code of unspoken feelings.....

(ichika's perspective)As I pounded my fists into the training sack, the world around me blurred. Each hit was harder, faster—anything to drown out the thoughts that clawed at the back of my mind. The dull thud of my gloves against the leather wasn’t enough to silence the creeping dread, the suffocating pressure of our reality.

And then, I heard his voice.

“I’m sorry if what I said earlier was mean in any way.”

Reo’s voice sliced through the haze, and I felt my anger rise again. Without thinking, I grabbed the nearest thing—boxing gloves—and hurled them at him. He caught them clumsily, blinking in confusion.

"If you want to make it up to me," I said, my voice icy, “then box me. And try to win.”

I saw the hesitation flash across his face before he forced a smirk. “Sooo, what’s with you and Rinku?”

I clenched my fists, feeling the sting of frustration flood back in. “That’s none of your business.”

Reo pressed on, ignoring the obvious warning in my tone. “A skilled doctor and an S-rank assassin… does that really work out? And you two sleep in the same bed, share a drawer, no lock on yours…”

I snapped. “Less talking, more fighting.”

Before he could utter another word, I grabbed him by the ear and dragged him toward the ring. His protests fell on deaf ears as I stepped into the ring, slipping on my gloves. The air felt heavy, thick with tension. I didn’t care if he was ready or not. This wasn’t about him—it was about me. About control. About the fact that no matter how hard I tried, nothing in this place ever truly felt under my control.

Reo stepped into the ring, clearly underestimating what was about to happen. His smug expression gave him away. He thought this would be easy. They always did.

We squared off, and the moment the bell rang, I moved.

The world slowed down as my fists collided with him. I wasn’t just fighting Reo—I was fighting the fear, the anger, the helplessness. Each punch was faster than the last, my body moving on instinct, fueled by years of training and survival.

In less than ten seconds, Reo was on the ground, gasping for air, clutching his stomach, his face twisted in pain. I stood over him, breathing hard, but the cold emptiness remained. The victory was hollow. I wasn’t satisfied.

I didn’t want to fight him. I wanted to escape this nightmare.

The ring felt too small, the walls closing in around me. The fluorescent lights above flickered, casting long, eerie shadows on the ground. For a moment, I swore the shadows moved, twisting and writhing like they were alive, like they were waiting for me to falter.

Reo groaned, struggling to sit up, his eyes wide with shock. He hadn’t expected this. He never saw the darkness that lingered just beneath the surface—inside me, inside all of us.

"You're strong, Ichika," he managed to say, his voice strained, "but... this isn't just about the fight, is it?"

I didn’t respond. I didn’t need to. The truth was all around us—this place was turning us into something else, something unrecognizable(Rinku's perspective).As I sat on the edge of my bed, my mind kept drifting to the war plans. Everything was falling into place, but a part of me was still uneasy. I glanced at the clock. It was almost 7 pm—time for everyone to head back. I wondered how Ichika was doing after what happened earlier with Reo.

Then, the door creaked open, and there she was.

Ichika stepped inside, her usual calm but slightly tired expression on her face. The sight of her brought a wave of relief over me. Without thinking, I stood up and wrapped her in a hug. I felt her freeze for a second, then relax, and when I pulled back, I noticed a slight blush on her cheeks. I grinned, pretending not to notice.

“Welcome back,” I said, the relief in my voice probably more obvious than I intended.

She smiled softly, her usual composed self. "Thanks."

I sat back on the bed and patted the spot next to me. “So… the roles for the war are complete. What did you get?”

She sat beside me, letting out a small sigh. “I got assigned as a doctor. I’ll be taking care of the wounded during the war.” Her voice was calm, but there was a certain pride in it. She was incredible at what she did, always saving lives in the shadows of chaos.

I nodded, trying to keep my tone light, though the weight of what lay ahead was heavy in the room. “That’s perfect for you. You’ll help a lot of people out there.” I paused and added, “They haven’t told me mine yet.”

Ichika gave me a sideways glance, her lips curving slightly into a smile. “You’ll probably get something crazy. You always do.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, probably something where I’ll have to put my life on the line again.”

She laughed softly, and for a moment, it felt normal—like we weren’t trapped in this twisted world, like the war wasn’t looming over our heads. It was just me and Ichika, like old times.

As the tension in the air faded, I leaned back against the wall. “I’m glad we’re in this together,” I said, my voice quiet but sincere.

She glanced at me, her eyes softening. “Yeah… me too.”

The war was coming, and we had no idea what would happen next, but right now, in this small moment, everything felt okay. And that was enough.

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