Chapter 4: — "The SWEET Dilemma" [HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: PART 1🎃]

Rent due next week.
Electric bill still unpaid.
And the only thing I could think about was… candy.

Not just any candy, Halloween candy. The shiny, overpriced kind that mocked me from the convenience store flyer taped to my desk.

“Why is sugar more expensive than rent these days!?” I groaned, slumping forward and burying my face in my arms. The papers scattered in front of me, bills, homework, a half-finished budget plan, blurred together into one depressing collage of adulthood.

A faint “poyuu?” bubbled from my left.

I turned my head just enough to see Poyo and Mochi sitting side by side on the table. Poyo looked like a blob of pink jelly fresh from a fantasy RPG, while Mochi, softer, light blue, blinked sleepily with little folds around its body.

They stared up at me with their round faces, tilting slightly as if to say “What’s wrong, Hanae?”

I sighed. “Just… adult stuff. You guys wouldn’t get it.”

Poyo blinked once, then suddenly its round body started wobbling, stretching into weird little shapes.
First, a ball. Then a lumpy cube. Then something vaguely… bean-shaped.

“…Are you trying to—”

“Poyuu!” It wobbled proudly, forming something that suspiciously looked like a jellybean.

Next to it, Mochi hesitated, then copied the idea. It reshaped itself into a tiny dome, round, smooth, with a faint light blue tint near the edges.

I blinked. “You’re… candy. You guys are pretending to be candy.”

Poyo jiggled. Mochi made a soft “mm…chii” sound.

My lips twitched despite myself. “Okay, that’s… that’s actually kind of cute.”

I laughed quietly, sitting up straighter. “You two are ridiculous.”

Still, the craving didn’t go away. The longer I stared at those fake-candy slimes, the more I wanted something sweet. Something sugary enough to make me forget, just for a minute, that my life consisted of working part-time shifts, studying, and trying not to cry at electricity bills.

I turned toward the window. Outside, the city glowed faintly orange under the streetlights. Faint echoes of laughter drifted from below, kids yelling “Trick or treat!” in the distance.

Halloween.
Of course.

I stared for a long moment, then glanced back at Poyo and Mochi.

“…You know,” I murmured, “it is Halloween.”

Poyo tilted curiously. Mochi made a quiet squish.

“I mean… trick-or-treating is basically just… free candy, right? People literally give it away.”

My rational side immediately screamed you’re not a kid anymore, Hanae, but another voice, quieter, wistful, whispered, but when was the last time you actually had fun?

I leaned back in my chair, groaning. “No. Absolutely not. That’d be humiliating.”

A pause.

Poyo jiggled closer, pressing against my arm like it was begging.
Mochi made a tiny sound, soft and pleading.

I looked down at them both. “Don’t give me that look.”

Poyo’s little face puffed up. Mochi’s eyes shimmered like a sad puppy’s.

“…Okay, maybe a little embarrassing,” I muttered. “But… if it’s just us…”

I stood up, walking toward the closet. A dusty storage box sat near the back, one I hadn’t opened in years. I pulled it out and popped the lid off.

Inside was my old witch costume from middle school: a pointy black hat, a faded purple cape, and a broomstick I’d bought from the 100-yen shop. The cape smelled faintly like old laundry detergent, but it was still in one piece.

I held it up. “Well… it still fits. Probably.”

I turned to the slimes. “You two need costumes too.”

They both perked up immediately, Poyo bouncing with excitement, Mochi blinking curiously.

I rummaged through my drawers until I found some leftover craft materials, scraps of paper, felt, old marker pens, and a roll of double-sided tape. “Alright, zombie slimes coming right up.”

It took me about thirty minutes, a few finger cramps, and way too much concentration, but by the end of it, I had two tiny cardboard “helmets” shaped like cracked zombie heads, complete with uneven paint streaks and crooked little stitches.

Poyo looked ecstatic when I placed one over its head. Mochi, on the other hand, flinched at first, then slowly adjusted, blinking up at me like it was unsure if this counted as fashion or punishment.

“There,” I said, stepping back to admire them. “Behold... Team Undead Jelly.”

Poyo bounced happily, making its helmet slip sideways, which somehow made it look even cuter. Mochi shuffled shyly beside it, the tiny cracks painted on its “helmet” glowing faintly under the lamp light.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You guys are ridiculous. I love it.”

For a second, the apartment felt a little warmer.
A little less lonely.

I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror, witch hat crooked, cape half-tied, hair a little messy. I looked like a discount cosplayer from a failed event.

Still, I smiled.

“Alright,” I said softly. “Let’s go embarrass ourselves for candy.”

Poyo cheered, a high-pitched poyuu! that made my heart melt. Mochi bobbed once in quiet agreement.

I grabbed my small tote bag, slipped on my sneakers, and opened the door.

The cool night air hit my face immediately, crisp and tinged with the faint scent of roasted chestnuts from a nearby stand. The street was lively, kids in costumes darting between houses, adults chatting, laughter echoing down the block.

I hesitated on the threshold. “You know,” I whispered, “this is kinda crazy. But… maybe crazy’s fine once in a while.”

Poyo bounced in front of me, clearly ready to go. Mochi followed, slower but just as determined.

And just like that, the three of us stepped into the Halloween night, one girl, two slimes, and a shared mission:
free candy.