Accidental arson

On the other side, Kazuto was enjoying himself playing games with you. Unlike the other males, he didn't call you because he believed you were pulling some sort of prank.

He was too stubborn to believe you left him. Because leaving him wasn't an option.

He watched with a smirk as you hid under your pillow castle, finding your actions both amusing and pitiful. Deciding that he had toyed with you enough, he let the controls of the house return to normal.

Your makeshift fortress offered little comfort, but it was the best you could do under the circumstances. You sat there, heart pounding, as the song finally ended, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

Buzz buzz.

You felt a chill up your spine as the phone began to ring violently. You just hoped it to be spam call or miss dialed number, but the situation you were in made you believe otherwise.

Your slid from under your fortress as you reached for your phone. Darkness of the house making it difficult for you to reach it. But the lights switched on and you grabbed your phone.

Retreating back in. You picked up the call.

" Asuna " An excited takumi said " I really can't wait to have you back. I will patiently wait for your arrival. Subaru said patience is a virtue. "

" I am not coming back " You forcefully replied

" Don't upset me asuna. Of course you are  " He said asserting " Right asuna.?you are coming back right. Because if you don't come back I will be lonely. If I will be lonely I will have no choice but to come to asuna."

" No. Don't come here " You responded.

You heard slight laughter on the other end as the  bed squeeked and the shy male sighed in longing.  You slightly shifted making few pillows of your fortress fall down.  Takumi squeeked in happiness. You wondered what was he doing to make such noise.

" Aw" He said Hoarsely " It's been years since I saw you. I was so sad to see you left me. I can see you but it's not enough. Can you give me a pat.? Can you "

You froze, your posture stiffening as you processed his words. Straining your neck you looked at the camera. Your eyes began to get watery. He was watching you all along. Kazuto must have given him control. It made sense. The song. The lights. The video.

Kazuto hacked everything.

" Asuna.?" Takumi spoke, questioning if she was still there " Do you l-like m-me .?"

"How can you ask me that after everything you all have done. " You said slightly panicking, sweat crossing your brow.

" Would you accept me. Even after all the scars you have seen.? " He continued ignoring your question. " Would you take me as yours. If I was pure.? "

" Accept you.? "

The other line went silent for a bit. You assumed he muted you. But then you heard some noise which sounded like him shuffling around on bed. The bed squeeked again. He started murmuring things too fast. Your ears couldn't keep up with his voice. Till his breath began to become shallow. He heaved heavily. The bed started to squeak again furiously.

Finally he spoke his voice sounded bashful.

" I realized s-something" Letting out a low whimper of ecstasy " When can't have you by my side. My body hurts. My scars burn. It's like without you I am suffering unimaginable pain. You are my ointment. I know what I want. I want my love to be safe. I will kill for you. I will stab for you. Till anyone else does not receive them love you give me. "

You went silent at his confession. Your body began to shake. You tried to hide behind those pillows. He could see you. He can see you. Your hands began to get sweaty. The phone began to slip out of your hand but you caught it before it reached the ground.

A small meow was heard on the other end making you alerted. You recognized the sound. It was of kyo. Another meow was heard but this time it was like a call for help. Your cat was scared.

" Ouch " He let out a pianed cry " I never really liked animals"

" How did you get kyo " Your body going going ice cold.

" Wait to find out " There was a beep on the other end indicating end of the call.

You collapsed on the ground. You heard beep sound. It was sound of electronic doors from above opening up. You gathered your pillows and picked up your mobile . You did not stop till the door of your room was shut tight.

You threw everything you held on the bed and slowly started to slip down. Your hands were still cold. How long were they watching you. Maybe this is how hikaru knew you did not eat the cupcake. You wondered. Did this room have a camera too.

You began searching. Every corner of the room. Each object that was kept. Hours had past before you sighed in peace as you found no cameras. This was the only place you were going to be from now on.

" They all are insane"

.  . . . .

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz—

You threw the object making the noise far away. Your eyes were still droopy, and you had no idea when you fell asleep. It seemed like mid-afternoon.

Another buzz emanated from the device.

Buzz buzz.

You scrambled to grab the fallen device and picked up the call.

"Dove," Hikaru's voice was heard. "You finally picked up. Don't worry. I won't tell Subaru."

"I was slee—"

"I know," he cut you off. "I just woke up too. Guess what, dove~~"

"What?" you asked, dreading his answer.

"I dreamed of you, dove~," he giggled like a happy child. "I touched your silky skin. It was so smooth. I really wonder. Is your skin such a wonderful thing? It makes me excited."

"Hikaru, no. Shut up," you shouted, covering your ears to block out the sound.

But he darkly chuckled, and his giggles echoed through the house. Kazuto must have taken control of the house again.

"No use covering your beautiful ears, dove," he laughed at your silliness. "It only makes me want to tell more of my dream. You are curious, aren't you?"

"No, no, stop," you screamed, but the loudspeakers made your scream seem like nothing but an ant's yell in front of an elephant.

"Your lips were plump. So tasty," he moaned. "Then I touched your hair. I will never forget how it felt between my fingers."

You sobbed, feeling disgusted. His low moans filled the air, intensifying your fear and revulsion. It was as if his presence had permeated every corner of the house, suffocating you.

"So, dove, that was the end of my dream. Would you like it to be our reality?"

You were hyperventilating, not hearing a word he said until he started to call out your name.

"Asuna. What is your favorite pastry? I will get it ready for you when you come back. Is it chocolate or raspberry, maybe bubblegum?" he asked curiously.

"I am not coming back," your voice was hardly above a whisper.

"Don't be silly, dove. Of course you are," he teased.

"I am no—"

"I ASKED YOU A FUCKING QUESTION," he yelled suddenly, making the speakers glare from his intensity. "Tell me, or next time you receive a gift from me, it will be the hearts of those bitches you are living with."

The whole house echoed with his threat. You pressed harder on your ears because it hurt. You were backed up against the wall, sobbing quietly.

"Dove, are you there?" Hikaru asked calmly.

When no response was heard, he continued.

"Did I give you a scare.?" He laughed. "Aren't you tougher than that, dove. ?"

"Strawberry shortcake," you trembled. "That's my favorite."

"Thank you, dove," he said, his voice full of joy. "I will make you the sweetest pastry for my sweetest dove."

You ran to the bathroom and collapsed on the floor, washing your entire body as if you were dirty. You felt dirty. But it did not matter how many times you scrubbed; his voice kept echoing in your mind.

You climbed down to get some water, cautiously avoiding all the cameras in the house. Reaching the hall, you quenched your thirst, feeling the cold liquid soothe your parched throat.

As you looked out the window, you noticed it was getting late. You wondered when your cousins' tutoring session would end. You started to sneak past the cameras again, but unfortunately, one revolved around and caught you.

Groaning in dismay, you quickly ran towards the stairs. But cries of people caught your attention. The TV switched on and the loudspeakers connected, blasting the sound throughout the house.

The channel showed live news coverage of a building that had caught on fire. Many injured people were being carried out by firefighters. You squinted at the screen, recognizing the sign on the top of the building. Kiyoshi had mentioned the name of his tutoring center before—it was the same one.

Amidst the chaos of the burning building, you saw Yasumi helping Kiyoshi. His wounds didn't seem fatal, but he was hurt. The reporter mentioned that the building caught fire by accident, likely due to an electrical malfunction.

Buzz buzz.

Your phone violently vibrated in your hand. You didn't need to look to know who orchestrated this 'accident.' Tears welled up in your eyes as you answered the call.

"Hello?" you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Darling," Subaru's calm, sinister voice flowed through the speaker, sending chills down your spine. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Why did you do this?" you whispered, choking on your tears.

"Accidents happen, don't they?" he replied smoothly. "It's unfortunate, really. But it could have been worse. Much worse."

"You monster," you spat, your voice trembling with rage and fear.

"Now, now, darling," Subaru cooed softly. "There's no need for name-calling. Remember what I told you. If you don't come back, there will be more 'accidents.' And next time, I won't be so restrained."

"How could you do this?" you whispered, your voice barely holding back the fury and fear. "This was restrained?"

"Of course," Subaru replied, his tone polite yet you could feel his anger. "We wouldn't want to cause too much harm, now would we?"

"Leave them out of this!" you shouted, your hands trembling. "They have nothing to do with this."

Subaru's voice remained eerily calm. "Every action has consequences, Asuna. You chose to involve them the moment you decided to run. Now, are you ready to come back.?"

" No." Your voice was clear.

"That's disappointing," Subaru responded, a trace of cold amusement in his voice. "But know this—each act of defiance will lead to more... accidents. I trust you understand what I am capable of now. Your time is running out, Asuna. Don't test my patience any further."

The call ended abruptly, leaving you in silence.

Tears streamed down your face as you looked at the screen, showing the chaotic scene at the tutoring center.

You bolted out of the house, each step echoing with urgency. As you sprinted down the street, a chilling sensation crawled up your spine. You couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were following your every move, lurking in the shadows. Paranoia gripped you, but you pressed on, determined to reach the hospital.

Upon arrival, you covered your face with a cloth, trying to blend into the chaos that surrounded the entrance. The scene was heartbreaking—people with fatal wounds, women and children crying, and the overwhelmed medical staff rushing in every direction.

You spotted a familiar head of hair at the end of the hallway and followed, weaving through the crowd. The emergency center was packed, so yasumi had managed to secure a private room for Kiyoshi.

"Excuse me, but only family can go in there," a nurse, not as busy as the others, called out.

"She is family," Yasumi interjected, blocking the nurse's view of your face with her small frame.

Yasumi led you inside. She had some wounds and scratches but nothing serious. Kiyoshi, however, was covered in bandages, his skin scorched by second and third-degree burns.

"They didn't get my face," he grinned like a fool, despite his condition. "I'm still handsome."

You laughed through your tears. Seeing him alive made your sorrow seem insignificant.

"It was arson," Yasumi said suddenly, her voice trembling with anger. "Someone did it on purpose."

You couldn't deny it, but admitting the truth wasn't something you could do either. The knowledge weighed heavily on you, threatening to break your resolve.

"I'm fine, Yasumi. Alive," Kiyoshi pressed, trying to defuse the situation. "It was not arson but a malfunction."

"You can't be serious—"

"Stop," Kiyoshi said angrily, groaning in pain as his wounds were exposed to the air. His bandages had to be meticulously kept in a sterile environment to avoid infection, his movements restricted to prevent further damage.

"I'll get some water," you said, needing an excuse to leave. The weight of your guilt and fear was too much to bear.

You walked as far away from the room as you could, the hospital corridors a blur as your mind raced.Your loved ones were in danger, and the clock was ticking.

"Asuna," a voice called out.