Steam from my shower still clung to the edges of the bathroom mirror. I was already dressed and toweling the ends of my hair dry. For the first time in days, I felt halfway human. Almost like myself again.
But deep down, I knew the feeling was a lie.
The chair under the doorknob, and Akiko’s victories in the arena—they were all just quick fixes. None of it changed the truth: We were still prisoners here, trapped on Ginji’s island, with no real way out. The thought sat heavy in my stomach.
A knock at the bathroom door shook me from my thoughts, and I froze in place.
Ginji!
Had I put the chair back under the knob? I couldn’t remember. I braced for the door to burst open, for him to storm inside.
But it didn’t. Just another knock.
I crept closer, every muscle tight.
“It’s Masaki,” came the voice from the other side.
Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly buckled.
I pulled the door open a crack. He stood there, calm as always.
“I have news,” he said. His voice was even, but there was a weight to it that made my stomach clench. “Tonight, Akiko will have to participate in Soemono and the Blade challenge.”
My stomach dropped as his words hit me. I looked him in the eyes, searching for any crack in that stone face of his, but there was no sign of how he felt about it.
I couldn’t play the wait-and-see game anymore. I had to take a chance.
I grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the sofa.
“Okay, look,” I said, my voice low but urgent. “I’m just going to come right out and say it. My best friend is in trouble. So am I. No secret there. You know your boss is a psychopath. That’s why you’ve been helping me. And yes, I know you like me. You probably think I’m cute. I’m flattered, really. But what I need isn’t a crush. I need help. I need help saving my friend, not just from another challenge. I need help getting her, and me, and Jiro—yes, Jiro—all of us off this island. Can you do that? Can you help me?”
Masaki didn’t answer right away. He just sat there, stone faced as ever, and for a moment I thought I’d made a huge mistake. Then his eyes flicked to mine, his face softening.
“I can’t promise you that,” he said, his voice low. “But… I’ll do what I can.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You care about me, don’t you?”
He immediately looked away. His leg began to bounce, and he was unsure of what to do with his hands.
I smiled. I thought it was cute that this big giant suddenly got shy. “You don’t have to answer. I know you’re the quiet type. But if you do like me, then I’m assuming you don’t want to see me dead. Or my friends.”
His jaw tightened, and his eyes settled back on me. “Be careful of what you think you’re seeing.”
55
Akiko
As evening fell, the Nikubeya sank into uneasy silence. We all knew Soemono was upon us, and that two more would be chosen to compete. The question of who weighed heavy in the air, keeping everyone on edge.
Kai and I weren’t as tense as the others. We were safe, having already competed and won our matches.
Sora paced back and forth in his cage. He hadn’t said a word since his last eruption, but he was different now, more confident, more focused. I was starting to believe we’d all read him wrong.
Jiro seemed to be feeling better after sleeping most of the day. His face was still bruised, but the swelling had gone down. He was on the mend, which made me feel a whole lot better.
“Akiko.” Haru’s voice drifted into my cell.
I sighed. “What do you want?”
