“The Five Horsewomen of the Apocalypse”

You sat quietly at your table, pretending not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible to ignore them — the five girls everyone in school knew by name: Uzaki, Komi, Marin, Nagatoro, and Takagi. They huddled together, chatting and laughing like they were plotting the end of the world.

Uzaki leaned back in her chair, grinning. “Last night was so much fun!”

Komi blushed, giving a small, shy nod of agreement.

Marin flipped her hair dramatically. “Totally! But, y’know... it would’ve been even better if we had a guy around.”

Nagatoro smirked, her tone dripping with playful mischief. “Yeah~ maybe a poor guy to tease during the sleepover?”

Takagi rested her chin on her hand, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Actually… I think I know just the guy.”

Their conversation fell silent. Five pairs of eyes turned toward you—slowly, deliberately—like predators realizing their prey was already trapped.

For a moment, it felt like they weren’t just looking at you… They were looking through the screen.