They stayed in the treehouse a little longer, the talk of soldiers still hanging over them like a shadow.
"That's… really bad," Mirko murmured.
"Are you guys moving out?"
His voice didn't sound like him—soft, unsure.
"Umm… we don't know yet," Anna said, sitting up from Aiko's lap.
"But definitely not tonight."
"Oh."
Mirko nodded, gaze dropping for a second.
A strange sadness sat on his face—like he just realized how quickly he could lose all of them.
He looked up and met Aiko's eyes.
She gave him a small, soft smile—one of those smiles that says I know you're worried… me too.
He forced a smile back.
Later — On the way to the pond
They packed towels and what little soap they had left, walking down the narrow trail through the woods.
Anna started, "Okay—tell me again how that movie was trash. I dare you."
Tenya scoffed. "It was trash. The main dude literally survived a missile by hiding behind a car door. A CAR DOOR."
"That scene was iconic!" Anna shot back.
"I fell asleep halfway," Izuku added with a shrug.
Aiko gasped dramatically.
"That's because you have zero taste. That movie is like… everyone's childhood!"
The argument grew louder and louder—Anna waving her hands, Tenya rolling his eyes, Izuku defending himself.
Mirko walked behind them, hands shoved in his pockets, watching them bicker like they'd been family for years.
He smiled to himself.
"Jeez," he whispered, "I miss movies…"
....
The moment they reached the pond, Anna didn't hesitate.
She kicked her shoes off, pulled her shirt over her head, unclipped her bra—
"WOO!" she yelled as she jumped straight into the water.
Aiko's mouth dropped open.
"Are you—ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" she yelled.
On the other side, Izuku immediately turned away so fast he almost snapped his neck.
Tenya hesitated, panicked, and turned too, ears burning red.
Mirko didn't even get a chance to react—Aiko's hand flew up and slapped over his eyes.
"DON'T. LOOK."
"I—I wasn't!" Mirko said, flailing.
"I mean—I tried—well—my eyes are closed now!"
Anna popped up from the water, laughing and splashing.
"Relax! We're in the apocalypse! Who's gonna judge?"
"You should put your bra back on, weirdo!" Aiko shouted, mortified.
"Yeah—!" Mirko added blindly.
"Put it back… please… for everyone's sanity."
Anna just laughed louder.
"Oh come on! Live a little!"
"No thank you!" Izuku yelled from the trees.
"PUT. IT. BACK." Tenya added in pure suffering.
Aiko dragged Mirko backward by the shirt like a mother pulling a toddler away from danger.
"You're banned from seeing anything! You hear me?"
"I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING!" Mirko protested.
"I'm traumatized anyway!"
Anna only splashed more water, cackling.
Y'all are boring," Anna muttered as she finally hooked her bra back on, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"That's better," Aiko sighed, finally removing her hand from Mirko's face.
"THANK you," Mirko said, blinking like he hadn't seen sunlight in ten years.
He tugged off his shirt, tossing it aside casually.
Aiko's breath hitched.
Her face turned red instantly.
"I—I'mma… ju—uhm…"
And that was it. Her brain completely abandoned her.
Mirko didn't even notice; he stepped to the water's edge, then turned back to her with a small smile.
"Come on," he said gently, reaching out his hand.
"Let's go swim."
Aiko hesitated—her fingers curling nervously—before placing her hand in his.
The water was cold at first, but once they waded deeper, it felt refreshing.
Anna floated on her back, humming lazily.
Izuku and Tenya splashed each other at the shallow end like ten-year-olds.
Mirko swam a few strokes farther, then looked back at the group with a soft grin.
"Man… this is kinda perfect," he murmured.
Aiko, drifting beside him, nodded.
"Yeah. It… feels normal. I miss normal."
For a few minutes, the group swam in peaceful silence—the kind that only comes from shared exhaustion and found comfort.
Then Anna broke it.
"You know…" she said softly, paddling closer, "my brother would love this."
Tenya stiffened.
Izuku looked down at the water.
Aiko's smile faded.
Mirko blinked, confused. "Your… brother?"
Anna's voice softened in a way none of them had heard before.
"Yeah. Kaito. He's a soldier back at the base."
Mirko's brows rose. "A soldier? Damn. That's cool."
But the others—Aiko especially—wore a tight, worried look.
Anna kept talking, unaware of the tension.
"He's annoying as hell, super strict, always yelling at me to stay out of trouble… but…"
Her eyes softened.
"He always protected me. Even when the soldiers treated the kids like crap. He always slipped me extra food, or told the guards to leave me alone."
Aiko swallowed hard.
Tenya glanced away.
Izuku kicked at the water.
Mirko floated closer, smile softening.
"He sounds… like a really good brother."
Anna's lips trembled—just a little—as she nodded.
"Yeah… he is."
But no one told Mirko the truth behind their eyes:
Kaito wasn't just a soldier.
He was one of the men now being sent out to hunt them.
I guess it's time to go back," Mirko said, climbing out of the water and shivering slightly as he shook the water from his hair.
"Finally," Aiko muttered, tugging her wet hair into a messy bun.
Anna groaned dramatically. "Do we have to? I was perfectly fine floating forever."
Tenya and Izuku were already trudging ahead, dragging sticks and kicking up leaves.
The walk back to the treehouse was quiet at first, everyone lost in their own tired thoughts. The sun hung low, casting long shadows through the thick woods.
Then… CRRRAAAACK!
A branch snapped somewhere just to their left.
Anna screamed, leaping straight into Aiko's arms.
"IT'S A BEAR! OR A ZOMBIE! OR SOMETHING—!"
Mirko spun around, heart hammering, pistol half-drawn out of habit.
Aiko yelped and shoved him behind her.
Tenya and Izuku froze mid-step.
And from the underbrush… a tiny, muddy raccoon popped its head up, blinking innocently at them.
"Oh… that's it?" Anna said, still clutching Aiko's arm, cheeks flaming.
"I almost—oh god, I almost died!"
The raccoon sniffed at a stick and shuffled away.
Mirko let out a shaky laugh, lowering the pistol.
"You're all ridiculous," he said, shaking his head.
"But… yeah, that got me too."
Aiko nudged Anna.
"Next time, maybe don't scream like a banshee."
"Excuse me," Anna shot back, still clutching her chest, "you didn't see the size of its eyes!"
They all groaned and started walking again, teasing and laughing, the tension of the forest melting with every step.
By the time they reached the base of the treehouse, the sun was a fiery orange, and the branches overhead glowed gold.
"Finally," Tenya muttered, collapsing onto the bottom rung of the ladder.
Izuku just rolled his eyes and muttered something about "amateur dramatics."
Mirko grinned, watching the group climb back into the treehouse.
Even with the jump scare, the woods didn't feel so empty anymore.