He glanced around. The café’s visitors, as if on cue, turned toward him one by one, nodded, and returned to their business.
"Looks like I’m surrounded…" he thought. But not a flicker of fear showed on his face.
“You’re right,” I said calmly. “I won’t deny it. But you—you’re a different kind of suspicious. Usually, shady deliveries begin with encrypted messages. But you just showed up and spilled everything out. No, you’re nothing like the low-tier clients I’ve worked with before. You feel more like a political agent. I’m warning you: without trust, I don’t get tangled in these kinds of webs. And don’t bother threatening me.”
“You dig too deep,” he replied, still composed. “We’re not part of any political games. Though… we do have partners in that world. But I assure you, you won’t be dropped into the middle of a conflict. Everything will be done officially. Contract. Guarantee. And to be honest, we don’t think you’ll turn it down. It’s a simple job. With fair pay.”
“If you won’t tell me what the item is, I walk.”
“I can tell you this: it’s not contraband. Not a precious metal. Not drugs—one hundred percent. And not political documents either. Is that enough?”
As always, he made his decision swiftly and sharply—that was just his nature.
“Fine. Encrypt the address and time. Send it to me.”
“No need. It’s simple. The more you complicate the path, the more complicated the outcome becomes.”
“Here—take this navigator. You’ll be assigned a guide. He’ll explain everything.”
It was a device shaped like a wristwatch—with a touchscreen, a leather strap, and mechanical buttons for manual input.
“It only shows the route?” he asked.
“No. But for now, the navigation is all you need to worry about.”
As those words were spoken, a low rumble began rising on the young man’s side—like the approach of a subway train.
And by the time the last sentence landed, the man was already standing right above him.
“It’s time to go. Your guide will show the way.”
The one he called the guide was a tall young man with straw-colored hair styled in the same spiked fashion. But unlike the first, his face was more open—even welcoming. Perhaps that’s why the young man gave his silent agreement—with a faint nod.
He stood up.
Something stirred inside him—an unfamiliar sense of resolve… and even excitement.