Big Book of Writing

The Dark Forest (Hibikei, SDRA2)

Happy Halloween, everybody! Please remember to stay safe if we're allowed to trick or treat this year! And for those of us staying home, may the candy you eat as you binge-watch a series be bountiful!

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Halloween at Hope's Peak Academy was always a fun time, but it was always clustered with students going everywhere. That's why the Otonokoji twins decided to hold their very own Halloween party for their class at their house!

The twins lived in a mansion with no servants, and their parents had been persuaded to leave for the night as the twins threw their house party. The property was surrounded by forest, and the moon rose as the class had finally all made their way to the mansion in costume. With abundant candy, good food, a spiked punch bowl, and music blasting in the concert room, the party couldn't be stopped now.

As Hibiki skipped her way to the punch in a witch costume, which Mikado was doling out tipsily in a playbunny costume, her sister came up to her with a worried face. "Um, Sis? I think that Mom and Dad forgot to leave the fireworks in the lobby..." Kanade pointed out, fidgeting with the hem of her succubus costume.

"What?! But I specifically asked them to get it from the shed and leave it there!" The vocalist huffed. "I didn't plan all of this out for nothing! Kanade, go get them! I'll distract everyone else!"

"But Sis, the doctor told me not to put too much strain on my leg unless I sprain it again." The guitarist argued, pointing to the bandages. "I'm sorry, you'll have to get it yourself."

"B-But the woods are really scary at night! How am I supposed to go alone?!" Hibiki protested.

Luckily, Mikado was listening to their conversation and chose that moment to jump in. "Well, you could simply go with someone else into the forest." He turned around and called to someone nearby. "Mr. Yomiuri, would you mind coming here a minute?"

Nikei huffed and walked over, his arms crossed as he wore his vampire costume. "What is it?" He demanded, not wanting to deal with the inebriated wizard at the moment.

"Ms. Hibiki needs some help retrieving some fireworks in her shed in the woods." Mikado explained clearly, and Nikei nodded as he followed along. "You're sober and really brave, so why don't you go with her and protect her?" The wizard requested, trying to appeal to flattery to get Nikei to agree.

Luckily for him, the journalist fell for the praise and smugly smiled. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt." He turned to the vocalist, dropping his smugness. "So, which way is the shed?"

"Well, the path through the forest to get there is around the side of the house, and we just have to follow it." Hibiki explained. "Well, come on! Let's go get some fireworks!"

Grabbing the journalist's hand and a flashlight from a nearby desk, the smaller girl began to drag him outside the house. After they had left, Kanade looked over at the now-drunk wizard and grinned deviously, deciding that she needed to coax him to drink more alcohol before enlisting his help.

Hibiki and Nikei walked outside the mansion, the vocalist lightly shivering in the crisp October air. "You alright?" Nikei asked, noticing how Hibiki shook. He sighed and removed his cape, wrapping it around her shoulders. "Here, you can borrow this for now, I guess. Just give it back later."

"Thanks, Kei." Hibiki replied as some blush appeared on her face, adjusting the cape around her shoulders to be more comfortable as the two of them began walking into the dark forest on the rough dirt path. The vocalist moved closer to the journalist and lightly brushed her shoulder against him, but he either didn't notice it or did notice and didn't comment on it.