My patience is wearing thin...

They suddenly found themselves teleported to a completely different place, though they could tell they were still in Japan due to the houses that surrounded them.

The location appeared to be a small countryside town, surrounded by mountians with forests and with the stars shining on the sky horizon as night began to fall.

"Maybe that explains why they shut down the factory," Seiji muttered to himself, scanning the area.

Hideaki did the same, unfamiliar with the place, but as they inspected their surroundings, their gazes met.

Seeing an opportunity, Hideaki quickly got up from the ground and bolted. Seiji lunged at him, pinning him down before he could get away.

"Stop running away!" Seiji growled, holding him firmly as Hideaki thrashed in his grip.

"Let me go!" Hideaki snarled, trying to break free.

Suddenly, the nearby house's doors swung open, revealing a general store. A young woman appeared from behind the door, looking irritated.

She had a delicate expression on her face. Medium-length dark strawberry pink hair tied in a braid with an elastic band, and a teal green eyes that looked slightly tired.

"Um... Excuse me, could you keep it down? I'm trying to clean my shop in peace."

Both of them froze at her interruption. Seiji turned to the woman, her voice was familair to him. As he looked closer, he recognized her, his eyes widening in surprise.

"S-Sekiguchi Seiji?? Is that you?" she asked first, her expression shifting from irritation to surprise. "I-it's me, Nakano Miyumi. We were attending high school together."

Seiji stood up, dusting himself off, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, it's me. And I remember." He smiled kindly, adding softly "Hi, Nakano-san."

Hideaki in the meantime was yelling at him, cursing at him as much as he could, but Seiji seemed to be enchanted while he was talking with Miyumi.

He straightened up, trying to appear more presentable. "Sorry for the mess in front of your store... I mean, your parents' store."

Hideaki, still fuming, snapped, "Oi! Don't just ignore me, you idiot! We're in some unknown place!"

Seiji grumbled irritated and lightly flicked Hideaki on the forehead. "Calm down. We're safe. And this is your fault, anyway."

"My fault!? It's your fault too!"

"No. You started this," Seiji said flatly, meeting Hideaki's furious gaze.

Miyumi watched their exchange, weariness on her face but curiosity in her eyes as she gazed at Hideaki.

'Why is that guy in a bloodied hospital gown...?' she wondered but didn't ask.

Instead,

"Excuse me, Sekiguchi-san... Sorry that I'm asking, but... What are you doing here that late anyways? Did you come for a visit? Or..."

Seiji straightened himself up, his voice low and firm.
"Nope. My reason for being here is... rather complicated. We're here because of some accident," he said, drawing out the last word with deliberate weight, shooting a brief, sharp glance at Hideaki with irritation flickering in his eyes.

Hearing his answer, Miyumi couldn't quite place it, but there was a chill in his tone that kinda unsettled her, even if she didn't know the full story.

"Oh, I see..." she murmured, her smile faltering for the briefest moment.

A short silence lingered before she gave a small, polite bow.

"Well, I'm afraid that despite how nice it was to see you again, I need to get back to cleaning my shop."

Seiji nodded with his usual composed expression.
"Of course, I wouldn't want to keep you from your work, Nakano-san."

As she turned toward the back, Seiji narrowed his eyes slightly, as if something had just clicked in his mind. He raised his voice a little — still calm, measured:
"Ah— one last thing, Nakano-san. Could you tell us when the next train to Tokyo leaves?"

"To Tokyo?" she echoed. "I think tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow!?"

"Mhm. The railway just finished repairs today and they said they'd reopen the line tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

"We need to get back to our apartment... but it looks like that's not happening tonight," Seiji replied, sighing disappointed and rubbing the back of his neck.

Miyumi thought for a moment. "Maybe you could stay at your parents' place?"

Seiji gazed at Hideaki who was casting distracted glances at the darkening night sky.

'Bringing home a half-naked, bloodied guy in a hospital gown — who's also yelling and making threats — to my parents' house would be the worst possible idea.

Mom would panic the moment she saw him, Dad would call for help, and the neighbors would have something to gossip about for a month.

Even if they let me in, I definitely don't want to explain who Hideaki is or why he looks like he just escaped from a psychiatric ward.

And right now, in this situation?

No.

One look at him and everything would fall apart.

I need quiet. No questions. As few people as possible. And the ability to control everything.
The family home doesn't offer any of that.

It wouldn't just be uncomfortable — it would be the end of any peace.'

"My parents...? I'd rather not show up unannounced this late, especially with..." he trailed off, casting a sharp glance at Hideaki. "...my roommate."

"Oh, I see," she said, nodding thoughtfully. Then, with a warm smile, she offered,
"How about staying here? I have a spare room, ever since my parents passed."

Seiji opened his mouth to refuse and assure that he got some other solution in hand, but—

"I'm exhausted... We should take her offer." — Hideaki cut in, yawning dramatically,

Seiji shot him a glare, "You, shut up. I'm having enough commitments because of you." He whispered in angered tone.

Hideaki scowled but stayed silent.

Switching to a more polite tone, Seiji offered Miyumi a calm smile.

"Thank you, Nakano-san, but we're fine, really."

His gaze shifted briefly to Hideaki, seeking some form of agreement.

Instead, he found him swaying slightly, muttering something under his breath with a look like he was planning to slit someone's throat.

Seiji narrowed his eyes.

"It's really no trouble," Miyumi insisted with a smile. "It looks like your friend here, need some place to rest anyways. And besides, I'd appreciate the company while I'll be finishing cleaning up."

Seiji sighed lightly seeing the sincerity in her offer. He glanced once more at Hideaki and then on slowly setting night on the horizon.

'I've got nothing but problems with him...'

"Alright... Let it be... Thank you, Nakano-san. We appreciate it."

"You're welcome! Please, come in." She waved them inside with a welcoming gesture.

***

As they entered the store, Hideaki's eyes wandered, scanning the shelves. His gaze quickly settled on the display of sweets, his expression betraying his desire. Seiji, however, was more focused on their host.

"So, how have things been for you, Nakano-san?" Seiji asked, his tone neutral but polite, trying to not bother himself by Hideaki.

Miyumi smiled warmly. "Oh! My life? Well, it's been going well. After my parents passed away, they left me the store, so I've been running it ever since. It's a lot of work, but I enjoy it. I helped them when I was younger, so it feels like a natural fit."

"I'm sorry about your parents... but I'm glad you found something you enjoy doing."

Miyumi waved off kindly the apology, smiling. "Thanks. I prefer to focus on moving forward. No point in dwelling on the past, right?"

"True," Seiji replied, though his tone remained subdued.

Seiji's attention shifted as he noticed Hideaki practically drooling over the sweets display. He sighed, already anticipating what was coming.

"You're not getting anything, Hideaki," he stated firmly.

Hideaki's eyes narrowed in defiance. "Don't tell me what I can or can't get!"

Before Seiji could respond, Miyumi stepped in, offering kindly, "Oh, are you hungry? Something to eat or maybe drink?"

Seiji shook his head. "You don't need to trouble yourself, Nakano-san. We're fine."

"I want pudding." Hideaki's voice cut in, blunt and direct, his attention remained locked on the sweets.

Miyumi smiled, "Of course! I can get that for you. Please come deeper and make yourselves comfortable! You're my guests!" She said and lead them to the living area.

Hideaki's eyes lit up with excitement, chuckling softly, satisfied.

Seiji watched, slightly exasperated but keeping his frustration in check.

"This is going to be a long night," he muttered under his breath.

They stepped further into the house, removing their shoes at the genkan and moving into the living room.

There they both sat on the couch.

As Miyumi disappeared into the back to fetch the pudding, Seiji shot a look at Hideaki.

"You're really an ass, you know that?"

"Tch!" Hideaki hissed in response.

Then, Miyumi returned, carrying a plate of senbei.

"Sorry for the wait! It looks like I'm out of pudding, but I brought something else instead," she said apologetically, placing the plate with tons of sweet and spicy senbei on the counter.

Hideaki's mood brightened immediately as he began devouring the snacks, precisely avoiding the spicy ones and taking only sweet ones.

Miyumi smiled softly "I'm glad you liked it."

"M-mhmhm!!" Hideaki mumbled with full mouth.

Seiji watched silently, feeling a even more growing irritation with how Hideaki was behaving.

"I'll go back to cleaning..." Miyumi bowed politely and excused herself, "I'm sorry that I can't be much help to you. I..." she sighed "The truth is, that I've got big shipment tomorrow and I still have a lot of work to do today."

Seiji stood from the sofa, his voice polite but firm. "Let me help you with that, Nakano-san."

Miyumi blinked in surprise "Oh, no no!" She said smiling warmly. "You really don't have to do that!"

Seiji met her eyes calmly.
"But I'd like to. If you've got a shipment tomorrow, an extra pair of hands could make it easier. Besides..." his tone softened just slightly, "you don't need to handle everything alone."

Miyumi paused, her lips parting as if to argue, but the sincerity in his gaze made her hesitate.

Seiji straightened a little, keeping his words measured so as not to overwhelm her. "If it bothers you, I won't insist. But if you'd accept my help, even just for a while, it would be my pleasure, Nakano-san."

Miyumi smiled gently and bowed greatfully

"Thank you, Sekiguchi-san. I appreciate it."

Seiji offered a small nod, watchng as she made her way to the shopping area.

"Don't get used to this. If not your stubbornness at the factory we wouldn't even be there."

He whispered to Hideaki before he followed Miyumi.

"Tch! Shut up..." Hideaki hissed annoyed and ate.

Suddenly, he lifted his gaze at Seiji "You seem to know this place..." He started silently "Do you know where the hell we teleported?"

Seiji stopped his steps and sighed nodding, "Yeah. I know where we are."

"Where then?" Hideaki's patience quickly wore thin.

Seiji turned to him, his voice measured. "We're in Chichibu. My hometown."

"Huh...?"

Seiji continued, unbothered by Hideaki's confusion, "I don't understand the full mechanics of the potions, but they must have teleported us a significant distance. And as you heard what Nakano-san said about the train. we're stuck here, and it doesn't look like we'll be heading back today."

For a moment Hideaki's vision went blurry, as if something was trying to break through from behind the wall — but then he reached for another senbei.

"So..." Hideaki started processing slowly "W-we're actually grounded here..?"

Seiji gave a small, weary sigh. "Pretty much. Now behave and-"

"In this grocery store!?" Hideaki mid-cut his sentence.

"Yeah, looks like it," Seiji replied, sounding irritated by Hideaki's brassiness.

A sudden mischievous glint appeared in Hideaki's eyes. "That's perfect! Now I can steal whatever I want! And you'll cover for me!" he grinned widely, chuckling viciously at the thought.

Seiji's expression shifted, his voice firm. "Absolutely not. First you murdered innocent people, and then you want to attempt stealing from my friend's family shop!? That's not happening! Forget it."

"Tch! In your dreams." Hideaki huffed, crossing his arms. "You're not the boss of me."

Seiji crossd his arms as well, "And you're not committing any crimes here. You've did enough already." His tone was final. Then he turned away and walked over to Miyumi, leaving Hideaki to eat in silence.

After a few minutes, Hideaki, now thirsty from eating the majority of the the snacks, called out, "H-hey, Miyu-chan! Can I get some tea?"

Hearing the question from behind, Miyumi stopped cleaning, "Of course! Would you like green tea, or something else?" She asked with a polite smile.

"Green tea. With A LOT of sugar!" Hideaki said, lounging himself at the couch.

As Miyumi went to prepare the tea, Seiji's patience finally wore thin. He approached Hideaki, his tone low but sharp.

"You see how busy she is, and you're still making her serve you!? You could show some respect! And 'Miyu-chan'? Don't call her that."

Hideaki grinned, unfazed. "Miyu-chan sounds cute. What, you jealous or something?"

"Yes, I am," Seiji said coldly.

"Why? Is she your ex or what?"

Seiji's jaw tightened slightly, but he remained composed. "No. She's not."

"Then why do you care so much? Don't tell me you're in love." Hideaki pressed, a teasing smirk playing on his lips.

Seiji sighed, realizing there was no point in dodging it. "Yeah. I... I am..."

"Hehehehe!" Hideaki started to laugh, but then his eyes widened. "Wait... really?"

"Yes," Seiji replied flatly. "Now keep quiet and act properly around her."

Hideaki blinked.

Miyumi soon returned with a cup of green tea, placing it on the table. "Here you go!" she said, smiling.

Hideaki thanked her as he carefully sipped the tea, while Miyumi turned to Seiji, noticing his stiff demeanor. "How about you, Sekiguchi-san? Would you like something to eat or drink? You seem a bit tense."

Seiji quickly shook his head and composed himself. "No, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

Miyumi tilted her head, concerned. "Are you sure? It wouldn't be any trouble to make something."

"I'm sure," Seiji replied, offering a polite smile. "You have more important things to do. Let's just get back to cleaning."

Miyumi hesitated, clearly wanting to do more but relented with a small sigh. "Alright, if you say so."

As they returned to their task, Seiji couldn't help but notice the hint of disappointment in her expression.

He knew she was just being kind, but accepting help -or concern- was something he had never been comfortable with.

It wasn't about rejecting her kindness, but about keeping himself guarded, even now.

Hideaki meantime watched Seiji out of the corner of his eye.

'If he has a crush on her, then... I'll make him get closer to her! Hehehe! If these two will end up with each other, there will be no more yelling at me! No more judging me! And I'll have free snacks from the store! Ehehehehehe!'

The thought sent a bubbling excitement through him, and he barely suppressed a grin.

As Miyumi busied herself with the shop supplies, Hideaki sidled up next to Seiji, a cup of steaming tea in his hands. His fingers barely clung to the rim - intentionally careless.

Seiji caught the glint in Hideaki's eyes. That impish smirk. That barely contained excitement. A bad sign.

Hideaki yawned and, in one fluid motion, nudged Seiji. The barely balanced tea cup slipped from his fingers, splashing its scalding contents across Seiji's chest.

"Agh!" Seiji's body jerked, his reflexes kicking in too late. The hot tea burned through his clothes, spreading warmth across his chest.

"Sekiguchi-san, what happened??" Miyumi's voice could be heard from behind shelves.

"Oh nooo, what a tragic accident," Hideaki drawled, his voice laced with false concern "My hand slipped! I'm sorry for being so clumsy!" He let out an exaggerated nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his head as if embarrassed. But then, he looked at Seiji from under a shadowed expression - full of malice, as if he had deliberately planned all these sudden events.

Miyumi whirled toward them, her face pale "Oh my gosh! Let me help!" she exclaimed, quickly rushing kitchen to get a towel to dab at Seiji's soaked clothes.

Seiji exhaled sharply through his nose. His gaze darkened as he locked eyes with Hideaki.

"...You little-"

Hideaki threw up his hands in mock innocence, "It was an accident! I swear!" His voice wavered.

Seiji wasn't buying it for a second.

"Don't worry, this could have happened to anyone!" Miyumi's voice was heard from the kitchen "Now I need to help Sekiguchi-san cool down quickly before his skin gets burned," she said and quickly came back, applying the cool, wet towel to Seiji's chest.

Seiji gave Miyumi a tight smile, then reached out, delicately taking the towel from her hand.

"I'll handle it," he muttered.

"Should I help you too?" Hideaki asked sounding caring, but Seiji knew it was all just a play of Hideaki's hidden inner, more sinister motives.

"You've done enough." Seiji replied grimly — not as reassurance, but as an accusation.

Hideaki watched Seiji try to wipe away the spilled tea, his movements sharp with irritation.

'Does it... Hurt him that bad?' he thought, a bit concerned. Then gazed at Miyumi who wore worried expression on her face. 'She looks worried about him. Maybe she will feel better when she'll help him ease the pain?' He thought, grinning inwardly.

"Hey, Miyu-chan~" Hideaki cooed, dragging out her name in an overly sweet tone. "Shouldn't you take off his shirt first? I mean, how else is he gonna cool down properly?" He tilted his head innocently. A small smile tugging his lips slowly.

Then, his smirk turned devilish. "-Or, y'know, just let him show off that nice chest he's got. I bet you wouldn't mind~"

He let out a little snicker, completely oblivious -or perhaps just indifferent- to how unbearably awkward he was making this for Seiji.

Seiji's jaw tightened. His patience was already thin, and now this?

He inhaled slowly, forcing himself to keep his composure, but his sharp glare toward Hideaki spoke volumes.

Miyumi's face turned bright red. "T-Take off his shirt?!" she stammered, gripping edges of her sleeves tightly in her hands. "I-I mean-!"

Her hands hovered uncertainly for a moment before she hesitantly added, "I-If... um... If it hurts too much, then maybe... maybe it would be better to-uh-take off..." She trailed off, her voice barely above a whisper, unable to finish the sentence without wanting to bury herself in the ground.

Seiji exhaled sharply through his nose, barely restraining his frustration.

Then, he turned to Miyumi, who was clearly flustered beyond belief.

"That won't be necessary," he said coolly.

Without another word, he lifted the hem of his shirt just enough to press the cloth against the worst of the burn, handling it himself.

"There. Problem solved." His tone was clipped, as if daring Hideaki to say another word.

Miyumi wrung her hands, still looking conflicted.

She shook her head quickly, trying to push past the embarrassment.

'N-Now's not the time for this! He got wet-hot clothes!' she huffed, forcing herself to focus on the problem instead.

"I-I'll go get you some dry clothes! I think I have some of my dad's old clothes you can change into. Can your friend help cool you off with cold water in the meantime?"

Seiji, always uncomfortable with being fussed over, immediately tried to brush it off. "No need to trouble yourself, Nakano-san. I'll be fine."

Miyumi, however, wasn't having it. She shot him a firm look, her voice more resolute this time. "No, you're not fine. You got burned, and you're not gonna walk around in wet clothes. Just wait a second and let me help you for once, alright?"

Without giving him a chance to protest, she spun around and hurried upstairs, leaving Seiji alone with Hideaki.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Seiji exhaled sharply and shot Hideaki another warning glare. "Not. A word."

"Wow, that was quite sharp of her hehe." Hideaki commented sarcastically, drinking the rest of his tea.

Seiji let out a frustrated sigh and turned to Hideaki, his voice low and controlled but edged with irritation. "Why did you do that?"

Hideaki's grin didn't waver. "You'll see..."

Deciding not to waste energy on his antics, Seiji headed to the kitchen sink to cool the burn even more (preventively), fully aware Hideaki wasn't going to offer any assistance.

A few moments later, Miyumi returned with folded clothes. "Here you go," she said kindly, handing them to Seiji.

Hideaki grinned evily 'You're gonna kiss her now! Ehehehe!'

Just as Seiji reached for the clothes, Hideaki kicked him, sending Seiji stumbling right into Miyumi.

Seiji's face flushed with embarrassment as he accidentally made such a close contact with her. He quickly pulled back, bowing repeatedly. "I'm so sorry! That wasn't intentional!"

Miyumi, though clearly startled, composed herself. "It's o-okay. Don't worry S-Sekiguchi-san," she said, brushing it off.

"Where can I change?" Seiji asked Miyumi, trying to move past the awkwardness.

"The bathroom is upstairs, first door on the left," she replied with a soft smile.

"Thank you, and again, I apologize for the trouble." With that, Seiji left the room.

As he changed, Seiji's mind raced with frustration.

'He just can't help himself, can he?'

He thought.

'Always causing trouble, always dragging me into it...'

He sighed, pulling on the oversized clothes.

'Why did I have to run into him that night...'

When he returned, Miyumi was still busy cleaning, but she glanced over with a friendly smile. "I hope the clothes are alright?"

"They're fine, thank you," Seiji responded, tugging at the slightly baggy sleeves. "I hung my wet clothes to dry, I hope that's okay."

Miyumi waved it off gently. "Of course! Don't worry about it. Is your chest fine?"

Seiji glanced at her, still feeling the lingering awkwardness from earlier. He hesitated for a second before answering, "It's nothing serious. Just a little irritated, that's all." his tone calm but clipped.

Then his eyes flicked toward Hideaki, narrowing slightly. "Though I do seem to keep encountering... irritations today."

Hideaki, unfazed by the obvious jab, grinned innocently.

---

Soon, Miyumi finished cleaning the shop. As she put away the broom, she wiped her forehead and exhaled tiredly. "Phew, all done! Finally."

Seiji felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more with finishing the cleaning. It looks like it was a lot of work."

"Don't apologize, Sekiguchi-san. After that burning you have to have a rest. You've probably had a rough day too." she replied, smiling nervously. "Besides, I tend to double-check everything, even after I'm done working, hehe... I'm sure it would take you way longer than it should, with my perfectionist habits." she added, chuckling nervously feeling embarrassed.

Hideaki was watching their interaction, "I get it now... She's all about 'perfect'... no wonder he's into her." He muttered to himself.

Miyumi stretched with a soft yawn, her hands rising delicately above her head. "I think I'll take a bath now. It's getting late... I'm really sorry I couldn't take better care of you two tonight," she said, her voice tinged with a touch of regret.

Seiji shook his head with a faint smile. "No, really, you've done more than enough."

She gave him a gentle smile, her eyes softening. "The guest room is upstairs, second door on the right. Please, make yourself comfortable. Good night, Sekiguchi-san," she added, bowing slightly as she turned to leave.

Seiji smiled back, a bit awkwardly. "Good night, Nakano-san."

The girl nodded with a smile and then headed upstairs.

Hideaki was finishing the last of the senbeis.

Seiji watched him with slightly irritated look. "You just had to make it obvious to everyone how insufferable you can be, didn't you?"

Hideaki grinned mischievously, not saying anything, and just made another bite into the cookie.

Seiji sighed irritated, then looked at the treat Hideaki was holding in his hand "And you had to eat almost all of them, didn't you?"

Hideaki's mischievous grin widened. "I did! Hehe!"

Seiji sighed in disappointment "At least share the last one."

"No way! It's mine!" Hideaki retorted greedily.

Seiji wasn't about to let it go. "Hideaki, just share one. I'm asking nicely."

"No!"

Seiji's eyes narrowed slightly. "Alright then. Looks like you want to see what happens if I stop asking nicely."

"Oh yeah?" Hideaki said arrogantly. "And what are you gonna do? Yell at me like you always do? Or maybe comment dryly on me? Or maybe—"

Seiji's patience snapped. "This." and with a quick motion, he flicked Hideaki on the forehead and grabbed the senbei from his hand.

"H-Hey! Stop it, idiot! Give it back!" Hideaki struggled, trying to retrive the snack back for himself.

"Stop being such a selfish jerk. Just let me try it," Seiji said irritated.

"Never!" Hideaki declared, then in the last moment, he licked the cookie triumphantly. "Ha! It's mine now!"

Seiji, unfazed, raised an eyebrow before taking a deliberate bite from the same spot. "Problem solved. It's mine now as well."

Hideaki's eyes widened in disbelief, and in panic that Seiji can take more, he snatched another senbei from the tray and shoved it into his mouth.

Seiji sighed irritated "Figures," he muttered, half to himself and began casually eating through the rest of the spicy senbeis, one by one. He didn't so much as flinch.

"At least you left the better ones."

Hideaki tried to ignore him, but he just froze with the half-eaten senbei in his hand.
'H-how he can eat them... o-one by one... J-just like that!? They are spicy as hell!!'

Seiji blinked, a bit surprised. "...What's with your face? Don't tell me you bit into one of the spicy ones." His tone carried that mix of irritation and dry amusement, as if he already suspected the answer. "I know you can't handle spice."

"N-No— I mean, y-yeah!" Hideaki stammered quickly, fumbling for words as if caught off guard. His teeth clenched slightly as he forced the excuse. "I-It was the spicy one, alright?!"

Seiji raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but said nothing.

After a moment Seiji stood up, stretching slightly. "Maybe that will teach you to not be so greedy about the food and provoke me. Now, get up. Let's head upstairs." He said finishing last spicy cookie "I'm tired of you for today."

"Tch!" Hideaki hissed.

After a moment, he shifted topics, sounding awkward.

"So... this Nakano-san... She's your teenage crush, huh?"

Seiji frowned, slightly embarrassed. "You could say that."

"And you only like her?" Hideaki pressed.

"Yes, just her," Seiji answered plainly. "Why would it be different? I've told you about my ex-girlfriend, the one who treated me like trash. I'd rather not meet her again."

Hideaki hesitated, then nodded, "I know..."