"Ugh... I need to pee..." Shun grumbled as he woke up, stumbling out of his room without realizing he was alone. He rubbed his eyes groggily, muttering, "Why are the bathrooms so far from the rooms..."
'It's also so hot in that room... Why did we close the windows...?' He complained.
He made his way down the hallway, still half asleep, passing the room where Chiyoko and Hiyori, slept. He took a few more steps before stopping in his tracks, a strange sensation crawling up his spine.
Retracing his steps, Shun saw the door to the girls' room slightly ajar.
"That's not good... They should keep it closed or anyone could walk in," he mumbled, moving forward to shut it. But just as he reached for the door, his eyes caught a glimpse of what lay inside.
Four men, masked and dressed in black, were tying up Chiyoko and Hiyori. Shun gasped, his eyes widening as he froze, peering at them from behind the door.
"Shit, remind me why we can't have some fun now?" one of the men asked, his tone laced with frustration.
"Keep it down, idiot. You know why. If the boys next door hear us, they'll go crazy. Let's take them somewhere private first. Behind this place is perfect—isolated... No one will hear them scream." Another man sneered, followed by malicious laughter from the group as they gagged and bound the girls.
Shun could see the tears in Chiyoko's eyes and the fury in Hiyori's gaze as they struggled against their captors.
"Heh," another man chuckled, nudging Hiyori's side with his foot. "Pipe down, bitch. You'll forget all about this soon enough," he said, leering as he waved a bag of white powder in front of her face.
Shun's heart sank, his breathing quickening in fear.
'Get in there!' he silently urged himself. 'Save them!!'
"Hey, which one of you idiots left the door open?! Keep it shut until we're done!"
'GET IN THERE!! You promised to be better than this!!' Shun gripped the door handle tightly, every muscle tensed as he readied himself.
"Ah, my bad~. I'll close it," one of the men said casually, moving toward the door.
'Do it...!!!' Shun urged himself, his face paling. 'You trained, didn't you!? You got stronger, didn't you!!?'
His heart pounded as the man approached, his own hesitation gripping him tightly.
-------
Yuuto: "I get it, you've developed a bit of backbone since standing up to those assholes. That's commendable..."
"But you're still the same spineless coward who freezes whenever someone threatens you with a punch. You've learned to bark, sure. But you're still a long way from biting.... And I might not be much in a fight..."
"But I can recognize a biter when I see one. You're not a biter. And it doesn't matter how many punches you throw at a mitt,"
------
"FUCK...!!" Shun whispered to himself, anxiety gnawing at him.
One of the men approached the door and stuck his head out, glancing from side to side.
"Hmm... See? No biggie. It's not like anyone would be awake at this hour," he said, convinced he was alone. Satisfied, he closed the door.
Shun paled inside the empty room. 'Shiyon-san...!! Shiyon-san...!' He frantically looked around, realizing he was alone.
'What!? Where is everyone...!? Damn it...!! Where is he...!!? They're being taken away...!!' His thoughts raced as cold sweat trickled down his face.
A flash of inspiration struck as he glanced at the clock. With newfound urgency, he sprinted outside and down the hallway toward the onsen.
'The most cliché spot for missing teens past midnight in an onsen... Please, be there...!!' He prayed as he barged into the bathhouse, scanning the area desperately.
He saw three heads leaning against the edge of the onsen, one with distinctive blonde hair. He rushed toward them.
"S-SHIYON-SAN...!!" he called out, his voice trembling as he slipped on the wet floor while sprinting towards him.
"Oh my...!" Shiyon exclaimed, turning around with Yuuto and Sato.
'Fuck...!!! Another one sees me like this!? Might as well just confess about my persona...!' Yuuto thought to himself, trying to keep his face hidden.
"Shun-chun, what's wrong? Were you worried we were—"
"Never mind that!!" Shun yelled as he quickly got back up, startling Shiyon with his panicked urgency.
Yuuto raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss.
'...Something's up... I don't like this.'
"The girls... From their rooms... are being kidnapped by 4 guys...!! Please, save them!!" Shun blurted, his face pale, barely able to stand.
"N-no...! Hiyori...!!" Sato gasped, breathless with shock.
'I... Messed up...!!! Again....!' Yuuto clenched his teeth, frustration boiling over.
Shiyon's expression was unreadable, but he remained calm.
In an instant, all three of them bolted from the water.
"Let's go. Sato-chun, Shun-chun, you stay here," Shiyon commanded with confidence as he and Yuuto swiftly passed Shun, who hung his head in defeat.
'...Wait, he told just Sato-kun and me to stay...? Who's the...' Shun thought, confused. He looked up and saw Shiyon walking beside another figure. The figure's hair was short, but his face...
"S... Sakurai...?" Shun murmured in disbelief as he took in Yuuto's face, which was paired with a toned, muscular physique that matched Shiyon's—or perhaps even surpassed it—as they walked side by side.
'No... N-no way...!'
"I'm coming with you!!" Sato yelled, panic etched on his face.
"No, you're not. Stay here. Neither I nor Saku-chun can waste any time babysitting you." Shiyon's tone was firm and far from his usual demeanor. "If you insist, I'll put you to sleep myself. Stay back," he added coldly, freezing Sato in place.
'Finally...' Yuuto thought as he briefly glanced at Shiyon while they hurried to the wardrobe.
'Something me and that harvester can agree on,' he concluded as they both faced forward.