Yuna and I arrived at the campsite together, expecting to see a large crowd of people already there waiting for us.
Instead, the only person there was Hidemi.
Not that I'm complaining, of course.
She was standing with her arms folded, inspecting the tents.
"Yo. Hidemi." I nodded toward her, catching her attention. She looked over her shoulder and immediately smiled.
"Ah, Chiyo! And Yuna too!" Hidemi spoke. "I'm so glad to see someone finally arrived. On-time too!"
"Yeah. Chiyo...really wanted to be on time-" Yuna pointed out.
"Anyway!" I interrupted her as soon as possible. "Where are the others?"
"I don't know...I got here extra early to try and plan sleeping arrangements with everyone, but no one is here!" Hidemi sighed. I made the time very clear too...What if they all forgot?"
"I doubt all of them would forget." I shrugged. "Besides, Yuna and I are here. Surely that's enough to help your planning?"
"You do make a good point...Alright! Here's my idea so far." She sat down on one of the wooden logs, Yuna and I joining her. "I'm thinking of splitting the guys and girls. As there is one tent big enough to hold five people, the boys should sleep there. That would be comfortable enough for them, right?"
"Probably." Yuna assumed.
"If not, I'm sure they can just huddle together to fit." I jokingly said. "What else?"
"As for us girls, we should split into pairs! The remaining four tents each can hold two people, so that should be good for the eight of us." She grinned.
"And how are you gonna pair us up?" I wondered.
"Oh, I'll leave that up to everyone else. I'm sure some girls would rather sleep next to others. I shouldn't force anything." Hidemi explained, but then shyly turned away. "But..."
I couldn't even hear what she said next. Her mumblings were incomprehensible.
"Uh...What did you say?" Yuna asked.
"O-Oh...I was wondering if..."
Yet again, we couldn't hear her.
"Hey, you might want to repeat that again." I leaned back on the wooden log, trying to hear her.
"Um..." Hidemi's eyes nervously wandered onto me. "I was wondering...No! Hoping...That you would share a tent...with me. If that's ok with you, of course!" She then anxiously laughed, trying to hide her blushing face.
"Seriously?" I sat straight and smirked. "Duh. Obviously, I will. I was probably gonna ask you."
"R-Really!" She sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. I'm glad."
Looks like I'm sorted with Hidemi. I wonder how tonight will go.
"Hm...Maybe Kairi would want to share with me." Yuna thought out loud.
Suddenly, we were interrupted by a loud groan.
"Ugh. Why do you guys have to be here?"
Glancing behind me, I saw that it was Yukari.
Just great...
"Hello to you too." I sarcastically replied. "Still acting like an asshole?"
"No shit, Sherlock Holmes. I want to appreciate my talent, no thanks to you lot." She glared at the three of us, before laughing at us. "Though, judging by your clothes, I can tell my night's sleep is going to be muchhhh better."
"What are you implying?" Hidemi asked.
That's when I noticed Yukari's clothes.
Instead of her usually flashy performance outfit with her cape and shorts, Yukari wore an outfit almost like actually pyjamas, fitted and made with silk as well, shining in the sunset.
"Where the hell did you get that?" I inspected her outfit.
"My dressing room." She summarised. "I had to prepare something to wear before it got locked away. No way I'm gonna sleep in those clothes in these tents! I don't want to stoop to your levels after all."
"So rude..." Yuna sighed. "Wait...Isn't that against the talent ban?"
"Uh, no it's not. I'm not doing anything related to my talent! I'm just wearing this, moron. Geez." she rolled her eyes.
"How did you even know we would be sleeping here?" The lawyer said.
"Common sense, dumbass." Yukari avoided sitting down beside us, choosing to stay standing. "I can't believe my future and talent are supposed to rely on you guys and your dumb decisions." She scoffed. "As if I'm going to allow that."
"Right. Sure. Whatever." I shrugged.
At this point, I've given up on even trying to listen to Yukari. Half of her suggestions just involve the killing game.
She must seriously hate us.
And now she's probably going to sleep in a tent near mine. God knows what she's going to try and do during the night.
"Sorry for being late." I heard a voice say.
Behind Yukari were the guys, Tatsuo leading them after speaking up.
Surprisingly, Satoshi was with them too, although clinging and staying by Kenjiro.
Well, at least he's getting along with the others...I think.
"I can excuse your lateness." Hidemi smiled. "We were just going over sleeping arrangements. Would you guys be comfortable sharing the big tent together? It might be a tight squeeze but I'm sure it won't be too bad."
"We don't have any complaints, so sure." Tatsuo nodded.
"Yeah..." Finn sighed, agreeing with him.
"What's up with you?" I asked.
"I...I miss Archie." He cried out loud, nearly shedding tears.
"C-Calm down!" Akihiro exclaimed. "Just take it easy!"
Satoshi seemed unsure and inched his gaze toward Hidemi. "Do...Do I have to share with them?"
"Hm? If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm sure I can find somewhere for you..." Hidemi tried to reimagine her entire idea.
"Are you sure?" Kenjiro whispered into Satoshi's ear, just loud enough for me to barely hear.
"...I-I don't want to make things difficult." He sighed. "I'll try my best, Hidemi."
"Glad to hear it." She smiled.
"I just hope none of you guys snore! A guy like me has to rest well, you know." Akihiro mentioned.
"I doubt that's going to be an issue," Tatsuo replied.
"You never know...I can sleep through literally anything though, so I'm more worried about you guys right now!" He grinned.
"If only I could be so lucky. I wake up so easily..." The motorcyclist exhaled a breath.
"Dude, just listen to my ASMR. Or even my sleep schedule advice. Or even my music!" Akihiro gave random ideas.
"You...You r-really make all of that?" Kenjiro didn't believe it.
"Duh. I can make anything." Aki proudly proclaimed. "It's a shame I'll never be able to make more..."
During their whole conversation, I examined their outfits.
"What are you guys wearing...?" I wondered.
"Huh?" Kenjiro looked at his clothes. "Oh...These are t-the gym uniforms."
"You know, pretty decent pyjamas substitutes." Aki grinned. "If you just ignore the gross material."
"I guess if all of us guys are gonna be stuck in one tent, we might as well be comfortable." Finn shrugged.
"Yeah, but...The fabric...isn't really that nice." Satoshi's shoulders slumped. "It's like some cheap stuff you'd get online. I miss my own clothes..."
"For real...I feel weird just wearing them. Now I know why Chiyo was complaining." Tatsuo hummed. "But it's the best we got."
"Good thing I just settled with just the sweat pants." Finn rubbed the back of his neck.
I just noticed he was shirtless, now stretching and trying to surprise a yawn.
"Right. Why are you shirtless...?" Yuna questioned him.
"You see, that disease made my body pretty sensitive...That shirt was not good for my skin at all!" He explained. "This is why I settle with handmade clothes."
Finn then glanced down at his body and sighed wistfully once more. "...My torso feels empty without Archie crawling all over it."
"Are you serious?" Satoshi crossed his arms.
"I can't help it! Everything reminds me of him." The blonde-haired boy raised his hands in defeat. "I really do miss him."
"Where did you guys get changed? The locker rooms?" Hidemi's assumed.
"Yep. The guys all used the changing room at the gym." Tatsuo then gestured toward himself. "I had to be stuck in my lab to change. Had to lock up and tidy away some stuff so as to not leave a mess. So I just changed my clothes and left in a rush to meet them before coming here. If only I hadn't left my jacket...That would have been a good supply blanket." He shrugged. "There's nothing I can do now."
"What about you girls? There's still time to change at the gym before nighttime." Akihiro suggested.
"On behalf of us girls, we will decline," Hidemi responded.
"Yeah. We girls will stick to what we have on. It might not be comfortable...but we'll get used to it. I'd rather wear this than those gym outfits any day." I nodded, backing Hidemi up.
"On behalf of all the girls except me, of course." Yukari laughed, pointing to her outfit once again. "I'm ten steps ahead you morons."
"Suit yourselves," Akihiro said. "Wait...m-moron?!? I've read more creative insults from my comments than that!"
"Don't ask for it." She gave him an icy glare.
After that discussion, the rest of the group arrived. First Kairi, then Shouko. Out of nowhere, Kokoro showed up, still acting standoffish.
Ryoko also appeared seemingly looking content with herself.
Hidemi went through the sleeping arrangements once again and the majority of us agreed.
"Now, before the girls can choose their tents and partners, we should let the boys do their easy job first." Hidemi turned to the guys. "The large tent is split into two halves. One holds two people with some extra space while the other holds three for a more...tight experience. You should decide between the five of you who sleeps where."
"Alright, guys." Tatsuo, acting as their self-appointed leader, spoke up. "How should we fairly settle this-"
"I dibs the pair space! The more free room, the better for me." Akihiro grinned, just claiming one of the spots.
"Are...Are you serious?" Tatsuo just stared at him blankly.
"Look, for my last night as a proper influencer, just let me have this. Ok?"
"Fine." He then sighed and turned to the other three boys. "Well then...Rock paper scissors. The winner gets the other part of the duo space with Akihiro. The three losers share the other half. Sound good?"
Finn, Kenjiro and Satoshi all gave a low-effort nod. The four boys got into their rock paper scissors tournament until...
"Damn...I didn't know I was so good at rock paper scissors." Tatsuo clenched his right fist and smirked. "Maybe I'll sleep decently tonight after all."
"That's so rigged..." Satoshi sighed.
"No way. It was fair!" Tatsuo refuted the accusation. "Why would I cheat in rock paper scissors?"
"Looks like us three are together." Finn glanced at the other two. "Maybe that's not too bad. We can make it work!"
"Yeah...Key word being maybe." Satoshi shrugged.
"Well, now that's sorted," Hidemi began once again. "You boys should get a start to building your own tent. Is that reasonable?"
"Yep, that's fine." Tatsuo nodded, gesturing for the other guys to come with him. "Let's get started."
The boys departed, leaving us girls alone.
"Now, for the rest of us, we should pair up and pick a tent to use. You all can pick whoever you want. Take your time." Hidemi's instructed.
Some of the girls split off to go talk to others and offer to sleep in the same tent as them. I wasn't surprised at all when Ryoko came up to me. In fact, she got right in my face.
"Ah, Chiyo!" She began, smirking and cupping my face. "It's an obvious fact that the only person here that you should be sharing a tent with...is me!"
"I-" I pushed her hand away and was about to turn her down, but she kept going.
"So let's go put our tent up, ok? I can give great instructions and if push comes to shove...Maybe I'll move a finger if really necessary."
Ryoko started walking towards an empty tent laid out on the floor, assuming I had already agreed and was following her. She noticed she couldn't hear any other footsteps and turns around, seeing I was still standing.
"Uh...What are you waiting for?" She cocked an eyebrow, standing up straight.
"I'm not going to share with you."
"Huh?!?" She gasped. "Oh heavens! Why not?"
"I made plans to share with Hidemi before you even showed up. It's not like I'm gonna go against my word." I explained why. "And besides...You're kinda weird."
"H-Hidemi?!? Over me?" Ryoko sounded shocked but then cackled. "Oh! What a funny joke...Hilarious even!"
I just stared blankly at her. "I'm being serious, you know."
"...Fine. What can I do about that? Hidemi before me..." she gave a low effort shrug and turned away from me, glancing around the crowd. "Ah, Kokoro!"
"H-hm?" The matchmaker slowly inched her head upward to see Ryoko.
"How about we share a tent? Imagine all the...the fun! That's right!" Ryoko tried her best to convince her.
"N-No! Ryoko...Y-You killed Shunsuke and...And just wear his ring-"
"I'm so glad you agree!" Ryoko silenced her with a hand, making sure it was the one wearing Shunsuke's stolen ring. "Just trust me, ok sweetie. I may sound bad...But just spend some time with me. Then it'll all be clear! After all, I'm better than everyone here."
Kokoro didn't even have a chance to argue as Ryoko linked her arm with her and began dragging her away to a free tent, cheering and giggling. "Oh, Kokoro! We're going to have such a splendid time together!"
All I saw was almost a desperate cry for help from Kokoro's expression before the pair disappeared behind some trees.
"What was that...?" Hidemi wondered, walking over with the supplies needed to build our tent.
"Don't even ask." I shook my head. "Poor Kokoro..."
-
About an hour and a half in, many of the tents started to take their shape after our hard work.
The guys were still banding together to get theirs up though after the chaos. Tatsuo was trying his best to hammer down some pegs while Akihiro just blabbered on one side of the structure. On the other, Finn kept apologising for slamming Kenjiro's hand with the hammer...
Multiple times.
Now, he was holding an ice pack to the psychologist's hand from the med kit that Kairi had wisely brought.
As for the other pairs, Yuna and Kairi seemingly worked well, their tent being the most well put together so far. Ryoko just instructed Kokoro on what to do against her will, but occasionally gave a hand. Shouko's hands were almost falling off from the amount of work she has done so far while Yukari watched, criticising how messy it looked.
I guess those last two didn't want to be paired up together either. They were the only ones left...
Satoshi stood a fair distance away from the guys, choosing to rather help Hidemi and me rather than them. He would pass us tools and sometimes even do some work. We were each working on a separate peg until Hidemi stopped.
"C-Crap."
"What's wrong?" I lifted my head up, scooting up next to her.
"It's...It's nothing. I just hit my hand, that's all!" She attempted to play it down.
"That's why is it so...bruised? And pulsating?" Satoshi asked.
"Oh...Oh no!" Hidemi glanced back down at her hand and realised her stepbrother was right.
"Tut tut. Doesn't that look painful?" Ryoko said, now peering over us.
"Ah-" I jumped at her presence. "Shit...Where did you come from?"
"Relax, I'm not an evil monster." She smirked, raising the med kit now in her hands. "Let's say I just...borrowed this off of that spider boy, hm?"
Slowly looking behind her, I saw that Finn was now frantically searching for the med kit for an injured Kenjiro.
She must have really swiped that carefully.
"Right." I sighed. "Just help Hidemi. Her hand is seriously messed up."
"It's fine, it's- H-Hey!" Hidemi's claim got interrupted by Ryoko's hands forcefully pulling her up, examining her hand and wrist, and brushing her fingers against her skin.
"Now..." Ryoko paused for a moment before grinning. "This is quite the injury, isn't it?"
"...I s-suppose so."
"Well then, let's get this healed, shall we?"
After tending to Hidemi's wound, Ryoko dropped the med kit down. However, her hands remained on Hidemi's wrist for slightly longer, as if she was fascinated.
"Ok!" Hidemi quickly pulled her arm away, adjusting her sleeve. "T-Thanks Ryoko...You should go back to your tent now, don't you think? I'm sure Kokoro needs help."
Ryoko smirked, finally dropping Hidemi's arm. "Right. Maybe you're right."
Satoshi and I watched as she walked away, the former groaning once she left.
"...I don't like her."
"At least you're honest." I gave him that.
Hidemi twisted the fabric on her wrist and sighed. "That was...bizarre. But let's get back to work guys. This tent won't finish building itself!" She then returned to her normal voice.
"Of course. The earlier," I replied. "The better."
-
After all the tents were built - with some far better than others - we were treated to a dinner by that campfire which consisted of bottles of water and grilled cheese sandwiches that Finn had made.
Yet again, his sandwiches were to die for.
Most of us enjoyed them with only a few complaints. Yukari refused to eat it saying she would rather starve than even try it whereas Tatsuo seemed to be happier with an energy drink rather than water.
Satoshi was amazed at the taste, seemingly in love with the sandwich. Once I saw his expression of absolute joy, I smirked slightly, pulling off the other half of my own sandwich.
"Here you go, buddy. Since you like it so much." I handed it to him.
"S-Seriously?!?" He gasped.
"Yep. Enjoy it."
Satoshi didn't even reply, already digging into the half I just gave him.
Geez, someone was starving...
By the time the nighttime announcement played, most of us had finished eating. Finn and I were given the responsibility of taking all the plates back to the dining room as the others entered their tents for the night.
I guess it's not too bad of a job. The long walk might actually be good for me. Especially since it's at night. Talk about atmosphere.
The two of us left the dishes in the sink to be washed tomorrow and quietly made our way back to the tents. Due to the moonlight, I caught a glimpse of Finn's torso, finding some marks and scarring.
"Hey...What's with all the scars?" I asked him, yawning.
"Huh? These things?" He gestured to his body and shrugged. "Nothing too bad. Just products of a bunch of surgery. What can I say? Having some really bad disease is no fun."
"Yeah, I can tell. It sounds horrible, man." I sighed.
"Although, the ones on my legs are completely my fault. Too many skateboarding accidents." He chuckled. "But it's fine! I'm honestly pretty proud of these scars. They remind me of all the stuff I've been through." he said, and Finn smiled. "Plus, they make me look...cool, don't you think? Super cool!" Finn then jokingly posed, showing them off.
"Ok, now you've lost me, dork." I laughed, teasingly pushing him to the side.
"H-Hey!"
After our friendly banter, we made it back to the camping site. Finn waved and wished me a good night before entering his tent while I found mine and Hidemi's. I tiredly pulled down the zipper and crouched, crawling inside without really checking what was going on. By the time I had closed the tent back up and turned out, my eyes adjusted and I realised.
Inside was Hidemi, in the middle of taking her shirt off.
I immediately paused in my tracks, my mouth just opening wide. Hell, I can even feel my face heating up a bit.
"Ah! Chiyo, you're here." Hidemi finally noticed me once her shirt and waistcoat were off and folded away in a corner of a tent. She heard my silence and felt confused. "Are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah...Um...Yeah!" I tried my best to act completely fine.
Hidemi knew right off the bat I was lying. That's when she looked down and noticed her lack of clothing, her upper half only covered by her bra.
"O-Oh..." she said, but then began to panic, her face now covered in pink. "I'm...I-I'm so sorry! Ah, this is a m-mess! I should have-"
"No, no!" I cleared my throat and grinned in an attempt to reassure her. "It's fine. I'd probably do the same thing. It's way more comfortable than sleeping in a tight tent with some annoying clothes."
"Right..." she took a deep breath. "Um...would it be alright if I got into my underwear to sleep? It's a shame I didn't plan a change of clothes. And I should've asked if you were comfortable with me undressing."
"Yep! Fine. Totally fine!" I gave her a thumbs up and turned around so I didn't invade her privacy.
"Alright."
I could hear the shifting of clothes behind me, but then Hidemi froze.
"Are you going to change as well?"
"Huh?" I looked back but quickly turned away noticing she still wasn't done. "C-Can I?"
"Of course, silly!"
"Well...If you say so."
Geez, now I'm the one getting flustered around her. Since when did the tables turn?
Soon we were both ready and laid down, back to back.
Now, this is just awkward.
"Um...Goodnight!" Hidemi spoke.
"Right. Sleep well."
We went silent for a few moments, but I could tell neither of us could fall asleep.
I normally don't sleep that well anyway...How the hell am I gonna sleep at all in a tent?!?
"Hey...Chiyo." Hidemi began.
"Yeah?"
"I can't sleep."
"I could tell." I sighed. "Sorry."
"No, it's not your fault." She said. "However...We should do something about it. Let's see."
Hidemi's first idea was to fully turn around and I followed, so we were now face to face with each other.
"Ah, much better." She hummed. "Oh wow, you are extremely cold right now, you know."
"I didn't even realise." I shrugged. "I didn't want to hog the blanket anyway so...you can use it."
She gasped. "Are you crazy? It's fine! I mean, each tent got one while the boys got two. But they're small blankets anyway. And...I want to share it. With you. So come closer! And if it's still cold, we can use our clothes for warmth."
"I can't say no to that offer."
I did as she told me, my head inches away from hers.
"Is this better?" She wondered.
"Yeah...way better."
"I'm glad." Hidemi smiled, but then her expression went awry. She glanced back at me and exhaled a deep breath. "Hey Chiyo, do you trust me? At all?"
"Hm?" I was slightly taken aback. "Where did this come from all of a sudden?"
"Just...Answer me. Please?"
"Then...Sure. Why do you ask?"
"Good because...I feel obligated to get this off my chest. Don't tell anyone, alright?" She requested.
"Depends on whatever this thing is," I said, but then smiled. "But I won't. I just hope it's nothing bad."
"Well, you see..."
Hidemi pulled her hand up from under the blanket and that's when I finally saw it.
A wristband.
"O-Oh my god!" I gasped.
"Pretty unlucky, huh?" She lightened the mood by chuckling. "I couldn't keep it a secret longer. I had to tell someone eventually. I'm glad it was you."
"That...That sucks!"
"Yeah, it does a bit more than suck." Hidemi rubbed the back of her neck. "Having to be careful with everything I say or do...It's a major hindrance to my normal life. Well, not that this place is particularly normal."
At that moment, I felt my own wristband on my wrist.
If Hidemi was so comfortable telling me about hers...Then maybe I should tell her...
You know what? I should go for it. Hidemi is probably the most trustworthy one here.
"Hey...do you trust me?" I repeated the same words she said to me earlier.
"Hm? Oh, yeah?"
I raised my own wrist up, showing off my wristband with a half-assed smile. "I got one too. I guess we're both in the same boat, huh?"
"Wow." She laughed. "This...This really does suck."
"Told you so."
"But..." she faced me. "I'm glad you told me."
"I'm glad I did too." I thought for a moment. "Do you wanna tell each other our rules?"
"Oh..." Hidemi shook her head. "Sorry...I don't feel comfortable with that. It's nothing against you! It's just-"
"Nah, that's fine. I get it." I shrugged. "But...Why bring it up in the first place?"
Hidemi's eyes widened for a moment and she gulped, taking a deep breath. "Ryoko knows..."
"W-What?!?" I exclaimed. "Did you tell her or something?"
"N-No!" She replied. "Earlier, when I hurt my wrist. That's when she grabbed it and...well, saw it. I don't know if she meant to do that, on purpose, but my gut is telling me she wanted to know. And now she does.
"Ryoko..." I sighed, clenching my fists. "God, why is she so insufferable! Almost like a serious bitch..."
"I suppose so." Hidemi sighed. "But, now that she knows this, I hate to think what she would do with this information. Blackmail me? Taunt me? Or...maybe even try to kill me."
"No."
"H-Huh?"
"I won't let that happen." I took her hand in mine. "Knowing Ryoko, she might be brewing up some kind of scheme in that stupid head of hers but...I won't let anything happen to you. Especially not from Ryoko."
"..." Hidemi seemed speechless, but hesitated. "I-If...If something does happen to me, can you take care of Satoshi for me?"
"Don't say shit like that!" I lightly hit her shoulder, trying to knock some sense into her.
"Just...Promise me you will, ok?"
"...Fine. If, and I mean if, something happens, I'll look out for the guy." I sighed. "But I also promise to not let anything happen to you, got it? It's a deal."
"...Got it. Deal." She chuckled and we shook hands, solidifying the agreement.
"However, I still don't feel tired." She mentioned.
"Yeah, neither do I."
"I'm sure it'll take a while for us to fall asleep...How about some discussion?" She rested her head on her hand. "Hm...Why journalism? And crime specifically? Is it a family thing or...?"
"Nah, not at all. My dad is a detective at the police station near where we live. He's a damn good one too, so I guess that's where my problem-solving skill comes from." I boasted a bit.
"My, that's impressive! What about your mother?" She wondered.
My words got caught in my throat as I glanced away. "Um...She's not exactly in the picture anymore."
"What do you-"
"She died." I bluntly said, letting go of Hidemi's hand to cross my arms.
"O-Oh..." her expression changed as she sighed. "I'm...I'm so sorry. I should of-"
"It's...fine." I hesitated but shrugged. "I mean...When she died, I was just three, you know? So...So it's not like I knew what happened back then."
"I see...I apologise if this sound rude but, how did she die?" Hidemi wondered.
"Murdered," I replied. "Found in some alleyway beaten, bruised...you know."
"Oh my god!?!" She gasped, covering her mouth. "That's...that's dreadful! Are you ok?"
"I'm...I'm fine. Yeah, totally fine." I brushed it off.
"...Are you sure?"
I paused for a moment and gave in and sighed. "Of course, I'm not. But I just have to try and keep a brave face up...."
"Why?"
"Well, being the guy that he is, my dad tried to investigate her death as much as he could, staying up nights just trying to find clues, but nothing. He'd even drink two bottles of whiskey sometimes just to stay up and go over more files. That would leave me, some dumb toddler, alone at home most nights. Her death really destroyed him at first."
"That's terrible..."
"Yeah but...after seeing all his determination, I guess that's what inspired me to keep a brave face up and to write. Three years later I was at the police station already planning articles. I even had to take care of my six-year-old self for a bit." I continued.
"And what about your dad?" She asked.
"Over time, he slowed down. Then he finally just...gave up. He saw what I was doing and realised...he'd been a terrible father, especially now being a single one. So he stepped up to the plate and tried his best. Now, he's the best dad I could ever ask for. Fifteen years sober too. I'm really proud of him. The taste of any alcohol practically makes him want to puke now."
"At least that's not so bad."
"My dad's probably worried sick right now though." I sighed, feeling bad for him. "After what happened with my mum, he must be stressed and searching for me endlessly. I can't blame him. I suppose that's why...I'd rather leave here without my talent than stay and worry him further."
"That's sweet." Hidemi weakly smiled.
"When I saw Akemi, I was just frozen in shock for a few seconds just trying to process his body," I admitted. "But in the back of my mind, there she was in that alleyway. Almost in the same sitting position...No wonder I try to suppress her these days."
"I'm...I'm sorry. Once again." Hidemi sighed.
"...It's fine." I closed my eyes and turned away, but glanced back at her. "...Can I have a hug?"
"O-Oh! Sure!" Hidemi was momentarily flustered but accepted.
"A-Alright, thanks." I turned back around and felt Hidemi's arms wrap around my waist, her head resting on my shoulder.
"Still...I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." Hidemi whispered into her ear. "You're amazing. Honestly, I'm in love with your determination. Now that's really admirable."
My heart almost stopped at her words as my cheeks blushed. I slowly smiled. "T-Thank you."
This did help...The talk, the blanket, plus Hidemi's embrace did warm me up a bunch. I really owe it to her for this.
"Hey, hidemi?" I spoke up but got no reply. Instead, just soft snores.
She's asleep with her arms still wrapped around me...That's good.
I too eventually fell asleep in her embrace and to be honest, it was the first time I slept well in a while.
-
I sat up, yawning while stretching my arms. When I awoke, Hidemi was already getting dressed. She noticed me and smiled.
"Good morning! Did you sleep well?"
"Surprisingly, yes." I rubbed my eyes. "Thanks again for last night..."
"It's no problem." She smiled.
"What time even is it? I didn't hear any morning announcement." I wondered.
"Right, that's a good question."
Hidemi took out her handbook from under her pile of clothes and gasped. "It's already past eleven?!?"
"Oh damn? That really was a nice sleep." I grinned.
"The announcement played hours ago...Why didn't we hear it?"
"I forgot!" I realised. "The tents are soundproof. No wonder we didn't hear. I guess it's a gift for our last day here. An extra long sleep."
"Leaving...That sounds wonderful." Hidemi happily sighed. "I can't wait to leave with you."
"Neither can I." I returned the sentiment. "I suppose the others are still asleep. You know what they say, the early bird gets the worm...even if we're not that early."
Hidemi and I both got dressed and unzipped our tent, walking outside. As we had guessed, all of the other tents where the girls were staying were closed and zipped up.
"So we're the first girls awake," I concluded.
Hidemi and I made our way over to the boy's tent and to our surprise, saw two guys already awake, the other three presumably still inside.
Tatsuo was lying with his left hand on the floor and the other behind his back doing steady push-ups. The other boy, Finn, was still shirtless and sat crossed-legged on top of Tatsuo's back, eating another grilled cheese.
Finn saw Hidemi and me and quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, grinning and waving. "Heya! Good morning you too."
"Good...Morning." Tatsuo said between push-ups.
"Morning." I greeted them. "Why're you two up so early? And...working out?"
"We only got up like twenty minutes ago. Well, I woke up and made myself some breakfast. Tatsuo just couldn't sleep. So he's doing a morning workout in the sun." Finn explained.
"Why's that?" Hidemi wondered.
Tatsuo let Finn get off of him and got up, clenching his fists and wincing from the weight now off his back. "Sleeping next to Akihiro...Was a mistake. He takes up so much room and sleep talks. A nightmare..."
"Well, that sounds like the worst." I chuckled.
"My sleep was pretty decent." Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "Though...When I woke up, Satoshi and Kenjiro were gone."
"Those two might be up?" Hidemi wondered.
"Looks like it." I nodded. "I wonder where they went."
"So everyone else is still asleep, and us four seem to be a bit groggy still." Hidemi thought. "How about before we get together for breakfast, or should I say brunch...a morning walk? Surely that would do us some good before we leave tonight, hm?"
"Sounds great. And I won't deny a second breakfast." Finn finished the last of his sandwich and nudged Tatsuo. "Right buddy?"
"Yeah..." he shrugged and yawned. "God...that was terrible..."
"It looks like we should get going immediately." I joked. "The boys can lead."
Soon, the four of us were just walking around the forest. The boys were at the front with Finn talking and pointing out his surroundings to a slumped-over Tatsuo while Hidemi and I hung behind and walked together, eventually linking arms.
Finn was happily chatting away until he stopped in his tracks. I didn't notice in time and walked right into him.
"H-Hey?!? What's the deal?" I complained and stepped back, Hidemi checked in on me.
"Guys...What the hell is that?" He slowly raised his arm and pointed towards a nearby rock behind a tree.
"What do you mean- What the?!?" Hidemi then walked in front of him and saw.
I had to see for myself, so I stepped forward and widened my eyes.
The nearby rock was almost like any other of the massive sharp-edged boulders around the forest. However, it was drenched in blood and...weird meaty chunks?!?
The four of us rushed over and then noticed the knife also on the floor by the rock, covered in even more blood.
"What the fuck...?" I blurted out.
"Where did this even come from..." Finn wondered.
Tatsuo brushed his hands against the rock while Hidemi was looking off in the distance, seemingly focusing on something.
"There's a slight trail of drops of blood in the grass from the rock to...over there." She pointed to a building.
Yukari's Ultimate Lab.
"W-What are we waiting for?" I sprung to my feet. "I mean, we have to look, right?"
"Why would someone kill...The motive was a perfect opportunity for us to leave." Tatsuo sighed.
"Are you assuming someone's dead then?" I glanced at him.
"I-I'm just saying!" He defended himself.
"Whatever...Let's check it out already!"
Our group ran over to Yukari's lab and stood in front of the door. Hidemi paused.
"The labs should be locked. If the door opens then...someone really is dead." Her hand lowered from the doorknob.
"Well, we have to check." I took a deep breath and turned the doorknob myself.
The door then turned wide open.
"S...Shit." Tatsuo lowered his head.
"So...So someone died, right? Who is it?" Finn started asking questions.
"W-We obviously don't know, idiot!" I exclaimed.
"Calm down!" Hidemi raised her voice. "We have to...look inside."
The three of us looked at Hidemi and eventually nodded, knowing what she was saying was right.
One by one we stepped inside coming face to face with the massive box Hidemi was trapped in when Yukari performed her trick.
However, now it was different. It was covered in chains, locking it and whatever was inside up tightly. The eight swords were stabbed into it as usual...but the positioning seemed different.
The elephant in the room was the blood seeping through the small crack at the bottom of the box, it sliding and dripping down the drain.
"No...No fucking way." I was breathless.
"Oh my god." Hidemi covered her mouth which hung agape.
"W-We gotta open the box up, right...?" Finn assumed. "Someone's obviously dead in there!"
"Y-Yeah...The box! We have to open the box." I nodded. "Pull the swords out first!"
I was the first the rush up to the box and grip onto one of the blades, expecting to pull it out easily seeing as it was a fake.
But suddenly, when I pulled it out, I had to take a few steps back to steady myself from the weight in my hands.
"It...It's a real sword?!?" I yelled, staring at the point of the blade doused in blood.
"But what about the fakes?" Hidemi asked.
"Fakes...?!? Real swords?!?" Tatsuo sounded extremely confused.
"This trick is meant to use fake swords...So we really gotta get these out! Hurry up already!" I shouted orders at the others and they quickly followed, pulling out sword by sword with some effort.
Once all the swords dripping in blood were taken out, we had to face the chain.
"The chain and lock...we need the key right?" Hidemi said.
"The key...Where are we supposed to find that?!?" Finn panicked.
"We don't have time to search for some key. If the labs are now unlocked then...Tatsuo, you have a bolt cutter in your lab, correct?"
"Yeah..."
"Then go get it! It's quicker to break through the chains than just unlocking them!" I instructed.
"But are you sure-"
"Just go already! We don't have time for questions!"
"A-Alright!"
Tatsuo rushed back to the lab with bolt cutters in hand, giving one over to me.
"Right, at the count of three, we cut these things down, got it?" I looked over at the motorcyclist.
"Got it."
I counted down and together, we cut down the chains, knocking them all to the ground.
The only thing left was to open the box's door. I extended my hand to open it up but stopped.
But what is this sense of dread I'm feeling? And why am I hesitating so suddenly?
This...This isn't like my mother, so why am I scared again?
I clenched my fist and stepped away, unable to open it.
"...I got it." Finn sighed and stepped forward, gripping the door and pulling it open.
A split second later, a body slumped out of the box, landing on Finn's chest. He screamed and fell backwards, the body falling down on the ground along with him.
The corpse was now sprawled out on the floor covered and surrounded by pools of blood. The body was pierced with eight stab wounds matching the swords.
Even though the body was absolutely drenched in the sticky crimson substance, I could immediately tell who it was.
"No way..."
The three of us still standing all looked at the body and then at one another.
Another body...
Another person lost.
And our escape route now out of reach.
----------
Chapter 2 - A Grasp of Fading Spotlight
Daily Life
- END -
----------