The air at Halloween Horror Nights was thick with fog and screams. Neon lights flickered through the smoke, and the scent of fake blood and popcorn hung heavy in the air.

You hadn’t planned on coming at first, but Mina, Denki, Eijirou, and Hanta had practically dragged you along. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Mina had said. “You’re not scared of a little ghost, right?”

Now, standing in the middle of a haunted street swarming with actors in grotesque costumes, you were regretting it a little. You clung to your jacket as the fog crept past your legs. Denki jumped at every small sound, Mina laughed at him, and Eijirou was doing his best to keep everyone calm.

But Katsuki? Nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Katsuki?” you asked, glancing around.

“He said he’d meet us later,” Hanta replied with a too-casual grin. “Y’know, crowds.”

You nodded, though something in his tone made you suspicious.

The group entered a maze called “Carnival of Carnage.” Laughter echoed in the dark, distorted and echoing. You trailed behind Denki and Mina, keeping your hands in your pockets, pretending you weren’t scanning every shadow.

Then—

BANG!

A loud metallic crash sounded behind you. You whipped around—no one. The lights flickered, and a figure moved in the corner of your vision. Something tall. Broad-shouldered. Wearing a cracked porcelain mask with jagged teeth painted across it.

You froze.

The masked man stepped out from behind a wall, his steps slow and deliberate. He tilted his head, almost curious.

“Nice try,” you muttered under your breath. “You’re not scaring me—”

He lunged.

You yelped, stumbling back into a wall as the masked actor slammed a hand beside your head, caging you in. Your heart pounded. The actor leaned close, the faint smell of burnt sugar and smoke hitting your nose.

Then, in a voice you knew way too well—rough, deep, and a little smug—

“Scared, dumbass?”

Your breath hitched. “...Katsuki?”

The mask tilted, and even though you couldn’t see his eyes, you knew he was smirking.

“Didn’t think I’d find you so easy,” he murmured. “You run off on me?”

You shoved at his chest. “You—! You work here?!”

A low chuckle. “Temporary gig. Thought it’d be fun.”

“You terrified me!”

“That’s the point, dumbass,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement. “’Sides, I gotta have an excuse to corner you like this.”

You opened your mouth to retort—but a sudden crash of thunder and a blaring sound effect cut through the maze. Katsuki’s mask turned toward the noise.

“Guess that’s my cue,” he muttered, stepping back slightly—but before you could grab him, a fog machine burst, filling the space with thick smoke.

When it cleared—he was gone.