"Got everything?" Yasushi glanced over at Bhaqui, eyebrow raised in a way that almost begged for a problem to surface.
"Yeah, I've got it all," Bhaqui replied. His head turned slightly toward his side. "How about you, Furuya?" He spoke with a casualness that Furuya always found irritating.
"Yeah...got 'em," Furuya muttered, voice barely rising above a grumble. The boxes weighed heavy in their hands, stacked awkwardly, threatening to topple.
Two days had crawled by since they started preparations for the Halloween attraction, and the pressure had mounted. The school event loomed closer, and they were hauling boxes filled with props, equipment, and things that would make their classroom something no one would forget. The truck, courtesy of Yinhaie, was parked outside, and the three of them carried load after load up the stairs
"You guys don't have to be stubborn about this," Xinyi called out, baffled by their weird need to do everything in one trip. She didn't get it — how this little game became part of their ridiculous routine.
"You wouldn't understand," they all responded in perfect, almost rehearsed, unison. That only deepened Xinyi's confusion, her head shaking in disbelief as if they were playing some inside joke only they knew.
"Whatever," she spat, grabbing a box from Furuya's unsteady stack before he had a chance to protest. "If you don't watch it, you'll fall flat on your face. You're not as tough as you think, idiot," she snapped before disappearing into the school building, her footsteps ringing out on the stairs.
"Hey, wait!" Furuya's hand shot out, but it was too late. She was gone, leaving him staring after her, speechless.
"Just drop it. She's right. Let's get moving," Yasushi said, setting one box down before picking up two more. He didn't wait for a response, already stepping forward and expecting them to follow.
Bhaqui matched Yasushi's pace without hesitation. Furuya paused, visibly annoyed, but after a sigh, grabbed his boxes and trailed behind, Xinyi's words still hanging in his mind.
They passed students and teachers, making their way across the courtyard. The weight of the boxes tugged at their arms, but they kept going, eventually stepping inside the school building and heading toward the stairs. They climbed, each step marked by the strain of the load they carried.
Once they reached the classroom, the chaos of preparations surrounded them. Students were scattered everywhere, rushing to put props together.
"Furuya, when you're done with the boxes, you need to go join that group and rehearse your lines, okay?" one of the girls from class said, nodding toward a nearby group.
"Yeah, got it," Furuya muttered, dropping the boxes off and immediately heading back out to Yinhaie's truck for more.
Bhaqui and Yasushi followed him, already outside before Bhaqui spoke up. "This is getting wilder than I thought it'd be. But I guess everyone's excited, huh?"
"You're excited 'cause it's your first and last Halloween at this school. I get it," Yasushi said, his expression showing a faint smirk. "For us, this is just the norm. If you live in this city and come to this school, it's standard."
"True, but still... who knows? Maybe I'll come back again next year. If not, we could always push the idea to the staff back in China," Bhaqui said, grinning as they walked outside once more, heading back to Yinhaie's truck for more boxes.
They went through the motions a few more times — fetching boxes, hauling them inside, and returning to the truck. The repetition dragged until the final load was placed in the classroom. As soon as the last box hit the ground, Furuya and Bhaqui shot off to go practice their lines and moves for their roles, leaving Yasushi to finish up.
Yasushi leaned against the side of Yinhaie's truck, his arms crossed. "Thanks for all the help. We were lucky to find most of the stuff we needed in the shops around the city."
Yinhaie smiled at him, turning her attention to the road ahead. "Maybe the goddess had your back this time. Who knows? You might've caught a blessing from the god of luck, too," she teased, letting out a soft laugh before gripping the steering wheel. "If you need more help, don't hesitate to give me a call."
"Will do," Yasushi said, watching as Yinhaie pulled away in her truck, leaving him standing alone. He sighed and headed back to the classroom. The moment he stepped inside, Laura grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the far corner, away from the others.
"Why!?" she hissed in a low voice, her frustration catching him off guard.
"...Why what?" Yasushi asked, trying to figure out what exactly had set her off this time.
Laura thrust her phone into his face, the screen showing a picture of the outfit she was supposed to wear for the upcoming event. "It's practically nothing!" she fumed.
Yasushi stared at the image, then back at her. "Uh, I didn't design these things, Laura. If you've got a problem, take it up with the designers," he said, wondering why she was venting to him instead of someone actually involved with the costumes.
"I know!" Laura snapped, putting her phone back in her pocket. She ran a hand through her hair, visibly stressed. "But Hana's the one behind it, and she's been going on and on about how this is, like, her masterpiece or something. I don't want to crush her by saying no."
Yasushi gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. "You do know that talking to people like grown-ups is an option, right? We're about to graduate soon. Might as well start acting like it."
Laura shot a glare at him. "I know that, but Hana's boyfriend is all over her, practically drooling. And if anyone dares to disagree with her, he'll jump down their throat," she muttered, clearly fed up.
Yasushi followed her gaze to Tomoya, who stood glued to Hana's side, chiming in on every little detail of her sketches. Their dynamic was no secret — Tomoya acted like her personal guard dog, quick to bark at anyone who even hinted at disagreeing with Hana.
"Alright, alright," Yasushi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll help. Let's just try to keep it from blowing up, yeah? You'll handle what you want to change, I'll just stand by."
Laura's shoulders loosened, relief washing over her. "Good. Hana's reasonable, but Tomoya's just... suffocating, you know?" she muttered. With a quick nod, she turned on her heel and started towards the couple.
As they approached, Tomoya's gaze locked on them, his expression hardening instantly.
"Hana, can we talk about the costume you designed for me?" Laura asked, twisting a strand of her hair between her fingers.
Hana glanced up from her sketches, pink strands falling over her face before she brushed them aside. "Sure, Laura. What do you want to change about it?" she responded, her voice calm, catching Laura off guard.
"Uh...well...it's just, y'know — it shows a lot more skin than I'm comfortable with," Laura admitted, shifting her weight.
Hana nodded, already pulling out her sketchbook, flipping to the design. "Now that you mention it...I can see that. Which parts don't feel right to you?" she asked, pencil ready, eyes scanning over the drawing.
Laura, relieved, pointed at several areas — the chest, hips, stomach, and lower back. "Here, mainly. I'd like more coverage around these spots. I mean, I trust your judgment, you're the designer, but I'm not keen on leaving those too bare," she explained, her discomfort fading as she laid out her concerns.
The longer the conversation dragged on, the more restless Tomoya became, his hands twitching, his annoyance simmering just under the surface. Still, he didn't make a move. Yasushi's presence had a way of forcing restraint. The stories about Yasushi had circulated through the school — videos of incidents, police involvement, situations that had earned him a reputation as someone you didn't cross.
Most didn't know the real reasons behind those events, assuming the worst without looking deeper. Yasushi didn't bother clearing up the misunderstanding. To him, it wasn't worth the effort, and it worked in his favor more often than not. As they stood there, he kept his eyes locked on Tomoya, his face a blank canvas. Tomoya fidgeted harder, clearly caught between fear and anger, his emotions building.
Then, it snapped.
Tomoya couldn't hold it in any longer. The side of him that worshipped Hana drowned out any remaining logic. "Why?" he blurted out, his voice rising. "The design's fine. You've got an amazing body, so what's the issue? Don't girls like being noticed for their bodies anymore?" The words spilled out, louder than he'd intended, the outburst making everyone freeze for a second.
Hana's face flushed, and she gave Tomoya a few soft jabs to the arm. "Shut up already, just let us figure this out."
Tomoya didn't bother stopping. "Well? Everyone online's always talking about this — dressing for themselves, but then flipping out when guys look. They say we're the problem, but if it's for themselves, why do they care? And then you say it's other girls judging you, so what's the real issue?"
Laura blinked, momentarily thrown by his rant, then her expression hardened. "It's not something you'd get. It's a girl thing. And besides, it's me who's wearing it, not you. So, why do you care what I want to change?"
The room around them grew quiet. The chatter from the other students died down as their classmates turned to watch what had started as a simple discussion become something else.
Tomoya's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as he glared back at Laura. Before it could escalate further, a boy from their class rushed over, grabbed Tomoya by the back of his collar, and dragged him out, leaving the tension in the air, but pulling the immediate heat from the situation.
Senbarisu clapped her hands sharply. "Alright, enough of the drama, let's move on. I'll handle him." She turned and left the classroom without waiting for a response.
Yasushi exhaled through his nose, walking over to Laura. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice even. "You good?"
Laura's eyes remained fixed on the door for a bit before she shifted back to Hana. "I've had someone try to kill me before, Tomoya's not going to shake me." Her face remained tight, though the intensity of her expression had softened a little. She blinked, focusing back on Hana. "Sorry about that. Let's just get this done, yeah?"
Hana let out a small, awkward laugh, brushing off the tension as best she could. "Yeah, let's continue." They resumed their conversation, diving into specifics of the changes, each point met with slight nods and back-and-forths on how best to handle the adjustments.
Yasushi stepped back, scanning the room. Spotting another group huddled together, struggling with their project, he moved in their direction, offering his help without another word, already letting the previous situation fade from his mind.
+-+
A few hours had crawled by after the last bell. The sun had dipped low, leaving the hallways dim and empty except for the flickering fluorescent lights overhead. In the classrooms, the few remaining students worked away, heads down, focusing on their props and costumes for the upcoming Halloween event.
Yasushi's group, their faces weary, had refused to call it quits, pushing through the exhaustion. Each person's commitment to the project was clear from the tired but steady rhythm of their movements.
The door opened, and Yinhaie walked in, followed by Yunxue, each carrying lunchboxes. The smell of food hit the air, pulling a few tired eyes up from their work. They moved quietly, handing out the boxes to everyone still hunched over their tasks. The quiet, momentary respite seemed to lift the mood as students muttered quick thanks.
Yasushi grabbed one from Yinhaie. "Thanks," he said, taking it with a nod.
Yinhaie stood beside him for a moment, her eyes scanning the room, taking in the half-finished work scattered across desks. "It's looking good. If we don't hit any more roadblocks, we'll have two extra days for rehearsals."
"That would be ideal," he replied, setting his lunch aside for later. "But knowing our luck, something always comes up."
She sighed, her eyes lingering on a messy pile of fabric in the corner. "I hope that's not the case…" She tugged lightly on his sleeve, her expression a little more serious now, before handing him her tablet.
Yasushi's eyes flicked over the screen, taking in the details. His expression tightened, a subtle shift but enough to show the weight of what he was reading. Tomoya Fukuko, a name he was already familiar with, now carried a different shade to it. Guard dog, boyfriend of Hana, but there was more beneath the surface.
His fingers traced down the text, each line offering more than he expected. Yasushi let out a heavy exhale through his nose, deepening the silence around them. "This isn't great," he said, his face hardening as he scanned further.
The profile laid out all the usual information — name, age, birthdate — but it was the section marked "Additional Information" that stopped him. His eyes narrowed at the specific mention.
"Expelled from two middle schools...for stalking some girl he was obsessed with. His family threw down a mountain of cash to keep it out of public records. After that, they packed up and moved to Ginsukimura, thinking it'd blow over," Yasushi muttered, repeating the key points.
He eyes went back to the tablet. "He's always kept things low-key, blending in enough not to raise any alarms. But I'm starting to wonder if he had eyes on Hana long before they got together. Gathering intel on her... piecing things together about her life." Yasushi's frown deepened. "We'd better pray he doesn't completely lose his shit during this event. He kept it together last year, but that doesn't mean much."
Yasushi dragged his hand over his scalp, tension settling in his posture as he handed the tablet back to Yinhaie. "Appreciate you digging this up. I need you to handle his parents. Lay it out for them — if their son steps out of line and messes with our event, we're not holding back."
Yinhaie's lips curled into a knowing smirk. She gave a nod before turning on her heel, already making her way out, likely to get her people involved back at their base. She wasn't one to waste time when things got serious.
Yasushi's eyes drifted to where Hana stood, her focus on the conversation with the other girls, most of whom were part of his group. He watched them for a moment longer than he intended, the weight of what they were all walking into gnawing at him. Tomoya's shadow loomed over their plans, and with Halloween fast approaching, the feeling that something could go wrong only grew stronger.