Hi guys! I hope you will enjoy this update!


It was already past nine in the morning and the bright sun is already shining down on the peaceful island, sharing its vibrance with the flora and the inhabitants of the little isle. Other than the sun, the light blue sky is filled with white wispy clouds drifting as time passed by. The breeze from the sea blows through the island making the trees and bushes sway and carries with it the leaves that have fallen to the ground. The waves crashed against the rocky landmass of the island creating loud thuds in a random but rhythmically interesting pattern.

As the sun has risen, the campers have already begun with their day. Most of them have done their morning exercise while others had started doing their daily chores. Few have chosen to start their day lazily, only caring to have fun talks with their peers and some even dozing off in between conversations. The day had started for all of them except for one person.

Unlike the rest of his peers, Mitsue is still in his bed inside his cabin sleeping peacefully while covered in his soft blanket. The man was unmoved by the scorching heat brought by the sun. All he felt was the cool air produced by the air-conditioning unit in his room. The windows in his room are covered by curtains preventing the hot golden rays of the sun to beam down into his room. It was as if Mitsue could sleep for an eternity. However, if he only did not have a monkey in his room, he would probably continue to sleep until afternoon came.

While the man of the room is as motionless as a marble statue in a museum, Rafiki was a ball of energy bouncing from one corner of the room to the other creating mayhem wherever it landed. The monkey jumped around from one object to another as if the room was his own huge playground. Uncaring for what may happen to the objects, the monkey continued to hop around pushing objects and toppling furniture over with its long tail. This uncontrolled behavior continued until the monkey, unfortunately, landed on Mitsue's chest and swatted Mitsue's face with its tail.

As soon as the monkey hit Mitsue, it turned around to look at the man's face. Slowly, Mitsue opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the ceiling, the only thing untouched in his room. The next thing he took note of was the soft fuzzy thing touching his right cheek. Instinctively, Mitsue grabs a hold of the object, clueless about the object being Rafiki's tail. After a few seconds, the tail slithered away from his grasp bringing Mitsue back to his senses. What the fuck was that?

Groggily, he sat up straight and yawned loudly. Scratching his head, he looked around his room and the first thing his eyes landed on was Rafiki sitting at the end of the bed innocently smiling at him. I forgot about having it in my room. Has he been staying there this whole time? Did I kick it while I was sleeping? I hope I did not hit it unconsciously.

After rubbing his eyes, he looked over to his bedside table. In a low voice, Mitsue whispered, "What time is it anyway?" Mitsue proceeded to stare at the piece of furniture for a long time until he realized he was spacing off. Shaking his head, he fixed his eyes onto the table. After a few more seconds, his brows furrowed. Where the fuck is my monopad? Didn't I leave it on there? I am sure I left it there. Mitsue moved closer to the table and continued searching. He eventually found his monopad lying on the floor with the screen side down.

Quickly, Mitsue grabbed his monopad. How did this end up here? Did I accidentally pushed it off of the table? But, I don't think I move much when I sleep. So, why is it on the floor? This is so confusing. As he was picking up his monopad, he looked to his left and saw a chair toppled over. Why is that chair like that? What happened when I was asleep?

After picking up his phone, he uncovered himself from his blanket and stood up from his bed. Looking at his room, he found all of the chairs are lying on the floor. The soil of the potted plant on his table is all over that piece of furniture. His cabinet is opened with some of his clothes scattered on the floor. He looked over to his bedside table again and noticed his porcelain lamp was about to fall off the table. As he was putting it back in place, he also noticed the door to his bathroom was open. Immediately, he ran over and discovered the tap was open. Luckily, the water has not overflown from the sink. Right away, he turned off the faucet.

What the fuck happened to my room? He turned around and found Rafiki smilingly standing behind him. "You fucking did this you little piece of shit! What else did you do while I was sleeping?" Mitsue shouted at the monkey, pointing at it angrily. He was about to chase it off when the monkey quickly hid away beneath his bed. After taking a step, Mitsue stopped and crouched on the floor. There is no point in chasing that monkey. It does not even understand me. There is no use in berating it. I will only be wasting my time and energy in doing so. Standing up, he began to fix his room.

As he was dusting the soil back into the potted plant, Mitsue stared at his bed, specifically where Rafiki's tail was sticking out. This monkey is a handful when it is not crying. It is too much for me to take care of. Why did I volunteer to be its new caretaker? If I can only just send it out into the wilderness, I would but I don't think it will survive on this island on its own.

After a few minutes, Mitsue was finished putting his room back into order. The next thing he did was go down on all fours looking at Rafiki under the bed. The monkey stared at Mitsue as it crept away from him. Tapping on the floor, Mitsue whispered, "Come out. I won't do anything to you. Just get out of there. It is dusty." How does Kia handle this monkey? I don't have the energy to keep up with this animal. But, Kia is a ball of energy as well. She could have easily maintained the same chaotic energy this monkey has.

"Get out of there, now!" Mitsue shouted, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, Mitsue slammed his right hand loudly on the floor. The monkey flinched and quickly went in the opposite direction, running out of the bed. Finally, that monkey is not under my bed. Mitsue got up and sat down on his bed. Looking at his bedside table, he grabbed the monopad that was lying on top of it. Opening it, he checked the time. 9:45 am… This is the latest I have ever woken up. That is a first for me.

Then, Mitsue lied down on his bed with his arms wide open. Staring at the ceiling, Mitsue whispered, "This is the first time I have ever woken up late in my entire life." I never knew sleeping for as long as I did and waking up this late would feel so good. I have always woken up early even during my days off. I always thought it would be a waste to just lie on my bed doing nothing. Now that I have done it, I can understand now why people of my age love waking up late.

Turning to his left, Mitsue saw Rafiki sitting on his pillow looking at him. I would have gotten to sleep longer if this monkey isn't in my room to hit me with its tail. And, I would have woken up more pleasantly if this animal did not mess up my room like a fucking hurricane would. But, I guess I can't enjoy things without a drawback. Even though you disturbed me, I still will enjoy more sleeps like that in the future since I don't have any responsibility now that needs me to wake up early.

Sighing, he sat up straight. Staring at the floor, he fiddled with his hands. I am not the leader anymore. I don't need to take care of people. The only person I need to think about now is myself. Turning to Rafiki, Mitsue mumbled, "I guess I still have you to take care of…" But… It does not matter. The only responsibility I have is taking care of myself. I don't need to busy myself with other people's business. All I have to do now is to concentrate on myself.

Then, he stared at his door. If I don't care about the others, I should be able to walk out of here with ease. I should be able to go out not thinking about what they would think. But, why am I still locking up myself in this room? Why am I still stuck in here with this monkey? If I don't care about them, I shouldn't think about this for this long. I shouldn't be thinking what I am thinking right now. I shouldn't be this unsure of going out. Just walk out there like you usually do.

Mitsue stood up from his bed, got changed, and walked to his door. After a few minutes, he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. The only thing he needed to do was pull the door open. I can't open it. Mitsue let go of the knob. He walked back to his bed and sat down.

I am still evading them. I have always evaded people in my entire life, especially my co-workers. Nobody really tried to talk to me outside office hours. It is always like there is a thick barrier between me and everyone else and I know why. I am not delusional. They hate me. I am strict with them. I rule with iron fists. I yell at them for making the simplest mistakes. The only thing they talk about me is how much they hate me. That is literally the last topic I heard between my co-workers before being abducted. I guess I got used to getting away with it since I get the best results that way.

It worked because I am only their leader for a certain amount of time. I forgot that when I became the leader on this island. I thought I had to lead them 24/7. I forgot these people have their personal lives even though we are stuck on this island. I constantly controlled them whenever I saw them. Eventually, I reached the point where I crossed the line and everyone's bottled up annoyance of me has reached its limit. The only thing the situation needed to escalate was a catalyst like Kia's murder. I messed up. Now, I have no one to talk to other than this monkey.

Rafiki crawled onto Mitsue's lap and curled up. Caressing its fur, Mitsue whispered, "You are lucky you are a monkey. You can ignorantly do whatever you want and innocently smile to easily get away with all of the mess you make like what you did earlier. Unlike me, I have to continue living while being fully aware of the consequences of the mess I make."

Even at school, I am always alone. Nobody dared to speak to me. When I tried to talk to people during my first week, people would look at me strangely and run away to avoid me. In the end, I never became anyone's friend. I know it is not because I boss them around. I never had the chance to when everyone only talks with their friends. It never bothered me since I was used to it. They are scared of me for some reason I do not understand. The only time I had ever had a normal conversation with someone was through an exchange of letters. Now that I remember, I wonder how Iris is doing. I hope they are safe. They are an ultimate after all. I hope they are not in the same situation I am in. Nobody deserves this, especially that person.

Mitsue and Rafiki stayed the same way for a few minutes more. He continued stroking the monkey's back as he hummed what Kaito played for him and Hiroto yesterday. Staring at the monkey, Mitsue whispered, "I cannot believe you are sleeping on my lap like a domesticated dog. How did we become like this?" This monkey trusts people too easily. That is probably why it got captured by Orie so easily in the first place. You are dumb. You are a dumb little capuchin monkey. But… you are adorable despite your shortcomings. That is probably why Kia was able to put up with you for so long. I cannot think of any other reason other than that. You are lucky you are charming for a stupid primate or else you would have never been taken in as someone's pet.

Looking at the ceiling, Mitsue shook his head. That sounds wrong. You were never someone's pet. I never heard Kia say you were her pet. She always said you were her best friend. If that is the case, you must have been one lousy best friend. You can't do anything right since you are a monkey. All you do is play around and sleep anywhere you like. You are basically a freeloader. If you aren't doing any of those two, you are staring at someone as if you are waiting for them to say something.

With his lips curving into a smile, Mitsue whispered, "I guess you do have a use as a best friend." You are great to talk to. All you do is listen and not judge since you can't understand a fucking word I say. You don't interrupt me as well. You are passable as a friend if you were a human.

Suddenly, Mitsue stopped stroking Rafiki. What the fuck did I just think? I don't want this monkey as a friend. How sad would that be for me? The only friend I have is a monkey. No offense to Kia but I don't want that kind of friend. I am going crazy if I really thought of that. I should get this monkey off of me and get out of here. I must be hungry. All I need to do is eat. I must not be thinking right since I have not eaten anything yet. I need to eat to think straight. Just ignore what you just thought of. Let it go because it is not going to happen. I will never do anything to let that shit happen. I will be fine. I don't need this monkey as my proxy for a human friend.

As Mitsue pondered about his friendship crisis with a monkey, three loud but short knocks were made on his door. Did someone knock on my door? That is impossible. Why would anyone knock on my door? None of them wants to do anything with me. All of them hate me. I must be hearing things because of hunger and my problem with this stupid monkey.

Again, three knocks were made on his door. Someone really is knocking on my door. I wonder what they want from me. I should just answer the door and let them be on their way. They probably don't want to prolong this anyway as well.

Mitsue softly grabbed Rafiki and gently placed it on his pillows. Carefully, he made his way to the door, avoiding making any unnecessary noise from his footsteps. Before opening the door, he turned around to look at the monkey. I did not wake it up, did I? Good… I don't want to deal with it while I deal with this person. Who could this be?

He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. Slowly, he opened the door, preventing it to creak. As he opened the door, he saw the face who had knocked on his door. Hiroto? What is this guy doing here? In front of Mitsue was Hiroto, standing silently as he stared at Mitsue. As one not to stand down, Mitsue stared back at the model and the two continued to stay that way for minutes without any of them saying anything. What do you want from me? Did you just come here to have a staring competition? Earth to Hiroto! Say something! You were the one who knocked on my door.

Tilting his head to the right and raising his right eyebrow, Mitsue asked, "What do you want from me?"

A few seconds passed and Hiroto still did not respond. Are you not going to answer? You were the one who came to me. Say something, Hiroto! What is wrong with him? Is he playing a prank on me? That is not right. He is not that kind of person. He must have a reason for knocking on my door. But, this is dragging on forever. I don't want to waste my time on this anymore.

"If you have no business with me, then go away." Mitsue said, rolling his eyes. As he was about to close the door, Hiroto placed his right foot in front of the door stopping it. What was that about? Shit! That must have hurt! Why did he do that? Does he want to have a limp as he walks around the camp?

Crouching down, Mitsue quickly tried to take a look at Hiroto's right foot. "What did you do that for? Why did you stupidly block the door with your foot? If you had something to say, you should have said instead of doing that. Your foot must hurt. Let me take a look at it. Remove your shoe. Let me check for any signs of bruising. It might swell if not treated properly" Mitsue ordered, grabbing Hiroto's foot.

"There's no need for that." Hiroto pulled away his foot from Mitsue. "It does not hurt so you don't need to worry about it."

"Are you sure you are fine?" Mitsue asked, standing up and looking at Hiroto again.

Hiroto nodded.

He definitely wants something from me. He did not let me close the door for it. Why can't he just say it already? "I am asking you again, what do you want from me?" Mitsue asked.

Looking to his right, Hiroto answered, "The group asked me to fetch you…" Surprised, Mitsue could only stare at Hiroto. Did the group really ask him to fetch me? I would have never thought they would. I don't think they want to see me based on what went down yesterday. Why would they want me to join them? Are they planning to do something to me?

"Why did they want you to fetch me all of a sudden? What is this all of about?" Mitsue asked.

"Naoki called everyone for a meeting but Akari told him not to start with it while everyone was not around. In the end, I was forced by that woman to get you." Hiroto answered, rolling his eyes while his arms were crossed.

"Oh, Naoki must be holding his first group meeting as the leader." Mitsue replied, nodding. "I don't understand why all of you need me to attend since I am sure most of them do not want me to be there but I will go if that is the case."

"Honestly, that woman is annoying." Hiroto commented, rolling his eyes again. Hiroto is also annoyed by Akari? That is surprising. I know Akari can be narcissistic and bitchy but I don't think he would be annoyed by her. He does not even interact with her at all. Is he annoyed by Akari for just observing her from afar?

"I thought you do not care much about other people…" Mitsue commented.

"She is so fucking childish. She only wants you to come to shove the fact that you are no longer the leader to your face. Seriously, nobody really cares about you as much as she does. It is astonishing to me how one can be this obsessed with knocking someone a few pegs down. This is only wasting both of our time." Hiroto added, scratching his neck.

"Let her be. She will get her karma soon." Mitsue added, patting Hiroto on the shoulder.

Hiroto nodded.

"Let me grab my monopad first. Then, let's go." Mitsue said, closing the door.

Mitsue quickly went back to his bed where his monopad was. Beside his monopad was Rafiki who was awake and staring at him with an innocent smile. As he was grabbing his monopad, Mitsue stared back at the monkey.

"What do you want from me?" Mitsue asked.

The monkey's eyes shifted to his shoulder.

"Why are you looking at my shoulder?" Mitsue asked.

The monkey hopped closer to him.

Putting out his hand, Mitsue shouted, "Stay back! Don't come near me! I am warning you!"

However, no matter what Mitsue said, the monkey jumped onto his arm and crawled onto his shoulder. Letting out a sharp exhale, Mitsue turned to the monkey. Glaring at the monkey, Mitsue whispered, "What did I expect? You could not have understood what I just said earlier. Let's go… Hiroto is waiting for us."

Mitsue walked to the door with Rafiki on his shoulder. After opening his door, Hiroto was surprised to find Rafiki with Mitsue. Pointing at Rafiki, Hiroto asked, "Rafiki has been with you all this time?"

"Well, things turned out like this." Mitsue commented.

"Are you going to bring it with you?" Hiroto asked.

"I have no choice. It jumped onto me and it does not want to get off of my shoulder." Mitsue answered.

"Get ready for Yo to pounce at you. She has been looking for that monkey since yesterday." Hiroto advised.

"Thanks for the warning." Mitsue nodded.

Mitsue went out of his cabin and the two walked away. As they were crossing the bridge, Mitsue asked, "Did they ask you to do something else other than fetching me?"

"All they told me to do was to tell everyone that wasn't in the hall to come with me." Hiroto answered.

"So, I was the only one missing in the hall?" Mitsue asked.

"No…" Hiroto answered. He already fetched someone before coming to me?

"Who else was missing?" Mitsue asked.

"Kaito…" Hiroto answered, only looking straight ahead.

"Is he already at the hall?" Mitsue continued with his questions.

"I don't know." Hiroto answered.

Mitsue stopped. What does he mean he doesn't know? "You fetched him already, didn't you?"

"I told him to go to the hall." Hiroto answered.

"Stop!" Mitsue shouted.

Hiroto turned around and looked at Mitsue.

"What do you mean by you told him to go to the hall?" Mitsue asked.

"I knocked on his door and told him everything." Hiroto answered.

"You told him in person?" Mitsue asked. Hiroto isn't the type to shout. I am sure he told Kaito in person.

"I slipped him a note under his door." Hiroto answered.

"You said you were ordered to fetch us? Why did you leave him behind?" Mitsue asked.

"Technically, Akari ordered me to fetch you. Then, the others asked me to inform Kaito. They never told me to fetch him as well." Hiroto explained.

"Come with me. Let's go get Kaito." Mitsue said, gesturing Hiroto to follow him. Seriously, he slipped a note? I doubt Kaito has read that note by now.

Quickly, the two men made their way to Kaito's cabin. As soon as they reached the place, Mitsue began banging on the door until the astrophysicist came out.

Opening the door, Kaito greeted the two, "Hiroto… Mitsue… Hi guys… Is there something I can do for the both of you?"

"Did you find a note slipped under your door?" Mitsue asked.

"What note are you talking about?" Kaito asked.

Mitsue looked below and saw Kaito stepping on a small strip of paper. Don't tell that was the note Hiroto gave him. Raising his right eyebrow, Mitsue turned to Hiroto.

"What? They said to inform him. They never told me how to inform him." Hiroto shared, blankly staring at Mitsue.

Whatever… Mitsue shook his head before turning back to Kaito. "The group wants us to join their group meeting in the hall right now."

"Okay… Let me go get my monopad first." Kaito nodded. Before closing his door, he pointed at Rafiki. "Is that Rafiki?"

"Don't mind the monkey. Just go get your monopad." Mitsue answered, waving his hand.

Kaito went back inside his cabin to grab his monopad. It did not take long for the astrophysicist to rejoin the two men. With that, the three of them silently made their way to the dining hall. It only took minutes for the trio to reach the building.

Before entering, Mitsue let out a sigh. Control yourself. You are here for a meeting. You are only to listen quietly. You are not the leader anymore. Be respectful to Naoki. Be the good subordinate that you can be. Shut your mouth. Don't be baited by biting words. Just sit through this and you can go back to your room in no time.

Quickly, Hiroto opened the door with Mitsue and Kaito behind. As soon as the doors opened, the hall fell into silence and everyone inside looked in their direction. Let them look but don't look at them. You know your stare can look like a glare. Don't start a fight. Mitsue lowered his head before continuing inside.

As soon as the three stepped inside, Yo shouted, "Rafiki! I missed you, you adorable capuchin monkey! Come to your adorable human counterpart!" The woman stood up and ran towards Mitsue. She opened her arms wide and launched herself to Mitsue. Instinctively, Mitsue dodged Yo, making Yo land flat on her face.

What the fuck was that? Don't jump on to me, nut job! Mitsue stared at Yo.

After a few seconds, Yo slowly got up and patted herself.

From her seat, Otoha asked, "Are you alright, Yo?"

Right away, Yo turned to Otoha, raising her right thumb while smiling from ear to ear. "Never better like a jet setter!" Yo replied.

"Dude, that was funny! I wish I had my phone to record that!" Connor commented, laughing at Yo.

"Funny? More like stupid. What made her think it was okay to pounce at Mitsue?" Kaya commented, rolling her eyes.

Disregarding the others, Yo approached Mitsue. "Can I take Rafiki away from you?"

Go ahead! Be my guest. Make this monkey get off of my shoulder. It is heavy as fuck. Mitsue nodded, gesturing at the monkey.

"Rafiki, come to mama!" Yo mumbled as she tried to grab Rafiki away from Mitsue. However, the monkey crawled away from Yo's hands. This is getting annoying. I am not a tree this monkey can jump around whenever it likes to. Can someone take this monkey away from me!

"Why don't you come with me?" Yo shouted at Rafiki.

Rafiki only stared at Yo as it rested on Mitsue's shoulder.

Defeated, Yo walked back to her seat, pouting and hunched over. "The monkey has defeated me yet again…" Yo mumbled. Why does she want to take Rafiki? Does she even know how troublesome this guy is? Does she know it does not care for personal boundaries? It topples over every object it touches. It drags everyone who comes into contact into trouble! Wait a minute… Was I describing Rafiki or Yo? I guess she is obsessed with this monkey because they are kindred spirits.

The three men walked over to the table. Kaito sat beside Hiroto while Mitsue sat at the end of the table. Across him was none other than Kai.

Smilingly, Kai was staring at Mitsue while his head is rested on his arms. The drama writer did not do anything to hide his taunting face. Although Kai's stare was bothersome, Mitsue only looked at Naoki. Just ignore the dummy in front of you. Don't look at him. Don't say anything. Don't fight with him. Just stay still.

Finally, Kai spoke. "Psst… Psst… Psst…"

Ignore him. He must be talking to the monkey, not me. It couldn't be me. Just let it go.

After a few seconds, Kai continued, "Mitsue! Hey! Mitsue! Hey!"

Don't look at him. After letting out a sigh, Mitsue continued to only look at Naoki.

"Mitsue, I know you can hear me. Don't ignore me!" Kai continued.

I am not obligated to respond to you. You can talk to me all you want but I am not conversing with you.

"Tell me the truth. You only killed Kia to get her monkey, didn't you?" Kai asked, chuckling.

This moron is really trying to get under my skin. Mitsue was slowly curling his hand into fists under the table.

Suddenly, Kai broke into laughter. Pointing at Mitsue, he shouted, "You look hilarious with Rafiki sitting on your shoulder! To think that you attempted to murder its previous owner is mind-blowing. And, the fact that it ended up getting attached to you is brilliant! You are the personification of irony! I am having a blast just looking at you!"

Mitsue began grinding his molars. Just shut up Mitsue! Don't fucking feed him with more shit to talk about. Just let him continue until he grows tired of it. He will eventually stop.

Kai tilted his head and began pouting. Staring at Mitsue, Kai commented, "You are so quiet today! You are not even reacting to me. It feels like I am talking to Hiroto. I am getting zero reaction from you. You are so boring! Can't you even give me at least a snappy comeback? I have always loved your comebacks! They are always spectacular. What happened to you?"

Finally, this dumbass gave up. We can finally continue with our meeting in peace. Just stay like this the whole time. Nothing can trigger you if you let them. Control yourself. Kai cannot get the best of you right now. Just shut the fuck up and listen.

Suddenly, Kai shouted, "I get it now! You must be making a new masterplan to kill someone! That is why you have been quiet! You are focusing on creating the perfect plan! That is the case, isn't it?"

In a flash, Mitsue slammed his hands onto the table, stood up from his seat, and grabbed Kai by his collar. Yanking him upward, Mitsue glared at Kai. I had it with this douchebag! Does he have to really keep on teasing me until I react like this?

The hall grew silent. Everyone's focus shifted to the two men.

"Mitsue, just calm down. I know what Kai said was disgusting and uncalled for but please don't hurt him. Don't let your anger blind you. Gently put him down and forgive him. Let the Lord give him his punishment. Just like the bible says, a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." Mizuki shared, tugging Mitsue's shirt.

"Please don't kill me! Have mercy on me!" Kai mockingly shouted, winking at Mitsue. "I am sorry for crossing the line this time! Please don't hurt me! I won't do it again. I swear!"

What am I doing? I am just making my situation worse. I let my temper get the best of me again. I told myself I will not react to what Kai will say to me but, now, here I am, holding Kai by the collar. This is ridiculous and utterly pathetic. Rolling his eyes, Mitsue let go of Kai and sat down.

As he was sitting down, Kai added, "Thank you for letting go, oh merciful one." The drama writer winked at Mitsue before turning to Naoki.

"I am sorry everyone for causing a scene." Mitsue shouted.

"Don't worry! We understand that you cannot help it. It is in your genes to be as aggressive as a crocodile. It is only natural for you to solve everything with violence. That is the kind of person you are." Akari commented while looking at her nails. I cannot say anything to that. She is kind of right. I have solved everything with violence up to this point. I should really work on this.

"Akari, can you please refrain from making any snide comments as well?" Mizuki shared.

Everyone was surprised to hear the sweet little Mizuki advise the diva that is Akari. Did Mizuki reprimand Akari? I did not expect that. Mizuki has been sharing bible verses and pieces of advice here and there but she has never been one to give someone a piece of advice this upfront.

"Are you talking to me?" Akari asked, pointing to herself.

"I am. I understand you are not particularly excited to be around Mitsue and you are not alone with that but your comments make the situation a lot more uncomfortable. We are all young adults. I hope all of us can be civil enough when we are together." Mizuki shared, gesturing to everyone.

"Whatever!" Akari shrugged it off, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

"Can we proceed now to the group meeting? Isn't that why all of us are gathered here? I would really love to get out of here as soon as possible." Kaito shared, raising his hand.

"That is right! Let us proceed to our meeting, my great leader!" Kaoru commented, turning to Naoki.

Kai, covering his mouth, whispered, "I cannot believe that guy can switch his loyalty that quickly. He is like Severus Snape when I was reading Harry Potter. I will never know where he stands until the moment when it counts the most comes."

The only person in the room who heard Kai's comment was the person closest to him, Mitsue. It is kind of weird how Kaoru quickly changed sides. The way he rejected me that night wasn't because of the murder. I could tell it was only because our group chose a new leader. He did not even bother to hide it. He flat out told me I am not his leader anymore and would not be following me blindly. I knew he had been blindly following me but to think he also knew that is interesting. He abandoned his own will because of his leader. I wonder how long he can keep up with blindly following someone's lead. Eventually, his wishy-washy attitude when it comes to loyalty will come back to bite him in the ass someday. I am sure of it.

Tapping on the table, Naoki stood up, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Let's listen to our great Naoki!" Kaoru shared with everyone.

"Um… Before I start… um… I would like to… um… share how… um… flattered and… um… surprised I am… um… to be chosen as your… um… leader…" Naoki shared.

"There is no need to be surprised! You have everything that a great leader needs! Sooner or later, you would have been recognized for these and chosen as our leader!" Kaoru commented. Another classic kiss-ass comment from Kaoru. Was he this kiss-ass when I was the leader?

"Kaoru is right. It wouldn't be long until the group would have noticed your abilities." Akari added, nodding.

Naoki does have all it takes to be a great leader. He is smart. He does show compassion towards others. He has a sense of justice. But, he has a flaw and a big one at that. He is a poor communicator. He rarely talks. And, when he talks, he stutters. He cannot command a room like that. If he is the leader, he has to work on that.

"Um… Thank you for your… um… flattery…" Naoki added.

"There is no need to thank us for stating the obvious." Kaoru commented.

Mitsue looked around and saw Kaya rolling her eyes.

"Um… Please… um… let me… um… finish…" Naoki asked.

"Sorry, my leader! Please continue!" Kaoru replied.

"Um… Thank you for… um… thinking of me… um… as a possible leader but… um… I would like to… um… turn down the… um… position…" Naoki revealed.

"What? You don't want to be the leader?" Akari asked.

Naoki shook his head.

"This is a shocking development! I wonder how this meeting will end." Kai commented, snickering ominously.

That was a surprise. I never thought anyone would turn down the offer of being the leader but I can see why he does not want to do it.

"But, why? You fit the role perfectly!" Kaoru added.

"Um… I don't… um… think I will be… um… a great leader… um… I usually… um… work alone… um… I don't work in… um… teams… um… If I take the… um… reins like this… um… I feel like I will… um… only… um… hold everyone back… um… I think… um… this is the… um… right thing… um… to do… um… It is better to… um… find yourself… um… a new leader…" Naoki explained.

"Naoki, you cannot just quit a position that important. Have you even tried doing it? You should give it a go first before backing down. You have what it takes so go with it. Don't just throw in the towel like that. I don't think it is okay for you to just give up without trying." Akari added.

Naoki does have a point. Being a leader means you have to be able to work with other people well. Most of the time, he is sequestered from the group. He is as much of a loner as Hiroto is. The only difference those two have is Naoki responds to them. If he cannot cooperate properly in group works, what more can he do as a leader?

"Um… Another problem… um… I have with this… um… job is that… um… I need to be… um… a great… um… communicator… um… As you can see… um… I am not… um… the best at… um… talking to people… um… I stutter a lot… um… I don't think I will be… um… able to enforce… um… order in my current… um… state… um… I don't want to… um… cause chaos… um… within the group… um… just because of my… um… speech impediment…" Naoki added.

"That is not really a problem. If you are worried about that, you can just assign someone as your spokesperson." Kai suggested as he rested his head on the table. "Just because you cannot speak properly does not mean you cannot lead properly. Although verbal communication is important, there are ways to get around your problem. I could think of so many solutions for your predicament. If you do not want the job, just say that you do not want it, plain and simple. Don't make up any excuses."

"Um… But… um… I am not… um… making up any… um… excuses… um… These are my… um… legitimate concerns…" Naoki replied.

Kai is only trying to stir shit even at that lazy state. I don't think Naoki is making up these excuses. What he has pointed are legitimate worries. If he did not care about the group and the position, he would not be confessing to these weaknesses that he has. He would have just accepted it and let everyone let loose. He would not have bothered to meet us like this. This meeting is not just made to let us know his decision but, I am guessing, to also give us the chance to properly select a new leader.

"Um… I really… um… don't think I should… um… be in charge… um… like this… um… Please… um… use this time to… um… pick someone else as… um… your new… um… leader…" Naoki added. I knew it. He was going to use this opportunity for an election. The question now is "Will the others agree with him?".

"I still think you should be the leader, Naoki. You really have a lot of potential to be a great leader. All you have to do is to trust your gut in making the decisions. You have helped me out a lot so I know what you can do for everyone. Please reconsider Naoki!" Akari continued to plead to Naoki.

"Naoki, you are a great leader. Even for such a short amount of time, I saw your greatness in everything you did. You tried your hardest in being the best leader you can be for the group. You have always put everyone's needs first before yours. Even now, this decision of yours shows how great of a leader you truly are. You are doing this because you are not sure if you are good enough. But, I think this further proves that you are a great leader. A great leader is someone who can assess themselves from time to time to adjust themselves for the sake of the people that depend on them." Kaoru added. What a crock of bullshit is that, Kaoru? He has been a leader for a day. How the hell can you say this much about him during that short period?

"I think you should still try it, Naoki. If you think you are not good enough, you can always lean onto the Lord and he will bless you with wisdom on how to lead his people as he did with Peter. All you have to do is believe in yourself and believe in the power of the Lord." Mizuki shared.

Everyone seemed to agree with the sentiments of the three. Even though Naoki presented to them his weaknesses, they still want to allow him to lead them. I think that should be worth noting. It is not all the time when people acknowledge their leaders after showing them a sliver of their weakness.

"Naoki, if I may share my thoughts, I think you should still give it a try." Mitsue shared, surprising everyone.

"Oooh… The previous leader is endorsing the people's choice as well. This is interesting. I wonder if Mitsue has an ulterior motive for doing so." Kai commented.

"Kai, stop making up stories." Mitsue replied. Turning back to Naoki, Mitsue shared, "I genuinely think you should do it. Even after telling everyone that you think you will suck at being their leader, they still want you. That should speak volumes about their confidence in you. If you turned out to be right that you are not the person for the job, they can always tell you that and pick a new one for the task. At this point, the only way for them to change their minds is if they see that you are bad at it."

"Mitsue is right. We will not change our minds until we see that you are not the right fit for the job." Otoha added.

Looking around, Naoki only saw certainty in everyone's faces. Lowering his face, Naoki told the group, "Fine… I will do it…" Then, he let out a sigh.

"Yeah! I am so happy you are still our leader!" Akari shouted.

"Do not worry Naoki! You will be great at your job! I am sure of it!" Kaoru shared.

Do the job Naoki. Even though you have a weakness to work on, I can still see you being a great leader. Do a better job than I did. Take care of everyone on this island. I know you can do that. I have a feeling you will do just fine.

Raising his head, Naoki added, "Um… But… um… can I… um… do it in… um… one condition?"

"Dude, what is it?" Connor asked.

"Um… Can I… um… ask two other… um… people to… um… lead with… um… me?" Naoki asked the group.

Surprised, everyone stared at Naoki. He does not want to lead alone. This is interesting. I wonder who those two other people will be. But before that, he should tell us why he wants to lead with other people.

"Why have two more leaders?" Kaito asked.

"Um… I thought… um… it would be… um… better to… um… divide… um… the power… um… I have over… um… everyone to prevent… um… me from… um… abusing it… um… Although… um… there are… um… three of us… um… we will act as… um… one unit… um… In making decisions… um… we will have to… um… talk about it… um… I don't like… um… the idea… um… of being the… um… only one to… um… make the decisions… um… It is better to have… um… more input… um… when it comes to… um… decision-making…" Naoki explained.

I don't think his reasoning is wrong but I feel like having three heads work as one will be too much. They might butt heads with each other but I think that is what Naoki wants. He wants to have a discourse with other people when making decisions. I am not totally against it but I am skeptical if it will work. I guess it will depend on who he will choose as his partners.

"Who are these two?" Kaya asked as she casually took a sip of her chocolate milk.

"Um… I was thinking of… um… Mizuki and… um… you…" Naoki answered looking at Kaya.

Unable to stop herself, Kaya spitted out her drink onto the person sitting across her which was Akari.

Immediately, Akari shouted, "This is disgusting! Ewww! Kaya spitted on me!" Akari panicked as she fanned her hands in front of her face.

Quickly, Otoha ran to the kitchen and grabbed a box of tissue. Right away, Otoha began wiping the minuscule dots of chocolate milk that made it onto her.

"Oh my gosh! I feel like I am dripping in Kaya's saliva!" Akari cried.

What an overreaction! First of all, it is chocolate milk, not saliva. Secondly, you are hardly dripping in anything. There are only like seven tiny itty bitty dots of chocolate milk on you and your dress. Most of it landed on the table. Lastly, you don't have to have Otoha wiping the chocolate milk off of your face. You are a grown-ass woman. You can wipe it off yourself. I really wonder how you survive your daily life without a personal assistant. I pity whoever becomes your lover. They will be having an incredibly needy girlfriend for a partner.

"I am sorry Akari. I did not mean to spray you with chocolate milk." Kaya said as she helped Otoha wipe the table.

"You totally did it on purpose!" Akari continued.

"I did not! Why do I even bother apologizing…" Kaya replied, rolling her eyes.

After a few minutes, the two ladies were done wiping the table. At once, Kaya asked Naoki, "Why me?"

"Um… I think you are… um… one of the most… um… logical people… um… on this island… um… And… um… you are… um… vocal with… um… your thoughts… um… I would love… um… to have… um… a great thinker and… um… speaker by my… um… side…" Naoki answered.

Kaya does seem like a perfect candidate for that. But, just like Naoki, Kaya is anti-social. Is it really a good idea to have two anti-social people to lead the group?

"You want me to join you because I am a smart uninhibited woman, is that it?" Kaya clarified.

"Exactly…" Naoki nodded.

"I don't want the job…" Kaya shared to the group, shaking her head defiantly.

"Woah! It actually makes sense bruh! You would do well with your job. And, you two have been working together already. You must have great synergy at this point! What a dream pairing!" Connor commented.

Suddenly, Kai stood up, pointing at Kaya and Naoki. Out of nowhere, he began his monologue. "From co-workers to co-leaders, will romance blossom between the two loners-turned-leaders in the following days as they navigate their way in doing their job and possibly to each other's hearts? Tune in to find out what will happen to Leaders In Love!"

Some of the people cheered for Kai's tease.

"Shut up Kai! Nothing like that will ever happen between the two of us! Plus, we are not a duo. We also have Mizuki as part of the unit." Kaya shouted.

"Wait! Does that mean you are agreeing to be Naoki's co-leader?" Kaoru asked.

"I really do not want to do it but I don't think I can reject the offer since Naoki will reject the position as well if I don't accept it." Kaya answered. Turning to Naoki, Kaya shouted, "Expect from me the barest minimum expected of a leader. I will not go above and beyond if I do not have to."

"Just say that you want to lead with Naoki by your side. Yie!" Kai shouted with some of them following him in cheering the two.

After a few seconds of continuous cheering, Naoki covered his face from blushing. "Um… Please… um… stop… um… It is… um… embarrassing…"

Out of nowhere, Akari slammed her hand on the table. "Stop it already! Let's move on so we can finish this meeting." Akari shouted, rolling her eyes. Immediately, the group continued with the meeting.

"May I ask why you wanted me as well as part of the unit?" Mizuki asked, raising her hand.

"Um… I wanted you as… um… the moral compass of the… um… unit… um… If things were left with… um… just me and Kaya… um… I think we might… um… make decisions that are… um… inconsiderate of… um… everyone else…" Naoki explained.

"If that is the case, I will gladly join the unit. I hope I will be able to be of great help in making decisions. I hope God will guide me in doing this new role that I have been given. Lord, use me as your vessel in helping everyone navigate through our new found life on this island." Mizuki commented.

"With that, we have three new leaders for our group! Let's cheer for our great Naoki, Kaya, and Mizuki!" Kaoru shouted clapping his hands.

Everyone began clapping as well. We have three new leaders and unique ones at that; a stuttering intellectual, an opinionated woman, and a morally bounded person. I wonder how these three will function. I hope Naoki and Mizuki can be firm against Kaya when needed. I hope Kaya and Naoki will be considerate of Mizuki when the time calls for it. And, I hope Mizuki and Kaya will be able to clearly understand at all times.

"Um… Speaking for… um… the three of us… um… I promise we will… um… do our best in… um leading this group… um… Please cooperate with us… um… as we… um… try to lead this… um… group… um… Help us… um… help you…" Naoki shared.

"Well said, my leader!" Kaoru shouted.

"Dude, I am excited to see how the three of you will do!" Connor commented.

"All three of you will do well, especially Naoki." Akari shared.

"Good luck!" Otoha shared, clapping her hands.

"I hope there will not be any internal conflict because that will be a juicy bit of drama." Kai sarcastically mumbled.

"Don't jinx them!" Yo shouted, slapping Kai at the back of his head.

"Thank you, everyone! We will not waste your support! As a unit, we will do our very best!" Mizuki added.

"All I can promise is that I will try to be as fair as possible…" Kaya mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Now that you have accepted the daunting task of being the leaders of the group, what will be the first thing you want to implement or change? Do you have any plan in mind already?" Kaoru asked.

"Um… Actually… um… I have been… um… thinking about… um… changing the pairings… um… for the… um… daily tasks…" Naoki shared.

"You want to fix the system for the daily tasks? Is there anything wrong with the current setup? I think I am perfectly fine with the way things are." Yo asked.

"Same with Yo. Do we really have to change it?" Akari asked. You are okay with it because you don't help Yo and Yo just lets you get away with it. I really do not get why Yo cannot be assertive with Akari. Nothing is terrifying about that woman. Whenever Yo is around that lady, she panics as if she is talking to a person of nobility.

"Um… There is nothing… um… wrong with… um… the system… um… I just think… um… based on… um… what had happened… um… recently and… um… from my… um… observation… um… the pairings need to… um… be changed… um… so that everything… um… will be… um… more efficient." Naoki shared.

"Great thinking, my leader! With your wise guidance, we will be more efficient in doing our chores!" Kaoru commented.

"Do you already have an idea about the new pairings?" Otoha asked.

"Um… I already know… um… who I want to… um… pair up… um… but I want to… um… discuss it first with… um… Kaya and Mizuki… um… I want their… um… input on the… um… pairings…" Naoki answered.

"Why don't you three talk about it now? I am sure the three of you will be able to make a quick decision since Naoki already has an idea of who to pair up with. If you don't agree with some of the pairings, I am sure you will be able to fix it immediately." Otoha suggested.

"I agree with Otoha. Let us talk about it now so we can get it out of the way already. With the new pairings, everyone will be able to do their new jobs starting today. What do you say, Mizuki and Naoki?" Kaya agreed.

"I think it is a great idea! I am sure we will be able to come up with something quickly!" Mizuki replied, nodding.

"Um… Okay…" Naoki agreed.

Pushing Kaya and Mizuki out of their seats, Yo shouted, " Go to the corner and talk it out now! I am excited to find out who my new partner will be!"

"Why do you sound excited to have a new partner?" Akari asked.

"I am not excited to lose you as my partner. I like working with you." Yo weakly smiled. "What I am excited about are the new groupings. That is all." Yo nervously laughed. Why does she try so hard to please Akari? I really don't get it.

"We will go ahead then." Kaya shared, standing up from her seat.

The three leaders walked to the corner and began discussing the new groupings, leaving everyone else at the table left with nothing to do.

Tapping on the table while laying his head on it, Kai randomly mumbled, "Who do you guys want to be partnered with? Let's start with Yo. Who do you want to be partnered with?"

"Me?" Yo asked, pointing at herself.

"Who is your dream partner?" Kai asked.

"I am fine with anyone." Yo answered.

"Really?" Kai sat up straight. "But, I heard you before complaining under your breath that you wished you were partnered with someone else."

Looking at Akari, Yo replied, "That is not true! Please do not believe anything he says, Akari!" Kai is stirring shit up again.

"Is that the truth? Do you hate or like being partnered with Akari? Make up your mind." Kai asked.

"I like Akari as my partner." Yo answered.

"Will you be sad if you are partnered with someone else?" Kai asked.

"I will be." Yo answered, nodding.

"Are you going be so sad that you might possibly ask to stay partners with Akari if you ever get a new one?" Kai smilingly taunted.

"Aaah…" Yo frantically looked at Kai and Akari. Just tell the fucking truth. You don't like being with her. Nobody does. All she talks about is her beauty. And, if she is not talking about it, she is most likely complaining about something else. That is why no one can stand her.

"There is no need to answer him. He is not worth answering." Mitsue advised. I don't get why you don't want to admit it but you must have a reason for it. If you don't want to tell us, then no one should try to force the answer out of you.

"Why give an advice all of a sudden?" Kai commented, turning to Mitsue. "What about you? Who is your dream partner?"

Don't talk to him. Don't let him get the best of you again.

"Why are you not answering? Don't you have one? Well, it isn't like it matters. Nobody in this room probably wants to work with you. Who would want to work with someone who tried to commit murder? I know I want to stay away from you. If I was paired up with you, I would be scared for my life all the time. I will not be able to work properly thinking you might try to kill me anytime I lower my defense." Kai added.

I can't get mad at him because it is the truth. Only an idiot would be dumb enough to want me as their dream partner. They would be better off with someone else. Honestly, I don't think I should be even paired with anyone. I will only be bothersome to them.

After a few minutes, the three leaders rejoined the table.

"Um… We… um… already… um… made up our… um… minds… um… Kaya will… um… share what… um… we talked about…" Naoki shared.

"First of all, we have decided that everyone will be in charge of doing their laundry. No one will wash your clothes for you. If you do not know how to do your laundry, learn how to do it. We do not care if you do not know. Just learn it on your own." Kaya shared.

"I will be carrying my laundry all the way to the laundry room on my own? I cannot do that! If I sweat too much, my face might break out with pimples!" Akari asked.

"It is your problem, not ours." Kaya commented, staring at Akari.

"Ugh!" Akari shouted, flicking her hair.

"Secondly, two pairs will remain the same. Naoki and I will still be in charge of the radio shack while Mizuki and Kai are in charge of washing the dishes." Kaya added.

"I am still stuck with Mizuki? Really? I wanted someone new to play with." Kai commented. Poor Mizuki… I hope she will do fine with that scumbag.

"Here are the new pairs. Hiroto, you will still be in charge of raking but you are partnered with Mitsue." Kaya shared. I think I will be fine with Hiroto. He is not the complaining type. I think we will get along just fine. Mitsue turned to Hiroto who was already looking at him. Hiroto nodded, staring only at Mitsue. It seems like he is fine with it as well.

"Akari, since you do not like collecting trash, we decided to assign you to another job. You will be in charge of cleaning this hall with Connor." Kaya added.

"Dude, that is awesome! I am looking forward to working with you Akari!" Connor commented. I pity you. Akari will most likely not help you. She will find a way to complain about it.

"I am glad I am done with garbage collection duty!" You never collected trash with you! What do you mean you are glad you are done with it? You never started doing it! How can you be done when you never began?

"The new pair in charge of garbage collection is Yo and Kaoru." Kaya shared.

"Amazing decision my leaders! I promise I will do the job you have assigned me properly!" Kaoru shouted.

"Yeah! I loved working with Kaoru last time!" Yo cheered, free of stress. She is that happy to be paired with someone new. I can't blame her. I would be happier if I was her if I received the news that I will not be working with someone like Akari.

"That leaves us with Otoha and Kaito. You will be in charge of cooking." Kaya said, looking at the two.

"Let's work together properly, Kaito!" Otoha smilingly told Kaito.

"No! I don't want to be in charge of cooking! Please assign me something else!" Kaito asked.

"What is the problem? Mizuki told us you know how to cook." Kaya asked.

"I don't want to cook for everyone. I don't want that kind of responsibility. Just give me something else. Please!" Kaito answered.

"But, if we do that, Otoha will be left alone in the kitchen. Are you fine with cooking every meal on your own?" Kaya asked Otoha.

"If Kaito does not want to cook, then I don't think it is right to force him. You don't need to worry about me. I can cook on my own." Otoha answered.

"But, we can't let Kaito not do anything. What should we assign him with?" Mizuki commented.

"If that is the case, help Hiroto and Mitsue in raking. Is that okay?" Kaya asked.

"I am fine with raking." Kaito nodded. I don't mind Kaito joining us. We have toured the new area together. I think the three of us just get along quite well. I wonder what Hiroto thinks.

Mitsue turned to Hiroto and found him glaring at the astrophysicist. Why is he looking at Kaito that way again? He has been like that to Kaito since yesterday. Poor Kaito. What did he do to you?

Moving away from Hiroto, Kaito commented, "Thinking about it, I think I am better off with cleaning hall, if it is alright with Akari and Connor."

Wrapping his arm over Kaito, Connor commented, "Dude, it is perfectly fine with me! As they say, the more, the merrier! I am looking forward to working with you bro!"

Whispering to himself, Kai commented, "It does not really matter where Kaito goes. He will still be useless." What did he just say? Don't say things like that about Kaito!

With all of his might, Mitsue kicked Kai to his shin under the table.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Kai shouted, rubbing his knee.

"What are you talking about?" Mitsue asked, acting clueless.

"With everything settled, we can adjourn this meeting. You can go back to whatever you were doing." Kaya said, walking straight out of the room first. After that, everyone left the hall one by one leaving Mitsue alone.

Before leaving, Mitsue visited the vending machine. "Let's get ourselves breakfast." Mitsue told the monkey on his shoulder.

Pointing at the machine and scanning through its contents, Mitsue shared, "I will be eating this pack of chips. What about you? Which fruit do you want?"

The monkey's eyes shifted from left to right looking at the machine. After a few seconds, the monkey stopped and had its eyes fixated on one item. Staring at the bag of sliced apples, Rafiki screamed, "ah ah ah ooh ooh ah"

"Sliced apples it is." Mitsue replied, choosing the apples. It did not take long for the machine to release their food. Right away, Mitsue collected their breakfast from the machine. After that, the two went back to their room and ate their breakfast enjoying each other's company.


It was past two in the afternoon and the sun is at its peak. Its scorching heat is felt throughout the island, making the campers move more sluggishly than they would normally do. The heatwave was unbearable that most of them stayed inside their cabin where they are protected from the blazing heat and accompanied by the cooling breeze of their AC unit.

Unlike most of their fellow campers who had their lunch hours ago, Mitsue and Rafiki only had finished their lunch. After finishing their meal, the two of them went back to their cabin. As they were walking, Mitsue could not help but think about the food he ate. This is the fourth meal I had that was left out for me since yesterday. I know it was for me. All of it had a label with my name on it. Who keeps leaving food for me? Could it be Otoha? I don't think so. Back then, when we would leave food for those who didn't join us to eat, she would just leave it in the kitchen and not put a label on it. Whoever it is, I am thankful but I still want to know who they are and why they are doing this.

It did not take long for the two to reach their cabin. As soon as they went inside, Rafiki jumped off of Mitsue and ran towards the bed. Instantly, the capuchin monkey lied down on it and fell asleep right away. I know how you feel Rafiki. I feel like sleeping as well. The heat drained me. I don't know how anyone can tolerate the heatwave outside. I am not usually bothered by the sun but this is on another level.

After brushing his teeth, he lied down on his bed beside the monkey and closed his eyes. Time to take a quick nap. Just relax and don't think about anything. You usually do not have this silence often. Relish in it and enjoy it while it lasts. As much as Mitsue wanted to enjoy his peace, it was cut short by a knock on the door. Who the fuck is it this time?

Annoyed, Mitsue got up from his bed and slowly made his way to the door. "I am coming!" Mitsue shouted as he hesitantly made his way. I will continue my nap later. If this is not about something important, I will be fucking pissed.

It did not take long for Mitsue to reach the door. Opening his door, Mitsue asked, "Who is it?"

The man in front of the door waved his hand, greeting Mitsue, "Hey dude! It is me, Connor!" What does he want from me?

"What do you want?" Mitsue asked, raising his right eyebrow.

"Bro, I was just thinking, if you have nothing to do, maybe you and I can tour the new area together. I was thinking of taking a chill stroll in the new area would be great! I thought it would be fun to look around with you dude! What do you say?" Connor answered smilingly.

"You haven't taken a look at the new area?" Mitsue asked.

"I have but I thought looking around again wouldn't hurt. So, what do you say my man?" Connor asked. Your man?

"I have already seen enough of the new area. I already toured the area yesterday." Mitsue answered.

"You did?" Connor replied with a shocked expression. Why is he surprised to know I saw the area already? It is common sense to search that area as soon as it was opened.

"Yes, I looked around with Kaito and Hiroto." Mitsue added.

"Oh, you toured with Kaito and Hiroto? Bro, that is good to hear you saw the placealready!" Connor commented, nodding.

"If that is all, I am going back inside." Mitsue said, slowly closing his door.

"Wait!" Connor shouted.

"What?" Mitsue asked. Leave me alone! I want to take my nap!

"Bro, I am in the mood to play tennis. Wanna join me? You look like you would be great to play with." Connor answered. Playing tennis under this heat? No way!

"Connor, I don't know how to play tennis. If you want to play with someone so badly, go ask Hiroto. He knows how to play and looks like he can be a competent opponent." Mitsue shared.

"Hiroto knows how to play tennis?" Connor asked.

"He told me he learned how to play it when he was growing up in France." Mitsue answered.

"I did not know that about Hiroto… That is cool to know. The dude is so weird. He would not talk to anyone. But, the fact that he told you that is amazing bro!" Connor commented. It kinda is…

"If there is nothing else, I am going inside." Mitsue said, clutching on the doorknob.

"Dude, don't close your door! How about joining me to practice playing the saxophone? Wouldn't you want to hear me play the saxophone? And, I could improve my skill based on your comment, bro!" Connor added. Why does he keep changing his mind on what he wants to do?

"I don't know anything about the saxophone. If you want helpful comments, ask Kaito instead. He plays the saxophone." Mitsue shared.

"No way dude! Kaito can play the saxophone?" Connor asked.

"He learned how to play it when he was young. He still plays it from time to time as a hobby." Mitsue answered.

"That is amazing bro! But, how did you know that?" Connor asked.

"He told me and Hiroto before playing the saxophone for us." Mitsue shared.

"Aw! Dude, I wish was there! You should have asked me to join you guys as well! I didn't know you three are that close! Man, do you three hangout or something? Can I join your three-man squad too!" Connor asked. Three-man squad?

"We don't plan hanging out." Mitsue answered.

"Of course! It is probably a spur-of-the-moment when it comes to the three of you. That means you three just hang out whenever you feel like it! That is awesome!" Connor commented. No! It is not like that! We are not a squad! It just ended up that way! And, why is he still here?

"What do you really want from me? I kept turning down your offer and you are still here. What is it? Just say it." Mitsue asked, looking at Connor straight in the eyes.

"Dude, don't be angry at me…" Connor lowered his head, fiddling with his hand. "I just wanted to hang out with you bro to make sure if you are okay. You have been cooping inside your cabin for two days now, man. I was worried you weren't doing fine but, clearly, you are with your best buds. Hearing you have great friends like Kaito and Hiroto is relieving…" Connor smilingly answered. He was worried about me? I thought Connor is only a chill fun-time kind of guy. I didn't think he worries about other people like this.

"Thank you for your concern but I am doing fine. I am trying to be okay on my own. And, I am not really alone. I have a stupid monkey with me who is sleeping on my bed right now. If I need help, I will ask for it." Mitsue shared.

"That is good to know bro! Just tell me if you need anything, okay? Like, I will help you out even when it comes to food. Have you eaten lunch already?" Connor asked.

"I just did. Someone left out a plate of food for me." Mitsue shared.

"That is good to know. Who saves food for you?" Connor asked.

"I don't know. I just find a plate for me in the hall. Do you know anything about this?" Mitsue shared.

"No dude… I cannot think of anyone who would do that. Do you want me to help you find out who is saving food for you?" Connor asked.

"No, thanks. I think I can do that on my own." Mitsue answered.

"Okay, just tell me dude if you need anything. Also, tell me if you guys are planning to hang out again! I really want to join your bro squad!" Connor said, waving goodbye to Mitsue. I am so sorry to disappoint you but there is no bro squad.

"I will take note of that." Mitsue nodded.

After that, Connor turned around and went on his way. As Connor was going down the stairs of Mitsue's front porch, Kaoru appeared out of nowhere. Seeing this, Mitsue waited for the two to leave before closing his door.

"Hey little dude!" Connor greeted the aromatherapist.

"Hello Connor and Mitsue! Naoki wants everyone to go to the radio shack now." Kaoru greeted the two.

Taking a step outside of his cabin, Mitsue asked, "Why? What happened?"

"Naoki said Kaya discovered a new transmission. He wants the group to hear it together." Kaoru answered. A new transmission? We haven't received one for a while. It must be important. I wonder what it could be about. I hope it will be good news for all of us.

"Okay! I will go grab my monopad first." Mitsue went inside his cabin and took his monopad with him. After that, the three men made their way to the radio shack to hear the new transmission.


That is it for this update! I hope everyone enjoyed it!

A lot of things were introduced in this update! Our group has chosen their new leaders and we have new groupings for the chores. What do you think about this development? What are your thoughts on the possible radio transmission? What are also your thoughts on the short FTE of Connor? You can tell me your thoughts and theories through the comments.

If you want to talk about this story and other fun stuff, you can always join the discord server for this story. The invite is on my profile.

That is it for now!

Stay safe!