The sun had dipped behind the trees, casting long shadows across the stone pathways as we made our way back to the inn. Nao was walking in deep thought, Arisa was texting at least five people at once, and Yuki looked like she wanted to dissolve into mist just to avoid the small talk.

  Even Reina, quiet as ever, had that thoughtful frown like she was running simulations in her head. We pushed through the hotel's doors just as our homeroom teacher clapped their hands together near the lobby desk.

  "Everyone! Quick announcement before you all disappear into your futons!"

  Everyone groaned in unison.

  "This is about the cultural performance we're doing here at the end of the trip. The auditions for the play will take place tomorrow, early afternoon, so after breakfast, please take a moment to sign your name on the sheet here at the front desk if you want to try out for the role of the Princess and other minor roles. They'll look good on your college application forms!"

  There were no cheers, a few snickers, and a very audible "Not me, no way" From some poor guy at the back.

  "But!" The teacher added, raising a finger, "Try to decide tonight. No last-minute changes tomorrow. We want this to go smoothly."

  I nodded, even though I had no idea how I was gonna "go smoothly" through a potential stage kiss. Or survive if someone from my room won the role. Either way, I was screwed. The girls stepped forward almost immediately. Nao ran up first, nearly tripping over her own slippers.

  "ME!" she announced as she scribbled her name with determination.

  "Nao, please write your name so it's actually readable." The teacher let out a soft chuckle. Arisa followed, casually blowing on her nails before writing her name like it was a signature on a modelling contract. "This Princess is gonna be royalty."

  "Noelle?" I muttered under my breath.

  Then came Reina, silent, steady. She hesitated for only a second… Before putting her name down in small, careful letters.

  We all turned toward Yuki.

  She didn't even glance at the sign-up sheet.

  "Pass," she said, already walking toward the stairs.

  "Oh?" Arisa teased. "Scared of sharing the stage?"

  "I just don't want to be involved in something so... Stupid, I told you anyway once before that I'm not doing it," Yuki replied with a shrug.

  "Besides, none of you are winning against Shiori anyway."

  That shut everyone up fast.

  Yuki might have meant it as a jab, but the truth in her tone left a quiet tension in the air.

  "You don't mean that, right?" Reina asked.

  Yuki turned her head away. "Of course not, dummy." She replied, still pouting, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her; even Yuki couldn't make light of what they all knew to be true.

  "These girls are serious..." I thought, feeling a cold knot form in my stomach. Reina's slight smile wavered as she turned to face the others who were examining the forms. For a fleeting moment, I believed we could escape, retreat to our beds, and delay confronting this impending disaster.

  Until she arrived.

  The whispers erupted like wildfire through the lobby:

  "Oh my god, I heard she's destined for Hollywood after graduation."

  "They say she's got producers already interested in her."

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "If she's playing the Princess, they don't stand a chance."

  The door swung open with theatrical timing, and Shiori stepped into the room like she was crossing a red carpet. Each deliberate step she took commanded attention, pulling every gaze in the room toward her like she possessed some magnetic force. The air itself seemed to shift, becoming charged with tension.

  "Holy shi-" Arisa breathed, her voice strangled as she witnessed this display of natural-born stardom.

  Nao's brow furrowed deeply. "Why is she even here?" She asked, genuine confusion lacing her words.

  "Because she's in our class?" I replied, equally bewildered by the question.

  "Ohh yeah... Oops," Nao replied with a hollow smile, her usual bubbly confidence visibly deflating.

  The crowd of students parted before Shiori like subjects before royalty, creating a pathway for her as though her presence alone commanded respect. The silence that followed her was almost reverent.

  "Wait," Yuki hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I think Nao has a point. Why is she getting a registration form if you said she already signed up, Souta?"

  Oh shit.

  A cold realisation washed over me.

  I watched, paralysed, as Shiori collected her paper with elegant fingers, her eyes never leaving our group, a predator sizing up her prey.

  The truth hit me like a bucket of ice water.

  "Oh my god," I muttered, my voice barely audible. "She's doing this purely to intimidate them."

  Yuki's eyes flashed with fury, her fingers curling into tight fists. "What a skank," she seethed, venom dripping from every syllable.

  Before anyone could respond, we all froze as Shiori changed course. She wasn't heading for the exit or toward any friends…

  Did she even have any?

  I dunno, maybe not, never seen her with anyone?

  But directly toward us, a dangerous smirk played on her lips, her purpose clear in every calculated step.

  "Tch, what do you want?" Arisa demanded, instinctively positioning herself between Shiori and me like I was some prized trophy needing protection.

  "Hmph. Foolish girls," Shiori's voice sliced through the air, sharp and precise. "You actually believe you can defeat me?" Her tone made it sound like the most ridiculous concept in existence, her confidence suffocating.

  "Well, of course we can," Arisa shot back with a forced smile that didn't reach her eyes. Even I could see the lie in her words, the nervous sweat beading at her temple betraying her facade.

  Shiori's eyes glinted dangerously. "How... Convincing," she murmured, seeing straight through Arisa's bravado, twisting the knife deeper.

  "Shut up!" Nao shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Just watch, we'll crush you so completely you can crawl back to whatever cubby hole you came from!" Despite her intentions, her voice quavered, stripping away any semblance of threat.

  Shiori's laugh was cold, cutting. "HA! What a pathetic joke." Her eyes swept over each sister, lingering longer on me. "I thought I might be merciful, sparing you the humiliation of such a devastating defeat, but clearly you crave that punishment." She turned with a theatrical flourish, her movement graceful yet menacing, leaving us stunned in her wake.

  I watched her retreat, my heart pounding in my chest. The battlefield had been drawn, the challenge issued.

  World War III had officially begun, with me as both the battlefield and the unwilling prize, caught between formidable, beautiful combatants ready to tear each other apart.

  "Alright, separate now!" Our teacher kindly intervened, pulling Arisa and Shiori apart, who had been butting heads for too long.

  Thank you, ma'am; you've just saved me a whole lot of trouble.

  After a bit more trash talk from the not-so-confident Arisa and the extremely confident Shiori, we all vacated the area and headed back to our room. Walking down the corridor, I found myself in the middle of a four-person line, listening in on their squabble.

  "Honestly, who does she think she is?" Arisa complained. "I get that you're an actress, or should I say 'Aspiring one'." She continued with the worst impression of Shiori's voice I had ever heard. And I mean, it was astronomically bad, so bad that I'm relieved for you, it's just words you have to read.

  "Yeah, but, Arisa, she's just confident; you can't fault her for that," Nao replied, slightly bumping into Reina.

  "Yeah, but still…" Arisa said, biting her nail. "There was no need to act that confident," she muttered.

  "Either way, if you want to win, focus on the actual performance, sister," Yuki chimed in as she walked beside me. I made sure to walk as if I were in the military; I felt like even the slightest bump would get me accused of something heinous.

  "Yeah, true… But I guess," Arisa replied.

  "NGH!" I cried out as Arisa suddenly grabbed my arm. I could feel it, the amazing goodies touching me.

  "As long as we have this guy, we're winning, heh," she said with a grin.

  "BRAIN, STOP IT! STOP IT!" I shouted internally, feeling every curve of Arisa's breast.

  "Get off him," Yuki said, pulling my hand away.

  "Ohh~ Jelly," Arisa teased with a crude smile.

  "Tsch, we can't have this pervert getting the wrong idea," Yuki retorted.

  Meanwhile, I was thinking to myself… "Ahhhh, marshmallow heaven…" Already reminiscing about those ten seconds of unexpected pleasure.

  *

  The night had come, and now all the girls were asleep.

  Arisa was softly snoring on one side. Reina had mumbled herself to sleep next to me, her breath steady and warm. Nao had curled up under her blanket like a sleeping cat. And Yuki, of course, had planted herself all the way at the far end of the futons, back turned, silent as a ghost.

  The moonlight filtering through the paper-thin windows cast everything in silver and shadow. The hum of cicadas outside had finally dulled into a distant buzz.

  I should've been asleep by now.

  But I wasn't.

  My eyes were wide open, fixed on the ceiling, thoughts spinning around that stupid audition tomorrow.

  And Shiori.

  And the weird way the girls were acting.

  And maybe the way my heart wouldn't shut the hell up.

  I turned onto my side and shut my eyes.

  Just sleep.

  Just rest.

  Don't overthink it.

  Then...

  Creeeaaaak.

  My eyes snapped open again.

  The sliding door to the hallway. A faint sound, so faint it could've just been the wood settling, or wind brushing the frame.

  Or someone leaving.

  I held my breath.

  I listened.

  Silence.

  No footsteps.

  No sound.

  I slowly sat up, careful not to wake the others. My eyes were adjusting now, but even still, the hallway beyond the door was pitch black. Deeper than night.

  Was that real?

  I crawled over to the door, heart thudding now, not loudly, but with that slow, tight pressure that builds when you feel like you're being watched.

  The hallway was empty. No movement. Just the faint scent of old wood and tatami.

  But I swore I'd heard something.

  A slipper?

  The rustle of cloth?

  No way someone could've gotten that far without a single footstep.

  I looked back over my shoulder at the futons.

  Still full.

  All four girls were right there, sleeping peacefully, or at least pretending to.

  Maybe it was nothing.

  Maybe it was a dream.

  But when I slid the door shut again, that weird, cold feeling stayed in my chest.

  A whisper of doubt.

  A tickle of suspicion.

  It must have been my brain playing tricks on me.

  Must be.

  DeadEndYuto!