A night Of Chaos

Mute but Not Invisible – Volume 1, Chapter 8: A Night of Chaos

The Aftermath of a Terrible Decision

Yuu Takahashi regretted many things in life.

Agreeing to Rika's challenge was now one of them.

The school trip had already been a nightmare. Being paired with Rika had made it worse. And now, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the bonfire crackled in the background, Yuu realized he had made a critical miscalculation.

Because Rika was smirking.

"Alright, Mute-kun, you ready to pay up?" she asked, eyes glinting mischievously.

Yuu exhaled through his nose and pulled out his notebook. "What do you want?"

Rika leaned forward dramatically. "Simple! You have to be my personal servant for the rest of the trip. Carry my stuff, follow my orders, and—" she grinned, "—you have to react to me. No ignoring. No turning away. Just pure, undivided attention."

Yuu stared.

Then, very deliberately, he flipped to a new page and wrote: "No."

"Tch, too bad! You already agreed! No take-backs!" Rika shot back, wagging her finger. "Starting now, you're my assistant. And I'm gonna make sure you never forget it."

This was going to be hell.

The First Task: A Midnight Snack Hunt

"Okay, first mission!" Rika declared, dragging Yuu toward the lodge's kitchen. "I'm hungry, and I want something sweet.So, dear servant, we're going to steal some snacks."

Yuu paused mid-step.

He immediately wrote: "We're not allowed in the kitchen after lights out."

"Exactly! That's what makes it fun!" Rika grinned, tugging on his sleeve. "C'mon, don't be a wimp. It's just a little rule-breaking. Nobody's gonna notice!"

Yuu glanced around, already sensing a disaster incoming.

Unfortunately, Rika was relentless. Before he could object further, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along. "Think of it as training! If you're gonna be my servant, you need to learn to keep up with my brilliance."

This was going to end badly.

The Great Snack Heist

They managed to sneak into the lodge's kitchen storage without getting caught.

"Alright! Operation 'Midnight Feast' is a go!" Rika whispered as she crouched near a cupboard. "I'll take the left side, you check the right."

Yuu sighed and shook his head but complied, rummaging through the shelves as quietly as possible.

Then, a sudden clatter.

Yuu froze.

So did Rika.

Then both of them slowly turned to the doorway.

Where Mei was standing.

Holding a flashlight.

With the most unreadable expression Yuu had ever seen.

"...Explain," Mei said flatly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Rika blinked, then shot Yuu a look before dramatically pointing at him. "It was his idea."

Yuu narrowed his eyes.

Then, just as deliberately, he flipped his notebook open and wrote: "Liar."

"Tch, fine. We were getting snacks. Want in?" Rika asked casually, as if this was totally normal.

Mei stared for a long moment before slowly stepping forward.

"...I want tea."

Yuu groaned internally. Now they were all in trouble.

The Escape Plan

"Alright, new plan!" Rika whispered as she juggled a handful of snacks. "We need to get out of here without getting caught. Mei, you take the front. Mute-kun and I will follow—"

A sudden creak echoed through the kitchen.

All three of them snapped their heads toward the door.

Footsteps.

"Oh, hell." Rika muttered. "Abort mission! ABORT!"

Mei was already moving, gliding toward the back entrance. Yuu didn't hesitate to follow.

They were one step from escape when the lights turned on.

"What do we have here?"

Their homeroom teacher stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

Yuu slowly turned to glare daggers at Rika.

She just laughed nervously.

The Aftermath

Despite nearly getting detention for the rest of the trip, Rika considered the mission a success.

"Hey, at least we got snacks!" she said cheerfully as they sat outside by the lodge's porch, munching on stolen cookies.

Yuu gave her the flattest stare possible.

This was her idea of a fun school trip?

Mei, sitting beside him, silently sipped her tea. She hadn't said much after the incident, but Yuu could tell she wasn't happy.

Rika stretched lazily. "Well, my dear servant, you made it through the first task! Tomorrow, we're gonna have even more fun!"

Yuu suddenly wished he could fast-forward time to the end of the trip.

Because if tonight was anything to go by…

Tomorrow was going to be worse.

End of Chapter 8