[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
Nishiro found himself once again swallowed by darkness. "Is anybody there?" he called out, his voice echoing into the void.
(Silence....)
A wave of unease washed over him. He wasn't alone—he could feel it. His pulse quickened as an eerie presence emerged behind him. Though the figure's face remained shrouded in darkness, their silhouette was unsettlingly familiar to the reader.
A cold breath brushed against Nishiro's ear.
Then, in a low, chilling whisper—
"𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽!."
Nishiro jolted awake, his breath ragged, his heart pounding like a drum. It felt as if he had just escaped a nightmare—one so vivid it clung to his skin like cold sweat. He was gasping for air, his chest rising and falling rapidly as if he had just surfaced from drowning.
Shirisa came running into his room, her eyes wide with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with panic.
She sat beside him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was light yet grounding, her voice soft as she spoke soothing words. Slowly, his breathing steadied, the tension in his body easing under her calming presence.
{Who was that man?..} Nishiro wondered, the question echoing in his mind as he replayed the eerie whisper in the darkness.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝗳 𝗔 𝗦𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻....
Toro barged in—only to accidentally rip the door straight out of its frame. A brief silence followed as he stared at the broken door in his hands, blinking in confusion.
Toro stared at the door in his hands, blinking in confusion.
"Ah…? I think I should've pushed it," he muttered to himself.
Then, without a second thought, he casually tossed the door behind him, letting it crash outside the room as if nothing had happened.
Toro turned to Nishiro, his usual energy unfazed by the broken door.
"Hey, are you okay? You were screaming loudly a while ago," he said in his usual upbeat voice.
Nishiro, still in shock from Toro's reckless entrance, blinked at him in disbelief. Then, with a confused yet innocent tone, he asked,
"Why… are.. you... naked.... ?"
Shirisa turned to look at him, and the moment she realized, her eyes widened in shock. In the blink of an eye, she covered her face with her hands, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Why are you naked, big bro?!!" Shirisa yelled, her voice filled with panic. "Put something on, now!"
Toro glanced down at himself, and his expression shifted from confusion to embarrassing anger. His face turned red as he clenched his fists, clearly frustrated at his own mistake.
He exclaimed, "That damn witch!!!" before turning on his heel and sprinting to his own room.
[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
Sumi was smiling, but her face was messed up. Her face was flushed red, yet she kept her hand raised—firmly gripping Toro's shorts.
While gasping air, she murmured to herself,
"At leas...t I go...t t...hat brute emba...rrassed."
Then, overcome with exhaustion, she passed out. The only thing covering her body was a loosely draped bedsheet.
Toro stormed into the room with a loud crash.
"Sumi…!!!" he roared.
"Don't think you'll ever catch me off guard again!" he declared, his voice filled with determination.
"Huh?!
That's my shorts, you damn witch!!!" he shouted, his face burning with embarrassment and fury.
He quickly put on his shorts, then exhaled a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
He looked down at Sumi, who was passed out on the ground, a lewd smile of amusement still lingering on her face.
He stared her for a bit then he scooped her up in his arms and gently laid her down on the bed.
He then sank into a chair, letting his body relax a little as he exhaled a tired sigh.
[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
"You should get ready for breakfast," Shirisa told Nishiro.
She grabbed Nishiro's hand and pulled him up. "You should brush your teeth first—come on!" she said, urging him forward.
Nishiro found the sudden shift unexpected, still processing everything that had happened. So he wasn't prepared for her sudden pull, and before he could react, he lost his balance—falling over her onto the ground.
He froze as he realized—his lips had landed on hers. Panic surged through him. {Not again…} his mind screamed.
But before he could pull away, Shirisa pressed her hands against his head, pushing his face even closer to hers, showing no intention of letting him go.
"Hey, sis?..." Arlon called out, his voice was full of curiosity.
He paused as he looked the scene before him—his sister and Nishiro locked in an intimate moment.
"Looks like I came at the wrong time… Carry on," he said casually.
Then, just as cheerfully as he had came , he turned around and left, laughing and bouncing away as if nothing had happened.
[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
Nishiro sat at the dining table, quietly eating his breakfast. His face was lowered, still burning with embarrassment from the earlier incident.
Across from him, Shirisa's face was just as red. She stared blankly at the wall, completely lost in her own fantasies.
Meanwhile, Arlon devoured his food with enthusiasm, his energy never fading.
Dorsan, on the other hand, was eating in complete calmness, as if nothing in the world could disturb him.
Toro walked into the dining hall, stretching his arms and letting out a big yawn, still shaking off the last traces of sleep.
"Ugh… I got sleepy again on the chair," he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes.
Moments after Toro's arrival, Sumi entered the dining hall, her movements slow and stiff. She held her lower back, wincing slightly as if walking itself was a struggle.
Arlon, still full of energy, grinned and asked in a cheerful voice,
"So, who won today?"
Dorsan, without even looking up from his plate, replied calmly, "Children shouldn't ask these kinds of questions in front of their elders."
"Oh… You care about me, brother," she said in a playful, childish tone. "He's too much of a brute, you know." Sumi slowly waddled over to Dorsan, her movements awkward yet determined, as if she were about to hug him.
Dorsan opened his eyes, and in an instant, a suffocating darkness filled the hall. His gaze turned razor-sharp—a deathly stare that sent chills through the air.
A murderous aura radiated from him, pressing down on everyone like an invisible force, making the atmosphere unbearably heavy.
Sumi flinched, her playful expression fading for a moment. A small shock ran through her as she instinctively stepped back, sensing the sudden shift in Dorsan's aura.
Toro's expression darkened as he met Dorsan's gaze. His usual carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by an overwhelming aura of fury. His death stare burned even fiercer—more terrifying, more primal. The air around him grew heavy, as if the room itself trembled under the weight of his rage.
Nishiro sat frozen, his body tense as a cold chill ran down his spine. The sheer intensity of their clashing auras sent a wave of fear through him, leaving him completely stunned.
Toro's voice cut through the tense air, low and menacing.
"The dining hall is a place with zero murder intent… Hope you remember that, Dorsan." His words carried a warning, yet his glare remained unwavering.
Both Dorsan and Toro held their glares for a moment longer before, almost simultaneously, their murderous auras faded.
The suffocating tension in the room eased as they silently acknowledged each other, their rage subsiding.
Their expressions shifted in an instant, as if nothing had ever happened.
Dorsan calmly resumed eating, his face unreadable, while Toro stretched his arms and yawned, acting completely unbothered.
Dorsan took a bite of his food and, without looking up, said calmly, "Maybe you should wash your face, big brother, and then eat your breakfast."
Toro blinked, caught off guard by the comment.
"Uh… yeah, you're right," he said in an unprepared tone, rubbing his face.
After finishing his breakfast, Nishiro pushed his chair back and tried to stand up. {Now… I should try to find a way out of here} he thought to himself.
Just as he tried to stand, a metallic rope shot down from beneath the dining table, wrapping tightly around his feet.
In an instant, it pulled him back, forcing him to sit once again.
Dorsan spoke in a calm, almost casual tone."My, my… I forgot to tell you about the dining rules, Nishiro. My bad. No matter when any family member comes to the table..."
Then, his tone hardened, his presence growing heavier."But we will leave the table together."
Dorsan shifted his gaze to the waiter and spoke calmly, "Please bring another sandwich for me and Nishiro, and an omelet for Arlon."
The butler gave a respectful nod and left to fulfill the order.
Arlon, however, immediately tried to protest. "I don't like omelets!" he complained.
Dorsan turned to him, his tone still calm but laced with an unmistakable threat. "You should eat an egg every day."
A chill ran down Arlon's spine. His eyes widened in fear, and without another word, he quickly nodded. "Y-Yeah… I got it."
[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
After a while…
The butler instructed the maids and servants to clean the dining table, efficiently restoring order to the room.
Dorsan, maintaining his usual composed demeanor, walked toward Nishiro with a calm and measured pace.
Stopping before him, he spoke with unwavering politeness. "Mr. Nishiro, I apologize for my behavior during breakfast."
Nishiro hesitated for a moment before responding, his tone slightly unsure."N-No… I don't think of it like that."
Dorsan gave a small nod. "Nice to hear," he said smoothly. Then, his tone turned slightly more serious.
"You should be careful until the marriage date. Underworld reporters are like invisible ghosts… The news of you joining our family will put a massive bounty on your head."
Nishiro flinched for a moment, his body tensing at Dorsan's words. The weight of the situation sank in, making him uneasy.
Dorsan gave the faintest smile, his expression unreadable. "Then, let me take my leave," he said smoothly before turning away.
With his usual calm stride, he walked off toward his room, leaving Nishiro deep in thought.
Toro approached Nishiro with his usual energetic tone. "Hey, Nishiro! Wanna visit 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤? Sumi and I are planning to spend our day off there."
His excitement was contagious, as if he had already decided Nishiro was coming along.
Shirisa quickly raised her hand, waving to indicate her presence."Yeah! It'll be fun!" she chimed in, her voice carrying a playful, childish tone.
Sumi approached Nishiro with a sly smile, her movements slow and deliberate.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning in just enough to make her intentions clear. Her touch carried a teasing, almost seductive energy as she whispered,"You're coming with us, right?"
Toro immediately smacked Sumi on the head, his expression annoyed."Quit it, you witch!" he scolded, his voice filled with irritation.
"Ouch~" Sumi cried out, but her tone was anything but pained—it was teasing, almost seductive, as if she was enjoying the attention.
Toro leaned in close to Nishiro's ear, his voice dropping to a mischievous whisper."Don't worry… It's like a double date. We won't interrupt your time with Shirisa."
Nishiro's face instantly turned half-red as the words sank in. His mind screamed in protest—
When the hell did I ask for that?!
Toro suddenly straightened up and announced loudly, his energetic voice leaving no room for argument. "So, it's final! We're going to the park!"
Nishiro hesitated for a moment before trying to protest. "Ah…! I actually have a little work, so—"
[𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵]
Nishiro sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat.
"Gosh… I thought I'd be able to escape, but now she's coming to my home," he muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice.
Shirisa tilted her head slightly and asked in a curious tone, "Any problem…?"
Nishiro forced an uneasy smile and quickly replied,
"N-No, don't mind me."
They arrived at a house that looked nearly abandoned. The walls were worn, the paint peeling, and an eerie silence surrounded the place.
"Did we… reach?" Shirisa asked, her voice laced with confusion as she looked around the worn-down house.
Nishiro gave a small nod and replied,"Yeah… we did."
Shirisa crossed her arms and smirked."You really are a broke clinical hentai," she teased, her tone playful yet blunt.
Her words hit Nishiro's mind like a barrage of rocks, leaving him momentarily speechless.
All of a sudden, the door creaked open, and a rough-looking man stepped out of the house. His appearance screamed thug—messy hair, worn-out clothes, and a permanent scowl on his face. He was muttering under his breath, "That damn doctor…"
The moment Nishiro laid eyes on him, a jolt of memories surged through his mind. His body tensed instinctively, and without realizing it, he took a step backward.
But the thug quickly noticed Nishiro. His eyes widened with rage, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, grabbing Nishiro by the collar. "You…! Damn doctor!" he growled, his grip tightening.
"You didn't give your share, you moron!" the thug snarled, yanking Nishiro closer."Wanna see the graveyard, you piece of shit?!" His voice dripped with menace, his grip tightening even more.
Shirisa immediately exclaimed in protest, her voice sharp and firm."Hey! What do you think you're doing? Leave him alone !"
The thug briefly shifted his gaze to Shirisa, his lips curling into a sleazy grin. "Oh… you brought a nice body for our pleasure," he sneered, his tone laced with vile intent.
He suddenly threw Nishiro to the ground, his grip releasing as he set his sights on Shirisa. With a twisted grin, he lunged toward her, his intentions clear.
Shirisa's expression darkened in an instant. Without hesitation, she delivered a brutal kick straight to the thug's crotch.
𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸!!...
A sickening sound filled the air as his body stiffened. His eyes rolled back, and a choked gasp escaped his lips. Blood burst from his lower region as he collapsed onto the ground, instantly knocked out—sent straight into a dead sleep.
Suddenly, more thugs stormed out of the house, their faces filled with confusion and irritation."What the hell was that noise?!" one of them exclaimed, scanning the scene.
Their eyes landed on their fallen comrade, blood pooling beneath him, and their expressions twisted in shock and anger.
Before the thugs could even process what had happened, Shirisa moved like a blur.
She delivered a swift, ruthless kick to one thug's neck, twisting it with a sickening crack as he collapsed instantly. Two others tried to lunge at her, but she struck both in the crotch with pinpoint precision, dropping them to the ground in agonizing silence.
The largest of them managed to pull out a gun and aimed it at Nishiro—
But Shirisa was faster.
With a powerful spinning kick, she struck his arm, twisting it unnaturally. The gun fired—straight into his own chest. His body staggered before crashing onto the ground, lifeless.
In mere seconds, the fight was over. Shirisa stood tall, not a single drop of sweat on her brow.
Through the entire fight, Nishiro's gaze remained locked on Shirisa—but what he saw sent chills down his spine.
{Her face… It wasn't hers.} He thought in his mind.
For a fleeting moment, she looked like something else—something inhuman. Her eyes gleamed with a twisted pleasure, her lips curled into an ecstatic grin as if she was enjoying their suffering.
A beast.
A predator reveling in the pain of its prey.
Nishiro's eyes flinched. His breath caught in his throat. {What the hell did I just witness…?} He thought.
Nishiro opened his mouth, trying to say something—but then…
𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.
A dart lodged into his neck.
"Huh…?" His vision blurred, his body swayed, and within seconds, the world around him faded to black. He collapsed onto the street, unconscious.
Shirisa's eyes widened in shock. She instinctively rushed toward him—
𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗺!!
The house behind them exploded. A violent shockwave ripped through the air, sending debris flying. The sheer force launched Shirisa forward at a terrifying speed.
Her body slammed into a nearby wall—hard.
A dull pain shot through her skull. Her vision darkened. "N... Ishi... ro" she tried to speak but couldn't finish.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻—𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱
She passed out.
A mysterious man stood at a distance, watching the aftermath unfold. His tall figure was draped in a long coat, and a peculiar magic hat cast a shadow over his face.
He observed the unconscious bodies of Nishiro and Shirisa for a moment, expression unreadable. Then, with a subtle smirk, he reached up and tipped his hat.
Without another glance, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the shadow of ally , leaving the chaos behind.
𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱....