Sogood

"Hey, Junpei..."

He felt Clover's hand in his shoulder.

Her smile was wrong--horribly wrong.
Her face looked like a mask made from stretched human skin.

The smile that parted her lips did not extend to her eyes. They were empty.

The girl in fron of him was no longer the Clover he had known. Pherhaps she was not even human...

"Let's go."

Her hand reached out toward him...

"Let's go out of here. Let's get out of this ship."

"Wha... What the hell are you talking about? To... to open a...numbered door..."

"Yes, I know. You need at least three people. But as long as we have this..."

Once again, Clover reached into her pocket, and pulled something out.

It was another bracelet.

Junpei could see the number on the face.

—【0】—

【0】...

He remembered.

"You've got something in your pocket. What is it?"

"Oh, this...? Uh...um... This is..."

...

...

"See? You get it now? If we have the (0) bracelet, we can leave. You and I can open the door【9】with just two of us."

4 + 5 + 0 = 9

"See? So let's go!"

"..."

"C'moooon! Hurry up!"

She shoved out her hand again.

Junpei looked up at Clover. She had the face of a demon...

But there was...something else. There was a holy light that surrounded her.

She was both a fierce god, and a benevolent goddes, filled with love...

"Junpei...?"

Her voice was soft.

Her eyes weren't empty anymore... They were deep--so deep, Junpei could feel himself falling into them.

He felt dizzy.

There was something oddly bwitching about her. His mind was beggining to crack, and his heart began to melt.

"Junpei...?"

The hand she was offering him... It looked so soft...so inviting...

Junpei reached out with his own trembling hand, and closed it over hers...

And then...