"What is this…?"
The first thing Kyosuke Kosaka saw when he opened his eyes was complete darkness. Not a single glimmer of light remained, as if every trace of it had been swallowed whole.
The space wasn't even that large. He could clearly feel his legs bent up, unable to stretch out. The moment he tried, his knees hit the wall without moving an inch.
But where exactly was this?
Was it some kind of escape room?
Kyosuke tried to move his hands to explore, but quickly realized they were bound.
"My hands…?"
At least they were tied in front of him, which made it less unbearable.
The cramped space was silent, save for the faint sounds of his body brushing against the walls and the occasional thud when he bumped into them.
Humans trapped in darkness for long periods inevitably feel fear. The usual way to vent that fear is to shout, to give oneself courage, or to distract the mind.
But Kyosuke couldn't even make a sound. His mouth was gagged, with only a tube inserted between his lips.
If he sucked on it, he could draw out water mixed with glucose.
Apparently, whoever locked him here didn't want him starving or dying of thirst.
After struggling for a while without success, Kyosuke gave up. He knew the ropes weren't something he could break free from. Even if his mouth weren't gagged, biting at them would be useless.
So what kind of escape room was this supposed to be?
Kyosuke began to sense something was wrong. Escape rooms weren't like this. Binding hands, feet, and even sealing the mouth—at the very least, there should have been clues.
He searched the cramped space for a long time but found nothing.
Other than the glucose bag hanging from the ceiling, there was only a urine bag.
Yes, a urine bag.
When Kyosuke followed the tube and realized it was connected to his "brother," he was stunned.
Should he call the person who locked him here considerate… or something else entirely?
Finally stopping his futile struggle, Kyosuke tried to think. Why was he here? What had happened?
As he thought, memories slowly resurfaced.
He remembered going to his girlfriend's house.
Yes, girlfriend. Though Kyosuke was somewhat handsome, he usually kept a low profile and had never attracted much attention from girls.
That changed half a month ago, when he got a beautiful girlfriend.
It was almost absurd. A transfer student had arrived at school—a pretty girl named Yuno Gasai. At the time, Kyosuke and his nosy friend Kohei Akagi had gone to take a look, but neither paid her much mind.
Then one day during lunch break, Yuno stopped Kyosuke and confessed.
He was completely stunned, unable to believe it, even suspecting it was some kind of prank.
But when he saw the sincerity in her eyes—and under some strange psychological influence—Kyosuke accepted.
The following half month went smoothly. He dated Yuno without incident, even experiencing his first kiss.
But Yuno asked him not to make their relationship public, saying she feared someone might cause trouble for him if word got out.
Kyosuke thought about it. Yuno did have many admirers at school. If he wanted to avoid unnecessary drama, keeping it secret seemed reasonable.
He agreed. Looking back now, that request was suspicious.
But at the time, Kyosuke was too caught up in the joy of romance to notice. He even thought Yuno was being considerate.
Then came today. Yuno invited him to her house. Naturally, Kyosuke was thrilled.
After all, visiting a girl's home often carried certain fantasies. Even if nothing happened, a kiss or two seemed normal.
With that expectation, Kyosuke went to Yuno's house.
"Yuno, where are your parents?"
He looked around the living room curiously but saw no sign of them.
"They're at work," Yuno said brightly, hands behind her back, smiling radiantly.
"At work, huh…"
Kyosuke's heart skipped a beat.
"Right, Kyosuke-kun, go sit in my room. I'll make some tea."
She led him to her room, then left to prepare tea.
Kyosuke took the chance to look around. After a while, he lost interest. Her room was surprisingly ordinary, lacking much of a feminine touch.
"Kyosuke-kun, tea." Yuno quickly returned, carrying a cup.
"Thanks." Kyosuke accepted it, took a sip, and his eyes lit up. "Delicious. What kind of tea is this?"
"It's black tea. It's all we have at home. But I'm glad you like it."
Her smile was impossible to hide.
"I need to find something. Wait just a moment."
Clapping her hands as if remembering something important, Yuno turned to a cabinet and began rummaging through a drawer.
Kyosuke admired her graceful figure for a moment, then took another sip of tea.
"What should we do later? Maybe start with a kiss," he thought happily. But soon his eyelids grew heavy.
Sleepy? Did he not rest well last night?
He wondered. Truthfully, he had been too excited about visiting Yuno's house to sleep properly.
So maybe feeling drowsy wasn't strange.
He drank more tea to wake himself up.
But instead of feeling refreshed, he grew even sleepier.
"Kyosuke-kun, are you feeling tired?"
Suddenly, Yuno was behind him, leaning close and whispering.
Her breath burned against his neck, and Kyosuke instinctively nodded.
But the moment he did, he realized something was wrong. How did Yuno know he was sleepy?
His gaze snapped to the cup in his hand.
"The tea…!"
He tried to stand, but Yuno was faster. She pressed something against his neck.
Before he could react, pain shot through him, and his strength drained away. His body went limp.
He collapsed to the floor.
Yuno stood up, shaking a black stun gun in her hand. "This really is the most useful."
From his angle, Kyosuke could see under her skirt, but he had no mood to appreciate it. He only felt dread.
He wanted to ask why she was doing this, but no words came. His eyelids grew heavier.
He fought to stay awake, but it was no use. He could only watch as Yuno stepped over him, opened the wardrobe, and revealed a hidden compartment inside.
"What is that…?"
That was his last thought before losing consciousness.