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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

AKIKO

I was still shaken by Kenji’s behavior. His insistence on controlling me went beyond caring for a friend; it verged on maniacal.

My mind raced through all the arguments we’d had. Were there red flags I’d ignored? Kenji was my childhood friend, and my best friend back then, and with people like him, you cut them a lot of slack, right? I’d brushed off behavior that would’ve set off alarms with anyone else. But now, sitting on the edge of my bed, I felt shaken.

Surviving the challenges had always been my focus. But now that the group had been whittled down to five, the dynamics had shifted. We were becoming more dangerous than the challenges themselves. Was it Chef Sakamoto’s intention all along to pit us against one another and reveal our true colors? If so, it was equal parts brilliant and psychotic.

No one was the same person they’d been on day one, including me.

The program had torn me apart and magnified every flaw. My upbringing had already left me with abandonment issues and a deep distrust of people. I’d grown up cautious and distant, with walls so high only a few ever broke through. Reuniting with Kenji was proof I hadn’t lost everyone important to me. But now, I wasn’t so sure about him. Too many years had passed. We weren’t the same anymore.

The same was true for Jiro. He’d broken through my wall once, only to leave me rebuilding it when our relationship fell apart. But the Jiro I saw now didn’t resemble the Jiro from the past. He, too, had changed.

And I’d changed. I was even less trusting and more cynical. I felt myself retreating into a hole, wanting to shut everyone out.

I should’ve seen Kenji’s transformation coming. Thinking back, it was obvious. What I’d once considered sweet had morphed into something obsessive.

And Jiro’s sudden declaration that he wanted to be friends again? What the hell was that about? He’d thrown a massive wrench into everything. They both had.

Now, it felt like it was me against the rest. Was I overreacting about Kenji? No. I didn’t think so.

But Jiro? Were his intentions genuine? After a little over three years together, I liked to think I could tell when he was lying.

Had Jiro really gone from adversary to…dare I say, someone I could trust again? He didn’t have to stop Taka and Dori from assaulting me. But wasn’t that the bare minimum of being a decent human being? See something wrong, step in. Or was there more to it? He’d said he wanted to be friends and admitted he had failed our relationship. Was that so hard to believe?

Were people truly capable of change? Could someone bad ever become good?

I felt more confused than ever. How was I supposed to play this game moving forward? Focus only on surviving the challenges? Or question every interaction, every conversation with Kenji, Jiro, and even Reina and Chef Sakamoto? Assume the game was twenty-four seven now, and everyone was in play?

The sound of the dormitory door opening echoed down the hall, pulling me from my thoughts. I figured it was Jiro returning. Before I knew it, I was on my feet, stepping out of my room.

I moved silently down the hallway, my steps light as I avoided the creakier boards until I reached Hideo’s old room. It was next to Jiro’s; he occupied the first room. I pushed the door open. Hideo’s belongings had been cleared out.

“Akiko?” Jiro’s head popped out of his room. “What are you doing?”

“I want to switch rooms. Are you okay if I take this one?”

“Why? I mean…yeah, it’s fine. Are you okay?”

For a moment, I considered telling him about my run-in with Kenji but decided against it. Better to keep my cards close. “I don’t like my room, that’s all.”

I hurried back to my room, my hands trembling as I packed my belongings. I shoved my clothes into a pillowcase with quick, jerky movements. A floorboard creaked outside my door, and I froze. Was someone watching? Listening? Or was it just my paranoia?

On my way back to Hideo’s room, I passed Kenji’s door. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was on the other side, awake, aware of my every move. The thought of his eyes on me made my skin crawl.

When I reached Hideo’s room, Jiro stood in the hall, watching me with a slight furrow in his brow. I sensed him trying to piece together the real reason for my room change.

“Need help?” he asked.

“I’ve got it,” I said, forcing a small smile as I stepped inside. There wasn’t much to unpack.

“Well, if you need anything, just knock like this.” Jiro rapped on the wall between our rooms three times.

I thanked him and closed the door, shoving the chair under the doorknob. For the first time since arriving at the compound, I felt relieved. Relieved not to be sleeping next to Kenji.