She's staring right at me with that same smile.
Too soft. Too calm. Too controlled.
"Oh yeah… I'm okay, Mina. Just lost my footing," I say, forcing out a laugh as I look in the direction the silver-haired girl ran.
"I hope she'll be—"
"She'll be fine."
Instant.
Too fast. Too sharp. Like she was waiting for a chance to cut off my sentence.
I turn back toward her.
…
Her eyes—
Those pupils don't look natural.
That same stare crawls down my spine again like cold water.
No.
Not again.
Maybe this is just… her face. Her relaxed expression. Right? She's probably just intense.
Breathe, Haru.
Stop imagining horror movies.
"Mina…?" I say.
She doesn't answer.
Silence pours between us, heavy, thick. The arcade noise fades behind it.
I look down at the deep red carpet.
Why does it suddenly feel darker? Heavier? Like dried blood soaked into cheap fibers.
"Haru…?" she says softly.
Her voice is sweet again.
She bends down to my level, her face moving closer. Her red eyes stretch a little too wide. That smile—
That smile.
Shit.
Move, Haru. Say something, do something—
"If you ever need help… just ask me," she says. Serious. Cold. No fluff. No warmth.
Her face moves closer.
Too close.
Please don't. Please don't.
My breath shakes.
Fuck.
I squeeze my eyes shut—too tight.
No—No—
Flick.
Something taps my nose.
My eyes snap open.
She's smiling again. Soft. Normal. Her head tilted in that cute way.
"Come on, get up. Let me help you," she says calmly.
She stands and offers her hand.
My fingers tremble as I reach out.
Stop shaking, Haru. Relax.
She pulls me up easily—too easily for her size.
I'm standing now. Awkward. Shaky. A useless NPC.
"I'll go to the bathroom," I blurt, walking away too fast.
Shit.
Shit.
Move.
I push into the boys' bathroom, duck into a stall, then stumble to the sink.
My reflection looks like it just saw a demon.
Each breath scrapes my chest. No air. Someone's sitting on me—No, not someone.
Her eyes.
My hand trembles against the sink.
"What… what the fuck is this…" I whisper.
Why am I this scared?
That stare… it was like—
Like something non-human saw right through me, peeled me open, pinned me in place without touching me.
Focus.
Breathing. Do breathing.
In. Out. In. Out.
My lungs stop struggling.
Okay. Better.
Now think.
What was that?
Her eyes.
Her silence.The pause.The sudden switch.
It felt wrong.
Bzzzz.
My phone vibrates.
Crap. Mom?
I check.
Mina:"Hey are you okay in there?"
What the fuck.
Oh god.
What do I do?
What do I do, idiot?
"Sorry I have a family emergency"—No, too cliché.
What if she asks questions? What if she insists on coming with me?
Think, Haru. THINK.
I stare at my reflection again.
Just calm down.
She's not dangerous.
Probably.
Maybe she was in a weird mood. Maybe stressed. Maybe parents.
Yeah. That has to be it.
Okay.
Time to man up.
I throw a shadowbox punch at the air.
"You got this. Easy," I whisper to myself.
(I'm lying, but whatever.)
I walk out of the bathroom with my chest puffed out like a wannabe anime protagonist.
Act normal. Look normal. Be normal.
I walk back toward the front of the arcade.
There she is.
Waiting.
For me.
I raise a hand awkwardly and laugh. "Sorry for the wait," I say, scratching my cheek.
"No, it's… fine," she answers.
That pause on fine feels like a knife.
Okay, Haru.
New plan: win her a cute plushie, then bail home.
Operation: Escape With Dignity.
"Let's try the crane games," I say brightly.
She nods. Her eyes light up—soft, happy.
Not like before.
But that earlier image…Her empty stare…
It keeps replaying in my head.
We stop at the easiest crane machine—the one I mastered years ago.
Perfect terrain.
We stand before the wall of teddy bears.
Red.
Blue.
Pink.
Purple.
Brown.
Pink.
Obviously pink.
All girls love pink. Universal law.
(…I hate pink. But this isn't about me.)
"Prepare to witness my incredible Haru powers," I say, pointing at the bears.
She giggles.
"Okay, you can do it."
Her cheering sends a warm stab through my chest.
I swipe the card, grip the joystick.
Game on.
Steady…Steady…Line it up…
Drop.
The claw descends.
Grabs the pink bear by the legs—Lifts—Carries—Drops—
Right into the chute.
BOOM.
First try.
She reaches in and grabs it immediately, hugging it tight against her chest.
Her giggle is soft, pure—dangerous in its own way.
"Thank you, Haru…" she says into the bear, voice muffled.
Okay. Mission half-complete.
Now escape.
"Looks like it's getting late. We should head home," I say smoothly.
She looks at the window.
"It is getting late," she agrees.
Good. Good.
We grab our bags.
I even hand her the arcade card like some sentimental idiot.
We start walking.
Ten minutes.
No conversation.
Just footsteps.
Then—
"Haru…?" she says quietly.
Here we go.
"Yeah?"
"Do you… want to come over for tea?"
My heart drops.
This is it.
Romance manga jackpot.
A girl inviting me to her home?
I should be excited.
But all I can think about is her face in the arcade.
That pause.
That stare.
That empty glitch in her smile.
Say no, Haru.
Just say no.
Easy.
"Yes, of course," I hear myself say.
God.
I am too easy.
If someone said, "Free money in this dark alley," I'd already be halfway inside.
But tea's fine.
Nothing bad will happen.
…Right?
We cross the street.
Her house isn't far. Normal-looking. Small gate. Cute yard. Traditional build.
She unlocks the front door.
I step inside.
Dark.
Too dark.
Movie-horror dark.
She flips a hallway switch.
A warm yellow glow fills the space.
Her scent hits next—that same sweet candy smell, only stronger.
"Are your parents home?" I ask.
Because I really don't want to get murdered by an angry dad with a golf club.
"No. They're at work around this time," she says casually.
She heads up the stairs.
"Come. My room is this way."
I follow.
Her room is clean.
Too clean.
Everything is pink.
Bed sheets, curtains, rug, pillows. All pink.
My room could never.
I can't even see my floor half the time.
She gestures to the small table with two cushions.
I sit.
"I'll get tea," she says, and leaves.
Door shuts.
I breathe out hard.
Finally.
My shoulders drop.
I look around.
Stuffed animals.
Romance novels.
Everything neat.
Everything orderly.
Totally normal.
So why won't my nerves unknot?
It feels like 15 minutes went by.
Then-
Footsteps return.
The door opens.
She enters with a tray.
Two mugs of steaming tea.
She sets them down, closes the door with her foot, then sits across from me.
"Sorry for the wait," she says sweetly.
"No, it's fine."
I lift my mug.
It's hot.
Really hot.
The tea looks normal—dark brown—but a little murkier than usual.
I take a sip.
Instant regret.
It burns my tongue. And—
What is that texture?
It feels… slimy.
Like something's coating my tongue before dissolving.
I stare into the mug.
What the hell did she make…?
I look back at her.
She's staring.
Not blinking.
Hands pressed to her thighs. Shoulders stiff. Knees trembling slightly under the table.
Waiting.
Watching.
"Hey, uh… what kind of tea is this?" I ask.
She giggles softly.
"That's a secret," she says, leaning in. "But… it's made with my natural love."
Her fingers curl against her skirt. Her legs tremble more.
Natural… love.
Oh .She must mean she put effort into it.
Yeah. Effort. Love. Cute metaphor stuff.
I force a smile.
"She's so cute," I tell myself.
I take another sip.
Ignore the slimy texture. Ignore the weird aftertaste.
It's just different.
That's all.