Prompt: "Trust no one tonight."
Characters: Akira Ugawa, Shu Kuga, Tsubasa Hiragi, Yuta Hoshitani, Seishiro Inumine, Rui Tatsumi, Itsuki Otori, Musashi Irinatsu, Toma Shiki, Shion Kasugano, appears but no dialogue Toru Nayuki, Kakeru Tengenji, Kaito Tsukigami, Eigo Sawatari, Izumi Toraishi, Ryo Fuyusawa, Takafumi Chiaki, mentioned Kyoji Akatasuki, Christian Lion Yuzuriha, Sakuya Sazanami
Amount of words: 2439
Where in the timeline: First year, October 31st
Notes: We're using all three prompts again cause I want to keep a theme. Welcome to the last week of this challenge! It's sad but understandable. Happy halloween everyone! I apologize if anyone is OOC in any of these chapters because I tried challenging myself to write people I'm not used to writing especially personality wise. Either way I hope they come across fine. And of course I had to give our current third-years (though they are second years here) a cameo! Thank you to the Starmyu discord for giving feedback on who would be the easiest to scare. Also this chapter and chapter three goes out to my college, who actually finished their annual Haunted House last weekend. I remember doing this for theatre and it helped me with a lot of the plot for it!

With the Ayanagi Festival over, all of the first years thought the rest of the year was going to go smoothly. Too bad for them that this was Ayanagi Academy. It never goes that smoothly.

Akira never knew why he agreed to walk back from the school to the dorms with Izumi and Seishiro. His first choice, Rui, already left. (With who was obvious at this point and while he didn't like Eigo, Akira decided it was better to be civil with him.) At least Izumi was bearable for the most part minus all his bragging about the girls he was talking to or dating. Seishiro on the other hand…Yeah that was one time bomb he didn't dare to touch.

Before Akira could start yelling at the over energetic, green haired male again, he noticed that Seishiro started running away from them. Apparently he spotted someone they all knew fairly well by now. The dark blue haired upperclassman was walking to a dorm, Akira was pretty sure it was the third year dorms, with a box of props in his hands. He could tell colors that reminded him of Halloween, like black and orange, along with fall colors, like red and yellow, in the box but that was all he could make out.

"Hiragi-senpai!" the dog-like musical star called out. Almost immediately, Tsubasa looked over at his underclassman. To their surprise he gave them a small smile.

"Good afternoon Inumine. What brings you here?"

"We were just walking back to the dorms! What about you?"

"Oh nothing."

Akira knew it wasn't nothing. One glance at Izumi looking at him and he could tell his black and red haired teammate could tell it too.

But before they could question their upperclassman on it, he probably saw the look on their faces and turned around so they couldn't see his face now, Tsubasa just gave them one simple sentence. A warning.

"Trust no one tonight."

Of course it was someone from Team Otori who suggested the idea. Tonight the Third Years were holding their annual Haunted House fundraiser to help a local organization. Akira forgot the small detail that was Halloween was coming up but with how hectic their last few months were you couldn't really blame him. Anyways, more then likely Yuta or Toru (Akira's money was on Yuta) suggested that as a group they should go through the Haunted House together as a sort of test of courage.

Team Hiragi arrived in front of the Third Year Dorms right on the dot of the time they all decided on. Team Otori, on the other hand, were ten minutes late. Akira knew they wouldn't run away but he was worried they chickened out. Turns out it was just the group had to wake up Shu and Yuta ran them even more late. Nothing new with those guys.

"All right," Rui was the one who took control once the two groups met up. "As we have all decided we will do a test of courage for this years haunted house. But just staying on our own teams would be too boring. Yuta and I have been talking and I think we came up with an idea you all would love." The blonde shuffled a bit in his bag before pulling out a few wooden chopsticks. They all seemed to be the same size and length, nothing different between them.

He tried figuring it out. He really did. But Akira couldn't think of what reason Rui was carrying those. "Okay, I give up," the red head sighed. "What are those for?"

"We're all going to draw these sticks so the teams are random. There will be two people per team so there are five different colors your sticks could be." With a shrug and a sheepish smile, Rui continued, "Like I said it would be more fun if we all mixed up. Plus, we can take this time to get closer as former teams." He held the sticks out towards the others. "Okay, time to pick!"

'Come on! I would prefer Tatsumin but anyone but the dog. Please if you are there god grant me that one wish.' Akira reached out, a bit shaky which he didn't notice but others did. Yellow was the color. Okay so who had the other yellow stick?

Rui and Kaito both had blue and teamed up with a smile. The purple sticks belonged to Seishiro and Yuta, aka the two energetics either for good or bad. Eigo and Izumi somehow got red so that would be interesting. Kakeru and Toru got green but more then likely Kakeru had already been defeated by Toru's niceness and cuteness. Which left…

He looked over at Shu. Without a word, the purple haired teen held up his stick. Sure enough the bottom of it was yellow. Akira didn't know how to feel about this. He was sure Shu didn't think fondly of him after picking that fight between the two teams' months back. But there was nothing on his face that confirmed nor denied that statement.

"So, do we have a prize if we get through the Haunted House first!" Seishiro asked as he raised his hand. His partner, Yuta, nodded right along with him, curious about that himself.

Rui quickly nodded yes. "We decided that the winners are exempt from dorm chores for the rest of the semester. I'm sure that will motivate most if not then all of you."

You know…Honestly Akira would have taken Seishiro this one time if for two reasons.

Around nine o' clock the game started. All five groups entered at the same time but as the third years made the dorm into a labyrinth they all split up within minutes.

Nothing too horrifying happened yet, which was both reassuring and worrisome. Akira walked a little behind Shu. If it was his choice, he would be right behind the purple haired male but he wasn't sure if he would be okay with that. This way, at least Shu would still be a sort of a shield if something happened.

It was quiet so far minus the screams echoing throughout the halls, presumably from either their classmates or other students and people being scared. But specifically between Shu and Akira there was nothing. No words. Not even a small noise. It was too eerie even for Akira. He opened his mouth multiple times but nothing came out.

There was a thump from a wall near them. Akira sucked in a breath and they both turned around but no screaming from either. "What was that!?" the red head questioned. The only reply he got from his partner was a quick shrug and hum.

Okay so maybe attempting to break down the wall just as they did at Tsubasa and Itsuki's family cottage wasn't a good idea. Seishiro rubbed his head as he was down on the ground.

"Well…" Yuta sweatdropped as he reached down to pat his Haunted House Partner's shoulder. "You tried? Can't blame you for that."

Akira was desperately trying to keep his cool and look braver then he was. Emphasis on trying. While that first thump scared him he was able to hide it. But now, a few minutes into the Haunted House, and he was nearly close to wetting his pants scared. Those upperclassmen did a really good job. He was screaming left and right. Meanwhile Shu still showed no signs of being scared himself.

'What's with this guy?' Akira thought, going through a monologue in his head as Shu didn't seem like he was going to talk to him. He seemed social enough with his own teammates when he wasn't snoozing off in between classes. But to anyone else it was a mystery. He seemed to be a person of few words.

But before he had proper time to get out of his thoughts, in front of them someone approached the two with a cloak and a scythe. The grim reaper. Akira screamed again, his throat was going to be sore tomorrow and he'll be reprimanded for it but he couldn't help his own reactions.

In front of his eyes he could tell that Shu was going in front of him as sort of a shield. It was odd that someone like Akira that was egging on their team from day one would be protecting him with no ill will. The purple haired male didn't look scared at all. Well again he didn't show many emotions. But this time Akira could tell that he wasn't scared at all.

"What are you doing, Otori-senpai?" was the first sentence that came out of his mouth. Akira looked back to the grim reaper laughing, a voice he soon recognized, before he took off his hood.

"I can't pull anything on you anymore can I? Actually you're the only one of my students that recognized me." Waving his free hand in front of his face, Itsuki kept smiling. "Well I'm a part of the haunted house. I am a third-year after all. Plus, the other members of the Kao Council gave me free reign of the hallways. I intend to scare everyone to pieces. As best as I can that is."

Another scream and a blonde haired second-year ran past the two, with one of his friends a brunette calling behind him, "Masashi, wait up!" before four more people ran by them. None of them seemed to take notice of the conversation and plowed through though the three, though the pink haired one quickly bowed and gave a quick sorry to them before catching up with his friends.

"Well that's my cue to leave and get ready for the next group." Putting his hood back on, Itsuki started to go back to his designated starting spot. "Enjoy, boys."

Akira just stared at the upperclassman as he walked away. He honestly couldn't tell what his students saw in him. In the corner of his eye, he saw Kakeru walk by with a fainted Toru on his back. Akira couldn't tell if he felt sorrier that Toru already was scared senseless or that he had to be carried by the selfish son of a…

"Are you okay?"

It was so awkward for Akira to hear that come out of Shu's mouth but it happened. The hallway was quiet for a while. No screams from other students. No one trying to scare them. Maybe he was trying to fill the awkward void. But part of him didn't really like this small talk.

"It's none of your business." His answer was just a little over a whisper but still came off as cold as it sounded. Shu decided not to question any more until Akira asked him a question himself. "So what's with you. After everything that happened I thought you would hate me. But instead you have been protective of me and nice and…What angle are you working at?"

Shu shrugged first as his answer. "There's no angle. Even despite what happened months ago both Team Otori and Team Hiragi have grown closer. You know that. Now I know you guys are our friends and not our enemies. Plus, we all trust Yuta. If he feels like you guys won't cause us problems anymore like that fight, then we can follow him. I'd feel even worse if I let you alone to fend this place."

He swore he could feel a blush on his face at that moment at the way Shu way saying that. Akira hoped that the hallways were dark enough that his Haunted House teammate couldn't see it at all. Shu had a kind heart and never seemed to hold grudges which was more then he could say for a few other of their classmates.

It was quiet again. Neither boy seemed to want to speak up. Letting his forehead hit the back shoulder of his teammate, Akira was determined to not let his shyness get the better of him or be seen by this person. "Thank you," was what he uttered, echoing lightly in the hallways.

They beat every challenge somehow that they passed through. Every part of the building seemed to be planned by each of the Kao Council. From Itsuki's hallways to Kyoji's death chamber to Sakuya's graveyard to Lion's…Honestly, both Shu and Akira gave up trying to make heads or tails of it so whatever it was. This left only one person that could be the "final boss" as Izumi put it.

They opened the doors to a big room at the end. Akira was almost sure they entered the common room of the dormitory. It was a big space so there was really no other thing it could be. The room seemed like it could easily be changed depending on the circumstances. Right now there was a low yellow light glowing but that was it. Nothing out of the ordinary but all of it suspicious.

Shu slowly walked in as Akira followed behind him, grabbing onto his shirt as if he was holding on for dear life. Their footsteps echoed throughout the room as they approached the center. Still nothing yet. That was until the doors slammed shut behind them. The two turned around to show that there was no way out. Even Akira went to open the door but it wouldn't budge. When they turned back towards the middle of the room, there it was.

It was also at this moment that Akira noticed why his upperclassman said to trust no one. Of course he would be the one that would know all of the things Team Hiragi would be scared of.

There was a body in the middle of the floor. Everywhere on it and around it was full of blood. Akira screamed as soon as he saw it. Running towards one of the corners, he curled up and covered his ears as he shut his eyes while murmuring, "It's not real…It's not real…"

Before Shu could attempt to calm him down, he could hear faint footsteps. It was fight or flight time and since more then likely fight would probably get him in trouble there was only one option. Grabbing Akira, he made a sprint for the doors as fast as his legs could take him. The pink haired male just started crying and cursed Tsubasa at the top of his lungs all the way out.

Tsubasa was disappointed that he didn't get to personally scare them this time, especially when one of them was his own student. But he was still smirking all the same. Being on the Kao Council had it's perks, especially around Halloween.