EPISODE 16~THE 'GRAVITY' INCIDENT
572 Words
The situation in the tiny apartment had officially moved from "dangerous" to "crowded." With Shoko Vicon joining the team, the four of them were now squeezed into Saito’s bedroom, the only room with a lock that Toshiro hadn't deemed "compromised by line-of-sight snipers."
"Okay, listen up," Shoko said, slapping a digital map onto the bed. "The Ishikura drones are patrolling the main streets, and the Katsu Empire has facial recognition on every boba shop in a five-mile radius. If we want to vanish, we need to move through the 'Blind Spots'—the old subway tunnels that don't exist on Google Maps."
"I can lead," Toshiro said, checking his watch. "But I need to go downstairs and 'convince' the landlord to accidentally unplug the security cameras for ten minutes. Stay put. Don't breathe. Don't even think about a t****k, Shoko."
Toshiro slipped out, leaving Shisei, Saito, and Shoko in the cramped room.
The room was so small that the only place to sit was the bed. Shisei was pacing, her royal energy vibrating in the ten-by-ten space.
"I can't believe I'm hiding in a room that smells like cheap cologne and desperation," Shisei muttered, tripping over a stray guitar cable Saito had left on the floor.
"Hey! That's 'Musician's Ambition' scent!" Saito defended, reaching out to catch her.
At that exact moment, the building shifted—or perhaps it was just the sheer weight of the drama—and Shisei’s heel caught on the edge of the rug. She lunged forward, grabbing the nearest thing for balance: Saito’s shirt.
With a muffled "Oof!", they both went down. Shisei landed directly on top of Saito, her face inches from his. The world went silent. Saito’s heart was hammering against his ribs like a drum solo, and Shisei’s cheeks were a shade of pink that would have made a sunset jealous.
"Saito..." she whispered, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "Your heart is beating really fast."
Saito swallowed hard, his hands hovering awkwardly over her waist. "Well, having a princess fall from the sky usually does that to a guy."
The door swung open. Toshiro stood there, holding a bag of "stealth snacks" and a very unimpressed expression.
"I was gone for ninety seconds," Toshiro said, his voice flat. "Ninety. Seconds."
Shisei and Saito scrambled apart like they’d been hit by an electric shock. Shisei ended up tangled in the duvet, while Saito hit his head on the headboard wi
"It’s not what it looks like!" Saito yelled, rubbing his skull. "Gravity! Gravity happened!"
"Oh, really?" Toshiro stepped inside, crossing his arms. "Because from here, it looked like 'Step-Brotherly Betrayal: Part One.' I’m out there risking my life with a grumpy landlord, and you’re in here practicing your romantic lead roles?"
Shoko, who had been recording the whole thing from the corner, chirped in. "Actually, the lighting was perfect. I’ll send you the clip for twenty bucks, Toshiro."
"Delete it!" Saito and Shisei screamed in unison.
Toshiro sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and pointedly sliding himself between Saito and Shisei. "Fine. But from now on, if someone falls, they fall on the floor. Or on me. I’m the designated 'Landing Pad' for this mission. Understand?"
Shisei straightened her pajama crown, her face still glowing. "Understood. Now, can we please go back to the part where we run away from the world? Because this room is getting way too small for all these feelings."
- Writer
