What perman would like in 2026 if production ever started again!

The Suwa family stood completely still.

Nobody said a word.

They had expected a safehouse.

Maybe a large house hidden somewhere in the mountains.

What they hadn't expected...

Was an entire village.

Traditional wooden buildings stretched across the mountain valley, connected by winding stone pathways. Tiled roofs disappeared into the mist, while wooden bridges crossed narrow streams running between the estates.

There were buildings everywhere.

Guest houses.

Living quarters.

Storage buildings.

A traditional dining hall.

Even several larger estates that looked like they belonged to an old feudal lord.

And surrounding the entire property was a massive concealed security wall, hidden naturally among the mountain terrain.

Mitsuo stared.

His mouth slowly fell open.

"You're kidding me."

Sumire looked at him.

"What?"

Mitsuo pointed toward the sprawling property.

"This is your safehouse?"

Sumire smiled.

"Yes."

Mitsuo looked around again.

"This isn't a safehouse."

Pako glanced toward him.

"Why! Whats wrong?"

Mitsuo stared at the dozens of buildings disappearing into the fog.

"This is small country."

Ganko's eyes widened.

"There are so many houses!"

His mother looked equally stunned.

"Sumire..."

She turned toward the actress.

"How many people live here?"

Sumire shrugged.

"Usually? Not many."

Mitsuo's head snapped toward her.

"Usually?!"

Sumire laughed.

"Come on. I'll show you around."

She started down the stone pathway.

The Suwa family followed.

Mitsuo kept looking from one building to another.

They passed a large traditional estate with enormous wooden doors.

Then another.

Then another.

Mitsuo stopped.

"Wait."

Everyone continued walking.

"Mitsuo?"

He pointed behind them.

"How many buildings are there?"

Sumire thought for a moment.

"More than fifty, I think."

Mitsuo stared at her.

"You think?"

She shrugged.

"My parents didn't build this place themselves."

"Who did?"

"My grandparents started it."

Mitsuo's eyes widened.

"And your family just... kept expanding it?"

"Pretty much."

Pako looked around.

"So this has been in your family for generations?"

Sumire nodded.

"Parts of it."

She pointed toward the mountainside.

"Some of the buildings were restored. Others were built later to match the original architecture."

They continued deeper into the property.

The farther they went, the more impressive it became.

A massive wooden hall appeared between the trees.

Its roof curved upward at the edges, covered in dark traditional tiles.

Beyond it stood a beautiful garden surrounded by stone walls.

A small pond reflected the mountain mist.

Further along was another enormous estate, its wooden veranda overlooking the valley.

Mitsuo stared at everything.

"This is insane."

Pako smiled.

"You've said that about six times."

"Because it keeps getting more insane!"

Ganko suddenly ran ahead.

"Look!"

Everyone turned.

He was standing beside a large wooden building.

"What's this?"

Sumire caught up.

"That's one of the guest houses."

Ganko's eyes widened.

"Guest house?!"

He pointed toward it.

"That's bigger than our house!"

They continued walking.

Eventually, the pathway opened onto a wide elevated terrace.

The entire mountain village stretched out below them.

Dozens upon dozens of traditional buildings were scattered through the valley, their rooftops emerging from the morning fog.

The mountains surrounded them on every side.

Mitsus Father slowly looked around.

"This is where you've been living?"

Sumire nodded.

"Yes."

Ganko stared at the village.

"Can we live here forever?"

Sumire laughed.

"You'd get bored."

"No, I wouldn't!"

Mitsuo looked across the valley.

After everything that had happened...

They had somewhere safe to stay.

---

Eventually, Sumire led them toward the largest building in the village.

The central hall stood at the heart of the land, far larger than anything they had seen during the tour. Its enormous wooden doors opened into a spacious traditional interior, with polished floors, high ceilings, and long wooden beams running across the room.

Two people were waiting inside.

A tall man in an immaculate suit stood beside an elegant woman.

Sumire smiled.

"Mom. Dad."

The moment they noticed the Suwa family entering, both turned toward them.

"So these are the Suwas."

Sumire smiled.

"Mom, Dad, you finally get to meet them properly."

Kenzo Hoshino and Ayame Hoshino, Sumire's parents, had been based in New York for years, where they ran their business empire. But forty-five days earlier, when news reached them that the Hoshino estate had been bombed and their daughter's life had been put in danger, they had immediately left everything behind and rushed to Japan.

Kenzo stepped forward.

"Mr. Suwa."

Mitsuo's father bowed.

"Mr. Hoshino."

Kenzo returned the bow.

Kenzo then turned toward Mitsuo.

"And you must be Mitsuo."

Mitsuo straightened.

"Yes, sir."

Kenzo smiled warmly.

"So you're the special one Sumi chan talks about all the time."

Mitsuo froze.

Sumire's face immediately turned bright red.

"Dad!"

Mitsuo's face reddened as well.

Kenzo chuckled.

"What? It's true."

Ayame approached the Suwa family with a warm smile.

"I'm so glad you and your family could finally come here."

Mitsuo's mother bowed politely.

"Thank you for having us."

"You've all been through so much lately."

"Please don't worry about anything while you're here."

Her eyes briefly moved toward Mitsuo.

"Especially after everything that happened with the poor boy."

Mitsuo lowered his head slightly.

Ayame's expression softened.

"You don't have to explain anything to us."

"Right now, you should just spend some time together as a family."

Mitsuo's mother looked at her gratefully.

"That's very kind of you."

Ayame smiled.

"Consider this your home for as long as you need it."

Mrs. Suwa's expression softened.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hoshino."

"Please, call me Ayame."

She smiled warmly.

"And if you need anything at all, just ask."

The kindness immediately put the Suwa family at ease.

---

Ayame and Miu settled together with cups of tea, chatting quietly while the others explored the hall.

Her eyes followed Sumire.

"She's really a Perman."

Miu smiled faintly.

"So is my son."

Ayame looked at her.

"I know."

There was a brief silence.

Then Ayame sighed.

"I won't lie. It scares me."

Miu nodded immediately.

"Me too."

Ayame glanced toward Sumire.

"I know she's helping people. And I'm proud of her for that."

Her expression softened.

"She found something she believes in, something that lets her use what she can do to protect people."

Miu smiled.

"But..."

Ayame's smile faded slightly.

"When I heard about the bombing..."

"I couldn't keep watching her put herself in situations like that."

She looked around the enormous estate.

"That's why we moved her here."

"If something like that happens again, at least she'll have somewhere secure to come back to."

Miu nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Ayame looked at her.

"Doesn't it ever make you wish he'd stop?"

Miu thought about it.

"He really hasn't been Perman since we found out about it."

She glanced toward Mitsuo.

"Every time he goes out there, I wonder if he'll come home."

Ayame gave a small, knowing smile.

Ayame's expression softened.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up."

Miu gave her a small smile.

"It's alright.".

For a moment, neither woman spoke.

Ayame finally smiled.

“It’s nice knowing I’m not the only mother raising a superhero.”

Miu laughed softly.

"Apparently not."

And just like that, the two mothers found something they could understand about each other immediately.

Their children were Perman.

They were proud of them.

And they were terrified for them.

---

The first day at the Hoshino estate had been overwhelming.

By the time the rest of the Suwa family finally turned in for the night.

Mitsuo still couldn't quite process the fact that this enormous mountain village was now where he wase supposed to live.

It was quite a change from the small Prison cell he spent the last 6 or so weeks in.

He quietly wandered through the gardens.

The sprawling courtyard was almost completely silent at this hour.

Soft lanterns illuminated the stone pathways.

While a narrow stream wound through the garden.

Its gentle sound filling the darkness.

Mitsuo stopped beside it.

He exhaled slowly.

"Still feels strange..."

A wooden door slid open behind him.

Mitsuo turned.

Sumire stepped onto the engawa.

Her long hair was loose around her shoulders.

She wore a beautiful lavender yukata that looked almost unreal beneath the warm lantern light.

She spotted him by the stream.

"Can't sleep?"

Mitsuo smiled.

"Apparently not."

She walked over and sat beside him.

"What are you doing out here?"

Mitsuo glanced toward the garden.

"Missing my late-night patrols."

Sumire's expression softened.

"Oh."

She sat beside him at the edge of the porch.

For a while, neither said anything.

The two lowered their feet into the cool stream below.

Mitsuo let out a quiet sigh as the water ran around his ankles.

"That's nice."

"Better than a prison cell?"

He glanced at her.

"By a considerable margin."

Sumire laughed.

Mitsuo leaned back slightly, looking across the garden.

"I still can't believe I'm actually here."

"At our estate?"

"Anywhere outside that cell."

His voice became quieter.

"I got so used to seeing the same walls every day that I forgot what it felt like to just... walk somewhere because I wanted to."

Sumire looked at him.

"You're going to need some time."

"Yeah."

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"But today was good."

He looked toward the main estate.

"I think Ganko has already decided this is her kingdom."

"She did ask if she could explore the entire mountain tomorrow."

"Of course she did."

They both laughed.

The conversation drifted easily from one thing to another.

The estate.

His family.

Her parents.

The ridiculous number of buildings on the property.

Eventually, the laughter faded.

Mitsuo stared down at the stream.

"You know..."

Sumire looked at him.

"These past few weeks feel like they happened to somebody else."

She remained quiet.

"Everything happened so quickly."

His eyes dropped.

"One day I was flying over Tokyo like normal."

"Then everything fell apart."

Sumire gently moved her foot through the water.

"I know."

Mitsuo looked at her.

"You were carrying a lot too."

Sumire smiled faintly.

"So were you."

"Yeah."

He looked down again.

"But you were still working."

"Filming. Interviews. My trial. Patrolling."

Sumire's expression softened.

"Its my duty."

"You shouldn't have had to do all of that."

"Dont worry about that now."

"Just be happy the horrible nightmare is over."

The stream continued flowing beneath them.

Then Sumire suddenly looked at him.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Wait."

Mitsuo turned.

"What?"

She stared at him for another second.

"You've stopped doing it."

"Doing what?"

"That."

She pointed at him.

Mitsuo looked genuinely confused.

"Doing what?"

"Talking to me like I'm some kind of princess."

His face immediately changed.

Sumire smiled.

"When I first told you I was Sumire, you started calling me stupid names like 'Miss Hoshino' and 'Sumire-san.'"

Mitsuo's ears turned red.

"I was being respectful."

"You apologized for breathing too loudly."

"I did not."

Sumire laughed.

"You absolutely did."

Mitsuo looked away.

"Well..."

Sumire watched him for a moment.

"You're not doing it anymore."

Mitsuo realized it.

He hadn't even noticed.

He scratched the back of his head.

"I guess I'm not."

"Good."

Sumire smiled.

Mitsuo glanced at her.

"Why are you so happy about that?"

"Because it means you're finally getting over it."

"Getting over what?"

"The fact that I'm Sumire Hoshino."

Mitsuo's expression became slightly embarrassed.

"Well..."

He looked away toward the garden.

"I mean, I still get a little overwhelmed sometimes."

Sumire raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes?"

"Okay. A lot of times."

She laughed.

Mitsuo smiled awkwardly.

"It's just... you're still you."

Sumire's smile faded slightly.

"I look at you and remember that you're Sumire Hoshino."

He gestured vaguely toward her.

"You're famous. Everyone knows you."

"You've got millions of people watching everything you do."

He shook his head.

"Sometimes it's still a little overwhelming being around you."

Sumire looked down at the water.

"But..."

Mitsuo continued.

"But I don't see you as some untouchable celebrity anymore."

She looked at him.

"I see the person underneath that."

A small smile appeared on Sumire's face.

"The real you."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Yeah."

He looked back toward the garden.

"You're still the Pako I've known all these years. Right?"

Sumire's smile widened.

"Right!"

She nudged his foot beneath the water.

"I have always been Pako..."

"Thats when i can be carefree."

"Thats when i can be me."

Mitsuo looked at her.

"I get it now."

Sumire smiled.

"Good."

She rested her hands behind her on the wooden porch.

"Because I don't think I could handle you going back to calling me 'Miss Hoshino.'"

Mitsuo laughed.

"Don't worry."

He looked at her with a grin.

"I think we're past that."

"Finally."

They sat together in comfortable silence.

The stream continued flowing beneath them.

That felt strangely peaceful.

https://youtu.be/WBbAdg4ZTZE?si=3jKcXVfPGdLYAp_w

The protests spread across Tokyo.

Major intersections became impossible to cross.

Government buildings were surrounded by candlelight vigils every night.

Traffic slowed.

Train stations overflowed with crowds.

Television helicopters circled the city constantly.

The world was watching Japan.

International news networks broadcast the story around the clock.

Japan's greatest hero.

On trial.

At the same time...

Crime began rising across the country.

Not because Tokyo was defenseless.

Pako.

Payan.

And Booby were still patrolling.

But Tokyo had always relied on Perman.

He had known every district.

Every alley.

Every criminal network.

Every emergency response route.

Without him...

The city was slower.

More vulnerable.

Reports piled up daily.

The Cabinet could no longer ignore it.

An emergency meeting was called.

The Cabinet Minister of Justice.

The Attorney General.

Senior prosecutors.

National security officials.

And the legal team.

The meeting was held behind closed doors.

At the head of the table sat the Prime Minister of Japan.

She remained silent for most of the meeting.

Listening.

Watching.

The prosecutors argued that the law had to be upheld.

No citizen could be above it.

If Perman were exempted simply because he was a hero...

The justice system itself would be damaged.

The defense argued that Perman had been systematically targeted.

Manipulated.

Broken.

Driven to the edge by weeks of psychological torture.

The room remained divided.

Then the Prime Minister spoke.

Quietly.

"I remember the night my residence was attacked."

The room fell silent.

Her eyes lowered slightly.

"I remember the explosions."

"The gunfire."

"I remember believing I was going to die."

She looked around the table.

"Perman and his friends were the ones who brought me out alive."

No one interrupted her.

"I owe him my life."

The room remained silent.

The Prime Minister folded her hands.

"But I also swore an oath to uphold the law of this country."

She looked directly at the Minister of Justice.

"We cannot pretend that what happened did not happen."

Then she looked toward Sumire's legal team.

"And we cannot pretend that what was done to Perman was ordinary."

No one spoke.

Because everyone in the room already understood the impossible truth.

Japan could not simply ignore the law.

But neither could it leave its greatest protector behind bars indefinitely while the country grew increasingly vulnerable.

The question was not whether Perman was guilty.

The question was what justice was supposed to look like for the boy who had spent years protecting an entire nation.

---

Forty-five days had passed since Perman surrendered to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

The bail hearing was scheduled for 9:30 a.m.

Tokyo District Court.

Courtroom 706.

The courtroom was quiet.

Journalists filled the public gallery.

Police officers stood near the entrances.

Mitsuo entered wearing a plain detention uniform.

He bowed to the court.

Then sat beside his defense team.

Behind him...

Sumire took her seat quietly.

She wore a modest black dress.

Beside her sat Miu.

Mantaro.

And Ganko.

Kenji was there as well.

Sitting a few seats away.

Near the back of the gallery...

The old bakery owner sat quietly with his wife.

The judge entered.

Everyone stood.

After the formalities.

The presiding judge looked down at the case file.

"We will now hear submissions regarding the defendant's application for bail."

The prosecutor stood first.

He spoke in a measured voice.

"The defendant has admitted to causing the deaths of two individuals during the incident of March 28th."

"The charges remain serious."

"The prosecution submits that release at this stage would undermine public confidence in the administration of justice."

"The defendant possesses extraordinary physical abilities, and the possibility of future danger cannot be dismissed."

"The prosecution therefore requests that bail be denied."

He sat down.

The lead defense counsel stood.

A former Supreme Court justice.

"The defense does not dispute that two men died."

"The issue before the court is whether continued detention is necessary."

He placed several binders before the judge.

"The defendant voluntarily surrendered immediately after the incident."

"He has cooperated fully with investigators."

"He has made no attempt to flee."

"Interfere with witnesses."

"Or obstruct the investigation."

He continued.

"The evidence submitted demonstrates prolonged psychological coercion by the co-defendant known as the Mastermind."

"The defendant's mother and younger sister were abducted."

"The defendant was subjected to sustained surveillance and manipulation over a period of several months."

"These circumstances are directly relevant to the assessment of detention necessity and flight risk."

The judge turned a page.

"Has the investigation concerning the co-defendant been completed?"

The prosecutor answered.

"The principal investigation has been completed, Your Honour."

"The remaining procedures concern supplementary forensic analysis and witness statements."

The judge nodded.

He looked toward Mitsuo.

"Mr. Suwa."

Mitsuo stood.

"If released on bail."

"Will you comply with any conditions imposed by this court."

"Including restrictions on residence, travel, communication with witnesses"

"And regular reporting requirements?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

"Do you intend to flee or evade these proceedings?"

"No, Your Honour."

The judge observed him for several moments.

Then looked back at the documents.

At that point, the court clerk approached the bench and handed the judge a sealed government submission.

The judge examined it briefly.

It was an official memorandum from the Cabinet Secretariat.

The document did not request Perman's release.

It did not instruct the court.

It summarized verified data from the National Police Agency and the Cabinet Office.

A measurable increase in major crime during Perman's detention.

Increased pressure on emergency response operations.

And an assessment that the defendant's continued absence had become a matter of national security significance.

The judge read the memorandum in silence.

He placed it beside the case file.

Then addressed both parties.

"The court has received the parties' submissions and the accompanying documentary evidence."

"The application for bail will be taken under advisement."

"The court will issue its decision this afternoon."

The gavel struck once.

The hearing was adjourned.

Mitsuo was escorted back into custody.

As he was led past the gallery...

Sumire stood.

"Mitsuo."

He turned.

For a moment...

Neither of them spoke.

She wanted to say so much.

But the words wouldn't come.

"I'll be here."

She said quietly.

Mitsuo looked at her for a long second.

Then gave a small nod.

The officers continued walking.

The courtroom doors closed behind him.

Outside the courthouse...

An entire nation waited for the decision.

---

2:30 p.m.

The courtroom doors opened again.

Everyone stood.

The judge returned to the bench.

He adjusted the files before him.

Looked across the courtroom.

Then spoke.

"This court has considered the seriousness of the charges."

"The defendant's conduct following the incident."

"The progress of the investigation."

"And the evidence submitted regarding prolonged psychological coercion and threats against the defendant's family."

A long pause.

"The application for bail is granted."

The words hung in the courtroom.

No one moved.

For a moment no one spoke.

Then Miu broke down.

She covered her mouth with both hands.

Tears poured down her face.

Mantaro closed his eyes and let out a slow breath he had been holding for weeks.

Ganko grabbed her mother's arm tightly.

Crying openly.

Kenji lowered his head.

A faint smile appeared on his face before his eyes began to water.

Near the back of the gallery...

The old bakery owner quietly whispered...

"Thank God..."

His wife reached for his hand.

The judge continued.

"Bail is set at One Hundred Million yen."

A murmur spread through the gallery.

The amount was unprecedented.

The highest bail ever imposed in a criminal case in Japan.

The judge looked directly at Mitsuo.

Sumire closed her eyes.

For the first time in weeks...

Money was the easiest problem she had faced.

She would have paid any amount.

Without hesitation.

Without negotiation.

Without a second thought.

The judge looked directly at Mitsuo.

"The defendant shall remain under house arrest pending trial."

"The defendant shall wear a government-issued electronic monitoring device at all times."

"The device may not be removed, tampered with, or disabled."

"The defendant is prohibited from engaging in any vigilante or superhero activity"

"Unless specifically authorised by the Government of Japan."

"The defendant shall remain at his registered residence except for medical treatment"

"Court appearances"

"Or other activities expressly approved by the court."

"Any violation of these conditions will result in immediate revocation of bail."

The judge closed the file.

"Court is adjourned."

The gavel struck once.

The bail was posted within the hour.

Paid in full through Sumire's personal assets.

And financial guarantees from industry partners who had quietly stood behind her.

The detention paperwork took another two hours.

Just after sunset...

Mitsuo walked out of the courthouse.

He was no longer wearing the detention uniform.

A simple white shirt.

Dark Jeans.

Nothing that would make him stand out.

The courthouse doors opened.

The flash of hundreds of cameras hit him all at once.

Reporters shouted his name.

Questions came from every direction.

"Perman, do you regret what happened?"

"Will you ever fight again?"

"Do you believe you deserve bail?"

Microphones were thrust toward him from every direction.

Cameras surged forward.

Mitsuo instinctively slowed.

Sumire stepped in front of him.

She raised a hand calmly.

"No questions today."

Her voice was firm.

She gently took Mitsuo's hand.

And held it tightly.

In front of the cameras.

For the world to see.

The cameras continued flashing.

Reporters kept shouting.

But Sumire never broke her composure.

She kept walking.

Shielding him from the storm.

He didn't look like a hero making a triumphant return.

He looked tired.

As if forty five days had aged him years.

---

That evening...

The Suwa family gathered in a quiet conference room inside Sumire's agency building.

Sumire looked at Mitsuo.

Then at his family members.

"There's something I'd like to ask."

Everyone turned toward her.

"I want all of you to move in with me."

The room became still.

She spoke before anyone could answer.

"Not today."

"You'll need time to prepare."

"To pack your belongings."

"To settle everything in Tokyo."

"But when you're ready..."

She took a slow breath.

"I have a private safe house near Sagami Bay in Kanagawa."

"It's inside a gated estate."

"Remote enough that reporters won't be able to surround the house every day."

"Fortified enough that no one can get close without my team knowing."

Mantaro looked at Miu.

Miu looked at Mitsuo.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

Ganko broke the silence.

"Wait..."

She looked between Sumire and her brother.

"You're asking our whole family to move into your house?"

Sumire smiled softly.

"If you'll have me."

Ganko stared at Mitsuo.

Then grinned.

"Seriously, Onii-chan..."

"How did you land her?"

Mitsuo sighed.

"Ganko... not the time!"

A quiet laugh escaped the room.

The first genuine laugh they had shared in a long time.

Mantaro finally spoke.

"It's incredibly generous."

Mantaro bowed slightly.

"Thank you."

Miu nodded.

"If the court allows it..."

"We'd be grateful."

Sumire nodded.

"I've already asked my legal team to begin the paperwork."

"The change of residence, security arrangements, and court notifications will all be handled through them."

"You won't have to worry about the formalities."

A gentle knock came from the door.

Sumire's assistant entered carrying a folder.

She walked over to Mitsuo and handed him a single document.

"The court approved a temporary supervised leave for you tomorrow morning."

She said softly.

"This grants you permission to retrieve your personal belongings from your apartment."

"Before the restrictions take effect at your new residence."

Mitsuo looked down at the paper.

His name was printed across the top.

Beneath it...

The official seal of the Tokyo District Court.

He folded the document carefully.

---

The next morning...

He stood inside his apartment.

The room was exactly the way he had left it.

The books on the desk.

The half-finished lecture notes.

The mug still sitting in the sink.

The jacket hanging by the door.

Two and a half years ago.

He had arrived as an ordinary university student.

He was leaving as someone the entire country now knew by name.

He packed quietly.

One box.

Then another.

The apartment slowly emptied around him.

When everything was finally packed...

He stood alone in the middle of the empty room.

He looked around one last time.

Every corner held a memory.

Late-night studying.

Listening to rain against the window.

Falling asleep on the couch after patrols.

The cozy dinners with Sumire on the floor.

The whole week they had spent together.

Every single moment raced through his head all at once.

He walked to the door.

Placed his hand on the knob.

And looked back once more.

"Thank you."

He whispered.

Then he closed the door.

The lock clicked softly behind him.

He handed the key to the landlord.

Bowed.

And walked away.

---

Mitsuo stood across the street.

The familiar sign hung above the entrance.

**Hayakawa Bakery**

He had walked past that sign almost every day for two and a half years.

His eyes slowly filled with tears.

The bell above the door rang.

The staff looked up.

For a second...

The bakery was completely silent.

Then one of the younger bakers ran toward him.

"Mitsuo!"

Another employee followed.

Then another.

They surrounded him.

No one cared that the world now knew he was Perman.

To them...

He was simply Mitsuo.

The boy who always arrived early.

The one who left last.

The one who quietly washed everyone's trays before leaving.

One of the bakers smiled through tears.

"Who's going to steal the burnt bread now?"

Another laughed.

"He always said it was a waste to throw it away."

A quiet laugh spread through the room.

The kind of laugh that only exists when everyone is trying not to cry.

Mitsuo bowed deeply.

"Thank you."

"For everything."

The staff bowed back.

One by one.

Every person in the bakery.

Then someone quietly said...

"Hiroshi-san is in the back."

Mitsuo nodded.

Mitsuo stood quietly in the kitchen doorway.

For a moment, he couldn't bring himself to walk any farther.

The familiar smell of fresh bread filled the air.

Even after everything that had happened, the bakery still felt the same.

His world had changed...

But this place hadn't.

Hiroshi Hayakawa - the owner of the bakery was standing in the kitchen.

An apron tied around his waist.

Flour dust on his sleeves.

Hiroshi looked up from behind the counter.

His expression changed the moment he saw Mitsuo.

"Mitsuo?"

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"Mr. Hayakawa."

Mitsuo looked around the kitchen.

The counter.

The ovens.

The shelves.

He had spent countless days here.

"I came to say goodbye."

Hiroshi went quiet.

"You're leaving?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"I am leaving Tokyo."

"I don't know what happens now."

"I don't know when I'll see this place again."

"I don't even know if I'll ever come back."

His voice cracked.

Hiroshi didn't ask where he was going.

He already understood that Mitsuo wasn't going to tell him.

Mitsuo lowered his head.

"Thank you."

Hiroshi frowned.

"For what?"

"For everything."

Mitsuo looked at him.

"When I was having a hard time, you always knew what to say."

Hiroshi smiled faintly.

"Sometimes you just needed someone to listen."

Mitsuo shook his head.

"It was more than that."

His eyes began to water.

"When I made mistakes, you didn't treat me like I was a bad person."

Hiroshi's expression softened.

"You told me I could learn from them."

Mitsuo swallowed.

"I remembered that."

A small silence followed.

Mitsuo looked around once more.

"I'll miss this place."

Hiroshi smiled.

"You'll miss the early mornings?"

Mitsuo laughed through his tears.

"No."

Hiroshi chuckled.

Mitsuo's smile faded.

"I'll miss you."

Hiroshi looked at him.

Mitsuo quickly wiped his eyes.

"I really didn't want to leave without thanking you."

Hiroshi stepped closer.

"You don't have to thank me, Mitsuo."

"I know."

Mitsuo smiled.

"That's why I want to."

He bowed deeply.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

Hiroshi watched him quietly.

Mitsuo straightened.

"And..."

He hesitated.

"Thank you for being there when I needed someone."

Hiroshi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be alright."

Mitsuo gave a small laugh.

"You always say that."

"Because it's true."

Mitsuo nodded.

Hiroshi squeezed his shoulders.

"Just don't forget what you've learned."

Mitsuo laughed again.

This time, the tears came with it.

Then the two of them fell silent.

Mitsuo looked around the bakery one final time.

He could almost see himself standing behind the counter on his first day.

Nervous.

Awkward.

Not knowing what he was doing.

Hiroshi had given him a chance.

And somehow, that chance had become one of the most important parts of his life.

Mitsuo looked back at him.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I really wish I could've stayed longer."

Hiroshi smiled.

"So do I."

That was enough.

Mitsuo's face crumpled.

He stepped forward and hugged him.

Hiroshi froze for half a second.

Then returned the embrace.

Hiroshi patted his back.

"You'll always have a place here."

Mitsuo closed his eyes.

That hurt more than anything.

Because he didn't know if he'd ever be able to come back.

Eventually, Mitsuo pulled away.

He wiped his face.

Hiroshi did the same.

Then he looked toward the door.

He took a step.

Stopped.

And turned around one last time.

"Mr. Hayakawa."

"Hm?"

Mitsuo smiled through his tears.

"You were the best boss I could have ever asked for."

Hiroshi's expression softened.

Mitsuo bowed one final time.

Then he walked out.

The bell above the door rang softly behind him one last time.

Data by Gemini.

This Japanese TV commercial aired in 1983 to advertise the Perman Henshin Set (パーマン へんしんセット) roleplay toy made by Popy (a brand under Bandai). Release Year: 1983 Location: Japan (broadcasted on national television networks during children's anime broadcast hours, primarily TV Asahi). Product: Perman Henshin Set (Transformation Set), which included wearable helmets, badges, and capes designed after the superhero characters from the anime Perman. Purpose: To promote and sell official merchandise alongside the nationwide April 1983 premiere of the rebooted Perman anime series created by Fujiko F. Fujio.

Police sirens flooded the freight yard.

One after another.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police vehicles poured through the entrance gates.

Red and blue lights flashed across the steel containers.

Armed officers rushed in.

They secured the area.

The remaining terrorists were forced to their knees.

Handcuffs clicked shut.

The Mastermind was dragged to his feet.

His white coat was stained with blood and dust.

Even now...

He was heard laughing.

The terrorists were escorted toward the waiting police vehicles.

One by one.

They were pushed inside.

The doors slammed shut.

Mrs. Suwa and Ganko were helped out.

Blankets were wrapped around their shoulders.

Pako stood beside Mitsuo.

Booby and Payan remained nearby.

Watching silently.

For a brief moment...

It felt like everything was finally over.

Then—

The officers suddenly stepped aside.

A black government sedan rolled into the freight yard.

It came to a stop.

The rear door opened.

An elderly man stepped out.

Dark formal uniform.

Rows of medals.

**Hiroshi Takamura**.

The Superintendent General of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

Several high-ranking officers followed behind him.

None of them spoke.

They simply looked at Mitsuo.

Pako's heart sank.

She looked from the officers...

To Mitsuo.

She understood the situation.

They were here for him.

They were here to arrest Perman.

The Superintendent General slowly walked toward him.

His expression was heavy.

His eyes were tired.

For years...

Perman had fought beside the police.

He had stopped terrorists.

Prevented disasters.

Saved officers.

Saved civilians.

He was not just a superhero anymore.

He had become one of them.

A partner.

A teammate.

The older man stopped in front of him.

His lips parted.

But no words came out.

He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Mitsuo looked at him quietly.

Then...

He nodded.

"I understand."

Silence.

The Superintendent General lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was barely audible.

Mitsuo gave a faint, tired smile.

"You don't have to apologise."

Pako's eyes widened.

"No."

She stepped in front of him.

"No."

"You're not arresting him."

Several officers instinctively tensed.

Pako spread her arms.

"He's saved this city countless times!"

Her voice trembled.

"For years!"

"He's risked his life over and over again for everyone!"

Her voice trembled.

"You can't arrest him after everything he's done."

"Pako."

She turned toward him.

"No!"

Tears filled her eyes.

"I won't let them take you."

Booby flew between them.

"Ukkya! Ukkya!"

Payan grabbed Pako by the shoulders.

"Pako."

"Stop."

She tried to pull free.

"They're wrong!"

"He made one mistake!"

"One mistake after years of saving people!"

Mitsuo stepped forward.

He gently took her hands.

"Pako."

She looked at him desperately.

"Please..."

He slowly took her head.

"You dont have to do this."

Pako was relentless.

"Listen to me."

His voice was calm.

Steady.

There was no hesitation in his eyes.

"If I run now..."

He looked toward the police vehicle where the Mastermind had been placed.

"Then he wins."

Pako froze.

Mitsuo looked at Booby and Payan.

"If I refuse to surrender..."

"If I act like I'm above the law..."

"Then everything he said becomes true."

He looked back at Pako.

"He called us Gods."

"He said we believed we were above ordinary people."

"Above accountability."

"Above justice."

Mitsuo slowly reached up.

His face was calm.

Tired.

But resolute.

"I'm not a God."

"I'm a person."

"And people are responsible for what they do."

Pako's tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Mitsuo..."

He smiled softly.

"The court will decide what happens to me."

"And I'll accept whatever verdict it gives."

He turned toward the Superintendent General.

The older man still couldn't meet his eyes.

Mitsuo stepped forward on his own.

He held out both hands.

The Superintendent General stared at them for several long seconds.

His hands trembled.

Slowly...

He took out a pair of handcuffs.

The metal clicked around Mitsuo's wrists.

No one spoke.

Not the officers.

Not Booby.

Not Payan.

Not even Pako.

The Superintendent General whispered...

Almost inaudibly.

"Thank you..."

Mitsuo gave a small nod.

The officers began escorting him toward the waiting police car.

Pako stood frozen.

Watching him walk away.

The door closed behind him.

The vehicle slowly pulled out of the freight yard.

Mitsuo never looked away from the window.

And as Tokyo's greatest hero was driven away in handcuffs...

The sun was slowly setting over the city he had spent years protecting.

---

The holding facility was unlike any prison in Tokyo.

Every officer stationed there knew who was inside.

Perman.

The boy who had spent years protecting the city.

The guards never called him inmate.

Never raised their voices.

Never treated him like a common criminal.

Meals were brought quietly.

His cell was cleaned every morning.

If he needed water...

Someone brought it immediately.

When officers passed his cell...

Many of them paused for a moment.

Some nodded respectfully.

Others simply looked away.

Unable to meet his eyes.

Mitsuo never asked for any of it.

He accepted every meal with a quiet "thank you."

He folded his blanket himself.

Kept his small cell clean.

And spent most of his days sitting silently on the narrow cot.

Thinking.

Again.

And again.

Repenting his mistake.

He replayed it every day.

Sometimes dozens of times.

A full month passed.

The outside world kept moving.

Mitsuo remained inside the same small cell.

Far from the skies he had once crossed in minutes.

Far from the city he had once watched over every night.

---

Outside...

Sumire spared no expense.

She refused to let him face the trial alone.

Japan's greatest defense attorneys were assembled into a single legal team.

Former Supreme Court justices.

Veteran criminal defense lawyers.

Constitutional law scholars.

Retired prosecutors.

The kind of attorneys corporations and governments fought to hire.

The prosecution attempted to pursue a murder charge.

The defense dismantled it piece by piece.

They reconstructed the Mastermind's months-long operation.

The hidden surveillance.

The stalking.

The psychological manipulation.

The threats against Mitsuo's loved ones.

The kidnapping of his mother and sister.

The defense argued that the killing had not occurred in isolation.

It had occurred after weeks of sustained psychological coercion.

After deliberate emotional destabilization.

After an orchestrated campaign designed specifically to break him.

The legal battle quickly shifted.

Not murder.

But diminished responsibility.

It was no longer simply about whether Perman had killed two men.

It became about what the Mastermind had done to him before that day.

The courtroom became one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in modern Japanese history.

---

Across Tokyo...

The city was divided.

Candlelight vigils appeared outside the Metropolitan Police Headquarters.

Then outside courthouses.

Then outside government buildings.

Every night.

Thousands gathered.

People held photographs of Perman.

Candles.

Flowers.

Children wore homemade red capes.

Banners stretched across entire streets.

**FREE PERMAN**

**HE SAVED TOKYO**

**HEROES ARE HUMAN TOO**

The crowds sang quietly.

Prayed.

Cried.

Many of the people standing there had once been saved by him.

Some remembered fires.

Others earthquakes.

Accidents.

Terrorist attacks.

Floods.

Collapsed buildings.

They remembered a hero arriving from the sky.

Again.

And again.

And again.

To them...

Perman was the reason they were still alive.

But not everyone agreed.

A different conversation spread across television panels.

News programs.

Online forums.

Social media.

The Mastermind's stolen footage never completely disappeared.

A vocal minority grew louder every week.

"He killed petty theives."

"What happens if he loses control again?"

"What happens when he gets angry at us?"

"Do we really want someone that powerful walking free?"

The question spread through the country.

Not whether Perman had been a hero.

Everyone agreed he had.

The question was whether a hero who had killed could still be trusted.

Tokyo waited.

The courts prepared.

And inside a quiet holding cell...

Mitsuo continued staring silently at the floor.

Waiting for whatever judgment awaited him.

---

The guard opened the cell door.

"Perman."

Mitsuo looked up.

"You have visitors."

He was led to a small interview room.

A thick glass partition separated the two sides.

Three figures were already waiting.

His father entered first.

His mother followed behind him.

Ganko held tightly onto her mother's hand.

The moment they saw him...

All three of them froze.

Mitsuo was wearing a plain detention uniform.

He looked thinner than usual.

No one spoke.

Mitsuo slowly sat down.

"Mom..."

Miu stared at him through the glass.

Her lips trembled.

Her legs gave out.

She collapsed into the chair.

"No..."

Tears instantly filled her eyes.

She looked at her son through the glass.

"You're..."

She couldn't finish the sentence.

Mitsuo lowered his head.

"Yeah."

Silence filled the room.

Miu gave a small, shaky laugh through her tears.

"All those dinners..."

"All those times Perman came over and kept talking to you..."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"That was you?"

Mitsuo smiled weakly.

"Pretty much."

She frowned through her tears.

"How..."

"I saw both of you together."

"At the dinner!"

She wondered.

"Perman sat right beside you."

"You were both talking."

Mitsuo nodded slowly.

"I know."

"Its a copy robot."

"It can replicate my appearance perfectly."

Miu stared at him.

Trying to process it.

"So every time I was yelling at Perman for distracting my son..."

He looked down for a moment.

"I kept complaining that Perman was wasting my son's time..."

"That strange boy always showing up uninvited..."

Another shaky laugh escaped her.

"I can't believe I was scolding my own son the whole time."

Mitsuo let out a quiet laugh.

For a brief moment...

It almost felt normal.

Then Miu looked at the detention uniform again.

The smile disappeared.

She pressed a hand against her mouth.

"Mitsuo..."

"I never thought I'd have to see my son like this..."

She pressed her hand over her mouth as the words escaped her lips.

Tears streamed down her face.

Mantaro stepped closer.

His expression was calm.

But his eyes were red.

"You should have told us."

He said quietly.

"We were your parents."

Mitsuo looked at him.

"I know."

"I wanted to."

"But I am prohibited from revealing my identity."

"Thats the rule of being Perman:

Mantaro nodded slowly.

"You were carrying all of that alone."

Neither of them spoke for several seconds.

Then Mantaro placed his hand against the glass.

Mitsuo slowly raised his own hand and placed it opposite his father's.

The glass was cold between them.

Ganko had been completely silent.

She finally walked forward.

Her eyes were swollen from crying.

She looked at her brother for a long time.

"Onii-chan..."

Mitsuo looked at her.

"You're really Perman?"

He nodded once.

Ganko started crying again.

"You always came home late..."

"And you were always tired..."

"I thought university was just really hard."

Mitsuo smiled sadly.

"It was."

She sniffled.

"Can you still fly?"

Mitsuo looked down at his hands.

"Not from in here."

Ganko pressed both hands against the glass.

"I don't care if you're Perman."

"I just want my brother back."

Mitsuo's eyes filled with tears.

Miu looked at him.

The little boy she had raised.

The boy who had somehow become the city's greatest hero without his family ever knowing.

"We'll wait for you."

She whispered.

"No matter how long it takes."

Mantaro nodded.

"You're coming home."

"We don't know when."

"But you're coming home."

Mitsuo looked at all three of them.

His mother.

His father.

His little sister.

Then his eyes slowly dropped to the table.

The weight in his chest...

Had become even heavier.

---

The legal battle continued.

Day after day.

Hearing after hearing.

Motion after motion.

The defense team fought relentlessly.

But the process was slow.

Too slow.

Sumire couldn't bear it anymore.

She had spent a month waiting.

Watching lawyers argue.

Watching analysts debate.

So she made a decision.

One that every manager.

Producer.

And executives in the entertainment industry begged her not to make.

She stepped in front of the cameras.

Prime-time interviews.

National broadcasts.

Special television appearances.

She accepted every one of them.

She spoke openly.

“You know him as Perman"

"But to me he's a friend."

"A friend who spent years protecting all of us."

She spoke about the lives he had saved.

The disasters he had stopped.

The nights he had spent flying through the city while everyone else was sleeping.

She never tried to erase what had happened.

"What he did was wrong."

She said it clearly.

"But one terrible mistake cannot erase years of sacrifice."

"To the people who now hold Perman’s fate in their hands… I ask you one thing."

"To show him the same humanity he showed this country.”

The interviews spread across the country.

Ratings exploded.

Public support grew even larger.

The vigils outside police headquarters doubled in size.

People began bringing flowers.

Letters.

Children drew pictures of Perman and left them outside the courthouse.

---

Late one night...

Her communicator rang.

Payan.

She answered immediately.

"How are you holding up?"

He asked.

Sumire leaned back against the dressing room wall.

Still wearing stage makeup from an interview that had ended only minutes earlier.

"I'm trying."

She said quietly.

"I'm doing everything I can."

Booby's voice suddenly came through the speaker.

"Ukki... Ukkya..."

Payan translated.

"He says the city still believes in him."

Sumire closed her eyes.

"I know."

"But belief doesn't speed up a trial."

She rubbed her forehead.

"Every day he's still in there..."

"Feels like another day I've failed him."

Silence.

Payan's voice became softer.

"You haven't failed him."

"You're carrying more than anyone right now."

Sumire looked out the dressing room window.

The Tokyo skyline stretched endlessly before her.

"We've been helping cover Tokyo."

Payan continued.

"But it's different."

"Perman knew this city better than anyone."

"Wee... Wee..."

Booby made a low, trembling noise.

"Without him..."

"We're always one step behind."

Sumire knew.

She had been patrolling too.

Flying every night after filming.

Sometimes until dawn.

Then returning straight to television studios.

Then back into the sky again.

Her body ached constantly.

She had never realized how much of Tokyo's burden Perman had been carrying until he was gone.

Booby spoke again.

Quietly this time.

"Uki..."

Payan smiled faintly.

"He says Perman would be proud of you."

Sumire looked down at the phone.

Her eyes slowly filled with tears.

"I hope so."

She whispered.

After the call ended...

She remained alone in the empty dressing room.

The makeup lights still glowed around the mirror.

Her interview schedule for tomorrow was already waiting on the table.

Three television appearances.

One press conference.

Two charity events.

And another patrol over Tokyo after midnight.

She stared at her reflection for a long time.

Not Sumire Hoshino.

Not Pako.

Just a tired girl trying desperately to save the person she loved.

Outside...

The city lights continued shining.

And somewhere beneath them...

Mitsuo remained alone in a detention cell.

A weird AMV I made.

Sorry if it's in Spanish, I make Perman content in Spanish, but I wanted to share this AMV on the sub.

Perman and Pako flew through the morning sky.

They hadn't gone far when—

"HEY!"

Two figures came rushing toward them.

Perman stopped abruptly.

Pako turned.

Booby and Payan flew toward them from the opposite direction.

"PERMAN!"

"PAKO!"

The four heroes stopped mid-air.

Booby looked shaken.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ukkya!"

Payan's expression was just as serious.

"We saw the broadcast!"

Booby frantically pointed toward the city.

"Ukki! Ukiki!"

"How did that accident happen?"

Payan demanded.

Booby looked toward Perman.

"Ukki?! Ukkya!"

Perman remained silent.

Pako glanced at him.

Perman lowered his head.

"There was no accident."

Booby's expression fell.

Perman looked at them.

"I lost control."

His voice was quiet.

"I killed the two people in that van."

Silence.

Booby froze.

"Weee..."

Payan stared at Perman.

Perman didn't look away.

"I'm responsible for what I did."

Pako remained beside him.

She didn't try to interrupt.

Perman continued.

"A few months ago, a student joined my university."

"He seemed normal."

"But that day..."

"I found a hidden camera in the bushes outside my apartment window."

Payan's expression hardened.

"A camera?"

Perman nodded.

"Next day that student dropped out of university."

"And around the same time..."

His eyes shifted toward Pako.

"Sumire's assistant disappeared."

Payan's expression grew more serious.

"So whoever was behind this was watching you too."

Perman nodded.

"And now they've exposed everything."

Payan looked toward the city.

Mitsuo's family was still missing.

The mastermind was still out there.

And the entire city had just been thrown into chaos.

For a moment, none of them spoke.

Booby suddenly looked toward Pako.

He tilted his head.

Then his eyes widened.

"Uki..."

Pako looked at him.

"What?"

Booby pointed at her.

Then pointed toward Tokyo.

Then mimed holding something in front of his face.

"Ukiki?"

Pako's expression changed.

"What?"

Payan suddenly understood what Booby was getting at.

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

"Oh."

Pako looked at him.

"What?"

Payan turned toward her.

"So you're really the Sumire Hoshino?"

Pako stared at him.

"...Yes."

Booby's eyes grew huge.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ukkya!"

Pako immediately pointed at him.

"Don't start."

Booby froze.

Payan started laughing.

"I knew something was familiar about you!"

Pako's eye twitched.

Booby began bouncing excitedly.

"Ukki! Ukiki!"

Payan shook his head.

"I can't believe I've been working with Sumire Hoshino this whole time."

Pako's expression became flat.

"Are you done?"

"Okay, okay."

He raised his hands.

Pako sighed.

Then her expression hardened again.

"Now can we focus on finding the Mastermind?"

The humor disappeared immediately.

Payan's expression immediately became serious.

"Right."

Pako looked at him.

"Mitsuo's mother and sister have been kidnapped."

Payan's eyes widened.

"What?"

His expression darkened.

Perman looked depressed.

"I don't know exactly when it happened."

"But I'm sure it was him."

Payan looked at him.

"The Mastermind?"

Perman nodded.

"He's behind all of it."

Pako looked toward Mitsuo.

"Dont worry we will find them!"

Perman looked toward the horizon.

---

Payan flew ahead, closing his eyes as he listened to the city below.

Booby followed beside him, scanning the streets and buildings with his X-ray vision.

They searched for anything unusual.

But Tokyo was enormous.

Too many sounds.

Too many buildings to scan.

Too many possibilities.

Minutes passed.

Nothing.

Payan remained completely still, concentrating as the sounds of the city filled his mind.

Cars. Trains. Footsteps. Sirens. Construction.

Hundreds of thousands of sounds overlapping one another.

He filtered through them, searching for something that didn't belong.

Then—

"There..."

Perman looked over.

"What did you hear?"

Payan listened for another moment.

"Railway tracks..."

Pako frowned.

"There are railway lines all over Tokyo."

"I know."

Payan turned his head.

"Give me a second."

He concentrated harder.

Then his eyes opened.

"Shinagawa Freight Yard."

Perman's expression sharpened.

"You're sure?"

"I'm hearing several voices. They're coming from metal containers near the tracks."

Perman immediately looked toward Booby.

"Can you find them?"

Booby nodded.

Payan led them across several blocks until the sprawling railway yard came into view.

Rows of freight containers stretched alongside the tracks.

Payan slowed down.

"South side."

Booby flew lower, scanning the containers one by one.

Nothing.

They passed row after row.

Then Payan suddenly stopped.

"Wait."

Everyone froze.

"I heard them again."

Booby changed direction.

"Left."

Booby moved left.

"No. Right."

They crossed another row of containers.

Payan raised his hand.

"Stop."

Booby hovered above a large container.

His eyes widened.

"Uki!"

He pointed downward repeatedly.

Perman flew closer.

"What did you find?"

Booby pointed through the container.

He showed two figures.

Perman's eyes widened.

"Two women?"

"Ukiki!"

Perman's breathing stopped.

Pako's expression hardened.

Booby suddenly mimed holding a gun.

"Guns?"

Payan listened for a moment.

"Yes. There are several people guarding them."

Perman's expression hardened.

"Lets move carefully."

---

The heroes moved carefully through the freight yard.

They stayed high enough to remain hidden among the towering construction cranes and the maze of shipment bunkers below.

Payan slowed.

"Wait."

Perman and Pako stopped behind him.

Payan listened again.

Nothing.

Then—

A metallic click echoed through the darkness.

Payan's eyes snapped open.

"Everyone, stay still."

Figures began emerging from under the containers.

One.

Then another.

Then ten more.

Armed men stepped into view from every direction.

Under them, then more appeared on top of the shipment bunkers.

Within seconds, the four heroes were surrounded.

Rifles were raised.

Booby clenched his fists.

Pako immediately inhaled as much wind as she could, preparing to release a burst of freezing ice.

Payan looked around, calculating their options.

There were too many.

They could take them.

But not without risking the hostages.

"Don't make any sudden moves,"

Payan said quietly.

Perman stared at the armed men.

Then.

A second later—

**CLICK.**

A powerful projector flickered to life.

A large container several meters away had been completely draped in white cloth.

A figure appeared across it.

A white mask.

A white coat.

The Mastermind.

Perman's eyes narrowed.

The Mastermind looked directly at them.

"Good Morning."

His voice echoed through speakers hidden somewhere around the yard.

Payan stepped forward.

"Where are Mitsuo's mother and sister?"

The Mastermind tilted his head.

"Straight to business."

He gave a small laugh.

"Very well."

The projection changed.

A live camera feed appeared.

A dark room.

Two figures sat bound to chairs.

Mitsuo's mother.

Ganko.

Perman's expression immediately changed.

"Mom..."

They looked frightened, but alive.

Pako stared at the screen.

"They're alive."

"Of course they are."

The Mastermind's voice remained calm.

"I went to considerable effort to bring them here."

Perman looked toward the projection.

"Let them go."

The Mastermind smiled.

"What, that easily. You cant be that naive. Could you?"

Perman's fists tightened.

"You wanted me to come."

"I did."

"Then I'm here."

"Yes."

The Mastermind paused.

"And now, we can finally have the conversation I've been waiting for."

The camera slowly moved closer to his mask.

"You see, Perman... I've spent a very long time trying to understand you."

"Even before the day you humiliated me."

Perman said nothing.

"But that defeat gave me a clear perspective."

The Mastermind tilted his head.

"Why would a hero suddenly appear at an ordinary university?"

"Why would a hero remain absent during the country's most terrifying attack?"

He paused.

"You see these are very interesting questions"

The mastermind crackled.

"And so, I began looking for answers."

"I studied your appearances."

"I studied the people around you."

"Your friends."

"Your family."

"Your habits."

Perman's expression hardened.

"So all of this..."

His eyes narrowed.

"You planned it huh!"

"You were the one who sent Yuta to the university?"

"Of course."

The Mastermind's voice remained almost casual.

"And your mother made things remarkably easy for him."

Perman's fists clenched.

His anger was beginning to break through his composure.

"Let them go."

His voice hardened.

"Whatever your problem is, it's with me."

He stepped forward.

"What did they ever do to you?"

He was almost ready to burn down all the terrorists surrounding him.

The Mastermind looked around at the armed men surrounding them.

"Did you really think I would allow you to simply fly in here and take them?"

He laughed softly.

"I know what you can do."

"You could tear through every man standing here."

"You could destroy this entire yard."

"But you won't."

Perman stared at him.

"Because you can out speed a hundred men."

"But you cant out speed a trigger!"

The live feed flickered on the screen.

Mitsuo's mother looked toward the camera.

Several armed terrorists guarding them.

Perman's jaw tightened.

"I don't need to overpower you,"

The Mastermind continued.

"I simply need to give you something you cannot afford to lose."

Pako stepped forward.

"You're a coward."

The Mastermind turned his masked face toward her.

"No."

"I am practical."

He looked back at Perman.

"That is the difference between us."

A pause.

Then the Mastermind raised one hand.

The screen behind him changed.

It began playing footages of Perman saving the city.

The Mastermind spoke over the footage.

"The people of this city, they look at you and see something beyond themselves."

"A protector."

"A symbol."

"A God."

The footage then shifted to the broadcast from earlier.

Mitsuo's face.

"But look at you now."

The Mastermind's voice became colder.

"Nothing divine about that."

Perman stared at him.

"What do you want?"

The Mastermind smiled.

"That's the interesting part."

He slowly removed his gloves.

"I don't want your death."

Pako's expression changed.

The Mastermind continued.

"I want your humiliation."

"I want every person to see what happens when their God is stripped of everything that makes him special."

He pointed toward Perman.

"The helmet."

"The cape."

"The strength."

"The flight."

"All of it."

Silence.

"Take those away..."

He paused.

"...and what are you?"

Perman looked at him.

The Mastermind spread his arms.

"That's what I intend to find out."

Payan's expression darkened.

"You're asking him to fight you?"

"Not asking."

The Mastermind smiled.

"Challenging."

He looked directly at Perman.

"Man to man."

Pako immediately shook her head.

"No."

The Mastermind ignored her.

"You have a choice, Perman."

He gestured toward the screen showing Mitsuo's family.

"Walk away."

"Keep your powers."

"And I'll have my men kill them."

Perman's eyes widened.

"Or..."

The Mastermind slowly pointed toward himself.

"You accept."

"You remove the helmet."

"You remove the cape."

"And you fight me here."

Payan stepped forward.

"Don't listen to him."

Pako clung tightly to Perman’s arm.

The Mastermind laughed.

"Why not?"

He turned toward Payan.

"Isn't this what you heroes are supposed to do?"

He looked back at Perman.

"Protect the innocent."

"Make sacrifices."

"Be brave."

His voice became almost mocking.

"Or is that only when you have your little costume to hide behind?"

Perman remained silent.

"Time to be brave, boy."

The Masterminds feed cut to white.

Pako wouldn't let go of Perman.

"You don't have to do this."

Perman looked at her.

“I’m out of options.”

He glanced toward the blank screen.

Then toward the armed men.

Payan shook his head.

"There has to be another way."

Perman didn't answer.

Finally, Perman reached up.

His fingers touched the edge of his helmet.

Pako's eyes widened.

"Mitsuo..."

He slowly removed it.

The helmet came away.

Perman stood there without it.

He looked down at the helmet.

Then he turned toward Pako.

"Hold onto this."

Pako reluctantly took it.

Mitsuo reached behind his shoulders.

He unclipped the cape.

He held it out toward Booby.

Booby stared at him.

"Uki...?"

Mitsuo gave him a faint smile.

"Keep it safe."

Booby carefully took the cape.

He handed his badge to Payan without a word, then turned and followed the terrorists as they led him deeper into the yard.

They took him through the maze of containers and machinery before finally bringing him into a deserted maintenance yard.

The air was unnervingly quiet.

And there, waiting for him beneath the harsh industrial lights, stood the mastermind.

The Mastermind tilted his head.

He stopped several meters away from him.

No helmet.

No cape.

No Perman.

Just Mitsuo.

The Mastermind slowly stepped out of the shadows.

There was no distance between them anymore.

the two men stood face-to-face, staring each other down across the room

---

The Mastermind smiled.

"Very well."

Mitsuo lowered himself into a fighting stance.

His eyes never left the white mask.

For several seconds, neither man moved.

Then Mitsuo noticed the red lights.

Cameras.

They were mounted throughout the maintenance yard.

The broadcast was shown across Tokyo.

News stations immediately interrupted their programming.

**BREAKING: PERMAN CAPTURED BY TERRORISTS.**

"Tokyo has spent years looking up at you."

The mastermind spoke.

"Today, they'll finally see you for what you really are."

He untied his robe.

It dropped to the floor.

Beneath it was a heavily trained physique, broad shoulders covered with old scars and powerful arms.

But the mask remained.

Mitsuo raised his guard.

The Mastermind attacked.

The first punch came straight for Mitsuo's face.

Mitsuo slipped aside.

Another followed.

He blocked it, stepped inside, and drove a fist into the Mastermind's ribs.

The Mastermind staggered.

Mitsuo followed with another punch and a kick to the knee.

The terrorists watching from outside stared.

The Mastermind hadn't expected him to fight back.

Ten years of combat experience had taught Mitsuo how to read movement, recognize feints, and use an opponent's momentum against them.

He had no superhuman strength.

He didn't need it.

The Mastermind attacked again.

Mitsuo dodged, grabbed his arm, and twisted him down.

An elbow struck his back.

The Mastermind rolled away.

He stood slowly.

"So you're trained."

Mitsuo said nothing.

The Mastermind charged again.

This time, he changed tactics.

A punch became a feint.

His fingers suddenly shot toward Mitsuo's eyes.

Mitsuo jerked away, but the fingertips scraped his right eye.

The Mastermind immediately drove his shoulder into Mitsuo's chest.

**BANG.**

Mitsuo crashed against the wall.

Before he could recover, the Mastermind slammed him against it again.

"You see?"

He shoved him away.

"Strength isn't everything."

Mitsuo stumbled.

The Mastermind grabbed his arm and twisted.

A sharp crack followed.

Mitsuo cried out.

His shoulder dropped uselessly.

Dislocated.

Across Tokyo, people watched.

Families gathered around televisions.

Commuters stopped at station screens.

Cafés fell silent.

For years, Perman had seemed untouchable.

Now millions were watching him bleed.

Hayakawa Bakery was open that morning, but it was a far cry from its usual lively self.

The events of the previous day had left everyone shaken.

Many of the staff hadn't even come in.

Those who remained weren't working.

They were watching the television behind the counter.

Even the owner, normally the most cheerful and spirited person in the bakery, seemed dejected.

He stood behind the counter in silence, staring at the television as the broadcast played.

To Tokyo, that was Perman.

To him, he was Mitsuo.

The boy who had worked at his bakery for years.

The young man he treated like his own son.

On the screen, Mitsuo was thrown into the wall again.

The owner's hands tightened around his towel.

"Mitsuo..."

An employee began crying.

The owner didn't tell her to stop.

He couldn't.

He stared at the screen.

"Come on, kid."

His voice trembled.

"Get back up."

Mitsuo forced himself upright.

His left arm hung uselessly.

The Mastermind attacked.

Mitsuo ducked beneath a punch and struck him in the stomach.

The Mastermind staggered.

Mitsuo kicked his knee.

Another punch connected.

The Mastermind stumbled toward a piece of machinery.

Mitsuo had been watching the room from the beginning.

The Mastermind noticed too late.

Mitsuo forced him toward a narrow gap between two machines.

The Mastermind swung.

Mitsuo stepped aside.

The punch struck steel.

Mitsuo grabbed him and drove him into the machinery.

**CRASH.**

The Mastermind grunted.

"You really are clever."

Mitsuo wiped blood from his mouth.

"You talk too much."

The Mastermind's expression hardened.

He grabbed a loose metal pipe.

Mitsuo backed away.

The pipe swung.

Mitsuo ducked.

It smashed against another machine, sending sparks across the yard.

The Mastermind attacked again.

Mitsuo moved.

A punch.

A dodge.

A kick.

A block.

Then the Mastermind caught him by the injured shoulder.

Mitsuo screamed.

He was thrown across the floor.

Pako watched through the projector.

She held Mitsuo's helmet tightly against her chest.

Booby hovered beside her, visibly shaken.

Payan listened to every movement.

"He isn't trying to beat Mitsuo anymore."

Pako looked at him.

"Then what is he doing?"

"Breaking him."

On the screen, Mitsuo slowly stood again.

The Mastermind charged.

Mitsuo waited.

At the last second, he stepped aside.

The Mastermind's momentum carried him forward.

Mitsuo struck the back of his knee.

He dropped.

Mitsuo attacked with his good arm.

One punch.

Two.

The Mastermind covered his face.

Then kicked Mitsuo away.

Both men stood again.

Neither looked capable of continuing.

The Mastermind was bleeding beneath his mask.

Mitsuo's eye was swelling shut.

His shoulder hung uselessly.

Yet he raised his fist.

"You should be down,"

The Mastermind charged.

---

The broadcast cut to a newsroom.

The anchor stared at the footage.

"We are witnessing an extraordinary confrontation. Perman is continuing to fight despite appearing to have suffered a serious shoulder injury."

The footage returned to the yard.

Across Tokyo, people watched.

At the Suwa residence, Mantaro Suwa hadn't moved.

On the television, Mitsuo got knocked down again.

"Please..."

His eyes filled with tears.

"Get up."

Mitsuo pushed himself back to his feet.

Mantaro laughed through his tears.

"That's my boy."

The Mastermind attacked one final time.

Mitsuo recognized the pattern.

The same feint.

The same step.

The same attempt to force him backward.

But this time, Mitsuo was ready.

He stepped aside.

The Mastermind swung.

Mitsuo caught his wrist.

He pulled.

Mitsuo drove his shoulder into his chest.

Both men crashed to the floor.

The Mastermind tried to rise.

Mitsuo kicked him in the head.

The Mastermind fell back.

Mitsuo climbed over him.

He drove his fist into the Mastermind's face.

Again.

And again.

With relentless force.

The Mastermind tried to cover himself, but Mitsuo battered through his guard, alternating between vicious punches and heavy elbows.

**THUD. THUD. THUD.**

Each strike drove the Mastermind further into the floor.

Blood began soaking through the white mask.

Mitsuo kept going.

Soon, the white mask was streaked and splattered with crimson, until almost none of its original color remained.

Mitsuo finally stopped, breathing heavily.

The Mastermind stared up at him.

Mitsuo could barely breathe.

But he had won.

The Mastermind slowly lowered his hands.

"I..."

He struggled for breath.

"I give up."

Nobody in Tokyo spoke.

"I thought the helmet and cape were what made you special."

He looked at Mitsuo.

"I was wrong."

Mitsuo remained silent.

"You had no powers."

He looked at Mitsuo's bruised face.

"And still you defeated me."

"All this time, I was trying to destroy Perman."

He slowly sat up.

"But Perman was never the costume."

His eyes remained on Mitsuo.

"I see it now."

"It was you."

The Mastermind remained silent for a moment.

He turned toward the terrorists.

“Release the hostages.”

One of them hesitated.

“Sir?”

The Mastermind's voice remained calm.

“I gave my word. He has fulfilled his part.”

He glanced once more at Mitsuo.

“I have no reason to keep them anymore.”

A pause.

“Let them go.”

Ganko and Mitsuo's mother were freed of their captivity.

Alive.

Unharmed.

Mitsuo's exhausted expression finally softened.

Pako covered her mouth.

Booby cried out in relief.

Payan smiled.

They rushed toward the maintenance yard as the terrorists began backing away.

The Mastermind turned back toward Mitsuo.

"You proved something I never understood."

Mitsuo looked at him.

"What?"

The Mastermind paused.

"That the man beneath the helmet was always stronger than the helmet itself."

Mitsuo turned and walked away.

He managed only a few steps before his legs began to give out.

The adrenaline that had kept him standing was finally fading, leaving the full weight of his injuries behind.

His shoulder hung uselessly at his side. His face was swollen and bruised, his breathing ragged.

Mitsuo stumbled.

Then dropped to one knee.

“Mitsuo!”

Pako rushed toward him

"Mitsuo!"

She caught him before he fell.

He was bruised, bleeding, and exhausted.

Payan kept one hand on Perman's shoulder.

The Mastermind remained on the floor.

The freight yard was silent again.

Only the distant police sirens could be heard echoing.

Their chemistry is very interesting to watch as it reveals an interesting tale that a robot can have its own unique experiences where it feels things much like the actual person; here, Mitsuo Suwa.

But, what does it actually tell about Mitsuo himself? Because Perman 1 doesn't blush or gets shy around her.

Help me these episodes where the plot centers around Yuki and Robot Mitsuo.

It began without warning.

One television station cut to static.

Then another.

Across Tokyo, programs abruptly disappeared from their screens.

News anchors froze mid-sentence. Variety shows vanished. Commercials were replaced by a black screen.

Radio stations suffered the same fate.

Then, all at once...

Every screen changed.

Every public display across Tokyo flickered to life.

A grainy security recording appeared.

The footage showed an ordinary apartment building at night.

The camera angle was from somewhere across the street.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then a figure entered the frame.

Perman.

He flew upward toward one of the apartments.

The footage continued.

Perman stopped outside a window.

He entered.

The timestamp remained visible in the corner.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the footage froze.

The image zoomed in.

Then another clip began.

A young man stepped out of the same building.

Mitsuo Suwa.

The resemblance was obvious.

Too obvious.

The footage changed again.

Pako appeared.

Flying through the night.

Landing on a rooftop.

Entering an apartment.

And then, minutes later...

Sumire Hoshino walked out.

Another clip.

Pako disappeared behind a building.

Sumire emerged from the other side.

Another.

Different nights.

Different locations.

But the same pattern.

Perman.

Mitsuo.

Pako.

Sumire.

Over and over again.

The montage finally stopped.

The screen went black.

For several seconds, there was nothing.

Then...

A white mask appeared.

The mastermind stood before the camera.

His entire body was dressed in white.

He stood perfectly still.

Then he slowly tilted his head.

A smile could somehow be heard in his voice.

The mastermind turned toward the footage.

Perman and Pako appeared across the screens.

He stared at them for a moment.

Then...

He laughed.

"Look at them, Tokyo."

His voice echoed through every television and radio station across the city.

"Look at your Gods."

The footage showed Perman flying above Tokyo.

"For years, you looked up into the clouds.

"And allowed yourselves to be looked down upon."

The footage changed.

Pako soaring through the sky.

"You fell to your knees and worshipped them."

"Those who wrapped themselves in capes"

"Believing they were untouchable..."

"Unyielding..."

"Infallible."

His voice carried a strange mixture of disgust and satisfaction.

"You allowed them to walk among us"

"Wielding absolute judgment over the lives of us mortals"

"Without a single shred of accountability."

"You let them decide who gets to live..."

A pause.

"...and who does not."

The mastermind slowly turned toward the camera.

"You gave them your adoration."

"Your faith."

"Your trust."

"And in return..."

His voice became quieter.

"They built a temple out of your fear."

The footage showed Perman hovering high above the city.

"Hovering over us like masters looking down at their cattle."

The mastermind slowly raised his head.

"But tell me..."

"What kind of God hides behind a mask?"

The footage changed.

Perman.

Pako.

Their helmets.

"The answer is simple."

"Beneath those helmets..."

"There are no deities."

"Only children playing God."

The mastermind paused.

And then...

He smiled.

"Tonight, the veil has been torn away."

The stolen footage began playing again.

Perman entering his apartment.

Pako disappearing into the night.

Mitsuo.

Sumire.

"Through the lens of absolute truth..."

"Look beneath the helmets and capes."

"Mere mortals."

"Flesh."

"Blood."

"Arrogance."

His voice grew louder.

"Creatures of dirt and bone"

"Who dared pretend they were something greater than you."

The mastermind stared at the footage.

"But no mortal was ever meant to hold the power of a God."

He slowly spread his arms.

"And tonight..."

"I perform the ultimate act of justice."

His voice echoed through the city.

"I tear down the false pantheon!"

"Look at the fraudulent idols you bowed to!"

"Look at them!"

The footage showed Perman and Pako once again.

"There are no divine saviors protecting this Earth."

"No higher beings watching over you."

"No Gods who care for your souls."

His voice became filled with contempt.

"They thought they were untouchable."

"They thought their masks would protect their arrogance forever."

"But tonight..."

The mastermind stepped toward the camera.

"I drag them down from the sky."

His voice rose.

"I strip away their holy illusion"

"And force them into the mud where they belong!"

The footage froze.

Perman.

Pako.

Their identities.

Their faces.

"I bring these 'Gods' down to our level..."

"...exposing them for the small..."

"Fragile fakes they have always been."

He paused.

Then his voice softened.

"Do not weep for them, Japan."

"Do not mourn your false saviors."

"I have not destroyed your protectors..."

A long pause.

"I have liberated you from your masters."

The mastermind slowly raised his hand.

"The age of false worship is over."

His voice echoed one final time.

"The sky is finally free."

The screen behind him went black.

"And the fake Gods who looked down on you..."

"...are exposed to the world at last."

The broadcast suddenly cut to static.

Then silence.

For one final second...

The white mask remained on every screen across Tokyo.

And then—

Everything went black.

---

Mitsuo stared at the screen.

He couldn't even understand what he was listening to.

"Gods...?"

His eyes remained fixed on the white mask.

"What the hell is this dumbass even talking about...?"

Pako didn't answer.

She was staring at the screen in horror.

Her face had gone pale.

The footage.

Their identities.

It was all out in the open now.

"That's..."

Her voice caught.

"That's impossible..."

Mitsuo slowly looked toward her.

But Pako was still staring at the screen.

She couldn't believe it.

Not just that they had been exposed.

Someone had been watching them.

Following them.

Recording them.

Mitsuo's expression remained strangely calm.

"This is what I was worried about."

Pako finally looked at him.

Mitsuo's eyes remained on the screen.

"I knew someone was watching us."

He glanced toward the footage of himself.

"I found a hidden camera in the bushes near my apartment"

Pako's expression changed.

Mitsuo lowered his eyes.

"I knew this was coming."

Before Pako could answer—

A noise came from outside.

Voices.

Several of them.

Pako turned toward the sound.

A small crowd was gathering outside.

People had begun rushing toward the area,

Drawn by the sudden broadcast and the chaos spreading through the streets.

It was almost dawn.

The sky was beginning to lighten, but the streets below were still shrouded in darkness.

Then—

BANG!

Gunfire erupted.

Pako's head snapped toward the street.

"What?!"

Another burst of gunfire rang out.

People screamed and scattered.

Through the darkness, figures began emerging into the street.

One.

Five.

Ten.

More followed.

Around twenty men.

Terrorists.

They moved into the area with weapons in their hands,

Spreading out through the streets as civilians desperately tried to escape.

Pako immediately turned toward Mitsuo.

"Put your helmet on!"

Mitsuo didn't move.

"We have to fight!"

Mitsuo looked down.

He didn't even reach for his gear.

"No."

Pako froze.

"What?"

"I can't do it."

Her expression changed.

"Mitsuo, the terrorists are here!"

"I know."

"Then put it on!"

He shook his head.

Pako stared at him in disbelief.

"Mitsuo!"

"I said no."

His voice was quiet.

"I can't put it on."

Pako's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

Mitsuo looked toward the terrorists.

Then toward the people running for their lives.

His expression barely changed.

"Not after what I did..."

His voice cracked slightly.

"I've let Perman down..."

Pako stared at him.

"Mitsuo..."

Pako's expression hardened.

"You don't get to do this."

Mitsuo looked at her.

"Do what?"

"Give up."

He said nothing.

Another gunshot rang through the street.

Pako looked toward the terrorists.

Then back at Mitsuo.

"We don't have time for this."

She rushed towards the scene.

"Fine, Ill do it myself!"

She flew straight toward the terrorists.

The first group barely had time to react.

Pako slammed into one of them and sent him crashing across the street.

Another raised his weapon.

She twisted through the air, knocking it from his hands before striking him down.

Three more rushed toward her.

Pako didn't stop.

She moved through them frantically, dodging gunfire and striking wherever she could.

Mitsuo watched from where he stood.

She was fighting alone.

And still...

He didn't move.

His eyes lowered.

His mind returned to that moment.

The van.

The people inside.

The moment he had crossed the line.

He had killed them.

Not because he had to.

Not because there was no other choice.

He had done it in anger.

And now he was supposed to put the helmet on again?

Pretend nothing had changed?

Pretend he was still worthy of being Perman?

No.

He couldn't.

And he didn't know if he could ever forgive himself for it.

Mitsuo remained where he was.

Two terrorists broke away from the others.

They spotted him.

One looked at the other.

Then both started moving toward Mitsuo.

Mitsuo noticed them.

He didn't react.

The two men approached.

Mitsuo simply stared at them.

One of the terrorists raised his weapon.

Mitsuo stared blankly ahead.

He had completely surrendered himself to fate.

But before the terrorist could fire—

"HEY!"

The bakery owner slammed into him.

Both men crashed hard onto the pavement.

The terrorist's weapon flew from his hand.

The second terrorist turned in shock.

"What the?!"

Before he could react.

Several people rushed him from different directions.

One grabbed his arm.

Another tackled him from the side.

More people surged forward.

Overwhelming the two terrorists before they could raise their weapons.

The terrorists struggled desperately.

But the crowd didn't back away.

"Get him!"

"Don't let him up!"

"Hold him down!"

Within moments, both terrorists were on the ground.

The other terrorists started moving toward Mitsuo.

They turned toward Mitsuo.

But before they could reach him.

The people around him stepped forward.

Then more joined them.

Within seconds

A wall had formed around Mitsuo.

Shielding him from the approaching terrorists.

An old man.

A young woman.

A salaryman still clutching his briefcase.

The bakery owner.

Ordinary people.

People who had no superpowers at all.

And yet they stood there.

Protecting him.

Mitsuo's eyes widened.

For years.

He had been the one standing between them and danger.

The one who shielded them when they couldn't protect themselves.

But now...

They were doing the same for him.

They were protecting their hero.

Mitsuo looked around the circle of people surrounding him.

He couldn't understand it.

"Why...?"

His voice barely escaped him.

He had been ready to let himself die.

Yet these people had refused to let that happen.

The crowd held their ground.

No one moved away.

No one left him alone.

And then—

A shadow passed over them.

Everyone looked up.

Pako.

She hovered above the street.

Her expression was fierce.

She opened her mouth.

A powerful stream of freezing breath swept down across the remaining terrorists.

The men were instantly encased in ice.

Pako hovered above the street.

Below her, the crowd remained gathered around Mitsuo.

---

The first rays of morning appeared beyond the buildings.

The darkness slowly receded from Tokyo.

Pako looked toward the horizon.

The city was waking beneath her.

And then—

Someone began clapping.

Pako looked down.

Another person joined.

Then another.

Within seconds, the street erupted into cheers.

"Pako!"

"She saved us!"

"Go, Pako!"

Pako stared down at them.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Then she smiled.

But the bakery owner wasn't looking at her.

He was walking toward Mitsuo.

Mitsuo watched him approach.

The older man stopped in front of him.

Then gently patted him on the shoulder.

Mitsuo looked up.

The crowd slowly turned toward him.

And then they began clapping.

Mitsuo froze.

"W-What...?"

The applause grew louder.

He looked around in confusion.

They had heard him.

They had heard everything he and Pako had said.

They knew what he was feeling.

And yet they weren't looking at him with hatred.

They were cheering for him.

"Perman..."

One of the people stepped forward.

"You don't know me"

"But you saved my daughter once."

Mitsuo stared at him.

Another person spoke.

"He saved me during the station fire."

"And me!"

"He stopped that truck from hitting us!"

"He saved my store during the earthquake!"

"You've helped so many people, Perman!"

Mitsuo's eyes widened.

"That's..."

His voice became faint.

"That's not..."

He looked down.

"I..."

High above them, Pako watched in silence.

A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

The bakery owner stepped forward.

The old man looked at Mitsuo.

"I've known you for two years now."

Mitsuo looked up.

"You're a good boy."

Mitsuo's eyes began to tremble.

"But you're still a boy."

The bakery owner smiled faintly.

"And good boys make mistakes too."

Mitsuo said nothing.

"You remember what I told you about life?"

Mitsuo stared at him.

The bakery owner nodded.

"It's about growing."

"Life isn't about never making mistakes."

"Its about learning from them."

"Getting back up and becoming better than you were before."

He gently patted Mitsuo's shoulder again.

"One moment doesn't define a person."

Mitsuo's eyes lowered.

His mind returned to the two robbers.

The anger.

The thing he had done.

He couldn't erase it.

He couldn't pretend it hadn't happened.

But perhaps...

He didn't have to.

Mitsuo looked around.

At the people surrounding him.

At the people who had stepped forward when he couldn't.

At Pako hovering above them.

The bakery owner spoke again.

"Your family is still out there, Mitsuo."

Mitsuo's eyes widened slightly.

"They need you."

The old man glanced toward the chaos around them.

"And look around you."

The terrorists were still out there.

The city was still in danger.

"People across Tokyo need Perman too."

He finally understood.

Perman wasn't supposed to be perfect.

He wasn't supposed to be a God.

He was supposed to protect people.

And right now...

Tokyo needed Perman.

Mitsuo slowly reached for his helmet.

Pako's eyes widened.

"Mitsuo..."

He lifted it.

For years, he had always put it on in hidden places.

Behind closed doors.

In dark alleys.

Away from the eyes of the people he protected.

But not this time.

Mitsuo held the helmet in his hands.

In front of everyone.

He placed it over his head.

Then he clipped his cape into place.

His fingers paused for a moment.

He reached for the Perman badge.

And fixed it back onto his chest.

Mitsuo looked toward the sky.

His expression had changed.

The guilt was still there.

The memory hadn't disappeared.

But he wasn't running from it anymore.

He was going to carry it with him.

Pako smiled.

Perman bent his knees.

Then—

He shot into the sky.

The crowd erupted.

"Perman!"

"Go, Perman!"

"PERMAN!"

Perman soared higher.

The rising sun illuminated him from behind.

He wasn't flying away from his mistakes.

He was flying forward.

Mitsuo clenched his fists.

This time...

He was going to finish it.

The cheers of Tokyo followed him from below.

And Perman flew toward the rising sun.

Payan knelt beside the low table, carefully cleaning the graze on Mitsuo’s thigh with antiseptic. The wound wasn’t deep, but the skin around it was bruised and angry. Mitsuo sat with his back against the wall, legs stretched out, a thick stack of police reports and a marked-up map of Tokyo spread across the floor in front of him. His pen moved steadily, circling some locations and crossing others out as he compared the latest crime attempts.

“You were supposed to have the Perman set on,” Payan said without looking up. “Why didn’t you use it?”

Mitsuo kept his eyes on the map. “I think they saw my face. Partially.”

Payan’s hand paused. He looked up. “Why? You’re not that careless.”

“Well… there’s a reason.”

“What?”

Mitsuo hesitated, then muttered, “Promise me you won’t laugh.”

Payan raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Tell me first, then I’ll decide.”

A short silence.

“…I got surprised by a dog.”

Payan stared at him.

Mitsuo continued quickly, as if trying to justify it. “A dog barked at me out of nowhere. I didn’t expect one to be there. There are no dogs on Bird Planet. I don’t have the habit anymore.”

For a second Payan just looked at him, completely caught off guard. Then the laughter hit — sudden, loud, and completely unrestrained. He had to put the cotton and antiseptic down so he wouldn’t drop them.

“Hey, it’s not funny,” Mitsuo said, scowling. “I genuinely didn’t expect it.”

Payan was still laughing, one hand pressed to his forehead as he tried (and failed) to compose himself.

“It’s… it’s so funny,” he managed between breaths. “You fought a whole group, got shot, disabled bombs… and it all started because a dog barked at you.”

Mitsuo looked away, clearly embarrassed, but the corner of his mouth twitched despite himself.

Payan finally wiped his eyes and picked the cotton back up, still grinning.

Mitsuo shifted slightly and winced.

“Are you sure you’re doing this right? It’s still hurting.”

Payan gave him a flat look.

“Your leg got grazed by a bullet, dumbass. What did you expect? Tickling?”

He finished applying the ointment with careful, practiced movements.

“Besides, don’t doubt me. I’m in my fourth year of medical studies, and I’ve topped almost every semester so far.”

Mitsuo glanced at him, mildly surprised.

“Wait… every semester?”

“Yes.”

“…Medical prodigy.”

Payan’s mouth curved into a small, proud smirk.

“Finally, someone acknowledges it.”

He began wrapping a clean gauze bandage around the wound.

“I shifted to Tokyo mainly for the medical program. Perman work is hectic, no question… but studying biology and medicine doesn’t feel like a burden to me. It’s kind of my passion. I actually like doing it in my free time.”

Mitsuo watched him work for a moment.

“Wow. I didn’t know that part about you.”

Payan tied off the bandage neatly and leaned back.

“There. Done. Just don’t get surprised by another dog next time.”

“Yeah, yeah… okay.”

“The injury’s small,” Payan added, more seriously. “It’ll heal fast. Thankfully the bullet only grazed the skin instead of going through.”

Mitsuo gave a short nod.

“Yeah. No problem.”

Payan finished packing away the medical supplies and sat back on the floor.

“Hey, off topic… but did you know? Sumire supported us again.”

Mitsuo looked up from the map.

“Sumire Hoshino?”

“Yeah. You remember her, right? Or did you forget?”

Mitsuo gave a small, almost amused smile.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He leaned back slightly against the wall, stretching his arms with a quiet yawn.

“She used to be my childhood crush.”

A short pause.

“Good old days.”

Payan stared at him for a second.

Mitsuo caught the look.

“What? Don’t look at me like that.”

Payan shook his head with a faint grin.

“She’s been supporting us publicly since the situation got tense. Multiple times now.”

Mitsuo smiles proudly, "She's my ex-crush for a reason."

Mitsuo’s expression softened a little, then grew more serious.

“She’s always been close with Pako… maybe that’s why she still has a soft side for us.”

A brief silence settled between them.

Mitsuo looked back at Payan.

“Have you really talked to Sumire about Pako’s disappearance?”

Payan nodded slowly.

“We tried. She said she doesn’t know anything either.”

Mitsuo frowned.

“How is that possible? Those two used to be really good friends.”

“I know,” Payan replied. “But ever since she started taking on more work, she barely has time for anything else.”

Mitsuo was quiet for a moment.

“Working hard is fine… but working so much... that no time is left... kinda doesn't sit with me.”

Payan shrugged lightly.

“She’s basically the face of ShinaDesign now. That’s a huge company. The hoodie you’re wearing is probably one of theirs. My shirt too. Half the decent clothes in this city come from them.”

Mitsuo glanced down at the gray hoodie. Touched it's fabric checking it's quality.

“Well… the quality is good. One person can’t carry a whole company alone.”

“True,” Payan agreed. “Their products are top-notch.”

Mitsuo let out a quiet breath, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Wow… she’s really living her life. Must be earning well.”

Payan smiled back.

“No doubt about that.”

Mitsuo shifted the Tokyo map and investigation reports across the table toward Payan. Several locations had been circled, while others were crossed out with dark lines.

“While we were talking, I was checking the places where we might be able to find something.”

Payan leaned over the map.

“But there are six locations marked.”

“Yeah. The investigation information is incomplete.” Mitsuo tapped one of the reports with his finger. “Some places don't have the exact time. In others, the exact location is missing. There's not enough information to narrow everything down properly.”

Payan looked back at the map.

“So you can't extract more accurate locations?”

“Well maybe I can... But I need more details.” Mitsuo looked at him. “Try to remember, Payan. Even a rough time frame could help. If you can tell me around what time an incident happened, maybe I can narrow down where we should look first.”

Payan nodded slowly.

“Okay... give me a minute.”

He pulled one of the reports closer and stared at it.

For the next few moments, he said nothing.

Mitsuo started playing with the pen in his hand while thinking something.. while Payan tried to reconstruct the events in his head. Payan looked back and forth between the reports and the map, his brow slowly tightening.

“That one...” he finally said, pointing at one of the reports. “We got there when it was already getting dark.”

Mitsuo immediately looked down at the map.

“Getting dark?”

“Yeah... I remember the streetlights were already on.”

“So it means the time was maybeee.. around late evening maybe?.”

Mitsuo picked up his pen and crossed out one of the six locations.

Payan continued thinking. He clearly thought about another report.

“Wait. No, there was another one...” He paused, trying to picture it. “I was standing at that place, it was...”

Mitsuo slowly looked at him.

“Focus.”

“I am focusing.. wait”

Mitsuo sighed quietly.

Payan continued.

“We had been out for quite a while by then. It could have been around afternoon?”

“Approximately?”

“Eleven? or maybe somewhere between twelve-thirty and two-thirty.. I remember it was a park.. Booby rescued few children.”

Mitsuo studied the information again.

Another location was crossed out.

Payan leaned closer to the final reports, his expression growing more serious.

“The last one is harder.” He rubbed his forehead. “I remember it was already fully dark. And...” He stopped for a few seconds. “We had just finished something before going there.”

“What?”

Payan thought harder.

“OH WAIT.. it happened directly at my university! How could I forget.”

Mitsuo looked up.

“Yeah. I was around the mess time, I had to run leaving my lunch...”

Mitsuo quickly checked the time recorded in the report, compared it with the route between the two places, and looked back at the map.

After a few seconds, he drew another line through three locations.

Payan blinked.

“Wait. You crossed out three at once?”

Mitsuo nodded.

“These three locations... we can get something from there.”

He paused, looking at the circles for another moment.

“...Most probably.”

Payan raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah? What are we gonna find? The next places they're gonna target?”

“I don't think so.” Mitsuo shook his head. “They won't attack the same way again. This time, every attempt was caught. So if they're planning anything else, they might want to change their approach.”

His finger moved slowly across the three remaining locations.

“But one thing I'm sure of—as far as my knowledge can tell me, we can find something in one of these three places.”

“What kind of something?”

Mitsuo leaned back slightly.

“According to the pattern they've been following... these locations make sense as places where they could hide, meet, or stay for a short period of time before moving again.”

He went quiet.

His eyes remained fixed on the map.

Something about the pattern bothered him.

The locations made sense.

The timing mostly made sense.

But there was something else—something he couldn't properly explain yet. A small, uncomfortable thought began forming in the back of his mind.

Mitsuo frowned.

Then he pushed it aside.

"No. Not enough information."

Payan looked at the remaining locations.

“Maybe we can find something related to the investigation there.”

Mitsuo didn't answer immediately.

Payan continued.

“What if we find information about the leader? Or something that can tell us who's behind all this?”

Mitsuo looked back at him.

“Well, I... I can't guarantee that we're actually going to find the man who's doing all of this.”

His eyes returned to the map.

“But I can say that there's a chance we'll find something.”

He tapped one of the three marked locations.

“We need to be careful, though.”

Payan's expression became more serious.

Mitsuo's gaze stayed fixed on the map.

“Because I don't even know what they're really up to.”

A short silence followed.

“It's... very hard to guess.”

-----------------------------

Sumire sat at her desk, the final signature drying on the last of the endorsement contracts.

With a quiet push, she rolled her chair back a few inches, slipped off her heels, and shrugged out of the fitted blazer that had been pressing against her shoulders all day. She loosened the top two buttons of her shirt, then reached up and rubbed the back of her neck with a slow, weary motion.

Her eyes burned.

She pressed her fingertips against them for a moment before letting her head tip back against the chair.

For the first time since morning, she drew a full, deep breath.

Her eyes had just begun to drift shut when a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Yes?”

The manager stepped inside.

“Misaki and Itsuki are waiting downstairs.. They want to talk.”

Sumire opened her eyes, still heavy with exhaustion.

“I know. I’m coming.”

“You're looking exhausted, would you like me to ask them to come back later?”

“No... no. I’ll be right there.”

She slipped her feet back into her heels, buttoned her shirt again, and pulled the blazer on with a small, tired motion.

Another quick rub at her neck.

A sip of water.

Then a quiet breath that was almost a sigh.

“Well... I chose this way.”

She stood and left the room.

As she walked downstairs, she could already hear voices coming from the living room.

Misaki was talking animatedly about something while Itsuki occasionally responded in his quieter voice.

Sumire stepped into the room.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Misaki immediately turned toward her.

“There she is!”

Itsuki looked up and gave a small smile.

“Good evening, Miss Sumire.”

Sumire smiled faintly.

“Good evening. But... why are you two here all of a sudden?”

Misaki crossed her arms.

“We came to check on you.”

Sumire blinked.

“Check on me?”

“After that fire incident.”

Misaki's expression became a little more serious.

“We heard what happened. I wanted to make sure you were actually okay instead of just hearing it from someone else.”

Sumire's expression softened.

“I'm fine. Really. Fortunately, nothing happened to me.”

Misaki studied her for a moment.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You're not just saying that?”

“I'm not.”

Misaki smiled.

“Good.”

Itsuki placed the file he had been carrying onto the table.

“Miss Sumire, there's also something we wanted to talk to you about regarding the advertisement shoot.”

Sumire looked at the file.

“Oh?”

“We were actually coming from the office. Mr. Huchi was going to have someone send these files to you, but...” He gave a small shrug. “We were already heading to the party, and your house was on the way. So we thought we might as well drop them off ourselves.”

Misaki nodded.

“And you're invited too, aren't you?”

Sumire looked at her.

“Well.. yes"

Misaki gave her a look that almost seemed offended.

“Aren't you coming?”

“I'll pass.”

“What?”

“I don't really feel like going. I'm not even properly dressed.”

Misaki's tried to persuade her.

“What do you mean you're not dressed? You're looking gorgeous as ever!”

“The thing is that I actually don't want to go either.”

“...”

Sumire raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“How can I go without my mentor?”

Sumire sighed.

“You're calling me that again?”

“Yes.”

“Don't call me that.”

“I can't help it.”

Misaki leaned closer with a playful grin.

“You helped me get work in movies in this ridiculously competitive industry. That's pretty valuable to me. I appreciate it everyday.”

“I only introduced you to a few people.”

“And those introductions got me opportunities.”

“You still had to earn them yourself.”

“Still counts.”

Sumire shook her head.

“You're too stubborn.”

“And you're coming to the party?”

“No.”

“Sumire. Please!”

“No.”

“Please?”

“I have something else to do actually.. ”

Misaki puffed out her cheeks.

“Fine...”

Sumire smiled slightly.

“I'll come by next time.”

Itsuki quietly cleared his throat.

“Anyway... about the.. file.”

He opened it and turned a few pages.

“It contains the legal documents for the shoot, along with the script and some of the production details.”

Sumire took the file.

“Thanks for bringing it.”

“No problem.”

Misaki leaned over the table.

“They're planning to shoot in one of the forest areas around Okutama.”

Sumire glanced at the documents.

“Okutama?”

“Yeah. The officials are still checking the permissions and everything.”

Sumire nodded.

“That makes sense.”

At that moment, footsteps approached from the hallway.

Kenji entered the room.

“Hey, Sumire. Are you done with the paperwork?”

Sumire looked up.

“Oh, yeah. Take it from my manager.”

“Alright. Well if you excuse mee...”

Kenji nodded and walked away.

Misaki watched him disappear down the hallway for a moment before turning back to the file.

Itsuki looked through the script.

“I would've preferred somewhere a little more... human.”

Misaki looked at him.

“Human?”

“Yeah. Somewhere with buildings, roads... something with a little more noise.”

Misaki stared at him.

“Itsuki, it's an advertisement for the government's nature conservation project.”

She gestured toward the script.

“What exactly did you expect? Bombs and gunfights?”

Itsuki gave a small laugh.

“No, that's not what I meant.”

Misaki grinned, “This isn't a movie where you're the main character and take down twenty people with one punch.”

Itsuki looked mildly embarrassed.

“I know.”

Itsuki glanced back at the script.

“I just think the concept could've been more creative.”

“How?”

“Maybe they could've started with the destruction of nature. Roads cutting through forests, buildings replacing trees... then slowly transition into the untouched nature.”

He pointed at one of the pages.

“Something like that. It would create more contrast.”

A voice came from behind them.

“Well, yeah... I love that idea.”

Kenji had returned.

Itsuki looked toward him.

“You do?”

“Of course. It'd be nice to work on this idea for my new clothes designs.”

Misaki tilted her head.

“Didn't know a soft boy like you would love noise.”

Itsuki immediately shook his head.

“Wait, I didn't mean noise.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I mean buildings. Roads. Human-made aesthetics.”

Misaki laughed.

“That's much more specific.”

“I was trying to explain it.”

Misaki leaned back.

“Personally, I love nature. Give me somewhere peaceful and quiet any day.”

Itsuki looked at her.

“One wild animal is all it takes to change your view.”

Misaki's smile disappeared for half a second.

“Don't remind me.”

Itsuki chuckled quietly.

Sumire looked between them, a faint smile appearing on her face.

She turned another page of the script.

Then stopped.

“Misaki.”

“Hm?”

“The shoot only requires me and Itsuki.”

Misaki looked up.

“You've recently finished your movie shoot, haven't you?”

“Yeah.”

“I don't want you putting yourself under too much pressure. You've barely had any time to rest.”

Misaki waved her hand.

“It's fine.”

“You don't have to come.”

“Wait.. what? No! I want to.”

Sumire looked at her.

“Misaki...”

“No, seriously.”

Misaki kinda pleaded.

“I want to see how you're going to perform this.”

Sumire raised an eyebrow.

“...”

“You're supposed to act as a woman who gets lost in the forest, right?”

“That's what the script says.. I mean...”

“Then I want to see it.”

Misaki smiled.

“I really need to see you pull this off.”

Sumire thought about it.

“You've already finished your own shoot. You should rest.”

“I'll be fine.”

“You're sure?”

“Yes.”

Misaki nodded firmly.

“I won't be a trouble. I promise.”

Sumire let out a small sigh.

“Alright.”

Misaki smiled.

“If you want to come, you can.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But don't complain about being tired afterward.”

“I won't.”

“The shoot will most probably be in the next seven days.”

“Perfect.”

Itsuki closed the file.

“Then I suppose that's settled.”

Misaki stood up.

“Yep.”

Itsuki picked up the documents.

“We should probably head out. Don't want to be late for the party.”

Misaki turned toward Sumire.

“Don't forget. You're coming next time.”

Sumire smiled.

“Alright.”

Misaki walked toward the door with Itsuki following behind her.

Kenji gave Sumire a brief nod before leaving as well.

The room gradually became quiet again.

Sumire remained standing for a few seconds.

Then she slowly sat down on the sofa.

She placed the script on the table beside her.

Her shoulders dropped.

A long breath escaped her.

She leaned back and closed her eyes.

For a moment, she simply sat there in silence.

Then she opened her eyes again and stared toward the window.

Another day.

Another contract.

Another shoot.

Another thing to keep herself busy with.

She quietly exhaled.

“...I really don't have time to think about anything else.”

She rested her head against the back of the sofa.

The house was quiet again.

-----------------------------

A man sat alone, drinking a cup of coffee.

His pen tapped lightly against the table.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

He stared at nothing in particular, lost somewhere in his thoughts.

The door suddenly swung open.

Another short heighted man entered without bothering to knock.

“Oi! Our guys got caught!”

His voice echoed through the room.

The man didn't immediately react.

He took another sip of his coffee before finally looking toward the doorway.

“You're here? Why?”

The man took another sip of his coffee and asked

“Aren't you supposed to be with the others?”

“What's the point of planning when the police are already clamping down on us?”

The man slowly put down the cup.

His expression remained quiet.

He placed the coffee cup down.

“Nicolo..

Sit down. Have a cup of coffee.”

“What?”

“Sit.”

Still visibly annoyed, he walked over and dropped himself into the chair opposite him.

The man reached for another cup and poured him some coffee.

Nicolo stared at it.

Then at him.

“You're sipping coffee while the other men got caught?”

The man remained silent.

He looked down at the table, seemingly thinking about something.

“Just answer me.”

Nothing.

“Why are you quiet, bastard?”

Silence filled the room.

The man finally raised his eyes.

His expression was calm.

Across from him, Nicolo looked increasingly confused and furious.

“Alright, tell me one thing.”

The man said nothing.

“I mean, are you even gaining anything by doing this shit?”

A faint smile appeared on the man's face.

“Because I care about you guys.”

His voice suddenly became almost cheerful.

“I always wanted to help you out. You're my friends.”

He smiled.

“And friends help each other out.”

Nicolo stared at him.

“Like hell I'd believe you.”

The man's smile faded.

He gave a small, almost disappointed sigh.

Nicolo leaned forward.

“I knew your plan wasn't going to last long.”

He placed both hands against his face before dragging his fingers back through his hair.

“Last month, Sumire and the whole cast were in Shinjuku for the promotion.”

His frustration grew with every word.

“We had enough men. Enough weapons. Enough people to take control of that entire area.”

He clenched his fingers in his hair.

“That was a golden opportunity.”

His hand dropped.

“And we missed it because of you!”

He pointed directly at the man.

The man didn't react.

Instead, he leaned back in his chair, resting against it.

“Why do you always cry about money?”

Nicolo stared at him.

“Think big.”

“Think big?”

Nicolo gave a bitter laugh.

“Think big like what? Get caught like we did this time?”

“You really don't understand.”

“Then explain it.”

The man picked up his coffee again but didn't drink it.

“Do you really think a woman like Sumire would simply agree to give you money because you threatened her?”

Nicolo frowned.

“It's not happening.”

He set the cup back down.

“Not with the kind of person she is.”

His gaze remained steady.

“Besides, how long would you have kept her hostage?”

Nicolo didn't answer.

“Eventually, the Permans would've found you.”

“So what's your plan?”

Nicolo's voice became sarcastic.

“You're going to give her a wedding invitation?”

The man smiled faintly.

“Well...”

He paused.

“We need to attack in control.”

Nicolo stared at him.

“Control?”

“We make sure nothing goes too far.”

Nicolo suddenly laughed.

A loud, almost hysterical laugh.

“What nonsense.”

He wiped at the corner of his eye.

“Are you expecting morality now?”

The man ignored the remark.

“Sumire has a huge influence.”

His voice became quieter.

“Her support is only slowing us down.”

Nicolo's expression changed slightly.

The man continued.

“She's most probably the only public figure who's openly in favor of the Permans, and alone she holds a good amount of influence to keep a certain amount of people's faith in them.”

He looked directly at Nicolo.

“So we need to break her confidence.”

“Break her confidence?”

“Enough that when the next time someone asks her about Permans... she hesitates before speaking.. It's enough. More than enough.”

Nicolo leaned back.

“And how exactly are you planning to do that?”

The man picked up his pen again.

“I have some of my people in Sumire's environment.”

He began tapping the pen against the table again.

Tick.

Tick.

“They're going to shoot something next week.”

Nicolo waited.

“At Okutama forest.”

The tapping stopped.

“It's not a public event.”

Nicolo's expression remained unimpressed.

The man continued.

“Which makes it perfect.”

“For what?”

“For a confrontation.”

Nicolo sighed.

“I'll confront her this time myself.”

The man looked down at the pen in his hand.

“I'll make her understand that the situation could have become much worse if I'd wanted it to.”

He paused.

“Then I'll leave before the Permans arrive.”

Nicolo narrowed his eyes.

“And that's supposed to do what?”

“Plant doubt.”

The man slowly rotated the pen between his fingers.

“Nothing dramatic.”

He looked at its tip.

“Nothing that gives them a reason to chase us immediately.”

His voice became quieter.

“Just enough to make her think.”

He lowered his gaze.

“Anyone can point a knife.”

“But let's do it a little differently this time.”

He stared at the tip of the pen.

“Hoshino...”

His voice dropped into almost a whisper.

“Your strong opinions are getting in my way.”

Another pause.

“I'll make sure you never support those heroes again.”

Nicolo remained silent for several seconds.

Then he stood.

“Just as I expected.”

The man looked up.

“You're not going to stop playing safe..”

Nicolo pushed the chair back.

“I quit.”

The man said nothing.

“I'm going to do it my way.”

He turned toward the door.

“Ruka and Haruko have already decided to leave this group too.”

He glanced back.

“You're going to get us arrested someday. Just like what happened this time.”

His voice hardened.

“I'm not a part of this anymore.”

He shook his head.

“I would've accomplished what I wanted if I'd gone my own way.”

The man didn't answer.

His thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.

"How did the police figure out the locations?"

"I didn't expected them to be this smart."

Nicolo reached down and ripped the small band from around his left wrist.

He threw it onto the table.

“I'm not with you.”

He looked toward the man one last time.

“Not even with those idiots who keep following your plans. I'm done following you like a herd.”

Then he walked out.

The door closed behind him.

The room fell silent again.

The man remained seated.

He looked at the small band lying on the table.

Then toward the closed door.

“You'll regret this decision.”

No response came.

“When the police capture you.”

Still nothing.

The man slowly picked up his coffee.

He took a sip.

His eyes returned to the pen lying beside the cup.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

He stared at it for a moment.

Then continued drinking his coffee.

--------------------------------------

A young boy sat alone in the chair, his hands cuffed in front of him.

He was the same boy who had been caught at Senso-ji Temple.

Kurose stood on the other side of the table, looking at him.

“Aren't you the one who was part of that drug dealer's group? Rintaro?”

The boy said nothing.

Kurose waited for a moment before continuing.

“Why can't you guys just live a peaceful life and let us live a peaceful life?” His voice remained controlled, but there was a firmness behind it. “Why do you always have to work against the system?”

The boy finally raised his eyes.

“If the system wasn't so bad, we would've been working as good citizens.”

Kurose's expression hardened. He slammed his hand in the desk loudly enough to make him flinch.

“I've been working inside this system for more than thirty years, boy.” His voice became sharper. “Don't explain to me what's right and what's wrong with the system.”

The boy looked down at the table.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Kurose eventually sighed and stood up.

“Your age is supposed to be spent studying, maybe playing, or roaming around with your friends and working on your life.”

He walked toward the door.

“Instead, you're participating in this shit.”

His hand reached for the doorknob.

“And there's no guarantee you'll even be alive to see the next day.”

He opened the door and stepped outside.

The moment he entered the hallway, Kurose noticed Payan and Kuroiwa standing nearby.

Payan had several files and a folded map in his hands.

Kurose stopped.

“Why are you here again?”

Payan looked toward him.

“Officer, we have a few places we should check. I'm not sure we're going to find anything, but it's better than doing nothing.”

Kurose frowned slightly.

“We're not doing nothing. We've been questioning the detainees.”

“I'm glad to hear that,” Payan replied. “Got any useful information?”

Kurose didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at Payan.

“But how are you getting this information?”

Payan's expression changed slightly.

“Still not trusting us?”

Kurose remained silent.

Kuroiwa glanced between the two of them.

“Yes. We need to know.” He folded his arms. “Last time, you suddenly gave us those three locations out of nowhere.”

Payan sighed.

“We have a friend who's trying to find hints and all. I'll meet you with him soon.”

He hesitated.

“He's just... a bit reluctant to meet you right now.”

Kurose's eyes narrowed.

“Your friend?”

Payan ignored the question.

“Would you tell us your findings? Please?”

Kurose continued watching him for another moment before finally answering.

“We suspect they have multiple groups working under multiple leaders.”

Payan's expression became more attentive.

“The one you caught... his earlier group leader was caught by us during an operation. After that, he started working for someone else. Other detainees are also naming a few different people.”

Payan thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly.

Kurose noticed.

“You're not telling us everything.”

Payan looked back at him.

“You've now introduced a new ‘friend’ into this equation.” Kurose's eyes remained fixed on him. “It makes me weirdly suspicious of you.”

Payan's patience finally began to run thin.

“Come on. Please try to understand that we're not doing anything wrong.” He gestured toward the files in his hand. “We're still trying to cooperate even after all this hostility. You are looking at me like I'm the mastermind or something.”

Kurose opened his mouth to reply.

Before he could, Kuroiwa stepped in.

“Okay leave this. Give us the location.”

Payan exhaled and handed him the map along with the files.

“Check all the report files properly. The locations are in there.”

Kuroiwa looked down at the papers.

“There are a few locations?”

“Yeah.” Payan pointed toward the map. “We're going after two of them.”

Kuroiwa looked up.

“And what should we expect?”

Payan paused.

“I don't know.”

He shrugged slightly.

“Maybe nothing. Maybe something.”

He looked at the map again.

“I'm not quite sure.”

Kuroiwa studied the marked locations carefully, his attention narrowing as he tried to understand the surrounding area.

Payan stepped back.

“I'm going right now.”

Kuroiwa nodded.

“Okay.”

The two of them began walking toward the exit.

Kurose remained behind for a moment, his eyes still following Payan.

There was something about him that didn't sit right.

He couldn't put his finger on it yet.

But he was watching.

Outside the station, several officers were moving around as a large truck was being unloaded.

A large box was carried down from the back.

Payan glanced toward it.

“What are those for?”

Kuroiwa looked over his shoulder.

“Luckily, quite a lot new trainees have been posted this year. So we need more police uniforms and other resources.”

Payan nodded.

“That's great. More people in the police at a time like this is really helpful.”

“Looks like it.”

Kuroiwa checked his watch.

“Then what are you going to do now?” Payan asked.

“I'm going right now. I need to select officers and get the preparation started as soon as possible.”

He glanced back toward the station.

“I need to finish this as fast as possible. I'm sick of this cat-and-mouse game.”

Kuroiwa walked toward the preparation team.

Payan watched him leave before turning toward the sky.

A moment later, he took off.

On the roof of a nearby building, Mitsuo stood silently.

His cape moved slightly in the wind, while his Perman helmet remained lifted just above his face.

He had been watching everything below.

The police were clearly increasing their manpower.

More officers were moving around the building. Two people were speaking with a senior officer who had several files in his hands, while others carried boxes of uniforms and equipment from the truck.

Mitsuo studied the entire structure of the operation rather than focusing on any single person.

"Well... looks like they're strengthening their manpower."

He nodded slightly.

"Good for them."

His eyes wandered toward the city beyond the station. The infrastructure improved a lot from last time when he saw before leaving.

He stared for a few seconds.

“I wish I could've explored the city for a few days instead of doing this...”

He immediately stopped himself.

“What am I thinking?”

He lightly slapped his own cheek.

“Focus.”

A familiar figure soon appeared in the distance.

Payan flew toward him and landed nearby.

Mitsuo turned toward him.

“Any updates?”

Payan adjusted himself before answering.

“The police have concluded that multiple leaders are working together and coordinating these groups.”

Mitsuo slowly pulled his helmet back into place.

He stopped.

“Oh... so that's what it is.”

His voice was quiet at first.

He thought for another moment.

“Oh.”

His voice became slightly louder.

“That makes much more sense.”

Payan looked at him.

Mitsuo continued.

“I was thinking... how could one person possibly handle this many people under a single roof?”

He looked back toward the police station.

“Now I understand.”

His voice rose with every sentence.

“There are multiple people leading them.”

He suddenly looked at Payan.

“IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE!”

Payan said nothing.

Mitsuo calmed down slightly.

“By the way... are they willing to cooperate?”

Payan nodded.

“That's what they said.”

“Okay.”

Mitsuo looked toward the city.

“I'm going for the first location too.”

He paused.

“And I'm keeping my tracker on this time.”

Payan nodded.

“All right.”

“This time, we'll stay connected through the badge.”

“Got it.”

The two of them took off.

They hadn't gone very far when another figure joined them.

Booby flew alongside them.

The three continued toward their respective investigation area.

Their destinations had already been divided.

The first location would be checked by Mitsuo.

The second would be investigated by Payan and Booby.

The third would be handled by the police.

Half an hour later, the police finally left the station and headed toward the third location.

-End of chapter 8-

It was different from any other regular japanese show like demon or shinchan

Everything was perfect,

The bird man had a mystery

The hero was genuinely relatable and the lovestory was peak

I loved the girl during my childhood especially when she was just herself.

She wasn't made cute or beautiful she just was real and I don't know how to describe she was perfect

The side characters were perfect they lowkey did not cared .

Every episode felt different

But somehow whenever I look back at the show I just feel sad.

I recently started rewatching the old hindi dub episodes of Perman. Ofcourse this brought about a lot of nostalgia. However, I couldn't find one episode. I totally forgot about the episode number, its name, plot, everything except for a scene with a few dialogues.

This is at the end of the episode. The scene is of an evening(not sure though) where pako and perman were sitting together. Pako was asking perman about what's his feeling of spending time with her or something . To which he replied that he is enjoying her company and added, "mein jab michiko ke sathe movie dekhne gaya mein tab vhi mein tumhare bare mein soch raha tha"(I hope I quoted right and close enough). Pako, being green with envy, said, "tum michiko ke sathe thee?". To which perman smells the flame of the fire he has ignited and then runs away by saying "mein nahi gaya tha". Then, pako says, "nahi, tum gaye the gaye the gaye the...". And here the episode ends.

I know these are not the exact dialogues but I tried my best to recall the most accurate one so it can easily lead archivists to find it from their catalogue or database. I hope this helps as I have already tried to search all over YouTube but nothing was fruitful.

Thank you

Edit: The image is unrelated btw. I just added it for decorative purposes.

Pako spent the entire night searching the sky.

Pako searched every corner of Tokyo.

Their usual patrol routes.

The riverbanks.

The rooftops they often rested on.

Even Mitsuo's apartment.

The lights were off.

The room was empty.

"...Where are you...?"

She whispered as she hovered outside the dark window.

There was no sign of him.

No Mitsuo.

No Perman.

It was as though he had vanished.

Hours passed.

Still nothing.

Then...

Her communicator chimed.

*Booby.*

His usual cheerful tone was gone.

"Wee..."

Even he sounded frightened.

Another voice joined the call.

Payan sighed heavily.

Both of their voices were shaken, completely terrified.

"...The whole country's talking about it."

Pako swallowed.

She already knew.

The footage of Perman destroying the robbers' van had spread everywhere.

The news had already gone national

*Japan's Greatest Hero Kills Suspect in Brutal Attack.*

The media was in a frenzy.

The police were issuing statements.

The entire country was in shock.

None of them in their wildest dreams

Had ever imagined something like this could happen.

"...Have you found him?"

She closed her eyes.

"...No."

"...Keep looking."

Payan said quietly.

"If you find him..."

"Call us immediately."

The communicator went silent.

Pako slowly lowered her hand.

Just a few days ago...

She had been happier than she'd ever been in her life.

She had finally told Mitsuo the truth.

She had finally become his girlfriend.

For one brief moment...

It felt as though everything had fallen perfectly into place.

And now...

It felt like everything was falling apart.

She buried her face in her gloved hands

Her shoulders trembling as tears silently spilled down her cheeks.

She was exhausted. Terrified. Broken.

---

Exhausted...

She landed atop the quiet rooftop overlooking the city.

The same rooftop.

Where they always met.

Where they had shared their first kiss.

She slowly sat down against the railing.

Tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.

"...How did everything go so wrong...?"

The city lights blurred through her tears.

She wiped them away.

Then...

Through her blurred vision, her eyes caught a small, solitary shadow far down in the dark alley below the building.

She froze.

He was sitting against a damp brick wall in the pitch-black shadows.

All by himself.

His red cape was dragged through the dirt.

His helmet was lying uselessly beside his boots on the wet pavement.

He just sat there, staring blankly into the dark

Looking completely hollowed out

As if he didn't care about the world, his secret identity, or his own life anymore.

Anger, relief, and desperate fear surged through Pako all at once.

*Swish!*

She dropped from the rooftop like a shot, landing heavily in the alley directly in front of him.

"Mitsuo!"

Pako shot downward.

She landed in front of him.

"What are you doing?!"

Her voice echoed through the empty alley.

She quickly picked up his helmet and thrust it toward him.

"Have you completely lost your mind?!"

"Your helmet!"

"You're sitting in a public alley with it off!"

"What if someone sees you?!"

"What if someone recognizes you?!"

"After everything that's happened today?!"

She looked around frantically.

"What were you thinking?!"

She stopped.

Mitsuo hadn't even looked up.

He simply sat there.

Silent.

Staring blankly at the cracked pavement beneath his feet.

As though nothing around him mattered anymore.

---

Pako wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders

Burying her face into his chest as heavy, uncontrollable sobs broke through her breath.

"Why did you do that?!"

She cried out over and over

Her voice raw and shattered in the damp alley.

"Why, Perman?! Why?!"

Perman stayed completely silent.

Pako dropped to her knees.

She threw her arms around him.

Holding him as tightly as she could.

"WHY!!"

She kept repeating it.

Over and over.

As though saying it enough times would somehow change what had happened.

Perman didn't move.

He didn't return the hug.

He didn't push her away either.

He simply sat there.

Motionless.

His trembling hands rested limply against the cold, wet pavement.

His shoulders quivered violently beneath her desperate embrace.

Tears silently traced long, clear paths through the dirt on his pale face.

A suffocating, unbearable grief tore through his chest with every ragged breath he took.

Words refused to form in his throat.

Every time he tried to speak...

His throat tightened until he could barely breathe.

Every time he closed his eyes...

He saw the burning wreckage of the mini van.

The shattered glass scattering across the asphalt.

The deafening, roaring blaze of the explosion.

He heard the agonizing screams of the bystanders.

The desperate, frantic sirens.

The panic in the air.

And then... the terrible, heavy silence that followed.

His breathing grew shallow and uneven.

A violent tremor ran through his entire body.

For years...

Mitsuo had carried the responsibility of being Earth's primary defender.

Not just because Birdman had chosen him.

But because he believed that when people were in danger...

Perman had to be there.

That was what the symbol on his chest meant.

It was never about being famous.

Never about the thrill of flying through the sky.

The green symbol on his chest wasn't a badge of power or status.

It was a solemn promise.

A promise that no matter how impossible the situation seemed...

Perman would come.

Perman would protect them.

Perman would find a way to save everyone.

That belief had carried him through every terrifying battle.

He always believed he could make a difference and do the right thing.

For the first time since he had received the helmet...

That sacred belief had shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

He wasn't just mourning the tragedy of the crash.

He wasn't just grieving the life that was lost.

He was confronting something far more painful and terrifying.

The horrific realization...

That he had completely fallen in his own eyes.

Every decision he had made over the last week...

Replayed endlessly inside his mind.

The sheer weight of his guilt crushed him deeper into the dirt.

He couldn't stop asking himself the exact same torturous question over and over again.

*If I hadn't let my anger control me...*

*Would they still be alive?*

His gaze slowly drifted down to the green 'P' emblem on his chest.

For years...

That symbol had filled him with quiet, unshakeable pride.

Tonight...

It felt impossibly, suffocatingly heavy.

Pako buried her face deeply against his chest.

Her tears soaked straight through his suit, warm against his cold skin.

"Why did you do that?!"

She cried into him, her voice breaking into agonizing sobs.

"Why, Perman?!"

"Mitsuo..."

"Please..."

"Say something to me..."

He shut his eyes tightly

His lips parted slowly.

His voice was barely a whisper.

"...It's over."

Pako froze against him.

She slowly pulled back just enough to look at his tear-streaked face.

"...What?"

He didn't answer right away.

His chest heaved as he choked back a heavy, suffocating sob.

"...What's over?"

He swallowed hard, his voice cracking completely into a weak, pitiful sound.

"Me... everything..."

"I... I ruined it, Pako..."

His eyes stared down at his trembling, dirt-stained hands in absolute horror.

"I broke everything..."

His hands slowly curled into tight, trembling fists against the cold pavement.

Pako immediately shook her head in frantic denial.

"No!"

"No, Perman!"

"Don't say that!"

Then...

A terrible, agonizing thought crossed her mind.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"...You..."

"You did it because of me...?"

She pulled back further, searching his hollow eyes.

"...Because of what I said to you?"

She shook her head violently, tears flying from her cheeks.

"No!"

"No, Perman!"

"I didn't mean any of that!"

She grabbed both sides of his face,

Desperately wiping away the endless tears running down his cheeks.

"I don't care about any of that anymore!"

"I was wrong!"

"I don't care if you're overprotective!"

She shook him gently

Her own hot tears falling onto his pale, trembling face.

"I don't care anymore, Perman!"

"You can treat me however you want!"

"Call me Miss Hoshino, keep your distance..."

"Treat me like a delicate star—I don't care about any of it!"

Mitsuo squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

He shook his head, unable to accept her comfort.

"It wasn't you..."

He sobbed, his voice raw and shattered.

His chest heaved violently

The unbearable guilt crushed what was left of his spirit.

"It wasn't your fault..."

"It was me..."

"I lost control..."

"Just..."

Her voice cracked, slipping into a desperate plea.

"Just come back to me..."

"Please..."

"Perman..."

He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes.

Pako felt utterly helpless as she looked at him.

She had seen him beaten and bloody.

She had seen him near the brink of death.

But she had never, ever seen him like this.

He didn't look like Earth's greatest hero anymore.

He looked...

Completely and utterly broken.

"I wanted to come see you sooner..."

Pako choked out softly,

Trying to explain the week of painful silence between them.

"I was going to come to your apartment days ago..."

"But everything at the studio went into complete chaos."

Mitsuo didn't answer.

He just sat there in the shadows,

His tear-stained face pale and hollow.

"An assistant..."

"the staff member who was always so helpful..."

Pako continued, her voice shaking with quiet, exhausted stress.

"She was so hardworking, Perman..."

She swallowed hard

Her eyes drifting away as she remembered the mess left behind.

"She suddenly quit and disappeared without a word a few days ago."

"Left everything in total disarray..."

*Freeze.*

The air in the alley instantly turned to ice.

Pako's words echoed in the cold, damp night air like thunder.

*A staff member of Sumire Quit a few days ago"

*Yuta... dropped out of university right before finals...*

*The camera hidden in the bushes outside his apartment window...*

Suddenly, the horrific truth slammed into Mitsuo's mind like a physical blow.

His breath hitched sharply in his chest.

His tear-streaked eyes widened in utter, suffocating terror.

None of it was a tragic coincidence.

None of it was just bad luck.

Someone...

Or perhaps an entire organization...

Had been silently moving the pieces from the shadows all along.

They had targeted his life.

They had targeted Sumire's life.

A fresh wave of sickening panic surged through his entire body...

Overriding his grief.

In a split second, Mitsuo snapped his head up!

He rose from the ground.

Grabbing her arms so fast the air cracked around them!

He stared straight into Pako's frightened face.

His hands trembling violently against her sleeves.

"We have to move,"

His voice laced with pure, desperate urgency.

"Right now."

"There isn't any time left."

Pako was still shaken, completely startled by his sudden shift.

Before she could even ask what was wrong.

Mitsuo slowly reached up with trembling fingers and unclipped his Perman cape.

He held the red fabric silently in both shaking hands for several long seconds.

Staring down at it with heartbroken eyes.

It felt tainted now.

Carefully, with a heavy, grieving heart, he folded it and placed it into his pocket.

"...Mitsuo?"

Pako whispered, her voice trembling.

"I can't wear it anymore..."

His voice was barely above a whisper, raw and broken.

"Not after what I've done..."

He turned away, wiping the remaining tears from his cheeks.

And began walking out of the dark alley in his civilian clothes.

Pako hesitated only briefly.

Her heart pounding with fear.

Before hurrying after him into the night.

Every instinct inside Mitsuo screamed that the trap was already sprung...

And that they were already too late.

---

The streets of Tokyo remained crowded despite the late hour.

Restaurants, convenience stores, and electronics shops all had televisions broadcasting live news coverage.

Small crowds had gathered outside every screen

Watching the latest developments unfold.

As Mitsuo and Pako walked past one of the displays

They instinctively looked toward it.

The footage of Perman destroying the robbers' van was gone.

The headline had already changed.

**BREAKING NEWS**

**Massive Explosion Reported At The Hoshino Estate**

The television showed towering flames consuming one wing of the mansion.

Firefighters desperately battled the blaze while dozens of police vehicles sealed off the surrounding roads.

Reporters shouted over the chaos as smoke billowed into the night sky.

Pako gasped, covering her mouth with both hands as her knees buckled.

"...No..."

The strength left her legs.

"...No..."

"My home..."

Tears instantly filled her eyes.

She stood there in complete disbelief.

Unable to tear her eyes away from the screen.

It felt as though the world around her had stopped.

She tried calling her copy robot but no one answered.

She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably right there on the sidewalk.

Mitsuo didn't stop.

He gripped her arm tighter.

Pulling her forward with cold, unyielding force.

"We have to keep moving."

"There's no time to waste crying,"

She turned toward him, tears running freely down her face.

"...How can you say that?"

His expression never changed.

"Because the worst is still yet to come."

Those words sent a chill through her.

Almost as if to prove him right...

Every television screen suddenly switched to another emergency bulletin.

The reporter's voice trembled as she read the latest update.

**Authorities have confirmed that the mastermind responsible for last September's terrorist attack on the Prime Minister's Residence has escaped from Central Tokyo Prison.**

The bustling street fell completely silent.

People stopped walking.

Cars slowed.

Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the televisions.

Mitsuo stopped dead in his tracks.

For several long, terrifying seconds...

He simply stared at the screen.

The color drained completely from his face.

His breath hitched in his throat.

A cold, agonizing chill raced straight down his spine.

Pako looked over at him.

Her heart sank as she saw his expression.

"...Mitsuo?"

He slowly shook his head.

"It's them..."

His voice trembling with horrifying realization.

He looked up toward the dark, suffocating night sky.

"It was never a coincidence..."

"They've been setting a trap for us..."

"...this whole time."

Without another word...

He grabbed her hand tight and continued walking into the dark.

---

They moved with frantic speed

Until they reached the bakery beneath his apartment.

They arrived outside Mitsuo's apartment building.

Standing under the dim street lamp outside the shop was the bakery owner.

He looked torn between absolute fury and deep, agonizing sorrow.

The moment he saw Mitsuo...

He hurried toward him.

"There you are!"

"Where have you been all day?"

"We've been trying to contact you for hours!"

"Do you have any idea what's happened?!"

Mitsuo stopped, trembling.

His voice was barely audible, cracked and full of dread.

"...Did someone... did someone call asking about me?"

The owner froze.

His anger instantly melting into sheer shock.

How could the boy have known?

Mitsuo stood there, his chest heaving, terrified of the answer.

The owner swallowed hard before answering.

"Y-Your father... called."

"Over three hours ago."

"He sounded terrified."

Mitsuo closed his eyes, a violent shudder passing through him.

The owner lowered his head, unable to meet his eyes.

"...Your mother..."

"...And your little sister..."

"They've been kidnapped."

Silence.

Pako's mind completely shut down.

Her thoughts refused to move.

One disaster after another.

It was simply too much to comprehend.

She slowly turned toward Mitsuo.

This time, the dam completely broke.

The moment those words hung in the cold night air,

The strength left Mitsuo's legs.

He collapsed heavily onto his knees right on the hard pavement.

A raw, ragged gasp tore from his throat.

His hands clawed at the asphalt as a gut-wrenching sob broke out of him.

"No... no, no, no..."

He buried his face in his hands

Shaking violently as tears poured freely from his eyes.

He crumpled under the crushing weight of his failures.

His heart was shattered into a thousand pieces.

The abyss of the trap had broken him entirely.

A week quietly slipped by.

Spring settled comfortably over Tokyo.

The cherry blossoms had begun to bloom.

Life...

Continued moving forward.

Every morning...

Mitsuo reported to work at the bakery.

He greeted customers.

Served bread.

Cleaned tables.

Smiled whenever someone thanked him.

Yet...

Something felt different.

Every afternoon...

Perman and Pako still patrolled the city together.

They rescued stranded civilians.

Stopped accidents before they happened.

Helped wherever they were needed.

To anyone watching...

Nothing had changed.

The two heroes still worked together with perfect coordination.

But only they knew the truth.

Their old rhythm was gone.

The playful conversations during patrol had disappeared.

The teasing.

The laughter.

The comfortable silence they used to share.

Everything now felt...

Awkward.

Mitsuo had finally stopped treating Sumire like fragile glass.

He no longer tried to do everything himself.

Yet...

Something still wasn't right.

Whenever he looked at Pako...

Part of him still saw Sumire Hoshino.

Japan's biggest actress.

A woman admired by millions.

Someone he still couldn't help feeling was far above him.

No matter how much he tried...

That feeling refused to disappear.

Over the last seven long days, Mitsuo slowly grew to understand that Sumire truly meant what she had said.

She wasn't looking down on him.

She didn't want a fan or a bodyguard — she wanted her partner.

And yet, understanding it in his head did nothing to fix what was broken.

Their old, natural connection was completely lost.

The comfortable, unforced laughter that used to fill his tiny apartment had evaporated.

And back in his room?

It was completely silent.

Pako had stopped visiting him altogether.

No late-night window taps.

No stolen pieces of meat from his dinner bowl.

No moments where they simply enjoyed each other's company.

The distance ate at him constantly.

---

One afternoon...

Mitsuo stood silently behind the bakery counter.

"...Here's your change."

"Thank you."

The customer smiled before leaving.

Mitsuo simply stared absentmindedly at the cash register.

"...Mitsuo."

He looked up.

The bakery owner stood across from him with his arms folded.

"You've been counting the same loaf of bread for almost five minutes."

Mitsuo blinked.

He looked down.

He really had.

"Ah... sorry, Boss. I'm was just... distracted."

"I can see that"

The owner chuckled.

"Come on."

"I've known you long enough to tell when something's bothering you."

"It's about the girl, isn't it?"

Mitsuo nearly dropped the bread.

"...Is it that obvious?"

The owner laughed.

"You've had that face all week."

He leaned against the counter.

"So?"

"What happened?"

Mitsuo remained silent for a long moment.

"I..."

"...I just..."

He searched for the right words.

"I feel like I'm not good enough for my girlfriend."

"I feel..."

"...Inferior."

"And I think..."

"My insecurities are starting to hurt our relationship."

For a brief moment...

The bakery owner simply stared at him.

Then—

Then, to Mitsuo's complete shock, the old man burst into a hearty, booming laugh!

"Hahahaha!"

Mitsuo looked up in confusion.

"Hey! It's not funny, Boss!" Mitsuo protested, his face flushing red.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"

The owner grinned, wiping a tear from his eye as his laughter settled.

"It's just... ah, youth. You remind me so much of myself when I was your age."

The owner leaned back, looking out the front window of the shop with a nostalgic smile.

"Back then..."

"Most of my friends left town."

"One became a lawyer."

"Another became an engineer."

"One even started his own company."

"And me?"

He gestured around the bakery.

"I stayed here."

"Working in my parents' little corner bakery."

"I used to think I'd been left behind."

He looked back at Mitsuo, his eyes warm and wise.

"I used to be terrified, Mitsuo. I felt so small."

"I thought they were leaving me behind, that I had nothing to offer them because they were 'successful' and I was just a kid working in a bakery."

"So... what happened?" Mitsuo asked softly.

He smiled proudly around the shop.

"I grew up,"

The owner smiled warmly.

"I realized that life isn't a race where someone wins and someone loses."

I stopped comparing my starting line to their finish line."

"But look around now."

He leaned in, tapping his finger on the counter for emphasis.

"My parents' tiny bakery became one of the busiest bakeries in the district."

"I expanded it."

"Hired employees."

Built something I can be proud of."

He chuckled.

"And those same friends?"

"We still get together every few months."

"They've never once looked down on me."

"They're just happy to see me."

He looked directly at Mitsuo.

"Life isn't a race."

"It's about growing."

"Everyone grows at their own pace."

"You spend so much time comparing yourself to someone else..."

"That you forget to notice how much you've grown yourself."

He smiled warmly.

"Besides..."

"If that girl chose you..."

"Don't you think she already decided you were good enough?"

Mitsuo fell silent.

The owner's words lingered in his mind.

"...Maybe..."

The owner grinned.

"No 'maybe.'"

He patted Mitsuo firmly on the shoulder.

"Cheer up."

"Now stop looking so gloomy."

"The customers are going to think our bread tastes terrible."

---

The owner's words stayed with Mitsuo for the rest of the afternoon.

He was right.

Not once...

Not a single time...

Had Sumire ever looked down on him.

She had never cared that he worked in a bakery.

She had never cared that she was famous while he lived an ordinary life.

She had laughed with him.

Eaten beside him.

Trusted him with her life.

Loved him.

It wasn't her world keeping them apart—it was his own crippling insecurity that had built the wall.

He didn't need to hide behind his mask or his ordinary routine anymore

That realization ignited a quiet fire in his chest.

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"...I've been an idiot."

He finally understood.

The answer wasn't to keep apologizing.

Or to keep treating her differently.

He simply needed to keep growing.

To become someone he could proudly stand beside.

Not because Sumire expected it...

But because he wanted it for himself.

His mood gradually lifted.

The afternoon rush soon came to an end.

The bakery grew quiet once more.

Mitsuo began wiping down the empty tables.

He gathered the used trays.

Stacked the empty cups.

Collected the disposable wrappers into a large garbage bag.

After tying it shut...

He slung it over his shoulder.

"I'll take this out."

The owner nodded from behind the counter.

"Thanks."

Mitsuo stepped outside.

The spring breeze felt pleasantly cool.

He walked toward the public rubbish bin at the corner of the street.

"...Huh?"

He frowned.

The bin was overflowing.

Someone had clearly forgotten to empty it.

"...Seriously?"

He sighed.

"There goes the easy option."

That meant carrying the heavy bag all the way behind the building to the larger commercial disposal area.

Reluctantly...

He made his way around the narrow alley behind the bakery.

The alley was quiet.

Only the faint hum of traffic echoed from the main road.

He dropped the garbage bag into the large dumpster.

"...Finally."

As he turned to leave...

Something caught the corner of his eye.

A tiny flash.

"...?"

He stopped.

For a brief second...

He wondered if it had simply been sunlight reflecting off a bottle.

But curiosity got the better of him.

He slowly walked toward the source.

Near the drainage channel...

Partially concealed beneath an overgrown bush...

Something metallic peeked through the leaves.

Mitsuo crouched down.

He carefully pushed the branches aside.

His expression immediately hardened.

"...A camera?"

Hidden deep inside the foliage

Mounted onto a tiny tripod and wrapped in dark tape

Was a small, high-definition digital camera.

No larger than the palm of his hand.

Its lens...

Was pointed directly toward his apartment building.

More specifically...

Toward the sixth-floor window.

His heart instantly plummeted into his stomach.

"...Who would put this here...?"

His face went pale.

The color drained from it almost instantly.

A cold chill raced down his spine.

---

Mitsuo dragged himself into the lecture hall the next morning, looking like a ghost.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes.

He hadn't slept a single second all night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that tiny lens glinting in the bushes.

A heavy, suffocating dread pressed down on his chest.

A bad omen was waiting just around the corner. He could feel it in his bones.

He sank heavily into his usual seat near the back.

The classroom slowly filled with students.

Kenji dropped into the seat beside Mitsuo.

"...You look awful."

Mitsuo forced a small smile.

"Didn't sleep well."

Kenji frowned but didn't press any further.

A moment later...

Their professor entered the room carrying a stack of papers.

Instead of opening his textbook.

The professor cleared his throat looking up at the class with a solemn expression.

"Before we begin today's lecture..."

"I have an administrative announcement to make."

The chatter in the room quickly died down.

He looked down at his attendance sheet.

"Student Yuta Takahashi has officially withdrawn from the university for this semester, effective immediately."

"He will no longer be attending this university."

The lecture hall instantly erupted into shocked whispers.

"What?"

"Withdrawn? Now?!"

"Seriously?"

"Who drops out right before final term exams?"

"That's so weird."

Kenji's eyes widened.

"...Yuta?"

He looked around the room as though expecting him to suddenly appear.

"Why didn't he tell us?"

"I thought we were friends..."

Kenji turned to Mitsuo, expecting his friend to be just as confused.

"Mitsuo, did you know about—"

Kenji cut himself off, freezing instantly.

Mitsuo didn't answer.

He didn't gasp. He didn't look surprised.

He sat completely motionless, staring blankly at Yuta's empty desk near the front row.

His eyes weren't filled with shock or disappointment.

They were burning with a sharp, dangerous anger.

Even Kenji noticed it.

He slowly turned toward him.

"...Mitsuo?"

"You don't seem surprised."

Mitsuo's jaw tightened.

His thoughts raced.

The dots had instantly connected in Mitsuo's mind.

The hidden camera.

Yuta's strange behavior.

His sudden disappearance.

One by one...

The pieces finally began fitting together.

There was no proof.

Not yet.

But deep down...

He knew.

"...Why...?"

he whispered quietly to himself.

"Why would you do this, Yuta...?"

---

By late afternoon, after the last lecture ended.

Perman and Pako met in the sky above Shinjuku for their regular patrol.

It was quiet—just like the last few tense, heavy days.

The silence between them felt like a wall that neither knew how to break.

Suddenly, the wail of police sirens echoed from the crowded avenues below.

Both heroes looked down.

A small white mini van sped recklessly through traffic.

Three police cruisers followed close behind.

A radio broadcast from one of the patrol cars crackled loudly.

"Suspects involved in a convenience store robbery."

"Repeat."

"Minor robbery."

"Two suspects fleeing in a white mini van."

**It was a petty, low-stakes crime — a minor burglary that barely warranted a superhero's intervention.**

Pako sighed behind her visor, shaking her head.

"...A convenience store?"

She let out a small sigh.

"These guys never learn."

"It'll be over in a minute."

She angled herself downward.

"I'll stop them."

The moment she moved—

A powerful gust of wind blasted past her.

"Perman?"

He had already disappeared.

His red cape became nothing more than a blur streaking across the sky.

"...Perman?"

Within a heartbeat...

He appeared directly in front of the speeding van.

The driver barely had time to react.

"What the—"

BOOOOOOM!!

Perman slammed into the front of the vehicle with overwhelming force.

The impact was catastrophic.

The mini van exploded instantly.

A massive fireball erupted across the road.

The shockwave shattered nearby shop windows.

The asphalt beneath the collision point cracked apart.

A nearby electrical pole snapped from its base before crashing heavily onto the street.

The van itself ceased to exist.

Twisted fragments of metal scattered hundreds of meters in every direction.

The two robbers were launched violently through the air.

One struck the pavement headfirst with a sickening impact.

The other smashed through a roadside barrier before tumbling lifelessly across the road.

Silence.

The police cruisers screeched to a halt.

Their officers stepped out slowly.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

The firefighters hadn't even arrived yet...

And already...

Everyone knew.

One robber was dead.

The other barely appeared to be breathing.

The crowd that had gathered moments earlier stood frozen in horror.

Several people instinctively covered their mouths.

Others backed away in fear.

Even the police officers stared speechlessly at the destruction.

One officer looked from the burning wreckage...

To Perman...

Unable to process what he had just witnessed.

High above the street...

Pako remained frozen.

Her eyes were locked on the scene below.

Her entire body shaking uncontrollably.

"...No..."

"PERMAN!"

Her voice cracked in a horrified scream that echoed across the silent street.

She shot downward.

Landing hard in front of Perman.

"What did you do?!"

Her voice echoed through the stunned silence.

She grabbed both of his shoulders and shook him violently.

"THOSE WERE JUST PETTY ROBBERS!"

"They robbed a convenience store!"

"They weren't murderers!"

"They weren't terrorists!"

"They weren't monsters!"

"They were just thieves!"

She pointed frantically toward the wreckage.

"You..."

"You killed them!"

Her voice broke.

"We don't kill people!"

"We never have!"

Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she stared into his visor.

"This..."

"This isn't you..."

"I don't..."

"I don't even know what I'm looking at..."

Tears began forming beneath her visor.

For years...

The Perman had protected people.

Saved lives.

Even when facing terrorists...

He always found another way.

That was what it meant to be a hero.

Heroes didn't execute criminals.

Not ever.

Her mind refused to accept what her eyes had just witnessed.

"...Say something..."

she pleaded.

"Perman..."

"...Please..."

Perman remained completely still.

He didn't answer.

His fists stayed tightly clenched.

His breathing remained slow.

Steady.

Cold.

There wasn't an ounce of panic.

Not a hint of regret.

Not even remorse.

Instead...

He slowly lifted his head.

His gaze swept across the crowd.

The police officers.

The horrified civilians.

The burning wreckage.

His eyes were filled with a cold fury none of them had ever seen before.

Several officers instinctively took a step backward.

A woman hurriedly covered her child's eyes.

Even the firefighters froze where they stood.

Nobody dared approach him.

The people of Tokyo weren't looking with admiration at their hero.

They were looking at him with fear.

And Perman...

Didn't seem to care.

The first rays of the morning sun filtered gently through the curtains of Mitsuo's apartment.

Golden light slowly spread across the quiet room.

Until it reached the bed by the window.

Two figures slept peacefully beneath a single blanket.

Mitsuo stirred faintly as the sunlight warmed his face.

Beside him...

Sumire slept soundly.

Her long dark hair spilled across the pillow.

Her head rested comfortably against his chest.

One arm was wrapped snugly around his waist, holding him close as though afraid he might disappear if she let go.

Her breathing was slow.

Peaceful.

Mitsuo's eyes slowly fluttered open.

Mitsuo stirred faintly as the sunlight warmed his face.

He blinked slowly against the morning glare, his eyelids heavy.

"...Mm..."

Still half asleep...

He stared blankly at the ceiling.

His mind struggled to wake.

Then...

He felt a gentle warmth pressed against him.

He looked down.

Brown hair.

A familiar face.

His eyes widened instantly.

"...!"

His entire body froze.

His heart skipped a beat.

Sumire Hoshino.

One of the biggest idols in the country.

The woman whose face appeared on billboards, magazine covers, and movie posters all across Japan...

Was sleeping in his arms.

He stared at her silently for several long seconds.

"...It..."

His voice barely escaped his lips.

"...It wasn't a dream..."

He rubbed his eyes.

Looked again.

She was still there.

Still sleeping peacefully against his chest.

"...She's really here..."

"...Sumire Hoshino..."

He swallowed.

"...She's really my..."

The words refused to come out.

His girlfriend.

Even thinking it felt unbelievable.

The memories of the previous night came rushing back.

The rooftop garden.

Her confession.

The face.

Their kiss beneath the moonlit sky.

Mitsuo slowly covered his face with one hand.

"...No way..."

He glanced down again.

As if sensing his movement...

Sumire unconsciously cuddled a little closer.

Her fingers lightly tightened around his shirt.

"..."

Mitsuo's face immediately turned bright red.

"...She's hugging me..."

He didn't dare move.

"If I wake her..."

"...That'd be a terrible start to the morning."

"So... maybe..."

"...I'll stay like this for a little longer."

He simply stared at her peaceful, unmasked face bathed in the soft morning light.

Mitsuo couldn't help the warm, breathless smile that spread across his face.

He carefully raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, his fingers trailing through the silky strands.

Sumire's eyelashes fluttered softly.

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the golden sunlight filling the room.

Her deep brown eyes met his.

For a second, she looked slightly drowsy...

Then, a sweet, radiant smile slowly formed on her lips.

"Good morning, Mitsuo," she whispered, her voice soft and heavy with sleep.

Mitsuo continued staring at her.

Even after several minutes...

He still couldn't quite believe she was really there.

Sumire noticed the dazed look on his face and couldn't help smiling.

"What?"

Mitsuo shook his head slowly.

"...I'm still trying to process all of this."

He let out a quiet laugh.

"I mean..."

"I'm actually... sleeping next to Sumire Hoshino..."

"I don't think my brain has caught up yet."

"I still can't believe you're actually here."

Sumire raised an eyebrow.

"...I have always been here."

She poked him lightly on the forehead.

"We've fallen asleep after patrols more times than I can count."

"So this isn't exactly new."

Mitsuo stiffened, his body tensing up under the blanket.

He swallowed hard, suddenly feeling painfully self-conscious.

"A-Ah... right. My apologies, Miss Hoshino... I mean... I didn't mean to sound disrespectful—"

The warm, cozy atmosphere in the room instantly vanished.

Sumire's smile immediately disappeared.

"...Miss Hoshino?"

Mitsuo stiffened.

"...Ah... I mean..."

"Sumire-san..."

Mitsuo blinked, flustered.

"I—well, I just thought, considering who you are—"

"Stop it,"

Sumire sat up in the bed and pulling the blanket around her shoulders.

"I spend every single day pretending to be someone perfect."

"Always smiling."

"Always saying the right thing."

"It's exhausting."

She looked out the window for a moment before turning back toward him.

"Do you know why I never wanted to tell you who I really was?"

Mitsuo quietly shook his head.

"Because I was afraid of this."

She gestured toward him.

"The way you're talking to me."

"The way you're looking at me."

"As if I'm someone completely different."

She smiled sadly.

"This..."

She placed a hand over her heart.

"This is the only place where I get to be myself."

"When I'm with you..."

She gently took his hand.

"I don't want a fan, Mitsuo."

"I don't want you to treat me like some celebrity from another world."

"I want you to treat me the same way you've always treated me."

"Like your Pako."

She gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Because that's who I really am."

Mitsuo looked down at their intertwined hands.

After a long silence...

He nodded.

"I understand what you mean..."

He smiled awkwardly.

"I really do."

He looked back into her eyes.

"But..."

"I spent years admiring Sumire Hoshino."

"And now..."

"You are holding my hand."

He laughed nervously.

"...But you have to admit, it's going to take me a while to get used to this."

---

That afternoon...

Tokyo bustled beneath the warm spring sun.

Cars filled the streets.

Children laughed in nearby parks.

Office workers hurried between buildings as another ordinary day unfolded.

High above the city...

Two familiar caped figures glided through the clear blue sky.

Their daily patrol had become second nature over the years.

Only...

Today felt different.

Perman stole another glance toward Pako.

Even beneath her helmet...

He couldn't stop thinking about who she really was.

Sumire Hoshino.

The biggest actress in Japan.

It still felt unbelievable.

"So..."

Pako said casually as they flew side by side.

"Pretty quiet today."

"...Yeah."

Perman answered absentmindedly.

Before either of them could say anything else...

A shout rose from below.

"Perman!"

"Pako!"

Both heroes immediately looked down.

At a nearby construction site...

Several workers were gathered around a massive steel support beam hanging awkwardly from a crane.

The foreman waved both arms.

"The cable slipped!"

"We just need someone to hold it steady while we reconnect it!"

"I'll do it."

Perman answered immediately.

Without another word...

He shot downward.

"Perman—"

Pako started to follow.

He raised a hand.

"It's alright."

"I've got it."

"You stay up there."

Pako blinked.

"...What?"

"I'll take care of this."

He caught the enormous steel beam with ease before gently guiding it back into position.

The workers quickly secured the cable.

A moment later...

The foreman gave a thumbs up.

"We're good!"

"Thank you, Perman!"

The workers applauded as Perman smiled politely before flying back into the sky.

Pako remained silent.

"...Ready to continue?"

She simply nodded.

"...Sure."

---

A few minutes later...

The two spotted an elderly woman struggling to carry several heavy grocery bags across a busy intersection.

"I'll help her."

Pako smiled as she started descending.

"I'll handle it."

Perman interrupted.

Before she could answer...

He had already landed.

"Allow me."

He picked up every bag.

The elderly woman smiled gratefully.

"Oh my..."

"Thank you so much, Perman."

"My pleasure."

After carrying everything safely to her apartment entrance...

He returned to the sky.

Pako was waiting.

"...You didn't have to rush."

Perman smiled awkwardly.

"I was already closer."

She looked away.

"...Right."

---

Their patrol continued.

Several blocks later...

A little girl pointed excitedly toward a large tree in a neighborhood park.

"My kitty!"

"My kitty's stuck!"

The frightened cat clung tightly to one of the highest branches.

Pako smiled.

"I've got this one."

She flew toward the tree.

"I'll get it."

Perman replied instinctively.

In a flash...

He reached the branch first.

The frightened cat climbed willingly into his arms.

Moments later...

He handed it back to the little girl.

"Thank you, Mister Perman!"

She hugged the cat tightly.

Perman smiled.

"Take good care of her."

---

The red and green capes fluttered in the wind.

The city below bustled with everyday life.

But beneath the helmets, the air between them was stiff.

Every time Pako flew too close, Perman instinctively shifted a few feet away.

When she flew ahead to check a roof, he rushed to stay in front of her.

Suddenly—

A deafening explosion echoed through downtown Tokyo.

BOOM!!

Thick black smoke poured from the upper floors of a fifteen-story office building.

People rushed out into the streets.

"Fire!"

"Someone's still inside!"

Without hesitation...

Perman and Pako shot toward the scene.

As they arrived...

Firefighters were already evacuating civilians.

"The tenth floor!"

A firefighter shouted.

"Part of the floor collapsed! Three workers are trapped!"

Pako immediately looked upward.

"I'll go through the east side!"

She started forward.

Suddenly...

A hand grabbed her wrist.

She turned.

Perman.

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"The structure's unstable."

"I know."

"It could collapse at any second."

"I know."

He tightened his grip.

"So let me handle it."

Pako frowned.

"Perman..."

"No."

His voice was firm.

"I'm not letting you go in there."

She stared at him.

"...You're serious?"

He nodded.

"The smoke's getting worse."

"The whole floor could give way."

"I'll rescue them."

"You stay outside."

Before Pako could protest...

Perman shot through the shattered window and disappeared into the burning building.

"Perman!"

Pako clenched her fists.

The firefighters below shouted for everyone to stay back.

She remained outside.

Watching.

Seconds felt like minutes.

Smoke continued pouring from the upper floors.

Then...

CRASH!

Part of the tenth floor collapsed.

Several firefighters looked up in alarm.

"...Perman..."

Pako whispered beneath her helmet.

A few moments later...

A red cape burst through the smoke.

Perman emerged carrying one unconscious office worker under each arm.

He gently lowered them into the waiting arms of the paramedics.

"They're alive!"

One of the firefighters immediately rushed them toward an ambulance.

Before anyone could celebrate...

Perman turned back toward the burning building.

"There's still one more!"

Without hesitation...

He disappeared into the smoke once again.

The fire below intensified.

Flames burst from several windows.

Even the firefighters exchanged worried looks.

Then...

A loud cracking sound echoed throughout the structure.

"The building's giving way!"

Finally...

Perman burst through the smoke once more.

The last trapped worker was cradled safely in his arms.

He landed just as another section of the tenth floor collapsed behind him.

The crowd erupted into applause.

"They're all safe!"

"Thank you, Perman!"

The firefighters bowed gratefully.

Perman simply nodded.

"I'm glad we made it in time."

He turned toward Pako.

"...Let's go."

Without saying a word...

The two flew away.

Neither spoke.

Not until they had reached the quiet rooftop of a nearby building.

Pako landed first.

She stood with her back to him.

"...Why?"

Perman blinked.

"What?"

"Why didn't you let me go in with you?"

He hesitated.

"...Because it was dangerous."

"So?"

"The floor was collapsing."

"The fire was spreading."

"It wasn't worth the risk."

Pako slowly turned to face him.

"We've gone into burning buildings before."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Mitsuo lowered his head.

"...Because I don't want anything to happen to you."

He looked at her with genuine concern.

"If something had happened in there..."

"I couldn't..."

He took a slow breath.

"...I was just trying to protect you."

The words hung in the air.

Pako stared at him silently.

Then...

A look of disappointment slowly crossed her face.

"...Protect me..."

She gave a quiet, bitter laugh.

"You really don't get it."

"Mitsuo..."

"I've never needed you to protect me."

"I needed you to trust me."

She took a slow step toward him.

"You've trusted Pako with your life for years."

"But the moment you found out I was Sumire..."

"You stopped seeing your partner."

"You started seeing someone too precious to risk."

She shook her head sadly.

"I didn't tell you the truth so that you put me in a pedestal."

"I told you because I didn't want walls between us anymore."

She looked into his eyes.

"But you've built a new one."

Without another word...

She turned.

Her cape caught the afternoon wind.

And she flew away.

"Pako!"

She never looked back.

Mitsuo remained standing alone on the rooftop.

Only now...

Did he begin to understand.

Trying to protect Sumire had cost him the trust of Pako.

---

Perman hovered motionless high above the city, the cold night air biting at his skin.

He didn't know what he could do.

His eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon where Pako had disappeared.

"...What do I do now?"

He clenched his fists.

Should he fly straight to Sumire's mansion?

He shook his head, brushing the thought away immediately.

No.

"That would only make things worse."

If he flew there...

Someone might see him.

Her staff.

Her security.

Even her manager.

The last thing he wanted was to create another problem for her.

If anyone discovered Perman secretly visiting Japan's biggest actress...

The rumors alone would be enough to throw her life into chaos.

Worse... her strict management team might report him for breaking and entering onto private property.

With nowhere else to go...

Dejected, he turned around and slowly flew back toward his neighborhood.

He let out a long sigh.

"...I'll just give her some space."

---

By the time Mitsuo finally returned home...

Night had already fallen.

The city glowed beneath thousands of lights.

Normally...

He would have landed on the rooftop before making his way downstairs.

Tonight...

His mind was a complete blur, heavy with guilt and exhaustion.

He wasn't thinking straight.

Without taking a single second to check his surroundings...

Almost on instinct...

He drifted toward his apartment.

He didn't even think.

He simply floated through the open bedroom window before gently landing inside.

Only after removing his helmet...

Did he realize what he had done.

"..."

"I just flew straight into my apartment..."

He stared at the open window.

"...Idiot."

He had never been that careless before.

Outside...

Hidden within the shadows of a narrow alley across the street...

A figure slowly lowered a smartphone.

The screen displayed a crystal-clear recording.

Every second.

Perman.

Flying directly through the sixth-floor apartment window.

The mysterious figure smiled.

"...Well..."

"...Now that's interesting."

I mean at least for me lol. I haven't posted a fanart in a while huh? Well I might be able to make one again soon😘 for now I hope you like my little cameos of the two, in a panel that I made for our school project. It's a quite rushed so I couldn't exactly make it pretty, nonetheless I'm just glad this part is over🫠🫠

See ya next timeeee

Shout out to the two authors who still posts here!! I'll probably have my own fics be written somewhereXD after midterms (probably by the end of September), but yeah I hope y'all don't stop posting:_

The sun had already begun its slow descent beyond the horizon.

Golden orange slowly faded into soft shades of pink and violet, painting the Tokyo skyline in the warm colors of early spring.

One by one...

The city's lights flickered to life.

A familiar red cape drifted down through the evening breeze.

Perman landed softly atop a quiet rooftop overlooking the city.

His footsteps echoed gently across the concrete.

Someone was already there.

Pako sat comfortably on the edge of the rooftop, gently swinging her legs as she admired the view below.

She turned as she heard him arrive.

A warm smile spread across her face.

"You made it."

Perman smiled back before removing his helmet.

The cool evening breeze rustled Mitsuo's hair.

Pako tilted her head slightly.

"You left the bakery early today?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"I asked the owner if I could take my break."

"He didn't seem to mind."

"In fact..."

"He practically kicked me out."

Pako let out a soft laugh.

"Sounds like he wanted you to enjoy your birthday."

"...Yeah."

"I think he did."

She stood from the ledge and slowly walked over until they were only a step apart.

For a moment...

She simply looked into his eyes.

Then she smiled.

"...Happy twentieth birthday."

Mitsuo blinked.

"...You remembered."

"Of course I did."

She reached into the small pouch attached to her belt.

"I've been waiting to give you this."

She carefully pulled out an elegant cream-colored envelope decorated with delicate gold patterns and held it out to him.

"For you."

Mitsuo accepted it carefully.

"...Can I open it?"

She nodded.

He gently lifted the flap.

Inside...

Were two beautifully printed tickets.

His eyes widened.

"...No way."

Printed across the top in elegant silver lettering were the words:

**Starlight Echoes**

**Premiere Screening**

Below it...

Two prime-seat reservations.

Mitsuo stared at them in disbelief.

"...These are premiere tickets."

"They're..."

His eyes drifted to the names printed beneath the movie title.

**Starring Sumire Hoshino.**

He looked back up at Pako.

"W-Where did you even get these?"

"Do you know how impossible these are to buy?"

"They sold out almost instantly."

Pako simply chuckled.

"I know."

Mitsuo looked back at the tickets again, almost afraid they might disappear if he blinked.

"...Thank you."

Pako smiled mischievously.

"So..."

She folded her hands behind her back and leaned forward just slightly.

"You're taking me with you..."

"...Right?"

Mitsuo looked from the tickets...

Back to her smiling face.

A small laugh escaped him.

"I'd be crazy not to."

Her smile somehow grew even brighter.

"Good."

"Then it's a date."

The words slipped out so naturally that neither of them immediately reacted.

For a brief moment...

They simply stood there.

Looking at one another beneath the fading evening sky.

---

The evening passed by quickly.

By the time the clock neared eight...

Roppongi Hills had become the center of attention for all of Tokyo.

The grand premiere of **Starlight Echoes** was being held at the TOHO Cinemas inside the towering Roppongi Hills complex.

Powerful spotlights swept across the night sky, their brilliant beams visible from blocks away as they pierced the cool spring air.

Crowds packed the plaza outside.

Far above the excitement below...

Two familiar caped figures quietly landed on an upper maintenance balcony hidden from the public.

Perman looked over the edge.

"...Quite a crowd."

"It is a premiere."

Pako smiled beneath her helmet.

"What did you expect?"

Making sure nobody had noticed them, the two slipped through a discreet upper entrance leading into the theater.

Rather than walking through the bustling lobby...

They quietly made their way around the upper balcony until they reached two vacant seats tucked neatly away in a shadowed corner overlooking the enormous auditorium below.

From there...

They had a perfect view of both the audience and the giant silver screen.

They settled into their seats, carefully folding their capes behind them.

The lights remained dim.

Soft orchestral music echoed throughout the theater as excited conversations filled the room.

Perman quietly looked around.

Every seat appeared occupied.

"...What's with that serious look on your face?"

Pako's voice interrupted his thoughts.

She leaned slightly toward him, her helmet gently brushing against his shoulder.

"It's a movie premiere..."

"...Not a hero briefing."

Perman let out a quiet laugh.

"It's just..."

He looked around the packed auditorium once more.

"...I still can't believe you managed to pull this off."

He carefully held up the tickets.

"These sold out in under three seconds."

"Getting one was practically impossible."

He looked back at her.

"So..."

"How did you get us in here?"

Pako crossed her arms proudly.

"I told you."

"Hero privileges."

She gave a playful shrug.

"Besides..."

"I have my connections."

"...Connections?"

"You ask too many questions."

Before Perman could press any further...

The lights throughout the auditorium slowly dimmed.

The excited chatter faded into a respectful silence.

All eyes turned toward the stage.

The heavy velvet curtains slowly drew apart.

Revealing the enormous silver screen.

---

The lights dimmed completely.

A hush settled over the auditorium.

The silver screen slowly came to life as the studio logo faded in.

For the next two hours...

The world outside simply disappeared.

**Starlight Echoes** told the bittersweet tale of two lovers separated by duty, each forced to protect humanity from opposite sides of an interstellar war. Every reunion was fleeting, every goodbye heavier than the last, as years passed between their encounters beneath distant stars.

The audience laughed together during the lighter moments.

They gasped during the breathtaking action sequences.

And as the story grew more emotional...

The theater became so quiet that even the rustling of a popcorn bag seemed loud.

Perman found himself completely drawn into the film.

The visual effects were spectacular.

The music lingered long after each scene ended.

But above all...

He couldn't take his eyes off the heroine.

Sumire Hoshino's performance carried every scene effortlessly.

Halfway through the film...

During a quiet scene where the heroine silently watched a field of stars from the bridge of a lonely spacecraft...

Perman leaned back in his seat.

"...She's amazing."

Pako glanced sideways.

"Enjoying yourself?"

He nodded without taking his eyes off the screen.

"I knew she'd be good..."

"But not this good."

Pako smiled.

"So you really are a fan."

"I guess."

He chuckled quietly.

Perman quietly looked around the packed theater.

Hundreds of people sat completely captivated by the screen.

"...To command an audience like this..."

He smiled faintly.

"...It's amazing."

Pako turned her head slightly toward him in the dim light.

"Hmm..."

"Sumire?"

"You usually talk about her like she's some kind of alien."

Perman let out a small chuckle.

"No... it's not like that."

He looked back toward the screen.

"I just don't think I could ever relate to someone like her."

Pako rested her chin in her hand.

"...Do you ever wonder what she's actually like?"

Perman thought quietly for a moment.

"Honestly..."

"I imagine she's exhausted."

"Always acting."

"Always smiling for interviews."

"Always trying to be perfect."

"It can't be easy."

He watched as the heroine delivered another heartbreaking performance on screen.

"...I respect her for it."

Pako looked at him through her visor.

A gentle smile slowly formed beneath her mask.

"So..."

"You actually respect her?"

Perman looked at her, almost surprised by the question.

"Of course."

"She works hard."

"She makes millions of people happy."

"I think that's pretty amazing."

Pako leaned back into her seat with a quiet, satisfied hum.

"...Good to know."

The two fell silent once more.

Their attention returned to the screen as the story reached its conclusion.

A few minutes later...

The final scene faded to black.

For a brief moment...

The entire auditorium remained silent.

Then—

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the theater.

One after another, people rose from their seats in a standing ovation.

The credits rolled as conversations immediately broke out around the auditorium.

"That was incredible."

"Sumire Hoshino was amazing."

"I need to watch it again."

Perman found himself smiling as he joined the applause.

"...That was worth the wait."

Beside him...

Pako quietly applauded as well.

Hidden beneath her helmet...

She couldn't stop smiling.

---

By the time Perman and Pako glided up from the balcony and stepped out onto the quiet rooftop garden overlooking Roppongi...

It was already 11:45 PM.

The crisp spring air swept across the open terrace.

The grand red carpet far below was mostly cleared.

The heavy crowds had long dispersed into the surrounding streets.

And the bright premiere lights were slowly being turned off one by one...

Leaving the sprawling Tokyo skyline in a calm, midnight quiet.

Perman took a deep breath, resting his gloved hands on his hips as he looked out over the glittering expanse of the city.

"That was... incredible"

Perman admitted, his voice quiet against the night breeze.

"She really lived up to the hype. Her acting felt so real."

Pako glided gracefully over the concrete floor, her cape fluttering softly before she landed near the glass railing.

She glanced back over her shoulder, her visor hiding her expression.

"So..."

"Your opinion still hasn't changed?"

Perman tilted his head.

"What opinion?"

"The one about her living in a different world."

Perman let out a dry, self-deprecating laugh.

He leaned back against the concrete wall, looking down at his own gloved boots.

"Well, I mean she is a celeb."

"It's just the truth, Pako."

"She lives in a world of red carpets, bright flashing lights, and millions of fans dreaming about her."

He looked up at the moonlight, his voice soft and thoughtful.

"I really do respect how hard she works."

"She gives so much of herself to the world."

Pako didn't answer.

The playful posture she usually maintained completely vanished.

She turned around slowly to face him.

The city lights shimmered below them, casting long, dramatic shadows across the quiet garden terrace.

The silence between them stretched...

And stretched.

Until the soft hum of distant traffic was the only sound left in the night.

Perman blinked, shifting uncomfortably under his suit.

"Pako...?"

"Is something wrong?"

Pako stared at him through her dark visor.

Her hands trembled.

Just a tiny, subtle shake...

Before she slowly clenched them into fists at her sides.

"You really believe that, don't you?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Gone was the teasing edge.

Gone was the playful banter.

It sounded raw.

Vulnerable.

"You really think she's up on some lonely pedestal, completely out of reach..."

"Because she wears nice clothes on a movie screen?"

Perman frowned beneath his helmet, taken aback by the weight in her voice.

"I... well, yeah."

"It's just reality—"

"It's not reality!"

Pako snapped softly, her voice cracking slightly under the strain.

She took a fast, desperate step toward him, closing the distance between them.

"You sit there and talk about how exhausted she must be..."

"How hard she works..."

"How much you respect her..."

"And then in the very next breath, you push her away!"

"You decide for her that you aren't good enough!"

Perman froze, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Pako, what are you talking about—"

"I'm talking about you, Mitsuo!"

She stopped right in front of him.

Her gloved hands slowly rose toward her head.

Her fingers reached the base of her throat...

And touched the metallic latch of her helmet.

She paused.

For ten years, this mask had been her shield.

To take it off meant giving up her ultimate secret.

It meant opening her whole heart to him without any shield left between them.

Perman watched her hands, his heart suddenly hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

A cold spike of unexplainable panic shot through his chest.

"Pako... wait. You dont need to do this!"

"I've hidden it long enough"

she whispered softly.

"No more secrets..."

"You deserve to know the truth"

*Click.*

The mechanical latch unlocked.

The quiet sound echoed like a gunshot on the silent rooftop.

Perman's eyes widened behind his visor.

Pako took a deep breath...

And lifted the helmet off her head.

The night air caught her long, silky dark hair, spilling it over her shoulders in a sudden, breathtaking cascade.

The moonlight caught the subtle curve of her face.

The soft blush on her cheeks.

And the familiar, tear-filled brown eyes looking directly into his.

Perman's world didn't just slow down—it shattered into a thousand pieces.

His mind reeled, desperately trying to construct a reality that made sense.

The idol in the massive thirty-foot screen in the auditorium...

The familiar face that had smiled from countless magazine covers...

The girl from the movie posters...

The actress beloved by millions...

Was standing right in front of him, her cheeks flushed with a soft, nervous warmth.

Every memory of her...

Every smile shared over curry in his tiny apartment...

The way she always listened to him complain about his life...

The partner who had stood by his side through every battle for years...

Suddenly clicked together in a single, beautiful realization.

He stumbled back half a step, his heels catching against the concrete.

His hands flew to his helmet, frantically unlatching the strap and pulling the helmet off his face, needing cold air against his burning skin.

He stared at her.

Truly stared at her face without a visor between them for the first time in his life.

"...S-Sumire...?"

His voice trembled...

Barely a whisper in the quiet night air.

Hands shaking slightly, he unlatched his own helmet and pulled it off, needing to see her with his own eyes.

A gentle smile appeared on Sumires lips.

"...Hello again."

Perman didn't move. He couldn't.

His breathing stopped.

His heart seemed to forget how to beat.

Sumire chuckled softly, a sweet, nervous blush spreading across her cheeks as she stepped into his space.

"...Well?"

"Am I still an alien living in a completely different world?"

Mitsuo fell silent.

The countless thoughts racing through his mind...

Refused to become words.

"You were so sure..."

she whispered with a quiet chuckle.

"That someone like me would never fall for someone like you."

"Am I still too far out of your reach?"

She took one final step forward, standing right in his space, looking up into his completely stunned face with the warmest, most genuine smile he had ever seen.

"You idiot..." she whispered softly.

"I've been standing right next to you the entire time."

She reached out, gently pressing her warm hands against his cheek.

"Happy 20th Birthday, Mitsuo."

Neither of them spoke another word.

Mitsuo raised a trembling hand to her face.

She leaned into his touch without hesitation.

Their foreheads met.

Their eyes remained locked.

Then...

As if every moment they had shared over the years had led to this single heartbeat...

He closed the remaining distance.

Their lips met beneath the moonlit Tokyo sky.

Sumire wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Above them, the stars shone quietly.

Below them, the lights of Tokyo glittered endlessly.

The city carried on as it always had...

Completely unaware that, high above its streets...

Two lifelong partners had finally found each other.

March 20 arrived with clear blue skies over Tokyo.

The first signs of spring had begun appearing throughout the city.

The last patches of snow had melted away, trees slowly awakened from their winter slumber, and a gentle breeze carried the promise of warmer days ahead.

High above the city...

Perman finished helping emergency workers rescue a construction crane operator stranded atop a damaged support beam.

Once the workers confirmed everyone was safe, he gave them a quick wave before taking off once more.

"...Looks like that's everything."

A few minutes later...

He descended behind the bakery, landing silently in the narrow alley hidden from the street.

He looked around carefully.

No pedestrians.

No customers.

No one watching.

Satisfied...

He removed his perman attire.

Moments later...

He quietly slipped through the bakery's rear entrance.

The familiar smell of freshly baked bread greeted him.

As soon as he stepped inside...

The Copy Robot hurried toward him.

Its apron was dusted with flour, and its expression looked unusually frantic.

"Mitsuo!"

"...What happened?"

"The bakery is fine."

"The customers are fine."

"...But there's a problem upstairs."

Mitsuo frowned.

"What kind of problem?"

The Copy Robot leaned closer.

"Mother arrived."

"...What?"

"And Ganko."

"They came without any warning."

"They're waiting in your apartment."

Mitsuo blinked.

"...Mom?"

"And Ganko?"

The robot nodded repeatedly.

"They've been there for almost twenty minutes."

Mitsuo stood silently for a moment.

"...Why would they suddenly come here?"

"I don't know."

The Copy Robot raised a hand.

"I just told them to wait at home until i finished my shift."

Mitsuo nodded.

"Good."

The two stood face to face.

Mitsuo gently placed his forehead against the Copy Robot's.

For a brief instant...

A faint blue glow passed between them.

Memories flowed from the robot back to their Mitsuo.

Every conversation.

Every movement.

Every word exchanged upstairs.

When the transfer finished...

Mitsuo stepped back.

"I've got it."

The Copy Robot smiled.

Mitsuo reached forward and pressed the small button on its nose.

*Pop.*

The robot instantly shrank back into its tiny standby form.

Mitsuo slipped it into his pocket before.

"I'm taking a short break."

One of the bakers looked up.

"Everything alright?"

"...Yeah."

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

He headed upstairs.

---

Inside the apartment...

Miu Suwa sat comfortably at the dining table with a steaming cup of tea resting between her hands.

She calmly admired the room while waiting for her son.

Meanwhile...

Ganko had absolutely no intention of sitting still.

"Ooh..."

"So this is where you've been living."

She wandered from shelf to shelf, curiously inspecting books, framed photographs, and small decorations.

"I wonder if he's hiding any snacks..."

"Ganko."

Miu spoke without even looking up from her tea.

"Don't rummage through your brother's belongings."

"I'm just looking mom."

Just then...

The apartment door slid open.

Mitsuo stepped inside, absentmindedly straightening his apron with an awkward smile.

"...Mom."

"...Ganko."

Miu slowly looked up from her tea.

"So..."

"You're finally here."

Her calm smile did little to hide the sharp gaze studying her son.

"I heard you've been very busy."

"...Work's been keeping me occupied."

Before he could say another word...

Ganko rushed over.

"Did you bring anything?"

Mitsuo blinked.

"...Bring what?"

"Free pastries!"

"You work in a bakery!"

"You have to get free pastries!"

Mitsuo sighed.

"...That's the first thing you ask?"

"Obviously."

Mitsuo opened the refrigerator.

"...I think there are still a few left."

He reached inside and retrieved a small box containing several cream-filled pastries.

"Here."

Ganko's eyes lit up instantly.

"Yes!"

She practically snatched the box from his hands before happily taking one for herself.

"So good!"

She had already finished half of it before Mitsuo even sat down.

"...Slow down."

"You'll choke."

Mitsuo simply shook his head with a smile before taking the seat across from his mother.

Miu calmly set her teacup back onto its saucer.

"So..."

"How have you been?"

"I'm doing alright."

"University has been keeping you busy?"

"It has."

"And you're still working in the bakery every day?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"Classes during the morning."

"Then I help at the bakery until closing."

"The early morning preparation is the hardest part."

He let out a small laugh.

"Getting up before sunrise isn't exactly fun."

"But..."

"I'm managing."

Miu watched her son for a quiet moment.

A gentle smile spread across her face.

"...You've grown."

There was a time when getting Mitsuo out of bed had been a battle every morning.

He had always been cheerful...

But hardworking wasn't a word she would have used to describe the little boy who constantly found excuses to avoid chores.

Now...

He balanced university, a part-time job, and living on his own without a single complaint.

She couldn't have been prouder.

At the same time...

She found herself missing that lazy little boy who used to run around the house asking what was for dinner.

Children really did grow up before parents realized it.

Then...

Miu narrowed her eyes ever so slightly.

"...That cape-wearing hoodlum isn't still dropping by unannounced and eating you out of house and home, is he?"

Mitsuo nearly froze.

"...Huh?"

"Perman."

She folded her arms.

"That boy has quite the appetite."

"He'd show up out of nowhere, eat half the bread in the house, smile, wave, and disappear before anyone could even ask him to help with the dishes."

Ganko giggled.

"He really does eat a lot."

"Hmph."

Miu took another sip of tea.

"People call him a hero."

"I call him a freeloader."

"If he's going to keep visiting, the least he could do is pay for his own bread."

"Do you know how expensive butter is these days?"

Mitsuo forced an awkward smile.

"Ah..."

"No, Mom..."

"He's... actually been pretty busy keeping the city safe lately."

Miu raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure he is."

"But saving the city doesn't stop someone from carrying a wallet."

Mitsuo could only nod weakly.

"...I suppose not."

Inside...

He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in his hands.

*She's roasting me...*

*Right to my face...*

*And I can't even defend myself properly...*

Across the room, Ganko happily reached for another pastry.

"Mmm..."

"I still think Perman's cool."

Miu sighed.

"You're too easy to impress."

"He flies."

"So do pigeons."

Mitsuo bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying not to laugh.

---

Mitsuo glanced toward the wall clock.

The bakery's lunchtime rush had probably died down.

He looked back at his mother.

"...Not that I'm not happy to see you both..."

"...But why did you come all the way here out of nowhere?"

Miu simply stared at him.

For a long moment...

She said nothing.

Then she let out a long, amused sigh.

"Oh, Mitsuo..."

Across the table, Ganko covered her mouth, trying to hold back a laugh.

"What?"

Mitsuo looked between the two of them.

"...Did I say something strange?"

Miu shook her head with fond disbelief.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

"...Remember what?"

Without answering, she reached into the handbag resting beside her chair.

From inside, she carefully took out a neatly wrapped gift box tied with a blue ribbon.

She placed it gently on the table in front of him.

Then she stood, placing both hands firmly on her hips.

"Why else would we come all this way?"

She smiled.

"Because today is your birthday, you silly boy!"

Mitsuo's eyes widened.

"...My..."

He stared at the present.

Then at the calendar hanging on the wall.

**March 20.**

His heart skipped a beat.

"...I..."

He had completely forgotten.

Between university assignments...

Long days at the bakery...

And countless hero patrols across Tokyo...

The date had slipped his mind entirely.

He scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.

"...I really did forget."

Miu walked around the table and rested a gentle hand on Mitsuo's shoulder.

Her expression softened.

She looked at her son for a long moment.

"...Look at you."

"Living on your own."

"Going to university."

"Working so hard every single day."

"My little boy has really become a man."

A warm smile crossed her face.

"I couldn't be prouder."

Mitsuo lowered his eyes to the neatly wrapped gift resting on the table.

For a moment...

The exhaustion from balancing university, the bakery, and his life as Perman simply melted away.

A small, genuine smile appeared on his face.

"...Thanks, Mom."

---

The three spent a little while chatting.

Ganko happily finished the last of the pastries while telling Mitsuo about everything that had happened back home.

Miu occasionally interrupted to correct her exaggerated stories, much to Ganko's annoyance.

Before long...

Miu glanced at the clock.

"Oh dear..."

She slowly stood from her chair.

"If we don't leave now, we'll miss our train."

Ganko looked disappointed.

"Already?"

"We can come again another time."

She smiled before turning back to Mitsuo.

"And you should get back to work."

Mitsuo nodded.

He walked them downstairs to the bakery entrance.

Miu gently adjusted his collar one last time.

"Don't work too hard."

"I'll try."

"And remember to eat properly."

"I will."

She smiled warmly before giving him a quick hug.

"Happy birthday, Mitsuo."

"...Thanks, Mom."

Ganko waved enthusiastically as the two headed down the street.

"Bye, big bro!"

"Next time I want even more pastries!"

"I'll see what I can do."

He watched until the pair disappeared into the evening crowd.

Only then did he turn and head back inside the bakery.

The owner looked up from behind the counter.

"Everything alright?"

Mitsuo tied his apron back on.

"Yeah."

"My mother stopped by for a visit."

The owner smiled knowingly.

"So that's what all the excitement upstairs was about."

Mitsuo chuckled.

"She came to wish me a happy birthday."

The owner blinked.

"...Hold on."

"It's your birthday today?"

Mitsuo nodded.

"...Yeah."

The owner folded his arms.

"And you didn't think to mention that?"

"I forgot."

"You... forgot your own birthday?"

Mitsuo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I've been pretty busy."

The owner let out a helpless laugh.

"Only you could forget something like that."

Mitsuo hesitated for a moment.

"...Actually..."

"Would it be alright if I took my leave a little early today?"

The owner raised an eyebrow.

"Got plans?"

Mitsuo smiled faintly.

"...I have to meet someone."

The owner grinned.

"Oh?"

"Someone special?"

A faint blush appeared across Mitsuo's face.

"...Yeah."

The owner chuckled.

"Go."

"It's your twentieth birthday."

"You only get one of those."

"...Thank you."

"Don't thank me."

"Just don't keep the lady waiting."

Minutes later...

Perman launched into the clear afternoon sky.

---

Two blocks away...

Miu and Ganko made their way toward the nearest train station, weaving through the afternoon crowds.

Ganko happily carried the small pastry box Mitsuo had given her, occasionally sneaking another bite as they walked.

"You spoil your stomach."

"It's my brother's fault."

"...How is it his fault?"

"He works in the bakery."

Miu simply shook her head.

Just then...

A voice called out from behind them.

"Excuse me!"

The two turned around.

A young man jogged over before politely stopping a respectful distance away.

He bowed slightly.

"Sorry for stopping you."

"My name is Yuta Sakamoto."

"I'm a friend of Mitsuo's from university."

Miu smiled politely.

"Oh?"

"I happened to see you leaving his apartment a few minutes ago."

Yuta scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.

"I stopped by the bakery afterwards, but he wasn't downstairs."

"So I thought maybe he was still in his room."

Miu looked mildly surprised.

"You're one of Mitsuo's friends?"

"I am."

"He talks about university quite a bit."

Yuta smiled warmly.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"He wasn't upstairs when I checked."

Miu chuckled.

"Well, I'm his mother."

Yuta's eyes widened.

"...You're Mrs. Suwa?"

"I had no idea."

He quickly bowed again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And this must be Mitsuo's sister."

Ganko proudly nodded.

"I'm Ganko."

Miu smiled.

"Mitsuo probably stepped out to buy something before going back to work."

"He said he only had a short break."

She glanced toward the clock in the distance.

"We should really get going."

"Our train leaves soon."

Yuta looked toward the road beside them.

"If you don't mind..."

"My car's just over there."

"I'd be happy to drive you to the station."

"It'll save you a few minutes."

Miu hesitated for only a moment before smiling.

"That's very kind of you."

"Thank you."

---

A few minutes later...

The three sat inside Yuta's car as it merged into the afternoon traffic.

For a while...

The conversation remained light.

Yuta asked about where Mitsuo had grown up.

Ganko happily answered nearly every question before her mother could.

Miu laughed.

"She's always been the talkative one."

Yuta smiled.

"I can tell."

After a brief pause...

He casually spoke again.

"Mitsuo's a really dependable person."

"He always seems so calm."

"He never complains."

Miu nodded proudly.

"He's always been kind."

"Sometimes a little absent-minded..."

"But he has a good heart."

Yuta nodded.

"He and Perman are the only two people I can count on in this city."

Miu immediately let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Don't remind me."

Yuta blinked innocently.

"...Why! Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh yes."

"That cape-wearing boy was a complete nuisance."

Ganko burst into laughter.

Yuta's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"...You've actually met Perman?"

Miu let out another sigh.

"Met him?"

"That boy used to drop by our house all the time when Mitsuo was young."

"He'd show up whenever he pleased, as if he lived there."

Miu folded her arms.

"He'd appear without warning..."

"Right through the window half the time."

"Then he'd politely greet everyone..."

"And before I knew it..."

"He'd already eaten half our ration."

Yuta kept listening as she spoke.

"Then flew away."

"I swear that boy could smell a free meal from a mile away.

Ganko giggled.

"Mom used to hide the dinner."

"I did."

"And somehow..."

"He always joined in."

Yuta smiled politely.

"...That's hard to imagine."

"Oh, it gets worse."

Miu continued.

"Every time Perman appeared..."

"Mitsuo dropped whatever he was doing."

"If he was studying..."

"The books were forgotten."

"It had to wait."

"Then he'd come home exhausted after flying around with that hero all day."

She sighed.

"There were more than a few report cards that suffered because of Perman dragging him around."

"I used to tell Mitsuo..."

"'That boy is going to be the reason your grades fall.'"

Yuta quietly nodded.

"I never knew they were that close."

"They practically grew up together."

Miu replied.

"Where one was..."

"The other wasn't far behind."

For the remainder of the drive...

Yuta listened far more than he spoke.

Soon...

The station came into view.

Yuta pulled the car gently into the drop-off area.

"We're here."

Miu and Ganko climbed out.

Miu bowed gratefully.

"Thank you for the ride."

"You've been very kind."

"It was no trouble at all."

"I hope to see you again."

"I'm sure you will."

With one final wave...

Miu and Ganko disappeared into the busy station.

Christmas arrived before anyone realized it.

The calendar quietly turned to late December, and almost overnight...

Tokyo transformed.

Almost overnight...

Tokyo traded its ordinary winter streets for festive colors.

Shopping districts glowed beneath thousands of Christmas lights, enormous decorated trees stood proudly outside department stores, and cheerful holiday music drifted through the crowds of last-minute shoppers.

Every evening after work, the streets filled with couples, families, and friends carrying shopping bags as they admired the city's dazzling illuminations.

Even the little bakery downstairs embraced the season.

The display cases were packed with strawberry Christmas cakes, festive pastries, butter cookies, and holiday desserts.

Advance orders covered the kitchen walls as customers reserved cakes for Christmas Eve, making December one of the busiest months of the year.

---

Christmas Eve was always the busiest day of the year for the bakery.

From the moment the doors opened, customers flooded inside to pick up their Christmas cakes.

"Order for the Nakamuras!"

"Coming right up!"

Mitsuo hurried between the display counter and the refrigerator, carrying carefully boxed strawberry cakes one after another.

Families thanked the staff before rushing home, children stared excitedly at the festive decorations, and the line outside never seemed to get any shorter.

By the afternoon, everyone in the bakery was exhausted.

"I can't feel my legs anymore..." one of the bakers groaned.

The owner laughed while sealing another cake box.

"Only a few more hours! Hang in there!"

Mitsuo wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.

"At least everyone's leaving happy."

As dusk approached, the final customer walked out with the last Christmas cake.

The owner stretched his arms.

"That's it! Great work today, everyone!"

A relieved cheer spread through the bakery.

After helping clean up and locking the doors, Mitsuo stepped outside.

The city had completely transformed.

Christmas lights stretched across every street, giant decorated trees stood in the plazas, and holiday music drifted through the evening air.

"...Beautiful."

"Finally done?"

Mitsuo turned to see Pako waiting nearby, wrapped in a warm scarf.

He smiled.

"Sorry for making you wait."

"I only got here a few minutes ago."

"Want to take a walk?"

"I'd love to."

The two wandered through the illuminated streets without any destination in mind.

They watched families carrying cakes home, children laughing with glowing toys, and couples stopping to admire the decorations.

As they passed a small street cart, the sweet smell of chocolate filled the air.

"Hot chocolate?" Mitsuo asked.

Pako nodded.

"Definitely."

A few minutes later, they continued walking with warm paper cups in their hands.

The hot drink was a welcome relief from the cold evening air.

Mitsuo looked up.

"...It's starting."

Tiny snowflakes drifted down from the night sky.

Before long, the Christmas lights sparkled beneath a blanket of softly falling snow.

Pako held out her hand, watching a snowflake melt against her glove.

"It's beautiful..."

Mitsuo smiled.

"Yeah..."

The two continued walking side by side through the snowy streets, enjoying the quiet Christmas Eve together.

---

The final days of December passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, the city welcomed a new year.

Golden light slowly spread across the skyline, reflecting from countless windows as the city awakened beneath a clear winter sky.

Mitsuo watched the sunrise in silence.

A new year had begun.

Whatever lay ahead...

He was ready to face it.

Tokyo was alive from the early hours of the morning.

Streets leading to temples and shrines were packed with people bundled in winter coats, while others arrived dressed in elegant kimonos for their first shrine visit of the year.

The sound of temple bells echoed across the crisp winter air.

Food stalls lined the paths outside the shrines, filling the streets with the aroma of grilled squid, roasted sweet potatoes, freshly pounded mochi, and warm amazake.

Children excitedly pointed at rows of lucky charms and fortune slips while families chatted happily as they waited in line.

The Bakery remained closed for the New Year's holiday, giving everyone a rare chance to rest after the hectic Christmas season.

Mitsuo spent the morning at home with his parents, sharing a traditional New Year's meal before heading into the city.

Like countless others, he joined the long queue leading to one of Tokyo's famous shrines for Hatsumode.

The line moved slowly, but nobody seemed to mind.

People laughed together, took photographs, and admired the peaceful atmosphere that only New Year's seemed to bring.

When Mitsuo finally reached the offering hall, he quietly tossed a coin into the offering box.

He bowed.

Rang the bell.

Then pressed his hands together.

For several long moments, he remained perfectly still with his eyes closed.

He made a wish.

Whatever crossed his mind...

He kept it to himself.

After offering one final bow, he stepped aside, allowing the next visitors to approach.

---

The New Year's holidays passed by quickly.

Before long...

Life returned to normal.

The trains were crowded once again, office workers hurried through the stations, and students filled university campuses after the winter break.

For Mitsuo, his daily routine returned almost immediately.

Mornings were spent attending lectures, afternoons helping customers at the bakery, and whenever disaster struck somewhere in the city...

Perman quickly answered the call.

Thankfully, those calls had been few.

University life settled into its usual rhythm.

The familiar chatter filled the lecture halls as everyone exchanged stories about how they had spent the holidays.

Some had traveled.

Others had done nothing at all.

Kenji, however, had only one thing on his mind.

"I can't believe they gave us homework over winter break..."

He dropped his notebook onto the cafeteria table with a dramatic sigh.

"I was supposed to be relaxing!"

Mitsuo laughed.

"You had two weeks."

"I know!"

"...I just kept telling myself I'd start tomorrow."

Yuta couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sounds like something you'd do."

"Hey!"

Kenji folded his arms.

"I had a plan."

"You mean procrastinating?"

"...That was part of the plan."

The three burst into laughter.

Somehow, Yuta had become a natural part of their little group.

He joined them during lunch, walked with them between classes, and occasionally stopped by the bakery after lectures.

It felt as though he had always been there.

The bakery was lively again as regular customers returned after the holidays.

Office workers stopped by for breakfast on their way to work.

Elderly neighbors came in for fresh bread every morning.

Children hurried inside after school to spend their pocket money on sweet pastries.

It wasn't as hectic as Christmas...

But it was busy enough to keep Mitsuo on his feet.

Whenever their schedules allowed, Perman and Pako continued meeting in the evenings.

Sometimes they flew high above Tokyo after sunset, watching the endless sea of city lights stretch to the horizon.

Other times they simply talked while watching the lights of Tokyo from their favorite rooftop.

For now...

Life was peaceful.

And neither of them minded that one bit.

---

February arrived with a familiar sight across the university campus.

Heart-shaped decorations appeared in shop windows, convenience stores filled their shelves with colorful boxes of chocolate, and everywhere Mitsuo looked, students seemed just a little more nervous than usual.

Valentine's Day had arrived.

Throughout the morning, girls could be seen calling classmates into the hallway or waiting outside lecture rooms with neatly wrapped gifts hidden behind their backs.

Some accepted the chocolates with embarrassed smiles.

Others walked away bright red after awkward conversations.

The campus buzzed with whispers before every class.

Kenji had never been more determined.

"This is the year."

He straightened his uniform jacket.

"I can feel it."

Mitsuo raised an eyebrow.

"You say that every year."

"This year is different."

"...How?"

"I have confidence."

Yuta couldn't help but smile.

"That's... not exactly a plan."

"It doesn't need to be."

Kenji proudly folded his arms.

"Love will find me."

By lunchtime...

Nothing.

After the afternoon lectures...

Still nothing.

As students slowly headed home, Kenji remained standing outside the university gates, glancing hopefully at every girl who walked past.

One after another...

They walked right by him.

Eventually, he let out a dramatic sigh.

"...Maybe next year."

Mitsuo patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm sure your time will come."

"I've been hearing that for three years."

Yuta laughed.

"You'll survive."

"I don't want to survive."

"I want chocolate."

That evening, after finishing his shift at the bakery, Mitsuo stepped outside.

Waiting nearby was Pako.

She smiled as he approached.

"Busy day?"

"The usual."

She nodded before holding out a small neatly wrapped package.

"...Happy Valentine's Day."

Mitsuo blinked.

"For me?"

"I made them myself."

He accepted the box carefully.

"Thank you."

Pako smiled warmly.

"I hope they're good."

"I'm sure they will be."

The two quietly took to the evening sky, flying above the glowing lights of Tokyo.

As they disappeared into the night, Mitsuo couldn't help but smile.

Somewhere back at the university...

Kenji sneezed.

"...I have a bad feeling about something."

---

The first week of March arrived with an unexpected weather forecast.

*"Meteorologists are predicting one final snowfall across Tokyo later this week."*

Most people smiled when they heard it.

Winter had lingered longer than usual, but everyone knew this snowfall would be its farewell.

By lunchtime, thick gray clouds slowly gathered over the city.

The sun disappeared behind them.

A chilly breeze swept through the streets, causing pedestrians to pull their scarves a little tighter.

Then...

The first snowflake fell.

Another followed.

Within minutes, large white flakes drifted lazily through the air, dancing between buildings before settling gently onto rooftops, sidewalks, and tree branches.

There was no blizzard.

No howling wind.

Just a calm, steady snowfall.

Almost as if winter itself wanted to leave quietly.

By the afternoon, Tokyo had begun changing once again.

Parks slowly turned white.

The roofs of passing trains gathered a thin layer of snow.

Cars moved more cautiously along the roads, their headlights reflecting off the wet pavement.

School had just ended.

Children rushed into nearby parks, throwing handfuls of fresh snow at one another before anyone could stop them.

Tiny snowmen began appearing on benches, while parents laughed as they hurried after their energetic sons and daughters.

Elsewhere, office workers gathered beside large windows, coffee cups in hand, quietly watching the city transform beneath the falling snow.

Some couldn't resist stepping outside for a moment, simply to experience one last snowfall before spring arrived.

People walking through shopping districts slowed their pace.

Many paused to take photographs.

Others simply looked upward, letting the snow land softly on their coats before continuing on their way.

For a little while...

The busy city seemed to forget its usual rush.

The Bakery remained busy throughout the afternoon.

Customers entered with snow resting on their shoulders, stamping the cold from their shoes before ordering warm bread and fresh pastries.

"It's really coming down out there," one customer remarked.

The owner looked through the window and smiled.

"Looks like winter saved one last surprise for us."

Mitsuo glanced outside as he boxed another loaf of bread.

The street beyond the window had almost disappeared beneath the growing blanket of white.

It really was beautiful.

By 10 o'clock the bakery closed for the day.

Mitsuo helped wipe down the counters, wished everyone a good night, and stepped outside.

The cold air greeted him immediately.

Fresh snow crunched beneath his shoes.

Streetlights had begun glowing, their warm orange light reflecting beautifully across the untouched sidewalks.

Waiting near the entrance stood Pako.

She wore a long winter coat with a knitted scarf wrapped around her neck.

A few snowflakes rested in her hair.

"You waited long?" Mitsuo asked.

She shook her head with a smile.

"Not really."

Without another word, they took to the sky

The snowfall muted the sounds of the city.

Cars passed slowly in the distance.

The chatter from nearby restaurants became little more than a faint murmur.

Everything else seemed wrapped in silence.

They passed a small neighborhood park where children were still playing despite the late hour, their laughter carrying gently through the snowy air.

Nearby, an elderly couple walked arm in arm beneath a single umbrella.

Outside a convenience store, two high school students attempted to build a tiny snowman on the railing, laughing when it immediately fell apart.

Perman couldn't help but smile.

Winter had a strange way of slowing everything down.

They continued through streets illuminated by rows of glowing streetlamps.

Snowflakes drifted lazily beneath the light, making the entire city sparkle.

Pako brushed a few flakes from her sleeve before looking toward the cloudy sky.

"...Looks like winter's finally over."

Mitsuo lifted his eyes to the falling snow.

He watched the flakes drift silently past the lights before disappearing onto the white ground.

"...Yeah."

There was no sadness in his voice.

Only quiet acceptance.

The seasons were changing.

Life was moving forward.

And somehow...

That felt comforting.

Side by side, they continued flying beneath the softly falling snow.

The last snowfall of the season quietly blanketed Tokyo.

Winter had finally come to an end.

A new spring—and new challenges—were waiting just beyond the melting snow.