code black part 2......

ichika 's perspective

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As I returned with the tea, my hands trembled just slightly, though I tried to keep calm. When I reached Rinku and Reo, I could see the tension still hanging in the air, thick and suffocating. Reo’s face was flushed with anger, but there was something else too—fear, the kind none of us wanted to admit we felt.

“Come on, Reo,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady. “Come to our dorm. We need to talk.”

He started to refuse. “Sorry, but n—”

“Just shut it and come to our dorm, idiot,” Rinku cut in, always direct, never patient. His tone was harsh, but I knew he was worried too.

Reo, his expression hardening, muttered, “And what will that do? We’re nothing but tools to the masked man.”

His words sank into me like a weight, but I pushed the feeling down. I reached for Reo’s arm and helped him up gently. I could feel his hesitation, his resistance, but there was something else too—an odd softness in his gaze.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” I said, doing my best to soothe him. “Please, come with us.”

For a moment, Reo stood frozen, staring at me, then finally relented. “Fine,” he muttered, almost shy, like my presence had pulled him out of whatever dark place he was sinking into.

Rinku, never one for patience, grabbed Reo by the ear. “Alright, let’s go already.”

I chuckled despite everything—the tension, the war, the fear. Rinku always found a way to break through the darkness, even if it was just for a second.

As we stepped into the dorm, Reo’s eyes widened in surprise. I could see his mind trying to process something as simple as the tidiness of our space. It seemed strange, almost surreal, that we still cared about something so normal, so human.

“Take off your shoes,” Rinku said with an exasperated tone. “Do you know what manners are?”

Reo gritted his teeth. “I only accepted because Ichika asked politely.”

I smiled, but it was thin, forced. The truth was, none of this mattered. Not the tidiness of the room, not the banter between Rinku and Reo. Not even the tea. Not when we were on the verge of war, a war we had been trained for, a war that would kill us.

“I’m going to miss this room,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “They said tonight our schedule changes. We’ll sleep at 8 p.m. and wake up at 4 a.m. Aren’t you guys concerned?”

Rinku, always trying to stay tough, shrugged it off. “I’ll be fine. But I don’t think *Mr. Suicidal* over here will be.”

Reo shot him an angry look. “Are you really giving me nicknames now, Rinku?”

Before they could argue more, I snapped, my frustration bubbling over. I punched them both, maybe harder than I meant to. The weight of everything we’d been through, everything we were about to face, was crushing me from the inside. I couldn’t stand their bickering.

“Guys, we could die in a week because of this war!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “I don’t want to lose either of you.”

The room fell silent. For a moment, I felt like the walls were closing in, like the air itself was choking me. I looked at them both—Rinku, my oldest friend, the one who never showed fear, and Reo, still shaking with anger and confusion.

Rinku, always trying to lighten the mood, chuckled softly. “You never change, Ichika. And that’s why I’ll never abandon you.”

The words caught me off guard. I felt a warmth in my cheeks, but the sensation was fleeting, drowned by the overwhelming fear that sat heavy in my chest.

Before I could respond, Reo cut in. “So… what age were you guys when you were abducted?”

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories I had buried deep, memories I tried to forget, began to resurface. My heart raced, and the room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating.

“I don’t like to remember it… sorry, Reo,” I muttered, my voice cracking. I couldn’t stay in the room anymore. I couldn’t breathe.

Without waiting for a response, I left. The air outside the dorm was cold, sharp against my skin, but it didn’t help. Nothing could ease the suffocating weight that was pressing down on me. I leaned against the wall, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

All I could think about was how close the end felt. War. Death. It was coming for us, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength to face it.

I wasn’t sure if any of us did.

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