Carefully, Hiroshi climbed out of the bathtub, trying to drip as little water onto the tiles as possible. His gaze swept across the bathroom in search of something he could use as a weapon if it came to that.

There wasn't much to choose from.

Eventually, he grabbed the hair dryer.

He looked at it for a moment and grimaced. He probably didn't look particularly threatening with it, but at least the thing had some weight to it.

As quietly as possible, he slipped into his boxers and pulled a T-shirt over his still-damp upper body. It wasn't until he looked down that he realized which one he had grabbed in his hurry.

A large Gengar was printed right across his chest.

Hiroshi pressed his lips together.

Yes. Very intimidating.

He tightened his grip on the hair dryer and crept toward the bathroom door on tiptoe. If he could use the element of surprise, all he had to do was make it through the apartment unseen and into the hallway. Once there, he could get help.

By now, his heart was pounding so hard it felt as though anyone in the apartment should be able to hear it.

Hiroshi placed a hand on the doorknob and turned it as slowly as possible.

No squeak.

Not even a click.

For that small mercy, he could have thanked every god in existence.

Hiroshi opened the bathroom door a crack and cautiously peered into the short hallway.

The apartment door was to his left, only a few steps away. To his right was the living area with his sleeping space, which he could see if he leaned just a little farther out of the bathroom.

Slowly, he poked his head farther through the gap and tried to make out what was there. Thankfully, he had taken his glasses into the bathroom with him.

And now there was no doubt.

In the light spilling from the living area into the hallway, a shadow stretched across the wall.

Hiroshi's stomach tightened.

He wasn't alone in the apartment.

Damn it. Who the hell was breaking into his home?

This day really did keep getting worse.

Keep a cool head.

He needed to stay focused and couldn't afford to make any rash decisions. Most importantly, he had no idea who was rummaging through his room or whether the intruder was armed.

Hiroshi carefully opened the bathroom door farther and stepped into the hallway. He moved backward toward the apartment door, holding the hair dryer in both hands as though it were a sword, never taking his eyes off the shadow on the wall.

Sounds drifted toward him from the living area. Closet doors opened and closed, objects were moved around, and the worst part was how casual it all sounded. The stranger seemed completely at ease, moving through Hiroshi's room and going through his belongings without the slightest concern.

His belongings. His privacy.

Hiroshi gave the smallest shake of his head. He could get angry about that later. Right now, he needed to get out of here in one piece.

Step by step, he continued moving backward until he finally felt the apartment door against his back. Without looking away from the living area, he reached behind himself with his free hand, found the handle, and carefully pushed it down.

Nothing happened.

Hiroshi blinked.

Then he remembered.

He had locked it.

Of course today had to be the first time he had ever locked his damn apartment door from the inside.

At least that meant the intruder couldn't have come through the door. So through the window?

But how?

He was on the sixth floor.

No time.

His gaze darted toward the small shelf beside the door, where he had placed his key as usual. Hiroshi reached for it, but his fingertips couldn't quite reach.

Just a little farther.

He carefully shifted one step to the side and stretched his arm farther.

Almost.

His fingers were already brushing the metal. Just a few more millimeters.

What he didn't notice was that his grip on the hair dryer in his other hand was growing looser.

The cord slipped down and struck the wooden floor.

Crash.

In the silent apartment, the sound was deafening.

Hiroshi froze.

For a fraction of a second, he stood completely still.

Then he snatched the key.

Behind him, the rummaging stopped.

Footsteps approached.

"Hey, take it easy."

Hiroshi stopped.

That voice.

He knew that voice.

Damn it.

Slowly, he turned around and found himself staring directly into the face of the man from the alley.

The lunatic.

Except he didn't look like someone who had just broken into a stranger's apartment. If anything, he looked as though they had arranged to have tea together and Hiroshi was the one behaving strangely.

He had taken off his leather jacket and was now wearing only the black T-shirt, which fit closely against his upper body.

He had taken off his shoes as well.

He had taken off his shoes.

The man had broken into his apartment and taken off his shoes first.

Hiroshi's mind worked frantically to process the situation.

All right.

He was dealing with an insane stalker who had followed him home and somehow managed to break into an apartment on the sixth floor.

The plan was simple.

Stay calm. Don't provoke him. Unlock the door. Run.

Hiroshi turned back toward the door and tried to get the key into the lock, but his hands were trembling so badly that the metal kept scraping past it.

"You know, I get the feeling we got off on the wrong foot," the stranger began behind him.

Hiroshi said nothing and focused on the lock.

"Well, technically, you kicked me, so if we're being precise, that was your fault. But I'm willing to give you another chance."

Hiroshi nearly laughed in disbelief.

He was giving him another chance?

At least the lunatic was still talking. As long as he was busy listening to himself, Hiroshi could keep trying to get out of here.

Finally, the key slid into the lock.

He turned it.

Once.

Of course.

He had locked it twice.

Why had he locked it twice?

Behind him, the voice fell silent.

"Now, now, now."

Hiroshi's heart skipped a beat.

"You're not getting away from me again."

Quick footsteps approached from behind.

Hiroshi didn't even have time to turn around. The stranger grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm behind his back, and took the key from him with his other hand. A moment later, Hiroshi found himself pressed chest-first against the apartment door.

"Let go of me, you lunatic!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Hiroshi could have slapped himself.

He had meant to stay calm. Not provoke the man. Pretend this was a perfectly normal situation until an opportunity to escape presented itself.

So much for that plan.

"Lunatic?" the stranger repeated indignantly. "No, no. See, that's exactly what I mean. You keep misunderstanding me, and you never even let me finish."

Hiroshi had had enough.

Physically, he was obviously at a disadvantage. In the alley, he had only gotten lucky because his kick had caught the other man completely by surprise. He wasn't going to get that advantage a second time.

Which left him with only one option.

"HELP!"

Author's Corner

At least Matsuo took off his shoes before breaking in. Very considerate. 😭

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