Neo Itsuki had always been good at ignoring things. The whispers. The teachers. The ache in his chest whenever he passed the empty room across the hall. He'd often glance at the picture of his parents, who had left when he was only three. It had been fourteen years since then. As he went to take a shower, countless memories came flooding back like when his's mother was humming.
His father's voice echoed in his mind, 'Keep your concept pure, Neo…' Neo chuckled, shaking his head. 'I still don't know what that means, Dad.'
As Neo was doing his homework, grooving to some music, he suddenly caught sight of a large, sleek motorcycle flipping through the air, a man riding it, with a boy chasing him, shouting, 'Two-Face! I will kill you!' Neo couldn't believe his eyes. He shook his head and blinked, only to find the two of them on a rooftop, still at it—but this wasn't just a game. They were firing guns at each other.
Two-Face held a strange, high-tech gun, unlike anything Neo had seen before. He quickly grabbed his phone to record the scene, but before he could hit record, Boom! His window shattered into pieces as Two-Face barreled through it on his motorcycle.
'You know you have to pay for that!' Neo shouted, rushing after him, joined by Shiro Jannik, the boy from earlier. Together, they formed an alliance to catch the criminal. But just as they thought they were getting close, Two-Face shouted, 'Fire Repel! Ricochet Shot!' And with a precise shot from his special gun, Neo was hit, badly injured and unable to move. Shiro, still hanging on despite his own injuries, could barely walk, but they pushed forward.
As they limped toward Shiro's place, a flyer flew past them, catching their attention: 'Assassin Exam Recruitment—3 Days Away.
Shiro turned to Neo, eyes fierce. "I'm going to take the exam."
Neo raised a brow. "Why?"
Shiro shrugged casually. "For fun."
Neo scoffed. "I think you're insane. All I care about is finding my parents… so go alone."
But Shiro's expression darkened. "I'm looking for someone too… a legendary Hunter. Renji Omari Li."
Neo froze. His voice dropped. "Wait… did you just say Renji Omari Li?"
Shiro nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
Neo's hands clenched. "That's my f*cking dad."
A pause. The weight of fate settling between them.
Shiro smirked. "See you in three days, Neo."
Neo looked away, eyes stormy. "Yeah… I guess."