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Suguru smiled as Shoko, Nanami and Haibara shook their heads in collective disappointment.

“We told you to put on something more…” started Shoko, waving a hand at him.

"...scandalous,” finished Haibara, shooting Suguru with what could be called the Asian look of parental disapproval. He stared at his friend in pure disgust, his nose crinkling and his eyes nearly shutting out the blasphemy.

Only Nanami was somewhat normal. "You broke the pact,” he said ruefully, looking at him with obvious jealousy. He looked down at his own outfit and shuffled on his feet, glaring at Shoko and Haibara.

Suguru shrugged. His childhood friends should have known better than to trust him. When had he ever kept promises? Ever since they were children in school, Suguru constantly broke them. When they promised to bring money to have a feast at school, Suguru broke that. When they promised to buy matching bottles, Suguru broke that. When they promised to go to the same college, Suguru broke that.

He was always breaking promises.

What had they expected from him this time?

"You are changing,” said Shoko, walking inside his apartment in her high heels. She was dressed as Harley Quinn, but the more clothed version of her. She had a mini red skirt on, with matching pumps and a white, somewhat torn shirt. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and dyed in blue and red colours, while the makeup on her face was particularly well-done.

She did look like Harley Quinn.

"You are not going to come with us looking like a cancer patient from the hospital,” she said, walking towards his bedroom.

Suguru gripped her arm. "I'm not changing.”

Haibara gasped. Suguru wasn't sure who he was supposed to be. Haibara was wearing a black suit, a white shirt underneath, black trousers and a black bow knotted below his chin. His unruly mop of hair was brushed back into something presentable, but most of the strands were already coming undone.

“Who are you playing?" asked Suguru, squinting at him.

“Alfred, the butler!"

“Oh."

Nanami, the only one within them who had opted to be Batman himself, was writhing uncomfortably in his black, leather suit. Suguru thought he looked rather good, but then, Nanami had always been a handsome guy. His blond hair fell over his mask, while Batman’s dramatic cape swished around his ankles.

Harley Quinn. Alfred. Batman.

They made quite the trio.

Suguru could suddenly see why Shoko wanted him to change into his original character: Catwoman (or man). They were all dressed as if they had come out of Christopher Nolan’s movie set itself, while Suguru was…well…still Suguru.

“You are not walking around Shibuya in that sweatpant and hoodie," said Haibara, planting his feet on the floor in the fashion of the world’s cutest soldier.

"I think you should change,” said Nanami, crossing his arms. "I only agreed to be Batman because I thought all of us were being ridiculous.”

"So you admit that this is ridiculous,” smiled Suguru. He tugged at his hoodie and swatted Shoko’s hand away. "Come on, guys. Who wears costumes nowadays? This is ridiculous. Nanami is right. Besides, I'd look terrible as Catwoman.”

"There are three things wrong with your statement,” said Shoko. "One, everyone wears costumes on Halloween. Two, Nanami is a bore who doesn't know what nightlife means. Three, you'd look smoking hot as Catwoman.”

Haibara nodded. "Might even get you laid.”

Suguru threw him a glare.

Nanami uttered a half-hearted protest when he heard Shoko casually insult him.

Shoko barged inside his bedroom anyway, and brought out the Catwoman suit she and Haibara had bought for Suguru. It was a nightmare of a suit, black as midnight and tight as a noose, with a matching mask and soft, puffy cat ears. She dangled it in front of Suguru.

"Wear it,” she demanded.

"No,” scowled Suguru.

"Yes.”

"No.”

"Yes.”

"No.”

"Yes.”

"No.”

"No.”

Suguru smirked. "No,” he said, drawing out the word. "What, you thought you'd get me by playing the oldest trick in the book?”

Haibara stomped his foot. "Not fair!”

Suguru had had enough of their shit by now. He jostled Shoko out of his apartment, ignoring her screeches, pushed Nanami and Haibara towards the elevator and locked the door. He stepped into his white pair of sneakers, felt his toes rest in the familiar shoes and sighed in comfort.

There was nothing better in this world than his grey sweats, black Nirvana hoodie and white keds.

It was the dream outfit.

"At least style your hair," moaned Haibara.

Suguru ran his fingers through his hair. It was done in his usual half-up, half-down style, trailing to his waist. He knocked Haibara's forehead with one of the silver rings on his fingers. "I am fine.”

Haibara yelped and sprang back.

The four of them trooped out into the main road, which led directly to the squares of Shibuya. People were thronging in the streets like it was their personal property, each one dressed in dazzling costumes of every horror character in the history of horror characters. The neon streets were transformed into a glittering mass of colour, masks and ribbons.

The sight made Suguru dizzy as they ducked inside their first stop for the night. It was the gothic restaurant at the corner of the street, which outdid itself during every Halloween.

This year, it was no different. Suguru and Nanami pushed past the people, creating a path for Shoko and Haibara to scurry through. When the crowd became too rowdy, Suguru would square his shoulders and glare, and let the people give them space.

His scowling always worked.

His friends told him he had a ‘resting bitch face.’ He always looked like he was two seconds away from murdering you. He looked scary, and with his gym-grown physique, he appeared more like a goon than a respected finance lawyer at Japan’s biggest law firm.

What would his colleagues say if they caught him right now? The thought made Suguru giggle as they grabbed their usual seat at the back of the restaurant. His stone-faced co-lawyers would have a heart attack if they saw him talking to a swearing Harley Quinn, loud Alfred and disgruntled Batman.

“As payment for offending all of you," he began, taking out his card, “I'm paying for the dinner."

Nanami and Shoko frowned. “That doesn't cut it."

Haibara flagged down a waiter. “Hello, yes, Happy Halloween. Bring us the most expensive items on the menu!"

Suguru sighed.

Have friends, they said. Friends are good for you.

They chomped down on greasy chicken and fries, eager to fill their bellies and get out there. They had so many things planned that Suguru wasn't sure if they could complete them all within the next six hours. It was currently 11:30 p.m, which meant they had to be at the Forest of Fear in the next one hour before the line closed.

The thought made him eat at a faster pace.

When all was done and they had come out from that dark, clammy, vampire-themed restaurant, Shoko began drawing up their plan.

"Alright, idiots, listen up,” she said, clapping her hands and pinching Haibara's ear to get his attention. "We have to get to Miyagi Park now, or else we won't be able to get inside the Forest of Fear. The tickets were damn expensive, so we cannot let it go.”

"I still don't know why we are going to a haunted house attraction,” said Nanami, adjusting his mask. "It's silly.”

Suguru snickered. "More silly than you being Batman?”

Haibara laughed loudly as Nanami shot Suguru with a withering glare that could probably kill a flower.

Shoko made them march.

Suguru walked towards the station with a languid skip to his step. It had been a long time since he had come out of his apartment and office. These days, he was getting increasingly cooped up in the firm, sorting through cases and listening to his clients drone on about their messy finances. He would be so exhausted that he fell into a deep sleep as soon as he got home, which drastically reduced his chances of getting out (and getting laid).

Suguru could not remember the last time he had had sex with someone. He bought the ticket and climbed aboard the Yamanote Line shinkansen, getting crushed half to death in the crowd.

“This is why I was saying we should drive there," he snapped, looking at Shoko, who was basically hanging off his arm.

She threw him a sweet smile. Her breath smelled of smoke. “Where's the fun in driving on Halloween night? Look around you, Mr Geto. Look at the people."

Suguru blew air through his mouth.

The people — or, as Haibara said, the ghosts and demons and vampires and wolves — were crammed up beside him. Glitter rained down on him from their costumes, staining his hoodie forever with gold and pink. Some of them wore clothes that would have put his poor mother in a coma due to shock.

Suguru spotted a guy looking at him. He was dressed as Vlad Dracula, albeit a sluttier version of the iconic vampire. He was dressed in a black shirt that clung to his defined abs, a dramatic cloak billowing behind him. He looked quite good, with a black eyeshadow and overall goth look.

The guy smiled, showing his fake fangs.

Suguru shot him an approving grin.

He turned his head away, however. Normally, he would be into the guy, but Halloween nights always turned him into a freak for women. How could he think of boys when the women looked so stunning, wearing clothes revealing every inch of their skin, their bodies painted and dipped in makeup, their smiles charming?

Curse his bisexual ass.

Suguru knew he was probably going to attract no one (except desperate people) tonight, dressed as he was. It almost made him regret his decision of not wearing the Catwoman costume. He would have looked hot in it, no doubt. But he didn't want to wear it, primarily because he did not want anyone to drool over him while he was dressed like that.

Couldn't someone drool over him while he was in baggy clothes?

That Dracula guy was drooling a bit, to be honest, but he got down at the next station. Besides, Suguru did not even want a guy tonight.

It took them another hour to reach Miyagi. The four of them pushed their way through the crowds and began the short walk to Miyagi Park. Scores of people were heading there, because today was Halloween, and the Park’s haunted house attraction was the main…well…attraction for thousands.

The Forest of Fear was arguably the largest and scariest haunted attraction in the amusement park. It was designed to be a huge forested area, spread across hundreds of acres, full of ghosts and zombies and slashers at every corner. There were four levels, with Level 4 being the darkest, deepest, scariest area of the forest.

“Who has the tickets?" asked Haibara.

Nanami raised his hand.

Suguru walked in a daze, letting the crowd carry him. It was half past midnight, but the city was alive and teeming, full of people. There were so many ghouls, vampires and anime characters. His eyes were blurring from the sights, every colour mixing together like a cocktail.

He felt drunk.

A group of nurses walked by, their uniforms torn and slacks tight. They gave flirtatious glances to Haibara and Nanami. The former winked at them, the latter looked constipated.

One of the nurses smiled at Shoko, who smiled back politely.

Suguru shook his head with a smile. His friends were all in varying degrees of "I Am Getting Laid Tonight." Haibara — disaster pansexual — was very ready to get laid. Nanami — whose sexuality was a mystery to everyone, including Suguru, Shoko and Haibara — was not on the scale. Shoko — an established lesbian — was on the scale, but she was being selective.

Suguru could still recall the time when they were all emo goths. That was how their friendship had started in middle-school, because they were all a group of nerdy goths who wore black clothes, silver rings, perpetual frowns and black nail-paint (only Suguru and Shoko wore the nail-paint).

They were absolutely ridiculous, of course, but over time they had grown out of it. None of them participated in summoning rituals any longer, none of them wanted to date vampires/werewolves anymore.

Shoko had gotten rid of everything gothic. Since she had become a neurosurgeon, she had grown un-gothic. Nanami, who headed a big construction company as its CEO, had deemed black clothes as unprofessional. Haibara, a geography professor at Aomori University, had shed his habit of reading the ‘Twilight’ novels.

Only Suguru still remained a little gothic.

It was nothing much. He just couldn't get rid of the silver rings, the black clothes, the tongue piercing and the gauges on his ears.

That was all.

But the others were quite normal now. They were definitely going to go off with a stranger for a scandalous romantic expedition, and Suguru would trudge back home to watch Scary Movies™.

It wasn't a bad way to spend Halloween, but it wasn't the best way either.

“Holy shit," muttered Haibara.

Suguru blinked and saw the looming gates of Miyagi Park before his eyes. The crowd was something that escaped his mortal comprehension.

"Since when do we have so many people in Japan?” he grumbled, scowling and frowning his way through. "Aren't we a small country?”

Shoko giggled. "Everyone has turned up, it seems! Good thing that we booked the tickets in advance, huh?”

"Most people don't go to the Forest of Fear,” said Nanami. "They are too scared.”

And yet, there was a considerable number of people standing before the gates of the Forest of Fear. The attraction stretched out behind the rest of the amusement park, hidden behind a high wall that gave the participants inside a distinctly claustrophobic feeling.

“Is this your first time?" asked the guard checking tickets at the front. He smiled at them.

“Yes!" answered Haibara, bouncing on his feet.

The guard gave them a sympathetic grin. “Have a nice time, I guess. Especially you, young lady."

Shoko raised an eyebrow. “Why?"

“Well, ladies are more accustomed to getting scared by those horrible zombies and whatnot."

Shoko smirked. "Thanks.” Her bright hair and skimpy skirt swayed dramatically as she entered through the gates.

Nanami said a prayer to God and stepped behind her. Haibara followed him.

Suguru stood at the entrance for a moment. Did he really want to get inside the scariest haunted attraction of Japan? So many people reportedly fainted inside the structure and had to be carried out in stretchers. There were so many rumours swirling about the place, saying that it was built on cursed land.

Graveyard land.

"Suguru!” shouted Haibara. "You comin’?”

Well, there was no point in thinking over it now. The guard gave him a thumbs-up, and with that foreboding gesture in mind, Suguru stepped through the gate…

…and immediately fell on the ground.

It was not his fault. Somebody rushed into him from behind, colliding against his back and causing the both of them to fall down. A heavy body landed on top of Suguru, knocking the air from his lungs.

“Sorry," grunted the person. They stood up quickly, almost springing away. Before Suguru could look up, the person had walked away, their black shirt blending with the people.

His friends broke into peals of laughter.

"Ah, bad luck,” chuckled Haibara, pulling Suguru to his feet.

Shoko dusted him off. "This is what happens when you wear such ugly clothes.”

Even Nanami cracked a smile.

Suguru sneered at them. "Shut the fuck up.”

It was already a bad start to the trip. After everyone had poured inside, two security guards pulled the heavy gates shut. Machinery clinked and clanged as the huge walls clicked and shut fast.

Suddenly, they were in a fortress.

The Forest of Fear.

Red lights blared overhead, casting them in a deathly glow of scarlet.

Suguru felt the fear in his heart simply from that. He was not what one would call a “scaredy-cat," but the atmosphere here was enough to make him feel discomfited. The people shuddered around him, infecting him with their fear.

Cursed land. Graveyard land.

People fainted here all the time.

Shoko, Nanami and Haibara pressed themselves close to him. He saw the three of them huddling against his arms and chest.

"Why are you snuggling with me?” he snapped, shaking them off. "Aren't I the one with ugly clothes?”

Haibara leaned against his arm. "Come now, Sugu-boo,” he said, using the nickname from high-school, "protect us fragile little ones.”

Shoko draped over his chest. "Exactly.”

Nanami shuffled closer. "I never wanted to come here. It was all Haibara’s idea.”

Suguru rolled his eyes. Trust them to be—

"WELCOME TO THE FOREST OF FEAR!" boomed a voice from the ceiling. Someone shrieked in alarm. “WISHING YOU A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

Suguru cringed against the loud voice. Whoever was speaking had a gruff voice, which had the intended effect of scaring them good. The entire room was cramped to the extreme with a delirious anticipation.

The voice continued. “THERE ARE FIFTEEN OF YOU BRAVE SOULS HERE TONIGHT! FIFTEEN! BUT ONLY ONE SHALL BE THE ULTIMATE FEAR KING OR QUEEN, SO LET US BEGIN THE COMPETITION!"

The lights flickered, and shut down.

“Damn," said Shoko.

Suguru perceived it as a little childish. Did the authorities want to scare them with flickering lights and dark—

The lights snapped on again, and Suguru found himself facing a skull.

The shriek he uttered was entirely womanish and humiliating. His only consolation was that he wasn't the only one. Everyone screamed as one as the toy skeletons were dangled in front of them from the ceiling, while a horrifying laughter track ran in the background.

“Holy shit!" panted Haibara, clutching Suguru's hoodie. “Oh my god!"

“SCARED ALREADY?" laughed the disembodied voice. "YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS NEXT!”

Several doors opened. Steam rushed out, enveloping the fifteen of them, making several choke. For Suguru, the scented smoke was just an overstimulation on top of the music, the voice and the rattling skeletons.

“FOUR DOORS!" screamed the voice. “YOU CAN RUSH INSIDE EACH DOOR! EACH DOOR LEADS TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL! THE CATCH? YOU DON'T KNOW WHICH DOOR LEADS TO WHICH LEVEL!"

The people stopped.

Then, everybody rushed towards the doors, grabbing friends and family. They ran towards the doors, which were already starting to close.

Suguru now understood the impact that those red lights, scary music and skeletons had had on them. They were all shaken up, mostly due to the reputation of the spectacle, and they were all suitably confused. There was also the confusion of which door led to which level, because nobody wanted to end up in Level 4.

Suguru grabbed his friends and jumped towards the nearest door.

The door shut with a resounding thud.

Inside the room (chamber? forest? level?) was only a strong darkness. Suguru crouched down, his heart thundering in his chest.

“Shoko? Nana? Yuu?"

No answer.

Except for a dry cough.

Suguru did not know how he realised it, but he was suddenly sure that the person he had dragged inside with him was none of his friends. This was a different person, a stranger.

He was stuck in a haunted forest with a stranger.

Bad luck, indeed.

The lights pinged overhead, bathing the area in dark green light. It caused Suguru's eyes to hurt, but he opened them and quickly took in his surroundings.

He was in a vaulted chamber made entirely of winding trees and creepers. The ceiling was far away, covered entirely by trees, while the floor was woven to resemble a grassy plain. It was a dark, tangled forest alright, full of chirping bird noises and the distant growl of animals.

Beside all this green grandeur stood a man.

Suguru's heart (and something else) jumped at the sight of him. It was the same man who had bumped into him just minutes ago. He was wearing a black shirt, matching black pants and a grey overcoat. His hair was an unnatural snow-white, soft to the touch.

He was a good deal taller than Suguru.

Suguru's wishes of getting laid with a woman tonight vanished as he stared into the man’s face.

Was it possible for a mortal man on Earth to be this level of ethereal?

The universe was playing a cruel joke on him.

Suguru cleared his throat.

The man peered at him. “Oh, it's you. I bumped into you earlier."

“You did," nodded Suguru, too busy looking at the man’s rolled-up sleeves.

The man scratched his head. “Well, looks like we are stuck here."

Suguru could only nod again. “Yes."

He slapped himself mentally. Get a grip, Geto Suguru! His main objective now was to call Shoko or Nanami or Haibara and find out where they were, but when he dug his hands in his pockets and found no mobile, he remembered that the guards at the front had taken everyone's phones.

For the full horror experience.

Oh, shit.

The man was looking around. There was nobody here except the two of them, which made matters infinitely worse. Suguru wondered what past sins he had committed to be in such a scenario. If he had been stuck with this hot guy in any other place, he wouldn't have minded, but this was a haunted forest, where zombies and whatnot lurked for them.

The dark green lights clicked off.

Suguru planted his hands on his hips. The darkness was suddenly and massive, pushing against him like an oppressive force. He would never admit this to anyone, but he was a little (read as: quite) scared of the dark. It was the fear of not being able to see anything that set him off.

He heard the man breathing beside him.

“This is very childish, isn't it?" asked the man, his voice very close to Suguru's ears.

Suguru licked his lips. He could feel the roiling heat of the stranger’s body. “Yes, I suppose it is. But you cannot deny the fear factor."

“The fear factor?" asked the man. Then, he broke into a laugh. "Don't tell me you are actually scared, Sugu-boo?”

Suguru jumped. "What did you call me?”

"I heard your friends calling you that,” he said, nonchalantly. "Why? Is that not your name?”

Suguru could hear the infuriating smirk on the other's tone. "No. My name is Suguru. Suguru Geto.”

He realised belatedly that the man was just trying to get his name.

“Suguru," drawled out the stranger, savouring every syllable. “Hello, Suguru. I am Satoru. Gojo Satoru.”

Red lights blared.

It was amazing how lights affected surroundings. The forest, which had actually looked rather nice under the green lights, was now a sinister entity. That damned background music began to run again, of ghoulish moans and the haunting cry of loons.

It was childish.

It was scaring the shit out of Suguru.

He found comfort in the thought that Shoko, Nanami and Haibara were probably facing the same fear. It would have been nice with them, but he was stuck with this divine man whose name sounded like royalty.

Oh, wait.

It was actually royalty.

“Gojo?" repeated Suguru. “Are you perhaps anyone from the Gojo family?"

Gojo Satoru chuckled. It was a deep, smooth chuckle. Suguru had never thought he would be waxing poetic about someone's chuckle. “Yes, I am. The Gojo Family. Real-estate developers, political leaders, mafia members. You name it, we have it."

Suguru was pretty sure his heart was close to his knees now. “So, what are you? Criminal? Politician? CEO?"

“Nah," answered Satoru. “I'm a serial killer."

Suguru looked at him.

He shouldn't have.

The red lights were making his blue eyes pop. Suguru had never seen eyes like that before. Why were they so blue? So brilliant? So absolutely luminous? His eyes were blue pools, one that Suguru wouldn't mind drowning in.

If only they didn't look so…ghastly under the red.

“A serial killer, huh?" he repeated, smiling to himself. The guy seemed to have a joking nature. He was roving his eyes over Suguru's body in a way that made him feel naked, as if he were wearing the Catwoman suit instead of his hoodie.

"Yes,” he said, in utmost gravity. "I am.”

"Okay,” said Suguru.

Gojo Satoru looked like he hadn't done a day of work in his life, let alone serially kill people. He was handsome in an unfair way, lethal to look at, but there was a dainty, rich-person vibe to him. His hands were probably smooth as hell.

Not that Suguru wanted to feel his hands on his body.

Nope, Sir, no.

The disembodied voice sprang to life again. "WELCOME TO LEVEL THREE! BEFORE YOU LIES THE PATH OF ULTIMATE FEAR! TREAD CAREFULLY, COME TO THE END, SNATCH THE TROPHY AND GET OUT!”

Level 3?

Wow.

Suguru guessed he should be grateful they weren't in Level 4, but even Level 3 was a menace. Level 3 was going to be tough. Level 3 was—

“Huh," scoffed Satoru. “Only Level 3?"

Suguru turned to him, suddenly irritated. “Why? Isn't Level 3 enough for you?"

Satoru glanced at him, then leaned forward. “Baby," he said — no, purred — "I have cleared Level 3 five times.”

That ‘baby’ should not have affected Suguru the way it did. "What?”

"I've been coming here since I was a teen,” said Satoru. "The Forest of Fear isn't as scary as you think it is.”

Suguru could not help the wide smile that graced him. "So you have experience?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Great! So, there's a chance we can win, huh?”

It felt reassuring to have someone who had played this before.

Satoru smiled. “Of course. We will win. We are the strongest."

There was a series of clicking sounds before them. Suguru saw tiny lights sprouting from the floor, lighting a slightly curved path before them that stretched into the endless space.

“Come on," said Satoru. “We have to walk through that road. It's the only way out."

Suguru moved to follow him, and that was when he got the faintest whiff of blood.

It was an unmistakable scent, metallic and tangy and bitter. Suguru sniffed and caught the scent on Satoru. Maybe the guy had Halloween makeup on. Fake blood often smelled like the real deal. Maybe it was high quality fake blood. If this guy was really a part of the Gojo family, he was filthy rich.

The trees seemed to attack them from all sides as they started up the path. The ground was sloping and uneven, causing Suguru to press his sneakers tighter. Satoru was skipping ahead with a grace that would never come to Suguru.

That was when the first ghosts came.

The performance was incredibly effective.

One moment, everything was fine. The next, the lights had gone out, leaving Suguru to stop in the darkness and stumble.

“What the hell," he muttered. “Gojo?"

“Call me Satoru," said the guy, from behind him.

Suguru yelped. “You were just in front of me!"

“And now I'm behind you," said Satoru. “I can move."

Behind him he was. Suguru refrained from saying that Satoru was a little too close, almost in the unofficial circle of his personal space that very few people breached. Satoru’s tall figure was completely covering his back, standing there like a solid wall of muscle, the whiff of blood cloying in Suguru's throat.

Oh, Christ.

It was in this darkness that the music stopped.

A heavy silence fell on them, only broken by Satoru's relaxed breathing and Suguru's increasing inhalation. The darkness was suffocating, crushing his chest. The anticipation of what was to come was too much for him to handle.

Was this how the people fainted?

Cursed land. Graveyard land.

Something crunched underfoot, a branch or a dry leaf.

Suguru’s heart slammed against his ribs.

A cold-as-ice hand gripped Suguru's leg, the coldness of the hand seeping through his sweats.

“Oh my fuck!" he barked, jumping back and hitting the chest of one (1) giggling Satoru Gojo. His hands came to rest on Suguru's biceps as the cold hand disappeared and the red lights came on. The music started, but it was no longer the funny ghost-noises track.

It was the sound of loons crying, wolves howling, crickets chirping.

Suguru glared up at Satoru. His handsome face did not curb the sudden spurt of annoyance he felt for the man. "You may be an expert, but I'm not, you know!”

"Oh, I know,” said Satoru, close to his ear. Suguru hoped he had not visibly shivered as the hot breath of Satoru flowed inside his eardrums. "But this is so much fun. You know, I'm coming here after three years, but nothing much has changed."

Suguru shrugged Satoru’s hand off. That first scare now seemed small, and he was ashamed to have been so frightened. Where was the brave Suguru who would scowl at people? The Forest of Fear was turning him into a scaredy-cat, alright.

They had only covered one-fourth of their journey.

Suguru started forward again. Whatever happened after this, he was not going to be scared. He was not going to be frightened. This was all just make-believe, after all. None of it was real.

What happened next felt very real.

The red lights began to flicker, which signalled another performance coming, but nothing happened for a long time. Suguru paused. “What's going to happen now?"

“You know what?" asked Satoru. “I have completely forgotten."

“Well, aren't you useless?"

“How dare you speak to a Gojo like that?"

Suguru smiled. “Even Gojos aren't susceptible to lawyers."

“You are a lawyer?" For the first time that night, there was genuine surprise in Satoru's voice.

“Yep. Finance lawyer. So hide your old money."

“I don't have any money," said Satoru, as rich people often said. "I am broke.”

"Of course.”

"Was that sarcasm?”

"What do you think?”

That put Satoru in a real spot. "I — uh —”

The red lights were still flickering, casting strange shadows on the trees. Their thorny branches looked like withered fingers. There was—

Something cold and wet wound itself around Suguru's neck.

It was safe to say that the scream given by Suguru was something to be proud of. He swatted blindly at his neck, touched something equally cold and wet, then screamed again. This time, Satoru joined him, though his scream was more of a shocked yelp.

"Holy fuck!” panted Suguru.

"Calm down, calm down,” hurried Satoru. "It is a toy snake. I had completely forgotten this.”

Toy snake? “You are telling me that a toy snake scared me so much?" snapped Suguru, his ears flushing. If there was a hole on the ground, he would have gladly spent the rest of his life there. “Oh dear, I want to get out of here."

Satoru plucked the snake from his neck. It really was a toy snake, made of rubber, black and white in colour.

"See, most of the things are childish and silly,” said Satoru. "There will be toy snakes, fake slashers, mechanical wolves and vampires. It is the impact that counts. When you are in a dark room in a haunted attraction, your mind sees even a breeze as something demonic.”

"The most sensible thing you have said all day,” agreed Suguru.

Satoru grinned. "Do you know what the actual scary things are?”

Suguru smirked. "Being rich and pretty?”

Satoru shot him a raised-eyebrow-look. "No. Criminals are the actual scary things. Serial killers. Rapists. Thieves.”

"Are you a crime fan or something?” asked Suguru. "You are obsessed with serial killers.”

"I told you. I am a serial killer.”

Suguru gave him an exasperated look. "Drop it.”

"Drop what?” Satoru's grin widened. "My identity?”

"Is serial killer a new gender?” joked Suguru. The lights and music were normal again (or, as normal as they can be in a haunted attraction) and they were making steady progress.

Satoru licked his lips in a sinfully slow way. "No.”

Suguru's cheeks heated up. The guy was definitely flirtatious. Confident. Handsome. Probably rich.

Some people just had all the luck.

"Why are you here?” asked Satoru. "You are certainly not an enjoyer of Halloween.” He looked pointedly at his costume-less self.

Suguru shrugged. "Friends dragged me here,” he said. "Why are you here if you've already visited five times? You are not dressed as anyone either.”

"I am a serial killer,” he said. "Serial killers do not dress.”

Suguru huffed. "Is that why you smell like you bathed in fake blood?”

Satoru's answer was expected.

"Who said it's fake blood?”

They trudged on.

“Do you like horror?" asked Satoru. He was a curious man, it seemed. He was showing interest in Suguru, but the black-haired man knew better than to interpret it as something else.

“Yeah. I do."

“What kind of horror?"

“Not supernatural," said Suguru, quickly. "I like psychological horror. Ones with slashers and killers. Like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Killers, as you just said, are more scary. But also interesting."

“Oh?" prompted Satoru.

Suguru took the prompt. "Well, serial killers do hold a fascination,” he said, laughing. It had been so long since he had talked about these things to anyone. “Their motives are usually very interesting. Of course, the work they do is bad, but sometimes they have valid reasons.”

"Of course they do.”

"Yeah. And then you have the horror of being chased by a serial killer. I don't wanna do that ever, but a guy can imagine, right?”

Satoru snickered. "Is that a kink?”

Suguru flushed red-hot. "What? No! Satoru, you are a pervert.”

Satoru only laughed.

"There are three CCTV cameras here,” said Satoru, after a silence of five minutes. "Only three.”

Suguru nodded absent-mindedly. "So?”

"What if I broke them? It would give a real feeling of being haunted, don't you think?”

Suguru thought that was stupid. "That's stupid,” he said. "You don't want to pay property damage just for an adrenaline boost. We are already in deep horror.”

Breaking the CCTV cameras would mean they would be unsupervised. The notion was tantalizing only for a split second. As sexy it might have been under different circumstances, this was not that. Suguru had no intention of being in a place full of ghosts (and a Satoru Gojo) with nobody supervising them.

Satoru did not say anything.

The lights began to flicker again. Suguru laughed. “I swear, if they throw another snake or—"

“Brace yourself," said Satoru.

Suguru only had time to turn around, confused, before the place was plunged into darkness. Several wolves howled together, loons sobbed around them and a cold wash came over the air. Suguru shivered violently, even though he was wearing his thickest hoodie.

Something glinted in the periphery of his vision.

“Fucking—!" he yelled, as an axe came towards him with blinding speed. There was a person before him, swinging what was definitely a fake weapon. A slasher. Suguru wasn't sure if he should run or stay, when—

The person swinging the axe fell down. There was a loud thud as the actor fell at Suguru's feet.

Suguru stood there, confused out of his mind. Was this part of the performance? What was he supposed to do? Run down the path, claim the trophy and get out?

Where was Satoru?

He was about to call the guy’s name when a hand clamped down on his mouth.

Fear kicked in, hot and fast.

Suguru instinctively threw his legs forward, his eyes widening as the oxygen supply in his body steadily decreased. His nose and mouth were blocked by a hand that reeked of blood.

He was vaguely aware of a body pressing behind him, holding him tight and close.

"Don't panic,” whispered someone.

It took him a beat to recognise Satoru.

Suguru found boldness when he realised it was just Satoru. He slapped his hand and it fell away from his mouth.

“What the hell, Satoru?" he barked, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. He was stronger than Satoru, but his feet were still unsteady due to the fear he had received just moments ago, and he staggered. “What is it?"

“Has anyone ever told you that you are insanely pretty?"

Suguru paused.

“What?”

Satoru nuzzled his head against the crook of Suguru's neck. His flushed flesh met Satoru's cold lips, creating a temperature difference that sent a jolt through him.

The speakers in the ceiling abruptly burst to song, keeping in tune with their planned performance. Except: their planned performer was still lying on the floor.

The lyrics of Micheal Jackson’s 1982 hit “Thriller" boomed in Suguru's heart.

 

‘It’s close to midnight,
Something evil’s lurking in the dark…’

 

Satoru nuzzled in further. His hair tickled Suguru's jaw. "Don't look at him. Look at me. He's knocked out.”

Suguru looked at the guy. He was really not moving, which was slowly becoming a major point of concern.

“What have you done?" asked Suguru, because he just knew that Satoru was responsible for it.

The guy smiled against his neck. “Nothing much."

Suguru looked around. The lights were still down, so there was no way of seeing Satoru. He was still wrapped up in his embrace, his heart beating like a drum, his neck getting warm due to Satoru now licking it and—

“What are you doing?" he asked, swinging his neck to the side. Satoru was indeed giving him a hickey, licking and sucking the skin, swirling his tongue around the sensitive spot. He licked a strip over his pulsing vein and Suguru felt a hot gushing in his stomach.

This was ridiculous.

He was ridiculous.

Satoru was ridiculous.

Suguru was not going to be made a victim of whatever was happening. He summoned all his willpower and stomped on Satoru's Oxfords.

The effect was immediate. Satoru let him go with a cry of pain. Suguru sprang forward, his body already missing the warmth. The area was uncomfortably cold now, making him miss the press of another body.

“Okay, what the fuck is going on?" he snapped.

 

‘Under the moonlight,
You see a sight that almost stops your heart.’

 

The red lights blared on.

Suguru saw Satoru standing inches away from him, his eyes an inhuman glow. He was looking at Suguru like he was a three-course meal and Satoru hadn't eaten for three months.

"What?” he asked innocently, tilting his head. "I want you. That's it.”

The raw words sent a shiver down Suguru's spine. Holy Lord, he was a shameless man.

 

‘You try to scream,
But terror takes the sound before you make it.
You start to freeze,
As horror looks you right between the eyes’

 

"Satoru, this is– this is not funny,” he bit out, taking a step back. Was the guy an actual— Suguru shook his head. "If you are joking, stop it.”

Satoru was offended. "You think I'm joking about this?” He gestured to the performer. "Suguru, he's knocked out. I did that. Do not look at the ceiling, the CCTV cameras are gone.”

Suguru felt his blood turning to ice.

 

‘You are paralysed….’

 

Satoru takes a step forward. “Baby, do you still think I'm not a serial killer?"

Suguru ran.

 

‘Cause this is thriller, thriller night
And no one's gonna save you
From the beast about to strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller, ow!’

 

Suguru had no idea what was happening. The basest of human instincts took over him as his feet carried him away as far from Satoru as was possible. He was getting off the path, he was getting lost in the tangled branches and knotted ground, but he was unable to stop.

Serial killer! Satoru was actually a killer!

Oh god, the smell of blood! That should have been the first indicator.

How did a nice roam in a haunted attraction actually become lethal? Suguru had no idea. A part of his mind was still refusing to believe that Satoru was a killer who had knocked out the actor cold, but there simply wasn't another explanation. After all, serial killers did exist, and who was to say that Satoru wasn't one?

“Suguru!" called Satoru. “You do realise you are running in circles?"

Suguru skidded to a stop.

As if on cue, the lights flickered and shut.

 

‘I'm gonna thrill you tonight
Darkness falls across the land
The midnight hour is close at hand…’

 

Satoru's sonorous chuckling filled the air. “Suguru, turn around."

No.

Suguru whimpered. It was an involuntary sound, one which he had no control over. Was he going to be killed here, like this, at the hands of this hot guy? It was disgusting (and confusing) how his traitorous mind was still calling Satoru ‘hot.’

Satoru placed two firm hands on his shoulders.

Suguru shrieked and tried to scramble forward, but there was a massive tree before him. Satoru smashed him against the tree and turned him around, lifting his chin.

Suguru thought that was hot.

Wow. Even God must be wanting to kill Suguru for such thoughts in a life-threatening situation.

 

‘Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'all's neighborhood (I'm gonna thrill you tonight)...’

 

“Firstly, you need to relax," said Satoru. His blue eyes were the only light in the darkness, glowing like two rings of sapphires. “I'm not gonna kill you."

Suguru spat at him.

His saliva trickled down Satoru's face, wet and shining. Great, he had just pissed off a serial killer. Way to go, Suguru Geto.

Satoru only looked at him. The rough bark of the tree pressed into Suguru's back as he leaned forward and licked the trail of spit coming down his jaw.

Suguru's alarmed thoughts vanished somewhere.

“I'm not gonna kill you," said Satoru. “I just…you are so pretty and I just want to…you know….kiss you. Maybe go a little further than that. I wouldn't have done this if you didn't turn me on."

Suguru gawked. “How did I turn you on?" he demanded, thinking how Shoko had said he wouldn't get laid in his ugly, baggy clothes.

Satoru frowned. “You told me you found serial killers fascinating. That all of them don't have a bad reason and that they interest you. You are also sarcastic and hot and…wow, is that a tongue piercing?"

Suguru had flicked out his tongue to lick his dry lips, and Satoru had seen the tiny silver ball sitting on his pink tongue.

 

‘And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse's shell….’

 

Suguru felt like he was a rabbit in front of a hound. Satoru was a killer, but he was so fucking captivating that all sense of danger was going out the window. Suguru had always thought of himself as a mature, intelligent guy. But this wasn't how mature, intelligent guys acted.

They did not unconsciously arch their backs against confessed killers.

Jesus. Christ.

“Wait, so you want to have sex with me?" he asked, placing a hand on Satoru's (muscular) chest.

Satoru grinned. “Precisely."

His teeth glinted.

The darkness suddenly faded as the red lights came on. It bathed them in crimson, accentuating Satoru’s jaw, eyes, nose and lips.

 

‘I'm gonna thrill you tonight (thriller night, babe)!’

 

Suguru crashed his lips on Satoru's.

Seeing that he was far gone and couldn't sink any further in life than this, he kept on going, taking advantage of Satoru’s surprise and pushing inside his mouth. It had been a long time since he had felt wanted, so what if the one wanting him was a killer?

This was so disgusting.

He was so into it.

Satoru licked inside his mouth.

Suguru gripped the other's shoulders to stop the whine in his throat from escaping. Were all serial killers such good kissers? His mouth was warm, his tongue was wet, his hands were clenched in the other's shirt. The scent of blood played in his nose again, and that—

—And that kicked Suguru into his senses.

He pulled his lips away with a force that nearly ripped his upper teeth.

 

‘The foulest stench's in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb (I'm gonna thrill you tonight)
Are closing in to seal your doom (oh, yeah)!’

 

“You are a killer!" he gasped, writhing against his hold. Suguru was strong, he really was, but Satoru’s grip held an inhuman quality to it. It was a bruising grip of iron, keeping Suguru pinned in place.

“Let me go!"

Satoru was busy licking the remnants of Suguru's saliva from his lips. “Relax," he said, looking at his lips again. “I haven't killed anyone innocent. Just my uncle."

Uncle?

It hit Suguru's head like a bolt of lightning. “Gojo Satoshi?" he asked. That had made the national news just two days ago. Gojo Satoshi, found dead in his Tokyo apartment, from a mysterious stab wound on his back. The police were currently scratching their heads over it.

Satoru let him remember. "Hey, don't give me that look,” he said. "It was their fault for kicking me out of the family. My uncle, my aunt, my parents, my own siblings!” He shook his head. "They shouldn't have done that.”

Suguru was having a hard time thinking. "Who–who did you kill today?”

Satoru smiled. "My aunt, Gojo Sanemi. Nasty skank bitch.”

Before Suguru's morality could kick in again, Satoru kissed him like he was dying.

 

‘And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver….’

 

Suguru shivered. The room was cold as hell right now, which caused him to press against Satoru. The young, goth part of him was screaming in ravenous surprise that he was kissing a guy who had actually killed people. How did it feel, to take a life? How did it feel to bathe in blood? How did it all feel?

Satoru would know.

That was the inexplicable thing about all anti-hero killers, right? You couldn't experience a murder first-hand, so you sought to experience it through an actual killer.

 

‘For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller!’

 

Satoru slipped a leg between his parted thighs.

His knee rolled against Suguru's inner thigh, causing him to moan a little. Satoru caught the sight and rubbed his knee more.

Suguru rooted his hand in Satoru's white hair and pulled.

He jerked back with a gasp. “Wha–"

Suguru scowled at him. He was perfectly aroused now, but that did not mean he had become a limp ragdoll. His earlier attraction tonight — pretty women — hadn't been fulfilled, but Satoru was pretty enough.

With a fluid motion, Suguru placed Satoru against the damn tree and kissed him.

Hard.

Satoru was not disturbed. He adjusted to this new arrangement with gusto, and jumped up as Suguru's hands began trailing along his waist. Why did he have such a thin waist?

Nimble fingers worked on Suguru's hoodie. Cold hands slipped inside, coming into contact with his stomach and waist. Once again, the difference in temperature did it for him and goosebumps erupted across his body.

Suguru was sure he was slowly becoming a horny, disgraceful mess.

 

‘'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain't no second chance against the thing with 40 eyes, girl
Thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller…!’

 

Satoru cracked his thousand-dollar eyes open.

He was swift in opening the rest of the buttons on his shirt that Suguru had been struggling with, throw it over his head and stand there half-naked.

Suguru took a moment to drink in the sight.

Yep. His body was just as beautiful as his face was.

Satoru lurched forward and placed his lips to the earlier bruise he had sucked upon Suguru's neck.

This time, he could not stop the moan.

“Damn," said Satoru, as Suguru clamped his mouth shut. Long fingers climbed over his lips and pulled out his clenched bottom lip. “Do that again."

“What?" asked Suguru, squirming. Somehow, he was again at the tree, and Satoru was towering over him, caging him with his (beautiful) arms.

 

‘'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try….’

 

Satoru pinched his waist.

Suguru took a sharp breath. "Are you getting off on me moaning? You sure are a pervert.”

Satoru bit somewhere in his neck that actually ached.

Suguru was pretty sure he was not a sadist, but that sudden tingle of pain made him moan again.

Satoru grinned. He wrestled with the hoodie for a moment, then succeeded in pulling it off Suguru's shoulders. In case the fabric tore forever, Suguru wriggled out of it himself.

That first clash of skin-on-skin was heavenly. The cold was biting, but the warmth was delicious. Suguru gasped out a question. "Why are you killing your own family?”

"Didn't you hear what I said?” asked Satoru, going down on his chest. His fingers found a nipple and squeezed, and Suguru grunted out in an addictive mixture of pain, expectation and heat.

“I-I did," he said. “But it is a little extreme, right? You were b-banished, but you can get inside after apologising again, right? You—"

“Suguru," said Satoru, latching his lips on one nipple. His mouth was too hot to bear, his teeth seemed extra sharp as they bit down on the soft mound of flesh. "I like killing.”

There it was. That cold blanket of pure, animalistic fear. Suguru's arousal dampened quickly, but Satoru was still at his chest, and it was getting increasingly hard to ignore the way he caressed Suguru's body like it was a priceless piece of treasure.

His fingers pulled at Satoru's hair, but he had no idea if he was pushing him away or pulling him in more.

 

‘Thriller (ooh-ooh), thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a
Killer, thriller, killer, thriller here tonight!’

 

The bass of the song reverberated in their ears as the sounds became gradually lewd. Satoru, satisfied after biting and sucking at Suguru's nipples, turned his attention to the growing bulge in both their pants.

Suguru threw his head forward on Satoru's shoulder when the man palmed him through his sweats.

“Who wears sweatpants on Halloween?" asked Satoru.

Suguru snapped, “Who actually kills people on Halloween?"

“Fair." Satoru slithered his hand down his pants and gripped him.

For a moment, the haunted forest and the red lights and the fact that he was having sex with a killer blanked out from his mind. Suguru bit on Satoru's shoulder to muffle the groan that escaped him as an unnamed pleasure crashed through his system.

"Oh, fuck,” drawled Satoru, in a distinct Osaka accent.

That practically sent Suguru on a horny spiral.

Satoru's grip tightened when he heard Suguru's groans. He stroked along in a harsh motion, causing the other to jerk.

“Slower!" hissed Suguru, trying to stop Satoru using his hand.

Satoru did not listen to him. Instead, he smiled and gave his cock a hard tug.

Suguru knew he was getting overstimulated now. He yanked on Satoru's hair, which made the other give a cry of pain and jerk his cock faster.

“Slower, damn it!"

“Slower what?" asked Satoru, complete with a shit-eating grin. His azure eyes rose up to meet Suguru's inky black ones.

 

‘'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
Girl, I can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try!’

 

Suguru couldn't believe Satoru was doing this right now. He narrowed his eyes. Wasn't he supposed to be a scary-looking guy? Though, how scary could he look to an actual killer?

"You know what."

“I don't, actually," said Satoru, one of his long fingers circling his hole. His nails scratched against the soft skin and Suguru felt a heat coil in his belly, taut and painful.

“You do."

“I don't."

“You do."

“I don't."

“You do."

“I don't."

“I don't."

Satoru kissed his nose. “The oldest trick in the book, baby? No, I don't."

Suguru called that karma. He should apologise to Shoko.

Another harsh tug, and Suguru was crashing again. “Please," he choked out, hiding his burning face in Satoru's neck. “Slow down."

The plea seemed to work, for Satoru did slow down. But what he did next was worse (or better, depending on the way one looked at it).

He inserted a finger.

Suguru's body gave a heavy shudder. He bit down again, but Satoru did not mind, though he did hiss in pain (or arousal. There was no telling with him).

Satoru's relentless pace did not stop. He kept on inserting his fingers, stretching Suguru's hole out, until he was three fingers deep. It was giving Suguru a kind of burning pleasure that he was not sure would ever earn him a seat in Heaven.

Satoru's blue eyes were fixed on him, like Satan himself was enjoying this show of desperate depravity.

 

‘Thriller (ooh-ooh), thriller night….
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, thriller, ow!’

 

It was plain decadence, the way Suguru was revelling in it. It was the kind of lust shrines warned against. It was not moral, for who could moan while getting stuffed with a serial killer’s fingers? No matter how long, thin and appropriately skilled those fingers were.

Satoru was moaning too. The guy was getting no pleasure himself, but he kissed Suguru with an intoxicating interest, pulling on his tongue piercing, seeking out his lips like a moth seeked out streetlights.

Satoru kissed the shell of Suguru's ears. His teeth knocked against the gauges. “You are so beautiful."

The cold of the area was long forgotten. It had grown stifling hot between the two of them, their moans and saliva mixing together, bodies flushed and trembling.

Satoru gave one long stroke to Suguru's cock.

The heat that had been building up in his belly ever since he had laid eyes on the man finally snapped. Suguru barely had time to warn.

"I-I-”

"I know,” came the reply, smug and smooth.

Suguru knocked his silver ring into Satoru's forehead.

He came with a guttural groan, hanging onto Satoru’s shoulders for dear life. His legs shivered and gave away, but the white-haired beauty held him up, supporting him against the tree.

Suguru's brain, that had blissfully clocked out moments ago, returned with a fervour. "What are you going to do?”

Satoru was confused. "What?”

Suguru encircled Satoru's thin waist. "Don't tell me you don't want to come."

Satoru blushed. “Oh, I-uh-I am fine—"

Suguru slipped his hand inside Satoru's boxers, wrapped his hand around the throbbing girth and gave a firm, long stroke.

Satoru came with a shake and a hiss.

Suguru grinned. There. Equal, now.

They stood like that for a moment, while the red lights occasionally shut down, the loons sobbed and the wolves howled. Suguru had almost forgotten about the forest and the everything, but now that he was no longer addled about Satoru, he blinked awake.

"Okay, what are we supposed to do now?" asked Suguru.

Satoru, who was still catching his breath, looked around. “Now?" he grinned. “Now, we go and claim that trophy. None of the other levels have done it yet, or an alarm would have been triggered."

Suguru started to wear his hoodie. Satoru suddenly pulled him back from the designated path. “I know a short cut," he whispered.

Ten minutes later, Suguru and Satoru were standing in front of a golden trophy. Suguru lifted it and an alarm did indeed go off, triggering a thunderous applause from the speakers installed overhead.

The doors opened.

Suguru rubbed his eyes at the sight of everyone. All the participants were coming out, their faces ranging from happy to traumatised. He spotted Shoko, Nanami and Haibara in the crowd.

Shoko came over to him. "Man, I'm so glad you are alive,” she said. "You were in Level 4, weren't you?”

"No,” said Suguru. "Level 3.”

"But I was in Level 3,” said Shoko, her eyebrows furrowing. "Haibara was in Level 2, and Nanami was in Level 1.”

"All of us got separated,” explained Nanami. He looked like he had come out of a battle. There were glitter stains on his suit. He squinted at Suguru. "You look drained. Was Level 4 that bad?”

"I'm telling you,” began Suguru, "I was in Level 3 with this guy.” He pointed at Satoru.

Things unraveled from there.

Satoru clapped a hand to his shoulder. "Actually, Sir, you were in Level 4,” he said, giving him the certified customer service smile. "Level 4 is the ultimate horror experience, with a serial killer theme who hunts you, the participant. You were, unfortunately or fortunately, whichever you prefer, chosen by me from the very start to be the sole participant of Level 4. That's why I bumped into you, remember? I pushed you inside the Level 4 room.”

Suguru's brain registered the words after laborious seconds. "Huh?”

Satoru shot him a wink. "Welcome to the Forest of Fear.”

Shoko, Nanami and Haibara were whisked away by the crowd, calling Suguru's name to make him follow them. The Forest of Fear was over, and so was Suguru's daily-limit of patience and maturity.

He punched Satoru.

“Ow! Fuck!" cried out Satoru, bending forward and clutching his chest.

Suguru had no idea how to feel. The way Satoru was saying it — everything had been a set-up. Satoru was apparently a staff member, a hired actor to act as a deranged serial killer and take the sole, frightened participant into a wild ride full of frights and…sex?

“What the fuck," he said, scowling at lingering passers-by. “Satoru?"

The blue-eyed man groaned. “Ah, Suguru, I'm sorry—"

“Why on Earth would you give a player a handjob?" asked Suguru, too shocked to be angry properly. “Does that come with the company policy?"

Satoru shook his head. His white hair was flopping up and down.

Suguru began to turn around, his heart doing weird somersaults in. He would mull over the technicalities later, right now—

"It was all a farce up until the time I knocked the ax-man,” said Satoru, coming up beside him. "After that, it was all…it was all…"

“What?" growled Suguru.

“...me," finished Satoru, lamely. “You were in my hands and I forgot that I am supposed to do my job, that is, playing at being a serial killer. I saw you and my brain short-circuited, okay?" He was rather red in the face at the end.

Suguru took this with a mild dose of amusement. "Your brain short-circuited?”

"Well, I don't go around giving handjobs,” snapped Satoru.

"Don't you snap at me, bastard,” snarled Suguru. "You are the one at fault here! You basically assaulted me!”

"Oh, really? Your moans were telling me otherwise!”

"That was a bodily reaction!”

"Why did you accept me, then? You could have just punched me!”

“Why did you continue with your serial killer storyline?"

“Well, apparently, it turned you on!"

“You are a messed-up idiot!"

“So are you! Why didn't you push me back, Suguru?”

Suguru did not have a good answer to that question.

Satoru ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, I am sorry, okay? I should have just concentrated on my job. I am sorry.”

Suguru melted a little. It seemed like Satoru was now beginning to regret their entire encounter. "The news shocked me.”

"I know. Sorry.”

They stood like that for a while, neither of them speaking.

Suguru scratched his neck and hissed as his nails came into contact with the fresh hickeys. "Are you…from the Gojo family?”

Satoru nodded.

"Holy shit.”

"Relax, I don't go around murdering my folk. Me and them don't vibe, but…yeah.”

Ah. Such a typical story. Young rich heir, estranged from his own family and working a job way below his level.

Suguru was confused at how easy liking Satoru was. The boy was hanging his head, shuffling on his feet. Looking at him now, who could ever guess that he was such a skilled actor? And a talented handjob-provider? And a filthy talker?

He clapped a hand on Satoru's shoulder. "Do you like coffee?”

Satoru's eyes brightened. "I'm more of a milkshake guy, but I can drink coffee.”

Suguru's brain was churning with a thousand possibilities. He liked Satoru, he really did. The handjob wasn't the only attraction about the guy. It was something in his nature, his flirtatious self and sweet smile and otherwise jolly manners, that was pulling him to Suguru.

Besides, he made an awesome serial killer. He had just been horny after seeing Suguru. It was Halloween, after all. Suguru knew he was no better, jumping upon a "serial killer" like a starving monkey.

They were both at fault.

Suguru grinned. “Milkshake date, then. Saturday, 5 pm. What do you say?"

Satoru let out a radiant grin. “You are asking me out? You aren't angry anymore?"

“You did say my beauty blinded you, and I like flattery."

“You are so vain."

“I know."

A guard came at that moment to hand them their phones.

Satoru took his phone. “Your number, please, Sir."

Suguru laughed.

They exchanged numbers, promised to meet each other at the assigned place. Suguru told himself that this was a promise he wasn't breaking.

Who said that baggy clothes did not get you laid?

Suguru Geto thus acquired himself a soon-to-be boyfriend on Halloween night, completely oblivious to the broken remains of the CCTV cameras, a bloody knife and stolen ruby ring of a murdered Gojo Sanemi in the beautiful Gojo Satoru’s overcoat pocket.