(Natsoike's POV)
I was watering the plants and cleaning around the restaurant I held in place of my grandmother who is currently in the hospital due to a lung disease in which survival chances are 3%.

However, on the bright side, I had my childhood bestie Cora and her older brother Blyke there for me when times get tough. They even assisted me work in the restaurant along with other employees I hired. Grandma used to take care of the restaurant all by herself, although there were not many customers at that time. Honestly, ever since Blyke began working here, women have flooded to the restaurant to get a good look at him and men flocked to see Cora.

Everybody seemed to forget about my existence unless Cora and or Blyke spoke to me as they would for the most part become jealous of me, though all I necessarily cared about was that Cora and Blyke did not change due to the intense amount of admirers. On their voiced opinion, only voiced to me of course, they were uncomfortable with the intensity of which the women or men would love them as they had received marriage proposals, nearly been kissed, nearly been kidnapped for pleasure purposes and feeling as if they were only a mere toy to the customers.

I felt sorry for them, although they urged me not to, claiming they could handle it, just being annoyed. Today things were worse for Blyke so I decided to step in and get him away from the customers.

"Thank you" He said, eyes shut and facial expression showing relief and exhaustion. I smiled kindly.
"It's not a problem" I spoke, ruffling his hair gently since he was bent over, hands on his knees considering he's normally six times taller than I am. Cora came to us, to tell the chefs to make the orders. She noticed how exhausted Blyke was and how his hair was disheveled.
"One, are you okay Blyke? Second, what the hell happened to your hair?" Cora questioned.
"The customers were a pain..." He said, fixing his hair.
".... So they tried undressing you or something..?" Cora asked, showing a disgusted face.
"No! I just ruffled his hair a bit!" I spoke up, blushing madly.

Cora shifted her attention to me and wiggled her eyebrows with a smirk.
"Okay, j-just go tell the chefs what you need to" I spoke, pushing Cora in the direction of the kitchen. She laughed.
"Alright" She said, walking over to the kitchen. I sighed softly.

Suddenly I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and flinched violently, shuffling away, causing Blyke to break into laughter as he was the one who rested his hand on my shoulder.
"Holy fuck you scared me" I spoke, panting heavily and holding my hand over my heart. He grinned.
"Apologies" He spoke with a wide smirk.
"You never speak that way... Shit. You're infecting me..." I said. He laughed once more.
"Sorry princess, I just love changing the way you talk" He spoke softly. I pouted.
"Don't call me princess" I said, huffing. He smirked.
"Sorry, princess" He teased. I hit at his chest in anger, him just laughing, me not doing much damage.

I gave up and just went to go get some new customers seated. I could practically sense him smirking behind me and sighed quietly, shaking away my thoughts of him before approaching the customers.
"Would you like a table?" I asked.
"No, not at all. Carpet for five please" One who seemed to be a teen spoke with sarcasm, quickly getting scolded by the mother and the father being more serious and accepting my offer.

I smiled and guided them to a table. Once they got seated, I gave them some menus and then walked off to give them time to decide. I walked up to the kitchen to see if I could bring any orders to customers when something on the radio piqued my interest. I listened while picking up three trays of food. One tray balancing perfectly on my head.

Another victim of kidnapping had occurred, this time around, it being a ten year old girl and boy who were claimed to be siblings by their parents. I arrived at the customers' table, set down the two trays I were holding, did a curtsy to set them down, as to not drop the tray on my head and set the food in front of the respective customer before removing the third tray from my head and handing out the last plates, bowls and glasses before stacking the three trays on each other and walking off with them after wishing the customers a nice meal.

I arrived at the kitchen once more and set down the plates in their stash.
"Another kidnapping. I wonder who's behind them..." I mumbled. I suddenly felt a hand place itself on my shoulder and swiftly spun on my heel to face the person, stumbling back a bit in shock. Blyke chuckled.
"Calm down, I'm not a criminal, it's just me" He said with a soft smile on his lips.
"Jesus Christ, Blyke, warnings are needed. Holy fuck" I spoke, my hand on my heart, panting heavily from the scare.

"Pretty sure my voice would also scare you, princess" He spoke.
"Stop calling me princess, Blyke" I responded, puffing my cheeks out.
"Awe, but my adorable princess is so cute, the name fits her" He teasingly spoke, pinching my left cheek gently. I made him let go and sighed.
"Fine. Just don't let Cora find out, she'll never let me go a day without reminding me..." I mumbled.
"Too late, sister. You two are adorable!" Cora spoke from behind me. I groaned and hid my face in my hands.
"Yup, you two are definitely siblings..." I groaned out in annoyance.

Blyke laughed a little and ruffled my hair.
"Don't do that!" I said.
"You did it to me" He responded with a wide smirk. I grumbled under my breath before suddenly hearing a gunshot outside and screaming breaking out.

I flinched at the sound and quickly went to check it out. The restaurant was in chaos. A masked man in all black with a gun had entered the restaurant and was asking where Blyke, Cora and I were, having shot a family who didn't tell him. My eyes widened and so did Blyke and Cora's. I was about to run out to stop the man with the gun when Blyke swiftly stopped me and pulled me into the kitchen again to hide me, Cora and him.
"You were just about to run out there, are you insane? Have you even paid attention to the witness pictures of the men who'd kidnap random people? They wear the same clothes and masks as this man has" He whispered, gripping my arm tight.

"But the longer we don't show ourselves, the more people will get killed!" I whispered back. He sighed quietly. There was a sudden gunshot somewhere in the kitchen and Blyke and Cora began panicking. Blake rushed us over to a hidden door and opened it quickly, pushing me and Cora inside before entering as well, hiding the door again and then shutting and locking it.
"I'm sure there are men outside as well. They'll likely spot us and tell the men inside the restaurant to stop and help them catch us" He spoke.

"Fine. Let's hope..." I mumbled. We made our way through the hidden hallway and outside, spotted by tons of men who pulled out knives and blocked our ways to run off. None of them had guns and one of them called the men inside and told them that they've caught us. Blyke tightly grabbed mine and Cora's hands and threw us up onto a platform. I scraped my knee slightly, though didn't care since it wasn't too bad.
"Be more careful you jackass!!" Cora screamed at Blyke angrily as he got up onto the platform right before grabbed by the men below.

"Let's just focus on surviving" Blyke said with a glare at her. He grabbed my hand again and Cora's but she yanked her hand away.
"I can run myself" She spoke.
"Fine" He responded before running off, making sure I'm not tripping behind him at the same time. Cora ran up behind us, surprisingly fast, and managing to catch up fairly quick. We were soon surrounded by men. Blyke and Cora scanned the area for possible escapes while I knew nothing about jackshit and was scared as hell.

Cora found an escape, sprinted at the men and right before shot, leaped over them by grabbing a pole and using it to get past them and onto another platform.
"Haha, suckers!" She called cockily with a wide smirk.

Since Blyke had to make sure I came with him, he had to take a different option. He picked me up bridal style and ran toward the men, quickly dodging different attempts at stabs and sped past them, jumped when at an edge and jumping onto a roof.

Gunshots were being fired at him but he kept running. He was eventually shot in the leg, making him collapse, though quickly turned so he landed on his back, preventing me from getting injured. Men surrounded us, pointing guns at us. He pushed himself back up, holding me close, desperately trying to find an escape, but not many escapes being available due to his newly found bullet wound. He covered me as the men shot at us, taking all the bullets for me. I tried getting him off, tears building up in my eyes.
"N-no, get off! I d-don't want t-o lose y-you!" I cried, pushing at his chest. He smiled weakly, continuing to shield me with his body. I kept trying to push him off, but he wouldn't budge. I shut my eyes tight.

"Don't leave me, please"

[To Be Continued]