"...."
"...."
"....."
Sera's eyes slowly fluttered open, squinting against the soft light filtering into the room. The last thing she remembered was sinking into the sea, right after the shark veered off toward Candy... and then—nothing.
Heavenly music? ...Are we dead?
It was just a fleeting thought, quickly dismissed the moment she realized she was lying in a bed, wrapped in a towel, with some music playing softly through an aux cable.
"..."
She glanced around the room and immediately recognized where she was—Jody's room, in Syd's house. She'd been here before. The thick plastic sheet covering the bed beneath her, clearly to protect the mattress from her wet clothes, confirmed it. Even the pillow was sealed in a protective wrap.
"..."
Which meant... they made it back alive.
Click.
The door creaked open. Sera quickly shut her eyes, pretending to still be asleep.
...But not completely. She peeked.
It was Mickey Mannix.
Mickey?
He walked in and sank into the chair beside the bed—casual, like he'd been there for a while. And judging from the way he settled in, he had been. She must've woken up while he was briefly out of the room.
"..."
He didn't come empty-handed. In one hand, he held a stack of A4 paper; in the other, a pencil.
"...?"
Sera watched him curiously. He lowered the pencil and began sketching—continuing lines already drawn.
Ah... right. This guy draws.
She remembered now. Looked like he was just killing time while watching over her.
If he's this relaxed, then Candy's probably dealt with by now.
Good. She wasn't in the mood to listen to any more screaming anyway.
"....."
"...."
"....."
What was he drawing, though?
She tried to sneak a peek, but he was too far away. She couldn't see anything from this angle.
"..."
Then, without warning, Mickey stood up and started walking toward her.
Wait—huh?
Whoa...
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa—
He came close—really close—moving his pencil and eyes as he approached. His face hovered just inches from hers, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath.
WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA—
Sera squeezed her eyes shut. Her expression stayed calm, but her heart was pounding like mad.
What the hell is he doing?!
She decided to shift slightly, turning her head away like someone still half-asleep—just subtle enough to pass as natural.
"...Mmm..."
A not-so-subtle warning that he was invading her personal breathing space.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Mickey gently moved her back, tilting her head to its original position—and let go.
"..."
"..."
"..."
She heard his pencil scratching faster against the paper. He was staring straight at her, unblinking.
That's when it hit her.
He's drawing me…?
"....."
Okay, time to wake up.
"...Yaaawnnn~~"
Sera slowly opened her eyes, pretending to just now wake, watching carefully to see if Mickey would panic and toss the drawing.
He didn't.
He just kept going, calmly sketching as if nothing had happened.
"..."
"..."
"Where... are we?"
Her voice came out groggy, like someone half-awake.
"Strange question. You already know that."
"..."
"...Where's Candy?"
"You already know that too."
"...No, I—"
"You know."
"....."
"Ughhh... You're this annoying first thing in the morning, Mannix?"
"First thing?"
"...."
Mickey lowered his pink-tinted glasses and gave her a slow, deliberate look.
"...You're seriously telling me... you just woke up?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"..."
"....."
"Don't look away. Look at me. Now say it again—you just woke up?"
"...Fine... just woke up."
"Nice try. Sure. We'll go with that."
"..."
Shit. Did he know?! How?! I kept a perfect poker face the whole time...
"...Where is everyone?"
Sera shifted the topic.
"Downstairs. Free time right now."
"....."
"...And what the hell are you doing?"
"A hobby."
"...Drawing?"
"...Yeah."
"Like anime stuff or whatever?"
"No."
"Then what are you drawing?"
"You."
"...Why the hell are you drawing me? Okay, fine, I get it—beautiful things draw attention."
"Does baby powder count as beauty now?" he mumbled as he kept sketching.
"Excuse you?!"
"Mhm."
"You little—ugh!!!"
God, I wanna punch him so bad. But I can't. And that's so damn frustrating!!!
"...You've bounced back fast. Almost like you've been awake for a while already," he muttered.
shit.
"...And pretending to sleep. Sneaking peeks at me… something like that."
"...What the hell are you talking about, Mannix?"
"...But if that's what you were doing, doesn't that make you the creep?"
"No way. I'm not the one with issues like you."
"...You sure about that?"
Sera felt a shiver crawl down her spine as Mickey stared directly into her eyes—unblinking.
"...."
"..."
Mickey set the pencil down beside him.
He had finished the drawing. And he handed the paper to her.
"...."
Sera took it... and what she saw—
She couldn't quite describe it. But it was clearly a drawing of her head.
At first, she'd expected a portrait or something traditional. But this was...
Straight-up disturbing.
"...Why is my head skewered on that weird stick?"
"....."
"...."
"And what's this S-shape supposed to be?"
"..."
"I just drew what came to mind. Nothing important."
"Bullshit. You think I can't tell? Framing my face in the exact center like that? You planned this from the start."
"..."
"Oh right—I forgot. You do know art," he muttered.
"Don't condescend to me, you axe-faced freak 💢."
"...."
"And what's the title of this masterpiece?"
"...Didn't give it one."
"Ugh, seriously? Who draws and doesn't name their work?"
Naturally, Mickey wasn't about to argue with an art guru like Sera.
"I don't want to impose any meaning on it."
"And how exactly do you plan to communicate anything, smartass?"
"If I wanted to send a message, I'd write it down."
Now that she thought about it… Mickey had been kind of weird from the moment they met. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. His language, his shameless topics, the way he walked, the way he made eye contact...
Then, suddenly, Roxy's voice echoed in her mind.
Mickey has... a few mental issues. Just a bit.
"..."
"...Hey... Are you okay? Like, mentally?"
"You've called me a psycho more than four times, and now you're asking?"
His expression remained totally calm.
Like everything was perfectly normal.
But Sera knew—something about him was off.
"You should change out of those clothes," Mickey said as he stood. "No one's touched you since I pulled you out of the water."
Sera pulled the blanket aside. She was still wearing the outfit from the mission, soaked and stained with sea grime.
Thankfully, she was already wearing black, so she wasn't worried about anything see-through.
She slowly got to her feet, still a bit dizzy.
Mickey kept a respectful distance.
"...What's this music? Classical? That your thing?"
Still shivering from the damp clothes, Sera walked over to accept the spare clothes Mickey handed her.
"...I have to play it. Can't draw without it."
"Tch."
She scoffed out of pure spite. But truth be told, she understood the vibe completely.
Of course it's Chopin. Freakin' Chopin.
"But I like Daft Punk too, y'know."
"Didn't ask."
"...Alright then. Go get changed. I bought snacks—they're in the kitchen downstairs."
"...Wait—you bought snacks for me?"
"Crispy Kreme. You want some or not?"
"...Hell yeah I do. I mean—uh..."
If she remembered correctly, back at the hotel when Mickey raided the fridge, there had been Krispy Kreme there too. And she'd loved them.
Wait a second... does he remember that I like them?
"...Anyway. I'm out. Toshi and I have a game to finish."
Creak—(door opening)
Before walking out, Mickey glanced back at her.
"I think you look fine without makeup, by the way."
"...Huh?"
Creak. Slam.
He left her with that one strange line.
"I think you look fine without makeup."
"..."
"..."
Wait—WHAT?!
Sera grabbed a nearby mirror with her wet hand to check her face.
What she saw was her bare, makeup-free face.
That couldn't be right. Her makeup was 100% waterproof! There's no way it just came off!
But then she noticed something at the edge of the bed: a damp cloth.
No... it wasn't just any cloth. She picked it up and gave it a sniff.
Olive oil.
Jody's makeup remover wipes.
And on it—smudged black stains. Her makeup.
There was no doubt who had wiped her face clean.
BEEP—flatline.
"MANNIIIIIIIIIIX!!!!"