Haku's New Team

"OI OI! CAN Y'ALL SHUT THE HELL UP?!"

A deafening shout echoed through the room, silencing the frantic discussions. The voice came from a tall, handsome man standing among the players from the second room.

"LISTEN UP!" he continued, his voice booming.

"We've got no time for this nonsense.

We need to pick our teams and wait for this damn timer to end! YOU IDIOTS!"

He swept his gaze over the crowd, pointing at players one by one.

"If we have to face each other, then we have to do our team as strong as possible. Got it?

All the strongest, come to me. Don't even think about it if you're weak, you'll just slow us down!

AND OBVIOUSLY, I'm the leader of my team!"

Without hesitation, he pointed to four strong-looking men from his group, beckoning them over with an air of arrogance.

Haku stood quietly with Mey at the back, analyzing the situation.

So, this is how it's going to work, he thought. The strong will team up with the strong… and the weak will be left behind. Damn it.

The long-haired arrogant man from Hakus group approached the tall leader with a wide grin, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Oi Oi, nice to meet you. I'd like to join your team. My name's Imatsuki "

The tall man glanced at him, then at the people of his room.

His confidence was undeniable, and even Haku had to admit he looked like one of the stronger players.

"Aight, you're in," the tall man replied, shaking his hand firmly.

"Name's Shokono."

Imatsuki smirked, nodding. "I have a recommendation, too. Someone you'll want on your team."

"Dennis!" Imatsuki shoutet across the room.

Dennis woke up from his corner, stretching with an exaggerated yawn.

Mey leaned closer to Haku.

"What do we do now?"

Haku's eyes scanned the room. He noticed the clear divisions forming—strong players banded together while the weak, the elderly, and even children as young as 13 were being ignored.

Like...

30% here looking extremtly strong...

30% average but still strong

10% average

and like 10% extremely weak I mean...there are 2 very old people... and like...kids...wtf...

"Let's just wait and observe," Haku whispered, motioning for Mey to follow him to a quiet corner.

As time passed, most of the teams had formed. The timer on the wall ticked relentlessly:

11:32:10

11:32:09

11:32:08

Haku frowned.

Why the hell is this timer so long?

Mey's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Why aren't we joining a good team, Haku?"

He hesitated.

...

"Haku?"

He sighed deeply, his voice low.

"I…Im sorry... I can't choose. If you find a good team for yourself, go for it. I'll support you.

But I can't decide. I don't know what's right."

Mey stared at him, confused by his uncharacteristic hesitation.

Haku's thoughts churned.

Do I pick a strong team to guarantee survival? Or join a weak team and risk everything to protect them? Damn it…

11:25:04

11:25:03

11:25:02

Imatsuki strolled over to Haku, smirking.

"Hey, kiddo. We still need one more. You wanna join us?"

Haku looked at him, then shifted his gaze behind him—to one particular team.

It was the most mismatched team imaginable:

two grandmothers, two young girls barely in their teens,

a frail woman in her 30s, a one-armed man, and a small boy.

And at the center of it all stood a tall, muscular man with a black bandana and the attire of a cook. His piercing gaze was already fixed on Haku, steady and unshaken, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

What's this guy doing with them? Haku wondered.

Why is someone that strong choosing the weakest players here?

Their eyes met.

It was like a lightning bolt, in an instant. It wasn't just a glance; it was an unspoken agreement,

a silent bond formed in a heartbeat

He turned back to Imatsuki.

"I already have a team."

"Huh?" Imatsuki frowned, glancing back at the group Haku was looking at,

and he noticed the muscular man surrounded by weaklings nodding at him."

He burst into laughter

"HA! That's your team? Bro, that's literally the weakest group here!"

"Pahahahhahahahahaa!!!" He laughed to himself as he walked away, leaving

Haku standing there, his resolve unwavering.

"Mey," Haku said quietly.

"You should join a stronger team. I'll help you and explain them how insane your aim is."

Mey blinked, startled. For a moment, she stayed silent, thinking.

Does he really think I'd leave him? What an idiot, she thought.

Before she could respond, a gentle hand tapped Haku's shoulder. He turned to see one of the grandmothers smiling warmly.

"I'm so glad you decided to join us. Does your friend want to join too?"

Haku began to reply, "I—"

"Of course^^" Mey cut him off, stepping forward

"If you've got space for me, I'm in."

Haku looked at her, a mixture of sadness and relief crossing his face.

While Haku and Mey were following the grandma to the team, Mey said to Haku:

"I'm quite shocked you'd even ask me something like that, Haku… you fucking weirdo."

Haku started to smile, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"Thank you, Mey, for being who you are," Haku said softly.

Mey looked at him, surprised.

As Haku and Mey approached the team, two young girls immediately ran up to Mey, their eyes wide with excitement.

"Wow, you're so pretty!" one of them exclaimed, practically bouncing with energy.

"What's your name?"

Mey blinked, taken aback for a moment before giving a small, shy smile.

"Hey Thanks^^ I'm Mey."

The other girl clapped her hands together.

"Mey! That's such a cool name! Are you an idol or something?"

Mey scratched the back of her neck, clearly a little overwhelmed.

"Oh no, but thanks, I guess."

Haku stepped forward.

"And I'm Haku."

The rest of the team stepped closer, gratitude and relief clear on their faces.

"Thank you both for joining us," said a frail woman in her 30s, her voice soft but sincere.

"It means a lot to us."

The small boy peeked out from behind one of the grandmothers, his wide eyes staring at Haku with a mix of admiration and hope. Haku gave him a small nod, silently acknowledging the boy's gaze.

The two young girls, still buzzing with energy, didn't waste a second, tugging on Mey's sleeve.

"Your hair is so shiny!"

Mey chuckled awkwardly. "Really? Thank you. Both of your hair too."

The tall, muscular man stepped forward offering Haku a handshake.

"Thank you for joining us. I couldn't just stand by and watch them all get left out just because they're not the strongest here..."

Haku shaking his head slightly.

"I should be thanking you for inviting me."

The man smiled warmly, offering his hand.

"I'm Momo. Nice to meet you."

Haku glanced around the group as they continued chatting. The atmosphere was unexpectedly warm and positive.

I'm glad I made this choice, he thought.

"Hi! I'm Mia!" the younger girl exclaimed with a bright smile.

"I'm thirteen, and I'll do my best!"

"I'm Lina, and I'm her older sister. I'm fourteen. Nice to meet you."

"Kaito," the small boy said quietly.

"I'm twelve."

"I'm Haruka," the frail-looking woman said gently. "Thank you for joining us...I should also mention that I recently found out I'm pregnant."

One of the grandmothers gave a warm smile. "Call me Yuki, dears. I'm happy to have you both."

The second grandmother nodded with a laugh. "I'm Sora. Let's all try to stay alive, okay?"

The one-armed man gave a curt nod.

"Peter."

The conversation turned to the other teams, and one of the older women spoke up nervously.

"All the other teams… they look so strong."

"We're the weakest team here hehe" another added

Momo stepped forward again, his strong voice cutting through the doubt.

"That doesn't matter. We'll stick together, and we'll make it through this. Together."

The group nodded, the sense of unity growing stronger with each passing moment.

Mey, now more at ease, exchanged smiles with the the other people.

Haku stood quietly, taking it all in.

This team might be weak, but maybe… just maybe, we have a chance.

The group waited, and everyone made small talk for a bit. Everything felt very harmonious and positive. Everyone was so sweet and kind, Haku thought to himself

Momo: "It seems like everyone has now formed their teams..."

11:00:03

11:00:02

11:00:01

11:00:00

A system message appeared:

"Beginning of the night. Try to rest and sleep."

"Sleep?" Haku thought aloud as the lights dimmed.

The walls shimmered and dissolved, revealing an expanded room with 80 simple beds arranged in a square along the walls.

10:59:56

Players murmured nervously.

"Why do we need to sleep?"

"This is pointless."

"I'm not even tired!"

Amid the noise, Dennis shouted triumphantly,

"YAHOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!"

and threw himself onto the nearest bed in an instant.

With a smile, he immediately fell asleep, his arms resting behind his head.