Chapter 49: The Never-ending Nightmare

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Translator: Soafp

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[Miyabi PoV]

As I descended the stairs leading underground, a damp air hit my nose. A distinctive, musty smell lingered, making me feel nauseous. The worn-out neon lights of the karaoke bar cast a dim glow, giving the place an eerie atmosphere, as if separated from the outside world.

Guided by Godai and Takamatsu, I stepped into the back room. Contrary to my expectations, it was surprisingly spacious, though the wallpaper was peeling in places, and the sofa showed signs of wear and tear. An ominous feeling squeezed at my chest.

Godai dropped himself heavily onto the sofa at the back, with Takamatsu following suit. I, on the other hand, cautiously took a seat on the sofa closest to the entrance.

The plan was simple: pretend to be Godai’s “girlfriend” when introduced to his friends, and in exchange, they’d delete the photo—that was the deal. As long as I played along, they'd keep their end of the bargain.

But despite this arrangement, neither Godai nor Takamatsu showed any signs of introducing these supposed friends. Instead, they just sat there, grinning.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, I spoke up.

“When exactly are these friends of yours going to show up?”

Godai didn't respond. Instead, he pulled out an e-cigarette and took a puff. The smoke slowly dissipated into the air, and I wrinkled my nose at the smell. Just then, Takamatsu asked in an exaggerated tone:

“Friends? What friends?”

Godai chimed in, just as mockingly.

“Friends? Did we ever say we were bringing any? Oh yeah, we do have two guys waiting outside, just to keep an eye on things.”

My heart skipped a beat.

I immediately stood up and headed for the door. But just as I reached it, I saw an unfamiliar face through the small window, and at that exact moment, I heard the sound of the lock clicking into place. My blood ran cold.

“No…!”

Panicking, I grabbed the doorknob, only to find that it lacked any mechanism to unlock it.

“Oops, looks like the door’s locked, huh, Miyabi?”

Godai's loud, obnoxious laughter grated on my nerves.

I turned back to face them, glaring.

“What exactly are you planning…?”

Godai shrugged, a smug grin on his face.

“What do you think? You're not a kid anymore, right?”

“…So you never had any intention of keeping your promise. From the start, I was the target, wasn't I?”

“Glad you figured it out. Saves us time, doesn't it?”

Godai shot a glance at Takamatsu.

“Yeah, less trouble for us. Now that you know, you should have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen next, right?”

Takamatsu's words carried a clear menace. But I didn't back down and shot him a fierce look.

“Well, how about we sing a little karaoke together?”

“…Huh?”

In the next instant, Godai kicked the table, sending it flying with a loud crash. I flinched involuntarily.

“…You'd better watch your mouth, Miyabi…”

The lighthearted grin had vanished from Godai's face, replaced by a predatory gleam in his eyes.

“And what happens if I don't?”

I tried to put on a brave face, but I couldn't stop my hands from trembling.

And then—Godai swiftly closed the distance between us, grabbing both of my arms and slamming me against the wall.

“This is what happens.”

His face loomed closer, but I kept my eyes locked on his, refusing to look away.

“Finally, you've said it…”

I smirked, a taunting grin on my face.

For a split second, Godai and Takamatsu's expressions shifted.

Sensing something was off, Godai looked me over—and then noticed the phone sticking out of my pocket at an odd angle.

“…Tch!”

He snatched the phone from my pocket and shoved me away.

“This b***h… She was recording us!”

“You've gotta be kidding me, this damn w***e!”

Takamatsu's anger boiled over.

Godai waved the phone in front of my face, a triumphant smirk on his lips.

“A recording, huh? Well, now that we've got your phone, it's useless, isn't it?”

But I simply smiled and said firmly:

“Stopping the recording, huh? Too bad for you—this app automatically saves everything to the cloud. So even if you've taken my phone… it doesn't matter, Godai-senpai.”

In that moment—

“Pfft!”

Godai laughed.

“Huh…?”

Confused, I looked at him, and Takamatsu chuckled, shaking his shoulders in amusement.

“That’s why choosing this room was the right move, right, Yuji? Sorry to say, but down here in the basement, this room is the only one with no signal.”

The blood drained from my face, and my heart began to pound violently.

“Hahaha! Man, I laughed so hard my stomach hurts!”

Takamatsu’s dry laughter echoed off the walls, as if the entire room was mocking us.

I collapsed to my knees and sat down on the spot.

A chilling sensation gripped me, freezing me to the core.

My chest tightened painfully, and I struggled to breathe. My throat burned, and though I tried to speak, no sound came out.

Everything began to feel distant. My will to resist, even my thoughts, were slipping away. Despair crawled up from the depths of my being, threatening to consume me entirely.

——Suddenly, there was a knock. A cold, emotionless knock echoed through the frozen air.

That sound created small ripples in the tense atmosphere. I instinctively turned toward the source of the noise.

Without hesitation, the door creaked open heavily.

There was a commotion outside, followed by a low, rough voice.

“This her? The girl she was talking about?”

The next moment, someone was shoved roughly into the room—it was Aoi, her arms twisted behind her back.

She was struggling to keep her balance, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and fear as the man holding her tightened his grip.

“Aoi?!”

I gasped. The scene before my eyes was unbelievable.

The man who had brought Aoi in smirked as he spoke.

“Found her sneaking around outside the store, so I grabbed her. Looks tough, but she's a pretty girl.”

Takamatsu laughed triumphantly.

“See? I told you Aoi would follow us. Watching this whole friendship act of theirs never gets old.”

A single tear rolled down Aoi's cheek.

“Aoi… why…?”

Without thinking, I tried to rush to her side.

But the man restraining her blocked my path and grinned wickedly.

“Gonna hit the convenience store real quick. Need anything? Like condoms?”

His vulgar laughter filled the room.

Godai shrugged, smirking back at him.

“Don't need that kind of thing, right?”

The man let out a small laugh, left the room, and soon after, I heard the sound of the door locking.

“Well then… let's have some fun.”

Takamatsu stood up slowly, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

“Yeah…”

He yanked Aoi's arm roughly, tightening his grip as if mocking her feeble resistance.

Aoi, gasping for breath, struggled desperately to free her arm.

“Let go…!”

Her voice trembled. But the more she resisted, the wider his grin grew.

“We've got plenty of time, no need to rush.”

Godai followed suit, grabbing my arm forcefully. His cold fingers dug into my skin, sending waves of pain through me.

With tears streaming down my face, I looked up at him, my voice shaking as I pleaded.

“Please… just don't tell Hajime about this. I'm begging you… please, don't let Hajime know…”

I barely managed to get the words out, but—

“Nope.”

Godai's mouth twisted into a smile, full of genuine amusement.

“If anything, I'll send him a special video of it. I can't wait to see his reaction.”

In that moment, my anguished scream echoed through the still room. Aoi's desperate cries followed closely behind.

In the cold air, only our voices reverberated, empty and futile.