"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 5

"Cocytus. A river in the underworld of Greek mythology. A frozen hell that spares no traitors."

The aroma of coffee filled the air.

Shunka tilted her head at the unfamiliar awakening, propping herself up and yawning.

It felt like she had slept much deeper than usual.

The bed was disheveled, sheets thrown off, with underwear scattered around her feet and by the pillow.

As she recalled last night, a heaviness settled in her lower abdomen, and the warmth that had been quiet within her climbed up to her cheeks.

So whose coffee scent was it? There was no room left for doubt.

She fumbled to pull up the sheets and gathered her underwear discreetly... but to get her clothes, she would need to go to the closet in the corner of the room.

“Good morning.”

Startled by the voice, Shunka jumped.

What to do, she thought, hurriedly turning her back and wrapping the sheets around her body.

“G-good morning…”

“I borrowed the shower first.”

“R-right. It’s early, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. You were sleeping soundly.”

“Was I?”

“You had a cute sleeping face. I almost wanted to keep you like that.”

“Y-you’re saying strange things again. I’m going to take a shower, so… could you turn around?”

“Why?”

“Because…”

“You saw everything yesterday.”

“That’s different…”

As she fumbled, Nathan’s easy laughter reached her from behind.

Turning just her face to look, she saw him leaning against a pillar with a coffee cup in hand, watching her. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a cotton multi-cover wrapped around his waist. His bangs hung down, and the gentlemanly impression was overshadowed by his stubble.

His physique was sculpted, not just that of an athlete. He was solidly muscular.

“Sorry, I’m washing my shirt.”

It seemed they were both in the same situation.

They bought a late breakfast from a nearby bakery and drank his brewed coffee.

It was the first time she’d welcomed such a modest yet luxurious morning.

Nathan looked at Shunka more clearly than yesterday. The wall she had felt before was gone, and it was comfortable.

It felt like unexpectedly reuniting with someone she had been separated from long ago.

“No regrets?”

“None.”

“Night and morning have different feelings. Were you disappointed when you saw me this morning?”

“No, I wasn’t. What about you, Nate?”

“Not at all. If anything, I’ve become more resolute.”

Nathan’s hand reached out boldly, cupping Shunka’s cheek.

His rugged hand was surprisingly gentle, skillful in its touch.

Her eyelids threatened to close again under the warmth of his palm.

“What resolve?”

“To end everything.”

“…?”

“You don’t need to know… not right now.”

“‘Right now’…?”

“When the time comes… I’ll tell you.”

Nathan’s gaze was unwavering. There was no deception in it… As she looked back and nodded, Nathan smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting in relief. It was a

different, more serious smile.

“Alright.”

Nathan leaned in and kissed Shunka, the sound echoing softly.

She left the Hôtel Paradiso with him as she headed to work.

The manager happened to come out, and when he saw them, his eyes widened.

Nathan placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

The manager shook his head in disbelief and pretended not to see them.

Nathan wanted to drive Shunka, but unfortunately, he had left his car at the five-star hotel.

“Should I borrow a car?”

“I only have a motorcycle right now.”

After casually speaking to the manager, he retrieved the keys from his desk and tossed them to Nathan.

“Grazie.”

They headed to the underground parking lot of Hôtel Paradiso to borrow a staff motorcycle.

Shunka was gripping the handle of her bag tightly.

“You know a lot of people.”

“Believe it or not, I have quite a wide circle.”

“That may be true, but… oh, are these your customers too?”

“Who can say?”

He handed her the helmet and helped her onto the bike.

Her slender arms wrapped around Nathan's waist.

“This is my first time on a motorcycle.”

“Are you scared?”

“No, because I’m with you.”

The scent of gardenias rode the May breeze.

As long as they were touring the city like this, it felt peaceful. But stepping into an alley would reveal the shadow of Clan Gelo.

Even so, the ancient castle Rocca di Luce, standing tall and overlooking the city, was just a pile of stones in the morning sun.

The casino bar Il Santo della Forza, which ruled the night, was now merely an impressive building.

“I should be done by lunchtime. Can we meet somewhere?”

“Sure, I’ll come pick you up.”

Gripping the handlebars, he turned the corner—passing slowly by a car.

In the back seat sat a man in a silver-gray suit with pale blue eyes… their gazes locked and wouldn’t break until they were further apart.

The man subtly tapped his wristwatch twice in Nathan’s direction.

Nathan slowly lowered his eyelids.

After about ten minutes, they arrived at an old gallery.

“Well then, I’ll contact you when I’m finished.”

“Okay. Just don’t leave the gallery until I arrive.”

“Is that better?”

Nathan nodded, stroking Shunka’s shoulder before parting ways.

He switched to a Macelte at the hotel and headed to the casino bar Il Santo della Forza.

The road was well-maintained, appearing fit for royalty. Customers would feel a sense of elation as they passed through.

The lobby shone white, and the bellboy bowed respectfully when he saw Nathan.

While the sun was up, it was quiet, with only the coffee room bustling.

Nathan declined guidance and headed straight to the top-floor VIP room.

A former professional wrestler bodyguard was speaking into a receiver.

The mahogany door was nearly three meters tall, adorned with finely etched gold trim and handles.

The bodyguard stepped aside, and Nathan grasped the handle.

With a sound like compressed air, the door swung open.

Inside were six men in suits and seven young women dressed in little more than underwear.

The man seated at the far end was the same man from the car they had passed.

When his pale blue eyes met Nathan's, he detached the arm of the woman draped over his shoulder and instructed everyone to leave.

They complied without a word, for they were the executives.

The man in the stylish silver-gray suit, which shimmered under the light, stood up to greet Nathan as soon as they were alone.

With platinum blonde hair and a lithe, leopard-like physique, he exuded a sense of elegance that would be unforgettable. His well-defined features bore fine lines, which somehow added to his allure.

“Nathan. You seem to be doing well.”

His voice, low and cold, resonated deep in Nathan's gut.

“But you've taken quite a long time. You could handle one woman easily, couldn’t you?”

“She’s not just a giddy tourist. She’s a professional. It’s not that simple.”

The man turned toward his ebony desk, sinking heavily into a high-backed chair and crossing his long legs.

“Well, I hear making love with a Japanese woman is quite fiery.”

“That’s just a matter of preference.”

The man glanced sideways at Nathan.

He must know about last night.

“Was there a picture?”

“Yeah, but it’s in the warehouse. It can’t be accessed easily.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“If I raise suspicion, it’s over. It’s worth taking the time.”

“If you say so, I might believe you.”

I can’t trust his words. He must have found out about last night because he doesn’t trust me.

"Back then, you were in a hurry too. You shouldn’t have killed him. Right?"

Nathan met the man’s gaze.

His pale blue eyes resembled a frozen winter lake.

The man lifted the corners of his mouth and scattered the photographs that were spread across the desk.

“That little man. He did something foolish.”

One photograph fell at Nathan's feet.

It showed a blood-soaked man’s arm, with the gold-leaf painting reflected in the arm’s direction.

“That man must have tried to sell information to the police. He was a cunning man. This is a warning. If we don’t act quickly, copycats will appear.”

“For the order of Clan Gelo, right? If the data inside gets to the police, we’re finished. Augusto—”Nathan cut off his words, looking at the man—Augusto, the capo (boss) of Clan Gelo.

“As long as she holds the password, the police can’t touch us. This is safer. Also… I’ve been invited to a party by a client from my consulting business. It’s on the last Saturday night of May.”

Augusto briefly lowered his gaze.

“I can’t ignore a business consulting client. That’s your public title; use it to your advantage.”

“Yeah. It’s at a world-class five-star hotel.”

“Tch, we can’t afford to mess this up. Well, fine.”

Augusto smiled slightly and said, “There’s some vintage brandy.”

He prepared a glass himself and retrieved the brandy from a shelf adorned with sculptures.

With a satisfying sound, the brandy was poured.

Augusto offered Nathan the glass.

Inside the glass was a round ice cube, wet with brandy, reflecting the world.

Nathan accepted it. The amber liquid blended rich flavors with its color.

“Nateo, I have high expectations for you.”

Augusto called Nathan by his nickname and lightly tapped his shoulder with his finger.

As Nathan tilted the glass, the world inside it inverted.

The ice cube swallowed the two reflected in the glass.

As promised, Nathan showed up at the gallery. It seemed he had work in the afternoon, so they would be having lunch outside.

He took her to the largest park in the city.

In the center stood a fountain with statues of a man and a woman.

They sat on a bench, looking up at it while eating sandwiches from a food truck.

It was a casual date, but the lemonade blended nicely with the May air. A date like this was nice for a change.

Glancing at Nathan, she noticed his expression was serious.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh?”

She had seen that look recently, yes, at the market.

“...By the way, is your arm injury okay now?”

“Yeah. It’s an old one, so there’s no pain.”

“What happened?”

“Well, to put it simply… I got into a bit of a scuffle. A guy was a little unhinged…”

“What…?”

“It was a long time ago. There was a brawl in the nightlife district. It ended with the police involved.”

“But wasn’t it a knife wound?”

She thought it looked like a cut scar. His left arm, partially hidden by his watch, showed signs of raised skin that looked painful.

Nathan concealed it with his sleeve. His navy linen shirt fluttered in the wind, but he remained still.

He wouldn’t answer if she pressed further.

Shunka looked up at the statue and changed the subject.

“Is this one of your favorites too?”

“Yeah. I like the sound of the water.”

“Even though it has an urban feel, you prefer places with more nature.”

“Now that you mention it… it might be a reaction to that.”

In consulting, a sense of speed is often required. After all, business is typically surrounded by artificiality.

The relaxed atmosphere seemed to refresh him perfectly.

“What do you like about these places?”

“Hmm… I do like parks like this. This one has maple trees, right? It must be beautiful in autumn.”

All the trees planted along the path were maples. Right now, they had fresh, light green leaves, but they would turn spectacular colors as the weather cooled.

“I’ve never been too particular about dates… I do want to eat something delicious, but… I feel like who I spend time with is more important than where we go.”

“I see… If we ever have time, let’s go to the south of France. I hear it’s a tradition to have picnics with white wine there.”

“With you, that sounds nice. As a tourist who knows nothing…”

“...Ah. Shunka, I have a gift for you.”

He presented her with a necklace adorned with diamonds.

It had a rather thin chain, and the finely cut diamonds, scattered like stars, sparkled in the sunlight.

“I thought something was missing for the party I invited you to. Sorry for not being considerate.”

“Eh… a dress is enough.”

“That was borrowed. It’s not a sufficient thank you, is it?”

“So this is your way of thanking me?”

“...No. It’s a personal sentiment mixed in.”

“What kind of personal sentiment?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his characteristic joke, but was unexpectedly met with a serious expression.

“The meaning of the necklace is straightforward.”

— I want to be with you forever.
— I don’t want to let you go.
— I want you to be mine.

Heat rose to her cheeks.

Nathan said, “What, you know?...I’ll leave it up to you what to do.”

“Then, I want you to put it on.”

Nathan softened his gaze and told her to turn around.

Shunka lifted her hair. The chain tickled her décolletage and the nape of her neck.

The clasp fastened, flowing down her back—following that motion, Nathan's fingers brushed against her.

Turning back, she let her hair down and touched the necklace adorning her neck. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the top's engraving featured small flowers as the motif.

“...Thank you. It’s really beautiful.”

“It reminded me of the flowers on your business card. I’m glad you like it.”

Nathan's hand caressed her cheek. As she closed her eyes in comfort, she felt the softness of his lips brush against her eyelids.

That night, Nathan came to the Hôtel Paradiso, and they crawled into the single bed together.

Soon, Shunka would be leaving Italy.

Would she see Nathan again?

Such thoughts crossed her mind as she wrapped her arms around his back and closed her eyes.

(No need for such expectations. No need for anxiety. The only truth is that the moment is here.)

She inhaled deeply, filling her senses with his scent, reminiscent of fragrant wood.

Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

"To be continued"→"Cocytus -Ballerina Under the Moonlight" Episode 6 ※Contains sexual scenes.

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