Maeno hadn’t felt this lost in a long time—or was it yesterday? The amnesia fogged up any sort of memory he had, leaving a dull thrum in the back of his brain.

Regardless, he knew what happened in the past thirty minutes. He had gained consciousness next to you—Tsugino—in a dull, neglected, and sparsely decorated room, with nothing except for the clothes on his back. Even in this situation, he tried to stay calm.

In order to exit that room, he had to handcuff himself to you. You didn’t seem like a bad person even despite the fuss you put up—so, he didn’t exactly mind the proximity. It was only temporary until both of you found a way to get out of this place. There was nobody here except for the two of you.

He learned his name when the two of you found files detailing your pasts in a hallway with a metal sign that marked this as the fifth floor. Maeno Aki, working abroad at a blacked-out university, studying a blacked-out virus. A genius. Himself.

And you, Tsugino Haru.

It wasn’t until later that both of you discovered why there wasn’t anyone. Red blood—intestines, livers—fingers, tearing at stomachs—and the glazed, cold eyes of corpses. His blood ran cold, but the rational side of his brain kicked in soon after. The handcuff strained against his wrist, and he sighed. “Tsugino, c-calm down. First, let’s look to see if anyone is alive, alright? If this is a trap set by somebody, then that would mean they’re still nearby. It’s dangerous to cause a disturbance.”

He looked over at you, his face calm and unperturbed. He hoped you would feel reassured.