Beep… Beep… Beep…


    Yuki didn''t know what had happened to him. One moment, he remembered being in the middle of a study tour, and now he found himself in the middle of nowhere, apanied by an annoying beeping sound.


    ''Where am I? Why is it so dark here? Oh, how stupid of me. I forgot to open my eyes.''


    He opened his eyes slowly, trying to figure out at least where he was. However, he regretted that decision a secondter when his eyes were blinded by the bright light above him.


    "Urgh…" he groaned weakly at the sudden exposure. However, it was enough to gain the attention of the people around him, as he heard someone—likely some kids he was familiar with—squeal in excitement.


    "YUKI-NII!"


    "You finally woke up from your sleep!"


    "We were so worried about you!"


    "Please, don''t do this again!"


    Hearing the kids cry for him filled him with guilt. Yuki rubbed their backs gently, wincing as he finally noticed how painful it was to move his body. He turned his head slightly and, when he saw the tears in the corners of Aiko''s eyes, he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut.


    "I am… Sorry…" he said weakly.


    "Oh, don''t be," Aiko replied, wiping the tears from her face. "You did a good job protecting Kato-chan. If it hadn''t been for you, I don''t know what would have happened to that lucky girl."


    "Kato-san?" Hearing his friend''s name made all of the nerves in his body jolt as if struck by lightning. He widened his eyes in shock, and all the memories of what had happened during the study tour flooded back into his mind. "What happened to her?! Is she okay? There shouldn''t be anything wrong, right?! I mean, I don''t know what happened, but I''m sure we hadn''t reached the second evacuation spot yet! Damn! If only – !"


    "Breathe, Yuki-kun! Breathe!" Aiko interrupted his rant, rubbing his back soothingly. "It''s okay. Kato-chan is safe. Besides a sprained leg, there''s nothing wrong with her. She even left the hospital before you did." She exined gently.


    Yuki nodded quickly, trying to regte his breathing. He had just realized he was hyperventting, and cold sweat was rolling down profusely, soaking the back of his clothes. After a ss of water, he finally regained hisposure and asked, "So, what happened? Is she really okay?"@@novelbin@@


    Aiko sighed and smiled sadly at him. "Even though your situation isn''t much better, you still care about your friend. You really are a good boy, Yuki-kun. Your parents must be proud of you right now."


    Yuki blushed, his face warming at the unexpected praise. He didn''t know what prompted her to say that, but it was the first time she had mentioned anything about his parents, and he was happy it came while she praised him.


    "As for what happened, yes, Kato-chan is okay. She was here for almost all ofst night before the nurse asked her to go home," Aiko exined.


    Yuki furrowed his brows immediately, realizing something he should have noted the moment he woke up. "Wait, how long have I been passed out here?" he asked.


    "It''s been about a day!" one of the kids, Hina, answered.


    "Yeah! Your teacher suddenly called Baachan and asked her to go to the hospital yesterday!" another chimed in.


    "You gave us a heart attack, Niisan!"


    Looking at the mature expressions on the children, which should not have been present at their age, his heart broke, and his head bowed in embarrassment. Fortunately, Aiko understood how he felt and patted his shoulder reassuringly.


    After a moment of silence, Yuki finally asked, "So, what happened to me? Did I get injured in the incident yesterday? Also, Baachan, do you have any idea what happened yesterday?" Once his mind was clear, the first thing that popped into his head was, of course, the cause of the hellish incident.


    "Well, fortunately, aside from all the bruises from cushioning your fall, there''s nothing wrong with you. The doctor said the only reason you passed out for so long was because of the adrenaline. So… yeah, don''t worry. You can still y volleyball like before." She said thest part yfully. Yuki quickly turned his head away, trying his best to look innocent.


    "As for the cause of the incident yesterday… well, it''splicated." She sighed deeply.


    Yuki frowned, knowing it wouldn''t be simple at all. He should have expected that, considering that a leaked poisonous solvent alone was enough to create a national disaster, let alone the subsequent explosions. The only question he had right now was about the cause of all of it.


    "I don''t know how to exin it, but you will certainly understand how messy this situation is when you read this." She handed a piece of newspaper to him. Yuki was confused, skimming the front article quickly. When he reached the bottom of the page and processed what he just read, his mouth gaped wide in disbelief.


    "Is this real?"


    There, he read the controversial article printed by the Tokyo Shimbun about what had happened yesterday—or more urately, theck of information provided in the article.


    Pharmacy Factory Incident Raises Safety Concerns Amidst Mimunication


    An incident at a local pharmacy factory on Tuesday resulted in the idental leakage of a vtile solvent, sending shockwaves through the nearbymunity. The solvent evaporated rapidly, creating a hazardous atmosphere that significantly impacted those present, leading to symptoms ranging from dizziness and nausea to severe disorientation that required several individuals to seek emergency medical attention. This unfortunate event escted further when the evaporated solvent contacted nearby electrical equipment, triggering two small explosions within a short time frame, though thankfully, no fire ensued.


    Among the victims were two high school students visiting the facility as part of a study tour. The students had inadvertently separated from their group when the incident urred. Emergency responders promptly transported one of the students to a nearby hospital, where he remained under observation due to unconsciousness. The other student, though shaken by the experience, has since been released after receiving treatment for mild symptoms. The school district has expressed concern over the incident and is currently reviewing safety protocols in light of this event.


    In light of the incident, our team spoke with the head of the pharmacy group, who attempted to contextualize the events, emphasizing the factory''smitment to safety and regtorypliance. "While we take such matters seriously, it is important to note that the incident was quickly managed and that our safety protocols werergely effective in preventing any long-term harm," the headmented. Despite the troubling circumstances, the spokesperson sought to reassure the public that the situation is under control, urging that it be viewed through a lens of caution rather than rm.


    As investigations into the incident continue, the pharmacy factory encourages patrons and local residents to remain calm and assures them that steps are underway to prevent any recurrence. The management has reiterated theirmitment to transparency while ensuring that safety measures are strengthened moving forward. With the injury of a young student involved, themunity watches closely, hoping for a swift recovery and a solution that safeguards all individuals who engage with the facility in the future.


    As Yuki kept reading the article from the top to the very bottom of the newspaper, there was only one reaction in his head at that moment.


    "Holy shit!"