Temoshí knocked on the bathroom door, his voice laced with concern. "Chiaki, you've been in there for half an hour. Everything alright?"
Inside, Chiaki sat curled up on the floor, knees drawn to her chest, lost in her thoughts. She didn't respond, just whispered to herself, "Stop talking... it's only making it worse. I can't deal with this right now... I feel like I'm going to pass out."
Her face flushed, but the overwhelming sensation she was experiencing wasn't love—it was something else, something that was playing tricks on her mind.
Temoshí glanced back at the others, his expression filled with concern. "Shouldn't we check on her? It's been way too quiet in there, and we haven't heard any water running," Phoebe pointed out, worried that Chiaki might've passed out.
Temoshí turned the door handle, unlocking it carefully. As soon as the door creaked open, Chiaki snapped into action, scrambling away from the door and pressing herself against the wall. "H-Hey! Stop!" she shouted, her voice panicked as she backed herself further into the corner.
Temoshí stood in the doorway, his confused gaze fixed on her. The others peered around him, equally perplexed. Chiaki's face was flushed, her breathing shallow and fast.
"D-Don't come any closer! I'm fine! I swear!" she protested, raising her hand in front of him as she turned her head to the side, eyes tightly shut.
"Chiaki, what the hell's going on with you? Why are you sitting in here, freaking out like this?" Temoshí asked, his tone a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Who's freaking out?! I'm not freaking out! You're the one freaking out!" Chiaki snapped, her words coming out in a flurry, completely unlike her usual calm demeanor. "This isn't funny, alright?"
Temoshí sighed, walking closer to her. "Come on, Chiaki, this is ridiculous."
"No! Heck no! Don't you dare come any closer!" Suddenly, as he grabbed her wrist, Chiaki froze up completely, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. "Gah! Let go of me!" she screamed, her voice shrill like a bird in panic. She yanked her arm away, kicking him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a bit.
"Huh? What the hell's going on?" Shanya muttered, watching the whole scene unfold with a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"Do you even know who I am right now? Have you lost it or... what?" Temoshí asked, trying to stay casual, though there was concern in his tone.
Chiaki blinked, momentarily stunned, then snapped back. "Of course I know who you are! But just stop! I... I can't explain it..." She couldn't bring herself to admit what was really happening, her words faltering as she struggled to control herself.
Stitch pushed herself off the wall and gently took hold of Temoshí's wrist. "We should probably leave her alone for now," she murmured, keeping her voice low. "There's something off about her, and it doesn't make sense at all. Let her come out when she's ready."
Temoshí glanced back one last time at Chiaki, whose expression had become a flushed mess, silently turning her head away. He sighed, then slowly reached for the door, closing it quietly behind him. Chiaki was left alone in the bathroom.
"Alright, no offense, but whatever's goin' on with her... messed up," Shanya said, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. The others remained silent, the tension in the air thick.
After a moment, Phoebe spoke up, her voice a little hesitant. "Something doesn't sit right with me. Her body's acting... weird, right? That's what Chiaki said earlier, Shanya. Maybe it's something with her hormones..." She trailed off, looking to the others for confirmation.
Shanya rolled her eyes, her arms still crossed and a smirk on her lips. "Hormones? Pfft, maybe. But somethin' ain't right here. This ain't just a mood swing or whatever. This is some messed-up stuff. I've never seen Chiaki freak out like that. She's not even actin' like herself. It's like she's got a whole new vibe goin' on, and I'm not diggin' it."
Temoshí stood silent for a moment, his brows furrowed in concern. "Whatever it is, I don't like it. She's not just dealing with a physical thing... It's like her mind's getting twisted in all this. We need to keep an eye on her."
Stitch sighed, clearly frustrated. "I know, man. I get it. But what are we supposed to do? She's locked herself in there, and I don't think any of us are getting through to her right now."
Phoebe's face was pensive, her hands rubbing her temples. "I hate feeling this helpless. Maybe we should talk to Dr. Hugo. If anyone can figure out what's going on with Chiaki, it's him. But we need to make sure she's not in danger before we do anything else."
Shanya smirked, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Yeah, yeah, Dr. Hugo's always got some magical answer. But seriously, we're runnin' out of time. I don't like seeing her like this... and the way she freaked out when Temoshí tried to talk to her, it's makin' me more worried."
Temoshí nodded. "I get it. I've never seen her lose it like that. We'll give her some space for now, but I'm not leaving until I know what's happening with her."
With that, the group fell into an uneasy silence, each of them contemplating the strange situation that had unfolded, knowing they needed to find answers—before whatever was happening to Chiaki became something far worse.
Chiaki continued to hide in the corner of the bathroom, her knees pulled close to her chest, trying to steady her breathing. The heat spreading through her body only grew worse, and no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, it wouldn't stop. Her pulse thudded loudly in her ears, and every breath felt heavier than the last. She tried to focus, but the sensation coursing through her made it impossible.
"This... this isn't right," she murmured to herself, her voice shaky as she ran a hand through her hair. "Why does it feel like this? It's not... this isn't normal. I've never felt anything like this before..." Her face burned, not just from the heat, but from something else—something deep inside her, a growing feeling that she couldn't fully comprehend.
Her body felt too sensitive, every small shift of her position sending waves of discomfort through her. "God, I don't know what's going on, but this... it feels like I can't even control myself anymore." She clenched her eyes shut, trying to push the overwhelming sensation aside, but it only seemed to grow stronger, making her stomach flip and her skin flush even more.
"Why is this happening?" she whispered, her voice cracking with anxiety. "I've gotta get a grip... but it feels... so strong... so... wrong."
Outside in the forest, the woman stood, her eyes fixed on the scene through the window. "Seems like my power's doing its job. That brown-haired tiger girl will feel it soon enough. Then, one by one, they'll all fall. Including the other two. But right now, I need the most 'affected' one to break." A sinister grin spread across her face as she chuckled darkly.
To be continued...