"Can't you go any faster?" Arata asked frantically. His head kept glancing back, haunted by the fear that the creature would strike again.

  "Shut up! I’m trying! I think you’re just too heavy," Yumi grumbled. "What do you expect from a scooter this small? Just hold on, or you’ll fall off!" she snapped, as if the scooter were already hurtling at an incredible speed.

  "Hey, just focus on the road. I could practically drink a cup of coffee at this pace," Arata countered nonchalantly from the back.

  "Stop talking and just hold on!" Yumi replied, annoyed.

  Instinctively, Arata grabbed Yumi’s hips. Immediately, Yumi let out a shriek.

  "Hey, what are you doing?! Don't hold me there!" she barked.

  "You're the one who told me to hold on!" Arata said, bewildered.

  "There's a grab rail at the back of the seat! Are you just trying to take advantage of me?" Yumi huffed.

  Arata fumbled around, searching for the handle she mentioned, but found nothing. "There isn't one!" he shouted.

  "Yes, there is!" Yumi shot back, refusing to lose the argument.

  "There isn't! Stop and see for yourself," Arata snapped. "Whatever, just focus on the road. I'll be fine without holding on." Arata looked away, his eyes returning to their vigilant watch over their surroundings.

  Suddenly, the scooter seemed to lose its power. Its speed dropped drastically until it came to a complete halt in the middle of the road. Panicking, Yumi tried to restart the engine, but her efforts were in vain. The engine was dead, and a cloud of thick smoke began to billow out.

  Arata quickly hopped off and pushed the scooter to the side of the road.

  "What happened?" Yumi asked anxiously, peering at the engine.

  "The engine overheated. Forget it, this thing isn't going to start again," Arata said.

  "This is your fault! Why did you pressure me to speed until the scooter hit its limit?" Yumi blamed him.

  "You call that speeding?" Arata scoffed. "I could literally run faster than you at that speed."

  Arata pulled off his helmet, his breath hitching slightly. "We're lucky that thing didn't chase us. If it had caught us, we’d be in its belly by now."

  Yumi’s eyes began to well up with tears of terror. "So, what now?"

  "Let's just push it. It seems safe enough here," Arata tried to reassure her.

  "The house is still far! What if that thing chases us?" Yumi asked, panicking.

  "Then we run," Arata replied casually, glancing back at the road they had just traveled.

  "But what about my scooter?" Yumi protested.

  "We leave it. There's no way we can run while pushing this thing; it’ll just waste our energy," Arata said curtly.

  "Oh no, what am I going to do? I should have just gone straight home instead of following you. Haaah..." Yumi groaned in regret. She felt incredibly unlucky to have encountered that monster, and now her beloved scooter was ruined.

  "That's your own fault," Arata replied indifferently.

  "You're so heartless! Bad luck always follows whenever I’m with you," Yumi snapped.

  They continued on foot, pushing the tiny scooter, accompanied by the endless sound of Yumi’s complaining.

  ----

  The Comfort of the Crowd

  The roar of engines and the hustle and bustle of city dwellers heading home from work slightly eased the anxiety that had haunted them all the way. The scooter felt many times heavier than before, but the adrenaline from the recent death threat made them seemingly forget their exhaustion. They kept walking until they reached the front yard of Arata’s house.

  Twilight had been swallowed by the night, leaving behind a gloom that still felt somewhat eerie.

  The two of them sat on the porch in a state of extreme exhaustion, trying to steady their racing heartbeats and heavy breathing. The night air slowly helped cool their stiff muscles.

  "Are you hungry?" Arata asked.

  "Yeah, starving. That crazy situation really drained my energy," Yumi answered weakly.

  "I want to take a shower and clean up. After that, I’ll order some food, then I’ll take you home," Arata said.

  "What? No, no way! I’m showering first. I’m not staying out here alone," Yumi interrupted commandingly. "You wait here; I don't want to run into that creature again. Give me your room key!"

  "Hey, what’s with you? Since when do you make the rules? This is my room!" Arata protested.

  "Give me the key!" Yumi insisted. "Or should I just kick the door down?"

  Arata let out a long sigh. "Ugh, you’re such a pain. The key is under the pink flower pot near the door," Arata said, surrendering.

  "Don't worry, I’m just borrowing your bathroom. Is that too much of a hassle for you?" Yumi retorted as she stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the small building.

  Arata could only stare, stunned by his friend's behavior. He gave in and leaned his back against the porch pillar. His body was so exhausted he could no longer fight off sleep. It didn't take long before he fell fast asleep right there.

  "ARATAAAA! ARATAAAA! ARATAAAA!"

  Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from inside the room. Arata jolted awake. He immediately sprang up and ran toward his room, his heart hammering against his chest.

  "ARATAAAA!" Yumi screamed again from inside the bathroom.

  "Yeah, I'm here! What’s wrong?!" Arata answered frantically. He stood frozen in front of the bedroom door, ear pressed against the wood, trying to hear what was happening inside.

  "Where have you been?!" Yumi yelled angrily. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

  "I’m right here! What happened? I fell asleep for a second. Tell me, what’s going on?" Arata shouted from outside, still overcome with anxiety.

  "I brought the wrong bag! Help me—get the bag from my scooter’s trunk. And remember, don't you dare try to open it!" Yumi shouted from the bathroom.

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  "Ahhh... you are seriously a handful," Arata grumbled in annoyance.

  Despite his bone-weary exhaustion, he still tried to fulfill his friend's request. He headed down the stairs with shaky steps, trying to keep his balance until he reached the ground floor.

  He quickly opened the scooter's seat, but he couldn't find the bag Yumi meant. He tried searching for other storage compartments on the scooter's body, but there was nowhere else to keep anything, considering how tiny the scooter was.

  "Argh, what is that girl thinking?" Arata complained. Good grief... he muttered to himself.

  He climbed back up the stairs with whatever strength he had left to deliver the news to Yumi—whether she’d take it as good news or bad. Halfway up, his stomach let out a loud growl. He rubbed his belly slowly.

  I’m so hungry, he thought.

  "Yumi! Yumi!" Arata called out in front of the room door.

  "Yeah? Just open the door and leave the bag there," Yumi replied.

  "I didn't find it," Arata said curtly.

  "What? Don't joke around!" Yumi shot back from behind the bathroom door.

  "Serious, I’ve looked for it. Does your scooter have another trunk?" Arata asked.

  "No, just the one under the seat. Use your eyes!" Yumi snapped.

  "Stop blaming my eyes and fix your memory!" Arata barked back, just as heatedly. "On the way here, you said there was a handle for passengers and blamed my eyes for not seeing it, when there wasn't one at all. Now it’s the bag, and you’re still blaming my eyes? I’m not blind, Yumi! If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself!"

  "How am I supposed to see it? I’m in the shower, and my clothes are in that bag!" Yumi rumbled from the bathroom.

  "I told you, the bag isn’t there!" Arata emphasized.

  "So... it’s really not there?" Yumi’s voice softened, sounding worried.

  "Why would I lie?" Arata replied. "You’re the one who needs to get your memory checked."

  "Oh no... what do I do? It must be in my locker," Yumi whined in frustration.

  "Aahhhhh, you’re such a nuisance! Fine, just wear my clothes. And hurry up; I want to get cleaned up too. Besides, I’m starving," Arata said.

  "Fine... which ones can I wear?" Yumi asked.

  "Just pick whatever you like. I have some clothes that have gotten a bit small for me," Arata answered.

  "Okay. Thanks, Arata," Yumi said softly.

  "Yeah," Arata replied indifferently.

  Arata sat on the floor, leaning his back against the closed bedroom door. Suddenly, the door swung open, nearly sending him tumbling backward. He scrambled to his feet, dusting off the back of his pants, and prepared to go in.

  However, he froze in his tracks. Standing before him was Yumi, dressed in his oversized sweater and sweatpants. Arata felt a sharp jolt in his chest; her face looked so different—strikingly beautiful, even—swallowed in his clothes.

  "Do you mind if I wear this?" Yumi asked shyly.

  "No. You can pick something else if you’re uncomfortable," Arata replied, trying his best to act indifferent.

  "It’s fine. This is actually quite comfortable," Yumi said.

  "Now move aside and get out, I need to shower," Arata said, gesturing for her to leave the room.

  "What? No way! I’m not going out there alone. What if that monster comes back?" Yumi pleaded, her eyes clouded with anxiety.

  "Hey, I’ve been out there by myself this whole time and nothing happened," Arata answered curtly.

  "No, I still won't wait outside. You go ahead and shower, I’ll just wait in here," Yumi insisted, despite the faint blush creeping onto her face.

  "Then where am I supposed to change? You want to watch me get naked?" Arata shot back in protest. "You know yourself how cramped that bathroom is."

  "How can you be so heartless? I seriously don't want to be alone out there. You... you can just get dressed inside the bathroom!" Yumi whined.

  "Good grief, you are such a pain!" Arata grumbled. Finally, he gave in, stepping into the bathroom while clutching a change of clothes.

  Yumi waited inside Arata’s room. She let her gaze wander, taking in every corner of the space. She exhaled a long breath and sat on the edge of Arata’s bed—the sheets were so taut they didn't have a single wrinkle.

  This room is incredibly tidy, so different from how he presents himself on the outside, she whispered to herself.

  On the wall, a row of achievement awards was on display—the kind that would make any student envious. The Arata she knew at school was a loner, someone often regarded as a troublemaker. But here, in this room, Yumi saw a different side of him—a person of dedication and triumph. Everything was a far cry from the image of Arata she had always known.

  Suddenly, her daydream was shattered. Her heart began to race as a surge of panic peaked. She heard the sound of rapid footsteps; the wooden stairs creaked erratically, sounding closer by the second.

  "Arata! Arata!" she screamed, frantically pounding on the bathroom door. "The monster is here! Get out, now!"

  "What?!" Arata shouted from inside, his voice laced with equal panic.

  "Get out! I’m scared!" Yumi began to shriek hysterically, tears starting to stream down her cheeks.

  "I'm coming! Just a second!"

  Arata scrambled to pull on his clothes in the cramped space. The sound of objects toppling over and a heavy thud echoed as he hit the wall. Thump!

  But suddenly, Yumi’s screaming stopped. She forced herself to approach the bedroom door and peeked out through the window. Her eyes widened. What she saw was far more terrifying and complicated than the monster from before. Kato and Hana had arrived, out of nowhere.

  With her body trembling, she ran back toward the bathroom. "Arata... Arata... what do we do?" Yumi whispered, her voice quivering with pure, unadulterated panic.

  "The monster?" Arata asked, still standing stiffly at the bathroom threshold.

  "No! It’s Kato and Hana!" Yumi cried out, her tone becoming increasingly hysterical.

  "What?! Argh! Why is the timing always so damn wrong!" Arata ran his hands through his hair in frustration, panic written all over his face.

  "What should we do?" Yumi asked, shaking even more as she saw Arata losing his cool.

  Arata took a deep breath, trying to steady Yumi. "Listen, get to the front and lock the door! Now! I’m going to try and open a portal."

  "A portal? What are you talking about? Don't joke around!" Yumi snapped, her confusion turning into irritation.

  "Just do what I say!" Arata commanded.

  "Fine!" Yumi answered, obeying him at last.

  --------------------------------------

  Hey, you guys don’t just sit there! I know you can hear everything. Come on, help me! Arata pleaded in the depths of his panicked mind.

  A voice echoed in his head, “Open the portal. Just focus on where you want to appear.”

  "Okay!" Arata answered firmly.

  Rrrttttzzzzzz!

  The dimensional portal snapped open with a sharp, electric hum. Without wasting a single second, Arata plunged into it.

  --------------------------------------

  Meanwhile...

  Yumi sprinted toward the bedroom door, her hand outstretched, desperate to reach the latch. But she was too late. Kato was already there. The door swung wide, revealing Kato’s figure standing frozen at the threshold.

  The two of them stood paralyzed. They stared at each other in a suffocating silence, neither able to utter a single word.

  "Yumi? Am I seeing things?" Kato finally broke the silence.

  Kato’s eyes darted around the room, searching for the face he knew so well. But Arata was nowhere to be found, already vanished, swallowed by the portal of his own making.

  CRASH!

  Yumi remained rooted to the spot in front of Kato, but his attention was instantly diverted by the loud thud coming from downstairs. Kato immediately sprinted toward the source of the noise. Hana joined him, racing toward the stairs to get a look at the ground floor.

  "Arata!" Hana shouted from above.

  "Hey, when did you guys get here?" Arata asked with a wide grin, acting as if nothing had happened. Yet behind that smile, he was desperately fighting back the stinging pain in his legs from landing dead-center on a wooden table.

  "Hey, Bro! What are you doing down there? Get up here, I brought food!" Kato called out enthusiastically.

  Arata climbed the stairs with a forced air of nonchalance. He steadied his breathing and buried his panic, trying to stay composed so as not to trigger any suspicion. He carried himself as if everything were perfectly normal.

  However, a jolt of shock hit him when he reached the top. He glanced at his bedroom door, now standing wide open, and saw Yumi still standing there like a statue. In front of her, Hana stood frozen as well. The two girls were locked in a silent stare-down.

  Hearing Arata’s footsteps behind her, Hana turned. she watched him with deep suspicion; her eyes tracked his every movement. Arata caught her gaze out of the corner of his eye, but he forced himself to remain calm, refusing to flinch or look away. He kept walking straight ahead to meet Kato at the porch.

  "You’d better not be hiding something!" Hana threatened Yumi.

  Yumi couldn't find her voice. She could only give a weak, pale nod.

  "Let’s eat," Hana said, turning abruptly toward the porch, leaving Yumi behind without another word.

  "You too—you’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on!" Hana threatened Arata the moment she reached the porch.

  Arata remained silent, not daring to glance at Hana’s intimidating face. Kato only let out a small chuckle, watching his friend suddenly shrink under the pressure.

  "Don't you dare hide any of this from me!" Hana threatened, now shifting her gaze to Kato.

  "Hey, why am I being dragged into this? I don't know anything about it. We both just found out together right here," Kato protested.

  "There is definitely something you two are hiding from me," Hana said, her voice dripping with suspicion.

  Yumi walked toward the porch with her head down, looking as if all her energy had been drained away. Arata quickly pulled out a chair for her to sit. Yumi now sat directly across from Hana, who was clearly losing her patience and was ready to interrogate her. Hana’s eyes were locked onto Yumi, sharp and piercing.

  To avoid the worst-case scenario, Kato and Arata busied themselves opening all the food packaging, desperate to distract Hana.

  "Let’s eat first, I’m starving," Kato said, trying to break the tension, though it sounded forced and awkward.

  "Yeah, let's eat," Arata chimed in quickly, immediately shoveling food into his mouth.

  Hana shoved a cup of instant noodles toward Yumi. "Finish this quickly. There are things I need to know," Hana said firmly.

  Kato and Arata didn't even dare to steal a glance at the two girls.