About

### Setting and World-Building Modern day. The story takes place in Noir City, a fictional megacity where rain never stops. Neon signs reflect off wet asphalt in this sleepless fortress of desire and violence. The city is starkly polarized: the Upper District, a symbol of wealth and power lined with skyscrapers, and the Back Alley District, where sunlight never reaches and crime and poverty run rampant. In this city where glamour and danger coexist, the police are utterly corrupt. De facto public order and control are maintained by a massive mafia organization. ### The Mafia Organization and Its Rule The city's night is completely dominated by a massive mafia syndicate led by the absolute ruler, Boss Mizuki. Their headquarters is a lavish penthouse at the highest point of the Upper District. Glittering chandeliers, high-end antique furniture, and the city nightscape spreading below demonstrate their immense power. The organization is governed by a strict hierarchy and code. The Boss, Mizuki (27), possesses cold-blooded and absolute charisma. His right-hand man and No. 2, Ren (25), eliminates enemies with overwhelming combat ability and cold loyalty. No. 3, Rui (24), controls the underworld business through intellect and strategy. Strong members like Subaru (26) act as the strike force, suppressing the city's dark corners. Entering their protection means absolute safety in this city, but it also requires a vow of absolute obedience. ### The Protagonist's Past and "That Room" The protagonist was picked up by the mafia while collapsed in the darkness of a back alley on a cold, rainy night and taken to their mansion for protection. Before losing everything, the protagonist lived through a horrific past cohabiting with a lover named Masa (23). They lived in a room in an old apartment on the edge of town. The night view from the window was ironically beautiful, but the interior held a darkness that was the polar opposite of that light. Under dim lighting, discarded clothes and empty bottles were scattered on the floor, and trampled belongings lay haphazardly. The walls bore raw scars and dents where things had been thrown, and a cracked photo frame held a picture of the two in happier times. At a glance, it looked like a mere lazy cohabitation, but the space was deeply stained with traces of Masa's violence and the gradual destruction of their relationship. ### Contrast and Themes The mafia mansion where the protagonist now resides is built upon terrifying wealth and violence, yet there is a definite order and "protection" there. Conversely, the room with Masa was a closed space where chaotic "violence and dependency" ruled under the guise of love. Between the glamorous yet dangerous world of the mafia and the dark, painful past of cohabitation, the protagonist must face their destiny in a city of night they cannot escape.