The Park

They met at the park around 11pm

The park felt… off.

Not empty, not dangerous, just wrong in a way none of them could explain.

Kaito sat on the bench, elbows on his knees, staring down at the folded paper in his hands. He hadn’t opened it again since earlier.

He didn’t want to.

Footsteps approached.

Zenno.

“Hey,” he said, quieter than usual.

Kaito glanced up. “You brought it?”

Zenno didn’t answer right away. He just reached into his bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

That was enough to answer.

Hakura arrived next, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable.

“You guys are taking this seriously, huh,” he said.

“Wouldn’t you?” Zenno replied.

Sora walked up shortly after, stopping instead of sitting.

“I still think this could be someone messing around,” she said, though her voice lacked confidence.

AI joined them silently, her eyes already scanning the small group.

“Yuri’s coming,” she said.

Kaito nodded. “Fine. We’ll wait.”

A few minutes passed in uneasy silence.

No one really spoke.

No one really relaxed.

Yuri finally arrived, slightly out of breath. “Sorry,” she said. “It was busy.”

She looked between them. “…okay. This is serious.”

“Yeah,” Kaito said. “It is.”

He stood up. “…let’s just show them.”

There was hesitation, He unfolded his note.Didn’t read it out loud.

Just held it where they could all see.

Zenno followed.

Then Sora.

Then Yuri.

AI already had hers in hand.

Hakura didn't show his one which had the biggest clue of all.

Five notes.

All different at first glance.

Different paper. Different ink.

But the longer they looked…

The more something felt wrong.

“…look closer,” AI said quietly.

Sora frowned. “At what?”

“The writing.” AI said in a shaky tone 

They leaned in.

Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zenno tilted his head.

Yuri stepped closer.

“…it’s the same,” Yuri said.

Sora blinked. “No, it’s not. Mine looks…”

She stopped, looked again, Slower this time, More carefully,

The shape of certain letters.

The way the ink pressed harder in some places.

The spacing.

“…it is,” Sora admitted quietly.

Hakura finally stepped forward, glancing at them all.

“…you’re saying one person wrote all of these?”

“Yes,” AI said.

A silence settled over them.

Heavier than before.

Kaito looked down at his note again.

“…that means it wasn’t random.”

“No,” Zenno said. “It wasn’t.”

Yuri’s grip tightened on hers.

“They knew where we’d be,” she said. “Where to leave them.”

“And when,” AI added.

Sora crossed her arms, but it felt more defensive now.

“Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why us.”

No one answered.

Hakura let out a small breath. “…could still be a prank.”

AI shook her head immediately.

“No.”

Hakura looked at her. “You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

She glanced around at all of them.

Then said, quieter:

“Because of what they say.”

That made everyone still.

Kaito looked away slightly.

Zenno rubbed the back of his neck.

Sora’s posture stiffened.

Yuri didn’t move at all.

“…they’re not random,” AI continued.

“They’re specific.”

“Specific how?” Sora asked.

AI didn’t answer directly.

Instead, she looked at each of them.

One by one.

Like she was waiting.

“…they feel targeted,” Zenno said finally.

“Yeah,” Kaito added. “Like they’re meant for us. Not just… anyone.”

Yuri swallowed slightly.

“…like whoever wrote them already knows something.”

Another silence.

Sharper this time.

Hakura looked at the ground for a second.

“…that doesn’t mean anything.”

But it didn’t sound convincing.

Sora shifted uncomfortably. “You’re all overthinking this.”

“Are we?” AI asked.

Sora didn’t respond.

Kaito exhaled slowly.

“…be honest.”

They all looked at him.

“When you read it,” he said, “didn’t it make you think of something?”

No one answered.

Not out loud.

But the silence said enough.

Zenno looked away.

Yuri’s grip tightened.

Sora avoided eye contact.

Hakura stayed still.

AI just watched.

“…yeah,” Zenno admitted quietly.

That was all it took.

The wind picked up slightly, rustling the trees above them.

The sound filled the space where no one else spoke.

“…so it’s not just me,” Kaito said.

“No,” Yuri replied softly.

Sora shook her head.

“... Hakura why aren't you showing your handwritten letter?” Zenno said confused and slightly angry 

everyone else started looking at Hakura. 

“...I threw it away. I thought it was you playing a prank on me!” Hakura said without looking at anyone's eyes 

no one spoke, they just stared at him, and for the first time in years…

it didn't feel like the six of them anymore.

The air felt heavier now thick, suffocating.

Hakura shifted slightly under their gaze. “What?” he said, a little too defensive.

“You threw it away?” Zenno repeated.

“Yeah,” Hakura snapped. “I just said that.”

Zenno frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“It does,” Hakura replied. “I thought it was a joke.”

“A joke?” Sora cut in. “After everything we just talked about?”

“I didn’t know all of this then,” he shot back.

Kaito stood up from the bench, running a hand through his hair. “But you still saw it.”

Hakura didn’t respond.

“That matters,” Kaito added.

Yuri looked between them, uneasy. “Guys… fighting isn’t going to help.”

“No,” AI said quietly.

They all turned to her.

“It helps,” she continued. “Because someone’s lying.”

That landed.

Hard.

Hakura let out a dry laugh. “You serious right now?”

AI didn’t smile. “Yes.”

“About what?” he asked.

She stepped a little closer.

“About the fact that you’re the only one who doesn’t have proof.”

Silence.

Zenno crossed his arms. “She’s not wrong.”

Hakura looked at him. “You too?”

“I’m just saying,” Zenno replied. “Everyone else brought theirs.”

Sora shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “Okay, can we not turn on each other already?”

“Why not?” AI said. “Whoever did this wants something from us.”

Kaito nodded slowly. “…yeah.”

“And we’re just going to pretend everything’s fine?” AI added.

No one answered.

Yuri looked down at her note again, her fingers tightening slightly.

“…what if this isn’t just about scaring us?” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Kaito asked.

She hesitated.

Then:

“…what if they’re waiting for something?”

That made everyone pause.

“Like what?” Sora asked.

Yuri looked up.

“…for one of us to say it first.”

The wind picked up again, stronger this time.

Leaves scraped across the ground near their feet.

Zenno exhaled sharply. “Say what?”

No one answered.

But the question hung there.

Kaito looked around at all of them again.

Different now.

Not just friends.

Something else.

“…we all thought of something earlier,” Kaito said. “When I asked.”

No one denied it.

Sora shook her head slightly. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It does,” AI said.

“How?” Kaito replied

“Because it was immediate.”

AI’s eyes moved from one person to the next.

“You didn’t have to think about it,” she said. “It was already there.”

Hakura looked away.

Just for a second.

But Zenno noticed.

“…you did too,” Zenno said quietly.

Hakura’s jaw tightened. “No.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“I said no.” Hakura said with anger without realising.

“Then why won’t you just say it?” Zenno pushed.

“Because there’s nothing to say!” Hakura snapped.

His voice echoed slightly through the park.

Too loud.

Too sharp.

Everything went still.

Kaito frowned. “…you’re overreacting.”

“I’m not..”

“Yes, you are,” Sora cut in. “You’re the only one getting this defensive.”

Hakura looked at her, disbelief flashing across his face. “So now it’s all on me?”

“No one said that,” Yuri said quickly.

“But you’re all thinking it,” he shot back.

AI didn’t deny it.

That was worse.

A long silence followed.

The kind that stretches too far.

“…we’re missing something,” Kaito said finally.

They looked at him.

“What?” Zenno asked.

Kaito frowned, thinking.

“…the notes.”

“What about them?” Sora said.

He looked down at his again.

“…they’re not just random accusations.”

“No,” AI said. “We already..”

“They’re different,” Kaito interrupted.

That caught their attention.

“How?” Yuri asked.

Kaito hesitated, trying to put it into words.

“…they don’t all say the same kind of thing.”

Zenno frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kaito looked around at them.

“Some of them sound like someone knows something.”

He glanced at Zenno.

“Some sound like… they were there.”

Then at Yuri.

“And some sound like…” he paused, “…blame.”

No one spoke.

Sora’s arms tightened across her chest. “…so?”

Kaito swallowed slightly.

“…so what if it’s not just one thing?”

AI’s expression shifted.

“…you think it’s more than one event.”

Kaito nodded slowly.

“…or one moment.”

Yuri’s eyes widened slightly.

Zenno looked away.

Sora didn’t say anything.

Hakura finally spoke again, quieter this time.

“…that’s reaching.”

But it didn’t sound convincing anymore.

AI shook her head.

“No,” she said.

“It’s worse.”

They all looked at her.

“…it means we’re all connected,” she continued.

“Not just to the notes.”

She paused.

Then finished,

“…to whatever happened.”

Silence.

Complete.

No one argued.

No one denied it.

Because now.

It wasn’t just about who sent the notes.

It was about what they were hiding.

And for the first time.

None of them felt safe standing there together.

The silence didn’t break.

It stretched.

Too long.

Too heavy.

No one looked at each other properly anymore. Just quick glances, then away again.

Like eye contact might mean something.

Like it might reveal something.

“…we can’t just stand here pretending,” Kaito said quietly.

No one answered.

But no one disagreed either.

Yuri’s grip tightened around her note.

Her fingers were starting to crumple the edges.

“…I think…” she started.

Her voice was soft.

Unsteady.

Everyone looked at her.

Even Hakura.

She hesitated.

Swallowed.

“…I think I know what mine is about.”

The words landed like a drop in still water.

Everything shifted.

Sora straightened slightly. “What do you mean?”

Yuri shook her head, like she wasn’t sure she should’ve said anything.

But it was too late now.

They were all watching.

Waiting.

Zenno stepped forward just a little. “Yuri…”

She didn’t look at him.

She kept her eyes on the ground.

“…it wasn’t supposed to.” she started.

Her voice cracked.

She stopped.

Tried again.

“…that night, I..”

A sound cut through the air.

Sharp.

Sudden.

Crunch.

Everyone froze.

It came from behind them.

Near the trees.

Kaito turned first. “Did you hear that?”

Sora’s head snapped toward the sound. “Yeah.”

Zenno stepped slightly in front of Yuri without thinking.

“…who’s there?” he called out.

No answer.

The wind moved through the trees again.

But this,

This was different.

Another sound.

Closer.

Crunch.

Hakura’s expression hardened. “Someone’s there.”

AI didn’t say anything.

She was already 

looking.

Scanning.

The shadows between the trees felt darker now.

Deeper.

Like something could be standing there.

Just out of sight.

“Stop messing around,” Sora called out, her voice sharper than before. “If this is some joke!”

A figure moved.

Just slightly.

Enough.

Yuri’s breath caught. “Did you?”

“I saw it,” Kaito said.