Yuki stood up. Her voice was calm—the terrifying calm of a woman who has spent ten years mastering the art of patience.

Kenji's voice cracked. "One-seventy."

He crept back into the apartment at 1:45 AM. The bedroom door was open. The bed was empty.

Kenji's synth clattered to the floor.

The warehouse smelled of mildew and ozone. Men in dark coats stood in a loose circle, illuminated by a single bare bulb. No one spoke. At the center, a woman in a surgical mask opened a suitcase. Inside: a mint-condition MS-20. Serial number 002184. His.

"One-fifty. Going once… twice…"

And that, Kenji learned too late, was the real auction—the one where you bid your marriage, and the house always wins.

He told himself it wasn't a lie. It was a tactical omission. Yuki was asleep by 10 PM. He'd be back by 1 AM. She'd never know.