. She just kept her head down, hiding her eyes behind those long bangs of hers.

"If you're still looking for Finn, you should find him in Joystreet." Turning around, the two found that the blue-haired beauty had followed them outside. Looking Oliver in the eye, she added. "You know where the Triple Jackpot is, right?"

"Oh, yeah…"

He remembered driving the boss there a couple of times.

"Thanks, Ms. Kurosaki."

"No need. I was going to ask you to check on him anyway." Suzuka sighed. "Also, Dante likes authentic Tenebrosan food. Never mention that in front of grandma, though."

~[ ]~

After showering her with gratitude, Oliver took his raven-haired companion to the nearest train station. They had walked to the Bowl of Fortune, so they didn't have a vehicle on hand. Returning to the Red Oni Club just to get a car felt like a hassle, so they decided that public transportation would suffice.

As they took their seats and the train began to move, Oliver noticed the gloomy aura oozing from beside him. Bella did lean toward the goth aesthetic a little bit, but right now, she just seemed depressed.

"Couldn't help but notice you don't get along with the Kurosakis."

Instead of snapping at him as he had expected, Bella just ignored him, continuing to hang her head. The silence stretched, only interrupted by the occasional clatter of the cart they were in.

Trying to take his mind off the problem, Oliver looked around. Having been a part of the broke class for a long time, he was used to riding the train whenever he had somewhere to go; one could say he was an expert on the matter. Nowadays, he usually borrows one of the boss's cars, though, compared to driving around the expensive vehicles, he feels that sitting in the train is far less stressful.

'Something isn't right…'

An afternoon ride on the train? Not stressful? Something wasn't adding up. Trains weren't supposed to be a pleasant ride, especially not during the day.

'Oh…'

Three people, each standing near one of the exits. They blended so well with the background that Oliver had to squint to see them. Nothing seemed off about them at first glance, but it was too late for him to fall for that. His right hand was already reaching for the gun tucked into the back of his pants, and as he took hold of it, he gave Bella a subtle elbow jab.

His companion must have heard the silence as she began to raise her head, but that seemed to set things in motion. Catching on to the first signs of motion, the world seemed to slow down in Oliver's eyes. He watched as the passengers' arms snapped open, their hands splitting open and their fingers sliding back along with long plating covered in artificial skin. In the same motion, metallic barrels jutted out of the controlled mechanical chaos.

Half a dozen rifles were aimed at him the next instant, and with a flash, a storm of bullets raged inside the train car.