Hello everyone I have to tell you all something...the first episode of cipher will be released on October 13 so stay tuned for the episode I hope if you're listening to this announcement that you watched part one of cipher code I hope you all understand how happy making cipher code makes me have a good rest of your day ☺️

A week had passed since Rinku was taken by the Chinese military, and everything felt like it was falling apart. My dorm was a mess, just like me. I hadn’t changed my clothes in days, hadn’t eaten properly, hadn’t slept. I was on the ground, hugging my knees, fighting back tears that refused to stop. My mind kept going back to that moment—his words, "I love you," the words I had longed to hear for so long, but at the worst possible moment.

The door opened, and I barely lifted my head. It was Reo. I could feel his eyes on me, seeing the state I was in. I heard the sigh leave his lips. He didn’t say anything at first, just stood there, probably taking in the sight of the wreck I’d become.

And then, of course, Mei appeared behind him. “Wow, it seems that ever since Rinku was taken by the Chinese military, she’s been like this. How depressing.”

Her voice grated on my already fragile nerves. Before I could react, Reo snapped at her.

“Shut it, twerp! You don’t understand even a little bit of how she feels right now.”

I barely managed to mutter, my voice hoarse, “Can you two just leave me alone?”

But Reo wasn’t about to let this go. “Listen to me, Ichika. Rinku isn’t dead. He’s a strong soldier, and I know he’s still alive. He’d never go down like this.”

His words stung, but they also felt hollow, empty. He didn’t know. How could he know?

“And how the hell would you know that, Reo?” I shot back, my voice trembling.

Reo took a breath, steadying himself. “Because he has strength that none of us have.”

Before I could say anything else, Mei chimed in again. “I may not know Rinku, but I think for his bravery, he deserves to be saved by those Chinese people.”

I clenched my fists. “He finally said the words I’ve been waiting for him to say for years—‘I love you’—but he said it at the worst possible moment.”

The weight of everything crashed down on me again, making it harder to breathe. And then, suddenly, Akari appeared behind Mei, like he always did, out of nowhere.

“Maybe I can be of assistance,” he said, his voice casual.

Reo groaned in frustration. “How do you guys keep appearing like that? It’s creepy.”

I wanted to scream at all of them to leave, to stop talking, to stop making plans that couldn’t possibly work. I had no energy left to hope. “I’m not sure we can save him,” I muttered, half to myself.

Akari didn’t seem fazed. “Maybe we can, though. We must save Rinku.”

Something in his voice made my heart clench. Could they be right? Could there still be a way to save him?

No. No, I couldn’t let myself fall into that trap again. Hope was dangerous, hope would only hurt me more. I stood up on shaky legs, barely able to look them in the eyes.

“Just go. You three, just leave.”

And with that, I slammed the door in their faces, shutting them out. Shutting out the sliver of hope they brought with them. I leaned against the door, my breath catching, tears finally spilling from my eyes. I was so tired of fighting, tired of trying to hold on to the belief that Rinku would come back.

The thought of losing him, truly losing him... it was unbearable.

Behind the door, I could hear Mei sighing. “Well, this is going to be a nightmare…”

Her words faded as I slid down to the floor again, curling up and letting the tears take over. I didn’t know how to go on from here, how to find any strength when the person who gave me strength was gone.

But... maybe they were right. Maybe Rinku was still out there, alive, waiting for us. Maybe... just maybe, we could save him.

And that tiny, flickering hope, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, refused to die.

Reo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “There has to be some way to help her out. She’s been a mess. She barely leaves her dorm.”

I glanced at him, my usual smirk playing on my lips. “She’s been more tired than a cat on a summer day, and her eyes? They’re puffier than a puffer fish.”

Akari, who had been trying to get a word in, finally spoke up. “I was trying to tell Ichika something before you two decided to talk over me.”

Reo shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Well, at least I’m not appearing out of thin air, you warlock.”

Akari rolled his eyes. “My job is as a craftsman. I make the weapons, the gear, all the things this facility needs to survive.”

Before any of us could reply, the masked man appeared behind Reo, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. “You three, come with me,” the masked man said in his usual calm tone.

Reo, still rattled, let out a yelp of terror. “CAN YOU FOUR STOP THAT?!”

The masked man didn’t miss a beat. “It’s just a technique we use to approach without being noticed. The element of surprise.”

I chuckled. “You really are a chicken, Reo.”

As we walked through the hall and entered a familiar room, Reo asked, “Isn’t this the same room we entered a week ago when China threatened us with missiles?”

The masked man nodded, his voice still as calm as ever. “Yes, it is. We have an estimated location for where Rinku might be. When you all entered the facility, you were given watches that we can track. Rinku still has his on, and we’ve tracked him 75 percent of the way.”

Akari, finally having his moment, chimed in. “Yes, that’s what I was trying to say.”

I frowned, crossing my arms. “How will we find the place he’s being held? It would take months of research.”

The masked man glanced at me. “We will need one or two of us to go to China and save Rinku.”

Before I could say anything, Reo immediately volunteered. “Me and Akari can go and save him!”

The masked man’s response was swift and cold. “No, that would be absurd. Why would I let an idiot like you go and save our strongest soldier? You’re expendable, Reo.”

I couldn’t help but agree with the masked man. “Yeah, it would be stupid to let you go. And Akari is too valuable. He’s the craftsman. He has an important job here.”

Akari, ever the professional, sighed and nodded. “I understand what you’re saying, Mei. But even though Rinku and I aren’t friends, I still have a lot of respect for him.”

The masked man, uninterested in the debate, ended it quickly. “We’ll decide this later.”

Reo, clearly frustrated, muttered under his breath, “Shut it, you’re just a man in a Halloween mask.”

I chuckled. Classic Reo.

As we all began to leave the room, Reo paused at the door. “Mei, are you coming?”

I waved him off, my smirk returning. “Nah, I’ll stay here for a bit.”

“Alright then...weirdo,” Reo muttered as the door closed behind him.

I stood there for a moment, glancing around the room. A soft chuckle escaped my lips. “It’s surprising how you snuck in here without any of them noticing... Ichika.”

From the shadows, Ichika stepped out. But something was different in her eyes this time—a glitter of hope. A fire that had been dim for too long.

“So,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m assuming you’re going to save Rinku.”

Ichika nodded, her voice filled with determination. “Of course. I’m not going to abandon him this time. Maybe... just maybe... I can finally tell him how I feel. And bring him home. But it seems that you, Mei, are the only one who can help me do that.”

A smirk spread across my face. I had been waiting for this. “This will be fun.”

And just like that, we were ready. This mission? It was going to be one hell of a ride.