Dave noticed Saki's lingering, suspicious gaze toward the female staff member and leaned close to Tison, whispering urgently, "We need to do something." Tison nodded grimly and murmured a few words to Kiko. She raised her hand at once. "Ma'am, may I step outside for a moment?"
The woman turned with an unnaturally sweet smile. "No, dear. Stay seated."
A ripple of quiet disgust passed through the other students, though none dared voice it. The lady raised a single eyebrow at the sudden shift in their demeanor but said nothing more, her expression unreadable.
Two tense hours dragged by in near silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of clothing or stifled cough. At last, Mr. Hoshino returned, looking somewhat recovered but strangely pale. A few students sighed in visible relief; others rose instinctively to offer assistance.
He waved them off sharply. "Sit down! I'm not so frail that I need help from children!" His voice cracked with unexpected venom. The class froze, then retreated silently to their seats. The female staff member's lips curled into a faint, satisfied smirk. Michi narrowed her eyes at her, suspicion hardening into certainty, though she held her tongue.
"Yudashi!" Mr. Hoshino barked. "Go and call the bus. We are leaving this place at once."
A stunned gasp swept the room. Several students protested in low, disbelieving murmurs. Mr. Hoshino's face darkened. "I am your teacher. You will do as I say."
Reluctantly, the students began gathering their belongings from the rooms. One whispered to another, "Sensei... he seems different." A few nearby heads nodded uneasily as bags were zipped and shoulders tensed.
Dave's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward. "Sensei, you can't just—"
"Shut up, all of you—morons!" Mr. Hoshino roared, cutting him off. The entire group flinched. Dave recoiled as though slapped, anger flashing across his features. "Sensei, that's enough! You cannot cancel the entire field trip on a whim!"
The room fell deathly quiet. Every student stared, wide-eyed. Mr. Hoshino's control finally snapped. He seized a nearby metal rod and swung it hard against Dave's head. A thin line of blood immediately welled and trickled down Dave's temple.
Gasps filled the air. Dave staggered, knees buckling. Michi lunged forward before he could fall, catching him against her shoulder. Tears sprang to her eyes and spilled freely, several drops landing on Dave's cheek as she whispered his name in broken panic.
Yudashi, who had remained silent until now, exploded. "Sensei—what are you doing?!"
Mr. Hoshino stood breathing heavily for a long moment, then turned and stalked into his assigned room without another word. The female staff member's smirk widened—she was clearly savoring the chaos she had helped orchestrate.
Saki fixed her with a cold, unwavering glare. Her suspicion was now absolute.
Michi quickly retrieved a handkerchief and pressed it firmly against Dave's wound to stem the bleeding. Hensudo rushed over with the first-aid kit. Dave went unnaturally quiet as Michi cleaned and bandaged the injury with trembling hands.
Outside, the bus finally arrived. Mr. Hoshino emerged silently, luggage in hand, and boarded without looking at anyone. The students filed in behind him, subdued and shaken, taking their seats in near silence.
Mr. Hoshino's gaze slid sideways toward Saki and Dave. He cleared his throat. "Saki. Sit beside me."
Michi, still supporting Dave's weight on her shoulder, froze in confusion. Yudashi spoke up immediately. "Sensei, she's sitting with me."
Mr. Hoshino's eyes narrowed dangerously. He gestured once more for Saki to obey. With visible reluctance, she complied.
The bus doors hissed shut. As the vehicle began to move, Mr. Hoshino leaned close to Saki's ear and whispered in a low, possessive tone that sent ice down her spine: "Saki... my child. Your powers belong to me."
Saki's eyes narrowed, but she remained perfectly still. Mr. Hoshino draped an arm across her shoulders, pulling her closer. In the dim light of the moving bus, his features seemed to distort—fangs lengthening, skin paling—as though something inhuman were rising beneath the surface. A suffocating pressure filled the air; students began clutching at their throats, gasping for breath they could no longer draw.
Strange, ghoulish whispers slithered through the cabin.
Saki's heart hammered. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her curse marks flickered faintly beneath her sleeves. She struggled against his grip, panic rising—
She blinked rapidly.
The bus was still. Mr. Hoshino sat normally in his seat. Michi was still carefully tending Dave's wound. The suffocating pressure, the fangs, the whispers—all of it had been a vivid, terrifying hallucination.
Saki exhaled shakily and rose. The female staff member caught her eye and offered another syrupy smile, clearly aware of the growing doubt in Saki's mind.
Without a word, Saki slipped away and returned to the hidden room containing her mother's prototype. She reopened the secret compartment, pulled the lever once more, retrieved the experiment, and tucked it carefully into her bag.
Behind her, the woman's voice cut through the silence like silk over steel. "Stealing, are we?"
Saki froze.
The woman hurled a volley of throwing knives. Most missed—but one sliced cleanly through the flesh of Saki's left arm. Blood welled instantly, dripping onto the floor where the experiment had rested moments earlier. Saki dropped to her knees, clutching the wound with a sharp wince.
The woman locked the door behind her and whispered, "No one who enters this place leaves alive."
Before she could strike again, the elderly woman from earlier—the one who had recognized Saki—appeared silently and struck the attacker from behind with surprising force. She turned to Saki with a gentle, urgent smile.
"My Saki... go. Take your friends and leave this place. It is far more dangerous than you know. Mr. Hoshino is under my protection—take him too. Hurry, before they realize."
Saki nodded, stunned, and fled.
On the floor, the drops of her blood began to spread, glowing faintly—until the old woman swiftly wiped them away. The strange reaction ceased. She deleted the security footage with practiced speed and hurried back to her post, tension etched into her face.
Saki emerged clutching her bleeding arm. Hensudo noticed immediately. "Saki! What happened to your arm?!"
"It's nothing," she murmured.
"Nothing?! You idiot—let me bandage it right now!" Yudashi interrupted, already tearing open a fresh gauze pack and gently tending the wound with steady hands.
Soon the bus arrived. The real Mr. Hoshino—unaffected and himself—emerged from another room and boarded quietly. The students followed, settling into their seats in uneasy silence.
Dave, still leaning on Michi's shoulder, smirked and whispered to Hensudo, "See? Told you. She just doesn't realize yet how much she likes me. Did you see how fast she rushed over earlier? Heh."
Hensudo snickered.
Dave, ever the prankster, suddenly clutched his chest and groaned dramatically. "Michi... I think I'm having a heart attack!"
Michi's eyes widened in genuine panic. She grabbed his hand, rubbing it frantically. "Dave—Dave, stay with me!"
Yudashi and Saki exchanged confused glances. Hensudo bit his lip to keep from laughing.
Then Dave burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Aw, Michi... did I scare you that badly?"
Hensudo muttered gleefully, "Dave pranked you!"
Michi's face flushed crimson. "You—! How dare you pull such a ridiculous stunt?! I was terrified, you stupid—!"
"Michi, my prin—" Dave began.
"Don't even speak to me!" she snapped, but her voice cracked. Tears welled up again—this time not from fear, but from relief and frustration. Without warning, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly.
Dave stiffened in surprise, then slowly relaxed. He lifted one hand and patted her head gently. "Hey... I'm right here, princess. Shh."
Hensudo grinned and stage-whispered, "Hashtag new couple alert. Hashtag DiMichi!"
Yudashi chuckled quietly. Saki watched the scene with a small, genuine smile—the first real one in hours.
------------------------XOXO------------------------