"Don't stress, you've got this."
Pepper nervously picked at her fingernails while Murr attempted to comfort her. They stood in the Inkigayo waiting room, preparing for their comeback stage. "I'm gonna get a drink..." Pepper muttered before abruptly leaving the room, not even waiting for Murr's response.
As she walked down the hallway, she spotted a vending machine stationed near the infamous stairwell. Once there, she inputted the code for a bottle of water and watched as the mechanical claw navigated throughout the vending machine, struggling to find the drink, and then returning to its original position empty-handed.
"Are you fucking kidding me..." Pepper sighed, crouching to the floor and slipping her hand into the slot within the machine. As she reached up in an attempt to grab her drink, she suddenly fell back in shock as the vending machine began to shake. Looking up, she saw a tall figure grasping the top of the machine, violently shaking it. Pepper opened her mouth in an attempt to cuss him out, but before she could speak, the man had turned around. "Takumi...?"
"In the flesh. I thought I'd find you here," he smiled, as charming as ever. Her mouth remained open in shock, but she quickly maintained her composure as Takumi reached down and lifted her to her feet. "What are you doing here?" Pepper asked, stepping closer to him. "Trapnest is performing later. Wild coincidence, right? Now, where's my hug at?"
Pepper looked up at him in shock at his boldness. He hadn't changed at all; he was still as cocky as ever. She thought of a reply, but her train of thought was cut off by a familiar voice. "Pepper? Who is this?" Murr had emerged from the hallway, his usual smile replaced with a stern look of jealousy. "Oh, this is-" "-I'm Takumi Ichinose. Pepper's ex boyfriend."
Pepper and Murr exchanged a look of shock before she turned back around and slapped Takumi. "You are NOT my ex boyfriend... Murr, this is Takumi, my ex-bandmate."
Takumi smiled as he held his cheek, which now had a red handprint plastered across it. "I'm not your ex-boyfriend? But what about all those times we-" Takumi was silenced by another slap to the face. "What the fuck are you doing, bitch? You're gonna ruin my face before I perform on stage. Are you crazy?" Takumi held his face as he continued to abuse Pepper, his voice getting louder with each sentence.
"Don't speak to her like that, monkey."
A broad-shouldered man stood at the top of the stairwell, glaring down at Takumi. The man had long black hair that reached his shoulders, with a few strands falling across his face. He was dressed in a robe, the bottom of the fabric touching the floor as he descended down the stairs. "Geto..." Pepper murmured, slowly stepping away from Murr and Takumi.
"Is this another ex-boyfriend of yours, Pepper?" Murr scoffed. "Hold your tongue, filthy monkey. I am not her boyfriend, I am her saviour, here to save her from monkeys like you. You're unevolved... Your genetics are so pathetic that you can't even grow hair. You didn't even sense my presence... Disgusting." Geto's speech had caused the room to fall into silence.
"...What the fuck is he talking about?" Takumi muttered. Murr shrugged and rubbed his temple.
"Geto, what are you doing here?" Pepper asked, walking towards him. "Satoru is MC'ing... But I overheard that monkey yelling and I came to see what the issue was. I didn't know I'd find you here... " Geto replied, fondly caressing Pepper's cheek as he scanned her for any injuries.
"Who the fuck are you calling a monkey?" Takumi yelled, unaware that a cursed spirit had manifested behind him. "Takumi! Behind you!" Pepper screamed, pointing down the hallway.
Takumi briefly looked down the hallway before turning back to face Pepper again. "Are you fucking crazy? What are you talking abou-" Before Takumi could finish his sentence, the cursed spirit tore him to pieces. "Monkeys..." Geto sighed in disgust.
By now, Murr had ran away in fear, leaving Pepper and Geto by themselves. "Geto, I... Thank you," she softly spoke, holding back tears. "He was hurting you, wasn't he? I should've come here sooner. I'm sorry... I'll never leave you again." Geto reached into his pockets and pulled out a bottle of sanitising mist, spraying it on Pepper before embracing her in a hug.
"Let's get out of here," Geto said, reaching down to hold Pepper's hand before leading them out of the building.
