While the Elements – Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi, Reito, Daichi, and Sora – were busy with the scavenger hunt, and Teshii, somehow, was in Paris, Mei and Hikari remained outside the safehouse, waiting for their return.
Hikari held out a water bottle and offered it to Mei.
"Here you go."
Mei smiled, accepting it gratefully.
"Thank you, Hikari."
She twisted the cap open and took a sip.
"Ah… that was refreshing."
Turning toward Hikari, she asked, "Want a sip?"
"Yeah," Hikari nodded, taking the bottle and drinking from it.
After a short pause, Mei muttered, "So… who do you think will win the scavenger hunt?"
Hikari turned her head immediately.
"Is that even a question, Mei? We all know Teshii's going to win."
"A-Aren't you being a bit biased, Hikari?" Mei asked hesitantly.
"Of course I'm being biased. Teshii's my boyfriend." Hikari crossed her arms proudly. "A real girlfriend always has her man's back."
"I-I see…" Mei said, laughing awkwardly.
FWOOOSH!
A gentle breeze swept past them, rustling the grass.
Mei looked a t the sky and then turned to Hikari again.
"Is there even a point to waiting out here? The scavenger hunt might take a while."
"Yeah, you do have a point," Hikari nodded. "They probably won't be back anytime soon."
She stretched her arms.
"Wanna head back inside? I kind of want to know more about Satoshi and Reina."
"Sure." Mei nodded in agreement.
Just as they were about to turn and walk back into the safehouse, Hikari paused, her eyes catching something on the ground where the group had gathered earlier.
"Hey… what's that?"
Mei turned back to see what Hikari was looking at.
There – fluttering gently on the grass – was a piece of paper.
Mei narrowed her eyes. "It's… a list?"
Hikari stepped forward and crouched, picking it up.
On the paper were five bullet points:
1. Performing 100 Push-Ups in the City
2. Punch Someone and Convince Them It Wasn't You
3. A Signed Volleyball Jersey from a Professional
4. A Bent Spoon
5. Perform 50 Pull-Ups on a Tree
Both girls blinked as they read it.
"I-Isn't that the list we gave to Teshii?" Mei asked.
"Y-Yeah…" Hikari replied slowly, still staring at the paper.
"Then…" Mei said, quietly, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't," Hikari cut her off before she could finish. "Because I wouldn't know."
Daichi's POV
"You want my shoes because…?" a random man asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
Daichi chuckled awkwardly. "You see…"
He was standing in the city near the university, trying to complete the first task on his scavenger hunt list: take a stranger's shoes.
"Um…" Daichi muttered, hesitating.
I can't exactly say it's for a scavenger hunt… That'd be an automatic loss.
He glanced down at the man's shoes.
"I want your shoes because… they look nice," Daichi said with a sheepish smile.
The man blinked – then his expression softened, clearly touched.
"Oh. Thank you very much," he said warmly, lifting one foot to show off the shoe. "My mother gave me these as a birthday present five years ago."
"Oh really?" Daichi replied, still eyeing the shoes.
"Yeah…" the man added quietly. "…She passed away last year."
Daichi's eyes widened. "O-Oh… I'm really sorry to hear that."
The man shook his head gently. "No, no. It's okay. You didn't know."
"Y-Yeah…" Daichi muttered, now clearly uncomfortable.
Damn. There's no way I can take his shoes now. I'd feel like the worst person alive.
Daichi let out a long sigh, prompting the man to look at him curiously.
"Well, sir," Daichi said, straightening up. "Forget I even said anything."
He turned to leave but glanced back over his shoulder.
"I hope you have a good day."
The man offered a small wave. "Y-Yeah, you too."
As he watched Daichi walk away, he crossed his arms and murmured to himself.
"I wonder why he wanted my shoes in the first place…"
Haruto's POV
In the city park, where tall trees lined the winding paths and their canopies created speckled patterns of sunlight that danced on the cobblestone, the atmosphere was serene. Children's laughter echoed from the playground, where swings creaked in rhythm and a red slide stood proudly at the centre.
In the heart of the park shimmered a pond, its surface reflecting the sky like a mirror. Ducks floated by lazily, unbothered by the passage of time. Couples strolled hand-in-hand while joggers weaved between them.
Beneath a cherry blossom tree, a street performer played a melancholic tune on a saxophone, the drifting petals falling like pink snow.
Benchehs sat quietly, bearing witness to countless moments – first dates, last goodbyes, and everything in between.
And today?
Those benches were witnessing something new.
Haruto sat on one of them, his posture stiff, his expression nervous.
Beside him?
A brown-haired woman with striking blue eyes.
Haruto held the scavenger hunt list in his left hand, glancing at the first task:
1. Be handcuffed with a stranger (especially a woman) for minutes.
Yes…
Haruto was currently handcuffed to the woman sitting beside him. He was visibly blushing, radiating discomfort.
He quickly glanced at the clock nearby.
02:17 P.M.
He let out a long sigh.
It's only been seven minutes since I asked her to be handcuffed with me.
This… is so embarrassing!
Then – the woman beside him finally spoke.
"So…" she muttered, her voice casual. "Are you, like… into this kind of thing?"
Silence.
Haruto just stared at her, stunned, his face growing redder by the second.
"Huh?" he squeaked, practically choking on his own breath.
"I mean," she continued, tilting her head slightly, "are you into, like, being handcuffed to women? Is this… your thing?"
"N-No! No! No!" Haruto stammered, shaking his head furiously, now the colour of a tomato. "I'm not into this at all!"
She raised a brow. "Then why are you doing it?"
Haruto froze.
Sh*t… I can't say anything about the scavenger hunt.
He glanced down at the GoPro strapped to his chest, its red-light blinking, capturing every moment.
If I say I'm into this – even as a lie – the GoPro will catch it… and if Teshii sees the footage, he'll never let me live it down.
Haruto let out a defeated sigh, turning to the woman with the most awkward smile he could manage.
"Y-Yes. I'm into this."
Teshii's POV
The wind whipped dramatically through Teshii's signature red-orange fleece as he stood atop one of the ancient stone watchtowers.
Yes…
Teshii was now on the Great Wall of China – somehow.
It stretched across the land like the spine of a sleeping titan – ancient, immense, and unyielding.
The Great Wall coiled over mountains and valleys like a stone serpent, its watchtowers – like the one Teshii stood on – jutting up at intervals. Beneath the grey, weathered stone, the Wall held stories carved into its mortar. Moss clung to corners untouched by tourists, and the wind carried a soft hum, as though whispering tales from centuries past.
Teshii stretched his arms wide, letting the wind wash over him as he stood atop the watchtower, basking in the grandeur of it all.
"The wind… it's absolutely gorgeous," he said, stretching again. "I really wish Hikari was here with me. This whole experience wouldn't been so much better if she was here with me."
Then – a sudden thought struck.
"I should take a selfie of this."
He pulled his phone from the fleece pocket, tilted it upward, angling it just enough to catch the sprawling wall behind him as it zigzagged over the lush, green hills.
Click.
The photo captured him mid-grin, wind tousling his hair, and the mighty Wall stretched endlessly into the horizon behind him.
Teshii smirked as he looked at the photo.
This is perfect.
He slid the phone back into his pocket and pulled out the scavenger hunt list.
"Okay," he muttered. "What's next?"
His eyes scanned down the paper.
3. Witness a Goal at Camp Nou in Barcelona
He raised an eyebrow behind his crimson shades as he read the next task.
"Witness a goal at Camp Nou, huh?"
He chuckled.
"F*ck that! I'll watch the entire match."
Then – he turned his head slightly, as if speaking directly to someone just out of frame.
"Seems like I'm going to have a long journey from China to Spain, guys!" Well… maybe I'll probably end up getting teleported there instead."
He raised his hand, thumb and finger poised.
"And with a snap o a finger, you guys will move on to the next POV – most likely Hikaru."
SNAP!
Hikaru's POV
A few hours had passed now, and Hikaru wandered through a forest, the scavenger hunt list clutched in his hand.
"Okay. Okay. What's next?" Hikaru muttered to himself as he raised the list to his face.
1. Spot a man with a suit, riding a bicycle. DONE!
2. Someone on fire. DONE!
3. Give someone a 1-minute handshake. DONE!
4. Find a binocular. DONE!
5. Forge an axe.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
Forge an axe?
How the hell am I supposed to do that?
In fact…
Where… am I… supposed to do that is what I meant?
He let out a huge sigh and kept walking deeper into the forest, his eyes briefly closed in frustration.
"Well, I guess I'm not going to win this scavenger hunt…" he muttered – until he opened his eyes. "Huh?"
He had just emerged at the edge of the forest, where the trees opened up to reveal a breathtaking view of the open field below.
"Whoa! What an amazing view this is."
As he scanned the field from the forest's edge, something caught his eye.
A small, isolated village nestled quietly in the distance.
Hikaru squinted. "Is… that a village?"
I can't really see it from here.
Then – he remembered.
"Wait a minute!"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the binoculars he had found earlier.
"Good thing I have this!"
He brought them to his eyes – and now the village came into clear focus, the details crisp and vivid.
Then – he noticed something.
"Wait a minute! Is that smoke?"
Smoke was curling up from a chimney. Hikaru shifted the binoculars slightly and locked eyes on a specific house with a large garage door, which was wide open.
Inside the garage stood a man with a cloth wrapped around his head. He seemed to be working on something – until he held up a freshly forged axe, the metal gleaming in the firelight.
Hikaru's eyes widened.
He lowered the binoculars, stunned.
"No way! That was an axe! Could… that guy be a blacksmith?"
Then – a grin spread across his face.
"Today is my lucky day!"
He started stepping forward from the forest – and then broke into a run.
Excitement blazed in his eyes as he sprinted toward the village.
I'm definitely going to win this scavenger hunt!
TO BE CONTINUED!!!