The Ultimate Hunt

6.

We walked in silence, but it wasn't the kind of comfortable silence we usually had. It was awkward. I could feel Hanako's unspoken thoughts hanging between us.

Of course, Adam had to fuck up things for me in some way. He always did, one way or another. 

Although, I wasn't entirely sure why the atmosphere between us had gotten so awkward. It wasn't like I did anything wrong. Sure, I lied to Hanako about feeling sick. But was that really the issue here? People lie all the time—especially in a situation like this. It's survival instinct.

But I knew Hanako. To some extent. He didn't like lies, that's for sure. He could tell when something was off, and right now, he knew I wasn't being completely honest with him. I didn't owe him any explanations, though. It's not like I had to tell him every little detail about what was going on with Adam. Still, the silence was making me feel oddly uncomfortable.

I stole a quick glance at Hanako. He looked deep in thought, probably wondering what the hell had just happened back there. I wasn't sure if I should break the silence, explain myself, or just let it slide. But the tension was starting to get unbearable.

Whatever. 

"Hanako..." 

He glanced at me, his face calm, but his eyes searching. "Yeah?"

I hesitated. What could I even say to make this less awkward? God, I hate talking. Talking is for gay people. "You know.. about earlier, with Adam..." I trailed off, not sure where I was going with it. Why was I so nervous? "It's nothing, really. He just.. likes to mess with me."

Hanako's lips pressed into a thin line. "I figured. But that's not exactly the issue.."

Well, by looking at his face it didn't sound convincing at all.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you two close?"

I blinked, surprised by the question. "Close? No. We've shared some interactions, sure, but that was all way back in freshman year. Nothing special."

Hanako's eyes lingered on me for a moment, like he was trying to read between the lines of what I wasn't saying. I didn't blame him for asking. Adam had a way of making people think exactly what he wanted. It probably looked suspicious from the outside. I just didn't understand why he was doing all of that. 

"Then why does he act like that around you?" Hanako pressed, his tone still calm, but it didn't calm me at all. It didn't help that his question wasn't exactly easy to answer, at least not without getting into things I didn't want to talk about.

I didn't get why Hanako seemed more interested in Adam's behavior toward me than the fact that Adam was in my room in the first place. I could almost hear his thoughts, wondering what kind of relationship we had, but I wasn't sure why he cared so much.

The truth was messy. But I knew lying wasn't going to help either of us at this point. If I kept dodging his questions, I'd only make things worse and seem even more suspicious.

I took a breath and decided to give him a bit of the truth, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. "To be fair, I'm not sure why he acts like that. Maybe because I turned him down. He wanted me to join his group.. to help him figure out who the traitor is."

He tilted his head at me and his expression changed. "Oh.. You declined it?" His voice carried a hint of surprise, but also something else, something I couldn't quite read.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Mm.. I see," he smiled.

Hanako's sudden shift in mood left me completely baffled. One moment he was serious, pressing me with questions, and the next, he was all smiles like I'd just told him something great. His steps seemed lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I watched him, my confusion growing by the second.