Fuutarou was still sitting leaning against the wall, trying to understand the situation he was in. His mind was in turmoil, and hunger was starting to gnaw at his stomach.
On the other side of the room, the quintuplets had already started to move. Ichika quickly took on the role of leader, instructing her sisters to make use of the available food supplies.
"We don't know how long we'll be here. At least, we should eat something to keep our energy up." Ichika said while opening some canned food.
"I'll help."
Yotsuba skillfully helped, while Itsuki checked the available kitchen equipment. Although still nervous, Miku started tidying up the small table in the room. And Nino, she was in charge of cooking for them.
"..."
"Never mind, just sitting around is no use. First, let's make some food to eat."
Seeing them busy, Fuutarou finally gave in to his hunger. He got up and started looking for ingredients in his own room. Fortunately, the room was equipped with the same appliances. After finding some simple ingredients, he decided to make breakfast.
Coming from a poor family, Fuutarou was used to cooking for his younger sisters. So, his cooking skills were no less than a woman's.
"What's the purpose of the person who did all this? All the basic necessities are even more complete than my house. This kidnapper is so considerate, right?"
Shaking his head, Fuutarou stopped thinking about this.
❀❀❀
About 40 minutes later, the aroma of food filled the room. They all finally sat down and ate quietly, although the atmosphere was still filled with confusion and anxiety.
However, the calmness was soon interrupted when the sound of the door mechanism was heard. The door that had been locked all this time opened slowly, revealing two figures standing behind it.
The first was a handsome young man with sparkling white hair and a slender yet sturdy physique. His androgynous face radiated an attraction that was hard to ignore.
"..."
The quintuplets immediately fell silent, captivated by his appearance. Especially Nino, who liked handsome men as her ideal boyfriend. Even Itsuki, who was usually slow in this aspect, she couldn't help but react like Nino.
Next to the young man stood a girl with almost unreal beauty. Her long peach-colored hair that reached her knees reflected a soft light, while her gem-like eyes stared at them with an emotionless yet graceful expression. Her charm was so strong that even Fuutarou, who usually didn't care about such things, couldn't take his eyes off her.
The young man and the girl were none other than Charlie and Aishia!
"Good morning, everyone." The young man said with a faint smile. His voice was calm but carried an inexplicable authority. "Let me introduce myself, my name is Charlie Avalon. I'm the one who kidnapped you guys."
The room was immediately filled with an awkward silence.
"WHAT?!" Nino stood up angrily, pointing at Charlie. "You think this is a joke? Release us right now!"
"This Illegal." Itsuki added in a serious tone. "Your actions are against the law. You can't just do this!"
Fuutarou, who was usually logical, immediately asked a question, "Why am I kidnapped too? My family is poor. There's no profit for you to kidnap me."
Charlie just smiled while raising his hand, asking them to calm down. "Sorry, I can't release you. At least, not now."
"Why not?" Ichika asked, trying to hold back her sisters' emotions that were starting to heat up.
Charlie took a deep breath before answering, "It's hard to believe, but I'm doing this for the safety of the world."
Those words made everyone stare at him with expressions of disbelief.
"Safety of the world?" Nino repeated in a mocking tone. "Are you chuunibyou or something?"
Charlie just smiled slightly. "I know this sounds like a story from a cheap novel, but that's the reality. The explanation is very complicated, and I don't have time to explain it now."
Seeing the confused and angry faces in front of him, Charlie tried to ease the tension. "Anyway, enjoy your time here. I've provided a TV and books to relieve boredom. By the way, no need to save the food supplies, I'll deliver supplies if they run out here."
While saying that, he glanced at Itsuki as if those words were specifically for her. Among the quintuplets, Itsuki's appetite was the biggest and most voracious. It could be seen from her slightly rounder figure compared to Ichika and the others.
"W-What?! Why are you looking at me!"
Feeling his subtle gaze, Itsuki felt embarrassed and angry.
"That's all. Until the crisis is resolved, consider yourselves to be participating in a Big Brother reality show."
After saying that, Charlie turned around, leaving them with expressions of disbelief. Aishia just followed without saying anything.
"HEY! Our father knows many important people! You're going to be arrested!" Nino shouted angrily.
Charlie stopped for a moment at the doorway, turning slightly with a faint smile.
"You're free to think whatever you want. But believe me, I wouldn't do this without a reason."
Without waiting for an answer, he closed the door, leaving the quintuplets and Fuutarou in confusion and frustration.
❀❀❀
Charlie and Aishia walked down a narrow corridor illuminated by dim lights. After a few steps, Aishia spoke.
"Why didn't you tell them the real reason?" She asked softly.
"They wouldn't believe it. Besides, the less they know, the safer they are." Charlie replied, putting both hands in his pockets.
Ignorance is bliss, the saying was very appropriate to use at this time. He didn't want them to be burdened by the fact that their deaths would cause the world to plunge into an apocalypse.
"I see…"
Aishia looked at his back with an expression that was hard to decipher.
❀❀❀
Inside the room, the atmosphere became silent. The quintuplets sat in a circle, trying to understand what had just happened.
"Do you think he was serious about the safety of the world?" Miku asked softly.
"Bullshit. He must be someone with a grand delusion." Nino replied firmly.
"But… the way he spoke… He seemed serious. I don't know what to believe." Ichika wasn't sure.
She was pretty good at judging people. In her opinion, the other party didn't seem to be lying. It's just that it was hard to believe it based on her common sense.
Fuutarou, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"There's something strange about that guy. If he was just an ordinary kidnapper, why would he bother providing a place as comfortable as this?"
"So, you think he really did this for the 'safety of the world'?" Nino asked sarcastically.
"I don't know. But I think there are more things we haven't understood here." Fuutarou answered honestly.
"How about we watch TV? Maybe the news about our disappearance will appear soon!"
Realizing the bleak situation, Yotsuba tried to lighten the mood with her optimistic attitude. Then, she turned on the TV.
However, the news on TV shocked them all.