[center][b]Hideki, Harashi[/b][/center] --- "Sigh, what a pain... Do I really have to do this?", Harashi asked and sighed. "Yes, you do. You said you'd help me in any way, didn't you?", Hideki said. "I kinda regret making that decision now...", Harashi replied. "Well, if you regret it, you can go outside alone if you'd like," Hideki said and smiled at him. "Er... No thanks, I'd rather stay here and work than stay out there," Harashi said. "Good, then get back to work," Hideki told him. "Right... Sigh...", Harashi said and went back to barricading the door, when suddenly something crashed through the ceiling. "W-what the?!", Harashi said, surprised. A naginata had somehow fallen from the sky and pierced through the roof. "W-why did that thing just suddenly appear here?!", Harashi said. "Hey hey, don't worry about that too much. You work on the hole in the roof and I'll take care of barricading the front door. Alright?", Hideki said. "What?! I have to work on the roof?!", Harashi exclaimed. "I'll help you once I finish with the door. Now get to it!", Hideki said. "Fine...", Harashi said and sighed. "What a pain..." Hideki had finally finished barricading the door and Harashi had finally finished repairing the roof and had help with fixing the floor in the attic. "Ahh... Finally done...", Harashi said. "I'm exhausted," he complained after getting back to the living room. "That wasn't too bad you know. You're just not used to working, you lazy piece of-," Hideki cut off what he was about to say with a cough. "Sorry, that was nothing. Ahaha," he said. Harashi gave him a nervous look. "W-what were you about to say there?" Harashi nervously said. "Don't mind that," Hideki said. "Ah, I forgot to give you guys some refreshments. I'll be back, hold on," Hideki said. "Sigh... That guy scares me for some reason. --- [center][b]Yoshimi, Hideki, Harashi, Yuriko[/b][/center] --- "Ahaha, why does he scare you, Harashi-san?", Yoshimi asked. "He seems like a nice person~", she added. "He makes me uncomfortable because, even though he doesn't show it, he's kinda harsh," Harashi replied to Yoshimi. "Well, I for one believe that he's truly a nice person. He even helped us stay here," Yoshimi said. "Well, yeah... Good point...", Harashi said. And then Nikko suddenly stood up and raised his palm to the barricaded door. He yelled "Ent, jump!" which surprised Harashi and Yoshimi. Not because Nikko suddenly yelled it out but because the ent did just as he said. They stared in awe. "D-did that just happen?", Harashi said, baffled. "I think so...", Yoshimi said. They sighed. "Today sure is weird... Ahaha, what if it just so happened to be a dream? I hope so... It really pains me to see those people die...", Yoshimi said and lowered her head, still sitting down. "Hey, don't feel down. We'll manage to help the others...", Harashi said. "Sigh, let me just rest for a bit," Harashi said. "I'm back, anyone want some drinks?", Hideki said as he returned with a pitcher of juice and 4 empty glasses. "Don't worry, it's not spiked. If it was I would've put drinks in your glasses already," Hideki joked. "Anyways, here you guys go," Hideki said as he poured the juice into the four individual glasses. He took a sip. "Ah, refreshing. The taste of strawberries are better when it's a hot day," Hideki said and took another sip. "Ah, I love strawberry juice~", Yoshimi said and took a glass and then took a drink. "Mmm, yummy~", she said, giggling. "Hey, let me have some of that too," Harashi said and got a glass. He took a sip. "Whoa, this is good," he said. "Told you," Hideki said. And then all of a sudden someone started knocking on the barricaded door. "...?! Shhh! Keep quiet...", he said. He slowly stood up and walked to the blockade, listening carefully. "...Nii-chan?! Onii-chan!", the voice said. "That's...! Yuriko?!", he yelled. "Are you okay?!", Hideki said. "I'm fine, but why did you block the door?! And what is that wooden creature outside?!", she said. "Sigh... It's hard to talk like this, go to the window in the kitchen!", he said and ran to the kitchen. "Ah, Hideki-san, who was that?", Yoshimi said. "...My sister," he replied, still running. "Yuriko! Thank god, you seem okay," Hideki breathed a sigh of relief. "I-I am... I managed to get away from those things somehow... What was that wooden thing? And is the tunnel open?", Yuriko asked. '...She knows about the secret tunnel. I don't need to worry about this Yuriko in front of me being a shape-shifted monster now,' Hideki thought and sighed. "That was an ent. Don't mind it, it helped the four of us survive earlier. And yes, the tunnel is clear. You know where it is, I'll open the path for you," Hideki replied. "Okay," she said and walked to the back. "You three, stay there," Hideki said and went to their basement. "Huh... Guess he is kind, he's doing everything for his sister. Or maybe he's just a siscon...", Harashi joked. As soon as Hideki reached the basement he switched on the lights and turned to the old bookshelf. He pulled out a book titled 'Breakthrough' and the shelf moved out of the way. He entered the passageway and met up with Yuriko, who was already halfway in the tunnels. She ran to him and hugged him. "Onii-chan...", she started crying. "I... I was so scared!", she cried. "There there, it's okay...", Hideki said. "Come on, let's go upstairs," he said and smiled. "Sniff... Okay...", she said, still clinging onto Hideki. They walked back into the basement and Hideki closed the pathway. "Ah, I'm back...", Hideki said. "This is my sister, by the way. Yuriko, say hi," Hideki added. "Um... Hi...", Yuriko said. "S-she looks so much like you!", Yoshimi said, amazed. "Are you sure you two aren't twins?", Harashi joked. "Ahaha...", Hideki said. He looked at Yuriko who was still sniffling. "Ahaha... I understand how you feel, I was pretty shaken when I first saw those things... And when they killed some people...", Hideki looked down. "Well, enough sadness. Do you want something to drink?", Hideki told her. "S-sure...", Yuriko said, still a bit shaken. "Okay, I'll get you a glass. Take a seat on the couch," Hideki said. "Okay," was her short reply. "Ah, Yuriko-chan!", Yoshimi said. "W-what is it?", Yuriko asked. "My name is Yoshimi Kawakami! Don't worry, we'll protect you! Just believe in us!", Yoshimi said to Yuriko who was sitting down on the couch. She sat down with her. "Just be strong, okay?", Yoshimi told her. "Hehe... Okay...", Yuriko said and wiped a tear from her eye. Yoshimi smiled, and so did Yuriko. "Here you go, Yuriko~", Hideki said and gently placed a glass of strawberry juice he'd prepared earlier down on the table. "Thank you, onii-chan," Yuriko said and then drank from it. "Delicious...", she said softly. Hideki smiled. "Well, I'll be looking outside frequently in case more of those things come here...", Hideki said.