As Himitsu heads to Kana's residence, Gram returns to the dining room alone. He takes a seat, and everyone turns their attention toward him.
Gram: What? Did I forget something?
Daru: Where's Himitsu?
Gram: Oh, right… He mentioned he's not feeling well. He has a stomach bug, so he's going back to his room to rest.
Zodiac: That still doesn't explain why he needed your help.
Gram: Oh… (muttering to himself) What should I say?!
Zodiac: Gram!?
Gram: I gave him some medicine.
Akira: Medicine?
Gram: Yeah! He wasn't feeling well, and he knew I always carry some!
Ohma: Wow! You can really save anyone, Gram! Even from being sick!
Cliff: You sound like a good friend.
Gram: (laughs) Yeah! Well, you know I try.
Gram glances across the table as Zodiac takes a bite of his steak and glares at him. Gram gulps and offers an awkward smile.
Froog: (sniffles) I'm glad he's resting now and that he's okay.
Daru drops his fork and knife, drawing everyone's attention to his clean plate.
Daru: (looking at Froog) Thank you for the meal, but I have a few questions, if you don't mind?
Froog: Oh! Yes, please ask! (sniffles)
Daru: How long has this Black Surge been around?
Froog: Five—
Cliff: Five years, going on six.
Daru: Okay, and no one has seen it up close?
Cliff: No.
Zodiac: Not even a picture or anything?
Cliff: No. No one has seen or has anything.
Daru: Cliff, if I remember correctly, I was asking Froog, not you.
Cliff: (laughs) You're right. I'm sorry for butting in; please continue.
Daru: So, Froog… why aren't you taking action regarding this Black Surge?
Froog: Huh?
Daru: Well, you don't have a search or hunting party looking for it to eliminate it!
Froog: (sniffles) We did… but they died. My sister was on that team, and sadly, well, you know.
Kono glances at Akira as she places her hands on the table and clenches them, realizing he is not being truthful.
Kono: (to herself) I knew he was lying.
Cliff notices Akira's clenched fist.
Cliff: Are you alright?
Akira: Uh-huh?
Cliff: Your hand is in a fist.
Akira: Y-yeah, I'm fine. I do it for exercise.
Cliff: I see… Well, if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave.
Froog: (laughs) Y-you're leaving already, Cliff?
Cliff: (Smiles) Yes, I have some matters to attend to at home.
Butler: Please take care, sir.
The butler removes his plate from the table and takes it to the kitchen.
Froog: (Sniffles) Of course! You're always such a hard worker.
Cliff: I try to be.
He glances at Zodiac and Daru, who are observing him with expressionless faces, reflecting his demeanor.
Cliff: Good night, everyone. Rest well, and ensure you're indoors before the Surge arrives. I wouldn't want you to get hurt.
Daru: Yeah… you too.
Cliff nods as he departs.
Ohma: BYE! It was nice meeting you!
Gram: Man, I'm glad he left. He gave me the creeps.
Gram looks at the space where Cliff was sitting and notices the cloth is missing.
Gram: (Muttering to himself) Hmm. It's odd he took the cloth. Wait! He's probably going to sell it for money because this Froog guy seems rich! Maybe I should take some too…
Gram begins to slide the cloth off the table.
Kono: Gram… what are you doing?
Gram: Oh! Nothing!
He hastily puts it back on the table.
Akira: So, are you going to send out another search team to hunt that thing?
Froog: (Sniffles) Another one! Are you crazy? I'm not sending more people to die out there.
Ohma: But Froog… you're risking everyone's life by doing nothing.
Froog: (Sniffles) I'm scared of losing more people.
Zodiac: Yeah… you're scared of losing more people because they make you money.
Daru: How did you make your money, Froog? By taking it from people trying to earn a living?
Froog: (Awkwardly laughs) I—
Froog glances towards one of the windows and observes a shadow passing by.
Froog: You know, (sniffles) I think dinner is done for the night. Don't you think?
Akira: No, I don't think so.
Froog: You know what, (sniffles) I'm really tired. (Fake yawns) Butler, please show them to the door.
Butler: This way, everyone.
Daru and Zodiac watch Froog as he smiles.
Froog: (Sniffles) We should do this again.
Zodiac: We'll see…
Everyone stands and follows the butler to the exit, walking out of the dinning room.
Butler: Thank you all for coming. Please get home safe.
Ohma: You too!
The butler shuts the door abruptly.
Kono: Well, that was rude.
Akira: He's hiding something.
Zodiac: Yeah, it's obvious.
Ohma: He was? I didn't think so; I thought he meant everything.
Gram: (sighs) Of course, you did, Ohma… of course.
Akira: I wasn't talking about Froog… I was talking about Cliff.
Daru: Yes… I felt the same way.
Akira: I'm going to spy on him tomorrow.
Daru: I'll come with you.
Akira nods.
Gram: Fine! I guess I'll come too; thanks for the invite.
Daru: No, you're not coming.
Gram: What—why?
Akira: Because your big mouth will get us caught.
Gram: Man!
Ohma: Don't worry, Gram; we can search for more clues.
Daru: Tomorrow we start fresh, and Zodiac, go check on Himitsu.
Zodiac: Why is that my responsibility?
Daru: Because he is your best friend.
Zodiac: Screw you.
As everyone heads back to the guest lounge, Zodiac glances into Himitsu's room, where he is curled up under the covers, trembling from the cold.
Zodiac: I can't believe it.
The scene shifts to Himitsu at Kana's house, feeling anxious.
Himitsu: This is it.
Himitsu approaches the front door and knocks three times. After a brief moment, the door opens, revealing Kana in her sleepwear.
Kana: Hey, Himitsu! You finally made it.
Himitsu: Yeah. I hope I didn't take too long.
Kana: No, you arrived just in time. Come on in!
Kana takes Himitsu's hand and pulls him inside, closing the door behind them. As Himitsu surveys the room, he notices Kana's father unconscious on the kitchen table.
Himitsu: Uhhh, Kana, is your father alright?
Kana: Huh? Oh yeah, don't worry. I made sure he won't bother us anytime soon.
Himitsu: You did?
Kana: Yep. While we were having dinner, I put something special in his drink to knock him out.
Himitsu: Oh wow. I see.
Kana: Well, take off your shoes and come upstairs!
Kana ascends the stairs as Himitsu removes his shoes and follows her. Upon reaching the second floor, Kana leads him to her room and closes the door behind them.
Kana: Here we are!
Himitsu: (Looking around) Wow, you have a really lovely room.
Kana: (Confused) What does that mean?
Himitsu: It's just that I've seen a lot of messy rooms during my travels.
Kana: Oh, that's not me. Anyway, let's see what this box contains!
Kana approaches her dresser, picks up the box on top, and sits on the bed. Himitsu approaches and sits on the floor in front of her.
Kana: Why are you sitting on the floor?
Himitsu: Huh? Am I not supposed to?
Kana: Of course not! Come sit beside me.
Himitsu: (Nervously) O-okay then.
Himitsu gets up and sits beside Kana on the bed.
Kana: (Smiling) There you go! Are you ready to see what's inside?
Himitsu: Y-yeah. Hopefully, it's something good after all that trouble.
With the box on her lap, Kana slowly opens it, revealing a clear crystal.
Kana: Oooo, a crystal!
Himitsu: (Shocked) What the heck!?
Kana: What? Are you disappointed?
Himitsu: No, I'm just surprised that those people would have something like this.
Kana: Really? Is it special?
Himitsu: Something like that, yeah.
Kana: (Excitedly) Then that's great! I could definitely sell this for a lot!
Himitsu: (To himself) This crystal looks exactly like an advanced crystal used by the Sampostis. But what is it doing here? Perhaps I should bring it up to Kono.
Kana gets up, closes the box, and places it back on the dresser.
Kana: Well, that was cool. By the way, did you eat anything?
Himitsu: No, but I'm not that hungry.
A moment later, Himitsu's stomach growls.
Kana: (Laughing) It seems your stomach disagrees. I have some leftovers. I'll be right back!
Kana runs out of the room to grab food for Himitsu. A few seconds later, she returns with a plate.
Kana: I'm back!
Kana sits on the bed beside Himitsu. He looks at the food on the plate, which resembles a strange meat with a bone sticking out.
Himitsu: Not to be rude, but what kind of meat is that?
Kana: This is Boyega meat that you guys killed. I added seasoning and sauce. Try it; it's really good!
Kana takes a piece of the meat with a fork and offers it to Himitsu. He examines the meat for a moment before taking a bite, getting sauce all over his cheek.
Himitsu: (Eating) This is actually really good!
Kana: (Smiling) Hold on, let me clean the sauce off your face.
She moves closer to Himitsu and starts to lick the sauce off his cheek. Himitsu looks shocked and drops the fork on the floor.
Himitsu: W-what are you doing!?
Kana: (Finger over Himitsu's lips) Shhhh, there's no need to be nervous. Why don't we have some fun, shall we?
Kana stands up from the bed, setting the plate of food aside.
Himitsu: (Talking to himself) This is all too much! I've never done this before!
Kana turns to Himitsu, smiling as she begins to undress.
Himitsu: (Anxiously) W-wait!
Kana: (Confused) Huh? What's the matter?
Himitsu: I don't think we should be doing this.
Kana: Why not? Isn't this what you wanted?
Himitsu: Look, I really do like you, Kana, but I think we're moving too fast.
Kana: I don't get it. Most guys crave this.
Himitsu: Well, I'm not one of those guys. I would never take advantage of a woman's body, especially yours, Kana. You deserve respect.
Kana's expression brightens, leaving her momentarily speechless.
Himitsu: (Yawn) I'm getting tired. I think I'll head to bed early. Do you have a mattress somewhere where I can lie down?
Kana: Y-yeah, for sure. Let me grab it for you.
As Kana retrieves it, a dark surge unexpectedly occurs while everyone is asleep indoors. The following day, Himitsu wakes early, attempting to sneak into the guest lounge in the tower. As he walks through the lounge, he senses something unusual behind him. Turning around, he sees Daru with his arms crossed.
Daru: Himitsu, what the hell are you doing down here?
Himitsu: (Nervously) H-hey Daru… I was just, umm… getting some training in! Yeah, training. My room is too small for what I need to do.
Daru stares at him for a few seconds as Himitsu begins to sweat.
Daru: Good, keep up the good work. Anyway, Akira and I are going to spy on Cliff; there's something fishy about him.
Himitsu: You know, I was thinking that too. He was acting strange.
Daru: Yeah, well, we're going to check it out.
Himitsu: Sounds like a plan. And while you're out, I'll keep looking for clues.
Daru: Good, but I think Zodiac wants to talk to you later about something.
Himitsu: He does?
Daru: Anyway, I'm going to get Akira so we can get this going.
Himitsu: Okay.
As Daru walks away, Himitsu starts to feel anxious.
Himitsu: Zodiac wants to talk to me! Dammit! He knows I was acting weird! I can't tell him I've been seeing a girl, can I? No, he'd be so mad at me. Now that I think about it, he'd probably kill me!
Gram: Hey, Himitsu.
Himitsu: AHHHH!
Gram: AHHHHH!
Himitsu and Gram jump in surprise, fists raised.
Himitsu: Gram! What the hell, man!
Gram: What did I do? I just said hey!
Himitsu: You scared the hell out of me!
Gram: Well, good, 'cause now you know how I feel half the time.
Himitsu: I'm serious, Gram… I'm worried.
Gram: About what?
Himitsu: Daru told me that Zodiac wants to talk to me.
Gram: Ouch! Yeah, you're probably in trouble.
Himitsu lightly hits Gram on the arm.
Gram: Ouch!
Himitsu: Gram! I'm serious! I don't know what to say to him, and I know it's about, well, you know, Kana.
Gram: How do you know that? He hasn't seen her.
Himitsu: I know, but he realizes I've been acting strange. You saw how he looked at me at the dinner table. It felt like he was peering into my soul, and even my soul seemed to be screaming.
Gram: I think you're overreacting, Himitsu. When you see him, don't show any fear or doubt. The moment you do, he'll know you're hiding something.
Himitsu: Okay, I'll do my best.
Gram: See? That's the spirit.
Akira: What are you guys talking about?
Gram: AHHHH!
Gram jumps, fists raised.
Gram: Akira! Gosh, man, you scared me.
Akira: That was kind of funny.
Gram: W-what? That I could have harmed you?
Akira: No, the fact that you think you could actually harm me. You'd just hurt yourself with those skinny arms of yours.
Gram: What! MY ARMS ARE NOT SKINNY!
Gram starts flexing.
Gram: These arms could lift anything in this world.
Akira: Keep believing that, you idiot.
Daru: Alright, Akira, you ready?
Akira: Yeah, yeah, let's just get this over with.
Daru: Fair enough, let's head out.
Daru and Akira exit to find Cliff.
Ohma: Hey, Gram! Hey, Himitsu.
Gram and Himitsu turn to see Ohma.
Gram: This is how you approach someone.
Himitsu: I agree.
Ohma: What are you two up to today?
Himitsu: Umm… Not much, really. I'm just looking for more clues. You know what we've been doing.
Ohma: Cool! Can I join you?
Gram: You sure? Why don't you go with Kono?
Ohma: She's still sleeping, and I want to do something now.
Gram: (Sighs) Come on, Ohma, can you go by yourself?
Ohma: Yeah, I can!
Zodiac: No, you're not.
Gram and Himitsu jump, startled, and turn to Zodiac.
Gram: WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP DOING THAT?!
Himitsu: H-hey, Zodiac… how's it going?
Zodiac: Ohma, you're going with Gram. I need to talk to Himitsu.
Himitsu: Yeah… sure, I'll come along.
Zodiac: I wasn't asking; I was telling you.
Ohma: Okay, cool! This is awesome!
Himitsu glances at Gram as he whispers.
Gram: Remember what I said! Don't show fear!
Himitsu nods. Gram and Ohma step outside to continue their search for clues. Zodiac looks at Himitsu with a serious expression, while Himitsu stands with an unusual smile.
Zodiac: Why are you smiling?
Himitsu: Who, me? Haha, you must mean me because there's no one else here. Unless you're talking to the plants, but that would be odd.
Zodiac: Cut the bullshit, Himitsu. Where were you last night?
Himitsu: Umm, well, I wasn't feeling well, so I went to rest.
Zodiac: I checked on you last night.
Himitsu: Oh? Then you know I was sick in bed.
Zodiac: You can fool everyone else, but not me.
Himitsu: What are you talking about?
Zodiac: If you were in bed, why are your shoes muddy?
Himitsu looks down at his shoes and notices the mud.
Himitsu: (To himself) Damnit! There's mud on my shoes! You see… I was talking to Daru, and I told him I was training outside, and when I came in, he saw me.
Zodiac: What kind of training were you doing?
Himitsu: Just sword training, running, and push-ups.
Zodiac: If you were doing push-ups, why aren't your hands dirty?
Himitsu: Huh?
Zodiac: You just stated you were doing push-ups, yet your hands are clean.
Himitsu: Oh, silly me. I washed my hands when I came in.
Zodiac: But you said Daru caught you coming in.
Himitsu: I did?
Zodiac: Yes, you said Daru saw you when you came in.
Himitsu: Oh! Right, I washed my hands, and then when I came out of the washroom, he saw me.
Zodiac: (Chuckles) You're something else, Himitsu.
He steps closer, and Himitsu gulps.
Zodiac: But I know you're hiding something, and I'm going to find out what it is.
Himitsu: (Nervously laughs) Hiding something? I'm not hiding anything… Why would I do that?
Zodiac: I ask myself that too… Why would you hide something? Let's get going and find some clues.
Himitsu: Y-yeah, right behind you.