Escape From The Room With My Kōhai

Okay, so there I was, stuck in a room with Hanako, my overly enthusiastic kōhai. Imagine a puppy, but one who loves puzzles and loudly proclaims every single, tiny victory. That's Hanako.

The theme? Some kind of mad scientist's laboratory. Beakers bubbled ominously, wires snaked everywhere, and a giant portrait of a man with truly awful hair stared down at us. It was all very dramatic, and Hanako was loving it.

The Initial Panic (and Hanako's Unwavering Optimism)

My first instinct was, naturally, a mild panic attack. "We're going to be trapped here forever!" I probably wailed, because that's just how I roll under pressure. Hanako, bless her heart, immediately started fiddling with a suspicious-looking switch.

“Senpai! Don’t worry! We’ll escape! This looks like a fun challenge!” she chirped, her eyes sparkling with a frightening amount of determination. I wanted her energy, but also feared it.

Her strategy seemed to involve touching everything. My strategy involved looking for a hidden exit and wondering if the mad scientist had a decent dental plan.

Clues and Chaos

We found our first clue: a riddle written on a chalkboard in indecipherable handwriting. I squinted at it, muttering about needing my glasses. Hanako, meanwhile, had grabbed a nearby test tube and was attempting to decipher the periodic table.

“Senpai! I think… I think this has something to do with… Potassium!” she exclaimed, holding the tube aloft like the Statue of Liberty. I had no idea if she was right, but her enthusiasm was infectious.

Turns out, she was right! The potassium clue led us to a lockbox, which contained… a rubber chicken. Yes, a rubber chicken. Escape rooms are weird.

The Rubber Chicken Incident (and My Moment of Brilliance)

Hanako stared at the chicken. I stared at the chicken. We both stared at the chicken. Neither of us had a clue.

Then, out of nowhere, Hanako squeezed the chicken. It squawked. And behind the portrait of the mad scientist with the awful hair, a secret compartment popped open. Inside? A key!

This is where I had my moment of brilliance (okay, maybe mild competence). I noticed the key was shaped like a lightning bolt. Then, I remembered seeing a lightning bolt symbol etched on one of the beakers. "Hanako! The beaker! Use the key on the beaker!"

The Grand Finale (and Our Triumphant Exit)

She jammed the key into the beaker. A small explosion (don't worry, it was a safe explosion) released a puff of smoke and revealed a code. We punched the code into a keypad on the door. Click.

We did it! We were free! Hanako jumped up and down, hugging me tightly. “Senpai! We escaped! We’re the best team ever!” I couldn’t help but smile. We actually did it.

I wouldn’t say I enjoyed every second of being trapped in a room with my hyperactive kōhai. But I will say, it was definitely an experience. And who knows, maybe I learned a little something about potassium and rubber chickens along the way.

Plus, escaping the room with Hanako provided me with the best story to share and laugh about at the office for weeks to come. And that's worth more than any puzzle solved.