Fucking wings

      The girl slides her gaze confusedly over the people standing at the station. They all have indifferent, cold faces with inexpressive eyes. As if their souls had been sucked out. Some are absorbed in their gadgets, others are talking quietly, not looking at their interlocutor. Their grey suits are depressing and dreary, as if it were not the hot summer but the gloomy autumn, Leylin Oda's least favourite season.        Leylin's eyes stared at the only bright spot that flickered five steps away from her as she shivered in the breeze. A timid smile pops up on her face, holding out hope for something. Oda cautiously but quickly approaches the blonde girl dressed in a soft pink dress. She looks up from the book she was reading earlier and smiles.        The smile on Leylin's face becomes bolder, and she speaks to this nice looking girl.       - Excuse me, can you tell me where Roppongi is? I was going to follow the navigator, but my phone's dead," Oda's voice is filled with hope mixed with worry: what if this girl doesn't know the way? Then I'll have to go to one of those frowning men standing nearby....       She doesn't notice the blonde's face changing from one of friendliness to one of bewilderment and fear.       - Roppongi? Why do you want to go there?       Leylin is confused by the sudden change in her interlocutor, but answers honestly:       - I'm looking for Ran Haitani. Do you know him?       The girl recoils involuntarily, but bites her lip as she pulls herself together. Her eyes look at Leylin uncertainly. Oda's simple and bright face inspires confidence in her, and after a few long moments of hesitation, she makes up her mind.       - He... yes... Miss, I don't know why you want him, but... Ran Haitani, — she drops to a barely audible whisper, — is one of Tokyo's most dangerous men... A criminal...       Leylin feels her pupils dilate, losing focus. Her vision blurs and her heart quickens its rhythm. A shocking thought of a desperate bird beats in her head.        Criminal... Criminal... Ran Haitani is a dangerous criminal... Criminal?        Oda shakes her head in confusion. This is something she didn't expect at all.       No, this girl must have just made a mistake....       But there can be no mistake. The poorly concealed terror in the stranger's eyes can't be caused by nothing.       - Miss... You see, what I mean is... His men killed my brother, — in desperation, she clings to Leylin's hand, as if holding back from something terrifying. - Miss, please… don't go looking for him... Please! Please!       God, isn’t she crazy?..       Leylin swallows, biting the delicate skin on her lower lip until it hurts. Her slender hands trembled, clutching a small black purse with a gift for the person she was looking for. Ran Haitani could have received from her the beautiful silver cufflinks she spent a lot of money on. But now Oda didn't even think of them - her attention was on the man heading in their direction.        She didn't notice the moment he appeared.       His lips are set in a smirk, but there's no mirth in his eyes. His sharp gaze is directed at Leylin, who begins to slowly back away. Standing with her back to the man, her companion turns round, surprised at the horror written on her face.       The unfamiliar girl's mouth twisted in a mute scream, and she immediately ran away. Leylin can't move - she's stuck to the rough tiles of the station.        With an occasional wince, she watches the man getting closer and closer. Realisation flashes through her mind. Her aunt had shown her a photograph of this very man.       Ran Haitani.       Her gut screams with exasperation to run, but Leylin continues to stand motionless as he rubs a strand of her platinum hair, breathing in her scent.       - Do you like chocolate?       She nods. She does, and a lot. That's why she even bought perfume in that flavour. The little neighbourhood kids in the yard always fawned over her, thinking she had chocolates with her.        - Let's go.       Haitani gently takes her hand and, seeing no resistance, leads her. Intertwining their fingers, he pulls the girl closer to him. Leylin, lips pressed to a whitish colour, struggles to keep up with his steps. Inadvertently gets tangled in the long hem of the tight wool dress and sighs apprehensively.        - Careful.       Ran slows down, and Oda, biting her lip, continues to tread after him.       The Haitani’s men cordoning off the station wouldn't have let her do otherwise anyway.                                      ***       Leylin stomps hesitantly behind the man as he frowns, speaking softly to a rather strange man. Dyed pink, his long hair is braided into a high ponytail, and the corners of his tightly pressed lips are decorated with gruesome scars. The look in his green eyes is piercing.       Creepy.       Then the pink-haired man turns his attention to her. Leylin notices the knife glinting in his hands as he turns towards her. Her blood runs cold in her veins, but she doesn't show it.       She can't. Predators like fear.       When she christened herself a victim is unknown, but it feels exactly like that. As if she really is such a defenseless little beast, caught completely by accident in the hands of unkind predators. Well, accidents are not accidents, as they say.        - Is that her?        Ran nods, turning to Leylin with a smile. The latter looks at the men uncertainly.        - This is Haruchiyo Akashi. Or just Sanzu, — Haitani introduces her, but Oda remains silent, already staring at the floor. She's not interested in Rana's acquaintances, who are probably just as dangerous people. Who knows - maybe if she knows more than normal people, she'll end up in trouble. So Leylin, suddenly daring and waiting for the men to be distracted by the conversation again, puts headphones in her ears as discreetly as possible and covers them with her long hair.       Just before she can get into the atmosphere of the song, someone immediately pulls her headphones out and she blinks in bewilderment.       Ran looks at her with a soft, even affectionate gaze, but at the same time there's something about it that makes her squirm. Oda presses his lips together and hands over his headphones without further ado.       Sanzu watches all of this silently, curving his lips in a grin. The scars curve, becoming even creepier.        - We're not going to eat you, stop looking so scared. I'm not sure about him, though, — he nods at Ran and leaned towards her, showing her that what he was saying might be true. He had noticed her fear after all. Leylin wrinkles his nose slightly as his cold hand rubs the top of her head. The girl doesn't have to cast it off herself - Haitani does it for her.       - Sanzu, — a growl can be heard in his voice, Haitani exuding a murderous aura.        Haruchiyo raises her hands conciliatorily and steps away from Oda, shifting her eyes from one man to the other and trying not to flinch. Ran is the first to notice her confusion and squeezes her hand.        - Don't be afraid.       - It’s… it’s okey.       Leylin nods and plunged into silent again but she has grown weary of the unknown and the tension. Her eyelids suddenly become heavy, as if poured with lead, so she wonders: how can one want to sleep in such a situation...?        The girl flinches as the warm, pleasant-smelling jacket is placed on her shoulders and she finds herself in Haitani's arms. Ran gingerly brushes the whitish fringes off her forehead, which has turned unnaturally pale, and Leylin involuntarily snuggles against his warm body with her own, chilled with anxiety.       The man's words came to her already through her slumber.       - Sleep well, Lin. I am with you.       Oh, that’s the nickname her mother called her earlier…       She doesn't feel the weightless kiss on her forehead - her sleep is too sound.                                      ***       The tiny bird waves its wings with special diligence; it squeaks so desperately that it seems as if its flight can save her life. To save her from something terrible, hidden by the dead darkness.       This assumption is too close to the truth - a tail is wrapped around a thin, fragile bird's foot with a tight ring. The creepy beautiful scales lead him to the right idea that the creature is as beautiful as it is dangerous.       The snake opens its burning red eyes, greedily devours its unfortunate victim with its gaze. But she doesn't have to be unhappy for long - he will do everything to make her life the best, to match her. He will take her to his golden shelter.