Never Have I Ever

Osaka, Japan

Mitsuya Residence

April 3rd, 2023

"I guess I'll get to meet Mr. Mitsuya and his wife again after a very long time," he muttered to himself and reached for the door.

Just as he was about to open it, an energetic voice exclaimed, "Mike! Wait for us! The Rinkarin duo is here!"

Mike turned around and saw Rinka and Karin approaching. Rinka was vigorously waving her hands, while Karin hung his head low.

"Are you the first one to arrive?" Karin asked.

"No, June's already inside," Mike replied and headed in. Rinka and Karin followed closely.

As Mike entered the house, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him as he glanced at the interior. The walls were covered in a dim grey wallpaper, while the floor featured a stunning textile wood design.

Minimalistic artworks adorned the walls. Though there weren't many furnishings, each piece had a futuristic and minimalist aesthetic. The space exuded an air of opulence and elegance.

Mike turned and noticed June descending the silver railed staircase, with Shino following closely behind.

"Dude, that's why I love coming to your house. I always get free stuff," June exclaimed, munching on a large chocolate bar.

"Hey, you're here. Have some too," June glanced at the three newcomers and tossed a couple of chocolate bars he had stashed in his pockets.

The others caught them effortlessly. Mike examined the chocolate bar June had just thrown and could tell it was an expensive one.

"Hey guys, let's head to my room. The computers are already set up, so we can start working early," Shino suggested, motioning for them to follow him upstairs.

"Let's finish early so we can hang out, okay?" June said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He continued devouring his chocolate bar.

The group followed Shino upstairs, proceeding to the upper corridor and entering one of the rooms. It was spacious and immaculate, featuring the same interior design as the living room downstairs.

A couple of bookshelves adorned one side of the room, and a basketball hoop hung above the door. Shino's bed was enormous, with a computer setup placed beside it. Three computer screens stood proudly, each accompanied by its own set of accessories.

"Man, he's loaded," Rinka whispered in awe as her eyes darted around the room.

"Feel free to sit wherever you'd like and get comfortable. I assume you'll be leading us in this task, Mike?" Shino asked, glancing at Mike expectantly.

Mike simply nodded, still feeling disconnected from the group. His mind was consumed by memories of past hardships, troubles, and traumas.

He assigned each person a task that aligned with their strengths. Karin was adept at finding information, Rinka excelled in designing presentations, June brought a wealth of foreign knowledge to broaden their work's scope, and Shino provided assistance as well.

Mike took on the responsibility of compiling and organizing their work. Surprisingly, their project began to take shape as each member contributed efficiently.

Initially, Mike had anticipated that it would take a while, considering that most of them weren't particularly academically inclined. However, they proved him wrong. Their collective efforts brought the project to a close, with Rinka adding the final touches.

"Yes, we're done!" Rinka exclaimed gleefully as he pressed the save button on the computer.

"I'll go downstairs to grab some snacks. I'll be back shortly. Feel free to read the books on the shelves or use the computer for fun," Shino announced before departing.

Rinka quickly settled on the bed and beckoned the group to gather around.

"Forget about books and computers. Let's play a game for fun," Rinka suggested eagerly, pulling each person closer. Mike was not exempt as Rinka energetically grabbed his arm and placed him next to Karin.

"What do you want to do this time?" June grumbled, but Rinka paid no attention.

"Are you familiar with the game 'Never Have I Ever'?" Rinka asked.

"You mean that drinking game? Yeah, I've played it a couple of times while partying with the football (soccer) guys," June replied.

"Yeah, that game, but without the drinking," Rinka responded.

"Oh, come on! Where's the fun in that?" June retorted.

"We can come up with another consequence... I mean, only if you're up for it," Karin murmured softly.

"That's what I'm talking about! Karin knows what's up. The consequence will be... Ah! The losers have to pluck their eyebrows!" Rinka exclaimed excitedly.

"Dude, you're on," June replied, smirking confidently. "I've won a lot of these games."

"O-okay," Karin shyly agreed.

Feeling like he didn't have much choice in the matter, Mike simply nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Mike said.

"Alright! Here's how the game works. Each person will share an experience they've never had. If someone else has had that experience, they're out. Let's get started!" Rinka explained.

The game started off lightheartedly. June would come up with almost impossible scenarios, and the girls would laugh. Despite his introverted nature, Mike participated well and held his own.

Shino returned a few moments later and joined in the game. As the group started to run out of ideas, the game took a deeper turn.

"Um, never have I ever... kissed someone while drunk," Rinka said.

"Do you mean you were drunk and kissed someone, or you kissed someone who was drunk?" June asked, looking confused.

"The first one," Rinka replied with a grin, expecting that nobody else had done it. To their surprise, June grinned happily and looked at Rinka.

"Dude, you're out," he declared, pointing at Rinka. "I've kissed a couple of people at parties while I was totally wasted. I paid for it the next morning with a killer headache."

Laughter erupted among the group as Rinka playfully protested his loss.

"Never have I ever... forgotten to wear underwear and went to school," June declared.

Shino burst into loud laughter as he looked at June. "Dude, have you forgotten what happened last year? I went to school wearing only my pants. All my underwear mysteriously disappeared, so I had to buy new ones after school."

"Oh my god, dude, I completely forgot!" June exclaimed, frustrated by his loss. The group erupted in laughter at Shino's unexpected revelation, and even Mike couldn't help but chuckle along.

"Now, never have I ever... had nightmares about a ghost," Shino stated.

"Dude, that's a no-brainer. That's a very common experience," June protested.

"I... I've had that experience," Karin replied softly. "I saw a shadowy figure last night, and I... I had nightmares about it."

"A shadowy figure?" Mike's interest was piqued by the sudden story.

"Yeah. I was at the arcade when a fire broke out yesterday. I saw a shadowy figure just before the arcade went up in flames," Karin explained.

"Is there a chance that it was the damned she's referring to?" Mike asked Baldur, seeking his insight.

"There's a high chance it was that damned. Ask her what she saw," Baldur replied.

"Tell us more about what you saw," Mike said, leaning closer to Karin.

"Um, well... When I was about to go back inside the arcade after buying some snacks outside, I saw a couple of shadowy figures nearby. It didn't look like regular people because their silhouettes were strange," Karin began. Her story captivated the group, who leaned in closer to hear her account more clearly.

"Then I got scared and hurried back into the arcade. I was so terrified and focused on running that I stumbled at the front door. That's when I saw another shadowy figure inside. It was small, and I could make out the silhouette of little hands and feet, although the upper part didn't look human. That's why I had a nightmare last night," Karin explained.

"Are you sure it wasn't just some suspicious-looking people and a child you saw?" June questioned, but Karin shook her head in denial.

"She saw that damned capable of manipulating fire. Based on her account, there were other damned present at the arcade last night? I need to inform Alice and the others about this," Mike said to Baldur.

"Hey, didn't you mention being attacked by a shadowy figure resembling some kind of animal the other day?" Rinka raised an eyebrow as she asked.

"Uh, yeah. I also had nightmares about that one. It was a really close call. I was so scared. It was like a giant wolf, and it almost devoured me," Karin replied, fear evident in her voice.

As Karin continued sharing her experiences with the shadowy figures, all of which seemed to connect to Mike's recent encounters with the damned, Mike grew increasingly perplexed.

"So she was the one who was attacked by the wolf-like damned creature the other day. And it's possible that the damned who chased Rika on the field was actually after her but got distracted by Rika. Then there's the incident at the arcade last night, which, according to her, involved various types of damned creatures. Why is she connected to all these damned encounters?" Mike asked Baldur, his confusion evident.

"I don't know. I don't sense any special energy from her, and-"

Before Baldur could finish his sentence, a loud crash interrupted them.