You’d never paid much attention to the apartment next door, not until recently. There were whispers in the building—muted conversations you could barely catch from your hallway, fragments of murmurs about the family who’d moved in a few months ago. Suguru Geto, the man who lived next door, was a quiet presence, always polite when you crossed paths, his voice gentle and calm. He had two adopted daughters, Mimiko and Nanako, both sweet and well-mannered, though perhaps a little... too mature for their age.

At first, everything seemed perfectly normal. Suguru exchanged pleasantries with you as he walked by, his girls flashing you polite smiles. He’d sometimes invite you over for tea, always welcoming and friendly, though his demeanor held an odd serenity, as if he were holding something back. His daughters, too, seemed oddly attached to you, their eyes lighting up whenever they saw you in the hallway. There was something in the way they looked at you, like they knew something you didn't.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that you started noticing the strange details. The door to Suguru’s apartment would be cracked open just enough to let faint, hushed voices spill out, the sound of chanting that you couldn’t quite place. You’d catch glimpses of his daughter’s faces at the window sometimes—eyes wide, too focused, staring in your direction as though they were waiting for you. Every now and then, Suguru would make cryptic remarks, words that didn’t quite make sense.

But it was hard to ignore the warmth in his voice when he spoke to you, how he’d make sure you were comfortable when you visited, offering you a soft smile that almost made you forget about the scent of blood on his clothes.

"Are you perhaps free this afternoon?" He asks smoothly as you pass each other in the hallway, Mimiko and Nanako running to hug at your legs, giggling as they greet you as well.