[Location: Tomodachi Game - Japan - Saitama Prefecture - Saitama - Apartments.]
Yuuichi Katagiri, a young high school student, worked silently, his nimble hands folding paper roses with almost mechanical precision. In front of him were two empty boxes, which, by the weekend, were expected to be filled with these delicate handmade flowers.
He had only just begun, but he knew the task would consume several sleepless nights.
It was a simple, almost monotonous job, but he couldn't afford to turn it down. Since losing his parents in an accident, Yuuichi had learned to fend for himself, taking on any job that could help him make ends meet.
For years, he had taken on small, low-paying tasks, but recently he'd started accepting even humbler commissions with a clear goal in mind: saving enough money to go on the school trip with his cherished friends.
And he had succeeded. Through sheer effort and sacrifice, he had gathered the required amount, though the cost had been steep: he'd even used the money meant for his rent.
Now, he had to keep working to cover his basic needs. Even so, he didn't seem worried.
To anyone else, Yuuichi was just another student—reliable, kind, and with a streak of financial bad luck that garnered sympathy.
But that facade concealed something much darker. Few could imagine that behind his ordinary appearance lay a calculating mind, someone capable of manipulating situations and people with chilling detachment.
While he exhibited mild traits of antisocial personality disorder, his true nature aligned more closely with the pillars of the Dark Triad of personality: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.
Yuuichi, however, excelled in Machiavellianism, using strategic manipulation as a tool to achieve his goals.
With emotional and cognitive intelligence far above average, a pragmatic morality unrestrained by common social standards, and selective empathy that he displayed only when it suited him, Yuuichi could control any situation to his advantage.
But there was more: he wasn't just a brilliant, resilient, and psychologically impenetrable young man. He was also a killer.
At that moment, as a pile of paper petals accumulated on his desk, Yuuichi allowed himself a brief break. He stretched his arms, closed his eyes for an instant, and a thought crossed his mind like lightning: Has anyone returned the money yet?
Just hours earlier, while he was in class, the homeroom teacher had made an announcement that left everyone in shock: someone had stolen the two million yen intended for the school trip.
Shiho Sawaragi, Yuuichi's close friend and the class vice president, had made the mistake of keeping the money in her locker—a place that, in hindsight, was as insecure as it was naive.
Desperate to fix the problem, Shiho decided to stay late at school, hoping the culprit might have a change of heart and return the money.
But Yuuichi, who understood human psychology better than anyone, didn't hold out much hope. The chances of the thief acting out of remorse were slim.
Even so, he couldn't help but worry about Shiho. Although his emotions were carefully repressed, a part of him didn't want his friend to suffer.
With a sigh, Yuuichi prepared to resume his work. It was late, and his mind was wandering.
Suddenly, a strange sound made him stop.
Ding!
A holographic text window appeared in front of him, blocking part of his field of vision.
[What's the point of maintaining this charade of yours...? Are you afraid of humans?]
"What is this...?" Yuuichi muttered, frowning as he stared at the window.
Although he wasn't an expert in technology, video games and sci-fi movies weren't unfamiliar to him.
His mind quickly shifted from surprise to concern: someone was watching him.
He swiftly stood up from his seat and began inspecting his apartment. He examined every corner, every possible device that could be projecting the window. After several minutes of fruitless searching, his patience began to wear thin.
There's nothing here, he thought. He sighed, resigned. It could be a prank or a hallucination, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. He sat back down, this time with a different purpose: trying to understand what was happening.
"Who are you? What are you after?" he asked quietly but firmly. Yuuichi was more interested in understanding the nature of this message than what it represented.
Shortly after, the familiar sound echoed again.
Ding!
A new window appeared above the previous one, with an even more intriguing message.
[If you're interested in knowing, you could also just say so.]
The window disappeared momentarily, replaced by another.
[Do you want to know who I am and what I'm offering?]
[Yes. / No.]
Yuuichi looked at the holographic window with a faint smile barely curving his lips. The message before him was undeniably strange, but it didn't unsettle him as much as it might have unsettled anyone else in his situation.
In his mind, everything was a game, and games were his specialty.
A direct approach to capture my interest. Not bad... but still not enough, he thought. His gaze turned analytical, as if trying to decipher the patterns behind the words on the screen.
The message seemed tailor-made for him, as though someone knew aspects of his true nature that no one should.
However, the fact that he couldn't identify the origin of the message meant one thing: he lacked information. And that was unacceptable.
He wasn't afraid. After all, fear was a luxury he had never allowed himself. The only thing that truly mattered to him was control, and to regain control, he needed more data.
This message, whether an elaborate prank, a threat, or an opportunity, represented an enigma he couldn't ignore.
What do I gain if I accept? he wondered, his fingers playing with the edge of the table. At least time and context. If someone's behind this, they'll make a mistake sooner or later.
Resting his chin on one hand, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed the potential ramifications.
The fact that someone could project a holographic window into his apartment was reason enough to take the situation seriously.
Refusing, on the other hand, might close a door his pragmatism told him he should keep open.
If this is all a trick, whoever's behind it underestimates how much I enjoy uncovering secrets, he thought, slowly extending a finger toward the option marked [Yes.].
Ding!
The window reacted immediately, displaying a new message.
[Great! Then, welcome to the "Part-Time Workers' Group"!]
Yuuichi blinked, a fleeting expression of confusion crossing his face. "Huh?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
He didn't have time to process the message's meaning. As soon as he finished reading the text, everything went white, as if the world in front of him had been completely erased.