The three of them sat on the roadside, drenched and shivering, as the eerie blue glow of the mushrooms bathed the house in an unsettling light. The once-familiar home now looked like something out of a nightmare.
As if to make things worse, a light drizzle turned into steady rain, soaking them to the bone.
Takumi’s father swallowed hard, his voice shaking. “Boys… I called the police. They’ll be here soon.”
“The police?!” Takumi’s head snapped toward him, panic flashing in his eyes. “Are you trying to get us all killed, Dad?”
Haruto blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Takumi clenched his fists, his voice low and urgent. “If the police see those mushrooms, they’ll trace them back to the military. We stole from a restricted zone, Haruto. That’s a death sentence.”
His father paled. “You did what?”
“That’s why we couldn’t breathe back there,” Takumi continued. “Those mushrooms did something to us. And yeah, we stole them. It was reckless, but right now, the police are the bigger problem.”
His father exhaled sharply, running a hand through his wet hair. “Unbelievable… How could my son be so—” He stopped himself, shaking his head. “Never mind that. What do we do?”
“We run,” Takumi said firmly. “If we’re here when they arrive, we’re as good as dead. And you might get caught up in it too.”
His father hesitated, glancing at the house. “But… your mother. Haruto’s parents. What if—” He swallowed. “What if they’re not just asleep?”
Takumi bit his lip. “I don’t know. But if we rush back in now, we’ll end up unconscious just like them. We need a plan first.”
A crack of thunder rumbled overhead. The rain grew heavier.
“Haruto, back me up here,” Takumi turned to his friend—only to freeze.
Haruto sat completely still, his soaked clothes clinging to his trembling frame. His eyes, red and unfocused, stared blankly at the ground. His lips moved, but no words came out.
“Haruto?” Takumi called, his voice softer now.
Haruto didn’t respond.
A sharp pang of guilt hit Takumi’s chest. He let out a shaky breath and pressed his hands against his face. “Damn it,” he whispered. “What the hell is that mushroom?”
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something.
A soft blue glow.
His breath hitched. Slowly, he turned his head.
One of the mushrooms was growing.
Right beside them.
A strangled gasp escaped his throat. “It’s here.”
Haruto’s head snapped up. His father stiffened.
More mushrooms sprouted from the wet ground, their eerie glow casting long, distorted shadows. And then, in the distance, came the sound they dreaded most.
Police sirens.
There was no time to think. No time to hesitate.
They ran.
Takumi barely registered anything beyond the pounding of his feet against the rain-slicked road. Even his father, far from the fittest among them, ran like his life depended on it. Maybe because it did.
For an entire hour, they pushed forward without stopping. When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, the city lights shimmered in the distance, a cruel reminder of how normal life had been just hours ago.
They collapsed onto the pavement, gasping for air.
Then, out of nowhere, Haruto started laughing.
A choked, breathless laugh that quickly turned into full-blown hysteria.
Takumi’s father flinched. “What’s wrong with him?”
Takumi didn’t answer.
Haruto’s laughter grew wilder, his hands trembling as he grabbed Takumi by the shoulders. “This has to be a nightmare, right? Some sick joke? Takumi, tell me this isn’t real.” His fingers dug into Takumi’s arms, his eyes desperate, pleading.
Takumi stared back, his own throat tightening. He had no words. No answers. Just the same, terrifying uncertainty.
His father took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, in a sudden move, he slapped himself across the face.
Both boys flinched.
His father exhaled sharply. “Alright,” he muttered. “I’m the adult here. I need to act like one.”
He placed a firm hand on both their shoulders. “Listen. I know this is a nightmare. I know you’re scared. So am I. But standing here, breaking down, won’t help. We need a plan.”
Haruto swallowed hard. “But… my parents. Your wife.” His voice cracked. “Aren’t you worried?”
His father let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “I’m so worried I could run straight back up that mountain.” He sighed, rubbing his face. “But I have to believe they’re just sleeping. That they’ll wake up.”
Even if he knew that was unlikely.
Takumi clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stand. “So what now? Do we run? Or do we go back and try to wake them?”
His father looked at him, his expression grave. “We need oxygen. If we can’t breathe near those mushrooms, we need gas tanks.”
Takumi’s eyes widened slightly. “A clinic. There’s one nearby—the one we used to go to as kids. They should have oxygen tanks.”
Haruto frowned. “But it’s a small clinic. What if they don’t have any?”
“They do,” Takumi’s father said. “I volunteered there last week. Good thinking, son. But how do we get them?”
“We steal them, obviously,” Haruto said flatly. “Uncle, you distract them while Takumi and I sneak in.”
Takumi smirked. “Sounds like a plan.”
His father sighed. “Stealing is a crime, you know.”
Haruto cracked his knuckles. “For all we know, we’re criminals already.”
“That’s a problem for future us,” Takumi said, stretching his arms. “For now, we focus.”
His father let out a weary chuckle. “Fine. But if we survive this, I’m buying you both a drink.”
Takumi grinned. “Looking forward to it, Dad.”
And just like that, the rain finally stopped.
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