Confirming a New Life

"Submission successful." Heming had successfully submitted his hiding method.

In a few minutes, they would have to hide in the bathtub. It was already full of water, and the two of them would have to lie on their sides inside it. Heming couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed...

Fortunately, Rie seemed fairly calm so far. At least she wasn't blushing, even though Heming had already told her how they were going to hide...

Heming was a very composed person. He could say he wasn't nervous at all. In Rie's eyes, that was probably overconfidence. As for Heming, everything seemed to be within his grasp. He felt he could even guess where the others would search first, and where they would search next...

When the time came, they climbed into the bathtub full of water...

Rie held Heming underwater, pressed tightly against him. Heming lay completely still, perhaps wondering why Rie had suddenly become so bold...

"Heming, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but every time, I just couldn't bring myself to say it. Ever since my parents were killed, I've had no family left. Our clan is huge, but they don't like girls. I've never been to any of the clan gatherings, and I don't really have any friends. My parents and the arcade were my whole life. But... but ever since you came along, ever since I saw you in that game, I felt as if I'd found a member of my family. I like being with you. Even though we haven't known each other long, it feels as if we've known each other for a very, very long time. Then so many things happened, one after another. After my parents died, all I could do every day was think about you. Really. Back then, thinking about you was the only way I could get through each day..."

"Now that we can live together and fight together, I feel so happy. So, so happy..."

Heming suddenly blushed and threw his arms around Rie. "That's enough. I understand. The killers are coming. We can talk about this later..."

Rie nodded and pressed even closer to him...

Silence...

A few minutes later, the door opened...

The killers entered the room. A holographic image of them appeared in Heming and Rie's minds, marking them as targets...

There were two killers. Just as Heming had expected. They closed the door behind them, then walked to the bed and exchanged a few words. Unfortunately, Heming and Rie couldn't hear what they were saying.

Their first search was under the bed. Just as expected. Heming and Rie watched as the two of them searched together, but the killers shook their heads.

It was just as he'd predicted: they searched under the bed first. Heming was stunned...

Next, the two of them went to the wardrobe and opened every compartment. Disappointment struck again: their second search had failed, too. Would they succeed on either of their last two attempts? Maybe someone already knew the answer.

Heming smiled faintly. He thought, Next they'll search the bathroom window, then under the table.

He was exactly right. Heming's thoughts matched the killers' perfectly. They left the wardrobe and went straight into the bathroom, searching around the window. When they found no one, they hurried back to the living room to look under the table...

They'd used up all four searches. Heming had safely passed his first test. It had been thrilling. He hadn't let it show, but anyone could guess what he'd been thinking.

The killers left the room and closed the door behind them. Heming and Rie stood up in the bathtub and looked at each other. Perhaps they'd both been braver than ever just now...

"Can I take a bath?" Rie asked.

Heming nodded and murmured, "Sure," then left the bathroom. Sitting on the living room sofa, he thought back to what had just happened. Something seemed odd, though he couldn't put his finger on what...

Huh... nothing? Right... I didn't react? I didn't have the reaction a normal person should have just then... Why? Is it because of the Pitch Black Heart Method...?

Good thing I noticed early. This won't do. I'll have to ask Zeng and Deng about it tomorrow... This is a serious matter...

Meanwhile, Rie let the water run over her. I suddenly blurted everything out just now... Could that have confused Heming? Oh no, I can't let him lose focus now...

The more Heming thought about it, the more troubled and irritated he became. Eventually, he couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore. He'd ask Zeng and Deng tomorrow and find out. He took out his phone, but unfortunately, he couldn't use it here.

Judging by the route the killers had taken today, Heming was growing more certain of his theory. The first time, the killers hadn't expected to find someone for sure. They'd just searched to test the waters. If they found no one, they'd use what they'd learned to decide whether the target was worth killing. That was how most people thought: they wanted to start with the weak.

Of course, there were also killers who did the opposite. They deliberately searched places that were well hidden or where ordinary people wouldn't think to hide. Those killers were usually more dangerous...

Next, Heming had to figure out how to kill the sheep. His original plan had been to search the ceiling, the bathroom window, and the TV cabinet. But now he had to change his mind. He needed to consider both possibilities. If he chose only the more hidden places, he'd definitely kill the stronger targets but miss the weaker ones. So he swapped out the bathroom window and TV cabinet for under the table and behind the vanity. Those two places were more suitable...

"Heming-kun..." Rie spoke in Japanese. She hadn't spoken it in a while...

"Huh!... What is it?" Heming had been thinking. Rie's Japanese suddenly snapped him out of it...

"Um... could... could you scrub my back for me?..." Rie continued in Japanese, asking something incredibly bold...

"Ah... scrub your back..." Heming still hadn't fully come to his senses, and he didn't even know what he was saying.

"So you still can't do it, can you, Heming-kun? With me..." Rie's voice seemed to tremble with tears...

"Ah, no, that's not it. Wait a moment. I'll be right there..." Heming seemed to come around. Summoning his courage, he changed into a bathrobe, opened the door, and went into the bathroom...

Rie sat on a small stool beside the bathtub, completely uncovered. Anyone who'd lived in Japan knew this wasn't anything unusual, and that it carried a lot of meaning...

"Heming-kun, please sit behind me..." Rie seemed to be growing bolder by the moment...

Heming murmured his assent and sat down behind Rie. He picked up the towel from the basin and slowly began scrubbing her back...

"Heming-kun, I really want to know... how you feel about me... I mean... what you think of me..." Rie could have said it outright, but suddenly felt embarrassed and faltered...

"Rie... I... I like you..." To everyone's surprise, Heming spoke first...

"Ah... Heming-kun..." Rie suddenly turned around and threw herself into Heming's arms...

"Submission successful." Heming had successfully submitted his killing method to the computer. He'd chosen Room 3 on the sixth floor. Thirteen was a number many people disliked, so he wanted to test that idea. A solo kill...

"Rie, get some more rest, then we'll get ready to leave," Heming reminded her. She was lying on the bed.

Rie lay on the bed. After what they'd just done, she was exhausted and could barely move. Thankfully, her body was in good shape now...

Heming thought to himself, So it wasn't that I didn't react. I was just slow to react. Or maybe I have a certain degree of resistance. Perhaps that's one of the Pitch Black Heart Method's special abilities...

As they waited, Heming half-lay on the bed, gently holding Rie...

Thinking back to what had happened in the bathroom, Heming felt embarrassed. Their passion had caught fire the moment they touched...

His first time... It really had been Heming's first time...

It was Rie's first time, too, which was why she'd been so passionate...

When the time came, Heming and Rie put on the prepared black outfits and masks, then left. Many other killers dressed just like them were already heading toward their destinations.

Would Heming be able to accurately predict what the others were thinking this time?

It was impossible to know...