♫ Tears pour down from a clear blue sky
Someday, they'll change into a smile
♫
-- Hitomi Takahashi, 青空のナミだ (Aozora No Namida)

Being threatened by a gun and spoken so rudely to, she couldn't help but retort.

"싫로.내가 왜? (No. Why would I?)" Peach scoffed.

"따. 라. 와. (Come. With. Me.)" The man demanded and Peach narrowed her eyes.

"누구야? (Who are you?)" Peach questioned, sounding composed. She know she was being really informal, but with the man pointing a gun at her, she didn't want to be polite at all.

The man moved, changing his position to stand in front of her. The entire time, he kept the gun steady on her neck and Peach only had a blank look in her eyes as she began to think to herself.

My only life goal is to live life the way I want and die before I hit fifty years old...but I don't want to die in such a way, and neither do I want to obey this motherfucker.

This damn world never goes the way you want it to.

She could clearly see the man now, and he was wearing a metallic mask around his face. The only thing she could see were his crimson red eyes, and the single earring clipped onto his right ear.

It was a crimson crown.

"Crimson?" Peach furrowed her eyebrows, instantly recognising who this person worked for.

Crimson was a popular host club in the red light district of Neo. Every host there were the top of the industry, and trained to be the best. Nevertheless, anyone who was involved in the underworld would know that the host club wasn't an average host club, neither were the hosts.

Peach looked at the man's crimson eyes that resembled a snake's eyes, and she folded her arms across her chest, smirking. "Hebi, 그게 네 이름이야, 그치? (That's your name, right?)"

Hebi is one of the top hosts in Crimson. Of course, a ranking system exists in the host club and Hebi belongs in the top five. His trademark was his alluring eyes that resembled a snake. Peach had entered the club a few times, since she was making a delivery for Haeres.

Hence, that baffled Peach as the hosts of the clubs never obeys anyone orders other than Haeres. Thus, that meant that their master was out for her blood and she couldn't understand why.

"Haeres 나를 죽이시겠다고? (Haeres will kill me?)" Peach gave Hebi a look of doubt. "에이, 설마! 그는 나를 만질 수 없다는 것을 알고있다. (Eyyy, no way! He knows he can't touch me.)"

"He knows." Hebi answered in English abruptly, his Korean accent clearly heard.

He then tightened the grip around the gun, preparing to pull the trigger. Peach could only gasp silently, her eyes widening in disbelief.

I can't die like that--

A loud bang was heard and Peach only widened her eyes further, a soft yelp escaping her lips. Her eyes caught Hebi's gun being flung away by an impact, and his face twisted.

Peach didn't hesitate to take opportunity of the distraction.

"아싸! (Hell yeah!) Chance!" she whispered to herself, adjusting her stance.

She proceeded to spin her body, lifting her leg up and making a high roundhouse kick on Hebi's head. Alas, Hebi was quick enough to block with both of his arms, and he scrambled to get his gun, not caring that his arms was throbbing in pain.

There was another gun shot, making Peach flinch backwards and she noticed the gun sliding away from Hebi's grip. She glanced to the source of the gunshot, and she squinted her eyes as the person slowly walked into view, the light illuminating his familiar handsome face and sky blue hair.

There was an unfathomable look in his gorgeous blue eyes as he held the pistol steadily in his hand. His expression was solemn, and his eyes remained trained on Hebi.

Peach inhaled sharply, recognising Celeste instantly.

"Two warning shots." Celeste stated, his tone implying that he wouldn't give any more warning shots.

Hebi clicked his tongue, immediately lifting his hand up and swiping once to the left, pressing on the empty space in the air. The two of them watched as a passenger drone swooped in, and carried Hebi away swiftly.

"야! 이것을 잊지 않을 것이다! (Hey! I won't forget this!)" Peach fumed, cursing at him as he flew away. "개새끼! (Son of a bitch!)"

Celeste could only blink curiously at Peach. He doesn't have the slightest idea what Peach is saying, and neither does he know that she's speaking Korean. He only noticed she wasn't speaking with her real voice.

"And you! Why are you here? Did you follow me again?!" Peach questioned, shuddering at the idea that Celeste was probably stalking her since the start.

Celeste frowned, keeping his gun in the holster and turning his head to her motorcycle. She followed his gaze, and she immediately understood.

"...you followed my motorcycle," Peach noted, before muttering under her breath. "Why does it have to be this smart bastard?"

Celeste took a step forward, and Peach got into a defensive stance.

"I'll fight you i-if I have to!" Peach was rather nervous, since she didn't have particularly great fighting skills. Nevertheless, she didn't want to get arrested without fighting back.

Celeste took another step, and she tensed up. There has been a question in her mind the entire time, and she decided if she didn't ask it now, there wouldn't be any chance.

"Why...why did you save me?"

"I didn't want him to shoot you."

Peach loosened her stance, taken aback by his answer.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

She wondered in disbelief,  before her shocked expression slowly changed, and she smirked behind the mask. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and she switched off her voice modulator.

"What, just because I'm pretty you've taken a liking to me?" she teased in her real voice. "I guess I'll thank you for saving my life, blue-eyed hottie."

Unfortunately for Peach, Celeste has never been the type to care about flirting. He only marched on forward and Peach gasped silently, throwing a high kick when he neared her.

Celeste was swift enough to avoid it, and managed to dodge and block her other attacks. Eventually, he restricted her movements by locking her arms behind her back with his hand and stood silently behind her. Peach struggled, and tried to step on his feet and shove her limbs around. Alas, Celeste was a trained fighter, and Peach wasn't as adept as fighting as compared to him.

"Alright fine," Peach resigned, her struggling ceased. "Just arrest me."

I'll just find a way to get away before that.

Peach thought confidently to herself, her expression awfully calm.

"I'm not going to arrest you."

Peach blinked rapidly, trying to process what Celeste had said.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm not going to arrest you, and I saved your life. Now you owe me a favour." Celeste stated simply.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and she exhaled sharply, turning her head.

"Don't think that you can just--"

Celeste leaned in close, and Peach instantly shut her mouth, shifting away uncomfortably.

"Do you know Cloud Strife?"

Peach furrowed her eyebrows, "are you seriously bringing up a Final Fantasy character right now?"

"Someone contacted you using that name."

The frown disappeared from Peach's face, and she head butted Celeste harshly. The both of them cried out in pain, and clutched at their heads.

Celeste didn't hesitate to go on about his questions.

"Four years ago, night couriers weren't popular and signing a long-time delivery contract was common. You were assigned to a group of five people."

Peach continued clutching at her head, maintaining an impassive look.

"They went by the names of Final Fantasy characters. Cloud Strife, Noctis Lucis Caleum, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia and Prompto Argentum."

She didn't answer, still remaining cold.

"I saved your life, and I said won't arrest you," Celeste reminded. "Wouldn't it hurt to answer at least answer my question?"

She sighed out in frustration, and her lips was set in a grim line. However, with the mask covering half of her mask, Celeste couldn't tell how frustrated she was.

"Look, detective. I only agreed to sign on with those fellows because their code names amused me, I didn't have customers who used video game characters as their names except them," Peach finally spoke, the mischievous spark in her totally gone. "I didn't know what happened to them, okay? I've been interrogated countless times by many different people because of them, and I don't have the slightest idea why."

Celeste gazed at her intently.

"What? I play video games, and I play classic video games too."

It was Celeste's turn to remain silent now. Peach winced, rubbing at the sore spot on her head and she narrowed her eyes at Celeste.

"You done right? I'm gonna go now, and you better keep to your damn promise of not arresting me." she threatened, backing away slowly to her bike, and jumping on it.

"What was the last delivery you did for them? And where, and what was the item?" Celeste threw out the questions quickly, and Peach rolled her eyes.

He's finally asking the questions that I've heard from the others a million times.

She reached into the compartment to get her helmet, and held it in one hand, leaning on her motorcycle. She then proceeded to flutter her eyelashes at Celeste, her eyes smiling.

"Sorry detective," Peach tugged her hair behind her ear, her other hand pressing on something around her hip area. "Another time, I have a delivery."

There was a strange look in Celeste's eyes as he gazed at her. Though, he quickly snapped out of his daze when she wore her helmet.

Procuring mini flashbang grenades...

The belt around her hip area moved, and Peach felt her a tiny weight on her hand. Celeste whipped out his gun as she quickly tossed the flashbang towards his direction, and Celeste spotted her movements, shielding his eyes as he scuttled backwards.

Peach revved up her engine, driving off with her motorcycle as it roared into the quiet night.  Celeste was left to deal with his vision that was blinded momentarily, and his stoic mask finally broke, a rare sign of frustration present on his face as tried to regain his vision.

"Why didn't I move earlier?" Celeste growled lowly, clenching his fist.

Whereas, Peach began to muse to herself inwardly while on her motorcycle.

Did he purposely allowed me to get away? To keep to his promise?

"...he doesn't seem like that kind of person though," she mumbled to herself. "Weird guy."