Kaede?
Kaede: Oh thank you, dear God.
"Mr. Watsukawa, help me! There's a lunatic here… no, a possessed one! She almost killed me!"
Mr. Watsukawa looked annoyed and switched on the light. "What am I, your father? You can tell ghost stories to others, but not to me."
The room was empty. Kaede could not believe his eyes.
That's impossible… She was just here, not even eight seconds ago. She didn't open the door either… so how? He looked around in confusion, his arms still twitching. Was it the alcohol? he thought.
"Well, to me it looks like you've had too much to drink, Kaede. Ichigo already informed me, but this even surpasses my imagination."
"No, you've got it wrong, really. Someone was here! You have to believe me!"
Mr. Watsukawa remained silent and slowly walked toward Kaede.
"Kaede, calm down. I can understand that you've never had alcohol before. With the amount you drank, one could imagine things like this. Look around again. The room is empty."
He looked at Kaede with a regretful expression, then freed him from his restraints, slung him onto his back like a backpack, and carried him out of the shack.
"Mr. Watsukawa, you have to believe me! There was someone here. She was insane and had pink eyes! She knew my name and said she loved me… and that I would love her too!"
Kaede was still trembling. He was filled with fear, but also with confusion.
Who was that girl? He could feel how dangerous she was… and yet something about her was strange. But he couldn't put it into words.
"Well, here we are. Kaede, you can make it to your room alone, right?"
"Yes." Kaede hesitated, then finally asked: "How did you even find me?"
"Oh, it was like this:"
---
Five minutes earlier
We teachers were all eating together at a large reserved table in a sushi bar when suddenly Ichigo stormed in.
"Mr. Watsukawa! Kaede is drunk. But we want to keep going, so I tied him up in the shed near the train. Could you bring him back? Thanks."
Mr. Watsukawa jumped up, spilling his soup. "What? Tied up in a shed near the train? And which one, exactly?"
"Anyone want to volunteer?" His eyes wandered to Susuna, but she didn't look at him. Her nails were more interesting.
Mr. Watsukawa groaned and finally set off.
"Yup, that's about how it went, Kaede."
Kaede nodded and disappeared into the train.
---
Unknown Bridge: Yuna and Riku
The wind brushed gently over the old stone bridge, bathed in pale moonlight. Beneath it, the canal's water glistened, calm and black. Lanterns cast faint light over the cobblestones, still shimmering slightly from the day's dampness. Everything was quiet. Not a soul in sight. Only two silhouettes stood side by side at the bridge railing: Yuna and Riku.
Yuna raised her shoulders briefly. "It got pretty chilly, huh?" She didn't look at him but stared down at the water.
"A bit," Riku replied. "But somehow pleasant."
A short silence followed. Only the sound of the wind could be heard.
Yuna brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Tell me… do you think things between people sometimes change without them really noticing?"
Riku glanced at her briefly, then turned back to the water. "Hm? Sure, that happens. People just… grow."
Yuna nodded slowly. "Yeah… grow. Or maybe discover sides of someone they hadn't seen before."
"You mean like Ichigo?" Riku grinned faintly. "She gets a little crazier every day."
Yuna laughed quietly, but it was short, forced. "Not exactly like that…" She hesitated, lowered her gaze. "I mean more… positive sides."
Riku shrugged. "Well, I guess you can find that in anyone if you look closely. Even Kaede has his moments."
Yuna clenched her fist lightly on the railing. "I'm not talking about Kaede."
Riku didn't answer right away. "Oh, I see."
Silence again.
Yuna took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding far too fast. "And if you realize that maybe… someone's more important to you than you thought…"
"Sure, that's nice. Friendships grow, right?" Riku smiled at her. A warm, harmless smile. "Especially on a trip like this, you notice those things more often."
Yuna looked at him, her eyes a little shocked. "Yeah… maybe."
She hesitated, biting her lip. "And… what if someone feels more than just… friendship?"
Riku tilted his head slightly. "Sounds complicated." He patted her shoulder in a friendly way. "But I'd say it's better to save those thoughts for after the trip. Things are pretty nice right now, aren't they?"
Yuna stared at him, stunned. Just for a split second. Then she lowered her gaze. "Yeah… you're probably right."
A faint smile flickered across her face. "Forget I said anything."
Riku looked straight ahead, silent.
Yuna slowly pushed herself away from the railing. She took two steps to the side, then stopped. Her gaze lifted to the sky.
The stars were clearly visible. Her face looked pale in the moonlight, her eyes calm, but empty. She said nothing more.
Riku didn't look after her. Instead, he closed his eyes briefly and sighed quietly. (I'm sorry, Yuna. Truly. I wish I could tell you. But not now. Not while we're on this mission.The General said it is highly important and wouldn't allow it we need you know with a clear head.) (Play dumb, Riku. Play it well. And let her think it's coincidence. Just until this trip is over.)
He opened his eyes again, staring at the water beneath the bridge. (And then… we'll see.). His gaze was empty. He stared at the stars with a bad feeling then a small tear runned down his cheek. This evening none of them both exchanged a word.
At that same moment in the shed:
Creak. The door slowly opened, and a girl with pink hair and a lollipop in her mouth stepped out.
Her eyes sparkled with joy. She hugged herself with her arms.
On her legs were cute white-red-pink socks that reached just below her knees.
Then she said: "See you soon… Ka… e… de."
She walked down a few alleys until she finally left the academy grounds.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the alley:
"Excuse me, but university members are only allowed up to this point. If you go further, I'll have to report it," said a soldier in a green uniform. In his hand he held a machine gun, and on his head he wore a green helmet.
The girl didn't stop.
The man spoke again: "Young lady, you're from the academy, aren't you?"
No answer.
"I'm talking to you…"
Before the man could finish speaking, he froze. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through him—then it was over.
His head fell to the ground. Blood sprayed everywhere from his neck, and his body collapsed lifelessly.
The alley now painted Red had a dark atmosphere.
The girl walked past him coldly, humming cheerfully. Then she looked back once more, giggled, and finally disappeared deeper into the alley