Keiko hurriedly walked through the door.

  “Apologies for that. This game will be the last game for the day, so I’ll show you guys around the facility. Please follow me.” We followed as Keiko walked out of the room. She showed us a small canteen which was serving lunch, which reminded me that I hadn’t eaten since lunch at school yesterday.

  Aside from that, Keiko mentioned we could use our phones to message each other via the app I’d already discovered. She then showed us to our rooms.

  I already noticed that our rooms were very spread out, and Keiko even mentioned that herself. It seemed intentional, but why?

  That’s when I noticed the cameras in the corridors. The vast number of them reminded me of the karaoke bar.

  They wanted to track who was going in each room and at what time.

  They wanted to keep track of social dynamics.

  I looked at my phone as I wondered how far they were willing to go to control us. If I wanted to track social dynamics, I wouldn’t hesitate to view our private messages.

  The walls were a mundane beige, but I didn’t mind. I opened a closet and found a bunch of ironed clothes that looked my size. They varied from jeans to shorts to tracksuits and pretty much everything else I could want to wear.

  I opened another door that led to an ensuite, with a sink, toilet and shower. I scanned around as I kept trying to answer this question.

  Why are they treating us so well?

  It’d make more sense to keep us on edge with barely hospitable conditions. Wouldn’t it be more entertaining if they pushed us towards emotional breakdowns?

  I continued looking around my room and shifted my attention to the desk. There was a stack of paper, as well as an assortment of coloured pens. I noticed something sticking out underneath all the paper, and realised someone had left a note.

  “Be here at eight. I want to have a quick talk

  - You know who.”

  The note was probably from Keiko’s boss. Keiko would’ve addressed it with her own name, and he’s the only other person I know that would’ve left the note.

  Keiko also mentioned that there weren’t any cameras in our rooms so we didn’t need to worry about that, but the warning felt off.

  I instantly checked my room for any devices recording audio, looking under my bed, inside all my drawers. I realised that wasn’t enough and checked everything I could think of, no matter how likely. I even checked the water tank of my toilet, but I couldn’t find any.

  I immediately checked the time.

  11:30.

  Since I woke up with dry lips but didn’t feel thirsty, I’d assumed I was knocked out for about eight hours. However, it's been about an hour or two since I woke up. I thought back to my escape and realised I probably got knocked out half an hour after I reached karaoke.

  That means I was unconscious for about thirteen hours, but I didn’t feel any unusual side effects apart from hunger.

  More importantly, why wasn’t I feeling thirsty?

  I still wasn’t.

  Were they keeping me hydrated? How specialised and thought out are these guys?

  I looked at my arms to check for any signs of injections but couldn’t find anything. I decided to ignore it as I sat down in my chair.

  I looked through the window behind my desk and I saw a few other buildings. Since I was desperate to find out more about this facility, I started thinking about what the other buildings were for.

  I made a quick realisation as I grabbed my keycard and started running to the canteen.

  After my first game, Keiko took Yuto to his next destination and came back to me within minutes. They couldn't have gotten far, which meant he should be in my building.

  I wanted to find Yuto.

  I wanted to talk to him and ask him how his game went. Any information he gives me could change everything. I know Yuto must have been taken somewhere else in the building, but I didn’t know how long he’d be there for. I hurried to make sure I didn’t miss this opportunity.

  Running down these long and twisting corridors reminded me of my escape attempt. Back then, the drug made my legs feel heavy.

  That effect was gone.

  My legs were fresh.

  I pushed down, harder and harder with each step.

  It only took me a few minutes, but I was running so fast that I was exhausted by the time I got there. I scanned the room, but there were no signs of Yuto. No signs of anyone, really.

  I hoped to see at least one stranger that wasn’t dressed like an employee. I wanted to confirm that other groups stayed in this building - maybe I could get some information off them, but that wasn’t the case. The only person I saw was Osamu. He hadn’t noticed me yet, so I leaned behind the wall, waiting as I caught my breath.

  I waited about twenty seconds before walking up to the counter. There were two soups, one vegetarian, one not. I got a bowl of the non-veg soup and started walking towards Osamu. At first, he looked tired. Understandable, given what we’d all been through. He got hit particularly hard with everything that happened with Yaeko. When he saw me, he smiled and moved his bowl to make more space for me.

  “Hey,” he took a sip of water after greeting me.

  “What’s up?” I greeted him back with a smile before sitting down.

  “Nothing much.” He sighed and took a deep breath. “Just a bit exhausted after that game.” He looked away as he spoke.

  “Yeah, I hear you…” I chose to match his dejected energy. “How come you’re not eating with Yaeko?” He didn’t react. He just stared blankly for a few seconds before sighing again.

  “Things right now… are just… complicated…” He dropped his head and looked at his half eaten bowl of soup. I missed an opportunity to get information by finding Yuto, but I was being presented with another. I’ve been so scared of taking action in front of the group, but this was a rare situation. I was alone with Osamu, and I didn’t know for how long. I want to help him, but we aren’t close enough for that.

  I need to bridge that gap.

  “I know we’re not super close or anything, but if you do wanna talk about it, I’d always be happy to listen.” I brought my spoon to my lips to feel how hot the soup was.

  “Thanks. I appreciate that, I really do. I just don’t know if it's a good idea telling you before I’ve thought it through.” He finally took another spoonful.

  “That’s fine, that’s probably the smart thing to do anyway.” I wanted to let him feel comfortable. That way, I’d be able to discern any tells from his reaction to what I’d say next. “Is it to do with how carefree she was after the game?” He immediately looked up at me.

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  I was right.

  “That’s part of it… I know she’s in a lot of pain, I just don’t know why she won’t let me help her.” I masked my surprise as he took another deep breath in.

  “She’s in a lot of pain? What do you mean?” I sympathised with him as I tried to build a rapport, and to give me time to think since I was caught off guard by the reason he’s deep in thought. It’d be one thing if he thought Yaeko was in pain, but to know that and be upset because she won’t let him help her? His cloudy eyes conveyed a sense of uncertainty as he started answering.

  “I’m not just talking about today. I don’t feel comfortable telling you the details, but I know that in general, there’s something she’s dealing with.” He looked up at me and paused, letting out an exhausted sigh before continuing. “Since she isn’t letting me in, it makes me question whether or not she actually trusts me. How could we ever have a relationship if she’s already keeping secrets?” I looked him in the eyes for a second as I thought about how to reply.

  “Don’t you think it’s unfair to expect her to let you in on all of her pain this quickly?” Osamu’s eyes broke away from mine as he processed the impact of my question.

  “I guess that’s true.” He sharply breathed in as he forced a smile. Even though he agreed logically, the relationship is drawing out and amplifying his insecurity.

  He’s so worried that she isn’t letting him in.

  He thinks it’s because he isn’t good enough of a boyfriend for her to trust him. I already expected this response, which is why I was going to counter it with the perfect emotional argument.

  “You’re also being a bit hypocritical.” His fingers twitched as he smiled, not knowing what other expression to make. “You’re only considering this from your side and putting the blame on Yaeko for not letting you in, but what if you’re the one in the wrong?” His confused smile quickly morphed into a pained one.

  “What, you think it’s fine to lock your partner out? To refuse to let them help?” I looked at Osamu’s naivety with a quiet pity. I’ve never had a partner, but I know exactly how he feels

  That’s why I can say with certainty that you can’t judge their secrecy when you don’t know what their headspace looks and feels like, but right now, none of that mattered. The way he twisted my words into an accusation made it clear. I’d set the stage to completely reframe his view with my last argument.

  “That’s not my point. I barely know Yaeko, yet I still know that she’s incredibly proud of all of her achievements, right?” I quietly waited until I saw Osamu nod. “So what if it’s her pride that’s locking you out? What if it isn’t because you aren’t good enough for her, or because she doesn’t trust you? What if it’s because she’s so prideful that she doesn’t want to show you her weakness?” It was just an inch, but I saw his jaw open.

  I wasn’t done yet.

  “Didn’t you fall for her, despite knowing how proud she is? So isn’t it unfair to blame her for not letting you in, when that’s directly tied to the pride that you already knew about?” His fist immediately clenched, causing him to shake his spoon and spill some soup.

  “Hold on, I’ll go grab a tissue for you.” I hopped out of my chair and headed back to the counter, grabbing a tissue and a glass of water for myself.

  When I sat back down, I noticed a tear on Osamu’s face.

  I tore the tissue in half, wiping the soup with one half and handing the other to Osamu. He smiled as he took the tissue and wiped his face, but he didn’t say anything. I had a perfect opportunity.

  “I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, but, I feel like I have to tell you this.” I paused, waiting for Osamu’s undivided attention. “You need to stop being so scared. You deserve to be happy, but you keep holding yourself back.” I paused again as I looked him in the eyes.

  “Here, you’re so scared of not being good enough that you assumed Yaeko just didn’t trust you. You assumed you didn’t deserve her. You couldn’t have been more wrong, but it’s more than that.” I took an exaggerated deep breath so that he’d copy me and take deeper breaths to calm himself down.

  “I notice it all the time. You’re uncomfortable speaking up whenever we’re hanging out, even though you have things you want to say.” In order to truly break through here, I needed to take a risk. I couldn’t beat around the bush anymore.

  I had to be explicit.

  I had to show Osamu how well I understood him.

  I’d normally refrain from showing people how well I can read them, but that just shows how instrumental this moment would be for Osamu’s growth.

  I’m willing to take that risk.

  “I get it, you’re scared of people thinking that you want to be in the spotlight.” He laughed and looked away as he refused to look me in the eye, confirming that I’d cut a deep nerve that he’d been dealing with for a long time.

  “You’re scared of looking like you feel entitled to things. I understand it, I truly do. That insecurity is a consequence of your upbringing. It took you time to adjust to ‘the normal world’.” I patiently waited for him to reestablish eye contact.

  “But you’re not that entitled kid anymore. You’re a completely different guy. We aren’t even close but I like being in a friend group with you.” I smiled warmly as I wrapped everything up. “Even though you never speak, I can tell you’re a kind and thoughtful guy.

  That’s more than enough for us.” I paused. I wanted him to fully process those words.

  “You need to stop being so scared of people judging you all the time.”

  We sat in silence for a few seconds. I noticed his empty glass and slid mine across the table. It was a small gesture, but I knew it’d go a long way

  “How… did you know all that…” He looked at his cup as he spoke. When Mei asked me how I knew Osamu would defend Yaeko, I ignored it. Telling her wouldn’t do any good, and I’d just risk exposing my true self to her.

  This was different.

  I could show Osamu that side of me by truthfully answering his questions. I have no idea how he’d react. But it’d bring me closer to doing the thing that matters most.

  It’d help us bridge the gap.

  “I’ve always known how quiet you are.” I paused and looked him in the eyes. “Sometimes, you even looked relieved when someone interrupted you.” He chuckled as he realised how accurately I’d read him.

  “But today, my impression of you changed.” His smile disappeared and was replaced with a straight faced curiosity. “When I asked you more detailed questions about your first game earlier, that made it obvious that I genuinely wanted to hear more from you.” I paused, letting him think back to that moment.

  “You realised it, and you immediately started getting into details. I saw the smile on your face. The enthusiasm in your voice. That confirmed it. You aren’t quiet because you’re shy or introverted. You actually love talking to us and telling stories. You’ve just been too scared to take the spotlight.”

  He reached out to take a sip of water from my glass but looked at me and stopped himself. I gently pushed the glass closer towards him and gave him a warm smile.

  “Thank you, Akira.” I waited until he was done drinking.

  “There’s nothing to thank me for, Osamu.” I paused and smiled. “Like I said, I’m happy to listen whenever you wanna talk about something.” We both laughed for a few seconds. “You feeling better now?” I made my voice as soft as I could.

  “Yeah, way better.” He finished his soup and put his spoon in the bowl.

  “In that case, if you have the energy for it, you should go talk to Yaeko.” His smile instantly vanished.

  He’d completely forgotten about her.

  It was completely understandable. After all, he’d just been challenged on all of his insecurities. If anything, it would be unnatural if he was still worrying about Yaeko. “She’s probably still upset. She could use your being there for her.”

  Osamu quickly stood up and grabbed his bowl and glass.

  “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks!” I quickly stopped him.

  “Leave your bowl and glass here. I’ll clean up. Go talk to Yaeko.” He nodded his head.

  “Thank you!” He quickly turned around and brought out his phone. I assumed he was texting Yaeko to let him know he’d be on his way.

  I went and put his bowl, tissue and glasses away, while also picking up a new glass and tissue for myself. I still had about three quarters of my soup left and I was looking forward to the meal. I’d eaten enough food to initially satisfy my hunger, but the break during our conversation was enough to make me feel like I was starving again.

  I figured waiting in the canteen couldn’t hurt.

  There’s a chance Yuto drops by if he is actually in the same building as I am. I started thinking about what Keiko’s boss might want to talk about as I continued having my lunch. When I had about half a bowl left, I heard some talking just outside the canteen.

  I was once again hoping for Yuto or any other strangers to get more information, but I wasn’t so lucky.

  It was Choko and Hibiki.

  I smiled and waved at both of them, and they waved back.

  They grabbed their food and came to sit with me.