"Ahh... Fuck" Ren stared at his computer. Or what was left of it at least.

He was soaked to the bone because his fire alarm went off ten seconds after he put out the fire on his computer with an extinguisher, so he was rained down on with cold water. "This shit just keeps getting better and better" he muttered.

He hoped he can still salvage anything. His computer had important data for his work, pictures from loved ones, and other necessary items stored there.

"Maybe I can restore it from the cloud? Maybe I have copies in my other USBs" he tried to console himself.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

He whipped out his phone from his pants pocket and answered with an irritated "what?"

"Just checking in, you alright?" It was Gakushū. He sighed and left his destroyed office. "I'm-" he took in a breath. "Fine, I just had a little accident regarding that video you sent me and... my computer acted up"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing much" Ren replied sarcastically. "I think that video had a virus in it, my computer started malfunctioning and then it showed pop ups of 'error' and 'system glitch' bullshit... ten seconds later it caught on fire"

"That's... unusual. All that, because of the video?" He heard the sounds of crashing waves and strong wind in the background. He caught a familiar voice(Karma maybe?) Calling Gakushū's name.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna quit" Ren promised, heading to his kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee. "But you owe me a new computer"

"Fine"

"And a five percent raise" Ren added

"You don't even work for me!" Gakushū hissed.

Ren released a short laugh. "I mean I practically do! With all the favors you ask of me! Every time you need someone to do illegal hacking, or just someone to recover lost data from ten years ago, I'm your go to guy! Do you ever thank me? No. Do I get paid? Nada"

"Fine fine! Just... " Gakushū released a stressed out sigh. Ren smirked, served Gakushū right for not being appreciative of him. Ren should charge him next time, his salary as an English teacher is LOL and his side gig as a hacker barely covers much.

"I'll pay for your new computer as well as whatever damages to your property was inflicted because of the video's virus that caused your computer to catch fire and explode" Gakushū promised. "And I'll pay you fifty thousand yen as compensation, sound fair?"

(Author: about 364.93 United States Dollar)

"Deal" he hung up and stretched. Returning to his messanger, he clicked on the video Gakushū sent him. He rewatched it forty seven times, zoomed in for some close ups on the mysterious hooded figure and the unknown substance

Ren realized something. The substance was mixed in two separate cups. Those were definitely Karma and Gakushū's cups, meaning the person specifically aimed at them as their target.

The person didn't mix the substance in the drink bowl because it would mean risking to drug someone random.

If Gakushū and Karma didn't notice anything weird with their drinks, then that means the substance mixed in had to be colorless and tasteless so they wouldn't sense anything was wrong. And the drug would have taken some time to take affect.

"But what drug was it?"

_________________________

"Gakushū! Catch" Karma laughed evilly before throwing a load of seeweed and starfish at Gakushū, would refused to get in the water. "KARMA!" Gakushū raged. "Stop that!" He narrowly avoided getting hit by Karma's 'attack'

"Come on, take a swim with me, the water's great" Karma beckoned for Gakushū to follow. But the strawberry blonde man stubbornly shook his head.

"No! You can't make me--AHH!" he screams at the last minute when Karma pounced and pinned him down. Salt water got into his mouth.

Gakushū coughed and spat out the cold, salty sea water. He glared at the chortling red head

"Why you--" the strawberry blonde dove to pin down Karma as revenge

The two had a rumble in the water, both wanted to tackle the other beneath them and bury them in seeweed. They were laughing, screaming, in joy and bliss.

Secretly, they both wished this would last forever