Series: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
The decision to leave was not a difficult one, but its weight sat heavily in the center of the room. You stood in the center of the living room, clasping your hands that still stung from the bite of the morning air. Everyone listened silently as you told them it was better to return home, since an unknown threat in an isolated area was not a risk worth taking.
Kongou was the first one to nod, and Sin followed suit with a slow nod. Kei remained silent, his azure eyes scanning the frosted windows before he exhaled and agreed to the departure. Only Sotetsu looked dissatisfied and clicked his tongue as he lamented the loss of more private time with you. All the while, Kokuyou stood by a window, his jaw tight and his mind miles away.
Everyone returned to their rooms and started frantically packing. The cabin that had once seemed like a cozy retreat now felt like a setting for a horror movie with the villain ready to spring out at any given moment. As the others loaded the vehicles, a nagging instinct pulled at you - you needed to search the house one last time.
You wandered back downstairs, but you didn't hear Kei approach until he was standing directly behind you.
“(Y/n), what might you be doing here? Are you searching for someone?” He calmly asked.
“K-Kei, you scared me,” you quietly said and exhaled a breath you were holding. “I just want to make sure I didn’t miss anything, any clues.”
“My apologies, then allow me to join you,” he offered.
Together, you walked through the kitchen and the dining area, checking every bookshelf and cabinet. You wandered around the living room and searched for possible hidden entrances or rooms, but neither of you found anything.
“Nothing. I guess we should just leave then…,” you mumbled.
As you turned to leave, Kei caught your gaze. He rested a gentle hand on your shoulder, his lips slightly tugging up. “I promise that I will not allow anything to happen to you. Rest assured.”
You nodded and excused yourself to return to your room to grab your final suitcase. Kei watched you climb the staircase, but a movement near the window caught his attention. Kokuyou sharply gestured for him to come outside. Kei sighed and walked out to meet Kokuyou.
“I found something,” Kokuyou whispered.
“Something?” Kei repeated, furrowing his brows. “Lead the way.”
Sotetsu saw the two from near the car and strolled over, his usual playful demeanor replaced by an uneasy focus. “Where are you two heading?”
“You’ll see,” Kokuyou said and started walking towards the forest edge.
They reached a hidden clearing where the pines shaded the small area. In the center sat a campsite. It looked like it was from another decade, with a tattered, grayed tent from years of exposure to the elements. Old supplies lay half-buried in the frozen dirt. However, when Kei knelt by the fire pit, he saw the fresh black ash still warm.
“Someone has been here very recently,” Kei spoke in a low voice.
“So…the footprints (y/n) saw..?” Sotetsu whispered.
Someone had been watching the cabin from this vantage point, and then they had simply vanished without leaving a single footprint in the fresh snow. The men exchanged a look of grim understanding.
“Yes, but we will keep this hidden from (y/n). They are already anxious, and we do not want to add to it,” Kei firmly said, standing up and giving a pointed glare at Sotetsu.
“Agreed,” Kokuyou sighed, continuously scanning the area for possible threats.
They returned to the cars with masks of indifference. Sin carefully studied their faces, but he didn’t say anything.
“Everyone got everything?” Kongou asked, looking at everyone. Once he got your nods, he nodded firmly back and sat in the car. Despite his lack of sharpness, even Kongou could sense the unease as all of you drove back in silence. Kei kept his hands at ten and two, his eyes fixed on the road, while Kokuyou and Sotetsu acted as sentries in the back. They rotated their focus between the side mirrors and the rear window, watching every trailing headlight and every shifting shadow in the trees behind them.
When the skyline of the city finally appeared on the horizon, Kei glanced at you through the rearview mirror.
“(Y/n), I insisted that you stay at my apartment tonight and tomorrow for safety's sake,” Kei said, wanting to give you peace of mind.
You hesitated for a bit but agreed, realizing that the thought of being alone in your own flat was terrifying.
“That’s unfair, Kei. Why should (y/n) be the only one to enjoy your hospitality?” Sotetsu protested. “Invite the rest of us too, will ya?”
Kei didn’t bother to hide his irritation, but he thought it might be better for you, so you won’t feel awkward staying at his home.
“Fine,” He begrudgingly said. “All of you are invited.”
You giggled, finding it sweet, and Sotetsu winked at you. Though he was surprised that Kei agreed, as he had been ready to put up a fight to get him to agree.
You had expected Kei’s residence to host a masterclass in luxury, but the scale of it had everyone’s head spinning. The floors were polished marble that reflected the glow of crystal chandeliers, and the furniture looked as if it belonged in a modern art museum.
“A king spends his nights working in a back-alley theater like Starless. We should be grateful that you bestow us with your presence, your majesty,” Sotetsu teased with a smirk.
“Have you ever felt that that work is beneath your status?” Kokuyou joined in, mockingly.
Kei ignored them both, but Kongou stepped between them, not wanting any drama. “Thank you, Kei, for your generosity. Please show some respect to him. We’re in his home, after all.”
On cue, a butler appeared to lead the group to their respective guest rooms. Sin, however, lingered by the grand staircase as the others followed the elderly man. He waited until the others were out of earshot before turning to Kei.
“You, Kokuyou, and Sotetsu have been on edge since we left the cabin. Did something happen?” Sin questioned, not beating around the bush.
Kei leaned against the marble railing, his face showing the exhaustion he had been hiding.
“Kokuyou found…” He told Sin about the campsite, describing the way the tent looked as if it had been rotting for years while the firewood remained warm. He admitted that you had been right all along, and that by insisting on leaving, you might have saved all their lives.
Sin smiled faintly, “The stalker seemed to lack intelligence. Did they truly think they could take on five men? Their endeavor would have proven to be suicidal.”
Kei let out a small, weary chuckle. He then pointed Sin toward a hallway tucked behind the staircase. “Your room is the first door on the left.”
The night was fairly quiet, and you slept in peace. The next afternoon, all of you arrived at the Starless, and the men immediately split to tend to their duties for the day. As you walked towards the rehearsal room, Unei hurried over, looking slightly flustered as he balanced a clipboard in one hand and a small package in another. He stopped in front of you and held out the wrapped box.
“(Y/n)-san, a package arrived for you early this morning, but the courier didn’t know who sent it,” he softly said.
Your name was written across the top in elegant script, but there was no information about the sender.
You...
Open the box in front of Unei
Take the box to the office and open it there
Take the box to Kei
Take the box to Sin
Take the box to Kokuyou
Take the box to Kongou
Take the box to Sotetsu
Voting ended onApr 12
