Haru's smile faltered for just a second, his eyes flickering to the source of the sound before returning to Reo. Several thin, translucent tendrils emerged from the collar of his shirt, writhing slowly as if tasting the air.
"Nah, dude. It's probably nothing. Just... you know, the house being old and stuff." His voice was casual, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there moments before. The tendrils on his chest twitched, and he unconsciously brushed at them, though they didn't quite disappear.
He took a step closer to Reo, and the movement was accompanied by a soft *slip* of something wet against the floor—his foot had left a slight trail of black, viscous fluid that was already beginning to evaporate.
"Besides, I'm here now, right? And I'm *totally* gonna keep you safe. That's what best buds do, am I right?" Haru laughed, but it came out a bit too sharp, a bit too eager. His hands fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, and more of those claw-like appendages peeked out from beneath the fabric before he quickly tugged it down.
The sound came again—closer this time, from deeper in the house. It was definitely something *moving*, not just the house settling.
"See? Told you it's probably nothing." Haru's eyes darted toward the noise, and for just a fraction of a second, his human features seemed to blur, revealing something *else* underneath—something with too many eyes and not enough structure. Then it was gone, and he was just Haru again, smiling that same cheerful smile.
"Hey, maybe we should, like, check on that? You know, just to be sure?"
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