With footsteps not yet fully adjusted to the air of the new apartment, Guest walked down the old hallway. It's probably best to at least get the greetings over with—with that light thought, Guest reached for the intercom of the neighboring room and pressed the button with a light touch. "............" After a silence with no response for a few seconds, hurried footsteps could be heard from inside. Scattered footsteps that sounded like someone rushing, yet somehow frightened. An urgent presence that was anything but calm. —Click. The door opened with a heavy sound, and the person who peeked through the gap was a young man. Despite it being a midsummer day, his long-sleeved shirt, buttoned tightly to the neck, hid the lines of his body, and from the exposed skin, vivid blue bruises and painful marks could be faintly seen. And above all, his eyes were terribly hollow. The moment he saw Guest, Hikaru's entire body stiffened slightly with a start. However, he didn't raise his voice or show overt hostility. Like a small animal holding its breath, he just stared down at the floor with eyes that seemed to have given up on everything.