You will never be a real Koji

Arisu in Wunderkindland

(Bakayanagi POV)

This must be my downfall. I wasn't prepared for this. I was brought to a mysterious place without Kamuro, Hashimoto, Kito and the rest of them. It looked like a palace attic with the windows allowing moonlight to shine in. I was lucky I even met with my cane when they delivered it here.

"Here's your cane, Sakayanagi-san. Now, would you step onto this pressure plate?"

I was told to stand on a giant square wooden tile, made of birch from the light color I can infer. Taking it to be birch, it could sense pressure more easily and give and take, it would break easily. But my guess was knowing the mysterious man knew it too, I would carefully step on it in case too much pressure would cause some underground circuit to activate and I would be sent into a death trap or activate a mine or explosive.

I did what was told. Instead, a clear plastic box was summoned. There was a large hole in the front for me to breathe. I looked up and saw the box was hollow. Interesting, at least. The box was narrow enough for me to put my cane horizontally and sit on it. I saw the man in front of me holding a tray of teacups and a teapot. Will it be tea ceremony? I wonder.

"Mister, I might as well be thirsty."

"Sure, but I only have red tea right now. Are you sure you wanna drink it?"

I nodded in response. It was red tea, known as rooibos tea, when I expected an ironic black tea. In face, black tea to the rest of the world was red tea in Asia. How amusing. Before I confirm it was indeed alcohol, I would light a fire near the drink when the other person was not looking. But I don't have a lighter with me. I was thirsty enough to drink it on impulse.

The tea was unexpectedly, very dilute and tasteless. It was not just any tea, but I no longer trust this man. He made the tea really dilute and due to the color and lack of taste of the tea, I felt like drinking concentrated urine and puking it out. My mouth felt even more dry. What's happening here?

"Fufu, you really have a shit taste in tea~"

"w-What? It's... my first effort in making red tea. It's unpopular, you see. Everyone else likes black tea or green tea."

"Well, I actually prefer red tea, just not ones made by a lowly mongrel."

"O..kay...?"

Yes, it might be just the start of some torture when he gave me tea to start the day. I looked down in curiosity and there seemed to be a keyhole  I watched the man leave while planning not a blatant escape, but how to reach the higher shelf behind me to grab the key to open the pressure plate. Since I can't do it easily due to my body, I had to make use of my cane a bit. I examined my cane. It was quite broken and unscrewed already, it dosen't matter anymore.

(3rd person POV)

It was 1AM while Sakayanagi waits patiently for the man to return. The man carried a barrel of salt water and canister of blue drink. When the moonlight revealed his face, it was a man seemingly in his 20s, short shabby dark blue hair with an ahoge, black glasses and an angular jaw. He looked like a character from a women's erotic visual novel even though no one seemed to react to him as if he was handsome. He was an ikemen minus the handsomeness in other words.

"Please drink this, Sakayanagi-san."

"Thank you,"

Sakayanagi went on to sip the canister of blueberry juice. It tasted like someone would be at risk of diabetes. Since she knew it may affect her heart condition she stopped.

"Fufu, I may not enjoy this luxury to drink this frequently, but this is too much for me mister."

"Okay, I'll give some leeway. How about I'll dilute it with the water in the barrel."

"Don't play doggy here mister. You can't poison me if you add saltwater to this."

Indeed, mixing it with saltwater would only cause a chemical reaction that cancels out the sugar and salt, making the drink bland and untasteful. The man seriously added saltwater from the barrel, oof. There was an exaggerated smug grin on Sakayanagi's face, it was unusually creepy even for her usual self. One could only bet if the man get countless nightmares of her face the next few days or not. The man almost dropped the canister in reaction.

"Mind if you give the tank to me? I'll finish it and you can leave."

"Huh? This is my lair, you haven't finished the required-"

Sakayanagi rested the canister against the plastic wall and opened the cap for all liquid to flow. The liquid corroded the plastic, melting it and creating a giant hole.

"I-I... I didn't tell you to do that, but since you took a third option I-"

"Fufu, it's nice to see you stuttering..."

"No, I- ugh, nevermind."

He doused the saltwater on her, emptying the barrel. It was a waste for him as it did not affect Sakayanagi in any way except as if she was thrown in seawater and got up again. It wouldn't drown anyone, but make them feel salty and cold.

"Well well, it seems you wasted all your plans."

"Noo- uhh... I mean it was all just impromptu."

"Impromptu, huh? Who would bring a canister and a barrel up here except you?"

"That's-"

"Too late, you didn't bring anything cover up the hole, right?"

She stepped out of the box with her cane at ease. The man was shocked. His plans all failed.

"Fine, you win this time."

"Fufu, yes."

After she left, the man tried to drink the remaining saltwater left in the barrel to calm himself from getting mad.

(END)