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The calendar was wrong.
The calendar’s always wrong, because it’s not even a calendar, it’s a schedule. But she liked to think it was a calendar.
What happened?
It’s wrong, or maybe just… wronger.
Probably because she pretended it was a calendar.
Probably because she can’t remember how long she’s been here.
“Teto, come down already or you’ll be late for breakfast!” An airy voice called from below.
How long ago was it? She can’t remember anymore. Was it days, or months? Maybe even years? When had she lost track? The dread in her felt like someone pouring sand into her stomach.
The sound of skates rolling across the floor partially snapped her out of her state as Miku approached her with worry.
“Teto? What’s up? Did the times change?” she asked, peering at the calendar. Teto, in reply, let out a half groan and half gasp. Her friend stared at her in confusion.
“The… the calendar…” Teto pointed at the poster with her gloved hand like it was cursed. “It’s wrong.”
Miku’s eyebrows furrowed in bemusement as she examined closer. The time was the same, and she doesn’t see anything out of place.
“What do you mean it’s wrong, Teto? Did you not sleep well last night?”
“No, it’s…” she faltered, trying to gather her thoughts. She’s afraid if she said it, the words would confirm the fact. “It’s just… I guess I’m wrong…”
“What do you mean? About what?” Miku’s patience was starting to run out, but something told her this was serious if Teto was the one acting like the ceiling was falling down.
“I can’t remember how long we’ve been here, Miku,” Teto said, turning to her with an expression laced with horror. Miku tensed and glanced at the calendar.
“What? It couldn’t have been that long… We’ve only been here for about…” she trailed off, looking troubled. Teto noticed her hesitation.
“You can’t remember either, can you?”
“No,” she bit her lip. It must be a few months at most, right? Surely that’s what it was. Maybe she’ll remember later.
“Let’s just go downstairs, we can’t be late for practice, you know,” Miku said, switching quickly back to her cheerful state. “No use worrying about it!”
“Sure, alright,” Teto said reluctantly, tugging on her suspender’s strap. It was a nervous habit of hers. “Sorry for holding us up, I hope your food didn’t go cold.”
“It’s okay, I can warm it up,” Miku smiled, leading the way down. Teto followed after as her mind only wondered further.
Their schedule remained the same every day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Practice, then record. Teto found these tasks meaningless, mere distractions from the inevitable. The recording was the only thing that truly mattered, as their entire routine revolved around that event. Whoever or whatever created this world had obviously intended for them to stay for a long time, but the artificial brightness, the forced enthusiasm, made it difficult to care. It felt like a mobile game—entertaining at first, but dull once you mastered the rules.
Breakfast passed quickly. Teto barely had time for a few bites before the clock on the wall signaled their move to the practice room. The place, connected to the main hall by a maze of hallways and staircases, felt like a trap. Only the Recording Room required them to step outside into the surreal world of bright green grass and cyan skies dotted with childishly shaped clouds. But that would come later.
When they opened the double doors, the duo, already in their outfits, entered the dance room. The space was wide, set with a classic stage with red curtains drawn to the sides near the back. A door at the rear led to a quiz room, though they never needed to practice spelling words like “house” or “bread.” It was more of a break room to them. A large TV screen with speakers hung from the ceiling, facing the stage.
Teto’s gaze drifted to the camera in the corner, its lens tracking her movements. She quickly looked away, a chill creeping into her fingertips.
They never knew who was watching, so they pretended that everything was fine. That this place was okay.
“Get on stage, Teto, it’s about to start,” Miku said, adjusting herself on the wooden platform. She used the TV screen’s reflection to check her appearance, brushing hair out of her face. Teto sighed and joined her, both of them watching the clock on the wall. The ticking grew louder as they waited for the time to strike nine. There was a clock in every room, probably to ensure they adhered to the schedule. They were never late; neither of them wanted to find out what would happen if they were.
Finally, the second hand hit twelve. The TV screen flickered to life, splitting between their reflection and the instructions timed to the music. The same overly cheerful tune began to play, and they started to move.
Dancing was exhausting, especially for Teto. She struggled to keep up with the fast moves, unlike Miku, who effortlessly slid into each pose with her skates. Miku was a natural—smooth and graceful. Teto admired her energy even if they had to dance to the same tune over and over. Slowly, Teto managed to keep up with the beat, but she could never match Miku’s skills. She doubted she would ever be able to, no matter how hard she tried.
The second the music came to an end, Teto stumbled off the stage. Miku trailed behind her, and upon entering the break room, they each collapsed into a chair. It was brightly lit, with whiteboards on one wall and a shelf with heavy dictionaries and thesauruses on the opposite. Teto slumped onto the table, brushing aside pencils and paper. Miku patted her head.
“Every time, I swear,” Teto breathed out, trying to catch her breath. “I can’t keep up at the end like you can. How do you have so much stamina?”
“Mm… practice, I guess. But you did well! I really think you’re improving. You just gotta stop acting like you’re thirty!” Miku nudged her with her elbow. Teto side-eyed her but let out a sigh.
“I’m not that old. I just don’t do things like this.”
“Yeah, and you probably take naps during the day if you could.”
Teto went silent. She had nothing to say for that.
“But seriously, you did great, Teto.” Miku beamed, reaching forward to cover Teto’s hand with hers. Her heart stuttered, even though her gloves were in the way.
“Thanks, I guess,” she muttered, glancing away. Her eyes traveling to the whiteboard beside them. A previous game of hangman spelled out the word “caricature.” Teto remembered Miku losing that one. The only thing she was good at was spelling, but she supposed everyone had their own talents. Some more useful than others, especially here.
“…Are you still thinking about it?”
Teto turned and met Miku’s eyes.
“No, I’m not.”
“Liar.”
They both look away. Teto studied the bookshelf, tugging on her strap.
“Hey, is it really that important to remember?”
She spun around to stare at Miku with wide eyes. She only shrugged, smiling sadly.
“I think trying to force yourself to remember would only make you worry, and it’s not like we didn’t know it would happen, deep down.”
Teto swallowed.
“But…”
“Shh, it’ll be okay. As long as we have each other, right?”
“Yeah,” Teto smiled weakly. “It’s all that matters.”
Everything is dark and dimly lit. The only visible thing was the platform and the overhanging green screen behind them. They waited, both of them watching the clock on the wall. The ticking grew louder as they waited for the time to strike. The camera’s red light blinked on and off. Teto spared a glance at Miku, who was beside her. She was smiling radiantly.
Every time, she couldn’t keep up. Every time, she had to let go. Failure wasn’t an option, because even if you can’t reach the finish line, they’ll just move it closer for you. By the end, she’d lose control, having to give herself over to that… feeling. But she didn’t even care about that because the worst part was the hypnosis. If she lost herself then, she knew there was no coming back. She wondered if Miku knew. She seemed so happy to do this, yet they both knew they needed to smile. All they had to do was survive.
The music started again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The metal doors slammed open as the two stepped outside. Teto squinted against the harsh glare of the yellow tridecagram plastered on the sky, raising a hand to shield her eyes. Miku, however, hummed cheerfully as they exited the Recording Room, strolling across the verdant plains. The sight of the bright landscape made Teto feel nauseous after what they had just endured. Another day survived, yet Miku seemed even more upbeat than before. Lately, Teto had been growing increasingly concerned about her friend’s behavior, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.
“Why are you-” Teto started to ask, catching herself before she finished the question. It didn’t seem fair to dampen Miku’s spirits, real or forced. “I mean, what do you want to do? We’ve still got some time before dinner.”
Miku slowed down and gave Teto a curious look, as if she’d said something strange, but the expression passed quickly. Teto wished she hadn’t noticed it at all.
“Something fun!” Miku replied with a warm smile. “But if I get to choose, I want to go bowling again.”
“Is that because it’s the only game where you always beat me?” Teto asked with a slight hint of amusement.
“Whaaat? No way! It’s ‘cause I love seeing you get competitive!”
“I do not get competitive in
bowling
,” Teto grumbled, crossing her arms.
“Last time, you said the game was rigged,” Miku pointed out. “And before that, you were convinced there was a magnet repelling your ball from the pins.”
“That’s not just a conspiracy. It could be true.”
“You’re literally the last person I would expect to believe that.”
They exchanged glances, each trying not to be the first to break out smiling. Teto waved her hand dismissively, shoving her hands into her pockets.
“Like I said,” she said, picking up her pace as Miku rolled ahead. “We can go bowling only if you don’t rub your wins in my face.”
“I only do that when I really want to see you get mad, y’know?” she grinned back. Teto responded with an exaggerated scowl. Together, they made their way to the entrance of the main hall and pushed open the door. A blast of cool air greeted them.
“Get changed, and I’ll meet you downstairs. Last one there has to go second!” Miku called out as she glided off to her room. Teto shook her head, knowing full well who would win.
She ascended the stairs to their dorms. It was surprising how this place mimicked the systems of the real world, with a schedule resembling school or work, complete with living quarters and entertainment. In a way, she should be grateful. The thought of being forced to dance for eternity without any breaks…
God, she hoped it would never come to that. It was better to enjoy the time they were able to spend.
Her room was plain, devoid of any personal touches. It seemed pointless to try to make it feel like her own when she knew none of it truly belonged to her. A simple bed was tucked to one side, accompanied by a dresser, a mirror, and a desk. A small bathroom connected the dorm, and from there, she could clearly hear Miku humming in her room.
She changed out of her costume and into a simple white shirt and black sweatpants. Her closet offered only the most basic wardrobe options, but she wasn’t about to complain. The suspenders and gloves had been even less comfortable, though Miku had said they looked good on her. As Teto checked herself in the mirror, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, being careful not to disturb her drills.
How long would they continue like this? If time could stretch indefinitely, would they be trapped here forever? This life wasn’t exactly cruel, yet it was exhausting. The cameras were constantly watching, and the place was so meticulously organized that any deviation from the schedule would be immediately noticed. Teto felt that if there was a way in, there must be a way out. She didn’t know how yet, but she would find a way.
She slapped her cheeks, trying to bring some life back into her face.
“You and your stupid overanalyzing,” she muttered. She couldn’t afford to waste too much time; Miku was probably waiting. “Go have fun, you idiot.”
With that, she walked into the hallway. The camera swiveled to follow her as she stepped down the stairs. At the bottom, Miku was already waiting, tapping her foot impatiently. She wore jean shorts and a shoulderless crop top, which revealed the straps of her black sports bra. Teto felt somewhat ashamed she didn’t wear something better since it looked as if they were going on a date.
“Took you long enough, you slowpoke,” Miku teased, poking her shoulder with a pout. Teto smiled sheepishly.
“You know how it is.”
Miku wrapped her arm around Teto’s, squeezing close. A scarlet blush spread across her face.
“You’re going to be my escort then since I had to wait for you,” Miku said with a grin.
“S-Seriously? I’m not your knight in shining armor, but whatever. I’m not doing this because I want to,” Teto replied, looking away.
“Say all you want, but you’re not pushing me off,” she stuck her tongue out. Teto huffed.
“Let’s go already before I regret it.”
They walked through the main hall, which felt more like a mix between a front office and a waiting area than an actual hall. Behind them was the dining hall and staircase leading up to their dorms. Bright signs pointed the way to the recreational areas: a bowling alley and casino, an arcade across the hall, and a large storehouse further on. The entire place resembled an American diner, with checkered tiles and vibrant red. Except for the confetti. There were always some motifs of it scattered around, which Teto found more annoying than the cheesiness of the place.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the bowling alley, Teto glanced up at the round sign screaming “Retro Rollers” in all white, cursive, capitals letters and frowned. Seriously, this was the third time they’ve been here but if Teto didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought some AI came up with that name. They checked in at the automated front booth, both tearing out a ticket directing them to lane thirteen. As mandatory, they changed their shoes and fed their numbers into the machine.
“You’re first, Miku,” Teto said, picking out her ball and plopping down into a seat to watch. The idol grinned at her and winked, making Teto’s face flushed. She expertly strode toward the foul line. Teto carefully watched her form as she stepped forward, her twin tails flowing behind her as she threw her arm back. In one motion she swung forward and let the ball roll down the lane, knocking down eight pins with a satisfying clatter.
“Amazing…” Teto murmured to herself. It was at times like these that made her love Miku even more. The way she’s so confident of what she’s good at, whether it’s singing, drawing, or dancing, Miku always gave it her all. She knew Miku would never reciprocate the feeling, since she was lucky enough to be her best friend. It was fine as long as she could stay by her side.
“Teto? It’s your turn,”
Miku called her over, pulling her out of her musings. She got up and nearly dropped the ball on her toes with her lousy grip.
“Hold it properly, you dummy. And remember last time? Don’t just throw the ball forward or you’ll gutter it.”
“I’m trying to! It’s hard to let it roll straight,” Teto complained and practiced swinging. Miku stood out of the way and observed her quietly. She took two steps and released the ball. It traveled a snail’s pace down the lane and knocked down three pins. Too slow.
“Damn it, I can’t find a middle ground,” she sighed. Miku giggled, shaking her head.
“Well, at least it was better than your first time. That one went right into the ceiling.”
“Don’t even mention that.”
Miku rolled her eyes and walked over behind Teto.
“Your form’s all stiff and straight, no wonder your ball goes flying into space or straight into the gutter. You’re not even standing parallel to the lane.”
“I suck. You don’t need to tell me that.”
“I’m not saying that! If you could stand properly like this,” she placed her hands on Teto’s shoulders to adjust her. All the blood rushed to her head and lightning struck the base of her spine, freezing her in place. “And relax, then when you’re going to let go of the ball and focus on the timing, you’ll hit a lot more pins. When you let go of the ball closer to the ground it’ll roll a lot more smoothly than if you release it high in the air. Did you get that?”
“Y-yeah, but I don’t think I can-”
“Yes, you can! I believe in you!” Miku nudged her toward the lane. Teto glanced back at her with hesitation, but Miku just gave her a big thumbs up. Stepping up, Teto took a deep breath and focused on her posture and arm, feeling the weight of the ball in her hand. Letting it go too early will make it fly off, and letting it go too late won’t let her gain enough speed. She sorely wished she could knock down enough pins to impress Miku, but past experiences told her it was an unlikely dream.
She swung and released the ball. It sped down the lane and curled slightly left, barreling down all the pins with the force of speed. A total sum of ten points, that’s a new record.
“Amazing! I told you you could do it!” Miku slapped Teto on the back like a proud father congratulating his son. Teto smiled back at her with a face slightly red with embarrassment and something else. It felt good to hear praise from Miku, since it motivated her to try harder to win.
That was beginner’s luck, apparently, because the next several rounds went by with utter disaster, and in the end, Miku had won as per usual, but Teto didn’t feel like a loser. She was happy enough to just have fun with her in something simple as bowling. After the game, they took a seat at a table in the alley’s diner and ordered dinner.
“You know, at first I thought it was because you were just bad at bowling, but after watching you today I figured out you never did this before,” Miku said, munching on a fry.
“It’s sad, I know. I never did a lot of sports or physical activity, but it was fun trying to learn how to play,” Teto replied and took the pickles out of her burger. “I should be mad that I lost, but y’know, I got over it. It’s because you’re that good.”
“Hey, practice works for anything. You keep it up and you’ll be a pro one day.”
“If only it was that easy.”
The sound of pencil scratching on paper was the only noise heard in Miku’s room. It was near lights out, so she was trying to be quiet. She could hear the shower running in Teto’s dorm, so she was drawing to distract herself. Her desk could barely be seen through the piles of portrait sketches (mostly of Teto) and half finished works either on the place they lived, or scenery she remembered back in real life. She couldn’t quite remember exactly how they got here or what they were doing before this, but some intuitive feeling told her those memories were right.
Poor Teto. Ever since she lost track of time, she’s been even more on edge than before. Every little thing would make her jump or suspicious. Miku was almost convinced she might be losing her mind, except that girl was the most practical of the two. She never panicked over anything, and rarely got emotionally charged. She always paused to think things over before jumping to conclusions. It was something Miku found fascinating—that she could have so much self control, but now seeing her so strung up was completely unnerving.
“Oh, come on,” she muttered to herself. Her red marker had run dry, yet she had barely begun to color. She pulled open her drawers to search for a replacement, but it was the only one left. Which meant a trip to the storage room.
Miku got up, tossing the dead marker into the wastebin, and walked downstairs. The cold air of the building brushed against her light clothes and made her shiver. This place was always air conditioned to the max, it might as well have been a fridge they were living in. Humming a familiar tune she remembered from her subconscious, Miku strolled past the arcade and bowling lane, tracing her hand along the white hallway before arriving at the storage room.
She pushed against the handlebars and the double door opened with an echoey creak. Greeting her was a vast arrangement of garage shelves lined up in columns reaching up toward the ceiling. The place had everything from lightbulbs to ladders, all organized alphabetically and stored in carboard boxes and containers. Near the end of the room were grey lockers lined up in a row, probably contain janitor supplies. Fluorescent strips of lights hanging from wires from the ceiling dimly lit her surroundings and made everything look sickly pale. She spotted the red light of the camera out the left corner of her eyes and looked away. Walking among the shelves, she read the labels to herself, starting with “A”.
Peeking inside the box labeled “Markers”, Miku groaned under her breath. They apparently put every conceivable kind of marker together, art or not. There were sharpies, highlighters, watercolor, paint, oil, ink, and those were just the ones she was familiar with.
“Who the heck puts hightlighters as markers…” she muttered to herself. Probably Teto, she’d be the type to do that. Miku smiled to herself, shook her head, and focused on the task at hand. She leaned on her tiptoes to grab ahold of the heavy box and heaved, lifting it off the shelf with considerable effort. She turned and set the box on the ground but not before knocking over another box off the shelf. A billion magnets of all size and shapes spilled onto the floor, some clumping up together with loud snaps and others rolling off into the darkness.
“Oops,” Miku whispered and looked around, catching the camera staring right at her and her crime. “Sorry, I’ll clean it up.” Not like they could hear, but she wasn’t going to leave the place a mess.
The idol sighed, scolding herself internally for her clumsiness as she bent down to sweep the magnets back into the box. She chased after the ones that escaped from her grasp and dropped them back with a clatter. Out of her peripheral vision she saw the light gleam off of something round and metallic. Another magnet the size of a golf ball had rolled halfway into a dark corner of the room.
Miku huffed and walked over, stepping into the little corner and picking up the magnet. It was heavy and smooth, and casted a bent reflection in its silver surface. She was about to turn around and go but stopped and looked at the magnet again. Near the top, where the reflection curved into itself, was the underside of the camera with its attachment stuck to the wall. She looked up, and her eyes widened.
She was right beneath the camera and out of sight.
Her mind raced with possibilities. Ever since they arrived here, they knew all the rooms in this place had cameras that could catch what they were doing. There was no way to hide themselves or even think about escaping, even in their own dorms. Could this be a way to break free from the gaze of those who were watching them constantly?
She stepped further into the darkness, putting a hand out to feel where the end of the wall was. Around two feet in, she touched concrete. Unbelievable. So, there was an alcove in the storage room right underneath their noses all along, and it only took her this long to find it.
“…I have to tell her,” Miku gasped, turning around. She stared at the camera and waited for it to turn away from the direction she would walk out from. The second it looked away, Miku raced from beneath and rushed through the exit. This was big. It was something that could change everything.
Trying not to seem suspicious, Miku speed walked down the hallways and marched up the stairs straight toward Teto’s room. Coming to the door, she rapped against it aggressively, shouting her name. Their rooms never had locks, but for some semblance of privacy they always knocked and left the door closed.
“What? Miku, is that you?” A muffled reply came back and the knob turned. Teto peered out from the doorway, wearing another one of her simple shirts. Her hair was down and damp, and Miku’s heart practically leapt out of her mouth. This was the first time she saw Teto let her hair return to its natural form, and holy, was she even prettier than normal.
“Uh, Miku? What’s wrong? And what’s that you’re holding?” Teto asked, pointing to the magnet Miku was still unconsciously clutching.
“Oh,” she snapped out of her thoughts looked down at the ball before tossing it to Teto, who caught it clumsily, looking confused. “It’s a magnet. I need you to come with me because…” she thought for a good excuse, then remembered she already had one up her sleeve that was true. “Because I accidentally made a mess in the storage room! It’s so bad, could you help me clean up? I’m sorry for asking you so late, but it’s reaaaaally bad.”
“What were you doing in the storage room, anyways?” Teto sighed and came out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. “I guess it can’t be helped. Let’s go before that spill gets worse. And also, why were you just carrying this thing around?”
“I spilled a whole box of them, that’s why,” Miku scratched her head and gave her an embarrassed grin. Teto let out even bigger sigh.
“Out of all the things, you spilled magnets. You’re lucky it’s not something liquid.”
“Yeah, yeah—just come on!” Miku said impatiently and grabbed Teto’s hand, practically dragging her along. They quickly made their way back to the storage room, and soon they stood at the entrance.
Teto looked around the floor, increasingly bemused. There was, of course, no spilled magnets to be found. Was she lying, or what? Teto had a bad feeling, wondering where this was going.
“Where did you spill it again? I don’t see anything here.” Teto said, but upon hearing no reply, she turned and found Miku staring off in the distance. “Uh… Miku?”
Suddenly, she grabbed Teto by the scruff of her collar and yanked her towards the corner of the room, straight into the darkness. They reached the back end of the concrete wall and Teto slammed against it, groaning before seizing up. They were so close. Miku’s face was less than a foot from hers. Pinned up against the wall like this, what is she doing?
“M-Miku…” Teto stammered, her red face partially concealed in the shadows. “What are you-“
“Do you still have that ball?” she asked, face and voice both grim. Teto blinked twice.
“What?”
“You heard me, idiot!”
“Yeah, I do. Why’re you asking?”
“Stand in my place and hold it up to the light and tell me what you see.”
Teto raised an eyebrow and reluctantly switched positions with Miku, her face still burning as she raised the magnet up to the light behind her. What was the whole point of this, anyways?
Miku watched her face, and it wasn’t long before Teto came to the same realization as her, because she swung around and stared up at the camera on the ceiling beneath them. She turned back to Miku with large eyes.
“Are we-“ she started before the idol interrupted her with a nod.
“Yeah, I’ve checked the position. There’s no way it can see us from this angle. Trust me.”
Those words slowly sunk in and a large smile spread across Teto’s face. She laughed and embraced Miku with surprising strength. The latter let out a tiny squeak.
“Miku! You’re a genius! I can’t believe it, it’s like a miracle just happened!” Teto exclaimed before realizing what she just did. She pulled away from her like she touched a hot stove. “S-Sorry. But this is amazing.”
“I know, I was scolding myself for not noticing it before. It was literally right here! But y’know what this means, right?” Miku grinned with excitement. Teto shared her grin, looking back up at the base of the camera again.
“It means this place isn’t perfect. There are flaws in its design, and we can use that to our advantage. It also means this might not be the only error those people made to trap us here. And... if we really stretch our imaginations, it might mean we could have a chance of escaping.”
“How would we even do that?”
“We can make a plan, right? And maybe with some poking and prodding we’ll find something else. We have the privacy to do it, so we’re gonna use whatever we can,” Teto said with conviction, gripping the magnet in her hand tighter. Miku laughed and shook her head at her sudden earnestness.
“I think we’re going to get busy. More than usual. We’ll do it together, right?”
“You can bet your life on that.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So, what have we learned so far?”
Only a few days have passed after their unexpected discovery, and the duo had done their best to thoroughly investigate every part of their living space. It was a struggle to do so under the watch of the cameras since there were very few reasons for them to be acting so suspiciously, but they managed to do so without too much trouble. Just a little stumble here, a sly turn of the body there, and they were able to get away with it. Right after dinner, they met together in the alcove again and had decorated the spot with some crude diagrams and floorplans of the building and had marked off the locations of the cameras. They sat on the floor, staring at one of the common time schedule flyers they’ve gotten when they first arrived here. Miku chewed on the cap of a red pen, and Teto tried to finger the strap of her suspenders before realizing she wasn’t wearing them and had to settle for shoving them into her pockets. The flyer laid out in front of them was colored light purple with the text bolded in white font. The background dripped with confetti.
“I haven’t found any good spots other than this place,” Miku said through her teeth.
“Me neither, the arcades and bowling alley are off the list, and the practice room’s a lost cause. Do you know how awkward it was for me to always pretend to be tripping or dropping imaginary things?”
“It feels like I’d be the one always doing that,” the idol said, taking the pen out of her mouth with a bitter smile. Teto frowned at her remark and went back to the flyer, rereading the contents she knew by heart.
Welcome to the most wonderful place on Earth! To get you settled in, here are some things you should know!
Rules:
1. Always follow the schedule listed below. Never be late, or there will be dire consequences.
2. Drinking, gambling, and violence are prohibited under any and every circumstance.
3. Never touch the camera or remove it from its assigned position.
4. Follow all written directions. There is no compromising.
5. Smile and show enthusiasm! Have a positive attitude, you’re here to have fun!
8:00 – breakfast*
9:20 - practice room
9:30 - practice
12:00 – lunch*
1:10 - set up filming station in recording room
1:30 - recording
6:00 – dinner*
10:00- lights out
*Meals are served through the dining hall when ordered or can be made in the kitchen.
Let’s make this the best escape you’ll ever have!
“It’s not like it would be this easy. This place is probably just an exception,” Teto said and pinched between her eyes. “But still, there’s nothing that’s out of place.”
“We’re lucky. At least we have this spot. Otherwise, it would really be unbearable.”
“Is there really nothing else we can do?” Teto ran her hand over her pants.
“We know we can get hurt here and things are normal enough, but... I can’t help but wonder if this is a simulation after all,” Miku tapped the floor with her pen. “I mean, you can’t explain those recording sessions, and I’m not even going to try with what the heck is going on outside.”
“You’re not getting points for double dipping, though I think you might be right. We already think enough about that already. What we need to figure out is what other ways we can use to escape.”
Involuntarily, the two had fallen into the same routine as before. They made a game between themselves to pass the time, which involved who could come up with the inanest theories to how they got here. Supernatural beings, virtual simulation, government conspiracy, metaphorical LSD trip were at the top of their list, but they could only play that game so much before the weight of their helplessness forced them to stop thinking about it. Ignoring the elephant in the room helped them stay sane in this world.
Miku took the flyer and read over it, her eyes lighting up as she pointed at it.
“What about the Recording Room? We’ve been performing for someone, obviously. But there’s got to be some kind of audience watching us, right?”
Teto paused and put a hand under her chin.
“Of course… because it’s all for some kind of end goal, for public attention, right?
Why else would everything look so disgustingly colorful and family friendly? Plus, who the hell uses confetti any chance they get? It’s like throwing glitter all over the damn place.”
“You really hate it, huh?” Miku snorted. “And don’t insult my childhood like that.”
“Whoever invented glitter should be executed, I’m not even kidding. You use a sprinkle of that shit on your macaroni art project or your popsicle bridge and twenty years later you’ll still find some stuck to your ass checks when you take a shower.”
“That’s oddly specific, Teto.”
“…It’s true.”
“You use
glitter
on your popsicle bridges?”
“I do not!”
Teto snatched the flyer from Miku’s hands and crumpled it into a ball, glowering at the smug girl in pigtails.
“Anyways, I’m not sure how we can use the Recording Room for this if it’s the place where we’ll be constantly watched.”
“It has to be something subtle, but enough of a difference that it can be noticed if someone really paid attention.”
“I’ll… think of something. Just be careful for now.”
“Aye, captain.”
They had exactly twenty minutes to set up. No more, no less. It gave them enough time to get ready but put them at an anxious pace to not fall behind on schedule. There was the lighting and mic, the quiz time segment, the confetti…. God damn the confetti. That was the first thing they needed to do, load the confetti in. They had to split up the tasks so they could make it on time, and besides, an old written list taped to the back of the room told them exactly what to do.The recording room was a mix between a stage set up and filming station. The camera stand was fixed in the center along with the bowl of paper strips of words for quiz time and to their right was the upper stage and green screen backdrop. Three large flat screen TVs hung from the ceiling and faced the stage. One for a script of the lyrics, one for displaying the edited version of their recording, and one only displaying them with the screen green. The screen itself could be rolled up to show the magnetic whiteboard behind it on the wall. To their left was the dusty props room. The only reason anyone went in there was to get the pictures for quiz time, because other than that, the place was useless. Teto remembered using the ball pit stored in the corner of the room once, but she forgot what for. Near the back of the room was a table and two chairs as a makeshift green room. A full length mirror with lights hung on one wall. Taped to the wall just above the table was a list of instructions on how to set up. Miku would help turn on the stage lights, plug in the mics and get the pictures for quiz time. Teto was to pick out the words and load in the reused confetti bags back into the electric blower’s gigantic hopper. They both would take hours to sweep the stuff back up, which was probably why their schedule jumped from one thirty all the way to six o’clock dinner.An ear piercing screech rebounded across the room. Teto grimaced at the sound and glared at Miku, who was busy upstage testing the clip on mics right next to the speaker.“You’re doing that on purpose.”“Just making sure!”“Hurry up, we have ten minutes left.”Miku whistled and settled back into her job. Teto pulled her gloves tighter and went over next to the camera and dug her hand into the word bowl. The paper taped on it said to pick four, but sometimes it would be five or six.She pulled them out and unrolled them, reading them off in her mind.Apple, Pan, Ice, Night. Hm… a pan of ice tonight? Icy night with apple pie.“What has a head but no body? A pin.” She muttered to herself, smiling at her own stupid joke. It was fun, just a little, to make up some silly nonsense with the words. She could play with them however much she wanted to in her head. But this wasn’t the time for it. She still needed to think of some way that would help them escape.“Teto, do you have the words?” Miku called over from the stage.“Yeah, come down and get them.”“Only if you say please,” Miku winked.“Now’s not the time!” Teto yelled and flushed, marching over to shove the slips into Miku’s hand. The idol giggled and gave a little hop as she skated towards the props room, bringing the pictures back faster than Teto could run. With two minutes left to spare, they organized the order of the photos and collectively took a deep breath on the stage, watching the second hands tick by.“Are you ready?” Teto asked, glancing at Miku. Teal eyes met ruby ones, and it was Teto who had to look away first before her heart got out of control.“Of course, are you?” Miku replied with a confident grin.“Why wouldn’t I be?” Teto tugged on her suspender’s trap. “Just the same as before. Don’t lose focus, okay?”“Yeah. I won’t.” Miku nodded, eyeing Teto’s hand. “It’s okay to be scared.”“Are you-”The music blasted out of the speakers, taking Teto by surprise. They quickly moved with the beat, falling into the rhythm. Confetti fluttered down from the air in a shower, as they sang out the lyrics. They were oddly nostalgic for some reason, but too cheery to be direct or deep. Carrying the tune was easy if Teto knew the song beforehand, and since they’ve been singing the same damn song repeatedly for God knows how long, it’s already become automatic to her. She hadn’t bothered thinking too much about the words.But sometimes, when she was alone in bed, or taking a shower, that song would play in her head unconsciously, as if it was put on repeat, and she would mull over the words, remembering her life before all this. A life of mundane cycles without a break, a life without much meaning, even less purpose. She had loved to sing as a hobby, making songs and doing covers as a teen. As she grew older, Teto found herself strapped down by the weight of jobs and responsibilities. She sang less, lost her motivation for it as she worked office hours. It’s not that she didn’t want to sing anymore, she could make the excuse that she couldn’t find time for it, but deep down she was never as brave as Miku to really put herself out there, or to leave her job to pursue that passion as a genuine career. Too tired to cook proper food, she lived off of convenience store meals and wasted hours away on her phone, scrolling through social media to pass the time. Maybe that’s why she looked up to Miku so much; that girl seemed to have her whole life together and figured out. She always told Teto she was going to work hard to become an idol, while keeping a stable job. She even once mentioned earning enough to move in with Teto, because then they could share the expenses and wouldn’t have to live alone. Teto, in response, said she shouldn’t ever do it for just her, but Miku only laughed at her.She wished she hadn’t given up. She wished she put more effort into trying to live, and not just to exist. She wished she wasn’t stuck here in this endless hell with no end in sight. And above all else, she wished she could face the feelings she had for the only person who brought joy to her life.Quiz time snapped her out of her thoughts as Miku smoothly drew up the green screen and cheerfully put a picture of a starry sky onto the board. They both stare at the camera for a few seconds before Teto spells out the word “night” in black marker. They go through each of the words, with Miku never meeting Teto’s eyes even once.The lights dim, the screens are filled with spirals and stars. The sounds seem to get muffled around her. Time slows down into a single moment.“Falling asleep, you’re falling asleepAnd maybe you seemed more dizzy to me…”Breathe in. Breathe out. And don’t look ahead, God, please don’t look ahead. It’s the way the pattern draws you in. Until you can’t look away. Until you’re hypnotized. And then you’ll never be able to come back.She doesn’t look, clenching her fists in concentration as the torture dragged on. The black and white, the painfully sharp colors, the nonexistent wind blowing her hair back. This clock pendulum might swing, but she wasn’t going to move with its ticking. Not now, not ever.The lights come back on, and Teto lets out a sharp breath. The song continued, more confetti sprinkling all over the place. It was over. The camera’s light stopped recording. They plopped into the chairs provided in the room, wiping sweat off their foreheads. Miku’s face looked pale compared to hers, but they were both breathing heavily. Teto had a feeling it wasn’t just the dancing they were exhausted over.“Are you okay?” Teto breathed out, still recovering from the filming. The first thing Miku had done after their session was to take off her skates and now she had her head laid on the table between them. She looked up at Teto and gave her a weak smile.“Yeah, I am. It’s strange, y’know… I just-“ her voice gets quiet and low. Lower than Teto’s ever heard it before, and she had to lean in to hear the rest of her sentence. “…felt like I was about to slip out of my mind.”“What?” she tensed up, alarmed. “What do you mean, Miku?”“Oh, it’s really nothing. I just got tired from dancing so hard. Just one of those days, right?” Miku leaned back up and beamed at her. Teto frowned, taking a hold of Miku’s hand this time. The idol flinched.“I don’t want you to be pushing yourself for something you don’t want to do. And please, don’t pretend it’s okay. It’s not, I know it, but pretending just hurts all the more.” It’s one of the times where she was more sincere and had her guard lowered.“I-I know. I’m sorry,” Miku said softly and lowered her head. They stayed like that for a while, listening to each other breathe and feeling the warmth of their hands together.“Wait.”“Huh?”Teto stood up from her chair like she got shocked. Miku pulled back and stared at her as if she was a bomb ready to explode.“Pain. It was pain.” Teto said in astonishment. How was she so blind to what’s so obvious in front of her? All this time, the letters were right there.“Teto… what are you on about?” Miku looked more bewildered by the second.“Miku, you said you wanted me to find a way, right?” Teto said with emphasis, being purposely vague.“Right. Did you…?”“Pain, Miku. Hangman can’t get any better than this.”“Oh,” Miku’s eyes light up, getting the hint. “I see, so you’ve guessed correctly then?”“With a little trial and error, yeah. I’ll show you later.”“You really are smarter than me, hehe.”“S-Shut up, it’s not that difficult. You could even do it if you want to.”“Really now? You got something on you~” Miku leaned up and plucked a piece of green confetti out of Teto’s hair, brushing the palm of her hand against her ear. It instantly turned bright red as Teto pulled away.“G-Great reminder to clean this place up, Miku!”“I’m just so kind like that, right?”Teto groaned into her hand, trying to cover up her blushing face and failing. That was so smooth. She’s never going to get used to that. Past midnight, when all the lights in the facility clicked off, where all the piercing sounds of machines and arcades had been shut down, the door to the props room opened with a creak. A figure stepped out from the shadows into the Recording Room, holding a flip phone in their hand. Their heavy boots clacked against the tiled floor, brushing past the stage and stopping at the camera stand. Jpop blared from the headphones around their neck and leaning toward the stand, they took the camera and pulled it off from its place, looking down at it and clicking through the film.They turned and tapped quickly on the flip phone before snapping it shut.“Finally, it’s started,” Akita Neru smiled to herself, glancing at the camera. The blinking red dot had gone off. ***Teto was a light sleeper. She wasn’t the type to settle down into a new place and fall asleep immediately after. It’s been long enough here that she should’ve been used to this place, but every little sound or creak at night would wake her up with one eye open. Maybe she was paranoid that something awful would happen, or maybe it’s just her temperament, but tonight she blinked awake to the sound of something more terrifying than a thief in the house. It was the sound of crying.Rolling over to the side of the bed where it touched the wall, Teto held her breath and listened closely. The green alarm next to her bed blinked 2:47 AM. It was too early for her, she barely got any sleep yet.Ten more minutes passed with absolutely nothing, and Teto began to wonder if she had hallucinated the sound before. It’s not impossible since she’s been way too on edge lately for just about everything. She wouldn’t be surprised if she starts seeing things too.A muffled sob came through the thin wall. She sat up in her bed, disturbed. The source was directly beside her dorm, in Miku’s room.Oh God, did something happen to her? Is she hurt? I need to get to her, what if she’s been tortured or killed or-She smacked herself in the face hard and cursed quietly. Calm down, it’s nothing like that! She almost lost her cool for a second. Take it one step at a time.Teto slipped out of bed, scratching the back of her ruffled hair as she slowly made her way across her room to the door and opened it to peer out into the hallway. It was completely dark, but her eyes adjusted to the night not too long after she woke up. Her eye landed on the camera in the corner with its red light. Watching like always, she thought to herself. She stepped outside and approached Miku’s door, placing her hand on the cold metal knob. She paused, taking in a deep breath to brace herself for whatever’s about to happen. She shouldn’t be stepping into her room like this, but being worried sick about her wasn’t any better if Miku was crying or genuinely hurt. Teto hoped she would forgive her for breaching her only means of privacy.Gently, she turned the knob and opened the door and immediately stumbled over a bundle of clothes on the ground. Right, she forgot Miku’s room was an absolute mess. She left her dirty clothes strewn all over the floor, and Teto had to play hopscotch to cross the room because she didn’t want to step on a stray marker or pencil and slip. At the corner of the room she spotted Miku’s back turned away from her on the bed, asleep with her long hair splayed out, and let out a sigh of relief. Looks like it’s just a nightmare.Teto walked over to the side of her bed, swallowing. She’s never really had to deal with something like this before, so she wasn’t sure how she was going to comfort her, but she was going to try her best.“Hey, Miku,” she said softly, leaning down slightly. “Wake up.”“Don’t…” Miku mumbled softly. Teto pulled back, startled. Was she awake the whole time?“Don’t… please… I’m sorry…” Another sob rattled Miku’s body. Teto bit her lip. She had to end this.“Hey— Miku, wake up,” Teto said a little louder, reaching out to place a hand on Miku’s shoulder. The girl only continued her sleep talking, not reacting to Teto at all. Each word pierced through her chest. This was something she never saw before with her. Just how much was Miku hiding within her heart?“Miku, come on. It’s just a dream,” she said, her voice straining as she nudged Miku’s shoulder. She’s a real heavy sleeper, or that nightmare must’ve been terrible. The girl only struggled in her grasp, seemingly in agony in her dream as she flipped over. Tears streamed down her closed eyes and ran down her face, and she could see a wet spot next to her pillow.“I-I’m sorry! Don’t… leave!”“Miku!”The idol gasped awake as Teto drew her close, shaking her slightly. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what’s in front of her.“T-Teto…? What are you doing?” Miku said with a hint of vulnerability in her voice before noticing her own wet face. “Oh no… did I wake you up? I’m so sorry.”“Don’t apologize, you didn’t. I was already awake,” Teto said, pulling her hand back and taking a seat on the bed as Miku sat up. The idol curled herself up with her blanket covering her. She looked half dazed and her eyes were red. Teto rubbed her hands together, feeling lost in this situation. She didn’t want to force Miku to talk, but the silence was killing her. She really felt as though she should at least acknowledge what happened.“I heard you from my room and-”“I’m sorry I was so loud-”They stared at each other before laughing quietly. Miku wiped the remainder of her tears from her eyes with a small smile.“I guess we both wanted to break the silence.”“Mm. It was kind of awkward.”“Not for me. Thank you for coming over and waking me up.”“It was nothing. I was afraid you got hurt. I would never forgive myself if I left you like this.”“You worry too much about me. I’m fine.”Teto peered at Miku’s face. Her head was down, and light blue bangs covered most of her eyes.“You keep saying that, Miku, but sometimes it doesn’t feel fine,” Teto said slowly, gripping her hands together to stop herself from reaching out and holding Miku’s. The latter let out a small breath.“You’re so kind, Teto. I don’t know how you do it.”“What? I can be plenty mean if I want to.”“But you don’t. You act like you’re angry with me but you secretly enjoy it.”Teto bit her lip again. This girl was so sharp, it was almost flattering.“You’re not wrong, I guess.”They sat there, both staring at the covers on Miku’s bed. The red alarm in her room flashed 3:13.“Do you want to tell me about your dream?” Teto whispered. Miku looked up and turned her head away. Damn it, she came off too strong. She shouldn’t have asked, it was Miku’s choice to tell her or not.“Yeah, I don’t remember too much anyways.”Teto held her breath for a few seconds before letting it out.“You were… saying something in your sleep.”“I did? I didn’t know I was a sleep talker,” Miku frowned, hugging herself with her bare arms. “What did I say?”“I couldn’t understand too much, but it sounded like you didn’t want someone to leave?”Miku went quiet. Teto shut her mouth up. It felt like walking on eggshells; any wrong move could end in disaster.“I don’t remember why, but it felt like I did something wrong and everyone was leaving me. My family and my friends. Those who had supported me in life and my career. Even you.”“Miku-”“I thought, that’s not true because you’re here now. But what if something happens? What if we can’t see each other anymore? What if I actually do something to make you hate me?”“I don’t and I won’t ever hate you, Miku, I can tell you that much,” Teto said painfully. “The people you love wouldn’t leave you either, but if it does happen, I will do everything I can to prevent that. And even if they did pull us apart, I would fight my way back to you. I promise that.”“It felt like everything was falling apart. I don’t know why, but it’s like having this dream brought back some… emotion that’s been buried at the back of my mind. Before all of this happened.”“I’m sorry, Miku.”She leaned over to slowly embrace the girl in her arms. Miku gripped onto the back of her shirt, sniffling.“I’m sorry I’m so weak, Teto. It’s just so hard to be happy in a place like this.”“You’re not weak. Not at all. I think you’re stronger than me for being able to face all of this,” Teto murmured, stroking the back of Miku’s head. “I’m happy as long as we have each other, remember? That’s what you said.”“Yeah… yeah.”They pull apart after a few minutes, with Teto gently wiping the stray tears from Miku’s face. The girl sighed, and Teto gave her a little smile.“I shouldn’t keep you up any longer, it’s already so late, we’ve still got tomorrow and-” Teto scooted off the bed and was about to get up before noticing a tug at the back of her shirt. Miku pulled her back harder, her mouth trembling.“Don’t go.”Those words slammed into Teto’s ears and traveled right into her heart. Of course, what a stupid thing to do.“Okay, I won’t,” she replied softly.Teto sat back down and turned to face her. Miku leaned back down on her pillow, looking up at her.“You can get in.”“H-Huh?”Miku only nodded, looking away. Teto felt her face on fire and had to keep herself from just jumping in. She still had some pride, after all.“You don’t mind? I don’t want to disturb you.”“I feel safer with you here.”Teto swallowed again, feeling her heart beat loudly in her ears. Really, she shouldn’t be doing this, but Miku was inviting her in.“If you’re sure, then…”Teto grabbed the cover and lifted it up, slipping underneath. The instant her shoulder touched Miku’s, her whole body shivered.Stop it, act normal! You’re supposed to be comforting her!Miku giggled lightly before pushing her face into the crook of Teto’s neck and stayed silent. She wrapped her arms around Teto’s waist, locking her into a warm hold. Teto tensed beneath her touch, trying to control her breathing. She didn’t expect to be Miku’s personal body pillow, but if someone beat her within an inch of her life maybe then she’d admit it felt really nice.“You’re so much warmer,” Miku whispered into her neck. Teto felt her entire upper shoulder flush as she placed an arm around Miku.“I’ll just be your heater, then.”“That’d be nice.”Before she knew it, Miku had already fallen back asleep onto her shoulder. Teto sighed, accepting her fate. But being with her here was infinitely better than being alone in her bland room, here under the covers. She would need to pay more attention. It wouldn’t be the last time something like this would happen, she knew. She hoped she’ll be there in time to reach her, no matter what.