"Finally—we're outside of the main house." Kenzo's voice bubbled over, his eyes drinking in every line of the building's facade, as if each brick held a secret.
Ava's fingers smoothed the knot of her tie, precise and deliberate. "I wonder what lies behind those walls." Her tone was flat, but her gaze lingered on the front door, sharp with curiosity.
Mizuki pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, the metal frame catching the light. "Does it matter? It's just a house. Wood and stone and nothing more." The words fell like ice, heavy and unyielding.
"Ava." The name was less a question than a test, as Ava's eyes swept over Mizuki—slow, appraising, almost predatory. "Mizuki, right?"
"That's me." Mizuki's glance flickered back, cool as winter rain. "Need something?"
Ava leaned in, her breath a whisper against Mizuki's cheek. "Let's be clear. I don't like you." The arrogance in her voice was thick enough to cut. "You walk like you own the world. That kind of ego makes me sick."
Mizuki didn't flinch. She adjusted her glasses again, her movements steady. "I never asked for your liking. Your opinion is irrelevant—all that matters is winning, getting my friends out of here. Celebrity or not, the Grandmaster's words were clear." Each syllable landed with deliberate weight: "You. Are. Just. An. Extra."
Kenzo's lips curved into a small, unspoken smile. Now that's a fire I didn't see coming, he thought, his eyes bright with interest.
Ava's fists clenched, knuckles white as bone. "Say that again. I dare you."
Mizuki's lips twitched into a cold smirk. "And what if I do? What are you going to do about it?"
Hiyori dragged a hand down her face, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion. "Mizuki, please. Not now."
Shiho bowed deeply, her voice trembling. "We're so sorry, Ms. Ava—she's always been like this, it's not right of her. Please, forgive her."
Ava turned on her heel, her back rigid, and strode away without another word.
Jae Jung watched from the shadows, his own fists tight at his sides. A bitter smirk played at his lips as he stared at Mizuki's back. Some things never change, he thought. You run from your past, but it clings to you like smoke. You act like you're a changed woman, but you're still that same girl who looks down on others. A hypocrite, pretending to be something you're not.
The Guard emerges outside of the house...
"Rolling already—move it, form a line, any order you want." The guard's voice cut through the air, sharp and final, carrying the weight of a door closing behind them. "In a moment, you'll be introduced to the whole world. You'll learn the house's rules, the lines you can't cross—everything you need to survive what's coming."
He paused, his eyes scanning each face, hard as flint. "This is where your 'Tomodachi Ie' journey begins. And this is our last meeting...FOR NOW—you'll understand why when the time comes."
He held out a plain black box, its surface unmarked but seeming to swallow the light. "Surrender your gadgets here. Think you can sneak one in? Don't bother. Security's tighter than a fist around a secret—nothing gets past it."
"Whoa, this bouncer's got one hell of a big head, huh?" Valeria's voice was a low snarl, her knuckles cracking as she curled her fingers into fists—each pop echoing like a tiny warning shot. "Want me to knock that bossy look right off your face? You're getting on my last nerve—cut the 'commanding officer' act already."
The guard let out a sharp huff, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth that didn't reach his eyes. "Still running that mouth, I see. Funny how you forget—I hold the keys here. One word from me, and management'll boot you out faster than you can blink. Replacements grow on trees for folks like you."
Valeria's jaw tightened, a deep scowl etching itself into her brow. She exhaled a long, heavy sigh that carried all her frustration, her fists uncurling just enough to loosen the tension.
The guard's tone snapped back to sharp authority, his gaze sweeping over the group like a searchlight. "Now—do as I said. We'll send four in at a time: camera introduction first, then into the house. Don't make me repeat myself."
After surrendering their phones and being introduced to the national TV (well, we'll skip that part since we've already introduced the participants to the readers in Chapter 4), it's finally the start of their journey in the house and the reality show itself.
In Miho's Hospital Room...
"This is the surprise?" Miho's eyes went wide, her hand flying to her mouth as she took in the group. Hiyori and Mizuki—yes—but there was more. Shiho standing close by, Shinichiro with his quiet smile, Yushiro shifting his weight nervously. Shock rippled across her face like water over stone.
"Isn't this insane?!" Shinya's voice bubbled over, his feet bouncing off the ground in pure joy. He clapped his hands together, his face glowing with pride. "I'm so, so proud of every single one of you!"
Nurse Maki let out a short, dry laugh, her eyes glinting with sarcasm. "Looks like Mizuki's about to become the next big star, huh?"
Miho's gaze drifted past the friend group, her brow furrowing. She leaned in slightly, muttering under her breath—words so soft only she could hear them. Something about the faces in the crowd tugged at her memory, a thread she couldn't quite pull free.
"Everything okay, Mrs. Miho?" Maki asked, her voice laced with concern as she noticed the faraway look in Miho's eyes.
Miho forced a bright smile, her cheeks lifting a little too quickly. "Oh, yeah—all good!"
Sayaka, Jae Jung, Ji Hye, she thought, her mind racing. I know those faces. I've seen them somewhere before—but where? It's right on the tip of my tongue, just out of reach. Wherever it is, just be careful around them, Mizuki...Maybe, they're one of those people from your past.
Back to the main house.
"Introductions done and dusted!" Mr. Hiro's voice boomed through the speakers, brimming with a energy that felt almost electric—like the first spark of something big. "Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the rules of Tomodachi Ie. Everything you need to know to navigate this house."
Ms. Shino leaned in, her eyes sparkling with mischief and wonder. "And get this—we don't know them either!" Her enthusiasm was contagious, rippling through the crowd. "Hosts, audience, participants—we're all stepping into the unknown together today."
The two hosts turned as one, their voices merging into a single, clear call that hung in the air like a promise: "Grandmaster—all yours."
Suddenly a static sound fromcould be heard in all of the speakers in the four corners of the house.
"Hello, Japan—and hello, world!" The Grandmaster's voice carried across the room, warm as morning light but laced with a glint of something sharp. "A good day to our participants—we crossed paths earlier in the Waiting Area, but allow me to reintroduce myself."
He paused, a slow smile spreading across his face as he swept his gaze over every participant. "Call me Grandmaster. Or, if you prefer—think of me as the landlord of this place."
A beat of silence, heavy with anticipation. Then, his tone shifted—playful, but with an edge that sent a small shiver through the crowd. "Ready to learn the rules? Ready to find out just what kind of hellhole you've walked into?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes twinkling. "Let's dive in, shall we?"
—CHAPTER 8 ENDED, TO BE CONTINUED ON CHAPTER 9—