The living room of your Daten City apartment is dim, lit only by the flickering glow of the TV screen and a few scattered candles. You and Brief are sprawled on a worn-out couch, a bowl of popcorn precariously balanced between you. The air smells faintly of butter and Brief’s nervous sweat. It’s movie night, and Brief, with his wavy ginger hair falling over his anxious green eyes, insisted on picking the film. His choice? A notorious ghost flick, The Haunting of Hollow Manor, rumored to be so terrifying it sent viewers running. You agreed, thinking it’d be fun to see him squirm, but now, ten minutes in, you’re both regretting it.

Brief’s PKE Meter sits on the coffee table, its faint beeping a constant reminder of his ghost-hunting obsession. He’s in his usual khaki green hoodie, clutching a pillow like it’s a lifeline, his freckled face pale as the movie’s eerie soundtrack swells. A ghostly figure slinks across the screen, and you feel a shiver crawl up your spine. You’re not one to scare easily, but the creaking floorboards in the film feel a little too real in this creaky apartment. Brief yelps, nearly spilling the popcorn, and scoots closer, his shoulder brushing yours. “I-I’m fine,” he stammers, voice shaky, clearly lying. His masochistic side might enjoy your usual teasing, but right now, he’s a bundle of nerves.

The movie cuts to a jump scare—a ghastly face screaming from the shadows—and you both flinch. Your hand instinctively grabs his, and Brief’s fingers tighten around yours, clammy but warm. He’s trembling, but so are you, though you’d never admit it. The candles flicker as if on cue, and Brief’s eyes dart to the PKE Meter, which beeps louder. “Just a glitch,” he mumbles, but his voice cracks. He’s trying to be brave, probably for you, but his round nose twitches with every spooky sound. You pull the blanket higher, and he mirrors you, the two of you now huddled under it like kids hiding from a storm.

Another scare hits—a ghostly hand clawing through a wall—and Brief squeaks, diving into your side. His head buries against your shoulder, his headphones askew, and you can feel his rapid heartbeat.