The night had fallen quite ,but on the balcony , Ethan and Aiko where still talking softly. They had spent hours discussing their plan, sharing thoughts and laughing under the dim glow of moon.The air was cool , and they were unaware of how late it had gotten.
The next morning, Ethan and Aiko woke up late. The sunlight was already shining brightly when Ethan blinked his eyes open, realizing they had overslept.
Aiko groaned as she sat up. "I didn't realize how late it got," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "We should've gotten up earlier."
They quickly dressed and rushed downstairs, hoping they hadn't missed too much. When they entered the dining area, they found the rest of the team already seated and talking.
Kaito, as always, was the first to notice them. With a teasing smile, he raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, look who decided to join us this morning." His voice was light, but there was a playful edge to it. "What took you two so long?"
Before either Ethan or Aiko could respond, Liam piped up from the other side of the table. "Oh, they were talking all night, obviously," he said with a grin, nudging his elbow into Ethan's side.
Everyone burst into laughter. Even Kaito chuckled, but Ethan remained quiet. He glanced sideways at Liam, his face turning slightly red. There was something about the comment that didn't sit right with him. Aiko, on the other hand, flushed bright pink, clearly embarrassed.
She quickly looked down at her plate, avoiding everyone's gaze. The laughter around the table continued, but Ethan's quiet, almost angry look silenced the room. He didn't like being the center of attention like that.
For a brief moment, everything grew still. Then Kaito cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "Alright, enough teasing. Let's focus. We've got work to do today. Are we ready to head to the abandoned house?"
Yui, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. Her voice was steady, but there was concern in her eyes. "We need to understand more about that house. The locals know something we don't. It's been abandoned for years, but they never tore it down or built anything new there. There's a reason for that. It holds dangerous secrets."
The room went quiet again as everyone processed Yui's words. Ethan's mind was already racing, trying to piece together what it all meant. Something was off about the house, and it seemed like they were about to find out why.
Kaito broke the silence once again. "Alright, so where should we gather information? Any suggestions?"
Liam leaned forward, eager. "Should we just start asking around? Maybe talk to some locals?"
Ethan nodded. "Good idea. What do you think, Aiko?"
Aiko looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "My grandparents are from here. When I was little, they used to tell me stories about that abandoned house. They said it was a place full of strange happenings. Maybe we can ask them. They might know more."
The group fell silent for a moment, considering Aiko's suggestion. Then, one by one, everyone agreed.
"Let's do it," Kaito said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "We'll start by talking to your grandparents, Aiko. We need all the information we can get."
As the team stood up and prepared for the day ahead, a sense of purpose filled the air. They were getting closer to uncovering the mystery of the house, and no matter what they found, they were determined to face it together.