Aoi couldn't sleep, the same applies to Riku. The image of the boy collapsing replayed in their mind, the sharp crack of the gunshot echoing on repeat. Lying in the dark, they stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of it all. The cold certainty in the man's voice, the blood pooling on the floor—it wasn't a prank. There was no way it was a prank.
They exhaled sharply and sat up, running a hand through their hair. The silence of the student residence felt suffocating. Grabbing their jacket, they slipped out into the hallway, hoping that moving might clear their head.
The corridor was dim, the soft hum of fluorescent lights above the only sound. Just as Aoi turned toward the stairwell, a door creaked open beside them. They froze.
It was Riku, stepping out of his room. His face looked pale under the dim light, and he flinched slightly when he noticed Aoi.
"You?" Aoi whispered, narrowing their eyes. "I didn't even see you in there earlier."
"Yeah, well," Riku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, "I wasn't about to make a scene."
"So you were there the whole time?"
"Not the point," Riku said, his voice low. He leaned closer. "What the hell do we do now?"
Aoi glanced around to make sure no one else was listening. "I don't know," they admitted. "But we're not telling anyone. You saw what happened to that guy."
Riku nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah. You think it's real? All of it?"
Aoi's stomach churned. They wanted to say no, to brush it off as a sick joke—but the sinking feeling in their chest said otherwise. "Feels real enough."
Riku sighed, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "This is insane. They want us to act like everything's normal? Go to class tomorrow? Take part in… whatever this is?"
"They're watching us," Aoi murmured. "Phones, cameras, maybe more. It doesn't matter if we believe it or not. If they think we're stepping out of line…"
They didn't finish the sentence. They didn't have to. Riku nodded again, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen. For once, he didn't have a snarky comment.
"Go back to your room," Aoi said finally. "Get some sleep if you can."
"What about you?"
Aoi shrugged. "I'll manage."
Riku hesitated, then gave a small nod and turned back to his door. Aoi stayed in the hallway a moment longer, letting the silence press in on them. Their mind raced with half-formed plans, ideas, fears, but nothing stuck. The feeling of being trapped wrapped tighter around them with every breath.
Finally, they turned back to their own room and shut the door behind them. Sleep didn't come until a long time later.
The next morning, a notification buzzed on Aoi's phone. Heart racing, they unlocked it. A single message awaited:
"Your First Game: English Exam. Score an A or higher. Reward: 5,000 Yen. Failure: Strike 1."
Riku let out a low whistle from his bed. "An exam? That's it?"
"Did you read the part where failing gets you a strike?" Aoi shot back. "Three strikes, and you're done. That's not just 'it.'"
"Still, it's an exam. At least we know how to handle that."
Aoi frowned. "You think it's that simple? There's no way this is just about taking a test."
As Aoi headed toward the classroom, a bright voice called out behind them. "Hey! You're in the Games too, right?"
Aoi turned to see a girl with bubblegum-pink hair bouncing toward them, a cheerful grin plastered across her face. She was almost too bright for the gloomy mood that hung over the campus.
"I'm Hana Fujino!" she chirped. "Nice to meet you!"
"Uh… Hi," Aoi said warily. "I guess you're part of this, then?"
"Yup! Isn't it exciting?"
"Exciting? Are you serious?"
Hana giggled. "I mean, it's kind of scary too, but, you know, the prizes are really worth it." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "Just make sure you don't break the rules, okay? They're really, really strict."
"Yeah, I got that memo," Aoi muttered, their mind flashing back to the auditorium.
"Good! And don't try anything stupid, like disconnecting your phone or talking to people who aren't in the Games. Trust me—it's a bad idea." Her cheerful tone didn't falter, but something in her eyes sent a shiver down Aoi's spine.
"Why are you telling me this?" Aoi asked, narrowing their eyes.
"Because I like how you did there!" she said simply. "And you seem interesting, the way you stayed calm through all that. I figured you'd survive longer if you knew what not to do."
Before Aoi could respond, the girl tilted her head, her pink hair swaying as she grinned. "Wait, what's your name? I told you mine—it's only fair!"
Aoi hesitated, then replied, "I am… Aoi Hamano."
Hana beamed. "Aoi Hamano, huh? Nice to know you! Well, I have to go. Bye-bye!" she said, skipping away and humming to herself.
Aoi stared after her, blinking. "What the hell is wrong with her?" they thought, shaking their head. "But… whatever. Not like she's the weirdest thing happening right now."
Their thoughts shifted as they walked. The school had always been strict about exams, especially the starter ones—designed to test student's abilities before the actual academic year began. Most people didn't take them too seriously; they were more of a formality, preparation for the system's pace rather than real evaluations.
But this English exam? This was different.
The stakes weren't just grades anymore.
Aoi clenched their fists, determination hardening in their chest. They couldn't afford to falter—not on the first challenge.