He woke up at seven. He took his time to read the novel for half an hour, then get dressed. As Reon was still sleeping, he was not expecting any breakfast, but when he reached came out of his room, he smelled something cooking– he could not tell what.
His clothes were in his room, so he came downstairs wearing the same clothes after taking a bath. He saw the sofa was back to the way it was and Kakashi's futon was rolled into the corner.
He directly went to his room without visiting Eya first. He saw Reon turn to the wall, and the window above her closed, then he saw his gaming card.
The card made him remember about yesterday– the flash message from Onogi– what did he want? He grabbed his jacket and new T-shirt from his closet. He made sure not to wake her up as he grabbed his clothes, shoved the card in his pocket, and went out of the room.
He heard the door click and saw Kakashi come inside from the front door. Kakashi looked at him, then glanced at the door.
"It is clear outside. You can go to the academy. I and Eya-nee have been planning of taking Reon to the Vr-cade."
"Vr-cade? Do you think it will be safe? I mean the woods and all…"
Eya jumped from the kitchen. She was wearing the apron Kiku used to wear and has been hanging in the storeroom for months.
"I thought about leaving her here since the house is enchanted with a strong spell, but then we remembered we need to earn money, too.
"The Vr-cade has been closed for a lot of days, it is gaining its reputation back somehow, and if we keep it close for another few days– we will be broke."
Hitori nodded in agreement. "Of course. Just make sure nothing happens."
"Nothing will happen to your friend, Hitori-san." She giggled.
Friend? Why did you have to emphasize it? Hitori glared at Eya and shook his head. "Please," he said and turned to the stairs.
Eya and Kakashi exchanged glances as Hitori climbed the stairs.
He came down to get breakfast at seven-thirty. Eya had prepared Anmitsu, a cold dessert made of small agar jelly cubes, brown sugar syrup, azuki bean paste, red peas, and cherries.
Then she served cold noodles with syrup– the same Reon had prepared. Kakashi took a seat opposite Hitori and Eya sat in on his left, Hitori's right.
"Don't you have anything other than noddles?" Kakashi asked. "The science girl told me you have nothing but noodles stocked in."
Hitori ate a cherry, then slurped the noodles. "I had potions, too."
"Of course you did." Kakashi sighed.
"Oh, god," Eya interrupted them, "you are going to the grocery on the way," she said, looking at Kakashi, "and buy some fruits, eel, and healthy snacks."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, playing with the noodle in the syrup bowl.
"What about Reon? Are not you going to wake her?" Hitori asked, taking a glance at Eya, then focusing back on the noodles.
"Let her sleep, she is tired." She ate her noodles. "And you, too, don't spend too long in the academy. Come back as soon as you are done– come to the Vr-cade, and rest till we wrap the things at the Vr-cade."
He hummed. "I will try. Since today is the last day and we are supposed to tour them around the campus, it is supposed to be a long day."
"Are not you tired, boy?"
Hitori did not know what to say. After he woke up, when he was supposed to sleep forever, he was feeling fresh– both mentally and physically. It was like he just took a refreshing swim in hot summer.
"I am feeling good enough to pass the day without any event occurring at the wrong time. Peace is what I want today."
"So peace if what you shall have," Kakashi muttered and continued eating.
By eight, they were done with breakfast. Eya was even done with washing the dishes and cleaning the table.
Hitori was supposed to leave first, followed by Kakashi, then Eya and, Reon. Eya was going to put Reon in her ring and get to the Vr-cade using teleportation.
Hitori stood near the door and said, "I am going ahead. Make sure you all stay safe," he said.
Kakashi and Eya kept staring at him as he closed the door and locked it.
Kakashi went to the window in the dining hall and watched Hitori teleport out of sight.
"That boy… he can still teleport," He turned to Eya, "he is alright."
She nodded. "So you get going exactly after ten minutes. Look out for any suspect and come to the house only after you have made sure we are safe."
She turned to enter the room, and get dressed and equipped.
"Oh, and the secret word: Himi—"
"I know, sister, I know. I am not that dumb." He raised his hand in protest.
She went inside the room and locked the door. He waited till it was eight fifteen before getting out of the house. He stopped on the veranda and checked his wand and blade.
Everything was perfect if the calamity hits– as long as it does not take him by surprise. He walked down the stairs, glancing at the woods and the side of the house.
He walked out of the woods and reached the barren lands. He walked all his way to the end of the barren lands. He checked the time and it was eight-thirty.
He was calm and relieved. He had not met trouble for fifteen minutes. There was a probability he would not for another fifteen minutes, then for the whole day.
It was just a possibility, the probability of that happening was around fifty percent. Of course, Onogi was not going to sit quietly after what happened to him.
That prick must be planning something, Kakashi thought on his way through the barren lands, and he will execute it sooner or later.
Kakashi could not understand Onogi's mind. He had power and money, he could do whatever he wanted to, he could get all the girls– whores– he wants. Then why Reon? Is this some kind of NTR fetish?
Kakashi forgot to keep an eye on the surroundings on his way back. When it clicked him, he jumped, went for his wand, and examined the area around him.
How did I let down my guard? He saw the woods, as still as ever, not moving an inch, but just the soft whistling of the leaves due to the early summer wind.
Kakashi pushed his wand back into the sheath. He had crossed the barren lands, and when he looked up, he saw the house, standing alone.
The wind blew a few leaves, they swept off the house's roof and slid down the windows on the side. He saw a few trees standing taller than the two-story house.
This looks like a haunted house now that I look at it from the outside, he thought. Although the wood was clean and polished, the house looked lonely and spooky. How the hell did that boy even managed to live alone in this house? It must be scary enough at night for a seventeen-year-old.
He lowered his eyes. He watched the tall trees move in rhythm, and the leaves leaving the branches. Then he caught someone staring at him.
Those were sharp eyes– the eyes of a predator. He could not move his body, he was frozen staring back at the eyes. He could not move his eyes and could not draw his wand.
Although his eyes started burning, IT did not blink its eyes. But what was IT standing on? He was staring at him from the middle of the tree.
Was IT using a branch as the support? Or were the… are those vines? Were the vines holding IT in the air? Yes. It was the vines holding IT in the mid-air.
He finally blinked and made the burning sensation go away, but then opened his eyes the next instant– like a spring jumping back to its original position.
But now IT was gone. A vine fell down the branch, oscillating like a pendulum, extended from the branch. Now he was convinced it was just his mind playing a role on him.
I am still tired, I guess. Or perhaps it was his fear of the 'Haunted House,' that made him see that thing. He was not sure what was real and what was not, anymore.
He dropped his head and started heading towards the veranda. I should probably get some sleep, he thought. Just when Kakashi was about to climb the stairs to the veranda, he heard something.
It was like a hiss, then a whisper, but far away from him. "Bring him to me. Bring Tengoku to me."
His foot landed on the first stair and he froze again. When he heard the voice, his assumption was reversed. His mind was not making things up.
"Uh… Eya-nee!" he shouted.
"You are late," she said. "Tell me the secret word!" she replied.
"Secret word…?" Fear struck him. "Oh, shit…" he muttered.
He waited for the word to come to him. What was it? Himi… Himika? Hime? What?
He was sure he remembered the word when he left the house. He was sure he remembered the word when he spent the fifteen minutes outside. And he remembered the word when he was standing surrounded by the woods.
But then he forgot it. He had forgotten the word when he saw IT in the woods.
Eya was still waiting. "I need the word, Himbo! I would not accept 'I forgot.'," she said.
"I…" he said. He gulped, his throat felt sore, and he found it difficult to spill the words, "I forgot the fucking secret word," he confessed.
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