Chapter 10: Whispers in the Shadows
[Scene 1 – Training Grounds, Evening]
(Riku, Aoi, and Kiojiro sit in a circle, breathing heavily after sparring. The firelight flickers against their tired faces.)
Kiojiro: (serious) We need to talk about Renji.
Aoi: (nods, wiping sweat) Yeah. Something about him… it doesn't add up. He's new, yet he already knows how everyone fights.
Riku: (eyes narrowing) Exactly. It's like he's reading from a script… prepared before he even steps into a fight.
Kiojiro: Which means someone's feeding him information.
(Silence. Aoi frowns, looking unsettled.)
Aoi: But who? He barely transferred here.
Riku: (serious) That's the problem. We don't know. It could be someone close, maybe even someone pretending to be on our side.
Kiojiro: (grim) If that's the case, then Renji isn't our biggest problem… it's the traitor hiding among us.
(The three exchange tense looks. The fire crackles louder, like a warning.)
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[Scene 2 – Mika's Room, Night]
(Mika stares at her reflection in the window, unable to focus. She clutches her pillow, eyes restless.)
Mika (inner thoughts): Why do I keep thinking about him? Riku… you're reckless, stubborn, impossible. (clutches her chest) Yet when you're near, I can't… breathe properly.
(She throws the pillow aside, pacing the room, frustrated.)
Mika (shaking her head): No… I can't feel this way. Not now. Not when everything is falling apart.
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[Scene 3 – School Courtyard, the Next Day]
(Asuka Takamatsu spots Riku walking alone. She runs up with her usual cheerful energy. Mika is nearby, carrying books, unseen by them.)
Asuka: (smiling brightly) Riku! I was wondering… would you go see a movie with me this weekend? Just us.
(Riku blinks, caught off guard. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.)
Riku: Uh… yeah, sure, I guess.
(Asuka beams, clapping her hands. Mika, standing at a distance, freezes. Her books almost slip from her hands as her chest tightens.)
Mika (inner voice): (biting her lip) Why… why does this hurt so much?
(She quickly turns away, hiding behind the school wall. Her eyes sting with tears as she presses her back against the cold surface.)
Mika (whispering): If only I could be by your side… but it's too sudden. I… can't feel this way.
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[Final Scene – Rooftop, Night]
(Riku stands alone, staring at the moon. His expression is unreadable.)
Riku (inner voice): A traitor among us. Renji's rise isn't coincidence… And if the truth about me ever comes out… everything will collapse.
(The wind howls, his fists clench. The camera lingers on his shadowed face before fading to black.)
[END CHAPTER 10]