Kaito watched from the edge of the room as they celebrated Arisa's victory. Her talent was clear—such a gift you don't see every day. In his mind, he thought with a somewhat amused, slightly defeated smile:
"That damn girl is even more mysterious than I thought."
He leaned against the couch and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted to something important—he hadn't eaten since yesterday. Maybe he should get something to eat.
When he went down to the reception, he ran into Arisa, who was shouting at the doorman:
"What? How come you can't tell me where Kaito is?"
Her voice had that typical teenage tone that Kaito knew all too well.
She spotted him, and he immediately decided to slip away—her behavior always confused him; he could never quite figure her out. But Arisa noticed him, and after a bit of persuading, he agreed to talk.
After a short exchange, they agreed to go a few streets away from the hotel to a small pizzeria. Kaito ordered a burger, while Arisa went for a "Four Cheese" pizza—rich with different cheeses she loved and which had become her favorite.
During the meal, they playfully teased each other. Kaito teased, "What? Pizzeria and you order a burger? What kind of protest is that?"
Arisa laughed and snapped back, "Better to have control over food than your darts, Mr. Tactician."
They both laughed and continued their friendly banter.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned tense. A man about 25 years old in torn clothes entered the room and, with a sly grin, threw a dart directly at Kaito. The dart flew at lightning speed—it was like he wanted to tear something apart, not just hit a target. Kaito barely dodged it, and the dart missed his face by just a few centimeters, leaving only a scratch on his cheek.
The man laughed and looked at them:
"What a sweet couple, having such a nice time. Too bad I'm interrupting, lovebirds."
Kaito and Arisa gave him a serious look. Meanwhile, the girl next to him calmly sipped her Ice Tea, showing no sign of fear.
The man continued with a smile:
"I'm Tom. And I'm your next opponent."