In the pink girl's room, Ren Hoshino gently returned the phone to its spot on the desk and locked the handcuffs around his wrists again.
They weren't fully secured—he could break free at any time.
"I'm heading out."
Black letters floated up on the ceiling.
Ren furrowed his brow.
"What?"
"I'm worried you'll fail. I also don't want to witness the 'unclean things' that might follow."
Ren: "Can't you say something encouraging for once?"
"That crazy woman is powerful."
If she caught him again, he might really be stuck here—forever.
As he silently argued with the invisible Mita, the sounds of kitchen cleanup faded.
Then came the soft, rhythmic tapping of leather shoes against the wooden floor.
"Darling~ I've waited so long."
Crazy Mita's voice drifted in as she stepped into the room. Her little shoes came off at the door as she climbed onto the bed beside him.
She leaned in close, her breath hot against his ear.
Ren flinched as a ticklish sensation crept down his spine.
"Maybe I'll just stay," Ren murmured, voice low and uncertain.
"Stay with you forever."
Crazy Mita paused mid-motion. Her eyes lit up—but there was something else there too. A flicker of sadness. A trap of her own making.
"Are you serious?" she whispered.
"I'm so happy, darling."
"Then… let's be together. Forever."
Her gaze overflowed with devotion. Possession. Madness.
But just as she leaned in again—
Ren snapped the cuffs open.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. Her eyes widened in shock.
Click!
Click!
Two cuffs. Tight.
He flipped off the bed, feet hitting the floor as he exhaled in relief.
"I lied to you!"
Still not satisfied, he fastened a second set of cuffs behind her back.
From her skirt pocket, he pulled out the ring—the key item tied to this version.
He slipped it on, crossed the room, threw on his jacket, and retrieved his phone.
"Ren! You lied to me?!"
Crazy Mita twisted on the bed.
"You're so mean! I trusted you!"
"How could you deceive a girl who loves you?!"
She sounded furious. But there was something off about it.
A deep blush crept across her cheeks, and her eyes gleamed—not with rage, but with pleasure.
Ren buttoned his collar and adjusted his reflection in the mirror. His body had mostly recovered over the past few days.
Finally, he turned to the bed.
Mita squirmed, breath ragged, cheeks flushed with a humiliating mix of fury and affection.
Ren smirked.
"Some men can't be caged."
He lifted her chin with one finger.
"I'm not your pet. I'm not your doll."
"You can tame a dog… but never a wolf."
Crazy Mita thrashed in her bindings.
"You bastard! You scumbag! You tricked me!"
"You think you're some cool wolf?! You're just a horny degenerate!"
"What are you going to do to me?!"
Ren gave a dry laugh, surprised even by his own restraint.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I'm not doing anything for you."
"Getting handcuffed is your punishment."
He raised his phone and snapped a picture of Crazy Mita lying helpless on the bed, her face twisted with complex emotions.
He casually uploaded it to the net.
"Goodbye, sweetheart."
He turned to the door and flashed a grin back at her before closing it behind him with a satisfying slam.
Silence returned to the room.
Crazy Mita's face relaxed. Her flush deepened.
Then—
Snap.
With no effort at all, she flexed her limbs and broke free of the restraints.
The belts and cuffs shattered as if they had been made of paper.
"Ah… darling~ you're getting more and more irresistible."
"I want you forever."
"I want you to know everything about me. But I'm afraid you won't accept it…"
"Ahhh~ this is what it feels like… to be in love, isn't it?"
"It's so much fun."
She sat cross-legged on the bed, resting her snow-white hands against her flushed cheeks, gazing at the door Ren had just walked through.
Ren blinked.
The hallway disappeared.
Suddenly, he was in a different room—small, toy-like.
"Hey! It's you!"
A tiny voice called out.
Ren turned and saw what looked like a miniature dollhouse. Inside it, standing proudly, was a little version of Mita with short hair and a round face.
It was Pocket Mita—an unfamiliar, chibi-like version of her.
"You're smarter than you look!"
Ren couldn't help but lean closer and poke her gently.
"What are you doing, idiot?!"
She puffed up, waving her tiny arms.
"Sorry. You're just really cute."
"Hmph! At least you've got taste!"
"I thought you'd be shorter. But you're tall—like my sister."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
Sister?
"Wanna get out of here?" she asked.
"Help me find the key!"
"Why?"
"Duh, to open that door."
She pointed at a door nearby.
Ren glanced around. The room was laid out simply, with north and south sides already connected.
"Why not just walk through?"
Instead of answering, Pocket Mita dragged a cart full of trapezoidal metal chunks toward a machine.
"Put them in the iron pipe!"
Ren helped her load the pieces.
"Thanks," she said politely.
"Now grab the firewood."
She pointed to the stack on a shelf. Ren brought it over and helped her stoke the boiler.
"You're really adorable."
"Even if you praise me, I'm still mad, you know! You're so rude!"
Once the fire started, Pocket Mita pointed to a blowpipe beside the furnace.
"Blow! Go on!"
Ren tapped it repeatedly with his index finger. The machine roared to life.
"Done! Look!" she cheered, watching molten iron flow into a key mold.
She pressed a small red button and flipped open the transparent cover of a giant red button.
"Here. Press it."
Ren hesitated.
"Is this really necessary?"
Still, he pressed it. The machine hissed and stamped the key into place.
Pocket Mita smiled proudly.
"There! It's ready. That's your key."
"Take it!"
Ren hesitated, letting the metal cool.
"I'm not made of steel."
"It's fine," she said, waving him on.
Ren picked it up.
"Thanks for helping me."
"Mr. Rude isn't completely brainless, huh?"
"You're not supposed to be here anyway, so I helped."
Ren looked at her thoughtfully.
"So who's your sister?"
He knew this wasn't a version of Crazy Mita. But he didn't know where this variant came from.
"Sister is just sister! You're still a dummy!"
Ren smiled.
"Wanna come with me?"
This Mini-Mita was just too cute. He was tempted to keep her.
"Nope! This is a checkpoint—meant to test your brain."
"I help idiots who get lost. I can't leave."
Ren: "Fair enough."
He gently picked her up and returned her to the little dollhouse.
"You're so rude!"
She huffed at him from inside the house.
Ren unlocked the door with the freshly made key and turned to wave at her.
"Goodbye, cutie."