Chapter 28: One Way (or another)

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After Shinsou hangs up with his boss, he's feeling marginally lighter now that so many things are making sense. He carefully slips out of bed and opens his bedroom door. The scent of pad thai hangs strongly in the air, and he pauses in the hallway.

There's a large to-go box on the kitchen counter. He strides over to it and touches the lid.

It's still warm.

There's a vaguely unsettling sensation creeping up his throat as he calls out, "I hope you didn't expect me to eat all this by myself, Midori."

He's not really expecting an answer. Midori has been in and out of his apartment since late last night.

But he's dropped off food, recently, so he shouldn't be far.


He pulls out his phone and sends him a text.


> i hope this humongous box isn't just for me

> bring enough for us both

> means you help me eat it

> i have to watch my girlish figure


He watches for any notification that his messages have been read.

Five minutes go by.

Nothing.


> i think i tore one of my stitches

> plz send help


No response. His messages remain unopened.


It might actually be nothing, he thinks, his gaze flicking over to the balcony door. He slips outside and peeks around the corner to see if Midori is home. The lights are off.

The bedroom window is open.

His eyes narrow as he leans in through the window frame.

The room is in shambles.


What the fuck.


(Hitoshi does not panic.)

He moves quickly (with his heart in his throat) to slip in through the open window, taking in the sight of everything wrong.

Who?

What?


Midori's phone lights up on his nightstand, and Hitoshi rushes over to the illuminated device to see his message notifications pop up as a reminder that they've yet to be opened.

His attention flicks around the room, looking for any other details he may have missed.

Nothing else is disturbed. No signs of blood. The front door is still locked. Aside from the open window, no signs of forced entry.


The pad thai was still warm. He had to have been here within the last twenty minutes.


He hadn't heard anything. Was this going on while he was yelling at his boss over the phone?


His phone pings a new message. He knows it can't possibly be Midori, but his heart leaps with anticipation anyways as he whips it out of his pocket.

the cute guy next door (might be a villain) // ShinZukuWhere stories live. Discover now