hearts formed by solicitude and desolation

by rainsoughtflowers

Summary:

“you’re the only heart i want to learn more about.”

Chapter 1: GAME START

ᏔᎾᏌᏞᎠ YᎾᏌ ᏞᏆKᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᎾᎡᎠᎬᎡᏞᎪNᎠS?

YᎬᏚ ⊗ NᎾ ○

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ?

YᎬᏚ ⊗ NᎾ ○

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ!

ᏔᎬᏞᏟᎾᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᎾᎡᎠᎬᎡᏞᎪNᎠ!

ᏆNᎢᎡᎾᎠᏌᏟᏆNᏩ ᎪᏞᏞ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ!

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ)
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♡ (ᏢᏚYᏟᎻᎾᏞᎾᏩᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᏟᎻᏆᏚᎻᏆYᎪ ᏚᎻᏌNᎢᎪᎡᎾ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♢ (ᏆNᎢᎬᏞᏞᏆᏩᎬNᏟᎬ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᎻᏆKᎪᎡᏆ KᏌᏆNᎪ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♧ (ᏴᎪᏞᎪNᏟᎬᎠ) ⇾ ♤ (ᏢᎻYᏚᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᎡYᎾᎻᎬᏆ ᎪᎡᏆᏚᏌ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♡ (ᏢᏚYᏟᎻᎾᏞᎾᏩᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; YᏌᏃᏌᎻᎪ ᏌᏚᎪᏩᏆ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♤ (ᏢᎻYᏚᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; NᏆᎡᎪᏩᏆ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♢ (ᏆNᎢᎬᏞᏞᏆᏩᎬNᏟᎬ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᎷᎾᎡᏆᏃᎾNᎾ ᎪᏩᏌNᏆ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♤ (ᏢᎻYᏚᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᎡᏆᏃᏌNᎪ ᎪNN
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♢ (ᏆNᎢᎬᏞᏞᏆᏩᎬNᏟᎬ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; ᏞᎪᏚᎢ ᏴᎾᏚᏚ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♤ (ᏢᎻYᏚᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

 

ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ NᎪᎷᎬ ; KᎪNᎾ ᎷᏆᎡᎪ
ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞᎢY ; ♡ (ᏢᏚYᏟᎻᎾᏞᎾᏩᏆᏟᎪᏞ)

ᏟᏞᏆᏟK NᎬXᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏴᎬᏩᏆN ᏚᎢᎾᎡY!

 

Chapter 2: SOLICITUDE

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

surprised was definitely an understatement to describe the feeling you felt looking up and seeing a stranger sitting in a spot that's been empty almost the entirety of the first quarter. you knew someone was supposed to sit there, seats were assigned after all. however, after spending weeks with the empty seat beside you, you had assumed that whoever was supposed to sit there had dropped out and the teacher simply forgot to announce it. and yet, there you were, with the mystery student revealed to be a blonde male leaning back in the chair right beside you, hands stuffed in his hoodie. he hadn't said anything yet, no introduction or explanation as to where he's been this entire time. not even a question as to what was happening during the current class period. either he already knew, or he simply didn't care. either way, you chose to ignore his presence, more preoccupied with the fact that there was a test that day and you'd rather spend the first few minutes left before class started to review notes. introductions could come later.

however, it seemed as if the newcomer had different plans. you could practically feel his eyes on you, the gaze sending chills throughout your entire body. you settled your own attention to rest on him, surprised to find such a cold look in his half lidded eyes, calculating your every move. another shiver ran down your spine, alarms ringing in your head and telling you to stay far away from that man. however, despite your brain telling you that he was not to be trusted, you couldn't help but be curious about him, wanting to figure out what he was like and what his intentions were.

his eyes remained on you for another second before he glanced down towards your notes. he didn't seem surprised to see the writing, so it must've meant he was aware that there was a test that day, and was most likely the reason for his sudden appearance. his eyes flickered up to yours once more before looking away, the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smirk.

you narrowed your eyes at him, wondering what he found so amusing and had been close to asking when the professor began to speak.

"good morning class. as you all know there is a test today. papers are being handed out as we speak. while that's being done, i'll be taking attendance. please let me know that you're present once your name is called." with that he began calling out words you'd heard routinely for weeks, the sound of students saying "here!" and the rustling of papers filling the classroom.

once acquiring your test paper, you turned to hand the stack over to the male beside you. that time you weren't surprised to find his attention already on you, one hand out of his pocket to grasp the papers extended towards him. still he hadn't said anything, grabbing one for his own before continuing the cycle. your eyes remained on him until you heard the professor call out your name, tearing your eyes away to let him know that you were present. soon after he called out for the next student, his face and voice changed to fit someone who had said that name multiple times before without reply. it was almost has if he knew that time would be no different, and expected the same outcome.

"chishiya shuntaro-"

"here." everyone in the classroom, including you, turned to look at the monotone voice that had uttered the word. the professors face, along with the rest of the students, painted that of surprise, so used to hearing silence for so long. so upon hearing someone actually answer, finally having a face to the name, everyone was shocked. the male however, now revealed as chishiya, only quirked up his mouth in another smirk, once again shifting his eyes to you. it was almost like he wanted to know your reaction to the scene, trying to figure out what you thought of everything. feeling unamused, and frankly not in the mood to humor him, you simply flashed him a small smile in greeting and settled your eyes back to your test paper.

your professor cleared his throat, marking chishiya as present before continuing on with attendance. everyone else returned to their previous tasks as well, their curiosity satisfied.

as attendance continued, once again your silence was interrupted by the same voice that had spoken mere seconds before.

"hey, do you have a pencil?" it was now that you noticed that chishiya lacked any sort of school supplies, including a backpack. it seemed you underestimated the males lack of interest in school. based on his relaxed state, you knew accidentally leaving his things at his place wasn't the case. it seemed like it happened often, and on purpose, too. how he made it so far without anything, you were still trying to figure out.

"if you knew there was a test today, why'd you forget something as basic as a pencil?" you asked, leaning down towards your backpack regardless and finding the utensil.

he appeared momentarily surprised at your question, but quickly masked the emotion with another one of his smirks, "you figured that out pretty quickly."

that time it was your turn to smile, "well, i'm not majoring in psychology for nothing. would be pretty embarrassing if i couldn't read other people."

he took the pencil extended out from you, fingers brushing lightly against yours, "i was here the first day, but things were boring so i stopped coming unless it was for tests."

you raised an eyebrow at the piece of information, "you speak as if you think you're too clever for this class."

"i don't think i'm too clever for this class, i know i'm too clever." his smirk widened, eyes never wavering from your own to let you know that he was serious.

and you believed him.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

ten minutes later and you had finished your test. your professor wasn't surprised, well known in the fact that your reading capabilities allowed you to read at a faster rate than everybody else and therefore complete assignments and tests quicker than other students. your classmates were also aware of that fact, so no one was surprised to see you stand up and hand in your test before the halfway mark. everyone but chishiya that is. as you made your way back to your seat to gather your belongings you could feel his attention on you, a quick glance proving your suspicions correct. you could even say he looked impressed. 

slinging your bag over your shoulder, your eyes met chishiya's for the uteempth time that morning. your feelings still hadn't changed within the twenty minutes spent in his presence, though you did feel less wary than before. there was just something about that man that was unlike the other people you'd interacted with thus far. perhaps it was his strange sudden appearance. or perhaps, the empty look reflecting in his eyes that left you with more questions than answers. eyes were supposed to be the window to the soul, but you couldn't figure out a single thing through the hickory brown resting on your figure.

you shook yourself from those thoughts, tucking them away for you to think about a different time. instead you gave him another soft smile and wave before turning and walking out of the classroom, still feeling indifferent about the course of events from your morning.

just who was chishiya shuntaro?

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

seeing the male for the first time the previous day was shocking enough, so imagine your surprise to see him once again the next class period, sitting in his seat like he'd sat there all quarter. upon seeing you arrive he removed one hand from his hoodie pocket, giving you a lazy wave as if you were acquainted enough to exchange pleasantries.

stunned, you just gave a quick nod and an unsure wave back, swiftly taking your seat. you narrowed your eyes at him, your gaze unwavering as you tried to figure out if he was real and you didn't dream up the hot guy from last class to appear again.

"you know there's not a test today, right?" you asked, unsure if whatever inside source chishiya had in order to know there was a test the other day failed to let him know that there was in fact none that day, not even a makeup test.

chishiya just laughed, causing your confusion to grow, "i'm aware." when you continued to look at him strangely, chishiya began to explain himself, "i just wanted to know what i got on my test. see if i passed even without showing up to class."

that time it was your turn to laugh. if there was anything you had learned about chishiya in the past twenty four hours, it was that the man was cocky. surely he didn't feel the need to show up a second time for a definitive answer to his question, "i'm sure you know you passed."

the blonde smiled, no longer surprised at how you were able to read through his intentions, "we've only known each other for a day and you've already got me all figured out."

but that was where chishiya was wrong. no matter how much you analyzed him and how much you interacted with him, you really knew nothing about the man. if anything, the more you figured out the more questions that arose.

before you knew it attendance passed and test papers had been handed out. your mouth quirked you in a triumphant smile at seeing the perfect score you had obtained, mentally patting yourself on the back. chishiya leaned over to also take a look at your test score, an amused smile molding itself on his lips. 

"impressive." you looked up to meet his eyes, no longer staring at your paper but at you. his gaze held no malice, letting you know that his compliment was genuine. it was a strange look opposed to the mockery you experienced the other day.

you smiled, hoping the expression was warm and not your cheeks, "thanks. what'd you get?" you leaned over to get a better look at his own score, surprise etching it's way onto your face upon seeing the marked number. "huh, i guess you really are clever to get a score like that."

chishiya shrugged, though his smile was unwavering, "told you."

soon after the discussion your class began, your professors voice as monotone as ever. even you, normally so interested in the elective you had to take in order to graduate, found yourself dozing off only fifteen minutes into the lecture, pencil scribbling mindless shapes into your notebook. you also took note of the blondes boredom beside you, hoodie now atop his head as he leaned forward to rest his weight on his arms. if you didn't know any better, you'd think he had fallen asleep. however, that was not the case, considering the male made his inner thoughts known to whoever was close enough to hear. you had to admit though. the smart ass was funny, and it was getting harder and harder to suppress the giggles threatening to fall from your lips.

you were no longer surprised to see chishiya show up to class after that, the both of you quickly becoming what you'd call acquaintances, and perhaps even friends if you pushed the term far enough. you grew to anticipate the greetings in the mornings before class and the easy banter the two of you shared during lectures to cure your boredom. you didn't converse much outside of class, but when you did find yourselves in the rather uncomfortable plastic chairs, you suddenly felt grateful for his presence. you didn't have many friends in the first place, and even though chishiya was far from that, you silently thanked him for showing up that fateful day.

the current day was no different as you spotted chishiya in his chair, the two of you quickly engaging in a conversation as you waited for your professor to show up. once those fifteen minutes had passed and your professor finally arrived, apologizing for being late, the class begun, his voice blurring with the letters on the projector. your boredom was beginning to show another fifteen minutes later, chishiya taking notice of that fact.

he leaned over to whisper in your ear, breath hot and voice soft against your skin, "wanna ditch class?"

you startled, surprised that he had even suggested the idea. your surprise most definitely did not occur because of how close he was and how good his breath had felt.

"ditch? are you crazy?" you whispered, unintentionally reaching a hand up to the ear he had whispered in. the skin felt hot under your touch.

chishiya rolled his eyes, chuckling softly to himself at the shocked expression on your face, "come on. he won't even notice we're gone."

you looked away from his eyes, because you knew if you continued to stare into them you'd give in without proper consideration. you rolled the idea around in your head, weighing the pros and cons of his proposal. for one, you were bored, and you'd shown up enough days to pass the class with an A. grades ran on attendance after all. the cons? your guilt would probably eat away at you for the rest of the school year, probably your life. you looked back at chishiya to find him still staring at you, awaiting your answer.

you sighed in defeat. a change in scenery would do you good. and just once couldn't hurt, right? "fine. where are we going?"

chishiya gave you a cheshire like grin, "i know a place."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

that was how you found yourself in a booth at a small cafe, the blonde sitting across from you. when chishiya had led you out of the classroom and off campus, you weren't expecting to find yourself in such a cute restaurant. it hadn't seemed like the type of place chishiya would spend his free time in, for you had pinned him as a tea kinda guy. nonetheless, you were happy with his pick, leaning forward in your seat and resting your cheek in the palm of your hand.

"i didn't take you for a coffee kinda person chishiya." you sang, the male raising an eyebrow while smiling back.

his eyes returned to his menu, flipping it over, "i'm not. i chose it because you look like you live off of the drink."

you pouted at his words, though chishiya wasn't necessarily wrong. coffee was something you enjoyed on a daily bases. it was also what kept you going during late nights of reading books in the comfort of your bed and assignments due within the hour.

you chose not to respond to his comment however. based on the smirk on his face you had already given away the fact that he was right. instead, you picked up your own menu, eyes glancing over it before deciding to settle for a coffee and some manjū.

soon after your drinks and dessert arrived, chishiya having ordered some tea (you, of course, had smiled in victory at being proven right). once your drink was set down you grabbed three packs of sugar off the coaster in the middle of the table.

chishiya raised an eyebrow when you began tearing the second pack to dump in your coffee, voice dripping with amusement, "you want some coffee with that sugar?"

you cheeks grew warm, a small laugh leaving your lips, "i uh..don't like it when my coffee tastes bitter."

chishiya hummed before giving a small nod, and you continued to dump the last packet into your beverage. with a spoon you stirred the drink, tapping the utensil against the side of the cup before placing it on a napkin. with both hands you picked up the cup, blowing softly on the drink before taking a sip.

"better?" you gave the blonde an eager nod, taking another sip of the beverage before setting it down and taking a bite out of the manjū.

your smile brightened upon tasting the sweet dessert, quickly getting another piece. you leaned forward and extended it out towards chishiya, the male setting his gaze on your outstretched hand and then on you. when it appeared he didn't understand, you decided to elaborate, "taste it, it's really good."

chishiya's eyes remained on you for another second before returning back to the treat. he leaned forward, opening his mouth and closing his lips around the end of the utensil. his eyes went back to yours as he shifted his mouth away from your hand, chewing softly. you felt your cheeks grow warm as chishiya's gaze remained on you, and also at the action he had just taken. you hadn't meant to feed him. in all honesty you thought the male would have taken the treat directly from you to eat his share. but of course, chishiya was always full of surprises.

he gave you a thumbs up, indicating that he had enjoyed the sweet. you quickly averted your eyes, taking another sip of your coffee to avoid his gaze. you couldn't help but peek however, and out of the corner of your eye you saw chishiya smirk, taking a sip of his tea. it made you realize the bastard had done it on purpose, and you swore to yourself you'd tease him back once you obtained the chance.

a comfortable silence settled between you two. normally you hated silence when with another person, for it usually felt stiff and uncomfortable. however, with chishiya it felt refreshing, and you had no problem sitting there drinking your coffee with no words exchanged as long as he was there. but that was strange, wasn't it? to feel that way about a man you barely knew. why was it different?

at first you were looking around the cafe to redirect your thoughts, watching people as they talked among themselves or ate quietly. and yet despite yourself your eyes found themselves back to chishiya, something that had been happening quite frequently. since chishiya was the only person you've really been around with for a long period of time you've began to notice the tiny details after watching him for so long. like the beauty mark that rested below his left eye, and the fact that the male wore eyeliner and eyeshadow, a detail you began to notice recently. you also noticed that although his hair was straight, the strands of blonde would curl towards the end, making you wonder if he did that purposely or if his hair was naturally that way.

chishiya must have noticed your far away look, because before you could act the male had stolen another piece of your manjū.

"hey!" you shouted, leaning forward in your seat to try to snatch the fork out of his hands. when you failed, chishiya just laughed.

"what are you thinking about?" he asked, leaning back in his seat and returning to his relaxed state.

you were quick to think of something that didn't relate to your observation of his rather attractive features, "you mentioned you're a medical student right? i'm trying to guess what profession you're going into."

"500 yen says you can't." chishiya leaned forward in his seat, resting both his arms on the table. he held up the promised bill in one of his hands.

"500 yen says i can," you took a glance at the hand holding the paper bill, taking note of the way they remained steady, never shaking once. you looked back up to meet his eyes, taking the first guess to pop into your mind, "surgeon?"

"impressive." chishiya handed you your award, before giving you the same thoughtful look, "detective?"

you grinned, "close. profiler."

chishiya had the decency to appear surprised, "huh, why?"

"is this a personal question i hear? i didn't realize our friendship progressed this far in just a couple of weeks." you flashed him a grin while pocketing the money.

chishiya returned your smile with a smirk of his own, "it's only a personal question if you make it one."

"fair enough. you really want to know?" you glanced around the cafe, pretending to be wary of prying eyes before leaning forward to whisper in chishiya's ear, "i watched a lot of criminal minds as a kid." you leaned back ever so sightly, and if you weren't so close you would've missed the way chishiya's ears reddened to a soft pink. he leaned away from you to relax in his chair and you swiftly did the same.

"seriously?" he laughed, taken aback by your response. you just shrugged. 

"there's actually no particular reason. it's just..easy as you would say. what about you? why a surgeon?"

"go ahead and take a guess."

"hmmm. i'm thinking family legacy." you noticed chishiya tense ever so slightly, the movement so quick and small you would've missed it if you hadn't been staring so intently at him.

"at least we know you'll be good at your job." chishiya's smile still remained, but he remained tense, so you decided to change the subject instead of asking him about his strange behavior.

"of course i'll be good at my job. my reading comprehension helps with that."

chishiya's eyebrows raised up ever so slightly to show off his surprise, "so that's how you were able to finish your test so quickly. and here i was thinking you had to have cheated."

you rolled your eyes at the blonde, "as if. you're just upset that i'm smarter than you."

chishiya just smiled at this, no argument following your statement. you both settled into a small conversation, the words flowing easily as you finished your dessert and drinks. you were glad that you had taken up the males offer of ditching class, preferring the relaxed atmosphere of just you and chishiya together over your classroom filled with strangers. he was easy to be with, and you were grateful for the fact that you were able to share that moment with him. and with the way chishiya's eyes appeared to flicker, a contrast to the blank look you noticed before, he seemed to tolerate you as well. 

ever since that day you and chishiya haven't skipped class, but the two of you did put eating lunch together into your daily routine. the cafe was one of your favorite spots to go to, but you and chishiya would also find new ones, specially with sweets to try them out. you guys also got into the routine of studying in the library together, although it was more chishiya complaining about the work and you complaining back about how annoying he was being. nonetheless, you both always found yourselves back at the same table tucked in the corner behind the shelves.

the current day was one of the times where you both decided to leave campus and find a crepe stand you had heard about. the two of you walked side by side, shoulders bumping occasionally due to how busy the sidewalk was. looking up from your phone, you managed to find the stand exactly where the map had indicated, growing excited at the idea of finally trying the infamous treat. you tugged on the sleeve of chishiya's hoodie, the blonde taking his eyes away from whatever he had been staring at to look at you and finally to where you were pointing.

after successfully maneuvering through the crowd you and him began waiting in line. your eyes scanned over the menu, thinking over what sort of fruit and flavors you were craving. maybe strawberries? oh, but the bananas seemed just as appealing.

you turned towards chishiya "what flavor are you getting?"

he gave a light hum in response, his brown eyes settling on your own, "strawberries."

"strawberries it is then." you sang back. while waiting for your turn you began surveying the area, taking note of the couples walking hand in hand and the children tugging on their mother's sleeve. it was especially busy that day in japan, due to the fact that spring was slowly turning into summer and students were either on vacation or enjoying the weekend off.

you felt a hand press down on the top of your head, turning it to meet the eyes of none other than chishiya, "we're up next."

no sooner had he said that did the previous couple leave, and you and chishiya walked up to the owner. you both ordered your crepes, waiting patiently as it was made before paying and walking away. your mouth watered upon seeing the fresh strawberries and the chocolate drizzle surrounded by the warm pastry. chishiya had already taken a bite out of his, but before you could follow a child and it's mother blocked your path. said child wasn't crying, however you noticed the way their bottom lip trembled as they eyed the ice cream that had taken an unfortunate fall towards the side walk.

a memory surface then, quick and fleeting. you brushed it off as quickly as it came. 

without thinking you walked up to them, leaning down just slightly to hand out your crepe. they watched the treat, confused, before taking at quick look at their mother.

"you can have it, i'm not that hungry anyways." you smiled warmly at them as their eyes brightened, gingerly taking the treat and giving you an energetic thank you. their mother thanked you as well, patting her child's head before they both began walking away.

you felt chishiya come up behind you, and you turned around to suggest that you guys head back but stopped upon seeing his expression. in the time that you'd met chishiya, the only expressions you'd seen him make were the smirks when he teased you and the blank face he had been wearing just moments prior. that time however, chishiya was making an expression you couldn't quite read, despite you being good at understanding the faces most people made. he seemed surprised, perhaps because you had just given away the crepe you'd been craving all morning, but there was something else too. the way his eyes gazed at you, there was such raw emotion lying in them that it made your breath catch in your throat, yet you couldn't explain the meaning behind his gaze.

chishiya seemed to finally notice that you had been staring at him as well. his eyes widened just a fraction, something close to fear flashing in them before he looked away. you continued to stare at him, confused. what was he so scared about? before you could ponder on the thought you felt chishiya brushing past you to continue walking, not waiting for you to join him. you hurried to catch up, not missing the way he had put distance between you both that wasn't there before.

you decided to ask him about the strange behavior since you could no longer busy yourself from your thoughts by eating, "you ok? you seem...i don't know. off."

chishiya finally looked down at you, no smirk appearing on his face as he quickly looked away, "it's nothing."

you pouted, hating the monotone response. if you had asked that question any other day chishiya would tease you about your concern. but for some odd reason, he was shying away from you. what had changed? did you do something wrong?

suddenly chishiya stopped walking, causing you to stop as well as you waited for him to say something.

"i'm going back to the dorm." and that was it. chishiya didn't even wait for a response from you. the bastard instead began walking away, leaving you by yourself in the middle of the sidewalk in the busy streets of japan.

"bye..." you halfheartedly held your hand up in a wave before lowering it slowly back to your side. you thought you were good at reading people. you thought you had figured out the mystery of chishiya shuntaro. but that was not the case at all. because right then, you were seeing a whole new side to the blonde you called your friend, a side you hadn't been expecting. and you weren't sure how to deal with it or what to do with the new information.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

apparently whatever had affected chishiya's mood that day at the crepe stand stayed with him. the asshole remained moody, no longer giving you the same greetings in the mornings you had grown to expect. and whenever you tried to initiate a conversation before class to ease the tension he'd give short, curt answers, indicating that he wanted nothing to do with whatever you wanted to talk about.

at first you didn't think too much into it, brushing it off as something personal he was dealing with. but after a couple of weeks of the treatment chishiya was giving you, you began to worry. maybe you really had unintentionally done something to piss him off. but what was it? it couldn't have been the teasing, chishiya never had a problem with it before. did you forget his birthday? no, chishiya never told you his birthday, and you doubted he was big on that sort of thing anyways.

weeks seeped into months with nothing changing. it got to the point where chishiya no longer showed up to class, causing you to once again sit by yourself. the longer you and the male stayed apart, the more you realized just how much chishiya had contributed to your happiness. you began to miss the teasing and the easy banter the both of you shared. you even missed his cocky attitude and the smart ass comments. you cherished the friendship the both of you had, strange and sudden as it was, and you had assumed that he did as well. so why did he push you away?

winter came, gray skies and soft snowfall replacing the season of autumn. your love for the snow blossomed upon seeing it blanket the city outside, especially pretty during the night. it also created the perfect atmosphere for reading and studying, and even added to the christmas spirit. fitting since the holiday was coming up soon.

you were sitting at your desk, listening to soft music while reading when your phone began to vibrate. confused, you answered the phone call without checking the caller ID, immediately regretting it when you heard her voice through the small device. as much as you wanted to hang up and throw your phone, you listened to what the older woman had to say. with each passing second your irritation grew, wanting her to get on with the purpose of why she called you. finally she let the words out, and after having what she told you sink in, you thanked her before hanging up.

you sat there, not knowing how to react. were you sad? did you feel bad for your family? your relationship with them was never good, so you figured that you'd just go on about your day until classes started. however, it seemed like you didn't know yourself the way you thought you did. you didn't even notice you were crying until you saw the small stain of tears littering your book. maybe you were just upset about what happened with chishiya, not about the news you had just received. you found comfort in letting that idea be the reason for your tears before letting them out more freely, properly grieving for the first time since it had happened.

and after letting your sorrows out you curled up in bed, hiding beneath the blankets as you blasted music in your ears to block out all thoughts. you didn't want to think about anything. your mood was rapidly depleting by the second and the long term sadness that chishiya had created within you didn't exactly help.

hours passed, you remaining in your same spot. you hadn't even realized that class had started already until you heard the faint knocking on your door. you waited, trying to figure out if you had simply imagined the sound before you heard it again, that time louder. you removed yourself from the blankets, popping you earbuds out of your ears to hear that the knocking was not knocking but actually someone banging on your door. irritated, you hoped that if you didn't answer the stranger would leave you alone. however the banging did not cease, and you were forced to answer less you wanted a complaint from the other students in your dorm building.

you opened the door, ready to tell the asshole to knock it off and get lost, but felt the words die in your throat upon seeing who it was.

"what took you so long?" chishiya looked you up and down, taking in your state of appearance, "you look horrible."

you rolled your eyes. after months of one word responses and that's what he told you? he should at least have the decency to explain himself, "thanks. bye." done with talking to him you begun to close the door, surprised when it wouldn't budge. you frowned upon glancing down and finding chishiya's shoes wedged between the tiny space, preventing you from fully closing it, "what the hell? get out."

chishiya didn't say anything, instead removing a hand from his hoodie pocket and placing it on the edge of the door, pushing it open. "why weren't you in class today?"

well of course with your luck the one day you missed class chishiya would be there. still, your frustration from his attitude and the current mood you were in made you look past the detail, "none of your business."

you moved to close the door again, but his hand pushed it back open. this time however, he took the initiative to actually enter your room.

"hey! what are you doing?" you watched as chishiya glanced around your room, and it was in that moment that you really stopped to think about how messy it currently was. clothes littered the floor and books piled up on your desk and floors. your cheeks warmed upon seeing chishiya glance at the underwear you forgot to throw into your drawers after laundry day, his eyebrows raised slightly and the corner of his mouth twitching up in a smirk.

your cheeks warmed even further, hurrying to pick up the discarded garment and others along with it to save yourself from more embarrassment. you stopped however as you watched chishiya lean down to pick up the coat you left on the floor as well. after standing back up he threw the coat at your face.

"put this on. we're leaving." you scrambled to remove the coat from your face, glaring at chishiya as he watched you with his blank face.

"we sounds like a lot of people. you need to get out." chishiya didn't even blink at your comment, continuing to stay silent as your glaring intensified.

after a while of you both just staring at each other you realized he wasn't going to give in. finally, you sighed in defeat, standing up and shrugging your coat on. you reached for your shoes at the front of the door, putting them on and walking after chishiya as he left the room.

you weren't sure where the two of you were going. the blonde remained silent the entire walk, and you stayed silent as well. in fact, instead of talking you were trying to figure out why chishiya had shown up to your dorm in the first place, and also how he knew where you lived.

after some time of walking you began to recognize your surroundings, until finally you saw the crepe stand from months ago. you hadn't bothered to come back to it, remembering all too well that it was the day chishiya began to avoid you. you figured chishiya must have had a bad memory with the day as well, so you figured he'd try to avoid it at all costs. however, that was not the case, and you were surprised to find chishiya changing his direction to head towards the stand. eventually you both got in line, more questions finding their way into your mind when chishiya bought only one crepe.

still without a word he lead you to a bench nearby, wiping off some snow left there before taking a seat. wordlessly you sat beside him, about to ask what the whole ordeal was about before he handed you the crepe.

you stared at the treat confused, and chishiya just sighed, nudging it closer, "it's for you."

your confusion turned into surprise. was this his way of apologizing for that day? or was he just trying to make you feel better? still, you took the treat, mumbling a thank you before taking a bite, the sweetness evading your mouth and causing tears to roll down your face.

chishiya's eyes widened slightly in surprise before returning to normal, "why are you crying?"

you wiped the tears away with the sleeve of your coat, avoiding his intense gaze, "sorry i just..." you paused, not knowing the answer yourself. why were you crying? was it because after chishiya ignoring you for so long, finally getting his attention made you emotional? "this crepe is just really good. kinda sad i didn't get to try it the first time."

you turned your head at the sound of chishiya laugh, the sound so brief and small that you would have missed it if it weren't for how quiet it was that afternoon. you're heart warmed at the sound, as well as at the pure happiness stretched on chishiya's face for that split second. before, chishiya's only form of showing happiness was through his smirks, and even then he was just amused at whatever scene was unfolding before him. however, that time it was different. chishiya just looked so carefree and content that it made you wonder why he didn't laugh like that more often.

a comfortable silence settled between you two as you finished your crepe and chishiya watched whichever pedestrians passed by. with each bite you thought about how much you had missed it, just basking in chishiya's presence. and as you finished your crepe, you really wanted to know why it had to end so abruptly.

"hey...what happened that day?" you moved your gaze to chishiya's brown eyes, his face unchanging as you waited for his answer.

finally, chishiya spoke, "i was trying to figure out some things."

you gave him a sad smile, "still, i wish you wouldn't have ignored me like that. you can talk to me you know."

chishiya didn't apologize, instead giving you a small nod to let you know he understood.

"did you figure it out?" you asked. chishiya furrowed his brows in confusion, "whatever you were thinking about."

chishiya looked away from you, looking up towards the light snow that had begun to fall from the sky. "yeah, i did."

you gave him a nod, missing the way his mouth held not a smirk, but a soft smile. he quickly replaced it though with his usual blank face.

"and what about you? why didn't you show up to class today?" chishiya asked, looking away from the sky to settle back on you.

you tensed at his question. being with chishiya had temporarily made you forget the events from that morning, but that bliss was gone now and you were reminded of that phone call.

you looked down at your hands, playing with your fingertips as you recounted the events to the blonde, "my mom..she uh called me today. she said my sister died last night," you cleared your throat, the next words coming out of your mouth in a rush, "but it's not a big deal. me and her weren't that close anyways. i kinda hated her to be honest."

you waited for chishiya to say something. or maybe for him to just sit there in silence. he did neither of those things however. you looked up in surprise as you felt him place his hand on top of your head, looking at you with a serious face, "feelings are temporary. you'll get over it soon enough."

you couldn't help it. it was such a chishiya response, and you were sure if he said that phrase to anyone else he'd earn himself many curse words. but it was oddly comforting, because emotions really were fleeting. they come and go, meaning that whatever mixed feelings you had about your family would eventually disappear. so you laughed, the sound relieving, and chishiya silently watched your sudden outburst. 

your laughing fit died down enough for you to explain yourself, "sorry, its just, the way you said that. god chishiya, i didn't realize how bad you were at comforting people. glad you're going to be a surgeon and not a therapist."

chishiya's confusion changed to irritation real quick. with the hand still on top of your head he pressed down harder, causing you to apologize profusely for teasing him and beg him to let you go.

he removed his hand and put it back in his pocket, waiting for you to settle down fully. once you had he stood up, you following closely behind. after throwing away your trash you guys began walking back to your dorm.

another comfortable silence settled between the two of you as you walked, different from the tense one from earlier. you were glad that things had finally gone back to normal and that chishiya was back by your side.

a strong breeze passed by through the evening, causing you to shiver. although the rest of your body was fine, your hands were cold, and unfortunately for you, your coat had no pockets to stuff them in.

chishiya took notice of your shivering, stopping in front of you, "your hands are cold?"

you gave him a nod, showing your shaking hands, "i left my gloves at the dorm and for some reason my coat doesn't have pockets."

you gave a light hearted laugh, but the sound died down in your throat as you felt a pair of hands grab a hold of the ones you held up. despite him not having gloves either his palms were warm, and your skin began to grow hot under his touch. he softly rubbed your hands, causing your once cold fingers to warm, even though they were already warm enough with his fingers over them. it surprised you even more as you watched chishiya lean down and blow on them softly, his eyes glancing up to meet your stunned ones.

your heart began beating really fast, the rhythm reaching your ears and for a second you were scared he could hear it. however, despite your nervousness, you weren't able to tear your eyes away from his, the gaze so alluring that it continued on sucking you in. in that moment you were suddenly aware of how beautiful his eyes really were, how attractive his beauty mark and eyeliner was to you, and how strong the urge was to kiss him.

you don't know where those thoughts came from, or how long they've been in the back of your mind. chishiya leaned back up and you followed his gaze until you were now looking up at him.

"better?" he asked, and you reminded yourself to nod since you weren't sure you were able to trust your voice. chishiya glanced down at your hands clasped in his, watching it for a second before removing them and stuffing his own back in his pockets. "let's get going then."

chishiya began walking once again and you willed your legs to work to follow after him. the rest of the walk to your dorm was filled with silence once more, you replaying the events that just occurred over and over in your head until you finally arrived at the familiar building you called home.

you both stopped in front of the doors, not saying anything. your voice still wasn't working and you worried that if you looked at chishiya he'd be able to read what you were thinking.

thankfully chishiya didn't ask about your behavior. he just glanced at the building before looking at you, "i'll see you tomorrow then."

you watched as the blonde began walking back, yet you still made no move to go back to your room. you wanted him to stay. you wanted him to hold your hands in his once more. you weren't ready to say goodbye.

so mustering up as much courage as you could you ran forward, wrapping your arms around chishiya's waist. you felt him tense under your touch before relaxing. he made no move to push you off, so you took the chance to relish in the way he felt in your arms and how warm his body was. so it wasn't just his hands.

"thank you..for today. even though you suck at it you still tried to comfort me and people say it's the thought that counts, right?" you spoke softly, still high in the feeling of chishiya shuntaro.

your hold on the male tightens when you feel his hands ghost over your own. he didn't place them over yours, but your heart swelled at the small gesture nonetheless. whether it be on purpose or intentional, it was chishiya, and you held on to the feeling for as long as you could.

reluctantly you removed your arms from around his waist, cheeks warm and your entire body on fire. you didn't dare look into his eyes, for all your courage had been used up in that moment. instead you said a quick goodbye, turning quickly towards your dorm building.

that night you lay in bed, mind still full of your classmate. you weren't sure how long you've had feelings for him or how they came about, but you liked the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the racing of your heart from just the thought of him.

you turned over in your bed, laying on your side as you hugged your pillow. you looked at your hands, remembering the way the cocky bastard had held them so gingerly.

you already missed the warmth chishiya shuntaro brought you.

 

 

 

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Chapter 3: ⌈ 1 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you didn't think liking someone would be this difficult. sure you've had crushes before, but it was more of a far away admiration. you could never quite find the courage to pursue the individual, and the thought of actually being around them made the butterflies in your stomach flutter uncontrollably. it made you feel sick, and the nausea was enough to diminish any thoughts of confronting the matter. 

so when you finally came to terms with the feelings you've developed for chishiya, you weren't sure what to do. the blonde was someone you were going to see everyday, and you weren't sure if you'd be able to mask the feelings you had for him. although not as perceptive as you, chishiya was relatively good at reading people, and with the way you acted around him the night prior he'd be sure to figure it out within minutes of seeing you. 

you absolutely hated it. 

it appeared that no matter how hard you tried you always seemed to wear your emotions on your sleeve, displayed for everyone perceptive enough to notice. not to mention in the time that you've known him he hadn't expressed any interest whatsoever in romantic relationships. you recalled the brief moment you had teased him, asking about a girlfriend, and he had simply brushed you off. 

meaning, rejection was inevitable.

you pushed those thoughts away however as you got ready that morning. although you briefly debated the thought of ditching class once more, you did promise chishiya that you'd see him that day. and even if you didn't go, he'd most likely just show up at your door again. you'd rather save yourself the embarrassment. 

after getting changed (you were embarrassed by how many times you switched outfits), you tried your best to eat your breakfast as peacefully as possible, but the thought of seeing the blonde made your stomach twist and turn from how nervous you were. you released a frustrated sigh, dropping your chopsticks and staring at your food. you underestimated just how awkward you were when it came to your attraction for others. suddenly you cared a little too much about your appearance, and those damn butterflies refused to fly away. you just prayed that it would go away soon.

that was not the case, however, as each step closer to your classroom made your nerves grow to the point where it was hard to breathe. you fiddled with your hands as you stood before the door, not being able to move any further than that. the thoughts from that morning returned, hundreds of questions with little to no answers. did you look okay? did you look awkward standing in front of the door? you never really cared about how you looked in front of chishiya, but as you were getting dressed that morning you realized you had unconsciously been pulling on nicer clothes and picking at your hair.

taking a deep breath to settle your nerves, you reached your hand towards the door handle before stopping midway. maybe you should wait another moment longer, or at least check if he was there already. just to prepare yourself. cautiously, you peeked through the window on the closed door, giving a small sigh in relief upon seeing the empty seat. you ignored the part of you that was disappointed that he wasn't there yet.

"what are we looking at?"

your hand shot up to your ear, eyes meeting that all too knowing smirk as you backed away from him in surprise.

"chishiya! you can't just sneak up on people like that!" you managed to squeak out. you could still feel his hot breath fanning against your skin, reminding you of that day when you both had ditched class together. why did it have to feel so good? why did everything chishiya did make you like this? could he hear how hard your heart was beating right at that moment?

he didn't apologize. instead, he just watched you curiously, those eyes of his scrutinizing you. almost like he was picking you apart and putting you back together all in just one gaze.

you forced yourself to look away, "i was just checking to see if our professor was here today."

chishiya leaned in close, glancing inside the classroom as well. you froze in your spot as you felt him right behind you, his warmth seeping into your skin and his scent making you dizzy. had he always smelled this nice? this comforting? you hadn't even realized chishiya smelled like anything specific, but you liked the way it made you at ease.

"looks like he's not coming today." chishiya sang. you were sure he was happy with this predicament. you, on the other hand, were a little disappointed. even though you were a nervous wreck, you still wanted to be around him, and with your different majors this was the only class you had together.

chishiya took notice of your silence, leaning away from the door to once again eye you curiously. you were also disappointed at this, but you didn't have the courage to ask him to stay close.

after a moment he began speaking, "we haven't been to the library in a while." you looked up at him in surprise, unable to wrap your mind around his statement. chishiya hated going to the library. although he preferred the quiet he hated how packed it could become at times. the only reason he ever went was to annoy you, or when you begged him to keep you company during long hours of studying. 

you weren't sure what made him want to go there. you guys hadn't been since chishiya stopped coming to class. so why now? once more you found yourself thinking about how much you despised his cold, blank expression. 

chishiya continued to stare at you, waiting silently for your response. you were positive he expected you to go with him, and you weren't going to say he was wrong. the thing about chishiya was that even if you really didn't want to, you'd go anywhere with him. you decided not to dwell on how scary that thought was. 

that was how you found yourself in that little table tucked in the back of the library, chishiya sitting next to you as he watched the other students in the room. it appeared that when he had extended his invitation it wasn't to work on any of his own assignments. instead he was quiet, that calculating gaze scanning the contents of the room. 

within the hour your nerves had returned, more intense than before. he was sitting so close, and you could once again smell that fresh scent coming from the light sweater around his form. it was so intense you couldn't concentrate, but you'd much rather bury your nose in a book pretending to read than embarrass yourself in a conversation with him.

chishiya had other plans, however, as he soon grew bored with observing people. you heard him shift in his seat, the corner of your vision catching the brown hues set on your form. you nervously flipped the page, trying to understand the blurred words while praying he would resume his previous action. it was several seconds later, just when you thought chishiya had finally directed his attention elsewhere, that you saw him lean his body closer to your own. you jumped, surprised by the feeling of his hair gently brushing your skin, before scooting your chair away from his own and busying yourself once more. 

you didn't need to see the blonde's face to know what expression he was making. you continued pretending to read, hoping that your guarded expression and tense body language would be proof enough that you weren't in the mood for his games. but you should've known better. chishiya was just too similar to the character from your fairytales. 

you barely registered that the male had leaned in close once more, not until you felt the soft air against your ear, hot and ticklish. when you squeaked in surprise and stared at him in bewilderment you saw the smirk playing on his lips, amusement painted lightly on his features. 

your cheeks warmed, hot and on fire when you once again felt his warm breath tickle your skin. chishiya took the chance to grab your book from your hands and hold it near his head, just far enough that you couldn't reach. 

"hey! give it back." forgetting about your nerves you glared at the blonde, puffing out your cheeks in frustration. the expression on his face told you that he was thoroughly enjoying your distinct annoyance with him, making it clear that this was another one of his games. he wanted you to get agitated. he wanted you to get close. 

what an asshole. 

chishiya waved the book tauntingly, "come and get it then."

your glaring intensified, following the objects movement. from where you were seated you wouldn't be able to reach it, and you silently cursed the man for doing the quick calculation. the only way you'd be able to retrieve what was rightfully yours is if you leaned forward, which was the last thing you wanted to do. 

of course chishiya would use this to his advantage.

even if you tried to get the book back chishiya would just hold it higher, away from your grasp which would repeat a process of reaching for something you'd never hold. a stupid, infuriating game. on the other hand, you had nothing else to busy yourself with, and you really didn't feel like reading any of the other books in the library. 

you also didn't feel like giving up so easily. chishiya would never let you live it down. 

chishiya waited, and you released a long sigh of defeat. you eyed his hand, furrowing your brows as you reached over to grab your book. of course, just as you had expected, the asshole extended it far enough that your fingers brushed the spine. you released another air of frustration. 

this time you leaned in even closer, ignoring the way his scent intensified and the way his warmth surrounded you. just when you were about to reach your book chishiya stood up, successfully keeping it out of your reach.

"come on chishiya." you whined, also getting up to attempt once more. this time the male held it up above his head, and despite you jumping up to reach it, which you were sure you could since chishiya wasn't that tall, somehow he was able to keep you from successfully getting it.

ceasing your attempts, you decided to direct your frustration towards the male who hadn't stopped smirking since the whole ordeal. you glared at him, hoping the look would be enough to make him resign, but he only looked more amused. he leaned down close again, whispering in your ear. "what's the matter? giving up already?"

your ears burned, hotter than before, but you decided to take the opportunity presented in front of you. before chishiya could lean back you grabbed the book, immediately hiding your face behind the cover. 

chishiya didn't seem fazed by the fact that you had managed to retrieve your book back. you heard the smallest chuckle, followed by his body leaning towards your own. just as before, you scooted away from him, holding the book tighter. 

the little game chishiya made you play gave you mixed feelings. for one you were happy, because you and chishiya teased each other all the time and it meant you were able to continue the routine already set up. however, despite the happiness, things were different now. even though you tried to ignore it in the moment, it was still frustratingly difficult. what used to be so easy, barely worthy of acknowledgement, now replayed endlessly within your mind. the whispers in your ear and the close proximity, your brain couldn't help but see it in a different way. you liked it, but the fear of his rejection wanted you to stay away from things that could potentially reveal your feelings to him.

chishiya raised an eyebrow in confusion, his eyes more scrutinizing than before, "what's up with you?" when you remained silent his mouth twitched up in another smirk, "come on, don't tell me you fell for me already."

his words made you freeze, your hold tightening considerably around your book. was he teasing you again or did he really figure it out? you were pretty obvious, anyone a mile away could probably tell by the way you were currently acting. and if that was the case, chishiya would be the first to realize. fear filled your heart, heart pounding within your chest. in your last attempt to save yourself, at least from having to say the words out loud, you quickly sat down, going back to reading even though you still couldn't concentrate.

based on your silence to his question chishiya got his answer, and right then you wanted to crawl into a hole and never come back up. you hadn't even realized your feelings for 24 hours and you've already screwed things over. to make things worse, chishiya still hadn't said anything, and for the first time you didn't want to know what was going through his mind. his silence was an answer enough.

you heard chishiya take his seat next to you, and you assumed he was going to resume watching the other students or leave the library entirely. you wouldn't blame him. but you were proven wrong when you saw his hand on your book, lowering it enough so he could see your face.

quickly you turned away, holding a hand up so your knuckles brushed against your mouth and nose. you heard chishiya sigh, feeling one of his hands reach out and lightly touch your own.

"look at me." you were scared. you knew what would come next. chishiya would let you down and you'd have to live with the fact that he'd probably end your friendship for good. he didn't need someone with romantic feelings for him. it would only prove to be bothersome.  

when chishiya noticed you weren't making any moves to look at him he wrapped his palms around your own, lowering it from your face. the warmth from yesterday returned as his fingers remained around yours for a second longer before returning back to his side.

surprised, you moved your gaze away from the wall you had been staring at to your hands, until finally looking up to meet the sultry brown. what surprised you even more was that chishiya wasn't looking at you in the way he normally did, cold and condescendingly. you were sure that  would be his reaction if he was going to reject you. instead, his expression was strange, a look you'd never seen on the male before. wait, no, you have seen this expression on chishiya's face. it was at the crepe stand, moments before he disappeared from your life. even now, studying the morphing of his features, you couldn't place what it was. not even his eyes, filled with that same look, had a word for it. 

"that's better." he leaned forward once more, and shock ran through your entire body when you felt his lips press against your cheek. they were soft, feather light as he pulled away as quick as he was there, but he lingered close to your skin. your cheek burned from where his skin had touched yours, and you waited with a racing heart for what he was going to do next. you were even more surprised to see him lean in towards your lips, not touching but close enough that you could smell how minty his breath was and how pretty his eyes were up close.

"chishiya...?" you whispered, still breathless and high off of his scent. this was not what you were expecting, and you didn't know what to do with yourself as a soft breath, perhaps a chuckle, escaped through his lips. 

"i'm going to kiss you." chishiya whispered back, and you closed your eyes when you felt him finally lean in to close the remaining gap between you both.

all last night you thought about kissing chishiya, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. fireworks didn't go off, but you did feel an unexplainable happiness in your heart. you held on to that feeling even after he had pulled away to stare into your eyes.

still dizzy you just stared back, a big smile slowly working its way onto your lips. chishiya returned your smile with his own, leaning back to rest in his chair. a million thoughts raced in your mind, but one stood out over the rest.

chishiya shuntaro liked you back.

somehow you were able to find your voice, "how long?" you knew chishiya couldn't have started liking you recently. the blonde didn't have any friends besides you, and even though your friendship had been going on for several months now you still only knew bits and pieces about him. and even then half of that information was guesswork based on how he acted. it would seem out of character of him to act upon his feelings so suddenly.

chishiya hummed, appearing deep in thought, "since we ate those crepes."

well, that was certainly surprising. you must've assumed wrongly then. you were about to drop it when a detail stood out to you. yesterday wasn't the only time you guys got crepes.

you quickly look up at him, "you don't mean back in the summer, do you?"

the man nodded, "that's exactly what i mean." 

"but...you also stopped talking to me that day. why?" you asked, staring at him in disbelief. the blonde was not making any sense at the moment, and no matter how much you re-lived the day through your mind you had no idea the reasoning behind his actions. 

"i told you i was thinking about some things." chishiya didn't appear phased when you punched him in the arm, only releasing a soft grunt. 

"what the hell?! you're telling me you ignored me for months because you had a crush on me?" you yelled, eyes widening when you realized how loud your voice had risen. you muttered a quick apology to the students around you. 

chishiya just smiled before looking away, stuffing his hands in his pockets. you could tell he was debating in his head if he should explain himself or not, the blonde not big on sharing his personal feelings. hell, him even admitting that he liked you and kissing you soon after was probably way out of his comfort zone. your eyes softened, the realization that he did so for the sake of avoiding any confusion warming your heart. 

chishiya did it for you. 

surprising even yourself, you reached over to brush the stray locks of blonde against his cheek, tucking it behind his ear. chishiya's eyes widened, and you felt him tense as he looked at you. you gave him a soft smile, hoping he'd spot your look of understanding. eventually, the males body relaxed under your touch.

with another ounce of courage you wrapped both your arms around his neck, engulfing him in a hug. your body was flush against his own as you basked in his warmth, in his scent, and everything that was chishiya. you giggled softly as you felt him hesitantly return your hug, wrapping his own arms around your waist and resting his face on your shoulder. his hair tickled your skin, and your arms tightened around him, not wanting to let go.

you couldn't even begin to explain the happiness that you felt in that moment. when you first saw chishiya, never in a million years did you think your affection for the boy would go this far. yet now you wanted nothing more than to remain by his side, the pure bliss and ease that he brought you so so addicting. you wanted to experience everything that was him. to truly understand what made him sad, angry, and what put the soft smile he'd give you on his face. you wanted to love even the parts deemed ugly. you wanted to love him even when no one else did. 

"i'll forgive you for now. but you have to make up for lost time, chishiya." you sang, and you felt his body shake with his soft chuckle.

"that can be arranged." he murmured, and the smile you held on your face widened.

you both stayed in that position for several moments, enjoying the feel of the other in their arms. a part of you still felt nervous, warm cheeks and a fluttering stomach. but at the same time you felt at ease, knowing that even if chishiya wasn't the ideal man, even if you knew times would get difficult, you wouldn't give up unless you tried. you didn't need to see his expression or hear his voice to know he'd at least attempt to do the same. 

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

dating chishiya should've came with a handbook. 

you'd never been in a relationship before, but you read enough romance novels to have an idea on what to expect. yet, chishiya diminished any expectations you had, which was both laughable and confusing.

even after you both were made aware of the feelings for one another, your change in relationship was barely acknowledged. you supposed chishiya didn't find it necessary, but you found it funny how it was just assumed. most couples from your books had more extravagant confessions after all. but the male never brought up the topic again, and neither did you. 

either way, even though chishiya wasn't like the loving boyfriends portrayed in the media, you took notice of how he handled your relationship in his own way. his actions when in public barely changed, conversations and his proximity exactly the same. this you didn't really expect to differ since it was quite obvious the man hated any form of physical touch, public or not. what surprised you however, so small you barely noticed, were the fleeting, minuscule touches. sometimes you could feel the brush of chishiya's fingers on the exposed skin of your arms and wrists when he wanted your attention, and those same hands hovering near your back. most would feel disappointed, craving for more, yet you couldn't help but feel content each time you felt the small touch. 

another thing you learned about chishiya that seemed to grow more frequently over time was his presence as a whole. he didn't like touch, and you could never hope for words to replace the void. but he was always there. he accompanied you in places he had no business being in, lingering until you were ready to leave, and he did things for you that weren't necessary. bringing you your favorite snacks and paying for your coffee. you teased him about it before, pointing out how his actions followed the famous theory revolving different love languages. chishiya only shrugged while rewarding you with a smile. 

these new additions to your relationship embedded themselves into your routines, so much so it was considered the new normal. you continued your weekly outings to try out new foods and paid the library a visit when tests came looming around the corner. though, you did find that chishiya visited your room more often, usually appearing unannounced. you used to complain at first, realizing that his presence meant you had to start keeping your room cleaner than before. but as time passed, you began to care less, opting to just laugh when the man would enter your room and see the scattered pages and messily stacked books. it also meant that chishiya would become more relaxed in the privacy of your room, not as hesitant to pass his fingers through your hair or interlock your hands with his own. 

you continued through life, chishiya by your side through every moment. during christmas you guys spent it indoors at your place, watching the snow fall and drinking hot chocolate as you sat in silence. new years you guys went out to a shrine, making a wish for good luck and a happy year. you didn't forget the look on chishiya's face when you gave him a homemade charm, the thoughtful expression making you realize that this was probably the first gift he'd gotten that was made with care. you made sure to keep note of that for the future. for valentine's day he gave you a small stuffed bear, which has served as your new cuddle buddy when chishiya wasn't around, and for white day you made him chocolates that the two of you ended up sharing together.

summer came, you and the blonde finally released from the stress of exams and school. with the hot days and sunny skies came the summer festivals, and although you usually skipped out on them, you wanted to bring chishiya with you. watching fireworks with someone you cared for had always been on your bucket list. 

you both were in your room to save yourselves from the sweltering heat of the outdoors, you reading a book while chishiya scrolled through his phone. even though you guys weren't really doing anything together, just the thought that he was right beside you was enough.

you closed your book, dramatically laying yourself across chishiya's lap as you stretched. chishiya glanced from his phone to you, eyeing you curiously.

once you had finished stretching you lay limp, closing your eyes. after reading since the morning your eyes hurt, but the book was just too good to put down. finally you had finished, and you wanted to take the moment to rest while asking the blonde about the upcoming festival. 

you rolled yourself over so you were closer to his chest and laying on your stomach. chishiya once more glanced at you curiously before finally putting his phone down.

"chishiya, you know the summer festival coming up?" you asked, propping your head up with the palm of your hand.

said male placed his fingers on your head, and you hummed softly under the tender touch. "i do. is this your subtle way of saying you want to go?"

you nodded in confirmation, "i've never been before, and i figured since i have such a loving boyfriend," you gave an emphasis on the loving, chishiya's eyebrows raised slightly as he smirked, "you'd take me out on a date there."

you watched as chishiya hummed, thinking over the idea. finally, he smiled. "i suppose i'm in the mood for something interesting."

that was how you found yourselves at the summer festival, hundreds of people walking through the stands as endless chatter surrounded you. girls were dressed up in traditional dresses while children were playing the numerous games available, shrieks and laughter joining the chatter. hundreds of lanterns were strung across the walkway and your mouth watered at the smell of food being handed out at the various stands. you held onto chishiya's hand as you led him through the crowd, stopping in front of a game with a pond of fish swimming through the waters.

chishiya read the sign aloud, "kingyo sukui...oh, the one where you scoop goldfish?"

you nodded eagerly, "i've never played before, but it seems like fun, right?"

"and what are you gonna do with a goldfish? you barely take care of yourself." chishiya poked you on the forehead and you winced in pain, swatting his hand away.

"i'll get it myself then." you muttered, moving towards the pond once acquiring your poi and bowl. chishiya watched in amusement as you began scooping up the fish, noticing the way you were struggling in a child's game.

"damn fish, stop moving." you cursed as more fish ignored your demand and swam away. after a few more attempts you gave up, returning your tools as you walked back to a smirking chishiya.

"i figured you were right. the fish would probably die within a day, so i let them all go." you said defensively, not wanting to admit that you were terrible at the game.

chishiya hummed in agreement as he took a hold of your hand once more, "sure you did. come on, let's get some food."

your gloomy mood from your fail in the previous game dissipated once you guys arrived at a food stand. it was selling yakitori, and once you and chishiya had ordered and received your food you thanked him before heading to a spot where less people were gathered. you blew softly before taking a bite, humming in delight at the savory taste. chishiya took a bite as well, and you could tell by the way his face shifted slightly that he was enjoying the snack. 

once you both had finished and thrown your trash away you proceeded to walk around. as you held onto the warmth of chishiya's hand you admired the pretty lights from the lanterns, taking note of the way they glowed softly enough to illuminate the pathway of the venues. one game in particular stood out to you, and you tugged on the male's hand to grab his attention. chishiya glanced at you curiously before directing his attention towards the game you were looking at.

he let out a sigh of frustration, "you know those are rigged, right?"

you gave him a pout, going back to looking longingly at the stuffed cat sitting atop the shelves lining the side of the venue. "they're so cute though. it'd go really good with that bear you got me for valentine's day." you gave him another pleading look. 

chishiya rolled his eyes, but followed you nonetheless. the game was called shateki, a shooting game where you had to hit the target of the prize you wanted. chishiya walked up to the front and handed the worker some cash before picking up the shotgun on the table. you watched in anticipation as he held the gun up and squinted, silent for a moment before he began to shoot.

your eyes sparkled when chishiya, despite his earlier comment, successfully hit the target. he was just clever in that sort of way, you supposed. he set down the gun before taking the cat in his hands, turning towards you. he extended it towards you and you took it, admiring it before hugging it close to your chest. you glanced back up and thanked him, and big smile on your face. chishiya just nodded and held out his hand, which you gratefully took.

"sorry, what was that? they were rigged?" you playfully teased him, chishiya just shrugging his shoulders as he smiled at you. knowing the male, he had been positive he could beat it. still, you were grateful that he tried anyways, and for that you squeezed his hand to let him know your gratitude for his actions.

the two of you continued walking around, you eventually dragging chishiya to a stand that held japanese masks. you handed him the stuffed cat he had won and picked up a mask that looked like a fox. you held it up to your face, glancing in the mirror and giggling at the sight before you. you turned towards chishiya, a small smile twitching the corners of his lips before he glanced down to check his phone. 

you lowered the mask, gazing at him in curiosity. chishiya noticed your confusion and held up his phone to show you his lock screen.

"the fireworks are going to start soon. we should look for a good spot to watch." he explained, which caused your eyes to widen in surprise. that much time had passed already? you we're having so much fun that you hadn't even realized.

you put the mask back in its place and retrieved your plushie, feeling chishiya tug at your hand. you followed him as you both maneuvered through the growing crowd, shouting out the occasional 'sorry' when you bumped into someone. you noticed that it had gotten busier, probably due to the fact that the firework show was the most popular event and would be starting in just 20 minutes.

your confusion grew when chishiya led you past the area reserved to watch the fireworks, instead leading you to a completely different direction.

"hey, chishiya, where are we going? you passed the best spot." you shouted loud enough so he could hear you over the crowd.

"i'm taking you to an even better spot." he shouted back, looking over his shoulder to flash you a cheshire like grin.

you decided to trust him, knowing that whatever chishiya had planned would be worth it. the both of you walked towards the back of the festival where fewer people were gathered, probably due to the fact that you couldn't see anything from your current position. you grew even more confused however when chishiya led you towards a hill that was surely steep and hard to get up.

your lack of physical ability made you tug on his hand to go in the opposite direction, "nope, no way. i am not going up that."

even though chishiya also lacked any physical endurance he was still slightly stronger than you. he tugged you back to his side, "come on, it'll be worth it."

you groaned, the thought of walking up such a steep hill making your stomach turn. but you let him help you up anyways, and by the time you both arrived at the top you were breathing heavier than normal. chishiya was also breathing heavily, which made you feel better knowing you weren't the only one out of shape. but with your lack of breath, you figured you'd tease him about it later. 

the blonde sat down and you sat down next to him, legs overlapping as you leaned into his side. you couldn't see the festival from there, and there was no one else around. you began to wonder how chishiya knew about the spot. had he seen it while the two of you were walking around or had he researched it beforehand? 

chishiya looked down at his phone, "the fireworks should start soon."

you hummed, watching him silently. sometimes you still couldn't believe that he was there, right beside you. it seemed so surreal, and sometimes you were afraid that you'd wake up and he'd be gone, the entire relationship and months spent with him all a dream. but sitting there, feeling his warmth and basking in his presence, you knew it wasn't just your mind playing tricks on you. and even if it was, you'd gladly never wake up from it.

chishiya noticed you watching him, his eyes catching your own as he smirked, "what are you looking at?"

"you. just thinking about how pretty you are." you replied, flashing him a grin before directing your attention to the sky.

with the lights from the lanterns no longer around you were able to see the sky more clearly. stars splashed across the abyss as you relished in the way the cool night air felt on your skin. you sighed, content with the moment and the warmth that began to fill your heart. 

"i really like this. being away from everyone. don't you wish it was like that sometimes?" you asked, turning your head to face him

chishiya hummed, "sounds quite impossible, but i don't dislike it." 

you laughed at his statement, threading your fingers through the grass, "although, i guess i'd let you stick around. you are somewhat tolerable."

"oh? how nice of you." he replied.

you smiled at one another, silent until you saw the sky light up. you turned to see fireworks shooting up from the ground, a big 'pop' as they exploded into various colors.

excitedly you tugged on chishiya's sleeve to make sure he was watching, "look! the fireworks started!"

with each explosion you stared in amazement, the sight appearing almost magical. although the stars from the dark sky were beautiful, the light from the fireworks definitely beat it by a landslide.

"oh! i should take a video." you reached into your pocket for your phone, only to stare in confusion when it wouldn't turn on, "huh? it's dead."

chishiya looked at the blank screen, "here, you can use mine." he brought out his own phone, however the device also remained blank.

"looks like yours died as well." but it was weird. hadn't he just been using it a couple minutes ago? and you could've sworn you saw it at half battery, too.

you didn't dwell too much on it though, instead returning your attention to the ongoing show. as you watched, chishiya was looking at you, that same thoughtful expression returning to his face. you felt him thread his fingers through your own, before he returned his attention to the night sky. 

all too soon it ended, engulfing the both of you in silence and darkness once more. you got up from your sitting position and stretched, chishiya following right after. he was the first to begin the trek down the hill, holding your hand so you wouldn't fall.

in one piece you guys made it to the bottom, beginning the walk back to the festival. but something to you seemed strange. it was too quiet, and the feeling in your stomach told you that something was wrong.

your suspicions were confirmed when you guys finally reached the pathway, staring in confusion at the dark lanterns and empty stalls. no one was around.

"where'd everyone go?" you asked out loud, glancing around for even a hint of life. there was nothing. 

chishiya also stared, his expression more serious than before. he must've sensed the same thing you did, "i'm assuming they left after the fireworks."

you wanted to agree, it was the most plausible after all. but even if that were the case it was too short of an interval for everyone in the crowd to leave before the two of you got there. for one, it probably took you guys 5 minutes tops to find your way back, and even then there should still be if not a full crowd at least a small one. workers should also still be around to clean up and pack their things.

so why wasn't anyone around?

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 4: ⌈ 2 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

no matter how many movies you watched featuring the end of the world, it was nothing compared to the real thing. at least, if your current predicament was the end of the world, you definitely hadn't expected this.

you still couldn't explain where everyone in the festival had gone, and after leaving as a whole it appeared as if the sudden disappearance wasn't limited to just that area. cars were left unattended, and the streets once busy with pedestrians were empty. you clutched onto chishiya's hand as you walked to no particular destination, scanning the empty streets and abandoned buildings while trying to spot something resembling human life.

it was strange. it couldn't have been an evacuation drill, there was no way that many people would be able to leave so soon without a trace. definitely not a flash mob, since the area was way too large for that. maybe a dream? no, it felt too real to be a dream. if anything, something as bizarre as aliens would make more sense than the plausible explanations in your head. 

chishiya was just as quiet as you walked. ever since you both discovered the deserted festival you had been deep in thought, trying to figure out what was the cause of this strange phenomenon. the blond, however, didn't seem as troubled, instead staring thoughtfully at the empty city. he didn't express his thoughts aloud, but you could see the gears turning in his head. you were sure he was coming up with as many conclusions as you. maybe even some solutions. 

"you know, this is making me believe that our wish really did come true." chishiya finally spoke, sparing you a glance.

you recalled your previous words, realizing with regret that it was true. you had wished for it to be just the two of you. was this what this was? an answer to your desire? 

chishiya stopped walking, his fingers ghosting over the back of your arm. bringing yourself out of your thoughts you turned around to face him, curiosity evident in your expression. 

"what do you think we should do?" he finally asked after several seconds, his eyes studying your face carefully. it was like chishiya knew your spiraling thoughts would cease if you took the moment to occupy them with something else. 

you released a breath, glancing away, "i think we should have a plan, but i know you already have several in that head of yours."

chishiya shrugged, "maybe i do. but i'd like to hear yours."

you narrowed your eyes at him, shaking your head while laughing softly to yourself, "seriously, you gotta stop doing that. you'll take my job away from me."

the man smiled, feigning innocence, "doing what?"

"reading me. you knew exactly what i was thinking."

"you're quite easy to read," chishiya hummed thoughtfully, a playfulness overtaking his tone of voice, "but since you brought up the topic, i suppose i would make a good profiler. i wonder how much money they earn."  he stuffed his hands in his pockets before continuing to tread forward, swiftly glancing back to make sure you were following him.

you quickened your pace to catch up, "not as much as a surgeon. do me a favor and stay in medical school so i don't have to work in the first place."

"a shame. you'd make such a good house wife," he tilted his head at you, the gesture almost cat like, "won't you make me a bento box before i go to work?" 

you rolled your eyes at his suggestion, scoffing, "as if. i'm intelligent, but not when it comes to taking care of things. in reality i'll spend all your money shopping for myself. maybe wish you dead so i can take the profit."

chishiya released an amused breath, "how cruel. here i was thinking you liked me for my  personality and not my income."

"guess you aren't as clever as you thought."

he spared you another glance before humming in agreement, shrugging as he brushed past you, "at least i can make a proper meal." 

you glared burning holes into the back of chishiya's sweater, cursing him under your breath. of course he'd pick at your incapability to make a proper meal other than prepackaged ramen.

you groaned, catching up to him once more, "are we seriously back at that again? i never learned, alright? and i'm too lazy to actually try." you tried to defend yourself, but chishiya continued to stare at you with those damned eyes. mockingly. 

"where's the fun in that? besides," he leaned in closer, grin bordering on dangerous, "i like teasing you."

you opened your mouth, ready to spew out more excuses to save your dignity, only for the words to die in your throat when you heard a foreign sound in the distance. 

chishiya peered at you, a question hanging in the air. you brought a finger to your lips and motioned for him to stay quiet, straining your ears to listen. the man remained quiet as well, before squinting his eyes slightly in concentration, "it sounds like a car."

you gazed into the darkness, trying to find the source of the sound. if a car was being started, it could only mean one thing.

you guys weren't the only ones here.

you shared a quick look with the blond, nodding at each other as you slowly crept towards the source of the sound. as you got closer you also began to hear laughter and the soft chatter of a conversation. there were different pitches and tones, meaning there was not one person but multiple. three maybe?

your guess was correct as you spotted three guys near a gray sedan, the car started and the two laughing at some joke the other made. for a moment you were relieved to see that there were others, but new questions also arose with the discovery. why were they also here? did that mean that there were more people?

chishiya also noticed them gathered at the car, a spark of interest passing over his features, "guess we're not the only ones here."

you hummed in acknowledgment, keeping your attention on the group of boys. so far they were the first ones you and chishiya had seen all evening, sparking the infamous question of why? your gaze scanned their bodies, taking note of the way they walked with apparent ease and the matching bracelets on their wrists. a squint of your eyes made them out to be locker keys, which was far too peculiar to be a friendship bracelet. maybe they knew something, "i'm going to go talk to them." you took a step forward only to get tugged back by the back of your shirt. you looked at chishiya, irritated, "hey, what's your problem?"

"they look like they're getting ready to go somewhere." he replied.

you raised an eyebrow while giving him a smirk, "are you saying you want to follow them?"

chishiya glanced down at you before looking back at the strangers in the car, the ghost of a smile on his lips, "i have a feeling we'll learn more wherever they're going."

you followed his gaze at the now departing vehicle, grinning in excitement, "an infiltration it is."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

luckily for the both of you, the car wasn't far from whatever camp they were staying at. you and chishiya were able to easily follow with a brisk walk, watching the car enter what looked to be a hotel called "the beach". guards were stationed at the entrance, weapons in their hands and those same keys around their wrists. whatever this place was, it's been around for a while. how long? you weren't quite sure, but clearly enough to establish whatever system they had going on. the only thing was, there was no way these people would be able to take over an entire hotel in the short amount of time everyone disappeared. did that mean that this strange disappearance affected different areas first?

another discovery you both made along the way was that cars no longer worked, nor did any of the electrical devices. not even a spark of electricity could be found in all the stores you both passed by. it only made this building even more peculiar. how did these people have working cars? how were they able to keep the lights on at the hotel?

you let out a sigh, burying your face in chishiya's back, "it seems like the more i find out, the more i actually don't know." you mumbled, your words muffled by his shirt.

"i think we'll get answers here." chishiya said, eyes still trained on the building. at least you weren't the only one taking in as much as you could about the place before going in.

you looked up to watch as well, lips pressed against the dip in his shoulder, "what do you think this is all about anyways?"

the man remained quiet, and you could see the several thoughts running through his mind. it appeared chishiya was just as in the dark as you were, which made you feel slightly more at ease, "whatever it is, it will be quite surprising."

"i don't like it when you answer like that." you mumbled, earning a small, amused chuckle from the blond. 

"then what do you think?" chishiya asked, your heart skipping a beat when you felt him brush his fingers against your own. 

"i'm still thinking this is all actually a dream." you spoke softly, focusing on the warmth against your skin. chishiya's own attention remained on the movement as well. 

"sounds reasonable."

you hummed, staying in your position for another moment longer before clearing your throat and swiftly pulling yourself to your feet. you watched as chishiya slowly followed, "let's find out who's right then, hm?"

the male gave you a grin, "let's."

you and chishiya began walking towards the entrance, going through an arch way that led to the poolside area. you were surprised to see the amount of people there, some lounging in chairs and others dancing with one another. music blasted harshly in your ears, followed by the screams of excitement from the crowd. you blinked, surprised by what you were seeing. 

you were definitely not expecting this.

 if anything, you were assuming that the beach would be similar to a refugee camp. but this? it was more like a party, almost like they weren't even aware of what was going on outside the building walls. or perhaps they were celebrating it. 

"well, they seem to be having fun." you joked, sparing a glance towards the male beside you. chishiya's eyes scanned the crowd, face remaining impassive, but you could see the traces of amusement dancing in his eyes at the scene unfolding before him. you could tell he wasn't expecting this either, but he seemed to be enjoying the surprise.

the longer you both stood there the busier it got. several more people arrived at the area, and you found yourselves caught in a crowd that began to dance. a girl bumped into you, causing you to lose your balance from the unexpected push. you felt chishiya grab a handful of the back of your shirt, pulling you closer as his fingers slid down to the back of your arm. you felt your cheeks warm at the touch and the sudden proximity you found yourself in. 

"hey! what do you think you're doing?" 

you and chishiya turned towards the voice, finding a man around your age to be the one behind it. what surprised you wasn't the abundance of piercings on his face, but rather the gun slung around his shoulder. so far only the guards at front had them, and it was apparent no one in the crowd owned a weapon.  so why did he? did he know something all these other people didn't?

the crowd dispersed as he slowly walked up to the two of you, the movement oozing with confidence and something predator like. his eyes shifted to look you up and down, a disgusting smile reaching his lips once he found his way back to your eyes. it was like he was sizing you up, and you were nothing but prey in his eyes. chishiya noticed the glance, and you could feel his fingers tightening around your shirt. 

you mustered up a smile despite the unease you felt, "we're just looking around. no problem with that, right?"

the mans eyes narrowed, and his brown eyes swept over your body once more, "where are your uniforms? you new or something?"

uniforms? was he talking about the bathing suits? you gave him a nod, "we just got here today. do you mind telling us about this place?"

at your question he smirked once more, and you felt the regret make itself known at the sight. he walked even closer, putting a hand on your shoulder and you did your best not to stiffen under the touch, "games are starting soon, so i'll give you a word of advice," he leaned in close, his nose inches from yours. you wanted nothing more than to glance away, but you refused to give this man what he wanted, "don't die." he stuck out his tongue, revealing yet another piercing to add to the others before getting back up and walking away.

you watched as he left, noticing how nearly everyone backed away at the sight of him. definitely one to be feared. but for what? was it the gun around his shoulder? something else? and with the way he carried himself, his smirk widening each time he saw someone cower, he liked that fear.

but the man had said something interesting, and you pondered over the thought aloud, "games?" you turned towards chishiya, smiling to ease the tense atmosphere that had settled, "we gonna play uno or what?" 

chishiya was still watching the stranger, and gone was the amusement he had expressed moments before, "we should stay away from him."

ah, there it was. the jealousy. it was so minuscule most wouldn't really notice, but you had been with chishiya long enough to spot the signs. you wanted to tease him, since it was quite rare, but you had to agree that you didn't like the man either. he seemed like the type to instill fear in people just for the fun of it, which was not the best quality for someone with a rifle. perhaps to feel in power? or maybe because of insecurity. you definitely did not want someone like that by your side through these strange times. and what was with the "don't die" at the end? what could possibly kill you in these games he had mentioned? 

"still, he wasn't lying. nothing about his body language insisted so." you sighed. it meant that those parting words had to be true.

chishiya remained quiet until a siren was heard, louder than the music that was being played. everyone in the poolside area began cheering, running towards a set of doors and disappearing inside the building. you and chishiya shared curious glances with each other before heading inside as well, careful not to bump into anyone along the way. as you got closer to the entrance doors you noticed that paper slips were being handed out. maybe they were used to gain something? food maybe?

you grabbed one and stared at the number written on the piece of paper. definitely not a food stamp. you glanced at chishiya's number and it was different from yours, which caused a frown to settle on your lips. were you guys being separated into groups? or maybe an order for a line?

you and chishiya found yourselves a spot in the back of the room, providing a clear view of the entire area. people were gathered excitedly in what appeared to be a lobby, even more than the numbers at the pool. so there were more people here, but there wasn't a line. that had to mean these papers were for groups then. but what kind of groups?

you snapped out of your thoughts when more cheers erupted, lifting your gaze to see a group of 5 up on the balcony overlooking the room. a man wearing a red robe and swim trunks stood in the center, holding his arms out. you assumed it was the person in power.

"citizens of the beach! the time has come again for us to play more games! together, we will return to the real world! please get in the cars assigned to your numbers!" he shouted, his voice booming across the room. 

more cheers erupted as people began shouting out wards, talking about venues being found in the area. so this is where the games are being held. but what did he mean by returning to the real world? was he insinuating that this place wasn't the one you were just in a couple hours ago?

you turned towards chishiya, holding up your slip of paper, "looks like we aren't in the same group, which is quite unfortunate. it would've been fun to beat you in a game."  you gave him a smile, to which chishiya returned with one of his own. 

"maybe next time." 

you nodded, about to turn and leave when you felt chishiya take a hold of your shirt. the sudden force pulling you back caused you to stumble and fall against his chest, stiffening at the contact. your heart rate picked up as your cheeks warmed, glancing up to see chishiya staring at you. you quickly straightened, awaiting whatever it was he wanted to say. 

"we don't know what these games are about yet," the male began, eyes slowly passing over your face. you swallowed thickly, urging him to continue, "think with your brain. not your heart."

you laughed softly at his words, punching him lightly on his shoulder, "keep this up and i might think you're worried about me, chishiya," when he remained silent you softened your expression, taking the moment to reach over and brush your fingers against his own, "you be careful, too."

you pulled away, already missing the small semblance of warmth that had been provided. you stared at him for a second longer, passing your eyes over the expression on his face and the look in his eyes. once satisfied, you began walking away, but not before turning around quickly to give him a salute, "i promise by the time i come back i'll be a victor in both the game AND the answer!"

chishiya smirked, holding up his own hand to wave goodbye. you smiled once more before turning around, heading to where everyone else was gathered. several groups of people were getting into cars and running out of the hotel while others not participating in these 'games' cheered them on. you noticed a group of girls walking by with the same numbers as you, quickly walking up to them and holding up your slip of paper, "got room for one more?"

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you found yourself in front of another hotel, smaller than the one used as the beach, but still large regardless. was this another camp? similar to the beach? the lights were on, meaning they also had electricity. but so far you could only see a couple people inside, nothing compared to the numbers of the beach. plus, there was a sign in front which the previous hotel lacked.

ᎬNᎢᎡY ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, NᎾNᎬ

so there was no limit to how many people could play. maybe you guys really were going to play uno. you walked into what appeared to be the lobby, people lounging around like they were waiting for something. there was a table in the center with phones laid out, empty spaces where some had already been taken. you walked up and picked up the device, surprised that it actually turned on. you had been certain that they didn't work anymore. 

FᎪᏟᏆᎪᏞ ᎡᎬᏟᎾᏩNᏆᎢᏆᎾN ᏆN ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᏚᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ Ꭺ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

a screen popped up after a couple of seconds. it was different from a regular phone, with only a couple apps present. these apps included the settings, photos, a camera, and a timer located at the bottom. you also noticed two apps shaped like cards in the top left corner. one said game, while the other said visa. you also noticed that it was at full battery, but there was no signal. you glanced at the sign.

ᎾNᎬ ᏢᎬᎡ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN

so everyone else in the lobby also had a phone. was the game online then? suddenly the screen changed to show a different message.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎢᎾ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY 8 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ.

huh, so people couldn't join after the game had already started.

at the check in desk there were room keys laid out as well as another sign.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎢᎪKᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ KᎬY.

the girls in your group took one without hesitation, talking among themselves as they walked away. so they were also familiar with whatever this was. you reminded yourself to ask them about it later. 

you took one, putting it in your pocket as you glanced around the room. these people weren't grouped together, so they all must not know one another. you noticed how one girl, most likely in high school based on her uniform, looked nervous. unsure. she must have no clue what was going on either. others, however, seemed irritated, almost like they couldn't wait for the game to start. like they wanted to get it over with. if that were the case, why not leave? unless these games were required, but by who?

two minutes passed with just one remaining until this 'game' started. so far four more people have entered since then, three of them glancing around in confusion while one walked in like he'd done so a million times. just as the timer was about to end two more people quickly ran in, grabbing phones as several dings sounded throughout the room.

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 9 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

you heard a girl scream, tears rolling down her cheeks as she fell to the floor. everyone else in the room who you assumed had experience also looked scared, those in groups sharing uneasy glances with each other including the girls you had arrived with.

"fuck! this has got to be a fucking joke!" one of the guys shouted at the phone, throwing it towards the ground.

the girl you had previously deemed in high school looked around at the others gathered in the room, "what..what does that mean?"

"it means we're gonna die you fucking idiot! god dammit!" the same man shouted at her, causing her to flinch at his loud voice.

you rolled your eyes at his outburst. what a jerk. you walked up to them, placing a hand on the girls shoulder in reassurance, "hey, don't take your anger out on her. she's just a kid."

his gaze hardened, staring at you like you were some annoying insect, "do you even know what this means?"

"something bad i'm guessing." you gave him a shrug and a smile, which put a scowl on his lips.

"how can you fucking smile like that in this situation."

"like this, see? you should try it sometime, it'll do you some good." you flashed another grin as a demonstration, your actions only agitating the man more.

he stepped forward, only to falter when another guy intervened. with the nervous glances he had been giving the room he also appeared like he didn't know what was going on, "hey let's not fight, alright? let's just hear the rules. it might not even be that difficult."

the previous man turned his attention towards the newcomer, "not difficult? you fucking messing with me? this is a hearts game. it's never gonna be fucking easy." you perked up at the information, holding onto it tight. so this was a hearts game, and those were typically bad. noted. 

"yeah, but," the peacemaker spoke up, but you decided to intervene in order to get things going. you wanted to know what these games were exactly.

"how about you shut your mouth for a second so we can hear what the game is about?" you quipped up, making sure he could see the annoyed expression on your face. this guy acted all tough, but you could tell by the way his fists were clenched that he was scared, angry, maybe even both.

once again he directed his anger towards you, "you think you're smart? how about YOU shut your mouth and respect the adults." internally you rolled your eyes at his words, the annoyance deepening. clearly his job gave him so much power that when he didn't get the respect he thought he deserved, he lashed out in anger. you hated those types of people the most. 

still, you smiled. it would be best not to get violent with him, "of course, but i just want to hear out the rules so i can win this game."

he laughed bitterly, "you think you're gonna win?"

you titled your head in mock confusion, "why, of course."

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠᏚ ᎾF ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᏙᏆᎾᏞᎬNᏟᎬ ᎾF ᎪNY KᏆNᎠ ᎾᏌᎢᏚᏆᎠᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ. ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ NᎾᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᎬᎪᏟᎻᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. FᎪᏆᏞᏌᎡᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎠᎾ ᏚᎾ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ. ᏆF Ꭺ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ KᏆᏞᏞᎬᎠ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎢᎻᎬN ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ. ᏆF ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ Ꭺ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ ᏙᎾᎢᎬᎠ ᎾᏌᎢ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ. ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡᏚ ᏟᎪN ᎾNᏞY ᏚᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬᎷᏚᎬᏞᏙᎬᏚ ᎬᏙᎬᎡY ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ NᎾᎢ ᎪᏞᏞᎾᏔᎬᎠ ᏆN ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ'Ꮪ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ.

so this wasn't an online game. as 'players' you'd be using the entirety of the hotel as your game board.

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎢᎻᎪN ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏴY ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᏔᏆN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎢᎻᎪN ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᏴY ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆFᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏔᏆN. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎪN ᎬᏙᎬN ᎪᎷᎾᏌNᎢ ᎾF ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎪᏚ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏔᏆN ᏴY ᎠᎬFᎪᏌᏞᎢ. ᏞᎾᏚᏆNᏩ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.

murmurs erupted throughout the room at the clear condition. however, you were confused. the game seemed easy enough. figure out who's lying about their role as citizen. if you lost, so what? why'd everyone look like their lives were on the line?

ᎢᎾ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏢᏌᎢ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎾᏞᏞᎪᎡᏚ ᏞᎪᏆᎠ ᎾᏌᎢ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏴᏞᎬ.

you all turned to see the elevator ding, doors revealing a table in the middle with 14 collars, enough for each person in the room. no one made a move towards the table, but the elevator didn't close. you guessed that these collars, whatever they were for, wasn't something good. but the game wouldn't start unless they were on.

you walked towards the elevator, everyone watching as you grabbed the device and put it around your neck. immediately it closed, and when you gave it a tug it didn't come off. you didn't want to know what would happen if you tried to force it off. one by one everyone else grabbed a collar of their own, the sound of the lock clicking into place filling the silence of the room.

another ding came from the phone.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎻᎬᎪᎠ ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏚᎬᏞᎬᏟᎢᎬᎠ ᏙᏆᎪ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ KᎬY.

you all turned to see the last two elevators open. seven piled into one, the other seven going into the third and final elevator. you noticed that one of the girls you were familiar with was there with you, her eyes set heavily on your form. she also seemed scared, but not because of the unknown, but because of the rules that seemingly everyone else was also afraid of.

"hey, why's everyone so scared?" you asked her. the other five in the elevator sent uneasy glances your way, but ultimately didn't say anything.

she looked away, eyes glued to the floor as she dug her fingernails into the skin of her arm, "these games are designed to kill you. the higher the number the more difficult it is to clear, and the symbol represents the type of game it is."

"hearts are the worst i'm guessing." she gave a nod as a response to your statement. that explains why everyone looked so terrified. losing meant game over, which probably meant dying even if you survived to the last round. not to mention there were the killing periods where you didn't know who'd end up being the unlucky victim.

you let out a sigh. in reality being a mafia member was probably the worst role to receive if you weren't good at lying. there was also the issue of numbers. if you remembered correctly, there should be one mafia member per four people, meaning with the 14 players here there should be at least 3. killing enough citizens and voting enough out in order to win would prove to be difficult. the only possible way for mafia members to win is if they lost one member max and were able to successfully kill someone each round.

you snapped out of your thoughts when the elevator dinged, signaling you had arrived at the top floor. the seven of you walked down in the same direction, meaning everyone's rooms were in the same hallway. rummaging through your pockets you walked up to your own room, putting the key in place. you felt someones eyes on you, a shiver running down your spine as you turned and spotted the man with the bad temper from earlier. he was glaring at you, and as a response you gave him a small wave before walking in. you shut the door behind you, looking around the room. it seemed like any other hotel room. your phone dinged again, and you glanced at the screen.

ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬ ᎠᏆᏚᎢᎡᏆᏴᏌᎢᎬᎠ. ᎡᎬᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ, ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏟᎪN NᎾᎢ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ), YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᏞᎬ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ.

you felt your heart stop. mafia? did you really just receive the worst role you could possibly get? if this was anything like the game you used to play back in elementary school and anything like what you had managed to figure out in the time spent in the elevator, that meant you had to kill someone in order to survive. would you be able to do it? let someone die through your own hands?

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎾNᎬ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬN ᏢᎬᎡ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏚᏢᎾNᏚᏆᏴᏞᎬ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᏌᎡᎠᎬᎡ. ᏆF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᎠᎾᎬᏚN'Ꭲ KᏆᏞᏞ Ꭺ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬN ᏔᏆᎢᎻᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎢᏆᎷᏌᏞᎪᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎢᎻᎬN ᏆᎢ'ᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ. ᏔᎬᎪᏢᎾNᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎢ. ᏌᏚᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᏌᎢᏆᎾN.

YᎾᏌᎡ NᏌᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 3.

ᏩᎾᎾᎠ ᏞᏌᏟK ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ.

your screen went from the rules to the time limit, counting down from two hours. that meant whoever was the third mafia member had to kill someone in that amount of time. it also meant that there were at least three mafia members including yourself, meaning you were right about the ratios. but, who were they? you doubted that even if you figured it out, revealing their role may result in a game over for them or yourself.

you let out a sigh of frustration. whatever this game was, it was definitely twisted. at least in a regular game you'd know who the other mafia members were, and you could all collectively vote on who was the best to kill off in that round. but here, you had to leave it up to them, and not knowing could result in you accidentally voting them off during the judgement process. or worse, them mistaking you as a citizen and killing you off.

you remembered the weapons that the system had mentioned, eyes roaming around the room for the objects. you glanced over to the closet right in front of your bed, the sight of it making your stomach twist in nausea. despite the feeling, you walked over to the closet doors, opening it to reveal a box. you removed the lid and looked inside, surprised by the amount of materials contained in there. the items ranged from guns to toxins, each deadlier than the last. whoever put together this game had thought about everything, giving the mafia members options for when their turn came. still, the churning in your stomach worsened at the sight, and you quickly closed the box while shutting the closet door along with it.

you backed away, your knees hitting the edge of the bed which caused you to fall into the mattress. reality set in then and there, making your blood run cold. these people, they actually expected you to kill someone. to take a human life. and if this was your game, then you couldn't even begin to imagine the type of game chishiya was in. and the type of people in there with him. another ding came from your phone.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

you stared at the screen in confusion. was this their way of weeding people out from hiding in their rooms during the killing period? it made sense, staying in your rooms each round could easily allow the citizens to clear the game without actually having someone from their team killed.

you got up and walked to the door, taking a deep breath in order to calm your nerves and the bad feeling in your stomach. no doubt everyone else got their roles as well, and everyone would be watching each other closely to get any sign as to who received the mafia role. luckily for you, you were an excellent liar.

you left your room to see everyone already outside their own doors, looking around cautiously at one another. you couldn't blame them. you were doing the action yourself, trying to figure out who was on your side.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎾNᎬ

"who is it?! come on, show yourself!" a woman shouted, eyes darting from person to person. 

a boy, probably around your age, rolled his eyes, "seriously lady, you think it's going to be that easy? this is a hearts game. it's all about lying and making people trust you."

"and how do you know, huh? you play a hearts game before? i bet you're apart of the mafia aren't you?" 

he held his hands up in defense, "hey! just because i know what this game is doesn't mean i'm mafia! with the way you're acting all defensive, what if you're the mafia and trying to pin the blame on me?!"

"there you go! doing the exact same thing!" 

"hey guys, let's not fight alright? i say we all head downstairs and gather in the main lobby." this time it was a man dressed in a suit who spoke. he seemed genuine enough, appearing used to the bickering and even had a calm aura about him. perhaps he was a teacher in his previous life.

"and why would we do that? what if you're just leading us there to kill us, huh?!" the same lady turned her attention towards him, eyes narrowed in newfound suspicion.

"well, if we're all in the same room, no one could possibly kill someone without getting caught. and if we're lucky, a mafia member will panic and kill someone when the timer gets closer to zero. we'll know exactly who it is." he reasoned.

it was a good plan, you had to admit. even if you guys stuck in pairs and not a group, the death of an individual would immediately point suspicion to their partner. there was also the fact that you're always being watched, and it'll be harder to actually make any moves. you figured you'd use this time to your advantage and hopefully find out who was on your team.

"i think that's a good plan! anyone object?" you asked. no one said anything, so you took that as their agreement.

everyone walked towards the elevator, once more splitting into two groups to go down. you all went down to the lobby, immediately separating from each other to go to your own respective spots. you found yourself an empty sofa where you sprawled across, eyes shifting between the 13 other individuals in the area. everyone was fidgeting, even those who had come together keeping a distance.

an hour passed, and during that time you busied yourself with trying to figure out who was who. so far a lot of people were in the clear, like the lady who spoke false accusations and the college boy who had been the recipient of her blame. but there was one player in particular that you were positive was a part of your team.

he sat away from everyone, his hands rested on top of his knees. he hadn't stopped fidgeting since you got there, his foot tapping against the carpet and sweat forming on his forehead. he seemed nervous, like he was waiting for something, but not for the reasons the citizens were waiting. rather, he was waiting for an opportunity. his eyes shifted from each person and around the room, his fingers occasionally reaching up to ghost over the pocket of his hoodie. that repeated action in itself made you believe he already had something in mind. but, with the rate things were going. he wouldn't get that opportunity he was looking for. and as much as you hated it, as much as it made your stomach sick with the idea of someone dying because you allowed it, you thought about chishiya, and you really didn't want to leave this world without seeing him one last time. you had to survive this.

you got up from where you were sitting, "do you think they have a kitchen here? i'm kind of hungry."

one of the girls from the group you arrived with spoke up, "there should be. but we can't trust you to go alone."

you gave her a smile, "then shall i take someone with me?" you turned towards the guy you were sure was tasked with the kill this round, "want to go find food with me?"

the teacher from earlier stood from his own spot, "wait, we still don't know if you can be trusted. and why him in particular? are you both mafia? how do we know you aren't plotting something?"

you turned back around to face him, "remember, roles aren't allowed to be revealed until the end of the game. that includes mafia members. even if we were mafia, we couldn't possibly let the other know unless we want a game over. plus, if only one of us comes back, then you'll know for sure that it was one of us. does that make you feel better?"

the teacher was silent for a moment before sighing in defeat, "don't take too long. and bring food for the rest of us so you don't have to take another trip."

you gave him a nod, and although confused, the boy followed you to the back where the kitchen was located. you began looking through the cabinets, surprised but pleased to find packaged food within.

you began placing things on the counter, him following suit with the one next to you, "so, you're a part of the mafia, right?" you asked, not sparing him a glance. 

you heard the sound of something drop, the kitchen growing eerily silent. you glanced at him from the corner of your eye, realizing with satisfaction that you were right. otherwise he wouldn't be so surprised or look so scared by your question. he quickly masked the emotion, however, with an angry face, "what the hell are you talking about?"

you hummed in response, glancing down at the anxious tapping of his foot, "your foot won't stop fidgeting you know. the entire hour we spent in the lobby you looked like you were waiting for something. an opportunity to kill someone, i presume?"

"you're crazy." he said, irritation laced in his voice. and yet, he quickly ceased his previous movements. typical. 

"ah well, i guess you can't really tell me, huh?" he was silent this time, so you continued on talking, "i took a look at the map before the game started. the generator room is past those doors and to the right. if you turn off the lights, you can make use of whatever you have in your pocket."

his hands ghosted over his front pocket. so you were right about that, too. 

"how do you know all this? and why are you helping me?" he asked.

you ceased your task, eyes staring at the palm of your hand. for a second you could feel chishiya, the way he'd intertwine his fingers with your own and the soft tracing of your skin when you'd get stressed, "you see..i have someone waiting for me. and i mentioned it before, right? i plan on winning this game." you gave him a sad smile, "you should hurry while i get the rest of the food. and try to give whoever you choose a quick death, okay?"

he didn't say anything. instead, he dashed through the doors, making use of the time he had left. the guilt you felt was overbearing, and you took the time to take deep breaths. you really didn't want anyone to die, but you didn't know what else to do. with the rules it seemed like there was no way around them, and you doubted you'd be able to figure it out before anyone had to die.

he came back as quickly as he was gone, helping you put the last of the food in a pot you had found and helping you carry it back to the lobby.

"we come bearing gifts!" you chirped, placing the pot on top of the table where the phones once were. you had managed to forget about your break in character back in the kitchen, instead focusing on what was ahead. only a couple people actually came to go through the options while the rest stayed back.

you took a pack of cookies for yourself, your sweet tooth aching for the desert. after opening the package you dug your hand inside, about to take a bite when the lights began to flicker. everyone glanced up at the malfunction, confused murmurs sounding in your ears before they turned off completely, engulfing you all in total darkness. shouts erupted across the room, yelling at one another to turn it back on. questions about what had happened followed it, paired with the shrill screams of a woman. it was scary, you'd admit. with the power out, no one could see a thing. it was also the perfect time to kill someone.

suddenly you heard a shout, echoing across the room and ringing in your ears. you couldn't tell who or where it was coming from, but it sounded masculine. he released another shout. 

"someone just poured something on me! what the hell is this?" 

"god, what is that smell?!" 

"it smells like fucking gasoline! is it from the power?" 

"no, dumbass, someone poured gasoline on me!" 

your heart stopped when you realized the guys intentions. gasoline? was he seriously going to-

your thought process stopped with you saw something light up from across the room. more screams fell from the boys mouth as you realized with regret that you were right. he was getting burned alive.

"get it off! get it off! fuck! it burns!" he yelled, trying in desperate but hopeless attempts to pat the fire away from his clothes.

the people around him backed away, afraid of the fire being passed onto them. you cursed under your breath at the sight. the asshole really set him on fire, even after you warned him to let the citizen go in an easy way. your heart felt heavy at the sound of his screams and the smell of burning flesh quickly engulfing the room. you hadn't wanted him to go in such a way. he hadn't chosen to be a citizen or to die in the first place. none of you did.

with the light from the boy you were able to spot the fire extinguisher, rushing towards the glass case and kicking it until it shattered. you grabbed the red container, rushing towards the male and spraying him with the contents.

even after the fire had disappeared he continued to scream in pain, now on the ground as he curled into a small ball. it was dark once more, and internally you were grateful since you were afraid of seeing the damage in full. his screams were hard to listen to enough.

they quieted down, however, until stopping fully. you held your breath, trying to ignore the horrid smell. he didn't make any sounds any longer, meaning there were only two explanations for the lack of noise. either he had passed out, or he had died.

in the silence you heard your phones ding, and you quickly fished it out of your pocket.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

"did anyone see who did it?"

"you think we can see in this fucking darkness?"

"why did the lights go out in the first place?"

"like hell i know!"

"we have to vote someone out or it's game over!"

"just fucking choose someone already!"

"what about that girl! the one who got the food! she could've killed the generator instead!"

"dumbass, she was with that guy. there's no way she could've done that without him knowing!"

"then who the fuck do we vote out!"

"isn't it obvious! the guy who made us come down here in the first place! he probably messed with the generator before we got here or is working with someone!"

"it's not me! i didn't think this would happen!"

"bullshit! vote him out!"

all around the room people agreed. you couldn't say anything, still in shock over what just happened. he really killed him. this boy, he was really dead. you were starting to realize what these people were capable of. and what they'd do in order to survive.

suddenly you were also afraid. not of these people, but of yourself. how far would you go? was this whole thing, this whole game, even worth it?

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ FᎾᎡ, NᎪKᎪᎷᎪ ᎠᎪᏆᏚᏌKᎬ.

"no! no no no it's not me it's not me! are you all crazy!? you all are going to die you all-"

an explosion was heard, and you flinched at the loud sound. more screams erupted as you realized that the man, his only intention being to keep everyone alive, was now dead. accused of something he did not do.

ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ ᏆN 2 ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ. FᎬᎬᏞ FᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᎢᏌᎡN ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

no one left their rooms after that. even though the killing period was over and it was deemed safe for the next two hours, everyone decided to stay away from each other until forced out of their rooms during the next round. you found yourself doing the same, still shocked over the events that had occurred.

was it your fault? you told him how to go about the killing, but you hadn't meant for him to go in such a horrid way. you even asked him to make the death peaceful, and yet he still used the lighter.

you glanced over at the closet, still shut from when you had first opened it. you felt even more sick at the sight, and not able to stand it anymore you got up from the bed and left the room. no one else was in the hallway, no doubt trying to wrap their heads around the murder. as you walked to the elevator you realized since the generator was out it no longer worked. you sighed, before heading to the stairs instead.

by now your vision had adjusted to the darkness, and thankfully the light from
the windows provided enough to see. you were able to find the door leading to the stairway easily, quick to reach it and push it open. when you entered the stairwell you were surprised to find the girl that you had defended before this whole game started sitting against the wall, knees brought up to her chest as she cried.

your heart hurt for her. of course she had a right to cry. you were positive that's what everyone else in the building was doing right about now, and what you had been planing on doing if you weren't preoccupied on the fact that this girl needed someone. you closed the door behind you, cautiously walking up to her, "you okay?" you asked, crouching down. she appeared startled to see you, backing away a couple of inches. you sent her an apologetic smile, "sorry, i didn't mean to scare you. is it okay if i sit here?"

timidly, she nodded, and you took a seat, making sure there was distance as to not make her uncomfortable. she was no longer crying, instead sniffling as she wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her uniform.

"this is your first game, right?" you asked.

another sniffle, "yeah. you?"

"ah, it's my first game as well."

her eyes widened at this, "but, you seem so calm! i totally thought you were a pro!"

you laughed at her words, smiling sheepishly, "i'm actually just as terrified as you. but i guess i'm better at hiding it." she nodded at your reason, and you stared at her for several moments before continuing the conversation, "that guy hasn't bothered you again, has he?" 

her eyes widened in realization, recognition flickering across her face, "oh! it's you! from before! i'm so sorry! i forgot to thank you." she exclaimed, ducking her head in a bow.

you waved her off, "it's fine really. i'll let you in on a little secret though," you beckoned your hand for her to come closer, the small girl scooting over so your knees were touching, "he's actually really scared right now, so next time he tries to take his anger out on you, just remind him of that."

she giggled, and you laughed along with her. it was silent for a moment, before she spoke up once more, "before all this, what were you doing?"

"i was at a summer festival." you smiled thinking about the event and the memories along with it. it was strange how even though that had happened only hours before, it all felt like a dream, or at least a lifetime ago.

her eyes brightened at this, "oh! did you have a date?"

"my boyfriend actually." you answered, feeling your cheeks warm at the thought. 

"is he here right now?" 

"thankfully not." you were glad that chishiya wasn't here playing this game with you. even though you had no doubt he'd figure things out just as quick as you had, the possibility of you both on different teams, competing against each other with only one able to survive, made your heart hurt even more than it already did. you pushed the thought away, however, as you instead focused on completing the game and returning to the beach. 

you and the girl talked for a little while more, finding out that her name was ohashi kiyoko and that she did indeed go to high school. she talked about her school and friends, and you talked a little bit about yourself as well. soon enough you checked the time to see 30 minutes left on the timer for the intermission period.

"hey, i'm going to head back to my room. you stay safe, okay?" you said. you could tell her gloomy mood from before returned, but she still flashed you a bright smile.

"you stay safe, too." 

you nodded, getting up and returning back to your room. you opened the door, going to the bed and flopping on top of it.

you didn't mean to doze off, but you woke up to the sound of a ding coming from your phone. groggily, you sat up, squinting at the bright screen.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎢᏔᎾ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1.

you felt your blood run cold, and in the shock you dropped the device in your hands. maybe you read the number wrong. maybe this really was just some nightmare that you had yet to wake up from. but you knew, deep down inside, that it was all a lie to yourself. you knew the reality of what those words meant. you had to kill someone, and if you didn't, it was game over. if you didn't, you wouldn't get to see chishiya again. if you didn't, he'd be all alone in this cruel world that you now lived in.

if you didn't, you'd die.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎠᎬᏟᏆᎠᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏚᎪᏙᎬ, YᎪNᎪᏩᏆ ᎡᏆN. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎡᎬFᎡᎪᏆN FᎡᎾᎷ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ.

with shaking legs you walked over to the closet, opening the doors and pulling out the box that sat in the corner. you removed the lid and rummaged through the contents, finding the bottle you were looking for.

you sat still for a moment, heart racing. you quickly checked your phone, confirming the question in your head. you still had time before everyone had to leave their rooms.

you opened the door to your hotel room, running down the hallway as quietly as you could. when you got to the stairs you peeked in to make sure ohashi wasn't around before pushing it open, rushing down the steps. you ran towards the lobby, holding in your vomit as the smell of the decaying corpse still left there from the last round filled your senses. with shaking hands you grabbed a water bottle that sat on the table and opened it, pouring the poison into the liquid. you closed the lid and pocketed the toxins. 

you rushed back upstairs, labored breaths as you struggled to reach the top. when you finally did, you were relieved to see no one was out of their rooms yet. you had made it in time.

you quickly went to your room, as quietly as you could opening and closing the door. you struggled to catch your breath as you slid down the door, waiting for a moment until finally, your phone dinged.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ.

you heaved another big sigh before struggling to get to your feet, your legs exhausted from the unexpected exercise. you calmed yourself before discarding the toxins back in the box and finally exiting the room.

as you closed the door you noticed that two people were missing out of the 12 players left. a quick glance around the hallway revealed it to be the man with anger issues and a woman that had been wearing business clothes. 

"are we going back to the lobby? to stick together like the last round i mean." a girl in a bikini spoke up.

"after that guy fucking caught on fire? no way, you all can go but i'm staying here." another person said, this time a boy in baseball clothes.

"so what, we're just going to wait outside our room doors?" she shot back.

"sounds good to me." he sat down in front of his door to prove his point.

everyone else soon followed. you sat down yourself, bringing your legs to your chest. you wondered where those two people were. 

"we're missing two people aren't we? wonder where they are." you spoke your thoughts aloud, picking at the carpet under your feet. you hoped to get an answer in order to ease your mind.

"i think they went to go get the food and water." the same girl in the bathing suit answered.

you hummed in response, satisfied. several moments later you heard loud chatter from further down the hall, heads turning to see the two missing individuals appear with the pot of said food and water.

"be fucking grateful we went down there to get this. it smelled like fucking shit down there." the man in the suit said, dropping the container to the floor. people scrambled for the discarded contents. ohashi went over and grabbed two water bottles, coming over to sit down next to you.

she handed you one of the bottles, "here."

you thanked her and grabbed it, staring at the bottle before placing it on the ground. better safe than sorry. 

"do you think we'll be able to beat this game?" she asked, a nervous edge in her tone. you took notice of the way she fiddled with her fingers, eyes trained towards the ground. now that the killing period had started, everyone appeared anxious. they thought that by sticking together they'd be able to quickly figure out who was a mafia member, but that had proven to not be the case. splitting up was stupid, people could easily kill with backs turned, and with the lights out you wouldn't even know who was behind it all.

still, you gave her a smile, "i'm sure we will. even if a game is difficult, it doesn't mean it's impossible to beat."

she smiled at your answer, "you're right. you know, i wish i was as smart as you. and as cool. when that guy," she paused, clutching her skirt tightly, "when that guy was burning, you took action so quickly. you knew what to do in that situation. it was really admirable" 

despite her kind words you knew it was all a lie. what you did wasn't heroic. it was your fault the opportunity had been created in the first place. the victim might as well had been deemed dead by you.

uhm..." another pause, and she looked up at you with a determined look in her eyes, "if something like that ever happens to me, promise me you'll protect me!"

you stared at her, shocked. you hadn't expected for her to think of you in that way. if she had any idea....still, you gave her a soft smile, patting her head affectionately, "of course! you can count on me!"

she beamed, wrapping her arms around you in a quick hug. you were once again surprised at the girl's actions. as you returned it you began thinking about how strange it was, as well as the tight feeling in your chest. this girl reminded you so much of your sister at that moment. you quickly brushed the thought away when she retracted her arms, sending you another smile before grabbing her water bottle and getting up to walk back to her own door.

you watched her leave before returning your gaze back to the carpet. the tight feeling in your chest wouldn't go away, annoying you greatly. you didn't think that you'd miss your sister that much, or even at all. but ohashi, she looked up to you, and you couldn't help but recognize the similarities between the two girls. not only did it cause the emotion to return, but it made you wish for a second that your bond with her had been better before she died.

a shrill scream erupted through the hall, your attention quickly finding several people backing away from a body on the ground. you got up and rushed towards the group of people, watching in horror at the scene unfolding before you.

no. no, this couldn't be happening. she was just fine a second ago. she was just smiling and laughing right before she left. why? why her? why did she have to chose the one you had tampered with?!

you dropped to your knees, holding her so she was faced down towards the ground. her labored breaths filled your ears, foam forming from the corners of her mouth. your mind blanked, unable to recall how to treat the symptoms. no, she couldn't die like this. you promised her. you promised her you'd protect her.

so why?

you turned towards the others, screaming at them to help. despite your urgency they continued to stand there in shock, not one person making a move. you cursed them under your breath as you returned your attention towards the girl.

"hey! hey you're gonna be fine, okay? listen to me, you're going to be fine!" you screamed, grabbing her shoulders and praying she would release the toxins from her mouth. 

your heart dropped to your stomach when her breathing stopped and she lay limp. still in your arms, you began shaking her, yelling at her to cut it out and wake up. but you knew it was over. her life had been taken the moment she drank from that water.

tears rushed down your cheeks as your phone dinged, indicating that the judgement period would commence. you tuned the words out, however, too preoccupied with the fact that this girl, someone who had her whole life ahead of her, who had trusted you, died. by your own hands no less.

the muffled shouts of accusations and the sound of an explosion felt muffled in your ears. not even the screams snapped you out of your daze. but not one sound mattered. no, the only sound you cared for was the silence of her heart.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

after being dragged away from her body the others moved her down to the lobby with the other dead players, setting up an area for the corpses. despite the smell and the sight you had gone down during the intermission, laying spare bedsheets to cover the sight. when you reached hers you stared for a moment, fighting down the tears threatening to fall down your face. she was pale, the pain she had been in during her final moments painted on her face as her lifeless eyes stared seemingly nowhere. you crouched down and closed them. you didn't want to be reminded of what they once were.

you heard footsteps come up behind you as you laid the white sheet over her body and over her face. you didn't look back to see who it was. you already knew.

"they voted out that one girl who helped bring the food." he stated.

you pushed yourself up, "i know."

he was silent for a moment, staring at her body before looking away, "you guys seemed close."

you let out a shaky breath, "the person who killed her is a monster."

уоц'яё Д мои₴тёя.

you turned around, not even congratulating yourself on the fact that you had been right on who it was. instead you left the lobby as a whole, hating how much she reminded you of your sister.

and how they had shared the same fate because of you.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё?

 

Chapter 5: ⌈ 3 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

"you're not the daughter i expected."

"i'm a terrible mother aren't i? is that what you're saying?"

"you should be thankful of the opportunities i'm giving you."

"maybe if you were more like your sister i wouldn't have to speak to you like this."

"you shouldn't feel that way. aren't i allowed to praise my child when she's doing good? it's not my fault you turned out like this."

"why couldn't your sister be my first child, i would've stopped having children then."

"god just get over it."

"i never said anything like that. all you're doing is twisting the words in my mouth."

"i'm gonna be just like you!"

"i can't stay here anymore."

"your sister died in the hospital last night."

"it's all your fault."

it's all your fault.

you curled your fingers, bunching up the hair gathered at your scalp. why'd you have to remember? you had forgotten all about your life before you came to japan and started college. so why now? what was the point? remembering the things your mother said to you growing up and snippets of the phone call months ago, it seemed pointless. you didn't care about that anymore. at least, you thought you didn't. there was no reason to dwell on it since it had happened so long ago, and you've already properly mourned your sister's death. so how long have you been crying for, and why?

you snapped out of your thoughts when the lights in your room flickered to life, illuminating the once dark space. you gazed at it curiously. had someone fixed the generator? you don't remember there being a mechanic as one of the players. hastily you wiped away the tears staining your cheeks and stood up from the sitting position you had previously been in, about to go out to investigate when your phone dinged.

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 2.

so, it was finally the last remaining mafia member's turn. you still weren't sure who was the mystery member on your team, but you did have someone in mind. there was also the fact that after this round, only two remained until the results would be announced. how much longer until you had to kill someone again? flashes of ohashi went through your mind, and your stomach began to twist and turn in itself. now wasn't the time to think about that.

you opened the door to see the rest of the players also gathered in the hallway. they were all staring at the ceiling lights, wondering who had been the one to turn them back on. your questions were answered when the sound of running footsteps filled the hallway, revealed to be a male with a big smile on his face.

"i managed to fix the electricity! we should be safer now that the lights are working again." he shouted.

sighs of relief passed through each person's breath. you let one out yourself, but more so from exhaustion. even if the lights were back on people were desperate, you knew that personally, meaning a kill was inevitable. it didn't matter if the lights were on or off. you turned, ready to retreat to your room when someone put a hand on your shoulder.

you tensed under the harsh grip, looking over your shoulder to see the angry business man. you sent him a fake smile, "please take your hands off of me before i hurt you myself."

his gaze hardened, grip tightening along with it, "where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"hm? isn't it obvious?" you asked, starting to feel uncomfortable by the position. you really wished he'd get his hands off of you.

"you think i'm fucking stupid!?" he yelled.

"i'm afraid if i answer that, your feelings will be hurt, so i think this time i'll keep my opinion to myself."

his grip tightened to the point where it was starting to hurt. you tried your best not to wince. "you can't go back in there."

"why not? the rules state i can spend as much time in there before the killing period starts."

you felt the small tremble in his hands, catching you by surprise. why was he nervous? "we don't know what the hell you're doing in there. for all we know, you could be prepping for the next kill." ah, so that's why. he was trying to cover it up.

"and why don't you tell this to all the other players? you seem to only be suspicious of me when in reality we are all suspicious here. even you." you rose an eyebrow, asking him to reply to that.

he opened his mouth and was about to say more when several dings sounded throughout the hallway.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

"guess you got lucky." you muttered, giving him another smile before shrugging his hand off and walking down the hallway towards the elevator.

"hey! where the fuck do you think you're going?" he shouted after your retreating form.

you turned around so you were walking backwards, "clearly sticking together isn't working. if you all need me, i'll be downstairs."

you swiftly turned back around, clicking the button and entering the elevator. you gave everyone a final wave, dropping it as soon as the doors closed. when you heard the soft hum of the elevator moving you let out a breath you didn't even realize you'd been holding. there was no doubt about it. that man was also a part of the mafia. the way he seemed nervous, unlike the previous two rounds, and pinning the blame on you gave it away. you let out another sigh. of course with your luck he'd be on your team. there was also the fact that this round was his turn, and you felt sorry for whoever he decided to target.

the elevator doors dinged, signaling you had arrived at the lobby. you got out, trying your best to not look at the corpses left on the ground. instead, you headed over to whatever empty room you could find far away from that place.

їт'₴ Дll уоця fДцlт.

your hands tightened, stomach feeling sick all over again and your throat now dry. unfortunately for you, they had thrown out all the food and water in case it had also been contaminated. smart choice, since the other players on your team could've used that idea to their advantage.

you opened a door that led to what looked like the laundry room, clothes laid in baskets and the faint smell of detergent filling your senses. it was definitely a better smell than the rotting one in the lobby. as for the clothes, you didn't bother trying to go through them, instead sitting down against the wall and pulling your knees up to your chest.

after a while you decided it was too quiet. sure you liked the silence, but with the thoughts filling your head and the memories that had resurfaced, you really wished you had music or even a book to help drown them out. you didn't like not being able to distract yourself from whatever it was you were feeling. you needed something to preoccupy yourself with, that's how you'd always been. when with the other players you focused on gaining their trust. with chishiya, you focused on everything that was him. and with school, well, you just focused on the work you had due that night.

but there, the only things you could think about were the games and everything that had just happened. that was something you definitely didn't want to remember. each murder, each person you witnessed die because of you, made you closer and closer to breaking. you thought you were strong, but here? maybe you were the weakest one among them all.

you rested your chin on your knees, focusing your attention on the soft hum of the lights to distract yourself. it wasn't much, but it helped keep you calm until you fell asleep.

мои₴тёя.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you awoke to the deep voice of someone in the room with you, disrupting the small semblance of peace you'd found, "fucking finally. you're really hard to find."

you slowly opened your eyes to meet the same man that had tried to keep you from going into your room. was he following you or something? you also took notice of the closed door. you swore it had been open when you entered the room.

"ah, that was the point." you mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

"you know, you really piss me off." he said, stepping closer so he was now in front of you.

"it's a natural talent." you gave him a smile, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand. your eyes drifted to the hand behind his back, lingering there. what could he possibly be hiding?

"then this will be all the more enjoyable." he returned your smile, but it was not one out of mockery like yours had been. no, his was sinister, like whatever he was about to do would bring him pure joy.

the smile fell off of your face when you noticed the knife he removed from behind his back, the sharp metal glistening in the warm glow of the room. your eyes widened and you quickly moved out of the way when he lunged forward, swinging it in your direction. you scrambled towards the basket of clothes, throwing it at his face before dashing towards the door.

"fucking bitch!" he screamed, struggling to remove the shirt now plastered on his head.

you opened the door, only to run into the girl in the bikini who had explained the whole concept of games to you in the first place.

"hey! what are you-" her eyes widened in fear when she saw the knife held in his grasp, her whole body trembling as she screamed, "oh my god!"

you threw a quick look over your shoulder to see he had successfully removed the piece of clothing, cursing under your breath. without a second thought you grabbed her hand, dragging her along as the two of you ran down the hall. the loud thump of his footsteps echoed in your ears as he chased you, and you forced yourself to think about the situation instead of looking back. was he crazy? by now his cover had been blown, and you doubted more than one player was allowed to die by a mafia member each round. so what was the point? what was he trying to achieve by chasing after the both of you? he could've played it off, but instead he's trying to pursue the target that had ended up being you. you let out a soft groan in frustration. you couldn't think while trying to run for your life.

"oh my god he's gonna kill us!" she cried, glancing back.

"just keep running and don't look back!" you yelled, causing her sobs to worsen. you turned the corner and clicked the button for the elevator doors repeatedly, pushing her in when they had opened and once more clicking the button for them to close. when the doors were close to meeting you almost breathed a sigh of relief, only to lose your breath when a sharp object wedged in between the space. the elevator doors opened once more.

the girl screamed when he lunged forward, tackling you to the ground. with as much strength as you could muster you grabbed his hands wrapped around the handle, forcing the knife away from your face. by now the elevator doors had closed and you grunted in frustration. he was much stronger than you, and you weren't sure how much longer you could hold out against this war of strength.

"press the top floor!" you screamed at her, heart beating fast as the knife gradually got closer and closer to your face. if you could just hold out for a little while longer the other players were sure to hear the commotion when you guys got to the level they were on.

suddenly the elevator started moving, causing him to lose balance and loosen his grip ever so slightly. he fell forward, and you bit back a scream as the knife, although away from your face, now dug into the skin of your upper arm. before he could regain his balance you pushed him off, hand holding the wound as you and the girl backed into a corner of the small space.

he growled, standing up and rushing forward once more. you and her backed out of the way as a result.

"stand fucking still!" he screamed, going for you once more. you ducked as he swung the knife, kneeing him in the crotch.

he howled in pain, one hand moving down there as you reunited with the girl. her screams and cries piercing your ears as she clutched onto your other arm, your own eyes darting between the elevator doors and the man. when you heard the elevator ding he rushed forward one last time, your body quickly moving out of the way. 

you stared from your position on the ground, eyes set on the girl who had failed to move in time. the metallic sharp edge pierced through her chest, shock written on her face as she slowly stared down at the blood soaking her bikini top. the man let go of the handle, backing away in shock.

the doors opened, and all three of you looked over to see the rest of the players outside the elevator, watching the scene before them.

the man stumbled out, still clutching his private area as he pointed at you, "it was her! she just attacked me out of no where and she stabbed that girl!"

your eyes widened even more. was he being serious? so that's why he had tried to kill you despite the other girl having seen the attempts. he had been planning to pin the blame on her. but that hadn't worked out the way he wanted to, and now he was accusing you, "cut the bullshit." you showed them the cut on your arm, "he attacked me in the laundry room."

everyone sent weary glances at the man, causing him to fume in anger, "you're seriously going to believe her? it was self defense!"

one of the girls you had arrived with stepped forward, rushing to the girl gasping for breath, "ren! ren! who did it?!"

still gasping for air, ren shakily lifted up her arm, pointing towards the guilty party.

his eyes widened at the outstretched limb, stumbling over his words, "s-she's delusional! she's about to die anyways!"

everyone backed away from him, some even glaring at the man. you heard the girl beside her scream, noticing that ren's eyes became glossy and her hand now limp by her side. her friend continued to shout at her to wake up as dings from the phones drowned out her cries.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

the girl, still clutching onto ren, turned her attention towards the man, "it was you wasn't it?! you killed her!"

his eyes widened, a panicked look crossing over his face at the sight of everyone agreeing with the girl, "you're all wrong! i didn't kill her!" he reached forward and grabbed the kid dressed in a baseball uniform, hands gripping his collar as he shook him "do you want to fucking die? 'cause that's what gonna fucking happen if you vote me out!"

"cut it out man!" the kid yelled out, his own hands going out to try and pry the other's off of him.

"vote him out already!" the girl still holding ren shouted.

"shut the fuck up!" he replied, holding his hand up in a fist as if he were going to punch the poor boy still in his grasp.

"give it up man! everyone knows you killed her!" he shouted back, eyes flicking back and forward between the mans face and the fist he still held clenched, "i-i vote for him!"

"i vote for him too!" the other player in the elevator shouted, and all around everyone else agreed.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ FᎾᎡ, YᎪᎷᎪᎷᏌᎡᎪ ᏚᎪᏴᏌᎡᎾ.

"no! no no fuck! fuck you all!" he screamed, letting go of the boy and beginning to tug on the collar around his neck, "how the fuck do i get this fucking thing off?!"

the players backed up as he stepped towards them, earning several curses from his mouth. he turned, eyes settling on your form. you backed up as well when his face changed from fear to anger, "you...this is all your fucking fault!" he stepped towards the elevator, and on instinct you scooted closer to the girl, shielding her from whatever he was planning on doing during his final moments.

he was at the doors, about to take another step when the beeping on his collar quickened to the point where it finally exploded. blood sprayed everywhere as he dropped to the floor at your feet, causing the girl next to you to scream.

ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ ᏆN 2 ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ. FᎬᎬᏞ FᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᎢᏌᎡN ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN.

"he's gone." one of the other players spoke, and you realized it was the boy in baseball clothes. he stumbled against the wall, sliding down as he let out a sigh of relief while ghosting a hand over his own collar.

you watched as the other players did the same, the air lighter now that the man was gone. you couldn't blame them. despite him being on your team you couldn't stand him. and as horrible as it was, having him gone would make things easier for everyone.

you directed your attention towards the girl next to you, tears still wetting her cheeks as she whimpered quietly. your heart ached for her. despite them being suspicious of one other, you could tell they had been good friends, maybe even before they had arrived to this strange world. you placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft smile.

"i'm sorry...i tried to help but..." you trailed off, eyes now looking at ren herself and the knife piercing her skin. if only you had been strong enough to fend for the both of you.

щну Cоцldи'т уоц ₴Дvё нёя¿

she sniffled, gently placing her down on the ground. she brushed her fingers across her eyelids, making it look like she had been sleeping. then she got up without a word, leaving the elevator and brushing past the others until disappearing into her room.

you got up yourself, hand still clasped over the bleeding wound on your arm. you left the elevator, about to retreat to your own room when a girl stopped you.

"uhm, your arm. its bleeding." she says, pointing to the injury.

you looked at her before glancing at it, feeling the skin throb beneath your fingers. you gave her a small smile, waving her off, "ah, it's fine. i'll patch it up in my room."

you gave her a small wave as you entered your room, letting out a breath once the door had fully closed. you grit your teeth when you removed your hand to access the wound. luckily for you it didn't cut deep, but it still stung. at least your boyfriend was a medical student, and chishiya had taught you a thing or two about patching up small injuries. 

you went to the bathroom, searching the cabinets for any sort of first aid. you let out a puff of air when you weren't able to find one, so instead you opted to clean it with water, biting your lip at the contact.

you watched the water swirl down the drain until turning it off, patting down the area with a towel. it didn't look like it was going to bleed anymore, but you still didn't want it to get infected. you looked around, trying to find anything that could serve as a temporary bandaid.

you settled with a ripped piece of clothing found in the drawers, wrapping it and then tying it around your skin. your fingers ghosted over the fabric, the occasional shoot of pain causing you to wince. you had been right about the intensity of this game. someone on your own team had tried to kill you after all.

your hands tightened, fingernails digging into the skin of your palm as the bad feeling in your stomach returned. now that things have calmed down, you were finally realizing the events that had just happened. two more people. two more people just died. how many more would there be?

by your hands no less?

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏚKᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᏆᏚ, ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡ 1.

your hands gripped the cellphone, knuckles turning white. so it was your turn again.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎠᎬᏟᏆᎠᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏚᎪᏙᎬ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ). ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎡᎬFᎡᎪᏆN FᎡᎾᎷ KᏆᏞᏞᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ.

your confusion grew at the words displayed on the screen. the doctor was still alive? and had chosen to save you no less. why? you had done nothing to be rendered safe from being a part of the mafia. there was also the fact that you still didn't know who the doctor was. all you knew was that the rules stated they could only save their self every other round, and you were positive that they used that to their advantage the first and third round as well. meaning, every time it was your turn, it'd just be a random player they decided to save. but, if that were the case, that meant the other mafia member still alive had the name for the doctor. you decided you'd ask him about that later.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

you got up from where you had been sitting against the door, opening it to see only one other player in the hallway. you glanced around, waiting a moment to see if everyone else would leave their rooms soon, but no one did. what would happen if you didn't listen to the rules and stayed in your room during the killing period? would it be a game over?

you looked at the one other person, sending him a questioning glance. he just shrugged, sliding down the door to rest.

you decided to head downstairs, clicking the button for the elevator and entering. the soft hum of it moving filled your ears, followed by the ding that came indicating you had arrived at your destination. you exited, going in the opposite direction from the laundry room you had been in last round and instead deciding to go through the kitchen.

no one else was there, so you decided to stay for the time being. you hoisted yourself up onto the counter, folding your legs so you were sitting cross legged. you leaned back, resting your head against the cool cabinet while closing your eyes. 

it's been about 8 hours since the game started. you weren't sure what time it was, but you knew the sun would be coming up soon. you wondered if chishiya's game had ended yet. was he okay? no, you shouldn't think like that. this was chishiya you were talking about. he'd be able to find his way through any situation, no matter how difficult.

your head shot up when you heard a strange sound, definitely not there before. you glanced around the kitchen, trying to find the source. all the faucets were off, so where was the sound of running water coming from?

you jumped down from the counter, heading to the back door leading out of the kitchen. you peeked around the doors, looking right and left before going right. the closer you got to the first door the more you realized that the sound of water was coming from the generator room.

you opened the door, the sound intensifying. luckily for you there were stairs, which prevented the water from reaching the floor you were currently on. it was unlucky for the person down there. it was the same person who had fixed the lights, the water hitting his knees as he rushed from one side of the room to the next.

"what are you doing?" you yelled, causing him to look up at the sound of your voice.

"somethings wrong with the pump! i'm trying to fix it before the water messes with the electricity again!" he yelled back.

your heart started racing. his actions were incredibly stupid. if he stayed down there,  a cable or something would hit the water, and anyone in the liquid would be killed on the spot.

killed. that's right. if you did something, anything that would trigger it to happen, you could easily play off his death as an accident. you ignored the dread that followed those thoughts. 

he noticed you still by the doorway, "hey! what are you doing? you need to get out of here, it's dangerous!"

you looked at him, your stomach churning at the thought of what you were about to do. but if you let this opportunity slip through your fingers, you weren't sure when another would arise. 

"i'm sorry." you murmured, backing out of the room.

"sorry? what? hey wait! what are you doing?!" he yelled, rushing forward.

you shut the door, locking it so he couldn't get out. your hands were shaking as you backed up against the wall, trying to drown out the muffled screams and shouts coming from the other side.

were you really doing this again? were you really letting another person die? after you had just wondered how many would be killed, were you really letting this happen?

нё щД₴ GоїиG то dїё ДиущДу₴.

you smacked yourself on the forehead, forcing yourself to forget about it. what's done is done. if you didn't do anything now, then you'd eventually die once the killing period ended. you had seen the players who got voted out. you didn't want to know what it felt like to die in such a way.

you pushed yourself up from the wall and rushed down the hall, slowing down once you got to the end as to not look suspicious in case you bumped into anybody. you turned the corner while taking a deep breath, only to run into another player.

you mumbled a sorry, about to continue on your way when they placed a hand on your shoulder.

you tensed under the touch, turning around to see the only other mafia besides yourself still alive, "ah, it's you." you got lucky it wasn't one of the citizens.

"what are you doing down here?" he asked. his eyes passed over your face, and you'd think he appeared worried if it weren't for the scowl on his lips. 

you gave him a smile, "just walking around. it's a nice hotel, you know."

"right. uhm," he scratched the back of his neck, "the others are looking for you."

you titled your head in confusion. what could they possibly want from you? "we shouldn't keep them waiting then."

he nodded, and together the both of you walked through the hotel until finding yourselves at the lobby. questions swirled through your mind, but you tried your best to ignore the wave of guilt washing over your body at seeing the ones laid out on the ground.

6 people. that was close to half of the players gone. and you just added to that number. 

"you guys called?" you asked, shifting your attention between the other three players in the room. weren't there two more people missing though? you realized it was the baseball player as well as the guy who had been the only one in the hallway from before. 

"we're still waiting for ryota, yoshiyuki and...i forgot his name." the girl who had been with ren in the elevator spoke up. she appeared sad, her eyes rimmed red, most likely from all the crying she had done.

"oh, the baseball player and the mechanic?" you guessed.

"mechanic? oh, i guess he did mention that when we talked." 

a ding sounded throughout the room, and you all shared glances with each other, wondering what was going on now.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

suddenly you heard a scream, and all of you turned towards the noise. ryota ran into the lobby, breathing heavily as he pointed wordlessly in the direction of where he had come from. you took notice of the panic in his eyes and the way his hands were shaking.

"someone...someone was found in the generator room!" he managed to get out.

the other players glanced at each other in unease. mostly everyone had been in the lobby, so who out of the missing players had killed somebody? you walked over to him, patting his back in reassurance, "take us there."

he nodded, and the rest of the players followed as you rushed towards the room. once you had arrived you peeked in through the open door and saw that the water level had now reached the stairs, almost to the top of the first floor. you directed your attention however to the body face down, floating in the water.

"i saw him earlier. he said he was trying to fix the water pump." the bikini girl said quietly, hugging herself as she ran her fingers up and down her arms.

"was it an accident?" an older women asked.

"what the fuck do you mean? someone drowned him, didn't they?" the college student stated. everyone looked up to see him walking down the hall, hands stuffed in his front pockets. everyone shared unsure glances with each other.

"and where were you? how do you know how he died?!" another girl in a bikini asked.

his face still held an angry expression, "you guys talk too fucking loud. and i was upstairs, ryota here can vouch for me."

"you're forgetting he's in a generator room. the electricity merged with the water could've killed him." you commented.

уоц кїllёd нїм.

"we don't have time for this!" the baseball player held up his phone showing that the time left to vote somebody out was only 3 minutes left.

"then let's pick straws," everyone turned to look at you. you tried your best to calm your beating heart as you continued to speak, "by now i doubt there's any mafia members left, maybe one. if we can't vote someone out, draw straws to pick someone."

"what the fuck? you want us to leave this all to chance!?" he yelled.

"this whole game is up to chance. i'm just trying to find a better way to vote someone out then just pointing fingers at innocent people." you retorted.

"and you think we aren't innocent?" he asked, eyes narrowed at you.

"if my draw is the shortest, then i'll gladly accept that fate." you said, clasping your hands together to stop them from shaking. you were so close. you couldn't give yourself away now. 

his eyes stared at you, trembling. you did your best to keep your face as blank as possible.  

"let's do it." the girl in the bikini spoke up.

everyone else agreed, and the baseball player glanced around at everyone in disbelief before sighing in defeat, giving you a reluctant nod.

with just two minutes left you rushed to the kitchen, rummaging through the drawers until you found the plastic straws. you grabbed enough for everyone before rushing back, the scissors you had also grabbed on the way cutting one short. you stuffed them all in your hand so it looked as if they were all the same length and held it out to the bikini girl.

"wait! how do we know you don't know which one is short?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

you gave him a smile, "i'll pick last then. is that better for you?"

he grumbled as he backed away, letting the girl pick the first straw. with shaking hands she grabbed one, a big sigh of relief escaping her lips at the length of the straw. she had been spared another round.

you held out the pack to the baseball player, and he also came out with a long enough length. the third to pick was the older woman, and everyone's eyes widened upon seeing she had chosen the shortest one.

she looked scared, but she also seemed content with the fact that she had been chosen. you pocketed the straws and placed a hand on her shoulder. she looked at you and gave you a sad smile.

"i guess my time has come." she spoke calmly, but you noticed the shaking of her hands and the small tremble of her lips.

"i'm sorry..." and you were. every person, every player who had died in this game, you felt sorry that they had to go in a place like this.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ, ᎷᎪᎢᏚᏌᎾKᎪ KᏆᎷᏆ.

"i hope...that the citizens win." she gave another sad smile, before the collar beeped and exploded.

everyone was quiet as her body fell to the floor in a soft thud. your stomach hurt, and you turned away from the other players to walk down the hall.

you weren't sure how much longer you could last.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you had one hour left during the intermission, and in that time you decided to explore the other floors of the hotel. it was a good distraction, admiring the decor of each room and even walking around the expensive suites made for the rich. most rooms were empty, beds neatly made and everything pristine. others however, you could tell had been occupied before the occupants had disappeared, clothes and suitcases in the wardrobe and makeup bags left in the bathroom.

you entered another room, seeing that this one had a family based on the stuffed animals on one of the beds. you walked over and picked it up, running your fingers through the soft fabric. you smiled, remembering your own stuffed animals sitting on your bed at home. you also remembered the stuffed cat chishiya had won you during the festival, and you hoped he was taking good care of it after you had given it to him before leaving.

you let out a sigh. you really missed the blond, and it was making your heart ache within your chest. he was the only reason you continued on during the horrible game you found yourself within

another hour passed, signaling the start of the killing period. you found yourself back at the top floor, wandering around a different wing. while walking through the hall you found out that certain rooms had balconies in them, and you decided to spend some time up there enjoying the cool air. you didn't even realize it till now, but when you looked closely you noticed the slight differences between this world and the previous one. the streets were littered with plants growing from the side walks, and the stars were more prominent than before, even more so than the ones you had witnessed earlier that night.

it made you wonder, just how much time has actually passed?

you took notice of the way the sky was lightening however, meaning that it was almost early morning and the sun would rise soon. just this round left, and you'd get to go back to chishiya.

you left the room, the door clicking shut as you put your hands in your pockets. you walked down the hall to see the one and only mafia member 3, and the one who had been assigned the kill this round. you watched him walk towards you, hands shaking and he kept looking over his shoulder.

"hey stranger." he jumped at the sound of your voice, but exhaled a relieved breath at seeing it was just you.

"you scared the hell out of me." 

"why? got something to hide?"

his ears reddened as he looked back quickly before settling his eyes on you, "no."

you chuckled in response, "it's written all over your face you know."

this time his cheeks grew red, and he avoided your eyes, "shut up."

you were about to comment further when you heard a scream echo from down the hall. your eyes widened, noticing how the male made it his mission to continue avoiding eye contact with you.

Ꭺ ᏴᎾᎠY ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏙᎾᎢᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᏩᏌᏆᏞᎢY ᎠᏌᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ FᎡᎪᎷᎬ.

he looked behind him once more, towards the source of the sound, "looks like they found the body."

the body? the killing period just started and he already killed someone? you both rushed to the doors leading to the stairwell, spotting the college student your age pointing at the dead body.

"she..she just- oh god i think i'm gonna be sick." he slapped a hand over his mouth, turning away to face the wall as he heaved.

the last two players entered the room, the girl in the bikini dropping to her knees, "akemi...not you too..."

"she was pushed off the stairs." you voiced your realization out loud. the other players looked at the dead girl in pity.

"i was with kohaku the entire time." the baseball player stated, said girl giving a numb nod in response. he turned his gaze towards you, "and you guys? what were you doing before all this?"

"i was with him the entire time, too. did a little exploring." you nodded your head towards the male beside you. his eyes widened a fraction before he nodded along.

"then that means..." kohaku trailed off, and everyone stared at the boy who had one hand on the wall for support.

he looked up upon seeing everyone's gaze on him, his eyes widening with realization, "you guys can't possibly...it wasn't me!"

"you were right here when the body was discovered and the only one who wasn't accounted for during the killing period." the baseball player spoke.

"someone's lying then! i didn't do it man!" 

"you got an alibi then? 'cause i'm willing to fucking hear it." 

the college student stared at you all in disbelief, "n-no..i don't...but that doesn't mean-"

"i vote for you." 

"no! you guys! you gotta believe me!" he rushed towards you, one hand now clasped around your wrist. "you believe me, don't you?"

you looked away, guilt riddling your entire body. you did not want to see the expression on his face as you spoke, "i also vote for you."

"no no no no! no! you!" he rushed to kohaku, "please!"

"get your hands off of me! i vote for him too!" she yelled, pushing him away.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏆᎾᎠ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎷᎪᏓᎾᎡᏆᎢY ᏙᎾᎢᎬᏚ, ᎢᎾᎷᏆNᎪᏩᎪ ᎢᎪKᎪᏚᎻᏆ.

he laughed in disbelief, eyes shifting between the four of you remaining, "you're all going to hell." 

his collar exploded, and his body slumped forward into a pool of blood. 

ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ 5 ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬᎠ. ᎡᎾᏞᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬ ᎡᎬᏙᎬᎪᏞᎬᎠ. ᎠᎾᏟᎢᎾᎡ, ᎢᎪKᎬᎷᎾᎢᎾ ᎡYᎾᎢᎪ. ᎠᎬᎢᎬᏟᎢᏆᏙᎬ, FᏌᏓᏆNᎾ KᎪYᎾ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡᏚ, (NᎪᎷᎬ) (ᏞᎪᏚᎢ NᎪᎷᎬ), ᎷᏌᎢᎾ YᎪᏚᏌᏚᎻᏆ ᎪNᎠ YᎪᎷᎪᎷᏌᎡᎪ ᏚᎪᏴᏌᎡᎾ. ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎷᎬᎷᏴᎬᎡᏚ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎢᏔᎾ. ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎢᏔᎾ.

ryota and kohaku looked at you and yasushi, shock written all over their faces.

"you...you guys were mafia?!" he asked, voice small in his throat. 

you glanced away, digging your nails into your skin until it hurt, "i'm sorry."

"sorry? i..i trusted you!" 

you winced, your vision beginning to blur as you tightened your grip. blood slid out of the wound, "i-i'm sorry."

"fuck! no! no no no this can't be true!" his hands gripped his hair in frustration, another yell leaving his throat.

the girl began crying, her tears staining her cheeks, "my friends...did you kill them. too!?"

you didn't answer her.

"you're a heartless monster!" she screamed, causing your stomach to churn at the word.

ᎷᎪFᏆᎪ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏔᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬNᏚ.

her crying intensified, and you noticed the way ryota's body shook with his own sobs.

"fuck man...fuck!" he screamed one more, hands pulling on his collar as it beeped. he gave you one last look, the gaze imprinted in your mind before the collars exploded. they both dropped dead to the floor.

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏚᏌᏢᏢᏞY YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ Ꭺ ᏙᏆᏚᎪ.

the screen changed to show nine hearts, the color of each heart disappearing after a ding. but what did they mean by visa? could that be how long you had left to live? was there any other way to earn this?

another beep echoed through the stairwell, and your collars unlocked themselves around your neck. you took it off, staring at the device before throwing it to the ground. you released a frustrated cry. 

without a word exchanged you both exited the hotel, surprised to find a table sitting outside with a single card on it. you went over and picked it up. of course, a nine of hearts card.

"we won." yasushi said, almost in disbelief.

you finally couldn't take it anymore. you dropped to your knees, hands shaking uncontrollably. were you crying? you reached up a hand to feel your cheeks. they were wet. but why? out of relief? to mourn the people you had killed?

dо уоц ёvёи dё₴ёяvё то Cяу¿

"they're right." you choked out. he looked over at you, and you could tell through the blur of your tears that he felt bad too, "we're monsters. we killed them, all of them, just so we could live another day. is that who we are?! is that what we live for?! those people...they had lives too...they had families and friends, people who cared about them...how did we just decide that our lives mattered more then theirs?!"

he stayed quiet, but you caught the tears welling up in his eyes. you exhaled a deep breath to calm yourself, hurriedly wiping the tears away with the sleeve of your arm. you got up from the ground, staring at the card for a moment longer before putting it in your pocket. you had a feeling it was left there for a reason.

"i'm leaving." you stated, hating how your voice cracked with the words.

yasushi looked up at you, "where are you gonna go?"

"i..i have someone that i need to go back to." you had to find chishiya. you had to know that he was okay.

yasushi nodded, and you gave him one last glance before walking away towards the car you had arrived in.

it was empty, quiet, unlike before when those girls had chatted the entire drive there. you settled into the drivers seat, about to turn the key when you realized something.

you groaned, smacking your head against the steering wheel as you gripped the sides, "what am i doing. i don't even know how to drive." you mumbled to yourself.

you'd have to walk your way back to the beach. you get out of the small car, taking the keys and closing the door. you figured when you got back to the beach you'd let someone experienced take the car back. you glanced around the area, letting out a big sigh. you knew the way back, but it'd be a long walk before you actually got there, and your body was already feeling the exhaustion from the long hours of the game.

you just hoped that there was a bed you could fall asleep on, and a certain blond already waiting for you.

 

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

 

Chapter 6: ⌈ 4 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

there were many things you learned about the world during your game, and as you walked back to the beach you took the time to think deeply about the information. 

for one, people had no choice when participating in games. the visa you received once clearing it made it obvious that once your days were up you'd have to throw yourself into another unless you wanted to die. you were also able to figure this out pretty quickly based on the amount of people there who had knowledge of the games, death and all, and yet still willingly walked into the venue. that also brought you to the other thing. people couldn't leave. you hadn't seen it yourself, but as you walked back you did notice the lasers that had flashed in the sky, the bright red glow disappearing just as quick as it had appeared. it made sense since the players who feared the heart games hadn't left despite the announcement or during the game itself.

there was also the basic things, like the type of games ren had told you about and the difficulty level based on the number. unfortunately you didn't know what type of game you were getting yourself into until registration closed, meaning you just had to hope for the best. you didn't know if there were face cards, you had only participated in one game after all, but you figured it wasn't likely since face cards hold higher value than the regular cards in the deck. and based on the way people reacted through the nine of hearts game, those numbers were as high as you could get.

you were a little frustrated at the little to no information you knew, however. you still didn't know who was behind it all and why you were there in the first place, but you figured at least you knew more than when you first arrived. it was a start to figuring out how to survive in this weird world and find your way back home. which brought you to another thought that had been itching in the back of your mind. you had only seen it briefly while on the balcony during the fifth round, but there was no doubt about it now that you were personally walking through the streets. japan seems to have taken a drastic change from the one you knew just yesterday. the plants growing and the layer of dust as if this place hasn't been touched in years was more prominent, and the question you thought of back then resurfaced. how is it that this place you came to only last night looks like it's been years since other people were here? better yet, how is it possible for other people to get here before you?

the sun had already risen by the time you made it back to the beach, and despite the long walk with just your thoughts you still hadn't found any more answers. your legs ached with each step and the throbbing in your arm hadn't stopped, not to mention you were tired and hungry after having not eaten since last night. but you were back, and the thought of finally being in a bed gave you enough energy to make it to the front entrance.

you walked through the same arches from when you first arrived, about to go through the doors when you were stopped.

"hey! where do you think you're going?" the voice yelled. 

ah, right. you were so tired that you had forgotten all about the guards up front. you and chishiya were able to sneak past them before, but now you completely disregarded the entire thing. you also had to consider the fact that you were alone and lacked the vehicle that took you to your game in the first place. you were the image of suspicion. 

you gave them a small wave and mustered up a smile, hoping that you wouldn't get into too much trouble, "i'm actually just returning from a game."

they shared glances with each other, a silent conversation passing through the exchange before they looked back at you, "and the car? where are the other players who went with you?"

your stomach churned. the girl who was stabbed after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, the one who had been pushed down the stairs, and finally the one who had received a game over because she had trusted you.

тнёу'яё dёДd.

"i'm the only one who survived. i have the keys right here." you held up said item, the small jingle of the charm and the collision of metal filling your ears.

once more they shared glances with one another. you could tell they believed you when one of them gave the other a small nod, "wait here, i'm going to get one of the executives."

executives? so there was a rank of power here besides the man who had declared the night of games. you wondered if the group of people with him were these 'executives'. you gave him a nod in understanding, watching as he disappeared inside the building. after several minutes he came back with a woman dressed in a white button up shirt and shorts, hair falling just above her shoulders and sunglasses resting atop of her head.

her eyes glanced over your entire figure before resting on your injured arm, "come with me." she turned around swiftly without another word, and you had no choice but to follow after her. you both began walking through areas of the beach you hadn't even known existed, and as you walked you could tell she was comfortable in where she was going. you figured she must have been in this world for a while then, and a member of the beach long enough as well.

"the keys, can i have them?" she asked, not sparing you a glance. you gave her a nod before handing them over, "did the car not have gas?"

"nah, i just don't know how to drive." you gave her a smile, noticing how her mouth shifted to show a small one in return.

"i see. we'll send our mechanics out to get it then." your interest piqued at that. they had a strong enough system to have roles as well? you figured with the way most people seemed to party during the day and partake in death games at night this was all just a place for them to loosen up and such. it made you wonder, was that how they were able to get cars to work? and if so, what other materials did they have access to?

you guys continued walking until you found yourselves in front of a door. she turned the handle and you both walked inside, and it didn't take a genius to realize that this was serving as an infirmary. With air mattresses littering the floor and blankets hung up to provide privacy, it was a nice makeshift set up. no one was there at the moment, staff nor patients, but she still led you to one of the mattresses, indicating you to sit.

your muscles relaxed when you finally sat down. even though it was uncomfortable, you could've fallen asleep then and there if it weren't for the woman speaking.

"where's your bracelet?" she asked, eyes glancing at your empty wrist while sitting down next to you. she set down an abundance of cotton balls, alcohol and bandages beside her. 

you briefly recalled the girls you had played and their matching bracelets, as well as the group of boys you and chishiya encountered before. your eyes also drifted down to the one around her wrist. it seemed anyone a member of the beach had to wear them, executive or not. 

you gave her a sheepish smile, "ah, i lost it during the game." you figured it'd be better to lie than explain that you weren't a true member of the beach. 

she sighed like she had heard the phrase a million times, putting some alcohol onto the cotton ball and removing the fabric around your upper arm. you were lucky it didn't get infected, nor did it start bleeding. she began properly cleaning the wound, you giving a small intake in breath at the contact.

"i heard you were apart of group 7. what game did you clear?" she asked, putting aside the cotton ball and wrapping the white bandage around your arm.

"nine of hearts." you replied. you didn't miss the way she paused for a brief moment in her actions.

she resumed wrapping, your wound completely covered as she cut the end and stood up to return the materials, "that's impressive."

is it though? despite the horrors of the game, it was quite simple. still, you gave her a smile, "thanks."

"i'll talk about increasing your rank with the other executives. i'll also get you a new key. do you remember which number you were before?" 

so people could increase their positions in this rank system through the games they cleared. you shook your head, "i'm still new, so i can't really remember my number exactly."

she nodded, "we'll keep that in mind. also," she walked over to a cabinet, rummaging through the contents before giving you a bikini set, "change into these."

you grabbed the material from her hands, internally screaming at how revealing the swimsuit was. you gave her another smile, this one embarrassed, "i don't really plan on going swimming."

"these are required. if you don't wear them we'll have to...go to some drastic measures." she explained.

you sighed, eyes going back to the dark blue bikini top. although you didn't mind swimsuits, you did feel uncomfortable having to wear this 24/7. but you had a feeling these 'drastic measures' weren't anything good.

"can i wear shorts with this?" you asked, relieved when she gave you a nod and handed you a pair of denim shorts. they were still too short for your liking, but it was better than nothing.

"i'll come back with your key and room number. welcome to the beach," she gave you a small smile, one that you softly returned.

"thanks for having me." she turned to leave, and you quickly stood up to gain her attention, figuring it was the best time to ask the question buzzing in your brain, "actually i wanted to ask, have you seen a blond guy anywhere? he's kinda short, an asshole, probably avoiding everyone here."

she released a short breath, "there's a lot of people here at the beach that fit that description. do you know what group he was in?"

you recalled the number on chishiya's slip of paper, "group 5." 

she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she opened the door, "as far as i know, you were the last group we were waiting to hear from. all the others have already come back or have been deemed dead."

your heart dropped at her answer. so you had been the last one to come back? your heart ached in your chest, wondering what was going through chishiya's mind as he awaited your return. you gave her another smile, this one a little forced, "i see. thank you anyways."

she nodded in response, "is there anything else?"

you thought for a moment, excitement worming its way onto your expression at the thought that surfaced, "actually there is. do you guys have any books?"

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you walked down the hall in the upper floors of the beach, eyes staring at the wristband around your wrist. surprisingly enough you had gotten a rank in the late twenties, the woman saying they took into consideration the high difficulty of the game you had cleared. it made you wonder, what sort of special privileges did executive members get?

"i see you made it back alive."

your head shot up at the sound of the voice. sure enough, in front of you just several feet away stood chishiya, now dressed in a white hoodie and swim trunks. your heart started beating faster at the sight of him, and you almost cried out of relief from the fact that he had survived his game unscathed.

"of course i did." you gave him a big smile, but it faltered slightly when he didn't return it. your heart started beating a little quicker, a million ideas entering your mind to try and make sense of the cold look he stared at you with. even though chishiya rarely showed emotion, he at least would give you a small smile upon seeing you. and after the night you both just had, you thought he'd be more happy to see you alive and well. it was too strange, and already you could tell that something was wrong.

brown hues passed over your face before settling on the bandage around your arm. his face shifted for a second, a waver in his eyes. but right before you could study the look it disappeared, replaced by his previous expression. 

he glanced around the hallway like he was taking in the interior for the first time, an appreciative hum leaving his throat, "this place is more interesting than i expected."

you nodded, taking a few steps towards his figure. already you could smell his fresh scent, easing the nerves you've had since your game ended. you didn't hug him, knowing he wouldn't like the display of affection in such a public place. instead, you brushed your fingers against the sleeve of his arm, eyebrows furrowing when he tensed at the light touch and pulled away. his behavior was making you grow more confused by the second, your eyes trying to search his face for an explanation. but you couldn't find anything. not a single clue. 

you shot him a concerning look, "is something wrong?" you asked, your eyes continuing to roam across his body for any indicator for his strange behavior.

his eyes still wouldn't look at you, and he let out a small puff of air, like whatever he was about to say he knew you wouldn't like, "i'm going to be honest with you. in this place...our relationship-"

your heart dropped to your stomach, and you interrupted his sentence before he could continue, "stop."

finally, his eyes found your own, "so you know it, too."

you gulped down whatever emotion was bubbling in your throat, "i know what you're thinking and i don't like it." you admitted. but, he couldn't possibly be considering it. you refused to believe chishiya would stoop that low after months of being by his side. in a place like this no less.

he took a step forward, those eyes you loved suddenly very difficult to gaze into, "tell me then. what am i thinking?"

it took everything in you to keep your tone steady, "if i say it, it's going to be real." you whispered. you didn't want it to be real. for once, you didn't want to be right. and you didn't want to know what the hell was going through chishiya shuntaro's mind.

he leaned back, and finally you felt like you could breathe, "you know i'm right."

you shook your head softly, "you're wrong."

"i know you saw it last night. what are you going to do if i die in the next game? will you waste away while mourning my death? do you expect me to do the same?" he asked. but you knew what his real question was, and why his tone sounded so harsh. chishiya was good at hiding his true emotions after all. only you could catch sight of the foreign emotion flickering in his eyes. 

'what am i going to do with myself if you die?'

"no." you managed to get out, cursing yourself when your voice cracked. so much for staying composed. 

"no?" he repeated, his tone mocking. it was really pissing you off.

"no! because you're not dying chishiya!" you yelled, a tear escaping down your cheek as you looked at the blond male. he didn't comment on the display of emotion, and you quickly wiped it away with the back of your hand. 

he watched silently as you continued to wipe away more tears, his face remaining as unreadable as before. finally, after several long moments, he shifted his eyes away from your face, like he couldn't bear to stand there and watch you cry, "you don't know that."

but you did. you knew what chishiya was capable of. you knew he'd be able to survive in a world like this. unlike you, chishiya had no problem in letting others go so he could survive. you could say that he didn't care at all. you on the other hand, cared a little too much, and you knew that was a weakness in what has now become of the japan you once knew, "i'll be the one to die before you."

his face shifted ever so slightly, "i don't want that for you."

"then stop acting like a jackass." you retorted.

chishiya's face remained blank from the insult. he shifted his attention to the wall, quiet for a moment before speaking, "you know my game only let one person win. four people i gladly let die." his eyes settled back to you, "what are you going to do if that's the case with me and you?"

you were quick to answer, "i'd die then." and you meant it. you'd gladly lay down your life if it meant he'd survive.

you could tell chishiya was unsatisfied by your response, "what a stupid answer."

you could feel your own irritation grow, "you don't think i would? 12 people chishiya! 12 people dead because i was too afraid to die before seeing you again! if you think i wouldn't, then you're the one who's stupid."

he didn't say anything, instead looking at you with those brown eyes of his. were they always this cold? you remembered briefly that they looked like this back when you first met, but you thought you had finally gotten past that. you thought you had finally gotten through to the mysterious man.

just what exactly happened to chishiya in his game?

finally he spoke, releasing a sigh, "you're only hurting yourself."

"and you're going to tell me it doesn't hurt you?" you asked, searching his eyes for any indication of sadness.

he once more settled his gaze away from your face, facing you but not quite looking at you, "i don't feel anything."

lїДя.

you laughed in disbelief, "you think i'm going to believe that? i know your hands are clenched in your pocket," you didn't miss the way there was a small shift from within, "your jaw is tensed, you eyes can't even look at me," tears were now falling down your cheeks, but you didn't care to wipe them away this time, "look at me and tell me you don't want this anymore."

his eyes settled on yours, but he didn't say anything. his face remained expressionless, and it hurt you, but you knew what he was doing. he was trying to push you away so he wouldn't get hurt. he thought that maybe if he got you to hate him it'd be easier for the both of you to move on and survive. but you didn't want that. you didn't want to let chishiya go. no matter how much he hurt you or how much he used you, your heart wanted to stay with him.

your hands tightened, and you clasped them together to stop them from shaking, "i don't care if we're gonna die at any moment. it was like that in the real world too, wasn't it? so just, believe in me when i say i'm not gonna die on you chishiya. and i'm not going to weigh you down." he remained quiet, and you let out a small breath of air, "i'll be in my room when you're ready to talk." you stepped forward, debating on touching him one last time but ultimately decided against it, instead brushing past him.

during that brief moment you saw him hesitate. maybe internally he was rethinking his words, but he didn't make any moves to stop you.

you cried as soon as you got to your bed.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

when you woke up it was late afternoon, the sun close to disappearing across the horizon. despite the sleep you still didn't want to get out of bed, and it wasn't just because of how sore your legs were. you didn't even realize you had fallen asleep crying until now, and you didn't need to look in the mirror to know that your eyes were probably rimmed red and you definitely didn't look your best.

you understood chishiya's intentions, you really did. but it still didn't stop the hurt that had weaved its way into your heart, the feeling making it hard to breathe and leaving your stomach feeling sick. in reality you were scared, too. the thought of chishiya not surviving his next game would always be in the back of your mind, and if that really did happen, you weren't sure what you'd do with yourself.

but on the other hand, knowing chishiya was there gave you the strength to continue on. if it weren't for him, you doubt you would've survived your recent game with the small casualties that you did. so why couldn't he view you as a reason to live instead of an obstacle in his path? 

you pulled the covers closer to your body, reveling in the warmth but resenting it at the same time. you silently debated on falling asleep once more so you could forget about your sorrows, only to disregard the idea entirely when your stomach grumbled. that's right, you still hadn't eaten, and you had been too busy crying to really have an appetite. should you try to look for some food? or was there a set time in order to eat? your stomach grumbled once more, and you figured you'd take the risk and try anyways.

groggily you got up, legs still sore but still capable of walking. you put on your shoes and went to the door, trying your best not to look in the mirror. you really didn't want to see how you looked.

it didn't take you long to find what looked to be a cafeteria. there weren't a lot of people there to begin with, and you figured it was because lunch had long ago ended and dinner wouldn't start until another couple of hours. you walked up to the long table showing off what had been that days lunch, and after noticing no one was around you helped yourself to a plate before finding a spot at an empty table.

as you were eating you tried to focus on the food and not the empty chair beside you. you had always eaten alone, but when you became friends with chishiya things like lunch was always shared. you heart began to hurt again, and suddenly you weren't hungry anymore.

"hey, can i sit here?"

you snapped out of your thoughts to see a girl around your age holding her own tray of food, chewing on a smoking aid. she didn't appear hostile, so you gave her a nod, prompting her to take a seat next to you. you took notice of the way she fiddled with the stick, rolling it between her fingers and lips. that's when you concluded she had been a smoker, and she seemed to have quit recently by the way she hesitantly pulled it from her mouth to eat. 

"you looked lonely, so i decided to sit next to you. oh, i'm kuina by the way." she turned her body towards you and extended out a hand, you staring at the outstretched limb before taking it. she had a firm grip as you shook it, and you gave her a small smile as you repeated your own name, "i haven't seen you around before, you new?"

you nodded, returning your arm to your side, "i just got here last night."

"oh, sorry about that. how was your first game?" she asked, taking a bite out of her food and chewing softly as she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand. 

you released a hollow laugh, "it was definitely something." you flashed her another smile in which she returned, deciding in that moment that you really liked kuina. there was something about her energy that made you forget about what had happened with chishiya, even if just for that moment.

you two talked among yourselves, and during that time you realized how nice it was to have a friend here at the beach. before. you always had trouble making friends with the right people, but with kuina it was easy to talk to her, and you could tell that she was a good person.

you both finished your lunches and began walking around the beach, side by side. kuina mentioned she hadn't been around for long either, having arrived the day before you, but she still showed you around nonetheless. she showed you the bar where even more citizens of the beach hung out and partied, as well as a lounge room where an intense game of pool commenced. you tore your eyes away from the scene when the 8 ball fell into the small basket. 

as you guys were walking in the empty hallways, much preferring the quietness of it over the club, you decided to ask her a couple of questions.

"say, kuina, why is it that there are people with guns around here?" you asked, the question having bugged you since you arrived. it didn't seem right since guns were probably useless during these games, maybe even banned. with the exception of spades you were required to use your brain, and carrying it around during the days you didn't have to participate in games seemed pointless.

"i'm not too sure, but i did hear someone mention that some of the higher ups get guns," she answered, the smoking aid moving slightly as she talked.

you thought back to the guy you had seen when you first arrived at the beach, piercings and all, "do you know a guy who has piercings on his face?"

you noticed kuina visibly shudder, "i don't know him either, but i'd stay away. he looks like bad news."

you agreed with her. something about him didn't sit right with you, and you'd rather not find out the hard way.

you both eventually made it to your room, kuina giving you a surprised look, "this is your room?"

you titled your head in confusion, "since this morning. why?"

"my room is a couple doors down, but when i left it to go eat there was this guy hanging around. he seemed sketchy, so i'd be careful. law means nothing in this place." she warned, shifting her weight to one leg as she took out her smoking aid.

your confusion grew. someone had been hanging around your room? but, no one even knew you were here, you were new after all. your thoughts went to a certain blond. had he been waiting for you while you were fast asleep?

you gave her a smile to show your gratitude, "thanks, i'll keep that in mind." kuina flashed you a smile of her own, and before she could leave you hurriedly extended some words of gratitude, "oh, and thanks for sitting with me today. i really enjoyed your company."

she gave you a light pat on the shoulder, the gesture friendly and warm, "anytime! i hope to see you around more!"

you gave her a nod and wave as she began walking away, waiting until she disappeared around the corner of the hall. your mood was lighter as you entered your room, laying down on the fluffy sheets and curling up into a small ball. being with kuina was a nice distraction from what had happened that morning, and internally you were grateful for her presence.

you slept a little better that night.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

several days passed and you didn't spot a single sign of chishiya. although you checked, he never seemed to be around during any of the eating hours, and he was never out with the others partying or hanging out. you weren't really surprised at his absence, since chishiya much preferred being alone. but even with the knowledge you missed him, and you hoped that he'd come to his senses soon.

you hadn't seen kuina around either, so you figured she was busy with her own things. without anything to keep you busy, you continued on walking around the beach in hopes of gathering as much information as you could. so far the only thing you were able to learn was that the man in charge went by the name of hatter, and that the individuals with guns were apart of what they called the militants, under the command of a man named aguni. you yourself haven't encountered him, but you figured it was for the best when you noticed the uneasy expressions on the people's faces when they told you. 

you found yourself outside near the poolside area, having found an empty chair with an umbrella to provide you with shade. you watched as people danced to the music, hips swaying from side to side and they cheered along with the beat. you envied these people and how carefree they could be in a situation like this, and internally you wished you could also let go and forget about the guilt.

"so you didn't die."

your eyes shifted from the crowd of people to your right, eyes widening a fraction at seeing who it was. of course with your luck he'd be here. just when you thought you were doing a good job at avoiding him, too.

he sat down beside you, a little too close for comfort, and propped his gun on the ground face up.

you returned your attention away from his face, keeping your expression neutral, "games aren't going to kill me that easily."

"i didn't think so. you seemed pretty capable when we first met," he glanced around, almost like he was looking for someone, "say, where's your boyfriend? i haven't seen him around."

your heart ached at the mention of chishiya's absence, but you swiftly pushed the emotion away. it would do you no good to let the stranger know of your personal problems, "he's busy right now."

he laughed, the sound so chilling and crooked that you wanted to disappear and erase it from your mind, "if you're lonely you could always knock on my door," he leaned in close, and your skin crawled when his hands ghosted over your bare thigh, "i'm busy being a militant and all, but i'm more than willing to make time for a pretty thing like yourself."

you debated pushing him away or screaming, anything to get him to pull his hand away and lean back. just when you were deciding on a course of action something hit him in the back of his head, causing him to yell in pain and look around at the other members of the beach.

"who the fuck did that?!" he screamed, people nearby backing away at the sound of his voice.

you took the opportunity to shift away, hiding the laugh that wanted to surface, "i'm good, but thanks for the offer." his eye twitched slightly at your response, and you feared you got him even more irritated. to avoid anything further you quickly stood up, backing away slightly "i just remembered i have a friend waiting for me, so i must go. goodbye."

you gave him another forced smile, waving as you walked towards the inside of the beach. the minute you were safely inside you let out a breath you'd been holding since the beginning of the conversation. you really didn't like that man. his presence and the vulgar way he went about things made alarms ring in your head, every feeling in your gut telling you to stay away. you decided to listen, and that you'd refrain from going near the poolside area from now on. you also reminded yourself to take a shower to get rid of the disgusting way his fingers had touched your bare skin.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you found yourself exploring every aspect of the beach over the next couple of days. it was a nice hotel, nicer than the one you had played your game at, with spas underground and rooms that must've been for arts and crafts. you weren't artistic yourself, but you did find yourself going there often since no one else was around. not to mention it was a good place to read, and the change of scenery from your room was refreshing.

aside from the crafts room you found other places you'd visit frequently. one place in particular you stumbled upon in the early hours of the morning, right before breakfast. you had found yourself restless, waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep. as a result you began walking the halls, empty for once since everyone was either sleeping or hiding away in the confines of their room.

you were at the other side of the building when you spotted an exit sign, the first you've seen so far. curious, you opened the door, finding steps that lead upwards despite being on the uppermost floor. you closed the door behind you and climbed the steps, shivering ever so slightly when the door opened to a gust of wind. you walked a few steps more before letting out a small gasp.

you seemed to have found the roof of the beach, and in the early morning the sun was rising, sunlight peeking through the city skyline of japan. it was breathtaking, and you wished you had found the spot sooner. it'd be a nice place to settle down and read the book you were currently invested in, and it also provided a good view of the entire beach. a small smile graced your lips as you relished in the way the sunlight hit your skin, making it warm in the chilly morning air.

another wind brushed your skin, causing small strands of hair to blow into your face. you tucked the loose strands behind your ear, your eyes drifting over to scan the rest of the roof.

your smile faltered when you saw the silhouette of chishiya, sitting down near the edge with his hands hidden within his pockets. unsurprisingly his eyes were already on you, probably having heard the door open when you emerged from inside the building. his face was obscured by the white hood resting atop his blond hair, but even from where you stood you could see his cold eyes and expressionless face. you grew frustrated at the look, and he was too far away for you to get a good read on him. did he feel bad? angry? was he happy, even for a split moment, to see you as you were with him?

he didn't say anything and neither did you, and neither of you moved. you didn't really know how to feel seeing the blond after his absence the last several days. you knew that your heart hurt to see him, but despite that, despite the words he had uttered that day you were still happy, relieved even, to see him there. he was not just a figment of your imagination.

chishiya was real, and you held on to that thought as you turned away and headed back downstairs.

 

 

 

 

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Chapter 7: ⌈ 5 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

hatter was not at all what you had been expecting. sure, you had seen the one in charge briefly during your first day at the beach, but you hadn't been paying much attention to him in the first place. instead, you were focused on trying to figure out the reasoning behind the disappearances that had happened to all of japan, as well as trying to make sense of the whole concept of 'games' you'd been hearing so much about. but now that you were standing in front of him, dressed in a tacky robe and swim trunks with an easy smile on his face, you were definitely more than surprised.

he didn't radiate authority at all. he seemed more like a person who belonged on the sidelines, helping out the one who was actually in charge. if you were being honest with yourself, the man you deemed as aguni seemed like he'd be in charge of the beach with his stone cold expression and his buffed out physique. you figured out pretty quickly that he had to have been part of some type of military before finding himself in such a world. 

but hatter? it didn't make any sense. still, he had sent a woman named ann to your room to get you, and he did let you stay at the beach free of cost. so you decided that you might as well listen to what he had to say and give him some respect.

you cleared your throat, announcing your presence at the edge of the doorway. hatter looked up from his spot at the table where he had been playing cards with another executive member, face brightening at the sight of you, "oh! glad you could make it!" he placed down his deck of cards and sat down at a nearby couch, gesturing for you to take a seat on the cushioned sofa across from him.

"you called?" you asked, moving aside one of the throw pillows and taking a seat.

you watched as hatter laid back on the couch, gesturing to someone across the room. you were confused at first, until one of the other girls in the room plopped herself on his lap, throwing her arms around his neck and beginning to kiss down the skin. you internally cringed at the scene, "yes! how are you liking things at the beach? it's been a little over a week since you arrived, am i correct?"

you gave him a nod, trying to focus on the man instead of the uncomfortable scene in front of you. despite the things that had happened, you were quite content with your life there. you got free food, free housing, even hot showers, which you were sure was not a luxury you'd have if you had decided to go back to your dorm.

hatter smiled at your answer, but your conversation grew short when you both looked over at the sound of the door opening once more. you felt your blood run cold at seeing who it was.

chishiya walked in with his hands stuffed in his jacket and his hoodie placed atop his head, a reoccurring look. his eyes easily found their way to your own, and you didn't miss the way they shifted ever so slightly upon seeing you. 

"there's the other one!" hatter exclaimed, motioning him to sit right beside you on the couch.

chishiya took a seat without a word, and you quickly glanced at him before going back to hatter, "the beach is great but, what's this about?" more importantly, why was he here?

hatter leaned forward and began filling two glasses with alcohol, "ann was telling me about the games you both recently cleared. i heard you've found a knack in heart games? you even completed one last night."

your body went rigid, remembering what had gone down the night before when your visa was about to expire.

"player number 3's lie will now be revealed. number two was the lie."

you tried not to flinch at the loud sound of the remaining player slamming her hands on the table, "what?! but...but you...i was so sure!"

you gave her a closed eyed smile and a small shrug, "guess i'm a better liar than i thought."

you gulped down the guilt, forcing a smile onto your face, "seems like it."

you could feel chishiya's eyes on you, and you glanced over to return to look. your heart skipped a beat at the look in his eyes, the only indication that he felt a semblance of worry upon the carefully neutral expression. that confirmed your theories that chishiya knew about the other types of games, and was probably the first he was hearing of you participating in the hardest ones.

"amazing! right now mira is our only decent hearts player, but with you clearing two hearts games with ease is just, wow!" hatter exclaimed, his smile widening as he took a sip from his glass cup.

your hands tightened at his words, "ah, well, it's not that great really..."

"nonsense!" he waved away your words, "if you keep clearing these type of games you'll be on the executive board in no time!" 

although the idea sounded nice, your stomach churned at the thought of continuing to go to venues and clearing games. was this really what your life was now? killing other players just to survive in a cruel world? you briefly wondered what chishiya thought about all this, but one look and he appeared to not care, which was probably likely. in the time that you've known him it seemed chishiya only cared about himself, and eventually you had been added to that mix. no other person he had no relation with mattered in his little world.

hatter turned his attention towards chishiya, "and you've been clearing a lot of diamond games!"

chishiya gave him a smirk and a small shrug, leaning back against the couch like it were no big deal. knowing him he probably considered his games to be easy, barely a challenge for his mind. not only that, but you weren't surprised to hear chishiya's specialty was diamonds. the game concept was all about intelligence after all, and the blond was as smart as they could get.

you cleared your throat to gain hatter's attention once more, "sorry, but, is this the only reason you called us here? to praise us for clearing these games?"

hatter laughed, "you got somewhere important to be right now?"

"nothing like that, i'm just curious is all." the reality was you wanted to leave as soon as you could, having grown uncomfortable in the room, but you didn't voice those thoughts aloud. instead, you drifted your eyes to the wall behind him, squinting slightly when spotting red and white from behind a sliding door. your curiosity was piqued by the sight. what exactly was behind there? and what was so important he felt it necessary to hide?

hatter patted the girl currently in his lap as an indication to leave, and once she did he leaned forward, hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees, "it's basic knowledge here at the beach that your ranks are increased with each game you clear. only two games in and you both have done exceptionally well. i just thought i'd personally let you know how good you are doing."

you gave him a small nod, but something told you that wasn't the only reason he had called you here. before you could try and figure it out though hatter got up and went to his desk, taking out a basket filled to the brim with different locker key numbers and bracelets. when he found what he was looking for he returned to the table, setting them down beside your drinks.

he addressed your name, "you'll now be 21, and you," his eyes flickered towards the bracelet sitting besides chishiya's drink, "will be 25. does that work for you both?"

you saw chishiya remove a hand from his pocket and lean forward, grabbing the locker key and putting it around his wrist. you reached forward for your own and stuffed it into your pocket, "that's fine with me." it was silent for a moment, and you felt the unease in your stomach grow, shifting in your seat, "if that's all i'll be leaving now."

"why in such a hurry? you didn't even touch your drink, either," the older man took another sip, and your eyes stared between your untouched glass and the exit door. 

"i don't really drink. thanks for the offer, though." you gave him a small smile before settling your eyes on chishiya, finding his attention already on you. your heart hurt once more upon seeing him, the emotion proving difficult to get rid of. ever since you accidentally stumbled upon him on the rooftop it was like he had disappeared once more, and you only saw him briefly when you had gone out last night for another game.

your eyes returned to hatter's, deciding you'd try your luck in order to satiate your curiosity, "actually, before i go, what's behind there?" you gestured towards the sliding doors.

you watched carefully as hatter turned his head and tensed ever so slightly, but he quickly masked it with another charming smile, "that? it's nothing important, i wouldn't worry about it too much."

well, it was worth a try. but something in your gut told you it wasn't just 'nothing'. you decided that you'd try to investigate later once you had better privileges, nodding along to hatter's reassurance. you didn't say anything further as you gave one final wave, opening the door to head back to your room.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

sometimes it was hard to sleep. it was like every time you closed your eyes all you could see were flashes of images you'd rather forget, haunting you through the hours of the night. you were afraid that sleeping it off would make the memories worse, and reading to calm yourself hadn't worked. so as a last resort you were forced to stay awake, hoping for a distraction. 

why had hatter really called you to his room? there was no way it was just to chat about your so called achievements, the timing was too weird. and what was he hiding behind there? he had brushed it off when you asked, but he still looked nervous, like whatever it was was not something to be revealed.

you startled when you heard the room to your door open, the lack of light giving you no insight on who it was. you remembered kuina's words from before that had warned you about someone creeping around the hall, and you hurriedly grabbed the lamp by your bedside table in case the person who entered had ill intentions.

instead you were met with those all too familiar brown eyes, briefly widening at the sight of the makeshift weapon in your hands. questions arose in your head, eyes darting across his face. why was he here? in the middle of the night no less? sure you had told him to meet you here when he was ready, but you had been referring to a time earlier in the day, when you weren't supposed to be fast asleep. there was also the fact that you forgot to tell him what room you were in. so how did he know?

"i didn't think you were still awake." chishiya spoke, taking a seat at the edge of your bed. your hands tightened even more at the way he seemed unfazed by the situation. he really had the audacity to talk to you so casually? after everything he had said that day?

you rolled your eyes in annoyance, "are you here to talk or criticize my sleeping schedule?"

his eyes glanced at the lamp you still held up, "can you put that down first?"

you let out a small puff of air before placing it back down on the bedside table, going back under the covers of your bed. for a moment it was quiet, with chishiya glancing at the books laid out in awkward places and the window left open to let cool air in. you sat against the headboard watching him, trying to figure out his intentions but coming up with nothing because of the dark. was he really here to talk? and if so, were you ready for what he had to say? 

finally he looked back at you, and you felt your breath catch in your throat. even though you had gazed into his eyes on so many occasions it never failed to make you appreciate how pretty they were, how loving they could be, and how cold they were now.

he reached into his pocket and you almost cried at the sight of the familiar stuffed cat now on your bed. had he kept it all this time? even though he had tried so hard to push you away? tentatively you reached forward and brought it to your chest. it was just as soft as you remembered, and the stuffed toy even smelled like chishiya, like he had kept it with him at all times during your time apart.

already you could feel the emotion bubbling in your throat, and you cursed yourself when you felt your voice waver, "why...?"

"it's yours. i won it for you." chishiya answered simply.

"i meant...why are you here?" you glanced back up to look at his face, finding that although your eyes had adjusted to the dark it was still hard to make out what exactly he was feeling. it was one of those times that you wished you could read him as easily as he read you. 

chishiya kept your gaze before letting out a small sigh, "i meant what i said before."

your hands tightened around the stuffed toy. already you could tell you weren't going to like where the conversation was heading, "is this you trying to break up with me?"

you saw chishiya's mouth quirk down into a small frown, and you could practically feel the annoyance rubbing off of him, "i didn't say that."

"then what are you trying to say, chishiya?!" you asked, not caring that your voice had risen in volume. you didn't care if people could hear how hurt you were right now, and how scared you were of what he was going to say.

"i'm giving you options." he answered, like with each word he wasn't breaking your heart.

"i don't want options! i just...i just want you by my side." you whispered, feeling the tears build up in your eyes.

chishiya just watched as you cried, and for a second you saw his hands shift towards you, like he wanted to reach out and wipe the tears away. instead he stuffed them inside his pocket, "i can't do that."

"you can. you're just choosing not to." you pressed on, hating how quiet he remained. why was he being like this? was he really that afraid of you dying on him? that you'd hold him back? you continued to cry, hating every second of the tears streaming down your face. you've always tried your best not to cry in front of other people, you didn't want to burden them with your sorrows. but with chishiya, it was easy to strip your feelings bare and let him see a part of you no one else did.

"you hate me." you heard chishiya state, something foreign laced in his otherwise monotone voice.

you looked at him in surprise. was that really what he thought? hurriedly you wiped the tears away, glancing back down at the stuffed cat. your hands softly caressed the soft fabric, remembering how happy you had been seeing chishiya win a game that was rigged. and the proud little smile quirking his lips once he had received his prize caused a small smile to grace your own lips, "far from it."

"you should. it'd be easier for the both of us." he replied, also looking down at the cat held in your grasp. you missed the way his mouth quirked up in a small smile, like he was also remembering that night.

"do you want me to hate you?" you asked. chishiya didn't answer, but you knew in your heart that he didn't want that. and even if you wanted to, you'd never be able to hate the blond male across from you. you scooted closer ever so slighty, staring at his eyes, "i think...you should do what you want chishiya. what is it that you want right now?"

he was quick to reply, "what i want doesn't matter. this place strips away everything but the desire to live."

you let out a soft sigh. it wasn't the answer you were quite looking for, "i guess what i really wanted to ask was...do you want me?"

chishiya was quiet, like he was thinking over what he'd say next. more tears fell down your cheeks as the silence stretched on, the dread returning with each second passed. this was it. this was the end. you should've known such a thing would happen with a man like chishiya. 

but you were surprised when you felt him shift, feeling his fingers press against the skin of your cheek. you fluttered your eyes closed as they softly wiped away your tears, "i want you to survive." and for the first time since this conversation started you saw chishiya's mask falter. you felt the way his hands trembled against your skin, eyes raw with an emotion you'd never seen before. you held it in your gaze, allowing the moment of vulnerability to ground you within the moment. 

"i'm not going to die, chishiya." you whispered, leaning against the soft touch. you had missed him touching you, the feeling of his warmth engulfing you in a gentle embrace.

"you will if you stay with me. those who allow themselves to care about others suffer the most in a world like this." he said, hands staying for a second longer before retracting from your face. without thinking you reached forward and clasped your hands around his, stopping him from returning the limb to his side.

he didn't pull away, so you took that as a good sign. you brought his hands forward and placed them in your lap, looking down at your joined fingers as you softly traced the skin. you thought carefully over your next sentence, "back during the first night here...i was put into a hearts game. nine of hearts at that."

for a split moment you felt chishiya's hands tighten around your own, the movement so fleeting that you would've missed it if you weren't so focused on the sensation of him.

you let out a shaky breath before continuing, "i killed...so many people. and even now it still haunts me. the things that i've done...just to survive. but i did it because..." you looked back up, eyes staring right at chishiya to let him know that you meant every single word that was about to leave your mouth, "you are my reason to live. i thought about it, but i just couldn't imagine a world without you in it. so i decided in that moment that i'd survive until the very end. and that i'd return to the real world with you." your eyes glistened with more tears, "so please...don't think of me as a weakness. think of me as a reason to survive."

for a while chishiya didn't say anything, and you were scared that this really was the end. that despite you pouring your heart out it wasn't enough to get him to stay. you were about to tell him to leave when you heard him scoot closer to you on the bed, arms wrapping around your head and pulling you close so you were laying on his chest. you were shocked, not expecting him to do the action so suddenly.

"go to sleep. you look horrible." he muttered, and even though he was making fun of your sleep deprived appearance you still felt your heart warm. you thought that maybe, things would be okay. maybe it wasn't the end, and that'd you'd get to hold on just a little while longer. gingerly you wrapped your arms around his torso, feeling the tension in his bones that gradually faded away with time. you pressed your face against the fabric of his sweater, inhaling the scent of clean laundry and strawberries. 

he was warm, warmer than the blanket around your body, and you concluded it was nice to feel chishiya once more.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you forgot the last time you had fallen asleep so quickly, and with little to no disturbances. by the time you woke up in the morning you felt refreshed, excited for once to actually go do something worthwhile with your day. you were even thinking of finishing that book you had started, about to get up and do so when you realized you couldn't move your hands. or your entire body for that matter.

your eyes widened in shock when you realized chishiya was still there, laying on his back with your head on his chest. his arms were wrapped around your torso and your fingers were gripping the front of his white hoodie, spurring several questions to fill your mind. he had stayed while you fell asleep? why? in all honesty you had expected him to slip away the moment you closed your eyes, but it appeared that hadn't been the case. chishiya was very much in your bed. 

you looked more closely at his face, feeling your heartbeat quicken at the sight. it was the first time you've seen chishiya look so at ease, soft breaths leaving his lips that were slightly parted. on instinct you reached up and brushed the blond strands resting on his cheek, growing surprised when you felt him lean into the touch until fluttering his eyes open. you paused at seeing him look directly at you, eyes widening a fraction upon seeing you. 

you felt your cheeks warm at the eye contact, feeling embarrassed. so chishiya was actually a light sleeper. it must've been a miracle that he had stayed asleep for so long then. he didn't move, instead continuing to stare at you with that thoughtful gaze. you watched as his eyes shifted to the hand that was brushing against the skin of his cheek, asking silently what you had been doing. you cleared your throat before retracting your hand, cheeks hotter than before. not only at being caught, but also at the predicament. even though you and chishiya had been together for a while, it was your first time sleeping in the same bed as him. it felt so intimate being this close, and it was weird waking up to see him by your side.

"were you watching me sleep?" he asked, a teasing edge in his voice. he seemed to quickly get over the initial shock, and your cheeks warmed even more upon hearing him. his voice was scratchy from the lack of use during his slumber, and you'd be lying if you didn't find it attractive. 

"as if," you muttered, sticking your tongue out at him. still, it was nice to wake up with him right beside you, and for a moment you forgot all about everything what had happened since arriving at the borderlands. but as the silence stretched on you thought back to the conversation from the night before, and you needed to know for certain if moments like these would be permanent or temporary, "chishiya.." your hands tightened around the white fabric, trying your best to force out the words, "are we okay now?"

you felt his arm shift around you until his fingers began tapping lightly against the exposed skin of your arm, a habit formed from the early days of your relationship, "we both could die at any moment. any day."

you bit your lip to keep your voice from wavering, "i know."

"i still think it'd be best for us to part ways." you felt your heart sink at his answer, causing the entire scene to feel like mud in your brain. you couldn't see clearly, and you couldn't understand if you read into his intentions wrong, "but," his fingers paused for a moment, the lack of movement causing you to glance back up and scan his face. of course, it was still unreadable, perfectly molded to give nothing of his thoughts away. yet, he was thinking, carefully, and that was more than the curt answer he had given before, "i suppose it's possible you'll die without me here."

you released a loud scoff, rolling your eyes at his choice of words. but, your heart felt lighter, for you knew the truth hidden beneath the steady tone and his use of diction. you allowed a smile to make its way to your face, leaning forward ever so slightly, "just admit you want to stay with me, too."

he released a short breath, "think what you want."

your smile grew at that, for he didn't deny your accusation. 

you both stayed in your position for a while longer, until you felt your arms start to numb to the point of discomfort. you shifted so you could get up, but paused when you felt chishiya's grip on you tighten. you peered at him curiously, finding nothing on his face that pointed towards a reason for his movement. but, it appeared like for a split second he didn't want you to leave. like he wanted to revel in the warmth of the morning and you along with it. yet as quick as you noticed the change he was already removing his limbs, and even though you began to regret moving, you still got up.

"i'm going to go shower." you announced, and chishiya gave you a small nod, watching you silently as you grabbed a towel and made your way to the bathroom.

your body felt like it was on fire, flames licking up the skin and lingering long after the cold water extinguished the burn. for the past week you had worried endlessly about what this strange world would do to the relationship you had so carefully built, and you wondered if chishiya, as stubborn and cold as he was, really agreed to keeping you by his side. you found yourself replaying every bit of conversation, and every hint of emotion you were able to catch in his eyes and face. that was real. and you felt a little more at ease. 

you shut off the water and stood there for a moment, thinking carefully before stepping out. you  dried yourself quickly and wrapped the soft towel around your body, staring in the mirror for a moment before opening the door. you peeked out of the bathroom to see if chishiya was still there, but it seemed he was no where in sight.

cautiously, you walked towards the bed where he had sat just moments before, finding the spot empty. only the rustled sheets left a trace of the man previously there, as well as the small note left behind. 

'i have some things to take care of. make sure you eat breakfast.'

ah, so he had left while you were showering. although a little disappointed, you had to remember chishiya liked to do his own things, and he would go about it in his own way. you put the note back down and quickly got changed, praying that things would be better from now on at the beach. 

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

after you were fully dressed you found yourself back on the rooftop, immediately being greeted with the unrelenting warmth of the sun. chishiya wasn't there, but you still came up and sat down near the edge like he had before, eating the breakfast you had grabbed to go while watching the poolside below. it was a good spot, perfect for observing, and you wondered if the blond had been watching from up there since the beginning. it was likely since chishiya found enjoyment in observing people, it was one of the things you both had in common after all. for you, it made you feel better knowing what to expect from someone, and with enough information there'd be no surprises when it came to certain situations. for chishiya, you weren't quite sure why he did it, but you knew he had his reasons.

you sat there for a while longer, watching the rest of the occupants of the beach dance. the music playing wasn't that bad, but since encountering the male with a gun always slung across his shoulder you refrained from going anywhere near that place. you were afraid of finding him there, and no one being willing to help out. 

you blinked in surprise when you felt small droplets fall onto your face, taking a moment to realize it was raining. by now the music had stopped, and the citizens of the beach were rushing inside, some laughing while others were screaming at the unexpected weather. you even saw a couple of them coming out of the building to enjoy the rain.

you stayed out for a bit longer, enjoying the droplets splashing onto your face like soft kisses from the sky. when the rain came down harsher you got up and went towards the door, sitting down in the entryway as you watched the droplets fall onto the concrete. it was strange that it was raining during the summer, but you brushed it off and leaned back to enjoy the view, inhaling the fresh scent of rainwater.

by the time the rain finally stopped you headed back down to your room, brushing the wet strands of hair out of your eyes as you opened the door. you brought out a towel from the closet and began drying the damp hair, finally entering the bedroom itself.

you stared in confusion at the trinkets sitting on the little table where your books had been, scraps of metal and random objects taped together to create some sort of invention. they were placed like they'd always been there, but you knew that wasn't the case. someone must've entered your room and used the space as a makeshift workshop during the time you were gone.

but who- 

you jumped in surprise when the door to the bathroom opened, revealing chishiya with wet hair and his white hoodie. he didn't seem surprised to see you there, instead giving you a minuscule smile and an amused glance as he brushed past you to the table. 

realization hit you at that moment. all these little trinkets were chishiya's, meaning he had been in your room while you were up on the rooftop. but why? he had his own room, and he seemed to have spent a majority of his time in there before. so why was he here? 

"your room is on a whole different floor." you said, stepping into the bedroom area and sitting down on the bed.

chishiya didn't look up from where he had busied himself with what looked like a homemade taser, "i'm aware."

you released a small breath of frustration at his answer, hating how vague it was. but you decided against asking further questions since chishiya appeared busy, and it seemed likely he would just provide you with more skeptic words. you laid down on the mattress so your body was facing him, head near the edge of the bed as you watched him work.

it was relaxing actually, the comfortable silence settling in the air as chishiya used all these different tools to create something. it made you wonder where he had gotten such things and why he was making them. was this what he meant by taking care of some things? creating weapons that could potentially help during the games? or maybe just in general? with the borderlands, you could never be sure what people were capable of in and outside of the game venues.

you felt yourself dozing off, rapidly blinking each time you felt yourself drift away. you didn't want to sleep quite yet, it was still too early in the day and you didn't want to spend another restless night in your room. but chishiya was still working on some sort of taser, not having said a single word. 

"it was raining today." you finally filled the silence, mainly for the sake of remaining awake.

you saw chishiya pause for a second, eyes quickly glancing at the window before continuing, "it appears so."

you rolled over so you were now on your back, staring up at the ceiling, "it was really pretty. it hasn't rained in a while."

you heard chishiya hum lightly in response, agreeing with your statement. it was quiet once more, and with the comfortable position you felt like you would finally succumb to the fatigue washing over your body. 

"are you going to ask, or are we just going to pretend?" this time it was chishiya who broke the silence, and you rolled over once more to see his eyes on you.

it still amazed you how well chishiya could read you, so you asked the question that had been weighing over your mind the past several minutes, "are you going to stay here?"

"what do you think?" he asked, and you gave him a small pout at the bleak tone of voice.

"you could've just made my room your workspace." you retorted.

you heard chishiya sigh softly, "it'd be a pain to go back and forward."

"the exercise is good though." you smiled when chishiya gave you a look. he hated physical activity just as much as you did.

"i'm here to keep an eye on you." he finally answered your question, the string of words steady and calculated. 

you titled your head in confusion, half offended and half wondering what he meant, "I don't need you to, though."

chishiya was quiet, like he was thinking carefully over everything in order to properly answer your curiosity. the words spoken just then and the ones from last night, ringing in your own ears. finally, he spoke, his voice as soft as the sun pouring through the window, "I want to."

you felt your heart warm at his words, softening like mush. chishiya was already returning his full attention to the object in his hands, avoiding any sort of eye contact with you. it was cute, in his own chishiya like way. he may not admit to it, but the man was being thoughtful, and you couldn't help but feel your feelings grow for him once more. 

you smiled warmly, watching silently as chishiya's face sculpted into the epitome of concentration. his gaze was set heavily on the chunks of metal, the occasional furrow of his brows and the release of breath capturing you completely. the sight was enough to put your own heart at ease, and fall asleep knowing chishiya was just several feet away. 

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 8: ⌈ 6 ⌋

Notes:

ᎢᏔ; ᎪᎢᎢᎬᎷᏢᎢᎬᎠ ᏚᎬXᏌᎪᏞ ᎪᏚᏚᎪᏌᏞᎢ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᎬᎠ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᏌᎢᏆᎾN.

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

going to game venues never got easier. you would think that by your third game you'd be a little bit more confident in yourself, or at least calmer than before. but as you sat in your room, watching the sun dip down to make way for the night, it proved to not be the case at all. 

despite knowing more than before, it was hard to move from your spot on the bed, limbs wobbly and your hands shaking no matter how much you willed them to stop. maybe that was it. maybe knowing what could happen made it harder to go each night. it was almost enough to make you cry out in frustration the longer you struggled to calm your nerves, fingers threatening to dig crescent moons into your skin. you absolutely despised how you were currently reacting, as if you were an incapable child. why couldn't you be more like chishiya? he was so calm and unbothered by the fact, as still and unmoving as stone. and there you were, close to a breakdown.

щнДт щД₴ щяоиG щїтн уоц¿

you walked beside the previously mentioned man, on your way to the main room to receive the venue you would be assigned to. no words were exchanged, but you preferred it that way, otherwise you were confident the words would start pouring out of your mouth like water. instead, you focused on what you could do at the moment, and that was thinking up of several strategies you could use at the game venue. you didn't really care what type of game or difficulty you received, you just hoped it wasn't another hearts game. although you've been getting by in clearing them, enough to find them easy, the psychological impact was slowly building up, and you hated every reminder of the bed sheet corpses and the blood spilled across the floor. on the other hand, you didn't know what to expect if put into the other types, and you hated not knowing things.

you snapped out of your thoughts, however, when chishiya stopped walking, causing you to glance at him curiously. your eyes roamed around the hallway to see if anything caught his attention, but there wasn't anyone around. so why stop so suddenly?

"why are you acting like that?" chishiya asked, and that's when you noticed how irritated he was, eyebrows furrowed and his mouth quirked down in a small frown. it was a face he made often, opposed to his blank expression. but what had you done to piss him off?

you gave him a confused look, "like what? i'm just walking."

you saw his eyes glance down towards your fingers before letting out another soft sigh of frustration. you mirrored the glance, your confusion growing from the look. did he notice how badly they were shaking? the crescent moons pierced into the skin? 

when he didn't answer your question you let out a soft sigh of your own, defeated. it appeared he wasn't going to say anything, and you weren't about to pressure him into doing so. there was also the fact that if you didn't go down to the lobby soon there wouldn't be any assignments left, and you'd rather not have to find a game venue on your own. 

you gave him a soft smile, despite how unsteady you felt, "come on, let's get going before all the cars leave." 

you took a step forward, only to get pulled back when chishiya grabbed onto the back of your shirt. you struggled for your balance, shooting the male an irritated look. chishiya remained unfazed, dropping his hand and his gaze along with it. you were about to tell him off, words on the tip of your tongue, only for them to die in your throat when you felt the brush of fingers against your own. you followed his line of sight, finding chishiya's knuckles bumping against your own. you felt the slight hesitation, the smallest tremor, before he opted to lace his pinkie with yours.

you were so stunned you didn't even realize you were walking again, chishiya tugging you along. you also didn't realize that your hands had stopped shaking, like the small touch from the blond helped calm all the nerves you had before. it suddenly dawned upon you that this had been his intention all along, and you smiled at the fact that it was such a chishiya thing to do to not voice his want out loud. you started laughing, chishiya giving you a curious glance at your small outburst.

"if you wanted to touch me just say so, chishiya." you teased, watching in amusement as the blond grew irritated once more. 

"i'll leave you here alone if you keep it up." he responded, smiling. but the expression was fake, intended to warn you to drop the topic of conversation. 

you couldn't help it though, and your smile widened, "are you sure you really want that though? so if i let go right now-" you stopped when you felt chishiya's pinkie tighten around your own, like he was actually afraid of you proving true to your threat. 

you looked back up at his face, even more surprised to see his ears tinted to a soft pink. it was one of those rare moments that chishiya ever got embarrassed, the rest of his face remaining as carefully expressionless as before. the foreign color was the only hint towards his true emotions, and strangely enough it was really adorable, a word you'd never thought you'd associate with him. 

"let's just hurry and go down." he said, tugging you along with him. you decided to stop teasing him about it for the time being, following after him.

as you entered the main room paper slips were being handed out to each passing individual, your own arms reaching out to grab one for yourself. your eyes quickly scanned over the writing revealing your group number, engraving it into your brain. you and chishiya swiftly retreated towards the back of the main room, the blond leaning against the wall as he read his own number. thankfully you weren't in the same group, so you didn't have to worry about being put into a game where only one could live.

everything else went by in a blur. hatter gave the speech he does every night before games started, and you watched as everyone scrambled to group together and get to their cars. you turned towards chishiya, ready to say goodbye when you overheard a passing conversation.

"group 10 huh? i wonder how many people are going to die this time."

your eyes widened when you realized who it was, feeling your heart drop down to your stomach. that voice, you recognized it, for you had made it your mission to avoid it the moment it echoed in the halls or rattled in your brain. it belonged to the same man with the piercings and the gun slung across his shoulder. and to make things worse, his group seemed to consist of mostly militants, meaning you would have to associate yourself with them during the night's game.

chishiya noticed your frozen state, sparing a glance at the number on your paper and recalling the words from the passing conversation. he quickly put the pieces together, his face eerily still, "switch groups with me."

you directed your attention back to the blond, finally snapping out of your shock of realizing you were paired with the most dangerous people at the beach. a part of you wanted to, afraid of what would occur were you to associate yourself with the militants. but although chishiya was smart, aguni's group had guns, and you weren't sure if either of you would be able to go against that so easily. if anything, you'd rather it be you than him.

you pocketed your slip of paper and mustered up a smile, "i'll be fine." you tried to reassure him, but it seemed as if your words fell on deaf ears.

your smile faltered when chishiya frowned, his words colder than the air, "you're not going then." he began walking, and you quickly hurried to catch up to him.

"chishiya-hey! where are you going?!" your hands caught his wrist, successfully forcing him to cease his movements. he turned towards you, the atmosphere tense as you softened your voice, "lool, my visa expires tonight. if i don't go then..." you trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. but he knew what you were about to say. everyone knew what happened when a visa expired.  

chishiya glanced down, his eyes studying the fingers you kept around his wrist. slowly, his hand held your own, holding it gently in his grasp. you felt the small tremble of his fingers against your skin, the smallest waver evident in his eyes as he spoke, "then pick another game."

you stopped struggling at his words, your frown deepening as you both stared at one another. it seemed like the male knew just as well as you did the dangers of being paired with the militants. most players not a part of their group rarely came out alive, and if they did, they came back worse than before. 

"you know it doesn't work like that." you mumbled quietly, and you know chishiya is well aware of the fact, too. he stays silent before letting go of your wrist, stuffing his hands back into his hoodie pocket.

no words were spoken for several moments, not until you heard the shouts of players warning that cars would be leaving soon. you moved to reach over and say goodbye but stopped, not expecting the words to catch in your throat or for it to be this hard.

chishiya noticed the action, "what is it?"

you put your hand back down, swallowing down the lump in your throat. they were shaking again, and your voice wobbled as you told him the reason, "last time it was easier to say goodbye, because we didn't know anything about these games." you managed to get out, twisting your fingers between themselves. it was different because you knew what to expect, and what exactly was going to happen as soon as you passed through the venue barriers. saying goodbye to chishiya was like saying goodbye to someone you may never see again.

the man remained silent, carefully taking in your words. after several moments you heard him take a step closer, removing one hand from his pocket and wrapping his free arm around your head. gently, your face pressed against his chest, and you felt your entire body tense at the unexpected contact. but as quick as the discomfort arose you relaxed, releasing a small sigh at the fresh scent consuming you. you liked how familiar it was, and you wished you could stay in the position forever instead of going out to the upcoming game.

you felt the small movements of chishiya brushing his fingers through your hair and pressing a ghost of a kiss against it, so quick and fleeting you barely registered it had happened. he removed his arm and pulled away, remaining quiet as he gave you the lightest pat on the top of your head. like he was reassuring you one final time in his own way that everything would be okay. and even though he didn't say it aloud, you were grateful for the words that he communicated through the gestures. if anything, it made you feel better, and you gave him a small smile to let him know you understood. when he caught sight of your smile he nodded, staring for just one moment longer before walking past you to head to his own game. 

you watched as he left, trying your best not to cry as you focused on the warmth he had left behind. you'd be okay, and so would he.

he wasn't even out of sight yet, and you already missed him, enough for your heart to ache. 

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

somehow, you managed to make it to your assigned car before it left. it took a lot of running and asking around to get directed to the right vehicle, but you made it nonetheless. you opened the door and got into the back seat, slumping against the cushions without fully registering who was in the car with you.

"look what we got here." his mouth quirked up into a chilling smirk, and if the car wasn't already moving you would've gotten out then and there.

you gave him a forced smile and a small nod in acknowledgment before scooting as close to the door as possible. you began to pray that the venue wasn't far and that the car ride would be over soon. 

"i haven't seen you since the pool." he spoke again, and you didn't miss the way he seemed closer than before.

you gave him another forced smile, shifting away once more, "ah, well, i've been busy."

"too busy to drop by?" he asked, referring to your previous conversation where he had invited you to his room. you quickly pushed the memory away, feeling the dread creep slowly upon your body. 

"precisely." you answered curtly, returning your attention back to the window.

you could tell you had angered him when you spotted his furrowed brows and down turned lips through the reflection on the window. he scooted closer once more, fingers gripping the skin of your arm.

"come on, don't be like that. i'm just trying to talk," he pressed on, eyes glancing down to your bikini top. suddenly you wished you had brought a jacket with you, quickly putting your fingers on your chest to hide as much as possible, "i think we got off on the wrong foot. i'm niragi. and you are?"

you felt your hands tighten, "i'd appreciate the silence, thank you."

his fingernails pierced through your skin, but luckily for you the car came to a swift stop. you took the opportunity to pull away from his grip and open the door, trying to calm the rapid beating of your heart as you greeted the cold air. you were internally grateful that the venue hadn't been far from the beach, and that niragi's actions hadn't gone further than him touching your arm.

your eyes scanned over the venue before you, curiosity spiking at the large glass building and the large machinery hidden within. they looked like amusement park rides. would one of them be a part of the game? was it the entire park itself? you tried to think about which specialty would work best for a roller coaster, but the symbol to come to mind looked an awful lot like spades. 

being careful to stay as far away from niragi and his group, you began walking through the building, glancing at each of the rides but finding nothing of interest. despite the lights being on, none of the rides looked operable, meaning none would be a part of the night's game. you eventually found yourself near a concession stand, but it appeared the food was either expired or the packaging was empty. at least that meant the game wouldn't go on for as long as your first one had. you hoped that meant it would be much easier to clear. 

"guys! i found it!" you heard someone yell nearby, and you quickly walked towards the voice. when you arrived to the area you found yourself joining the rest of the players, 10 in total. they were all waiting in front of a door with a sign right next to it, neon lights decorating the frame. 

ᎬNᎢᎡY ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, NᎾNᎬ.

once again there were phones laid out on a table, and you grabbed one for yourself and watched as the familiar screen lit up.

ᎡᎬᏟᎾᏩNᏆᎢᏆᎾN ᏆN ᏢᎡᎾᏟᎬᏚᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ Ꭺ ᎷᎾᎷᎬNᎢ.

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏔᎪᏆᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎢᎾ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬNᎢᏞY 10 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ.

at least you wouldn't have to wait long before playing. you decided to take the moment to observe the other players there, just to obtain a better understanding of who your allies, or perhaps opponents, were. besides the five of you from the beach the rest of the participants looked like ordinary people, at least two of them new and the other three bunched together in a group. you figured it wasn't their first game either based on the injuries littered over their bodies, determination set on their features. you returned your attention back to your phone when the familiar ding came from it.

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏞᎪᏚᎬᎡ ᎢᎪᏩ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 8 ᎾF ᏟᏞᏌᏴᏚ.

sighs of relief passed through the room, and you found yourself releasing one as well. you felt better knowing that despite being in the same venue as the militants, it wasn't a spades game, so you didn't have to worry too much about the physical disadvantage if it came to going against them. on the other hand, it was your first game that wasn't hearts, and if you remembered correctly, clubs were all about team effort leading to victory. this meant you had to work together with the other players in the room, which shouldn't be too difficult. the only thing that worried you was the difficulty level. anything that high couldn't be good.

the militants had different reactions though, especially niragi, "seriously? laser tag?" he laughed, the others going along with him. you figured out pretty quickly that they presumed the game to be childish, death or not. but no doubt niragi was also disappointed that he wouldn't be able to use the gun he brought from the car. 

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᏚᎻᎾᎾᎢ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎾᏢᏢᎾᏚᏆNᏩ ᎢᎬᎪᎷ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎪᏆN ᏢᎾᏆNᎢᏚ. ᏩᎬᎢᎢᏆNᏩ ᏚᎻᎾᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ 1 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎾᏌᎢ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ. ᏩᎬᎢᎢᏆNᏩ ᏚᎻᎾᎢ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.
YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ.

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᎡᎬᏟᎬᏆᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎻᏆᏩᎻᎬᏚᎢ ᏚᏟᎾᎡᎬ.

the doors before you opened, revealing a room with a small tv and another door that remained closed. the two new players glanced at each other, confused, while the group of three walked in without a second thought. the militants followed after dropping off their guns onto a nearby bench.

you walked up to the newbies, giving them a small smile, "it's best if you just follow along." 

they looked at you, eyes wavering, "uhm, what is this exactly?"

your eyes settled back to the room, nostalgia hitting you all at once. the scene reminded you of childhood birthday parties and dates to the amusement park. only this time, it was under different circumstances, "looks like a game of laser tag." you put it simply. 

you walked into the room, and after exchanging uneasy glances with one another they followed. the doors closed right behind them, no doubt remaining shut until the game was over. you tried not to dwell on the thought as the tv screen lit up, showing a layout of the arena you'd soon find yourselves in. your eyes quickly scanned over the screen, burning the image into your mind. it was like any other laser tag arena, which seemed easy enough, and you watched silently as a video played explaining the rules and how to properly put on vests. 

the video ended with the screen going black and the other door opening. cautiously, you all entered, spotting several rows of vests with guns clipped to the side. everything really was the same, even the silly code names printed onto the back of the vest. you took one off the rack and put it over your head, having to adjust the straps so it fit snuggly on your body. once that was finished, you unclipped your gun, weighing it in your hand. it was light, and when you clicked on the trigger a little red dot appeared.

when you noticed everyone else had put on their vests it only took a few seconds for the lights on them to flash, changing colors. yours turned to a bright red, while others in the room either turned to the same shade or a bright neon blue. you realized these colors were the teams you were being put in, and that somehow luck had remained on your side as you were paired with the other militants. still, you felt bad for the other players, since you doubted they'd be able to go against trigger happy individuals with great aim. another ding went through the room.

ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ Ꭺ ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᏆNᎢᎬᎡᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆᎾN ᏴᎬFᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢᏚ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏩᎬᎢ ᏆNᎢᎾ ᏢᎾᏚᏆᎢᏆᎾNᏚ.

with that the final door opened, showing the dark room of the arena that glowed with several UV lights. the players on the blue team rushed out to find a good spot, and you were about to do the same when niragi blocked your path.

"looks like we're on the same team." he said, giving you a smirk.

you flashed him an uncomfortable smile, looking behind him to watch where the other players had run off to, "seems like it."

"too bad we couldn't use our real guns, it would've been much more fun like that."

your stomach dropped at his complaint. you seriously got lucky that real guns didn't count in this game, "we have only 30 seconds left before the game starts." you reminded him, continuing to stare distractedly at the arena. nearly all the blue players were out of sight.

his smirk widened, "let's stick together, then."

"staying in such a big group is dangerous. it's best if they struggle to figure out where each member is." 

he seemed surprised but amused by your statement, "not bad. you played a lot as a kid or something?"

"no, it's just called being strategic and having a brain." you flashed him another smile, this one real because of the look on his face. he was surprised by what your words actually meant, and before he could get angry you finally brushed past him. 

with only around 20 seconds left you rushed through the dark space, eyes darting around the entire area. if you remembered correctly, and if the layout showed on the screen earlier was true, there should be at least three levels. you were able to spot the floors incline going up, and you took that route to the highest platform you could find with the little time left. it was best if you were higher up so you could see the entirety of the arena, and it'd also make it easier to pinpoint other possible hiding positions as well. you managed to find a spot with a little window space to look through and a dead end. since it was only you, it was perfect, since no one would be able to ambush you from the other side.

you crouched down under the window space, feeling a small buzz from your gun that indicated the start of the game. you waited in anticipation in your little spot, peeking through the small space every once in a while to check if anyone was passing by.

you jumped when you heard shouts from below and curses strung throughout, echoing in your brain. it made you even more anxious hearing noises you couldn't pinpoint. how long would you have to wait there? should you find a different spot where more players would be? 

another minute passed by, silent until you heard the rush of footsteps, closer than before. you peeked through the window to see the blue glow of their vest, hurriedly aiming your gun so that the red dot was on the blue light and clicking the trigger.

their lights flashed quickly before going gray, and you swiftly hid yourself as you heard the loud curses leaving their lips. you waited in anticipation, only relaxing when you heard them run off to find a better spot during their time out. you breathed out a relieved sigh at their departing footsteps, looking down at your gun and surprised to see you had gained 100 points.

so each player was worth 300 points. knowing the knowledge made you feel a bit better about the game, so as long as your other teammates survived, you'd be able to clear it easily. something didn't make sense to you, though, and it wasn't exactly clear in the rules. once a player is dead, do their points still count? what would happen if they did? 

you peeked over once more, and when you were sure that the player was gone you got up and went down a level. it wasn't safe to stick to just one spot, they would eventually be able to pinpoint where you were, and you'd rather not give them the opportunity to strategize a plan and ambush you. switching after each player shot would be the best strategy to win. 

you ran as swiftly and as quietly as you could, almost to the spot that you were going to stay next. just as you were about to reach cover your gun began to vibrate, startling you as the lights went out.

your eyes widened as you reached your spot that had been only a few feet away, swiftly turning around and peeking around the wall. you scanned your surroundings, trying to find the player that had managed to shoot you. you caught a glimpse of blue just a couple feet away, and you quickly hid back behind the wall until your time out was over.

you tried to reassure yourself that it was fine. you still had two chances left, so as long as you were careful you could avoid getting caught by the other team. still, it was hard navigating through the dark. even though you had memorized the layout you could never be sure who exactly was hidden where, and if they were smart, they would constantly be on the move. not to mention the running you'd have to do would be hard, and even now your breaths were coming in short and your legs were starting to feel the burn. 

finally your lights flashed, returning to their original glowing red. now that you were officially back in the game you took the chance to continue further through the massive door-like structures that you found yourself surrounded by. you realized it was near the center of the arena, with the big mummy-like statue towering above. even though being in the center was probably the worst place to be, at least it was hidden from the open areas of the lower floor. still, you didn't want to stay for long, so you continued on until you heard voices, crouching behind a wall to avoid being spotted. 

"it's already been 8 minutes. where is everyone?"

"isn't it better like that?"

"not if we can't get a high enough score before the time limit is out. let's just hope our other teammates are doing better than us."

"are you kidding? didn't you see those guys? they had fucking guns for gods sake! you think we can beat that? we only just barely managed to get through our game the other day."

you didn't recognize the voices. they didn't talk like the militants, who you imagined would be ecstatic to find more players. no, this was definitely the blue team, and it sounded like two players at that. maybe the three that had come together? but then, where was the third?

as quietly as you could you scooted closer until they were in view, quickly assessing the situation. one of the players had their back towards you, and the other was facing the second party. you had been right about it being the trio, but the missing person was no where in sight. had they split up or lost each other? they had seemed close, so it didn't seem right that the two of them were together and the other wasn't there. maybe she had died? you doubted she was lurking around the area if she were alive. maybe she really was dead, or on a whole different side of the map. still, you had this opportunity, and you quickly held up your gun and shot the two individuals.

"what the hell?!" they yelled, looking around wildly for the source. but by then you had already run off, going to the next secluded spot you could find.

your gun showed 300 points, and it was then that you noticed the little timer in the corner of the small screen, revealing that half the time had gone by. you decided you'd focus on the time later, going up the arena and maneuvering through each twist and turn before slowing to catch your breath. you stilled when you heard footsteps coming your way, quickly hiding behind the nearest wall. your heart beat so fast you swore everyone could hear, your hand covering your mouth to quiet your breathing. they were getting closer, and when they finally walked past you held up your gun.

relief flooded through your body at seeing the red color of their vest, dropping both your hands. they also seemed surprised, but upon recognizing your matching color they relaxed.

"fucking scared the shit out of me." she said, lowering her own gun.

you looked around to make sure no one else was coming before getting up. it was the first time you were seeing someone else from your team, and you were a little relieved, even if she was a militant. you hadn't heard too much about her, meaning she was either new or less dangerous than the others.

"ah, well, you can never be too sure." you said, trying your best to keep your voice low. the last thing you'd want is for the other team to know both of your locations. 

she gave you a quick nod, "how much?"

you figured she was referring to how many times you'd been shot. you held up one finger, "just once. you?"

"same here. lucky bastard." she mumbled, like she was ashamed of having been hit.

you decided to change the subject, "do you know the scoreboard?"

she shrugged in response, "i only know my score. it's pretty fucking terrible, so don't ask."

you gave her a nod, looking around once more to make sure no one was coming, "i know a better spot close by, come on."

"weren't you the one saying it's dangerous to stick together?" she asked, but still followed you nonetheless.

"i meant that as a group. pairs should be fine." you answered, looking around the open space before quickly running across the arena to hide behind a pillar.

she glanced around before doing the same, crouching down beside you as you checked that there was no one in sight. once confirming the lack of players you ran across once more, finding yourself in a little room with multiple window spaces and doorways. since there were two of you, you could afford to turn your back and hope she'd cover your blind spot.

she runs across as well and settles herself right behind you, gun pointed in the opposite direction. you doubted lots of players would pass by, taking the back routes with cover would be safer after all. which is exactly why you took it in the first place. if other players were too busy going through those secluded areas, it'd be easy to switch spots before they noticed.

you waited as more shouts erupted through the arena, assuming some of the other players crossed paths and got hit. your grip on the gun tightened, eyes starting to hurt with all the glowing colors in the pitch dark of the room.

suddenly you spotted them, the blue light prominent in the dark and the glow of their white attire making them all the more visible. you held up your gun and clicked the trigger, praying that they still had enough chances to live. you were relieved upon seeing their vests go dark, and the lack of a laser going through their head. 

you lowered your gun slightly, watching as the player went out of sight. your attention was directed to your teammate, however, when you heard them curse loudly.

you turned around to see three blue vests with their guns pointed, and that's when you noticed her own gray one. they were the same two players you had shot earlier, along with the missing member you had wondered about. it seemed they had found each other, and decided to ambush your teammate. quickly you shot the one nearest to you, watching as their vest matched the color of hers. one of them groaned loudly in frustration while the other stared in shock at their body.

"no...no no no no that was my last chance!" they shouted, dropping their gun as their hands shot to their hair. they began pulling at the strands of black, tears spilling down their cheeks. 

the other two players didn't even take the opportunity to shoot you. instead, they stared in shock at their friend slumped to the ground from the laser that hit him, head smoking from the wound. you put a hand around your mouth, lips trembling as you quickly grabbed the girl's hand and ran off. you did your best to ignore the screams of his friends calling out to him.

you were out of breath when you finally reached the bottom level, far from the two opposing players. you slumped against the wall as you tried to get rid of the scene imprinted in your mind, blinking away the blood and the disfigured form of his head. it was the first time you were seeing what these lasers in the sky could do, and it was just as horrible, maybe even worse, than what you had imagined.

and you had been the reason it happened.

"oh god." you gasped out, feeling the churning of your stomach crawl up your throat. you slapped a hand over your mouth to keep from vomiting.

"i'm guessing that was your first time seeing that." the girl said, appearing unfazed by everything.

it was then that you realized she wasn't new if she could watch that scene and not feel any remorse. you wondered just how much had she seen, and how long it took for her to get used to it.

she crouched down beside you, eyes glancing around the area before she reached both hands over and gripped your shoulders, "look, you need to toughen up a bit. this kind of stuff? you're going to see it all over the borderlands, no matter what game it is. there is never going to be a game where no one dies. you're going to have people try to leave, even those who kill themselves. so what i need you to do is tell me another good place we can go so we can win this thing and go back home."

she was right. you had witnessed the horrors during your mafia game, and you could never quite blink away the events from your second game. death was inevitable, and if you wanted to survive, you had to go about it one step at a time. and that current step was focusing on clearing the game.

you gave her a nod, "sorry, i was just surprised." you got up when she removed her hands, peeking around the corner. now that you were on the bottom floor, things would be harder. everyone still participating in the game would be able to spot you if paying attention, so your only bet was to go through the back ways like the rest of the players had been doing.

you turned around to tell her your plan, faltering when you noticed the gray colors of her vest. it was the first time she looked so scared, hands trembling and her eyes widened like she hadn't been expecting it. that was when your own gun began to vibrate, colors flashing before going out. this could only mean one thing. you both had been shot.

"how many.." you began to ask, but before you could finish your sentence her forehead was shot clean through, brown eyes dull as she fell to the ground.

you backed up in shock, glancing around widely for the player that had killed your team mate. you spotted the flash of blue up on the top level, disappearing as quick as you saw it. you groaned in frustration before getting up and running, trying to find a pathway that would get you to that level.

your legs burned as you ran, labored breaths escaping your mouth as you reached the top. even though she had been a militant, even though she had probably killed who knows how many people, she was still your teammate, and she had helped you through the game. by now your vest had returned to its former color, and you crouched down low when you spotted two blue vests through a window space. you realized it was the newbies you had talked to earlier, and luckily for you they were far enough that they wouldn't be able to see you from your position. you brought up your gun and shot one of them, quickly hiding for a couple of seconds before getting back up and shooting the other.

you tried to block the screams that echoed around you as you ran. there should be less than five minutes left of the game, a quick look at your gun confirming your suspicion. if you could just hold off for those last few minutes and avoid everyone, you could clear the game. you could go home.

you stumbled as you fell against one of the walls, breathing hard as your legs felt like they'd give out on you at any moment. your hands rested on the wall to keep yourself upright, trying to catch your breath. it's been a while since you've ran so much, and you began to regret sitting out of p.e class back in high school.

"looks like the princess is still alive."

you picked up your gun and pointed it at the voice, not knowing how to feel about the person standing in front of you. for one, he was a part of your team. but on the other hand, this was niragi, and having him around couldn't be good.

he smirked, dangerous eyes flickering between your face and the weapon, "you going to shoot your own teammate?"

you continued breathing heavily, every bone in your body screaming at you to try. but you lowered your gun anyways. it would be pointless to shoot him when the game was so close to ending. 

"wow, you are really out of breath. not used to so much physical activity?" he teased, and you opened your mouth to defend yourself. the words died, however, when you felt yourself falling, palms scraping against the carpet.

you looked up to see niragi crouched down beside you, his gun shooting from around the corner. it was then that you realized he had pushed you, out of the way no less. but why? why go through the trouble of saving you? there was no way he could've known you only had one chance left, and it wasn't like him to think of anyone other than himself.

"dammit. i was really hoping they'd die." you heard him say, lowering his gun. he looked at you, a chilling smirk twitching his lips. 

your gun buzzed, and you took the opportunity to look down and see there was less than a minute left of the game. you were relieved that it would be over soon and you could avoid the militants once more. you thought back to chishiya, hoping he was already waiting for you in the lobby.

suddenly you heard the sound of running footsteps, and the flash of blue was all you needed to see to hold up your gun and shoot. their lights quickly went out, and you and niragi crawled to the other side of the wall, listening to the footsteps run in the other direction. one last buzz came from your gun, and the sound of the game system filled the entire arena.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᎬNᎠᎬᎠ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ FᎾᏞᏞᎾᏔ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬXᏆᎢ ᏚᏆᏩNᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏞᎬᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎪᎡᎬNᎪ.

you dropped your gun, feeling so relieved and tired at the same time. it was finally over, and the only thing left was to see the scoreboard and determine which team prevailed as the winners.

shakily you got up, legs struggling to keep you upright as you followed behind niragi. you both followed the exit signs, not speaking a word to each other. the other remaining players left their hiding spots as well, and in total only seven players had survived.

when you made it back to the room you had received your equipment from, you made quick work of clipping your gun back to your vest and loosening the straps, finally putting it back in it's previous spot. no one said a word as you all left the room, stopping in front of a tv that would reveal the outcome of the game.

the screen turned on, showing each player's individual score. you were surprised to see you had gotten second place, niragi coming in first followed by the other militants. it then switched to show a split screen with the red and blue team's overall score, red team having a significantly higher score than the other.

you were relieved, although you had been expecting this outcome. from the beginning it was obvious the blue team had a disadvantage, there was no doubt about it. the three players remaining on that team cried out as the militants laughed, even going as far as giving each other high fives in victory.

you watched in regret as those same lasers killed them, niragi pointing and laughing at their dead bodies. you felt disgusted at his enjoyment.

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ. ᎢᎾ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏚᏌᏢᏢᏞY YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ Ꭺ ᏙᏆᏚᎪ.

you took out your phone to see the club symbols supply you with eight days to live. you were grateful for the fact that you wouldn't have to participate until a little over a week later, but the guilt crept up on you quicker than you thought. those players, the friend you had killed right in front of them and the newcomers that hadn't even understood what was going on. they wouldn't get any more chances to survive or go back home.

you jumped in surprise when niragi slung an arm around your shoulder, leaning in close to show you his phone screen, "eight days isn't bad, huh?"

"yeah, it isn't." you agreed flatly, ducking so you could get out of his grasp.

the four of you left the building, and once again you spotted a table with a single card on it. you reached over and grabbed it, putting it in your pocket before following the others to the car. you still didn't know why playing cards were left on the tables, maybe it was a sick joke of a souvenir from the creators of the game. still, you kept each and every one of them. you just hoped they'd be useful to you someday.

you found yourself in the back seat with niragi once more, hating how close he was because of the small space. you did your best to ignore the chills overcoming your body, reminding yourself that soon enough you'd be back at the beach. you just had to hold off for the next several minutes of the car ride. you could do that. 

for a couple minutes you were safe. niragi had engaged in a conversation with the other two in the car, so you busied yourself by looking out the window at the passing buildings. you hadn't really left the beach unless it was for games, so seeing the familiar buildings was a nice change of scenery. maybe when you had time you could go out and explore more. maybe even find some supplies that could prove useful in the future. 

"hey, last time, where were we?" you heard the male beside you say, and you tensed up when his hand found purchase on your thigh. 

"get off." you told him, shifting away while trying to make your voice as disinterested as possible. it didn't work, for niragi didn't remove his hand and leaned in even closer. 

"what? i saved your life back there, you might as well repay me." 

"and i also saved your life, so that makes us even." you reached your hand over to remove his own, body going rigid when his other hand gripped your wrist.

the both of you stared at each other, your heart pounding as he smiled at your reactions, "pull over." he told the militant driving, and your eyes widened at his words.

you yanked your hand away and reached over to open the door, cursing every being imaginable when you realized it was locked. fuck, this was bad. and to make things worse, the car didn't allow you to unlock it from your position. fear wrapped itself around your heart as the car pulled to a stop, protesting when niragi grabbed both your wrists. he shoved you against the window, pinning you down. 

you struggled, kicking your feet so he'd back away, "let go of me!" you screamed, the sound dying in your throat and replaced by a gasp of pain. your vision blurred when you felt a sharp pain hit you in the eye, barely registering the fist niragi held up. you screamed even louder.

"stop fucking struggling. i'll make sure you enjoy this, so just relax." he grunted out, not at all phased by your struggles. even the two people in the car just watched silently, like it wasn't attempted rape. what the hell was wrong with these people? did they throw away their morality when entering this world? 

he leaned in even closer, the horrible smell of death and his cologne making you want to gag. this time you were able to successfully kick him in the face, hard enough that his nose started bleeding and he removed one of his hands to touch the bloodied skin. you took the chance to kick him in the crotch, satisfied when he groaned and doubled over in pain. you reached through the space between the passenger seat and the car, somehow managing to click the unlock button.

you hurriedly opened the car, stumbling when niragi got over his shock and grabbed a hold of your foot. your forearms and knees scrapped the asphalt, releasing another pained gasp as you kicked blindly for him to let go. the other two militants got out of the car, pushing down your arms as niragi straddled your waist. tears began falling down your cheeks when you couldn't move, his heavy weight rendering you helpless. 

was this really happening? why you? why right there when you were so close to being safe in the building of the beach? maybe you should've listened to chishiya. maybe you should've worn your jacket or walked back to the beach to avoid getting into the car in the first place. why didn't you listen? why wasn't chishiya here?

"stop it! i said let go!" you continued to scream, moving your head when niragi tried to kiss down your skin. maybe if you were loud enough someone could hear you. maybe they'd come and help.

"ha! you think people are going to be able to hear you if you scream loud enough? news flash, everyone in tokyo is gone!" niragi laughed, the others joining in with him.

you cried louder, thrashing around once more. somehow you were able to scratch one of the militants in the face and pull the others hair, cries of pain echoing in the empty streets as they backed up. you took the moment that they had stopped trying to hold you down to bite niragi's hand, using as much strength that you had left possible. the man above you cursed loudly, relieving the weight he had put on your body. for what you hoped would be the last time you kicked him, forcing him off completely. you gasped for breath as you got up from the road, running as fast as you could. you ignored the shouts and curses thrown at you, pushing yourself to run even faster when you heard niragi yell at them to get in the car. 

you had to lose them. trying to out run a car was like asking for a death wish. but where could you go? where would be the best place to hide from these people? it was hard trying to think and run for your life at the same time, but eventually you spotted where the streets merged and turned the corner of the building. you thanked whoever had left the doors unlocked and entered, wildly scanning the dark room. you dove for the first door you could find, before falling to the ground in exhaustion. you struggled to catch your breath, praying they wouldn't follow you in.

you weren't sure how long you stayed there for, shivering in the dark corner of the room as tears streamed down your face. you didn't know if it was from the pain of your bloodied skin, or the fact that what niragi had tried to do finally sunk in. 

why?

whу¿
wну¿
щну¿

why couldn't you stop crying?

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

 

Chapter 9: ⌈ 7 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you didn't realize the extent of how terrible something could be until you actually experienced it yourself. it's like they say, you never know how someone truly feels until you walk a mile in their shoes. and now there you were, having just experienced it yourself, and you really wished you hadn't. you really wished that it could've been anything else.

it was like no matter how much you tried to block it, you couldn't forget the feeling of niragi now permanent on your skin. you blinked and you felt the harsh grip of his hands on your wrists, pushing down hard enough so you couldn't move. and no matter how often you rubbed your eyes you could never wipe away the image of the look he had given you, as if you were just some play thing he could do whatever he wanted to with. maybe in his eyes you were. you doubted you meant anything to him, which is exactly why he did what he did. but still, you couldn't understand how other victims could forget, or forgive, or come to terms with what had happened. did they feel as worthless as you did at that moment? did they want to get rid of the thoughts blaming themselves as if it was their fault?

щД₴ їт jц₴т уоц¿

and the perpetrators, didn't they feel any remorse? didn't they feel, even for just one second, as if what they were doing was wrong? didn't they listen to the screams and cries for them to stop?

weren't they human just like you?

you weren't sure how long you sat there alone, empty tears streaming down your face that you made no move to remove. eventually the tears stopped, however, like you had run out and for a while it was just you and the darkness of the night engulfing you. you thought that maybe you should head back, they shouldn't be around anymore, but the numbness of your legs and the thought that he would be there in the lobby made you second guess yourself. maybe you should just stay there, or find yourself a nice little apartment in tokyo. you wouldn't ever have to see him again, and you could just live on your own if you wanted to. would that be better?

but then you thought about chishiya, and how he was probably waiting for you in the lobby. was it worth it? leaving him behind? were you really okay with leaving the man that you cared deeply for without even telling him a word? but chishiya would understand, right? he would understand that you couldn't go back.

however, the more you tried to convince yourself, the more you realized that you couldn't do it. chishiya had tried to do the same thing to you after all, and you weren't going to let your efforts for him to stay be in vain. it wouldn't be fair to him, either. you told him you weren't going to die, and not returning was basically insinuating that that was what happened. you didn't want to leave him wondering what had happened to you. niragi or not, if you were going to leave the beach, it would be with the blond by your side.

so, after several minutes of calming yourself down you shakily got up, trying to ignore how heavy your body felt as you walked. luckily for you the beach wasn't far away, and with the minutes spent in the car ride it didn't take long for the building to come into view. this time you experienced no trouble with the guards as you went through the small archway.

you kept your head low as you entered the main room, glancing around quickly for a flash of white. you thought he'd be towards the back like he usually was, but you couldn't recognize the bodies lounging around. your heart started beating a little quicker when you couldn't find him, glancing around wildly. was he running late in his game? was he waiting for you in your room instead? or had whatever game he played tonight killed him? had you really returned for nothing?

but then you saw him, with a tall woman in a dark blue bathing suit right beside him. you visibly relaxed at seeing he was alive and well, but another glance and you felt your stomach drop. it wasn't because of the girl beside him, you could care less about the people chishiya talked to. but it was the fact that out of all people, he was talking to the man you had just played a game with.

it looked as if they were discussing something, niragi giving him a smirk while chishiya looked at him with a bored expression. aguni was there, too, and you watched as he cut in between the conversation, telling chishiya something. chishiya didn't seem convinced with whatever was told, but he gave him a short nod in understanding anyways.

you debated going over there. was it worth being in such close proximity with the man who had attacked you? once again you could feel his hands on your skin, and you gripped your arms tightly, digging your fingernails into the flesh to try and give yourself something else to focus on. it worked for a second, but when you looked back up to see niragi's eyes on you, piercing through your entire being just like back then, you froze. your bones went rigid and you felt so small under his gaze, and the tears threatening to fall down your cheeks only made the situation worse. 

but then you caught chishiya's gaze, and you saw the way his face shifted, appearing more relaxed than before. was that what they had been talking about? where you were? but, if that were the case, what exactly had niragi told him? you felt a little bit better seeing chishiya, but there was also the fact that niragi was right there. do you go over and risk letting chishiya know about what had happened? did you want him to know? or maybe he already knew from the conversation just held. but if you ran off now and he didn't know, he would ultimately figure out that something was wrong.

what do you do?

chishiya's eyes continued to stay on yours, patiently waiting for you to do something. you figured if you continued to stand there he would know, so with a shaky breath you decided to take your chances and head over to where they stood in the middle of the room. each step closer brought even more anxiety than the last, and when you finally stood in front of chishiya you tried your best not to look at the male in front of him.

chishiya called out your name, swiftly scanning your face, "i was looking for you. what-" his words were cut short when you gripped onto the sleeve of his hoodie, hands trembling ever so slightly. his eyes glanced at you curiously, wondering what had gotten you so shaken up.

"can we just...go back to the room? please? i'm really tired." you lied, giving him a look that told him to ask no questions and just agree. 

his eyes shifted away from yours for a second before returning, giving you a small nod. you let out the smallest sigh of relief, grateful he had understood what you silently told him. you were about to take a step towards the elevators when a hand clasped down onto your shoulder, and you stiffened under the familiar touch.

"not even going to say hello? after we just spent a game together, too." you heard niragi say, the voice echoing in your ears. you stayed rooted to your spot, refusing to look at him. you didn't want to know what kind of face he was making. you didn't want to add another image to the ones still burned before your eyes. there was also the fact that you wondered how he could talk to you so easily. how he could speak as if you were friends and he hadn't tried to violate you.

"or maybe, she just doesn't like you." chishiya answered back, and you felt his hand shove niragi's off of your body.

the blond's hand ghosted over your back, directing you away from the group of militants. each step you took relaxed the bones of your body, and you felt like you could finally breathe when you were in the hall, away from the lobby. 

"you okay?" the girl that had been with chishiya asked, and now that you were finally getting a good look at her, you realized it was kuina.

you hadn't seen your friend since the day you met her, so it was a surprise to see her so suddenly. somehow you were able to muster up a smile and a small nod, "it's nice to see you again, kuina."

chishiya sent you both a curious glance, "i see you two know each other already."

kuina piped up with an explanation, "we met during her first days here," she turned her attention towards you, clasping her hands together and giving you a small bow, "sorry i haven't been around. i promise i wasn't avoiding you." she flashed you an apologetic smile.

you waved off her worries, "i get it. i've been kind of busy, too." but something was bothering you, and you glanced between the pair, "how do you guys know each other?"

"we had a game together tonight." chishiya answered, no further explanation on what the game was or how they became friends. you gave him a short nod in understanding, assuming it must've been an easy game if more than one person was allowed to live. and now that she was here with chishiya, you figured he also took an interest in her personality and the energy she gave off.

a comfortable silence engulfed the three of you as you walked through the hallways, until kuina stopped in front of her room door, "well, you guys should get some sleep, i'll see you around. for sure this time." she flashed you a grin before giving you both a small wave, disappearing behind her door. you and chishiya took a few steps forward before arriving to your own space.

you opened the door and was immediately engulfed with the familiarity of your shared room. at least here, it was only the both of you. no executives, no beach members, and certainly no niragi.

you crawled into bed, expecting chishiya to get in with you. but instead of pulling back the covers he walked over to the table where his makeshift gadgets were placed, easing into the chair. you quickly realized he wasn't intending on sleeping anytime soon, which would have been fine. but with the night you just had, you didn't want to be alone.

while still on the bed you grabbed chishiya's sleeve, successfully earning his attention. he glanced down to where your fingers grasped the fabric, looking at you with curiosity. normally you had no problem with him working during the night, even helping at times.

"can we just..." you paused, trying to find the right words and the ability to get them out of your mouth, "can you just hold me...please?"

he was silent for a moment, sultry eyes studying the expression on your face and the fingers you unintentionally tightened. he glanced back up, releasing a sigh before climbing into the bed right beside you. immediately you wrapped your arms around his torso the moment he laid down, ignoring the way his body tensed at the contact. you buried your face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent and absorbing the warmth of his skin on yours. 

 a teasing smirk appeared on chishiya's face after getting over the initial shock, "when did you get so clingy?"

your hands tightened in response, and you buried your face further into his hoodie to avoid his stare, "can't i give my boyfriend affection?"

he rose an eyebrow in amusement, "well, you're acting weird."

"i'm just tired."

he was quiet for a moment, fingers tapping lightly on the exposed skin of your arm. you could hear him thinking, pulling together a string of words to form a single sentence, "did something happen at your game?" 

you stiffened at his question, feeling his fingers cease their movements as well. had he already figured you out? you knew you should tell him, it would be the right thing to do instead of just keeping it to yourself. but you couldn't get the words out, syllables staying trapped on your tongue. 

"i'm just shaken up. a lot of people died." you mumbled instead. it wasn't a complete lie. you were still upset about the deaths from the game, just like the last two.

chishiya was silent for so long you thought he fell asleep, breathing even and quiet. just when you thought you'd succumb to your own exhaustion you heard him shift, feeling his fingers thread gently through your hair. just like he always did. 

"alright. go to sleep then." he whispered, and you felt your lips tremble and your eyes water from the kindness chishiya was showing. you felt such gratitude from the moment, no longer regretting your decision to return. even if he didn't give you this type of affection often you were always grateful when he did, feeling your heart warm and your muscles unravel. it was like he knew exactly how to calm you down.

you buried yourself even further, pressing your lips against the soft skin exposed by his sweater. you mumbled a small thank you, until finally drifting off to sleep.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

"₴тоp їт! ї ₴Дїd lёт Gо!

нД! уоц тнїик pёоplё Дяё GоїиG то Ьё ДЬlё то нёДя уоц? иёщ₴ flД₴н, ёvёяуоиё їи токуо ї₴ Gоиё!"

нДиd₴ fяом Дll dїяёCтїои₴ кёpт уоц dощи, Диd ио мДттёя нощ мцCн уоц ₴тяцGGlёd уоц Cоцldи'т pц₴н тнём оff. нё lёДиёd їи Clо₴ёя, тнё Cоld pїёяCїиG ои нї₴ тоиGцё мДкїиG CоитДCт щїтн уоця ₴кїи.

"ї'll мДкё ₴цяё уоц ёиjоу тнї₴, ₴о jц₴т яёlДж."

"₴тоp! ₴тоp їт plёД₴ё. Cнї₴нїуД!"

you woke up in a cold sweat, heart beating so fast you thought it would leave your chest. you could feel the pulse in your ears, and your breaths came in short like you just came back from a long run. you ran your hands over your body, blinking away the images still fresh in your mind. but there was no one holding you down, and no blood on your skin. that's when you realized you were in your room, alone, and not in the empty streets of japan. 

you relaxed ever so slightly at the fact that it had just been a dream, running your hands over your face. you tried to reassure yourself that you were okay, that the worst was over, but it was hard when it was all you could think about. and the way it had felt so real, just like back then, why must your brain remind you? why must it make you relive through it again?

"bad dream?" you heard chishiya ask beside you, and that's when you realized one of his hands was on your shoulders, like he had been the one to wake you up. you exhaled another shaky breath, giving him a small nod.

"sorry, i didn't wake you up, did i?" you asked, giving him a glance.

"no. i couldn't sleep." he pulled his hand away, dropping his body into the mattress once more. 

you glanced at the window to see it was early morning, soft sunlight pouring through the window panes. it was quiet outside, meaning everyone was probably still asleep, but you figured you'd get out of bed and freshen up. you were still wearing the same clothes from the night before, and you wanted nothing more than to get rid of the dirt and grime stuck to your skin. you also worried that if you closed your eyes you'd find yourself back there, reliving the event once more.

you took the covers off of your body, stumbling just a bit when your legs remained sore from last night's running. but even if you rested, you doubted it would help much, so you pushed your hair back and ignored the dull ache that followed each step.

you shivered when the cold water hit your face, droplets sliding down your cheeks and dripping onto the granite counter top. you blinked, splashing another handful of water on your skin in hopes that the cold will help you stay awake. your fingers gripped the edge, glancing at the mirror and feeling regret making its way onto your features at the sight.

was this really what you looked like? messy hair and dark circles like you haven't slept in days?just now you were noticing the bruises on your arms and the one forming around your eye, hues of purple and blue rimmed around it. you brushed your finger over the colors, wincing as it was sore at the touch. you put your hand back down and sighed, hating the reminder of what had happened now on your body. you could easily play it off as a result of the game. but you? you'd always know the real reason.

by the time you returned chishiya was also out of bed, his blond hair a little messy from his sleep. his expression appeared weary, his blinks slow and groggy, and you began to feel bad that he was getting up so early in the morning because of you.

"you can go back to sleep you know." you said, standing by the doorway of the room.

you saw chishiya shake his head softly, "i have work to do."

"oh. well, i'm going out to eat. do you want anything?" you called out. you were hoping he'd say yes, just so you wouldn't have to go alone. you were starving, stomach rumbling in protest, but the thought of running into niragi remained in the back of your mind. you could've easily asked chishiya to get something for you, but you felt bad asking the male to run the errand when he was clearly busy. 

once again he shook his head, "i'll get something later."

you gave him a small nod, trying to mask the disappointment settling over your features. you turned around, getting ready to turn the door knob when you felt a small weight on your shoulders. you looked up in surprise to see chishiya right behind you, but the white sweater he usually wore was no longer on him. instead the fabric hung on your frame, soft. 

without a word he moved in front of you, eyes downcast as he slowly pulled the zipper of the hoodie up. when it finally reached above your collarbone his eyes finally met your own, quietly examining your face. you felt your cheeks warm under his gaze, alluring and piercing, but definitely warmer than the other pair of brown eyes you kept seeing.

his attention drifted down to the bruise under your eye, a questioning look in his eyes as he reached forward to brush his fingers against it. once again you winced at the touch, despite it being gentle. chishiya paused, staring at the abnormal color of your skin before moving his fingers and patting the top of your head, "eat well." and without another word he walked past you, back to the table to get to work on his gadgets.

shyly, you brushed your hands over the fabric, feeling the soft texture beneath your fingertips. it was warm, and the hoodie smelled just like chishiya. had he realized how exposed you felt just wearing the bikini set? your heart warmed even further at the thought, smiling to yourself. even if people didn't think so, chishiya put deep thought into every action, so the man giving you his hoodie was sure to have a good explanation.

you looked back at the blond, seeing he had already busied himself with the taser in his hands. you felt your smile widen at the sight of him, drinking in the furrowed brows and the thin line of his lips. you brought the fabric closer to your body, before turning back around and leaving the room.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

eating on the rooftop became something like a routine. for one it was quiet, so you could enjoy your food in peace opposed to the loud chatter of the cafeteria. it was also away from everyone on the beach, including the militants, so you didn't have to worry about running into them unless you were getting food or going to a game. 

you pushed those thoughts away, however, blinking away the images that had followed. you didn't want to think about anything related to those people, you'd had enough of remembering for the day. you didn't even think back on your game, just the thought of it reminding you of the people you had so easily killed without a second thought. where had your sympathy gone? did you really forget about the importance of human lives? after two games no less?

"i thought i'd find you up here."

you tore your gaze away from the poolside to rest on chishiya, watching as he walked towards you with that easy going smile on his lips. his fingers skimmed the top of your head when he got close, before sitting down beside you. his eyes lazily settled on what your attention had been on before.

you hummed in response, pulling your knees close to your chest, "there's a good view of the city up here."

chishiya's mouth quirked up in a smirk, "and a good view of the beach."

you rolled your eyes playfully, aware that the blond was insinuating he came up here not for the view, but for the information, "of course you would think like that."

he rose an eyebrow, "and you don't?"

you thought over the question carefully. sure you enjoyed reading people, but gaining information by observing from afar wasn't the only reason it was one of your favorite spots, "somewhat. but it's just...quiet up here. i like it better than the never ending party going on down there."

chishiya nodded in understanding, "looks like we agree."

it was quiet for several minutes, the both of you basking in the other's presence. you liked it that way. you didn't have to think about maintaining a conversation or thinking over what to say next. instead you could just focus on him, and everything in between.

you heard chishiya call your name, and you turned to meet his eyes, muscles going rigid at the sight. brown hues examined you, pinning you to your spot and all you could do was sit there as they seemed to strip you bare of whatever mask you pulled across your face. chishiya tilted his head, a frown pulling at his lips as he asked the question rolling around in his mind, "what happened at your game?"

you stared at him, eyes widened in surprise. you should've expected this. you should've known chishiya wouldn't buy the lies you had told him last night. he knew you best after all, and you had never been good at masking your emotions in front of him.

but even then you hesitated, lips shut tight as the words failed to form. they were like puzzle pieces, only you couldn't find what section went with what and you didn't know the completed image you were trying to produce. and after hours upon hours of failing to put together a single thought you began to realize too late that the sizes didn't match and the colors weren't the same. they were jumbled. messy. and you eventually throw the fragments away in frustration. 

you released a shuddering breath, twisting your fingers between one another, "i can't say it."

chishiya's frown deepened, and you didn't have to see his face to know he was unsatisfied with your response, "why?"

"it's just...not something easy to say."

chishiya stared at you for another moment, that scrutinizing gaze roaming across your twisted fingers and bruised eye. finally, he glanced away, releasing a quiet hum in response to your answer. 

silence settled once more, and it was when the clouds cloaked the sun did you finally break it, "i noticed something. something i didn't want to admit before, but it became more prominent last night and i just couldn't ignore it," you closed your eyes, willing away the bloodied floor that greeted you, "after playing so many games...i'm starting to realize just how far humans are willing to go to survive."

once again you could feel his eyes on you, like chishiya was waiting to see if you would give more information about the game you played last night. but you remained quiet, and so he tore his gaze away and settled back to the poolside, "we live in a cruel world. back in the real world, people were able to mask these ugly desires. but here in the borderlands, you truly see that humans only care about themselves."

his words held nothing but the truth. you had seen it yourself, and you were almost down the rabbit hole as well, "i couldn't say it better myself."

"you're not going to deny it?" he asked. 

you just shrugged in response, "why would i deny something that is true?"

chishiya seemed surprised at your words, but the shock was gone just as fast as it had appeared, "i thought you were all about seeing the good in everybody."

you let loose a small sigh. he wasn't wrong, that was how you normally were. that idea that good could be found in everyone helped justify the things that happened to you, childhood and present. but why continue on doing so when each day and each action brought you further and further away from that idea? "i have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone is a good person." you had learned that the hard way, "but...people aren't born as villains. society made them so."

chishiya hummed, an amused smile on his face, "how poetic."

you gave him a grin, "got that from a book. pretty good, right?"

"it's very touching." he agreed, though the expression on his face told you otherwise. 

silence engulfed you both once more, the sun peeking out from the clouds and the cool air hitting your skin. and yet, even though the atmosphere was peaceful, you couldn't help but feel the guilt return. why couldn't you say anything? didn't chishiya deserve to know? you guys were together after all, and if something similar were to happen to him, you'd want him to tell you right away. so why were the words so hard to say? why did you feel like something was squeezing your throat, preventing you from uttering a word? you knew chishiya was smart, he had to have picked up on some clues, but it didn't change the fact that you were struggling to confide with the one person you normally stayed honest with. 

suddenly, chishiya spoke up, breaking the string of thoughts, "there's a bookstore nearby."

you perked up at this, lifting up your head and placing your cheek in the palm of your hand. all previous thoughts were abruptly forgotten, "are you suggesting we sneak out?"

"is that what you want to call it?" the man shrugged, giving you a cheshire-like grin, "it's simply an errand to scavenge supplies."

you laughed at the description, returning his smile, "i didn't realize how rebellious you could be, chishiya." 

"i used to skip class everyday before meeting you. if you think i'm not willing to break the rules, you'll find that you are wrong." the blond was right, stubbornly so. though, you never really doubted chishiya and his capability to break the rules.

you let out a dramatic sigh, thinking over the request. a bookstore sounded wonderful actually, and chishiya must've known it wouldn't take more than the word to convince you, "alright, let's do it. i think leaving the beach for a while would do me some good."

"you make it sound like it's a bad place to be." you didn't miss the way he phrased the sentence, like he wanted you to elaborate on your willingness to leave. 

but you just gave him a shrug and a small smile, tearing your eyes away from the poolside area, "maybe it is."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

it was a nice distraction. you and chishiya left the beach during games so it was easier to walk out with no questions asked, silently wandering the empty streets of the city. it was a good quiet, no conversation needed. you just focused on the crickets chirping in the background and the soft glow of the stars above.

eventually you spotted what you had been looking for, a small little bookstore tucked in between two buildings. you would've missed it if it weren't for the fact that it was in near perfect condition, opposed to the other stores messily ransacked of supplies. eagerly you dragged chishiya along to the front doors, tugging on the handles that stubbornly didn't budge. 

chishiya sighed, turning around, "well, we tried."

you sent the blond a glare, pulling him back to your side, "you're seriously going to give up that easily? we just got here!"

"clearly someone doesn't want you stealing their books." his eyes glanced at the locked doors to prove his point, even going as far as to tug on the handles himself.

"i doubt it's because of that. maybe we can use a rock? we can break the glass and unlock it from the inside."

"breaking in? isn't that a crime?" chishiya sang, an annoying smirk displayed on his face.

you matched his expression, replicating his tone of voice, "only if you get caught." 

you felt his eyes watching you pick up different rocks, a soft chuckle escaping his lips, "i don't think you're going to be very good at criminal justice if you keep this up." 

"oh just shut up, will you?" you threw a small pebble is his direction, successfully silencing the man. 

without chishiya's help you found a big enough rock nearby, thrusting the jagged end through the glass window on the door. after removing the remaining glass around it you reached in and turned the lock, a smile making its way onto your features when it successfully opened. you turning towards chishiya, blowing him a raspberry before entering the store. he rolled his eyes, following you in nonetheless.

he watched in amusement as your excitement began to physically show, your hands running across the spines of every book as you jumped around from shelf to shelf. he followed you around quietly, listening each time you rambled about a book you already read and why you found it so interesting. chishiya wasn't an avid reader, but he provided his own input of the novels he read in his free time, his theories as interesting as your own. 

you eventually found yourself at the back of the bookstore, where many of the classic reads resided. unfortunately, you couldn't tell which book was which, the light from the door unable to show the names branded into the covers.

you squinted your eyes, but it didn't help when trying to read the letters, "it's too dark to see anything."

"does it really matter which one you choose?" chishiya came up beside you, glancing at the spines. his eyebrows furrowed when he found himself struggling to read as well, lips set into a frown.  

"of course it matters. what if i already read it?" you answered back, offended that he would ask such a question.

the blonde didn't seem convinced, "then read it again."

"there's so many though! and so little time to read them all. i can't just waste my time on the same books over and over again." you explained, trying once more to read the printed words.

you heard chishiya sigh before stepping closer to you, arms brushing as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an ipod. your eyes widened at the object, remembering how it had been among all the other things chishiya had collected. but unfortunately, both of you were having a hard time fixing it. had he managed to and you didn't notice?

your questions were answered when he pressed a button and it lit up, providing enough light that if close enough you could see the letters. he moved it over each spine, giving you a glance that told you to quickly take your pick. 

your excitement returned as you quickly scanned each cover he passed over, taking the ones that were unfamiliar to you off the shelf and giving them a place in the crook of your arm. eventually, there were so many books your arm began to falter under the weight, and you sent chishiya a pleading look, silently asking him to help you.

his eyes stared at the pile of books threatening to fall off your arm and to the floor, "do you really need that many? you already have a lot back at the beach."

you gave him another pout, "i read all those already."

"then stop going through them so fast." 

you sent him an annoyed look, "you're talking to someone with a reading addiction and the ability to read way too many words per minute. you really want me to slow down?"

chishiya just sighed once more before putting away the device and reaching over for your books. he shifted them so they rested more comfortably in his arm, walking towards the front of the bookstore. even though you wanted to keep browsing, you figured you might as well take the help chishiya was giving you while he was offering. you both could always return another time.

chishiya gave you a glance when you caught up to him, a thoughtful expression on his face. he adjusted his grip on the books, staring intently at the pristine covers, "why do you like reading so much?"

you looked at him in surprise, not expecting the question. you glanced down at your own pile, thinking it over in your mind, "well, i always did it as a kid. i guess for me...the words in the pages were just a little bit better than reality," you gave him a small smile, "and right now, with us being in the borderlands, i'd much prefer the pages than the games."

chishiya stopped, and you paused along with him to send him a curious glance. did you say something wrong? you were just being honest. with your family always so preoccupied on your sister, you were allowed to read as much as you wanted without them disturbing you. sometimes, you even went as far as imagining yourself with the characters family instead of your own,  wishing it had been like that and wondering why it wasn't.

what surprised you though was chishiya placing down the books he had been helping you carry and walking to the counter where customers would pay. you wondered what he was doing until you saw the plastic bags now in his hands, the pieces clicking together. still silent, he crouched back down and began placing the books within, being careful as to not damage the pages. when you finally got over your shock you crouched down with him, helping him place the rest into the bags.

you both stood up, and just when you thought you both would leave chishiya was going back to where the shelves were, bringing out the small light once more. even in the dark you could tell his eyes were on you, waiting, and that's when you realized he was letting you get even more of the stories you wanted to read.

excited, you placed your bags down and walked over to him, giving him a grateful smile. thanks to the light you were able to spot the way the corners of his lips curled up in return, before dropping as he began gliding the light over the spines. you took the opportunity to grab as many books as you could.

your arms hurt by the time the both of you returned to the beach, bags heavy with the bonded pages of endless words, but your heart felt light, and once more you realized just how grateful you were for the blond and his thoughtfulness.

"what would i do without you, chishiya?" you asked as you finally returned to your room, placing your bags on the floor beside your bed. 

"die probably." he was quick to answer, a teasing smile ghosting his lips. 

you rolled your eyes at his response, "very funny." even so, the smile on your face didn't leave. if anything, chishiya was right. you didn't know what you'd do if you had entered this world by yourself, or how to react if he hadn't helped take your mind off of the events from the night before. and maybe you wouldn't forget, or forgive, but you knew that slowly but surely you'd get better.

and one day you could come to terms with everything that was happening, borderlands and all.

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 10: ⌈ 8 ⌋

Notes:

not me just finding out chishiya is his last name so just forget the rest of the times i accidentally reversed it :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

sometimes you questioned if chishiya shuntaro was actually a cat.

it would make sense given the situation, your back against the headboard as chishiya rested his head in your lap. you couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not, unable to see the entirety of his face with the arrangement. but then you heard the soft, even breaths coming from his mouth, leaning into the gentle touch of your fingers running through his blond strands. it was a miracle, really, that chishiya was in the position at all. normally he was working on his makeshift weapons during the time of night, refusing to take any breaks when his mind grew busy with ideas. but you didn't complain when he curled up on the bed and rested his head in your lap, closing his eyes almost immediately. 

you paused your actions and watched in amusement as he furrowed his brows, silently asking why you had stopped your ministrations. you felt the soft smile make its way onto your face at the sight, chuckling as you began threading your fingers through his hair once more. his features instantly relaxed, head leaning into the gentle touch. 

the blond definitely reminded you of the feline, and not just because of his current actions. there were many ways, personality and gesture wise, that chishiya resembled the animal. he was the type to trust very few, and when it came to affection he only ever wanted it when he was in the mood. even his grins could be seen as cat-like, along with the observant gaze he constantly studied you with. 

eventually though, the sounds of the all too familiar sirens could be heard echoing throughout the hall, letting everyone know that games would be starting soon. unfortunately for the both of you, your visas expired that night, meaning you both had to leave the relaxed atmosphere that seemed to end far too early. 

you glanced down to see chishiya blink his brown eyes open, always the light sleeper. he didn't groan or complain about the wake up call, swiftly removing himself from your lap and blinking away the sleep in his eyes. he got up and walked over to the little table with his inventions, eyes shifting between the items before grabbing the taser he had finally finished the other day and the ipod he fixed. 

he turned around to face you, and you pouted as you did the exact opposite of chishiya's previous actions. you let out a loud groan, plopping your entire body over the bed as an indication that you didn't want to leave. you knew chishiya was probably rolling his eyes in annoyance at your childlike behavior, probably thinking of several things to say in response. but he remained silent, instead grabbing the blanket you laid on and tugging it forcefully from beneath your weight. 

you yelped at the unexpected shift in position, sending the blond a glare. he appeared unfazed, however, as gave another harsh tug. 

"chishiyaaaaa." you whined, curling in on yourself as you hugged what remained in your grasp. you really didn't want to leave. you felt like you were just at a game, registering to participate and fighting for your life. why did you guys have to listen to the rules of the game masters?

"that isn't going to work with me. hurry up, otherwise i'm leaving you here." he said, dropping the fabric.

you let out another groan, rolling over so you were facing the ceiling, "do we have to?"

you blinked in surprise when you felt his finger poke you on the forehead, right between your eyes, "unless you want a laser through your head, i suggest you get up."

you grumbled at his words, reaching up to rub where his finger had been. chishiya was right though. you had witnessed first hand the effect of a laser through one's forehead, and you weren't exactly in the mood to experience it for yourself. 

you rolled over once more, pressing your face into the mattress so your words were muffled, "it feels like no matter how many days we gather for our visas, they always end too soon."

you lifted your head when you felt chishiya's fingers pass through your hair, brown eyes indicating that he understood. like he knew exactly how you felt. you were sure that was the case, and the thought that he knew where your unwillingness was coming from was enough to finally get you out of bed. 

before joining chishiya at the doorway you grabbed a pocket knife and a small book, stuffing both into your pockets as "just in case" items. you were also quick to grab a sweater you had retrieved from the supply of clothes at the beach, since the white hoodie you had been wearing stopped smelling like chishiya. you had told him you wouldn't wear it anymore unless he wore it himself for a couple of days, adamant in your words. he had smirked, teasing you, but still complied nonetheless.

after pulling up the zipper you joined him at the door, walking side by side as the both of you began the journey downstairs. you weaved through the halls, going down the steps and eventually making it to the entrance of the lobby. there, you both retrieved your game venues from the paper slips being handed out, retreating to your usual spot in the back of the room. 

you quickly scanned the words on the piece of paper, recognizing the location. it seemed like the venue was close by this time, easily a short car ride to get there. you turned towards chishiya to ask about his own assignment, pausing at the sight.

his expression was strange, different from the amusement he displayed and the impassive features of his face. it was one you'd never seen before, and it scared you, unsure what to make of the foreign look in his eyes. you opened your mouth to speak, wanting to ask the reason for such a look, only to find your eyes glancing towards the slip of paper in his hands. you felt the emotion creep up on you, slowly at first, until fear trapped you in its ugly embrace. 

every letter and every number was matching, meaning only one thing. you both would be participating in the same game venue. 

you weren't sure how to react. for one, it put your heart at ease knowing chishiya would be beside you at all times, and you wouldn't have to wonder whether he was okay or not. but there was also the fear of heart games, as well as games that only allowed one person to live. you knew you'd gladly sacrifice yourself for him, but would chishiya let you go that easily? 

you shifted your eyes to look at him once more, but the man remained quiet, as still as a statue.  chishiya was doing what he did best in any situation. thinking. he was carefully arranging the hundreds of thoughts in his head, putting them on a string to form the words on his tongue. but he didn't speak. he remained in that quiet, thoughtful trance for so long you thought he would remain there forever. 

you were quick to try and coax him out of it, reaching out and brushing your fingers against his own. he blinked, eyes following where your skin met before resting on your face. even with him looking directly at you, you couldn't find a word that matched his expression. it was unfamiliar, and you weren't sure if it was because of the venue or yourself. you had never seen chishiya so...what was it? startled? even then the word didn't quite match, but it was the best you could do. even when you found out about the games and the rules of the world, the man wasn't frightened, accepting the situation with ease. you knew he hadn't cared too much about the predicament, you knew he didn't care about his own life. but yours?

chishiya seemed to care more than he'd ever admit.  

your heart began to ache at the sight, a persisting emotion in your chest. you gripped his hand in yours, lowering it so he wouldn't look at the words inscribed there. you wanted him to look at you, and only you, so he could understand that everything would be okay. that despite being in the same game, you'd find a way out. you'd work your way through whatever hardships got thrown at you. 

you watched his face closely, studying the way his features relaxed ever so slightly as his own way of saying that your silent words had gone through to him. you sent him a small, relieved smile, before removing your hands from around his own.

you both listened to the same speech that hatter provided, the words barely reaching your ears as you walked out of the building the moment it was over. you found the car that would take you to your venue, chishiya taking his free hand out from his pocket and opening the door. but when he stared at you, waiting for you to get in, you couldn't. your body refused to move no matter how much you willed it to. 

this time you were the one who was scared, body frozen in fear as you struggled to look away from the empty back seats through the open car door. you felt the world spin, and suddenly you were back there, screaming at niragi to let go as his laughter echoed in your brain. the feeling of his hands sliding across and gripping your skin returned, lingering no matter how much you willed it to disappear. you couldn't stop. he wouldn't stop. 

you dug your nails into your arm to snap out of the memories, slowly backing away from the vehicle. chishiya gave you a curious look, that analytical stare glancing between your trembling form and the back seat of the car. 

you cleared your throat, putting a small smile on your face, "can we walk instead? it's not that far."

you sent him a pleading look, and his eyes wandered across your face like he was searching for another explanation. it appeared he either found it, or he simply didn't feel like arguing, giving you a slight nod. chishiya closed the car door and began leading the way to the venue. 

it was silent, and during that time you were able to ease the shaking of your hands and the horrid memories floating to the surface of your mind. you didn't think cars would trigger such things to appear, but it appeared like you wouldn't be driving in them anytime soon. the thought was upsetting, a deep frown settling on your lips. were you really so pathetic you couldn't handle car rides? you knew niragi wasn't there, it was only chishiya who would sit in the back with you. so why did you get so scared?

eventually the venue came into sight, a large apartment complex shaped like a T with several stories, at least 7 it seemed. you both walked up the steps and through the small lobby, noticing that several players were already present. you and chishiya grabbed one phone each, the screen lighting up and explaining the time that remained until registration closed. when the voice went quiet you both made your way to a corner, giving you a clear view of the entrance but enough privacy to not be bothered. 

chishiya crouched down and brought out his taser, plugging it into the outlet. you quickly realized he was charging it before the game began, a small spark flying from the device to indicate it was in the process. you just hoped neither of you would need the weapons brought from the beach. 

he stood up and began leaning against the wall, popping in his earbuds as soft music filtered through the device. you decided to sit down on the floor, next to his legs in order to lean back against them. chishiya merely glanced at you when your bodies met, taking his lack of protest as an invitation to lean in further and pull out your book. you technically read it already, but the familiarity of the sentences helped distract you from the anxieties of not knowing what game you both got yourselves into.

you would glance up every so often when your skin would prickle from the stares you felt the other players giving you both. you expected it, since a good couple were not first timers and were questioning the scene before them. there was chishiya, silently listening to music and charging a strange device. and then there was you, reading a book like any other day. they probably thought you were either new or crazy. 

you didn't mind though, they could analyze you guys all they want. it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. 

eventually, you looked over to see another player walk in, a first timer based on the worry etched deeply onto his features. you felt bad for him, especially when he began asking those around him what was happening. mostly everyone ignored him. 

"don't do it." you heard chishiya say from above you, you giving the man a pout. 

"he's new. we were once, too, you know." you tried to reason, only to receive an unsatisfied noise in response. 

"there's no point getting involved with newcomers. you may be able to help them now, but eventually they'll just die in another game, and your efforts will be in vain. it's best if you just worry about yourself." he spoke flatly, face blank and unbothered. as if the words that came out of his mouth were something normal to say.

you think deep down you knew he was right. despite having been in the same position before, you've learned enough to navigate through the world, and you had bigger priorities to focus on. you should worry about getting through the current game with both of you alive, and with as minimal casualties as possible. you wouldn't be able to do that if you helped this player out. but, you promised yourself that if he survived you'd invite him to the beach, just to make his life a little easier.

another player entered, a girl around your age wearing a sweater and a bright pink tank top. everyone's eyes were on her, probably trying to figure her out, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't doing the same. she didn't look new, not a trace of fear in her eyes or body language. instead, she looked determined, like whatever game this turned out to be she'd get through no matter what. you decided in that moment that you liked her, and hoped she'd survive until the end.

after she picked up her phone the same guy came up to her, "uhm, excuse me. where did all the people in tokyo go?"

before she could answer another pair walked in, containing someone you hadn't expected to show up at all. walking right in between them, the big man also known as aguni grabbed his phone from the table before walking off. you watched him go towards another player dressed in similar attire, making him a part of the militant group. for a moment your body went rigid, eyes darting between the beach members and the entrance to the complex. much to your relief niragi never appeared, meaning you were safe for the time being.

you shifted your eyes back over to the two individuals when you heard him speak up again, "this thing here-"

the poor man was interrupted yet again, this time by another pair of players. definitely close enough to be friends based on the hushed whispers they exchanged. one was wearing a dark blue hawaiian shirt over a gray one, while the other wore a yellow shirt and a gray sweater. definitely not new either.

"there's a lot a people here. maybe one's a doctor." the passing words caught your attention, finding it had been the one with blond hair who spoke them. they were looking for a doctor? it didn't seem like either of them had any injuries themselves, so maybe for another friend? did they really come to this game just to find help?

the four of them all looked at each other, the atmosphere silent and tense before the two new players walked forward and grabbed their phones. the girl took the opportunity to walk off to her own spot, leaving the newcomer to struggle for someone else to speak to. one of them, the one in yellow, glanced around at all the players, until finally settling on you and chishiya. his eyes went from the book clasped in your hands and the charging taser next to chishiya, before finally settling on you. you both stared at each other for a moment, and you took in his shaggy hair and gentle eyes, something kind in his aura. you gave him a small smile and a short wave, amused when he seemed surprised at the gesture before hesitantly returning it. you determined in that moment that you really liked him, hoping for his own survival. 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ Ꭺ ᎢᎾᎢᎪᏞ ᎾF 14 ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ.

you felt chishiya nudge his foot against your back, and you turned around to look at him curiously. he crouched down so he was at your level, taking out one of his earbuds and putting a hand on your head.

"i need you to do something for me." he said, the words careful leaving his mouth. you waited, quietly as you urged him to continue. his face shifted, and for a moment it was like chishiya didn't know what to say, struggling to release the words. after a moment he released a huff, casting his eyes downward, "i can't have you dying."

"i can imagine. would be quite unfortunate, wouldn't it?" chishiya gave you an annoyed look, the seriousness of his tone and expression causing your playfulness to cease. you gave him a sad smile, softening your tone, "i won't. but you aren't allowed to either. okay?"

he let out a short breath, eyes shifting away from you for a moment before returning, "okay."

"you have to promise." you pressed on, holding out your hand and extending your pinkie. he looked at your outstretched finger before letting out another sigh, interlocking his own with yours, "you aren't allowed to break it."

he rolled his eyes, "i know how these work."

you both remained quiet as the intercom echoed throughout the room. 

ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢу, FᏆᏙᎬ ᎾF ᏚᏢᎪᎠᎬᏚ.

you relaxed ever so slightly at the announcement, relieved it wasn't hearts. this meant you both had a chance. you wouldn't have to worry about playing with emotions in order to survive. 

but, this was still a spades game, and neither of you were athletic in the slightest. well, maybe chishiya would be able to handle himself more than you. but with aguni here, if it was team against team and you both went against him, how would you be able to outsmart pure strength? 

with chishiya's pinkie still interlocked with your own he tightened his grip, causing you to glance up and meet his eyes once more. you noticed the slight changes in his face, relaxed, as his mind absorbed the rest of the information about the game. 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎪᏩ. ᎡᏌᏞᎬ, ᎡᏌN ᎪᏔᎪY FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏩᏩᎬᎡ.

you looked back to hear all the players begin to talk among themselves, questions and comments concerning the venue filling the air. you began to think as well, wondering about the possibilities of the game. who was the tagger? you quickly scanned each individual, but none of them stood out, so you doubted it was any of the players currently present. did that mean the tagger was already in the apartment building? and if so, where? 

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᎠᏆᏚᏟᎾᏙᎬᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎪFᎬ ᏃᎾNᎬ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏆN ᎾNᎬ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᏌᏆᏞᎠᏆNᏩ ᎡᎾᎾᎷᏚ ᏔᏆᎢᎻᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ. YᎾᏌ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᎻᎬN ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎾᏴᏓᎬᏟᎢᏆᏙᎬ ᏆᏚ FᏌᏞFᏆᏞᏞᎬᎠ. ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ.

ᎪFᎢᎬᎡ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏢᎪᏚᏚᎬᎠ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏴᎾᎷᏴ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᏌᏆᏞᎠᏆNᏩ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎬXᏢᏞᎾᎠᎬ.

you turned the words over in your head, thinking. so that meant not only did you have to avoid the tagger, you had to find the hidden room as well. one thing was bothering you though. how did you determine if you've been tagged? by physical touch, or was it something else?

ᎢᏔᎾ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

"come on." you watched as chishiya removed his finger and turned around to unplug his taser, putting it into his pocket. you quickly followed his movements, stuffing your book into your own sweater and rushing to your feet. with only two minutes left until the tagger would be announced, you had to find a spot that was best for both avoiding the oponent and finding the hidden room. and with the shape of the apartment complex, there was only one place that would be right for the game.

chishiya seemed to have read your mind as you both headed to the elevator, your fingers swiftly clicking the button for the top floor. chishiya released a pleased hum at your decision, a smile finding its way onto your face as you quietly listened to the soft sounds of the device moving. you swayed on your feet anxiously, relaxing only when the elevator stopped and the doors dinged. you both walked out, heading towards the far corner where you could see each and every floor diagonal to you.

"if you choose your starting position, this is the perfect location." you heard chishiya say, the smirk on his face matching his tone as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the ledge.

you smiled and did the same, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand as you looked at him, "great minds think alike."

he glanced at you, smile widening in agreement. the man's eyes drifted past you, and chishiya turned his body to face you completely, "oh? we have company."

you turned around to follow his line of sight, finding aguni and the other militant on the top floor as well. they were looking around for something it seemed, eyes wandering and finally meeting your own. chishiya put one arm up in a wave, your body copying the movement. believe it or not you actually liked aguni, he was the one who kept the militants in check after all. it also appeared he was good friends with hatter, who despite being a little crazy, was a good person nonetheless. 

aguni just ignored you both, however, and continued on walking.

"what? that's nasty." chishiya let out a dramatic sigh, and you released a soft laugh in response. 

"guess he doesn't like you, chishiya." you teased, turning back around to face him.

"he ignored you, too, you know. you aren't special either." 

you stuck out your tongue at chishiya's retort, the man only widening his smirk in response to your childish behavior. he turned back around to face the edge, eyes shifting between each of the players that could be seen from your position. you pressed yourself closer to him, trying to obtain some of his warmth due to the windy night you found yourselves in.

"let's see," chishiya hummed thoughtfully, seemingly coming to a conclusion, "everyone looks like they're about to die, as usual." 

you frowned at his comment, lifting your head to stare at him, "are you always this negative during games?"

"i'm only stating the truth."

your frown deepened at chishiya's indifference, lowering your gaze towards the players rushing through the complex. sure, their actions were brash, but it was a horrible thing to assume everyone would die without giving them a chance, "still, you never know."

you felt chishiya spare you a swift glance before returning his attention to the complex, "you're going to get yourself killed if you continue to think like that."

you huffed, hating to admit that some part of him was right. you only had yourself to rely on, not anyone else. even the both of you looking out for each other bordered on something dangerous. but even with that thought, you didn't care. you refused to believe that chishiya's morbid way of thinking was the only way to survive. 

your phones dinged, and you watched as chishiya brought his out.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ ᏆᏚ 20 ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎪᏩᏩᎬᎡ ᏆᏚ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎷᎾᏙᎬ.

right after the announcement a loud speaker came to life, blasting upbeat music throughout the entire complex. you waited in anticipation for any sight of who the tagger was, leaning forward ever so slightly and straining your ears to listen to the silence. chishiya put his phone back in his pocket, folding his arms once more as he watched with you.

you turned at the sound of the elevator moving, slowly going up. part of you wanted to believe it was a player, but the screaming in your mind and the dread in your stomach told you otherwise. you watched as the dings indicated each floor going up, praying it wouldn't stop on your own. when you heard the final ding and no one came out of the elevator you relaxed. they must be a floor below you. 

for a moment it was silent, until loud footsteps echoed throughout the halls. each step taken caused fear to course through each player, several looking over their shoulders. after several seconds of no one moving you saw the same girl from earlier quickly run through the hall, hoisting herself up onto the ledge and bringing herself down a level.

you blinked in surprise, your fascination with the player growing. more movement echoed across the area, and you realized that some of the players finally began to move. their hands tugged on doorknobs and handles, yet not a single one opened. you wanted to go down and help, but one step towards the hall and you felt chishiya grab the back of your sweater, bringing you close to him again.

"don't be stupid." he muttered, ignoring your irritated look. 

"i'm just going to check the rooms on this floor. we might as well, right?" you tried to convince him, but the blond was being frustratingly protective that night. and annoying. 

his raised an eyebrow in question, the expression on his face both mocking and irritated. you released a frustrated breath of air, finding no more excuses to sputter. there was no way the hidden room would be on the top floor, anyways. it would be too easy. and with the way chishiya was staring at you, unamused by your suggestion, he must've known it, too. 

"i just don't think it's fair that these people are risking their lives to find the safe zone and we're just up here watching." you mumbled, trying to block out the rush of footsteps and sudden screams echoing in your ears. you had to do something. you weren't like chishiya, who observed from afar and helped only when it benefited himself. you involved yourself. maybe a little too much. 

"and what will you do, hm? you have little to no endurance, and your hiding spots are limited in a layout like this," he was watching you, studying the defeated look you presented on your face. he glanced away, speaking slowly, "sometimes, it's better if you let other people do the dirty work and come in during the right time." 

you didn't like his answer. you hated it in fact. you should be working together to clear the game, even if it wasn't clubs. but unfortunately, that was the way chishiya's mind worked, and the male was too stubborn to change his thought process. at times you would argue with him, the conversation ceasing only when the male would remain silent in deep thought. but this time you didn't, for you knew the extent of your abilities. the moment you stepped away from your spot you'd be dead, and you weren't allowed to do that quite yet. you made a promise after all. so you grumbled, fighting back the curse words wanting to leave your lips as you settled back beside him. 

you jumped when you heard gunshots, much louder thanks to the heavy silence. you lifted your head, eyes scanning to see where it had come from. but you couldn't find the source, only spotting gray walls and the occasional player. it didn't sound like it was on your side of the apartment complex, so maybe it was near the stairs? 

an even more terrifying thought arose, sinking in slowly. if there were gunshots, that must've meant only one thing. getting shot meant getting tagged.

your hands tightened when you heard even more shots, followed by the sound of terrified yelps and running footsteps. you noticed that three players found themselves near the lower floors, two of them running and hiding inside a hidden compartment while the other continued the descent down. you quickly recognized the two players hiding, catching sight of the blond hair and kind eyes. 

you watched in anticipation as the tagger, wearing a thick jacket and a horse mask, glanced down the hall. when they realized no one was there they continued downwards, towards the unlucky player that hadn't followed the previous pair.

more seconds ticked by, eerily quiet until you heard the man screaming. he bolted down the hall, running towards another player that had been checking doors. he looked at him in confusion, before his eyes widened in horror when the tagger put several bullets in the running players back. 

your ears failed to pick up on what he was saying as he turned to run, realizing too late that it was not to escape the tagger. no, this player left the apartment as a whole, and you watched with regret upon seeing the red laser go through his skull. he fell to the ground and down the stairs, eventually rolling to a stop.

you couldn't watch anymore. not being able to go down there and do something was eating away at you, cold fingers clawing at your flesh. you tightened your grip on the railing, until your knuckles turned white and they began to shake from the force. you closed your eyes, but even then the image was already burned into your mind, blood spilled on concrete and lifeless eyes. you released a shaky breath, not positive if you were trembling because of the cold or something else. 

you heard the movement first before feeling it, your body going rigid when you felt an unfamiliar weight press against your back. you tried to turn, wanting to see chishiya's face in order to understand what he was doing. but before you could do so you felt the soft fabric of his hoodie brush against your cheeks, lean arms laid over your shoulders. you blinked when your vision went dark, recognizing the warm touch of chishiya's fingers against your eyelids.

"chishiya wha-"

he quickly shushed you, "just listen."

you swallowed thickly, closing your eyes fully to do as told. you could still hear the screams and ear shattering gunshots, unable to differentiate between what was echoing in your mind and what was currently happening. but then you heard it. the soft, steady sound of chishiya breathing, right beside your ear. and you felt it. the rhythmic beating of his heart, just the slightest bit faster than normal. 

you felt your body relax as the sounds washed over you, focusing your attention entirely on the slightest catch of breath or the clearing of his throat. you focused on the warmth, too. his chest pressed against your body, warmth seeping into your skin, and the overall thoughtfulness of his actions. he was doing it so you didn't have to watch, despite how uncomfortable he was with the position and close proximity. your heart ached in your chest. 

the bliss was short lived, however, and you jumped once more at hearing another round of gun shots and two girls screaming. you felt chishiya rest his head on your shoulder, the hair peeking out from his hood tickling your cheek. you focused on that instead of the cries from below.

several minutes passed before you heard a shout, "everyone! the tagger is currently on the second level of the central area!"

your eyes widened, attention piqued as you listened to the scolding that followed the player's statement. you could barely believe what you were hearing. someone was willing to help the other players? even with the risks? 

"the tagger has bad vision because of his mask! let's inform each other of the tagger's location and search for the safe zone together!" 

you gingerly lowered chishiya's hands, keeping them clasped in your own as you spotted a flash of yellow several floors below. it was the same player from before. the one with the kind eyes. 

"it's a good idea. but no one will respond." you heard chishiya's voice from behind you, his negativity causing you to roll your eyes.

"i'm sure someone will." you replied. you couldn't see the tagger from your current location, so unfortunately you couldn't help. but there had to be a player out there as kind as that man. you also just wanted to prove chishiya wrong. 

"and risk their location to the tagger? all that yelling is going to get them killed." 

"it could save your life, though. if you know where the tagger is beforehand, you can avoid those spots or quickly leave the area before being spotted."

you felt chishiya hum against your skin, "let's see who's right then."

it took several moments, but eventually you caught sight of the girl in the pink tank top, peering over the ledge and shouting in response, "the tagger is moving from the fourth level of the central area! anybody nearby, run!"

you smiled at being proven right, your appreciation for the woman increasing. 

"really?" chishiya sounded surprised, though a flicker of excitement went across his features. 

you couldn't help the triumphant smile that made its way to your lips, "told you."

you watched as she rushed towards the hall, seeing an elderly woman standing there while clutching her phone. she seemed to be telling her something, but at turning around and seeing the tagger she hoisted herself up onto the ledge. you watched in amazement as she jumped to grab the pole, successfully moving out of the way. the tagger killed the elderly woman, but failed to reach the player now on the floor above. 

you quickly realized that her stunt from before was not luck, but actually skills. climbing to be more specific. 

chishiya seemed to have read your mind, amused by the new piece of information, "a climber? she's pretty good."

"she must be really good at spades game. makes sense why she's survived this long." it was amazing to see her jump so easily, graceful and breath catching. the area and the game was made just for her.

after the announcement you heard more gunshots, the clink of metal ringing in your ears. you wanted to look away, but something in your gut told you to look. that it was important. cautiously, you peeked down and saw that the gunshots had pierced through a door, but that wasn't the interesting part. it seemed like there were also bullets on the outside ledge, like the tagger had shot from a distance. they definitely hadn't done that before. the only reason they'd do so was if the room held some sort of importance.

"chishiya."

"i saw. but it's not the right time yet."

you nodded, returning your attention towards the scene below. the man in the yellow shirt was crouching while running towards the door, and you thought he had figured it out, too, only to see him guide another player out of the gunfire. it surprised you to see him risk his life to help the newcomer, but you were happy at the fact that you had been right about the gentle look in his eyes. 

you felt chishiya shift from behind you, bringing out his phone and holding it so the both of you could see the screen. the timer ticked down, showing 6 minutes left until the game ended.

he swiftly removed himself from your position, putting his phone back in his pocket and taking off his hood. he flashed you that all too knowing smirk, a trickle of excitement passing over his eyes, "shall we begin?

you returned the expression, trailing after him as you both entered the elevator. when he pressed the button for the floor and the device began to move your thoughts wandered, mainly because something was bothering you about the game. why hadn't the tagger just stayed in front of the door? were they trying to eliminate everyone so no one could gang up on them? but, they had a gun, so they clearly had the advantage.

you decided to voice your thoughts aloud, "somethings bothering me."

chishiya glanced at you, slight interest evident in his tone, "about?"

you turned your body to face his, "the tagger, they were chasing people, but they could've just stayed in front of the safe zone. sure it would make it more obvious, but they have the advantage here. so wouldn't it make more sense?"

chishiya just shrugged in response, "does it really matter now? the game is almost over. after this, we'll forget all about why the tagger chose to do what they did."

you figured he was right, but you couldn't just let the thought go. it itched in the back of your brain as the doors opened and you both got out, continuing down the long hallway. you weren't sure where the tagger was at the moment, but you could no longer hear their footsteps, meaning something must've caught their attention.

as you got closer to the door another player emerged, revealed to be the guy in the yellow shirt and gray sweater. you felt a smile grace your lips at the sight of him, and you knew chishiya was also pleased by the fact that he had caught onto the tagger's peculiar actions. 

"so you realized that, too?" chishiya asked, a lazy smile resting on his lips.

the male stepped forward, "yes. the safe zone is in this apartment." he reached towards the door handle, only to pause before making contact with the metal. you could practically hear the gears turning in his head, clicking the pieces together. 

chishiya glanced down at his hands before lifting his gaze once more, "aren't you going to open it?" and there it was again. that flicker of amusement, brown eyes casually studying his reactions. 

the male lifted his head, speaking his thoughts out loud, "why did the tagger chase us? they could have just waited here." 

your eyes widened in surprise upon hearing him voice the same thoughts as you, "i thought the same thing. weird isn't it? it would mean certain victory."

he nodded, "exactly."

chishiya cut in between the two of you, "seems like there's something else we don't know." he brought his hand out of his pocket, revealing his phone screen, "however, if you don't open it..." he trailed off, the rest of the words obvious. 

the male nodded, glancing over as another ding sounded through the hall.

ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᎾNᏟᏞᏌᎠᎬᏚ.

there wasn't much time left. despite your shared suspicions, he had to open the door before the numbers hit zero or the mysterious tagger appeared. you watched as he got ready to open the door, brown eyes set heavily on the handle. but just as his wrist twisted to pull it open a new thought surfaced, and you quickly reached forward to grip his hand and cease his movements. 

he glanced at you curiously, chishiya sure to be giving you a similar look. you grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the left side of the door, quickly explaining your thought process, "just in case something comes out."

his eyes widened before nodding, taking another deep breath before finally opening the door. you heard the hinges protest the further he pulled it back, and the three of you waited until it seemed like nothing would come rushing out. you peeked inside, finding that it looked like any other room. dark and small, and no sign of anyone there.

you shared a look with chishiya before walking in, glancing around the empty space. yellow shirt walked towards what looked like another door while chishiya inspected the bathroom, your own attention stuck on the entirety of the room. you decided to stick by the doorway in case the missing tagger revealed themselves, taking in the shadows on the walls and how small the space appeared. and it was quiet. dread stirred in your stomach. 

nothing happened for several seconds, so you figured you had been wrong and worrying about nothing. but suddenly you saw an arm extend from the hidden space between the two walls, the action so slow you could feel the way your heart dropped and your eyes widened. a gun. they were holding a gun. and it was pointed towards the two males in the room. 

yellow shirt turned around, his face stricken with fear when he noticed the hidden tagger. 

"look out!"

"chishiya!" 

you screamed, reaching forward and tugging on the male's sleeve so hard he stumbled back. you fell to the ground from the force of chishiya falling, the male quickly looking between you and the second tagger. without a second thought he reached into his pocket and brought out his taser, turning it on and jabbing it into their side.

the tagger fell to the ground, and you quickly stood up and put your hands into your pocket, feeling around for the knife. you crouched down low towards the individual, poking them with your foot. they didn't move, so it seemed like the shock had been effective.

the male joined you and chishiya in watching the fallen tagger, chishiya looking at his taser with a sense of pride, "it never hurts to be prepared-"

gunshots erupted across the room, the bright flash blinding all three of you. you weren't sure what was happening, but you felt the world spinning and a pair of arms tackling you to the ground, your back hitting the pavement with bruising force. you blinked, blearily, barely registering the fact that you were outside of the room and chishiya was holding the door closed.  a soft groan escaped your lips when you forced yourself to sit up, willing your eyes to focus on just one image. when you finally felt like everything had settled you waited, trying to calm the racing of your heart as the gunfire eventually ceased. you heard shuffling, and you figured the tagger had gone back to the other door where the other player hid himself within.

chishiya cautiously removed his hands from the door handle, releasing a sigh as his back fell against the wall. you gulped, before carefully maneuvering your body to sit beside his own. 

the blond's eyes swiftly passed over your body, checking for any injuries. when he found none he relaxed, holding up his taser and weighing it in his hands. 

"that was close." you laughed, out of relief and the fear still coursing through your body. 

chishiya hummed, still staring intently at the device, "i should've let it charge more."

"i'd say it was pretty effective. i seriously thought they were knocked out." 

the male didn't answer, his attention quickly captured when you heard the sound of a player's voice, "someone please come over here! the safe zone is in apartment 406! it's impossible to clear the game alone! we need two people to do this!"

you heard chishiya release a hollow laugh, "seriously?"

you felt the same way, but were you really surprised? of course the game masters would make it difficult. if anything, they were probably counting on only one person surviving, just to find out they were one player short. 

you heard someone shout out a name. arisu, was it? was that the player currently stuck in the apartment alone? you heard more gunshots come from inside, and you began to worry for him.

ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ, ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ.

you tugged on chishiya's sleeve, urgency laced in your tone, "we have to help him. otherwise neither of us is going to survive this game."

chishiya nodded before getting up, cautiously opening the door and peeking inside. the tagger wasn't in sight, but you could hear the grunts and struggles in the other room. carefully, you both crept over to the doorway, your body closely behind chishiyas. you saw him peek in before stumbling back at the sound of gunshots, making you fall with him.

"someone! please come!" you heard arisu yell, the desperation in his tone evident. you tried to rush forward, only to get pulled back by chisiya's tight grip. 

you whipped around to look at him, not caring how harsh your words were leaving your mouth, "what the hell are you doing?!"

chishiya's hands tightened around you in response, "just hold on a second."

"just hold on? there isn't much time left, chishiya! he's going to die!"

more shots erupted across the room, with the system announcing only 30 seconds remained. you gave chishiya a panicked and pleading look, praying he'd go through with whatever plan he conjured up in that brain of his. finally, he released you, creeping around your body to the doorway. he put his arm out so you wouldn't get up, cautiously peeking through the door. he stepped back when bullets punctured the wall he had been in front of. 

he gave you a quick glance before moving forward again, another voice echoing through the room. it was the climber, and you peeked in as well, seeing her move out of the way when the gunfire was directed towards her.

"hey!" chishiya shouted, turning on his taser and throwing it in her direction. she reached forward and grabbed it, thrusting the device into the tagger's leg. they crumbled to the ground. 

the countdown began, and you watched as the individuals in the room looked at each other. without a word they ran, reached for the two red buttons and fell to the floor. 

you relaxed upon seeing they had pressed the buttons in time. they also made it without any serious injuries. your phones dinged.

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ. ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ.

you smiled at that, but it quickly fell upon realizing that the tagger's mask had slipped off during their fall. it was revealed to be a woman, human just like the rest of you. as she stumbled to get up the climber and yellow shirt guarded their expressions, watching her every move.

whimpers of fear escaped her lips as she looked at all of you, and you felt your heart ache at the sight of her scared face. it was then that you realized this woman was a player just like the rest of you, just with her own set of rules. you had been in the same position as her after all, during your first game as a mafia member tasked to kill the citizens. the current game must've been the same, but unlike you, she had failed. 

you stepped forward and crouched down, the woman watching you with wide eyes as she instinctively shuffled back. you reached out a hand, softening your voice, "are you okay?" your eyes drifted down to the collar around her throat, similar to the one you also wore back then. but the device was beeping, and your eyes widened the faster it got. you quickly looked up at her, "ma'am-"

it exploded, crimson liquid spraying onto your face and the walls around her. you went still, bones rigid and not making a single move to wipe away the blood. you watched in horror as she stumbled to the ground near your feet, eyes glassed over and staring up at your own. piercing. lifeless. it burned in your mind, and you think a small sound left your throat, a whimper perhaps. following the deafening sounds was your erratic heartbeat and your quickening breaths, spiking with every second passed. and still you did not move. 

you heard footsteps as someone quickly left the room. you didn't look to see who it was, all the colors merging to form the red blood soaking the floor. another pair of footsteps appeared, this time crouching down towards your trembling form. 

"you okay?" the feminine voice asked, and all you could do was give a numb nod in response. but it was a lie. you weren't okay. you'd never be okay. and this woman, she was dead, when all she'd been doing was trying to survive. she didn't want to kill anyone.

just like you hadn't wanted to kill anyone either.

the girl eventually got up and left the room, your body remaining impossibly still. why wouldn't your limbs work? it was so easy. so simple. so why couldn't you do it? 

you felt a light weight on your shoulders followed by chishiya coming into view, crouching down low in front of you. you don't know if his body covering your view of the woman was intentional or not, but the lack of her lifeless eyes allowed you to blink until the image was gone. you stared at the floor when you saw chishiya reach forward and begin wiping at your face, the soft cloth quickly turning red. he didn't say anything, remaining quiet and attentive as he gently patted your face and neck. 

somehow you found your voice, forcing the words out of your mouth, "that woman...she was just trying to survive, too."

he paused in his actions, eyes settling on your own. you stared back, aware that chishiya was analyzing your words and carefully thinking up a proper response. maybe he knew you were in a delicate state, and wouldn't put up with whatever harsh words he wanted to respond with. so instead the male resumed his previous actions, almost gentler than before, "i know."

you didn't cry, even though you knew you should. instead, you numbly watched as chishiya placed down the towel and walked over to the woman's body, inspecting her pockets and abandoned mask. the sight of him invading a dead person's privacy didn't sit right with you, and you hated the clear view you had of her hollow gaze. so you willed your legs to finally work and leave the room, pulling your sweater tighter over your body. 

you exited the apartment, surprised to find yellow shirt sitting down and leaning against the wall. he looked up at seeing the door open, eyes widening at the sight of you.

you mustered up a small smile, sitting down beside him, "arisu was it? you okay?"

he nodded, before his face twisted to that of genuine concern, "i should be asking you that. you were right there after all."

you waved him off, "i was just surprised. it's not my first game and...i know what she was going through."

he nodded in understanding, "this is my second game. i arrived here yesterday with my friends karube and chouta."

you gave him a curious glance, surprised at the mention of him only arriving yesterday. it's been weeks since you found yourself in the borderlands, and suddenly it was so much harder to grasp the way the strange world worked, "are they here at the game right now?"

"only karube. chouta has an injured leg. we actually came to this game so we could find a doctor."

you remembered the pair's conversation from earlier, the words tumbling out before you could stop them, "if you need a doctor, i could help."

his face brightened at this, "really?"

"yeah. my boyfriend is a medical student. i can try convincing him to help."

"that guy from earlier?" 

"yup." 

a confused look crossed over his face, "i didn't realize relationships were still a thing here."

you laughed at the male's  bewilderment, "we were together before coming here. and yeah, it was hard at first but, we got through it," you softened your voice, remembering the gentle way he had wiped your face, "i'm glad he's by my side."

speaking of the devil, chishiya finally came out of the room, glancing around before finding you on the floor with arisu. you smiled to let him know you felt a little bit better than before, but chishiya merely passed over the expression to settle on the boy beside you. his face shifted slightly, swiftly returning to your face before turning around. 

"let's get going." he said, his words and actions leaving little room for argument. 

you scrambled to your feet, glancing at arisu before rushing to catch up with chishiya, "wait! before we go, they said they're looking for a doctor. if we could just-"

"we have stuff to do at the beach." he cut you off, leaving you baffled by his interruption. but you quickly pressed on, not ready to give up. 

"i'm sure it can wait-"

chishiya gave you a warning look, eyes cold and his entire aura screaming with dissatisfaction. you frowned, returning his intense gaze as you tried to find alternatives to his reluctance. why didn't he want to help anyways? did chishiya think of it as a waste of time? you thought back to his words on the top floor, and how putting in the energy to help a player may prove to be pointless in the end. but arisu was responsible for clearing the game, and you had the ability to help. shouldn't you use your skills for good? 

you're ripped from your thoughts when chishiya grips your sleeve and pulls you away, out of earshot from the male still leaning against the wall. you glared at him, forcing your arm back to your side when you find yourselves in another hallway. you hoped chishiya could see your own irritation tightening your features. 

"why are you so reluctant to help?" you asked, studying chishiya's expression carefully as you broke the tense silence. the game was over, meaning there were barely any risks with helping out a player. so why was he being so stubborn? 

chishiya stared at you, and you hated the look he pinned you under. it made you feel like you were a child being scolded for not understanding something so simple, "i told you. it's pointless, and i'd rather not waste my time with something so trivial." 

"trivial? his friend is injured chishiya." 

"then if they're smart they'll leave him behind." he was quick to reply, like the thought itself wasn't something that should be considered carefully. like it was that easy to let a friend die.

your anger grew at his words, "and what if that was me, huh? would you leave me behind?"

more irritation tensed his features, but you finally rendered him quiet. for once, chishiya didn't have anything to say. 

"see? you know i'm right."

the man released yet another frustrated breath, turning away, "do what you want. but don't come crying when his friend turns up dead anyways."

you watched the man walk, figure getting smaller and smaller in your vision. you released a frustrated yell, the anger burning hot under your skin and eyelids, "why are you being such an asshole right now?!"

chishiya paused, standing still in the empty hallway. after several moments he turned around, peering at you with those cold, cold eyes. the frustration grew, hating how unfazed he appeared by it all. how could he be so gentle one moment and so apathetic the next? you wanted to scream at him more, anything to pull out a normal reaction from the puppet of a man. but even as the annoyance prickled at your skin you couldn't. you were exhausted, mentally and physically, and you wanted nothing more than to take a cold shower to get rid of the blood on your skin and the blood behind your eyes. you staggered over to him, feeling the resentment shackle your limbs as you lowered your voice. 

"i'll tell him we can't," you began, quickly reaching up and gripping the sleeve of his hoodie as soon as the words left your mouth. chishiya glanced at the action with disinterest, "but don't think for a second this is because i think your stupid ideals are correct. i'm doing this because i'm tired and i don't feel like arguing anymore."

you released him just as quick, turning around to ignore the clinical stare he kept on your form. you pushed away the frustrated feelings stirring within your chest, and the dread that grew each time you put one foot in front of the other. you didn't know what you hated more. the fact that you were sitting back and letting yet another person die, or the ease in which you had given into chishiya's insistence. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

not chishiya using his manipulation skills to cope with his jealously 💀. but ah this was fun, we’re finally getting to the original story line. anyways if you guys want more chishiya content check out my tumblr and you can leave requests for one shots and stuff.

Chapter 11: ⌈ 9 ⌋

Notes:

the amount of times i almost dropped this entire book because of this fucking chapter nfjdjaba anyways enjoy even if it sucks 😭

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you could feel the hated you felt for yourself burning like a flame inside of you.

as a child, it was because of the neglect from your parents, always more preoccupied on your sister than their eldest child. back then you didn't even blame them, you always thought that maybe there was something wrong with you for them to treat you the way that they did. and so you hated yourself because of it, wondering what you were doing so wrong for them to continue the abuse of their words. maybe you weren't smart enough, or responsible enough, or maybe there was just something about you that was beyond repair.

and it was because of this that every little decision made in your life was never for yourself. it was always for the sake of others, taking into consideration their feelings and what would make them the most pleased. you thought that maybe, if you could make people happy, that could prove to your parents that you weren't just good for nothing, and that people could like you regardless of your intelligence.

so hearing chishiya's request to turn down arisu, even though it made you heart feel heavy with guilt, you listened. you obliged not because of yourself but for him. and even though it was wrong, you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. maybe he wasn't lying. maybe he really did have things he needed to do, important even. but even though you told yourself that, the rational part of your brain continued to whisper the truth.

that it was all lies.

your guilt grew as you explained to the brunette the situation and still he had been kind enough to thank you and tell you not to worry about it. that they'd figure something out. but you could see the disappointment that flashed behind his eyes, and how his voice wobbled when he told you they'd find someone else.

you had been the only chance for his friend to get better, and yet you still had the audacity to leave him behind, sitting alone next to the empty apartment.

before you left however, you found the card as a token for clearing the game. the piece of paper stared back at you mockingly while in your hands, like this was really worth all the lives lost during the games. they weren't even good for anything, and the cards from each game you played were slowly piling up in your collection. still, despite knowing that, you shoved it into your pocket, wanting so desperately to believe it really wasn't all for nothing.

you found chishiya by the stairs in front of the apartment lobby, standing alone and waiting for you to join him. you heart began to ache at the sight, mainly because you felt bad for being upset with him. in the time of your relationship you always hated the moments the two of you had disagreements, and this time was no different. you let loose a soft breath of air, hoping to get rid of the feeling in your chest while giving one last look at the L shaped complex, praying that arisu would be okay before you finally walked up to him, chishiya giving you a short nod before walking down the steps. the both of you began the walk back to the beach, silent and no words exchanged between you two. you didn't feel like talking, your mind too preoccupied on arisu and the guilt continuing to churn in your stomach. you wanted to go back, maybe even leave chishiya without saying anything. but you didn't, and you hated yourself even more because of that.

"you're upset." chishiya stated, giving you a glance.

you would be lying if you said you weren't. even though you somewhat knew why chishiya wasn't willing to help, you still felt that you owed arisu something for clearing the game while all you did was sit back and watch. it didn't feel right, and not just because of the game, but because he seemed like a genuine person, and you thought that you'd always be willing to help other people.

what about the borderlands had changed that about you?

"i am." you replied back. silence enveloped you once more and you wondered what chishiya thinking. if you were being honest with yourself he probably didn't feel an ounce of regret, but you didn't want that to be true no matter how likely it was.

"i don't understand you." you heard him speak again, and you glanced over to see that
he was already looking at you, brown eyes boring into your own.

"what do you mean?" you asked, because you didn't understand. what about you did chishiya not get? you thought you were pretty easy to read for the blonde. didn't he already have you all figured out?

"how you can care so much about a person you don't even know." he answered, and the thought made you sad. how this man truly didn't understand when it came to the lives of others. to chishiya, only he mattered.

you looked away, eyes downcast as you continued walking, "i just...want to help people, especially when i have the ability to."

"thats stupid." he replied, and the harsh words made you angry.

you glared at the blonde, not liking the way he was acting, "it's called not being heartless."

"it's called putting yourself in a place that you don't want to be in." he said, eyes also boring into yours with a harsh look. you stared back, jaw tensed and so so angry at him. but you didn't have the energy to fight back right now.

you broke the eye contact, walking a little bit faster so you wouldn't have to look at him, "let's just get back. i'm tired and want to sleep." you mumbled.

chishiya didn't say anything, he didn't even move to catch up with you. either he didn't care, or he wanted to give you space.

you didn't feel like trying to find out.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

finally you were back at the hotel you took refuge in, eyes drowsy and chest heavy as you walked through the familiar archway and made your way through the lobby. it was quiet, seeming like your game had ended earlier than the others so not many people were gathered there. wordlessly you and chishiya made your way through the halls to your room, the door quickly coming into view. the only thing was, someone unexpected was standing in front of it.

you recognized the woman, the same one who had tended to your wound your first day at the beach and was also the one who had taken you to hatter's meetings. ann was her name, and she was tapping her foot as if waiting for something, eyes glancing around the hall searching for it. you gave chishiya a glance, seeing he also was trying to figure out what an executive member was doing in this part of the beach.

finally her eyes settled to you two, and it seemed like you were the thing she was looking for as her face changed to that of relief, "i see you two are still alive."

you mustered up a smile, "just like always. what brings you here?"

"the game. what was it?" she got straight to the point, not wasting any time on greetings and such.

you blinked in surprise, "oh? five of spades."

she gave a quick nod in understanding, "alright, follow me." she began walking past you, and once more you and chishiya shared a glance with each other. you with a questioning look while chishiya just shrugged, saying that he didn't know either before taking a step forward to join her in whatever it was that she wanted. ann turned around however, shaking her head at the blonde, "not you, just the girl."

your confusion grew even more. if you and chishiya had played the game together why weren't the both of you being summoned? wasn't this about ranks? unless, this wasn't what the interaction was really about, "i'm sorry, can i ask why?"

"with this game you're now promoted to the executive board." she explained, and your eyes widened at her words. so you had been right, but only you had been promoted?

you gave her a slow nod, "i see. but, why do you need me now?"

she sighed, pushing her weight onto one leg as she crossed her arms over her chest, "there's an important meeting right now. it's imperative that you show up."

you gave chishiya another glance. really you didn't want to, one because you were tired and just wanted to sleep and needed to talk things out with him and two because if it was an executive board meeting, you knew who else would be present. and you really didn't feel like seeing him.

you gave her an apologetic smile, "i'm sorry but-"

"if you don't go then we can easily replace you for someone who will." she cut you off.

the words were harsh, but you knew she meant well. she was just doing her job, and it made sense. those who don't go to executive meetings would be pointless as an executive after all. and even though you really didn't want to, these meetings were for the higher ups, meaning information not shared with the other members of the beach would be discussed there. if you went, maybe you could find out more about this strange world and get that much closer to getting you and chishiya out of here.

you let loose a small sigh, giving her another nod and small smile, "okay, i'll go. just give me a second."

she nodded, watching as you and chishiya went inside your room. as soon as the door clicked closed you could feel his eyes on you, questioning your actions.

"what are you doing?" he asked.

"trying to find information. is that okay with you or should i say no to this too?" you knew you were being petty, being mad wasn't going to change anything. but you couldn't help the feeling in your chest that didn't seem to leave.

chishiya watched you but didn't say anything, and you just stared back. eyes searching for what you weren't sure, but you felt as if you were trying to prove something with your unwavering gaze. finally he looked away, letting out a small air of frustration and brushing past you to the bed. you didn't turn around, you feared if you did you would start crying out of frustration upon seeing him.

"i'm sorry. we'll talk more when i get back." you mumbled, hoping he could hear your words of promise before exiting the room.

ann was still there, and you gave her a nod to let her know that you were ready. at least, as ready as you could be. she gave one back and you followed her through the hotel, not really paying attention to your surroundings. you were just so upset, and you didn't know what to do with the feeling. not only that but the fact that you knew what was coming made your stomach churn with fear.

it was too soon to see him again.

"we're here." ann broke the silence, and you looked up to find yourself in front of the same doors that you came to when you had first increased your ranks.

hesitantly and with as much mental strength as you could muster you followed ann as she opened the door, and you quickly glanced around the room to survey who were the higher ups of the beach. there was of course hatter, sitting at the head of the table with aguni sitting to his right, engaging in a conversation and your eyes widened at seeing the large cut above and below his eye. he must've gotten it during the tag game, but from what you didn't know. maybe it would also explain why the second tagger had gone missing.

your eyes shifted to the other people sitting at the table, a woman with long black hair and wearing a black two piece. alluring brown eyes saw you staring and she gave you a smile along with a small wave. it sent chills down your spine, and something was telling you that although sweet, there was something else hidden behind that grin.

the other person across from her was a man, wearing glasses on his face. he seemed like the uptight type of person, definitely the complete opposite of that woman. eyes shifting again and the sight surprised you, another man but with tattoos engraved into his skin and a katana right next to his chair. he also seemed like bad news, and based on the way no one really gave him a second glance to his weapon, he was definitely a militant.

and then you saw him, those familiar piercings and those cold brown eyes. you felt like you couldn't breath, hands shaking as you stayed rooted to your spot. he saw you, having the audacity to smirk and give you a small wave. you forced yourself to look away.

"the meeting is starting soon. take a seat next to mira." ann spoke, and you gave her a nod before sitting down beside the woman dressed in black. once more she gave you a smile, and you mustered up one in return even if you felt like crying out in anger and despair.

ann took a seat beside you, and all at once the small talk in the room died down, leaving silence as everyone's attention went to the man in charge.

he pushed himself up from his chair, his booming voice echoing throughout the room, "thank you all for coming! now, before we get started, i want to give it up for our newest member of the executive board!" he gave a big smile, hands spread out for show. you could feel everyone's eyes on you and not liking the sudden attention you quickly thanked hatter for letting you be here. he continued on however with the praises, "you've been doing exceptionally well in heart games as well! and you just cleared a spades game tonight! very impressive!"

you gave a nervous smile, hands clasped together to stop the shaking, "ah, well you know..."

"you're a hearts player?" mira asked, and you gave her a small nod in response. her smile widened and she reached over and clasped her hands with yours, "me too! oh, i'm mira by the way, i hope we can be friends! it's so great to see someone else enjoy playing with people's hearts."

was this woman crazy? did she really view those horrid psychological games as fun? you softly shook your head, trying to explain that she was wrong in her assumption, "that's not-"

the man in charge was quick to cut you off, "glad you guys are making friends! but let's move on shall we?" you felt mira squeeze your hands once more before letting go, returning her attention back to hatter, you doing the same after getting over the shock, "executive board! i, hatter and king of the beach, have found the answer!"

whispers spread through the room at that, and your confusion grew at his announcement. what did he mean by answer? did he figure out who is behind all these games? or was it the answer to how to go back home? you noticed that mira looked surprised, but not in the way the others were, but before you could analyze more hatter spoke up once again.

"it took me a while, but it's so obvious!" he got up from his chair, turning around to head to the back of the room. and what you assumed to have been a wall was actually a sliding door and he pushed it back to reveal a large board.

every card of the deck was painted onto it, some with crosses over it as a form of elimination while others remained untouched. you quickly realized this was what you had seen briefly while in his room last time, and suddenly it all made sense why he had been so keen on keeping it a secret.

he was lying.

"the cards! in order to leave, we have to collect every single one of them!" he continued, turning back around to gauge everyone's reaction. you looked around too, and you noticed that some were happy, probably at the fact that it was indeed possible to leave. others however, didn't seem convinced, and their expressions remained blank, suspicious even.

you were one of those people. none of this was making any sense. cautiously you raised your hand, hatter giving you a nod in acknowledgement and you asked the questions that had formed in your brain.

"sorry but, i just find this very hard to believe. how do you know all of this? from what?" you wanted a credible source, otherwise this really was just another ruse to get the people of the beach to continue to follow him.

he seemed taken aback by your statement, giving a laugh laced with nervousness to play it off, "how do i know? like i said, it's the only possible answer to this crazy world! why else would they leave those cards behind if they amounted to nothing? they had to have wanted us to collect them all!"

although it would make sense, the words still didn't convince you, but you didn't feel like arguing any further.

the man wearing glasses also raised his hand, clearing his throat once being called upon before speaking, "and the beach members, do we plan on telling them or are we keeping this under wraps?"

"we will announce it tomorrow night before the games!" hatter was quick to reply.

it surprised you that he was willing to tell the other members here at the beach. with the answer now out in the open, wouldn't it make gathering cards and going to games all the more competitive? casualties were bound to happen at some point, whether it be cards getting stolen or them staying in people's custody after each game cleared.

the man nodded, and it was quiet for a second before this time ann spoke up, "we don't have many cards left to collect, does this mean we are all almost able to leave?"

"that's another point i wanted to talk about. after collecting all the cards, all that will go to one person." he explained.

mira leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hands, "so what you're saying is, ultimately only one person can leave."

all around people began to talk, and in a rush hatter tried to quiet down the uneasiness of the room, "essentially yes! but don't worry! duplicates still show up in games so those cards will go to the next person!"

"and how do we determine who gets to leave before the others?" ann asked once more.

hatter laughed, "isn't it obvious? me being number one will leave first! and it'll follow the number system we already have going on."

this time you were the one to speak up, voicing your worries from before, "if you leave first, wouldn't that put the beach into disarray? who would be in charge and how do we know they won't freak out upon hearing only one person can leave?"

"the beach will be just fine without me! and like i said, this is going by the number system so our dear number two would be the new king!" he turned his attention towards the man wearing glasses, meaning he was the number two hatter talked so dearly about, "and as for the citizens freaking out well," he leaned forward, resting the palm of his hands on the table as he gave a charming smile, "you underestimate the charm of a host man."

"and the cards? do we already have a deck started?" ann spoke again, and her question made you wonder too.

hatter gave an enthusiastic nod, "after tomorrow's games we will do rounds of people's rooms and collect their cards."

chills went down your spine at the sound of a snort, and you looked over to see it had been niragi to make the noise, leaning back in his seat. hatter gave him a questioning glance, but the smile never left his face.

niragi leaned forward, propping his chin onto the barrel of his gun, "give you our cards? why should we?"

hatter gave him a look that said his question had an obvious answer, "if you want the people of the beach to leave this has to be done."

"and why should i care about whether or not they get to leave?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as if the gesture would help him hear a plausible explanation to his question.

"niragi." everyone looked over at the sound of aguni's voice, stern and demanding and niragi scoffed before quieting down. it amazed you how aguni was able to control a person that likely never listened to anybody, and suddenly it made sense how the militants hadn't gained control of the beach long ago, and how niragi hasn't caused much casualties while on the premises.

hatter laughed as to ease the tension that had been created just by those words alone, giving aguni a small pat on the shoulder, "as i was saying, rounds will be made. and right now, i want you all to give me your cards to add to the collection."

you watched as people reached into their pockets and pulled out their cards, hatter eagerly taking them and thanking each and every person. you hadn't moved, still trying to wrap your head around everything that was just discussed.

so only one person could go per deck, and then the next number one would be the one to go. but still, it didn't feel right, nothing discussed in this room did. but then what was the real answer?

you looked up at the sound of your name, seeing hatter waiting expectantly, "your cards?"

"oh! well.." you trailed off. what should you say? do you give them the cards hidden in your pocket?

"do you not have them with you?" he asked.

something in your gut was telling you that the consequences of not giving up your cards would be something you definitely did not want to experience, especially with the way hatter was looking at you, something ill hidden behind the gaze.

you reached into your pocket, pulling out all four cards from the four games you had played so far. hatter's expression changed to that of pure delight, taking the small stack and staring at them with a gleam in his eyes.

"wow! you really did clear a nine of hearts!" he exclaimed, like he still couldn't believe it.

you just gave a forced smile and a shrug, feeling someone else's eyes on you. you turned to see mira, also wearing an amused expression on her face.

"is this over yet?" niragi spoke up again, and hatter just laughed like his behavior was funny.

"yes yes! meeting is over! enjoy your night!" he shouted.

the rustle of chairs being pushed back and small talk filled your ears. hurriedly you pushed yourself up, leaving the meeting room. a lot was discussed in that confined space for the higher ups, but as you walked down the halls towards your room you couldn't help but feel as if you left with more questions than answers.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

when you made it back to your room you were surprised to see the lights still on and chishiya sitting on the bed, eyes narrowed as he worked on whatever gadget he wanted to make this time. he looked up at seeing you enter, and you both just stared at each other before he looked back down.

"how was the meeting." he asked.

"it was..something." you stood next to your side of the bed, debating whether you should get in, "i thought you were sleeping."

"i was waiting for you." he replied, still not looking up from his actions. but you noticed the way his hands trembled, and how he wasn't even putting the screwdriver in right.

"oh." you said, deciding that you'd sit near the edge of the bed. the mattress sinked down under your weight, and you glanced back at chishiya.

he let out a sigh of frustration, dropping his tools and letting the gadget fall limp in the palm of his hands, "i don't like this."

"your weapon? i think it looks fine." you answered honestly. you knew that wasn't what he was talking about, but you still wanted to make him feel just a little bit better.

he got up, putting down his things on the table along with your books and the rest of his weapons, "i meant you acting like this. it's frustrating."

you sighed, knowing that this conversation would come. you scooter further onto the bed, laying down on your back and facing the ceiling, "i'm sorry." you whispered, meaning every syllable that fell from your lips.

you blinked up in surprise when suddenly chishiya shifted in bed, those pretty brown eyes glaring down at you as he hovered above your body, "stop that."

you tried your best not to get flustered because of the position, "stop what?"

"apologizing."

you shifted your eyes away, "sor-"

your eyes widened in surprise once more when chishiya's hand took place over your mouth, muffling the words you had tried to utter. once again he was glaring at you, but you knew the gaze wasn't intended to be mean.

"what did i just say?" still you didn't say anything, and chishiya just sighed before continuing, "next time we see him we'll make it up to him. okay? so stop being all sad. i don't like it and it's annoying."

you gave him a nod, and finally he dropped his hand back to his side, rolling back over so he lay next to you on the bed. you couldn't help but smile at the thought, and at the fact that maybe chishiya did feel remorse. maybe not towards arisu but he at least he was thinking about your feelings now too, which was definitely a start. and slowly you could feel the heaviness of your chest being released.

"so what happened at the meeting?" he asked, and you let out an exhausted sigh, remembering the things that had been discussed in that room.

"nothing good. hatter...he said the cards are the answer to going back." you responded. chishiya remained silent, taking in the information you were giving him. you took another deep breath before continuing, "he said that if we collect them all, we can go back."

"but you don't believe him." chishiya said, and once again it amazed you how well he could read you.

you pushed yourself up, keeping your position by pouring your weight onto the palm of your hands as you looked at chishiya, "how could i? something just doesn't feel right."

he stared back, and you could tell that something was going on in that brain of his. finally he quirked his mouth up in a small smirk, "i say we play his little game."

you scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. chishiya was willing to just let go of all his work just like that? it wasn't like him, there had to be some other motive, "and collect the cards for him?"

"exactly." he sang.

you stared at him before giving a small nod, once again resting on your back and sinking into the comfort of your bed.

"there's something else isn't there?" you heard him speak beside you, the tone of voice so soft.

you turned your head towards him, seeing he had done the same. you smiled softly, liking that it was him, and only him, in your gaze, "just become an executive soon. it gets pretty lonely in there."

he nodded, and you reached forward to brush the strands of blonde away from his face. he fluttered his eyes close under the delicate touch of your fingers against his skin, so warm and gentle. even though it was just the two of you in that moment, you couldn't help but think about how only one person could go back, and how you so desperately wanted it to be the man right in front of you.

"we'll get out of here...okay?" you whispered, causing chishiya to open his eyes.

he reached up and placed his hand over your own, pressing the smallest and lightest kiss against the palm of your hand, "yeah. we will."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

it was a whole different view from atop of the balcony. you stood by towards the outer edge as hatter began explaining about the answer of the games, and how exactly they could go home. bored because you've already heard this conversation your eyes shifted between each of the players down there, eyes filled with hope at the news. but even through the faces you were only looking for one person. a male with dyed blonde hair and a white hoodie. finally your eyes settled on chishiya, found in the back of the room with kuina by his side. he noticed your staring, smiling and giving you a small wave and you returned it with one of your own. kuina looked at him curiously before directing her attention to you as well, face brightening and also giving you a wave in greeting. you laughed softly, returning the gesture just as eagerly as she had done.

your eyes shift back to hatter, smiling and the charm of his words making the players shout out in excitement, even when he explained that only one person would be able to go back per deck. he really wasn't lying about keeping things at bay, and how these people were blindly accepting their fates as soldiers for the cause.

you didn't get it. why wouldn't there be an answer where everyone could return at once? was this the game masters sick way of killing more people in return for just a couple to actually prevail? you thought about chishiya, and how if this really were the case, if hatter wasn't lying, only one of you would be able to go back, and the other would have to remain here.

your hands tightened. you couldn't imagine leaving chishiya behind here by himself. even if you knew he'd be alright, the thought of just leaving him like that made your heart ache. you eyes went back to hatter, continuing to smile down at the cheering citizens of the beach.

you decided in that moment that you'd get chishiya out of here. even if that means lying to the king himself.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 12: ⌈ 10 ⌋

Notes:

just a reminder that everyone deals with sexual trauma differently! in reader’s case, she is okay with physical contact she just doesn’t like being around niragi nor being in the same environment where it almost happened(hence the walking to and from venues). but even so, that doesn’t make her trauma any less than someone else’s! just want to clear that up incase someone asks why she still is affectionate towards chishiya :)

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

legs aching with every step and a heavy heart as you walked down the empty streets of tokyo, white card in your hand as a sign of victory. it was dark, but the stars and the moon lit the way enough for you to somewhat make out the roads and paths needed to take in order to make it back to the beach.

you let loose a small sigh in exhaustion, reaching up and brushing the stray strands of hair out of your face. the game you had played was simple, quickly beatable, but it still didn't get rid of the anxiety you felt. not for yourself, but for chishiya and kuina, praying the entire time that they are gone from your sight that their games go by quickly and safely as well. you were starting to understand just a tiny bit how chishiya felt and how reluctant he was making new friends while in the borderlands.

it was dangerous, especially if those people you cared about were in the same games as you. you had experienced that personally after all and the constant worry and fear was an emotion you did not want to experience once more. and never did you ever even want to imagine being in those heart games you played so well with chishiya or kuina by your side.

the more you trudged down the barren sidewalk masked in complete darkness, the more your eyes caught the faint light from a nearby building. curious, and since it was on your way, you quickened your step to see that it was indeed another game venue, flashing lights and all. and by the looks of it, the game that had been played had just ended, with the players who had won leaving through the front doors. some went towards the cars that you were sure were apart of the beach and others down the road just as you had been.

surprise presented itself on your features upon seeing those familiar braids and dark blue bathing suit, kuina walking down the steps with her usual gum stick in her mouth. brown eyes glanced up and quickly spotted you, and her face brightened into a big smile before meeting you in front of the building.

she opened her arms and engulfed you into a warm hug, and you could feel the small laugh of relief leave your lips as you squeezed her back, "i'm so glad you're okay."

she released you, still flashing you that bright smile of hers, "of course! simple clubs game tonight, nothing major." she held up said card, proving that it really had been a simple game. you nodded, and her eyes glanced down at your own card, "what about you? what game did you get yourself into tonight?"

you flashed up your own card, the red coloring of the diamonds making her eyes widen in surprise, "3 of diamonds."

"i can't tell if that's lucky or unlucky." she muttered, reaching over and taking the card from your hand to examine it more thoroughly.

you shrugged, "i'd say it's lucky. honestly it was pretty easy to beat."

kuina's lip turned up into a smile once more, handing you back the card, "i'd expect nothing less of someone who can handle someone like chishiya."

you laughed, knowing she was right. if there was anything you knew about the stubborn male over the months you've known him it was that he could be a lot, and mentally draining for the wrong people, "he can be a handful sometimes."

she nodded in agreement, turning back at the sound of the other players from the beach shouting her name. she gave them a shout in response, turning back towards you and pointing her thumb in their direction, "do you wanna catch a ride with us in the cars?"

you shook your head, "i'm okay. i'd prefer to walk anyways."

kuina gave you a strange look, "are you sure? it's really far."

you eyes glanced at the vehicle, engine turned on and car doors open ready to go. but you still couldn't do it, and once more you shook your head, "it makes me kinda claustrophobic." she continued to look at you weirdly, and you forced a laugh and a smile, "seriously, go back to the beach and let chishiya know i'll be there soon."

kuina eyed you, and you could tell she wasn't buying it in the slightest. finally she clicked her tongue, walking over to the passenger seat and leaning forward towards the window. you watched in confusion as she took out her gun stick, telling something to the driver before leaning back and watching the car drive off.

she walked back towards you, hands popping the gum stick back into her mouth, "i'm not letting you walk back alone."

"kuina you didn't have to-"

she cut you off, a big smile on her face to let you know that she didn't mind in the slightest, "i want to! now! straight back to the beach or do you wanna go on a little detour?"

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

kuina had an eye for things you could only dream about seeing.

as you were walking she pulled you aside to a small retail shop, filled with clothes and jewelry, anything individuals into fashion could imagine. excitedly, she pulled you along through the clothing racks, holding up items to your body and deciding between keeping it or putting it back in the pile.

you smiled at seeing kuina enjoy herself. it made you wonder if she had a job similar to this back before she arrived to the borderlands, especially with the way she put things back neatly and folded clothes on the table perfectly.

"you're really good at this." you commented as she held up a shirt and proceeded to fold it just as you had noted.

"i used to work at a retail shop." kuina flashed you a smile, bringing out a small hat and placing it on top of your head.

you laughed in triumph at being right and she quickly joined in too, taking another hat and putting it atop of her own head. it fit a little weirdly considering her braids but somehow she was still able to pull it off.

"what did you use to do before here?" she asked, taking the hat and putting it back onto the little rack it had been on.

"i was studying psychology so i could become a profiler." you answered. honestly with the amount of time spent here in the borderlands you were beginning to miss the lessons and the studying to begin training for the profession your dreamed of. you wanted to use your perception skills to catch the criminals, not to use in a world like this.

her eyes widen in astonishment, "like a detective?"

you shrugged, sending her a small smile, "something like that."

she nodded, "that explains a lot actually. what about chishiya?"

"asshole probably wants to keep it a secret." you laugh, kuina joining in.

"come on! i tried asking him and he wouldn't tell me." she gave you a small pout, clasping her hands together to plead with you.

you sighed, remembering the late shifts and the angry expression the blonde would hold every time he came home. you knew why he was trying to become a doctor, and the reasoning behind it was not a happy story, "chishiya..he's not really proud of the workforce he's getting himself into."

once more kuina's eyes widen, and she leans in and whispers softly, "it's not illegal is it?"

you laugh, finding it funny that that was the assumption to come into kuina's head, "no! no no it's just..it's a sensitive subject for him."

slowly she nodded in understanding, "oh. okay well let's go ahead and try these on."

before you could protest she quickly led you towards the back where the changing rooms were, pushing you inside along with the pile of clothes before closing the door shut.

"kuina! i can't even wear any of this to the beach." you whined, hating that the beaches policy never allowed anyone but militants to wear regular clothes. it was stupid really, in the time there you hadn't even gotten in the pool despite wearing your two piece every second of the day.

"so? it's just for fun." you heard her shout through the door.

you rolled your eyes playfully even if she couldn't see before placing the pile of clothes onto the nearby chair, pulling on the outfit kuina was instructing you to piece together from the other side.

"so how is it being an executive?" she asked.

"it has its perks." you answered back. it was true executives were allowed into areas normal beach members weren't. which would come in handy when it came to a thought that has been running through your head.

"any secrets?" you could hear the excitement laced in her voice, eagerly awaiting your answer.

you laughed, but unfortunately for the both of you nothing had been discussed that wasn't also told to the other beach members, "not yet."

when you finished putting the outfit on you looked in the mirror, smiling softly to yourself. you quite liked it actually, and when you had revealed it to kuina she smiled and clapped excitedly, getting up from her chair to smooth down the edges of the fabric.

"you look hot." kuina stated.

the both of you laughed, and you turned back around to try on some more of the outfits she had picked out.

eventually the small fashion show you had put on was over, and in the end you only ended up bringing a spare hoodie since nothing else would follow the clothing guidelines. kuina had left quickly to go get something, so you were waiting outside of the store for her to return.

it was a fun night, and you liked the small distraction of not having to worry about games or anything relating to the borderlands. it was just you and the new friend you had grown close to in your time in tokyo, and you were grateful that she had taken you here in the first place.

you turned at the sound of her calling out your name, holding up two small things in the palm of her hand. you gave her a curious glance before she just grabbed your wrist and clipped something together. you held up your hand, smiling softly at the threaded bracelet around your wrist. it widened even more when she held up her own hand, showing a matching one as well.

she quickly linked your arms together and began the walk back to the beach, a comfortable silence in the cool night. it was quickly broken however, making your heart quicken in anticipation.

"so," kuina began, and you gave a small hum in response to let her know you were listening, "what's the real reason?"

you hated how quickly you understood what she was getting at. you quirked your mouth up into a small smile to hopefully reassure her worries, "it's nothing."

she gave you a sad smile, "i'm not buying it."

you stared at her, her expression soft and not demanding an answer. instead, it was worried, like she genuinely wanted to make sure things were okay. you let loose a small sigh, unlinking your joined arms and instead folding them over your chest as you looked down at the ground. maybe, it would do you good to tell someone. maybe it would help get rid of the heavy feeling in your chest. and you trusted kuina. she was a good person, and you knew you could tell her things you wouldn't be able to tell other people, even if you have only known her for a short amount of time.

"back then..me and niragi were put into a game together." you managed to get out, already feeling your stomach churn at the thought of remembering.

kuina stopped, giving you a shocked look, "he didn't try to kill you did he?"

you stopped beside her, giving her a forced smile, "i'd probably rather that have been the case." she continued to stare at you, and you let loose another sigh, once more looking towards the ground. you weren't sure why, but for some reason you were ashamed to speak your next words, "no he..." you paused, forcing down the vile in your throat and fingernails digging into your skin to calm yourself, "he tried telling me that i needed to repay him. for saving his life back then."

cautiously you look back up to see kuina's face contort to that of realization, and anger began to make its way onto her face, "that fucking bastard-"

hurriedly your reached out to grab her hands, stopping her from taking another step, "you can't tell anyone!"

she looked at you strangely, like the request in itself was ridiculous. and in a way, it was. you knew that, "why? and what about chishiya? why hasn't he done anything yet?"

"he doesn't know." you mumbled out, once more looking towards the ground.

"why haven't you told him?" she asked, like she couldn't understand.

"the militants have obvious power in the beach. if chishiya found out i have no doubts he will take..more violent measures. i don't want him to get hurt." you explained quietly. and now that kuina knew, you didn't want to see her get hurt either.

"still-"

"i know. i know it's just...not the right time." you looked back up, pleading with her with your eyes to not try anything for the time being.

kuina sighed, but nodded in understanding. you felt relieved that she understood your reluctance to tell the male your situation. hands still clasped together she released them and brought them up to your face, squishing your cheeks together as you blinked at her in surprise.

"you are so strong. don't even think for a second that what he did to you makes you any less of a person." she stated, voice firm to let you know that you needed to understand but still soft enough to reassure you.

you felt the emotions swirling in your chest and crawling up your throat. her words, they made you feel at ease, and you were glad that kuina was the first one you told. you doubted anyone else could handle the situation better than her.

you nodded, voice wobbly and tears pricking the corner of your eyes at the girl's kindness and understanding, "thank you."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

it irritated you how chishiya seemingly disappeared at times.

it was like one minute he was with you, the both of you just basking in each other's presence and such and the next he was no where to be seen. and when you had asked kuina if she had seen him around she had just shrugged in response, explaining that she hadn't seen the male in a while.

you had wanted to discuss something with him regarding the cards, but when you had come back after running a quick errand for the executives he wasn't in his usual spot at the table. confused that he was somewhere else other than the room you decided to wander the halls in hopes of running into him, but the person that you did run into was not who you were expecting.

eyes widen in surprise at seeing the executive after turning the corner, quickly stepping back as a response, "ah! mira." you let loose a nervous laugh, "i didn't see you there."

she smiled wide like she was happy to see you, brown eyes glancing over your figure, "no worries. what are you doing?"

"i'm looking for chishiya. have you seen him?" you asked, eyes shifting to look behind her.

she shook her head, flashing an apologetic smile, "no i haven't."

"oh okay." you tried your best to mask the disappointment. you had been hoping he would be around this area but it seems like you had been wrong. mira still hadn't said anything nor moved, and frankly the silence was getting uncomfortable. you moved to step around her, "well i'll get going then-"

"actually i wanted to talk to you about something," she interrupted, blocking your path and you gave her a curious glance.

"oh? what is it?" what could the beaches only other hearts player want with you? was it about the games? you couldn't think of any other reason, it was why she had shown interest in you in the first place after all.

"you're doing really good in heart games! you've cleared at least two now right?" she asked.

so you had been right. you gave the woman a hesitant nod, "yes that's correct."

she clapped her hands excitedly, "oh i wish i could've been there! that nine of hearts game must've been fun wasn't it? tell me (name)." she leaned forward, pink lips close to your face, "don't you feel a rush picking people apart to find out how they work?"

you did your best to mask the surprise of her hinting at your hobby. this woman was definitely dangerous. never before had you met someone who could figure you out as well as chishiya, and that was purely because you had allowed your guard to go down. but mira? she was on a whole other level with heart games, and reading people at that.

you backed up, putting your hands up in protest, "ah, not really. although i guess i do get excited when i figure something out and i'm correct about it."

she titled her head in confusion, the smile never leaving her face, "hmm. say, when you're playing, is it fun playing with people's hearts?"

what was up with this woman? what exactly was fun about lying and torturing people just for your own benefit? "mira what are you-"

she waved you off, "oh never mind. don't think too much of it dear. you're lucky you're a natural at it. if you ever have questions feel free to come find me. hope you find your man."

before you could say anything else she was already walking past you, and you watched as her figure disappeared down the hall.

what had just happened? if there was anything you got out of that interaction it was that you had been right about needing to be cautious of her. you had interacted with her only a couple of times and already she was quick to figure out that your success in heart games was no fluke. and based on that alone, she was also a master of deception. what of, you couldn't figure out quite yet, but something was telling you that mira was more than what she seemed.

blinking out of your confusion you continued on your hunt to find the mysterious male, eventually spotting him on the rooftop when you had wandered outside. hurriedly you made your way up the steps, pushing the door open and smiling at seeing him still there, hands in his pockets and watching everything unfold below.

you walked over towards him, sitting down next to him and brushing your hands against his. he turned to look at you as a result of the soft touch, giving you a small smile before returning his attention back to the poolside.

"i was looking for you." you stated, reaching up and brushing his hair back from the wind.

"were you now." he mused, still looking down at the muffled music from below and the sea of bodies dancing.

you retracted your hand back to your side, still watching him, "it's about the cards."

at the sound of that he gave you a glance, realizing that you were being serious about this conversation. he nodded, turning his body to face yours.

you took a deep breath to calm the nerves of saying out-loud what you had been thinking about since the moment you heard about it in the executive meeting, "i think we should steal them."

he rose an eyebrow in surprise, a smile playing on his lips, "i thought you didn't believe what hatter was saying."

"i don't. but i also don't know the answer either. and having the cards will give us an advantage if he does turn out to be right." you said.

he returned his attention back to the poolside, "i'm surprised."

you knew he was talking about your decision. normally you would be against something like this, and at first you were. but the more you stayed here and the more games you played, the more chishiya's actions and morales seemed to be true, "you're right in some aspects. in this world, you can't save everyone. but i'm going to do what i can to save the ones i care about. i'm going to get you out of here. kuina as well."

"and what about you?" he asked, hinting at the fact that as of right now only one person would be able to go back.

if you were being honest you weren't sure what exactly you were going to do. all you knew was that you wanted them to go home. you could worry about yourself later, "i guess i'll just have to work extra hard."

he was silent, jaw tensed and you noticed the way his hands shifted within his pocket as if he was nervous, or thinking about something, "do you have a plan for this?"

you reached up and brushed your hair out of your face, letting loose a small sigh, "not yet. i think right now it'd be best to observe. if we take them now it could be detrimental. to us and the beach."

he hummed in response, agreeing with your words. he turned to face you once more, smirking while extending out his hand, "alright. i'm in."

you smiled, knowing that it was only natural that chishiya would join you in this scheme to take the cards. you took his hand and shook it, sealing the deal, "glad to have my partner in crime."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you both spent the next hour up there, talking and pointing out the little things as you watched below. eventually though the wind grew worse, and so you both decided it'd be best to head back to the room and hang out there instead. as you were walking up to the familiar number engraved into the wood you saw a note sticking to the door. confused, you gave chishiya a glance before grabbing the note, quickly scanning the words scribbled onto it.

you could feel chishiya right behind you, hair tickling your cheek, "what's it say?"

"it says..that there's a meeting." you stated, finding the situation weird. normally meetings happened during the early mornings, and right now it was late afternoon. so what could possibly be the reason for this?

"didn't you have one the other day?" he asked, leaning back as you turned and gave him the note to look at himself.

"i did." which meant that whatever it was must be important, otherwise it wouldn't be so soon.

when chishiya handed the note back to you, you crumbled the piece of paper, stuffing it into your pocket and flashing him a smile, "i'm going to go check out what it's about. you let kuina know i want to talk to her about something okay?"

he nodded, and you gave him a small wave before retreating down the hall, trying to figure out the meaning behind this surprise meeting.

could it be about the cards? just like you had mentioned during your first meeting? or maybe something having to do with supplies and resources. whatever it was, it couldn't be good, and the closer you got to the door the more your felt your anxiety grow.

you pushed open the door, seeing all the other members had gathered already. quickly you took your seat next to mira and ann, both seeming just as confused as you did.

and hatter, no longer did he wear his smile. instead he looked stressed out, like whatever was weighing down on his shoulders had also weighed down his entire mental state. it must be because of what he planned on discussing this afternoon.

it didn't make sense to you. hatter, despite having the entire beach to take care of, never faltered under the stress. he always took it maturely, so seeing this side of the king, dejected and, if you could say it, angry, was making you rethink the way you thought of this man.

you grew even more confused when he began laughing, the sound bitter and in disbelief like he couldn't even begin to fanthom whatever had happened.

you shared a glance with ann, who cleared her throat to begin speaking, "hatter-"

he banged his fist on the desk, causing everyone in the room to quiet down instantly. you've never seen hatter mad, which made this all the more scarier.

"people..have been holding onto their cards." he held up a small stack for show, and you didn't miss the way crimson seemed to stain the paper.

you hated that you been right about what this meeting was about. and it seemed like you weren't the only one who had considered rebelling against the beach, even despite the words hatter had expressed that night.

ann's eyes widened, "are you saying-"

"we will add another rule to the beach." hatter interrupted, looking up to stare at each and every one of the members sitting at the table, "death to all traitors. that includes trying to leave, and not giving up your cards."

you felt fear strike your heart at those words. you didn't even want to imagine what had happened to the people who had attempted to keep their cards, nor did you want to think about what would happen if you, kuina and chishiya were caught doing the same, executive or not.

"the militants will be in charge of taking care of those traitors. as an executive, i want you all to report to me in the event that someone even thinks about betraying me." hatter continued, slapping the cards down onto the table.

the older man wearing glasses, who you had learned to be named kuzuryuu, spoke up, "and the cards? what measures will be taken to ensure they are safe?"

"i have a safe that the cards will reside. as for the code, it will be held in an envelope only to be opened by me and in front of everyone else. do i make myself clear?" you watched as everyone agreed, and hatter laughed once more, just as chilling as before, "meeting adjourned."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

"i'm guessing the meeting didn't go well." chishiya stated once you had entered the room, seeing your stressed out state.

"nope." you flopped onto the bed, burying your face into the soft blanket and curling up close to the male's body. already you could feel yourself relaxing at feeling the warmth of his body pressed against your side.

you could feel the hesitance of chishiya's fingers petting your head, and you look up at him. he was watching you, waiting expectantly for you to speak you were sure. you pushed yourself up, sitting right across from him with your knees bumping into each other.

for the umpteenth time that day you ran your fingers through your strands, "it seems like people have already started holding onto cards."

chishiya's eyes widened in surprise, "that was quick."

"no kidding."

"and the consequences?" he asked.

you remembered the splatters of crimson that had stained the paper. it took no genius to figure out what that meant, "i'm sure he killed them."

"and now your stressed out about it." he stated.

you didn't answer. you knew he was positive in his statement and he didn't need confirmation from you to believe that it was true. instead you could feel him reach over and wrap his arms around your waist, causing you to squeak out in surprise in being pulled into his lap.

"what are you-"

"you'll age quicker if you're stressed all the time." chishiya brushed his fingers against your hair, pushing it back to tuck behind your ear.

you could feel your cheeks grow warm, embarrassed in the position, but still glaring at the male nonetheless "hey-"

"i want to kiss you." his eyes stared into yours, and you could see no sign of hesitance in his words, meaning he wasn't lying about his statement.

you could feel yourself smiling, already feeling the stress slowly dissipate as well as finding it funny and strange that chishiya was initiating the contact so suddenly, "where is this coming from?"

he narrowed his eyes at you, "are you saying you don't want to?"

you rolled your eyes playfully, "i didnt-"

"then we have an agreement."

before you could protest further chishiya had already slid his hand behind your neck, bringing you in closer to his lips. they ghost over each other, making you shudder and you could feel chishiya smile in amusement. his hands glided from your neck to your cheek, softly tracing the skin as he pressed more firmly against your body. you could feel the burning of your cheeks and you felt dizzy the more he kissed you, inhaling his fresh scent and how softly he caressed you. every touch lit your soul on fire, and you loved the rare moments where chishiya would get somewhat intimate like this.

he leaned back, lips brushing over your jawline and you reached up to run your fingers through the strands of his hair, so soft under your touch. you loved playing with the wisps of blonde, and loved how they curled towards the end. and even if not his natural hair color, it still suit him nicely. once more you could feel his lips reach back towards your own and you titled your head to the side, sliding them together.

faintly you heard the door open, and still in a daze you looked over to see kuina, eyes widened but a knowing smirk playing on her lips. when you realized the position you and chishiya were in you felt all the blood rush to your face, leaning back and ducking your head towards the fabric over the blonde's chest.

her smirk widened, body leaning against the doorframe, "don't let me interrupt you two. i can come back at another time."

still flustered you looked back up, shaking your head in protest, "no! sorry you can come in."

you shifted and scooted back, still close but not as intimate as before. you heard chishiya clear his throat as he ran his hands through his strands, sending you a quick smirk as kuina sat down at the small table, straddling the chair and facing the both of you.

"alrighty, so what's this about?" she asked, resting her chin in the palm of her cheek.

you sent chishiya a quick glare, knowing he found your embarrassment amusing before looking towards kuina, "you remember how hatter talked about the cards being the answer?"

she nodded in response, "like it was yesterday."

you took a deep breath just as you had when telling chishiya about your plan, "let's steal them."

her mouth went slack and she reached up to bring her gum stick out of her mouth, "you want to take the cards?"

"if that's the way to get you and chishiya back home then i'm willing to do it." you were willing to do what it takes to save the people you loved, even if that meant going against what you had initially believed.

she looked down at her coping mechanism for smoking, rolling it in her hands as if thinking it over. you waited in anticipation for her answer. you weren't sure what you'd do if she declined. finally, she looked back up and gave you a firm nod, "okay, i'm in."

you smiled in relief, "really?"

"hell yeah!" she returned the expression, popping the gum stick back into her mouth and giving you a thumbs up.

"it's official then." chishiya spoke, also smirking.

kuina leaned forward in her chair, this time rested her chin on the back of it, "do we have a plan?"

you shook your head, "i'm going to look into it more and we'll figure out a plan when the time presents itself. although i'm not sure who should steal the cards."

kuina gave you a questioning look, "aren't you going to steal them?"

once more you shook your head, "i'd be the most suspicious since i'm the only executive board member. and as of right now only we know where the cards are hidden. me taking them would be a dead give away."

"that brings me to another thing." you looked over at chishiya, giving him a hum in response, "i have a feeling arisu will be showing up pretty soon."

arisu? what did he have to do with your discussion right now? "how do you know?"

he shrugged, "just a hunch."

you narrowed your eyes at him, "okay..and what about him?"

"i think we should include him in our plan."

it didn't make sense. chishiya was so persistent in leaving him before, but now he wanted to include him in a plan that was dangerous and would require trust? "why?"

"i said we'd make it up to him right?" he asked.

"yeah but-"

"who is arisu?" kuina piped up, seemingly confused at the side conversation.

"oh, we met him during our game together. i'm sure you'll like him kuina." you reassured her. you were sure with their kind nature the two would get along well.

"so what do you think?" chishiya asked once more. once again you narrowed your eyes at him, trying to find some other motivation for his words but..you couldn't find anything. maybe you were just paranoid. but having arisu along with the plan would do some good, the male was smart after all and even then it wasn't set in stone that he would be coming to the beach at all, so there wasn't any use in worrying about it right now. you'd think it more thoroughly when the male did show up.

you smiled, giving chishiya a nod in agreement, "alright. the plan to steal the cards is in motion."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

kokodzuken for letting me pick their brain.

Notes:

also please check out @kokodzuken on wattpad they are great at writing and they let me pick their brain for some parts of the chapter :)

Chapter 13: ⌈ 11 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

the more you sat through executive meetings, the more you realized just how cautious hatter was when it came to the beach. and with the recent incident, that caution was slowly seeping into the protection of the cards as well.

your eyes watched intently as the small deck of cards, full of duplicates and the ones that would eventually go to hatter himself, were put into a safe, clicking close with a small beep. you were sure this was going into his room, too many executives had access to this room for it to be deemed safe even without knowing the passcode after all. you weren't sure if that made things easier or harder for you.

once he had finished, hatter then proceeded to bring out a small slip of paper and a black envelope, scribbling on it with his pen. from your position at the table you couldn't see what was written, no one but the man himself could, but you were also sure it was the code for that very safe. he folded it, stuffing it into the envelope before dripping red wax as the seal, pressing down onto it with his ring.

he slid the envelope to aguni, who with the same pen began signing his name. it was yet another precaution, so he knew that the envelope wasn't getting switched out with a fake. that put the idea of descreetly replacing the envelope with one of your own out of the question unless you were able to successfully forge every executives signature. you figured you may as well try, even if it would prove to be somewhat difficult. the only question was, where could you get a deck of cards to replace them? was there something about the cards that was different than the ones in stores and such? yet another question you didn't know the answer to.

when it was finally passed to you, your eyes quickly scanned through the other signatures, trying your best to memorize them as you began writing your own, purposely taking longer as to fully remember every stroke and size. finally you put your pen down, sliding it to ann who sat beside you before watching her make her own signature, memorizing those lines as well all the way until the final executive.

"i want to thank you all for your cooperation." hatter held up the envelope, covered in everyone's names, "this is to only be opened by me in front of all of you, and when i eventually leave, kuzuryuu will do the same with the remaining cards."

you shifted in your seat as the conversation continued, playing with your fingertips. this wasn't good. even though you sat through this entire meeting you still have no idea what the code was, and you didn't have the time to try and guess. the only possible way you could really even attempt to take the cards is by breaking into hatter's room, but even through that you still don't know how much time you'd really get to take a thorough look through the living space. and then what would happen when you did find it? what would you put as the code?

what the hell were you guys going to do?

you looked up at the sound of your name, seeing ann had stood up from her chair, "the meeting is over."

the woman was watching you, a worried expression evident on her face. one glance around the room and you realized she was right, that no one remained, not even hatter had bothered to stay behind.

you mustered up a small smile, pushing yourself out of your chair and thanking her before heading towards the door. she followed closely behind, and you gave her a small wave in goodbye as she left down the hall. you waited with a beating heart for her figure to disappear around the corner before dropping your hand, swiftly turning around and going in the opposite direction.

you didn't have much time left, so you had to be quick about this. quickly your eyes scan through the unfamiliar hallways, taking note of each door as you briefly opened them to check inside. the halls were empty, but that was expected since this area was only for the mechanics of the beach as well as the executives, one of the restricted areas of the hotel with important things no doubt. you could confirm that yourself each time you opened a door and a majority were supply rooms, filled with food and medical supplies.

after reaching a dead end you crouched down low, taking a piece of paper out of your back pocket and smoothing it out onto the ground while taking out a pen and using your mouth to take off the cap. quickly while it was still fresh in your mind you began to scribble across the mostly completed layout, adding the rooms you had just checked and adding labels as to not confuse the people who would be using this. and as a final touch, on the back you quickly put the signatures of the executives of the beach.

once finished you swiftly capped the pen and folded the paper, putting it all back into your pocket as you got up and began making your way back to your room. you were relieved that you had been able to finish it in time, as well as with no questions asked by unwanted players passing by. it was essential that you didn't get caught doing this.

upon seeing your room come into sight you quickened your pace, opening the door and smiling upon seeing chishiya and kuina sitting at the small table. they were playing a small game of cards you and her had found while out the other day, and by the looks of it chishiya was winning.

they both looked up upon hearing the door open, kuina smiling at you while chishiya gave you a small nod in greeting. you clicked the door close behind you, holding up the piece of paper you had scribbled on just minutes before.

kuina's eyes widen, dropping her deck of cards on the table, "you finished it?"

"yup." you strolled over, unfolding it and smoothing it down on said table, showing off the rough layout of the beach to your partners in crime.

chishiya also put down his deck of cards, leaning forward as brown eyes scanned the contents. after a moment he extended his hand, index finger tapping onto a small square, "what's this?"

you leaned forward as well, trying to see what the blonde was talking about and realizing it was actually the topic you wanted to discuss, "it's a security room."

chishiya rose an eyebrow in surprise, leaning back in his seat, "have you been in there?"

you shook your head, "only briefly so i could write it down. but look, currently everyone in the executive board is out doing errands right now. we can go down there right now and fully check it out. it could be important to our plan."

chishiya smirked, "what are we waiting for then?"

that was how you three found yourselves down in the lower floors of the beach, where most of the mechanics hung out to work on car parts and the overall electricity of the functioning hotel. luckily though none seemed to be in sight, and upon opening the door you could see that not many knew this place existed due to the dust on the monitors and how abandoned the space seemed. still, you were quick to close the door behind you, just in case prying eyes found you.

chishiya walked over towards the monitors, taking in all the footage that was being presented. you joined him by his side, quickly realizing something the more you analyzed the content on the screens.

"is it.." kuina started, eyes narrowed towards the bottom left of the large screen. so she had realized it too.

"it's showing everything in the beach. inside the rooms as well." you stated. the question was however, who was the one watching everyone from the monitors in the first place? no doubt it had to have been set up by someone, it couldn't have been turned on by just the power alone. this took some serious installing.

chishiya leaned forward, eyes squinting at one of the many tiny boxes, "huh, it's our room." chishiya stated, nodding towards the small screen and sure enough you spotted the familiar abundance of books on the ground, as well as chishiya's stuff littered on the table.

you felt an uneasy feeling churn in your stomach at the thought that someone had been watching you guys. not just because it was your privacy, but because of the things that go on in there. you were lucky that there was no audio, otherwise you would've been caught long ago.

"but who put them there in the first place?" kuina asked, also looking uneasy at the new piece of information.

you let loose a small sigh, pushing your hair away from your face, "i think i have an idea on who."

chishiya gave you a glance, "do tell."

you settled your gaze on the blonde, "when you really think about it, isn't it obvious? hatter is the founder of the beach, and with all the players keeping their cards there's no doubt that he wanted to take extra precautions." how he was able to hide cameras in the first place you weren't sure, but no doubt it had something to do with the hotel having installed them before hand, the king just figuring out how to fix them himself.

"then what do we do about the camera's in our rooms?" kuina asked, chewing nervously on her gum stick.

"we'll disable them." chishiya simply stated.

the girl still seemed unconvinced, "wouldn't he know?"

"or we could have pre recorded footage and put it there instead." you piped up instead. you weren't sure if hatter had a way of knowing when cameras are turned off, so the safest bet would be to leave them there with empty footage to the point where he assumed you all aren't there in the first place.

chishiya nodded in agreement, "good thinking." he took a seat in the chair in front of the computer, bringing his hands out of his pockets and beginning to work.

"do you even know how to do that?" kuina teased, watching as he brought up files of past footage.

"i know enough." he replied, not giving her a single glance.

kuina shared a look with you and you just shrugged, knowing chishiya would be capable of doing what he planned even if he had no idea what he was doing. you hoisted yourself up onto the table, bringing out the small map that you had drawn.

"chishiya." you spoke, and he gave a hum in response, not looking away from the screen, "do any of those videos show hatter's room?"

the soft clicking of chishiya's fingers on the keyboard stilled for a second before starting up again, "no, his is the only one that doesn't show up."

kuina brought over her own chair, sitting down while also looking through with chishiya, "you can see all the executives, even aguni." her eyebrows furrowed, and she cringed while looking away, "even things meant not to be seen."

"this will be good for our plan though." chishiya said, and kuina gave him a curious glance.

"how so?"

he leaned back, pushing the chair away from the desk, "with this we can confirm (name)'s map is correct, and that hatter's room is somewhere in this hallway." he reached forward and pointed to a small screen showing a long hallway, empty from people, "plus, when we do eventually take the cards, we can be in here and on the lookout."

"the only question is, who is going to steal them?" kuina asked, taking out her gum stick and rolling it around her fingers.

it was silent, but she was right. even through knowing the location there still wasn't anyone that could do it. not if you wanted to not look suspicious to the others.

"how about arisu?" chishiya suggested through the silence.

you gave him a weird look, wondering why he had brought the player up, "what? arisu isn't even here."

"but if he does show up, why don't we make him do it? he'd be apart of our plan after all." he pressed on.

"and what if he gets caught? you know what they did to those people." the players who had only kept their cards, and now they were dead, and not by the hands of the game masters, but by what they had believed to be allies. you didn't want to know the repercussions of getting caught stealing the cards, not for yourself and definitely not for arisu either.

"he won't get caught. i'll make sure of it."

you look away, still not entirely convinced. something just didn't feel right. what was chishiya's true motive? did he even have one? you really didn't want to be right, "i don't know."

this time kuina was the one to speak up, pushing herself up from her chair and putting a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "come on, we'll do our best to make sure nothing happens. right chishiya?"

he nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, "of course, you have my word."

you let loose a small sigh, fiddling with your fingers as you thought it over. realistically arisu would be the best choice, he wasn't an executive like you and you knew chishiya was only a couple games shy of being one himself, so he was also out of the picture, plus he was closely correlated with you as well as kuina. as far as the executives know, you and arisu weren't even friends. so if he were to get caught, no matter how much you prayed he wouldn't, they wouldn't think about associating it with you.

you let out another small puff of air, giving the pair a small nod, "okay, but only if he does come and agrees to it. if he doesn't i'm stealing the cards myself."

his smirk widened, "sounds like a plan."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

"what kind of game did you end up having?" you asked, head laying on chishiya's lap as you stared up into the ceiling with your book extended out away from your face. your three day visa had ended tonight, and you had just come back from the clubs game you were thrown into.

"diamonds." he replied, him of course tinkering with his tools.

you hummed in response, continuing to scan through the words on the pages. it was a little hard to focus, but at least you didn't have to worry about you and chishiya having been paired again, not since your spades game together, and for that you were grateful.

you put your book down at the sound of a knock on your door, shouting out a come in. and just as you had expected, in came kuina, a large smile on her face. she hadn't had a game that night, so her happiness at seeing you both unharmed was understandable. not to mention she had been coming by quite often, never really leaving unless it was the night or if she, as she called it, 'wanted to give you both alone time'.

"guess what! the pool is empty right now, you guys want to go for a swim?" her words came out rushed, fingers gripping the doorframe and jumping excitedly on her feet.

"no." chishiya was quick to reply, and you laughed a little at how bothered he had looked by the question. as if going out to swim was like asking him to give up his most prized possession.

you sit yourself up, placing your book down beside the blonde, "you sure no one is there?"

"positive!" she clasped her hands together, giving you a pleading look, "please? it's been so long since i've gone into the pool."

you laughed at her excitement, "okay okay." you turned towards chishiya, matching kuina's puppy dog eyes.

he gave you a glance, quickly looking away, "my answer is final."

"come on! you don't even have to get in." you pressed on.

"it's cold out. and do you have any idea what goes on in that pool?" he asked. he was right about that, players were in there all day, and you doubt they actually cleaned it as often as they should. still, it really had been a while since you've swam yourself, and it would be a good thing to get your mind off of things from the night's previous hours and your anxiety about the cards.

"please?" you asked once more.

he glanced over at you, eyes wavering ever so slightly. you knew you had convinced him when he looked away, letting out a small sigh of irritation, "fine."

grinning, you climb out of bed and grab one of the towels from the closet, joining kuina at the doorway where she too had her things. together, all three of you went down the steps and through the doors of the lobby. and true to kuina's words the pool was empty, all players still in games or having gone to bed for the night.

you and kuina raced to the chairs, laughing as you both throw your towels on them before scrambling to undress. as you kick off your sandals you unzip your hoodie, shrugging it off of your shoulders and wiggling out of your shorts as well. kuina got done around the same time as you, and together you both joined hands, jumping into the pool.

cold water surrounded your body and you pushed yourself up to the surface, pushing your hair back as your shiver. chishiya was right, it really was cold, but it felt nice, reminding you that you were indeed still alive.

kuina resurfaced beside you, bearing a toothy smile to which you gladly returned. you turned your head to the side to see chishiya sit down near the edge, bare feet in the water with his hands in his pockets as he watched you both. you swam near him, resting your head next to the empty space beside him.

"you sure you don't want to get in?" you asked, even though you knew the answer to that question.

he glanced down at you, no doubt taking in your chattering teeth from the cold, "positive."

you hummed, "suit yourself." you pushed yourself away, floating on your back as your body quickly grew used to the cold temperature.

before you had always avoided the poolside, too afraid of running into niragi as well as the other militants. not only that, but it was always so crowded, day and night, and you'd rather not be clad in only your bikini set in front of so many people. so being here, with just the two people you whole heartedly trust, it made your heart warm, enough to reach your entire body.

you blinked in surprise at feeling a splash of water on your face, sitting upright to see kuina grinning at you. smiling back you threw the liquid to her as well, the both of you going back and forward with each other.

"you both are ridiculous." you heard chishiya call out, wiping away some of the excess water that had also splashed onto his face.

you shared a glance with kuina, and by the look in her eyes she was thinking the same thing as you. moving as quickly as you could you swam towards the blonde, giving him a sweet smile to which he gave you a curious glance in return. he quickly realized the mischievous glint behind your eyes however, eyes widening.

before he could get up you and kuina grabbed onto one of his legs, pulling as hard as you could.

"hey-" he tried to protest, but he was already under, hoodie and all. you felt bad for a moment, but upon seeing him resurface with an annoyed look on his face and wet blonde hair over his eyes you couldn't help but burst out laughing.

you swam forward, slicking back his hair so he could see and gently wiping away the water from his eyes. he continued to glare at you, jaw tensed.

"not funny." he muttered.

"you should see your face right now." you ignored him, still holding onto his face as soft giggles fell from your lips.

"i should drown you right now."

"i'd like to see you try."

he rose in eyebrow in question, as if you really were challenging him to do so. quickly realizing your mistake since, chishiya probably would attempt a murder right now, you slowly swam back and away from his reach.

he rolled his eyes in annoyance, turning around before pushing himself out. he pulled at his wet hoodie, sighing in irritation at seeing it completely drenched before unzipping it and pulling it away from his body, trying to squeeze the water out.

you stared as he did so, feeling kuina swim up behind you and rest her chin on your shoulder, "you're staring."

you felt your cheeks warm, quickly looking away from chishiya, "i'm allowed to stare."

the male ended up sitting near the chairs instead, far away as to not get caught by anymore water or by yours and kuina's ploys. you didn't blame him, you probably would've done it again if given the chance to see his expression once more.

after an hour of enjoying the emptiness of the pool eventually you and kuina decided to get out, the cool breeze making you shiver after leaving the what had grown to be warm water. hugging yourself you walked up to chishiya, hair still wet and dripping down your skin. upon seeing you approach him he got up, grabbing your towel and placing it on top of your head. you looked up at him in surprise as he silently began to dry your hair, softly and gently.

"you'll get sick if you don't dry yourself properly." he muttered, pushing the towel back so it now rested around your shoulders and covered your torso.

you smiled, looking back to see kuina had already dried herself and changed. she gave you both a quick goodnight before going into the hotel, no doubt off to her room to take a warm shower just like you had planned for yourself.

you looked back when chishiya put a hand on top of your head, "oh and you're getting me a new hoodie."

you rolled your eyes, "oh come on, it'll be fine."

he stared at you for a second, before amusement made its way into his brown eyes, "i want yours then. for the time being."

you glared at him, "no way! i like that one."

"would you rather me throw out all your books then?" he threatened.

you narrowed you eyes at the blonde, "you wouldn't."

"really?" once more he held that expression that was just asking for you to challenge him.

"okay! okay okay." grumbling you thrust your hoodie towards chishiya, him smirking as he tugged it on. well, you figured it was fair. he didn't have a towel after all, and the last thing you wanted was for him to get a cold just as he had warned you.

turning around but still grumbling, you took a step forward only to pause when you felt a weight on your shoulders, looking up to see chishiya with his arms wrapped around you and his face buried in the fabric of the towel resting on your shoulders. he didn't say anything, just beginning to walk forward forcing you to do the same. you quickly looked back down, cheeks growing warm as you walked back to your room, liking how warm he was the entire way there.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

never before did you worry for chishiya in this moment.

it was the first time where his visa expired before yours, and you had to watch as he left in the cars from the beach, praying the entire time that he would come back safe and sound. you knew he wouldn't die, chishiya was too smart for that, but you always worried that he'd hurt himself, and you'd rather not have to experience that sort of pain anytime soon in the borderlands.

kuina also had to leave for a game, so you were by yourself in your room, trying to read as well as get rid of the anxiety of your friend and lover. you weren't sure how many times you changed positions before groaning in frustration, putting your book down over your face and stretching your arms across the bed. you weren't even sure why you were bothering trying to distract yourself when it was clearly not working.

you closed your book and rolled over, putting it beside your table before grabbing the same stuffed cat from your first day at the borderlands. more often than not you found yourself cuddling with it, a nice substitute for chishiya during lonely nights of him working or days like these, where you arrived earlier than him or had no games to play. it smelled just like him too, and you hugged it to your chest before curling up into a small ball, warm blankets over your body as your mind somehow fell asleep. maybe it was just thinking about him that put your mind at ease.

you didn't dream, but you did wake up to the soft touch of chishiya's fingers petting your hair, gently massaging your scalp. you could feel yourself smiling as you turned around, sure enough seeing the blonde sitting in bed right beside you. he retracted his fingers, and although confused at his sudden retreat in affection he held up his wrist, showing off the locker key secured around it.

your eyes widened at seeing the single digit number, quickly forming a smile, "look at you, an executive. took you long enough." you teased.

"i'll probably surpass you soon." he teased back, signature smirk stretching his lips.

you rolled your eyes playfully, "as if."

chishiya's eyes glanced down at the plush still held tightly in your grasp, once more widening his smirk, "did you miss me or something?"

you shook your head in protest, "nope, not one bit."

he let loose a small sigh, shifting away from your body, "then i guess you'll be sleeping alone tonight."

quickly you grasped onto his sleeve, laughing, "come on chishiya i was just kidding."

he hummed in response, laying back on the bed. instantly you curled up towards his side, wrapping your arms around his torso and burying your face in his neck. you could feel his arm hug you close, fingers drumming softly against your side and slowly lulling you to sleep. it helped eased your mind that he was here, very real and very warm, enough to finally put you to sleep.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you weren't really that much of an early bird.

it was hard to get up, especially after late nights of reading or long games played the night before. today was no different, with you refusing to open your eyes. and the bright light from the window that chishiya had opened was already painful enough.

"you'll miss breakfast if you keep this up." you heard him speak, clear irritation laced in his tone.

you groan, burying yourself further into the covers, "just five more minutes."

you heard him sigh in irritation, and just when you thought he had given up you felt a pillow smack you on the head, causing you sit up from the contact.

you glared at him, to which he just kept a blank face, but there was no doubt about the hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. grumbling at being woken you forced yourself out of bed, brushing past him to the front door. seriously, you knew chishiya wasn't one to sleep for long periods of time but why did he have to wake you up so damn early?

"so the princess is finally out of bed." you heard kuina joke, sitting down with you and chishiya near the staircase with her tray of food. you just grumbled once more as a response, still feeling the fatigue in your mind and body even after having gone through the line to get food and walking towards your small spot where you usually ate.

"she'll get over it." chishiya replied, taking another bite out of his nutrient bar, one of the few things left that was still edible.

"maybe if someone wasn't so damn loud i would be in a better mood." you muttered. kuina laughed at this, also very aware of how noisy chishiya's tinkering could get.

chishiya didn't say anything, instead pinching the skin on your arm to shut you up. once more your glared at him before returning back to your food, scooting just the slightest bit closer to kuina as a means to spite him. he noticed the movement but didn't say anything, but you didn't miss the way he discreetly glared at you in return.

your silent bickering died down however when you saw ann approach you three, facial expression seeming urgent. you gave her a curious glance, silently asking what was the means for her to show up so suddenly. usually executives had eaten by now, the only reason you and chishiya were even here was for kuina. was there another meeting? but once again, was it an emergency one like cards getting held onto? or was there something else?

"there's an emergency meeting." ann spoke, confirming one of your theories.

you shared a glance with kuina, who although wasn't an executive quite yet, also seemed worried, "is everything alright?"

"there have been reports of two players following the other members of the beach." she explained.

your eyes widened at her words, "you don't mean-"

"we have them in custody. i'll see you in the conference room." she cut you off and with that she walked away, no doubt in a hurry to get some of the other executives as well. you watched her leave until directing your attention to chishiya, who seemed unbothered by her announcement.

you pushed yourself up, waiting for the blonde to join you however he remained seated, continuing to eat away at his breakfast, "aren't you coming?"

"i think i'll skip out on this one." he replied.

you rolled your eyes at him. only an executive for a couple days and he was already skipping out on meetings. leave it to chishiya to be that type of person.

"you guys don't wait for me, i'll meet you back in the room." you told them. you weren't sure how long this would last and you didn't want to keep them waiting.

kuina nodded, waving goodbye as chishiya just gave you a nod in response. quickly you hurried down the hall, trying to rack your brain for answers. people have been stalking the beach? how did they figure out about it? what were they going to do to them as a result?

you pushed the doors open, glancing around the meeting room to see mira and kuzuryuu standing in the front of the room. ann was no where to be found, nor was hatter, so instead you directed your attention to the two individuals strapped to two chairs, one clearly female and the other a male. and by the looks of it, they were awake. but you couldn't see their faces, masked by a bag over them.

you closed the door shut behind you before meeting up with mira, giving her an uneasy smile while trying to figure out who could possibly be under those masks and how they found the beach. had they always been this way when it came to new members? you thought that this 'utopia' was meant for everybody, so why did they tie them up like they did something wrong?

your questions were quickly answered however as two militants reached over and took of their masks, revealing two individuals you did not expect to see so soon.

you stood frozen at the sight of the girl who had clearly been a climber before she got here from your tag game, as well as arisu, just as chishiya had said.

 

 

 

 

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Chapter 14: ⌈ 12 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you weren't sure how to describe the fear you felt strike your entire being. all you knew was that your heart wouldn't calm down and that your nails were digging into your skin, stomach churning in worry for the two individuals sitting right in front of you.

the only thing that reassured you about the sight of arisu here was that at first glance he seemed to be alive and well, similarly with the girl right beside him. you recognized her, the climber who you had also taken an interest in back during your game together. but his appearance at the beach also made your heart drop, because this meant that he really was your best bet at stealing the cards, and you hated having to put him in such a dangerous situation when really you had done nothing for him at all. would he even agree? or would he remember how you hadn't helped him in a time of need and refuse?

the minute the hood had left the pair's heads they looked wildly around the room, trying to figure out what exactly had happened and where they were. the male's attention quickly found it's way towards you, the girl doing the same. he blinked in surprise before recognition featured on his face, and you didn't miss the way he seemed to relax at the sight of you. as if you were going to make whatever this place was to him that much better.

you didn't know how to break it to him that this was not the place he wanted to be as of right now.

"good morning!" mira chirped from beside you, causing them both to look at the woman instead.

"i'm sorry that we were so rough." kuzuryuu spoke up as well, folding his arms across his chest, "we heard that there were some people sneaking around the place."

so they really were the ones who had been lurking around the beach. but for how long? and why? you glanced behind you to see that ann had arrived, the clicking of her heels making its way towards your side.

"why are you here." she asked, more as a demand for an answer than waiting to see if they'd respond.

once more you directed your attention to arisu, also wondering what he was doing here and how he had befriended this girl. not only that, but what had happened to his friends? as far as you knew only these two were the ones caught around the beach. either his friends hadn't been caught and managed to get away or something much worse had happened to his companions.

"we were told that we'll know the answer if we come here. what this game is about, and where all the people who disappeared went." arisu answered, all words spoken being honest.

you felt bad really. he had come all this way but not even the beach had those answers. at least, they only knew how to get back home. as far as why you were here and why everyone else hadn't come along with you guys was something still unknown. the disappearance of tokyo really was a mystery that had yet to be solved.

you gave a quick glance at ann, nodding your head to let her know that everything said was true. that they had no ill intentions by coming here. she nodded in understanding back, shifting her attention back to arisu.

it was quiet, and you were sure the other executives were trying to come up with something to say in response to his reason. do you tell him that you really didn't know the answer, or lie to his face just as they had done to the other members of the beach?

the loud thud of the door opening snapped you out of your thoughts, and arisu and the girl both looked back at the sound. not surprisingly came in hatter, dressed in the same robe as before and his sunglasses resting on his face.

"exactly." he spoke aloud, walking behind them with an arm extended out, "we have the answers to the questions you both have." so he really was going with lying. the door clicked shut behind him, and the man in charge leaned forward and rested both palms on both of their chairs, face close to arisu as if trying to size him up, "welcome." he turned to the girl as well, her eyes downcast and refusing to look at him, "to the beach, the utopia."

you as well as the other executives shifted uncomfortably as hatter laughed, removing his hands from their chairs and leaning back. once again his extended an arm towards the front of the room, right at the wall behind you all.

"this..is the answer." he snapped his fingers, crossing his arms over his chest as the two individuals behind him rushed to where you stood.

you listened as they pushed the sliding doors over, eyes noticing the way arisu and the climber had shared a glance with each other at the sound of hatter announcing he had the answer. they must've been waiting for this for a while now, and their eyes widened at the sight of the large board of cards that were revealed, even more crossed out than the first time you had seen it.

hatter walked towards the front of the room, attention towards the 'answer' of the borderlands, "i'll tell you the truth. there's only one way to end this hellish nightmare. we clear the games and collect all the playing cards."

arisu seemed surprised at this, leaning forward ever so slightly, "all the playing cards?"

the climber spoke up this time, eyes hopeful at the new piece of information as arisu turned to watch her speak, "so if we gather all of them, will the original world return?"

arisu looked back at hatter to hear his answer, and once again you felt your heart drop. you really wished it was that easy. then maybe things would be different here. alas, that wasn't the case, and you waited to hear how he would break the news to them.

hatter slowly turned around, "the original world will not return. only one person can return to the original world."

you were surprised at how bluntly he had stated the truth, or at least what was believed to be the truth. you could see their expression shift to confusion, as if they couldn't truly believe that this was the case. you couldn't blame them, even you were having a hard time believing the things that left hatter's mouth.

"only one person?" arisu asked, still in disbelief.

hatter turned back around, "it's impossible for a single person to clear all the games and gather all 52 playing cards. you can't leave this country by working alone. that's why everyone unites as one. in order to let that one person leave the country. this is the beache's objective." he directed his attention back to arisu, walking towards the pair, "i've heard that the two of you possess good cards. i'll have both of you play your part and help us gather all remaining cards."

you looked at hatter confused. wasn't he going to at least asked if they wanted to stay in the first place? it didn't seem fair to just force them into a system and take cards that they worked for. was hatter really that desperate to leave this place?

"and if we refuse?" arisu asked, giving a quick glance at the man who had situated himself to sit on a nearby table.

hatter put his hands up, a smile on his face, "you can't reject me." he turned around and grabbed a piece of paper, holding it up for them to see. you noticed the circles scribbled onto there and the crosses over them. clearly arisu had been keeping track of the amount of days he had left, "your visa is expiring today." he dropped his hand back onto the table, confirming that today really was arisu's last day, "you have no choice but to participate in a game, don't you?"

it disgusted you that he was using arisu's expiring visa against him, something he couldn't control. none of you could. the brunette looked away from him, eyes settling on you. you tried to silently tell him to just agree with hatter, otherwise you weren't sure what else he'd try in order to get him to work for him.

"we can return if we gather all the cards." the girl spoke aloud, trying to confirm that what she heard was correct. she turned towards hatter, "is that really true?"

hatter pushed himself up from the table, walking slowly across the room, "i can't reveal everything yet. but i have a credible source for that information. before both of you entered this world, we already thoroughly investigated everything about this country."

credible source? this was the first time you were hearing of this. you had thought that hatter had come up with the idea himself because of the cards being left behind. was this apart of another lie to convince arisu to stay?

"you've been referring to this place as a 'country'." arisu spoke up, and you too wondered about the man's use of vocabulary to refer to this strange world. was it because you had visa's in order to stay alive?

you question was confirmed with hatter's next words, "the fact that we've been issued visas means that this is a country. the people in tokyo didn't just disappear. it's hypothesized that we've entered another country accidentally."

in theory it made sense. but it still didn't explain how exactly you all arrived here. the last time you had been in the normal world was when you were watching fireworks with chishiya, but you both had just been sitting there the entire time. then the next thing you knew everyone was gone. how the hell do you accidentally enter another world?

"if that's true, then there must be a way to return." hatter finished.

"and we created an organization here." mira spoke up, a large smile stretched across her face.

"fuels are used to generate electricity, and rainwater is used for water supply." ann continued, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose.

"going to games are organized as well. we have cars and everyone is split into balanced groups based on specialties for any type of game." you added on.

"we have even secured firearms around the country. however, only a selected few are allowed to use them." hatter also spoke up, referring to the militants of the beach and how they were the only ones allowed to even touch the guns they had found.

"our objective is to unite and collect all the playing cards." kuzuryuu spoke up as well, tying all things said together.

"and," hatter began, holding one finger up, "there are only three rules to this utopian beach. rule number one. you must always wear swimsuits at the beach."

arisu looked confused, not quite understanding the reason for the first rule, "what?"

hatter scoffed, as if the answer was obvious, "you can't hide firearms in a swimsuit. safe isn't it?" he gestured towards ann's attire before walking towards the window, "you're free to drink, take drugs, or even have sex! feel free to enjoy your life to the fullest. we damaged all the door locks with super glue. no one is allowed to hide anything.

you remembered briefly your first day here noticing that when kuina had warned you about someone around your room, and how when you had moved to close your door it never fully locked. you figured all the doors were like that, and here hatter was confirming your theories. you'd have to be careful from now on to make sure when discussing plans that no one overheard or entered during the wrong times.

hatter leaned forward on the table, "rule number two. all playing cards belong to the beach. we will take away all the cards the two of you posses. those who have contributed more cards will be promoted to a higher number. after everyone works together to get the first person out the country, if we gather enough duplicated cards, we will soon be able to have a second or even the third person to leave the country. the day will come when everyone at the beach will be able to leave!"

"and when will that be?" arisu asked. no one answered, not even hatter knew the answer to that and when he had realized that fact, he continued, "what if..i reject your offer?"

hatter slowly turned around, and suddenly you were scared for arisu, because you knew what would be said. the most recent addition to hatter's system, "rule number 3 of the beach. this is the last rule. death to the traitors. everyone in the beach vowed to produce the first departure from this country at the cost of our lives. it's our mission, our duty! those who show contempt for that will never be forgiven by the beach."

arisu and the girl glance around the room, and based on their expressions they knew that hatter was indeed not joking. you, as well as the rest of the executives knew that for a fact.

arisu looks down, almost ashamed, "usagi. i'm sorry. i dragged you into this."

"don't apologize. i wasn't dragged into this. this is a path that i chose." she was quick to answer and reassure arisu's guilt. you heart began to ache for the two.

hatter began whistling, walking away from everyone. he then began laughing, as if this situation was amusing to him. and suddenly you understood why. because of arisu's apology, he was basically agreeing to hatter's terms. and there was no doubt about the card he held up in his hand as a product of the brunette's agreement.

"it's the seven of hearts! luck is on our side! now we're another step closer to departure! thank you! we will consider promoting both of you to a higher rank number." he extended both his arms out, showing off the utopia that he had created, "well then, please enjoy your stay at the beach!"

with that hatter put his arms down, giving one last laugh before grabbing the cards from the table and leaving the room, the two that had entered with him following closely behind. mira and kuzuryuu left together as well, leaving just you, ann, arisu and what was now revealed as usagi alone in the room.

ann cleared her throat, turning her attention towards you, "get them situated. games will be starting tonight at the same time. make sure they are ready by then."

you give her a small nod in understanding, watching as she too left the room. when the door clicked shut you quickly went towards arisu, crouching down behind his chair and working on untying his hands.

"what are you even doing here?" you muttered, standing upright and moving onto releasing usagi as well.

arisu rubbed his wrists, surely sore from the tight grip they had been in, "karube said that the answer was here."

you paused in your actions, giving a quick glance to the board of cards, "right, that." you resumed your previous actions, letting out a small sigh, "i'm sorry it's not what you were expecting."

"i can't believe it..only one person? for all playing cards?" usagi breathed out in disbelief, thanking you once you had successfully removed what had tied her down.

you pushed yourself back up, walking towards the door, "for now, just follow what he says. as long as you keep to yourself you should be fine." you looked back and gave them a soft smile, to which they both returned.

you pushed open the door and waited until they both went through before following after them, clicking the door shut.

you quickly caught up to them so you were walking right beside arisu, hands clasped behind your back, "and your friends? karube and chota right?" you asked, filling the silence as you made your way towards the supply room filled with clothes. you really did wonder what had happened to the people he had arrived in the borderlands with.

arisu's face shifted to that of regret, quickly looking away, "they didn't make it."

your heart hurt at his words and quickly you looked away from his face, not being able to handle the look of despair that had replaced his expression. even though you hadn't known them, you still felt the sadness of knowing that they were gone tug at your heart. and you were positive it had something to do with the fact that he had managed to obtain a 7 of hearts card, and you didn't want to imagine that had to have been done for him to be the one standing here alone, "i'm sorry."

"it's not your fault if that's what you're thinking. even if chota had gotten your help he wouldn't have made it through the game." arisu was quick to reassure you, and your heart warmed at his kindness.

you nodded, deciding to change the subject since the air had gotten heavy. you cleared your throat, forcing a smile on your face as you turned towards the girl, "usagi right? i remember you from our tag game. you were really good at climbing."

she nodded, her own expression of despair being replaced by a smile as well, "me and my dad went climbing in the mountains a lot."

you ears perked up at this, "that's really cool!" it explained why she was able to do it so effortlessly during your spades game. you glanced between the two, wanting to ask another question that had been in your mind since you first saw them, "how did you guys end up together?"

they shared a glance with each other, quickly looking away with red dusting their cheeks. arisu scratched at his neck nervously, "we're not.."

you eyes widened at this, trying to save them the embarrassment of your question, "oh! sorry, i guess i meant you weren't really friends when i had first met you, and last i remember you both went your separate ways after the game."

"i just helped him out is all. he did save me during that tag game." usagi answered, red still prominent on her features.

arisu cleared his throat, deciding to change the subject, "what about you? what are you doing here at the beach?"

you hummed, opening the door to the supply room, "ah well, i've been here since i first arrived to this country. it was better before we knew the answer honestly. now it just feels..wrong."

you paused in front of the cabinet. now wasn't the time to overthink the things happening and get upset over it. you should just focus on getting arisu and usagi situated and through their games tonight.

you cleared your throat, flashing them both a smile and holding out swim trunks and a shirt for arisu and a two piece with a sweater for usagi. they both thanked you and you quickly went towards the drawers with the locker keys and grabbing their ranking numbers, giving them a quick nod before leaving the room. they continued following you up the stairs, through the hallways and finally stopping in front of a door.

you turn towards usagi, "this is your room, so you can get changed. oh, here." you reach into your pocket and bring out her locker key, placing it in the palm of her hand, "this is your rank. it'll increase the more games you play."

she nodded, turning towards arisu and you smiled, knowing that the way they were looking at it each other was hinting at something more than they'd ever admit.

"i'll see you down at the pool?" he asked, and she gave a quick nod before entering her room.

arisu watched the door close, and you placed a hand on his shoulder to let him know that it was time to go. he followed you to his own room, just several doors down and once again you handed him his own locker key.

"are you going to go down to the pool too?" he asked.

you shook your head, "i have some things to take care of before my own game tonight. but i'll see you guys around alright? you can come to me if you need anything."

"thank you." he began to look embarrassed, turning his head to look away from you, "uhm, please make sure nothing happens to usagi. it's my fault that she was forced into the beach in the first place, and i don't want anything to happen to her while i'm not around."

you smiled knowingly, giving him a small pat on the shoulder, "of course! i'll make sure she's safe."

with that arisu opened his room door and you waited until the door clicked shut to get rid of your smile. you let loose a small sigh, pushing your hair back and making your way to your own room. each step and you felt your heart grow heavier than the last. now that arisu really was here at the beach, you could no longer provide excuses to chishiya to stop him from having arisu steal the cards. he really was your best bet at leaving.

you took a deep breath before opening the door, seeing chishiya sitting at the table and once again tinkering with his gadgets. you noticed his ipod right beside him, his music faintly heard through his earbuds. you walked closer and saw that the weapon he was working on this time looked like a water gun, although some other type of liquid was being put at the replacement for the water. and by the faint smell of gasoline and the lighter taped right under the front of the gun, you had an idea on what it would be.

quietly you walked over to him, brushing your fingers over the top of his blonde dyed hair to let him know you had arrived before laying down on the bed, on your side and watching him work. he gave you a quick glance before popping one of his earbuds out of his ears, shifting his chair to face you before returning back to work and waiting for you to speak.

"you were right. arisu is now a member of the beach." you spoke, not at all surprised to see the amusement that made its way onto chishiya's features.

"really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in question but still not looking at you.

"you act as if you're surprised." you stated, to which he just shrugged in response.

"i didn't think it'd happen so soon. it means our plan can happen as soon as possible now." he explained.

you turned to look away, hating the reminder of having arisu in on the plan, "right."

"after the games tonight, we'll confront arisu about it." chishiya spoke up once more, giving you another quick glance.

you let out a small breath, this time turning your entire body away from the blonde, "i'll let kuina know as soon as possible."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

the loud chants of the members of the beach filled your ears once you stepped into the lobby and received your group number. all around everyone was jumping in excitement and chanting the king's name as hatter appeared at the balcony, taking in the sight of everyone cheering for him. you were sure this was boosting his already large ego based on the proud smile that had made its way onto his face. quickly you joined chishiya towards the back of the room, the blonde leaning against the wall with his hood up and eyes watching not hatter but somewhere in the crowd. you followed his gaze and noticed that arisu and usagi were there, seemingly confused at what was happening. you were sure they were wondering how anyone could be excited to go play these death games. you yourself didn't even understand their willingness to fight as soldiers.

with his hands hatter motioned for everyone to quiet down before speaking, "my comrades! the time has come again tonight. do not falter! this is a war against fear! everyone here has the courage to overcome their obstacles. everyone here is now one! we shall unite and gather all cards and return to the original world together! and..that day is upon us! let's go!"

everyone once more cheered, even more fired up from the small speech that he had provided. you hear chishiya scoff from
beside you, also tired of the useless words that were being said.

kuina walked up beside you, brown eyes also looking towards where you and chishiya were so intently set on. she popped her gum stick into her mouth, "what's the matter?

chishiya gave her a quick glance before going back to looking at the new members of the beach, "we were in the same game as them."

"the two of them?" she motioned towards arisu and usagi.

chishiya nodded, a small smirk stretching his lips, "yes. i'm thinking we can even use the girl in our plan as well."

at this you gave chishiya a weird look. you had only agreed to letting arisu in on the plan, but usagi as well? was it really safe to let that many people know about it? and it was bad enough you were putting arisu in danger. was it okay to put usagi in that sort of position as well? you let out a small puff of air in frustration, hating how you couldn't read into his intentions. lately nothing he has said made sense to you.

"so that's arisu?" kuina asked, this time looking at you.

you gave the girl a nod in confirmation, "you have the same game as him kuina. you'll see what we mean."

she nods, placing a hand on your shoulder, "you have a game tonight too right?"

you gave the woman a small nod, holding up your piece of paper.

"good luck with that," she turned towards the blonde, "wait for us chishiya." she flashed you both a smile before heading towards the cars, disappearing into the crowd and out of sight.

you turned your attention away from kuina and towards chishiya when you felt him place a hand atop of your head, giving you a soft smile, "be careful."

you nodded before turning and leaving as well. a quick glance down at your slip of paper told you that your venue was located at the station, a little further than your other games but you could still manage to get there in time by walking.

your brought your sweater closer to your body when it began to grow windy, quickening your pace once seeing the stairs descend towards the underground station. normally it was dark, but since it had become a game venue the lights were on, flickering and creating an ominous atmosphere every time they went out and turned back on again.

you made it just in time, seeing that the other members of the beach apart if your group were already there and waiting for the game to start. quickly you went towards the table and received your phone, watching as it lit up and showed that there were currently 5 participants. there was only a couple minutes left until registration closed, so you decided that you'd take this time to figure out who exactly you were going up against.

you turned at the sound of your name, shock written on your face at seeing mira make her way towards you with that chilling smile on her face. you weren't even aware that she had a game tonight as well, and of course it was your luck that she was paired with you.

"i can't believe we get to play a game together! this will be exciting!" she let the words fall out in a rush, clasping her hands together excitedly.

you forced down the vile in your throat, flashing her a smile, "exciting..right!"

she nodded, before her face shifted like she had just remembered something, "oh! i wanted to ask, those two members from our meeting this morning. you recognized them no?"

you gave her a nod, a little skeptical of her interest in them, "we had a game together."

"that explains a lot. are you guys close?" she continued to press on. you were sure she was trying to pry more out of you about the two mysterious members of the beach. you were also sure that she was wondering about the player that had cleared a hearts game, a really difficult one at that.

you waved her off, "he just cleared the game. that's all." which wasn't a complete lie. he did help clear the game played, but you didn't want to give mira more information than she needed. besides, you still wanted the executives to believe that your relationship with them remained as strangers, otherwise it would be useless to include them in your plan.

"i see." she paused at hearing a ding from the phone clasped in her hand, excitement dancing in her eyes once more, "looks like registration has closed."

you nodded, bringing out your own phone to read the words on the screen.

 

ᎡᎬᏩᏆᏚᎢᎡᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᎻᎪᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏟᏞᎾᏚᎬᎠ. ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ Ꭺ ᎢᎾᎢᎪᏞ ᎾF FᏆᏙᎬ ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪNᎢᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ NᎾᏔ ᏟᎾᎷᎷᎬNᏟᎬ.

ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, 2 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

 

you felt your legs give out on you at the type of game, knees scraping the floor as you felt your heart drop to your stomach. the smile that you had worn quickly fell from your face, replaced with that of despair. this couldn't be real. surely you had read wrong. but no matter how many times your eyes scanned through the letters they remained the same, sealing your fate.

because not only had you been paired with mira, a woman that was clearly better than you when it came to any type of game, you had been put into the worst possible situation.

a hearts game with the queen herself.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 15: ⌈ 13 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

as you sat there on the concrete, hands shaking and heart beating out of your chest with a never ending ringing in your ears, you began to wonder. was this how you died? was this the end of your time here in the borderlands? what even happened to those who died here? did they eventually wake up from this nightmare or were they actually dead, heart no longer able to make any sounds?

and the people here, would you really never get to see them anymore? was that really the last time you'd ever get to see the blonde you grew such affection for and the girl you had called your friend? how would they react to your death? you hoped they wouldn't do anything stupid, especially chishiya. you couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to him while you were gone.

slowly you looked over at mira who had placed herself in front of you, crouching down with a smile on her face. like always it sent chills down your spine, reminding you that there was no way you could beat this woman. she had experience you could only dream of, calm and collected opposed to your current mental breakdown when the game hadn't even started. but even if you tried, there was no way you could beat her in a game she specialized in. not in the state you were in now.

"what's wrong dear? you look like you've just seen a ghost. are you feeling sick?" she asked, voice sweet and filled with worry. but you knew it was just a facade. the tone of voice was only there to mask the amusement that was clearly etched onto her face at seeing you breakdown right in front of her.

she enjoyed seeing you break apart.

it was laughable that she had still asked those questions despite knowing the answer. this was mira after all, she wouldn't be playing heart games if she wasn't able to read the situation. if anything her concern for you only made you struggle to compose yourself even more.

suddenly her smile widened,"oh, i get it now. you're scared aren't you?" you didn't answer, not at all surprised that she had finally pointed your emotion out. hell, everyone in the train station with you could tell. it was just that obvious. she hummed, reaching over and petting your head softly, "that's understandable. but, let me tell you a secret. only because i think you have great potential, and i really like you." she leaned in closer, pink lips brushing against your ears as to not let anyone else know the words that would be uttered by her lips, "heart games are designed to mess with everyone's hearts. it's not about the player twisting others, but more so theirs as well. really it makes a fool out of everyone once they are completed."

you blinked in surprise at her explanation. what did she mean by making a fool out of everybody? of course they did, how could you forget the faces of the people you've lied to just to win your games? the look of utter betrayal and the screams of despair? you were the fool who went along with things, and they were the fools who believed you.

mira reached her hand back down and pushed herself up, turning her attention towards the other players who had accompanied you, "let's start the game then shall we?"

you didn't want to move. what was the point anyway? but then you felt mira's hand on your shoulder, grasp gentle and reassuring despite her demeanor.

"come on, it's no fun playing games when you aren't even going to try. don't you want to go back home? what happened to that desire to live back during your nine of hearts game?" she urged, once again gazing at you with those brown eyes, watching and analyzing your every move.

you figured in a way she was right. were you really just going to give up that easily? anyone in your games could be better than you, mira was no different, and if you just went down without a fight then there would've been no point in the things you've done. to the people that you killed.

the least you could do was make their deaths worthwhile, and not just for nothing.

shakily you forced your legs to work, standing up and pushing the hair that had stuck to your skin because of the sweat that had formed back from your face. together you both walked towards the train, doors open and waiting for passengers to fill it. you figured that the game would be held in there, and so you waited as the first player entered. however, before anyone else could join them the doors closed, the only passenger banging on them and screaming at you all, muffled and scratching your ears. their pleas fell on deaf ears however as the train moved away, out of sight until another took its place.

everyone stared stunned at the next train, waiting for a new player to enter. this was unlike any venue that they had played no doubt. so far all your games had had everyone in the same place, but now they were being separated? what was happening? why did it only let one person in? the limit wasn't stated, so did this mean-

"looks like only one person is allowed per train." mira spoke your thoughts out loud, and you weren't sure if this rule of the game reassured you or frightened you even more.

everyone glanced at each other uneasily, wondering who would be the next to seal their fate. and not surprisingly mira volunteered, palm up and that smile on her face as she gave you a glance.

quickly she stepped through the doors, turning around to face you once more, "remember what i told you dear! hope to see you soon!" she yelled, hand waving in a goodbye as the doors closed and the train steadily began moving until it too was out of sight.

the doors of another train opening filled your ears, and once again the other two participants glanced at each other wearily. should you go in now? there was no going back, so really you had no choice but to get in sooner or later. taking a deep breath you willed your legs to move forward, hands gripping the train's seats to steady yourself when the doors had closed shut behind you and it creaked in movement. you looked back just to see the blur of their figures disappear, and you forced yourself to sit down.

your body swayed as the train moved, mind a little more clearer now that you were alone. not surprisingly having mira in a whole other train made you feel more at ease. at least now you didn't have to worry about her while trying to get yourself out. you glanced around, seeing that it looked like any normal train with more compartments that were empty. were you getting transported to another location, or had the game already started? maybe you were supposed to look for something. quickly you glanced around, and spotted a gas mask and three tanks sitting on one of the seats. was this for your game?

you glanced down when you heard your phone, reaching in and taking it out of your pocket.

 

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᎪᎡᎢᎷᎬNᎢᏚ. ᏆN ᎾNᎬ ᏆᏚ Ꭺ ᏞᎬᎢᎻᎪᏞ ᏢᎾᏆᏚᎾN ᏩᎪᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᏚ ᎷᎪᏚK ᎻᎪᏚ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏟYᏞᏆNᎠᎬᎡᏚ ᎾF ᎾXYᏩᎬN ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏞᎪᏚᎢ FᎾᎡ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ. ᎾNᏟᎬ ᏚᎬᎢ, ᎢᎻᎬY ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎬXᏢᎬNᎠ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬNᎢᏆᎡᎬ ᎢᎪNK. ᎾNᏟᎬ YᎾᏌ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ Ꭺ ᏟᎪᎡᎡᏆᎪᏩᎬ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᎾᎡᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏞᎾᏟK FᎾᎡ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ.

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, ᏚᏌᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚFᏌᏞᏞY ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎪᏞᏞ FᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎪᎡᎡᏆᎪᏩᎬᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏩᎬᎢ ᎠᎡᎾᏢᏢᎬᎠ ᏴᎪᏟK ᎾFF ᎪᎢ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎢᏆᎾN.

 

you eyes glanced back over at the gas masks, suddenly understanding mira's words from before. this heart game, it was designed specifically to mess with your own heart, not other players.

it wanted to know how willing you were to risk your life to survive.

you pressed your palm against your forehead, trying to soothe the pounding of your head and to think as clearly as possible. what compartment would most likely have the gas? what would mess with your heart the most? how would you be able to tell if there was gas or not?

you got out of your seat and peeked through the glass door leading to the next compartment. but it looked normal, and from your viewpoint you couldn't tell if there was anything indicating that something dangerous was in the air.

you stepped back. what were the other players doing right now? you were sure they were just as scared as you were, probably freaking out about the 75% chance they had at surviving.

you blinked in surprise. maybe that was it. you were positive that they'd put on their masks for the first cart, who in their right mind would risk their life right off the bat like that?

but that was exactly why you believed the first cart was safe. and if you were especially lucky, the second one would be too.

you grabbed the mask and three capsules, but instead of putting them on you put them in your pocket. you prayed that you were right about this, and that your perceptive guessing of other people's actions and consequences wouldn't get you killed.

with shaking hands that you wished would steady you grabbed the handle of the compartment, taking a deep breath before sliding it open. you walked through and it clicked closed behind you, locked until the five minutes would be up. and you waited with a beating heart for what would happen.

after a couple seconds you fell to your knees, hands clutching your chest as you laughed at the realization that you were still alive. if there had been something dangerous than you wouldn't be here right now, still breathing with no difficulties. you glanced around, another relieved laugh leaving your lips at also seeing the flowers tucked right behind one of the seats. they were blooming, beautiful colors of red, yellow and orange, meaning that the air really wasn't contaminated.

somehow, you had guessed right.

you pushed yourself up off the floor and sat in one of the seats, waiting for the rest of the five minutes to pass by. in that time you tried you best to calm your racing heart and your jumbled thoughts, still in shock that you really were going to get through this game unscathed. you glanced up and began rushing to put on your gas mask and clip in the capsule when the timer had beeped, pushing yourself out of your seat and walking to the end of the compartment.

taking another deep breath you slid the door open, looking around for the flowers. to your surprise you had also been right, seeing that they continued to bloom just like the last.

you got it now. the game, it really was twisting you mind. you were sure the others had realized the flowers too, and they thought that the game would make them believe that they'd be safe for the next. so they'd put on their mask for the second cart, as well as the third with the same thought process, meaning the last cart was the one to have the poisonous gas.

it would make the most sense, thats what would mess with them the most.

once again you pushed open the sliding doors after hearing the beep and clicking in your capsule into place, once again confirming your theory on this cart being safe as well. as you sat down in your seat your gaze settled towards the last door. no doubt that one was dangerous, and you were sure if the others had made it as far as you, they were realizing the truth now as well.

you could hear the wheels turning and the handle bars sway as the train moved. you wondered what the other players would do. would they stay in the train, hoping for it to eventually stop or until starvation came, or would they throw themselves into the gas filled compartment regardless of its dangers. and if you forced the windows or doors open, what would kill you first? the laser or the impact of jumping off a moving train?

surprisingly enough after going through that last compartment, sitting down just as you had done in the others with the pot of dying flowers right beside you, wilting brown and gray, your heart began to feel at ease, and your shoulders less heavy with worry. for some reason, you weren't afraid anymore. maybe because you had gone through this game unscathed, and when you had been dropped off as promised, with your phone dinging with a game clear and a congratulations you could feel the small smile make its way onto your face.

mira stood waiting for you, a proud smile stretching her lips at seeing you alive. one glance and none of the other players were present, meaning they had guessed wrong or had refused to go into the last carriage, and would be stuck in the moving train forever.

she clapped her hands excitedly, skipping towards your side, "oh! that was fun wasn't it? quite a thrill. did you listen to what i said? i'm sure you did, you are smart after all."

quickly you nodded, still trying to process the things that you had learned during the direction of the game you had just played. and as you walked with mira back to the beach, her insisting on giving you company, you began to realize things that had been so bluntly obvious from the beginning.

for one, these heart games really were made to mess with everyone, not just one individual with another. whether it be a loophole in the game or simply a matter of the way you reacted, there was one simple fact about them. that if you looked passed the fear and the desire to live, no one had to die.

you realized this just now, where your game was solo, as well as when you remembered the rules back in your second hearts game. if everyone had kept the same amount of points, no one had to die, the game had even said that specifically. and yet the fear of your teammates had overcomed that logic, and so you had been the only one to survive.

you still weren't too sure about your mafia game, maybe you were still blindsided by the rules and the people you had killed to think about what you could've done differently, but the thought that in the furture, if you ever had to play another hearts game, you knew more than before, and maybe now you could play these games like how they were meant to be played.

"you've grown." mira stated, giving you a quick glance.

you hummed, returning the smile, "i understand now."

she clasped her hands together, "oh i'm so glad! this will make future games so much more fun!"

surprising even yourself you nodded in agreement. never before did you think you'd ever agree with something mira has said, but something about clearing this game put your heart and mind at ease. it made the things in the borderlands less frightening, reassuring you that even the worst of games could have very few casualties.

but then you remembered something, from long ago and you turned towards mira, "i have something i need to do. it's not too far away, can you go back to the beach?"

her smile widened before nodding, giving you a wave farewell to which you returned before heading in the direction you needed to go. your steps were quick as your brain remembered the twists and turns of the drive there when you had first gone. and when you had finally spotted the familiar building you quickened your pace to stand before the doors.

it was dark, not lit up since the last time it had been used as a game venue, and you didn't go inside, fearing how it'd smell. but you did peer inside the glass doors, surprised to see that it was actually cleaner than how you had left it.

you pressed a hand onto the glass, remembering that high school girl who had so painfully reminded you of your sister and the short talk you had exchanged with her during one of the intermissions. and very painfully, you remembered how she had died, and how you had covered her with the white sheet so you wouldn't have to look at her pale face, drained of the color of her cheeks and the soft smile she used to wear. the bodies you had left there were gone, so you couldn't bury her like you had wanted but you still stood there, whispering a small promise to the girl that had died.

"i know i said i'd protect you. and i failed. but for now on, in these games, i promise i'll save the ones who i can. and not worry about the ones i can't. i'll make sure to live just for you. my sister as well." you spoke aloud, hoping that maybe she could understand. that you truly hadn't wanted the fate that had fallen upon her. but you'd do your best to make up for it, and that was by living and escaping these borderlands, something she couldn't have done.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

your hands tighten around chishiya's body, holding on like you'd never seen him again. in a way that had been your thought process just an hour before, where you were sure that would've been the case. but now that you were here, still alive and breathing and having grown from the experience, you wanted to stay as close to him as humanly possible, even if he was protesting on how tightly you held on.

he let out a huff of air, uncomfortable with the weird stares that he was surely receiving from the people around you two. of the the girl who was holding on way too tightly to someone like a child. but despite knowing that you shouldn't be so selfish in your desire to be with him, you wanted to just remind yourself that he was here. and that you were still able to feel based on the butterflies in your stomach and the warmth on your cheeks.

"alright that's enough." he grumbled, finally over the attention and prying you away from his body. you just laughed and smiled at him, as a small thank you for letting you cling in public for so long.

"sorry, i couldn't help myself." you smiled even wider at him, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow in question.

"you're in a good mood." he noted, to which you hummed in response.

"i think i understand a little better." you begin to explain, opting to stand by his side.

he looked over at you, still confused on your happy expression. normally after games you weren't in the mood to even talk, so he figured something good had to have happened during or afterwards for you to act like this, "about?"

"these games. it's weird, i started off as really scared, unsure, just doing whatever." you remembered your first game, where you had freaked out at the sight of seeing the detective catch on fire, and the one who had been pushed down the stairs, death on impact.

"and?"

"and now..i get it. i know how to play," you turned to look at him, flashing another smile, "it's kinda fun actually."

he smirked, a short laugh leaving his mouth, "you've lost it."

you rolled your eyes playfully, looking away from the male, "i don't mean the games themselves. i mean, figuring it out. like a puzzle. it was too difficult before because i was too focused on completing it. but now i'm actually thinking about each piece and how they fit together."

you blinked at feeling him place a hand on your head, that smile still on his face, "glad you're finally noticing it."

you hummed in response, glad that chishiya understood what you were getting at. you began glancing around the lobby, looking for a certain woman dressed in a blue bathing suit, "is kuina back yet?"

chishiya retracted his hand and put his hood up onto his head, hiding his face from the people in the lobby and only the blond strands two short to tuck behind his ear present. he seemed to be thinking for a moment before responding, "she's by the pool."

you ignored the small skip of your heart at hearing the place that she currently resides. no doubt there would be a lot of people there, lots of games have ended by now after all and the members liked to celebrate another night conquered. but even through that you wanted to make sure your friend had returned unscathed, "let's go say hi."

the blonde gave you a curious glance, knowing that you normally avoided that part of the beach. and normally by now you'd be dragging him to your room, bound to read to get your mind off of things, "i thought you didn't like being there."

"it's just for a moment. we'll be quick yeah?"

chishiya stared at you almost like he was trying to make sure you truly were serious before nodding, and together you guys made your way through the crowd of those in the lobby before walking down the path towards where the pool was. your eyes glance around the area, very crowded like it was every night during this time. it took a while but eventually chishiya nudged your side, nodding towards a certain area. looking over at the direction you quickly spotted arisu and usagi, both having successfully made it through their games unharmed much to your relief, and kuina was right beside them, engaging in a conversation with the two. what about you weren't quite sure, but by the way arisu and usagi shared a glance with each other and their defensive nature against what kuina had said, you had a small feeling on what it was.

their expressions turned grim however as well as yours when you looked over at hearing the sound of something fall over and a shout for it to stop, causing some of the people dancing to back away. you quickly realized what for exactly, no one could mistake the group of people walking across the pool with weapons and aguni in the front, leading them through. you felt a small weight on your head, looking up and seeing that chishiya had put your hood up so it was harder to see you face, and he had also placed himself just the tiniest bit closer to your body, almost like he didn't want them to know that either of you were here.

your eyes went back to the militants, who had stopped in front of where arisu, usagi and kuina sat. your heart skipped a beat at seeing aguni stare at them, igniting your want to help. you were an executive after all, surely they would back off if they were afraid of you telling hatter. but niragi was there as well, and despite the slow healing you had gone through over the weeks since it had happened, you still couldn't find it in yourself to confront him. you had only just recently gotten over your fear of games after all, so it would still take a while for you to get over your fear of this man.

"what happened to your pal?" aguni asked, probably referring to karube who had been there with arisu during his tag game. had they worked together then? were they the ones who had distracted the other tagger while the game was being cleared? arisu didn't answer his question however, which gave aguni the answer he needed, "i see. he died. what a shame. so only the small fish survived."

"you know each other?" kuina asked, not aware of the game that they had played together. that's right, you forgot to mention that aguni had been there as well, the girl was only aware of usagi and arisu having been there with you and chishiya.

arisu looked at her but once again didn't answer, and aguni's attention was directed to usagi. you felt fear strike your heart at seeing him nod towards niragi, "you, bring that woman over."

niragi smiled, giving a loud 'yes' before walking over to her. he reached down towards her sleeve, about to drag her out of her seat when arisu stood up, stopping him from doing so. you felt a little better knowing that arisu was able to do something to prevent whatever they wanted with usagi.

"hey!" he yelled, causing kuina to give him a pleading look as a sign to cut it out. that by going against niragi he was basically asking for a death wish. who could go against someone with a gun after all? but this was arisu, he had to be smart enough not to go too far right?

she reached a hand out, "stop, don't get yourself involved."

niragi leaned back up, looking between arisu and usagi, "our boss says he wants to have a taste of you."

the male's words made you sick and unconsciously you felt yourself scoot closer to chishiya. usagi didn't deserve something like that. none of the woman that had surely been victims like yourself did.

this time niragi had succeeded in grabbing her, but once again arisu stopped him from doing anything further, "leave her!"

niragi smirked, clearly amused by arisu's protectiveness over her. he gave a quick glance at aguni, eyeing down the brunette right in front of him, "what should we do about this kid?"

aguni didn't miss a beat with his answer, "break his legs so that he'll die in the next game."

at this you tugged on chishiya's sleeve. this was going too far. who knew what else would happen? how far things would escalate? you didn't know the limits of what the militants were willing to do to get what they wanted. and where were the other executives? why weren't they stopping them?

щну щёяёи'т уоц? dїdи'т уоц pяомї₴ё?

chishiya simply ignored you however, keeping his gaze set on the scene unfolding before him. and the small smile of amusement on his face made you sick to your stomach. you knew he wanted to see how arisu would handle the situation, to see how strong he was and how far he was willing to go to protect usagi. and you were sure he'd use her as leverage to make him agree to your plan to steal the cards.

was that fair? what if the roles were reversed? what would chishiya do in that situation?

niragi laughed at aguni's request, clearly loving the violence of what he'd get to do, "yes. you guys!" he nodded towards the militants in the back of the group, "bring the woman to him." he turned back towards the brunette and grabbed arisu's arm, "you come with me."

he began dragging arisu while the other militants came to grab usagi. but arisu, he really wouldn't go down without a fight. he really cared about this girl if he was willing to resist even with the threat of his legs being broken. he rushed forward towards her once more, stopping the militants that had tried to get to her. they stared each other down, arisu practically daring them to take another step forward.

"is this a fight?" a booming voice spoke through the silence, and much to your relief emerged hatter from the crowd that had broken for him to walk through.

"back off, hatter. this doesn't concern you." this time you couldn't tell who spoke, but hatter seemed to ignore them.

"i can't do that," he turned to face the other members of the beach, putting one of his hands up, "as the number one, i am obligated to maintain order at the beach." he began walking forward, over towards where aguni stood, "could you let off the newcomers on my account, aguni?"

aguni just stared at him, not saying a word. you wondered, weren't they close? why didn't aguni just agree right away?

it was silent for a moment longer before hatter turned towards the people that followed under him, "niragi."

niragi scoffed, turning away, "i only take orders from the boss."

hatter stared at him before looking away, walking towards aguni, "then let me ask your boss." he leaned in close to his face, the expression scaring even you, "who is your boss, aguni?"

said man turned to look at him. they stared at each other, like a challenge to see who would falter first. who was clearly the one in charge. and much to everyone's surprise, aguni was the one to accept defeat. maybe because he knew something of hatter and his capabilities that no one else did.

"it's you, right?." he spoke.

hatter looked away, somehow offended by the whole ordeal, "go take a shower." he turned towards the rest of the members once aguni had walked away, "all executive members are to gather in the meeting room! arisu, you're coming too. i've heard about your potential from ann. follow me."

he began walking away, following after the executives that had begun making their way towards the inside of the hotel. the air felt lighter now that they were gone, but there was no mistaking that everyone had been worried that today had been the night that the militants took control.

"huh? i was really hoping for a fight." you heard chishiya speak beside you, brown eyes watching as the man in charge walked away.

you ignored him, watching as arisu said something to usagi before leaving, said girl standing up and watching his retreating form. kuina stood up too, and that was when chishiya nudged you to follow him, stopping beside the girl.

"so what do you think about him?" he asked, also watching him disappear inside the building.

kuina gave him a quick glance before looking back, taking her gum stick out of her mouth, "i like him."

"how'd your game together go?" you asked, glancing over her body. she seemed to be alright, although her hair was wet. she must've had a water based game.

kuina turned around to look at you, "he's smart i'll give him that."

you hummed in agreement, turning towards the girl who still hadn't stopped watching the doors despite arisu being long gone. you walk up to her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"he'll be fine, right?" she turned to you, searching your eyes for an answer. you didn't blame her, it was hard to trust these people with someone you care about so easily. it would take a while before usagi could be at ease.

you gave her a soft smile, "hatter wouldn't do anything to him. and i'll be there in the meeting to keep an eye on him. alright?"

she nodded, turning back with you to hear your name being called. it was chishiya, waiting to head to the meeting no doubt.

you turned to her one last time, "your room is probably the safest place as far as staying away from the militants. you can head there while you wait for arisu."

once more she nodded, turning to leave. you watched her until knowing she was safely inside the building before meeting up with chishiya once more.

"ready?" he asked, smirk displayed on his lips.

you mustered up one of your own, giving a small nod, "as i'll ever be."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 16: ⌈ 14 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

time seemed to tick by slowly as you sat in your chair, waiting for the alleged meeting to commence. chishiya was right beside you, hands in his pockets and listening to his music while everyone else was busy doing their own things to preoccupy themselves until it was time. with many of the members playing cards in a game and chishiya not in the talking mood, you were left with your own thoughts.

more importantly, with thinking about what had happened the past hour.

you couldn't help but feel bothered by what had gone down between aguni and hatter. when you had seen the two interact your first time meeting them you had deemed them good friends, even before the borderlands, and yet something felt off. opposed to before  things seemed tense between the two. you had noticed it mostly with aguni, who seemed stuck in his own thoughts lately, and you could also see the growing distance that had formed between the two, more prominent after their small fight at the pool.

"we're starting the meeting!" hatter yelled out loud, bursting through the doors of the meeting room.

you snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice, seeing chishiya take out his earbuds and hide them in his pocket from beside you. those who weren't executive members gathered up the cards at the table and scrambled to leave to a different spot, resulting in you and chishiya getting up to take your spots at the main table where whatever hatter wanted to talk about would be discussed.

ann sat on the other side of you like always with chishiya on the other, mira sure to sit right in front of you and kuzuryuu and niragi on both sides of her. hatter sat at the far end of the table, the head, while aguni was on the opposite end. you couldn't help but think that the distance was slowly growing, and right now they were making it painfully obvious.

you glanced over at seeing arisu enter the room as well, brown eyes taking it all in and the members seated. his eyebrows furrowed upon seeing last boss, no doubt thinking about how strange he was with tattoos on his face and the katana he was leaning on. they shifted once more and settled on you and the blonde to your right, eyes brightening upon seeing you in the room as well, bearing no injuries from your game that night. you put up your hand in a small wave, sending the brunette a soft smile in greeting. chishiya did the same, and while arisu returned your smile with his own, he seemed surprised to see chishiya right beside you.

"it's you." he stated in realization, and that was when you remembered that this was arisu's first time seeing the blonde since the tag game. he had skipped out on that meeting after all, and you both had been hidden in the crowd during the whole ordeal with the militants and executive members clashing. it was understandable that he was surprised to see him still around, and at the beach at that.

"two of spades," mira's voice sounded through the silence, figure walking as she held a pile of cards in her grasp, "six of spades, four of diamonds, two of clubs. we collected all of them." she makes her way towards hatter before putting them down, "until now we haven't found any face cards."

your eyes drifted to the board of cards towards the back, realizing that mira was right and that they remained blank, indicating that they had yet to show up in any games. she walks around to take her seat, sending you a small smile to which you returned before she picked up a small black book.

hatter glanced down at the cards, picking them up and inspecting them, "if face cards do not exist, then we're only left with the 10 of hearts."

ah, the most difficult game yet. not only with a level ten difficulty, but with a type that not many are capable of beating. you remembered your own nine of hearts game after all, and the fact that it could get even harder than that meant it was not a game to be messed with. and not a game you'd want to play with the people you knew.

you cleared your throat before speaking up, "the ten of hearts, it has never appeared in a game before. if it doesn't appear we can't clear it."

ann narrowed her eyes at the table, deep in thought, "maybe there needs to be a condition for it to appear. maybe it's not in tokyo."

she made a good point as far as 'conditions'. something told you that this game was special, it had to be if it has yet to appear thus far. you were sure whoever was behind these games was waiting for the perfect opportunity to make it into a game venue, just to make it hurt the members of the borderlands even more.

kuzuryuu spoke up this time, going against ann's second statement as he rests his arms on the table, "a game arena has not been found outside of tokyo."

she looked up at him, eyes narrowed, "but we haven't investigated that far yet."

hatter interrupted ann before she could protest further, hand extended out after having been rested under his chin, "the strategy won't change. we will continue investigating the game arenas in town. make sure you have days left on your visas and keep and eye out for the ten of hearts. i need to replenish my visa soon."

even more curiously aguni began glancing at the others in the room, most likely intended for niragi and last boss. and although it was just a quick glance, it was almost like something was being spoken through the look. and chishiya who had remained quiet during the meeting nudged your foot from under the table, like he too had noticed or had heard something that caught his attention. you glanced at him curiously before realizing that hatter had just stated he needed to go to a game soon, meaning the opportunity to steal the cards was slowly arising.

mira closed the book she had been looking through, eyes on you before looking away, "there's a way to earn visas for sure."

interested at the woman's words hatter leans forward, "is that so?"

she stared right at the man, and you noticed the small quirk of her mouth wanting to twitch up into a smile, "heart games let you toy with the hearts and feelings of others. if you bring along those who don't mind dying, you'll survive for sure."

at this you cut in. even though you understood mira a little more after your game played together, and where she had helped you get over your initial fear, there were still some things apart of her ideals that you just couldn't agree with. and this one, this strategy, she couldn't possibly be trying to go through with that idea, "humans aren't just toys you can throw away during games. we aren't using people who don't want to live just to obtain a stupid card." because no matter how much they wanted to die, everyone is afraid of death, especially here in the borderlands. in the end there was the point in bundling them all up together. it was cruel, and inhuman to just think of them as objects to get yourself out.

mira smiled at you, not at all phased by your words, "well, you are our best hearts player," she turned towards the brunette, smile widening, "arisu here also cleared a seven of hearts game. what do you two think we do instead?"

hatter turned to look at you and then towards arisu, hand extended out towards the brunette, "do you both have any advice for us?"

arisu's eyes widened at being called upon, seemingly uncomfortable with being put on the spot and with how hatter had begun laughing, like the predicament was funny. that whatever arisu had to say was just some joke to help with heart games that wouldn't be taken seriously. and when he turned towards you, you remained silent as well, shifting your eyes away from the man in charge. if they thought of this as a joke, you wouldn't help them.

ann looked at hatter, seemingly conflicted, "but would a hearts game appear so conveniently? on top of that we won't know what type of game it is until registration closes.

kuzuryuu shifted in his seat, glancing down at his hands, "but we should be able to deduce it based on the probability theory."

you scoffed, as if the game masters would care about numbers and such, "i doubt the games follow any sort of probability method."

you jump at the sound of hatter slamming his hand down on the table, staring kuzuryuu right in the eyes, "i don't need such a method," he stands up, scooping up the cards at the same time and walking towards the board of cards, "i'll join the next game. be it hearts or spades. someone like me with a 100% winning rate will clear it easily! i'll join the games until the ten of hearts card appears! the day where we gather all the cards and depart from this country is near!" he turns around, hand extended out towards the ones beneath him in this makeshift hierarchy, "executives members, i'm counting on you guys to oversee things here. the meeting is adjourned!"

chair legs scraping against the wooden boards filled your ears as the executive members stood up to leave. you did so yourself, chishiya right beside you as together you both stopped by the door, the male close by your side.

"what do you think?" he asked quietly, brown eyes watching you and waiting for your input.

you realized he was referring to before, when he had nudged your foot for attention, "there's no doubt about it now. something has happened between hatter and aguni. scenes like at the pool are likely to happen more often."

he hummed softly in agreement, eyes shifting away from yours, "what do you suggest we do?"

you thought for a moment. with hatter and aguni in this state, there was no preventing the fall of the system hatter had created here. it wouldn't be safe to stay, and if you still wanted to steal the cards, you'd have to do it soon, otherwise there'd be no leaving this utopia after the militants have taken control, "our plan will work best right around this time. tension will cause them to overlook these sort of things."

chishiya smirked, a sign of his agreement with your thought process, "it will work."

you smiled back before you turned at the sound of your voice being called, seeing that ann had been the one to call it. she walked over to you and tucked her hair behind her ear, looking down at the slip of paper in her hands.

"there's some errands the executives need to do," she looked up at chishiya, "i heard you were good at engineering. i need you to help tatta down with the pipes. and you," brown eyes glanced away from him, "there are some supplies that must be taken down to the bar. have it all done by tonight."

she didn't wait for any objections from the two of you before turning around and walking towards the rest of the members, no doubt giving them assignments as well. you shared a glance with chishiya who just shrugged in response.

he watched her leave, humming as he was surely thinking about having to go down in the basement, cold and musty, "that's no fun. i was hoping to have some free time tonight."

you rolled your eyes playfully at the male, knowing his idea of free time was still working on whatever he was interested in at the moment. if anything this was his break, "oh the busy life of an executive."

he turned towards you, smirk playing on his lips, "i'm not actually mad about it. i'm not even an engineer, and yet they chose me for this job."

"right, dr., you act as if this isn't boosting your ego." you knew chishiya was taking pride in being mistaken for that. the blonde liked being good at anything and everything after all.

he shrugged, smile widening, "well i can't say it isn't. they must've recognized my tinkering skills."

you rolled your eyes once more, "narcissist."

"nerd." he retorted, poking you on the forehead.

you swat his hand away, scoffing, "is that really the best insult you got?"

he reached his hand back down, disappearing in his pockets, "i'm afraid you'll cry and break up with me if i'm honest."

you put a finger on his chest, pushing him away and laughing, "shut up and go do your job. i'll meet you in the room."

he quirked his mouth up before turning to leave, hands pushing his hoodie up as he walked out the door. you watched him disappear before turning to ann, receiving the list of supplies you needed to drop off at the busiest spot at the beach.

you let loose a small sigh, already getting uncomfortable upon having to go down there. it was going to be especially busy since games had ended, and you were already reluctant about leaving your room in the first place. and with the long list of items, you could already tell it was going to be a long night.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

although muffled, the loud pounding of music could be heard though the door, shaking your bones and the structures around. your arms felt heavy with the box of alcohol stuffed in it, struggling to keep the weight as you turned around and pushed the door open with your back. you struggled to keep the heavy wood open with your foot, hopping back until finally releasing it once fully through the door. and just as you had expected the music grew louder, and you tried your best to avoid the sea of bodies swaying to the beat and unconsciously bumping into you. more than once you found yourself almost stumbling and dropping the precious drinks.

you huffed in exhaustion when you made it to the bar, dropping the box with a heavy thud onto the counter. the one in charge of drinks took a quick look into the container before smiling, giving you a thumbs up as a way of saying thanks. you returned it, going back around the counter to help with putting away the bottles.

as the clinking of glass tickled your ears you glanced up in surprised at feeling a figure bump into you, causing you to stumble, desperately trying to catch the bottle that had loosened in your grasp. you sighed in relief when you had successfully caught it, looking over at the sound of rushed apologies from the individual. you quickly recognized the head of messy brown hair bowing to you repeatedly while hands reached out to help with the support of the liquid.

you laughed at the male's antics, "you don't have to apologize arisu."

it seemed like he had only just now realized who he had bumped into, brown eyes widening but also a little relieved that he wasn't going to get in trouble for finding his way back here.

"oh, uhm, still." he reached up and scratched his neck nervously, looking away in embarrassment.

you hummed and flashed him a smile before putting away the glass bottle, turning back around to face him once that had been completed, "what are you doing at the bar? i didn't think you were really one to hang out here."

"hatter dragged me over here.." he glanced around the area, as if looking for the man, "i kinda lost him though."

you laughed at this. you were sure hatter had already joined the others on the dance floor and had also forgotten about the poor boy.

you nodded towards the display of alcohol, "do you want a drink?"

he followed your indication, shaking his hands in front of him in protest, "oh! i don't really drink alcohol."

you hummed, figuring that this would be the boys answer. despite his kind nature he seemed like he wasn't good around people, making this scene he found himself in not a place he wanted to be, "not the partying type?"

brown eyes watched the bottles, almost remembering something, "well, i did drink. with my friends i mean. karube had his own bar and me and chouta would hang out there often."

you smiled at the memory he shared, "that sounds like fun."

this time arisu's smile was genuine, agreeing with your statement, "it was. we talked about going to australia one day."

"they seemed like great people. i wish i could've met them." which was true. you had only seen karube briefly during your tag game and had left before getting to meet him, and chouta..you didn't even get the chance to know the third friend of arisu's, left behind due to an injury and shibuki who had stayed behind as well.

arisu laughed in agreement, "they would've liked you. well, chouta would, chouta likes everyone. but karube was really great once he warmed up to you."

you noticed that arisu had grown sad, mouth quirking down into a small frown as his eyes showed a far away look, perhaps remembering that his friends were no longer here with him. you felt guilty having caused this, and quickly placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort, "i'm sorry again..that your friends aren't here anymore."

he nodded numbly, turning to look at you, "can i ask you something?"

you hummed, "go for it."

at your agreement he turned to look away, scratching at his neck, "you're a hearts player...did you ever lose someone close in a hearts game?"

brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, with soft smiles and a kind soul. you smiled upon remembering, "we weren't close but i cared about her."

"does it ever get easier?" he asked quietly, almost afraid of how'd you'd answer.

you thought it over. the nightmares were terrible, but they'd gone away by now, and after visiting, you felt more at peace, "it took me a while but..eventually i came to terms with the fact that they weren't coming back. and so as a promise i told myself that i'd live just for them, and for the people that i cared about."

you could feel arisu stare at you, and when you turned to look at him he seemed surprised at your words. he even seemed to think them over before nodding, smiling softly at you, "i think i understand. after my hearts game, usagi was the one who found me. i had given up, but with her by my side...she's the reason i'm here today. i want her to go back no matter what."

you felt your heart warm at his words. that explained why he cared about usagi so much. he felt like he needed to repay her, and maybe over time that feeling had blossomed into something more, "that's really sweet." you thought about your own source of hope, heart fluttering at the thought of him, "chishiya...he may seem cold and distant but..i know that he cares to some extent. he was actually the reason why i continued on during my nine of hearts game."

not many people understood chishiya. in all honesty they misunderstood the male, thinking his actions and words were cruel. and although they could be, that wasn't the full story. his blunt honesty was what you grew to love about him, knowing you could count on him for input and such, and everything he did was for good reason, after many hours of thinking it over for the best possible solution.

"nine of hearts.." arisu muttered to himself, brain still wrapping around the possibility that the person he was talking to had really survived that type of game.

"it was a mafia game." you stated, knowing the male was probably wondering about the venue.

"are you okay with talking about it?" he asked, of course being concerned. he could probably relate to the reluctance of reliving the moment, and you could appreciate the gesture.

you smiled softly, "i don't mind."

he was silent before nodding. and once again he looked away, doing the nervous gesture he always did when embarrassed, "how many people.."

"only me and one other person. we were both mafia." gray hoodie and burning smoke, with red flames and blood splatters. your partner had done what needed to be done to survive, although you still wished he had chosen easier deaths.

"oh.." arisu mumbled, surprised to hear that you had been apart of the team of murderers. he wasn't expecting to see this girl, who gave soft smiles and had been nothing but kind to him, apart of the group of people that killed to survive.

but he should've expected this. in this world..no one was truly good. there would always be a dark desire swirling inside of everyone. but the individual got to choose which they'd let control their actions.

you signed, leaning your head back as you gave him a quick glance, "you think i'm a bad person no?"

his hair swayed as he shook his head rapidly, eyes wide in horror, "no! no that's not it."

you laughed, leaning your head back down. "i'm just messing with you."

he relaxed at hearing your words. he seemed conflicted about something before looking at you, "in my game..there were wolves and sheep. if you were the wolf by the end then you were the one to survive, even though the rules stated that sheep have to be the one to hide."

you could only imagine the chaos that had broken out between his friends. but by what arisu had told you before..you had an idea on what had happened. that the wolf really had tried to desperately find the sheep, "arisu..i imagine your friends sacrificed themselves so you could live," you gave him a quick glance to see him stare at you surprised, confirming your theory, "ah, so i was correct," you turned back away, "you shouldn't let their sacrifices be in vain. i'm sure they would want you to think only about the happy moments between you all. not the memory of when they died."

arisu laughed, sending you a soft smile, "you're really good at this."

you returned it, giving a playful shrug, "well i did study psychology. when it comes to human nature..i know what people want to hear. therefore, i know what would make them feel better."

"heart games must come easily for you." he guessed, to which you hummed in response.

"ah, you would be right about that." you had always been perceptive after all, these games just utilized that ability.

"say, about usagi," you turned once more to let him know he had your attention, "as an executive, do you know what i can do for her to leave?"

you thought back to your plan to steal the cards, and chishiya wanting to have arisu and usagi in on it as well. but here wasn't the right time. if you really were going to go through with it, you'd have to wait a little longer, "the bar is really crowded. prying ears are something you cannot avoid. i think it's best if we discuss that another time."

he glanced around, as if he just now remembered he was in such a public place, "oh, okay."

"well? what did you do before?" you asked, wanting to change the subject.

in the dull neon lights you could see his cheeks redden, quickly turning away, "ah, i lived at home. i didn't go to college or anything. i just played video games all day."

he was clearly embarrassed about the fact, and not wanting him to feel bad about not choosing college as his career you directed the conversation into a different direction, "oh! what kind of games do you like?"

he seemed surprised that you had shown an interest in his hobbies, but by the bright look in his eyes he seemed to appreciate it. arisu began to go on about the type of games he enjoyed and the achievements he had obtained, even talking about how him and his friends used to go to an arcade and play against each other there.

by the time the conversation had died down, with you also contributing in talking about your love for reading and small snippets of your relationship with chishiya, the crowd had thinned out, and arisu seemed to take notice of this fact and how late it was becoming.

"(name)." he called your name, and you waited expectantly for his next words, "uhm, thank you. the things i said..i couldn't talk to usagi about them since i didn't want her to worry. but you really helped me. i'm glad that we're friends."

you felt you heart hurt at his words. you began to rethink everything shared during the past couple hours and how your relationship with the male had seemingly progressed during this time. friends he called it, meaning he trusted you. he had talked about his life with you after all, the game he played, his worries and his hope.

so we're you really okay with continuing on with this plan? of risking his life just for a deck of cards?

"i'm glad we're friends too arisu."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

a dull ache settled in your heart as you made it to your room, seeing chishiya had already settled himself into bed. the lights were off, with just the slow and steady breathing of his chest being heard. quietly as to not wake him you got into bed beside him, still not at all surprised to see him flutter his eyes open to look at you.

"you were gone for a while." he spoke through the darkness, turning his head to look at you.

you laid down beside him, staring up at the ceiling while waiting for your vision to adjust to the dark, "i ran into arisu at the bar. we talked and i lost track of time."

"did you ask him about the cards?" he asked.

you sighed, knowing he would direct this conversation to your plan once more, "chishiya.."

he sighed as well, like he too knew where this was heading. it wouldn't be the first time after all, "i should've expected you wouldn't let it down."

you pushed yourself up, staring down at him as he looked up at you, "how could i? you know it's not safe, i don't want to put him into danger like that."

brown eyes narrowed at you, "so you'd rather put yourself?"

"yes." you didn't skip a beat with your answer.

this time he glared at you, not happy with your answer, "don't be stupid."

offended you tried desperately to defend yourself, even if you knew deep down that you were letting your feelings get the best of your logic. you didn't understand how chishiya could completely throw that away, "i'm not! i'm capable of doing so. don't you trust me?"

"i trust you with as much as possible. but i don't trust that your position and relationship with the executives will get you out of that alive." he replied honestly, which you should've expected. it was what you loved right? what would get you to think more clearly about things.

"the same goes for arisu." you whispered, but the more this argument dragged on the more you realized that even though this had been your last chance at getting arisu out of this, you were failing in doing so. chishiya was making too much sense, and he knew he was slowly getting to you.

he pushed himself up so he sat beside you, brown eyes cold as he looked you properly, "stop lying to yourself. you know it's for the best."

you stared back, hating the lack of remorse in them. the softness that was no longer there. he was growing tired of your disagreement and reluctance to use the brunette, "there has to be another way. i dont..i don't want anymore blood on my hands."

"in this world blood will get on them no matter what. what matters is that it's not yours or mine." his words matched the look in his eyes, and no matter how desperately you looked for something else, it was no use.

"i know that! i know.." you looked down, staring at your clasped hands that had tightened into fists. the stinging of your nails in your skin distracted yourself momentarily from crying.

"then you know what has to be done." he laid back down, pulling the covers over his body.

"don't you care chishiya?" you whispered softly, even if you already knew the answer. of course he cared. he was doing this for the both of you after all.

"caring about others will get me killed. my top priority is getting myself out of here, with you as well." he answered.

"and what about kuina?" you spoke quietly once more, afraid of what would happen to her if she wasn't in chishiya's priorities.

"that will be up to her."

you bit back the tears and laid back down yourself, turning to face away from his body and leaving a noticeable space between you two. you were no longer in the mood to talk, curling up into a small ball to keep yourself warm. normally chishiya was there to provide that for you.

"you know this doesn't mean he'll get caught. you're overreacting." he broke the silence, but you just shifted away as a response, still not willing to talk. he sighed, the soft rustle of blankets moving, "don't you trust me?"

his words, you knew that what you answer was would determine the things that would happen from now on. and how the tension between you two would play out.

you wanted to believe that chishiya would do his best to make sure arisu didn't get caught, he had thought this over for many days after all. so you spoke honestly, because you would trust this man with your own life if it came to it, "of course i trust you."

but if that were true, why did the churning in your stomach grow, and why were you still so reluctant in having arisu steal the cards? your conflicted feelings didn't make sense even to you, and in the dark of the night you wished you had talked to chishiya about it more, and listened to the gut feeling in your stomach.

maybe things would've played out differently otherwise.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

honestly this chapter hurt me. sorry guys :D

Chapter 17: ⌈ 15 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

when you had awoken the next morning it was to an empty bed. no note, just the hallow space of where chishiya had lay the previous night, blankets ruffled and pulled back to indicate his departure. but even through your irritation with him from the late hours of the night you couldn't help but feel disappointed, especially with him leaving without saying anything. the asshole didn't even bother to wake you up to let you know he was taking off, and knowing him, he'd be gone for a while.

you sighed, breath short as you stretched your arms upwards, bones creaking in protest before you reached back down to rub the sleep out of your eyes. the curtains were closed, but through the airy fabric you could see the sun peeking through, indicating that it was rather late in the morning. well, this was expected. you had been at the bar with arisu for some time after all, and chishiya was an early riser as well as a light sleeper, you being the complete opposite, so you weren't surprised to not have heard him get up in the morning.

you turned to hear the door click open, hoping perhaps it was the blonde, even if you knew deep down that it was wishful thinking. however, as you expected, a mess of braids appeared in your vision instead, and although happy to see kuina, it didn't stop the dull ache that had settled in your heart and the disappointment that creeped into your body.

"morning!" she chirped, closing the door behind her and walking over to where you sat in bed. you gave her a soft smile in greeting as she looked around, confusion etched on her face, "chishiya isn't around?"

you felt your face fall at her words, looking away, "he left sometime this morning."

she seemed to notice your gloomy mood, eyes apologetic for having asked. swiftly she took place on your bed, leaning back on the palm of her hands, "good! he kills the mood anyways. did you eat breakfast already?"

you laughed softly at this, shaking your head, "i just got up."

she grinned at you, pushing her body back up and turning to face you, "alright! first we'll eat some food and then come back here and brush your hair!"

you shot her a confused look at the strange request, "brush my hair? but-"

"you'll shower first of course. it'll be relaxing for you and distressing for me so it's a win win situation." she explained, eyes pleading and waiting for you to agree.

unconsciously you reached up and picked at your hair, feeling the texture. well, it was about time you washed it, and it'll be easier for kuina to brush through it opposed to it being dry. you put your hand back down before nodding, smiling as her face brightened in excitement.

with that kuina waited as you got out of bed, freshening up quickly in the bathroom before shrugging on your sweater over your body and joining her in the hallway.

you both engaged in a small conversation as you made your way down to the cafeteria to eat, filled with a small crowd of the members of the beach rushing to grab food. unfortunately most of the good stuff available was gone, however you were able to grab a cereal bar and some fresh fruit in a plastic container from the garden. strawberries ironically enough, sweet and sour and reminding you all too much of your missing boyfriend who seemed to have a strange fondness for the fruit. back in your days before the borderlands he was always seen with it in any sweet he ate, and you had quickly caught on to this and would cut and bring some for him during his working shifts. you hoped he had eaten already, and had also gotten to enjoy these sweet berries.

"want to eat up in the room? it's too crowded here." kuina suggested, bringing you out of your thoughts as you agree. with that you weave your way through the growing crowd, feeling better when it was just the both of you walking down the hall, much emptier and quiet.

"how do you think they find all this food?" kuina thought out loud, rolling the package filled treat in her hands.

"executives and volunteers go out for runs throughout tokyo." you explained, peeling back the plastic and popping a strawberry into your mouth. your face twisted at the initial sourness, but quickly dissipated once you had grown used to the taste.

"volunteers?" she asked. ah, that's right, not many knew of the extra tasks regular members could perform.

"for those who want to get a higher ranking without playing so many games. mainly the new members of the beach." you quickly explained, kuina nodding in understanding.

"you think they keep track so no one tries to escape?" she thought aloud once more, gum stick rolling around between her lips as she talked.

you gave a soft and bitter laugh, "i think with how things have been lately..some people are too afraid to go against hatter." not to mention most were just too blind of the utopia this beach initially was to really think deeper into the things happening lately. it was easy to overlook the signals once you've grown an emotional attachment to them.

"and yet we're planning on leaving soon." she muttered, indicating that soon enough your time here will come to an end.

"yeah.." you mumbled softly in return.

"will you miss it?" she asked, brown eyes peering at you expectantly.

"the beach?" you confirmed, kuina humming in response. you looked away, thinking about the question, "well..i'll miss the luxuries. electricity will be hard to come by and food will actually have to be looked for."

"ah the hot showers. that's gonna be missed." she whined, causing you to laugh at where her priorities and worries were located.

"yeah, no kidding. but it's for the best. staying here for long won't be good." even now as the days rolled by the dangers were increasing. no one could possibly predict when things would be overturned. it could happen today, or two weeks from now, but it was not a risk you wanted to take.

"you're talking about the rivalry?" she asked once more.

"you experienced it first hand." you said, hinting at last night when she had been talking with arisu and usagi, and the militants had made an appearance.

she shuddered, most likely remembering the events that had occurred, "it was scary. and of course arisu had to go run his mouth. i told him to keep quiet and stay out of it."

you laughed at her irritation, but she should've known with the little time of knowing arisu that it was expected, "come on, he was doing it for usagi. it was sweet."

she swiftly turned her body around to face yours, walking backwards as she talked in rushed words, "you've noticed it too right? those two totally like each other!"

"i'm guessing you mentioned that to them?" you rose an eyebrow in question, also remembering how when kuina had talked to the pair and they had grown defensive and flustered at her words.

"well it's clearly obvious. i was just trying to get them to admit it while they still have time left." she defended, turning back around and quickening her steps once the hallway where your room resided came into view.

"they'll realize eventually. i wouldn't push them too far." arisu and usagi were smart, they'd get through games and eventually come to terms with their feelings with each other during that time.

kuina sighed in defeat, knowing you had made a good point, "alright."

you laughed softly at her small defeat, knowing she had good intentions on wanting to push arisu and usagi in the right direction. most would jump into a relationship with this world after all, but not all were capable of freely throwing their heart out into a world like this. chishiya had tried to take his back before after all, and you were sure arisu was too preoccupied on keeping usagi safe to really worry about the underlying feelings in his chest.

you finally stood in front of your door, pushing it open softly and placing your food down on the table before turning towards your friend, "i'm going to shower first okay? don't eat my food." you sent her a knowing look, well known in the fact that kuina enjoyed stealing your food from time to time when your attention was directed elsewhere.

she grinned, a mischievous glint hidden in those brown irises, "no promises. your strawberries look extra delicious."

you glared at her before entering the bathroom, turning on the shower and waiting for it to warm up to the right temperature. as that was happening you peeled off your clothes, noticing that your skin no longer bore the bruises from your games, blue and purple as a souvenir of the hardships you had to endure, or from that night. it was nice, but it was still hard to look at yourself, not fully recognizing the individual that stared back at you through the mirror. they had been through a lot here, and you wondered if you'd ever be able to really return to your normal life, or if anyone here would. would anyone believe the stories told, of death games and cards? just how much emotional trauma and therapy would these people be able to handle before they broke?

you turned away, not wanting to stare any longer and entered the shower, letting the warm water cascade down your body. the hot liquid melted away your worries, and you realized kuina was right. you really would miss this luxury. cold showers were not your thing, and who knew if you would even be able to get a proper shower in the privacy of a bathroom? if anything you'd probably find yourself having to bathe in the river, which has surprisingly been free of pollution ever since coming to this world.

by the time you had left the bathroom kuina had finished her food, somehow able to contain herself from yours and sitting cross legged on your bed with a brush in hand. you laughed softly at her eagerness as she patted the space in front of her before picking up your own food and sitting down, hair wet and dripping small droplets of water down your neck and back with the mattress dipping under your weight. and you sighed in content at the first stroke of the brush along your scalp, her fingers separating what strands of hair she was capable of doing.

it was quiet as kuina did her best to brush your hair, relaxing just as she had said. your body eased as the tension seeped away with every tug, and you could feel your eyes begin to close as you leaned your head back, allowing her more access as your reveled in the soft feeling.

"i forgot the last time someone's done this for me." you mumbled softly, slowly lulling off to a dream like state.

"your mom didn't do this?" kuina asked, leaning forward ever so slightly to look at your face.

you opened your eyes to look at her before looking down at your hands, clasped together and nails digging into the skin, "my mom didn't like me all too much. and my sister well..i'd never let her."

kuina sat back once more, continuing to brush through your damp strands, "bad relationship?"

you thought back to your younger years, remembering the words that at the ripe age of 8 you didn't even give a second thought to, thinking it was encouragement to do better. that was until eventually when you had made it to your teenage years they made all too much sense, harsh syllables and broken cries all too fake bringing you down and building up a wall between you and your family, "i was always compared to her so, i sort of just let the hate be the feelings i felt towards her. she was always nice to me but..she never really defended me against our parents. so that resentment just grew."

you felt kuina pause in her actions, lowering the brush in her hand, "i'm sorry. i don't really know what to say."

you mustered up a small smile, looking over your shoulder to stare at the girl, "ah, i'm over it now. after i left for college things got better, although i wished i could've fixed my relationship with my sister. it's not really her fault that she was favored."

"why don't you? after we go back." she asked.

harsh winters and deep rooted sorrows, with a phone call you never thought you'd receive, "she died about a year ago."

"oh." she whispered quietly.

"i guess our household was too much for her. or maybe there was something else going on that no one knew about." you didn't know the real reason. you had skipped out on the funeral because you didn't want to see your mother and father, surely to blame you for the suicide of their youngest child.

"do you miss her?"

you hummed softly, noticing the crescents embedded into your skin, red and surely to scar, "i miss what could've been."

kuina was silent at your words, contemplating on what to say next. she decided quickly that there was no possible sentence that could help relieve the sudden somber air that had been created and resumed brushing through your strands. you much preferred it this way than empty words that meant nothing, and was grateful for the silence as she gently massaged your scalp, all the way until you had fallen asleep.

your small moment of peace was interrupted however when the door clicked open, eyes blinking in confusion and groggily sitting up at the noise and the feeling of kuina shifting from behind you. you could feel your heart ache at seeing who had been the one to enter, chishiya shuntaro back from whatever he had been doing for the past couple of hours.

"so you didn't end up leaving without us." kuina joked, scooting back as to give you space to sit up and stretch.

his mouth quirked into a small smirk, "unfortunately not." brown eyes drift down to the position you were currently in, hair now dry and kuina still sitting behind you, "arisu is outside."

"outside?" you asked, a little confused and still trying to shake the sleep out of your system.

he walked over and pushed open the curtains, sunlight peeking through the window panes and dipping into the room. he leaned against the wall, eyes watching the activities going on outside, "now is the perfect time to include him into the plan."

"oh." you mumbled, attention also drifting over to the window.

he glanced over to look at you, sitting back up and hands moving to close the curtains once more, "let's get started."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

a soft breeze blew your strands as you crouched down low, trying to drown out the wails of pain coming from below. shuffle of movement could be heard, and with the thuds of bodies clashing together and clanging of metal you had an inkling of an idea on what was happening. someone had broken the rules, and they were getting punished for it as a result.

that wasn't your top priority however. instead you were waiting for the right time to approach the male, and it seemed it would be coming up soon as the cries silenced and the rustle of a cover being put into place was heard.

"heads up." chishiya spoke softly, as to not alert the upcoming militants of your spot here at the staircase.

you shifted back ever so slightly, watching quietly as the group walked past and took the other pair of stairs up. you could breathe easily now that they were out of sight, but one nudge on your back and you turned to see what arisu had discovered, appearing in view after having been creeping around the area and asking members questions based on what chishiya had told you.

it seems he had taken notice of the dumpster tucked in the corner, seemingly out of place in his eyes and also what the militants had been preoccupied on just minutes before. cautiously he walked up to it, bringing his hand up to his nose no doubt because of the smell and lifted the cover, face of horror and regret making its way onto his features.

well, it had been hidden and handled by the militants for a reason.

very briefly you could see the decaying corpses of the beaches missing members, the ones who had so foolishly kept cards or had tried to leave. you could feel your heart pang slightly at the thought, but it quickly went away when kuina stood up from beside you, indicating that it was time.

slowly you pushed yourself up, following behind kuina as you stood at the top of the steps. she walked down a couple steps below you, with chishiya the closest to the male.

"this is the true nature of this utopia," chishiya began, causing arisu to look up at him with his hand pressed against his nose. chishiya and kuina walked down even closer, you staying rooted to your spot, "this is part of beaches rule. death to traitors."

arisu stared at him confused, until drifting his attention towards you, a solemn expression on your face, "what...why.."

you let loose a small sigh, walking closer so you stood in front of chishiya at the bottom of the steps, "let's have a talk arisu."

"a talk..." he mumbled to himself, unsure.

you could feel chishiya come up beside you, giving you a quick glance, as if silently telling you to do something. it was like he knew arisu would trust you, and agree if you were willing to.

with a small puff of air escaping your lips you swiftly walked up to the brunette, giving him a soft smile to reassure him, "everything will be fine. we just want to ask you about something."

he stared at you before nodding in agreement. at this chishiya began making his way back up the stairs, no doubt going to the only place that would give you four absolute privacy.

as you followed after the blonde you and arisu stayed towards the back, with your eyes set on his white hoodie and the girl's braids.

arisu called out your name, still confused, "what's going on?"

you sighed, pushing open the door that led up to the stairs towards the roof, "remember our talk last night?"

he nodded, "yeah," suddenly his eyes widened, perhaps finally catching onto what this conversation would be about, "wait, do you have a plan?"

you paused in your words at this, finding yourselves already up at the rooftop. the wind was harsher up here, and you stared at the male, remembering what was about to be discussed, "arisu.."

chishiya cuts you off before you can continue, "you and usagi seem to have collected a vast amount of information. what are you both planning?"

arisu tore his eyes way from you to look at the blonde who had spoken, distrust evident in his eyes as he grew defensive, "nothing much." he answered, looking quickly at kuina as well who had popped her gum stick into her mouth.

you could feel chishiya's eyes on you at arisu's words, but you didn't move to look at him. the blonde noticed this, and looked back at arisu, "i'll cut to the chase then. how will you live in this world that's filled with despair?"

the male's confusion only seemed to grow, "how?" he looks at kuina as she lowers her hand, until he finally looks at you. you lower your eyes ever so slightly, ashamed but awaiting his response.

everything mattered in this moment.

he looked back down at the ground, a little dejected, "i just want to know the answers to my questions. the ones behind this crazy game. and who killed karube and chouta. i thought i'd be able to survive and return to the original world with everyone. if that is not possible, i want usagi to return at the very least. that is the only reason why i'm still alive."

you felt your heart warm at his words. arisu really was such a kind soul, and you wished he hadn't found himself in a world like this.

you quickly look over at hearing chishiya laugh softly, "what a tear jerker."

arisu looks over at him, more confusion and waiting for him to elaborate.

"your dream," he starts, walking forward, "is cool. i wish for the same thing." chishiya's eyes met yours before looking away, "but it's not practical at all." he finished, pausing in his small walk around the rooftop.

arisu looks offended by his words, and you're quick to speak up from your spot to elaborate when chishiya hadn't, "you'd have to make your way to the number one spot, or win all the games in the deck."

kuina also begins walking, "but that's impossible."

arisu furrowed his brows at this, clearly upset at the reality of this system, "it has nothing to do with you guys."

you walked over towards the male, placing a hand on arisu's shoulder, "i understand your dream arisu. we aren't trying to contradict it. we believe that it can be possible if we work together."

brown eyes stared at you confused, "huh?"

this time chishiya spoke up, "that's why we came to meet you."

"what do you mean?" he asked.

"arisu.." he turns back towards you, waiting for you to continue, "what if we said there was a way to change the status quo all at once?"

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

hours ticked by as you sat in your room, kuina lying down in your bed as you and chishiya sat at the table. after your words you and chishiya began to explain your plan to steal the cards, and surprisingly enough arisu had agreed immediately, even after being told that he'd be the one risking his life to do so.

you really wished he hadn't.

but alas, you knew he was doing this for usagi, and based on the other near death experiences he'd almost gone through for the sake of her, this situation didn't mean much to him. he'd simply do his best to get through the position he found himself in, and you hoped he was smart enough to not get caught, even with chishiya's promise to keep him safe.

"it's your move." chishiya broke you out of your thoughts of the previous day's events, glancing down towards the chess board laid out. after you three had returned from breakfast this morning he had removed his trinkets and brought it out, challenging you to a game of chess.

"right." you mumbled softly, moving your chess piece on the board, resulting in you getting a checkmate.

kuina watched the game in shock, wide eyes staring at you, "i don't think i've ever seen someone beat chishiya. do you know how many times i've tried?"

he reached forward and began retrieving the pieces you had stolen during the duration of the game, "normally she does it faster."

"seriously?" she asked incredulously, believing it but still in shock.

you laughed softly in embarrassment, "i'm just not in the right mind right now."

she turned towards you, brows furrowed in worry, "everything okay?"

"yeah just.." your eyes drifted towards chishiya before averting away. you wouldn't talk about arisu right now, so you focused on another matter that has been rolling around in your mind shortly after your talk with the brunette, "hatter has been gone for a while hasn't he?"

kuina titled her head in confusion, "didn't he return this morning? i thought he was in his room?"

you thought it over, but after he had left last night for his game, everyone at the beach cheering for his departure, he hadn't been since since then, "only aguni returned as far as i know. i saw him during breakfast. but hatter i haven't seen."

"they haven't told you guys anything?" she asked, glancing between you two since this type of situation would normally be discussed amongst the other executives. it was hatter after all.

"well they normally make a big deal out of him coming back, but they just said that he was resting." you spoke, thinking back to the words that were said during the brief encounter with the executives in the morning.

"who said that?" chishiya asked, calm and collected and not at all bothered by the missing man.

"aguni.." your eyes widen in realization, and chishiya realized you had noticed it as well. with everything that had happened lately between the two, and aguni going out for the game as well, it had suddenly become clear. if only he was back and no one had physically seen him then maybe-

you all turned to see your door burst open, tatta rushing in as he breathed heavily in order to catch his breath. you stared at him confused, standing up to place a hand on his back.

"tatta? is everything okay?" you asked softly, quickly looking at kuina and asking her for the bottle of water left on the table. you grabbed it from her hands and extended it towards the male.

"conference..room...meeting at once..." he breathed out, standing upright to look at you and chishiya as he took a couple chugs of the water.

you shared a look with the blonde, realizing the meaning behind this sudden meeting.

something had happened to hatter. and you weren't sure if it was good or bad.

swallowing thickly you let tatta know that you would be right down, to which he nodded before taking another sip of his water. before he could leave however chishiya stopped him.

"go get arisu too." he requested, leaning back in his seat.

tatta finally reclaimed his breath, looking at the blonde confused because of his strange request, "arisu? but he isn't apart of the executive board."

his eyes drifted to the male, cold and causing him to shake under the gaze, "i'm allowing it."

tatta glanced at you and you just nodded. chishiya had to have good reason to let the brunette in on whatever was happening in that room. he nodded back before leaving the room, and as he closed the door you turned to face chishiya and kuina, the girl staring at you confused and in worry and chishiya pushing himself up from his chair.

"shall we?" he asks, brushing past you to the door. you gave a small nod, mustering up a smile for kuina as you put your hand up in a wave.

"we'll be back soon kuina. we'll even finish our game later." you promised.

she stared at you, knowing that the smile was fake but nodded nonetheless. tatta had seemed urgent, and even she knew that whatever this meeting was about, you could not miss it.

you joined chishiya in the hall, beginning to walk towards the meeting room. it was quiet for the most part, and you decided to break the peace to let your thoughts be known.

"is this what i'm thinking it is?" you mumbled softly, not wanting to believe the reality of what was happening and what was sure to come of it.

chishiya hummed, amusement making its way onto his features, "there's only one way to find out."

that could only mean it really was what you were expecting. you weren't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing honestly. yes you had expected the fall of hatter's hierarchy, but not by this. you thought eventually aguni would fight against him, resulting in him being overpowered by the militants. and if it was happening this soon, then that only meant the plan would happen very soon as well.

you both turned the corner to see arisu and usagi at the other end of the hall. you had to admit, tatta was quick in gathering all the necessary individuals needed for this meeting, but when they had tried to go through the militants guarding the area stopped them, niragi amongst them.

"where did you guys come from?" he asks, eyeing them suspiciously, "we didn't ask you to come here."

"i called him over." chishiya spoke up from down the hall, continuing to walk towards them. you wished he wouldn't have gotten the attention of niragi however, who turned back to stare at you both.

niragi scoffed, clearly agitated as he titled his head back, "hey, don't go around gathering people on your own."

you could feel yourself unconsciously press closer against chishiya's body as niragi took a step forward, eyes cast down and refusing to look at the man in front of you. the stare you could feel on your body was frightening enough.

"there's something important he must hear." the blond answered back, giving a quick glance at arisu to let him know that the situation had been taken care of, "let's go in."

arisu turns towards usagi, who looked up at him in worry, "see you later."

she nodded in agreement, watching as he walked over to where you and chishiya stood by the door. you felt your anxieties ease as niragi disappeared inside the room, but you knew your peace would be short lived.

he walks up beside you, whispering softly, "what happened?"

you cleared your throat, forcing the emotions down and smiling at the brunette softly, "i'm not one hundred percent sure but.." you looked over at chishiya, "i have a feeling it's important. so let's go in before we miss anything."

he nodded, and together you waited as chishiya pulled open both doors, quickly putting his hands back into his pockets and walking in. you and arisu shared a glance with each other before following after him, standing beside the blonde who stared at the center of the room. you followed his gaze, feeling your heart drop at seeing what everyone's attention was set on.

it seemed that you had been right about something happening to hatter. the dead corpse on the table was proof of that fact.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 18: ⌈ 16 ⌋

Notes:

i apologize deeply in advance for this chapter. trust me, it hurts me as much as it’s going to hurt you. also trigger warning, mentions of sexual assault and minor self harm along with a dash of heartbreak, so please proceed with caution. with that, enjoy :D

ᎢᏔ; ᎷᎬNᎢᏆᎾNᏚ ᎾF ᏚᎬXᏌᎪᏞ ᎪᏚᏚᎪᏌᏞᎢ ᎪNᎠ ᎷᏆNᎾᎡ ᏚᎬᏞF ᎻᎪᎡᎷ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ Ꭺ ᎠᎪᏚᎻ ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏴᎡᎬᎪK

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

hatter, king of the beach and the person who had started this utopia, had been proclaimed dead.

this much had been confirmed during your little time spent in the room, with the heavy silence of the others and no other explanations needed to explain the situation. it was blatantly clear, especially as you stared at his unmoving form, skin pale white and chest still from movement as aguni, his best friend and closest comrade, stood over him. and if you didn't know any better you'd think he looked sad, face solemn as if silently mourning his dead companion. at the expression you could feel you're heart tighten in your chest, understanding the pain of losing someone in this world. it was not a nice feeling, and if not handled properly it could be the reason for brash decisions as to cope with their passing.

as you continued to stare you couldn't help but think that in this moment, with hatter appearing almost peaceful in a deep sleep as he lay on the snow white cloth, you hated how you had been right about this. about someone who although questionable with his actions had died, during his night out to play in a game no less before he could return to the real world, and after having wanted only the best for everyone here. never did you think that this would be the start to the downfall. that hatter's death would now create the dominos effect of what was to come of the beach.

the only question was, who killed hatter? because you knew it was not because of that game.

your eyes couldn't seem to tear themselves away from the said male, burning as the images would forever be imprinted into your mind. it was a sickening sight, but still your attention never left, not even when the door opened once more and ann and tatta appeared in your vision, rushing in with a sense of urgency. the male stood next to her as ann stared at the content on the table, surprised etched onto her features with also horror, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"seems like he couldn't clear the game. the maintenance team found him by chance in shinjuku while we were refilling gasoline." tatta quickly explained, seemingly in discomfort at the dead body laying in the room as if it was nothing. just another simple thing.

quickly she walked forward, leaning down and reaching a hand out to touch his skin. but niragi, who unfortunately was allowed here inside this meeting room interfered, walking around her with his gun resting in the crook of his arm.

"hey, don't touch him as you please. you dissection maniac." she looked irritated at his words, turning to narrow her eyes at him but stopped nonetheless.

her eyes glanced over his body as a form of inspection instead before coming to a conclusion, "he was shot by a gun. did his game involve guns?"

tatta took the smallest step forward, "most likely," she turns her head at his voice, waiting for him to continue, "some of those near the game arena heard gunshots too."

this time niragi spoke up, amusement laced in his tone at the newfound information, "oh my. he should have brought the militants along with him!"

you shared a glance with arisu and chishiya, who just shook his head in response, and you couldn't help the bad feeling that had settled in your stomach. something didn't feel right. for one, the gun wound. sure it's likely the game really did have weapons incorporated, your first one was evidence of that. however, it didn't seem right that his body was found outside the game arena, not unless someone took the time to move it. but if that were also true, why not take it back to the beach as well? why just leave it there for anyone to find? and another question that had surfaced to the front of your mind was, why had aguni lied? did he know something you all didn't, maybe even knew who had done it? why didn't he speak up? who exactly was he protecting?

a strange voice broke the heavy silence, wobbly and quiet as they asked what every mind was thinking in this room, "what's going to happen to the beach?"

with hatter dead, the only one who could control not only the members but the militants as well, there was sure to be chaos as a result, just as you had predicted long ago.

"keep this a secret from the rest. they'll be shaken by this." mira had been the one to answer the question, and although the plan of action was for the best how exactly would you keep his death a secret? it was only a matter of time before someone realized that the number one was gone, and become suspicious of his lack of appearances around the hotel.

kuzuryuu stepped forward, also beginning to take action to make up for the absence of leadership, "i'll be the next leader since i'm number two."

the heavy footsteps of niragi's body moving around the room filled your ears, deafening and making your skin crawl and shivers rush down your spine, "wait a second. shouldn't the strongest person be the leader?" he glanced between aguni and kuzuryuu, before keeping his gaze on the latter and continuing his contradiction, "we're the ones who have been getting rid of the traitors, yet we have been treated as shadows the entire time. this unfair treatment ends today."

kuzuryuu seemed tired of his antics, also speaking up against his statement, "if number one dies, everyone moves up by a number. we agreed on this rule."

"the snobbish dictator is dead. the power has shifted hasn't it? let's just be democratic and go with the majority." he walks around kuzuryuu, asking a question to everyone in the room, "who agrees that aguni should be the next leader?"

not surprisingly enough everyone keeps their hands glued to their sides, eyes averted from the dark haired male. no one in their right mind would allow the militant leader to take the number one position, not unless threatened to. and as the heavy silence and tense atmosphere dragged on, niragi seemed to realize this fact as well until finally he scoffed, not liking the lack of voices.

"what a bad reaction," dark eyes drift over towards last boss, who had stood hidden with his hood atop of his head towards the back of the room, shifting his body weight against his sword, "last boss." you had a bad feeling as he motioned with his head towards a certain individual in the room. no doubt he was now taking action to prove just how serious he was about voting aguni as the next leader.

the sound of his sword being unsheathed filled the silence as he walked up to ann who unfortunately had been chosen as the first victim to his antics. everyone around her backed away at the sight of the sharp metal, threatening to pierce their skin as he pointed it at her, slowly moving it up towards her neck. she titled her head away as to avoid it, eyes downcast and hands shaking by her side.

"i'll ask again," niragi began, turning to look at everyone in the room to prove that if they refused, this would be the outcome, "who agrees that aguni should be the new leader?"

ann stared at last boss, eyes narrowed before she scoffs, looking away before shakily raising her hand to vote. you could feel your heart drop at her decision, heart rate also quickening in your chest. yes she was scared, anyone would be, even you were feeling the terror creep up on you the longer you stood there rooted to your spot. but this, this would be the start of the executives falling into line with niragi's threats, and was fueling his sense of power.

"this.." mira began, voice wavering, "is not a majority rule."

you dig your nails into the skin of your arm at the sound of niragi's laughter, walking around her, "it is, isn't it?" he leans in close, voice low but still loud enough for everyone to hear as he points his gun at her face, "you're free to vote after all." he sticks out his tongue, showing off his piercing.

it was the first time you'd ever seen mira scared, this was a woman who could endure hearts games after all, not afraid of the death and despair that came with it. but alas, it seemed like everyone, no matter how much they tried to hide it, was afraid of dying. she took a rigged deep breath in as she too shakily put her hand up in agreement.

he smirks at her answer before glancing over at kuzuryuu, "what about the former number two over there?" he lifts his head at his voice, "what will you do?

and just as you expected, he was silent for a moment, contemplating on what to do before he put his hand up as well. kuzuryuu was smart after all, a diamonds player and had climbed his way to the number two spot, maintaining the position for a long time. he wouldn't risk his life for a small vote.

niragi turns around, glancing at the other executive next to chishiya who also put their hand up, before dark eyes settled on the blonde, making your heart race and beat out of your chest as he walked over to him.

you try to stiffle the sound in your throat and the increased racing of your heart pounding in your ears as he pointed his gun at him, "what about you?" nails dig even deeper as you stared at the man you cared for, praying that he would just agree like everyone else.

slowly those brown eyes you loved looked at niragi, face blank as he stared at him but didn't say a word to his answer.

niragi put his gun down, irritated at the blonde's silence as he slowly walked forward, the height difference between the two and the low tone of his voice surely to cause anyone to falter, "are you looking down on us, chishiya?"

"but you guys really are stupid." chishiya answered honestly, eyes continuing to stare at him with his facial expression unchanging.

the dark haired male stared right back, face almost disbelieving at his words and you sent a glare towards the blonde. now was not the time to test him, even if you knew he was trying to prove that he wasn't scared, that he'd never falter under a man like niragi. but even if you knew that, and even through the fear of seeing him so close to you it's finally when he steps even closer and points his gun at chishiya that you force yourself to intervene.

"cut it out you two." you managed to let out, but it didn't stop the wobble laced in your voice.

his brown eyes glanced at you, surprised at your words before quickly turning into amusement, "so the princess has something to say," he walks forward so he's now in front of you instead and your heart started racing even quicker as your eyes looked at the barrel of the gun pointed at you, hating how close he was to your body, "what will it be chishiya?"

still shaking you slowly glanced over at said male, who was glaring at you before putting his hand up.

niragi laughs at finding the one thing to get chishiya to agree, not giving you any warning before pressing the gun harder against your neck, cold metal against your skin as he leaned in even closer to your face. you could smell his cologne, filling your senses and the ringing in your ears as your heart that wouldn't stop beating out of your chest made you want to cry out in frustration. in the way he made you feel.

"and what about you princess?" he whispers, voice low as his lips graze against your ear. you're too afraid to speak however, not even noticing the trickle of blood that had formed on your arm from how hard you were piercing the soft skin, "come on, don't make me kill you. or maybe..you want a repeat of that time we had fun together."

that was the breaking point for you.

you had always been the type to shelter what you really felt, especially around those close to you. it didn't seem fair to openly express the emotions you were currently going through, not when they had their own worries as well and their own bad experiences that were surely worse than yours. it wasn't fair to give them your baggage when they had their own to struggle with.

but at this moment, you could feel the mask you had so desperately worn crack, strings that you had tied knot after knot hanging by a thread and trying to keep the facade together. and as niragi reached forward to brush his cold fingers against your skin those strings snapped, wisps flowing away and causing the mask to fall off of your face, your heart, bare for the whole world to see.

for chishiya shuntaro to see just how broken of a human being you truly were.

your chest squeezed tightly, air difficult to come by as a tiny wail left your throat. hands flew up towards your head and bunched the strands together, gripping tightly as you stepped back to get away from him, losing your footing as your bottom hits the ground and empty tears start streaming down your face as you begged it to stop. the touch of his skin on yours, gripping harshly onto your wrists. his legs, that had kept you from moving as you struggled under the weight of his body. the car that stunk of alcohol and his scent, with only his face in your vision.

"stop..stop it stop it stop it." you mumbled out, shaking your head as your head hung low, staring at the ground. you curled in on yourself, trying to hide from the reality of your trauma and the ugly truth behind it. that no matter how much you told yourself that it was nothing, no matter how many times you brushed it off to worry about more pressing matters, the neglect you had run away from had finally caught up to you, and the weight of the mental struggle of dealing with it alone was finally pressing down on your being.

you flinch as he raised his voice, niragi putting his gun up as if to hurt you, "huh? seriously? i'm asking you a question! you really want to die?!"

you turn your head away, bracing yourself for the hit that didn't come. when you realized this fact you slowly looked over to see that familiar white hoodie, standing between you and niragi as his hand was raised to stop the gun from making contact with your body. chishiya spoke something along the lines of you agreeing to vote aguni as the new leader before niragi scoffed, the rustle of his gun being lowered filling your ears along with your screams of protest and his chilling laughter from that night.

you flinch once more at feeling someone touch you, shaking and slowly moving your head to look at who had done it. blonde dyed hair and brown eyes met yours, staring at you before glancing down, "come on. get up."

your lips wobbled as you shook your head in protest, but chishiya was already standing up, staring down at you and waiting for you to oblige. you truly didn't want to. just staying still felt like a much better option after all. but one slow look around the room and at seeing everyone staring at you, it was enough to make you realize what was happening. and frankly you didn't like the attention, of wearing your emotions on your sleeve and letting everyone know the truth behind one of their best players. it made you feel so weak and helpless, and so you looked away, forcing yourself to let shaking bones up onto your feet and endure the weight of how heavy your body felt.

you turned to see arisu staring at you, brown eyes filled with worry and questioning what had just happened. but no matter how much you wanted to pretend your mask had broken, beyond repair and so you looked away from him as well, also jumping at the sound of niragi speaking once more, "hey, what are you spacing out for?" you hear his footsteps as he walks over to arisu and the click of his gun, surely pointed towards the male, "were you never taught that you should reply to people? whose side are you on?"

you hear the swish of sharp metal, last boss's katana close by, meaning he was also threatening arisu at this moment.

you tuck your bottom lip between your teeth, the metallic taste of blood filling your mouth at hearing niragi laugh, "you were really scared for a moment there, right? that's so funny," you assume arisu had put his hand up when niragi stopped laughing, speaking once more, "all right."

your eyes glanced up as silence filled the room once more, seeing that everyone had put their hands up, too scared to be threatened like the rest. they must've learned that no one would be able to escape as the opposing vote.

niragi spoke once more, amusement laced in his voice at the outcome, "suddenly everyone's voting yes. so the new leader is decided right?"

you shifted your attention over at hearing mira speak, eyes on you for a second before looking away, "hatter would not allow this. if he were alive he wouldn't approve."

more laughter ensued, and you looked back down at your hands, stained crimson and crevices embedded into the skin, "but he's dead." your eyes widen in horror as you looked back up and saw him walk over towards hatter, raising his gun and hitting his head repeatedly, "the dead won't know what's going on." he continued to prove his point, the thud of his weapon making contact with hatter's skull scratching your ears, "see?" finally you couldn't take it anymore as you looked away, disgusted and hating the sight of the male.

and finally, the one who had been silent this entire ordeal spoke, "enough." footsteps sound again, and you look back forward to see aguni staring at hatter once more, silent before looking up, "from today onwards, i will be the beaches new king."

"isn't this wonderful?" niragi shouts in excitement, clapping his hands together in celebration. no one joins him however, and so the contact of his skin ceases, "now boss. all that's left is the succession ceremony. let's open the black envelope."

his words were unknowingly heavy as they left his mouth, not quite understanding what they meant.

"the black envelope." chishiya began, arisu's face perking up at the sound of his voice. the wind from the rooftop was still harsh against your skin, whistling in your ears as the information you shared with chishiya back during the first time the cards were put away was currently being told to arisu, as a way to further explain the plan to steal the cards, "the poker cards gathered by all the members of the beach are kept in the safe in hatters royal suite room. the passcode to the safe is kept and sealed inside the black envelope. the envelope is opaque and kept in utmost secrecy, and can be opened only when there's a new number one."

arisu looked confused, wondering why this was being told. hatter was currently number one, so why was this important if it most likely wouldn't be a while until he left?

"he means that either we steal the black envelope and find the passcode," you began.

"or wait until the next number one is chosen." chishiya finished, smirk painting his lips.

"but wouldn't that take a while?" arisu asked, still not understanding.

"could be," chishiya gave a small shrug, "i guess..whichever comes first will be what we choose to go with. i've already made plans for both outcomes."

arisu seemed to finally understand, nodding for him to continue.

chishiya's smirk widened before speaking again, "the new number one will check the passcode alone in front of all executive members. then he will place the paper with the passcode written on it into a new envelope and seal it again. it will then be signed by all executive members before it is stashed away again."

that moment on the rooftop left your mind as quickly as it had surfaced, hearing the rustle of footsteps and fabric as the executives shuffled out of the room. you swallowed thickly before turning to leave as well, eyes averted from chishiya's whose stare you could feel on your body.

arisu stared as chishiya gripped the back of your hood, forcing you to stop walking as he walked around and stood in front of you, "what was that back there?"

slowly you looked up at him, feeling small under his gaze as brown eyes chipped away at your strength of trying to keep what little you could together. your mask had fallen back there, and now there was no going back from keeping it on.

chishiya knew something was up, and those white lies that you had told him would no longer work.

you looked back down, nails digging into your skin once more, "the black envelope.." you spoke quietly, "we have to watch the ceremony."

the blonde stared at you, perhaps searching for something before he let out a frustrated sigh, releasing his grip on your hood and quickly turning away.

"fine then. let's get going. arisu go back to the room. we'll talk again later." he muttered out, not stopping to see if the brunette had agreed.

your heart felt heavy and the pain was sharp as chishiya didn't spare you another glance, walking away. your eyes remained stuck towards the ground as arisu put a trembling hand on your shoulder, as if silently reassuring you and apologizing as he left down the hall.

you reached a palm up to smack against your forehead, gritting your teeth as you told yourself to get it together. to stop the tears that wanted to stream down your face in rivers of sorrows. you couldn't break down in the middle of the hallway no matter how appealing the thought appeared.

щну Дяё уоц ₴о щёДк¿

you groaned softly in frustration at the thought, slapping your face once more before hurrying to follow after the blonde. just focus for a while longer. watch and try to figure out the passcode to the safe. if you can just do that, then everything will be okay.

it'll be okay.

by the time you found the meeting room chishiya was already seated, and swiftly you took your spot right beside him. the door clicked closed as soon as you entered and everyone watched intently as the black envelope was brought in, placed right in front of aguni.

the sound of ripping paper as aguni tore the envelope open, bringing out a small slip of paper. he dropped the now empty envelope as he titled his head towards the side, hiding the paper from everyone's view in his lap.

you forced yourself to focus on his facial expressions, trying to get any clues and trying to ignore the fact that chishiya hasn't looked at you once, brown eyes cold and narrowed at the man now in charge. you didn't think too much about it though, not wanting to focus on that since the pain would be too much, instead finding the first shift of emotion.

browns eyes furrow ever so slightly, as if the contents didn't make sense. you tried to make sense of the emotions, racking your brain for an answer. if he was surprised then the passcode wasn't numbers, even though that's the only possible thing that could be used for the safe chosen. so perhaps, maybe the location? it would make the most sense since no one else knew of the true whereabouts of the cards.

but that left another question in your mind.

where was the real passcode hidden?

aguni proceeded to reach forward and bring out the new envelope, slipping the folded piece of paper inside and bringing out the ring hatter always wore. he pressed the top onto the hot wax, waiting for it to dry before removing it. once that was finished he slid the envelope around the table, and when it had reached you hands shook as you wrote down your signature, filling the space along with everyone else's.

you sat back in your chair as you dropped your pen, the soft click of it colliding with the table as the envelope was finally passed around back to aguni. he stared at it wordlessly before dropping it back onto the table, everyone silent and deep into the ocean of their own thoughts.

he leaned back in his seat, face solemn as the new king of the beach was crowned.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

your stomach churned the more steps you took to your room, eyes staring at chishiya's back as he walked in front of you. it didn't take a genius to know that he was angry, and as he opened the door and closed it behind you, standing up at the front of the room as you sat on the bed, that he also knew.

and that the time had finally come for you to speak the truth, no matter how much it hurt.

"chishiya..." you spoke quietly, staring down at the blankets underneath you.

you quickly looked up when he remained silent, staring at you and expecting you to continue. you took a shaky deep breath in, staring back down at your hands that had already started tightening around the skin, reopening the cuts that had healed.

"my clubs game...you remember don't you?" you whispered out, reminding him of that time back during your third game.

"i do." he stated.

"niragi was there too." you continued, the same night you had been paired with the militants and chishiya had tried to switch groups with you.

"i know."

"we played together, and at one point he saved me. but i returned the favor by saving him as well," you gave a quick look up, seeing his face still hadn't changed. it remained unreadable as you took a final deep breath in, "after our game he.." you paused, trying to recollect yourself and force the memories out of your mind to focus, "we got into the car..and he told me that i needed to repay him."

once again you could feel his harsh grip, the fear you felt when he had stopped the car and your knees that had scrapped the asphalt, screaming at him to stop.

salty tears started streaming down your face, wetting your cheeks as you looked up at the blonde, "i told him no but he..he wouldn't stop."

you continued to stare, to gauge his reaction to the meaning behind your words. he stared right back, seeing brown eyes cold like harsh winters with no fire to keep warm. but with the harsh look came a new emotion, the frostbite to the cold. your heartbeat quickened when you realized it was anger, and you jumped when chishiya turned around and banged his fist against the dresser, hands shaking and blonde strands falling onto his face.

you felt scared in that moment. not of chishiya himself, but of the silent anger he was surely holding in and trying to keep steady.

"so it's just as i had expected," his words were bitter, and your heart stopped at realizing that he had already had an idea on what had happened, "why didn't you say anything?" he asked, turning his head to look at you.

you stood up from the bed, desperate to explain yourself as you took a step forward, "because! i know you chishiya. you would've killed him, and the militants would've killed you in return! i..i couldn't lose you like that."

he pushed himself up as well, gaze cold and sending chills down your spine, "who says i won't do it right now? who says i won't kill the fucking bastard?"

you took another step forward, eyes downcast as you gripped the front of his hoodie in your hands, "please..just..just not right now."

he let out another frustrated breath, "you're so fucking stupid."

his words sent a strike of pain through your heart, and more tears fell down your face as you hands tightened and you hung your head down low, "i'm sorry. i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry-"

another sigh laced with irritation, "stop apologizing." he noticed that you had gone rigid at his harsh tone, hands hesitating over your head buried into his chest before deciding against it and letting it fall back down by his side, "i'm just..angry that you were stupid enough to not say anything. and at myself for not preventing it."

you quickly looked up at those words, shaking your head as more tears streamed down your face. the last thing you wanted was for chishiya to believe that it was his fault, because that was far from the truth. no one could've known that this would've happened. if there was anyone to blame, it was niragi himself, "no! no chishiya it's not-"

gently he pushed you away, eyes averted as he began walking towards the door, "i need some time. i'm sure kuina knows right? go talk to her."

"chishiya.." your voice broke, cracking with the pieces of your heartbreak. no, he couldn't leave. he couldn't he-

he stopped by the door, halfway open as he looked back at you, "i'm sorry that this happened to you," you stared at his face, full of regret as he meant every word said, "but i can't be the comfort that you want right now."

you barely had time to reach your hand out before he turned back around, the door clicking shut behind him. you were silent for a moment, in shock and disbelief as you brought your hand back to your side, staring at the upturned palm. your silence was short lived however as drops of pain splashed onto it, and you let out a wail of agony. your hands clutched desperately at your chest, constricting and painful and swirling with the emotion of your distraught.

this was your fault wasn't it? the consequences of keeping it from chishiya. you thought you had been protecting him, from the outcome of what was surely to come were he to find out. but you had been lying to yourself, digging a hole that you could no longer leave as the consequences of your lies. depths of despair you made yourself. of refusing to talk even though he was right there.

and now you were paying for it, despite how hard you had tried to keep him close. because in the fear of losing him, you didn't realize that he was already gone.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

mm yeah don’t hate chishiya. he’s overwhelmed and doesn’t want to hurt you any further :(

Chapter 19: ⌈ 17 ⌋

Notes:

minor detail but my dumbass forgot that the speech happens the same day, so i changed ‘tomorrow’ to ‘later’ from last chapter. anyways hope you enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you forgot the last time you had felt this way. perhaps when chishiya had first left you, back before the borderlands at that crepe stand. no further explanation besides the fact that he was gone, and no longer in your life, leaving a deep hole in your chest where he used to be. it had been hard the first time, and now that the emotions were coursing through your body once more, it hurt just as much, maybe even worse.

you didn't even take the time to knock on kuina's door before entering, bones creaking with each step that you struggled to take. luckily she was in her room, laying on the bed  and fixing her braids when she saw you. soft brown eyes gazed at you worriedly, widening when tears that you thought had stopped rushed down your cheeks once more.

"kuina.." you whimpered out, reaching your hands up to desperately wipe them away. but they kept coming, and soon enough her hands were gently grasping your wrists, moving them away from your face so she could look at you properly.

"oh sweetheart..what happened?" she whispered, this time being the one to wipe your tears, finger pads warm and gentle against your skin.

"chishiya..i told him and..oh god i messed up so bad." more cries sounded from your throat, with kuina sighing before reaching forward and embracing you in a hug, whispering to quiet you down and rubbing your back in soft circles.

"come on, let's lay down in bed and you can tell me what happened." her voice was quiet in your ear, and you numbly nodded before letting her direct you to the mattress, sitting down and you curled up right beside her, hands shaking against your chest and bottom lip trembling as you rested your head in her lap. once more she began the soft ministrations to help ease your worries, waiting patiently until you calmed down before speaking again, "are you okay?"

by now the tears stopped, and you just stared into space while thinking over the question. but the answer was obvious. you most definitely weren't okay. you had lied to the one person who trusted you, and had driven him away because of it.

"i told him about what happened..and he said to come to you instead." you mumbled out, still remembering his words from before. at the thought your chest begun to hurt even more, so you forced the memory away.

"so he's not in the room?" she asked, cautiously as if stepping over broken glass.

"no he..he left somewhere i don't know." the last words came out rushed, and your heart squeezed tightly in your chest as you realized you didn't know the blonde's whereabouts. who knew what he was doing right now, and what trouble he was causing.

"i'm sure he'll be back soon." kuina reassured, brushing away stray wisps of hair from your forehead.

"do you..do you think he hates me?" your voice wobbled as it spoke, stumbling over the tightrope of words that you were scared to cross over.

she shook her head before realizing you couldn't see and instead spoke her thoughts out loud, "chishiya cares about you a lot. him leaving isn't because he hates you. i think..it's a shock to hear something like that, especially from someone you thought you'd protect from everything. he just needs time to sort out his feelings."

even though the syllables made sense it still didn't help. couldn't he understand that you needed him? even if he wasn't a particularly comforting person he was still the one you wanted. the one you wanted to be there as you cried, "but why..i want him here...with me."

"i think you know better than anyone that he isn't good with feelings. he might be afraid to hurt you any further." she murmured once more.

you stayed silent, not trusting your voice as you could feel her cover your body with a blanket, the fabric soft and airy against your skin and providing what little warmth it could in your hallow heart. the one that ached for the person you knew deep down would need time to handle things properly before being there for you.

kuina hummed from above you, trying to lighten the mood, "don't worry, if he doesn't come back within the next couple of days i'll personally hunt him down and drag him over here to apologize."

you laughed softly at this, imagining an angry kuina grabbing chishiya by his hoodie down the hall. it seemed like something she would do, and you were grateful for that fact that she cared enough to not only scold him for you, but was here to comfort you as well. you didn't deserve someone as kind as her in your life.

"thank you." you whispered, causing her to hum lightly in response.

"i'm always here if you need me." she remarked, patting you softly on the head.

a comfortable silence filled the room, and as kuina's fingers continued to touch the skin of your back you could feel your eyes begin to grow tired, exhausted from the morning and the amount of tears you had shed in the past 2 hours. your heart rate had calmed down and the shaking of your hands stopped and finally, your body relaxed for the first time as your eyes fluttered close to a deep sleep.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you awoke to the shift of kuina's body moving and the absence of her warmth, feet padding against the floor as she answered the knocks thudding against the door. voices sounded throughout the room and you groggily stood up when they didn't cease, eyes still half lidded and figures blurry as you strained to listen.

"now? but they're still in a fragile state." you heard her protest, making your confusion grow. was there a meeting of some sorts? but you just had one, what was so important that needed to happen now?

"we have no choice. succession ceremony is soon and if we don't leave tonight then another opportunity won't present itself for a while." the other voice informed, and it took you a second to recognize the tone that kuina was currently talking to.

you heard her sigh, weary and not at all wanting to agree. however, it seemed as if she had no choice, "i hope you're right about this chishiya."

your heart skipped a beat at the name, and you lowered your hands that had reached up to rub the sleep out of your eyes when said male appeared in your vision, hands in his pockets as he stared at you. already you could feel the pieces you had bandaged together crack again, scared and confused on why he was here. you thought it'd take longer for him to sort things out, so what was going on?

never breaking eye contact he spoke to the girl beside him, "kuina go get arisu and usagi. we'll be waiting in my room."

kuina looked as if she wanted to protest, no doubt knowing of your fragile state and not quite trusting what would happen if you two were alone together so soon. but one look from chishiya and she sighed, eyes narrowed as she glared at him before giving an apologetic smile towards you and leaving.

you watched her figure disappear before settling your gaze back to the blonde, waiting anxiously for what he had to say next. already your nails tightened against your skin, crescent moons embedded in your wrists.

he sighed, hands shifting as he rummaged around his pockets, "just like i was telling kuina the plan will execute today, during the succession ceremony," he brought out his ipod, showing you the time and confirming that aguni's new title would be announced to the beach soon, "i'm going to discuss plans with arisu and usagi so they are ready."

you could feel the disappointment settle as he put the device back into his jacket, eyes watching and waiting for a response. maybe because you had been hoping that despite the trauma chishiya would at least acknowledge it. but here he was, on a different topic with more pressing matters. once again you had to push your feelings aside.

you looked down at your hands, playing with your fingertips, "okay."

"stop that." he grumbled, causing you to feel even more dejected at the tone of voice.

"i cant.." you whispered, already feeling the buildup of tears in your eyes. embarrassed, you looked away, reaching up and rubbing your palm against your skin to catch them from falling.

chishiya let loose a frustrated breath, fingertips pinching the skin between his brows, "i'm not.." he paused, struggling with the right words to say, "i'm still angry, but i'm not disregarding your feelings. now isn't a good time to talk about it so just wait and focus on the plan."

you stared at him before looking down at your hands, realizing that this situation was all to familiar to a different one. but what? what was it?

your heart raced as you approached the woman, clearing your throat to gain her attention, "mom."

she gave you a quick glance before turning away, picking up the bottles of water and the pills in the container, "i'm busy."

you inhaled a shaky breath, trying to calm your nerves, "i know, i just i think i-"

"didn't i tell you to stay quiet? your sister is going through a lot right now," she muttered, wrinkles evident on her forehead as she sighed.

a small whimper left your mouth at the harsh tone, tugging on her sleeve, "mom please."

she turned to look at you, glaring at your small figure, "don't you care about her? why don't you think about her feelings instead."

your hands trembled around the fabric as you looked down, "but-"

"i don't have time for you to come complaining to me about nonsense. go finish your school work or something." she pried your hands away and waved you off, pushing open the door to your little sisters room. you only had time to see your mother smile, voice soft as she spoke to her before the door closed, casting you away from the love you so desperately seek for.

ah, that's right. it was just like that time. those memories of your old household. of the many events where your feelings and worries were cast aside for something greater. back then it was your sister, and now it was a deck of cards.

but did you have the right to complain? you were the one who had hid it after all, perhaps this was another one of the consequences for your lies.

"okay.." you whispered, you growing quiet after that. chishiya didn't speak either, and it didn't take long before you couldn't handle it anymore, getting up and stuffing your hands inside your pockets and moving to leave the room. you were stopped however by chishiya grabbing the back of your hood, causing you to slowly turn your head to look at him.

"here." you blinked in surprise as he held out a sweet, a lollipop to be exact with strawberries decorated onto the wrapper. cautiously you take it from his hands, staring at the sweet in confusion before looking back up at him.

chishiya didn't say anything else however before leaving, no doubt to see if kuina had successfully gathered arisu and usagi into the room. you stared back down at the lollipop, rolling the stick in between your fingers before putting it into your pocket and following after the blonde.

soon enough as you sat beside kuina in one of the chairs arisu and usagi took their seats as well, the brunette nervous as he sat across from chishiya while usagi seemed untrusting, opting to stay standing at the back of the room.

the blonde's lips twitch up into a small smirk, but didn't waste time on greetings and casualties, instead getting straight to the point, "first, arisu will infiltrate the royal suite. then he will search for the safe and steal all the playing cards inside."

arisu gave a quick glance down before he directed his attention back to chishiya, "what about the passcode?"

he looked down at the piece of furniture, chuckling softly to himself as if remembering something funny, "i have an idea of that. i'll tell you when you're in front of the safe." he explained before he placed a walkie talkie down on the table.

arisu smiles, "you're really cautious. i got it." he looked determined, reaching over to grab the device.

you could feel chishiya's gaze on you, and you swallowed thickly before reminding yourself to focus on present events, "me, usagi and kuina will be on lookout. we'll make sure no executives are around to catch arisu. if you see someone, alert them on the walkie talkie or try to stall for as long as possible." you surprised even yourself as your voice appeared steady, bringing out the devices chishiya had given you earlier. you hold one out for kuina who gladly took it before doing the same for usagi. the girl however just stared at your hands and didn't shift to move.

usagi looked away, hands trembling as she tightened them into fists, "this is too dangerous," her eyes shifted once more and settled on the blonde, "if we're discovered, we'll be killed."

your mouth twitched down into a frown, but you understood where she was coming from. arisu was the one being put into absolute danger after all, no doubt she was scared for his safety, left into the hands of people she didn't fully trust. you'd be cautious too.

but if she didn't agree, then this plan wouldn't work. you needed her cooperation.

arisu and chishiya shared a look before the former turned to look at usagi, eyes pleading for her to understand, "this is the only way to change the current situation," she looks at him instead and the brunette swallowed before continuing, "now that hatter is dead and there's no unity at the beach, the time is right for this plan."

you forced your limbs to work and take you to the girl, stopping right in front of her and taking her hands. your eyes are downcast, staring at her upturned palm before placing the device in them and closing her fingers around it. your hands wouldn't stop trembling however as you placed both your hands around hers, "he's right. i'll make sure nothing happens to you or arisu. so trust us, okay?"

she stared at you, like trying to figure out if your words and promise would be true before slowly nodding in agreement. you forced a small smile before dropping your hands, unintentionally locking gazes with chishiya when you moved to return to your seat. he didn't smile, face blank and unreadable and oh so frustrating for you. quickly he averted his eyes, letting loose a small sigh as he stood up from the table.

he grabbed his own walkie talkie, throwing it up and catching it in his hands as he glanced around at everyone in the room, smirk playing on his lips, "good luck everyone."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

the silence was deafening the longer you stood there, body weight supported by the wall beside you as you stared at your hands, clutching tightly to the walkie talkie left in them. everyone should be in position by now. all you had to do was wait for the signal to leave in case things went south, a signal you prayed would never be uttered.

the small device crackled to life, with chishiya's voice sounding through, "the new leader is making a speech in the lobby. all executive members and the militants are at the annex. we won't get another chance like this. i'll let you guys know if there are any changes. i'm counting on you, arisu."

"understood." arisu's voice also crackled to life, tone low until it disappeared with the male no doubt already searching through the room.

you sighed, lowering your hand as you glanced down both ends of the halls. so far no one was around, so luckily for you you didn't have to worry too much about being on the lookout. if anything you should be more worried about usagi and chishiya, who was watching the speech and also guarding the hall leading to the royal suite. kuina was a couple halls over, but her voice hadn't spoken through the small device quite yet. you prayed that she was okay, and that everything was going well for everyone.

you jumped a little at arisu's unexpected voice, looking down and straining your ears to listen to the muffled sound, "i found it!"

your heart began racing at the words. so quickly too? you shouldn't be complaining, this was great after all. but hatter had been a cautious man. would the safe really be so easy to find, or was arisu just quick to search for things?

"so, what's the passcode?" he asked, although you couldn't answer since you didn't know the four digit code, not even after aguni had 'seen' it while in the meeting.

"it's 8022." chishiya's voice surprised you and you wondered, how had he figured that out? was that what he had been doing when he left you alone in the room?

"did you see the contents of the letter?" arisu asked, also surprised that the blonde had answered so quickly, even after saying no one else but the number one was allowed to see what was scribbled onto that piece of paper.

"no. but aguni's expression told me everything. that instant, aguni's face looked dark. it was as if he was surprised, and perplexed. i'm sure the contents must be empty." he explained, words and syllables making sense to your ears. you had noticed it too after all, the way aguni had looked confused. but the paper couldn't be empty right? because then where would the code be?

"empty? then what about the passcode you told me?" arisu asked your question out loud.

"the wax seal. it was embedded with the Boss' ring, and it formed numbers. that was the code itself. it's 8022." you could practically hear the smile in chishiya's voice, no doubt proud about the fact that he had figured it out.

and through his words you realized that he was right. it was so painstakingly obvious now that you thought about it. it was an accessory after all, no one would think twice about the ring around hatter's finger. they'd be too preoccupied on the actual slip of paper than the fact that those words were the numbers leading to the beaches most prized possession.

it was perfect for hiding things in plain sight.

"i wouldn't want to be your enemy." arisu laughed awkwardly, before the device went quiet.

you could breathe a little easily now, head leaning back against the wall and muscles relaxing themselves. arisu must have the cards by now, and would be heading back to your room to celebrate.

you'd get to leave tonight, and maybe even resolve what you could with chishiya as well.

"it won't open!" arisu's voice shouted through the walkie talkie, filled with urgency and causing you to stand back up straight, "chishiya. hey, chishiya!" you looked back down at the device, confused and waiting for chishiya's voice to reassure him to try again.

but it never came. the device never crackled back to life, not even with arisu's voice.

fear embedded itself inside your heart as you reached your hand up, pressing down on the button and opening your lips to speak only to pause when a hand placed itself onto your shoulder. you froze, turning only to relax at seeing kuina, who shook her head and lowered the device.

you did as she indicated, seeing that her features seemed worried and scared, "kuina? what's going on?"

"the plan was a fail. we have to go back to the room." she explained, waiting until you began following her down the hall.

"a fail? what happened?" your words came out rushed, fear striking your heart once more as you struggled to catch up with her.

she paused, glancing at you quickly before looking away, "chishiya will explain."

something was wrong. very wrong. what was she keeping from you? "why can't you just tell me now?"

she sighed, stopping and turning around to  grip your shoulders with her fingers, "please just wait alright?"

you stared at her, trying to search for a reason before looking away, nodding your head slowly. fine, if she wanted you to wait then you would. you've done that your whole life after all.

together you both weaved your way through the halls, finding your room and opening the door. chishiya wasn't there, neither was the missing duo who still hadn't spoken through the walkie talkie. your stomach churned, a bad feeling settling as you sat down at the table, leg bouncing as you waited for the blonde's return.

soon enough he did, and you stood up quickly to gauge his reaction, eyes scanning his face. he seemed...normal, not at all afraid or worried. so were you overreacting then?

"chishiya what happened?" you asked, still scanning his features for any indication as to why the plan had failed.

brown eyes bore into your own before quickly looking away, "i underestimated how long the succession ceremony would be. they came back a little too early to the room."

your heart dropped to your stomach, shaking your head and trying to shake the feeling away. but if they came back...,"arisu..is he okay?!"

once more eyes stared into your own, quiet but he seemed conflicted about something. like he was struggling to put the words together. finally he spoke, soft smile gracing his lips, "of course. i warned him before leaving myself. he should be fine."

dои'т lї₴тёи то нїм.

you ignored the small voice in your head, asking a different question instead, "why isn't he here then?"

"it would look suspicious if the only people not there at the ceremony were bunched together no? he's back in his room, usagi should be there as well." he was quick to explain, walking over to where you stood and placing down his walkie talkie.

"then the cards.." you whispered, looking up when he spoke again.

"don't worry about that. we're going back tonight." he sent kuina a quick glance, who had remained quiet this entire conversation. and her face, she looked guilty about something. what was it?

you looked at him, confused, "tonight? but will it be safe?"

"this is the only other opportunity we will get." oh, before the games. everyone would be busy trying to get together and aguni would most likely do another speech to motivate the players just like hatter had done.

you nodded, agreeing with the male, "alright. when are we leaving?"

"you aren't going."

you shifted your attention between kuina and chishiya, not understanding even if his words had been clear, "what? why?"

"kuina already agreed to be the lookout. i should be fine if it's just her." he quickly explained, with kuina looking away and nodding in response.

"you're going to take them? what about arisu?" you asked. why wasn't he using him like before?

"his visa expires tonight. he needs to play a game so he won't be able to join us."

you swallowed thickly, forcing down the unease crawling up your throat as you looked up at chishiya. there was something..off about him. and the gut feeling in your stomach wasn't helping either.

but you wanted to believe him. so you did.

you tore your eyes away from his face, clutching at your sleeve as you nodded, "ok. you guys go ahead then."

you stuffed your hands inside your pockets, moving to leave the room when a hand grasped at your arm, stopping you from taking another step.

"where are you going?" it was chishiya, but you didn't look at him, keeping your eyes downcast.

"i'm just going to walk around, you guys be safe." you muttered, prying yourself away before leaving the room.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you weren't sure how long you spent up on the rooftop.

all you knew was that by the time you finally stood up from your spot the moon had peeked out and took its place in the sky, stars twinkling in the dark expanse of the city. it was cold, wind blowing your strands and tickling your skin but you ignored the sensations, instead focusing on other things, like your time in the real world.

they were much happier thoughts, opposed to the ones plaguing your mind on the unease the blonde was bringing you. it was strange, how his words and body language seemed different, like he was keeping something from you.

but what was it?

you eventually grew sick of your own thoughts however, hating the way you were starting to view him. no, chishiya wouldn't lie to you, there was no reason to. and that was when you decided to finally head back down, walking aimlessly through the halls. you wondered if chishiya and kuina were back by now, but the thought was short lived when a figure bumped into you, apologizing quickly after the impact.

you glanced at the figure, surprised to see ann, with a sense of urgency oozing from her body. you could even say she looked stressed, "ann?" you questioned worriedly, placing a hand onto her shoulder.

"i'm sorry, i wasn't paying attention." her words came out rushed, very unlike her usually poised behavior.

"what happened?" you asked, wondering what had been so distressful to cause her to act like this.

she sighed as she reached up and pushed her short hair back from her face, "someone broke into the royal suite and tried to take the cards."

you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, your only thought being that chishiya had been the one to do so, "broke in?"

"they've been detained already. it was the newcomers, arisu and usagi i believe? you were close to them weren't you?" she asked.

no. no no that couldn't be right. chishiya said that they were fine. that they were in their room getting ready for the games starting soon. he had warned them, he told you himself. he wouldn't lie about something like that. not to you.

right?

you looked down, still trying to process the words, "yeah but-"

"i'm sorry, this must be hard for you." she apologized.

you swallowed thickly, forcing yourself to speak despite the situation, "what are they planning on doing to them?"

"arisu's visa expires today. they plan on letting the game masters take care of him." she muttered, perhaps not appealed with the idea.

"they're going to kill him?" you asked, feeling your hands shake and so you stuffed them inside your pockets to stop.

"it's the third rule. death to all traitors." she whispered, voice grim.

"what about usagi?" you asked again. if arisu was stuck god knows where, then what were they planning on doing to the poor girl you had called your friend?

"niragi is taking care of her i believe." she sighed, causing you to widen your eyes in shock.

you could feel the vile in your throat at the thought of what niragi would do to her, reaching a hand up to place a shaking palm over your mouth, "oh god."

"are you okay?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in worry.

"i..i need to go." you breathed out, not waiting for her to reply before you stumbled to leave.

your chest tightened as you rushed to your room, millions of questions in your mind. but one stood out amongst the rest, red and blinding and making your heart shoot with a sharp pain.

why had chishiya lied?

you pushed open the door, scanning the room but there was no sign of the blonde or your friend, just the empty space of where you had spent a majority of your time. you wanted to cry out in frustration, about to do just that when a piece of paper caught your eye,
stuck to the table in the center of the room.
quickly you rushed towards the piece of furniture, reading the words scribbled onto the sticky note.

you sighed, full of exhaustion and worry as you crumbled the note in your hands. apparently things had gone well, and he was waiting for you down by the entrance of the hotel, ready to leave. were you ready to face him though? after he had so blatantly lied to your face for weeks? well, you supposed you did as well, but this was serious. this was someone's life he had put into danger, used and thrown away and for what reason? hadn't arisu proved to be trusted? didn't he care about the brunette just as you did?

weren't they friends?

and how did you not notice it? were you really so preoccupied on believing that his words were true because you loved him, causing you to miss the signs? or had you just simply ignored them when presented to you?

you left the room, not caring to take  your things as you rushed down the hall and stairs. maybe he had good reason. maybe he had no other choice. and as you made your way down to that familiar archway, seeing the blonde there who smiled in triumph and held up the deck of cards, you prayed that he'd admit to his dishonesty.

he looked down at the playing cards in his hands, "the safe was hidden behind a painting."

"chishiya.." you whispered, causing him to look back up at you, "where are the others?"

please, don't lie. please tell the truth.

he smirked, quick to answer your question like he had rehearsed this exact situation millions of times before, "i told you already didn't i? arisu and usagi are probably on their way to a game. i'm afraid they won't join us as we leave."

lїДя.

"and kuina?" you asked, already afraid of the answer.

he hummed, glancing up at the windows visible from where he stood, "she wanted to stay behind as well," he looked back at you, "come on, it's time to go."

you backed away when he took a step closer, hands shaking as you hugged yourself and felt the salty tears well up in your eyes, "when are you going to stop lying to me?"

he laughed, amused, "what are you talking about?"

"chishiya...what did you do? what did you do to arisu?!" you yelled, fingernails digging into the fabric of your sweater.

he sighed, no longer putting up that facade as he realized you weren't going to back down, "i did what i had to do."

at his words you could feel those pieces of your heart that you had bandaged oh so
carefully crack even more, peeling off until it shattered to pieces. and as you stared at those cold brown eyes, you realized, not even glue could put them back together.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 20: ⌈ 18 ⌋

Notes:

i have a love hate relationship with this chapter honestly. but anyways, hope you all enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

it was like the veil you had put around chishiya had fallen, light and airy as it hit the ground and revealing his true nature. reminding you who exactly you were dealing with. who exactly he truly was. and you hated it, even if you knew deep down that this was inevitable. that you had already known the things chishiya shuntaro was capable of doing for the sake of his own life.

your knees buckled from under you at the sound of the ugly truth, muscles weak as you fell towards the ground. the stinging after the contact hurt, but you ignored it, staring down at the concrete in shock at what he had just told you.

"you lied to me." you breathed out in realization, the truth that you had ignored for so many weeks now. it was obvious now wasn't it? chishiya's persistence to have arisu steal the cards, that look he had given you when you had told usagi to trust you and the gut feeling in your stomach when he had first introduced the idea of including him in the plan. why hadnt you listened to it before? why had you ignored all the signs?

"and you didn't?" he asked, voice harsh and reminding you that you did in fact do the same thing to him. but these were two completely different scenarios. you had lied to keep him alive, and he had lied to frame arisu, leading to his death.

"that's different." you mumbled out, only to flinch when he spoke once more, tone of voice low and cold.

"it's stupid that's what it is." the words sent a sharp pain through your heart, the tears you had so desperately tried to force down from falling threatening to do just that.

you looked up at him, his figure distorted through the water gathered in your eyes, blurred and nothing like him. like the man you thought you knew.

"i did it for you." you cried out softly, trying to make him understand your motive. that the fear of losing him was too great to really be honest.

he continued to stare at you, no laughter or smile that would somehow prove that it was just some sick joke, "and i did this for you."

you shook your head, not wanting to believe what he was saying. did this mean that this was your fault as well? maybe if you hadn't befriended arisu, if you hadn't agreed to include him in the plan he wouldn't be confined in the beach. hell, he probably wouldn't have arrived at the beach at all.

нё'₴ GоїиG то dїё ЬёCДц₴ё оf уоц.

your heart dropped at the voice in your head, the image of arisu with a laser through his head plaguing your mind and making you sick to your stomach. no, no no that couldn't be right. he couldn't die like that. you promised yourself you'd protect those you cared about. wasn't arisu apart of that list? didnt you do all of this so he wouldn't die?

"there was no other way." chishiya continued, his words causing you to shout out in frustration at him.

"so you used him? he was our friend chishiya! he trusted us!" your voice cracked through the syllables, burning your throat as a sob escaped your lips. guilt creeping it's way into your body at the lies you had fed him, even if you hadn't know that you were being dishonest at the time.

but chishiya did, and that's what hurt the most.

the blonde sighed, like this conversation was bothersome to him, "and who's fault was that?"

"i didn't know." you tried to protest, not wanting to believe what he was saying. what your inner voice was saying. it couldn't have been your fault right? there was no way you would've done this willingly, not to the people you cared about.

"you didn't? or did you lie to yourself just to make yourself feel better?" he pressed on, and you hated how much truth those words held.

"stop it." you mumbled, pressing a palm against your head to stop the dull pain of a headache forming. the pounding in your ears was deafening, and chishiya continuing to speak only made things worse.

"hatter was a cautious man, you noticed it as well. without arisu, i would've never known where the real location of the safe was." he finally finished.

seething with angry, because what kind of an excuse was that, you pushed yourself up from the ground, taking rushed steps towards him until you were right in front of him. your faces were close to each other and it was so painfully clear how unaffected chishiya was by this, voice steady and calm as his face remained unchanging.

"it's wrong, and you know it." you whispered, voice faltering when he smirked.

"so what if it is? you knew me best didn't you? weren't you able to predict this?" the mocking tone in his voice only frustrated you even more.

you took another step forward, surprising him as well as yourself as you gripped the front of his jacket and shook his body. your hands trembled as more tears fell down your cheeks, letting your voice shout out the pain, "people aren't just pawns in your game of chess! they're not toys you can throw out once they're no longer useful to you!"

he remained quiet, not reacting to your hands continuing to shake his body. you grew even more frustrated when he remained calm, shoving him back before taking hold of his sweater once more.

"people have feelings chishiya! they have a life! who are you to say that they don't deserve something? who are you to say your life means more than theirs? when did you decide that arisu's life meant less-"

"god just fucking shut up!" he shouted back, finally breaking from your constant jabs.

you paused, breathing heavily and taken aback by his loud tone. chishiya never yelled, and despite how he had remained calm during all of this, you weren't sure which one was more terrifying.

chest also rising and falling, cracked lips lowering his tone and giving you your answer, "i should've just sent you instead so i wouldn't have to hear you whine all the fucking time."

you stared at him, feeling your heart squeeze tightly inside your chest as a small sound left your throat. you shook your head, looking down for a quick second before glancing back up at him, "you don't mean that."

his face shifted, like for a second he really did regret his words. but that didn't stop him from continuing to twist and turn the knife he had already plunged into your skin, "you're the oh so good detective right? figure it out."

so you did. you looked into those brown eyes pleading with your own that it wasn't true. those late nights of studying where you pretended to sleep just to feel him come up behind you, placing a blanket over your figure as he pressed a soft kiss against your temple. the teasing competitions during tests where you bet on who could get the highest score, letting the winner choose your next spot to eat with the both of you together. the giddy excitement you'd feel when showing up to where he worked, fresh cut fruit and knowing that despite him growing defensive about you being there he still appreciated the thought. when you'd come home and the dorm would be clean, books stacked neatly as that blonde hair lay on your bed, curled up with soft sighs and a face of content. you searched for the sign that these tender moments that brought you deeper in love with this man wasn't fake.

but the longer you stared the more he seemed unrecognizable. like this truly wasn't the man you fell in love with, "did it all mean nothing? was everything just leading up to this moment?" you paused, whispering the last part of your sentence, "am i really that disposable to you?"

"and what if you are?" he whispered back.

those memories, the ones you had held so dear to your heart cracked like a broken picture frame, shattering to the ground along with the pieces of your heart, "don't say that..stop saying that you don't care-"

"i told you didn't i? caring will get you killed." he cut you off once more, trying to contradict everything you were saying and everything trying to defend him.

"your lack of empathy is what's going to kill arisu!" you yelled, shaking his body once more.

chishiya's jaw tensed, brown eyes boring into your own, "then go help him."

your hands tightened, staring at him confused because of his words, "what?"

"if you care so much then go help arisu. prove it to me." he explained. didn't he just say caring was going to get you killed? was this him telling you to die and prove exactly his point?

"chishiya.." you whispered, only for him to cut you off.

"it's me or him." he challenged, as if it was an easy choice to make.

"that's not fair." you murmured, shaking your head slowly as your bottom lip trembled once more.

"you know what isn't fair? life isn't fair. sometimes you have to make a choice. so who is it going to be? me or your dear friend arisu?" he seethed, lips dripping with venom as you stared down at your hands, not able to look at him properly.

really it should've been easy. one you knew longer than the other. one you spent countless nights dreaming about, loving with your whole heart and one you risked so much for, things you wouldn't have done otherwise unless it was for them.

it was a trick question, you knew. if you chose chishiya, you'd only prove to him that he was right. that even if you said you cared it was just a facade, because in the end people only cared about saving themselves right? but if you chose arisu, who knew what would go through chishiya's mind at that decision.

it was this thought process that made you realize the only possible solution to his challenge.

your hands went slack against his sweater before you released him, taking a step back. chest tightened as you looked up at the blonde, a distraught expression on your face,
"i..." you paused, struggling to say the words that you wanted to say, "i love you."

his eyes widened at the weight your words held, the first time they've ever been uttered. for the first time in this argument chishiya's face changed, not just to confusion, but pain as well, "what are you-"

"i love you, so much chishiya. please don't forget that. and please understand, that's why i have to do this." you whispered out, feeling the crack in your voice with each word. of how hard it was to say this.

"(name)-"

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry but i abandoned arisu once. i cant do it again." you finished, finally looking up into those brown irises.

you hated leaving chishiya like this. never in the small time that you've known him did you ever think you'd choose someone over him. but if you didn't do this, he would never grow to understand. if you didn't leave him here, he'll never learn to view the world differently than what he perceives it to be, as well as the people inside it. you couldn't let him manipulate you anymore., and he needed to know that.

so as much as it hurt you, and as much as you could see the realization come across his face upon your choice, you turned away from the man you loved, hugging yourself tightly as the tears never seemed to stop coming.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

you struggled to catch the broken pieces of your heart, slipping out of your hands and dropping towards the floor. fingers trembled and you stuffed them inside your pockets, only to feel your heart drop even further at the feel of candy wrappers and nostalgia, leaving a bitter taste in your mouth.

it took everything in you not to look back, because you knew if you did you'd run into his arms, forgetting about everything. but you couldn't do that. you had to save arisu, make up for the mistakes and the lies he had believed. you just hoped you'd find chishiya once more, after things had been set right.

wiping your eyes once last time with the sleeve of your sweater you continued on through the hall, only to pause at the sound of screams and shouts. blinking in confusion you looked towards your right, seeing members of the beach rushing down the halls. much more than usual, and there was no doubt about the sense of urgency and fear present on each persons face.

quickly you followed them, pushing your hair back and putting your hood up as you maneuvered through the crowd set in the lobby. once more you grew confused, because wasn't everyone supposed to be at their games right now? why were they all still here?

you pushed yourself up to try and spot what everyone in front of you was so preoccupied on, only it was difficult considering the amount of people here with more still to come. frustrated, you laid back on your feet, deciding to go back to finding arisu. with the amount of people here the executives were sure to come down and figure it out, giving you the perfect chance to release him from where he was confined.

"hey! do you have a phone yet?" you paused and looked up at seeing a male right in front of you, hand extended out with two phones in them.

your eyes widened, finally putting the dots together. the fact that no one was at their venues, and how everyone was seemingly staring at something in the front of the lobby, and now this man was handing you a phone, used only for games.

did you just find yourself at a game venue?

"thank you. do you know what happened?" you asked, taking the device from his hands and waiting until it lit up. sure enough there was a message saying to gather in the lobby.

"a girls dead. it looks like the beach is a game venue now." he quickly explained, turning around and shouting at someone while holding up another phone. he gave you another quick look before going through the crowd to join them, and swiftly you stuffed the device inside your pocket and waited.

while more members rushed into the lobby, you tried to figure out just how long the beach been a game venue. did hatter know, or was it a more recent thing? for one this was a good thing, arisu would already be a player so you didn't have to worry about rushing him to a game. on the other hand who knew what sort of game this would be with this many people. and chishiya..had he left before it began or was he too around the lobby watching?

"momoka!" a scream erupted at the front of the crowd, and very briefly you could see a girl rush towards the ground. ah, so the dead body had been her friend, "momoka..why?"

an echo of rings sounded throughout the otherwise quiet lobby, and you brought your phone out, knowing what that happy chime meant.

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎻᏌNᎢ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY ᏞᎬᏙᎬᏞ, 10 ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

 

murmurs could be heard all around you as the screen showed its card, sure enough being the only game that you had been missing and had yet to appear before. how ironic.

 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬᏙᏆᏞ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᏔᎻᎾ ᎢᎾᎾK ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᏆᎡᏞ'Ꮪ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏆᏚ ᎻᏆᎠᏆNᏩ ᎪᎷᎾNᏩ YᎾᏌ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎡᎾᏞᎬ ᏆᏚ NᎾᎢ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏔᎾᎷᎬN.

 

so it was like your tag game as well as your mafia game. someone forced to play on the other side. pretending to be one of the players. only this time you were on the innocent side, trying to find out who the imposter was. was this how the citizens felt? not knowing who exactly to trust? and to make things more difficult there were so many people here at the beach, where your game only had 14.

finding the witch would not be an easy task.

 

YᎾᏌ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏆF YᎾᏌ FᏆNᎠ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᏟᎻ ᎪNᎠ ᏴᏌᎡN ᎢᎻᎬᎷ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ FᏆᎡᎬ ᎾF ᏓᏌᎠᏩᎬᎷᎬNᎢ.

ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ, ᎢᏔᎾ ᎻᎾᏌᎡᏚ.

 

very briefly you could see the waves of heat from outside, through the large windows. how it got there you weren't sure, but you were realizing now that this game, although similar to your mafia one, was much more gruesome. because back then all you had to do was vote, and the collar would do it's job. but here? you'd have to burn the witch yourself, and pray it was the right person.

"there's a fire burning at the back of the building!" someone shouted, rushing back from the window to project his voice better for everyone to hear. more people began talking amongst themselves at the piece of information, no doubt scared about what was to come.

quickly you put your phone back into your pocket, ears perking up at the sound of the voice that began to speak, "find the one who murdered momoka, then burn them in the fire of judgement."

it was ann that had spoken, confirming your theories that the executive members were in fact here in the lobby, still proving that now was a good time to go look for arisu. another voice cut in however, one you hated to hear so soon.

"a witch hunt? this sounds interesting." niragi pushed his way to the front of the crowd, leaning down to whisper something to someone at the front as well before turning around to face everyone, "all right, let's search for the witch!"

at this more shouts erupted, and although you also wanted to begin searching, something didn't feel right about niragi being the one to take control. if anything, he would use force, and chances were his gun as well.

not wanting to get caught in the cross fire you quickly left the room, pushing your hood further down to obscure your face as you rushed down the halls. you didn't know where arisu was being held, but you did know a spot that could as least help.

you turned the corner, ignoring the faint sounds of gun shots proving your point as you pushed open the door, locking it behind you as you rushed to the display of screens. your eyes scanned over each and every one as quickly as possible, trying to find a sign that arisu was being held in one of them.

"dammit." you muttered, still not finding him even after you had clicked the mouse to change screens. the executives and militants really must've planned on keeping him hidden, and unfortunately they were doing a good job at it.

you let out an air of frustration, looking through the papers held on the desk before finding the makeshift map of the beach you had drawn long ago. muttering softly to yourself you took out a pen, trying to eliminate the places he could possibly be.

just think, where would the militants hide him? where was there the most security? quickly you crossed out the some of the hotel buildings, deeming them as a location not bothering to look at with the lack of militants held there. that only left the main building, but where on that floor? just how many rooms would you have to search through in order to find him?

you leaned forward on the desk, pressing a hand up to your forehead and shutting your eyes closed. definitely not the first two floors, too much easy access and that's were the lobby was held. maybe the upper floors? you crossed out the first two, eyes landing on one floor in particular.

you circled it, dropping your pen as you rummaged through the drawers. if people were getting killed as you searched the least you could do was find a weapon of your own. being dead wouldnt help arisu, and it could also prove useful in the event that you encountered a militant.

your hands paused at the bottom drawer, seeing dark metal peeking out from under the stack of notebooks hidden in there. cautiously, you removed them, feeling the cool metal of a gun in your hands. it was heavy, and when you checked it had only a couple bullets left. well, it was better than nothing, and a pistol could at least go against their rifles opposed to a knife or nothing at all.

you slammed the drawer close, giving one last look at the monitor before turning around and unlocking the door. you took a deep breath before opening it slowly, peeking out and glancing down both ends of the hallway to make sure no one was around before stepping out and closing it shut behind you, opting to go to the right of the hallway.

you tried to run as quietly as possible, futile attempts to ignore the screams and the rapid fire of shots in the distance. ironic how it didn't take long for things to go south, and how your prediction of the beach falling apart under aguni's control had happened the same day he was crowned.

as you made it to the second floor of the main building you felt relieved that you had been lucky enough not to run into anybody. most were probably still down at the lobby, or in the other buildings where their rooms resided. militants must've taken note of that fact, and had decided to head there instead of the biggest part of the beach.

you turned the corner only to step back and lean flat against the wall, heart beating out of your chest at the sound of the gun shooting. looked like your luck had ran out, so quickly too. well, it couldn't be helped, you were bound to run into someone eventually. it just so happened to be a militant.

you swallowed thickly before slowly you peeked over the wall, watching as she kept it raised, meaning someone was at the end of the hall as well.

sighing you revealed yourself, holding up your own gun and pointing it towards her, "hey! put it down!"

caught by surprise she looked at you, only to smirk at seeing your hands tremble. clicking off the safety you point it towards the ground, feeling your body get pushed back as you shot next to her feet. she grew startled, and only had time to point her gun at you before getting tackled towards the ground, small grunts of pain escaping her lips.

you clicked the safety back on before rushing to the two individuals, quickly realizing that it was tatta that had attacked the girl. he sits back up, still pinning her towards the ground and raised his fist to punch her. you reached out a hand when he tried to do it a second time, leaning down and kicking her gun away from her before pointing yours at her chest.

"where is arisu!" he yelled instead, keeping his hands tightened around her shirt. she didn't answer, so you pressed the metal harsher against her skin.

"somewhere on...the fourth floor." she muttered out, confirming your theories from back in the monitor room.

"you better be telling the truth." tatta muttered darkly, raising his fist once more.

"she's not lying tatta." you reassured, once more motioning for him to put his hand down.

he glanced at you, "how can you be so sure?"

you opened your mouth to explain when the girl spoke once more, causing you both to look at her, "i saw niragi coming out of a room."

still breathing heavily he leaned back, finally believing her words and quickly you got to work on tying her hands behind her back with a piece of clothing, making sure she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone no longer. once that was done you pushed yourself back to your feet, seeing tatta take her gun and stare at it.

you walked over towards the male, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a soft smile, "you don't have to actually kill someone with it. just keep it just incase, to protect our friends."

slowly he nodded, putting it in the waistband of his pants as usagi and another girl came rushing down the hall. your heart hurt at the sight of her, guilty feelings once more plaguing your heart at the things you had put her through. of what you were currently putting her through.

"usagi." you breathed, taking a slow step towards the girl. she didn't move, and the tears started falling down your cheeks as you sobbed, desperately trying to wipe them away, "i'm sorry. i'm so sorry. this is all my fault. you and arisu trusted me and look what happened."

her lips turned down in a frown, eyes sad but she still took that final step forward, cautiously wrapping her arms around your body, "it's okay. let's just focus on finding him."

you nodded, stepping back when she released you and quickly you dried your face of your remaining tears, "he's on the fourth floor. we can start there."

she nodded, determined look back on her face as she shared at look with tatta and the other girl as well before rushing down the hall.

your legs burned as you ran with them, lungs struggling for air as you realized that smoke was coming from somewhere in the building. luckily it wasn't too bad so you could manage to breathe without passing out. however you'd have to be quick, because if the building was on fire than that meant there wouldn't be much time left to find your friend before it burned down.

finally you made it to the fourth floor, and you slowed down as the fire alarm began ringing. the girl who you learned to be named asahi looked around confused, "smoke?"

"what? is there a fire?" tatta asked as well, also glancing around the room.

"they might be trying to weed everyone out of the building." you muttered bitterly, only to pause when you noticed usagi was listening intently for something, "usagi?"

"i hear someone." asahi muttered, and you strained your ears to listen as well. it was quiet aside from the ringing in your ears, but through that silence you could hear faint bangs and a muffled voice through the hall.

a voice that sounded exactly like arisu.

you all nodded at each other in mutual agreement as you split up, rushing through the halls and trying to find the source of the sound. while you opened doors leading to empty rooms you tried to also focus on the game itself, one glance at your phone telling you that not much time was left. so even if you did find arisu, the celebration would be short lived.

who could the witch be? this was a hearts game, and a ten of hearts at that, so what situation would hurt the members of the beach the most? what type of betrayal would have everyone's minds reeling and realize that they had been played?

one thought came into mind, one that was bizarre and laughable, that it had to be the solution. it had to be what the game masters wanted to achieve. before you could dwell on it for long however a shout was heard further down the hall, and you realized it was usagi saying she had found arisu.

you closed the door you had opened to follow her voice, rushing down the hall and finding her in front of one of the rooms. her hands were clasped over the door knob but it wouldn't budge no matter how much she tugged on it.

you stepped forward to use your gun only to stop and turn at the sound of footsteps, seeing a group of militants also on this floor. they spotted you, and you ducked out of the way when they pointed their guns and bullets hit the wood. you rushed towards asahi, gripping her arm and tugging her along to follow you down the hall. tatta followed close behind and you threw a quick look back only to realize that usagi wasn't behind you nor neither were the militants. both must've followed after the girl, into a room with no way out. you stopped, and tatta gave a quick look back before realizing what you had just noticed.

"come on!" you shouted, tugging asahi along once more and rushing to go help your friend as you stared at tatta's figure running in front of you.

by the time you made it to the room usagi was no where to be seen, only the militants peeking outside the window and making you realize that she must've climbed out. tatta rushed forward to pull one of them back, and you brought a finger to your lips to quiet asahi as you did the same, fabric clutched in your hands as you fell back with the force of your pull. quickly you got up once he was on the ground, breathing heavily as tatta did the same.

your eyes widened when one moved to get up, and in the blink of an eye tatta had brought out a chair, slamming it over their head and causing the militant to fall back against the dresser and then the ground.

"i did it." he breathed out, glancing up to look at you before his eyes settled on something behind. you turned to see the other militant struggling to get up, with asahi right behind him.

"i cant do this anymore." she mumbled, face frightened but also with pent up anger as she reached for the vase on the dresser, shattering it over his head with a scream.

you watched as he slumped towards the ground, and quickly you brought out your gun, pointing it towards him as you nudged his body with your foot. he didn't move, and you relaxed ever so slightly at that fact.

you glanced over at the window, walking over and peering out. usagi was nowhere to be seen, meaning she must've successfully gotten away and was heading towards arisu's room at that moment.

you turned back to face the two in the room, features still in shock over the militants bodies limp on the ground. although the sight bothered you as well, now wasn't the time to dwell on it, not with the game coming to an end very soon and the smoke still coming from somewhere in the building. cautiously you stepped over them before motioning with your head for the pair to join you out the door, "arisu is waiting for us."

quickly they shook off their fear, nodding and following you out the door. once you had found the room, bullet holes on the wood from earlier, you told them to step back before using the gun to break off the handle, it successfully dropping to the floor. swiftly you pushed open the door, seeing usagi already there and holding arisu in her arms.

all three of you stepped in, the only light coming from the broken window with glass on the floor and from the hall. a chair where he was most likely confined to lay on the floor, and you noticed the duct tape hanging from his mouth and still covering his eyes. your heart broke at the sight, and you dropped to your knees right beside him, tears rushing down your face.

"arisu..." you croaked out. usagi lets go of him, taking off the tape from his eyes and he blinked in confusion, looking at her before shifting his gaze towards you, surprise evident on his features.

"(name)." he breathed, also looking up at the sight of tatta and asahi, "what are you guys-"

"i'm sorry! i'm sorry for what happened! this is all my fault and i..i don't expect for you to forgive me." your words came out rushed as you bowed your head in shame, droplets of water staining the carpet and your hands.

"it's okay. you didn't know." his voice was gentle as he spoke, and quickly you looked back up, shaking your head in objection.

"but if i had! if i had noticed it before-"

"but you're here now. you helped me and you protected usagi. for that i'm grateful." he cut you off, soft smile on his lips.

your bottom lip trembled as another wave of guilt washed your body, "i don't deserve it.."

he placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, before glancing around the room as if realizing something was missing, "where's chishiya?"

a sharp pain when through your heart at the reminder of the blonde's absence, and the fact that despite everything, arisu still looked concerned for him, "he..i don't know."

his smile faltered for a second, eyes apologetic as he realized that whatever had gone done between you two hadn't ended on a good note. and for that he would be correct.

he glanced between you and usagi, "can you help me up?"

"yeah." you along with the female got to work on ripping the remaining duct tape from his hands and feet until finally he could properly sit on the ground. together, you helped him stand up, distributing his body weight between you two before leaving the room and going to a nearby one that was empty. you struggled under the burden as usagi pushed open the door, bringing him over to the bed and faintly you could hear tatta and asahi rush in as well, tatta wasting no time before dashing forward and embracing him in a hug.

"i'm so glad," he smiled in relief before releasing him, hands gripping his shoulders as he fully took the sight of him in, "you're safe."

arisu smiled at him, giving a small nod in gratitude, "thanks."

he sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing up when usagi began to speak, "i hate to break this to you now, but we have thirty minutes left."

everyone's faces turned grim at the reminder that you were indeed still in a game, and struggling to clear it. you took a step forward and handed arisu your phone, screen bright and displaying the countdown.

he gave it a quick glance before looking up at you, "just explain the rules to me."

you nodded, stepping back and leaning against the dresser as you folded your arms across your chest, ready to recount the events you had heard down at the main room, "a girl named momoka died down at the lobby, and the game explained that the 'witch' hiding amongst us is the one who did it. if we find them within the two hour time limit and burn them in the fire of judgment than it's game clear. and if not well," you laughed bitterly, "i'm sure you know how that goes."

arisu sighed heavily at your words, placing your phone down on the bed right beside him, "this is seriously the worst rule ever."

"tell me about it." you agreed.

"but just like those taggers from our tag game, who were made to participate in the game with rules of their own. i'm sure it's the same this time. the witch has to kill the girl to start the game and survive until the end of the time limit. its just like your first game as well, right?" he confirmed.

you nodded, "i'm getting flashbacks all over again." you joked, arisu giving a weak smile in response. quickly you cleared your throat, going back to the serious topic at hand, "but i understand what you're saying. in this case the witch will clear the game if everyone here gets a game over, along with a laser through their head."

"just who could be the witch?" tatta muttered, still pacing the room back and forward anxiously.

"if i were the witch, i would join the others in the hunting since it'll be game over if i'm caught." usagi mumbled, taking a step closer so she stood right beside arisu.

"that's too easy," you were quick to contradict her statement, and she gave you a curious glance. you sent her an apologetic smile before continuing to speak your thought process out loud, "eventually the hunters will realize that the witch would be among them, and those fire happy individuals will just turn against each other."

"they're right, it doesn't seem like the purpose of the game." arisu agreed, reaching up and scratching at his head while in deep thought.

"the purpose of the game?" usagi asked, confused.

"heart games are designed to mess with everyone. in the end it wasn't the people who died who were the fool, but you the surviving player. you realize that there was another way, death just got rid of that painfully obvious logic." you quickly explained, giving arisu a quick look when he too spoke up as well.

"heart games are utterly wicked, toying with other people's feelings." he finished, also knowing way too well the purpose of those games.

"so what would mess with everyone the most arisu?" you asked.

he laughed, sound soft, "you say it like you know who the witch is."

you sighed, looking away, "i have an idea. i wasn't sure before but now that i can properly think about it it's the only plausible explanation. the ultimate way to play everyone a fool."

"then..who is it?" asahi asked, and you turned to look at her.

you smiled, "why, it's the victim itself. your dear friend momoka."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

ncjda please don’t hate me too much. but special thanks to kokodzuken on wattpad for helping me break hearts :)))

Chapter 21: ⌈ 19 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

everyone reacted to certain situations differently. whether it be their mannerisms, words or just the look in their eyes, any small shift in their body language could tell you a lot about what that person was currently thinking. and the facial expressions of each individual at realizing the meaning behind your words was what you focused on at that moment.

usagi and tatta were of course confused, brows drawn together and giving you a curious glance. you could tell the gears in their head were turning to try and make sense of the situation. because how could the witch be the dead girl on the floor? what was the purpose of that? the tagger in your spades game would've gotten a game clear had they survived, but how could momoka claim anything when she was already deceased?

arisu on the other hand, the only other person who had played a heart game before and understood the concept of the psychological type widened his eyes in realization, finally seeing everything, all the clues presented before him click together inside his brain. understanding how this could really be the only possible solution to the game.

and asahi, her expression was probably the most peculiar. she was shocked, but not in the way that said she didn't believe it. no, you could tell she believed every word that you had said. instead she was shocked that you had figured it out, so quickly too, meaning asahi must've known about momoka's cause of death from the start.

you narrowed your eyes at her, trying to understand why. why she hadn't said anything if she knew since the beginning. it didn't make sense, in the small time that you've known her you could tell that she clearly had good intentions, she had been genuine about wanting to save arisu after all, but why was she protecting her? sure they had been friends, but these were the lives of so many people at stake. did she know the game masters as well, and wanted to help but couldn't?

what was stopping her?

"momoka? are you saying it was a suicide?" usagi broke you out of your thoughts, trying to make sense as to what you were indicating, "but why would she-"

why would she kill herself for a game?

"no, they're right," arisu agreed with you, giving you a quick glance before looking at usagi, "it makes the most sense. everyone would overlook it since they'd automatically assume the witch is alive and actively participating in the game. plus, if i were the game master, i would do exactly this."

you hummed in agreement, looking down and focusing on a spot of carpet on the floor, "the more people being killed, the more everyone grows panicked trying to find the real witch. when you are panicking all rational thoughts leave and the only thing you're thinking about is surviving. it would mean absolute victory for whoever created the game in the first place."

your eyes widened a fraction as you finished your sentence, realizing something important. if asahi and momoka were friends, and she hadn't said anything about knowing momoka was the witch, did that mean asahi was the game master, and they had been working together?

had you just befriended the creator of this game?

"if momoka is the witch..she started the game," arisu continued, once more bringing you out of your thoughts, "she probably also took this time to start the game because everyone is in disarray with hatter being dead. there's no order, so working in a group was out of the question."

"she had been a member of the beach..was she watching us the entire time?" usagi asked, still in disbelief with the fact that momoka had been apart of the game masters. she had been a sweet girl after all, no one would've been able to predict it.

which was probably exactly why they did it.

"asahi, you must be shocked about this." arisu murmured, a sympathetic look in his gaze.

she jumped at the sound of her name, eyes darting around the room as she twisted her fingers around in her grasp, "i.."

"let's give asahi some time," you cut in, saving the girl the conversation that would most likely insure. despite her being apart of the creation of this game, something was telling you that there was more to it than just that. you turned to arisu, nodding your head towards your phone, "how much time is left until the game is over?"

his eyes widened, reaching over and picking up the device left on the bed. the white screen lit up his features, and he swallowed thickly before turning back towards you, "30 minutes."

"shit," tatta cursed, glancing around at everyone, "then what are we waiting for? let's go down, tell everyone, and get this game over with."

you sent a quick glance to asahi, whose facial expression seemed conflicted. perhaps because there was the idea that she was a game master, trying to decide whether she should help her friends or win this game. or maybe the thought of burning momoka, someone she had been close to, made her feel sick. and although you felt bad about using her body to clear the game as well, she was already dead. you had to do this so you could get this over with and save the rest of the beach.

you just hoped asahi realized that fact too.

you sighed, pushing yourself up from the dresser, "let's just hope the militants arent down there or are willing to listen." no doubt they were still killing people as you speak, and the chances of them down by the lobby were high.

"if they are then i'll help fight them off. one of us has to get her body to the fire of judgement." usagi muttered, clearly determined. and knowing her, she would do just as she said.

you hummed softly in agreement, standing besides the brunette, "arisu, are you okay to walk?"

he smiled, waving you off as he pushed himself up to stand, "don't worry too much about me. i don't want anymore people to die. let's hurry."

you smiled, giving everyone in the room a quick glance, "let's end this witch hunt."

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

black smoke fogged your vision as you grunted in discomfort, feeling it enter your lungs and make each breath you took sting. and the fire, although you couldn't see it, you could feel the sweltering heat, encasing your body and making it sticky with sweat. arisu huffed from right beside you, leaning his body weight on you as usagi helped on his other side, same grunts of discomfort leaving her lips.

you yelped as you almost missed a step coming down the stairs, feeling your body sway as you struggled to maintain your balance. luckily tatta was there to steady you, the cool metal of his gun touching your skin and bringing the smallest hint of relief from the heat.

faintly you could hear him ask if you were okay and you nodded, shifting the weight of arisu's arm over your shoulder before nodding with usagi to continue, each step closer to the lobby churning your stomach further and further. you could practically feel your heart drop at the sound of shouts and gunshots, coming directly from where you were heading.

"we have to hurry!" usagi yelled, and you nodded in response, quickening your pace despite how sore your muscles were and how hard you were breathing. you really wished you had worked on your stamina more often, hating how each breath was difficult to catch and made your heart pound in your ears.

finally the room came into view, and you could see the crowd of people watching intently as something, a scene, unfolded in the center. you heard a voice shout for someone to shoot them, and your heart rate as well as arisu's spiked up at the words.

"stop it already!" he yelled, causing several heads to turn and look at you all. you slowed down your pace as the crowd dispersed, letting you view exactly what was happening.

aguni, as well as several of the other militants stood in the center of the room, guns drawn and pointed towards not only the crowd of innocent bystanders but someone kneeled on the ground, one of their own based on the attire that he wore.

the five of you made it to the front of the crowd, with tatta giving everyone a quick glance, "let's end this game."

"i..." arisu huffs out, still out of breath from having to exert his body to come down there, removing himself from you and usagi's grasp and taking a step forward, "was confined by you guys the entire time even when the murder occurred. i'm sure you know i couldn't have been the witch," he paused, waiting to see if aguni would say anything but he didn't, letting him continue his small speech, "if you aren't the witch, then there's no need to kill me. please cooperate with me and search for the witch."

you waited, heart racing to see what aguni would say. you decided that since arisu was the only one with an alibi he would do all the talking, giving the highest chance of success of getting aguni to listen. he stayed silent however, taking slow agonizing steps forward as the smallest hint of a smile painted his lips. you felt a bad feeling stir at the expression, and your gut was proven right when he quickly raised his gun, swinging it against arisu's face.

the male grunted out in pain, falling to the floor as a result of the force. usagi, as well as several other members gasped at the sudden display of violence, and your stomach churned at the sight of blood now present on his face.

"arisu!" she screamed, in shock as aguni once again took out whatever pent up anger he had by kicking arisu across the floor.

usagi rushed forward as the militant took another step forward, trying to the best of her ability to push him back and to prevent him from hurting arisu any further, "stop it!"

aguni didn't care however, taking her by the arms and throwing her towards the ground. at the sight of how carelessly he had thrown her you could feel the flames of anger swell in your chest, moving to crouch down in front of arisu and shield him despite how you knew it was a bad idea.

"aguni please listen! the witch, we can end this-" your pleas fell on deaf ears as aguni shoved you towards the side, a small groan of pain escaping your lips at the force in which he had done it.

you blinked through the tears of pain as you saw aguni pick arisu up by his white shirt. your voice caught in your throat as you swiftly glanced back to make sure usagi was okay, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she gave you a quick glance as well before breathing out her words, "now i know," she said quickly, causing aguni to pause, "why you attacked arisu, even though he's the only one with an alibi! that's because you're the witch!"

"you want us to say what?" usagi asked, incredulous tone of voice as she widened her eyes.

you sighed, putting the last of your bullets into tatta's gun before handing it to him, "if the militants really are down there, which is most likely, a lot of them may be under immense pressure from killing so many people. i'm not sure if aguni will listen, but if we can somehow get the militants to believe that he's the witch for just a moment, maybe we can eliminate that threat."

"you want to kill aguni?" she asked again, trying to confirm and understand what you were trying to say.

you shook your head softly, "not kill. just make them lose their faith in him. he won't have anyone to back him up, so he can't do much when we do explain ourselves."

"but who is to say that they'll believe us?" tatta asked, also unsure about your course of action.

you laughed, bitter and leaving a bad taste in your mouth, "the funny thing about humans is that they'll believe anything other than what they don't. a lot of them look up and even respect aguni. if we present to them the idea of him being the witch, most will not want to believe it. so if we give them a better option, like someone already dead, they'll take that over their precious leader."

it was a gamble yes, but one you were willing to take.

aguni seemed angry at the accusation, once more swinging his gun against arisu's face and causing him to fall back towards the ground by usagi's feet. she called out his name in concern, wrapping her arms around him to perhaps shield the male and make sure he was okay.

she looked back at aguni, breathing heavily as arisu groaned in pain from right beside her. you shakily pushed yourself up from the ground, cautious as to not alert him of your movement as you joined tatta in the crowd.

"he's even scarier up close." he muttered, and you almost laughed at how true that was.

"you.." one of the bystanders spoke up, everyone looking at the source of the sudden sound, "are you the witch?"

the silence, it was heavy as everyone waited for aguni to say something, anything to either contradict or agree with his question. even the militants, just as you had expected, listened intently, faces disbelieving but wavering ever so slightly.

"yes. i'm the witch." aguni stated firmly, and your eyes widened at his words. you hadn't expected him to agree, because very obviously he was lying. but why? what did he have to gain by saying he was the witch? he'd die along with everyone else if they believed him.

unless that was exactly what he wanted.

everyone backed away at his announcement, fear written on their faces as the militants shakily raised their guns towards him. aguni seemed unfazed however, even taking several steps towards them as if challenging them to actually do it. to actually shoot their leader.

"shoot me." he muttered lowly, never once breaking eye contact. when he didn't do as he demanded he raised his voice, causing you to flinch at the sudden volume ringing in your ears, "do it!"

no one did however, despite the amount of guns pointed at his figure. whether they were scared, or truly didn't want to believe it just as you had said, you didn't know. maybe it was both.

one militant glanced around at his comrades, voice shaking as he yelled, "shoot him!"

you shared a glance with arisu, nodding for him to continue on to the next part of the plan. now was the perfect time to present them this second idea. he quickly nodded in understanding, cutting through the previous individuals words, "aguni is not the witch!"

everyone stopped, turning to look down at the male with blood dripping down his face and struggling to even sit up. but he got their attention, and that was enough.

"this is a ten of hearts game! a game that toys with peoples feelings! it's not a game where you win by killing aguni!" he exclaimed, chest continuing to rise and fall and making small attempts to regain his composure.

said male slowly turned around, staring at arisu with a stoic expression painted onto his features. quickly you stepped forward and crouched down with arisu, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and urging for him to continue, no matter how much he wanted to cower under the gaze.

arisu swallowed thickly, gasping out another breath before continuing, "you're not the witch. so why? that's because you have another motive."

usagi leaned in closer, confused since this had not been discussed earlier, "another motive?"

but you knew what arisu was talking about. you had mentioned it briefly before, wondering why aguni had taken accountability even though he didn't gain anything from it. that was, unless death was what he was seeking for.

"the one you killed was not momoka. it was hatter." he finished.

your eyes widened at his words, breath catching in your throat as you quickly looked at aguni. and sure enough, he seemed angry, proving that arisu's words were correct. and suddenly it all made sense. the blank stare aguni had when hatter had been proclaimed dead, as if in deep thought. the real reason why he had lied about his whereabouts. and finally why he was assuming the role of the witch.

he had killed the previous king of the beach, and figured only death in a game could help pay for his actions.

murmurs sounded throughout the room at the piece of information, trying to make sense of the truth. arisu spoke up once more, to continue to explain his thought process, "i found out after i saw your eyes. it was as if you had given up all hope. your eyes, it was the same as mine that day. those eyes after i killed my friends."

the eyes you had after killing kiyoko.

"you're not dumb. yet you wanted to kill everyone right from the start. that's not like you!" slowly he pushed himself up from the ground and you and usagi joined him as well, "you must have had another motive in mind. ever since i came to the beach, i thought it was strange. if you had these many firearms, the militants would've gained control over the beach a long time ago. yet that didn't happen until now. in reality, you were not in conflict with hatter at all. didn't you both actually help each other? you wanted to make sure that dangerous people like niragi didn't go on a rampage. you tried to hold them back."

every word spoken was true. hatter and aguni had to have been friends before, a deep relationship could be the only reason a man like him ever listened to hatter. but something changed ever since the cards were revealed to help bring people back to the real world, a strain that caused whatever happened at their game to occur. you weren't sure what it was, but it had to have been something tremendous if it meant aguni had no choice but to kill hatter with his own gun.

arisu stumbled forward towards the militant, usagi reaching out to stop him but you put her hand down, shaking your head. arisu was smart. whatever he was doing was for good reason.

"you.." he let loose a small and bitter laugh, almost angry at the situation, "weren't you and hatter best friends in reality? then, why did you kill him?"

your heart squeezed tightly in your chest, hands reaching up to grasp at your sweater as you waited. for the reason aguni killed the person closest to him. but would he really answer? would he really explain himself?

"for some reason, you couldn't forgive hatter for what he did. you wanted to stop hatter and his crazy ways. you wanted your best friend to regain his senses."

oh, that was right. the blood stained card from when hatter announced the third rule of the beach at your executive meeting. had that been what it was? hatter had killed them, punishment for defying him and that was when he began to lose himself? you wondered, did aguni try to stop him then? was that the cause of the rift between those two that you had been so curious about?

had aguni finally grown tired of it during his last day in the borderlands?

aguni finally looked up at arisu, voice breaking as he spoke, "what would you know?" swiftly he reached forward and grabbed arisu's shirt, shaking him slightly in his grasp before punching him in the face, continuing to do so without break.

a flash of blue and you realized tatta had thrown himself at the male, trying to get him to stop and you and usagi rushed to help as well, using all your strength to pull him back away from hurting arisu. your attempts were futile however as he continued to throw blow after blow against his back, until finally throwing tatta towards the side and reaching back for you and usagi, throwing the girl towards the ground and doing the same to you.

your body hit hers as you let out a low groan of pain, head spinning. you pushed yourself up, quickly apologizing to the girl to which she nodded. by now aguni had gotten to arisu, picking him up from the ground by the collar of his shirt with both males breathing heavily.

"what would you..." aguni paused, as if remembering something and the solemn look that came across his face indicated that it was not a happy memory.

"i was also someone who killed my friends. i understand the pain in your eyes. you killed your friend. and so you wanted to kill everyone at the beach, because they were the ones who made your friend go crazy." arisu breathed out, slight discomfort written on his features.

ah, so he wanted revenge. for the people who disobeyed hatter to pay for what they had done. to realize the mental strain they had put on him for so long as the leader of the beach.

arisu continued to speak, "your broken feelings, the game master made use of them. that's why this is a hearts game-"

"shut up!" aguni broke, throwing him towards the crowd who backed away as a result. usagi and tatta rushed over to where he lay, and you looked up at aguni with a pleading look in your eyes.

"killing everyone at the beach isn't going to do anything," you yelled, trying to get him to stop and listen, "hatter made this so people could live, have hope. by killing them you're taking that away-"

"quiet!" he turned around, standing right in front of you and you tried your best not to falter under the gaze, despite how your hands trembled by your side.

"if that's true, then aguni just wanted to kill everyone regardless of the game?" someone asked.

"you're joking.." another murmured.

this time a militant spoke, guilt coming across his features, "and we went along with that?"

"then who is the real witch?" another asked, unsure now that it was revealed to not be aguni.

"i know..the identity of the real witch," arisu began, weakly pushing himself up to look back at everyone in the room, "you can always see the game master's characteristics in a game. in a hearts game, it always makes a fool out of everyone. maybe..there really was a way to end the game without killing everyone. a solution where no one has to die."

"but..that's impossible." a girl spoke, looking up when you contradicted her statement.

"its not if you take the time to think logically about things and think outside the box. a loophole in the game." you muttered, remembering your second heart game, one where no one had to die but some players still did.

she looked at you, lips trembling, "how? we have to hunt down the witch and burn them in the fire of judgement, right? how could we do that without killing anyone?"

"who said the witch wasnt already dead?" you were quick to respond.

her eyes widened, but still she didnt quite believe you, "what? but we would know. the game-"

"there's a witch canidiate that makes it possible," slowly arisu lifted his hand to point at the floor, where momoka's body lay on the ground, "it is possible if the witch is momoka herself."

everyone directed their attention to the girl, whispers bouncing off the walls and into your ears.

one of the members raised their voice so you could clearly hear their thoughts, "momoka struck the knife into herself?"

"yes. if i were the game master, i would come up with this idea." arisu confirmed, only to grunt out when aguni kicked him to the floor.

"what a joke. i'm the witch!" he began walking around the room, everyone backing away at the sight of his gaze on them, "you guys want to kill me, right?"

he rushed towards some of the militants, grabbing onto them and people screamed as he tried to take the gun. players rushed to stop him, bodies getting thrown towards the ground and quickly you rushed towards arisu, helping him stand up.

"aguni is trying to take everyone down with him!" arisu yelled, eyes widened in fear.

you watched as more people grabbed onto him, jumping onto his back and locking their arms around his waist. veins popped out of his forehead at the strain of trying to get them off, but the pain, clear distraught as tears rolled down his face made your heart squeeze tightly inside your chest.

"i don't think aguni really wants to do this..." you mumbled softly.

a scream, heart wrenching as it escaped his throat overpowered the other sounds of the room, "the beach made him crazy. you guys made him crazy. i'm the witch!"

you tore your eyes away from the scene when asahi appeared right beside you all, brows drawn together with a determined look in her eyes, "i know how to stop aguni!," she gave a quick look to said man before returning back to you, "i'll get aguni's attention. use the chance to burn momoka in the fire of judgement!

your own confusion was etched onto your face, not quite understanding. what was she planning on doing? was this apart of your theory earlier, where she knew about the game all along and would hopefully distract him with that information? but then what?

she looked down at you and the brunette, "arisu. (name). end this meaningless massacre."

she moved to stand up and quickly you grasped onto her arm, searching her eyes for anything, an explanation to what she was going to do. but this girl, she looked like she was ready to die, and that thought scared you. but her determination, she was trying to stop what she had started. you couldn't take that away from her.

you tightened your grasp, voice trembling, "be careful."

she stared for a moment before nodding, standing up and rushing to the center of the room. usagi cried out her name, eyes worried about her safety.

"listen up everyone!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, successfully grasping everyone's attention, "i'm the dealer of this game!"

your eyes widened, shocked that you had been right. that this girl, so sweet and kind had put together this witch hunt, one full of pain and suffering. but that wasn't the only surprising thing to happen, because soon after a bright red laser pierced through her forehead, everyone flinching at the sight as her body slowly slumped towards the ground.

a small sound escaped your throat, hands reaching up to cover your mouth. it was silent, everyone in shock at the meaning behind her words. but asahi was right, it had stopped aguni's rampage.

"it was a reverse grip!" a voice echoed from afar, and you tore your eyes away from the body to search for it. your heart skipped a beat at the sight of not only ann, who's voice you had recognized but kuina as well, still alive and well besides the small limp in both their steps. ann raised her hand up to show a knife, the one that had been in momoka's body, "fingerprints with a reverse grip were found on the knife. this means momoka grabbed the knife herself and stabbed it through her own chest. she's the witch."

"why would she kill her self for a game?" one player asked, finally believing it now that there was solid evidence to prove it.

"was momoka really the game master?" another asked.

one lifted their hand to point at asahi's body, "that girl also said she's a dealer. so were we just being toyed with by them?"

"asahi and momoka had good reason," you spoke, words rushed to try and defend them, "i think..dealers are players just like us."

"yeah! she's human, just like the rest of us. ordinary humans." tatta agreed.

"the two of them..they might have been controlled by someone else too." usagi murmured, understanding what they were going through all too well.

"aguni," arisu once again broke the stunned silence, slowly pushing himself up onto his feet, "let's just stop this. don't let the deaths of the innocent go to waste. i understand how it feels to kill your friends. but we shouldn't take out frustration out on those who are still alive! we are still alive! we're all facing death head-on and fighting until the very end! don't look down on those who are still alive!"

you nodded, taking a small step closer, "he's right. this game..we've lost a lot of people. but let's end the death here! let's save the rest of the beach!"

aguni looked away, thinking over his words and you waited with a beating heart for what he had to say. for the most part your small plan had worked, even with his small speech about what he had done to hatter.

"the fire is spreading!" someone yelled, and you turned to see that sure enough the red flames had grown closer than before. and it was now that you could feel the temperature rising, making you uncomfortable with the heat. quickly you reached down and helped usagi up onto her feet to back away, people screaming as they too tried to move away from the fire.

"move the body to the fire of judgement!" usagi yelled, hands clutching onto the sleeve of your sweater.

"hurry up!" this time it was kuina's voice, urging everyone to waste no time.

two males rushed to the girls body, moving their arms to pick her up only to slump to the ground, a product of the gunshots that had ricocheted throughout the room. you jumped back at the sound, crouching down low towards the ground and putting your arms up to shield yourself.

when no more shots were heard you picked your head up, glancing around the room to try and see who had done it. you saw usagi, eyes set on something and you followed her gaze, eyes widening at the sight of a figure stumbling through the hall with their face obscured by a shirt and a stick lit up with fire in one of their hands, gun in the other.

"in the first place, i should have just burned down the beach with the fire of judgement!" your heart stopped at the voice, recognizing it as niragi. but as his body came into view, lit up by the flames you realized something bad had happened to him. burnt skin and black soot staining it. either he had willingly thrown himself into flames, or someone had set him on fire. blonde hair entered your mind, and you realized that if it really was the latter, he had gotten his payback for what he had done.

everyone else realized who it was as well, and usagi furrowed her brows in confusion at the sight.

"with this, i'll clear the game!" he yelled, throwing the stick of fire towards the center of the room. people backed away as to not get burned, but niragi, well he took full advantage of the scurry of movement, clicking the trigger of his gun as if it would be his last time using it.

very briefly with the deafening sounds of gunshots you saw kuina and ann back away, making your body relax knowing that they'd be safe. you got up, pushing usagi to go while you stumbled after her, looking back every so often to make sure niragi's attention was elsewhere. you coughed as you stumbled over dead bodies, trying to ignore the screams each time someone was the unlucky target. it was truly a sad thing to hear, but your upmost priority was usagi and her safety.

she stopped however, and you gave her a pleading look to tell her to keep going. she didn't, glancing back at the trigger happy male, "niragi is going to kill more people like this. we have to stop him."

you swallowed thickly, turning back to see he was indeed still on his rampage. you weren't exactly sure what usagi planned to do exactly, but you nodded, trusting her to do what was right.

she sprinted across the room, around until she was behind him and that was when she jumped, latching onto his back. quickly you took this chance to follow after her, seeing arisu take his arm to try and stop the gun from moving. your hands reached out to take it away, only to stop when arisu was shoved towards the ground, niragi reaching back and flinging usagi towards him shortly after. you shook off the shock however, putting your hands on the gun and pointing it upwards.

his eyes met yours, striking fear inside your heart as he smiled, kicking you back with a force that made you cry out in pain. your back hit the ground and you gasped, trying to catch your breath as you looked up. he was standing over you, gun pointed towards you as he breathed heavily.

"ha..your boyfriend payed me a little visit earlier. look what he did to me. i really hope he's watching right now so he can watch me kill you." he muttered darkly, and your eyes widened as you tried to back away. he laughed at your attempt, pressing his foot against your chest and pressing down, "trying to run away?! ha! i'll kill you right now!"

"(name)!"

you gasped at feeling a sharp pain in your side, burning your insides. but it was gone as quick as it had been there when you instead focused on the fact that aguni had appeared, grabbing niragi and pushing him down the hall. you waited until they disappeared with gun shots and his shout before you laid back flat on the ground, arm across your stomach as you felt the bleeding. it was small, so it only grazed you, and that made your breathe a little easier.

 

ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏞᎬFᎢ

 

"there's no time!" kuina's voice cut through the shock, and all around you could hear the movement of people picking themselves up from the floor and rushing to get momoka's body. eventually though their voices disappeared, and suddenly you were all alone in the burning building.

you don't know why you didn't move. maybe because your side hurt, the burning feeling back and you didn't feel like getting up to make it worst. maybe it was the fact that the smoke, thick as it entered your lungs was slowly killing you, breath hard to come by as you lay there on the ground. either way, you didn't move, not even when arisu entered your vision, who struggled but leaned down towards you nonetheless.

you shook your head when his hands went to pull you up, using your free hand to push him away, "go find usagi."

he furrowed his brows at you in confusion, "but-"

"i'm fine. besides, i don't think in the state that you're in you could take me back. you don't owe me anything, and i've already repayed you. i'll come out soon." you reassured, voice gentle until it got through to him.

he seemed conflicted before he nodded, stumbling as he stood back up, "okay."

his footsteps were eventually just a background noise as you waited, swallowing thickly as weak coughs left your body. your skin was sticky with sweat as you could hear the rumble of the beaches structure collapse, flames eating away at everything hatter had created.

your mind grew hazy as you felt like passing out, the smoke burning your eyes and intoxicating your lungs making your body shut down. it was so bad that eventually when a new figure came into view you couldn't even recognize it, blurred with the tears in your eyes. they crouched down low, warm fingers pressing against your pulse point and you sighed against the touch, familiar but still not able to place it. your moment of peace was quickly disrupted however when their arms picked you up, hoisting your body over their back as you groaned out in pain. they didn't comment however, just taking slow steps away from the burning heat and although you wanted to protest, wanted to tell them to just let you die there you didn't. because you knew, you still had to find chishiya. you still had to apologize and make things right.

you buried your face further into the strangers shoulder, feeling their hair lightly tickle your skin. as you breathed you realized they smelt like fire, probably because they had been present in it for so long. but their warmth, it was different from the one of the flames, scorching and relentless. this one, it was comforting, and you were grateful for the feeling as you slowly lulled to sleep.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

the warmth wasn't there when you woke up shortly after.

you did however, feel kuina's hand shaking your shoulders, voice slowly becoming clearer the more you snapped out of your dizzy state. her eyes widened as you opened your eyes before letting out a sigh of relief, bringing you forward and hugging you close to her body.

"you're okay," she mumbled, voice low and quiet, "we thought..i thought-"

you reached up and returned the embrace, "i'm okay."

she tightened her hold on you before she pulled away, her relived expression quickly turning to anger as she glared at you and pinched your arm, causing you to yelp out in pain.

"what the hell were you thinking? arisu told me that you were just laying there and saying you'd come out later. you know how long we waited until we finally found you here?" she scolded, small tears welling up in her eyes out of frustration. you frowned, feeling guilty until you finally comprehended what she had said.

"here? what-" you glanced around, finally realizing that you were near the river, and in the distance lay the beach, still burning.

"seriously, at least you had time to patch up your wound before passing out." she muttered, pushing her hair back and away from her face.

"oh. that." you looked down and lifted up your sweater, sure enough seeing that the bullet graze had been patched up. it confused you though, because you didn't remember doing so. you didn't even remember leaving the beach in the first place.

so how did you end up here?

"the other surviving players made a campsite in the meantime. come on, let's get you over there so you can drink something." kuina broke you out of your thoughts, face very clearly showing how worried she was about your well-being.

you nodded, letting her help you get up onto your feet. luckily the graze was only sore, so as long as you didn't overexert yourself it would heal within a couple days.

you walked with her back to a flat road with cars and tents, a small campfire burning in the middle as people stood and sat around it. at the sight of you usagi, arisu and even tatta rushed towards your side, the girl embracing you in a hug.

"i'm sorry! i thought you were right behind me. but then arisu told me and-" her words came out rushed, but you quickly patted her back and leaned away from the hug.

"it's fine. i'm all okay see? don't worry about it." you reassured her, giving a soft smile to prove that it was true.

"i really shouldn't have left you." arisu mumbled, still feeling guilty. but he couldn't have been able to help you, not in the state he had been in.

"arisu, seriously. you barely got yourself out. i'm surprised you can still walk with the amount of times aguni hit you. speaking of which, is he here?" you asked, remembering how the militant had run into burning fire.

"aguni nor niragi have come out. either they're still inside or.." tatta had been the one to answer your question, voice trailing off as he didn't want to admit to them being dead.

"right. then.." you paused, already anxious about the next question you were about to ask, "is chishiya here?"

arisu and usagi didn't answer, faces filled with sympathy at your words. already you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, quickly blinking away the tears.

"chishiya hasn't been seen at all. no one knows where he is." tatta once again answered your question, a little confused on why everyone seemed upset about the missing individual.

"i see." you mumbled quietly, trying to calm
the racing of your heart and trying to get rid of the negative thoughts plaguing your mind.

"(name)..." usagi reached forward and you shook your head, stepping back.

"he's alive. i know he is. he wouldn't..."

he wouldn't let a game kill him.

kuina cut into the conversation, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "they're right. unfortunately the bastard is smart, and he always finds a way to keep himself alive."

"yeah, chishiya should still be alive," arisu agreed, clearing his throat as he quickly changed the subject, "well, let's get you situated. there's some food and water from nearby stores and the little we could salvage."

you nodded, letting kuina walk you over to sit down. you stared down at your hands as you waited for her to return, chest tight and heart heavy. the last person who had seen chishiya was niragi, but that was it. no other sightings. and the fact that he really had been in the game, in the building the entire time, made your nervousness for his well-being grow. you had been hoping he had been able to leave, away from this ten of hearts. but that hadnt been the case, so now you didn't even know if he was okay or not. for all you knew he could be in the beach, amongst the burning bodies after being shot dead.

but you wanted to believe that he was okay. that he had actually slipped away before anyone saw him, always the one preferring to be left alone. but it hurt, because who knew when the next time you would see him would be?

kuina finally came back, sitting down beside you as she handed you a plastic water bottle. you thanked her before opening it, the lukewarm liquid soothing your throat and it was now that you realized just how thirsty you were. and when you detached your lips from the lid you sighed, wiping away the excess water as you capped it and placed it down on the ground.

"i thought chishiya had used you too..." you murmured quietly, talking about the fact that she hadn't been present when you were planning on leaving.

she sighed, leaned back on the palm of her hands, "i was there, but i felt bad for arisu. so i went back."

"well, i'm glad you're safe." you forced a small smile, to which she returned.

she tore her eyes away from your face, looking up towards the sky, "i dont know what happened between you and chishiya, but i'm guessing you found out?"

you hummed in response, staring at the asphalt instead, "ann told me."

"i'm really sorry." she muttered quietly, guilty in the fact that chishiya had been lying to you all this time, about something so major like arisu's life.

"did you know as well?" you asked softly, voice small as you gave her a quick glance.

she sighed, bowing her head down low as she turned to face you, ashamed, "he said to keep it a secret. that it was the only way to keep you safe."

you directed your attention back towards the ground, a bitter laugh escaping your lips, "of course he said that," you didn't want to dwell on the feeling for too long however, knowing that it was in the past and there was no point in worrying about it, "well, it can't be helped. at least now arisu is okay, usagi as well. my job here is done."

"are you going to go look for him?" she asked.

another small laugh, "i'm afraid chishiya is upset with me, and he can be hard to find when he doesn't want to be found. so for now, i'll stay with you."

"there you go again." she spoke suddenly, tone weary like she had expected this.

you sent her a confused glance, "what?"

"you made that choice because you were thinking about me, arisu and usagi right?" she asked, a knowing look sent your way.

you shifted your gaze elsewhere, embarrassed that she had figured you out, "well...."

she sighed, "you should make more choices based on what you want. your own happiness, you know?"

you looked back and stared at her, remembering a similar interaction you had with chishiya. it had been here in the borderlands, where you had just come back from running errands for the executives. chishiya was there in the room, glaring at you because of how late it had gotten.

"what took you so long?" he asked, staring you down as you reached forward and embraced him in your arms, hugging him tightly as you closed your eyes, exhausted from the long day.

"i took extra assignments since one of the members on the board needed the free time to help out their friend." you mumbled, burying your face further into the fabric of his hoodie.

"what does that have to do with you?" he asked, still irritated.

you pushed yourself back up, lifting your hand to brush away his blonde strands, "well, they really needed it."

he let loose a frustrated breath, stopping your fingers from burying further into his hair as he once more glared at you, "god how are you so selfless? do you ever actually think about yourself once in a while?"

you pouted, putting your hand back down, "i dont-"

"did you actually want to help? or did you feel obligated to?" he cut you off, and his words stung as you thought it over. how your muscles had already been sore from your previous game and how you barely got any sleep that night. yet you still took on their assignments, thinking it had to be you even if you were already struggling to do your own.

you looked away, "well, i was tired but-"

he cut you off once more, this time with a sigh as he reached for your head and brought you closer to his chest to shut you up, "it's not a bad thing to want something solely for your own happiness. there's nothing wrong with being selfish sometimes."

you smiled softly at the memory, missing when things were still like that between you and chishiya. it made your heart hurt, but you looked up at kuina, widening your smile, "being with you guys does make me happy."

she stared at you before nodding, "alright. sorry for scolding you, god i sound like a mom. but seriously, things'll be okay."

you hummed, "i know they will."

you sent her another soft smile, lightly bumping your shoulder with hers. you felt better when her body relaxed, face finally expressing that bright smile you adored. you turned back to look at the flames, still relentless as you laid your head on her shoulder, small sigh leaving your lips.

the flames slowly dimmed down the longer the night dragged on, the remaining players who had decided to stay talking quietly amongst themselves, even laughing occasionally. and the small warmth of kuina right beside you made you feel at ease, this small moment being as normal as things could get.

slowly you reached your hand into your pocket, bringing out the lollipop chishiya had given you earlier that day. through the clear wrapper you noticed that the sweet had been cracked, small pieces that couldn't be fixed. you tightened your hand around it, bringing it close to your chest and over your heart.

you'd find chishiya again, maybe not now, but eventually. because the time spent with him, the memories you cherished weren't for nothing. you didn't love him just to give up because of what he had done. because then what? you just left solely for the reason that things got hard? it was all about thriving through the hardships, learning to forgive and grow to become better people. and you knew, deep down he had good intentions, despite the way he had gone about them. and now that the game was over and you had done what you came here for, you'd make things right.

you'd remind him that this heart, one who loved burnt pages and crushed candy, would find his once more.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

and finally, we finish season one. this was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions but fear not! the book is not ending here. i will still be updating regularly, just please keep in mind the rest of the book will be taken from the manga. so if you haven’t read it already and don’t want spoilers, you can always come back after reading or after season two.

also don’t be shy to comment! i love seeing reactions and it helps keep me motivated to write :D love you all and thank you for the support.

Chapter 22: ⌈ 20 ⌋

Notes:

yes i changed the title, just feel like it fits more than the previous one. also, didn’t mean for this to take this long to release, writers block really hit me and i just recently started school in person again. but other than that, enjoy, and please keep in mind that not all events will be exactly as the manga described. mainly small changes to help with the way i want to continue the story :D

ᎬNᎢᎬᎡᏆNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎬᏟᎾNᎠ ᏚᎢᎪᏩᎬ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏚᎢᎪNᎠᏴY.

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

already you missed the simplicity the beach had brought you, as well as the luxuries you took for granted.

for one, sleeping in cars was not at all comfortable, especially considering the fact that you've been doing so for the last several days. having to wake up because the sunlight streaming through the window grew hot on your face, as well as the stiffness of your neck from the position. all of these inconveniences made you wish that it hadn't been fire, angry flames of no control that had taken and burned everything you loved.

especially now, with the bitter taste in your mouth as you stood in what used to be your room, black soot staining the walls and the bed creaking in protest as you sat on it. your fingers glided over the wood, bringing them back to see the same charred colored pigment on your finger pads. and those same fingers reached for your books, pages missing and words unintelligible. even if you didn't know that this would happen, that the entire building would burn, you wished you would've been able to save your only gateway from reality.

"𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯?" 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦.

𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦'𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦. 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘺𝘢, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴.

𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥, "𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯, 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬."

𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦, "𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳. 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦.

"𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘪 𝘢𝘮?" 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦.

𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘺𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.

"𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨." 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺.

𝘪'𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰.

𝘰𝘩. 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥.

𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘯𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥. 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴.

"breakfast is soon." kuina's voice broke through the silence, and you looked up to see her leaning against the doorframe. brown eyes glanced down at the novel still held in your grasp and her face shifted to that of sympathy, knowing how much they had meant to you, this one especially.

you returned your attention back to the book, small sigh leaving your lips as you placed it into your bag, along with all the others that had been apart of your collection. limbs stumbled their way to the girl, brushing past her as you left this makeshift utopia for the last time.

when you did finally leave the building, kuina closely behind, you dropped the bag of books right beside the fire. your heart began aching as the others smiled and brought them out, ripping the pages you had loved with every fiber of your being and throwing them to fuel the flames. you only turned away when kuina placed a hand on your shoulder, silently directing you to sit down.

another sigh left your lips as you laid back on the chair, taken from a nearby store. ever since the beach burned many had divided, some leaving to fend for themselves while a majority stayed, deciding to make something out of the small camp located near the river. many had taken the cars with the help of tatta left at the beach, bringing them to surround the area as an option for those to sleep in.

others, along with you, had actually gone into the building, looking for objects that could still be proven as useful and to help make life a little easier. your books had unfortunately been product of that, but you did find food hidden in your room as well as in other places, still edible despite the harsh fires that had surrounded them.

hot showers were definitely missed, and the first time you had actually gone into the river to freshen up you almost wanted to scream with how cold it was, like needles pricking your body more than once. you did you best to ignore it however, hating the idea of not bathing simply because the water wasn't warm. luckily you did find various shampoos, as well as hygiene products to help with the experience. it also didn't hurt that the water was at least clean opposed to before.

everyone tried to make the best of it. their mindset was that even if it wasn't the hotel, the beach would still live on, and they'd still try to live their lives to the fullest. whether that be by sitting near the fire at night and telling stories of the real world, or simply letting one of the players, who had a knack for singing, fill the silence with their voice, enough to make even your own mood grow just the smallest bit. each attempt was greatly appreciated, that fact proven with the easy going smiles many wore just like before and the small laughter that would chime in your ears.

"blueberry or chocolate chip?" kuina's voice once more brought you out of your thoughts and you glanced up to see her holding two different options of muffins in her hands. although, the way she clutched much more tightly onto the chocolate chip flavored told you that she would prefer that one.

"blueberry is fine." you spoke softly, seeing the small and relieved grin that made its way across her face before she handed you the treat.

gratefully you took it, the plastic packing crinkling in your hands as she took a seat right beside you. and there was no denying the hungry look in her eyes as she ripped it open, humming in delight as she took a bite.

"nothing beats chocolate." she mumbled, mouth still full of food as she stuffed more of the pastry into her mouth.

you nodded in agreement, opening your own package and staring before taking a bite. it surprised you how it wasn't moldy, but maybe it had been frozen or something along the lines of that for them to last for so long. but it was good, and you took another as arisu and usagi brought out chairs and sat down in front of you.

"nice morning huh?" usagi smiled, having opted for ramen instead. the noodles were picked up and stuffed into her mouth, having been cooked under the fire, along with the other foods found in stores and left by the beach.

"how's the beach looking?" arisu asked, hinting at how you had gone to scavenge what was left.

you shrugged, taking another small bite, "there's not much left. we have only a small section left to look through before we're done. but it's pretty unstable, so we might just stop."

"that's probably for the best. sorry about your books by the way, i know they meant a lot." he apologized, mouth quirked down into a frown.

once more you shrugged, staring down at your hands as you forced a small smile, "it's fine. many of the pages were missing anyways."

"there's still the bookstore down the street, we can go there if you want." usagi suggested, trying to brighten the mood.

your expression darkened, hands clasping around the packaging. right, the bookstore. reminding you all too much of that night chishiya had brought you there, shining that small light along the spines just so you could take your pick. and despite his complaints he was still there, right by your side.

but now he wasn't, gone and you didn't even know what happened to him.

kuina cleared her throat, taking the trash out of your hands before standing up, "how about we go to a clothing store instead? now that we don't have any rules, that means we can change out of these swim suits."

arisu's and usagi's expressions brightened, excited about changing out of the uncomfortable swimwear. they directed their attention towards you, waiting for a response. you just stared back, contemplating what you should do in your head.

well, it would be nice to get more comfortable, you hated wearing the attire forced on you by the beach anyways. not to mention your sweater was practically ruined, bloody from your injuries during the witch hunt.

you mustered up another smile, giving a small nod to the trio. at your expression and agreement they smiled back, quickly finishing their food so you all could head out. you looked back down at your hands, tuning out the voices of them talking and laughing. there was only one voice you wanted to hear, low and amusing.

one that you never heard, no matter how much you listened.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

you stood by as arisu and kuina got to work opening the door, budged shut due to how long it's been since it was accessed. their small grunts of frustration filled the air until finally they stumbled back, the door broken free from whatever was keeping it closed. a small laugh of relief and victory left their lips as they pushed it open fully, you and usagi following closely behind them.

although the layout was different it reminded you of a similar experience. that night you and kuina had explored right after bumping into each other after your games, trying on different articles of clothing and laughing together. your fingers ghosted over the bracelet she had also clasped around your wrist, still there despite how long it had been. a ghost of a smile even stretched across your lips as the fond memory.

"hey! look at this!" kuina shouted from somewhere inside the store, head appearing from behind one of the clothing racks. quickly you joined her, seeing the grey sweatpants she was eyeing.

"are you going to take it?" you asked, also beginning to busy yourself with a different set of clothes nearby.

"hm, maybe," she looked back at you, "oh you should definitely try those on."

you stopped at the piece of clothing you had been inspecting, deciding to take her word for it and removed the hanger. you let it sit over your arm as you continued looking, listening to kuina hum softly to herself.

"you guys find anything you like?" usagi appeared in your vision, and you noticed the pile of clothes she was clutching onto. kuina eyed them and gave an approving smile, causing the girl to look down and smile in return.

"you want help finding the changing room?" you asked, usagi giving a small nod in response.

"oh wait!" kuina stopped you both, quickly turning around and brushing through the clothes before finding what she needed. she then proceeded to put them in the crook of her arm as well, giving a quick thumbs up and a smile to let you both know that she was ready.

you laughed softly, weaving your way through the store towards the back. and sure enough, as kuina had directed, the changing rooms were there, curtains strung up to provide privacy and a small bench pushed back against the wall. when you pushed back the fabric you could see a mirror as well as another small chair tucked in the corner.

you let the curtain fall back into place, turning around to see usagi and kuina already going into their own respective rooms. you however stepped back, the motion earning you curious glances from both girls.

"aren't you going to change?" kuina asked, giving you a weird look.

"oh. well," you looked back into the store, fingers clutching tightly onto the fabric in your arms, "i think i'm going to look around more. arisu may need help too."

"i'm sure he's fine." this time it was usagi who had spoken, trying to reassure you that the brunette was capable of himself.

you reached up and pushed your hair back, once more looking back at the store, "yeah but.."

"make sure to show us once you come back!" kuina chirped, giving you a small wave as she pushed usagi into the room before disappearing herself.

your heart warmed at kuina's words, grateful that she wasn't pushing to ask questions. you let loose a small sigh in relief as well as a small smile, turning back around and disappearing inside the store.

it didn't take too long to find arisu, who was standing quietly while eyeing the various options presented in front of him. you almost laughed at his conflicted expression, jumping slightly when you appeared right beside him and reached for a white sweater.

you smiled softly, handing it to him and cautiously he took it, "it feels wrong to just take things."

"got any money to leave in the register?" you asked, tilting your head towards the side.

he looked away, reaching up to rub his neck bashfully, "well, no.."

you knew why he was conflicted. it did feel wrong to just take whatever you pleased, but things were different now, "this isn't the world we grew up in. no matter how wrong it feels currency is no longer useful here. just think of it as another way to survive."

he nodded, trying to shake off his previous worries, "you're right."

you hummed, decided to change the subject, "i heard some people went out for games yesterday."

recognition flickered across his face, "oh yeah. i heard about that too. every one came back though."

although it wasn't strange for people to survive games, normally they had casualties, even if just the occasional injury. but that hadn't been the case, everyone returned just as they had left, "its been happening all around the borderlands. they say that the games won't start even if they stay there until daybreak. apparently it says that it's waiting for the second stage."

arisu's eyes widened, "second stage? do you think-"

"more games?" you asked, reading his mind. based on his expression you were right, eyes looking away to stare at the folded clothes, "probably. it's also strange that their visa's expired but they haven't died."

arisu was quiet for a moment before speaking, expression grim and voice low, "so how long do we have left until we have to play again?"

how long would this small moment of peace last?

but you didn't know, there was no way of telling how long it would take for them to get the second stage ready, "i'm not sure. but i have a feeling it has something to do with the face cards."

he stayed quiet, thinking over your theory. as the silence dragged on you began to feel uncomfortable, taking the first sweater you spotted before turning to leave.

"ah wait!" you stopped, giving him a quick look to let him know you were listening. he began to grow nervous, eyes averted towards the floor, "i know you're upset about chishiya but, i'm sure he's fine. and you have us."

you slowly blinked in surprise, not expecting those words. but even so you were grateful for them, all of them, for trying to make you feel better. you nodded, small smile gracing your lips, "thank you arisu."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

your bones creaked in protest as you stretched upwards, small yawn leaving your lips. you reached down and rubbed the back of your neck, sore just like all the other nights of sleeping in the car. but it was cool, and saved you from the sweltering heat of this endless summer.

another yawn escaped as you trudged over to where kuina sat, slumping into the chair right beside her as you curled up and lay your head on her shoulder. even if you were awake it wasn't willingly, the chatter from outside had been too loud and the hunger your stomach kept expression with low rumbles grew bothersome.

"morning sleepyhead." kuina teased, handing you a piece of her food which you gratefully took.

"how much longer will summer last?" you grumbled, already feeling the stickiness of sweat on your skin. you hadn't even been out for long.

kuina laughed, leaning back and mocking you by letting the sun hit her skin, "feels nice no?"

"not as a waking up call." you muttered bitterly, reaching a hand up to wipe the sweat forming on your forehead.

"good morning!" you removed yourself from
kuina's body to see arisu, wide smile as usagi took her seat right beside him.

" 'morning." kuina chirped, nudging you as you mumbled softly in reply.

"not doing so good?" usagi asked, leaning forward as she took a small bite of her food.

"they're just in a bad mood," kuina brushed your sourness off, leaning forward in her seat as well, "did you guys find anything?"

ah, that was right. arisu and usagi mentioned a phone left behind by asahi with some footage. they finally got it to work yesterday and have been reviewing the contents.

"we did actually. take a look at this." arisu brought out the phone hidden inside his pocket, turning it sideways as he clicked a button. by now you woke yourself up enough to pay attention, squinting to try and see the screen.

"isn't that the station?" you mumbled, seeing two girls go down the steps.

"yeah, but look." he pointed towards the screen.

you watched as the video dragged on, eyes widening when the two girls punched in a passcode and entered a room, dark hallways until it brightened up with blue lights. and when they finally arrived you noticed the hundreds of monitors and screens present, each one showing a different game played. you even recognized one as your own, the diamonds game you played a while back.

"what is that place?" kuina muttered, eyes narrowed as she tried to concentrate but there were just so many things happening at once it was hard to take in.

it was sickening, how these people just watched the screens like it was some sports event, cheering when someone died and sighs of exasperation when someone was able to figure it out. you even noticed how everyone seemed well dressed, and the food that they ate was fresh. it was like they were living a totally different world than you all, and you wondered why they found such enjoyment in these activities.

how was it that these people were the same as asahi and momoka? what were you missing?

"we plan on checking it out tomorrow," arisu clicked the phone off, putting it back into his pocket, "(name), it would be great if you went with us."

you leaned back in your seat, folding your arms across your chest, "although im curious, i'm not sure if i should go."

he gave you a confused look, "why? you're the most perceptive out of all of us, and your strategies are good. if anything happens-"

"i'm sorry arisu," you cut him off before he could continue, trying to get rid of the unsettling feeling in your stomach, "the only thing i can do for you now is run down what to avoid as best as i can."

he watched you for a second, still confused before he decided that you weren't going to change your mind. he sent you a small smile, "okay. i understand. thank you."

you hummed in response, clearing your throat before standing up, "i'm going to freshen up a bit." you didn't wait for their responses before leaving, steps quick as you disappeared behind the cars. as soon as you reached the river you scooped up the water in the palm of your hands and threw it at your face, ice cold as you let out a shaky breath.

"you okay?" a tone laced with worry asked.

you turned back to see kuina, giving you a similar look as she joined you by the bank. you sighed, drying away the droplets with the sleeve of your sweater as you nodded.

"i don't think i'll be of much help." you answered the question you knew she wanted to ask.

she crouched down right beside you, eyeing you curiously before speaking, "why?"

you sighed, hugging yourself as you mumbled quietly, "my mind isn't in a good place right now. especially with..."

with chishiya gone. but you couldn't say that.

kuina seemed to guess what you were about to say however, patting your back gently with her hands, "i get it. and i'm sure arisu and usagi understand."

you turned to look at her, "you should go with them."

she grinned, "and leave you here by yourself? you'd be bored out of your mind."

you laughed softly, attention directed back to the rocks glistening under the clear blue waters, "yeah i guess you're right."

she hummed, pushing herself to stand up straight as she held out her hand, "now come on. we have some things to do around the camp."

you furrowed your brows in confusion, "oh, did we decide to go back into the beach after all?"

she shook her head, still smiling, "nope! you're with me this time! we'll be looking for some food further into the city. they're even letting us take the car."

you laughed at the shining glint in her eyes, taking her hand so she could help you up, "alright."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

kuina was a terrible driver.

the entire time you could feel your nails gripping tightly onto the leather seat, heart racing as she took a turn way too fast. arisu and usagi, who had joined you both so you could drop them off at the station were huddled together in the back, just as scared based on the expression on their faces.

kuina was laughing however, window down and blowing her hair as her gum stick rolled around in her mouth. so despite her driving skills you let her continue, glad that she was at least having fun while you all suffered silently.

finally, much to everyone's relief, the vehicle slowed to a stop, right beside the station just as promised. quickly usagi and arisu scrammbled out, chest rising and falling as kuina continued to laugh, slamming the car door shut and giving arisu a harsh slap on the back, "that was fun right?"

he smiled nervously, "yeah. although next time can you go a little slower?"

"there's not even a speed limit! and besides, i wasn't going that fast." she brushed off his concern, pushing her braids back as she went around the car.

you waved your hand for arisu to stop when he opened his mouth to argue, "let's start looking hm?"

kuina must've noticed the gesture, narrowing her eyes at you, "are you making fun of my driving skills?"

"of course not! i don't drive myself so i can't judge." you waved her off, turning towards the male, "you guys be careful alright? we'll be waiting for you here."

they both nodded, waving goodbye as they descended down the steps. when their figures disappeared inside the darkness you turned towards kuina, giving a small smile as you began looking.

surprisingly enough in the part of the city you found yourselves in there were numerous stores left untouched, packages of food lining the shelves. your fingers reached for the first one you found, noticing how dust particles ascended into the air and stained your fingertips. you softly blew on the package, the layer of dust blowing into the air.

kuina coughed, and you quickly apologized when you realized she had been nearby. her hands swatted the rest away before giving you a thumbs up, letting you know that she was okay.

careful not to spread anymore you began placing what wasn't expired into your bag, speaking your thoughts out loud, "there's a lot of dust here."

"all the stores are like that." kuina replied, eyeing a package before throwing it into her own bag.

"makes you wonder how long tokyo has been like this." you mumbled. you didn't think there was anything not covered by a layer of dust.

"you think time is still moving the same over there?" she asked.

"maybe." it was likely, especially since you've noticed that many people had arrived at different times, the world disappearing differently for everyone. time was weird here, but there was no real way of telling unless you went back.

it was quiet for a moment, and you turned to see kuina with a solemn look on her face, as if remembering something from long ago, "i miss it."

you sighed, turning away and continuing to busy yourself with the shelves, "me too. at least, i miss the way things were before. not the world itself. both are equally cruel."

"but it was still home." she mumbled softly.

you paused, fingertips gliding down as you turned to kuina once more. you hummed softly, forcing yourself to look away, "yeah. it was."

it was quiet after that, just you and kuina gathering as much food as you could fit. eventually you left the store, blinking in the sudden brightness as you began walking past the large street. it used to be one of the busier parts of tokyo, but now it was deserted, only the trash blowing in the wind a sign that people used to walk through here.

"crazy how busy this street used to be." kuina mumbled, you humming in agreement. your steps were slow as you walked beside the girl, shifting the weight of the bag on your shoulder when it began to grow uncomfortable.

you and kuina stopped at the sound of a foreign melody, glancing around for the source. it was a happy chime, something you'd find as the start of an announcement. but where was it coming from? why all of a sudden?

the sound of lights turning on filled your ears and you glanced up to see a large screen on the building light up, large letters on the white background.

 

ᏚᏢᎬᏟᏆᎪᏞ ᏌᎡᏩᎬNᎢ ᏴᎡᎾᎪᎠᏟᎪᏚᎢ

 

kuina read the words out loud, tone of voice showing her confusion. you both didn't move, perhaps curious about what this was about. but something in your gut was telling you it had something to do with the game masters.

"what is this?" kuina asked, you both sharing a look and trying to make sense of the situation. you didn't have to think long however as the screen changed.

"congratulations to all players." you could feel your heart practically drop at the sight, that familiar women who you had befriended sitting on a chair with a smile on her face. and her voice, sickeningly sweet in your ears.

"mira?" you asked out loud, trying to confirm that it really was her and not just some random stranger who oddly looked the same. but kuina seemed just as surprised, meaning it really was the former executive of the beach.

the screen changed to show her in different boxes, "with the exception of the face card games, all of you have cleared all the numbered games thus far and emerged the victors. a sweet victory you have grasped by sacrificing numerous lives."

victors? we're these games a part of something bigger? something you weren't aware about? perhaps, something having to do with asahi and momoka being dealers?

her facial expression changed to curiosity, as if in deep thought, however the small quirk of her mouth never faltered, "i wonder how many of your comrades have died?" she pushed herself out of the chair, screen changing once more.

too many. far too many.

this time the screens changed to show different games of different types, certain scenes you'd rather not see.

"try remembering..those that were shot dead with a gun. that boy that you burned alive." in one of the boxes displayed a boy, who you recognized from your mafia game. you didn't even realize that they were being recorded, and with regret you watched as he was set on fire. and there was you, face expressing horror as you began moving to get the fire extinguisher. even now his screams of pain was ringing in your ears, "those struck with the lasers and those that drowned. those whose heads were blown off. those comrades of yours. the despair that you've felt so far and those dying moments you can never forget."

scene after heart wrenching scene continued to show up, changing to display another. so many games where people died, and for what? for this?

much to your relief it changed back to show only mira, who reached up to wipe a fake tear from her face, "i'm extremely touched. all of you players, we would like to give you a present."

a present huh?

you noticed kuina grow angry from beside you, shouting at the screen, "are you returning us to the original world?"

almost like she had heard her mira began to laugh, "there will be new games! let's play games together. you'll fight for the face cards!"

"new games?" kuina asked.

"the face cards huh?" and together? did this mean you'd find yourself in a game against her?

she laughed once more, the sound unpleasant in your ears, "we still got many more wonderful games prepared for all of you. so look forward to it!"

you let loose a small sigh. sometimes you hated being right.

"i'd rather see an alien on the screen." kuina muttered bitterly.

you laughed softly, directing your attention back to the woman when she began to speak up once more.

"the next stage will commence soon! we hope to see you all!" she held out her hands, "let's have some fun together!"

right after she finished speaking you could hear loud bangs, glancing up towards the sky to see fireworks. red, green, blue, all different colors exploding in the sky. it eerily reminded you of that day, at the festival watching the same show.

"looks like things aren't over quite yet." you mumbled, eyes going back towards the ground.

but that announcement, it explained a lot of things. the reason why you had a feeling mira was more than she seemed. her surprise at hearing the cards would let you go home, not because she was surprised at the idea but because she knew that was not the case. and her disappearance from the witch hunt, as if she had slipped away because she knew what the game would hold.

but why? she had eaten and slept at the beach like any other person. she even helped you during that game, took an interest in you. why did she tell you how to beat the game when she was apart of it?

why was she apart of it?

"how much more will we have to fight until this is over?" kuina groaned, growing anxious as she glared at the screen.

you placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "we'll get through this stage, just like the last."

a low rumbling could be heard, and once more you directed your attention towards the sky. you squinted through the brightness, seeing white amongst the blue and you realized that these objects looked like blimps, about 12 of them scattered across tokyo. and when they stopped you saw cards come down from the bottom, showing a different face card on each one.

"is that where the games are being held?" you asked aloud, seeing a king of spades nearby.

"do they expect us to get all the way up there?" kuina also questioned, blinking rapidly as she turned away for the brightness was beginning to strain her eyes.

you began wondering as well. it wouldn't really prove practical to have the players make their way so high up, and how would they hold any type of game in there?

"guys!" you both turned at the sound of footsteps, seeing arisu and usagi run over towards you both. you smiled in relief at seeing they bore no injuries, so maybe these 'dealers' had been nice?

"you're okay! how did it go?" kuina asked, also smiling at seeing them return unscathed.

arisu huffed, still breathing heavily as he shook his head, "no one was there. did you see the announcement?"

you looked up towards the sky, "yeah. more games."

"we have to fight to survive all over again." usagi muttered, in a better state than arisu currently was.

"it'll be fine, besides-" you stopped, having just now noticed that there was a third party with them. and although wearing different clothes you'd never forget those brown eyes, watching the blimps with amusement etched into his features.

"this will be fun." he smiled, but no matter how much you wanted to run to him you couldn't, heart beating quickly inside your chest. it was like something was keeping you from doing so, and it wasn't the clear irritation he had with you when he looked at everyone but you.

"so you really are alive." kuina spoke bitterly, inching just the slightest bit closer to you.

chishiya shrugged, "a little fire never hurt anybody."

"he found the dealer base as well." arisu quickly explained, giving you a quick glance to see your reaction.

"you're.." you took the smallest step closer, feeling a small tear escape down your face, "you're okay. i thought you-"

he ignored you, turning towards the brunette as he waved, "well i hope to see you around arisu. don't die just quite yet."

ah, there was that feeling again. that loneliness. the pieces of your heartbreak still yet to heal. and chishiya shuntaro was shattering them all over again.

kuina took a step forward, anger written on her face, "hey-"

you too took a small step forward, "chishiya-"

BANG!

you stopped, eyes wide in fear as slowly you looked down and saw it. the small dent in the concrete stained black. a bullet just where you had been about to go.

but where had it come from? what-

BANG!

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 23: ⌈ 21 ⌋

Notes:

https://share-cdn.picrew.me/shareImg/org/202103/684058_hje0sCyK.png

in case anyone is curious what yasushi looks like. he’s basically a pretty boy who hates everything :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

sometimes there are moments where time seems to slow down. it can be almost frustrating, how you can't seem to move your body exactly how you want to and the absence of sound in your ears as a low ringing replaced it instead. it happened once back during your tag game, when you were with niragi and you had spotted another player about to shoot him. and once more at the beach, when that same man pointed the gun at you, threatening to kill you right then and there.

it was almost like, it was the only way for you to know when something bad was about to happen.

everyone's movements were sluggish as you heard the second shot, and you began to notice so many things all at once. the way kuina seemed to shift her body to run. arisu reaching over to grab usagi. said girl's eyes widening in fear. all in just one small second. it's almost too much for you to comprehend, struggling to analyze the information presented in front of you, to figure out why this was happening and by who. but the anticipation that another bullet is to come is all it takes for the adrenaline in your veins to start pumping and for you to throw away the idea of thinking, forcing your body to surge forward and faintly hearing the shouts from your friends that seem to tell you to move.

the gunshot rings in your ears as your body hits the ground, small grunt of pain escaping your lips at the force of impact and the feeling of your skin break against the asphalt. you almost just want to lay there, just until the pain goes away, but you knew you didn't have much time left before whoever was doing this reloaded, and pointed the gun towards you or your friends once more.

you forced your head up, still on the ground as you looked around the area frantically. if you could just find them, so you knew where to avoid and possibly warn your friends to move from their sight. building on the corner, the blimp right above it, a small glint in the distance.

the gun of a sniper targeting you.

"(name)!"

you scrambled up and moved out of the way once more, seeing that by now arisu, usagi and kuina had made it towards the car, hands motioning for you to join them. your body relaxed ever so slightly at seeing that they were safe, but it quickly tensed up again when realizing that someone was still missing. the person you wanted to save the most wasnt in the backseat with them.

where was he?

you looked towards your right and spotted him. chishiya's figure, crouched down low as he narrowed his eyes towards the distance. so he had spotted it too. and the small second where his eyes widened was all you needed to see before throwing yourself towards him, forcing him towards the ground and out of the way as you both landed in a heap of bodies and tangled limbs.

a low groan left his throat as his back hit the ground, brown eyes blinking at you in momentary confusion. your head hit his chest, heart racing as you felt him, the small tense of his body and the warmth of him through his cardigan. you felt his arms wrap around you almost protectively as you felt your head spin, realizing that he had turned you both over, this time with you on the ground and you flinched at the sound of a bullet right where you had been. your heart raced as you looked up, seeing those brown eyes peering down at you. dark and pinning you towards the ground, making you feel small under the gaze.

and the emtpy look in his eyes scared you more than the bullets targeted towards you both.

"chishiya." you breathed, chest heaving as you struggled to breathe. you feared he could hear how hard your heart was racing and if this were any other time, he'd make fun of how out of breath you currently were.

he narrowed his eyes at you, the arms around your body tightening to the point where it almost hurt. nails digging into your skin and you wanted to tell him to stop, that he was hurting you, but you didn't. because he was here, and you could feel him.

he was alive.

"(name)!" it was arisu again, more urgency in his voice and once again reminding you that the sniper was still there. and the time it was taking for him to change positions would come to an end, making you all targets once more.

chishiya's arms tightened once more before releasing you, body moving away from yours far too quickly than you would've liked. you pushed yourself to sit up by the palm of your hands, staring at him as he peered back. you wondered, why didn't you say anything? why didnt you call out for him when he turned around without another word and left, throwing his hood up as he disappeared between the buildings?

it was like all you could do was sit there, numb as you watched his retreating form until finally feeling arms pull you up, forcing your legs to run with them and towards the car. and it was when the car door shut and arisu and kuina were yelling that you finally felt the tears rush down your face, hands reaching up to grasp desperately at your chest. you thought that maybe, it would help ease the pain. that if you could just find it you could make it go away.

but no matter how much you searched, you couldn't locate it. because it wasn't yourself, but a person who was causing these emotions to wash over you. like an angry wave that forced you under water, making it harder to breathe the longer you were under.

and the hands keeping you under were ones who used to caress your skin so gently, finger pads making your body heat up. warm and fuzzy under the touch. only this time his hands were cold, and you flinched at the unexpected feeling, like frostbite blemishing the skin.

"are you okay?" it was usagi, hands hesitant to touch you as brown eyes stared at you with concern. perhaps because you had only sat there, empty tears streaming down your face. not at all phased by how fast the car was going and how sharp the turns were, trying to lose the blimp following in the distance.

you swallowed thickly, reaching up to wipe away the tears with the sleeve of your jacket before giving a small nod. at least, he was alive. even if he was angry, even if he left once more, the thought that he was breathing, it was enough to make you calm down.

right now, you should worry about what the hell had just happened.

"it was the king of spades." you spoke softly, surprising everyone, even kuina who was currently driving and had caused the car to lose control for the small second she had torn her eyes away from the road to look at you.

"please keep your eyes on the road!" arisu warned, knuckles turning white as he clutched desperately onto the seat. kuina just gave an irritated grunt in response, smoking aid falling out of her lips and causing her to curse loudly.

you frowned, leaning forward slightly in your seat, "kuina-"

"damn!" she yelled, reaching one hand down to put it back in between her teeth, "sorry, i'm just really angry. the asshole thinks he can just treat you like that-" she paused, taking in a shaky breath as she took a turn, "sorry. i know you love him and all."

you sighed, leaning back in your seat. you understood her anger, it was frustrating for you as well. but you weren't going to give up, not because of this. chishiya had always been difficult with his feelings before, it was a fact that was obvious in the way he reacted to things. and this time, he was probably hurt because of how you left him to help arisu, and he acted out in anger and the silent treatment rather than talking it out with you. but eventually, there would be a time where things needed to be discussed, and you were willing to wait for that opportunity.

you shook your head and smiled softly, hoping she'd see you through the rearview mirror, "it's fine."

arisu looked between the two of you before shifting in his seat to face you, "it was his blimp right? his face card was nearby."

you nodded in confirmation, looking at usagi when she spoke up confused, "but we weren't even in the game. and we don't even know the rules."

you tucked your bottom lip in between your teeth, trying to think. during that small time when things had slowed down, what did you notice? why was he targeting you all when you hadn't even registered?

"wait!" usagi exclaimed, bringing you out of your thoughts. her face was pressed against the window and she motioned with her hand for you to come closer. hurriedly you scooted over in your seat, eyes scanning the city that blurred with how fast the car was going, "up in the sky."

you blinked at the brightness, eyes widening when you realized what she was talking about. the blimps, all over tokyo. they remained still, hovering over whatever building or place they took refuge in. the games weren't in the blimps at all, rather they were there to indicate the location of the arena for all the surviving players.

"his game venue is wherever the blimp follows." you mumbled, seeing that his was no longer over the building like before, rather now hovering over a whole other section in the city.

it was a scary thought, and the silence that followed only made it worse. it meant that no matter how much you tried to hide, the king would find you in the end. but you couldnt quite place how this game of his was being played.

"maybe..we have to kill him in order to clear the game." arisu mumbled softly, answering the question that had rolled around in your thoughts while his fingers softly scratched at his scalp, "and if all players die, it's game over."

you sighed, leaning back in your seat and hating how much sense his logic made, "how fun."

it was quiet after that, everyone still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that you'd have to kill the king of spades, the same one you barely escaped out of with your lives. not only that, but if that was his game, there was no telling what sort of difficulty the other face cards had in store for you all.

usagi glanced up, leaning forward in her seat and tapping kuina lightly on the shoulder, "hey, pull over over there."

you sat back up again to see where usagi was directing towards, spotting a large building off in the distance. it looked just like the rest, abandoned and covered in plants and adorned with cracked walls. decaying with the amount of time it's been left in such a state and once again proving how weird time was here in the borderlands.

kuina did as told, the car rolling to a stop right beside the building and hopefully out of sight from the king. everyone gave the sky uneasy glances before rushing inside, revealed to be a small apartment complex. you made sure the door was fully shut before running up the stairs, deciding that the middle floor would be the best incase he came from the roof or down below and each would give you an equal amount of time to escape.

you struggled to catch your breath as you slumped against the wall, still not used to such exercise with arisu in a similar situation right beside you. chest rising and falling and kuina and usagi, frustratingly unfazed as they sat in front of you both, still anxious however as they continued looking out the window.

"so what now?" usagi asked, bringing her knees to her chest and breaking the silence.

you regained your breath enough to speak, "it's obvious isn't it? if all of tokyo is the king of spade's game arena, then no where is safe."

kuina let loose a small curse under her breath, still clearly frustrated, "we can't just hide all the time though."

"this is probably what they wanted." you mumbled quietly, the sentence earning you several weird stares.

"what?" arisu finally asked, encouraging you to elaborate.

you picked at your fingers, keeping your gaze set on them, "i think..the only places safe from being targeted are the other games."

you could imagine the surprised look coming across his face, "you don't mean-"

"we have to play, otherwise the king of spades can attempt to kill us all he wants." usagi murmured.

this was probably what was different about the second stage. before you were forced to play in fear of your visa's expiring. but now? you could lay around all you wanted. but if the king of spades found you unprepared, that was your game over.

"what games are nearby?" arisu asked, coming to the decision that was best for your survival.

you watched as kuina got up, cautiously looking out the window to make sure the king wouldnt spot her in case he was nearby. her eyes widened, but she didn't try to hide. instead her eyes continued to scan outside, searching for something before relaxing.

she sat back down, crossing her legs, "there's a king of clubs game. we can go there-"

"kuina," you interrupted her, "what was the other game that you saw?"

she blinked in surprise, "what?"

she had seen something else. you know she did. something she didn't like, "the game. what was it?"

she furrowed her brows before looking away, realizing you had caught on to what she was trying to hide, "king of hearts."

ah, that's why. not only because she knew that a hearts game would not be a good idea for the four of you to enter together, but because she feared you'd join it.

she was right.

you nodded, pushing yourself up to stand, "i'll go to the king of hearts then."

she whipped her head to look back at you, standing up as well, "are you crazy? why cant you just play with us? clubs is our safest bet-"

"i'm a hearts player kuina," you spoke the bitter truth, stuffing your hands inside your pockets to get them to stop shaking, "who else is going to clear these games but me?"

she frowned, opening her mouth to convince you otherwise, "but-"

"i don't think we can change their mind kuina." arisu said, a dejected look formed across his features.

you mustered up a smile that you directed towards the male, "correct!" this time you turned towards kuina, smile more sympathetic as you placed a hand on her shoulder, "i'll be fine. we'll meet here after our games alright? although, im not sure how long they'll last."

slowly she nodded, taking your hand and bringing you in for a hug that left it hard to breathe, "we'll stay for as long as it takes. you will come back."

you smiled, feeling your heart hurt as you returned it. there really was no guarantee that you'd come back, no matter how good at heart games you were, especially now that the difficulty level was different. but for her, your friends and chishiya, you'd do your best, "of course."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

after several rib crushing hugs of goodbyes arisu, usagi and kuina left in the car while you walked, deciding that three people would be easier to find than just one. there was also the fact that the king of hearts was closer, and it didn't take you long before you found yourself in a community of houses, all large and extravagant where those more on the wealthy side lived. it didn't even seem like a game venue, just a regular residence. but there was no mistaking the blimp hovering in the air and the small sign placed on the wall showing a ten person limit.

you breathed in deeply to calm your nerves, willing your legs to move forward as you walked up the steps. the doors were large, far larger than your own home and it was almost intimidating, doorknob cold as your fingers clasped around it. another deep breath, until finally you pushed down on the handle and pushed the heavy wood open.

already all eyes were set on you, and a quick survey of the room told you that there were 8 people, just one short of the limit. the room seemed to be a formal living room, with vases filled with flowers and artwork far too expensive for what appeared on the canvas. there were also several places to sit, many occupied by the players waiting. but there were no phones, and the lack of the device confused you, knowing they had been important in your other games. however that wasn't your utmost worry, you just hoped the king of spades would at least have the decency to wait even if the game hadn't technically started yet.

two girls, both holding hands with wedding bands around their ring fingers, very obviously married. one with pink colored hair and the other pulled back into a ponytail. although you wondered why they willingly chose to enter such a game together. perhaps with no choice? beside them was an older man leaning against the wall, a muscular build and everything indicating that he had been in some sort of military job before coming here. you looked around once more and your eyes widened, seeing a large golden retriever seated quietly beside a boy, in his late teens. he didn't turn to look at you, but you could assume that his eyesight was poor based on the badges stuck to the dog's vest. and what broke your heart was the small child seated next to him, probably no older than 10 as she glanced around uneasily, kicking her legs back and forward in the chair as she also tried to busy herself with the small stuffed toy in her hands.

you forced yourself to look away, also spotting a high school boy, hands wrapping his jacket tightly around his body as he tried to shift away from the other male beside him, cigarette tucked between his fingers as tattoos decorated his neck and disappeared down his chest. already you could smell it from where you stood, and internally you cringed as you turned away once more.

and this time you didn't fake the expression on your face, recognizing those dark eyes that stared right back, just as wide eyed as you. and although he looked slightly different, hair longer down his neck he still wore that same hoodie, the same one from your mafia game.

"it's you." he spoke quietly, eyes never leaving yours as you pulled the door shut behind you and joined him in the back of the room, trying to ignore the stares everyone was giving you two.

"glad to see you alive yasushi." you mustered up a small smile, leaning against the wall right beside him.

he narrowed his eyes at you, a little weirded out by your expression before shrugging in response, "after our game it'd be pretty pathetic if i died by anything else."

you hummed, knowing he was right. very little could compare to that, "perhaps. and yet you still put yourself into yet another hearts game."

he glared at you, most likely angry that you were right and figured out that he came here willingly, "like you didn't do it too."

a small laugh escaped your lips, "ironic isn't it?"

he huffed quietly in response, tearing his eyes away from yours, "see that you're as crazy as ever."

"and you're as grumpy as ever." you quipped back.

a small click of his tongue in annoyance, "im not grumpy."

"sure sure," you laughed once more, also looking away as you went back to surveying the room, "so how've you been?"

he didn't answer at first, almost like he was trying to decide if it really was okay to talk to you. ah well, it was to be expected that he'd be cautious, you still didn't know who this king of hearts was after all. but eventually he did speak, coming to the conclusion that he could trust you, "fine. you?"

it surprised you that he continued the conversation, but you smiled and gave a small shrug, "i've definitely been better."

his eyes met yours before quickly looking away, a small nod of his head as he hummed, "hm."

you watched him for a second, scrutinizing his every move. the small shift of his body as if uncomfortable, the way his brown eyes darted around the room. you were trying to find any hint directed towards the idea that he was the king of hearts, but the more you watched the more it seemed unlikely. yasushi was easy to read after all, and if he was the king you would be able to spot it. his behavior was just because he was as antisocial as ever.

you all jumped at hearing the door slam open, this time revealing a foreigner. dark skin and a smile on their face, pulling it shut behind them as they greeted everyone in the room with an energetic wave.

"i'm not too late am i?" they laughed, japanese surprisingly good with just the smallest hint of an accent as they sauntered into the room and slumped across the sofa. immediately their body and face relaxed as they closed their eyes, acting as if they didn't just enter a hearts game.

no one answered, they didn't have to. right when they had laid down a voice came from somewhere inside the room, activated now that the game had the required amount of people needed to play.

 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏴᎬ ᏚᎬᎪᎢᎬᎠ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᏆNᏆNᏩ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ.

 

you shared a glance with yasushi, who seemed just as confused. definitely not the king of hearts. you just shrugged lightly in response, being the first to walk over and open the door adjacent to the front entrance. this time it was a sliding door, and with the help of the male you pushed it aside, revealing a large room with a just as large, round table. chairs enough for everyone in the game and surprisingly enough food laid out on plates, the smell filling your senses and making you realize just how hungry you actually were.

you shared another glance with yasushi whose gaze was set heavily on the room, distrusting of the things inside, especially the gun in the middle. cautiously you walked in, the rest of the players following closely behind and this time you noticed how the floor under the table dipped down so when you seated you didn't have to fold your legs, and a light, shaped like a lantern hung in the center, creating a small warm glow.

you were pushed aside, body bumping into yasushi who glared at you by the impact. but his hands gripped your arms to steady you, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he quickly released you and looked away, "watch it."

you rolled your eyes, attention quickly going back to the center of the room and realizing who had been the one to push you out of the way.

"sweet! i'm starving." it was the foreigner, who rushed to one of the seats. they excitedly sat down and picked up their chopsticks, taking a bite out of the food you had noted earlier. a small hum of delight rumbled in their throat as they reached forward for a different plate of food.

"is this dude crazy?" the smoker muttered, also having been product of their brash behavior as he rubbed his arm with his hand.

"girl." they stated bluntly, looking back at the male as they took another bite.

he stared back in confusion, "what?"

"i'm a girl. don't call me dude." they repeated.

his eyes widened, quickly looking away, "oh. uh, sorry."

she nodded before she resumed back to eating, not at all concerned about whether the food presented had been contaminated with anything. well, so far she appeared fine. so maybe the food really was there to help the players, although it'd still be good to stay cautious incase there were any long term effects.

you looked over at yasushi and motioned your head to the side, him following you to take a seat at the table as well. slowly you leaned down and seated yourself on the cushion, hating how with this you couldn't exactly just get up and leave as quickly as you would've liked, meaning the game did this on purpose. and yasushi, well, he struggled a bit before finally getting comfortable in his seat, glaring at you as you stifled your laughter when he banged his foot against the leg.

soon enough everyone else had found their seats, not one moving to touch their food. and although the circular table helped with being able to see everyone clearly, it allowed them to see you as well, which gave you a disadvantage as far as staying out of sight. right now you'd just have to hope that whatever game was being played these players wouldn't pick you out of the crowd.

the same voice came back, this time to finally start the game, and you held your breath as you listened intently to the words.

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ, ᎡᏌᏚᏚᏆᎪN ᎡᎾᏌᏞᎬᎢᎢᎬ. ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, KᏆNᏩ ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ, ᎢᏔᎾ ᏩᏌNᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏌNᎠᎬᎡ YᎾᏌᎡ ᏚᎬᎪᎢ. ᏔᎻᎬN ᏆᎢ ᏆᏚ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎢᏌᎡN, ᏟᎻᎾᎾᏚᎬ ᏴᎬᎢᏔᎬᎬN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏔᎾ ᏔᎬᎪᏢᎾNᏚ. ᎾNᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏌᏚᎬᎠ ᎾN ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ, ᏔᎻᏆᏞᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏌᏚᎬᎠ ᎾN YᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬᏞF. ᎢᎻᎬ NᏌᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎾF ᏴᏌᏞᏞᎬᎢᏚ ᏆN ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᏩᏌN ᏆᏚ ᏌNKNᎾᏔN, ᏴᏌᎢ FᎪᏆᏞᏌᎡᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎻᎾᎾᏚᎬ ᎪNᎠ ᏚᎻᎾᎾᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.

ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN, KᏆᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ KᏆNᏩ ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ ᎻᏆᎠᎠᎬN ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ.

 

huh, so that explained the gun in the center. it wouldn't be used to kill someone, but rather to determine who would go each round. and two guns? it was definitely different from the usual game you'd heard about, but there had to be a reason for it. why would they give an option to shoot someone else?

a shrill scream erupted from a girls throat, and you realized that it was one of the girls from before. and based on the expression of horror on her face she had found the gun, hands covering her mouth as her wife wrapped her arms around her, trying to calm her down.

slowly you reached your own hands under your seat, sure enough feeling two glass boxes. your fingers brushed over the lettering, probably labels to show which gun was which. sighing you leaned back into your seat, feeling yasushi's eyes on you. he probably wanted to see what you thought of this whole situation.

"it's rude to stare at people." you sang, glancing over at the brunette.

he quickly looked away, small huff leaving his lips, "whatever."

you smiled. he really hadn't changed since the last time you saw him.

"so," the high school boy spoke up, eyes set on the gun in the center as his voice wavered with each word, "the king of hearts is here?"

"seems like it." the military man agreed, arms folded across his chest. he seemed...angry, lips set in a permanent frown. and he didn't seem surprised by the rules of the game, so he's definitely played before. but you don't think enough to be the king of hearts. there was still that underlying emotion of confusion, as well as sympathy on his features. definitely not fake.

"don't suppose we can just ask huh?" the smoker muttered, cigar rolling around between his fingers.

"and they're asking us to..." it was the girl's wife, who trailed off from wanting to speak the truth of the game.

"to kill or be killed." you chimed in. everyone gave you weird looks at the sound of your voice, and you cleared your throat before pointing towards the center of the table, "whoever it lands on goes first right?"

she furrowed her brows together, swallowing thickly "but who will spin it?"

"i'll do it!" it was the foreigner, raising her hand up as she reached forward and locked her hand around the side, pulling it back as it began to spin.

it continued to rotate, making you dizzy the longer you stared and increasing the anxieties of everyone in the room when it never ceased to stop. but you were still thinking about the reason behind the two guns. this was a psychological game, making a fool out of everyone. if there were two guns, with two options, there was an obvious answer to what would be chosen.

oh, maybe that was it.

"hey yasushi." you spoke, looking over at the male.

he narrowed his eyes at you, "what?"

you gave a quick glance to under his seat, spotting two boxes peeking out from under, "if it lands on you, choose the gun to shoot yourself."

he scoffed, "god you really are fucking crazy."

you pouted at the insult, "an entire game together and you don't trust me?"

"you could be the king of hearts." he stated bluntly, although you knew he didn't believe that. everything in his voice and expression said so.

you let loose a light laugh, "i'm flattered you think i could put together a game like this."

once more he stared at you, narrowing his eyes once more before turning away and muttering under his breath, "weird."

you sighed, "you don't have to listen to me. but if you don't want anyone to die, that's your safest bet."

he didn't say anything, so you returned your attention back to the spinning wheel in the center. and finally, much to a lot of the player's relief it stopped, the gun pointing towards the man who you had previously deemed with military experience.

 

YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎾNᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎻᎾᎾᏚᎬ.

 

his hands tightened, knuckles turning white as shakily he reached down and brought out the two boxes. sure enough they had labels on both, and he reached for the one to be used for the surrounding players.

ah, should've been expected.

everyone held their breaths as he brought it out, eyes surveying the room most likely to deem who would be the best to kill. his eyes glanced over the child, the foreigner, yasushi, until finally stopping on the pair of girls, clicking the gun and pointing it towards the one with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"hey, wait!" her wife tried to stop him, putting her hands out as they struggled to remove themselves from their seats. so that's what they were for. so you couldn't run away quick enough, "there are so many people here! please just choose somebody else not-"

he ignored her, finger clicking on the trigger.

everyone jumped, expecting blood and for the deafening sound of the gunshot. neither of those things happened however, just the screams of both girls and the small child seated next to them. their eyes had been squeezed shut, expecting the worst but at realizing that nothing had happened, that they hadn't been shot, they opened their eyes, hands shaking as they clutched tightly onto each other.

the military man breathed out a sigh of relief, dropping the gun onto the table as he leaned back in his seat. everyone was silent, not moving even an inch.

ah, this would definitely be a psychologically torturing game. not knowing if the gun pointed at you had the bullet for that round. not knowing whether you'd die in that instance.

so this was the face card games.

"should i spin again?" the foreigner asked once more, breaking the heavy silence.

"are you fucking kidding me right now?" the smoker yelled.

she gave him a bored expression, "hey man, i'm just trying to get the game going. you wanna just sit here and do nothing? 'cause i'm all here for it, but this food isn't going to last forever."

"fucking psycho." he muttered, still moving forward nonetheless and spinning the wheel. once again everyone waited with held breaths, eyes set on the weapon as it slowed down, coming to a stop on the teenage boy with the impaired vision.

he didn't move, so maybe he really was fully blind. and as the silence ticked on and he furrowed his brows in confusion, perhaps wondering why everyone had gone quiet the smoker spoke again.

"hey kid, it landed on you." he grunted out, irritation laced in his tone.

you glared at him. he shouldn't get mad at something he couldn't control, "he's blind."

"how the hell am i supposed to know?" he asked, growing defensive.

"it's pretty obvious." you shrugged, turning in your seat to face the boy. he must've caught onto the fact that it was his turn, but you still reached down nonetheless and placed the boxes right in front of him, "the left is for yourself and the right is for the others."

he nodded, "thank you." his hands shakily reached for the box on the right, fingers gliding over the hatch and pushing it open. he flinched at feeling the barrel of the gun, ghosting down until they clasped over the handle and picked it up.

it continued to shake in his hands, his dog who lay by his feet watching him with curious eyes, wondering why his owner was so frightened in that moment.

"uhm. i dont.." he mumbled, lowering the gun ever so slightly.

"just point it at anyone. doesn't matter." the smoker groaned, growing anxious as the time left grew shorter and shorter. he was probably betting on the fact that he'd die when the time was up.

"you can't just tell someone to point it at whoever they want. really we should we pointing it towards the king of hearts." the girl with pink colored hair spoke this time, eyes glaring at the male.

"and do you have an idea on who that is?" he asked.

her expression faltered, "well-"

"fighting and turning on each other isn't going to help. you all forget that nine of us are regular players," you turned towards the male beside you, directing the gun towards the center of the table, "i'm not going to choose who you will shoot at."

he swallowed thickly before nodding, moving the gun towards the left so it was pointed towards the smoker. his eyes widened, trying to move out of his seat just like the girls has done but he already pulled the trigger, body jumping as he flinched.

once again nothing came out, and everyone was safe for another round.

the blind male gasped out a breath, shakily putting the gun back into the box as his dog poked it's nose against his hands, fingers beginning to run through the fur. the smoker seemed just as relieved, bringing his cigarette towards his lips and taking a big hit.

"this isn't going anywhere." you muttered. you still had no idea who the king of hearts was, only having ruled out a couple of people. but at the rate things were going, it didn't seem like anyone was willing to cooperate to figure it out. why choose a hearts game if you were going to play like this?

"alrighty! spinning again!" the foreigner got up to do so once more, and this time no one stopped her.

the gun spinned, the two girls clutching onto each other tightly while the child put their hands up to cover their eyes. the smoker let out a puff of air while the military man gripped his seat. the blind teen tensing his jaw as the high schooler tried to bury himself into his seat and sweater as far as he could. and the foreigner, they seemed unfazed by it all, watching it in anticipation as finally it stopped, barrel pointed towards the male beside you.

yasushi stared at it, jaw tensed as he reached down and brought out only one box. he didn't even waste any time before pointing it towards the military man, clicking the trigger.

BANG!

his body recoiled back, eyes widened at the man who slowly looked down at his chest. blood spilled down his white shirt and fell from his lips as he coughed, fingers reaching up and coming back with crimson dripping onto the table. the child screamed, scooting closer to the married couple as they hugged her tightly. voices ringing in your ears as you could faintly hear the blind teen asking what happened, who had been shot.

finally he slumped forward, head crashing against the plates of food. you looked at yasushi, whose gun was shaking in his hands, trying to blink away the blood that caught onto his face. you frowned, reaching over and lowering the gun.

"oh my god!" ponytail screamed, hands moving to cover her face as she tried to shift away from the body.

"i want to go home!" the child screamed, tears rushing down her face as she tugged onto the pink hair's clothes.

said girl swallowed thickly, hand reaching over to brush through the child's strands, "i know. i know."

his body continued to lay there, eyes open and empty and the sight made you sick, the feeling sure to be affecting the other players as well.

"someone move him!" the high schooler yelled, unfortunately being seated next to the man.

"you do it!" smoker yelled back.

he shook his head in protest, eyes widened in horror at the idea, "hell no! i'm not touching him!"

you let out a shaky breath. a death so soon. and with the yelling and the crying, this was going exactly how the king of hearts wanted. right now, only one thing would put this game in the right direction.

"spin it." you mumbled softly, causing everyone to stop and stare at you like you just sprouted two heads.

the smoker glared at you, "what? he just-"

"spin the gun." you stated firmly, giving him a look that said it wasn't up for debate.

he narrowed his eyes before doing as told, and you felt your heart drop when it landed on you.

you let loose a bitter laugh.

"to kill or be killed," you muttered, repeating your words from before as you brought out the two boxes. you stared for a moment, "should be an easy choice right?"

you could feel everyone's gaze on you as you picked up the one on the left, gun heavy in your hands as you clicked it into place.

"what the hell are you doing?" yasushi asked, trying to get you to pull the gun away from your head.

you lowered it and stared at the barrel, doing your best to mask your emotions of fear and the trembling in your hands, "i'm trying to prove a point."

you just hoped your theory was correct.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 24: ⌈ 22 ⌋

Notes:

hey guys! sorry this took so long, i went out of town for a couple of days and rn i currently have a bad allergic reaction on my hands that makes them hurt when i move them. half this chapter was written in pain, so please do enjoy :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

you were five years old when you realized the value of time.

granted you were only a child, your only concern being how you were going to retrieve the cookies hidden in the back of the pantry. but it was also during this time that you began to notice the strange behavior your mother would express and the lack of time she spent on you. at first you brushed it off as her being busy with your sister, who had been born recently that year. but even then you noticed how she seemed to bring her much more attention than she did to you, a clear difference in the way she acted. and as the years went by it only grew worse to the point where even you could no longer ignore it.

you were at a birthday party for a friend, playing with the other children out in the backyard while the adults stood by watching, laughing and talking amongst themselves. it had taken a lot of convincing for you to go but eventually your mother agreed as long as you didn't bother her again. you were overjoyed at the fact, spending as much time as possible having fun before she came by to pick you up.

it was as you and the other kids were running around outside that your friend's mother came by. the oldest just like you and you awaited the yelling. the words telling her that she was doing something wrong. yet it was the opposite of that. it was so painstakingly clear as the interactions went on that they were the one favorited. they got the attention and love your sister seemed to hog. it confused you, how cake would be cut for her and presents were handed with such a big smile on her face. that when the back of her dress would untie she'd fix it without a second thought, and how her hair was put into such pretty little ribbons that she had put on herself.

you went to your mother about it, asking if she could help you tie the laces on your shoes just to see what she'd do. if she'd tie it just as your friends mother had. but she simply brushed you off, telling you to figure it out yourself. once again it was so different from the way your friend's mom treated her and even your sister, and wanting to test that theory you brought her over, telling her to ask your mother the same question you did just previously. and sure enough, with a smile you could only imagine being directed towards you painted her lips, reaching down and looping the string with the best precision. and when she reached back up to tickle her, it was the first time you began to hate this younger sibling of yours and resented the person who brought you into this world.

it was why you tried to keep yourself away from your family as often as possible. why when that pretty little letter showing your acceptance to college you packed up your things and left without a second thought, ignoring the calls blowing up your phone from your mother and sister. as if they really cared about whether you left or not. if anything, she would say something along the lines of never coming back, and that from here on out you were on your own with making a life detached from them.

and your sister? you were sure she was confused. wondering why all these years your smiles had been fake and why you never joined them in the activities meant only for her. maybe, if that time your mother valued so much was spent on you even just a little bit, filled with affection and love instead of harsh words comparing the two of you. explaining that it was just the way things were and that you should be grateful that you were here even at all, things would've turned out differently.

but she didn't, and it was also when you realized that some things you just had to do yourself.

and that time and the way you used it could change things much more drastically than expected.

each second that ticked down made your relentlessness grow, anxious to just continue on with what you wanted to achieve. time was valuable here, and your eyes pleaded with yasushi to let go, to release the gun he held away from your face. you sent him an expression saying that you needed to do this, you needed to prove that this theory of yours was correct.

otherwise this game would end with a game over.

dark brown eyes narrowed, unsure about whether he should listen to you or not. but
not because of his lack of faith in you. no, the small tremble of his hands that shook the gun told you he was just as scared as you were, perhaps wishing you wouldn't be so selfless as to test it yourself.

but then again, no one would initiate this but you.

"yasushi please." you pleaded for the final time, softly tugging the gun closer to your body.

he sent you a quick glance, eyes searching yours for something, anything that would give him a reason to disagree. he didn't seem to find it however, and he let loose a frustrated breath before he released his grip. he shifted his body so he was back in his seat, eyes glaring daggers at the table and you could tell that he was angry at himself for agreeing to your idea.

but this proved that yasushi trusted you, and that he really did care after all.

you swallowed thickly, forcing down the vile in your throat as you brought the weapon up to rest against your temple. it was cold and remarkably heavier now than before, the danger you were putting yourself in presented in full extent at that moment. you knew everyone was giving you expressions that viewed you as crazy, once again proving that no one would ever really do this.

but that was all the more reason to do it.

as your finger closed down on the trigger you prayed that kuina would be okay in the event that you were proven wrong. that chishiya would at least return to the real world safely unscathed. that yasushi would clear this game without you.

that they'd at least know you tried.

CLICK!

you jumped slightly at the sound, taking a second to realize what it meant. your eyes drifted over to yasushi, who had laid back in his seat and unclenched his hands at also realizing it too. you brought the gun away from your head, staring at it before you let out a small laugh not only in relief but excitement as well. just a couple more. if you could just test it a little bit more.

"spin it again!" you exclaimed, putting the gun back into its box as you looked at the center of the table.

once more everyone gave you strange looks, however yasushi was quick to do as you asked. this time it landed on the pink haired girl, and as she shakily reached down for the boxes you stopped her.

"pick the gun for yourself." you stated firmly.

she stared at you, eyes widened in shock at your request. it was ponytail who cut in with an angry look on her face, "are you crazy? i'm not sure what compelled you to do that to yourself but you cant ask her to do the same!"

you shouldn't be surprised at her reluctance, you were terrified as well. but you really needed her to do this. you had been the one to start this, and now you needed everyone to comply and work together in order to win this game.

you let out a small sigh, already regretting the words that left your mouth. but you needed something that would give them reason to listen, "if she dies then that means i'm the king of hearts."

you could feel yasushi's gaze on you, hands gripping the sleeve of your arm, "hey what are you-"

she shook her head, not buying into your bargain, "you're just saying that to get us to listen. i know you're not the king."

well, she was smart. maybe she didn't actually come here by force. although you couldn't imagine why she would bring her wife here if she played these games as often as you.

but you needed them to trust you, and you were running out of that precious time.

"look, the probability of you dying by that gun is little to no percent. each time you click the trigger the stakes get higher. but in this case, they'll only get lower." you explained, hoping she'd understand what you were getting at.

she sent you an incredulous look, "how does that-"

"please. you just have to trust me on this. not working together to figure it out will play into the king's hands and ultimately cause our downfall," you looked at the pink haired girl, as well as the child seated next to her, small hands clutching onto her sweater as she leaned in as closely as her seat allowed possible, "i know you want to save her and that kid. this is the only way."

she stared at you, still distrustful but eventually her gaze wavered, letting that wall chip away enough to listen to you. she sighed, nodding at the pink haired girl to continue. she seemed confused at how quickly she had accepted but she mustered up a small smile nonetheless, trusting her judgement before taking the gun and clicking the trigger.

once again they were safe, and the stakes were lowered.

you grinned, feeling your excitement grow, "okay! okay spin it again! and this time do the same thing."

yasushi did so once more, the barrel facing the foreigner. she smiled, happily taking the gun from under and pointing it towards herself. once again nothing came out, and with this you felt like your theory was finally being proven correct.

everyone else could be saved. no one had to die anymore.

"i don't understand..what are you trying to prove here?" ponytail asked, still not quite understanding what the lack of deaths meant and why you were so excited over it.

your grin widened, happy to explain, "there aren't any bullets in the gun."

she blinked slowly in surprise, features expressing something close to anger, "i'm sorry, what? you got all that because three of you didn't die in a row? it's called luck."

you hummed, leaning forward in your seat to stare straight at her, "heart games always have a way for everyone to live, a loophole i like to call it. they just want you to believe that you have to hurt and betray people in order to survive."

she stared right back, "and how did you find this 'loophole'?"

you smiled, "they stated from the beginning that the bullets in each gun is unknown, so that still leaves the possibility of it being empty. they presented everyone with an option to shoot themselves or others, kill or be killed, knowing that no one in their right mind would use the gun for themselves. my theory is that they purposely made that gun empty, knowing no one would use it. that's it, that's our loophole."

"you've played before as well haven't you?" she asked, also revealing that this wasn't her first heart game.

you shrugged, leaning back once more, "i've played enough to understand how they work. i can almost guarantee that if everyone continues to use that gun then no one else has to die."

"except the king of hearts. we still don't know who it is." pink haired girl murmured quietly.

your mouth quirked down into a small frown, knowing she was right. you'd been so busy thinking about the meaning behind the placement of the two guns that you still hadn't figured out who your target was. who in this room was the king.

"unfortunately not," you agreed, sending a quick glance to your own two boxes, "but with this, we can figure it out together."

"who decided that you two aren't the king of hearts?" the smoker asked, still untrusting of the both of you.

you sighed. hadn't he listened to your conversation? he was only making himself look suspicious the more he opened his mouth to speak. it was already proven and decided, and with him trying to contradict it, it could only mean two things, both equally as bad.

you moved to further explain but was pleasantly surprised when the blind teen cut in instead, "i doubt with this theory of theirs they'd reveal it if they were the king. it would defeat the whole purpose of killing all the players."

your eyes widened, realizing that he too had played before with the way he seemed to catch on easily. the smoker narrowed his eyes at him, glaring burning holes into his skull before he scoffed, quickly looking away, "fine. whatever. spin away."

"jackass." you heard the teen mumble, and you stifled a laugh as the gun was spun once more.

this time it landed on the highshooler, who jumped at the sight of the barrel pointed directly at him. he brought his jacket closer to his body before reaching down, causing you to frown at the sight of both boxes. wasn't he going to use the one on himself? or maybe he just needed to check the label to make sure he was picking the right one.

that wasn't the case however as he picked up the gun to be used for the surrounding players, and you only had time to shout at him to stop before he pointed it towards the unfortunate recipient.

a scream erupted from the girl's throat, red stained hands clutching onto the pink haired girl's body. blood sputtered out of her mouth as she coughed, brown eyes blinking in confusion as she looked at her wife.

"oh." she mumbled softly, just now recognizing that the tears and blood were for her.

"ayame! hey! come on just hold on i'm going to stop the bleeding!" she yelled, palm pressing down on the bullet wound on her chest.

she coughed once more, brown eyes growing unfocused alarmingly quickly, "love..i don't think-"

"stop it!" she cried, putting her other free hand over the other, "i'm a nurse remember? i'm going to help you!"

another cough sputtered out of her mouth, and ponytail continued to cry as ayame seemed to whisper something, incoherent in your ears before her eyes went blank.

another scream, this time full of pain as she mourned over her lover. screams that made your heart hurt the longer they continued on. why? you thought you had found a solution. you thought you could save everyone from this horrendous game.

so why were there another dead body slumped onto the dining table?

"why..why did you shoot her!" she screamed, her anger directed towards the teen who dropped the gun onto the table, hands flying up to his mouth as he shook his head rapidly.

"i didn't think-i just didn't want to die!" he cried, once more trying to make himself small within the confines of his sweater.

"we said you could live if you just chose the other gun!"

"how the hell am i supposed to just believe that?"

their arguing continued, loud screams of frustration and heartache ringing in your ears. the commotion was enough to make you overlook the fact that the gun had spun again, picked up by that same person. it was only the shot that rung in your ears that brought you out of your daze.

the high schooler didn't even get a chance to run when the shot hit his head, killing him on the spot as he slumped back against his chair. by then the room went silent, ponytail just as shocked at his unexpected death. slowly you followed the direction of the gun, seeing the foreigner had been the one to do it.

"i was hoping if i killed him this game would be over with, but looks like he isn't the king either." she shrugged, putting the gun back into the box and leaning back in her seat like nothing had happened.

there was something off though. her hand twitched, foot tapping against the floor. it was almost like she was trying to contain her excitement, a result from something good happening. almost like-

oh. oh.

"should i spin again?" yasushi asked from beside you, and you gave a small nod in response. if your hunch was correct, you'd need to watch this next interaction just as closely.

he did as told, the gun landing on ponytail.

she sobbed, reaching down for the gun and pointing it at herself. it clicked, but nothing came out, and she cried even harder as she continued to pull the trigger.

you shifted in your seat, "i told you. it doesn't have bullets-"

"fuck! why..." she threw it back into the box, burying her face in her hands as stray wisps of hair escaped from her hairstyle.

"i'm sorry." you mumbled softly.

she peeked through her fingers, face pulled into a distraught expression as if the apology only made things worse, "don't."

you nodded. feeling sorry wouldn't change anything, even you could respect that. although there was no mistaking what you had learned. the small second where disappointment was shown.

"if it makes you feel better, i know who the king of hearts is."

at this she paused, lifting her face up to stare at you in shock. the others also gave you strange looks, however the one you paid the most attention to was her's, a small glint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"how.." she asked, eyes surveying the room as if she could find the answer as well.

"you know, if you pay close enough attention you can learn a lot about a person just by their body language. there's only one person in this room who fits the role of the king, and was actually rather comfortable here. almost like, they lived here and even put together the game itself," you lifted your hand up from your side, pointing it towards this venue's game master, "you're the king of hearts aren't you?"

the foreigner smiled at your outstretched fingers, raising an eyebrow up in question, "you think because i'm not afraid that it has to be me? you don't seem too scared yourself. and didn't i help you prove your theory?"

you laughed, putting your hand back down. it was shaking, "i'm actually terrified right now. i'm just good at hiding it. but that wasnt the only thing. your facial expressions when those two died. you were excited because it was two less players that you had to deal with. one step closer to winning this game."

her grin widened before she laughed, wheezing to catch her breath as she banged her fist on the table. the more it dragged on the more it made you uncomfortable, chilling in its own way. amusing only to her.

she reached up to wipe tears from her eyes, "wow, im impressed. mira was right. you really are good," she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over the back of her head as brown eyes bore into your own, "alright, i'll admit it. i'm the king of hearts."

ponytail blinked, surprised she had said it so easily and that she was the one behind this game, "you..."

"fuck. i knew something was off with you." smoker muttered, taking another hit from
his cigar.

she laughed once more, throwing her hands up into the air, "surprised? probably not, i was rather obvious. but that just made me less suspicious no? reverse psychology at its finest. a very interesting topic, i suggest you all learn about it. could fool anyone. but you," she turned to look at you, your body freezing under her gaze. it was all too familiar to mira's, "you figured me all out! it seemed your desire to unconsciously study human behavior was proved relevant in this game, able to contradict even the best of manipulation! i didn't believe mira at first when she told me about you, but now that i'm here, playing a game with you, i'm really feeling the thrill! i may just die this time!"

"i was right. you really are a psycho." smoker spoke up once more, staring at her with that same look he gave you when you chose to shoot yourself.

she pouted, "don't be mean, i'm just being honest with you all. and now you finally know your target."

he tightened his jaw, eyes looking towards the gun before glancing at everyone in the room, "well somebody shoot her!"

"oh!" she yelled, titling her head towards the side and mocking confusion, "but we're still playing!"

he glared at her, "like i give a fuck-"

her expression darkened, smile no longer on her face, "if you don't spin the wheel before shooting that will result in an automatic game over."

his eyes widened, "that wasn't even in the rules!"

she glanced up, putting her finger against her lips in deep thought, "oh, guess i forgot to add that."

"fucking-"

"well now you know! no need to get angry." her smirk widened, that same glint back in her eyes, "now then, let's see which comes first! will you all kill me, or will i get rid of each and every one of you."

it was silent, fear striking everyone's hearts at her words. realistically you all had the advantage, there were several of you that would be able to point the gun at her while she only had herself. but it was still frightening, not knowing how she'd rig the game to be able to win.

"tough crowd. let's get started then shall we?" she reached forward and spun the wheel, smile widening when it landed on the child.

her eyes widened, tears spilling down her cheeks as she struggled to get away from the gun pointing at her and indicating that it was her turn. you could only sit and watch, unable to do anything. you weren't sure what would
happen if you left your chair to help her.

luckily ponytail was quick to act, bringing out the box holding the gun for herself and helping the small child grasp it in her hands. fingers trembled and shook as she pulled the trigger, a small click showing that it was indeed empty.

"why waste such a precious bullet that could've been used on me?" the foreigner asked, spinning the gun once more and smiling when it landed on the smoker, who wasted no time bringing it out and pointing it towards her, "oh? let's not be too hasty here."

he didn't answer, pulling the trigger. but nothing came out, and she laughed as his face fell.

"you should see the look on your face! wow! i don't think i've ever seen someone look to eager to kill me! and the disappointment, feels bad huh? well then." she spins it again. another laugh escaping her lips when it pointed at her.

she pulled out the gun, pointing it at every person in the room, "now, who. shall. i. choose?" she hummed softly, pointing it at yasushi who narrowed his eyes at her. she grinned at the expression, before quickly pointing it away and clicking the trigger.

BANG!

cigarette falls from his lips, crimson staining his shirt as he reached for the gun. the king laughed at his attempts, until finally his body slumped limp on the table.

"wow! i got lucky didn't i?" she cheered, holding up the weapon as if it was some sort of god that won her a prize.

yasushi quickly reached forward and spinned, wasting no time when it landed on himself to take the gun and click the trigger. unfortunely the round didn't contain a bullet, and the foreigner laughed at the frustrated breath of air he released as a result.

you leaned towards him in your seat, "yasushi calm down. we can spin the wheel a certain way-"

he ignored you, spinning it again and you noticed the look of horror come across his face when it stopped. you sent him a curious glance, slowly turning around and seeing who picked up the gun.

the foreigner, barrel pointed at her next victim.

you.

slowly you looked from the barrel up to her eyes, shining with excitement as she clicked it into place, "you should've been the first person i got rid of. but i was feeling nice."

yasushi moved to get up, banging his foot against the wood, "hey-"

"shoot me then," you put your arm out to stop him, taking a small shaky breath in, "all based on luck right?"

her smile widened, liking your response, "ha! right you are!"

your hands tightened, skin breaking under the sharp nails. but your gaze never wavered from hers. you'd only feed into her amusement if you backed out now.

she pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

she frowned when nothing came out, examining the gun as if there was something wrong with it. finally she sighed, carelessly throwing the gun back into the box just like before, "what a bore."

you smiled, half out of relief and half out of excitement. you were safe for another round. quickly throwing away your nerves and ignoring the look yasushi was giving you, you spun the gun once more, surprisingly enough landing on yasushi. it seemed the odds were in his favor, and the male widened his eyes before quickly grabbing the gun and pulling the trigger.

BANG!

the bullet hit the table, just several inches away from the foreigner. she blinked in surprise at the sound, but at realizing it didn't hit her she laughed, clutching her stomach with her hands.

"wow! just how incompetent are you? i'm right here you know! how hard is it to point and shoot? you sure didn't miss when it came to that guy in the beginning huh?" her laughter grew, struggling to catch her breath.

he glared at her, hands clenched into fists as her teasing continued. you reached forward to try and calm him down, but yasushi was already moving, stumbling out of his chair as he lunged at the foreigner.

"yasushi!" you screamed.

he pulled her out of her seat, both bodies hitting the ground as a result of the force. she laughed once more, pure amusement in her eyes as she fought back. blow after blow hitting your ears, grunts of pain and frustration. the dog barking and the child crying at the display of violence. quickly you rushed out of your seat as well, arms wrapping around the male and trying to pry him away.

"yasushi stop! please just get back in your seat. you don't know if this is against the rules!" you cried, sending quick looks back at the others. the blind teen glanced around in confusion, not sure what was happening and the child was holding onto ponytail, who remained quiet and only watched the scene unfold before her.

he let out another frustrated breath, "shut up! i don't care about the fucking rules anymore!"

you glared at him, sending another desperate look towards the others, "stop being so fucking stubborn and listen to me for once!"

"i'd listen! who knows if we'll die like this!" the foreigner laughed, only fueling the flames of anger.

your back hit the ground when you were thrown off, quickly sitting back up and ignoring the confusion only to see that yasushi had been thrown to the ground as well. the king was right above him, legs straddling his waist as her hands clasped around his neck. he struggled to push her off, cries and screams and those barks blurring together in your ears. you reached forward once more, pausing at the loud sound that rang in the room and blended with the sounds.

BANG!

her hands loosened as the smile was wiped off her face, a small cough leaving her lips as blood stained them. she slowly looked down at the hole now in her chest, and yasushi yelled when she slumped forward, body pressed against his and he struggled to get her off.

quickly you got up, taking her body off of his and laying her flat on the ground. a quick glance up told you that it had been ponytail who did it, breathing heavily with the gun still in the air, and the weapon pointed at her to indicate that it was her turn.

"huh, so i really am going to die this game." she mumbled, smiling towards you once more, "it was fun playing with you. if you make it towards the end, tell mira i said hi. and that i'm still angry she would'nt give me the queen of hearts role."

you couldn't tear your eyes away as she laughed one final time, a small wheeze leaving her lips before her eyes went blank. you did back away however, back bumping into yasushi as a new voice sounded in your ears.

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ, ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ.

 

"it's done. it's over." ponytail breathed out. you looked at her, her bottom lip trembling as she dropped the gun and proceeded to cry into her hands.

"holy shit..." yasushi mumbled quietly, who reached a hand up to cover his mouth.

"it's over? shes..." the blind teen trailed off, swallowing thickly.

"she's dead." you confirmed, quickly reaching up and pushing your hair out of your face. were you always this sweaty? were your hands really shaking this entire time?

"then let's.." he trailed off once more, and you nodded in agreement before quickly saying a yes in confirmation when you remembered he couldn't see the gesture.

it was silent as you helped the blind teen out of his chair, all of you leaving the dining room and the house as a whole. you all stood around outside the venue, hearing a low rumble from above. you glanced up and watched as the blimp that hovered above seemed to be set ablaze, like an explosion had occurred before it began to fall, off into the distance.

you noticed that another blimp seemed to have fallen as well, but before you could dwell on it you felt a presence come up beside you, turning to see the blind teen.

"thank you for helping clear the game." he said.

"oh," you blinked in surprise, quickly looking away, "it was nothing. i just wished..."

'i just wished everyone could've lived.'

"i hope you make it to the end." he continued.

you smiled softly, even if he couldn't see it, "likewise."

he nodded before he turned to leave with the dog leading the way. as he descended down the steps you turned towards ponytail, who was currently busing herself with the child. petting her hair softly and telling her that it was over. that the worst was now gone. although there was no mistaking the grim expression on her face, still very obviously hurt by the loss she experienced in that game venue.

you took a small step forward, clearing your throat, "uhm. i'm really-"

she held up her hand to stop you, "please don't apologize. whats done is done. at least now...she doesn't have to play these games any longer."

you nodded, but there was still something bugging you from before, "what were you both doing in a hearts game in the first place?

she remained quiet for a second before answering, "it was the only way to escape the king of spades."

ah, so she had been in the same predicament as you, "you saw him too?"

she nodded, "we barely escaped with our lives. we got lucky considering we came on foot."

it honestly surprised you that the king didn't kill you all on the spot. why had he missed so many times? was it really all luck or was there some deeper meaning behind it?

"the king of spades venue is all around tokyo," you looked her in the eyes, "so please, stay safe."

she nodded once more and the child waved before they too descended down the steps, disappearing around the wall and down the street. when they were no longer in sight you turned to yasushi, who had remained quiet during the entire interaction. his eyes stared down at the ground, jaw tensed as red still stained his skin. you frowned, he should really clean himself.

"what are you going to do now?" you asked. this interaction felt oddly like your first game, only this time yasushi seemed to be more affected than you.

he shrugged, "don't know."

you hummed, rocking back and forward on your feet. you were growing antsy, "my friends and i found this place. you can stay with us if you'd like."

this time he looked up to stare at you, a little bewildered by your offer. finally he spoke, "is that okay? after everything?"

you smiled softly, "sure it is. just don't let that attitude continue on alright? smile once in a while."

he clicked his tongue in annoyance, earning a small laugh from your throat, "i do smile."

another hum, before turning around and beginning the walk back to your friends, "sure sure," you gave him one final look, nodding your head to tell him to move, "let's go then."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 25: ⌈ 23 ⌋

Notes:

contrary to popular belief i have not forgotten about this book. my hands have healed, and my writing slump has ended so please do enjoy and sorry for the wait

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

it was silent on the way there.

not the sound of rumbling to indicate that the king of spades had stuck around nor the hushed voices proving that the other players were somewhere nearby. for the remaining king, it seemed he had disappeared into a different part of the city, far away enough that you couldn't even see his blimp hovering above. but you weren't complaining, at least now you wouldn't have to worry about having to hide from him in fear of being shot just like before.

as you walked your gratitude for the venue being so close by grew, and soon enough the building you and your friends took shelter in came into sight. you held out your arm to indicate for yasushi to stop, keeping yourself hidden as your eyes quickly scanned through the area. once again you couldn't see any blimps nearby, and you were even more relieved to see the car tucked onto the side just like before. they must've cleared their game then, you just hoped everyone had returned in one piece.

you were quick to give yasushi the okay, walking over to the door and pleased to find it unlocked for you. the sound of your steps bounced off the walls and echoed through the building, shadows forming as the afternoon was soon coming to an end.

"these friends of yours, they were apart of where ever you left to after our mafia game?" yasushi asked, staying close behind as you both walked up the steps.

"ah, yes. i would say you should've joined but recently it burned down due to a game." you mustered up a quick smile, trying to keep the mood light despite remembering the last card game you had played.

he drew his brows together as if confused on what kind of venue could possibly be bad enough to burn down an entire civilization, "what game?"

you quickly looked away, focusing your attention on the steps in front of you, "ten of hearts."

"oh."

your smile faltered, but you just shrugged in response, "yeah, it was pretty terrible. a witch hunt. but things are fine now."

"why didn't they join you for this game?"

you laughed lightly, "really you should be asking why i didn't join them," another quick look back showed his confusion, so you were quick to elaborate, "they had a clubs game they went to instead."

his voice was low in his throat, also echoing through the corridors, "hm."

"you're pretty talkative now huh yasushi?" you teased, knowing that the male was normally quiet and kept to himself.

he clicked his tongue in annoyance, looking away from your gaze, "just curious."

your narrowed your eyes at him, actually curious on why he was asking so many questions but decided against pressing further. chances were he'd get even angrier, "alright."

your conversation stopped when you found yourself at the middle floor, peeking around the corner and smiling when you spotted all three of your friends. although, they did look rather roughed up, more so than before. not only was kuina and arisu covered in blood, but usagi wore a sling around her arm, like she had broken it. you furrowed your brows in confusion. didn't they join a clubs game? and yet they all looked winded as if they had participated in spades.

"you guys look like you've seen better days." you teased, walking over to the trio who all looked up at you in shock.

kuina was the first to get over it, rushing over and squeezing you into a tight hug. a small laugh escaped both of your throats at the contact, "you don't look better yourself."

ah, there was still your own blood stained clothes. but you ignored her, once more laughing softly as you patted her back, "game go alright?"

she released you, nodding in confirmation. but the more you stared at her expression the more you couldn't help but see something in her eyes. an underlying sadness, "things went fine."

you looked back at arisu and usagi, who were holding those same expressions. no, something definitely happened back at their game. something bad.

"kuina?" you asked, hoping she'd elaborate.

she tensed, shifting her eyes towards the ground. her bottom lip trembled, and you almost felt your heart drop at the small tear that escaped down her cheek.

you reached a hand forward, "hey-"

"our game," she finally spoke, causing you to close your mouth shut and listen to what she had to say, "we learned a lot about the other players we are going against."

you nodded, waiting for her to continue. your curiosity was growing as well. you yourself hadn't learned much about the king of hearts, and it'd be good to get information on these new players. perhaps making it easier to beat them as well.

"they call themselves citizens. apparently they were players just like us too. they went through the same first stage and the same face cards."

you tucked your bottom lip in between your teeth, thinking over kuina's words. that would explain the visa's, technically you all were staying in the borderlands as guests and the only way to 'stay' or survive was through playing and renewing them. but if they went through the same things, why stay?

"but then..why didn't they go back to the real world?" you asked the question rolling around in your mind, unable to figure it out yourself.

"they cleared all the stages and in return they received a citizenship."

"so they don't have to play games anymore." you muttered. it would make sense, but it still didn't answer your question.

kuina shrugged, "guess not."

your muttering continued, "but they host games instead."

"yeah."

you hummed, quickly looking up to stare at the girl, "how did you guys find out about this?" it didn't seem like the foreigner would be the type to tell you anything like this nor the king of spades. maybe in a joking way, or accidentally, but definitely not as straight forward as this. you'd have to put together the small pieces yourself that you'd managed to gather.

she blinked in surprise, reaching up to rub her neck, "oh. well...the king of clubs told us. or at least, told arisu."

at this you looked at said male, seeing him look down with that same solemn expression, "he wouldn't tell me much exactly but..i could assume enough."

you nodded, understanding. seemed like arisu had grown close to this king of clubs, and his defeat had been hard on him, "i see."

kuina nodded before directing her attention to yasushi, who had remained quiet during the entire interaction. it seemed she had just now noticed that he was here, eyes blinking rapidly in surprise as she glanced between the two of you as if searching for an explanation.

"uh?" she let out a confused noise, wondering why you had brought back a stranger after leaving for only one game.

"oh!" you moved so you stood right beside the male, throwing an arm across his shoulder to which he grunted a protest in response, "this is yasushi! he was in my first game and we played the king of hearts together."

her eyes widened even further in surprise, "you both came out of a hearts game..alive?"

you grinned, "yup! thanks to my intelligence and yasushi's recklessness-"

you could feel his harsh gaze burning through your skull, "i'm not reckless-"

"we were able to find the king of hearts." you finished, ignoring him before releasing him from your hold.

she sighed in relief, a similar smile painting her lips, "i'm glad things went alright over there."

well, more or less. but kuina didn't need to know what exactly happened at your game in order for you to return in one piece, "yup! you guys don't mind if he stays with us for a bit do you?"

you made sure to look at arisu and usagi as well, wanting them to be comfortable with him here. they shared a look, something passing between the two before they both mustered up small smiles, kuina doing the same, "not at all."

your own smile widened, relieved that you wouldn't have to find a way to let the male down easily. you turned towards him, patting his back gently, "see yasushi, i told you. now just stay like this and you're a little less annoying."

"hey-"

"anything else happen at your game?" you were quick to change the subject, smiling mischievously when you could feel yasushi's glare on you at your words.

it quickly disappeared however when kuina's body tensed ever so slightly once more, giving another glance back at usagi and arisu. said male looked down towards the ground, hands tightening into fists as usagi placed a small hand onto his shoulder with her good arm.

ah, so there was more than just his attachment to the king of clubs.

"you guys make it too obvious you know." you smiled sadly, taking a step closer towards the girl.

this time usagi spoke up, fingers holding onto the fabric of arisu's sleeve. the gesture was out of place but you quickly threw the thought away at her words, "well, it was obviously a team effort. and..we ran into tatta when we got to the game venue."

your eyes widened, remembering the sweet boy from camp as well as your tag game. you hadn't seen him much since he was busy working on the cars and finding food, but you'd never forget his kindness towards you during the witch hunt.

"so are the others at the camp okay?" you asked, also realizing that something must've happened if tatta had been at a game venue. you doubted he'd show up willingly.

kuina answered for her, "more or less. the king of spades came across them too but tatta said that people like him and ann were able to escape just in time."

it was alarming how fast the king moved and worked. first there was the attack down at the center of the city, his attack on ponytail and her wife, and now the camp you all had previously resided in. were you really safe inside this building? and if so, for how long until he found you?

you cleared your throat, also brushing away those thoughts. you'd worry about it later. instead, you'd ask about the missing male and find out why kuina and the lovebirds were so sad, "that's good. did he go back then?"

she paused, struggling to get the words out, "there was a moment where we weren't really sure if we'd make it out alive. we were sort of ready to give up you know? but tatta-"

"tatta sacrificed himself so we could continue on living." arise muttered, and you felt your blood run cold at the explanation.

oh. that explained a lot.

it was strange though. you think before you would have cried, upset over the loss of a good friend. but instead you just felt..empty. numb almost. sure it was still upsetting, but the only thing you could do right now was frown.

had the borderlands really numbed you down of your feelings this much? to the point where you werent even phased by this? maybe you should be glad, no longer would your feelings get in the way of your survival, just as chishiya had warned you so many times before.

but would you really be okay with that? you think you'd rather feel something rather than nothing at all. at least it would prove that you were still human.

"i'm sorry to hear that," you whispered quietly, hating how you seemed to be the only one not crying over this new piece of information. you turned towards the male, heart hurting at the sight of his expression, even sadder than before, "i know you both were close, arisu."

he nodded, this time expression changing as he drew his brows together and glared at the ground. he seemed conflicted about something, and usagi took notice of his state as well. was he thinking about different ways he could've saved tatta? you doubted it was his fault, kuina even said that there wasn't much they could've done to clear the game without his sacrifice.

finally he spoke, and your eyes widened at his declaration, "i'm not going to participate in games anymore."

was he crazy? what exactly was going through arisu's head to get him to decide that?

you took a small step forward, not quite understanding why, "what-"

"i'm done. i have 20 days on my visa. so i'm going to live life like normal until then." arisu finished, continuing to stare at the ground.

he seemed adamant about his decision, and you werent sure there was much you could say to get him to reconsider. what would be the upside to participating in these games anyways? but if the second stage wasn't cleared by then, what would happen? would he simply accept his fate and allow a laser through his head or would he realize that he didn't want to die? "are you sure?"

he paused, something flickering behind his eyes. almost like he was remembering the reason behind his decision before speaking, "yes."

you let loose a small sigh, reaching up and pushing your hair back. there really was no going back, and although you were worried you'd respect his decision and allow him to enjoy what remained on his visa. arisu had been through so much after all, he deserved some peace of mind for a while.

"i'm going to stay with him." usagi spoke up, although this time you weren't surprised at her decision. if anything you'd be concerned if the girl didn't join arisu on his leave.

"usagi?" arisu asked, the only one shocked by her words.

she smiled a warm smile, like sunshine peeking through the clouds on a rainy day, "we're in this together. so we'll walk alongside each other."

he stared at her, touched and you could even say he was growing emotional. he returned her smile with an equally warm one as well, before turning to look at you and kuina, "we probably won't see each other again in this world.."

ah. you really didn't want this to be the end of your journey with them. you've all been through so much together, it was almost bittersweet to separate now. but sometimes things had to come to an end, and even if you didn't meet again in this world, perhaps you could all reunite together in your old one.

"thank you both for everything." you smiled, grateful for everything they've done for you since your first meeting at the tag game. they didn't know it, but they saved your life quite a few times, and have provided you with a happiness during even your toughest hours.

"we should be the ones thanking you." ah, sometimes usagi was too sweet for her own good. there wasn't much she should have to thank you for.

you waved her off, small laugh bubbling in your throat, "don't worry about it. you guys be good to each other."

a small nod of her head as she gave a quick look at the male, a fondness in her eyes, "we will."

growing emotional you surged forward, wrapping the girl in a tight hug as you squeezed her. you were afraid of letting her go so soon, but you knew it was for the best, "thank you for being my friend. please..survive okay?"

you could hear the waver in her own voice, delicate fingers grasping at the back of your shirt as she tightened her arms around you, "you too. i hope you find chishiya."

ah, chishiya. the one person you probably would never be okay with letting go. it hadn't even been that long but you already missed him, feeling that longing in your chest swell and making it hard to breathe. you nodded, not trusting your voice and hoping she'd understand.

you both loosened your hold on each other, body turning towards arisu and wrapping him in an equally constricting hug, "live your life to the fullest alright?"

you could feel him nod, hair tickling your cheek, "we will."

you released him, watching as him and kuina exchanged goodbyes before she stood in front of usagi. you knew she had also grown fond of the girl, and the worried expression painting her face showed that she was just as worried about her leaving with him as well.

because if you didn't clear the stage in time, she too would die by an expired visa.

"are you sure you're okay with this? staying behind with arisu, you sure you ain't gonna regret?" she asked, perhaps thinking she could still change usagi's mind.

she gave a sad smile, knowing what kuina was trying to do. but you think deep down even your friend knew usagi cared about arisu enough to not leave him by himself, "yeah."

she sighed, taking a small step forward and slowly wrapping her arms around the girl. it was a quick hug, one that ended too early as kuina pulled away, looking away as if to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. usagi sent you another small smile, even mustering up one for yasushi as well before both players waved one final time. you watched with a heavy heart as they began their descent down the stairs, until finally they disappeared out of sight. no one said anything until you heard the door of the building being closed echo, and you were sure if you glanced out the window you'd see them both leaving together to find a new place to stay. one without the rules of these borderlands. you almost envied how they could rebel against it.

"what do you want to do now? are you still going to participate as well?" you nearly jumped at the sound of yasushi's voice, not expecting to hear him since once again he had remained quiet during the exchange. but it seemed now that they had left he was going into that curious stage like before.

you let out a nervous laugh, forcing a small smile to lighten the mood, "i don't think i could live a regular life here in the borderlands like arisu can."

"so..more games?" yasushi asked again.

you thought about it. were you really doing this? were you really going to play until the very end? but if you didn't, if it wasn't cleared in time, people like arisu and usagi would die. you couldn't just sit back and let that happen when you were capable of preventing it.

'it's okay to be selfish sometimes'

ah, why did you have to remember that right now? when being selfish was probably the last thing to do? you looked at kuina, who stared at you and waited for your own decision. seemed like she was ready to join you in whatever you chose to do. you looked down at yourself, clothes stained with blood and you were even realizing how sore your muscles were, yasushi and kuina sure to be in a similar state.

you sighed, coming to a decision. for now, even you deserved a small break to properly prepare for what was to come, "although i would like to clear these games as quickly as possible it's probably wise that we situate ourselves first."

kuina nodded in agreement, "they're right. we should find some food and give ourselves some time to rest before we jump into another game."

you glanced around the complex, eyeing the hallways and the small windows letting some of the natural light in, enough to see without any electricity needed, "this place seems good enough. there are plenty of rooms for privacy and maybe we can even find something here while we look."

"sounds good," kuina turned towards yasushi, giving his back a firm pat, "alrighty pretty boy, get to work."

yasushi's cheeks flared up in embarrassment, brows drawn together as he huffed. he shared a quick look with you before leaving, perhaps deciding that this wasn't really an option and working to do as kuina said.

she watched him leave, small signs of irritation drawn onto her face, "well he's a ray of sunshine."

you couldn't help the laugh that you failed to stifle, "he's not that bad."

she hummed before turning towards you, expression turning serious, "but two heart games? i'm surprised the beach didn't recruit him earlier."

she was right, it was strange, yasushi would've been a good candidate after all. but with the things that happened and the outcome of those events, you were glad he had found someplace else to stay, far away from the king, "probably best that they didn't."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

over the next couple of hours the three of you got to work opening each and every apartment room in the complex. the twist and turns of each knob as you strained your eyes to adjust to the dark, occasionally bumping into things and earning strings of curses to leave your mouth. unfortunately electricity was still not a luxury you could afford, and although you were debating on just camping outside for the much needed light, it was far too dangerous and would give the king of spades far too much access to your location. it was probably best if the building remained absent of light for him as well as for others to think that no one was here at all.

you let loose a small sigh, fingers brushing the strands away from your face, sticking there because of the sweat. although, some air conditioning would be nice. the summer heat was really getting to you the more the day dragged on. although, the sun was going to set soon, and although that would bring some much needed cool air, it also meant you had to hurry before there was no light available at all.

you continued to rummage through the cupboards, smiling softly in triumph when you spotted some canned food pushed towards the back. your eyes quickly scanned through the letters, relieved that it was still good enough to eat. maybe you guys wouldn't have to leave the complex after all, and would be fine with food and water for the next several days.

you took out whatever was left, separating into two piles what was good and what wasn't before taking what was edible and bringing it out into the hall. you crouched down, releasing the contents from your arms before glancing down both ends of the hall. you had already finished your floor, so right now you'd just have to wait for yasushi and kuina to finish searching as well.

you leaned back against the wall, sliding down until your bottom hit the floor. legs crossed over each other as you picked at your sweater. you had just gotten it too, and already it was stained with the blood of those other players. maybe during the night you all could go change once more, especially yasushi who had experience the most during your hearts game.

"done already?"

you lifted your head up at the sound of kuina's voice, seeing her holding several packaged goods in her arms. she set them down beside your own small portion of food, sitting down right beside you soon after.

you frowned, eyeing the brightly colored packages. the pile wasn't much, not even with her contribution, "not much luck either?"

she groaned, leaning her head back against the wall as she too was experiencing the summer heat, "no, everything else was expired."

you turned away, humming in response. maybe you were wrong, and you really would have to leave in order to find some more food.

"hopefully your friend is doing better than we are." kuina mumbled, pushing her braids back as she closed her eyes.

"guess we'll see," you paused, looking down at your hands as you began playing with your fingers. there was something that had bothered you about their game, and you weren't sure why, but you felt like you just needed to know what exactly had happened, "uhm, can i ask. how did.."

she sighed, knowing what you were referring to. she pushed herself up, opening her eyes as she too stared at her hands, "we needed the extra points and...his bracelet had what we needed."

"so he bled to death." you confirmed, piecing the small clues she had given you together.

she was quiet for a moment, replaying the events before she slowly nodded, "yeah."

your frown deepened, although you did feel a bit better knowing how your friend had died. like the small amount of closure that you needed.

you reached forward and took her hand, squeezing the palm gently, "im really sorry to hear that. i thought.." you trailed off, looking away.

you thought he'd make it to the end.

"we all did. but our lives are not guarunteed no matter how good we are at these games." kuina mumbled, also squeezing your palm in return.

you smiled softly, knowing she was right. not even you, a hearts player, was guaranteed to live, or chishiya, as clever as he was, "very wise words indeed."

she glanced up, staring at you with a confused look, "what-"

"sorry," you quickly apologized, feeling your cheeks heat up in embarrassment, "im just trying to lighten the mood."

"oh."

"didnt work?" you asked, voice small in your throat.

her eyes widened at your expression, "no it..it did. thank you."

you'd be lying if you said you didn't know she was being untruthful with you, but it still made you feel better knowing she was trying to reassure you, "yup."

your gaze shifted away from her to settle on the male, who stood a couple feel away. his frown deepened at seeing your eyes on him, shuffling closer and dropping even less food than kuina had been able to find into the pile.

"at this rate we'll only last about two days with this." kuina sighed, fingering through the pile to scan the contents. her face twisted to that of disgust, perhaps not finding the snacks available appealing.

"two days is enough to rest before another game." yasushi said, leaning against the wall as he remained standing.

"and until then? we'll just sit around?" kuina asked, directing her attention back towards you.

"we cant exactly do much else unless we want to risk getting caught by the king of spades." you explained. for now you'd have to make do with what you had.

"is that what you really want (name)?" kuina asked, and you felt your body stiffen at her question.

well, if you were being completely honest with yourself, throwing away your worry about others and focusing on yourself, you just wanted to drop everything and search for the blonde male that you grew to love.

"i'll support whatever decision you decide on. just like arisu and usagi's." kuina added, and you felt your heart swell with fondness at her words.

leave it to kuina to be your best ally.

you thought it over. it'd be better to clear the games first and then find him in the real world, it would allow you both to properly talk things out without the fear of these citizens and face cards. but despite the logical thinking, your heart wanted nothing more than to be with him as soon as possible. maybe, it wouldn't hurt to search for him when you weren't playing games, "then...i'll look for chishiya."

she smiled, a knowing look in her eyes as if she figured that's what you'd decide, "okay. we'll find the stubborn asshole."

yasushi cleared his throat, confused expression on his face, "chishiya? is that the person you were talking about during our first game?"

you blinked in surprise, remembering how the first time you talked you mentioned someone waiting for you back at the beach, "oh..yeah it is."

"he go missing or something?" he asked, not understanding why he wasn't here at the moment.

"he..well he's being a stubborn jerk right now." you confessed, a forced laugh leaving your lips as you reached up and scratched at the back of your neck.

"oh."

"but hes alive," you quickly added, a more determined look crossing your features, "so im going to find him in these borderlands."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

morning came, and you stretched yourself out across your bed in an attempt to wake yourself up. you hadn't slept very well, mattress too stiff and room too hot and unfortunately nothing at all like the beds at the beach. your eyes blinked open slowly, trying to get used to the sudden brightness before you lay limp on the bedsheets. you really didn't want to get up, feeling it was far too early, but a small pep talk later and you pushed yourself up and out of your room.

kuina was already there waiting for you, handing you a package of food as you silently took a seat beside her. your mornings usually went like this, your mood too depleted to probably talk without an attitude. you couldn't help it though, you just liked sleeping for as long as possible and when that gets interrupted you couldn't help but let it ruin your day.

it didn't take long before yasushi joined you both, opting to find a seat further down the hall as he ate in silence as well. not even a greeting. maybe he was similar to you in that way as well.

"there's a mall down the street. and it's still early enough that the king shouldn't spot us that easily. we can look for more food and change your sweater." kuina suggested, a small edge to her voice as if wary about how you'd respond.

not trusting your voice you just nodded, reaching up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. it'd also be good to find some first aid and flashlights for when the sun set and you wouldn't be forced to turn on the electricity.

kuina repeated her idea to yasushi who just shrugged in response. it was as good as an agreement as you would get out of him, and it didn't take long before you all finished your breakfast, packed up what was needed and left the building.

as you all walked you began to notice something. it seemed like none of the other blimps changed locations, staying rooted to their spots at their designated venue. so the king was the only one with free roam, and you were relieved that you wouldn't have to hide from more than one citizen.

soon enough just as kuina had said you found the mall, walking through the entrance and glancing around the large area. it felt weird seeing what used to be such a busy place be so empty, and it had definitely been raided before, trash left on the ground and chairs and tables at the food court pulled out thrown on the side.

"should we split up?" kuina asked, turning towards you as yasushi did the same.

you nodded, "it'd be for the best, we'll get things done faster and if someone does come we can hide better with just ourselves. we'll meet back here at the entrance. everyone know what we're looking for?"

they both nodded, and quickly you waved goodbye before walking down the walkway of stores. first your found yourself at a clothing shop, quick to change the sweater you ruined and also taking a backpack. hopefully this time you wouldn't have to abandon it in the middle of the street just like before.

you quickly left the store, going into a small souvenir shop. you walked towards the back, where most of the snacks and drinks were held and scanned through the expiration dates. you grinned when almost all of them were still good, and you brought them off of the shelves and stuffed them into your bag.

you went though a couple more stores doing just that, even managing to find a flashlight just as you wanted and a small knife. you doubted you'd actually use it on anyone, but it'd still be useful for other situations and although it wouldn't do much against the king of spades, it was better than being empty handed.

you crouched down low to gain better access to the remaining snacks, continuing to take as much as you could fit inside your bag. with this alone, even if kuina and yasushi didn't find anything you'd still be able to survive for far longer than just a couple days.

you paused when you heard a rustle, definitely not by you somewhere inside the store. you felt your heart beat quicken, hearing the small shuffle of movement once more. slowly, as to not startle them, you gripped the handle of the knife, quickly standing up and pointing it towards the individual who had revealed themselves from the aisle over.

you stopped, heart squeezing tightly inside your chest at recognizing the individual standing at the other end of your weapon.

"chishiya."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 26: ⌈ 24 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

chishiya shuntarou was a man who brought you many emotions. feelings you've never experienced and parts of you you didn't even know existed. in a way he brought out the worst in you, things you'd rather keep hidden within the depths of your heart to never see the light of day ever again.

but he also brought out the best.

you felt your blood run cold and chills travel down your spine, still frozen in your spot as you continued to stare at the man in front of you. were they good chills? you didn't know, you didn't feel like trying to figure it out, but there were so many things you wanted to say to him. words clawing up your throat and begging to be released. questions that seek answers, apologies to bandage the wounds and pieces of your heart you left to him. despite the things you have wanted, perhaps could've said, none of the string of jumbled up words you thought up of came out. instead you silently lowered the weapon still grasped in your hands and let it clatter to the floor, along with your knees as a hand grasped onto the shelf beside you, a futile attempt to steady yourself.

chishiya continued to stare at you, silent and not verbally saying anything about your behavior. but his eyes were all you needed to know what he was thinking. cold and condescending, staring down at you on the ground. going over the contents of your figure, and for a second longer than the rest his eyes studied your hip, where the bullet graze from the witch hunt began to throb as you thought about it.

was he the one who bandaged it? the one who saved you from the sweltering heat caused by the raging fires? you did find yourself outside of the collapsing building with no recollection of leaving. so was the figure you believed you conjured up due to your limited oxygen actually the man in front of you?

it seemed even in your fight chishiya cared enough to save you, and that thought was enough to feel a small warmth settle in your chest.

"did you..save me from the building?" you asked, wanting to hear for yourself that he was the one who did it. that you weren't just imagining things. because if it really was him, it meant that maybe your relationship wouldn't have to be severed completely.

you could still save and piece back together the fragments of your hearts.

slowly he lifted his eyes back to yours, careful not to show any emotion that could hint to the answer you wanted. stubborn as ever. instead, he turned around, causing your heartbeat to quicken inside your chest.

"doesn't matter. keep the wound clean otherwise it'll get infected." the monotone and steadiness of his voice didn't surprise you one bit. it was something about chishiya that you knew all too well. and yet, you wished he'd allow at least some emotion to surface rather than keeping it bottled up inside of him.

stray papers crunched under each step he took, and in a hurry driven by the fear of him leaving so soon you rushed forward, grasping a handful of his blue cardigan in your fingers and tugging hard enough to make him stop.

"is that all you have to say?" you asked quietly.

slowly he turned his head and looked over his shoulder, "i have nothing else to say to you."

no. he was lying. chishiya always had something to say, "don't give me that bullshit-"

"you made your decision back at the beach."

"because you made one without me!" you hated how your voice had risen, hated how a few tears escaped down your cheek. in frustration, sadness, it could've been either of the two. but what mattered was not the feelings that so desperately wanted to be let out but rather allowing yourself to say what you wanted, for a while now too. ever since you the witch hunt had ended, "we're a team chishiya. i know you were doing what you thought was best but it doesn't mean you keep it to yourself. you can consult in me."

he was quiet for a moment, as if he truly was thinking over your words before speaking, "you don't get it-"

"then tell me! don't just keep everything to yourself." you let the words out in a rush, feeling your hands tighten on his cardigan.

a small chuckle, one that left you confused, "you're a hypocrite you know that?"

what?

he turned around, giving more effect to prove his point, "here you are talking about consulting in others and yet you contradict your own words."

ah. so that's what he meant.

believe it or not you used to hate chishiya. back when you first met him in that classroom you hated how laidback and uncaring he was about the school you both attended. how he had laughed at your notes because you were the 'good student'. you knew what he thought about you in that moment. he figured you were a simple people pleaser who's only validation came from those around you. but who could blame you? you never got it from anyone else.

but the thing you probably hated the most about chishiya was how he was right, even if the truth cut deep into the flesh of your skin.

your hands slowly slipped from his sweater, falling down to rest by your sides. chishiya gave the motion but a mere glance, however still not moving and instead waiting to see what you'd do and say.

'all these months and i still can't do it.'

why? why was it so hard for you? it's so simple, human desire was in everybody. actions, words, they were driven by the wishes deep inside their hearts. even chishiya had them, who mainly used his brain and nothing more to decide upon his life decisions. it was there no matter how hard he tried to push it down.

a loose, bitter laugh, similar to the foul taste that settled on your tongue, "i guess we're similar in that way chishiya."

the line on his face deepened, as well as the frown he held, "you're wrong."

ah, why was he so stubborn sometimes? and when would he also stop lying to himself? you had an inkling before that the borderlands were getting to him, even back during your time in the real world chishiya seemed preoccupied on something. sure your relationship helped alleviate some of it, being with him helped soothe the wounds of your own childhood after all. but only you as well as himself could heal the remaining burns blemishing the skin, "looks like we both need to work on doing what we truly want."

he narrowed his eyes at you, tilting his head towards the side just the slightest bit, "and what is it that you want right now?"

'for us to go back home' you thought to yourself. it was the one thing you were sure about. the one desire you were willing to put before the wishes of others. it had been there since the moment you and the blonde stepped into this world, of death games and playing cards.

and yet you still hadn't been selfish enough to indulge in that desire. it never felt right before, never a good time. but now, with desperation creeping up on you, you could feel your only wish bubble in your throat.

'it's okay to be selfish sometimes.'

"chishiya-"

"(name)!"

your words died in your throat at hearing kuina's voice, footsteps also including yasushi's entering the room. you and chishiya directed your attention towards the noise, which were gradually growing louder as they traveled further into the store. you didn't have much time to protest as the blond quickly pulled his hood up and gave you one last look, one that held you rooted to your spot and watching his figure disappear between the shelves.

"there you are! we were waiting by the entrance but you never showed up," numbly you turned towards kuina, spotting the girl's head full of braids and yasushi's hoodie, both individuals hoisting a bag over their shoulders.

your lips tugged upwards into a small smile, trying to force down the heavy feeling in your chest.

"sorry," you apologized, quick to compose yourself, "i got caught up in something. but i got lucky in finding food so we can get going now."

you pulled the straps of your bag over your shoulders, heading towards the entrance of the store to leave. you stopped however at feeling kuina's hand rest on your shoulder, giving you a worried look, "you okay?"

the truth was you weren't. you had been this close to speaking up about what you truly wanted. putting yourself above for the first time in a while.

"no but..i will be." your words were heavy with reassurance, not only to your friend but to yourself. she stared for a moment, debating if your answer was true and once coming to a conclusion she smiled, patting your back gently.

"alright, i trust you. let's get back before morning ends." at that you and yasushi nodded in silent agreement, following her out of the store and through the empty area of the mall. your eyes stared straight ahead, deep in thought as your mind replayed each and every interaction with chishiya thus far.

'its progress' you decided. you wouldn't consider it another failure. for that growth you seeked was walking ahead, and although you had barely grasped the back of that dark blue cardigan, your fingers had at least brushed against the fabric.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

"ya-su-shi." you sang, steps light as you approached said male. he jumped slightly at the sound of your voice, sending you a quick look and a small huff before he returned his attention back to the task at hand.

you crouched down low right beside him, peering down at his hands that worked on the numerous wires. none of it made sense to you, this was more up chishiya's alley after all, and although you've watched him work numerous times you could only gather so much without a proper teaching.

"don't sneak up on me like that." he grumbled, tone laced with his usual display of annoyance.

you hummed, not at all phased by the harshness of his voice, "what are you working on?"

he paused, debating if he should explain him self or not before deciding on the former and shifting over so you could see better, "i'm trying to fix the electricity."

you furrowed your brows in confusion. you thought you all had decided on keeping it off, so why was he here trying to do just the opposite of that? "why? we can't risk the king knowing our location."

"i know that. i'm just trying to turn on the air conditioning, it's fucking hot." he bit back, causing you to laugh in agreement. it was later in the day now, and unfortunately for you the sun had risen to its highest point, meaning the sweltering heat encased in the building was slowly making everyone frustrated.

but the fact that yasushi said he was only turning on one specific thing made you curious, "you know how to do that?"

once again he paused before speaking, "my dad was an engineer, so i learned a thing or two."

ah, that explained how yasushi was able to work the generator back at your nine of hearts game.

you stayed silent as he continued to work, jumping every time a spark of electricity hit the flesh of your skin and trying to piece together what exactly was happening. what buttons were being pressed and what wires were being cut. who knew, maybe it would come in handy later on.

another spark of light entered your vision, and instinctively you leaned back as to not get hit. you had learned the first time that just that small hint of light could cause a stinging sensation that even now still lingered on your skin.

you opted to shift back away from the generator incase it sparked again, taking note of the way yasushi seemed to visibly relax when you sat back. he cleared his throat, sending you a quick look and hesitating before resuming his previous actions.

"something on your mind?" you asked, also noting the way he tensed at your question. the male really was just too easy to read, it's a wonder he's made it so far in heart games. or perhaps, his violent nature is what kept him going.

"you saw this chishiya guy back at the mall didn't you?" he asked, just an edge of hesitance in his voice as if he was afraid of asking.

hm, seemed like yasushi didn't rely entirely on violence in order to achieve what he wanted. a light laugh bubbled out of your throat to lighten the mood, "your deduction skills are getting better."

he ignored your compliment, sending you a quick look, "why didn't you say anything?"

you shrugged, shifting in your spot and busying yourself with the ends of your fingers to help collect your thoughts, "well to be truthful i was afraid."

"of?" he pressed on. once again it surprised you how yasushi could be so reluctant to talk about himself but was so curious about others.

"kuina hunting him down and strangling him." you grinned, causing him to frown at your answer.

he glared down at the ground, hands flexing by his side, "this guy..why do you like him anyways?"

why..?

"he seems to be causing you a lot of pain." yasushi continued, probably having taken note of your surprised face.

you slowly blinked in realization, trying to piece together the emotions the blonde brought you into words, "ah. well. i knew what i was getting myself into when i first began to love chishiya. people always think that relationships are all sweet and easy, but that's not the case at all. nothing is ever like that. there are going to be times where it hurts, a lot. times where you want to quit and times where you just wished it had been someone else that you gave your heart to. loving him hurts, but it also fills my soul, and that's how i know he's worth it. i'd suffer thousands of times if it meant i could be with him."

the softest smile painted your lips, hands reaching up to bunch together the fabric over your chest. being with chishiya..it brought a sense of contentment and comfort to you, even if things were difficult and he was the source of difficulty. because those moments, the soft kisses, the silence while basking in his presence, a heart full of complete love as you stared at him, it was enough for you to want to push through.

"i see." yasushi mumbled, voice quiet as he turned to face the generator once more.

you laughed nervously, growing embarrassed, "i kinda went on a rant there huh?"

he shrugged, brushing off your concern, "it's fine. i don't mind listening."

you were grateful that yasushi didn't push any further and instead took your word for it. after your voice had died down a silence settled, although it wasn't uncomfortable with the need to be filled. you could relax with the empty space.

finally he lowered the wires, turning his head to look at you, "go check the vents, it should work now."

in a rush of excitement you pushed yourself up from the ground, going over to the nearest vent and putting the palm of your hand in front of it. sure enough air came out, a little hot but you were sure it'd cool eventually.

you sent the male a thumbs up, letting him know that his tinkering had been a success. yasushi gave a curt nod in response, pushing his own body onto his feet.

"(name)! pretty boy! get your asses over here and eat!"

kuina's head peeped through the doorway, glaring at the both of you. you let out a small laugh at her smothering, although it was true that you hadn't eaten yet and neither had yasushi. you'd been too preoccupied on getting the air going, which was by now cooler than before and helping alleviate some of the stickyness from the heat.

syllables filled with laughter and a light airiness to it sounded in your ears, up the stairs and through the time you allowed yourself to eat what kuina had prepared. well, you said prepared but really it was her putting the food into piles for each day and hour so you didn't overeat and everyone got the same amount.

you munched at the packaged goods, already feeling your stomach grow eased of the hunger you didn't even realize you had been experiencing. you really should remind yourself to refuel, you'd need the strength for your next game.

oh, that was a topic that needed to be discussed.

"kuina," you grabbed the girls attention, her lifting her gaze away from trying to grab some of yasushi's food and instead settling it on you. you chuckled lightly at the banter, "a game tomorrow morning sounds good no?"

she hummed, giving it a quick thought, "we got at least a days rest, i think that's good enough."

you nodded before continuing your string of questions, "then, what game are you going to enter?"

"not completely sure, but i have one in mind." it had taken her a second to answer, and her body language didn't give you much to work with to figure out what exactly she wanted to play. since it was still the early stages there were still plenty of games to play, including venues kuina would be relatively good at.

"i see."

"are you going to join another hearts game?" she asked, asking as if almost afraid of the answer.

would you? there were still two left, one of which would allow you to go against mira. were you ready to face her in a game? you felt like you've gotten better at handling your emotions during heart games, and you at least knew a little bit about mira opposed to other players. in fact, you'd probably be the best option when the day did come to compete against her.

but did you even want to?

you reached a hand up and pushed your hair back, allowing the cool current of the vent to hit your face as you came to a decision. no, you didn't want to participate in a hearts game. at least, not yet.

"i think i'll join you this time." you finally answered, earning you two very incredulous looks.

brown eyes widened in surprise, and kuina leaned her body forward just the slightest bit, "really?"

you hummed in response, before turning towards the brunette, "i'm assuming you'll be joining us as well yasushi?"

he narrowed his eyes at you, "you're scary when you do that you know."

you laughed, knowing yasushi didn't particularly like when you read him. still, it was fun to mess with him, like teasing a younger brother, "fear what you do not know."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

as soon as the sun rose you were out of bed, walking along the streets with kuina and yasushi right beside you. the air was cooler since it was still early morning, and for once you weren't sluggish in your movements. you made sure to sleep early that night, at least earlier enough that your body allowed with the amount of thoughts that ran through your head, and the breakfast you forced yourself to eat helped with snapping you awake. not only that, but the time you spent helping yasushi pack a couple of waters in a small bag helped as well.

you stretched your arms upwards, before clapping your hands together behind your back, "so, what game are we participating in, kuina?"

"there's two spade games still available excluding the king of spades. i figured we could help out since it's my specialty."

"spades huh." you had a feeling this would be the game kuina chose, but a part of you was hoping she'd lean more towards clubs since you'd all be going together.

she laughed, patting your back in reassurance, "you'll be fine! you have your brain, i have my stamina, so this game should be a breeze."

you nodded in agreement. you may not be the best at physical strength or stamina, but you did survive your 8 of clubs game. and although that had been mostly because of strategy, you were sure you'd be fine if you applied that here as well.

soon enough the blimp you had your eyes on hovered right above, ruby red and dandelion yellow contrasting the white of the card and outlining the female figure.

the queen of spades.

well, it was better than the king of spades, you doubted any game could get worst than that. and after surviving (although just barely), it gave you enough confidence to continue on walking until you entered the building.

the second the door closed behind you your eyes widened at the sight, not expecting what was inside. from a distance it looked like any other building, although larger than most. but now that you were inside, you realized that it was all a facade. what would've served good with several floors had only the one you were standing on now, with ceilings reaching high enough to make you feel small. but that wasn't the eye catcher. instead it was the walls that stood before you, reminding you of a maze.

"this..is for the game?" yasushi muttered, eyes also glancing over the stone. they were high enough that you couldn't see over them, but not enough to reach the ceiling.

you surveyed the room, once again not spotting any phones nor any equipment. it seemed you'd only need yourselves for this face card challenge.

you did however notice two other people standing by the entrance of the maze, quiet as they seemed to be awaiting further instructions. but it didn't seem like there was an entry limit, so what determined the start of the game?

eyes continued on scanning the room until you noticed something peculiar. a clock to tell the time, reaching close to the next hour of the day. that hadn't been there anywhere else.

tik. tok.

tik.

tok.

"hello? is this working?"

everyone in the room glanced up at the sound of a voice cackle through a speaker, the muffled sound similar to tapping on a microphone filling your ears as the feminine voice came through once more.

"welcome players! seems we only have five of you today, but that's more than enough! glad you all could make it! i won't go on with the small talk, so let's start with the rules shall we?

"this game is called escape the maze! seems pretty self explanatory, go through the maze you see before you! however, there are a couple twists."

she paused for dramatic effect, and you couldn't help but let the thoughts consume you. the walls of this maze were threatening enough, and the fact that you couldn't see inside made you all the more anxious. just what sort of twists did this citizen have hidden within the depths?

"hidden within the maze are traps, each used to slow you down since you will only have 3 hours to complete it. why 3 hours? well, oxygen here is limited, so if you think breathing is hard as it is try it with it slowly going down by the minute! it really tests your limits!" her voice came out rushed towards the end, unable to contain her excitement to show off her creations.

limited oxygen. deadly traps. only 3 hours. you were starting to rethink your decision in coming here. maybe a hearts game would've been better after all.

"oh and one more thing! in order to clear this game, you'll have to find me! is it the center? the exit? you won't really know! but let's see your fighting spirits and how far you're willing to push yourself to succeed! good luck to all players!"

a low rumbling came from within until it stopped, the entire building growing eerily quiet. much too quiet for your liking. just the thought of there being traps and obstacles fit for a face card hidden inside was enough to make your skin crawl and your heartbeat quicken inside your chest.

wordlessly the other two players went through the entrance, going in opposite directions and leaving you, kuina and yasushi to decide what to do now that the game was revealed.

kuina sighed, pushing her braids back as she chewed more vigorously on her gum stick, "well, it could be worst."

"worst than this?" you mumbled. you hadn't even started yet and you could already feel your legs go numb and your chest tighten in anticipation.

"we just have to find her right?" yasushi confirmed, receiving two nods in response, "(name), your memory is pretty good right? think you can keep a mental map so we don't go in circles?"

you sent him a thumbs up, "you got it. and the traps?"

"we'll worry about them when we get there." kuina answered.

another nod, "right. let's not waste anymore time then. are we still sticking together?"

yasushi scoffed at your question, "i don't think you'll be able to handle this on your own."

"funny," you rolled your eyes, turning to face the high stone walls, "spare my pride and let's get going."

kuina just laughed lightly, patting your back as if saying sorry for yasushi's words before leading the way through the entrance of the maze. yasushi fell into step right beside you, and together you all started the face card venue.

for the first couple of minutes nothing really happened. it seemed like a regular maze with dead ends and nothing to indicate that there were even any traps. the only noises were the echo of your footsteps and the occasional shout from the other two players deep within the arena, reminding you that soon enough you'd encounter your own trap to face.

"hey, up ahead."

you faltered slightly in your steps at hearing kuina's voice, also slowing down as you three approached what she was indicating at. a single rope, latched from the ceiling hovering over a deep pit, one look showing you that there seemed to be no end to the bottom.

"it's a big jump." you noted. without the rope there was no way for any one of you to make it across.

"if you miss that, the fall will break a couple bones. maybe even kill you. and it seems like there's no way to get back up." kuina turned towards yasushi, "think you can make it?"

said male turned to look at the rope, proceeded to glance down the pit until finally returning his attention back to the girl, "give me a head start."

you rose an eyebrow in surprise, "seriously?"

"what?" he grumbled.

"well you don't really look that athletic."

"shut up."

you laughed as yasushi walked away from the deep crevice, far enough until he felt the distance was large enough before turning around. he took only one second to take a deep breath before running at full speed forward, pushing his weight off the edge and grasping at the rope.

you watched in amazement as he reached the other end, and kuina was quick to grasp onto the rope when it reached her. she extended it out towards you, "you're up!"

you swallowed thickly as you stared at her outstretched hand, already feeling your palms grow clammy, "is there no other way-"

she frowned, "we only have three hours. and i have a feeling this is one of the easier ends of the traps."

she was right, you had no time to grow panicked. this whole game was about pushing past your limits to succeed. and in order to do so, you'd just have to take that leap of faith and hope your body could handle the extent.

with palms you wished would stop shaking you took the rope from kuina, taking a few steps back and taking a quivering breath in. it'll be okay, just tighten your hold and run as fast as you can. don't look down.

before you could talk yourself out of it you ran forward, heart pounding in your ears as the edge came closer. you shut your eyes, pushing yourself away from the floor.

ah shit. your footing stumbled.

a small noise of fear left your throat when your legs dangled over nothing, rope just barely reaching the other side with yasushi extending his hands out to catch you. his fingers brushed against the fabric of your pants, and for a second you thought you'd make it. he'd grasp the fabric and pull you to safety. but the wasn't the case, as his figure grew smaller and you felt your body going back, realizing too late that your momentum hadn't been enough.

and now you were stuck in the middle of the pit.

another small scream escaped your mouth as you looked down, feeling your hands start to slip as you realized the extent of your situation. how the hell were you going to get out of this? how were you even holding on right now?

"kuina!" you yelled out, hoping the girl would do something about your predicament. you had already thought about several possible things to do, but with your loose grip and lack of upper body strength you doubted any of them would work.

"i know! give me a second but whatever you do don't let go!" kuina yelled in response.

another slip down, just barely holding on and you let out a groan of frustration, "fuck! i cant!"

"just don't move your hands! it might mess up your grip!"

"hurry!"

you shut your eyes, willing your hands to tighten around the rope and for your legs to find some sort of leverage. did you have enough to wrap around them? quickly you fumbled your foot and twisted the rope around it, a small huff not only from frustration but from how hard you were breathing from your lips.

"hang on! i'm gonna jump!"

jump?

you barely had any time to process kuina's words and look back before you saw her running, determined look on her face as she leaped through the air. her arms were extended out in front of her, wrapping around your waist when her body collided with yours and causing the both of you to swing forward.

a tug on your body, yasushi pulling back as you let go of the rope with hands numb and scraped from the burn. all three of you landed on the ground, a gasp leaving your body as your back hit the edge. you couldn't even find it in yourself to care about how your head hung from it, staring down at the dark abyss. instead you struggled for air, and prayed that the sharp pain would go away.

hands pulled you away from the edge, helping you sit up and patting your back gently as you let out small coughs. you knew you were out of shape, but was it really this hard to breathe? or was it the work of the oxygen slowly growing limited?

"you okay?" kuina asked, breathing much more controlled than yours.

"yeah..just..give me..a moment." you managed to get out, fingers placing themselves on your chest as you tried to regain your composure.

"if you can't handle it you should've stayed behind." yasushi mumbled, crouching down beside you as he handed you a bottle of water. you chugged it down gratefully.

"don't be a dick." kuina warned, glaring at the brunette.

he glared right back, "i'm just saying-"

"sorry. im holding you back huh?" you mumbled, lowering the bottle from your lips, "i just..wanted to do this. it was my decision."

kuina smiled gently, "you're not holding us back. we'll still need you and i'm sure the time will come. let's continue on yeah?"

you nodded, struggling to your feet with the help of the girl beside you. yasushi also pushed himself to stand, not saying a word as he walked on ahead.

a heavy silence filled the air as you continued on in the maze, you still doing your best to remember the twists and turns taken. although occasionally you'd catch yasushi sending you glances, fidgeting as if he wanted to say something.

"you're doing it again." you hummed, returning his gaze.

he quickly looked away, "well kuina won't stop glaring at me to apologize. so..sorry."

you patted his back in forgiveness, "it's fine. but i'm trying."

"yeah."

it was silent once more, and you directed your attention back to the maze. so far things seemed normal once more, but you couldn't tell how far you were from the center quite yet. despite you keeping track of the turns to try and make a mental map of the area, even then you werent completely sure if it'd end up useful. the queen of spades had stated herself that her location was random, and there were no rules saying she couldn't move from her hiding spot.

the three of you turned a corner, blinking in surprise at the long passageway. there were no turns to go through, the only exit being the one you all currently stood at and the one at the other end.

this was definitely a trap.

but if you went back the way you were before, you'd find yourself back at the pit, with every other turn being a dead end. this was your only way to continue forward in the progression of the game.

"well, guess we have no choice." kuina muttered, also having caught onto the fact that this was the perfect place for a trap. and she was the first to take that step into the passageway.

a low rumbling, similar to the one at the start of the game began, and your eyes scanned around the area to try and spot what was happening. what was changing?did a wall move? a passage open up? or was it a different trap triggered in a different area close by?

your questions were answered when it stopped, until resuming again. only this time, you began to notice how the walls seemed to get closer, and the passage grow narrow.

they were closing in on you.

you looked back, seeing that a wall was steadily rising from right behind you and sealing the way you came from. your only choice now was the exit at the far end.

"shit, run!" kuina yelled, wasting no time in pumping her legs to dash across. yasushi was second to follow her, and you willed your legs to work as you too rushed forward.

short breaths escaped your lips as you ran, fearing how close it was getting and how the exit seemed to be further and further away. almost like an illusion to make you think you were there only to reveal that there were more steps needed.

"how..much further." you gasped out, already feeling your legs want to give out from under you.

"we're almost there! don't stop!" kuina yelled over her shoulder.

you did as told, forcing your body to keep up with the two right in front of you. curse kuina and her tall stature, and yasushi with his surprise athletic ability.

eventually you heard a small laugh of relief, "i see it! come on!"

despite the knowledge of this trap coming to an end black spots danced in your vision, walls coming in closer than before. your legs were gradually slowing down, gasping for whatever air you could muster. yasushi was the first to pull through to the exit, and then kuina. but you? you had fallen behind, still running but at the rate you were going, you were sure about one thing.

you weren't going to make it.

and once more you could feel yourself falling down

down

down

until your shoulder hit the stone wall.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

casually uploads a chapter just to disappear again :D

Chapter 27: ⌈ 25 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

it was the moments that your mind came up blank that you hated the most.

it was an unsettling feeling, mainly because you were almost always constantly reading into everything you encountered. the people in your life, the numerous possible scenarios sure to happen within making a single choice. it put you at ease, knowing what was going to happen so you could prepare yourself for the outcome.

maybe then you'd see the unfortunate things brought into your life, right?

so in that moment, with pain shooting through your arm up to your shoulder and the stumble of your legs as you continued to gasp out for breath, you couldn't help but let the discouragement wash over your body until you were drowning in the feeling. it was so frustrating being unsure of what to do. you had already tried racking your brain for an answer on how to join kuina and yasushi at the other side, a solution that'd make your legs pump faster than what they were capable of. but, you couldn't.

and you hated yourself for that.

'how useless.' the thought had already entered your mind before you could stop it, and it scared you. scared you at how eerily it sounded like something the woman you called your mother would say. if she were here would she be yelling at you? or would she not even care enough to spare a simple glance in your direction, opting to leave you behind?

you couldn't understand why out of all the things to occupy your mind these were the thoughts to have settled. it had been years since you last saw your mother, and months since you had spoken to her. you had long moved past the miserable childhood you had to endure because of her. so why was it when your life was on the line she was what you imagined?

was this what people meant when they'd reflect upon the way they've lived?

did it mean it really was the end?

faintly you could hear shouts ring through your ears, dispersing the fog that had clouded your mind enough to listen. through the haziness of your vision you could see kuina, distraught expression written onto her face at the sight of you struggling to stand up straight. the walls, which were still moving, pushed you towards the center where you were leaning against it, and with the rubble hitting your arm you brought a hand up to hold it, praying that the throbbing would ebb away.

but seeing kuina and yasushi there and remembering how chishiya was still alive in this world, you realized something important. despite your struggle and how much you longed to just allow your body to rest, you couldn't. not necessarily because you feared their failure if you were to die in the middle of the game, emotional turmoil sure to take a roll on their ability to successfully clear the venue. rather, it was your own emotions, your own desires of wanting more time with them. chishiya, who you wished to return to your regular life with in the real world. kuina, who you had only just met, and in such terrible circumstances too. what would it be like to actually go to a shopping center with her? without the fear of those scarce minutes alone being your last?

you shook your head, not only to rid of the rubble falling in your eyes but to recollect your scrambled thoughts. you just started this game, you wanted to come here. this decision was of your own free will, a step towards growing in the direction that you hoped for.

'let's see how far you're willing to push yourself to succeed!'

so despite the struggle, the difficulty breathing and the numbness of your limbs you continued onward, even if it was just slow, stumbling steps unable to compete against the rate at which the walls were moving. for years your family had belittled you into believing that you were worth nothing, that you could never compare to the things your sister had achieved and was capable of doing with her life. she had made sure to drill the idea into your mind, and sometimes you'd believe her.

but other times, with people like chishiya and kuina in your life, they made you realize that your mother was terribly wrong.

for as long as you could remember you've done things for the sake of others. just this once, you wanted to ask for help for yourself.

you weren't ready to die just yet. you wanted to live for you. of course there were the things you looked forward to, that helped give reason into continuing on in this world. a life with chishiya, your friendship with kuina, the job that you dreamed of doing. but none of that would be possible if you weren't able to live for yourself first.

"i cant-" you gasped out, even though kuina couldn't exactly hear the words forced out of your throat. but even though that fact
remained true, you tried anyway.

kuina noticed the expression on your face, pleading and despite yasushi's protests and futile attempts to pull her back she was already running, already pulling your arms over her shoulder and forcing your legs to run with her to the other side.

you let yourself lean against her body for support, running along beside her.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

when you came to it was with your back flat against the ground and kuina leaning over you. this time her breaths were labored, and you realized she had also pushed herself far past her own limits in order to carry you away before the walls crushed you both in between. a small sigh of relief escaped her lips at seeing you blink your eyes open, and she helped pull you to your feet.

your eyes drifted towards the previous trap you three had found yourselves enduring, walls finally having met and now forming a new dead end to the maze. another look around and you noticed two possible paths to take, both equally terrifying and with no possibility of knowing what to expect.

but you had made it. and for now, you were alive.

"you.." kuina sobbed, and it was now that you noticed the tears streaming down her face, hands clutching the end of your sweater in tight fists, "you have to stop doing that!"

your gaze softened, and you realized the stress you had put onto the pair you called your friends. gingerly you patted her back, lifting her body away from yours, "sorry again," you smiled softly, and despite the racing of your heart, you felt at ease, "but i'm getting the hang of it."

strangely enough, despite that entire experience being one of great difficulty, you felt more alive than before. perhaps it was the fact that you've grown to accept the idea of letting other people into your life more, allowing yourself to fully care about the being that you've become throughout your time here. or perhaps, it was just the mere bafflement that you were able to run for as long as you did.

either way, your body pushing itself to stand and to continue on through the maze felt easier, and you felt more sure of yourself with each step taken.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

it didn't take long before you reached the next contraption. in fact, it was so well hidden that yasushi almost stepped in it, you just barely being able to stop him before he triggered it. his eyes had glared at you for pulling so harshly onto his shirt, messing with his balance, but after throwing a spare item onto the step he was about to take and seeing the several arrows pierce the ground, his frustration with you quickly ebbed away.

you crouched down, inspecting the tiles. there were no symbols, no way of telling which were okay to step on and which would earn you an arrow to the side. but knowing the queen, she surely had some sort of pattern that would get you across safely.

wordlessly you got up, continuing to search around the area. perhaps a graving onto the wall? your fingers slide over the stone, feeling the rough patches dig into your finger pads. you could hear the shuffle of movement from behind you, surely kuina aiding you in finding any clues as to what would get you across this time.

"hey, over here."

you turned at the sound of yasushi's voice, quick steps clicking against the stone to reach where he stood. your gaze settled on where his fingers hovered over, seeing the deep engraving of numbers cut into the cobble. you narrowed your eyes, trying to rack your brain for what it could mean. the numbers looked so familiar after all, but what was it?

"001011101-" kuina began to mumble, reciting what was written. the more her voice dragged on, the quicker you were able to grasp what it meant.

"it's a binary system." you exclaimed, recalling your younger years when you were taught it in school. of course you didn't remember much since math has nothing to do with what you want to do for life, but you believed you knew enough to get you through this stage.

"hah, i won't be of much help here." kuina groaned, appearing almost discouraged as she stared at the numbers that stretched on seemingly forever.

"it's alright kuina. honestly we should've expected traps like this, the queen of spades is an engineer after all." you tried to reassure her. even then, kuina wasn't exactly useless in this part. spades still meant physical strength, no matter the way it was designed.

you followed yasushi over to where the triggered stone tiles were placed, staring at the pressure plates with great intensity. after long moments of silence filled with deep thoughts you hummed, turning to face your partners.

"we have two options here. the queen of spades is using the binary system as a sequence, so we can play it safe and follow along. or," you dragged out the word, not being able to help the smile that began to stretch your lips at the thought of how ridiculous the second option seemed, "we can run and get it over with."

"and pray we don't get hit by an arrow." kuina sighed up, you nodding eagerly in response.

"do you know the sequence?" yasushi asked, glancing up at you after having stared at the tiles with his own thoughts plaguing his mind.

"ah my dear yasushi. tired of running already?" you teased, even if you knew none of you would actually choose the second option.

"if anything you're the one who's tired." he grumbled, recalling how just minutes before you had passed out on the ground from the exhaustion.

you cleared your throat and sent him a quick glare for his words, swiftly turning around and staring at the tiles. you recalled the numbers and the order they had been in, and with the style of the ground you prayed that the first couple of steps would prove your theory.

"alright! yasushi, step on that tile over there." you pointed towards one at the far left, the male giving you a cautious look in response.

"are you sure?" he asked, small edge evident in his tone.

"don't trust me?" you sighed, faking a hurt expression, "after all we've been through together as well."

"god you're annoying." he grumbled once more, but listened to you nonetheless.

slowly he stepped towards where you had previously directed, staring at the pressure plate before placing one foot. he pressed down lightly, and you and kuina held your breaths as you awaited the outcome.

much to your relief no arrows appeared, and yasushi finally put the rest of his weight and remained there.

"okay. okay okay good. kuina, i'm gonna direct him more. just follow in his steps alright?" you explained your thought process, and the girl gave you a thumbs up in response.

quickly you recounted the rest of the numbers in your head, staring at the tiles on the floor before shouting at yasushi for which direction he should take next. two steps over, one up ahead. kuina followed just one tile behind, and after memorizing what had been engraved onto the wall you were right behind her.

"uh, should be the one next to you." you called out, trying to look over the tall woman's shoulder while maintaining your balance.

"should be?" yasushi mocked, and you rolled your eyes at his point to make fun of your word choice.

"he's like an annoying little brother." you complained to kuina, causing her to snort at your analogy.

"and what's chishiya?" she turned back to look at you, small twinkle in her gaze as she awaited your response to her question.

you rolled your eyes as you recalled the male you had so stupidly fallen in love with, "an annoying little pest."

"stubborn too." she added, and this time it was your turn to laugh at her answer.

"a stubborn AND annoying little pest." you rephrased, causing her to smile back in your direction. you quickly returned it with one of your own.

the small moment of clarity was quickly disturbed however, at the low shaking and rumble of the arena. the vibrations were so intense that you had to grab a hold of kuina's arm to steady yourself, trying to stay upright and away from the cracks that began to fall while being mindful of your current position.

what was happening? was it another trap triggered by the other players? or was it simply mother nature giving a quake of the earth at the worst possible moment?

"shit!" a loud yell echoed through the walls, and you and kuina quickly looked up to spot yasushi very much struggling to stay in his spot. your eyes widened as he began to lean more towards a different pressure plate; and if your memory served you correct, it was not the next part of the sequence.

"yasushi!" you screamed with a warning tone in your voice.

'click'

he stepped back on instinct to avoid the arrows that struck through the floor, stumbling once more from how quickly he had moved. it was like a deck of cards that began to unfold, where just one reaction triggered the whole foundation to fall.

step after step, the male practically running through the arena just to avoid getting hit. few times you noticed the blood that began to dampen his clothes, but whatever injuries yasushi now possessed he never acted upon it, simply running as if he was in perfect shape.

and before you could protest, kuina was grabbing onto your hand and forcing you to run along with her.

"what the fuck! i thought we agreed not to do this!" you screamed, narrowly avoiding the weapon right by your shoes.

"plan b then!" she yelled back, jumping to the side.

you sighed, which came out more like a huff as you followed after her. you had been doing so much running lately, but strangely enough it felt easier in a way. have you finally grown used to it? or were you simply so exhausted your body was running on pure adrenaline and forced to not care about your physical condition?

you decided not to dwell on it further, instead focusing on missing the shots and following after yasushi.

you desperately hoped he knew where he was going, for suddenly the walls appeared more confusing due to the twists and turns the three of you kept making. you grit your teeth when you heard a whistle near your ear and the pain that followed after, trying to slow your breathing to prevent yourself from passing out this early into the next game.

more steps taken with death ready to knock at your door, and the sight in front of you had you squinting to see more clearly. this pressure plate seemed different than before, much larger and the massive holes in the walls did not help your worries. kuina didn't seem to notice, but you couldn't brush off the feeling of despair as yasushi got closer to it.

a fleeting thought entered your mind, and you struggled to project your caution quick enough to your friend, "yasushi wait-"

your voice died within the waves that began to fill the space. arrows no longer came through the plates you and kuina stepped on to reach the male, instead replaced with even more shaking until water began to shoot from the space in the walls.

"can she give us a break?" you breathed out, already feeling the water dampen your feet. it was coming in fast and hard, enough to stumble your balance.

"we have to get to higher ground!" kuina shouted over the roars, a small panic in her voice when she looked down and noticed the water level had already reached her calf's. any higher and the pressure of such intensity would force you all through the maze.

it was just waiting for chaos to implode.

you glanced around, trying to spot anything that could help get you out of this situation. running would be useless, the water would just keep rising until you were stuck going along with the flow of the tide. climbing perhaps? or stopping the pumps, but you doubted there was anything big and strong enough to plug it.

"we have to climb up." you announced, earning you two incredulous looks.

"climb? up of that?" kuina questioned, referring to the large stone walls currently boarding the arena.

"running is useless and we can't stop the water," you began moving towards the nearest one, placing your hands onto the stone and feeling it under your touch, "come on, there's enough cracks that should be stable enough to support us."

"this is crazy." yasushi yelled, and you sent him a stern look.

"would you rather die?"

the brunette stared at you, challenging your reasoning. but you never overlooked the intense gaze of worry hidden within those irises, for both you and kuina's safety. a beat longer and he sighed, before maneuvering through the water and holding his hands out for you.

"step on and i'll hoist you up." his voice was low, and even though the rush of water continued to drown within your eardrums you understood what he meant. quickly you placed your foot onto his palms, taking a deep breath before jumping up and grasping for leverage.

luckily you were able to wedge your fingers secure enough within a stone, glancing down and spotting yasushi helping kuina up as well. you shook your head, focusing instead on trying to climb your way up to the top. you would worry about them once one of you was at safety, and between the three of you, the two of them were not the ones to be worried about.

deep cuts blemished your skin, stinging as you gripped it tight enough as to not slip. more times than you could count your fingers would struggle to hold on, making your heart skip a beat in the fear of falling. but as quick as your moment of falter you were pushing past the pain and lack of air by pulling yourself up, all the way until you could feel the flat surface of the wall.

with a gasping breath you hoisted your leg over and rolled onto the even ground, laying on your back as you blinked into the lights at the top of the ceiling. each breath was shaky leaving your lips, but it was filled with relief at the thought that you were safe.

you closed your eyes for a moment, letting your heart calm down before sitting up and glancing down. there you could see kuina at the top, and you extended out your hand for her to grab onto. she gratefully took it, allowing you to pull her weight to roll by your feet. her lips also twitched into a relieved grin, pushing back her braids as she glanced down to yasushi.

"need help?" you called down, laughing when his lips turned down into a scowl. you weren't worried for him, he had his share of athletic abilities after all. and before long he was joining you both at the top, clothes damp and sticking to his skin as he breathed just a little bit heavier than normal.

"air feels denser here." yasushi mumbled, and it was at his observation that you began to notice it as well. before you thought it was simply your lack of breath, but as it calmed down and your heart rate returned to normal it did feel like there wasn't enough. was this what the queen of hearts meant earlier? did that mean not much time was left?

"wait, look." kuina nudged your shoulder, and you snapped out of your thoughts to direct your attention to where her gaze had settled.

far enough they were merely specks were the other two players, perhaps also having run due to the water. had it really flooded that much? or did they trigger something on their side as well? they too glanced around the area, but it didn't seem like there were any other traps from above the ground.

"congratulations! you guys have made it the furthest compared to the other players! be proud of yourselves!" the queen of spades voice echoed through the area, still filled with cracks due to the speaker she was projecting her voice through, "you guys have officially found me!"

despite her praise, something still felt amiss. even with the traps, it felt far too easy for this to be the end of the game. surely a face card would prove more difficulty due to the value it holds right? she hadn't put up much of a fight either, it felt wrong for her to admit defeat so early into finding her.

"so where's our game clear?" one of the other players spoke up, and she laughed at his question, deepening your suspicions. it was a sound filled with mockery, as if we were stupid to assume such a thing.

"come on, this is the face card stage!" she raised her voice several octaves, including a tone of excitement as an attempt to get you all to understand the weight of those words, "you all may have survived the traps i set up and triggered through observation, but there's just one more thing needed in order to clear the game!"

"one more thing?" yasushi repeated. your eyes met but you merely shrugged, also unsure about what she meant. curiosity was quickly satisfied however when the walls began to shake once more, and suddenly everything was being pulled towards the center.

they connected, filling the cracks and eventually forming a large flat surface fit for a real arena. it reminded you of the shaking before, from the walls that threatened to squish you in between and during your attempt to clear the triggered floors. was this all really her doing? just one person was able to change the structure of the game with a simple click of a button? you had to admit, it was impressive, and it made you realize why this woman was chosen as the queen.

finally the noises and rumble ceased, a small glance around showing that only the flooring you currently stood on was the thing to change. not only that, but the other two players were much closer than before, this time on their feet and appearing ready for the next challenge.

"impressive right? i made it all myself," there it was again. her voice. only this time you couldn't detect the cracks or peculiarities of tone through technology. all five of you turned towards the voice much softer in volume than before, finding the mastermind standing in the flesh.

with hair pulled back into a ponytail and eyes filled with intelligence and determination, the queen was smeared with sweat and grime. her structure was definitely fit for her specialty, with muscle akin to years filled with sports and athletic ability you were sure to envy. it was surprising to say the least, seeing her appear so suddenly in front of you with no weapons to defend herself, but her state of vulnerability didn't phase her, smile bright and wide as if proud that we had gotten through her creations.

she reached back and pulled out a stop watch, showing off the numbers ticking inside the device, "20 minutes left. if you guys can retrieve this from me within this time, the oxygen depletion will cease and the game will be cleared."

you had been so preoccupied on analyzing her that you almost forgot the previous discussion the three of you had been having before, once again more aware of the fact that it wasn't that easy, and this game was far from over. with less oxygen, even those fit to fight and used to their bodily functions would struggle against anything she provided. your head began to throb at the thought of the dizziness and quickness of breath sure to come quite soon.

"whats the catch?" kuina asked, wasting no time and seeing through the queen's display of ease. in a way she was right, no person would appear this laid back against five players if they didn't have something to aid in their fight, there would be an obvious disadvantage after all. so what was she planning? some other trap not seen before?

"cant keep anything from you all huh? don't worry, you won't have to fight me," she paused, before stepping back as something began to lift from the ground, "you will fight my latest creation instead!"

your voice got caught in your throat, staring at the contraption that stood before you all. almost human like and standing far taller than anyone in this building, made completely of metal and technology this world was able to mysteriously provide. ah, so this was why she seemed so confident. she had something like this waiting to present all along.

"i've fine tuned it from the other tries i've sparred it myself, so have fun! and remember, push past your limits!" she exclaimed, before clicking a button and stirring the robot to life.

slowly you could hear the gears turn and the thrum of the motors moving, a small light coming on to show that it was indeed alive. it turned, almost as if looking for something, and when it spotted yasushi it began to move forward, steps quick and hand out with a sharp cut.

"uh, yasushi?" you called out, stepping away. he too began to move from it's path, narrowly missing the swipe at his leg.

just by those quick few seconds alone you could determine that this machine had some sort of sensors triggered through vision and sound, from the immediate reaction at spotting yasushi and the turn of its head when the male grunted out from the effort. it would not be an easy target, and kuina seemed to notice these things as well.

"alright (name), we'll keep it distracted, you go after the queen!" kuina yelled, and your eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment at her proposal.

"are you kidding? i'll have to fight if i go against her and you know i have terrible lack of motor movements. i'll stay and distract it, you're the one with martial art skills after all, so you should be going after the queen." you tried to reason, small panic rising when yasushi once again narrowly dodged an attack. you shouldn't waste anymore time trying to talk over your plan while yasushi was out there by himself.

kuina stared at you, thinking over your proposal. she gave another quick look at yasushi trying to stay in one piece, before turning back towards you and speaking, "are you sure?"

you nodded, putting your hands onto her shoulder and giving her a quick nudge for urgency, "yes! now go!"

she remained for another moment before nodding, shouting her plan at yasushi as she rushed towards the queen. your gaze was fixated on her for only a moment longer before turning back towards said male, mentally prepping yourself before running over to him.

your movements did not go undetected by the device, it turning its head towards the sound of your labored breaths and taking a swing at your arm. to your surprise you were able to jump back before it hit, doing so once more when it resumed.

to your relief only one of the other players came to your aid, meaning the other was busy helping kuina with the queen. their movements were much swifter than both yours and yasushi's, making it quite obvious that they were in some type of sport before coming here to the borderlands. tennis perhaps? they had fast reflexes, but they made no moves to attack the robot as if not strong enough to make an impact. their build wasn't large either, lean and strong enough to maintain balance and precision.

while the creation was preoccupied on your allies, your eyes roamed over the figure of the device, searching for a clue that would serve as its weak point. the queen hadn't been lying, you could spot the dents of metal made from previous sparring matches along with parts that didn't fit with the initial design wired onto it. she really had improved it based on previous performances, only making your job harder.

"come on, there's gotta be something." you muttered under your breath, taking in every inch when it would turn to target another individual. you wished chishiya were here, he was much more fascinated by machines than you were and would surely have already spotted or assumed an area made for a creation such as this. but you had observed him for so long hadn't you? and your analyzation skills far exceeded his own, so what were you missing?

"(name)!" yasushi's voice broke you from your impending thoughts, warning tone laced in his voice.

your eyes widened when you spotted the arm going straight towards you, unable to jump out of the way quick enough. between the movement of your body at the futile attempt
to move out of the way, a cut was formed onto your leg, stinging as you stumbled a bit afterwards due to the pain.

tears blurred your vision, glancing back at the robot now focused on yasushi who waved his arms for the attention. through the haziness you squinted, gaze going bright at the sight you encountered even if just for a fleeting moment.

"yasushi! there's a switch!" you yelled, managing to move back so you were a safe distance from him and the robot. the male gave a small nod as an acknowledgment of your find, dodging another attack.

"you go ahead and click it!" he shouted back, the other player confirming with a nod with his plan. you agreed with your own gesture, taking a deep breath and rushing forward.

you stumbled a bit around the large machine, waiting for a chance for the switch to appear once more. it was so small, minuscule enough that it was a miracle you were able to spot it in the first place. the queen must have made this intentional, wanting there to be a challenge for shutting down her creation.

your heart rate quickened when you spotted it, almost calling out for your touch. time seemed to slow as you outstretched your hand, fingers ghosting over the switch.

you didn't notice the sudden change of direction.

too quick for your vision to catch and for the other players to react, the robot was turning, a sudden defense with the realization that it was about to be shut off. it's hands, sharp and glistening with heavy metal swung towards you, reaching your skin the moment your hands touched its own.

hot, searing pain ebbed in your side as you stumbled to the ground, gasping out for oxygen that was scarce to fill your lungs. it burned, spreading across your side up to your stomach and arms, to the point where you couldn't even locate where you had been hit from the intensity.

but the crash of something hitting the floor was enough to put you at ease.

'we did it' you thought to yourself, lying still on the ground. your muscles seemed to relax for you no longer had to use your body to move, exhaustion overtaking your entire being. all you had to do now was wait for kuina and the other remaining player to retrieve the device from the queen, something you had no doubts they could do.

"dumbass! didn't you see?" yasushi was screaming at you before you could rest, causing you to wince at the rise in his voice. you were about to make fun of him, something along the lines of an overprotective older brother, only to pause at the sight of tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

he never looked this worried before, even when you had several near death experiences in the past hour. so why now? what was different?

a shot of pain in your side, throbbing and causing a small cry to leave your throat. shaking, your hands pressed down on the side of your torso, wincing at the increase of pain from the pressure. but as you pulled away and stared at your fingers, now stained with red, you suddenly understood.

it was like the awareness of the wound cut far too deeply into your skin made the pain surface, the burn more intense than before as more cries began to rip from your throat. yasushi began to panic from beside you, not sure what to do to help. he could only stare in bewilderment as you continued to cry.

a ringing sounded through your ears, making you miss the grunts of pain from the queen as kuina and the player were able to pin her down and her laughter as she exclaimed a good game. was it due to the blood loss? or was it to drown out the cries of discomfort echoing throughout the building?

you blinked away the fog and tears when you felt a new person come to your side, box braids and a worried expression, one she's worn far too many times that day. your groans of pain eased for just a moment at the sight of her, only to return when she pressed down her hands on your wound.

"i'm sorry!" she cried, feeling terrible at the fact that she was causing you to make such noises, "but you're bleeding a lot! can someone get me something to tie this with?"

"here, my jacket." was that yasushi? you couldn't tell anymore, everything was blurring together, from the sounds and your vision to the source of pain. you rolled your head to the side, breaths becoming slower as you closed your eyes and tried to focus on staying awake and directing your attention elsewhere.

time passed, and you vaguely remembered the feeling of kuina hoisting you on her back as she carried you back to where the three of you stayed for refuge. still you couldn't pinpoint the voices or what they were saying, even as you laid on the bed with a blanket over your body. not even the time of day nor how long the pain in your side would last for.

you stared into the empty space, no longer able to express what still burned throughout your body. just one small shift and you'd find yourself groaning from the intensity, unable to do anything but wait for it to slowly numb away.

and yet all these uncertainties, rooted from just a life threatening circumstance, you did know this, and it was that you weren't going to die just yet, no matter if the fire consumed you.

you had plenty more games to play after all.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

a/n : ahah..hey guys :DD i don't really have any excuse for not updating other than i had writers block and no motivation to do this whatsoever. but honestly? i still vv much love this story, and i knew i'd come back and finish once i was ready, and look! im back! i cant guarantee regular updates like before, but the next couple of chapters (also the last. ik. it's almost done) are some of my favorites so hopefully i don't lose my burst of creativity again. and i'm still vv much writing! my tumblr is pretty active so if you ever miss me you can always go there and see all the chishiya content i provide (plus other fandoms). that's kinda all, missed you guys and i hope to see you all in the next chapter soon >:D

Chapter 28: ⌈ 26 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ!

it was a constant buzz that lingered in your brain. ticking and ticking, reminding you that time was moving and you were not. staying still in a bed far too stiff with nothing to do but wait. what were you waiting for exactly? you had laid here for so long, conscious moving in and out more times than you could remember throughout hours you could no longer time. wasn't there something important to do? so why were you resting in this room with only the blanket for warmth and a burn lingering in your side along with it?

the ringing in your ears had stopped, allowing you to clear the muffled sounds previously incomprehensible. you noticed due to the string of hushed whispers right outside your door, stirring you from the state of unconsciousness you had previously been in. you blinked your eyes open, meeting the ceiling you have grown accustomed to over the minutes and hours. it strained against your vision, but you remained there to tune your ears to catch the slipping words.

"how are they?" a pitch similar to yasushi's, low with that air of curiosity and genuine concern. it still surprised you that he was openly showing such an emotion, towards you no less. and if the current circumstances weren't so dire, you'd tease him for such a thing.

"they're...not doing so well," kuina's voice. you knew because she had this certain way of speaking, words flowing quite nicely off her tongue and always having a way of calming you down. although, she seemed sad, and the sigh along with her next words explained why, "i checked on their injury earlier and it's getting worst. if we don't get some sort of medical help soon then..."

there was a beat of silence, before yasushi began to speak once more, "with the materials here in the borderlands we won't be able to do much once an infection starts. at that point, it's quite obvious what will happen."

you'd die. it was plain and simple, and everyone currently in this apartment complex was thinking it. you pondered over the fact several times over your residency in the borderlands, wondering how long you had left and if your next game would bring upon death. there were even times during those very games, where it was a stroke of luck that allowed you to escape its grip. you never imagined it'd eventually catch up to you.

"i know." a small crack that transpired at the end of her sentence, and if you could you'd leave this bed and hold her to tell her it was okay.

another stretch of silence, and you knew something was being contemplated. what it was, you didn't know and it began to frustrate you not being able to read their expressions. a shaky breath left your lips, tightening your hands to grip the sheets of your blanket. damn this bed, damn this burn, damn everything-

"hey, maybe it's best if we-"

"don't you dare finish that sentence." kuina interrupted him, not allowing the male beside her to finish his sentence. but you knew what he was going to say, what he was to suggest. and although it hurt, you couldn't be surprised that he would think such a thing.

"im just trying to be real here."

"and i don't want to hear it. look, we still have time on our visas. we can go out and look for someone who knows something."

"the king is still out there."

"and my friend is here dying. you don't have to come, you're more than welcome to walk out and save yourself. but don't forget they were the one who helped us through a majority of these games and the reason you're still standing here right now."

it went quiet after that, and you could practically imagine the looks they were giving each other right now. kuina, with a sharp gaze to prove her point and yasushi, sure to be hanging his head low as he thought over her words. what was for the best? you didn't want to die, you knew it deep down in your gut. but you couldn't expect kuina nor yasushi to risk their lives as well just to save you. it was true that the king was still out there, and in the miracle that you did survive, you'd never live with yourself if they weren't here to stick beside you.

the click of a door brought you from your thoughts, and you turned your head to find kuina with a plate of food held in her hands. it was the same as before, her bringing whatever was still edible and forcing you to swallow down more than you could chew despite the hunger that seemingly disappeared from your stomach. almost like you left it behind back at that arena.

"how are you feeling?" she gave you a small smile, forced by the way it never quite reached her eyes. circles seemed to underline them as well, something that didn't suit kuina at all.

"better than you it appears." you spoke softly, with a lighthearted tone in order to brighten the mood. it seemed to work as she gave a small chuckle at your musing.

"yeah," she paused, seemingly thinking something for a moment, "after you eat we're gonna go look for someone to help. or at least find some proper supplies to stall your condition."

"how long will you guys be gone?" you asked, watching her as she closed the door and pulled a chair to sit by your bed.

"we'll take you with us. that way if we do find someone we can get you help as soon as possible." it was a good plan. with the rapid decline of your health you couldn't waste such precious moments that could be used to help. although, you still couldn't get the idea of the king of spades out of your mind. something, you didn't know what, was telling you to be extra cautious.

"i see," you allowed a small smile to paint your lips. you figured you'd inquire kuina about your worries in the car, so for now you'd go along with her plan, "alright."

she returned the quirk of your mouth, "glad there are no objections. let's get going then."

just as before kuina was gentle as she helped you sit up, mindful of your injury and patient with your slowed movements as to not cause any unnecessary pain. you recalled the time she told you about her mother, and how she would always take care of her in the hospital. these practiced movements of hers proved that she really was there almost everyday, doing these same gestures to you as she did before. was kuina thinking the same thing each time she did this? it began to sadden you, thinking about how much she probably missed her mother, and how no one was currently there to aid her and grant her this company and love.

after eating what little you could stomach, kuina was throwing your arm over her shoulder and helping you limp towards the car. it had been a while since you'd gone outside, but no longer were the sunny days of sweltering heat that stuck to your skin. instead, it was replaced by a dark gray that painted the sky, clouds not allowing you even a peek of the sun. and if you listened closely enough, you could hear the roars of thunder in the distance, along with the distinct smell of fresh rain.

carefully she set you down in the back seat before situating herself to drive. the engine thrummed to life with just the click of her key, ready to head out when the passenger door quickly opened and closed.

much to your surprise yasushi appeared, and by the look on kuina's face she too wasn't expecting his companionship. perhaps her words from their earlier conversation changed his mind, and they stared at each other for a moment, no words exchanged but still feeling like something was being communicated. finally, kuina let out a small hum, content with his decision before turning and placing her hands on the wheel.

throughout the car-ride only two sounds filled the silence. the occasional groan from your throat due to the bumps in the roads and the rain that began to fall. it pattered against the windows and the roof, calming if it weren't for the string of curses that began to leave the woman's lips as she struggled to see through the weather. her body was hunched forward, eyes squinted as thunder struck in the background.

to distract her from her rage, you began to recall your previous worries about the king. kuina listened intently to your words, also having thought about the threat he held. she explained that she'd be quick in finding whatever supplies or convincing of a person as she could, and suggested you two leave her behind in the worst case scenario.

you frowned at her suggestion of yours and yasushi's course of action, but you knew she was right. if anything, it would cause more trouble leaving you by yourself while trying to find her within whatever building she found herself in. still, it left you with a bitter feeling, and you turned your head to stare out the window once more.

eventually the car rolled to a stop, parked beside a small drug store snugged between two large buildings. kuina quickly turned in her seat to face you and yasushi.

"i'm gonna go inside and see if i can find any alcohol or painkillers. stay here okay?"

yasushi gave a curt nod while you lifted your arm and gave a thumbs up, weary smile worn on your lips. despite her previous words, you couldn't remain mad. her serious expression faltered for a moment, before she left the car just as quickly.

you and yasushi remained in the car, only the increase of the falling rain filling the silence. you turned your head to study the window, mesmerized by the racing drops that slid down the glass.

"you think a storm will come?" you questioned quietly.

yasushi glanced out the window himself, seeing the winds akin to a hurricane blowing the trees, strong enough that it shook the car as well, "maybe. don't know."

you hummed, continuing to stare out the window. this time, you asked a different question, "i heard you and kuina talking. why did you come here?"

"that's...," he faltered for a moment, before shaking his head and glaring at you through the rear view mirror, "nothing. you should be resting, not asking these questions."

you hummed, unfazed by the harsh look, "just curious is all. i cant see you so my analysis is coming from your voice instead. i know now that you wouldn't actually leave me. emotional distress makes people say things they don't actually mean."

his gaze sharpened once more, lips pulled down into a scowl, "i told you to stop reading me."

you laughed, since yasushi should know by now that you, of course, wouldn't listen. you winced however when it caused your injury to pang in your side, ceasing your laughter to be just a small chuckle, "whatever you say-" you paused, squinting to see through the blurs of water still running down your window. a structure appeared in the distance, through the clouds that fell apart just enough to allow you to see. it was familiar to your eyes, but you couldn't quite place it. hovering above, but every few seconds you'd notice it closer than before. a blimp? but what-

oh.

"yasushi!" your voice startled even yourself, laced with a panic that hadn't been around since your last game. the male jumped at your sudden raise in volume, glancing around to spot what got you so worked up.

"shit." he muttered darkly, having spotted the blimp in the air.

waving a king of spades card.

with a sense of urgency, yasushi was maneuvering his body to settle into the driver's seat, limbs banging against objects and surely to bruise due to impact. his hands shook as he fiddled with the keys, turning it in the ignition to turn it on. however, no thrum came to life, and another loud curse left his lips.

"cars out of gas." he announced, turning to face you laid in the back. his eyes shook with the same panic riddling his limbs, glancing between the upcoming blimp and your figure.

without a word he opened the car door, a gust of rain and wind encasing your body and causing goosebumps to erupt across your skin. the brunette was swift in opening your own door and bringing you to sit up, no gentleness in his movements like kuina would provide. it ripped a deep groan from your throat when his fingers pressed on your wound, but he didn't apologize as he threw your arm over his shoulder and forced you to walk with him.

rain slid down the expanses of your body, dampening your clothes and causing it to stick onto your skin. and with each blow it caused shivers to rush down your spine, until you were a mess of pained whimpers and chattering teeth.

"we're going to a venue." he announced, but you weren't surprised nor protested his idea.

"our only guaranteed safety from the king." you explained his theory, causing him to give you a quick glance before facing forward once more.

"yeah."

you glanced back, at the abandoned car and the door to the drugstore that remained closed. it showed no sign of a certain figure, increasing your worry despite what you had agreed on earlier, "but kuina-"

"you know better than me how tough she is. she'll notice why we're not in the car and realize that our worst case scenario became a reality." this time you turned to look at yasushi, taking in the serious expression on his face. his eyes set on whatever destination he was fixated on and lips turned down into that frown he wore so very often.

you smiled, a teasing lilt in your tone, "look at you taking initiative."

"shut up and move faster." he snapped, gripping your arm tighten than before.

"i'm trying. it really hurts you know." you whined, mainly childlike behavior than discomfort.

he gave a small grunt in response, still not slowing down however. you did your best to keep up with his pace, all while trying to ignore the numbness of your legs and the burning sensation consuming you in your side. but yasushi was right. somehow, the king is able to know exactly where you all are. you could not waste time lingering less you wanted to get you both with a bullet between your eyes.

so you bit down the noises of discomfort and tried to control your breathing, the strong winds stumbling your balance and the fog that impaired your vision. it made it difficult to decide direction, unable to see anything within the clouds let alone which venue you were forcing yourself to join. all you could do now was rely on yasushi to bring you to safety.

"how much...longer..." you huffed out after turning the corner of the street. another wince of pain scrunched your face when the burn began to grow more intense, enough to make tears form in the corners of your eyes.

"up ahead. just hold out for a little longer." he whispered.

you nodded, pushing past it as you tried your best to quicken your steps. despite having gotten used to the form of running, your current condition did little to help. forcing your body to move when it should be resting was sure to have an effect, and already you could feel the blood from your wound that stained your clothes. you could only imagine what it began to look like now.

much to your relief you reached the building, with large doors and a table outside. yasushi wasted no time and grabbed two collars for you and himself, latching it over his neck as you did the same. once he heard the click he was opening the door and pulling you inside, ignoring the sign left on the table and into a long hallway filled with a large group of players.

they all turned at the sound of your hurried footsteps, small gasps filling the room at the sight in front of them. with a boy drenched entirely due to the rain while holding onto an individual currently limping, blood dripping down their skin and onto the floor. it was a sight expected in the borderlands, but not before a game was to begin.

"can someone..please help us!" yasushi huffed out, stopping at the entrance of the hall and glancing between everyone in the room. you yourself however struggled to stay upright and focused on directing the pain elsewhere, unable to properly examine everyone in that room or care for what game you just entered.

"oh my god..." a girl mumbled out, hands covering her mouth as she felt pity for your state. you gulped, feeling the dizziness consume your vision and brain.

"yasushi..." you mumbled, before falling to the ground. he panicked as your grip on his sweater faltered and you laid on your back, staring up at the ceiling. everything hurt so much, to the point where once again you could no longer pinpoint what exactly it was. was it the headache currently pounding in your brain, or the tightness of your chest as you struggled for breath? or maybe it really was all rooted from the deep gash on your waist.

it took everything in you just to keep your eyes open. even then, you could barely see due to the blurs, not noticing that a new party joined you two at the front.

"how long have they been like this?" it was so very strange. that voice sounded so familiar, itching in the back of your brain as you tried to focus on reciting the syllables and pinpointing where it came from. it was a question that demanded an answer, and you heard yasushi stutter through his words as he explained to the stranger your current state.

"two days." it's been that long? you thought time had passed much slower than that. did you sleep through a majority of those minutes or did you simply lose track of time? and if so, how much longer could you go without medical treatment?

"in that room there are medical supplies. get me something like a string and needle." what was it? where did you know him from?

"you're a doctor?" yasushi questioned, almost weary at how quickly this man had taken initiative. you too wondered the same thing.

"i suggest wasting no more time if you want them to live." his tone held no emotion, monotone and straight to the point. you knew that tone, you've heard it so many times before, but who was it that spoke in such a way?

"right."

yasushi quickly got up and left your side, leaving you to blink through the tears and focus on the question that wouldn't leave your mind.

"how many fingers am i holding up?" he interrupted you before you could continue thinking, putting up his hand and displaying a certain number.

you squinted, and finally, like the clouds had dispersed, you found it. you took in the blond strands that framed his face and the brown eyes that peered down at you. so intelligent, so familiar.

"chishiya..?" you mumbled, as if wanting to confirm that it wasn't just your imagination. not a cruel figment that your brain conjured up to give you peace before death.

he quirked his mouth up, almost relieved at your sudden question. it disappeared just as quickly though, and his authoritative gaze and tone returned, "so you can still recognize voice and face. that's good. how many fingers?"

"two. what are you-" a loud scream was ripped from your throat, for the male beside you had applied his fingers to rest against your injury. your chest rose and fell in quick breaths as you moaned in agony, praying that it would numb away.

"you're lucky," momentarily he removed his hands and lifted the side of your shirt, inspecting your side, "it's not infected. it's quite deep though. you'll need stitches and it'll scar."

"great." you hissed between your teeth, tightening your hands to dig nails into your skin, "you know how to do those?"

he shrugged, still eyeing your wound. "somewhat."

"what-" once more your words were cut short when he applied pressure once more, and you sent him a glare as you knew he had done so on purpose. but if he knew you figured it out, he showed no sign of it.

yasushi returned, holding onto a roll of bandages, rubbing alcohol, gauze and a string with a needle. he handed it over to chishiya, who gave no words of thanks as he quickly opened the cap and poured it onto the gauze. and with no warning, he began cleaning your wound.

another wail left your lips, echoing throughout the halls and ringing in the players ears. the blond did nothing to apologize, but you didn't miss the way he became more gentle with his movements. he also didn't protest when you grabbed a fistful of his cardigan, leverage to distract yourself from the pain.

much to your relief he finished, moving quickly to pick up the needle and string. this time it was easier to quiet yourself as he closed your wound, noises reduced to a small whimper as you glanced away from watching him work. despite his initial statement, chishiya worked quickly and precisely, until snapping off the end and rolling the bandages over your torso to protect his stitching.

"let's move them over." he didn't wait for yasushi to agree before helping you sit up and onto your feet, directing you over to a wall down the hall and back onto the floor. much to your surprise he didn't leave after getting you settled, sitting right beside where you lay. yasushi however, seemed to stare in bewilderment at your state, unsure about what to do.

"i'm okay." you whispered, flashing him a tired smile. you gave a quick look at chishiya, before returning to the brunette, "could you find out some information? we still seem to be lacking players, so it'd be good if we know at least something before the game begins."

yasushi continued to stare down at you, eyes flitting between you and the blond. he seemed to get the general idea of what you wanted however, giving a curt nod in response as he turned to leave, "okay."

you swallowed thickly as he disappeared, still wincing every so often in discomfort. still, you glanced over to stare at the male currently leaning against the wall, serious expression written onto his face. brown eyes roamed over the players still standing in the hallway, perhaps studying them and the whispers of gossip over the dead beat playing their game. it had only been a couple days since you last saw him, and despite being close enough you could feel his warmth through his cardigan it still felt like he was further away than before.

"you reopened your wound. i told you to stay out of trouble." he suddenly spoke, sparing you a small glance. you stared back, unwavering against his gaze.

"it always seems to find me." you smiled softly at your joke. chishiya continued to gaze at you, before letting out a small chuckle.

"yes. it does."

"why are you here?" you quickly changed the subject, mumbling softly. you had so many questions lingering in your mind. where he's been since the last time you saw him and why he decided to help you once more. you recalled the last time the both of you spoke, you never did finish your conversation. was this game a stroke of luck to amend what had been broken?

chishiya was the first to break the eye contact, allowing his head to rest against the wall and stare up at the ceiling, "i'm sure you're well aware of the fact that anything outside of other venues is the kings playing ground."

yes, you knew this fact very well, it was the sole reason you were here and not in the safety of your car after all. you turned to glance up as well, coming to a conclusion, "so you're here to hide."

he hummed in acknowledgement of your answer, before directing the conversation elsewhere, "i'm not surprised that you're here."

you furrowed your brows at this, confused by his statement. you were sure you gave no indication other than your injury as your reason for being here, "why?"

once more he turned to look down at you, almost surprised at your curiosity while allowing that smirk of his to rest easily on his lips, "are you saying you don't know what game this is?"

you barely had any time to even read the rules of the collar currently latched around your throat, let alone find the time to search for the blimp that currently hovered over the building. you racked your brain for any possibility that would make chishiya believe you had a different motive for coming to this venue, and it hit you along with a catch of breath in your throat, "hearts."

he smiled, proving your theory correct before directing his gaze to yasushi currently in the hallway, "your friend there obviously cares about you if he brought the both of you here."

you sighed, hating the idea of being in yet another hearts game with yasushi. you were lucky having been able to win both with him alive, but there was no telling if your winning streak would remain, "we had no other choice."

another low hum resonated through his throat, "and of kuina?"

you swallowed the vile down your throat, turning so he wouldn't see the despair clouding your eyes, "i don't know."

chishiya remained silent, but he didn't comment further on kuina or yasushi. you only turned back to look at him when you heard the shuffle of him moving to stand up, "you should rest. we're still waiting for other players after all."

"chishiya," before you could think or realize what you were doing your hands were already grasping the sleeve of his cardigan, halting his movements. you had barely even talked over the what truly mattered, and you still weren't quite ready to let him leave your side, "please don't go."

"what do you expect to get out of this?" his words were cold, sending shivers down your spine. in the past you would've faltered, but such events leading up to now, like his hurry to help you and the fact that he had kept you company even if just for a moment, proved that he was trying to get something out of this too.

"we never did finish our conversation from last time." you got straight to the point, voicing your inner thoughts.

chishiya smirked, tilting his head towards the side, "really? i don't remember. i thought it was quite a good place to leave it at."

liar.

chishiya shuntarou was a liar.

you knew damn well he wouldn't brush off a conversation like that, let alone forget about it entirely. the man may lack such outward emotions, but you could never forget his body language through each word exchanged. even now, despite his lips set into such a fake smile it made you sick, his eyes told an entirely different story.

"hey, we have all the players needed! the game is going to start soon!" a voice called out from the hall, breaking the gaze you had been sharing with the man beside you. he glanced at the direction of the voice, but still made no move to leave and investigate.

 

20 ᎬNᎢᎡᎪNᎢᏚ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎪᎡᎡᏆᏙᎬᎠ. NᎾᏔ ᏴᎬᏩᏆNᏚ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏢᎪᎡᎢᏆᏟᏆᏢᎪᎢᏆNᏩ ᏆN ᏆᏚ ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ. ᏚᎾᏞᏆᎢᎪᎡY ᏟᎾNFᏆNᎬᎷᎬNᎢ.

 

chattered erupted through the room, questions arising through each player. you yourself had your own questions, but at least you had been right about the game type. you just prayed that you'd be able to participate given your current state.

a beep rung in your ears, followed by the click of a door opening. footsteps clicked against the floor, a sign that the players were entering another room. you let out a frustrated breath from not being able to see, debating for a moment before slowly lifting yourself up to lean against the wall. a low groan sounded in your throat, but you ignored it to watch the events occurring, along with chishiya's stare on your figure.

there were two numbers at the top, one reading 20 which you were sure signified the amount of players and the other reading 60. you concluded it referred to the time given for the game.

through what little you could see from the players blocking your current view you spotted rows of doors along the sides, numbers painted in bold black lettering. you couldn't see how long the hallway to the other room was, but based on the name of the game, there should be enough for each player inside the room.

your attention was caught when another voice spoke, something related to a symbol on the back of their collar. curious, you reached up and touched the back of the object, finding no sign of anything now being printed on there. you turned your head and still you couldn't spot it, and it suddenly hit you what kind of game this was.

 

ᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ. ᎬᏙᎬᎡY ᎾNᎬ ᎾF YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎾ ᏩᏌᎬᏚᏚ ᏟᎾᎡᎡᎬᏟᎢᏞY ᎪᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏔᎻᎪᎢ ᎷᎪᎡK ᎻᎪᏚ ᎪᏢᏢᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᎪᏟK ᎾF YᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎾᏞᏞᎪᎡ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ ᏆᏚ ᎾNᎬ ᎻᎾᏌᎡ. FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᏴᎬFᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬN, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎠᎾᎾᎡᏚ ᎢᎾ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏞᎾᏟK. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏢᎾᏢᏌᏞᎪᎢᎬ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ, ᎾNᎬ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN ᏢᎬᎡ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ. ᏴY ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ FᏆᏙᎬ ᎷᏆNᏌᎢᎬᏚ ᎪᏞᎾNᎬ ᏆN YᎾᏌᎡ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ YᎾᏌᎡ ᎾᎡᎪᏞ ᎡᎬᏚᏢᎾNᏚᎬ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᎪᏚᏚᎬᏚᏚᎬᎠ. ᏟᎾᏞᏞᎪᎡᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᎬXᏢᏞᎾᎠᎬ FᎾᎬ ᎢᎻᎾᏚᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏆNᏟᎾᎡᎡᎬᏟᎢ ᎾᎡ ᎷᏆᏚᏚᏆNᏩ ᎡᎬᏚᏢᎾNᏚᎬᏚ.

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.

ᎷᎪᎡKᏚ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏟᎻᎪNᏩᎬ ᎾN ᎢᎻᎾᏚᎬ ᏔᎻᎾ ᎪNᏚᏔᎬᎡᎬᎠ ᏟᎾᎡᎡᎬᏟᎢᏞY. ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᎢᏌᎡN ᏴᎬᏩᏆNᏚ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎪᎷᎬ ᎡᏌᏞᎬᏚ ᎪᏢᏢᏞY.

 

shouts erupted amongst the players, unable to understand such a fact. the rules being explained only further proved your theory, causing a bad feeling to arise inside your chest.

 

NᎬXᎢ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎬᎡᎷᏚ ᎾF ᏙᏆᏟᎢᎾᎡY FᎾᎡ ᏚᎾᏞᏆᎢᎪᎡY ᏟᎾNFᏆNᎬᎷᎬNᎢ.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬᏚ ᏚᏌᏢᎬᎡᏙᏆᏚᎾᎡ, ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ ᏆᏚ ᎪᏞᎡᎬᎪᎠY ᎪᎷᎾNᏩ ᎢᎻᎬ 20 ᏢᎬᎾᏢᏞᎬ ᏢᎡᎬᏚᎬNᎢ.

ᏚᎻᎾᏌᏞᎠ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ ᎬXᏢᎬᎡᏆᎬNᏟᎬ Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ, ᎪᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎡᎬᏚᏌᏞᎢ ᏆᏚ Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ. ᎾNᏞY ᎾNᏟᎬ ᎢᏔᎾ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆN, ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ ᏔᎾᏌᏞᎠ ᏴᎬ ᎾᏴᏙᏆᎾᏌᏚ. ᎾNᏞY ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ ᎡᎬᏟᎬᏆᏙᎬᏚ Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ.

FᏌᎡᎢᎻᎬᎡᎷᎾᎡᎬ, ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏢᎡᎾᎻᏆᏴᏆᎢᎬᎠ ᎪᏟᎢᏆᎾNᏚ. NᎾ ᎷᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎪN ᎾNᎬ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN ᎷᎪY ᎡᎬᏚᏆᎠᎬ ᏆN Ꭺ ᏞᎾᏟKᎬᎠ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎷᎪY NᎾᎢ ᎾᏴᏚᎢᎡᏌᏟᎢ ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ FᎡᎾᎷ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡᏆNᏩ Ꭺ ᏟᎬᏞᏞ. ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎷᎪY NᎾᎢ ᎡᎬᏙᎾᏞKᎬ ᎪNᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ'Ꮪ ᎪᏴᏆᏞᏆᎢY ᎢᎾ ᎪNNᎾᏌNᏟᎬ ᎢᎻᎬᏆᎡ ᎾᏔN ᎷᎪᎡK.

ᎪᏞᏞ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎷᎾᏙᎬᎷᎬNᎢᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏌNᎠᎬᎡ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᎬᏆᏞᏞᎪNᏟᎬ. ᏚᎻᎾᏌᏞᎠ Ꭺ ᏙᏆᎾᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾN ᏴᎬ ᎾᏴᏚᎬᎡᏙᎬᎠ, ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏴᎬ ᏩᏆᏙᎬN Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ.

FᏆNᎪᏞᏞY, ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾF ᏚᎾᏞᏆᎢᎪᎡY ᏟᎾNFᏆNᎬᎷᎬNᎢ ᏔᏆᏞᏞ ᏚᎢᎡᎬᏚᏚ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ ᎻᎾᏔ ᎷᏌᏟᎻ YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪN ᎢᎡᏌᏚᎢ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ. ᎬᏙᎬᎡYᎾNᎬ, ᏆᎢ ᏆᏚ ᏚᏌᏩᏩᎬᏚᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ QᏌᏆᏟKᏞY FᏆNᎠ Ꭺ ᏢᎪᎡᎢNᎬᎡ ᏔᎻᎾᎷ YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪN ᎢᎡᏌᏚᎢ.

ᏔᎬᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᎬN, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ.

 

"what a turn of events. say, chishiya?" you spoke, causing him to lock his gaze within your own. he too seemed to be processing all explained about this venue, as were you. it was clear that chishiya was at a disadvantage here, unable to truly trust those around him, including you despite the history. if anything, you had yasushi to confide in, sure that he was not the jack of hearts as he was sure about you. but if chishiya truly wanted to live, which you were sure he did, he'd have no choice but to decide where the both of you stood in your relationship.

"who are you going to trust in such a game that requires it?"

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Notes:

woooo the cheshire is back. i quite missed him, and rest assured he will remain in the story from now on. and if you guys have read the manga, you’ll have known about this game. i’m sure you’ll all know my plans regarding trust within the next chapter :DD

Chapter 29: ⌈ 27 ⌋

Notes:

lol no words

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

with the abundance of information provided to you by the game master, it took you a total of 5 minutes to gather all your thoughts and piece together a plan.

by then accusations and arguments erupted amongst the other players, sure to already be trying to pinpoint who was suspicious and who had a worthy alibi. no one came to bother you, keeping the chatter in that room located within the solitary cells. you were able to breathe a sigh of relief at the thought of being able to think in peace.

a game revolving around the idea of trust. there was no doubt that it was the perfect hearts game, especially with a room full of strangers who've been weary of one another since the moment they appeared. how did one decide who was reliable within only an hour? enough to put their life into someone else's hand? you were sure that most, if not all, were here willingly, and entered the venue with the mentality that they'd be playing puppet with whoever they could. how could they expect, and practically depend, on someone else to be pulling the strings?

another thought, one that stood out to you, was the fact that once again the mastermind was hidden amongst the other players, similar to your king of hearts one. although both were not and would not be easy games, you could breathe easy knowing you had at least some sort of experience. not to
mention with your previous knowledge of reading into people's words and actions, you wouldn't be rendered completely useless amongst the chaos sure to erupt.

a small throb ebbed in your side when you shifted, wincing at the pain and reminder of your restrictions for this game. it was a predicament you wished hadn't happened, but in a way you'd believe your injury to be a blessing. who would take notice of you, clearly hanging onto deaths tight rope, secretly observing from afar? you could even easily give yourself an alibi by pointing out the irregularities.

as for the rules, each round you'd only be provided one hour to convince someone to tell you your symbol and five minutes before you'd need to be in your cell to recite it. you had no worries for this, for you still had yasushi to aid you not only in movement but in the drawing embedded into your collar.

violations. you doubted anyone would actually do any of these things, not with the surveillance and death penalty as a result. not to mention doing these actions may make you suspicious in everyone's eyes, so you decided you wouldn't worry too much about these predicaments as well.

however, you weren't sure how long this game would last, not with the room of medical supplies chishiya previously described and the food you heard another mention. if the game master believed you had enough time to stitch up your wounds, clearly he assumed this game would take longer than most. but what of your visas? yours wouldn't end for another couple days, but what if it stretched on longer than that?

you let out a sigh, weary as your eyes began to grow heavy from the spur of thoughts. you had exhausted yourself earlier when screaming from the pain, and now that it had numbed down to a dull ache, you wanted nothing more than to close your eyes and sleep the rest of the discomfort away.

"you shouldn't do that." a low voice filled your ears, and you glanced to your side to see the same blond male seated there, expression just a dull and blank as ever.

you scoffed, but still listened nonetheless. only an hour to think, and you'd much rather use as many minutes as you could.

your hands reached up to push your hair out of your face, still damp due to the rain. strangely enough you could hear no indication of it outside, quiet, save for the chatter still happening within the other room. so, in order to keep yourself awake, you decided to recount the events that had happened previously. one you still had mixed feelings for.

"who are you to trust in such a game that requires it?"

at times you found it hard to keep prolonged eye contact with chishiya, knowing of the condescending gaze he held you within and the thoughts sure to be spiraling through his mind. they peered at you in a way that made you self conscious the longer it kept you connected for, wanting nothing more than to swallow thickly and glance away to allow yourself a moment of composure. but you couldn't, not when this one look alone was crucial to the way chishiya would go about this game. without or without you by his side. you had to make him come to terms with the fact that your logic was correct.

chishiya cocked his head to the side, amusement twitching at his lips, "this feels more like a threat than a proposal of truce."

"it's only a threat if you perceive it as one." you quipped back quickly, relieved that your voice didn't betray and reveal the pounding of your heart and the nerves trembling your limbs.

another moment of silence, until finally chishiya hummed and glanced away, allowing you a moment to breathe, "i won't deny you're correct. i guess that much hasn't changed."

you blinked, caught by surprise by his choice of words. did he think you differently from before? previous to the witch hunt and your encounter in that abandoned building? you pondered over it, trying to think back on your actions and what gave away the self growth of your person over the course of those days. but not one thing came to mind, and you were left dumbfounded as chishiya situated himself back against the wall as a sign of no longer wanting to speak.

you were brought out of your thoughts when a new figure greeted your vision, seeing yasushi standing above you. he appeared almost worried as well as in deep thought, brows drawn together and wearing a permanent frown.

"anything?" you asked, mood declining when he shook his head.

"there are a couple people that i don't like, but we shouldn't rule out anyone." he spoke, glancing back to make sure no one was listening and to take extra precautions. once he was sure you were in the clear, he stepped further into the room and sat beside you.

you hummed, knowing that stubbornly he was correct. you were sure the jack was a great actor, and they'd make any moves necessary to appear as innocent as possible. perhaps you should look for someone who appears almost too encouraging? someone working to gain everyone's trust? or maybe it'd be like the king, someone so obvious you'd rule them out in the beginning.

"what do you think of the rules?" you asked instead, causing him to scowl and let out a frustrated huff.

"typical. even other games it's hard to trust people, so having to depend on it sucks." he grumbled, and you laughed at his expression.

"i guess so. hey, turn around for a sec," yasushi shot you a confused glance before doing as told. through the strands of his hair you saw the outline of a diamond, causing an idea to surface to mind, "hey, can you do me a favor?"

he turned around, peering at you expectantly. even chishiya, who appeared uninterested in your conversation, turned his gaze to await your request.

"can you memorize all the symbols each person has?"

his eyes widened, shocked at your words and the difficulty of it, "what- that's a lot. there's 24 of us and you want me to remember all of them?"

you shook your head, waving off his worries, "not who has what. just count how many symbols there are."

this time he appeared confused, cocking his head towards the side, "i don't get it."

"you're not supposed to. if my theory is correct then i'll explain. deal?" you smiled, one he stared at for a moment before nodding and leaving the room.

you sighed at the disappearance of his retreating figure, once more leaning back against the wall. you hoped to be correct, for it would provide a higher chance for you three to correctly name your symbols as well as for others. you'd never hope for it, but you did have to be prepared in the event that something happened to either one of you. but for now, you'd simply do your best to keep everyone alive before trying to bring down the jack.

"care to explain your oh so amazing idea?" chishiya mused from beside you, displaying that smirk you both hated and loved.

you narrowed your gaze at the twitch of his mouth, debating for a moment if you should speak upon it before ultimately deciding for it. as much as you wished it wasn't, your trust with chishiya was weary, and at times you grew scared of the repeat of that night. that once more you'd have to hold the cracked pieces of your heart and wipe the tears that didn't seem to stop spilling. but at the same time, you wanted to rebuild that, and this game was the perfect opportunity to do so.

"there's 24 of us, and if they distributed everyone's symbols evenly then there should be 6 people with the same one. if you're aware of who has what, then you can pretty much assume what symbol you have." it was a stretch, but it was the best bet you had. you just hoped the jack of hearts either didn't catch on to your prediction or was kind enough to had done a pattern in the first place.

chishiya appeared surprised, but amused by your quick thinking. he shifted, back facing you before giving you a quick look over his shoulder, "want to test your theory then?"

you swallowed thickly at his request, feeling the nerves shake your fingertips as you debated silently for a moment before slowly shifting your body closer to his. the small movement alone was enough to have your injury sting painfully on your side, but it was nothing compared to the one in your chest, finding it hard to breathe. what were you so scared for? you had been so close to chishiya before, and not once did you ever have a problem with the proximity. was it because you were afraid of messing up? that your hopes were too high for you to reach? another quick clearing of your throat, shakily pushing back the soft, blond hair covering his collar. you felt the coolness of the metal, smelt the fresh scent of his clothes, and most of all you noticed the outline of the shape that now sat on the tip of your tongue.

"hearts." you breathed out, quietly, but enough for him to hear. chishiya remained silent at your words, before turning to face you. your heart jumped at the proximity, not expecting for his face to be so close to yours you could count the specks in his eyes and the freckles from hours in the sun.

"turn around." he muttered just as quietly, and you did so with no protests. you stared at your hands to busy your mind and heart, fidgeting with the tips as you felt his own fingers brush against the back of your neck and his breath hot on your skin. you remembered this feeling, back during your first days of realizing your affection for the man. the way he'd always lean in so close to speak, speaking so low as if he wanted an excuse to tease you and stay by your side.

"chishiya?" you asked after he remained silent for several seconds. you turned, once more caught off guard when your nose bumped against his. said male stared at you, surprised for a moment as well before he quickly retracted his fingers and shifted away from your body.

"your symbol is diamonds." he spoke, breaking the atmosphere that had settled. in a way, you were disappointed that it had ended so quickly, despite how hard your heart was currently pounding, almost shaking, your ribcage.

you blinked, before looking away to hide the flustered state he left you in, "oh...thank you."

"no need."

you swallowed thickly, reaching up to touch the skin he had traced. it still burned despite the time passed, leaving you to quell the fire as best you could, as well as replay the images in your mind. and yet, despite how nice it had felt, you couldn't help the questions that arose. what was his motive? there was no way chishiya was doing all of this on accident, not when you could still feel the linger of his touch. you snuck another quick look at the blond, seeing him staring at the hall as if in deep thought. he showed no signs of mirroring your flustered state, at least physically, but you had no doubts that there was something that prompted him to act in the first place.

you just wished you could understand more than you knew.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

it didn't take long before yasushi returned, reciting the numbers of each symbol with a furrow of his brows. just as you had expected, there were 6 for each group, all except for your own. but although this meant you and the rest of the players had an absolute way of knowing who was lying, it would only last for so long. the moment someone died, your probability of being correct would decrease. trust was just a concept you'd have to rely on for a majority of the game.

you gave a quick look towards the clock, still ticking and reminding you of your limited time left, "let's regroup with the others then? and while we talk, we can keep an eye out for anyone who may act out of order."

yasushi was quick to agree to your terms, limbs moving to help you get up before stopping at the sight of chishiya already by your side. you didn't know when he had moved or why, but you couldn't exactly protest as he was already pulling your arm over his shoulder and gripping firmly onto your wrist, "i'll take them."

dark eyes switched between your scrunched up face from the sudden blur of pain and the blond meeting his stare, silently asking if you were okay with his help. you shook your head in response to his question, weakly waving off the boys worries. you wouldn't complain about chishiya's sudden urge to help, as unexpected and strange as it is. you could only hope it was all with good intent, for the sake of both your hearts.

so you let him take those slow steps through the door and into the hallway of the building, let him keep his fingers against your pulse point and the bare skin exposed by your shirt.  and you allowed yourself to take in everything he gifted you. the twitch of his limbs each time he shifted, the way he stayed mindful with avoiding any contact with your waist. you noticed, purely because he had accidentally grazed the soaked bandages while trying to keep you upright, and became more hesitant in his touch when you sucked in a sharp breath between your teeth.

you were so focused on the small touches and the lips pulled down into a small frown that you barely caught the words being thrown into the air, not until chishiya had nudged you gently with his foot.

"we just have to teach each other our marks as a full group! that way no one can lie, right? if the jack of hearts slips up, we might be able to survive." a man, with curly hair and a bandage stuck onto his cheek, turned at the sound of your footsteps, opening and closing his mouth in order to speak, "you can join us if you want! anyone's welcome!"

another girl, with bangs and a hoodie adorning small ears, pushed past the both of you, "kay, that sounds good! urumi is in!"

two more players agreed to the alliance, and once more you could feel the nudge of chishiya's foot against your own, "make your choice quick."

"and what about you?" you made sure to keep your voice low, and kept your face neutral enough to not showcase the emotion still fluttering inside your chest, "surely i'm not the only one supposed to make decisions for all three of us."

he stared at you, unreadable and so so frustrating, "isn't that what you wanted?"

is that what he thought? that your actions and frustration with him had been for the sake of control? you couldn't help the bitter tone you began to use as you glanced away, "a relationship is two ways, chishiya. not just one person is calling the shots."

this time your chest felt heavy whilst speaking, and remained that way as a new person entered the conversation. he wore a scarf around his neck, more for fashion than protection considering it was currently summer, and his eyes...they almost reminded you of chishiya's. expressionless, although he didn't take the time to smirk as much as the blond did, "well, that's nice and all...but how about we focus on the jack of hearts a little? a jack is a male right? should we rule out females?"

"it's highly likely that the jack of hearts is not female, but there's no strong evidence that he's not a male. prejudices can be dangerous." this time a man in a suit spoke, talking with a lilt in his voice that would make anyone trust whatever spoken. he had a way with words you'd admit, agreeing with the suggestion, but giving room for second opinions, especially from the females offended by his statement.

he'd definitely be someone you'd keep an eye on.

"hm..so how about...for example, the persons who first entered and last entered the venue? isn't it a bit strange for their timing to be so convenient?" by the end of his sentence, his as well as everyone else's eyes were set on you, still leaning heavily against the male beside you.

yasushi was the first to step in, wearing that infamous scowl he couldn't seem to wipe off, "we've been in games together before."

"it does seem unlikely for the jack to participate in other venues," he flit his attention towards you, eyeing the blood still seeping through your clothes and the beads of sweat lingering on your skin, "plus they're injured..."

"i can vouch for chishiya too." you spoke up, after having swallowed thickly and shifted your weight on your leg, "we've played together twice. we even...entered the borderlands together."

so light and fleeting you would've missed it, but there was no doubt about the swift tightening of chishiya's fingers on your form.

the man narrowed his eyes in suspicion before glancing away, "hm...fine. who was the first to enter?" another man rose his hand, speaking meekly as if afraid, but his voice was drowned out by the one wearing the scarfs thoughts, "wait...weren't you two the first ones to enter this cooperative group?"

a girl wearing a hat and a man with a bandage over his eye appeared shocked by his sudden change in suspicion, quickly walking away with lowered gazes. you yourself were also shocked, for it was strange for him to point fingers at one thing to the next as if he spoke whatever came to mind. and yet, the more you studied him, the more you noticed the subtle fidget of his fingers and the way he appeared tired staring at the ground deep in thought.

"working together...is pretty hard." he mumbled under his breath, concluding your suspicions.

"should we keep an eye on him?" chishiya whispered quietly to you, breath fanning against the appendage as you fought down the flames trying to burn your skin.

"strangely enough...no. he's just skeptical of everyone," you sent him a quick glance, before motioning towards where the one trying to form a group disappeared to, "do you guys want to join in a group? we could easily observe a majority of the players here if we do."

"i don't care what we do, as long as we get out of this hellhole alive." yasushi muttered, earning a small laugh from chishiya.

"i have no protests either. it's a good plan." he said it with a lilt in his tone, almost teasing while his eyes began to shine with amusement. it was...an expression you had missed. one you used to copy to set an easy going banter between the both of you.

"then let's get going."

chishiya was quick to follow after yasushi leading you both to a small seating area, decorated with plants, chairs and a table. it seemed to also serve as a kitchen, perhaps for the food left by the game masters. the small group, consisting of 6 other players, turned at the sight of you 3 entering the room, and followed your figures as chishiya finally settled you down into a chair.

"in the end we only got 9 people..." what you presumed as the leader of this group muttered quietly, appearing almost discouraged by the lack of players.

"it's only natural," another spoke, with facial hair and a cheetah print hoodie. sweat beaded down his skin, perhaps because of the nervousness rattling his bones, "it's the first time the 24 of us have met after all..."

"i was also split up from the people i'm normally with. we were afraid that a hearts game would mean we could end up killing each other." a girl, hair pulled back by a head band. you were sure she was regretting not staying with her previous companions, for if they had traveled for long, they would have no problems accepting each other's words.

"of course, we understand that. don't give up! keep making friends!" ah, this man was definitely not the jack of hearts. his words were genuine, and with his actions of wanting everyone to stick together, you could tell he was simply passionate. why he would join a hearts game, you didn't know, but you'd find yourself grateful that some were willing to still care for strangers.

"but man, you really can't see your own mark on these collars," cheetah print let out a grunt, trying to force the object around his neck, "it feels like it's just out of reach!"

you own hand ghosted over the cool metal, suddenly feeling tight around your neck. you swallowed thickly, hating the memory that entered your mind. it suddenly hit you that this was almost exactly like your mafia game, and exactly like that woman back during your tag game. you drifted your gaze towards yasushi, who's own was fixated on the participants. he didn't seem to be bothered by the prospect, but you couldn't shake off your own unease, for you knew exactly how events would play out.

the same woman who was separated from her friends walked over to one of the walls, and it was then that you noticed the bars sealing the window high towards the ceiling, "all the windows are iron bars. there's nothing that could become a mirror, and metallic objects were also forbidden..."

this time a woman with short hair began to speak, dressed in a leather jacket and holding up a knife, "the kitchen has knives, but they're ceramic and non reflective."

"to top it off," the leader reached forward and turned on the sink, causing a rush of dark liquid to gush from the faucet. murmurs and screams erupted from the other players, terrified at what this liquid seemed eerily similar to. the man continued to stare at the flow of it, before concluding his theory, "...it's tomato juice."

"water could be reflective," leather jacket muttered, tone bitter and frustrated, "they've thought of everything."

you let loose your own bitter laugh, causing the others to direct their attention towards your figure. you quickly smiled in response to their bewildered expressions, waving as if friends for years, "sorry, i just think it's quite amusing."

the leader blinked, confused by your word choice, "amusing?"

you shrugged, careful in leaning back as to not cause any pain in your side, "well, it's no wonder they've thought of everything, it's a psychological game after all, wouldn't be much fun if it were easy for us to figure out our marks."

"you think this is...fun?" headband asked, fear flashing in her gaze.

internally you were groaning, for these people kept misinterpreting your words. might as well play into what they wanted then, "oh no, far from it. it's more like...a challenge. but you all have to remember, this is hearts, not diamonds. the definite solution shouldn't require calculative thoughts. it's all about reading into human behavior."

"how do you know so much about human behavior? you some psychologist or something?" cheetah print asked, causing you to grin in his direction.

"nope, profiler," you let out a dramatic sigh, as if missing the textbooks and long hours spent at your college, "at least, it's what i'm studying."

he scoffed, before laughing in disbelief, "this kid's only in college."

"is that a problem?" you asked, tilting your head towards the side.

"didn't expect someone so young to make it through this far."

ah, so he was one of those people. intimated by the fact that someone younger than him had intelligence far beyond his years, "hm. interesting."

his expression hardened at your own amused one, taking a small step forward, "what, you studying me now?"

"would you like me to?"

he grit his teeth, before lowering his tone as if to keep his anger steady, "i don't know what you think you're playing at, but you aren't going to earn anyone's trust with a tone like that."

good thing there was only one person you wished to keep close, "apologies then."

from beside you chishiya snickered, causing you to glance up and meet his gaze. there was no denying the amusement within, but he spoke no words and quickly broke the contact, leaving you disappointed.

"there's a food store back here," another man dressed in a suit popped out from the doorway of another room, dispersing the tense atmosphere , "with enough stock for half a year."

"which means...it could take many days to reach a conclusion?" headband asked, voice thick with worry. you could even spot the sweat beginning to form along her skin, "is the jack of hearts aiming for a game of attrition?!"

everyone glanced at each other from her conclusion, the weight of the intensity of the game finally hitting them. you yourself didn't mind such a long game, your mafia one having gone for quite some time, but no doubt that as the hour stretched on, anxiety would rise.

urumi cut through the thick atmosphere, lips painted with a smile far too bright for the situation, "well, whatever, since we've got a group of buddies to cooperate with! let's make sure at least our group will survive!"

"r-right! that's right!" the leader quickly spoke, his words alone helping ease their thoughts.

she turned, throwing a look back over her shoulder, "okay, me first! okay everyone, what's the answer? what's the answer?"

everyone shouted the symbol, and your own eyes flickered towards the hearts evident on her collar. it wasn't surprising that all participants were eager to help, each one wanted to build enough trust with at least one person after all. but eventually, and very soon you presumed, they'd grow impatient, and would begin to sabotage one another to find the answer.

"your guys turn!" that same girl skipped over to your side, eyes far too bright and excited for your liking. it was off, despite the bright colors of her clothes and the tone in which she spoke. almost as if she were trying to mask a hidden trait known only to herself.

"i already know my symbol." you spoke swiftly, shifting in your chair ever so slightly to further the distance between you both.

she tilted her head towards the side, irritation crossing her face for a split second. she made no means to act on it however, and her smile only widened further than you thought possible, "it isn't wise to trust only one judgment. urumi doesn't mind telling you."

"i trust chishiya," your fingers reached up to touch the back of your neck, metal and skin smooth beneath your callouses, "there's no one else i'd wish to rely on."

her eye twitched, mouth following along as if wanting to speak as well. however the group quickly ushered her over to join them in continuing their activities, leaving the three of you alone. whispers erupted amongst themselves about the trio who joined their group but seek no help, yet you didn't mind the talk. they could bring you up as their topic of discussion as many times as they wished.

"i found some games to occupy ourselves with." yasushi, who you hadn't noticed disappeared, came back with a crumpled up box in his hands, brown and blacks telling you it was a game you quite enjoyed. and much to your amusement you were right, eyeing the chess pieces scattered within.

"are you challenging me yasushi?" you grinned, taking out the board, "i'll let you know im quite good at chess."

"i'm not playing," he huffed, brown eyes settling on the blond man seated beside him, "he is."

chishiya rose an eyebrow at this, mouth quirking up slightly in a smirk, "i don't remember agreeing to this."

"backing out?" you hummed, leaning forward to begin arranging the pieces neatly, "seems someone's still upset about his last loss against me."

"i was sure it was the other way around."

"then let's play and find out, hm?"

he remained quiet, gaze heavily fixated on the white pieces now neatly arranged on his side of the board. his pondering only lasted for several seconds however, before he reached a nimble finger forward and began moving his pawns.

you recalled the endless nights you spent playing chess together. times where sleep never came, so instead you occupied yourselves with strategic plans to claim victory. there was never a clear winner after each mini tournament held, for when one would win the other would quickly come back with victory. some instances games were slow, taking your time in finding the right move. other games you sped through, leaving no time for peering gazes to understand where things were moved and what pieces were taken.

"checkmate." you spoke softly, retrieving his queen and successfully ending the game.

chishiya's gaze remained on the board, as it always did each time he lost a round. you knew what he was thinking, for it was something you took great pride in each time it occurred. chishiya looking for where he went wrong, and at times, being unable to spot it.

he nodded his head, confirming your victory. and much to your surprise, and filling the hope still caging your heart, he arranged the pieces of the game and gestured for you to start.

round after round you played, losing and winning pieces of yourself you thought had long disappeared. you almost didn't hear the groans of someone in pain, as well as the shouts of your group sticking up for his safety. your hands stilled against your piece, turning to find a boy laying on the ground. blood ran down his face, skin swollen from the endless force being thrown upon him by another. strangely enough you didn't find yourself flinching at the string of curses pouring out of the assailants mouth, though it did not stop the pity you felt as not one person tried to stop the fight.

"it's your turn." chishiya spoke, unfazed by the fight though you knew he could see the remorse molding your features. he didn't ask, nor point out the expression. yet you could tell, with the way he insisted upon you focusing on the game and the small nudge of movement by your legs that he was trying in his own way to help.

"check."

you went through only a couple more speed rounds before time came to a close. while everyone began to usher themselves towards the room with holding cells, you were carefully pulled up by cold fingers and a light touch. chishiya didn't speak, remaining quiet as you leaned against his body and breathed in the clean smell of his clothes. there was also the lingering scent of rain, sticking to his skin and the hair that's grown longer over your duration in the borderlands. the makeup by his eyes was smudged as well, though it was barely noticeable by how much had already been washed away.

your thoughts drifted when you found yourselves by an empty cell, briefly recalling that only one person was allowed within. slowly, as if realizing it as well, chishiya helped you towards the ground, where you sat by the entrance door and moved to lean yourself against the wall to make up for the absence of support.

"thank you." you mumbled quietly, trying to calm
the dull ache still burning your insides. he nodded, remaining for a moment longer, staring where your hands lay, before pushing himself up to stand and disappearing from your vision.

you sighed, taking in several gulps of air and trying to steady the pounding of your heart. you weren't sure what the cause of it was. you could very well blame it on the nerves from speaking aloud your mark, with only one person to have spoken it to you. yet you knew that wasn't it, and could only root from the presence that still lingered in all your senses.

"it's now five minutes before the time limit," the same game voice from before crackled through the speakers, urging you to open your eyes and focus on the syllables, "in the final five minutes within your cell, voice the mark on your collar."

from outside you could hear the voices that spoke, some confident and others wobbly with fear and emotion. you yourself let out one final sigh, before letting your voice echo throughout the small space of your cell.

"diamonds."

you waited, for the sound of a gunshot or a scream that would pierce through walls. instead however, you received the voice of the game instructor once more.

"the time limit has been reached. number of survivors for the first round out of 24...

is 24 players."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё ¿

Chapter 30: ⌈ 28 ⌋

Notes:

me only writing this cuz my friend made me feel bad about leaving you all :D

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

things seemed to go by as a blur, as if time had an urgency reality lacked.

when chishiya had helped you back to your seat, yasushi came to you both to propose an idea. he would join some of the other players not within the group, and evaluate them in order to find the jack. you hesitated, but only for a moment, considering yasushi was perfectly capable of himself and would be just fine. not only that, but his presence amongst other players would help aid you in calculating who had what symbols. you had given him a smile in agreement, and his nod was the only thing left before he disappeared from the room.

silence settled, but only for a moment. similar to the previous round you could hear the faint sounds of groans slipped through one's lips as yelling followed as well. curses echoed through corridors and bounced off walls, grabbing everyone's attention. you vaguely remembered shifting uncomfortably during the predicament, as well as your gaze following the leader of your group drift towards the noises. you thought that perhaps the violence would settle down, and your theory of the lack there of would be proven wrong. yet when he returned, face bloodied and fear ghosting over his expression, you knew the poor recipient would have to endure it for the next rounds to come.

"you want to help." chishiya noted, having caught the way your eyes never seemed to leave the doorway of the room. you nodded, quietly, before fixating your attention on the hands in your lap.

"i fear something may happen the longer we let this go on." you mumbled softly. not one person participating in the game would do nothing to survive, yourself included despite how you hated to admit it. soon enough the players would grow restless, and act upon impulse in order to progress the game at a faster rate.

"many of the players here are unhinged," chishiya spoke, as if it were common sense and nothing to worry about, "i'm surprised we've gone by with only that much violence."

"i hope...." you muttered, vaguely feeling your nails pick at the skin by your thumb, "that they all find peace."

you couldn't remember anything of the next hour, no matter how much you tried to recall the memories. the only things to stick with you were the feel of chishiya's cold hands on your skin, soft and firm whilst his breath lingered on your neck. you remembered the pain that throbbed in your side, as well as the chess pieces moved and another successful round without any deaths.

the lack of casualties didn't stay for long however.

you heard it more than saw. a blood curling scream that echoed throughout the whole building. you had just been in the middle of yet another chess game, only to pause with the disruptive noise and the scramble of your group rushing out to see. unease settled deep within your gut, and you found your attention settled completely beyond the archway you could not see past.

something bad was gonna happen. something that would change the course of the game.

"chishiya-" you almost stood to get up, only to pause when his chair scraped against the floor and he walked past you to check out the commotion. it was almost like he too could feel the chaos in the near future.

hickory flickered over the scene before him, little to no indication of what was happening through his body motions and expressions. you did however, hear the screaming, followed by a small explosion.

you could guess what had occurred, if not by the vague recall of the rules of the game, then by the amusement that ghosted over chishiya's lips. more crying followed, a women screaming something about moving the bodies from the area. you found your nails digging into the fabric of your seat, anxiously tapping your foot away as different ideas of what happened whirled through your mind. each image was more gruesome than the last, until you found yourself forcing your mind to think of anything else.

eventually he grows tired of the scene, walking back towards your table and taking a seat. he moves a chess piece as if nothing had happened, and even appears unfazed as he speaks, "our first two people have died."

"i see," you muttered, moving your own piece forward. since it was no where near the time for you to return to your cells, it appeared that someone attempted to prohibit another's ability to participate in the game. this also meant, however, that your theory would be useless, and could no longer help the other players, "only took three rounds, huh?"

"surprised it didn't happen sooner," he mused, his gaze briefly flickering up towards your face, "things will be interesting from here on out."

the end of the third round was concluded with three explosions, each followed quickly after the other. staggering out of your cell had never felt so difficult especially when your eyes couldn't help but stare at the doors that would forever remain shut.

with the handful of deaths that occurred in such a short amount of time, the trust between groups and partners began to thin, a rope threatening to break. as soon as the fourth round commenced, the pastor, who you vaguely remembered had been partners with one of the dead, begged to join the group. it appeared even he, who had been the most confident in his trust with a god, could be reduced to shambles.

you found a small part of you holding on just a little bit tighter to chishiya, still dragging you along for transportation. your fingers curled the ends of his cardigan, as if the own rope between you two would suddenly break were you to let go.

everyone appeared with grim expressions returning to the spot you spent your time at, sitting around and not speaking. the first to break the uncomfortable silence was the blond, who cried and complained about needing to throw up.

"don't cry, there are 10 of us," the cheetah print consoled, his voice surprisingly gentle compared to before, "with this many people no one would dare lie! right leader?"

said male nodded, a strained smile stretching his lips, "y-yeah, that's right."

"see meisa," he scoot his body closer to hers, staring at the shape on the back of her figure, "we'll start with you."

everyone chimed in with the chirp of diamonds. eventually, cheetah print asked for his own shape, yet the older man whom he asked hesitated. syllables that sounded almost like spades nearly left his mouth, not at all the shape on the back of his collar, however he paused and squinted before saying the correct word.

you sighed, a little disappointed. you thought you had found an indicator towards the jack of hearts, but it turned out the guy just had bad vision.

as the rest of the group continued exchanging their symbols you turned towards chishiya, appearing in deep thought over the current placement of your chess board. the game was the only thing keeping you both sane at the moment considering how long the hour always felt passing by.

"i suppose we should tell each other our symbols now?" you asked, a light hum in your tone. chishiya didn't say a word as he motioned for you to turn around, you doing just as told. nervousness crept upon your body as his scent encased you, along with the gentle brush of his fingers on the back of your neck. you'd never get over how his touch made you feel, as if it were the first time it were happening. exciting, suspenseful, not knowing what to expect but waiting in anticipation. you begun to crave the feeling once he had pulled away.

when chishiya's back greeted you you paused, a sudden feeling of despair washing over you. there he was, right in front of you, yet it felt like he was so far away. that even though you could touch him, could feel the softness of his hair and the warmth of his skin he would disappear as soon as you dropped your hand back to your side.

you didnt want to. you didn't want to let chishiya go.

this time, when you leant forward for a second time it was to embrace him. to wrap your arms around his body and press your face against his hoodie. to inhale the scent of strawberries, so faint but comforting nonetheless. and you breathed. deeply, in order to calm how the despair washed over more viciously, until you almost couldn't hold back the tears wanting to stream down your face.

"you need to give it up." he spoke, voice steady and laced with no emotion. yet, he didn't push you off. didn't yell at you for crossing a boundary that he didn't let others over.

"i don't want to." you mumbled, gripping tighter onto the clothes bunched in your grasp.

"you're annoying."

"i know."

"and stupid."

you laughed, "not as stupid as you."

"things aren't going to change," he continued, ceasing the laughter that had bubbled in your throat, "i'm still the same man you left at the beach. i could tell you the wrong symbol at any moment. i could leave you behind again, so stop putting trust in a person who-"

"don't you get it chishiya?" you cut him off, untangling your limbs from around his body and instead grabbing his face. he appeared taken aback for a moment, not expecting the sudden position before brown glared at you beneath long lashes. you simply glared back, "i love you okay? i said it before and i'll say it a million more times until you get it through that thick skull of yours."

you couldnt recall the last time your heart beat like this. was it when chishiya first grew aware of your feelings towards him? the first time you kissed? it was hard to tell, hard to think as the longer you stared the more intense the beating grew.

when he said nothing in response you cleared your throat, struggling to keep your gaze connected, "just...remember that. okay?" your cheeks flared with embarrassment, and it wasn't until chishiya sighed quietly and removed himself from your grasp did both your blush and heart quiet down, left to stare at his figure returning to his seat and resuming the game deep in thought.

you let out your own sigh, hand placing itself over your heart as if to reassure that it'd be okay.

you decided to direct your attention back towards your previous thoughts, which had been focused on the strange behavior of the man. a glance at the other members told you that someone else noticed his odd behavior, more specifically a girl wearing a hood over her head. urumi motioned towards cheetah print, as if wanting a word with him alone, and your gaze followed the two leaving the room. another bad feeling stirred in your ribcage at the sight. you didnt trust urumi from the beginning, but simply due to her seeming to have ill intent, and not the capabilities of a game master.

when round 5 commenced, the uncomfortable feeling in your stomach proved to be correct. individually she approached the members of your group, until finally her attention directed towards you and chishiya.

"hey you two!" she smiled, yet it was cold, like the freezing temperatures you used to experience during winter, "what do you guys think about kaneko?"

ah, so she was getting straight to the point. you figured you'd amuse her for a bit, "think it's a shame he couldn't bring his glasses."

her expression told you she had taken notice as well, but she continued to smile and play oblivious, "don't you think it's suspicious though? he totally was gonna tell ururmi's friend the wrong mark!"

"oh? is that what you interpreted from that?" you asked, smile widening at the brief irritation that twitched her eye.

"yeah! so, urumi was thinking, we should eliminate him before he tries to lie again!"

"are you implying you think he's the jack of hearts?" chishiya asked, catching on to your little game.

"yeah!"

"seems a bit foolish." you shrugged, elaborating when she appeared taken aback by your blunt choice of words, "i'm just saying, with this many members, why would he lie in front of all of us? even if he is the jack of hearts, he should go about it a different way. he would just be asking to get eliminated."

"what do you mean?" she asked, nervous laughter sputtering from her lips.

"we would be able to tell quickly that he's lying and spot it."

urumi frowned, a genuine one, perhaps having not predicted someone ignoring her honey filled words, "but-"

"i refuse your offer." you put it simply, hoping for the conversation to end. urumi however, hardened her expression and continued to be persistent.

"he could be the jack!"

"he's not."

"how would you know?"

you smiled, "just like how i know you aren't the jack of hearts either."

urumi seemed to have nothing to say to that, simply giving you a cold stare before turning. you assumed her expression turned just as quickly however, for the chirp of her voice was the first to greet everyone's ears when she returned.

the rest of your group seemed to buy her words however, stuttering after urumi told the first wrong symbol within your group. you frowned, finding a weird sense of hatred towards this girl. she wasn't the jack of hearts, and it was apparent that she didn't think that of kaneko either, and yet she was still trying to eliminate him. it felt like a waste of time to spend energy on taking out people who were more than innocent when the real jack was still hidden amongst the game.

"don't." chishiya warned, way before you were even thinking of going through with your thoughts.

you laughed, finding it funny how he could read just what you were thinking, "you don't think we should stop her?"

"you could be wrong about your assumptions. besides," he leant forward and moved a chess piece, quickly taking one of your own soon after, "what's the harm in eliminating answers that cannot be possible to find the right one?"

although chishiys had a point, he was forgetting one thing. you too leaned forward, and smiled in triumph when your next move won the game, "but when have i ever been wrong?"

urumi's scheme seemed to progress quicker than you had expected. round after round she would take cheetah print and the other members to talk to privately, words too sweet for anyone to resist. at that point she seemed to be finding any excuse for anyone to be suspicious, all for reasons still unknown to you. if anything, it proved that she wasn't as intelligent as she thought. by turning against one another, you'd never find the real jack of hearts, and chaos would only follow her every move.

by round 7 everyone finally took notice of her schemes, cheetah print to be more precise. it surprised you, considering you assumed it would've taken longer based on how blindly everyone had trusted her. yet as he brought up the idea and the rest of the group agreed on it quickly, it appeared they had caught on way before then.

round 8 started with only 11 players, a little more than half of the players eliminated, and half remaining.

by then your group dwindled down to just you, chishiya and the leader, who sobbed on the floor by himself. your heart hurt at the sight, knowing that out of the majority of players in this game, he was the most genuine. yet all his efforts to keep everyone alive was reduced to nothing, and here he was left to suffer by himself. it wasn't until yasushi, along with a group of men, entered the room and offered him their hand did his spirits lift.

you sighed wearily leaving your cell after another round, the fatigue starting to wear your body down. it's been hours since your injury, and you still hadn't received the rest that your body so desperately needed. you could tell by the sluggish movements as you stepped out the door, and the headache that accompanied the black dots in your vision.

a commotion stirred you from your thoughts, and with the quick flick of your gaze you saw the man in the suit slamming a door shut. it confused you at first, however your confusion was short lived as shouts erupted from the other side of the metal door.

he locked someone inside.

quickly you looked around, relieved to see chishiya and yasushi were still present. the only person missing was eiji, who had been the one to recruit ippei in the first place.

"hey! you! what are you doing?!"

chatter erupted amongst the other remaining players as they watched the scene unfold before them, curious while frightened by the predicament.

"i have not the least bit of desire to spend half a year in this hole. i'll be taking a slightly more firm approach," half a year? what was he talking about? did eiji propose such an idea? "if you spend the entire hour in this cell without any contact, you will have no way of learning your mark. your ideal does not befit this land in the slightest. even the previous world was unfair. the borderlands merely drew that to the forefront. if you've forgotten that you must defeat others and live wildly, you might as well pass on to the next life."

a bald headed man, one of eiji's partners, ran towards the man, fists clenched in his hands, "if you're willing to resort to strength to stop mitsurugi i can do the same!"

the sight of metal stopped him in his tracks however, and in the scene entered a girl holding onto one of the knifes from the kitchen, "i won't let you get in the way of y-yaba sama! my yaba sama!" she cried, hands shaking as her body trembled alongside him.

"don't kill him, i'll be troubled if you get punished," he warned, referencing towards the first deaths and why they had occurred, "you're my precious partner after all."

"that's right! the rules! the forbidden rules!" the bald man brightened, seemingly gaining more confidence at the memory, "players may not prevent other players from entering a cell! if you resist my will to enter that cell it'll be game over for you!" he stepped forward, facing the man with a hardened expression, "now, step away from the door."

the man hummed, smirk never faltering through his thoughts, "true, it doesn't look like i can decline your demands. fine," he opened the door, gesturing towards the now open archway, "if you really want to enter so much, here, be my guest!"

too quick for him to react he pushed the man inside, closing it and blocking the door once more. the shouts erupted after the loud bang, and you remembered another rule that the game had mentioned.

no more than one person may reside in a locked cell.

your own gaze sharpened, frowning at the scene unfolding before you. in a weird and somewhat twisted way he was right. staying locked in this game for 6 months did not sound like a good plan. you still had to get back to kuina, and defeat the other games left in the borderlands. and most importantly, you still had to face off with mira, who was waiting for you in her own venue.

you planned on being there no matter what.

yet, the way he was going about it by getting rid of two players very clearly not the jack of hearts would only cause more unnecessary casualties. in all honesty it irritated you. you would think that these players, who have played hearts game before, would think about these sort of situations. even if it did make things more interesting, it only make it harder for others to survive.

a flash of blue catches the corner of your eye, pushing past the other players and pulling back their fist. the first punch results in a small huff of discomfort. the second is towards yasushi's face, who spits out the blood and continues the fight.

god that idiot. that stupid, fucking idiot. why didn't he ever learn?

you don't know why but you run. it was like your body decided to move on its own, leaving your mind with very little control over your movements. you run towards that stupid blue sweater and tug on it, screaming at him to stop and just let it go. why wasn't he thinking? the business man was way stronger than him, with way more allies. why didn't he think about his safety?

the pain flares like never before, and you know your own limbs are screaming at you. begging and pleading for you to stop before the stitches already stretched pull apart. yet you don't. you continue to cry from the fear of losing someone else, even as your thrown towards the side by the man in the suit.

yasushi's body follows after your own. his groans slip past his lips, parts of his face already starting to swell and blood dripping down his chin. you lean forward, trying to reach him, however another pair of arms are pulling you back, away from his figure that's now being kicked repeatedly in the side on the floor.

"yasushi!" you screamed, trying to force yourself out of the persons grip. yet he's strong, or maybe your body is just weak from the pain now spiking through your arms.

"leave it." chishiya mutters, yet there's a strange tone in his voice. firm, however he's not looking at you, mind and eyes somewhere beyond the present.

you shake your head, helplessly grasping at his fingers, "no no i can't-yasushi- chishiya please."

chishiya shuntarou finally meets your eyes. the hickory of his gaze blends with the colors of your own, taking in the tears streaming down your cheeks and the desperation that coats your voice. was he remembering it too? the same tears that fell down your cheeks when you found out about his betrayal to arisu? how the predicament is so laughably similar to before? could he see that despite everything, you still looked towards him?

chishiya's grip slackens, ever so slightly, before he releases you entirely and gets up.

and you watched, with a ringing in your ears and staggering breaths as he approached the man with a smile.

he glanced between yasushi's curled up state and the man, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise, "you really did a number on him."

"are you here to get the same treatment?" he smirked, cracking his knuckles, "i have plenty of strength left."

chishiya held up his hands in surrender, his smile never faltering, "not at all. i also want the game to come to an end soon. but," he glanced behind him, towards the door still containing the two locked players, "you may want to focus more of those two then a boy who can't even stand."

the man laughed, perhaps seeing through what chishiya was plotting, yet still relented his kicks and focused on putting his weight back onto the door.

the blond's smiled quickly vanished once he turned, kneeling down towards yasushi and whispering something. you couldn't grasp what words were said, but whatever was made yasushi get up and stagger over to where you still sat.

as soon as he reached you you punched him, weakly, in the arm, "you idiot! what is wrong with you?!"

"some concern would be nice." he muttered bitterly, rubbing the spot as if to soothe the ache.

"this is me concerned!"

"i'm sorry-hey! stop it!" he yelped when you began to hit him again, trying to swat your hands away, "i said sorry okay?!"

the bickering went on for a while, and when you finally calmed down you turned towards the blond. he was staring at you, eyes resting quietly on your figure. your heart caught in your throat, finding it hard to breathe at the sight. gently you leaned forward and pulled on the sleeve of his cardigan, allowing a minuscule smile to rest on your lips.

"thank you."

he remained quiet, soaking in your words. you couldn't describe it, the feeling in your chest as he helped you back to the sitting area, lingering on your skin and your heart. it felt almost like the first time you realized your feelings for chishiya, the gentle way he had held your hands in his own to save you from the bitter cold. it was a warmth not from the hot breath of his lungs or that came from his touch. it was from the actions. the ones that he carried out that proved that he truly loved you.

you had been so afraid during the game. a small voice in your head telling you that he was no different, and that your attempts to save the relationship you had with him was futile. yet, watching as he had saved something dear to you not because of his logic but because of his heart made all your worries disappear.

chishiya shuntarou had stolen your heart for a second time, and this time he was the one to glue the cracks back together.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

finding the jack of hearts proved to be an easy task once only 7 of you remained.

of course you, yasushi and chishiya were off the hook, considering the undeniable alibis you could provide for them and them for you. surprisingly enough the business man was cleared as well, along with his partner whom he kept around at all times. it would be difficult to stay in the clear with that kind of bond.

that left mansushita and banda, the dark haired male that appeared socially anxious and the blond one who had no sign of life flickering in his gaze.

the 10th round was quiet, just the three of you sitting by yourselves around your chess board. your game had long been abandoned, and instead yasushi took a liking to arranging the pieces in patterns along the checkered spaces. your eyes blinked wearily as you watched him, discomfort crossing over your features as more time passed.

"e-excuse me."

all three of you glanced up at the voice, and to your surprised matsushita appeared in your line of sight. he stood awkwardly above you all, shifting his weight every so often and pulling at the loose strings of his shirt to keep his hands busy.

"i just uh, i don't really trust the other players and you guys seem pretty okay so..." he gulped, eyes resting anywhere but your own, "can you tell me my symbol? i'll tell you yours as well!!"

oh. seems as if the game would come to a close soon after all.

there was no denying how fake the whole act was. from the way he spoke and presented himself to the way he came to you, the most vulnerable out of your trio. it all made sense now. before he had latched onto the strongest, mentally or physically, in hopes to hide himself from gazes that may consider him suspicious. but now that so much chaos has ensued, he looked towards the remaining players that were desperate for it to end, or at least appeared so.

"sorry," you smiled apologetically, "i already know my symbol. but i can still tell you yours."

panic flashed through his eyes, but he was quick to cover it up with gratitude, "really? alright then."

he turned, his collar revealing a heart. an idea quickly came to surface, and you mentally grinned whilst letting the words flow from your lips.

"oh, it's diamonds! just like mine!" you exclaimed, smiling in his direction.

you ignored the strange look yasushi sent you, as well as the interest that appeared in chishiya's expression.

"thank you! this means a lot!" he bowed, awkwardly, but you knew it was to hide the excited expression that now crossed his features. he was standing up just as quickly however, before hurrying past the doorway.

when he was out of sight yasushi glared at you, "uh, what was that? you lied to him, and we already told you your symbol is clubs."

"well, that's where the fun is yasushi!" you shrugged, gifting him a carefree smile.

his glare only sharpened, "what the hell are you going on about?"

"they're saying they lied on purpose." chishiya explained.

"bingo."

yasushi furrowed his brows in confusion, perhaps not expecting such an action from you, "but...why?"

"isn't it obvious now?" chishiya asked, brown gleaming with amusement, "he's the jack of hearts."

"what?!"

"it makes sense now. he always kept in the shadows, hiding behind someone far more superior than him
to grab the attention instead. and notice how he approached me? he goes for other players that are vulnerable," you shrugged, a little offended at the prospect, "or at least appear as such."

"they lied so he would think we've already broken  trust with each other and to get him off our backs." chishiya finished, triumph clear in the smile you both exchanged. only chishiya could piece together the messy array of thoughts you strung. it had been that way since the college class you shared, and every other game you've participated in together.

"you guys are...scary." yasushi muttered, earning a laugh from your throat.

"i try my best."

"then," he paused, glancing between you both, "what do we do now?"

you and chishiya exchanged a glance, a mutual agreement passing between you both, "we wait."

it didn't take long for time to move towards the end of the hour, nor for you to find yourself in your cell for the 10th time that night. it was familiar by then, for you've grown accustomed to the cracks in the walls and the dust collecting in the corner. your thoughts changed quickly however, towards the jack of hearts that you have now identified.

he was sure to reveal himself by the end of the round, allowing the other two players to locate him if they haven't already. based on their eagerness to leave the game, you were sure they'd find a way to get him to say the wrong symbol in order to successfully clear the game. how, you didn't want to dwell on too much, considering the way they had resorted to violence so quickly the last round.

when it was your turn to say your symbol you did so with a baited breath, swaying on your heels.

 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎡᎬᎪᏟᎻᎬᎠ. NᏌᎷᏴᎬᎡ ᎾF ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᎬNᎢᎻ ᎡᎾᏌNᎠ ᎾᏌᎢ ᎾF 7 ᏆᏚ....

6 ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᎾᎡᏚ.

 

with the click of the door being unlocked a yell erupted, questions filling the otherwise silent corridor. you pushed yourself out of your cell, greeting chishiya with a short wave and smile. his own lips twitched up in response, minuscule, but still apparent towards your gaze.

the dizziness hit you quicker than you could catch yourself.

you didn't feel the fall of your body hit the ground. in fact, you couldn't feel anything besides the pain that suddenly flared through your entire body. breaths forced themselves quickly through your mouth, quiet moans ripping from your throat as you felt your world tumble and fall. you probably only blinked your eyes once before you found the gray of the hallway replaced with the face of chishiya, cold hands holding your face as if checking to see if you were still conscious.

the smallest look of relief crossed his face, before he released your cheeks and dipped down towards your torso. another hiss slipped through your lips at the contact of his fingers pushing away your sweater, revealing your bandages soaked with blood.

far too much blood.

"you pulled your stitches." he muttered, eyebrows furrowed as he thought for several long seconds. finally, he turned towards yasushi, "i need-"

"wait." you breathed, weakly pulling on the sleeve of his cardigan. the blond paused his words, staring at you as if urging you to speak, "i can-i can handle it."

"are you crazy?!" yasushi yelled, earning a wince from your features from the volume.

"the game is almost over anyways," you gasped, moving to sit up, "just-just wait until it's over. then we can get proper medical supplies."

chishiya pushed you back down, "you'll lose too much blood by then."

"i refuse to die now."

you stared at each other for several seconds, neither one willing to back down. you weren't stupid. you knew that your blood loss would greatly affect your performance. yet with two psychopaths just one room over, letting your guard down would not be a smart choice either. even though you did find the jack of hearts, there's no telling whether they'd leave you all alone or not.

screams could be heard now, along with laughter. the sounds blended together, creating a new sense of dread within your stomach. chishiya, who heard the cries for help, seemed to finally understand what you were thinking, and finally backed down.

"apply pressure to your wound." he demanded, and you knew that was the most he would let you get away with.

the next hour was spent with you fighting to stay alert. each time you felt like drifting off you would apply more pressure to your wound, despite how much it hurt to do so. you were starting to regret it now, seeing as the more time that passed by the more you struggled. however, you couldn't take your eyes off of the doorway, where the screams never stopped.

it was finally, when your breathing had gone ragged and the pain had become familiar that the five minute mark hit, and chishiya and yasushi helped you to your feet.

the scene that greeted you was gruesome. banda's clothes soaked with blood, yet unlike you it was not his own. both men stared at the three of you as you walked by, but much to your relief that was as far as their attention went, merely watching at you closed yourself within your cell and recited your symbols.

the intercom crackled, and you lifted your gaze towards the ceiling as the same voice you'd heard the last 11 rounds spoke.

 

ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏓᎪᏟK ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ. ᎪᏞᏞ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ.

 

you breathed a sigh of relief, dropping your weight against the wall and letting out a quick and loose laugh.

it didn't take long for chishiya to come for you, wasting no time in throwing your arm over his shoulder and pulling you towards the exit of the building. no sunlight greeted you, merely rain that soaked your clothes and slid down your skin. much to your relief the king of spades wasn't in sight, nor was the typhoon that had worried you previously. your only concern was for the friend you had left behind and the blood now seeping through your sweater.

when you reached the table outside showing a congratulations screen both men had already left, leaving only you, yasushi and chishiya to remain.

chishiya's eyes scanned over the screen, before nodding his head away from the building, "let's get going then."

"huh?" you blinked in confusion, not quite understanding his words and motion. in all honestly, the dizziness was still clouding your mind, "where?"

"my place. the game is over, now we treat your wound."

you slowly nodded, trying to fight the red spreading down your cheeks when you realized what he meant. you had presumed he'd take you to a nearby drugstore, but instead he was offering you the place he'd be staying at. even during your relationship chishiya never invited you over to his home, "right. uhm," you turned towards yasushi, who shifted awkwardly in front of you.

"i'm gonna go on my own now." he cleared his throat, stuffing his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie to further show his awkwardness.

"what?" you blinked, a little unsure and upset about parting so soon, "are you sure?"

"yeah. i'll be okay. just, stay alive okay?" he glared at you, muttering the last bit of his words, "i'll be pretty pissed off if you die now after what i went through for you."

you laughed, finding it strange that you'd miss his empty threats and gentle glares, "okay."

he waved, before turning and disappearing past the corner of the street. you watched quietly as the rain washed away his presence, yet strangely enough you felt as if it wouldn't be the last you'd see of him.

chishiya let out the smallest huff, jaw set as this time he forced you to begin walking with him,"let's go."

"what's with that tone?" you grinned, teasing lilt now coating your voice, "don't tell me you're jealous."

"jealousy is for insecure men. i'm anything but insecure." he mused, smirking proudly as if to prove his point.

"are you sureeeee."

"i can leave you in the rain if you want."

you laughed, "that won't be necessary."

a silence settled, leaving only the rain pattering against the ground and the wind that blew in your ears. despite the weather calming down it was still bothersome, swaying both your bodies and soaking you to the bone. you turned, staring at his face with eyes set before him. the grip he had around your form was still careful, continuing to be mindful of your injury. your heart couldn't help but feel your heart swell at the gesture, along with the events that had occurred during the game. it was that unexplainable feeling encasing your body just like before, the one that made you feel deep emotions that you so desperately wanted to express.

"hey chishiya." you mumbled quietly.

he hummed, turning his head to face you while continuing to talk.

i love you.

the words bubbled at the tip of your tongue, begging to fall from your lips. yet, you paused, wanting to savor the moment instead. to continue soaking in the structure of his face, the shade of his eyes and the quirk of his mouth. you loved him. you loved chishiya shuntarou. despite the flaws and despite the hardships. you loved even the ugly sides of him most didnt want to see. but, if anything, it made you love him more, and you didn't want to give any of that up.

you hoped to stay with him through any rainy day, in hopes to see the clear blue skies together.

"nothing." you smiled, genuinely, hoping it was warm enough to soothe the cold.

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё ¿

Chapter 31: ⌈ 29 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

"i'm gonna fucking strangle you after this."

the empty threat left through the cracks of your lips, voice weak as your fingers tightened considerably around the fabric of sheets beneath you. following your words was a low groan, and a sudden strangled cry as chishiya deepened the pressure applied on the side of your waist. and by the smirk twitching his lips afterwards he was sure to have done it on purpose, resulting in you internally scoffing at his current behavior. what an asshole.

"bold words." he chuckled, amused by the pissed off expression twisting your features after your verbal and mental declaration. his fingers pressed down, only slightly, but served as a reminder of your current situation, "considering i'm the one keeping you alive."

"you should be threatened."

"you'll be thanking me after this."

you opened your mouth to spout more profanities, only to bite back your tongue at the sight of the needle in his hand. his smirk widened at the fear that quickly crossed over your features, earning him another halfhearted glare from your gaze. numerous of thoughts also began to cross over your mind, each a way you'd be able to get back at the man before you for his obvious enjoyment in your pain.

instead you pressed your face against the pillows supporting your head and tried not to focus on chishiya stitching your wound back up. the puncture easing in and out of your skin felt much more prominent than the first time it happened, perhaps because the adrenaline of the situation has long been worn off. the window just beside your bed caught your eye, and you stared at the current sky which still lacked the blue it normally wore. heavy clouds and a dark atmosphere painted it instead, the sight unsettling you for reasons you could not explain. so you opted to close your eyes, squeezed tightly shut, and did your best to regulate the quick and unsteady flow of your breathing.

"are you done yet?" you rasped out weakly when his prodding stopped, no longer able to feel the grip you had on the sheets from how tight it was.

"almost," he muttered, and you felt as if you imagined the gentler tone his voice held whilst speaking, "hang in there."

"hanging on."

eventually, the pain numbed, and you even found yourself to have grown tired and drowsy once your bandages were sealed and your clothes were put back on. you furrowed your brows, blinking several times to focus and stay awake only to keep them closed when a sudden wave of calm washed over your body like the ocean.

you realized the calm had come from the warmth now pressed against your forehead, a few slow blinks revealing it to be the pads of chishiya's fingers. it eased you. slowed the rapid beating of your heart and cooled the skin hot with strain. you mumbled something, incoherent to your own ears, but by the way he remained still revealed it to be something akin to his name. you mumbled it again, your own fingers searching for purchase. for something real to hold onto before you slipped away. you vaguely heard the scrape of a chair before his fingers found yours, tangling and burning your skin in a much more pleasant way. you gripped on tightly, a small sigh leaving your lips.

"please don't go." you whispered. you heard yourself this time. and almost as if truly afraid of the outcome you held his hand tighter, trying to memorize the callouses and the way his limbs seemed to tangle so perfectly within your own.

chishiya gently brought his hand closer to your hair, the swift stroke of his thumb easing you to finally give into the dreams tugging at the back of your mind.

he chuckled, low and soft within his throat, "who said i was going anywhere?"

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

it was one of the best sleeps you've had since arriving in the borderlands. sure the exhaustion still ached in your bones, however you did not feel the alarm most did when remembering their whereabouts in a strange place. it was as if chishiya's home were a place you had been in before, and raised no real discomfort. as if you had been over countless times and paid no mind to a different bed than your own.

you blinked, a small noise similar to a yawn leaving your lips. your fingers moved to brush the hair from your face, only to pause several seconds after. if you focused hard enough you could still feel the lingering warmth from before, still embedded deeply into your skin. images of what happened previously were brought to the forefront of your mind, chishiya at the root of each and every one. a glance towards your side showed that the blond had already left his previous spot, causing you to abruptly sit up to look around.

"shit.." you muttered, groaning softly when pain flared up along your waist. the dull ache hadn't bothered you when you awoke, yet it seemed to be back in full force now as you lightly clutched the bundle of clothes.

"i'm not surprised." the voice startled you, eyes roaming to settle on the very man you had been searching for. chishiya did not smile, but his eyes sparkled enough to express that he found your carelessness amusing.

still, you returned whatever expression he was trying to convey whilst following the plate of food he settled down by your side, "surprised about what?"

"that you would be so careless as to forget to take care of yourself." this time his lips did twitch up in response to your question, earning a small and hollow laugh from your throat.

"very funny."

"am i wrong?" he challenged, causing you to shut up. because no, he wasn't wrong. in the past chishiya was usually the one to regulate how many meals you had a day, and whether or not you were sleeping on time to get the required amount. he had mothered you more than you'd care to admit, but you didn't mind it. it was nice to have someone insist upon your health other than yourself.

"no, you aren't." you smiled gently.

he hummed, resting his body in the seat he had used before your slumber. he picked up the plate of food again, which wasn't much considering the current state of the world. just a simple cereal bar, some canned fruit and a pack of crackers to decorate the plate. your stomach rumbled at the sight nonetheless, arm lifting to retrieve both the utensil and the plate itself.

a small wince crossed over your features from the movement of your limbs, quick but not unnoticeable by the man before you. a small sigh left his own lips before he pulled the plate back towards his body, stabbed the fork through the fruit, and lifted it towards your lips.

you couldn't help but laugh, unable to stop yourself from taking the opportunity to tease him. it was a rare sight after all, "are you seriously going to feed me right now?"

"would you prefer to starve?" he smirked, however the smile didn't hide the ticked off expression that appeared from your comment. it only furthered your amusement, remembering one of your first outings together and chishiya had teased you by the same action.

still, your heart thundered in your chest as your eyes settled back on the fork, warmth spreading across your cheeks. you shouldn't be embarrassed, it's not like you haven't fed him yourself after all. you swallowed thickly, leaning forward and closing your lips around the fruit. when you pulled back and chewed you were pleasantly surprised by the sweetness that flooded your mouth, and you eagerly, and less shyly, went back for more.

it didn't take long for you to finish your food, nor for chishiya to put the plate away and return with some water. he also helped you tip back the cup so the liquid flowed into your mouth, before placing it down beside you.

"i'm going to check your bandages." he said, more as a command and allowing little room for you to protest as he swiftly made work of lifting your shirt and running his fingers down the white gauze. you bit your lip, trying to focus elsewhere as he continued to check.

"your place is nice." conversation sounded good. it was better than focusing on how close he was, and how intimate the whole situation felt. sure you and chishiya had your fair share of...experiences together, but it was still embarrassing to be practically half naked and in his bed.

"i like yours better." he spoke quietly, not sparing a glance to the rather large apartment the two of you resided in. there was minimal decorations, and even fewer pictures. the only one you could spot was a family portrait, but even that frame seemed to have never known a good dusting. compared to your place, it felt empty and something you'd find in model homes and not an actual place someone lived in.

"mine is super messy all the time." you laughed, instantly regretting it when pain nipped at your skin. chishiya smiled, and you were sure the bastard was laughing in his mind at the expressions you were making. yet you didn't have the heart to be upset about it, instead giving a halfhearted glare not quite reaching your gaze.

much to both your relief and disappointment his fingers finally left your side, shirt hem previously lifted falling back into place, "i should've been paid with how often i was forced to clean."

"i did not force you-"

"did you ever stop me?" he asked, causing you to puff your cheeks in annoyance.

"i was asleep half the time!" you defended, which was sort of true. sometimes after finishing an assignment you'd pass out in your bed, and chishiya, who wasn't one to sleep, would occupy himself with putting away the things you carelessly left on the floor and desk. sometimes you would wake up from the rummage, but you chose to pretend to stay asleep in order to save yourself from the scolding he would give you for being so messy.

however, by the expression on his face he seemed to know about your little white lie, humming lightly in response to your own flabbergasted features. quickly, to save yourself further embarrassment, you cleared your throat and changed the subject, "it was always my place though. how come you never invited me over?"

whatever amusement that had been in chishiya's eyes dimmed, silence settling for several moments. your heart tightened in your chest, knowing that he only ever got like this when it was something he'd rather not discuss. your opened your mouth to speak and quickly take back the curiosity only to be surprised when he beat you to it.

"this apartment was left to me by my father. as you can see the most i do with it is clean, cook and sleep," he paused, finally staring at the expanse of the area with a thoughtful look in his gaze, "it's not a home i'm proud of, and i'd rather not bring you someplace i don't consider as such."

you stared at his eyes, an unexplainable pain hidden deep within the hickory hues of brown. he looked so...vulnerable. it was a sight you were not used to. chishiya was practically the master of masking his emotions, yet it seemed the only times he let that facade crack was when it came to you and his family. you only knew bits and pieces about the familial issues, collected through what little he's spoken about them and an analysis of his words and actions. he was so against them he never even introduced you to them. hell, they probably don't even know you exist.

you reached forward, hesitantly, before gently nudging your fingers against his own. he glanced down at where your appendages met, still for a moment before allowing himself to tangle them together. the warmth returned, burning the skin making contact. you breathed shakily, unwilling to remove your gaze from the sight in fear of it disappearing once you did.

"then is my place like home to you?" you asked quietly, feeling the nerves settle itself deep within your stomach and fingers. they shook, much to your dismay, but chishiya didn't comment on it. instead, he squeezed lightly, causing your heart to skip one of several rapid beats in your chest.

"you should get more rest." he spoke instead, not waiting for your response as he already began helping you to lay flat on the bed.

yet, despite him dodging the question, the eyes briefly meeting yours told you enough. they were gentle, at least as gentle as chishiya allowed, and quietly drunk in the sight of you smiling. a silent way to say you understood, and needed no words to explain.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

"mama! mama! look!"

despite the loud shouting only a few feet away, your attention remained focused on the puddles by your feet, never once retreating. it had rained earlier that morning, leaving a reflection of the sky that rippled each time movement occurred. you tested the theory, a small smile breaking out over your face when your features grew distorted from the tap of your finger against the surface. it was perplexing, yet fascinating to the mind of an eight year old who still tracked the race of raindrops on a window with their eyes.

your fascination was short lived, however, when a hand clasped over your upper arm, tight and forceful as it pulled you away from your crouched position over the puddle. the sudden force caused you to lose balance and fall onto the ground, earning an irritated huff from the woman standing above you.

"we don't have time for this (name). get up, we're leaving."

if you weren't so used to the sharp tone of her voice you would've cried, still sensitive to certain ranges of emotion from adults. yet, you felt nothing as you pushed yourself to stand and followed numbly behind her, vaguely aware of her hand clasped within the little girl beside her. her grip appeared gentle, much gentler than when she previously grabbed you, as if she were porcelain and much more precious than anything else in the world.

you stared down at your own hands, smeared with dirt and most of all cold. empty. lacking the warmth of human touch. were you not as special as your sister? was there something wrong with you?

"(name)."

you startled are her harsh tone, peering expectantly at your mother and waiting for her next words. you realize you've stopped next to a store, the window showing books of so many different colors and genres. she opened the door, waiting for you to go inside to which you complied.

"stay here. don't move."

"how long will you be gone?" you asked, not quite understanding why your mother was leaving you here, in a bookstore of all places. did she have important errands to run? why was she still holding onto your sisters hand then?

щну щои'т ₴нё ноld уоця₴¿

she sighed, and you could already tell she was annoyed by your question, "just stay here."

you only had time to mumble a small okay before she closed the door, the soft bell ringing gently in your ears. you remained still, watching her figure disappear down the sidewalk before turning and venturing further into the building.

you quite liked bookstores. instead of toys to enjoy your mother always brought you books, so you learned to take a liking to the pages you found yourself buried in. not to mention it was a completely different world than yours. you could imagine anything. you could be royalty in a kingdom, or have magical powers. you could be important. needed. loved. you were loved, right? she had brought you here knowing you liked books, so surely it counted for something.

it didn't talk long for you to find yourself in the fantasy section, entranced by the different covers revealing dragons and mages. your hands reached for one particularly bright cover on a higher shelf, reaching and grunting in frustration when it proved too tall for your short stature. even on your tiptoes you only graced the spine of the cover.

"need help there?" a gentle voice brought you back to the flats of your shoes, finding a woman, most likely a worker based on the rather boring change of clothes, standing above you. when you nodded she brought the book easily from its place and lowered it to your reach, you wasting no time in taking it from her grasp.

"thank you." you mumbled quietly, shy but mainly distracted by the smooth feel of the cover.

"anytime. though, isn't this book a little advanced for you? are you sure you don't want to look at the kids section?" she asked, hands pressed against her knees to make herself seem smaller. an attempt to appear less menacing in your eyes, which partially worked. it was more her smile, genuine and clear like water that had you at ease.

"i can read at a college level."

her eyebrows rose up in surprise, not quite expecting your answer, "wow, what a little smarty pants. your mother must be very proud."

proud? was she proud? you tried to recall a time when those words were used, but you came up empty. not even an expression that hinted towards the fact. disappointment settled in your chest, making it feel heavy like the rocks you skipped over ponds. it was uncomfortable, a feeling you'd rather not feel. there were much more pleasant ones after all. like the sight of pancakes early in the morning. that felt much more satisfactory.

"i don't know." you glanced towards the window, finding that clouds now covered the once blue sky. it appeared it would rain again. you had forgotten your umbrella at home, so you hoped that your mother would come before it began to fall, "i must go."

"enjoy the book." the women waved, not at all phased by your strange behavior.

you stood by the display case you had previously admired, hoping the position would make it easier for your mother to see you when she returned. excitement began to bubble like soda in your chest when you pulled back the cover of your book, hoping the story would be one you'd find yourself dreaming about during the countless days and nights you tend to zone out on.

hours passed, and by then you had gone through two books without any sign of the women you lived with. occasionally you would glance up and stare out the glass, yet only the sound of rain greeted you. it took only several moments before the same woman who had helped you came by, eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"is your mom coming soon? we're closing in a couple minutes."

oh.

you glanced out once more, that same discomfort that you had pinned as disappointment flooding your chest, "she can't pick me up right now, she just told me. i can walk."

"are you sure?" her frown deepened, glancing behind you to survey the outside area, "it's raining really bad."

"i live close by." you lied of course. your mother did not contact you, and you did not live close enough to quickly walk on foot. yet, it was strange, you didn't want this stranger to know that your mother most likely forgot about you, didn't want her to realize what was already so hard for you to accept.

that you were a burden. a mistake she wished to forget.

you didn't wait for her to respond, quickly putting the finished book back in its place and passing through the door. the rain greeted you immediately, soaking your clothes and sliding down your skin. it was cold, causing you to shiver and pull your jacket closer to your body.

you managed to return home before nightfall, the familiar structure of your house causing relief to wash over your body. limbs creaked as you made it to the front door, knocking before opening it fully to allow yourself inside. and then you stood, still, so very still and silent. you didn't take off your shoes, or shake yourself out of the drenched clothing sticking to your skin. you didn't even bother with the water now dripping onto the floor, not when the sight before you began to hurt more than any injury you've so far endured.

the smell of dinner, so warm and soothing reached your nose first. and then it was the sound of laughter, from an older woman and a small child. and then your eyes saw it. your sister sitting at the table in pjs you were sure were freshly washed and warm, as well as with a stuffed toy that looked new. and there was your mother, standing across her with a smile you rarely ever saw her make for you. these sorts of scenes were not new to you, yet it felt different. like this wasn't just your mother treating your sister kindly because she was the youngest and deserved better treatment than you.

"mama?" you asked, not knowing when you had entered the kitchen. she paused, a surprised expression crossing her features. as if she forgot that she in fact had another child she was supposed to make dinner for. who she was supposed to pick up hours ago.

but then her eyes took in your drenched state, and anger replaced her previous emotion.

"(name)! look at the mess you made! i just cleaned up!" she screamed, and suddenly her voice felt so much more harsher than before. did she always speak like this? did you really never notice?

"why didn't you come get me." you whispered, not quite able to differentiate whether the water rolling down your cheeks was from the leftover rain or tears.

she scowled, bringing over a towel. she did not wrap it around you, nor did she hand it to you. instead, she dropped it to the ground, covering the small puddle you had made, "i was busy. your sister needed new clothes and she got tired after so i took her home."

"i didn't have an umbrella."

"you got here just fine. now clean up your mess."

she turned, her back facing you and suddenly she felt so so far away. the words rushed out, tumbling like water drops out of your mouth, "do you even care about me?!"

she paused, and the house felt so quiet. when she did turn, it was only her head, and your heart sunk at the sight of her eyes. empty, no hint of emotion that would indicate even an ounce of guilt from having been asked such an absurd question. wouldn't most feel that way? shouldn't mothers feel sad that they would ever make their child think those sorts of thoughts? yet, as you stared, you understood, and you couldn't pinpoint if that was worse than her verbally saying so.

as if you weren't worth the effort to say no.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

"that's strange," you muttered to yourself, reaching up and staring at the water your fingers pulled from your face. it had been a while since you'd had a nightmare, and about your past no less. why now? why did those images haunt you at this moment?

you jumped at the sound of thunder, staring out the window and finding the rain had started up once more. the memories began to surface, too vivid for your liking and causing the tears to continue rolling down your cheeks. the memory was something you tried to ignore, the emotions and realizations from that day having shaped you into the person you are today. the sense of abandonment followed for the remaining years you spent in that house, loneliness your closest companion even now.

щнёяё щД₴ Cнї₴нїуД¿

the house was too quiet for him to be home, even by his standards. no signs of the rustling of kitchen equipment nor his soft breathing in the other room. you were always vaguely aware of his presence, yet it was currently not there for you to focus on.

нё lёfт уоц jц₴т lїкё ёvёяуоиё ёl₴ё.

"why are you crying?"

you tear your eyes from the window, both surprise and relief crossing over your features. there was the very man you found yourself aching for, an umbrella in one hand and a plastic bag in the other, water falling from the former. your mouth opened, then closed, then opened once more, words suddenly trapped upon your tongue.

and then the tears rushed out, not even you knowing why, "i thought-"

he sighed, leaning the umbrella against the wall and taking long strides towards the bed. he pulled over his chair, sitting down by the bed and opening the plastic bag that had previously grabbed your curiosity. your loss for words continued at the sight of the contents, revealed to be several worn out books, "you'll be bored so i thought i'd bring some for you. don't complain if you've read them already."

quietly you take the book in your hand, running your fingers over the cover and feeling the rough edges of the pages. your chest tightened, eyes remaining glued to the words as your voice broke, "i'm sorry."

you didn't know why you were apologizing, but you didn't need to explain yourself to chishiya. he knew, and you were grateful that you had someone to read you in that moment.

he leaned forward, eyes resting quietly on your figure, so much so you felt your chest tighten, this time in a good way, at the sight, "i thought i told you i wasn't leaving."

you laughed, disbelief evident in the sound, "it's hard to believe a thing when all your life you've felt nothing but abandonment. plus the several times you..." you trailed off, not wanting to finish your sentence. but the implications were there, and you knew chishiya realized what you were trying to say.

"i will admit, i was a little bit of an asshole." he sighed, causing another laugh to erupt from your throat.

"a little?"

he narrowed his eyes at you, however not yet quite cold, "i had a right to be upset too."

"yeah, but," you smiled knowingly, "you knew i was right."

he returned it, a small shrug following quickly after, "perhaps."

silence settled like a blanket over the atmosphere, calm and reassuring. your eyes continued to stare at the object in your lap, feeling that overwhelming emotion of fondness. this scenario, it reminded you of something. what was it? why did it feel so vaguely familiar?

"you know, i was never interested in any of this." chishiya was the first to break your silence, as well as your train of thought.

"this?" you questioned, unsure what he was talking about.

"human relationships." he explained, a small chuckle leaving his throat, "i don't care about people's hearts. i don't want to know how people work or how they think. they're all selfish anyways."

you didn't interrupt him, despite how you wanted to disagree. people weren't selfish, at least not everyone. and like chishiya had told you before, wasn't being selfish sometimes a good thing? shouldn't you be allowed to want certain things for yourself?

once more your thoughts paused and the feather light touch of a hand against yours could be felt, not quite finding purchase but enough for you to feel that he was there. or maybe it was meant to reassure himself. his throat moved, perhaps his attempt to clear the tightness and arrange the words evidently playing on the tip of his tongue. "but then i met you. and it was weird. i had never been so interested in a human being before. and through time i found that..." he paused, glancing up for a brief moment before holding your fingers more securely, "you're the only heart i want to learn more about."

your breath caught in your throat, twisting and turning the words in your mind. it played on repeat, echoing inside your mind and suddenly you were crying, endless tears spilling down your cheeks. yet it wasn't for the same reasons as before. this time your heart ached for a good reason, feeling so full and loved that you couldn't even begin to comprehend it to its full extent. you knew chishiya cared for you, it was the reason why you had gone through hell and back just to get him back. yet hearing him say those words, knowing chishiya's previous views and realizing what he meant had you falling down the rabbit hole of loving him all over again for the third time.

"you're in a very emotional state today." he laughed, fingers reaching up and gently prodding at the corners of your eyes. half halfheartedly you punched him in the arm, which probably felt more like a nudge than an actual act of violence, yet chishiya still quit his teasing, returning to silently wiping your tears.

"when you say sappy things like that of course im going to cry." you mumbled once the sobs had quieted down. you felt tired now, leaning forward to rest your head against his shoulder. you breathed shakily, breathing in his scent, his warmth, his everything, and reaching up to feel him more closely. you wanted to stay in that position, forgetting about tomorrow and everything beyond. perhaps then you would be able to appreciate everything he had to offer in that moment.

he mumbled something, low and faint in your ears and tickling them quite nicely. the syllables painted themselves on your skin, sinking in and causing you to tighten the loose hold you had on his body. your heart began to thunder in your chest and you felt his own beat against yours, syncing and easing every tense bone in your body. this was good. safe. warm and inviting. your fingers reached up to the nape of his neck, curling the blond strands between the appendages. you bury further into his arms, nose nudging a spot on his neck that elicits a small sigh. you mumbled back, mouthing the words on his own skin, engraving them so his body knew only those syllables. his own hands tightened in response, as if it were possible to bring your souls closer than before.

"i love you."

"i love you."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё ¿

Notes:

enjoy the fluff cuz manga readers know what happens after this :DD

also im so SAD theres only 3 chapters left :((

Chapter 32: ⌈ 30 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

it was quiet when you awoke. not particularly a deadly silence, for thunder still rumbled in the distance and rain still tapped against the window. a small groan would slip from your lips, eyes blinking heavily against what little light greeted you through the curtains not fully pulled back. and then you'd sigh. a long sound, muscles relaxing under the sheets covering your body. strangely enough it was warm, despite a sweater being the only thing that rested upon your shoulders and the lack of a body beside your own.

confusion wrote itself upon your face at the prospect, fingers curling the sheets before pulling them away completely. sure enough there was no sign of chishiya, who had slumbered peacefully just hours before. you still remembered the image clearly, having noted the parted lips bruised from kissing and features showing no sign of weariness. just peace. a completely foreign look on the man's face.

slowly you brought your body up, surprised to find that the ache in your side was nothing but that. an ache. perhaps resting really had helped the healing process, much more than you had expected. maybe it also meant that pretty soon you could play the final game you had anticipated since the moment the broadcast aired. a game with a woman you had once feared, but now considered your greatest challenge. the last obstacle to leaving the borderlands once and for all.

you shook yourself of those thoughts, deciding that despite the game sure to happen in the near future, you'd wait until that time had come to think of mira and any sort of psychological warfare. instead you allowed your eyes to drift towards the window panes blurred by water, raindrops racing down the smooth surface. it felt like rain was the only weather japan knew at the moment, for it had been happening for several days. another soft sigh escaped your lips, wondering when the weather would return to normal.

"i'm surprised my rummaging woke you up. you slept through a whole typhoon."

you didn't startle at the sudden sound, knowing who the teasing tone belonged to. your lips twitched up into an easy smile, head turning to find chishiya standing by the entrance of the doorway. without the lights on you could only make out the outline of the dress shirt he wore beneath his cardigan, along with the blond hair reaching his shoulders. you could barely make out any expression, but if you had to guess, it would be his signature smirk with amusement reflecting across hickory brown.

much too delayed you recalled his previous statement, your smile suddenly replaced by a shocked expression, "there was a typhoon?"

"it was quite the sight," he chuckled, taking several small steps towards the bed you sat upon, "pretty noisy too."

"i had no idea...i slept like a baby." you muttered, trying to recall even a fragment of memory belonging to harsh winds and crashing waves. yet the only scenes to surface were the ones before you fell asleep, filled with light touches and lingering kisses.

another laugh came from his throat, his steps pausing right beside you. however, chishiya did not pull back the covers to join you like before. he did not sit, and it was then that you noticed the shoes on his feet and the umbrella he twirled between his fingers, indicating only one thing.

"chishiya?" you asked quietly, your breath soft against the pattering rain. it was a question, and you glanced up to search his eyes for an answer.

this time you could spot the emotion in his gaze, which made the thought in your head all too real. perhaps realizing you had figured him out he reached his free hand forward, cold fingers resting softly on the top of your head, "you should go back to sleep."

"you're leaving, aren't you?" you whispered, the string of words being spoken aloud leaving a bitter taste on your tongue.

chishiya released a small breath, almost like a sigh, as his eyes flickered away for a moment before returning, "i was going to be back before you noticed."

"there's still a diamonds game, isn't there?" it had to be the only reason chishiya was willing to leave. surely he wouldn't do it for any other reason. but if that were the case, there'd be no stopping him from going. even you could understand that.

"i spotted it when i went out to look for some food." he answered truthfully, confirming your theories.

"which one is it?"

he didn't answer right away, but when he did your breath fell short within your throat, "king of diamonds."

anxiously you reached up and took his hand, intertwining the fingertips as if it would aid in keeping him close. you didn't speak for several long moments, mind preoccupied on memorizing the lines in his palms and the cool skin pressed against your own. chishiya didn't speak either, understanding that the brows drawn together and the occasional tightening of your hands was needed. there were even moments when you felt him squeeze back, paired with his thumb lightly rubbing small shapes into the skin.

"i want to say you can't but i'd sound like a hypocrite," you laughed, though the sound felt wrong in your throat. hollow.

"are you underestimating my intelligence?" chishiya grinned, that teasing lilt that you grew to adore laced in his tone. this time your laugh wasn't forced. it came easily, gently easing the anxieties plaguing your heart.

"of course not," you returned his grin, "though i'm sure if i was there you'd have a run for your money."

he said nothing, perhaps knowing that you were indeed right. pretty soon however the worry returned, and a part of you still wanted to beg. to plead with him to not go and stay safe within the blankets you found comfort in. yet you knew what the right thing to do was, and that was to finish these games so you could go home. so you didn't have to worry about death wherever you ventured. so you could have a proper life with the man you loved.

"i'll return." he spoke quietly, bringing you from your thoughts.

they were simple words, only three syllables. and yet you smiled, taking your intertwined hands and pressing your lips against the soft skin, "i know."

you remained in that position for only a beat longer before you released him, dropping your hands into your lap and watching him take several long strides to the door. just as he was about to pass through the doorway he paused, turning back once more. your gazes locked, so much being conveyed between the brief look. it took only several more seconds for chishiya to be satisfied, his hand giving you a light wave before disappearing completely.

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

you read each book several times to occupy yourself for the next several hours.

by then the rain had quieted down to a soft sprinkle, no longer tapping against the window and even allowing the clouds once covering the sky to disperse. it was a pretty sight, reminding you of your childhood memories filled with puddles and glistening plants. and you were sure if you opened the window the air would feel crisp, cool against your skin.

you continued flipping through the pages, now familiar with the words as if you had written it yourself. chishiya was right, you had read some of these novels before, and the ones you hadn't were completed within an hour. perhaps each second that ticked by without the rattle of a doorknob indicating the man's arrival had your anxieties growing, mind desperate to flood your brain with any sort of information to keep yourself distracted. it was better than the tightening of your chest when another hour passed, and the parched throat you could barely speak from.

when the back end of the book met the last page you released a long sigh, staring at the pile that littered your bed. by now you had grown bored of the same story, meaning you could no longer turn to paper for a semblance of peace amongst the chaos of your mind.

you flick your eyes towards the doorway, spirit dimming when it remained empty. he should be back by now, shouldn't he? unless the game was as long as your previous one, then his absence would make sense. but what if that wasn't it? what if something had happened to chishiya? what if-

BANG!

you startled at the sound, faint for it had come from outside but loud enough for you to know it had been close by. you stared at the window, searching for a hint as to what had just happened. was it the king of spades? but no matter how much you looked you could not see any trace of the blimp hovering in the sky. then what was it? were players fighting it out nearby?

and then you saw it. the short black hair, the sneakers, an arm supported by a sling.

you didn't allow yourself to think further than vague recognition as you pulled the covers back, slipping on your shoes and rushing out the door. rain lay itself softly against your skin, touching the tip of your nose and the mess of hair atop your head. but you didn't stop, not until you found her figure up ahead and clasped your fingers around her wrist.

usagi froze only for a moment before relaxing her features at recognizing your own, a relieved smile breaking out across her face.

she pulled you into a hug, and you breathed in the scent of rain and tree bark stuck to her clothes, "you're alive," she laughed, and you hadn't realized how much you missed the sound until then.

"takes a lot to get rid of me," you smiled, releasing her from your arms. you had so many questions, most concerning what she had done after you parted ways and about a boy with shaggy black hair. yet the words died in your throat at the sound of more gunshots, and yelling in the distance.

you both turned at the sound, and you couldn't help the nausea that settled in your stomach.

"i cant find arisu," usagi finally spoke, her eyes set on the direction the commotion had come from. worry engraved itself deep into her eyes, and you were sure you bore a similar look, "he was supposed to come back with food but he's late. i got worried. and then i heard..."

the gunshots. the possibility was low, you were sure there was still a handful of players left, and any one of them could've been shooting at each other. but that small percentage, what if that was it? what if they had gotten caught up into something they weren't supposed to? whether it were arisu or chishiya, you had to make sure.

"come on." you spoke, starting to tread forward. you didn't need to turn to know usagi was already following closely behind, the dirt crunching beneath her shoes a sure enough indicator.

each step you took had your heart pounding even quicker than before, breaths coming in short through your nose. the rain had completely dampened your clothes by then, hair sticking to your skin and clothes following a similar route. if the situation were different you would've laughed at the predicament you found yourself in one too many times, and at the scolding you would receive from chishiya were he to find out you came out in the pouring rain in your condition.

"(name)." usagi's voice brought you from your thoughts, and you briefly paused in your steps. you turned, studying her face to find that her gaze was set on something up ahead. you, too, turned to follow her line of sight, at first only seeing several abandoned cars. but then you stared more closely, specifically at the white truck and body slumped against it.

both your steps quickened, desperate to close the distance. you recognized that dress shirt. those pants and that hair. even so you prayed that you were wrong. that your eyes were deceiving you simply because you were anxious and you wanted to find him everywhere you looked. yet the closer you got you even recognized those brown eyes, staring defeated at the ground.

you stumbled, foot caught on a plant that had long overcome the asphalt that used to be the road. when you regained your balance you brought your body to a complete stop, shocked at the scene before you.

chishiya shuntarou, leaning against an abandoned white truck. blood ran down the side of his face, hair sticking to his skin as if the umbrella he had brought had just been for show. and arisu ryohei, standing by a smaller car just several feet away.

both their attention turned towards you and usagi, eyes widened with the same shock you were currently experiencing. and what was that other emotion? was it...fear? but why? were they scared at having been caught trying to kill each other in the middle of the city?

"what..." usagi breathed, switching between the two individuals, "are you guys doing?"

"usagi?! (name)?!" arisu glanced between you both, his tone more urgent than surprised. something wasn't right, "why are you guys here?!"

usagi blinked in surprise, "why? you were late coming back..."

"(name)," chishiya moved, only to wince in pain and slump back against the truck. it was then that you noticed his current state, and the hand clutching desperately onto his chest, "you...you shouldn't be here. you need to leave."

"leave?" you repeated, eyes still set on the blood pooling from his hands. why weren't you moving? why couldn't you move? "chishiya i was worried sick and- and i find you here bleeding- why are you bleeding?!"

"so that sound earlier really was a gunshot?" usagi's eyes widened, a lightbulb flickering inside her head, "don't tell me...you guys!"

a large round of coughs brought you all from your tiny quarrel, eyes drifting towards the source of the sound.

you almost didn't recognize him at first. bandages covered almost every inch of skin, and what little was visible appeared red and scarred. even his face was obscured by fabric, however closer inspection had you recognizing it almost immediately. whatever doubts you had about his identity ceased, and what replaced it was a sense of fear.

niragi laughed, the sound coming out broken and hoarse, "so, it's you two...i forgot i never killed you. that damn aguni stopped me before i could. but since you're both here..." he trailed off, beginning to mutter to himself. you could barely make out the sounds, not with the pounding in your ears and your own disarray of thoughts. arisu however, seemed to have heard him clearly, and he turned towards usagi with such urgency you begun to grow scared.

"usagi!" he screamed, startling the girl beside you, "run!"

"if you disappear...just one will do...." niragi raised his gun, and suddenly his intentions were made clear, "the three of us will return to being the same..."

"usagi we have to go!" you gripped her arm, trying to coax the girl from her spot. your hands shook, glancing between the man several feet away and the girl staring with widened eyes. why was it so hard to move? to speak? why couldn't you-

"i don't want to be alone anymore!" niragi screamed, and you could only register the finger pulling against the trigger before you finally pushed her aside.

"shit! usagi!"

BANG!

the groan that escaped your lips was that of pain. you couldn't register what exactly hurt, not with your head spinning and eyes blinking rapidly against the sudden change in scenery. it had all happened too fast for you to comprehend. arisu picking up his gun, you pulling usagi away from the end of the barrel. and you, what happened to you? you're on the ground, but how did you get there? quickly you felt around your body, but the only part that had your groans rising was the already bandaged wound from a different game. usagi laid right beside you, no indication of injury. yet, you had seen niragi pull the trigger. there was no way he missed. then who..?

and that was when you glanced up, and felt like the world had shattered by your feet.

"chishiya?" you spoke quietly, afraid of the sight before you. there was so much blood. too much of it. why was he bleeding again, and from a different spot this time? why was it turning his shirt from blue to red? why won't it stop?

hickory brown rested on your figure, several emotions crossing over his face all at once. pain. fear. relief. and then peace. that damned cat smiled, and you could barely hear your scream when he fell to the floor without another sound.

"chishiya!" the sound of his name was more urgent this time, your body scrambling to be by his side. his eyes blinked up at you, studying your face and the relief you had caught before was more prominent now, a soft sigh leaving his lips.

"i made it...in time."

he had pushed you out of the way. he had willingly put himself in a position to get hurt to save you.

"no. no no no no no this can't be real this can't-" you shook your head, ignoring the tears spilling down your cheeks as your hands hastily began applying pressure on the bullet wound in his chest, "dumbass! why...why would you do that?!"

chishiya gave you a small smile. not a smirk, not a sign of mockery. a genuine quirk of his mouth, "remember you said...that you'd die for me? this is...me proving i'd do the same."

"no! you aren't dying! not here! usagi!" you looked at her, her eyes still widened in shock, her body unmoving, "the store! there-there should be something to help! anything!"

she glanced over at you, mouth opening and closing several times with no words coming out. why wasn't she saying anything? why wasn't she helping? you almost moved to do it yourself, only to turn your attention back to the blond when you felt his hand on your cheeks, fingers ghosting over the skin.

"i have maybe half a day left." he begun, and you shook your head once more in response, not allowing him to continue that thought.

"shut up! why won't the bleeding stop?! why isn't it-" more sobs racked your body, uncontrollable now that reality had finally hit you and your hands had become soaked with the color. chishiya couldn't die like this. you couldnt let another person die by your hands. not him, "please...don't leave me. not like this. why did you choose now to be a hero huh?!"

"maybe i just wanted to try being uncharacteristic," he laughed, shifting his gaze to stare at the sky, "maybe it was because you always thought i'd change. after taking it all in...i thought about how i'd just be wasting my days in this boring place. there's still a whole knew unknown world awaiting. maybe that was it. maybe the prospect of changing in order to see the future ahead didn't sound so bad."

but you knew. you knew why. and chishiya knew you knew. 'because i love you' his eyes seemed to say.

"can i tell you something?" he turned towards you once more, voice lower now, "it's important."

you glared at him, shaking your head so many times it began to throb, "don't say it. don't you dare. tell me when you're all better. when we go back home don't-" another round of tears began to fall, not stopping even as chishya's blood stained hands reached up to wipe them away.

"come on now. your face gets all puffy when you cry."

chishiya waited until they ceased. until the only sounds leaving your lips were shaky breaths you struggled to release. he waited until you were willing to listen. and when he deemed that time to have come, he never took his eyes from your face.

"i used to view human beings as foolish. i especially despised the sincere ones," the smirk playing on his lips felt both right and wrong at the same time, and you didn't know if you were relieved or saddened at the sight, "i used to despise you."

you laughed, the sound broken but unable to stop itself from being heard, "the feeling was mutual." you remembered it. how he had pissed you off so many times in the beginning. yet he was unrelenting. and so were you.

he smiled, softly, before continuing, "i couldn't help but berate those who put in all their effort. i couldn't stop the psychological abuse. i couldn't get by without hurting someone. i couldn't help shunning people's good will and intentions." this time he was the one to laugh, mainly at himself, "well, i was probably jealous. they were things i never had. for what purpose do i live? to what end? it was like i existed to show just how empty a human can be."

he paused, the rise and fall of his chest quicker now. you reached up and ran your fingers through his hair, urging him to continue.

"i always thought i was horrible. i sort of am. but you never made me feel that way. you saw the good in me not even i noticed," his gaze softened, and there it was again. that vulnerability he rarely expressed, "i...never felt empty when i was with you."

there were times when you didn't understand chishiya. no matter how much studying you did, of his features, his actions, his words, there were still things you learnt about him. things you had to piece together yourself. yet at that moment, you felt as if you knew him better than you knew yourself. you understood everything. all the why's and what if's, they no longer confused you. in the end he was just a person who wanted to feel, to be understood, and the man you loved enough to do so for him.

"chi-" you paused, swallowing the lump inside your throat, "shuntaro."

"ah, why did you have to say my name when i'm dying?"

"this can't be the end. it can't. theres still so much we haven't done yet." you croaked, finding that the tears were welling up again. you struggled to push them back down.

"you'll survive right? defeat the last game? you...you deserve to go home."

"you can't...you aren't dead yet, so you don't get to say that. you have to survive for me too."

he drew his brows together, lips parting softly, "(name)."

"who else is going to hold my books for me?" you were shouting now, replaying the images in your head, "who else is going to take me to class and pet my head when i'm sad? who else am i going to eat strawberries with even though they're sour?!"

"they aren't that bitter."

"please, i just got you back," you cried, holding his face in the palm of your hands. would the warmth that you felt leave eventually? would the eyes you adored stop looking at you like that? you couldn't imagine it, a life without him. you had grown so accustomed to having him by your side that you never wanted to spend another day without his company, "you don't get to leave so suddenly chishiya."

"i like the way you say my name. it's never out of spite," he laughed, blood sputtering from his lips, "ah, i really love you."

the sobs increased, the tears dropping silently onto his clothes. your pressure slackened, hands bloodied and trembling uncontrollably. his own reaches up to nudge against yours, a single pinky interlocking with your own appendage. the sight had the crying increase, wails echoing in the streets.

they only quiet when you heard groaning, in the distance where another figure lay. you lift your head, staring at the bandages and fabrics thrown messily over his body. his chest rises, then falls, and rises again, proving that he was still alive.

and it angered you.

without a word you stood up, confusing the three eyes following your figure. you stumbled through the grass, wet from the rain still falling and stop by his figure.

"getting shot by a shotgun surprisingly didn't kill me," his eyes settle on you, not surprised to find you there, "are you here to finish the job?"

you didn't answer at first, clenching and unclenching the fists by your side. finally you come to a decision, walking back to arisu and taking the gun still grasped in his hand. his surprise was enough to allow you to take it easily, their shouts at you to stop drowning in the rain.

you point the end of the weapon at his chest, right over his heart, "and what if i am?"

"do it," he coughed, breaths now weak wheezes from the time passed, "i'm going to die anyways, might as well make my death quick."

"(name)!" arisu reaches you, concern etched deeply onto his features, "put it down, you don't want to shoot him."

"you're right arisu," you muttered, lowering the weapon, "i don't want him to die."

you wanted him to suffer.

you don't exactly remember doing it. the images from your memory are all blurs. the gun in your hands thrusted against his body, blow after blow sickening in your ears. niragi's heightened groans of pain each time the barrel made contact with his already sensitive skin. the tears streaming down your cheeks, angry and hurt and burning. was it wrong of you? to inflict pain on him when he had hurt others without a second thought? the pain he caused usagi. chishiya. the pain he had caused you. should you have felt guilty for making him pay for the sins he would otherwise never have to face?

you only stopped when arisu wrapped his arms around your body and pulled you away, shouting at you as you struggled in his grasp. you remembered screaming at him to let you go, profanities tearing themselves from your throat. even usagi pulled your arms away, helping the boy calm the thrashing of your limbs trying to escape. eventually however, you tired, and suddenly you were a slump on the floor crying once more.

"i'm sorry...." you sobbed, finding that your tears had grown lost in the rain. usagi and arisu shared a look, pity in their gaze, but understanding passing through them as well.

the girl walked over to you, crouched down and placed a gentle hand along your upper arm, "we can still save him."

you lift your head at that, waiting expectantly for her to continue. usagi smiled, helping you up and bringing you over to where chishiya still lay. your heart hurt once more at the sight, his concern evident in his eyes. you reached down and cupped the side of his face, stroking your thumb along the apple of his cheeks.

as she helped you rip fabrics and place them over his wounds she spoke, voice clear in your ears, "if we clear all the games, we may be able to go back to the old world."

your movements falten, understanding what she was trying to say. if you defeated the remaining games, that would be the end. you could get the medical attention chishiya needed and save him. instead of mourning over his injuries and raging over niragi, you could do something about it. you didn't know how long the games would be, and if you would even make it in time. but you had to try. for him.

"usagi," arisu had since moved to hover above you both, his eyes set on the girl beside you, "what do you want to do?"

she turned towards him, quiet for a moment before placing her hands on her knees and standing up, "it's just as i said. i only believe what i see with my own eyes. that's why i want to confirm the truth. until the very end i want to fight."

arisu appeared shocked, as if the context of her words were something he had not once allowed to pass through his mind. he stumbled, opening his mouth and letting it remain that way as if he struggled to speak, "i-"

a large explosion shook the ground around you, shaking your body and mind. instinctively you pulled yourself closer to chishiya, simultaneously glancing around for the source. your eyes widened when you spotted a large figure falling from the sky, aflame and producing copious amounts of black smoke. you brought your arm up to shield your face, only lowering it when it had hit the ground and remained still.

your eyes widened at the sight revealed when the smoke cleared, unable to understand if it were real or not.

"a blimp?!" arisu shouted, taking a step closer. you squinted your own eyes to stare at what remained of the card.

"it's the king of spades..." you spoke, astonished that the symbol and drawing of royalty was not a figment of your imagination. someone had managed to defeat him? how? who?

"the king of spades was defeated?!?" the two shouted, also unable to understand that such a feat had been possible. yet the evidence lay there, within viewpoint.

 

FᎾᎡ ᎪᏞᏞ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᎡᎬᏚᏆᎠᏆNᏩ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᎾᎡᎠᎬᎡᏞᎪNᎠᏚ. ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆᏚ ᎪN ᏆᎷᏢᎾᎡᎢᎪNᎢ ᎪNNᎾᏌNᏟᎬᎷᎬNᎢ .

 

whatever thoughts you had concerning the king of spades quickly vanished at the voice, instead bringing new questions with fewer answers. you glanced around at the cackle of a speaker, trying to pinpoint the source as well as listen to what it had to say.

 

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ !

ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ FᎪᏟᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ ᏩᎪᎷᎬᏚ, ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᏆᏚ ᎾNᏞY ᎾNᎬ ᎡᎬᎷᎪᏆNᏆNᏩ . YᎾᏌ'ᎡᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᎻᏆN ᎡᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎾF ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᏆNᏩ ᎪᏞᏞ ᏩᎪᎷᎬᏚ. ᏩᎾᎾᎠ ᏞᏌᏟK ᎾN YᎾᏌᎡ FᏆNᎪᏞ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ .

 

only one game. the thought felt too far to be real. you stared down at chishiya, his skin having gone pale and sweat beading along his forehead. he didn't have much time left, and as scary as the thought was, of leaving only to come back and find that he had passed without you, you had to try. you had to give him a chance.

shakily you leaned down and pressed your lips against his forehead, lingering for a moment as you whispered softly against his skin, "i will be back. i will get you the help you need. so please, hang on. if not for me then for yourself."

"it's always for you."

"don't get all sappy on me now."

"you know you love it."

you nodded, smiling down at him for what you hoped wouldn't be the last time, "i do."

you stood up, finding that arisu and usagi were staring at you expectantly. it seemed they had finished their own conversation, and based on the determination shaping their features, they planned to participate in the last venue.

"ready?" he asked, to which you nodded, the smile you had worn wiping itself completely from your face.

"let's dethrone the queen."

 

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё¿

Chapter 33: ⌈ 31 ⌋

Notes:

i didn’t mean for this to be like 12k words but that’s fine i think it gives off the effect of this being the last chapter. but fear not! there will be an epilogue! (and bonus chapters :D)

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

"arisu! how long are you going to take?!"

usagi's agitated tone easily carried throughout the otherwise silent building, brows drawn together and her sneakers tapping impatiently against the ground. said male continued to rummage through the contents laid abandoned on the floor, his movements quicker now that he had gotten a scolding from the girl.

"just a little longer!" he shouted in response, lip caught between his teeth in concentration before a victorious smile broke out across his face. his hands held up a pair of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, and quickly his body stumbled from his position to venture further into the building. usagi watched him disappear from sight, to change no doubt, before her eyes settled on you.

"uhm, (name)?" you tore your eyes from the ground at the sound of slight hesitation, studying usagi's now worried expression plastered across her face. you hummed, lightly, as indication for her to continue, and when given the okay her eyes lowered, fingers fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater, "earlier, you said something about dethroning the queen. you don't think...?"

"that the final game is the queen of hearts?" you finished, concluding you were correct when her frame tensed ever so slightly. you shifted your gaze away from her face, staring outside the window as you released a small sigh, "it's just a hunch. but normally they're proven right in due time." not to mention that with the advantage of knowing what game you were going to participate in, players would be more likely to save heart games for last.

usagi didn't say anything else at your statement. if she had wanted to, she was interrupted by arisu's voice echoing from his obscured position, "we've got no idea what awaits us in the final game, so whatever's coming, i gotta make sure i can move around easily!"

at his words you shifted your gaze down to your own body. feet adorned with worn out sneakers, a pair of chishiya's pants and his cardigan. it was comfy enough, smelled like him too, and you couldn't help but bring the fabric closer to your body to breathe in the scent of rain and clean laundry. you concluded that there was no need for you to change your own outfit, and usagi seemed to agree for she stayed rooted to her own spot as well.

when you lowered your arms back to your sides arisu finally emerged, now dressed as if he were planning to participate in a round of physical activity. he smiled at you both, so bright like the sun you couldn't help but twitch your lips up lightly in response. at least he never lost his spirit, you thought, as you and usagi followed him through the doors leading back outside.

arisu reached a hand up to massage the muscles in his shoulders, perhaps trying to ease them in order to use them more efficiently, "first we have to find the final game venue," he swiftly muttered under his breath, which you interpreted as something along the lines of hoping it wasn't too far, before he turned towards you and usagi, "let's find a tall building to lo-"

"this way!" the girl beside you broke out into a light jog, interrupting arisu's train of thought. you both shared a look, your shoulders lightly shrugging in response. but you didn't question it further as you quickly followed after her, trusting usagi's judgement.

arisu however, hesitated for a brief moment before running, confused, "usagi?"

she didn't spare him a glance as she begun to speak, eyes fixated on the sky, "this morning there was only one blimp left in minato ward. the final venue has to be there."

"this morning?" arisu mumbled, more shocked than surprised. there was also an underlying tone of sadness laced within, as if usagi's actions caused his heart to hurt deeply inside his chest. he lifted his arm, reaching a hand out as if wanting to touch her already departing figure, "usagi, you've been checking every morning?"

said girl didn't answer at first, though her movements did slow down to a brisk walk. she appeared to be thinking, jaw tensed and unwilling to glance back in his direction. finally, she opened her mouth, finding a suitable answer to his question, "just to pass the time. it's been an entire week."

arisu's eyes casted downwards, shame written all over his features, "sorry. i completely made you wait on me."

"no," still the girl didn't turn back, however you noticed the smallest smile upon her lips, "we were both still waiting on each other."

the male's features brightened ever so slightly at her words, relief sure to have washed over his body. you, too, couldn't help but smile at their interactions. arisu had needed someone like usagi in his life. you didn't have the time to understand what exactly it was, but something about her strengthened him. pushed him in the right direction. urged him to live. it has been apparent at the beach, and especially now that the three of you traveled towards the final venue.

"usagi," arisu was the first to break the small silence that had settled, now past his initial conflict, "the last blimp...what kind of ga-"

all too quickly he stopped, the abruptness of his silence urging you to glance back. arisu's face had paled, eyes wide and fixated on the sky. swiftly you followed his line of sight, a small laugh threatening to break free from your throat when you spotted the cause for arisu's strange actions.

the blimp you had been searching for finally came into sight, waving a queen of hearts card.

when you shifted your attention back to arisu his face had darkened, "so it's a hearts game."

"seems like my hunch was right." you sang, feeling both pride at being proven correct and anxious at what it meant.

all three of you ran until you reached a large clearing, with several abandoned cars and pillars running along the edge of what looked like a forest. the blimp hovered over a large building located in the middle of the trees, and right in front of the gates a crowd appeared, further proving that it was indeed the location of the last venue.

you slowed your steps down to a pause, hands placed on your knees as you gasped desperately for breath. despite your protests the pair had not slowed to a stop during your travel, forcing you to keep up with their pace. it was expected of usagi, being good at spade games and all, yet arisu being able to keep up definitely surprised you. you wouldn't have imagined that the lanky boy who barely survived your first game together would be better at physical activity than you.

eventually arisu and usagi also came to a stop only several feet in front of you, gaze taking in the very same sights you had. recognition flickered across his face, mouth agape as his own eyes scanned the crowd, "those guys...could it be?"

one of them turned, spotted the three of you and your staggering breaths, and shouted out in surprise, "arisu?!"

the rest of the crowd turned, a series of surprised shouts filling the air. your eyes flickered quickly over the faces, searching for a sign of familiarity. braids, sunglasses, kind eyes that immediately fell over your face. you ran despite how your legs ached, passing another person running towards arisu, and fell into kuina's arms with a stifled sob.

when kuina hugged you it was firm, as if she were afraid that letting go meant you would disappear once more. her face dropped into the dip in your shoulder, tears creating a wet patch on the fabric yet you didn't mind, her own clothes in a similar state. her body shook with her cries, and your own figure moved with the same rhythm and for the same reasons.

"where the hell have you been?!" she shouted, pulling back and moving her hands to grip your shoulders tightly, "i leave you and that angry bastard for two seconds and suddenly you disappear! do you have any idea how worried i was?! how much i looked for you?! how i thought-"

she paused, the angry expression she had been wearing breaking with her words. kuina's face crumbled completely, and you reached forward to embrace her tightly once more.

"i'm so sorry." you mumbled, the words mouthed into the braids on her head. you hadn't realized how much your sudden disappearance would affect her, not when you were obsessing over running away and her own safety. but things were okay now. she was okay. despite the dried blood and minor injuries blemishing her skin, kuina was alive.

"yeah, well you owe me a lot of food for all the stressing you caused me. and alcohol. i think i developed gray hairs." you laughed at her statement, pulling away and dropping your arms back to your sides.

kuina's eyes glanced behind you, and just as quick as it had first disappeared her anger returned. you only had time to turn and witness her very frightening march towards arisu and his own surprised stare before she slapped him across the face, her raised voice and profanities spewing in the air.

"and you! you're also responsible for those gray hairs! i feel like a mother hen coddling you all!"

it continued on for several more sentences before the same angry tears she had given you were released, her hands desperately wiping them away until she sobbed into them completely. you hadn't realized it at first, so focused on the scene kuina was causing, but arisu's own tears had begun to fall, perhaps having felt touched by kuina's worry and the sight of everyone you had left behind.

eventually the tears and wails were replaced by laughter, everyone coming together to embrace and greet one another. the sunglasses you had spotted earlier now lay on top of ann's head, those same intelligent and kind eyes wrinkled in the corners with her smile. the rest of the faces you didn't quite recognize, but by the familiarity in which they conversed with one another and the swimwear most of them wore you deemed them previous members of the beach.

the entirety of your group formed a small circle, voices overlapping as people rushed to explain the things they'd seen and the games they'd participated in. the young boy who had run towards arisu, who you now knew as doudou, revealed himself to be the one to defeat the king of spades, along with a girl named hikari. the woman was one of the few sitting down, one leg propped up with a bow laid beside her. you took notice of the metal tied to her body, surprising you. it looked new, like it were something she had received in the borderlands. if that were the case it was a miracle she survived, but you decided not to press on the matter.

"it feels like...it's been forever since i've had a good laugh." the voice brought you back to reality, vaguely hearing the chirps of agreement that followed. you'd also agree, yet the smile you had worn now felt off. out of place. you tried your best to ignore the feeling as arisu began to speak.

"so, we'd better get to it," he murmured quietly. a few faces in the small crowd shifted, and you took notice of the way they now turned their gaze towards the ground, expressions appearing almost...hopeless? were you reading that correctly? arisu must have taken notice as well, standing up while walking towards ann by the gates, "is someone in there right now? why else would everyone be standing around?"

ann faced her body towards the metal rails, face grim, "this."

curious, you followed after the male, eyes scanning the words now clear against the stark white paper.

 

ᎬNᎢᎡY ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ NᎾNᎬ

ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ NᎾNᎬ

ᏔᎬᎪᏢᎾN ᎬQᏌᏆᏢᎷᎬNᎢ ᎪᏞᏞᎾᏔᎬᎠ

 

well, that wasn't good. you would've felt better with a time limit, for it would give you a clear idea on how much time you could spare and still save chishiya. yet, with that sort of rule now revealed, the game could take hours for all you knew. hours you didn't have. the weapons allowed was also another thing to be skeptical about. arisu still had his shotgun slung over his shoulder, but if he was allowed to bring it in did that mean the game would allow violence? but, wouldn't that be too easy? perhaps mira wanted this. for everyone to second guess the simplicity of her rules until nothing felt right.

"certainly is ominous." arisu sighed, his thoughts similar to yours.

"of all things, it's the psychological hearts," ann begun, arms crossed over her chest while she voiced her thoughts aloud, "all of us have made it this far through cooperation. we'd all like to avoid having our ugly souls laid bare and have it end in a killing match."

no doubt the woman was reminiscing about your last heart games together. but as intelligent as ann was, heart games weren't all about turning against one another. you had participated in several venues where it simply wanted you to believe in that fact, and through the desperation to survive, you'd overlook even the easiest of solutions.

"mira knew we'd think about the witch hunt," you voiced your thoughts, lip tucked between your teeth when the image of a woman with long black hair entered your mind, "if anything, she's probably counting on those memories so only one of us go in."

"but, once it comes down to who goes in..." one of the faces you didn't know trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"we ain't just gonna let someone amongst us be the sacrifice!" kuina was quick to diminish the dark atmosphere that had settled, "we've all come this far, we should all participate!"

you let loose a short laugh at her enthusiasm, "i'm not sure everyone going would be a good idea." if you really were wrong about what mira wanted you to think, having everyone there could mean disaster. you'd rather not lose so many welcoming faces.

hikari shifted from her spot, capturing your attention, "if someone wants to go for me, it'd benefit me. and shouldn't just the ones who want to go, enter?"

this time a man spoke up, his chuckle anything but light, "this personal selection is probably already the first stage of this psychological battle."

"bingo!" you quipped, relieved that someone else had caught on to what was happening. you glanced back at the paper taped to the gate, reading over the words several times until they were engraved in your mind. you imagined mira waiting through those metal gates, probably amused by the inner turmoil everyone was experiencing. her chilling smile still felt clear in your mind, and you came to a conclusion concerning whatever test she was giving you all.

"at any rate we need to hurry," hikari spoke again, interrupting the words you had wanted to say, "if we don't do something, our friend aguni is going to die."

"aguni?!" kuina yelped in surprise, expressing your own shock. you had no idea he was still alive, assuming he had died in the fire back at the beach. but then again, niragi had somehow survived. if that were possible, aguni being alive shouldn't be a surprise.

"aguni staked his life against the king of spades for our sake." doudou murmured quietly, his crestfallen expression showing just how much the man meant to him. you remembered how he too had saved your own life, and felt for the young boy before you.

"we're in the same situation," usagi clenched her fists, a troubled expression crossing over her features, "chishiya and niragi are at death's doorstep. if we don't get them treated in the old world, they're both going to die."

"chishiya..?" kuina's shock didn't seem to have worn off, and her eyes flickered towards your face, "you found him?"

you didn't want to remember it. the blood staining your hands. the paleness of his skin. the dried tears lingering upon his face. you shook the images from your mind, replacing it with a happy one instead. you'd keep yourself together for the sake of clearing this game. of bringing him home, "and i won't lose him this time."

kuina smiled, relief washing over her face. perhaps she had been worried, knowing what had happened the first time he had disappeared. she reached over and clapped you on your shoulder, grinning a little more brightly this time, "i don't doubt it," she turned to face the entirety of the crowd, the same determination on your face now worn on hers, "that means we don't have time to be wasting."

"so everyone," arisu spoke up, gaining the party's attention, "you are all here because you feel there's a chance the surviving players get to return to the old world, right?"

"so what?" hikari muttered, not following arisu's line of thought.

"if someone clears it, and everyone gets to go home.." slowly he raised his head, hand following along with it, "for the reason of not wanting everyone to be put in danger, would it be alright if i alone participated in the game?"

several mouths opened in shock, and only one person found the ability to speak, "that would totally be nice of you, but are you serious?"

"well," he reached up to scratch at his neck, now appearing embarassed, "trying to act cool is just a front. but the real reason...is that i just really want to know the answer."

the answer, huh? the reason why everyone but yourselves disappeared. why you had to participate in these games in order to survive. why so many friends had died. there had been a time when you wanted to figure it out too. to pick apart the masterminds brain in order to understand the reasoning behind their actions, and why out of everyone they had chosen you. and yet, the only thing you could think about at the moment was how stupid it all was.

"ever since coming to the borderlands, everyday has been a constant battle just to survive to the next day. but ultimately, i need an answer to keep moving forward," arisu became more confident the longer he spoke, brightening almost everyone's spirits with his words, "this might be the last chance to meet with a citizen of the borderlands. i want to chat with the queen of hearts. it might be a stupid reason, but this is my proposal for my candidacy."

"it is a stupid reason," you agreed, surprising nearly everyone who had quietly listened. yet you couldn't help yourself, the tightness in your chest after listening to arisu speak causing you to feel something you had never felt towards the male before. angry.

"(name)?"

you blinked, the sight of everyone staring at you causing the flame to weaken. you let out a deep breath, shaking your head, "nothing. i'm going too."

"wait but-"

"i didn't leave chishiya alone to just sit around and wait. besides, i've played way more heart games than you," you reached a hand up over your chest, hoping he would understand the desperation in your tone, "i know mira. i'm gonna be your best shot at winning."

"in that case...im going too," usagi also raised her hand, urging you to turn your head towards her figure, "in the past, there have been games where several people are necessary to clear. this might be a game where it would be advantageous to have a trusted partner. you need solid support, right?"

"but read it a different way, and this could become a game where you kill your teammates."

usagi merely glanced at ann before settling her eyes towards the ground, brows drawn together in deep thought, "in that case, three people would minimize casualties. i'm already prepared for the consequences."

arisu stared at her for several long, quiet moments. he seemed to be thinking something within those brown eyes, something not even you could entirely comprehend at the time. but whatever thoughts were running through his head, you didn't doubt the emotions swelling in his chest. that much was obvious.

"cause of all you said, i ain't gonna stand by while you three propose yourselves. we can't be pushing all the responsibilities on you three," kuina stepped forward, pointing her thumb towards her chest, "if four's too many, i'm gonna have one of you yield to me."

"kuina," arisu mumbled, his eyes softening at her words. he turned to face the crowd, "everyone, what do you want to do?"

ann was the first to speak, "i don't have much enthusiasm for a psychological battle, but i agree with kuina."

"i never intended to let someone else do the job for me!" doudou was the second to follow.

one by one the rest of the players spoke out their thoughts, ultimately agreeing to join the ones planning to participate in the game. by the end not one person was willing to stay, and not one faltered from their decision.

"not a single person gathered here in front of the final game venue is willing to let someone become a sacrifice for their sake!" kuina shouted, everyone nodding slightly in agreement.

"i see, everyone wants to go...oh well," arisu straightened, "how about we settle it with rock paper scissors?"

"rock paper scissors?" kuina asked in confusion.

"all of us....in the past...lived in a world where it was best to think of only yourself and interacting with others would only result in loss."

you lowered your gaze at his words, almost laughing at yourself. it sounded like something chishiya would say, though in a more condescending tone you could imagine. this world also held that idealogy, and it had caused many people to change, yourself included. yet, you doubted the current citizens of the borderlands expected this. to see so many of the players gathered together, trusting and depending on one another. so many who were willing to stick together in one of the hardest games yet. a part of you wished chishiya were here to witness it. he would've laughed at the sight of something he had thought to be impossible.

"...i'm glad that i met each and everyone one of you," you reminded yourself to tune in to arisu's small speech, finding that he now wore a soft smile, "i won't complain about whoever is selected. i will completely entrust this final game to the two who win rock paper scissors."

"haha.."

"i'm good at rock paper scissors you know!"

"there's no other way! we just have to go for it!"

"i'm gonna win it all!"

you shook your head at the voices, though you couldn't help the smile resting lightly on your own lips. this just meant you'd have to try your best to win as well, and trust whoever was chosen to clear the game. you held out your hand, switching between each and every face while moving it in sync with the blurred words.

"rock paper scissors! shoot!"

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

"you cheated, didn't you?"

arisu's question had you smiling, amused at having been caught so quickly, and yet you still feigned innocence, "is that what it's called? i merely guessed what everyone was going to choose and made the best decision."

he returned the smile, not at all bothered by the slight teasing. however, just as quick, he turned and allowed the expression to fall, now serious, "if this game is going to have rules where participants kill each other-"

"don't finish that sentence," you interrupted him, keeping your smile when he turned to glance at you in shock, "for one, this feels like words you should say to usagi, not me. you hoped it would be her, didn't you?"

"i-"

his flabbergasted expression had you chuckling, "sorry i took her spot, but i couldn't help myself. i've been waiting for this moment since my first hearts game with mira, not to mention i have to save chishiya."

arisu shook his head, ridding himself of his previous shock as he allowed a gentle smile to fall over his lips instead, "still, thank you. for everything. for being my friend."

"i'm glad to have met you arisu," you released a dramatic sigh, reaching your arms up to stretch them out and dissipate the tense atmosphere, "but still, you won't die. neither of us will. i'll make sure of that. you'll return to usagi safe and sound and you guys can get married or whatever."

"that's-"

"oops," you apologized, though not necessarily feeling bad, "was your relationship a secret?"

arisu averted his gaze, "well, not necessarily..."

"you should know these sorts of things don't get past me, arisu," you patted his shoulder in sympathy, "i know the sight of love when i see it."

"chishiya too," he rushed, causing your movements and mischievous smile to falter, "i didnt think it was possible considering...everything. but what he did back there-it was obvious."

you threw him a bittersweet smile, releasing one last prolonged sigh, "i know."

at that point in conversation you finally made it to the end of the hall, two glass doors sure to be the entrance to the venue. you exchanged one final glance before pushing them open, breath catching in your throat at the sight.

hundreds upon hundreds of roses covered bushes and archways, each different hues and colors. by now the sun had fully come out, gentle against your skin and warming the damp clothes you still wore. you breathed, taking in the scent of mildew and fresh plants. under different circumstances you would've found the place beautiful, and would have taken it in more thoughtfully.

you and arisu continued forward through the archways, the final one above a sign plunged into the dirt. you read the words carefully.

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ
ᏟᎡᎾQᏌᎬᎢ

 

croquet? you could vaguely recall the game, though you usually associated it with foreign countries, england to be more specific. you didn't even know that people in japan played it, let alone mira. had she added her own sick twist to it? or was it simply as it said?

when you stepped through the blooming yellows and pinks a rectangular field greeted you. what looked like tinier archways littered the field, plunged into the dirt, and right across from where you stood was the woman herself, dressed in a long black dress. she was seated at a circular table, and even from the distance you could spot the chilling smile on her face.

a gloved hand reached for a porcelain tea cup, cupping it gently, "isn't it lovely the sun came out? this is an outdoor game after all. it would've been horrible in a storm," she glanced up, and you felt frozen in your spot when her eyes met yours, "welcome to the final game venue."

you forced yourself to smile, despite how you wanted to avert your gaze and run back through those glass doors. but knowing mira, she was searching for the smallest sign of weakness. you would not give her anything she desired, "hello mira. enjoying your time? i'm sure pretending to be a beach executive was boring for you."

a small giggle erupted from her throat, "well, the only things citizens can do in the first stage is supervise games. but i'm glad to see you (name). i look forward to a great game with you."

"more important than all of that," arisu spoke up, interrupting your small conversation, "will you answer this? why do all of us have to participate in these games...? what are the borderlands?"

"i'm sorry," mira said, voice so soft and genuine you almost believed the apology, "i'm unable to answer that question. it's not so much a rule, but a matter of manners. however, i will say one thing. you don't need to be suspicious. this is genuinely the last game you will be forced to participate in."

you searched for any trace of a lie. any indication that would point towards mira feeding you meaningless words to guide you to a different route in this game. and yet, as the woman stared at you, smiling, sipping at her teacup, you couldn't find anything. not a hitch in her breath nor a tremble in her tone.

you turned towards the male beside you to tell him of your lack of findings, "arisu-"

"i'm fed up with all your evasions," he shouted, causing you to jump from the loud volume of his voice, "just answer me. my friends. many of my comrades. give me a reason that justifies their death."

"the need for their deaths?" she tilt her head, and there it was again. that manic expression that had your heart dropping to your stomach, "that's always the question that humanity has tried to search for. its a tiring way of living."

arisu's entire body tensed at mira's words, taken aback by the bluntness of her inner thoughts. her expression returned to normal, and she continued her response to his question.

"maybe there's no reason to living at all. maybe the concept of my existence has no worth. thats why we yearn for a simple answer. in short," she paused, staring down at the liquid in her cup, "we're bored. it's not really an answer we seek during our possibly futile and pointless life. we fabricate something of a noble edict just to get away from our boredom. stop looking for an answer. be thankful for and treasure what you have now. it is because one seeks an answer that one suffers."

what did mira mean by that? nothing the woman just said had to be meaningless. there had to be something more to the confusing words she just spoke. did she mean that prying for answers would only result in failure? was she trying to warn you?

"im sure you're good at these psychological battles, but i won't be shaken by it. i will absolutely get you to tell me the answer surrounding this country."

you frowned at his words, "arisu. did you ignore everything she just said? you can't possibly-"

"if you wish to peek inside the mind of a monster, prepare yourself. if the further you step into the darkness, the better your opponent can see your mind," she glanced back up, seemingly studying the boy beside you, "i can already see you quite well. thats right...you've only just emerged from inside a deep tunnel...that's all the more reason for you to tread carefully. once a mind has fallen into darkness, it can become a habit."

the game hadn't even started yet and already she was getting into arisu's head. that was, if the grim expression on his face was anything to go by. if this went on any longer, you weren't sure if you'd be able to keep arisu from spiraling into whatever web the woman in front of you weaved.

you grinned, voice light in order to stir her attention away from his weakening resolve, "thanks for the words of advice mira."

she returned your smile with one of her own, "maybe it's about time i start explaining the rules!"

she got up, you and arisu following her figure stepping towards the lawn. while she made her way to her destination you lightly grabbed the sleeve of his t-shirt, yet firm enough to draw his attention.

"mira is right arisu. don't go prying into things better left unknown. just play the game," the male opened his mouth to speak, yet you were quicker to interrupt him, "please. for chishiya's sake. usagi's. everyones."

"the game were about to play is difficulty queen of hearts, croquet," you didn't give arisu any time to agree nor disagree, pulling your fingers away to listen to mira speak, "it's not very well known in japan, but its essentially billiards on a lawn. its a ball game popularised from england in the 19th century. using a wooden hammer, called a mallet, and two balls. opponents, in turn, try to progress through 6 hoops based on prescribed rules, and the first to hit the final peg with the ball wins. that being said, there are quite a lot of complicated stipulations, so it's best to learn as you play."

this was bad. sure you briefly knew of croquet, but not enough to be good at it, let alone win. would you really have to rely on luck and math for this venue rather than your perceptive thinking? was this really a hearts game? "learn as we go? could be quite troublesome for those of us who haven't heard of this game until today."

"not necessarily. because," mira reached down one final time to adjust the back of her sneakers, throwing you both a look over her shoulder, "the conditions for a player clear is simply finishing three sets of croquet without retiring."

what?

"retiring occurs when you no longer have the will to continue and abandon the game. that is the only condition for a game over."

"so it doesn't matter who wins? we just have to finish the game?" you repeated. the words felt too good on your tongue to be true.

"yes, aside from abiding by the croquet regulations, there are no other rules. as long as you don't retire from the game. i will also continue playing until the end, you have my word."

no sudden shifts of her vision, nor a tremble in her hands. everything mira just said rang true, and a part of you felt relieved. this meant you just had to play a couple matches against this women. yet, the other part of you could not let go of the suspicions continuing to rise. was it really that simple? would mira really devise a game this easy?

"there's an odd number of us," you gestured towards the three of you, "do you mind the unfair advantage?"

mira pulled her mallet to rest on her lower back, swaying gently on the heels of her feet, "croquet is normally played with two people for singles and four people for doubles. lets make this a singles match between me and one of you. however, all players in this venue share the same fate. should whoever plays fail to finish, its game over for both of you."

seemed simple enough. perhaps only one of you playing would be for the best as well. if mira really did try to do anything, although the other player couldn't substitute in, they could keep a look out for anything suspicious.

arisu was quick to turn towards you, oozing with determination, "let me play."

your lips pulled down into a small frown at his words, "i don't think thats a good idea arisu."

"why?" he tilt his head in confusion, "do you know how to play?"

"i don't but..." you couldn't shake the feeling that letting arisu be the one to play would be a bad idea, "how about another round of rock paper scissors?"

this time it was his turn to frown, "you're just gonna cheat again."

you laughed, knowing he was right, "fair enough," your eyes passed over his face and towards the sky, a small sigh leaving your lips, "but you know, i've been wanting to play this game since the broadcast aired. and in a weird sense i feel like i have to do it. you understand, don't you?"

"have you guys decided yet?" mira asked, waiting patiently in the same position she had been in before.

you shared one last glance with arisu, and the tiny nod he sent your way finalized everything.

"just three sets right?" you asked, taking several small steps towards the woman.

mira appeared excited at your participation, holding up two balls in each hand, "red and yellow or blue and black? which balls do you want?"

"i'll take the blue and black, thanks."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

mira seemed to genuinely enjoy playing.

she cheered everytime she made a ball through the billiards, and pouted when it didn't. she appeared almost...carefree. like this wasn't a game that would decide whether she lived or died. like you weren't in the borderlands and constantly surrounded by violence and death. in this small rectangular field she was just a woman, and you were just a companion she was passing the time with.

when the first set finished, mira cheered, and screamed an enthusiastic 'i won' into the open air. when she took notice of your tight lipped smile she patted you gently on the back, so reassuingly you almost didn't believe it came from the woman herself, "i guess thats expected for a beginner. there's so many rules to remember, right?"

you nodded, "sure is. felt like my brain was going to explode from trying to remember."

mira laughed, and you quietly followed her as she walked across the field, "by the way, in that earlier situation, i could've also not used the pivot ball and tried for a three ball break."

"really?" you brought a hand up towards your lips, acting surprised, "i had no idea. i guess i still have a lot to learn."

when you reached the table arisu pulled you aside, face drawn tightly in concentration, "have you figured it out?"

you slowly blinked, this time genuinely confused, "figured what out?"

"mira's intentions. what shes trying to do during this game." he explained.

a small sigh left your lips, "arisu, i don't think she's planning anything. i mean, did you even watch? she looked like a child."

"what do you mean shes not planning anything? we have to-"

"this heat really gets you sweating, huh? shall we take a break?" mira's suggestion had your conversation ending short, and you spared arisu a single glance before joining her at the round table.

she sat down, holding up her teapot, "befitting an english sport, how about some tea?"

your eyes flickered to the porcelain, putting your hands up whilst shaking your head, "i actually don't really like tea."

"really?" mira appeared surprised, gently setting it down, "is it too bitter for you?"

"something like that. i have more of a sweet tooth."

"oh! then help yourselves to some sweets! i have plenty."

"we actually ate before we got here, right arisu?" you nudged the male gently, who gave you a confused glance.

"are you sure? theres nothing wrong with a little scone."

"you're very persistent, huh?" to amuse her, you reached forward and took a treat, studying it between your fingertips, "i've never had a scone before, is it good?"

"absolutely delicious!"

"what's it made out of?"

mira narrowed her eyes at you, the look so fleeting you almost missed it. you kept on your curious expression, as if genuinely eager to know what made up such a delicious pastry.

"well, it has flour, eggs, buttermilk-"

"ah, what a shame," you put the scone down, a disappointed expression crossing over your face, "i'm actually lactose intolerant."

"yes, what a shame." she mumbled, tight lipped but smiling nonetheless.

"what exactly is going on?" arisu asked after the exchange had come to a close.

"we were just discussing pastries-"

"no i meant-" he paused, lowering his eyes to the blank tablecloth, "to be honest, i can't read what you're scheming at all...we just have to do this two more times for the clear. whats the point of it?"

mira let loose an exasperated sigh, "as ever, you're still looking for reaons. can't we just enjoy and finish what could be our last cup of tea?"

"i guess..." arisu mumbled, taking a small sip. he cleared his throat to speak once more when the cup clicked gently against the small plate beneath it, "well, since i can't figure out what you're thinking, lets start with telling me whatever you feel like. tell me, what are the borderlands?"

"i told you already, i don't want to answer that question."

arisu grit his teeth at her words. you yourself frowned, but not at mira's relunctance to answer. rather, arisu's persisting need to look for answers. without further thought you abruptly stood from your seat, grabbed a fistful of arisu's shirt and shaking him violently.

"are you serious right now arisu?!" you yelled, startling him from his previous agitation, "aguni and chishiya are dying, everyone is eager to go home, and all you want to do is look for answers?! why can't you just let it go?! she told you to stop prying and you aren't listening!!"

"i said before that i will clear this game for the sake of everyone still alive! but also," his voice broke, the cracks in his tone matching the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes, "its equally important to find the true answer for all my friends who already died! to that end, i will jump right into the enemy's trap!"

"you don't think i've lost people too?! i tried so desperatly to find ways to save everyone, but in the end i failed!" you breathed heavily, lowering your voice to a more gentle octave, "i wanted answers too arisu, but we have to prioritize whats most important in this moment!"

"now now (name), if hes so desperate to learn it can't be helped," mira brought you from your tiny quarrel, releasing another long sigh, "i guess, theres no other way. since you're so bent on finding out, shall i teach you? the answer to the borderlands?"

arisu's eyes widened, and his body relaxed from your tight grip, "you're...serious?"

"however, no matter what you're about to hear, everything is because you yourself wanted to know. don't forget that fact."

numbly you released arisu's shirt from your hands, eyes wide as you stumbled forward, "but mira, our game-"

"we can spare a little time, can't we?" you stiffened at her tone, gentle but firm. there was no convincing her to forget about arisu's curiosity now that he had pushed her buttons, and you reluctantly took your seat once more, "by the way, have you ever thought about the world in the future?"

"future?" arisu asked.

"nanotechnology. renewable energy. pluripotent cells. virtual reality. cryonics. terraforming....the science of the world you know is still nowhere near that of hopes and novels. rejoice! for all of that is now a reality! humanities's advancement of science has developed even beyond that which you can imagine. first was the onset of high speed developments in the cloud that changed the world. in 30 years, the ecnonomies of the developing countries matures, the fences of dependence surrounding standards of living are wiped away. 50 years later, the advent of gene manipulation extends human lifespans. psychoactive drugs governing the hormones inside the brain unlock higher intelligence and well being."

"wa-wait. hold on," arisu choked out, unable to comprehend everything she was saying, "what are you talking about?"

"what? well...don't you get it?" her voice lowered, dark against the otherwise sunny sky, "what i'm telling you is about a world 1000 years in your future."

"1000 years? future...?" he repeated numbly.

"along with the more intelligence humanity gains, genomics, quantum mechanics, neuroscience, the elucidation of every single aspect of the world never ends. 80 years later information from peripheral organs, skipping flesh analogs, can be fed directly into the brain. avatars and virtual reality took hold to replace a large portion of jobs and amusement in the world.

"100 years later, even cures for things like cancer and dementia are developed. the mechanism surrounding aging are understood, and by fixing DNA errors with nanomachines, "old age" is defeated. 150 years later, thanks to understanding epigenetics and gene manipulation, human genes are easily and often modified. animals with offense inhibitors are combined with humans and the interspecies desire for violence is suppressed, and "war" is defeated. 200 years later, the governing of weather is achieved via environmental control technology, and natural disasters are defeated. what's called "manual labor" is all handled by all purpose robots.

"300 years later, the mechanisms of the brain are completely analysed, thought and memory can be transplanted, and man finally defeats "death". nationalities and language are unified. the concept of funds and capital slowly disappear. finally, population and rations can be governed through further advances in science. and are entrusted to artificial intelligence's far smarter than human capacity. 400 years later, physics is conquered and man spreads to the furthest reaches of space. all of creation is understood. the existence known as God is proven. 500 years later, principles governing cause and effect are discovered. even ideas such as chance and fate can be explained using science. no more irregularities occur.

"the mechanisms governing morality and how it contributes to culture and customs begin to lose meaning. history is no longer needed. there is no need to reflect upon the past because there won't be any further mistakes. religion becomes unnecessary, even God doesn't need to watch over because the all-knowing machines already monitor everything. everything is governed perfectly. under the engine of immortality, humanity doesn't age and doesn't die. the 500 years following are simply spent under the daily influence of pleasure substances. the shackles of time have been weakened, with fragmented moments fluttering about in the void of sensations. when, how, and with no one in particular, we simply experience happiness for eternity."

mira remained silent for several moments, brown hues scanning over your faces to gauge your reactions. while arisu remained still, pale and sweating, you kept your expression neutral. she appeared satisfied at the response.

"that is what we as humanity desired in the advancement of civilization. a world 1000 years in the future." she finally finished, this time remaining quiet for good.

"wow, how very interesting," you clapped lightly in applause, before lowering your hands to rest your face in them instead, "is this story connected to how the borderlands came to be?"

"you're too smart for your own good (name)," mira complimented, "that vacation period where humanity understood the world continued for a few hundred years. and a slight change happened. we became bored."

"bored?" arisu finally spoke, his voice cracked and raspy.

"the first person to stop receiving the idyllic life of pleasure had a simple interest. it was an anachronisms from this age. a technology from over 900 years prior. virtual reality."

"you..." arisu quickly cleared his throat, "you're not implying...that the borderlands is such a place, are you?"

mira smiled, "in summary, all of us in the borderlands live 1000 years in the future. we players in this elaborately programmed grand playing field imbued the memories of the appropriate age into our favorite avatars and are experiencing the true thrill of life and death amidst these games. in the end, man was never able to defeat boredom. in a world where a limitless lifetime is guaranteed with plentiful sustenance and health, humanity no longer needed to cherish surviving day to day. consequently, they discovered unbearable boredom. pleasure and happiness alone could not fill the void. humanity's basic lust is to desire suffering.

"they came to a realization. only the extremes of suffering could their basic nature, that inherent lust, be satisfied. its a disease of extravagance; boredom pushes you to seek situations to feel alive. you two only have memories of this current age, but should also have experienced this, right? if you die, that's the end. with the best extent of safeties in place, you still try to enjoy suffering. now, if you know that you're in a virtual world, you wouldn't be able to truly savor suffering. that's why all the memories of the age you live in are erased, and avatars with planted memories experience the borderlands. after returning to reality from this land where death is experienced, all those memories can be reflected upon to gain a new pleasure from life as a distraction form the endless boredom.

"to compress it all down, humans, without the deadline called death, cannot truly live. so to one who can no longer die, the very desire to experience death has simply become the greatest amusement. to put it in words you can understand, going to the borderlands is an act of leisure. it stimulates your sensations and places a moderate load on your brain to experience fresh excitement. its like an overseas vacation." mira sighed, bringing her teacup up to her lips, "that's why i didn't want to talk about it. now that you know its just a game, you won't play seriously anymore."

"so everyone who died?"

mira shrugged, "they've probably returned to reality. they're probably having a blast talking about the experiences they went through."

the male shook his head, blinking rapidly as if trying to retain everything and make snese of the syllables, "why...did the setting have to be 1000 years in the past?"

"no real reason," mira put her cup back down, adding a cube of sugar and swirling the liquid with a spoon, "it was just the most popular. all of us living without reason at the ends of history were captivated by your interval of time where you had no purpose living. while i'm at it, i'll let you know that players who clear all the games will be given the choice of whether to return to reality, or continue in the lands as citizens. if you become citizens, you get to enjoy creating a supervising these games. you get to fight the next few hundred players who rise through the ranks and you get to savor even more treacherous games with low probabilities of survival. nearly impossible games, so to say?"

"how do you...know all this?" he asked.

"that's..." she paused, putting the spoon down and instead bringing her gloved hands to her face. she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, grinning wickedly, "because i'm the person who started it all. i'm the manager of the entire system."

silence settled, as both you and arisu took in the information she just gave you. but while arisu paled, appearing to have seen a ghost, you grinned, clapping your hands in amazement.

"i never would have imagined!" you exclaimed, smiled widening as you too lowered your tone to a dark mutter, "too bad its all bullshit."

"what?" he quickly turned to look at you, unable to understand how you could smile in such a situation. how you could listen to her speak and deem it as a lie. but it had been obvious from the start. you had just listened to amuse her.

"everything mira just said. it was a lie. well, most of it," you backtracked, locking your gaze with her own, "that last bit wasn't a lie now was it? we really get to chose whether to stay or not."

the woman brought her hands together to applause, "you're so good at detecting lies (name)! i'm impressed!"

"what? so everything...?" arisu trailed off, stiffening at mira's next words.

"was a nice story i made up that i thought you would enjoy."

"are you fucking with us?" he stood up, knuckles turning white from how tightly he clenched them into fists. the shock has now worn off, replaced by an anger you rarely ever saw on the otherwise gentle male.

"yes," she answered honestly, smirk stretching her lips and mischief gleaming in those irises, "i am."

"are you satisfied arisu?" you muttered, staring at the sky. it was mid-day now, getting closer to late afternoon. so much time wasted, and for nothing.

"i didn't think-i thought-"

"you still don't understand?" mira asked, grabbing both of your attention once more, "the idea of an answer depending on my whim could be absolutely anything. if you didn't like the answer i just gave you, how about we try a different one?"

mira continued to explain whatever stories she had kept in the confines of her mind. an alien invasion where humans were forced to participate in games. an air pollutant that caused everyone to hallucinate the entirety of the borderlands. a hole between the sun and earth, a nuclear invasion, anything to make the whites of arisu's eyes grow larger and to further piss him off.

when she finished, the smile on her face still hadn't faltered, and she took another generous sip of tea, "do you want me to keep going? what should i tell you? where should i stop? i've prepared countless scenarios i can talk about. are you coming around? the answer that you're trying to seek doesn't exist. all of us are bored out of our minds and this endless period of life. and everyone is just desperately trying to distract themselves from it."

mira moved to stand, and suddenly her smile wasn't chilling anymore. it felt...normal. simple. excited. "surprisingly, that turned into a long conversation. we should get started on the 2nd set. thanks! thanks to you two, i had a lot of fun killing time."

you felt arisu's on you and mira the entire time you played. despite the truth, and mira admitting that whatever answers you wanted did not exist and your own confirmation of the fact, arisu still seemed to believe that there was some hidden scheme besides mira's teasing. his eyes were narrowed, deep in thought with pursed lips that quickly turned to gritted teeth. you simply shook your head at the sight, losing another round of croquet.

"i win again!" she cheered, just as excited as the first time.

"where did you learn to play mira?" you inquired, walking beside her through the blades of grass. perhaps it was to fill the silence, or maybe you were genuinely curious of this mysterious woman.

"i was always interested in the 19th century of england. i played this game a lot to pass the time."

"you should teach me some time."

"that would certainly be fun! care for another break?"

mira led you back to the table, where arisu was already slumped in his seat. he stayed silent, even as mira offered more tea and sweets.

"you're suddenly awfully quiet," she voiced her thoughts out loud, once again staring at the liquid in her cup, "is that one of your tactics? or did you stop seeking an answer?"

"you can stop now. you don't know the true answer either, do you?" he mumbled quietly in response, receiving a gentle hum.

"that question in and of itself, betrays the fact that you still hold lingering thoughts." mira paused, before lifting her gaze to stare at the male, "the clear conditions are so simple, yet you still have trouble clearing your conflicts. your dedication to finding an answer is admirable. do you owe it to your dead friends?" arisu's eyes widened, urging mira to continue, "pitifully, those friends were a support for your spirit; precious precious people...by the way, the one who prepared that seven of hearts was me. you all looked like such good friends, i couldn't help teasing you."

arisu stood, knocking over the three tiered tray of sweets and spilling the tea in your cups. he pulled the gun from its previous position to now lay in his hands, pointing the barrel right at mira.

she did not express any fear towards the weapon. if anything, she was excited, "you've finally shown me your beautifully raw emotions. malice is one of the strongest sources of motivation among the living."

"arisu!" you also stood, fingers gripping the sleeve of his shirt, "you can't shoot her. we have to clear the game remember? that's our only condition."

arisu blinked, eyes glazing over as he seemed to remember something. slowly, he lowered the shotgun, head hanging low on his form, "i...see...i finally....get it...i know your games true objective!"

"this games true objective?" you laughed, mainly in disbelief at the males words, "arisu what are you talking about, i told you-"

"you're right (name). the rules don't forbid violent behavior..." he directed his attention towards mira, "if i were to give in to violence here to kill you, the players wouldn't be able to achieve neither a game clear nor a game over. basically, this game would never be able to end, in which case, all of the players in the borderlands would only be able to wait for their visa to end.. that would be your final and ultimate bestowal of despair," he continued to stare at her, the woman remaining quiet to his accusations, "your true objective is to get me to kill you in the middle of the game isn't it?"

"thats..." not entirely insane. you actually doubted that was the main goal of the game, but perhaps one way to get the player to forfeit the match. then was the other way you had spotted her true intention?

"it's hard to believe at first, but after all the cruel heart games you've set up, it wouldn't be all too surprising if you even thought about it. using your own life as a tool for your goals."

mira finally sighed, expression feigning defeat, "so...my tactics...aren't going to work anymore.. it seems i've lost," she moved to stand, "lets just finish this final set."

"no, not yet," her eyes widened, and she paused in her movements, "i never said i was giving up on the truth. i simply want to know the truth. how do i get you to tell me it? mira...isn't it fine now? just please tell me. at the end just humor me."

what was he doing? "arisu come on lets just-"

"you cling to an answer, yet you still look to the future. you've really become strong," she smiled gently, as if proud of the male, "okay, ill stop evading. the answer..."

"you'll tell us the truth this time, won't you? you'll tell us what the true answer is." arisu croaked, the desperation in his tone thick.

the small smile she had worn disappeared, "perhaps i've judged that the time has come. the time at which you'll be able to accept what the true reality is."

"true reality?"

"ill start at the end. what you perceive as the borderlands is not reality."

"what do you mean by that?"

"were you never suspicious of how you came to the borderlands? a city in ruins, exceedingly advanced technology, strange games. you've surely thought this world could not exist but in dreams and illusions."

"dreams or illusions?" he laughed, broken and bitter, "after coming all the way here, even you are going to say it's a dream? the pain, the suffering, all of it wasn't real? there's no way!"

"to begin with, what's the definition of reality? everything we see, everything we touch, our nerves relay information from our eyes and hands. everything we consider physical is simply our brain's interpretation of electrical impulses. to put it another way, we do not see the world with our own eyes. we see it with our brain. the reality shown to us by our brains is different for everyone. all of us share a connection of that which we perceive. it is only shared correspondence of a large number of people that constitutes and constructs reality. if a strong enough stressor is applied to the complicated network organized by our brain and body, reality easily breaks down. it begins to perceive things that aren't actually there. it begins to hallucinate.

"arisu, your heart has been deeply wounded in response to the shock of a certain accident. it isolated your consciousness. your brain has brought forth the illusion of these borderlands and you believe it to be reality."

"i really though you would teach me the true answer," arisu mumbled, shoulders slumped as he stared at the ground, "worthless. that's the most difficult answer so far, mira. this is an illusion. i'd rather you had stuck with the story about the 1000 year future."

suddenly arisu stumbled, eyes not quite focused as he began to reach his trembling fingers up towards his face. if he wasn't pale before, this time he appeared almost white, sweat running down his skin.

mira continued despite his strange behavior, "think about it; aliens? time travelers? even if those were true why would they go through the trouble of these extravagant games?"

"well...thats-"

"tag and hide and go seek are both childish concepts. nothing in these borderlands can happen that's beyond your imagination. do you really think that a normal young adult like yourself would survive to this day? in reality, this world is just the extent to which your mere 1500g brain can come up with."

"i don't understand...what have you been talking about all this time?" he gripped the ends of his hair, pulling the strands, "just stop it!!"

"i told you time and time again. you shouldn't learn the answer," she sighed, "i was right, it's still too soon."

"just...stop. you even admitted defeat...yet you still try to misguide me with your stories..."

"i don't really need to win this game. to begin with, there's actually no game at all. these aren't made up stories. this is...the final stage of your treatment."

"treatment?"

"you still don't remember? my name is kanou mira. i'm a neuroscientist specialized in researching the mechanisms in the brain responsible for hallucinatory conditions. a psychiatrist. i am your primary doctor. in the reality that you stopped seeing, i am speaking to you. in reality, you are in the middle of a hospital counseling room."

arisu's eyes widened even further, which you didn't think possible. he scrambled towards his teacup, dipping his fingers inside and pulling back when the liquid proved to be hot. his eyes glanced around widely, over the roses and your face, until finally up towards the sky where he remained still. unmoving.

mira tsked in disappointment, "we've come this far, we can't back down now. if we stop now, all of the treatment we've undergone thus far will be for naught. after this, it's all up to you to remember exactly what happened the morning you saw those giant fireworks."

arisu blinked, eyes glazing over as if he wasn't quite there. he appeared to be remembering something, something from his past. mira continued to speak to him, guiding him in creating a scene and urging him to fill in the blanks. the more she spoke the more he grew startled, until she asked a question that had a tear rolling down his cheek.

"why didn't you do anything at that time?"

"why...well...i was scared...and my body froze. i panicked. i extended my hand..." he jumped, shaking his head as he began mumbling quietly under his breath, "if only i had reached out faster..it was all my fault my friends...i was the one...who killed my friends."

mira nodded, "that's right...the intense stress you underwent caused you to reject reality and begin seeing things that weren't there. oh...then, in your self condemnation, as if to punish yourself with suffering, you closed yourself off into these borderlands. you have yet to awaken from your illusion."

"i see..." he mumbled, glancing back down towards the ground, "i finally...remember everything. this is the true answer that I've been seeking..."

"it's a rough reality, but you did a good job coming to. this is a momentous first step. you've spent so long suffering alone. the rest will take time, but we will slowly overcome it together."

"...okay. thank you for sticking with me, doctor."

mira gave you a quick glance, her smile stretching wide across her lips. despite having been preoccupied with arisu, she didn't forget about you, who had been watching the entire exchange without a word, "you've been very silent."

"hm?" you hummed, tearing you eyes away from his body, "oh, just find it interesting that i was right about the food," you picked up the scone, rolling it between your fingers, "you really did put a hallucinogenic drug in them."

"i was quite upset you saw right through me, but at least i was able to have some fun with arisu right here."

"fun you say...."

"i do enjoy teasing him," she stated it simply, as if speaking about a hobby, "now, (name), what are you going to do?"

"whatever do you mean?" you asked, glancing up to meet her eyes.

"are you going to complete the game...." she flickered her own gaze to arisu's body, "or save arisu?"

you stared at the male, with his eyes unfocused and mouth moving in quiet mumbles. you wanted to snap him out of it, really, but you weren't usagi. with hallucinating drugs it was very hard to get one back to reality. the only person who'd be able to do that was the short haired girl he was so fond of, who wasn't currently there, "just one set left right? i think...i'll take my chances."

"oh? this is quite new," her surprise appeared almost genuine, having expected you to beg for a cure, "what if he doesn't have much time left? what if i slipped another drug into his drink?"

"are you trying to get me to second guess my decision? you should know mira," you turned towards the field, your own chilling smile on your face, "i've played your games before. i know what to expect."

she laughed, also standing up from her seat, "this is why i have so much fun playing with you. you certainly keep things amusing. alright then, let's play our final round of croquet."

you followed mira to the field, staring at the long black hair falling down her back in gentle waves. she lowered her mallot to her ball, eyeing the goal as if calculating how to push it.

"you really don't know the answer to the borderlands, is that correct?"

she didn't answer right away, nor did she turn to look at you, "no. i do not. to be honest, all of us citizens just continue these games without knowing the reason...and the possibility that these borderlands really are just your imagination still remains. but that's okay.."

you hummed, taking her previous spot to push your own ball through, "still, why did you push arisu that far? i doubt it was just to tease him."

"as a psychiatrist...my remuneration comes from saving a life. seeing someones life being saved before my eyes makes me as happy as they are. but seeing someone finally able to leave the nest and ending up as the one left behind is a little sad. its an unbearable and inherent dilemma...." she grinned when you made it through the billiard, smile soft and holding no underlying intent, "that's why i became a citizen and continue doing this. by the way, the only thing i lied about were my answers surrounding this place, but you knew that already didn't you?"

"yup."

"life is a game," she stepped forward, gifting you a closed eye smile, "you should enjoy it."

mira's laugh was infectious. you found yourself cheering when she scored, and groaning when she didn't. she made the same gestures for your own movements as well, and strangely enough you felt that if you had met mira in the real world, if she hadn't become a citizen, you wouldn't have minded being her friend. the last moments you spent with her were fun, and since your reunion with the other members of the beach, you actually smiled.

when the ball hit the last billiard you felt a strange sense of disappointment, though it quickly disappeared when the speaker cackled to life and the computerized voice came through.

 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᏚᏌᏟᏟᎬᏚᏚFᏌᏞᏞY ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬᎠ ᎢᎻᎡᎬᎬ ᏚᎬᎢᏚ.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎬNᎠᏚ.

 

mira seemed to bid you one last smile, before closing her eyes and allowing a peaceful expression to overtake her features.

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ
ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ
ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ
ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ

 

a small sigh of relief passed over your features, staring at her body for a moment longer before rushing towards arisu. when you reached him a bright light appeared, and you glanced up at the sky to see hundreds of colors painting the expanse of dark blue. you hadn't even realized it turned night, but you watch the sight with a wistful smile on your lips, rockets erupting and shaking your eardrums.

 

ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ !

ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᎬᏟᎬNᎢ ᎬᏙᎬNᎢ, ᎪᏞᏞ ᏩᎪᎷᎬᏚ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏴᎬᎬN ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡᎬᎠ.

ᎪᏞᏞ ᏚᏌᎡᏙᏆᏙᏆNᏩ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ, ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏆNᎠᏆᏙᏆᎠᏌᎪᏞᏞY ᎪNᏚᏔᎬᎡ ᎢᎻᎬ FᎾᏞᏞᎾᏔᏆNᏩ

FᎡᎾᎷ NᎾᏔ ᎾN ᏌNᎢᏆᏞ FᎾᎡᎬᏙᎬᎡ, YᎾᏌ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎡᏆᏩᎻᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏟᎾNᎢᏆNᏌᎬ ᎢᎻᎬᏚᎬ ᎠᎬᎪᎢᎻ ᎷᎪᎢᏟᎻᎬᏚ ᎪᏚ Ꭺ ᏟᏆᎢᏆᏃᎬN ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏴᎾᎡᎠᎬᎡᏞᎪNᎠᏚ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ NᎬXᎢ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᏆᎢᎻ ᏢᎬᎡᎷᎪNᎬNᎢ ᎡᎬᏚᏆᎠᎬNᏟY. YᎾᏌ NᎾᏔ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎻᎾᏆᏟᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎪᏟᎬᎠᎬ ᎾᎡ ᎪᏴᎠᏆᏟᎪᎢᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᎾᏚᏆᎢᏆᎾN.

ᏔᏆᏞᏞ YᎾᏌ ᎪᏟᏟᎬᏢᎢ ᏆᎢ

ᎾᎡ ᎡᎬFᏌᏚᎬ ᏆᎢ ?

 

is this what the current, or should you say past, citizens encountered when they cleared the games? had you really been right in suspecting that this sole piece of information mira gave you was true? it really did feel imaginary. after everything, only a few simple words would get you back to the real world.

you turned towards arisu, heart stopping at realizing a slight problem to your plan.

"shit," you muttered, gently nudging his form, and violently the second time when he didn't so much as glance at you. how the hell were you supposed to get arisu to wake up and refuse the offer?

frantically you glanced around, eyes stopping at the archways you had come from. it would be really difficult, and there was no telling whether usagi was even still there or not, but you had to try. for arisu's sake. and if that didn't work out, then you'd snap him out of his dreamlike state yourself.

with a grunt you pulled him out of his chair, and luckily for you arisu still had the consciousness to walk. you guided him through the rose bushes, down the long hallway, and past the metal gates. much to your relief everyone was still there, including usagi.

they all turned when you appeared, cheers and smiles filling your ears and vision. usagi was the first to notice arisu's state, worry etched deeply onto her forehead as she rushed to your side.

"what happened?! arisu?" she shook him gently, and proceeded to do so more violently just as you had done before.

"hallucinating drug. i figured clearing the game first would benefit everyone, but we have to wake him up so he can refuse the offer," you took a few steps closer to the girl, placing a palm on her shoulder, "usagi, you're the only one he'll listen to."

she switched her gaze between you and the male, conflicted and unsure. finally, she nodded, any trace of doubt leaving her features, "yes...you're right. i got this. and (name)," you paused at the sound of your name, "thank you. now go. chishiya needs you."

you nodded, your own determination shining in your eyes, "i will."

you turned towards kuina, who wasted no time in embracing you just as tightly as before. the grip she had around your body hurt this time, and you struggled to breathe when your face was stuffed into her chest. but you remained still, feeling the warmth of her body and following the rise and fall of her chest.

"i'll see you on the other side, okay?" you mumbled quietly, voice muffled into her skin.

"you better," she breathed back, holding on for another moment longer before releasing you and nodding, urging you to give your answer.

and finally you turned towards the sky, the hundreds of colors still sparking lighting up your features. around you you could hear the voices of the other players, every single one denying the invitation. you released a long, shaky breath, promising that the moment you returned you'd find him, and never let go.

"i refuse permanent residency." you spoke, the flashes of red and purple being the last thing you saw before it all faded to black.

 

 

 

dо уоц щї₴н то Cоитїицё ¿

Notes:

annnnnd it’s done! see you all in the epilogue <3

Chapter 34: ⌈ 32 ⌋

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

w̴̺̣̭̣̳̮̰͕͓̗͕̯̯̝̍͋a̷̩̝̘̿̑̅͒̄̑̒͆̚͠͝k̷̗͍͙̟̈̈́̌͘e̴̦͍̠̘͉̘͚͊̽͌̍͘͘͝ ̷̞̗̱͙̩̺͓͉̠͉̟͇̤̪͌͐̈́u̸̙̪̬̬̲̣̼̍̂͋̓̕ͅͅp̸̖̹̙͎͍̠͈̭̫͖̯̝͕̔̈ͅ

ᎪN ᏌNᎬXᏢᎬᏟᎢᎬᎠ ᎬᎡᎡᎾᎡ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎾᏟᏟᏌᎡᎡᎬᎠ. ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᏚᎢᎪNᎠ ᏴY.

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

y̷̧̢̹̘̘͔͈̓̕ͅo̸̧̧̟̠̰̜͔͓̰͖̜̻̔̆̉͛̓̿ủ̷͓̹̩̆̄̑̌ ̸̰̻̥̘͍̻̥̮͍̰͓͔̯̠̆̐͋́͒͑͝͝͠͠h̷̛̫̦̼̊̿̊̊̿͐̅͋͒̉̃̚͝ǻ̵̜̱̹͝ṽ̸̨̧͍͎̻̜̠̥̾̓͑͂̂̂̑̈̈́̚̚̕͜ë̵̮̈́̈́͗͒̋͂̐̉̈͘͠ ̴̡̠̖̩̞̲͉̰̗͌͗͊̉̎̈́̃̅͗t̸̛͕̙̗̲̝̻͙̳͖̟̩̹̪̯̳̊̒̂̓͒͌͂ỏ̷̧̜͓͉̲̙̩̉̓͆̉̌̈́̈́́͗͝ ̷̨̫̭͍̓̂̏̑̽͑͂͗̄̃̑̊͆͜w̶̡̤̱̜͓͍̞̰͎͍͓̪̺̮̓̽͗͊̆a̷̡̞̠͖͚̯͕̝̺̫͖̭̲̹̘̒̉͑̋͝ḵ̵̡̨̛͍͖̳̲̭͎̳͑ȩ̷̢̨̢͔̹̪̮̲̮͕͔̭͆͑͑͂̿͂̄̀͠ ̶̢̞͔͖̳̟̳̪͉̙͍̤̓͛͊̆͌̊̈́̔̒̈́͗̾̊̚u̷̧̧̞͍͉̬͍̫̙̞̙̥̹̳̓͌̐͌̀͋͗͜͠p̵̧̡̤̥͎͕͚̒͑̐͛̓̀̃́͛͑̄͌̄͘͝

 

ᎬᎡᎡᎾᎡ ᏟᎾᏌᏞᎠ NᎾᎢ ᏴᎬ FᏆXᎬᎠ. ᎠᎾ YᎾᏌ ᏔᏆᏚᎻ ᎢᎾ ᎡᎬᏚᎬᎢ?

⊗YᎬᏚ ◯ NᎾ

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ . . . . .

d̴̠̈ơ̵̛͙͛ ̵͚̲̀̃̌ȳ̷͎͎̩̻͓ọ̷̝͇̭̖͗̄́͒̚u̵̝̮͈̺͌ ̵̰̱̲̗̅̕͠r̶̬͚̲̗͆͜͝e̶̫͙̬̟̖̓̈́m̸̬̯̦̟̩̐ė̸̢̤̟̟͙̀̑̚̕m̸̘̌b̶̬͈͔͔͖̃̃̔̒͂é̵̙̟͂̑̇͌r̷̳̱̮͊̚͜͠?̸̬͐̌̔͑̕

ᏞᎾᎪᎠᏆNᏩ ᏟᎾᎷᏢᏞᎬᎢᎬ !

 

"CPR!"

"conscious level clear!"

"stretcher! i need a stretcher!"

"get them to a hospital immediately!"

the sudden rush of voices startled you, eyes blinking rapidly against the bright lights and foreign faces hovering above your figure. you released a sharp gasp, lungs gulping desperately for air that would not come. who were these people? where were you? your fingers twitched by your sides, and vaguely you recognized the texture of grass. okay, so you were outside, but that didn't answer the question of who these people were and why you felt like you just died and came back.

"wha-what hap-" you tried to speak, switching between the different structures of bone sculpted to create their features. another question arose as you searched, causing your panic and confusion to heighten considerably, "chi-chishiya. wheres-wheres chishiya-"

one of the individuals gently pushed you back down when you tried to sit upright, fingers placed along your shoulders in what was meant to be a reassuring touch, "calm down. we're gonna take you to the hospital. can you tell me your name?"

you shook your head, throat dry and lips trembling, "my-my boyfriend. he was-he was just here. where is chishiya-"

whatever words you tried to sputter next didn't quite reach her ears, and soon enough your pleas turned into low groans as they picked you up and placed you on a stretcher. you tried, desperately, to glance around the area in search for a strand of blond hair or a glimpse of hickory brown, but all you could spot were faceless bodies and rubble. wails and shouts echoed in your ears, rattling in your brain and so so loud. you tried to tune in to the sounds, hoping that one of the voices belonged to the male no where in sight. but no matter how much you concentrated, the pain spiking through your body and the overload of senses rendered you dizzy, and you could not fight back the exhaustion consuming your body.

the next time you woke up all you saw was white. white walls. a white ceiling. white bed sheets and white clothes. you were less panicked that time, merely taking in the lack of colors and the sounds of machines eerily similar to your typical hospital room. by then your previous memories were just blurs, and your face twisted in pain at the headache throbbing in your brain when you tried to recall what had happened.

"you're awake."

the voice was ice cold, not at all relieved by your sudden consciousness. your eyes drifted towards the source of it, belonging to a woman in her early 50's seated in a chair pushed back to the corner of the room. the wrinkles in her face had multiplied, gray hairs much more prominent. yet, you could never forget those eyes, peering at you with not a hint of warmth captured within.

quickly you sat up, instantly regretting it when the pain doubled. your face twisted to that of discomfort, fingers placed on your temples as you silently willed it to cease. once it did, you shifted your gaze back to her figure, running across the entirety of it once before speaking, "how long was i asleep?"

"don't you remember?" she asked, sighing as if your cluelessness troubled her. she crossed one leg over the other, "you've been unconscious for two days now."

"two days..." you repeated, not quite able to comprehend the information given to you. it didn't feel like that much time had passed. to you, two days went by in just a blink of an eye. but why were you in the hospital? what exactly caused the injuries throbbing in your side?

you faltered in your thoughts when the woman shifted, "you're lucky i came around. not one person visited you." she smiled at her words, as if pleased by your lack of companionship. the sight had your stomach tightening in knots, chest burning with an emotion you tried to settle down.

"what are you even doing here?" you muttered, blaming the irritation on both your headache and her presence.

she smiled, "i'm your mother. and you're my child. why wouldn't i visit you?"

"child?" you whispered, fingers tightening around the stark white sheets, "last i checked you only had one child, and she's dead."

the scrape of her chair running across the tile hurt your ears, the cup of water on the table beside her falling to the ground as a result of the sudden force. you stared at the puddle created, before shifting your gaze to the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the disbelief on her features, "(name)!"

"what?" you muttered, tilting your head to the side in false confusion. didn't take much for her to get angry at you, huh? you felt an odd sense of satisfaction at the sight, "i'm simply stating the truth. do you not like it? can you still not accept after all these years that she died because of you? that i left because of you?"

she shook her head, trembling hands bunching the fabric over her chest, "its not...its not my fault! you can't blame me! i was simply doing what was best-"

"is this some kind of joke?"

she paused, her tone lowering to a soft mumble, "what?"

you couldn't help but laugh at her confused expression and the whole predicament before you, "don't tell me you're trying to apologize."

"it was a long time ago," she took a step forward, hand reaching out towards your face and eyes softening to a gentle glow. it made you feel sick, the look out of place on her figure, "don't you think its time-"

your hand stung from the hit you directed towards her own and she clutched it, eyes wide in shock from your rejection of her touch. you scoffed, glancing away from her face, "i can't believe you. you think you can come here and pretend to be my mom again? say a little sorry and expect things to go back to the way you want them to?" you swallowed thickly. you wouldn't let the emotion clogging in your throat coat your tone, "well you're wrong. you don't get to do that."

"(name)!-"

swiftly you reached for the nearest object, her purse, and threw it at her. you were pleased when she took a step back, "i'm the one who picked up the broken pieces you left behind. i'm the one who paid for my college, who went to my parent teacher conferences, who made myself okay. not you, me."

"so you're gonna live your whole life resenting me?!" she shouted, breathing heavily once more, "being miserable over the fact that i simply didn't love you?!"

you paused, blinking slowly in confusion. it was strange. before you would've cried were you to hear such words. sobbed like the lonely child she rejected all those years ago. what changed? what part of you was no longer scared of the woman before you? the part that still hoped she would apologize and fill in the role you had longed for? you stared at her, taking  in the hair falling out of her bun, the twisted features, the eyes dripping with desperate, and her entire body shaking. you searched for even an ounce of sympathy for the woman before you. yet, you couldn't help but feel...nothing.

"i don't have to forgive you," you stared at her, blinked, and finally let go of the image that had haunted you during your darkest times, "so get the hell out of my room before i scream."

the woman grit her teeth, reached down and snatched her bag before rushing out the door. she bumped into a nurse along the way, who asked a confused 'ma'am?' while watching her leave. you figured she had disappeared from her sight when the nurse sighed and closed the door, walking over to stand by your bed.

"did something happen?" she asked, face tight with genuine concern. you decided you'd comply with her curiosities to rid her of the look.

"just reminding her of some things. that's all." when she continued to stare at you in worry you smiled, relieved when her features eased.

"right," she breathed, scanning your monitor and jotting quick notes onto her clipboard, "are you feeling okay? the doctor will be here shortly to do another checkup."

were you okay? your injuries didn't hurt too much, and the whole dispute with your mother had you feeling more free than hurt. yet, you couldn't help but feel as if you were forgetting something important. why were the images so blurry? so distant?

you swallowed thickly, weighing the entirety of your internal struggles into two words, "what...happened?"

"you haven't seen the news? they're saying a meteorite exploded in the atmosphere. you suffered some pretty bad injuries, but nothing a little rest can't heal," she blinked, as if remembering something, and suddenly spoke in quick, almost fascinated, syllables, "oh, and the most peculiar of it all. your heart stopped for an entire minute."

"my heart...?"

"yup. we're getting a lot of patients with the same experience. you're quite lucky you're alive."

you glanced away, feeling indifferent about the information, "i suppose so."

"do you remember what you were doing before it happened?" she asked gently.

"remember...." you shut your eyes, willing your brain to recall the earliest memories you had before this so-called meteorite came. you remembered goldfish, feeling down because you couldn't capture a single one. the smell and taste of yakitori, too hot for your tongue. a stuffed cat soft under your hands. and fireworks. you remembered the abundance of colors, exploding in the sky as chishiya leaned in close to whisper something in your ear.

fireworks...chishiya...

you placed a trembling hand over your lips, the memories coming back rapidly that time. the widening of your eyes as the colors turned to flaming rocks. your shouts as chishiya's hands pushed you down the hill just in time. your whimpers of his name before you couldn't even feel anymore.

you stumbled out of the sheets tangling your limbs, rushing past the nurse while ignoring her questions and shouts. you didn't know what exactly you were looking for, rushing past nurses and patients alike. what if chishiya was at a different hospital? what if his injuries weren't fatal enough for him to be in one of the rooms? what if he hadn't-

you abruptly halted the string of thoughts, not wanting to even fathom the thought that chishiya hadn't made it out alive. that cat was too stubborn to die, you were sure of it. there was no way that him putting you first for survival got him killed.

you slowed your running to a brisk walk, scanning the halls and the endless numbers that seemingly stretched on. should you ask someone? but what if they weren't able to identify him? what if they didn't let you see him? question after question ran through your mind, heart beating faster when each quick glance through the window of a room lacked the blond you were searching for. you were close to collapsing from both exhaustion and desperation when you saw it. simple letters below the numbers of the room.

you placed your fingers against the glass, a surge of relief and hurt throbbing in your chest. chishiya lay peacefully on a bed, eyes closed and features relaxed. he didn't appear to be in pain, no injuries visible on his face, however the blanket pulled all the way up to his neck left no doubts that his most threatening ones were hidden. you laughed, quietly, knowing he'd joke about having his handsome face spared.

"can i help you?"

you startled at the sudden voice behind you, turning to see an older woman in a doctors coat staring at you curiously. you cleared your throat before speaking.

"i-yes," you pointed towards the closed door, "are we allowed in the room?"

she raised her brows in suspicion, "are you family?"

"i'm-im his girlfriend."

a flash of recognition crossed over her features, "oh. are you the person he keeps mumbling about?"

"sorry?"

she sighed, fingers soothing the tense skin between her eyes. appears he had given them some trouble, "there was a point before we got him into surgery that he kept mumbling this name, asking where they were."

your mouth fell open, touched that the man laying peacefully in bed had called for you. of course you doubted he would ever admit to such a thing, even if he did remember doing so, but you smiled softly
at the little secret you'd keep close to your heart, "i suppose that was me then."

she returned your smile, reaching forward and opening the door for you, "try to keep quiet."

you nodded, stepping through the doorway before pausing. quickly you turned back, jaw tensed with worry, "has he...has he woken up yet?"

"not yet, i'm afraid," she must've noticed the dejected look on your face for she hurriedly added her next words, "but we're expecting him to wake up any time now."

you nodded once more, stepping in fully and closing the door shut behind you. quietly you walked over to chishiya's bed, pulling over a chair and sitting down. your gaze rested on his figure, the parted lips releasing soft breaths and the beauty mark you adored. his hair, his eyes, ones you wanted so desperately to open so you could see the vivid color beneath. your fingers reached over and traced down the exposed skin, and without another thought you leaned your body over and pressed your lips against the softness of his hair.

you spent hours in that room, so much so you begun to memorize the pace chishiya's heart beat, counted the faint freckles on his skin and matched the way he breathed. he wasn't alone within the four walls, paired with a stranger who had been nearby when they found him. niragi was it? he was unrecognizable, both because of the bandages covering his face and because you were positive you had never met the man before. yet, why did you feel so uneasy around him? the memories were fuzzy in your brain, but no matter how much you focused on them and willed them to clear the throbbing in your head always had you ceasing your efforts.

at first you hadn't felt like sleeping, far too restless with worry to fully succumb to the fatigue. what if chishiya woke up while you were asleep? what if he needed you? the scenarios were enough to keep the feeling at bay, however as the sun set and the hallway grew quieter, the gentle sounds had your eyes remaining closed longer with each blink, until you slumped against the edge of his bed while clutching onto his hand.

it was the faint twitch of his fingers that woke you, confused at first. you slowly lifted your head, staring at the appendages remaining still. you almost thought you imagined it until it happened again, stronger this time, until his fingers closed completely around your own. you straightened, eyes flitting between your joined hands and his face in anticipation.

clear. chishiya's eyes were clear when he opened them, blinking slowly several times to get rid of the sleep still coating his features. his face then scrunched into confusion, the same face you were sure you also made the first time you woke up. brown glanced around the room, turned with his head, and finally landed on you.

you almost cried at the sight of both recognition and relief on his face, reaching your free hand over to brush the hair from his eyes, "good morning sleepy head."

"you're okay." he mumbled quietly, closing his eyes momentarily. he reopened them when you laughed softly.

"of course i'm okay. i had you." you whispered, all frustrated feelings about him saving you and hurting himself in the process cast aside. what mattered was that you were both alive. that was enough.

he released a soft breath, "that's good."

your smile widened, thumb gently tracing shapes onto his skin. it left just as quickly however, dropping without a trace, "do you remember anything?"

"strange," he mumbled, brows drawn together as he tried to recall even a fraction of a memory, "i dont."

"seems to be the case with everyone." you sighed, pulling back your hand to rest by your side. you begun to recount what the nurse had told you, about the meteorite and the casualties that occurred. and although it hurt, you recalled the events at the festival, chishiya remaining quiet the entire time you spoke. he appeared to be thinking, or perhaps trying to remember whatever vague memories he also held. in the end he had accepted it, and although you did too, even though you remembered it happening, it felt odd. like something else had occurred that you'd forgotten.

night dipped into early morning, and the entire time you watched quietly while chishiya slept. you felt afraid for some reason. despite his injuries no longer being fatal you still feared that the moment you closed your eyes he would disappear. that the warmth in your palms would turn cold. those thoughts plagued you, kept you awake, and it wasn't until your stomach protested from having not eaten since who knows when did chishiya speak again.

"you should go eat."

you shook your head, hoping that the expression on your face lacked the fatigue you felt, "i'll eat something later."

"who's going to take care of me when you can't even take care of yourself?" you tried to protest, only to falter when chishiya rose an eyebrow in question. when you snapped your mouth shut he chuckled, the light squeeze on your hand reassuring, "i'm not going anywhere."

your jaw tensed, debating for a moment and thinking over the possibilities of that statement being false, before reluctantly agreeing, "i'll be quick." you promised, squeezing once before releasing him entirely.

the hospital cafeteria buzzed with life, both with patients from the catastrophe and visitors. your hands tightened around the metal tray containing your food, glancing around the room while feeling a sense of displacement. almost every single table was full, and the ones that weren't contained people you didn't know, and people you didn't particularly feel comfortable enough to ask to sit with. you let loose a small sigh, abandoning the idea of trying to make friends and instead retreating to chishiya's room.

you must not have been paying attention as you walked, too deep into your own mind to notice the tall woman you nearly bumped into. what startled you back to reality was her fingers gripping your upper arms and maneuvering you out of the way.

"careful!" she exclaimed, the pressure of her fingers tight against your skin.

"i'm really sorry! i wasn't paying attention." you frantically apologized, freezing when your eyes caught sight of her face.

she looked...familiar? but that wasn't possible. you never met this person before. surely with braids like that and the rather eye catching clothes on her body you'd remember. yet, why did you feel this sort of connection to her? memories, so foggy and faint you barely even registered they were there flashed through your mind. two bracelets wrapped around wrists. a hug safe and warm. a chewing stick stuck between her teeth. but just as quick as they surfaced they disappeared, rippled like water touched by the tip of a finger.

"have we met somewhere before?" you asked, still roaming your eyes across her face.

the woman, who also must have felt confused, narrowed her gaze in deep thought, "hm...were you that one hot chick in the cafeteria?" just as quickly as she asked the question she shook her head, eyes closed shut in concentration, "wait! maybe not. you don't have a bandage on your head."

"afraid not," your own expression softened, feeling disappointed that you couldn't recall where you had seen her before. why was that? "maybe i was mistaken, sorry."

she shook her head, grinning towards your direction, "no problem sweets. take care!"

the woman brushed past you with a gentle pat on your shoulder, the gesture oddly familiar. you thought that perhaps watching her walk away, keeping your eyes on her figure, would allow you to connect the dots. however, not even a line could be created, and soon enough she was out of sight.

chishiya must have noticed your far away look when you entered the room, still deep in thought about the woman you spoke to for a total of five seconds. you didn't know why, but you kept glancing back over your shoulder, hoping she would reappear again.

"someone you know?" he asked when you turned your head for the umpteenth time that morning.

you sighed, shaking your head, "no. i dont. but i feel like i do. is that strange?"

"i've been feeling that way too," he glanced to his right, towards the man laying quietly on his bed, "my roommate over there feels familiar, but i'm positive we've only met yesterday."

you followed his gaze, looking away just as quickly when your stomach dropped, "you've been talking to him?"

"to pass time," he shrugged, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling. you noticed it before, when the man first woke up, but chishiya's presence felt different somehow. as if clinically dying for an entire minute opened his eyes to see something not there before. he appeared more content with himself, no longer weighed down by the thoughts usually kept to himself,  "i was just telling him how i feel like i can live a more honest life now."

"guess it's true what people say about almost dying," you gently pinched his cheek, grinning when he half heartedly glared at you, "you sound cliche."

"you haven't felt like that?"

you thought about it for a moment, recalling the argument you had with the woman in your room. you also felt like you had changed, which was strange considering how you wouldn't even fathom such an idea the week before. but you were relieved. perhaps that was what chishiya felt.

"hm...perhaps," you smiled, genuinely, as you too stared up at the ceiling, "i feel like i can start putting myself first for a change. be a little selfish. it feels...nice."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

two months after the catastrophe and things felt somewhat normal. you were discharged weeks ago, and started going to your college classes once you had settled back into the routine of your daily life. chishiya, of course, was still in the hospital, so your one class shared felt lonely without him by your side. but you quickly accommodated with his absence by going straight to the hospital once you were free, your books and laptop spread out across his bedsheets. the bed was small, so it was a little uncomfortable at first, but you grew used to it, knees bumping against his as he looked over his own work that you were so kind enough to bring.

you released a long sigh into the quiet atmosphere, dropping your papers and reaching your arms up to stretch. you had been studying for some time now, and despite the school being lenient on work, you still had a lot to catch up on from your absence.

"tired already?" chishiya mused, sending you a quick glance from his own notebook.

"who knew just a few weeks would put me so far behind." you complained, dropping your hands and instead staring at the male before you. he looked healthier than the first time you saw him, strong enough to sit upright for long periods of time without causing pain or discomfort. his skin looked fuller with color too, no longer blemished by the paleness he wore when he first woke up. he was still recovering, so of course his eyes still reflected with fatigue, but overall he would be discharged in a month or so, and you were counting down the days for that event to arrive.

"like what you see?" he teased, flickering towards your face once more when you had remained quiet for some time.

you hummed in agreement, reaching forward and running your fingers through the blond curtaining his face, "your hair got really long. a haircut would do you good."

chishiya merely grunted in disagreement, a small puff of air escaping his lips.

you laughed at his distaste for the idea, "keep it up and you won't be able to see without tying it back," an idea popped into your head at the statement, eagerly reaching into your bag and pulling out two small hair clips.

chishiya took one look at the pink color and shot down your idea immediately, "absolutely not."

"come on!" you whined, scooting closer to him on the bed, "you would look so cute."

"am i not cute already?"

you shrugged, "it's debatable," swiftly you leaned forward and clipped both sides of his hair back, cheeky grin plastered on your lips when he wasn't able to stop you in time, "there. see? all better."

chishiya reached a hand up, fingers ghosting over the hair clips. he released another short breath, though he wasn't able to hide the smile twitching the corners of his lips, "you're insufferable."

"what was that? i'm the best girlfriend in the world?"

"think you may need your ears checked. did you injure your brain as well?"

"perhaps you're the one who's insufferable." you huffed, missing the widening of his smile at your words.

"perhaps."

it was days later when you stumbled into his room, the loud shift of the door opening causing him to glance up from his work and stare at you in quiet surprise.

"chishiyaaaaa!" you drew out the sound, standing proudly by the chair you pushed through the halls, "look what i got you."

his eyes stared at the object, one brow raised as he smirked in amusement, "a wheelchair? i can walk you know."

"not long distances you can't," you walked over to the bed, pulling back the sheets and tugging on the sleeve of his sweater, "come on, we're going outside."

he didn't budge, even as you tugged more aggressively than the previous time. chishiya ignored the pout on your lips as he returned his attention back to typing on his laptop, "no thanks."

you glared at him, pinching the skin on his upper arm before using both hands and all your strength to get him out of bed, "stop being so grumpy and get some sunshine. it'll do you some good."

chishiya sighed but made no other protests as he got up and allowed you to help him into the wheelchair. he did however, mutter complaints the entire time you pushed him through the hospital halls, both about pain from you going too fast and his reluctance to leave the room in the first place. you'd merely roll your eyes in response, knowing that he was just complaining to annoy you due to the minuscule smirk hiding beneath his lips.

after several more minutes of lighthearted bickering you made it to the hospital's outside resting area. benches lined the pathway, and every so often you would spot someone in their hospital gown walking or seated quietly. already you felt a little more refreshed, breathing in the crisp morning air opposed to the stuffy disinfectant lingering in the halls. you could tell chishiya was enjoying it as well, despite his face remaining blank and void of expression. but he stopped complaining, and that was the only indicator you needed.

as you continued walking you spotted a familiar head of braids, halting in your steps as she too recognized your form. a smile, bright and warm, replaced the shock, and she brought one hand up to wave, "oh, hey!"

you mirrored her gesture, still flabbergasted by the sight before you, "hey."

"didn't think i'd see you again, we all got discharged weeks ago." most of the patients with more minor injuries left around the same time, and even though you had spotted her briefly with the rest of the group, you couldn't find it in yourself to approach her. of course you regretted it hours later, but it sort of felt like fate you had run into her at the current moment. perhaps you were being given a second chance, or the two of you really were connected in some way.

"same here. why'd you stick around?"

"i come often to take care of this grumpy cat right here." you gestured towards chishiya, who'd been watching the woman with a thoughtful, and almost conflicted, expression on his face. was she also someone he felt familiar to? yet just as quick it shifted, as if he finally realized the nickname you had given him.

"this grumpy cat is about to make you single." chishiya quipped back, the agitation in his tone contradicting the smile he wore.

you grinned, leaning down while lightly squeezing his shoulders, "oh but you just love me too much to get rid of me."

the woman, who you now knew as kuina, appeared amused by the bickering, and when you both quieted down she spoke once more, "im here to take care of my mom. she's over there on the bench."

you spotted another woman several feet away,
the same eyes staring at your little group. she waved, and you realized kuina got her smile from her as well, "that's really admirable of you."

"it's nothing. i mean, she's my mom. and she was the only person who accepted me when i came out."

kuina's bashful expression had your heart warming, that same sense of familiarity and comfort washing over your figure. a small part of you, ever since the first time you met, didnt want to let her go, and you found yourself speaking before you could stop yourself, "i know this may sound weird since we've only met twice...but do you want to go out for lunch sometime?"

"are you asking other people out in front of
me?" chishiya asked, teasing and causing your cheeks to heat up in embarrassment.

"if you treat them right i won't take them from you," kuina grinned, eyes flitting back towards you, "i'll take you up on that offer."

"great!" you found yourself copying the smile on her face.

you ran into kuina several more times during your daily visits to the hospital. at first it was just a simple
greeting, finally feeling confident and familiar with one another enough to do so. then it steadily progressed to eating your meals at the cafeteria together, and leaving the hospital as a pair. you found yourselves enjoying the others company, and even though you had only met her recently, the comfort and familiarity she brought you felt like a lifelong friendship, and with the way you both clicked, you didn't doubt such a thing to be possible.

chishiya was finally discharged four months after the catastrophe, and by then the only sign of his injuries was the scar running along his chest and stomach. he was still required to take it easy and not exert himself too much, but you were finally able to switch the stuffy hospital room for his own apartment.

it was your first time there, so you were feeling a little nervous going through the halls. you tried to imagine what the place chishiya always came home to looked like. neat definitely, considering he was always cleaning up your own room. perhaps a more modern vibe? he never seemed interested in very bright colors. maybe he had a pet he never told you about.

upon unlocking the door and stepping in your thoughts immediately picked up on the decorations. or rather, the lack there of.

"it's very..." you trailed off, finding that despite you being almost completely correct on your assumptions, it still surprised you.

"empty?" he finished.

you shrugged as a response, "i was going to use minimalistic, but if you prefer simpler terms then yes, it's very empty."

chishiya remained quiet, brown eyes glancing around at the barren walls and lack of furniture. he appeared to be thinking about something, nothing pleasant based on the furrow in his brows, and you decided to lighten the mood in order to ease the tension in his face.

"you should just move in with me then." you joked, the contrast between chishiya's lack of belongings and your own clutter amusing to you.

"would you look at that. you don't have a terrible idea for once."

"hey!"

"but shouldn't we get married first?"

you laughed to hide the shock and pounding of your heart at his words, finding that despite the smirk chishiya was very serious about the proposition.
you never really talked about marriage before, not when the man showed little to no interest in it. but you couldn't help the nights you spent thinking about it. about spending the rest of your life with someone you loved dearly, "didn't realize you were so traditional chishiya."

"and what if i am?" he muttered quietly, and you felt so...comforted by the look he rested upon you. so wanted. it consumed you entirely, until you were drowning in the feeling.

you smiled, gentle, and took his hand to
intertwine with your own, "okay. let's get married then."

─ ♕ 🃞 🂫 🂻 🃋 ♚ ─

there was a term that described chishiya almost perfectly.

you read about it once, in a novel portraying two characters with completely different personalities. but opposites attract, right? perhaps that was why the story had written the connection they had so beautifully. a man with a heart of gold, beloved by all. and a woman with actions you called morally grey, wary of all.

solicitude and desolation.

it seemed fitting. desolation was used to describe a state of complete emptiness, and you remembered a time when chishiya was the epitome of such a word. no feelings, no desires. just a vessel of a human being. it had saddened you, knowing that such a mindset must've be lonely. did your understanding comfort him? did it fill the hollowness of his chest?

"penny for your thoughts?"

the string of thoughts broke, and you blinked out of your thoughtful state to stare at the male beside you. of course his cheshire like grin stretched his lips, and you decided to copy it whilst looking at the familiar crepe stand you were waiting in line for, "just wondering if i'm gonna get abandoned here for a second time." the teasing remark, although kinda mean, was worth the look on chishiya's face.

"i told you-"

"i'm just messing with you." you grinned, squeezing his hand once. your fingers brushed against the metal, your own piece of jewelry burning along with your heart. it still took some getting used to, but you liked the reminder on your skin. the reminder that you were his, and he was yours.

when it was your turn you both ordered strawberry, much like a previous time, and quickly found a bench beneath the shade to eat your treats in peace. when you took the first bite you melted, having craved the sugary sweet since early that morning.

"so worth it." you mumbled happily, mouth still full of strawberries and caramel drizzle.

chishiya appeared content by his own dessert, and you silently chuckled at the whipped cream stuck on the corner of his mouth. you decided you'd keep quiet about it, finding it oddly endearing that chishiya was able to look so cute.

"you're scheming something aren't you?" he spoke, glancing at you from the corner of his vision.

"of course not. i'm just..." you sighed, content as you smiled softly, "i'm just really happy."

"is that so?"

"yeah," you agreed, turning to face him completely. your eyes met, hickory pulling you in and flooding you with gentle warmth. the emotions bubbled in your chest, all the way up your throat and fizzled on your tongue. the overwhelming feeling could not be contained in the jar of your heart, and you let loose the thoughts spilling in your mind, "i also really love you."

chishiya remained quiet for several moments, silently taking in the words you uttered for the first time. you didn't expect a response back, just happy you were able to put the feelings you felt for the man into three simple words. finally, his gaze softened ever so slightly, having you fall all over again, "say it again."

"i love you chishiya shuntarou." and you'd say it a million more times until the thought engraved itself upon his skin.

he quirked the corner of his mouth up into a smile, so warm and soft it left you grinning and hoping for more. ah, perhaps that was it. why those characters felt so special to you. they reminded you of you and chishiya. a man made up of desolation. and a women who touched his heart with their solicitude.

two opposite terms, but when put together, they formed something so beautiful you could barely contain it in the space of your chest.

love.

you loved him. and he loved you.

 

 

 

 

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ! ᎢᎻᎪNK YᎾᏌ FᎾᎡ ᏢᏞᎪYᏆNᏩ.

Chapter 35: author’s note

before i start this authors note, i wanna make something clear. though i had so many people support me, and untimely i was the one who put my thoughts into words, this story wouldn't have been possible without you guys. so thank you, all of you, for believing in me and reading this until the end.

i also want to say that @szallejh was the reason i felt confident enough to start this story. i remember after finishing alice in borderland for the first time i was completely enamored by chishiya, and like any character i like i searched for fanfiction to help with the daydreams. there wasn't much content, but i did find one story. captured in a dream. the first fanfic i ever read of him, and my favorite thus far. i remember how excited i would get every morning to read the next chapter, and all the emotions i felt while reading. it's one of my favorite memories in life. and i figured, why not make my own? i had all these ideas, and i've written before, so why don't i make my own fanfic? challenge myself like this author did?

i started this story a little over a year ago. i remember sitting on the couch in the living room after new years, mapping out every single chapter from beginning to end. i remember uploading the first one, and feeling so overjoyed when i received my first comment. i remember freaking out when sza commented for the first time (which you guys can all see in the first chapter haha) and i remember all the writers block and all the frustration. but i don't regret a single minute of it. i believe making this story helped me as a writer and a person, and i'm so happy i decided to do it.

now! all the sappy stuff aside, i do plan on continuing to write! for chishiya and other characters. so far i have some ideas, and i'll write a little bit about it in hopes that you guys find yourselves interested and join me on that journey as well.

the wind guides lead me (all the way to you); a genshin impact fanfiction, featuring a soulmate/5swirl band au. people can see their soulmate in their dreams, but do not remember them once they wake up. reader always felt conflicted, for they swear that the person they are seeing each night is not the same person as before. i plan for this story to have alternate endings where you choose which character you end up with!

home is with you; a sweet home fanfiction following the events of the show. reader always felt so out of place, no building feeling like the home others described so easily. but what if home wasn't a place? what if it was a person? this one has already been started! i released the pilot chapter months ago and actually plan to work on it now that this one is done.

the flowers bloom, just like my love; a short alice in borderland fanfic. after the death of reader's mother they are adamant about not falling in love. they'd rather focus on the bakery their mother left behind and healing from her death. and yet, foolish them, still falls for a man who would never love them back. i also released the first chapter of this book, and it will be much shorter than the one i just finished.

an enigma masked by enchantment; an alice in borderland fanfic. reader works at a flower shop, but always hoped for something more. something exciting. one day they find a box with a dress and an invitation at their doorstep, and find they have been invited to a masquerade ball. of course they decide to attend, where they meet the ever charming cheshire cat. but after a magic show gone wrong, them along with several other players have to unlock the secrets in the house in order to leave. this one was actually based off of a dream i had, and is kinda similar to escape the night and this book i read called escaping from houdini. i'm actually really excited to write this one.

now! i actually still have some bonus chapters i want to release in due time. the next chapter will be the prologue in chishiya's pov, to show his own emotions and how he fell for the reader. i also plan to release an alice in borderland retry bonus chapter, which follows arisu and reader returning to the borderlands. and finally, a special chapter where i talk about all the deleted scenes that almost go into the book, but i decided against it.

i'm a little sad to say goodbye since i've been with this story for so long now. but i think that's what makes goodbyes special. letting go of something you love. and i guess it's not really a goodbye since i plan on doing a little editing spree from the beginning to fix errors and such. but i just want to let you all know that i love you, and i thank you again for sticking with me. don't be afraid to dm me or come back to this story just to say hi. i had a great time, and i wish you all well.

- L

Chapter 36: DELETED SCENES

hey guys! as i stated before in my authors note, i thought it'd be cool to talk about some of the scenes i was supposed to include in this book but either felt it to be unnecessary or thought of a different idea that i preferred at the time. hope you guys enjoy!!

DELETED SCENE 1 - right after the tag game, when reader and arisu talked for a bit about arisu's reason for being there, reader offered to go back with him to help out chota. of course you all remember this scene as chishiya being an asshole and convincing reader to retract their offer. however! i originally planned a whole chapter where reader follows arisu back to the mall, bonds with his friends, and helps him with his injured leg. since it would've been quite late by the time they were done, reader decided to spend the night, and in the early morning them and arisu find a bike shop so reader can go back to the beach quicker. i decided to get rid of this scene for two reasons. one, chishiya not offering to help would later have a role in the story (the infamous making it up to him as a means of manipulation) and two, i doubted reader would be able to get away with not returning to the beach right after their game without repercussions. all in all, although it would've been nice to have reader meet karube and chota, i kinda like the way i decided to write it in the end.

DELETED SCENE 2 - i'm sure everyone remembers the heartbreaking scene where chishiya and reader have their big fight before the witch hunt, and end up parting ways. of course we all know he eventually went back for them during the fire, but instead of chishiya disappearing once more, i had planned for them to stay together! so, they weren't supposed to have such a big falling out. chishiya was supposed to take reader to a car abandoned by the beach and drive out of the area, where reader would've woken up in the backseat all patched up. they would've gone to find the dealers room together and gone through the whole face card arc as a team. although this would've been cool, i changed it because i realized chishiya is stubborn as hell, and i didn't think him and reader would be able to smooth things over so quickly. plus i'm pretty sure reader would've strangled him (affectionately) if they saw him so soon, and i kinda prefer the whole arc of reader, kuina and yasushi participating in games together.

DELETED SCENE 3 - i had fully planned for yasushi to die! it was to take place during the jack of hearts, where he would've been locked in the cell with the other two players. but after some thinking, i didn't feel it to be necessary. for one, yasushi dying would cause reader to be devastated, and i felt i'd already had many other scenes planned to give that effect. not only that, but i really wanted to do a parallel of chishiya "saving" someone reader cared about versus the time he abandoned arisu. it kinda showed his growth as a character and that he was willing to change for reader and himself.

DELETED SCENE 4 - when chishiya was gonna leave for his king of diamonds game, reader was supposed to beg him not to go. i'm talking falling to their knees, crying and holding onto him. i took this scene out because as reader stated before, they would be a hypocrite if they tried to stop him, since they fully intended to participate in the queen of hearts game. i also didn't want to stir up anymore drama since i figured they'd been through enough.

DELETED SCENE 5 - reader was supposed to get shot instead of chishiya! it wasn't really a thought out scene, more like a fleeting thought that i felt would've been an interesting turn of events. but it felt really cliche and reader had been injured so much already it felt really repetitive. so i kept it as it was in the manga.

DELETED SCENE 6 - reader was originally supposed to play the final venue by themselves. they would've walked off without arisu and usagi, gone right up to mira and played that game with no jokes. however, as i thought about it, it didn't feel very exciting, so i really wanted to keep it a multiplayer game. similarly, usagi was supposed to be there too, but i didn't want to make it too similar to the manga, so i took her out (sorry usagi).

DELETED BONUS SCENE 1 - i haven't posted it yet (still working on it) but pretty soon i'm going to be releasing a bonus chapter featuring chishiya's point of view. i had planned it to be his thoughts starting from the prologue (now named solicitude) and important events from the actual story that i felt would be cool in his point of view. but it felt too long, and it would've ended up like a whole other book were i to write it and i didn't feel like putting my energy into it. but one scene in particular that i saved notes for was right after reader and niragi's game together. reader doesn't come back to the beach until much later, and chishiya, who had waited for them, took notice of their absence when niragi came back. he asked the militant about it, and niragi began to tell chishiya about the "things" the two of you had done (changed to make it seem like you wanted it) chishiya of course knew he was lying, but it was also the first clue he received in knowing what had happened between reader and niragi, and was able to piece it together after watching your behavior for the course of several weeks.

i hope you guys enjoyed! this was fun to write about, and despite some interesting ideas being taken out, i'm still very happy with how it turned out in the end. also!! if you guys have any more questions about the book or other books i'm planning on writing, feel free to ask them! i'm always reading comments and checking my dms! see you all soon!

Chapter 37: ᎠᎬᏚᎾᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾN

Notes:

mmm 9k words of chishiya’s mind :D

chishiya had no interest for human life what so ever, and that included developing emotional connections.

he believed that the human heart had only one sole purpose, and that was to pump enough blood for him to survive another day. it wasn't for emotions like sadness or anger, nor was it for the human construct that they called love. as a kid he tried to find it, thinking that perhaps love was worthwhile. that following in his father's footsteps would lead him to figuring out that love really was an emotion that he was capable of feeling in the empty vessel he called his heart. and yet, as he studied and studied, trying to find an answer, he realized that he truly wasn't capable of loving another human being. not even himself.

so he didn't have friends. he didn't find a need for them, as sad as most would believe, and he definitely did not have any sort of partner in his life. he didn't mind the lack of company either. without it, he was able to focus solely on his work. though, it was ironic the way he held it in such high regards when he didn't even favor the practice. faking a smile and speaking to patients in a kind tone didn't suit him. but of course, he felt too prideful to back out, and at least being a surgeon would keep him comfortable in life.

he took most of his college classes just as seriously. he was still a student, and even though other medical interns struggled between shifts at the hospital and their morning biology class, chishiya managed. he was clever after all, so attending class and getting his work done never felt like much of a bother.

that was, until recently.

he received the letter in his mail right after his own shift at the hospital, immediately recognizing the logo of his university stamped into the corner. he had assumed it was about the upcoming end of term, only several weeks left until a short break before the next one. he had been close to throwing the paper into the trash when he paused, giving the envelope another quick glance before tearing it open and scanning the contents.

chishiya let loose a small sigh, realizing he had been completely wrong about his assumption. rather than a reminder of the ending term, it was a reminder that he had one too many absences in one of his classes.

he didn't need to read the rest to know which class it was referring to. as a student, in order for chishiya to graduate he needed to have extracurricular classes, despite him finding them bothersome and a waste of time. he had chosen the first one he saw, film studies, and never spared a glance at it again. he hadn't anticipated that the class grade ran on attendance and not the exam he was planning to show up for each term.

this time chishiya did drop the paper into the trash, deciding that he'd rather get the class over with than repeating a whole new curriculum. he'd go starting tomorrow, and maybe even consider switching to a more interesting extracurricular if it came to it.

not one for being late chishiya made sure he was ready before the class started early in the morning, eating a quick breakfast and pulling on his hoodie. it tended to get cold in the classroom, and he'd rather not suffer more than he already has to. he spared a glance towards his shoulder bag left on the chair from the previous day, containing all his supplies for school. he debated for a moment, but figured there was no harm in leaving it. for one, he didn't have any other classes that day, and his shift at the hospital didn't start until later that evening. he had plenty of time to return home and get ready before then. besides, he heard about the class before, and notes weren't exactly needed during instruction.

it didn't take long for him to find the classroom, having gone there once on the first day of university. he had tried to find interest, but most classes on the first day consisted of explaining the syllabus and how things would go for the year. he chuckled at himself for missing the crucial detail of having to show up for the grade, but what was done was done.

he glanced around the room, vaguely recalling that seats were assigned and searching for his own. sure enough, he spotted the empty seat next to the same person as the first day of classes. they were hunched over the table, lips agape whilst mumbling to themselves. they glanced up when he took his seat, and chishiya was momentarily taken aback by the analytical look they stared at him with. he could practically see the array of thoughts running around in their mind, surprise etched onto their features. but just as quickly they were already returning their attention elsewhere, leaving the male more curious than before.

the first time he met you, much earlier into the school year, he had spared you no more than a mere glance. you were just a classmate after all. nothing more and nothing less. you didn't exactly leave a meaningful impression either, so of course he could barely recall the shape of your eyes and the sound of your voice. he didn't want anything to do with you.

and yet chishiya continued to stare, entirely convinced that the look you had spared him was not just out of surprise by his appearance. you were trying to read him. to see into the thoughts he kept only to himself. emotions barely visible under the calm demeanor he usually secured himself within. he wondered, did you find anything noteworthy? did his features or the hands inside his pockets reveal things not even he knew himself?

you must've felt the everlasting look he kept on your figure, your eyes slowly following the turn of your head to fully look at him once more. you were giving him that look again. the shades of your eyes scanning him from head to toe. the man almost laughed to himself, amused by your actions, and figured two could play at that game. he knew a thing or two about human behavior. so chishiya let his own eyes roam across the dips of your face, engraving the image in his mind. he took note of the furrow in your brows, the teeth capturing your lips in between, the widening of your eyes when you realized something about himself that raised an alarm in your demeanor. perhaps you finally realized his true nature, in such a short span as well. he would call himself impressed if that were to be true.

chishiya let his gaze flicker down, to the comfy clothes most college students wore to class and the notes still laid neatly upon the table. upon closer inspection he found the contents to be related to the current class, and based on the intensity of your reading it must be about the test he had heard whispers about before entering. it was dumb luck he came on such an occasion, but he figured he'd be fine with context clues and his own mind. it hasn't failed him thus far.

hickory glanced back up, your eyes still peering at him. they appeared less alarmed then, more curious if he had to put a word to it, and chishiya finally allowed his eyes to rest on something other than your figure. the brief interaction left him with more questions than answers, and although his curiosity wasn't entirely satisfied, he figured he'd find out more soon enough. he felt his lips twitching up lightly into a smirk at the thought.

chishiya found himself droning out the voice of his professor, the syllables merely explaining what he had confirmed just minutes before. the sound of papers rustling and chatter filled the room, and he didn't tune back into the world until the rustling grew louder, a quick glance from the corners of his vision showing that the stack had already made it towards you. quickly he took out one hand from his pockets, awaiting the papers. chishiya was a little disappointed by your lack of surprise then, simply handing him the sheet without a word. but his disappointment was short lived as he continued the repeated actions. after all, he could feel your eyes still on him, even after he turned his attention to the other person beside him.

when he successfully handed the stack over he relaxed in his seat once more, awaiting the series of names being called from the front of the room. when he heard his own, he uttered a bored 'here' to announce his presence.

chishiya didn't expect the sudden turn of heads and abundance of eyes directed towards him, all wearing similar expressions of shock and pure disbelief. appears like he was famous in this classroom. it arose another thought, one that spiked his curiosity, and chishiya found himself settling his own attention towards you. his eyes roamed over your features, amused by your own shocked expression. what would you do next? would you strike a conversation to understand his whereabouts? would you continue to stare at him like a deer caught in headlights? chishiya was almost certain it would be the latter.

and yet you simply smiled, appearing almost unamused, before swiftly glancing away.

'interesting' he thought to himself, eyes flickering back towards his paper. he reached down for his bag, only to remember the lack there of. he released a soft breath, almost like a sigh, before unconsciously directing his gaze back to you. you were already occupied on your notes once more, but the male figured he'd try his luck. despite your rather reserved personality, he doubted you'd actually refuse a simple request. the smile he had witnessed before was genuine enough.

"hey, do you have a pencil?" he leaned forward to ask the question, noticing the way you immediately searched his chair for a bag. you were analyzing him again, and it only took several seconds for you to come to a conclusion. what it was, he didn't know, but he didn't question it further when you were already leaning down and speaking.

"if you knew there was a test today, why'd you forget something as basic as a pencil?" despite chishiya only realizing that fact just several minutes before, he was still impressed that you were able to spot the knowledge he held entering the classroom, and a little taken aback. he shouldn't be that easy to read, he took great pride in being a blank book for people to scan. and yet you did so as if the words were already there and easy to understand.

"you figured that out pretty quickly." he praised, smirk tugging on his lips.

you smiled in return, "well, i'm not majoring in psychology for nothing. would be pretty embarrassing if i couldn't read other people."

ah, a psychology major. that explained the analytical looks and almost precise conclusions you'd drawn for him thus far. though you definitely possessed a better ability of the skill than most people he'd met.

he took the pencil extended towards him, noticing the way your fingers were much warmer than he thought when brushing against his. he tried not to dwell on the rather useless fact for too long, instead picking his next words carefully, "i was here the first day, but things were boring so i stopped coming unless it was for tests." he didn't really owe you an explanation, nor did you ask for one. but he still found himself explaining the reasoning behind his absence. strange.

you quirked your brow up in question, "you speak as if you think you're too clever for this class."

you hit the dart exactly in the middle, "i don't think i'm too clever for this class, i know i'm too clever."

chishiya's eyes never wavered, and he copied your analytical look searching for the lie hidden beneath his words. but he was not saying it for the sake of impressing or appearing mightier than he really was. chishiya had one thing, and that was his intelligence. he wanted you to know that, too.

and based on the small smile you let rest easily on your lips, you believed him.

he spent the next ten minutes focusing on his test, as easy as he previously presumed. though he lacked concrete knowledge on the subject, he still felt confident enough in his answers to believe he'll pass. so instead of being surprised by the questions, the emotion was directed towards the movement by his side. chishiya watched, pleasantly pleased, as you made your way to the front of the room to turn in your paper. the lack of eyes on your figure showed that it was a reoccurring thing, and you frequently finished long tests in a short span of time. interesting.

you returned only to pack your things, looking excited to leave the classroom early. chishiya couldn't blame you. he was also counting down the minutes before he too got to leave. when you had everything your eyes settled on him, and he found himself to be the subject of your analysis for the final time that morning. you didn't seem as tense as before, so chishiya figured he had won some favor over you with the small conversation he had initiated. but most of all you appeared confused. like everything you had learned was hard to place.

chishiya couldn't glance away even as you smiled and waved, disappearing through the doorway. he hadn't anticipated his first day back to be met with a person as interesting as you. was it the clear intelligence you expressed, refreshing in his eyes? perhaps it was your expressions and mannerisms, surprising him. either way, he realized his curiosity wasn't entirely satiated. surely it wouldn't hurt to learn a little more. curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

he didn't really expect the lack of dread returning the next day. chishiya was sure he would've tried to find an excuse to not go, or at least go through with his original plan to change the course. yet he didn't understand himself as perfectly as he initially thought. the chishiya he knew wouldn't arrive early, seated quietly in his seat. the chishiya he knew wouldn't find himself pleased at the sight of you, just as wide eyed as before. the chishiya he knew wouldn't have waved at you, as if there were a deeper emotional connection than there really was.

no, he wouldn't have done any of those things. so why did they occur?

"you know there's not a test today, right?" you had asked after clumsily taking your seat and continuing to stare at him as if he were imaginary.

chishiya couldn't help but release a small chuckle, recalling his explanation from the day before. your question also explained your rather strange behavior, having not expected to see him again until the end of the term, "i'm aware," he paused, finding your confused expression quite funny, "i just wanted to know what i got on my test. see if i passed without showing up to class."

it was the best excuse he could come up with, and the best one to convince himself of the very same fact. curiosity. that was all it was.

though you only laughed, clearly not buying the poorly attached string of words. like you already knew he was lying, way before he knew it himself, "i'm sure you know you passed."

"we've only known each other for a day and you already have me all figured out." despite the teasing tone you stared at him strangely. chishiya quickly figured out it was that same look from the day before. where you wanted to protest what he thought to be blatantly true.

test papers were soon handed out, though the male wasn't too surprised by the number marked on the top of his paper. losing interest of the achievement he glanced at his left, seeing the triumphant smile on your lips. he didn't even need to look at your own paper to know you had gotten the score you desired, though he did just for the hell of it. a perfect score.

"impressive." he voiced his thoughts aloud, meeting the pair of eyes belonging to your face. the slightest color began to envelop your cheeks, your quick smile trying to hide such an obvious fact, "thanks. what'd you get?" you leaned closer, and with the proximity chishiya could smell the lingering scent of worn down books and coffee. he furrowed his brows, not quite understanding the sudden notice he took of the fact. perhaps it was just because you were much closer than he normally allowed other people to be, "huh, i guess you really are clever to get a score like that."

your voice was already bringing the male out of his inner turmoil, shrugging to hide the discomfort he was previously experiencing, "told you." he was quick to lean away, back in his own space and away from the overwhelming smell on your clothes.

the previous day was reserved for testing, so students were free to leave the class once completing their test. chishiya wasted no time taking advantage of such a fact, failing to stay long enough to realize just how boring his professor was. it didn't take long for him to lose interest in the subject, leaning forward on his arms and pulling his hoodie on top of his head. perhaps obscuring his face will let enough people, especially his professor, realize he did not want to be bothered.

more minutes passed, the blond's attention being directed towards the mumbles he let escape his lips. he didn't think anyone would be able to hear him clear enough to understand the blatant complaining he released into the air, yet the pencil you scribbled in would stutter in its movements each time a small laugh left your lips. chishiya found it funny how you tried so hard to keep yourself composed enough to be respectful, and made it his mission to have that very same composure crumble. it seemed to work when you dropped your pencil completely and brought a hand up to stifle the sounds, his lips twitching upwards in response to his little victory.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

he actually wasn't sure why he did it. maybe he was just bored of the lecture, and the idea of sneaking out sounded more promising than letting his muscles ache for hours as a result of sitting in his chair for the remaining hour. he had even thought of leaving quietly by himself, knowing the other students, even the professor, wouldn't care enough to stop him. he had been so close to going through with the already carefully laid out plan he had been putting together the past several minutes, yet he found himself hesitating, something chishiya shuntarou rarely ever did.

for a split second he thought of something ridiculous, and it was all because of the drifting gaze settling on your figure beside him. over the course of several weeks he found himself acting strange. exchanging greetings in the mornings, even small conversations before class began. it was all meaningless words that most tend to use when meeting someone new, just to fill the empty silence too cowardly to ignore. yet he anticipated your answers. he found himself trying to guess what you would say, reveling in the fact that he was wrong most of the time. he found it to be like a game. trying to understand the first person he couldn't.

you appeared just as bored as he did, and the thought rose again, this time unable to be buried back into the dark confines of his mind. he released a small breath, almost in resignation, before leaning close and whispering lowly in your ear, "wanna ditch class?"

he wanted to laugh at the small jump you made from being startled, cheeks sure to be as warm as you looked flustered, "ditch? are you crazy?"

chishiya found himself staring at the fingers you let touch the ear he had whispered in, curious by the gesture. he then proceeded to roll his eyes, realizing you were more stiff than he initially thought, "come on, he won't even notice we're gone."

you glanced away, and chishiya began to think asking had been a mistake. seems you were too stuck up to take a risk. a goody toe shoes. he would even bet on the fact that you were the type to care too much about what other people thought of you. he almost glanced away to leave on his own before pausing when your gaze settled back on him.

"fine. where are we going?" you sighed in defeat, and he grinned at having been proven wrong once again.

"i know a place."

he had chosen the cafe soley for convenience. for one, it was close enough to the campus that he could easily slip away to his next class in time. not only that, but the cafe had a good range of options. he was sure both you and himself would be able to find something of interest to eat.

"i didn't take you for a coffee kinda person, chishiya." said male found you smiling at him, cheek resting in your palm. he rose an eyebrow at your statement, because it was indeed true. he found it to be too bitter, and rarely ever actually kept him awake. both distasteful and useless. he couldn't think of any other reasons to not like coffee. you though, chishiya chuckled at recalling the scent of the beverage still on your clothes and the bags rimming the underside of your eyes.

he flipped his menu over, hiding his teasing remark with the action, "i'm not. i chose it because you look like you live off of the drink."

he knew he was correct when your lips morphed themselves into a small pout. he awaited the angry words to follow the expression, however you merely remained silent and picked up your own menu, both to busy yourself and to hide your expression no doubt.

when the waiter came he ordered a cup of tea, your own order consisting of coffee and a dessert called manju. when it arrived shortly after your face beamed with excitement, quickly grabbing three packs of sugar from the coaster and proceeding to dump the entirety of the packet into the small cup. chishiya was a little taken aback by the sheer amount, not expecting that despite coffee being an obvious favorite, it was not for the bitter taste of it.

"do you want some coffee with that sugar?" he couldn't help but tease, satisfied when you sputtered an embarrassed laugh.

"i uh...don't like it when my coffee taste bitter." you explained shyly. chishiya smiled, realizing that perhaps you weren't that different from him after all.

he continued to watch as you finished drowning the liquid with sugar and stirred it before bringing it to your lips, appearing content by the refined taste. when he asked if it tasted just as it appeared you nodded, taking another sip before carefully placing the cup down and reaching for the manju seated patiently on the plate.

your smile widened, if even possible, at the first bite, just as quickly reaching for another. however, while chishiya had expected for you to take another bite, instead he found the sweet to be in front of his face, and he couldn't help but be confused.

"taste it, it's really good." you didn't look like you would back down from your offer, so chishiya found himself flickering his gaze back onto the treat. his fingers twitched by his sides, but alas the intrusive thoughts in his mind won. surely you were expecting him to just grab it from your hands, but why waste such energy when it was already so close to his lips? not only that, but the mortified expression you were sure to make had him leaning forward and gently closing his lips around the small treat.

he flicked his eyes up, pleased by the redness of your cheeks and the parting of your lips from the surprise. it was even better than he had imagined, and chishiya slowly pulled back without breaking eye contact. he chewed softly, the taste on his tongue tolerable enough, and he passed you a thumbs up in response. quickly your eyes settled on everything but him, and chishiya smirked at the sight, taking a sip of his tea while you sipped on your coffee.

when you began to study your surroundings, he found it to be the perfect opportunity to study you. he blamed the notes he took of your posture, slouched but overall comfortable, on his evergrowing curiosity. it was his excuse for everything it seemed. for noticing the way your fingers tapped mindlessly against your cup. for noticing the way your clothes started lacking the comfort he had seen the first time he saw you. for noticing the way your lips pulled themselves between your teeth when thinking. the shades of your eyes, so full of emotion. so different from his own. how was such a thing possible?

he glanced away when you turned, ignoring the way you, too, seemed to start studying him. wasn't that also strange? how he wasn't bothered by you trying to read him? perhaps you would be able to see things in himself he couldn't find. questions he didn't know the answer to. parts of himself he would otherwise keep hidden beneath the facade he put up.

eventually however he couldn't ignore the way your eyes roamed across his figure, and the strange emotion bubbling beneath his skin. to distract himself, he reached forward and took another piece of your manju, relieved that it sizzled into nothing at the shout you released and the futile attempts you made to steal it back.

"what are you thinking about?" he asked after leaning back into his seat.

the face you made told him that your answer was entirely different from what you were actually thinking, "you mentioned you're a medical student right? i'm trying to guess what profession you're going into."

well, that would certainly be entertaining, "500 yen says you can't." he mused while leaning forward to rest both arms onto the table, said bill between his fingers.

you copied his body language, "500 yen says i can." your eyes glanced towards the money, and chishiya knew you had figured it out the moment you began studying his fingers, "surgeon?"

"impressive." he praised, allowing you to take the award from his grasp. guessing your own profession should also be simple, considering the clues you've given since the start of your interactions. with your psychology major and the quick way you observed almost everything for clues, the answer should be obvious, "detective?"

the grin on your face looked triumph, and that was when chishiya knew he had been proven wrong once more, "close. profiler."

huh, that was new, but he could see it now that you said it aloud. profiler's weren't too far off from detectives. the only difference was that while detectives solved the crimes, profilers focused on identifying the suspect first, "huh, why?"

"is this a personal question i hear? i didn't realize our friendship progressed this far in just a couple weeks."

so that's what you were calling whatever relation you two had with each other. for some strange, inexplainable reason, chishiya didn't correct you. even if he didn't really consider it a friendship, he didn't have the energy to particularly call it otherwise, "it's only a personal question if you make it one."

"fair enough. you really want to know?" you glanced around, exaggerating the weight of your answer, before beckoning for him to lean closer. he figured he'd amuse you, copying your movements of leaning forward and allowing you to whisper into his ear, "i watched a lot of criminal minds as a kid."

chishiya felt himself tense, not quite expecting the low tone of your voice and hot breath on his skin. it wasn't entirely unpleasant, but there was a weird tightening in his chest that he was sure came about because of it. he leaned back because of it, trying to better understand the strange feeling. but just as quick as the emotion had surfaced it was gone, and chishiya deemed it as a fluke.

"seriously?" he asked, though he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. your personality pointed towards your answer being something you would say.

"no particular reason. it's just...easy as you would say," something dark passed over your eyes then, and the carefree smile you had so graciously worn seemed to fade. it was a strange look on you, and so suddenly too. but as quick as your mood had fallen it was rising up again, like you remembered to keep up the mask over your features, "what about you? why a surgeon?"

he decided he'd ignore the strange occurrence, though that didn't stop him from keeping it tucked away into the back of his head for later, "go ahead and take a guess."

you hummed, eyes roaming over his face briefly and the words falling far easier than they should've, "i'm thinking family legacy."

well, chishiya wasn't expecting that.

the same feeling from before returned. a tightening of his muscles and a crack in the smile he tried to keep up. why was he still surprised? you've proven yourself multiple times now, "at least we know you'll be good at your job."

"of course i'll be good at my job. my reading comprehension helps with that."

oh? "so that's how you were able to finish your test so quickly," his grin widened, "and here i was thinking you had to have cheated."

you rolled your eyes, "as if. you're just upset i'm smarter than you."

chishiya would've argued if he could, because in reality he was the smarter one. if you put him into a room full of people and gave them a puzzle, he was confident he would be the first to complete it. yet, no words or teasing remark left his lips. he may have believed himself intelligent, but it appeared as if he had finally met his match.

he found himself to be quite excited by the thought.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

with the amount of time spent together chishiya began to think that the two of you were the same. maybe not in all aspects, but he could tell there was some underlying neglect that you had received as a kid as well. and although you expressed emotions more clearly than he did, he knew half of them were fake. a mask you put on to hide what you were truly feeling. he was the same, instead using a blank puppet mask over your smiling one.

weeks passed by, along with the ending of his first term. chishiya found that his days were now filled with little pieces of you in them, and, for a reason he would never admit aloud, caused him to grow fond of it. he found you in the mornings when he spotted empty coffee cups in his sink, and the books he surrounded himself with in the library. you were in summer air, hot on his skin, and in the stars when he tried to sleep.

what was happening to him?

he ignored it for as long as he could, even as the task proved difficult the more times he spent in your company. why did he agree to the daily outings searching for places to eat? the little table tucked in the corner of the library where you studied? the singular class he found he looked forward to the most?

it was maddening, and he wanted nothing more than his composure to return. because chishiya was always composed. he was always calm. he always had a plan. and he always knew things others didn't.

recently you had been begging him to accompany you to eat at this crepe stand you'd been meaning to try, talking about how much you were craving the sweet. chishiya was tempted to say no, just to spite you and tease you about the pout you'd most likely make. but instead he found himself agreeing, yet another thing he failed to understand, and together you both had walked from the campus to a local area where the crowd was full. although a little uncomfortable with such close proximity with strangers chishiya didn't complain, and he even found himself sticking closer to you than necessary, convincing himself it was for the sake of not losing you in the crowd. it'd be a pain if you had disappeared.

you both waited in line, chishiya busying himself with watching the scenes unfold around him. he didn't find anything of interest, though his boredom was short lived when you asked him a question over the blurring voices of the crowd.

"what flavor are you getting?"

he released a small hum in thought, flickering his eyes to quickly glance at the options. one fruit in particular stuck out to him, and a vague memory of the sweet surfaced. he brushed the thought away as quickly as it had come, "strawberries."

you grinned, pleased by his answer, "strawberries it is then."

when you both had received your treats you found a spot further away from the stand, far enough he wasn't bumping into people every time he moved. as soon as he was seated chishiya bit into the warm treat, pleased by the overwhelming sweetness invading his mouth. he glanced at you, waiting for your own input and as you were about to take a bite of your own you stopped, face shifting to that of pity.

chishiya was confused. why did you stop? what was so important that you put off trying something you've been wanting forever? his eyes shifted to look at what had caught your attention and his confusion grew even more. it was a small kid, crying because they had dropped their ice cream on the sidewalk. chishiya didn't feel bad, not even the slightest. if anything, he felt annoyed. he didn't like the sound of crying children.

but he watched in utter astonishment as you got up without a second thought, walked over and gave them your food. at first the child appeared confused, but after a couple quick words of assurement and a warm smile, the child happily took the treat.

chishiya felt the breath in his lungs cease, and his entire body encased by the fizzling feeling from before.

chishiya had always thought that you two were the same. but where he would simply ignore the situation, he watched you selflessly give up something for the benefit of a stranger. of someone you didn't know at all. what was the point? you were never going to see them again, and most likely you didn't gain anything from helping out this human being.

but the blonde figured out pretty quickly that that was where your similarities stopped. you had surprised him, more than a handful of times, and chishiya found his heart skipping a beat when you had shifted your attention back to him, eyes shining and your smile something real. something he wanted to engrave into his mind. why didn't you smile like that more often?

ah, he understood it now. even though you both had grown up the same, your heart was willing to hurt and sympathize for other people. your heart was capable of loving.

chishiya found himself wanting to do the same for you.

his heart skipped another beat, the second time making him realize the impact his words held. for so long he never reacted to anything, never experienced any emotion. so here, right in this moment, feeling something similar to a fondness for you made him scared. he didn't know how to deal with the thoughts or the urge to protect you from anything and everything.

he didn't know how to go about caring for someone other than himself.

and even though it was cowardly, he ran away. brushing past you and trying to ignore how much the stubborn part of his body wanted to reach out and touch you, to look at the shape of your eyes and the curve of your lips. but he feared if he did the newfound emotions that had surfaced would grow worse, and he wanted nothing more than to bury them back down to never be seen again.

he didn't want you to be a weakness to himself.

and chishiya intended to prevent that at all costs.

─ ♢ 🂡 🂱 🃁 🃑 ♡ ─

for months chishiya distanced himself from you.

you both managed without the other up until recently. you could do it again, couldn't you?

at first he believed that simply ignoring you would be enough. he would continue going to class, but the greetings he had initiated and exchanged would no longer fill his mornings. when that didn't work, he decided to drop the class completely. perhaps having to see you almost daily was making the emotion worse, so if he got rid of that variable, it would go away.

he told himself he didn't miss you. he didn't miss the rise in your tone when speaking to him, almost excited and everything sweet. he didn't miss the teasing remarks nor the small pout of your lips each time he reigned triumph during an argument. he didn't look for you in that corner of the library, in the trees or the night. and if he was a liar, which he is, he was almost relieved (practically devastated) when summer left and winter arrived, for the warmth in the air no longer reminded him of you.

chishiya shouldve been better by then. and yet, he felt worse than before he came to the shocking revelation. how was it that the very thing he was trying to ignore, the very thing he was afraid of, made him miserable without it?

he found himself sitting in his room for a long time. without the daily outings to eat, chishiya was surprised by the abundance of free time he was greeted with. he didn't know if it was blessing or curse. normally he was tired after hours spent at the hospital and doing schoolwork, but when he wasn't busy, when he was left with too much time to think, he didn't like the thoughts that greeted him.

fingers pressed against his temple, both to relieve the headache and the images passing over his mind. chishiya released a soft breath, the coldness of his room making it visible. it was like that every night. sleep wouldn't come, but the thoughts would. the agonizing turmoil between his feelings and his fears.

he let loose another short breath. maybe some fresh air would do him some good.

chishiya found himself in a coffee shop, the same one you both first visited all those months ago. he'd consider it ironic, especially considering that the table you both sat at was empty and within sight of his own lone booth. his attention wondered there much too often for his liking, though each time he caught himself doing so and busied himself with something else, it all led back to the same starting position.

"here's your manjū." the waiter he had talked to previously returned with a plate of the dessert, placing it in front of his figure and retreating shortly after. chishiya stared at the treat, that funny feeling in his chest returning as he took a bite.

"how bothersome." he muttered to himself, appetite now lost as he sat up. his steps were soft going to the counter, waiting for the cashier to finish with the customer in front of him. when the time came, he asked for the bill, searching for his card when the total came into view.

"you're partner isn't here?" she asked, causing chishiya's movements to falter.

"sorry?" he asked, hating the tightness in his chest. because he knew. he knew who she was referring to. and he wasn't sure how to feel about how nice the concept sounded.

"the person you usually eat here with!" it seemed she finally took notice of the blond's rather tense state, smile quickly falling from her lips and eyes widening in alarm, "wait, are you guys not-"

"can i just pay?" he swiftly changed the subject, her features relaxing as she took his card and returned it shortly after.

chishiya wasted no time leaving the cafe, the bell twinkling as he stepped out into the brisk morning air. he paused for a second, feeling the cold air nip at his cheeks, before turning and beginning to walk, allowing his feet to carry him on.

for once he wasn't surprised to find himself staring at the familiar door to his classroom, brown eyes set on the glass that revealed the inside of the room. just one look. one more and he'd leave for good.

his gaze searched the rows of seats, trying to find the one you both used to sit in almost every morning. and much to his disappointment (why was he disappointed?) both remained empty. for a moment he thought that perhaps the professor changed seats, but another quick glance around did not reveal the familiar qualities of your figure.

chishiya didn't feel like himself, at least not the one he was familiar with for the past 20 years. he asked questions he normally wouldn't care for, and wandered in the halls he had no right to be in. why was he doing all these things so suddenly?

why was he so drawn to you?

he stopped in front of a singular door, staring at the carved wood quietly. chishiya sighed, for the umpteenth time that morning, and held up a fist, knocking on the wood. he had come this far, he might as well make use of his time.

when no answer came chishiya hardened his knocks, until he was practically banging on the door. finally, shuffling could be heard from the other side, and he lowered his hand when it opened and you appeared in his vision.

chishiya had many thoughts and feelings arise at the sight of you. he thought about how funny it was that you appeared so caught off guard, wearing nothing but pjs and bed head you tried to hide with your fingertips. he thought about how a part of him, so minuscule, had missed the sight of you as a whole, with your clear eyes and coffee scented clothes. and he felt the sensation return, aching and pulling at his body until he felt consumed by the feeling.

his heart ached in his chest, something he didn't know was possible.

"what took you so long?" he spoke instead, forcing them to retreat into the back of his mind, "you look horrible."

you rolled your eyes, and chishiya found he even missed the irritated expression now on your face, "thanks. bye," you moved to close the door, and swiftly he placed his foot between the wood and your wall, triumph when you appeared confused and then angry once more, "what the hell? get out."

he removed one hand from his pocket, placing it on the edge of the door and pushing it open ever so slightly, "why weren't you in class today?" why are you doing this to me?

"none of your business." you replied curtly, moving to repeat your previous action and failing just the same. this time however, chishiya took the initiative to actually enter your room, successfully preventing you from kicking him out.

"hey! what are you doing?" he ignored you, glancing around the small dorm space. he found that it oddly suited you, the stacks of books in random spaces in the room and the cluttered desk filled with papers and trinkets. it was messy, embarrassingly so, and chishiya smirked when he spotted a certain piece of clothing he knew you didn't want him to see laid out on the floor.

you must've taken notice of his line of sight for you rushed to gather it into your arms, along with several other shirts and pants. as you were busying yourself with saving your dignity chishiya picked up what appeared to be your coat, throwing it over your face and chuckling to himself when you thrashed around to clear your vision.

"put this on. we're leaving." he spoke before he could change his mind, returning your glare with a blank stare.

"we sounds like a lot of people. you need to get out." well, you definitely seemed pissed off, but chishiya knew you would eventually give in. why wouldn't you after months of not speaking to each other? you wanted answers, and although chishiya would not give them to you, he hoped you would prove him right just this once.

finally, much to his added triumph, you released a long sigh and got up, pulling on your coat and shoes and following him quietly out the door.

you both didn't speak much as you walked, but he found it wasn't...uncomfortable. wouldn't people usually feel discomfort being with someone their on bad terms with? were you guys on bad terms? he glanced over at you, finding that your eyes were roaming across the scenery. your body language didn't appear tense nor did your face seem upset, so he found that to be a good sign.

when he glanced away he spotted the place he was looking for, the crepe stand appearing the same as months ago. your own face seemed indifferent spotting the same thing he had, eyes glancing wearily between himself and the stand. you must've thought he'd never step foot around there again when your eyes widened in surprised as he began walking towards it, and even more so when he bought a singular crepe. strawberries.

he led you over to a vacant bench, wiping the snow that had accumulated and taking a seat. you copied his movements, conflict reflecting in your gaze that quickly disappeared when he handed the treat over to you.

the weary look in your eyes returned, unsure and confused and everything chishiya had expected. he sighed, forcing the words out from his mouth while moving it closer to your face, "it's for you."

surprise replaced your previous look, carefully taking the treat and muttering a soft thank you. just as carefully you took a bite, the soft look on your face revealing how sweet the treat was. however, he hadn't anticipated the tears that followed it, dripping delicately onto the ground.

his chest felt constricted at the sight of your silent crying, an unpleasant feeling to say the least. chishiya could barely handle his own emotions, how was he supposed to handle yours? "why are you crying?"

your eyes wavered from his own, hastily reaching up to wipe the tears from your face, "sorry i just..." you trailed off, conflict reflecting off your features. as if you didn't even know the answer yourself. your eyes went back to the treat, still unfinished in your hands, "this crepe is just really good. kinda sad i didn't get to try it the first time."

chishiya couldn't help but laugh at the poorly told lie, the most genuine sound he's made his whole life. it surprised even him, the fact that he was capable of such a small and brief laugh, so unlike his mocking ones. your eyes stared at him, something he couldn't quite place within your gaze. he glanced away, the fast pounding of his heart returning to normal.

it didn't take long for you to finish the crepe, silent as you were finally left with just the wrapping. the lack of noise hung in the air for several moments longer, and based on the endless shifting of your body you were thinking over your next words carefully.

"hey...what happened that day?"

there it was. the question he had both dreaded and waited patiently for you to ask. he wouldn't tell the truth, the realization he made that day was something he'd keep to himself for the time being. was it stubbornness? possibly. but it was strange. really strange. seeing you, keeping you by his side, the tightness of his chest didn't hurt so much anymore. he felt almost relieved. calm. just like the chishiya he knew, but different in a way he couldn't explain.

he spoke his next words just as carefully as your question, "i was trying to figure out some things."

your lips tugged into a smile, though the emotion in your eyes gave it a different meaning, "still, i wish you wouldn't have ignored me like that. you can still talk to me you know."

he stared at your face, finding no hint of anger for his actions. but chishiya wasn't an apologist, so he nodded instead.

"did you figure it out? whatever you were thinking about."

no. not at all. he still had no idea what to do, and he hated not knowing. you continued to peer at him, curiously, and once more chishiya felt that feeling return. it encased his chest, his arms and the tips of his fingers. you did something to him, something he did not like. yet, it hurt his body more not having you around, and if there was anything to know about chishiya, it was that he did whatever it took to survive. to be well.

if that required you, then he'd have to make an exception to his previous ideals.

he glanced up at the sky, feeling the first fall of snow nip at his nose, "yeah, i did," he didn't realize he was smiling until he found you staring, dropping it from his face as quickly as it had surfaced, "and what about you? why didn't you show up to class today?"

he didn't miss the way your whole body tensed, your eyes seemingly replying whatever had caused you to ruin your perfect attendance. you glanced down, anxiously playing with your fingertips as you began to fumble over your words, "my mom...she uh called me today. she said my sister died last night," a sound left your throat, like you were trying to clear it to speak more easily, "but it's not a big deal. me and her weren't close anyways. i kinda hated her to be honest."

he knew you had finished when you snapped your mouth shut, seemingly awaiting his response. he knew exactly what to say, he said it almost daily to his patients, though it felt wrong to use the fake smile and change of tone on you. so instead he did what felt like the best option besides remaining silent, putting his hand on top of your head and trying his best to make his words not so monotone, "sorry for your loss."

you stared at him for a moment before bursting out in laughter, surprising the blond. he didn't say anything funny, he had at least a semblance of a humor. so what had you laughing so freely like that? why did he feel...good about it?

you quieted down, smile still plastered across your face, "sorry, just the way you said that. god chishiya i didn't realize how bad you were at comforting people. glad you're going to be a surgeon and not a therapist."

but he was good at comforting people, he was just trying to make it more real for you (why was he doing that?) he grew irritated, putting more force on the hand he kept on your head and growing amused when you laughed and begged him to let you go.

silence settled as he stood up and watched you follow, throwing away your trash and proceeding back to your dorm. the cold air nipped once more at his cheeks, releasing a sigh at the thought of how red his face probably appeared at the moment. he glanced over at your form, hoping you were just as red and instead finding that you were shivering.

he quickened his steps and stopped in front of you, noticing that your coat had no pockets for you to hide them in, "your hands are cold?"

you held up your shaking hands, red and dry from the cold, "i left my gloves at the dorm, and for some reason my coat doesn't have pockets."

he wanted to laugh at the situation, and how cliche it all felt. he wanted anything but to play a part in it, knowing it was so unlike him to do such a thing. but then again, he's been doing a lot of things so out of character. what was one more?

as you laughed to brush off your discomfort he took a hold of your hands, feeling the cold skin prick his own. the best way to warm up was by creating motion, so he rubbed your skin beneath his palms, feeling the heat steadily return. and for extra measure, just to tease, he leaned down and blew softly, glancing up to gauge your reaction.

stunned would be the best word to describe it. wide eyed, awestruck, lips agape as you stared at him in a way he had never experienced before. what was running through your mind at the moment? he wanted to know, dig into your thoughts to better understand you and himself.

he leaned up, keeping your gazes locked as he found the will to speak, "better?" you nodded a second too late, still not speaking nor breaking the gaze he held you in. he glanced down, suddenly plagued by the thought wondering what would happen if he intertwined your fingers between his, only to snap out of it just as quickly, looking away whilst releasing you entirely, "let's get going then."

the silence returned, and chishiya felt himself feeling all the more amused by the clumsy steps you took following after him. it was different from the teasing shared in the beginning, an underlying hint hidden beneath the words and glances shared. he pondered over it, mind piecing together thoughts and images as he made it to the front doors of your dorm building.

you didnt speak, didn't even look at him. you were probably trying to hide the prominent red on your cheeks and the fact that your face seemed to tell him more than your words and actions had. he stared at the building for another moment, brief hesitation before he returned to your figure and spoke, "i'll see you tomorrow then."

he began walking, each step feeling heavier than the last. chishiya normally slipped away as fast as he could, on to the next location for whatever business he had. and yet the stubborn part of his body, the one that longed to be with you, slowed his steps to lengthen the time he spent in your presence.

he stumbled forward when a body hit his back, arms wrapping tightly around his waist. at first he was alarmed, ready to push off the sudden display of touch. but then the scent of books and coffee overwhelmed him, the muscles in his body no longer as tense.

"thank you...for today. even though you suck at it you still tried to comfort me and people say it's the thought that counts, right?" your voice was soft, almost translucent and tugging on something deep within chishiya's chest. he reached up, fingers brushing lightly against your knuckles before he paused. no, he wouldn't hold your hands. not yet.

you both stood in silence for several more seconds before he felt the pull of your arms disappear around his body. the cold winter breeze greeted him, along with your flaming face and tucked in bottom lip. your eyes didn't meet his, only your rushed words of goodbye and retreating steps.

chishiya didnt move for what felt like eternity. he could still feel everything, so vividly like it were still occurring. worn down pages and sweet coffee, trembling palms and sunsets across your cheeks. he reached a hand up over his chest, squeezing the fabric as his heart rate picked up considerably. he was sick. he had to be. you were the disease making him go mad and he should fix whatever was wrong with him.

and yet his heart still ached to be with your own.

Chapter 38: AIB RETRY

Notes:

no more bonus chapters :(

but!! i really love this volume. i loved seeing arisu and usagi’s life after their trip to the borderlands and even though it doesn’t show anyone else, i tried to include some chishiya and yasushi crumbs for you guys :D really hope you enjoy!

8 YEARS AFTER RETURNING FROM THE BORDERLANDS

you didn't expect to start your morning off with cold coffee and a file thrown onto your desk. but were you really surprised?

the stack of papers you had just finished filling out rustled from the movement, some moving only mere inches while others flew from the desk entirely. you inwardly groaned at the sight of them fluttering towards the ground, and even more so at the sight of the man over your desk, no trace of guilt on his features.

"to what do i owe the pleasure?" you muttered sarcastically, bringing your cup of coffee up to your lips and swearing under your breath when the cold liquid entered your mouth. you shook your head to get rid of the taste, the clink of glass sounding rather forceful when placed back to its previous spot. you should probably lay back on the caffeine anyways.

the man's eyes flickered between you and the file laid abandoned on the cheap wood of your desk, "we have a suspect."

at that you rose your eyebrows in surprise, leaning back in your chair whilst picking up the cream colored file and flitting through it, "you found evidence?"

"we were able to compile it last night. the warrant was approved this morning."

"good work, rookie." you grinned, amused by the scowl that crossed over his features.

"i'm not a rookie anymore. and plus i've been on this team for as long as you have."

"oh, but it's so much fun to tease you, ya-su-shi." you dragged out the name of your colleague, knowing how much he hated the separation of each syllable. you've been doing it since you met the man in your first weeks of training as an official profiler, and the two of you have been on the same team since graduating from those hellish months. and despite the endless bickering, you both worked well together, like it was natural even as strangers.

"just shut up and get ready. we're heading out in ten minutes." he muttered, though his tone was lost in the content of his sentence.

you spared a glance out the window, a whine escaping your lips at the sight, "in the pouring rain? i just did my hair this morning," despite your complains however, you were already pushing yourself out of your chair and following after your friend. you could protest all you wanted, but such a mundane thing as weather wouldn't stop you from finally arresting a man you've been profiling for nearly four days already.

it didn't take long to gather the rest of your team and pile yourselves into two separate cars, following after one another on the way to where the man was supposedly supposed to be. the rain poured down more heavily as you drove, the layer of fog making it all the more difficult to drive the vehicle. briefly you wondered if chishiya would be okay going home in weather like this. he had a distaste for rain after all.

the car pulled to a stop long before you noticed, your team already piling out with their umbrellas and heading towards the store you parked in front of. you released a weary sigh at the fact that the rain fell down even harder, pulling open your umbrella and following them out of the car.

you were the last to make it outside, stray droplets spraying your cheeks and the wind proving difficult against your umbrella. amidst your struggle to stay covered you almost missed the man running past you, only the fact that he didn't have an umbrella and his apparent hurry urging you to spare him a quick glance. you did a double take, recalling the familiar stature and the brief glimpse of his face you were able to catch.

"arisu?!" you called out, grateful that your words did not die in the roaring winds. he paused, turning back to face you and recognition quickly molded itself into his features. you made sure your team was already inside before catching up to him, covering his body with your umbrella.

arisu ryohei. one of several patients at the hospital during the catastrophe more than eight years ago. you met him through kuina when she held a gathering between many of the victims, and instantly clicked with the kindhearted male. not to mention he eventually went to the same college as you to study psychology. though while you took the profiler route, he opted to become a counselor for students in high school.

"(name)? what are you doing here?" arisu breathed out heavily, and it was then that you noticed the tense muscles in his face and the fact that he was drenched from head to toe. you wondered what caused the man to be in such a hurry.

"i'm here for work. an arrest. how have you been? how's usagi?" said girl was another victim from the meteorite, as well as arisu's wife. last you heard of her she was on maternity leave for their first child, an announcement you and kuina celebrated excitedly when first told.

panic replaced arisu's winded look, his fingers hastily taking out his phone and checking the time, "she just went into labor. i'm trying to get to the hospital as fast as i can."

"oh!" your mouth fell open in surprise, realizing that the woman probably sent you her own text explaining the situation. you looked back at the store, though you couldn't see much through the rain and the sudden group of people blocking your view, "i can give you a ride to the hospital if you'd like. we should almost be done here."

"really? are you sure?"

"yeah, it's no problem-"

the sound was almost deafening, like a small explosion that rivaled even the winds currently roaring in your ears. instinctively you glanced back for the source, breath catching in your throat at the sight of a large glass object falling from the building just several steps away from you. you would've been fine if you had backed away. unscathed. and yet right beneath it was the same group of people you saw earlier, unaware that the sound their eyes seemed to be searching for was right above them.

"look out!" you don't know if it was you or arisu who said those words. all you knew was that your legs were moving on their own, hand outstretched to reach for anything that would help at least one of those people. your eyes flickered up towards the object briefly, and glass was all you saw before nothing replaced your vision.

-

you didn't know what was more strange. the fact that your beloved city was now overgrown by vines and a fine layer of dust, or the fact that you were alone. not a single soul in sight.

you tried to remember how you got there, but no matter how many times you tried to recall your head began to throb as a result. you gave up after several attempts at trying to clear the blurry images in your mind. a headache would do you no good. so instead you walked, along the unusually empty sidewalk and down the winding road. even the cars were left abandoned, as if the city population evacuated and you were the only one left. was that the case? though the idea seemed the most plausible, something told you that wasn't it. that there was something more to the strange phenomenon you found yourself stuck in.

you continued down the streets, until you found yourself near a bridge overlooking the ocean. you almost paused in your steps, not expecting the figure against the railing. your confusion was quickly short lived however when you recognized the attire, running to reach him.

"arisu!" a sense of deja vu hit you, like you had done this before. but when? you hadn't seen arisu since...your mind blanked, unable to recall the last time you saw the man.

said male turned towards you at the sound of your voice, relief relaxing his facial features, "i thought i was the only one out here."

"me too," you agreed, finding a spot right beside him. you stared at the water, much clearer than you remembered. must've been an effect of the lack of population, "why are we here?"

arisu pondered your question for a moment, his own eyes staring at the crystal blue beneath him, "im not sure. it feels like a dream."

"do you remember anything?" you asked, hoping it was just you with the foggy memories you failed to unlock.

"no. i dont. that's weird, right? we had to have been doing something before we got here," arisu fell silent for several seconds, mouth falling open and closed like he couldn't decide on what to say, "maybe in this situation...i feel a little excited."

"excited?" you asked, unable to understand how one could be excited when the whole world had disappeared.

arisu sighed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "my past self suffered from an overwhelming feeling. a suffering caused by the anxiety of the future. the only thing i wanted was to escape to an unknown country ever since i was a child."

you lowered your head, familiarity flickering to life within your chest. your own past self felt the same way. wanting to escape to a world with just yourself in it. that was why you read so much. so you didn't have to face the reality of your troubles. even though it only worked for a short while, you were the happiest in those moments.

arisu shifted beside you, before a soft gasp left his lips. you glanced over at him, finding that a mount fiji amulet lay in his hands. based on his wide eyed expression he appeared to be thinking of something, though you couldn't understand whether it was pleasant or not when he quickly turned away and clutched it tightly within his hands.

"i must...return home. i must do it for them." arisu muttered, jaw clenched and so unlike the lost male you were just speaking to.

"them?" you asked.

"usagi," his voice broke, cracked in every corner, "my child."

the memories came back quickly. you saw the cream colored file on your desk, the pouring of rain outside the car window and the glass pieces shattered across the ground. you brought a hand up to your mouth, holding back the vile creeping up your throat. and what about chishiya? how would he react to your sudden disappearance?

"how do we do that? go back home?" you found yourself asking, arisu appearing just as fearful as you felt.

"i don't know-" he trailed off, eyes focused on something behind you. you turned to look, finding that the sky had turned darker quicker than you realized. but it wasn't just that. while nearly all buildings were just shadows in the distance, one stood out. you could barely count the abundance of colors illuminating from the lights it produced.

"well," you breathed, turning back to grin at the male, "i don't know about you, arisu, but i think that's our cue to investigate."

by the time you made it to the building it had grown completely dark. you both stopped in front of it, surveying the blinding lights and the spinning globe of the world. the bold letters read that it was a theme park, and even though you've never been to the building before, it felt familiar.

you both walked inside, finding five more people within. you quickly realized they were the five you tried to save before, though each and every one appeared unscathed. how was that possible? were there any rules to this strange world you found yourself in? you shook yourself of those thoughts, examining the room instead. there was a table behind them with a monitor that counted down the time. three minutes left. but for what? you quickly read the words above the ticking numbers.

 

ᏢᏞᎬᎪᏚᎬ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ ᏴᎬFᎾᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏞᏆᎷᏆᎢ.

 

something about it felt familiar as well. what was it?

"alright, there are other people here," arisu whispered to you, a wobbly smile stretching his lips as he walked forward, "uhm, what is this?"

a woman answered him, with long black hair and wearing a long, billowing skirt, "no idea...is it possible that no one knows?" she murmured the last bit, barely comprehensible in your ears. she must've been speaking to herself.

"same for me," a man agreed, with thick eyebrows and a finely tailored suit. oddly familiar, but from where? "all i know is that i ended up in this mysterious world, but i cant remember how it happened."

same as you and arisu then. you noted the fact for future reference.

"it's just a bad dream...why shouldn't it be..?"

"where have the other people gone? i'm scared of this..."

you didn't bother looking at who spoke those words, eyes now set on one figure in particular. he was hidden behind the man in the suit, hood up with a cigarette placed between his lips. by his stance and outfit of choice he seemed to be hiding, and you could barely get a good look at his face. though you did spot small tuffs of blond peeking from beneath the hood, along with a scar that ran down the side of his face.

"(name)." you snapped out of your thoughts when arisu spoke, realizing that the group you were now stuck with were heading towards the entrance of a hallway. you swiftly apologized for zoning out, following after the male and shaking off your sudden unease.

"anything?" you asked as you walked, knowing arisu was analyzing everything just as you had.

"the older man and younger girl are related. those other two people, the nicely dressed ones, seem to know each other as well. she called him sensei."

"must be work related then," you nudged arisu lightly, smiling in hopes to ease his worries, "let's stick together, hm? for a little advantage."

"you think we might need advantages?" his brows drew together, worry glossing over the brown of his eyes.

you sighed, staring at the darkness of the hallway while mindlessly gnawing at your bottom lip, "i hope not."

at the end of the corridor another computer was set up, this one completely blank. when you approached the table it sat upon, several phones were laid out across it, seven exactly. like it knew that's how many people would show up.

you picked one up, the screen flickering to life and a screen reading ID with a small picture of you greeting you. you tilt your head in confusion, trying to piece together how this phone had your ID facial recognition when you never picked it up before.

the screen changed just as quickly as it lit up, showing fifteen different square icons. seven of them read life, while another seven had the faces of each person in the room. in the middle between both sets was another icon, the words furthering the unease within your chest.

death.

that wasn't the only strange thing. while you recognized nearly every face on your screen, there was one you hadn't seen before. it was a middle aged man, balding with a beard and mustache. he wasn't among the group clustered into the hallway, and the time limit should have ticked down to the last second by now. there was no way he entered while you were making your way in here either, you were the last to follow, and you're sure you would've noticed another pair of footsteps behind you.

it just didn't make sense.

 

ᏚᏆX Ꮎ'ᏟᏞᎾᏟK.

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ.

 

you blinked at the sudden brightness, glancing up to find that every single light was now on. you glanced around the small room, not even realizing that you had left the hallway until now. it was the shrill scream that had you snapping away from the blinding lights and paling at the sight.

gruesome was an understatement to describe the corpse. body parts lay scattered around, his face and chest split cleanly in half while a horror stricken expression remained permanent on his features. blood pooled beneath him, and a single phone lay in his hands.

you don't know what triggered it. was it the dead body on the ground? the announcement of a game ringing in your ears? the images came quickly, each one furthering the vile sitting in your throat. the sudden disappearance of people while on your date with chishiya. your mafia game, with fire and the innocent face of a child. you recalled your first game with the man you loved, gunshots and a horse mask now vibrant in your mind. the sweltering heat of fire during the witch hunt, the face card games and the blood that stained your hands. chishiya's blood.

a small sound must've left your throat, for the noise had you breaking from the intense images and swiftly glancing over towards arisu. arisu who was there with you when it happened. who appeared to remember everything just as vividly as you based on the sweat forming on his forehead and the paleness of his skin.

you swallowed, remembering to do that, before reaching a tentative hand towards his figure. he flinched at the touch, though the apology is there in his eyes when he realized it was you who initiated the contact. a small look of understanding passed between you both, and a small part of you, selfish, felt grateful that you had someone else to share the pain with.

how did you forget? you lived through it, and yet you've been living your life completely ignorant towards the fact that when your heart stopped for an entire minute it was not a strange phenomenon. it was because you were here, in the borderlands, fighting for your life in order to return. for a moment you feared you'd have to go through it all over again, but quickly pushed the thought away when the same girl who discovered the body screamed, bolting towards the stairs.

"don't get out of here!" arisu yelled, much quicker than you in stopping her. you also recalled the lasers set up at every exit. a cruel way to prevent players from leaving the game before it finished.

she stopped, glancing back at him with wide eyes and a confused glance. who wouldn't question why a man was stopping them from leaving such a cruel scene? if you were naive you would've wondered the same thing.

"why?" the black haired woman asked, warily staring at the brunette.

arisu faltered at her question, "because..." he trailed off, seemingly thinking. you supposed he didn't know whether or not to explain that he had been here before. who would believe you guys?

silently you walked over towards the body, beside the man in the suit already inspecting it. up close you could see the organs from where the man was sliced in two, far too clean to be done by a knife. no, this man wasn't murdered. your eyes flickered up towards the entrance to the stairs, now able to see the lasers activated with your body so close to the entryway.

a thought nagged at the back of your mind, unrelenting. though the smell of the corpse was real enough, the body itself felt...off. a part of you wanted to touch it, perhaps to fully inspect it, but your years of training told you you were unable to do so without gloves. not to mention if the body really was real, you didn't want to tamper with the scene.

"he's right, don't move from there." the man beside you muttered, also glancing towards the staircase, "i was inspecting the corpse...i noticed that the blood and internal organs solidified due to high temperatures."

"probably from the lasers then." you spoke, putting your own input into the air, "he probably tried leaving the room and was sliced into pieces. it's best if you stay away from any exits from here on out."

"seems legit," the man in the hoodie muttered, piercing eyes narrowed down at your figure, "who are you guys, fucking detectives?"

"close," you stood up, taking your badge out of your pocket and revealing it to the room, "profiler. i work with the psia."

a muscle tightened in his jaw, the man appearing uncomfortable by the sight of your badge. your previous suspicions of who he was surfaced once more, but without your team and the current predicament there was nothing to do but play by the hands of the creators.

you spared one more glance at the body, tilting your head when the phone it had been holding was no where in sight. where did it go?

"(name)! we should get going." arisu brought you back to reality, and you were forced to once again follow after the other players.

you entered a large room, little ufo's hanging from the ceiling and the entire room decorated to look like a miniature version of new york city. in the middle of the buildings were seven capsules, large enough to hold a least one person within.

 

ᏔᎬᏞᏟᎾᎷᎬ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ. FᎡᎾᎷ NᎾᏔ ᎾN ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ.

ᎠᏆFFᏆᏟᏌᏞᎢY, NᏆNᎬ ᎾF ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢᏚ.

ᎬᎪᎡᎢᎻ ᏆNᏙᎪᏚᏆᎾN.

 

you felt your blood run cold at the announcement, remembering the large hotel and the box of deadly weapons hidden within your closet. but, this couldn't be right. you've played a nine of hearts game before, it was your first game after all. so why was this one different?

you felt arisu come up beside you, his expression mirroring yours. though there was something within his eyes that was different. a little glimmer of hope, "you've played this before, right? that means you know what to do?"

his tone was desperate, eyes searching your own for confirmation of his question. and that's when it hit you. that's when you remembered. usagi was probably in the hospital right now, and arisu was desperate to get out of this game alive in order to see her. to see his baby.

you felt horrible telling the truth, but you did not want to give your friend false hope, "my hearts game was mafia, not earth invasion," your eyes softened, though you could not hide the pity within, "i'm sorry arisu. i have no idea how to play this game."

a defeated look crossed over his face, but arisu had no time to continue speaking when the announcement beat him to it.

 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎪᏞᏆᎬN ᏆNᏙᎪᏚᏆᎾN ᏴᎬᏩᏆNᏚ. ᎢᎻᎬY'ᏙᎬ ᏟᎾᎷᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎪᏴᎠᏌᏟᎢ YᎾᏌ. ᎢᎾ ᏢᎡᎾᎢᎬᏟᎢ YᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬᏞF YᎾᏌ ᎷᏌᏚᎢ ᎻᏆᎠᎬ ᏆN ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎻᎬᏞᎢᎬᎡ ᏆNᏚᏆᎠᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎪᏢᏚᏌᏞᎬᏚ.

ᎾN YᎾᏌᎡ ᏚᎷᎪᎡᎢᏢᎻᎾNᎬ ᏚᏟᎡᎬᎬN ᎢᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎬᏆᏩᎻᎢ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ ᏆN ᎢᎾᎢᎪᏞ. ᏞᏆFᎬ ᎪNᎠ ᎠᎬᎪᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ. ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ ᎪᎡᎬ ᏞᏆᎢᎬᎡᎪᏞᏞY ᏌᏚᎬᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏚᎪᏙᎬ Ꭺ ᏞᏆFᎬ. YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪN ᏚᎬᏞᎬᏟᎢ Ꭺ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ ᎪNᎠ ᎾFFᎬᎡ ᏆᎢ ᎢᎾ YᎾᏌᎡ ᏢᎪᎡᎢNᎬᎡ. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎷᎪᎡᎢᏢᎻᎾNᎬ ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᎻᎪᏚ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏚᎪᎷᎬ ᏆᎠ ᎾF ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᎬᎡᏚᎾN ᏔᎻᎾ ᎡᎬᏟᎬᏆᏙᎬᎠ Ꭺ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ ᎪᏞᏞᎾᏔᏚ ᎢᎻᎬᎷ ᎢᎾ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ Ꭺ ᏟᎪᏢᏚᏌᏞᎬ.

ᎠᎬᎪᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ ᏆNᏚᎢᎬᎪᎠ, ᏆF ᎾFFᎬᎡᎬᎠ, ᏟᎪN ᏆNᏙᎪᏞᏆᎠᎪᎢᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎬFFᎬᏟᎢ ᎾF ᏚᎾᎷᎬᎾNᎬ ᎬᏞᏚᎬ'Ꮪ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ.

YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪN ᏌᏚᎬ ᎾNᏞY ᎾNᎬ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ FᎾᎡ ᎬᎪᏟᎻ ᎡᎾᎾᎷ. ᎠᎬᎪᎢᎻ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ ᏟᎪN ᏴᎬ ᏌᏚᎬᎠ ᎪNYᎢᏆᎷᎬ.

ᏆᎢ'Ꮪ NᎾᎢ ᏢᎾᏚᏚᏆᏴᏞᎬ ᎢᎾ ᎾFFᎬᎡ Ꭺ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ ᎢᎾ ᏢᏞᎪYᎬᎡᏚ ᏔᎻᎾ ᎻᎪᏙᎬ ᏴᎬᎬN ᎪᏴᎠᏌᏟᎢᎬᎠ ᏴY ᎪᏞᏆᎬNᏚ.

ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎾNᎠᏆᎢᏆᎾN FᎾᎡ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ ᏆᏚ ᎢᎻᎬ FᎾᏞᏞᎾᏔᏆNᏩ.

ᏌᏚᎬ ᎪᏞᏞ ᎪᏙᎪᏆᏞᎪᏴᏞᎬ ᎬᏆᏩᎻᎢ ᏟᎪᎡᎠᏚ ᎢᎾ ᏢᎡᎾᎢᎬᏟᎢ YᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬᏞF ᎪᏩᎪᏆNᏚᎢ ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᎪᏞᏆᎬN ᏆNᏙᎪᏚᏆᎾN.

ᏆF YᎾᏌ ᎠᎾN'Ꭲ ᎡᎬᏟᎬᏆᏙᎬ Ꭺ ᏞᏆFᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎠ, ᎢᎻᎬN YᎾᏌ ᏟᎪNNᎾᎢ ᎬNᎢᎬᎡ Ꭺ ᏟᎪᏢᏚᏌᏞᎬ. ᏆN ᎢᎻᎪᎢ ᏟᎪᏚᎬ, YᎾᏌ ᎪᎡᎬ ᎪᏴᎠᏌᏟᎢᎬᎠ ᏴY ᎪᏞᏆᎬNᏚ ᎪNᎠ ᏆᎢᏚ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᎾᏙᎬᎡ FᎾᎡ YᎾᏌ.

ᎢᎻᏆᏚ ᏆᏚ Ꭺ ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏔᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᎢᎻᎬ ᏢᎬᎾᏢᏞᎬ YᎾᏌ ᏔᎪNᎢ ᎢᎾ ᏞᏆᏙᎬ, ᏞᏆᏙᎬ. ᎢᎪKᎬ ᏟᎪᎡᎬ ᎾF ᎬᎪᏟᎻᎾᎢᎻᎬᎡ. ᏢᎡᎾᎢᎬᏟᎢ YᎾᏌᎡ ᏞᎾᏙᎬᎠ ᎾNᎬᏚ FᎡᎾᎷ ᎢᎻᎬ ᎪᏞᏆᎬN ᏆNᏙᎪᏚᏆᎾN.

ᎬNᏓᎾY YᎾᏌᎡᏚᎬᏞF.

ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏚᎢᎪᎡᎢ.

 

the monitor changed, counting down from ten minutes. you assumed that was how much time you had to receive a life card and enter your capsule before the alien invasion began.

speaking of which, there was a lot to unpack from the rules just announced. for one, you must be offered a life card in order to use it, meaning you had to rely on others in order to survive. similarly, you must use all cards you had, including the death card. you couldn't understand why there was a death card. the only plausible reason would be a factor in the game that meant not everyone could survive, and it would be needed in order to eliminate a life. maybe not enough shelters? you hoped that was not the reason.

there were two more things that bothered you. for one, the game announcer said that you aren't allowed to offer a card to a player that has been abducted by aliens. most would assume this meant that once someone dies, you cannot give your life or death card to that person. but it was oddly specific. was there a reason that would prompt you to give your cards to someone who has passed? someone like the man still dead beside the staircase?

the second thing was just a long shot, but in heart games anything was important. the words "this is a game where the people you want to live, live." echoed in your brain, playing on repeat. that had to mean something, right? it had to mean that despite anything this game presented you with, no one had to die. you'd be sure to remember it when the time came.

"it really talked about aliens...." hoodie muttered, causing the older man in glasses to begin yelling with his daughter following in suit.

"that dead body in the other room is real. we better take this game seriously." the man in the suit spoke, the unease you felt before returning. because how did he know it was real? you almost asked him to prove it if it weren't for the woman beside him speaking.

"there are enough capsules for each of us, how about each of us use a life card to enter them?" she suggested.

"what about the death cards?" you barely recognized arisu's voice, monotone and so unlike him. even his eyes went dark, turned towards the ground, "i'm talking about the game clear condition. use all available cards. we will find ourselves forced to give a death card to another player, invalidating their life card and...their chances to be saved."

"what if...all of that...was just a lie to force us to use that card?" she smiled, though it felt forced and out of place on her lips. she couldn't even convince herself of the fact.

"unlikely. the rules are absolute," you muttered, quickly piping back up when spotting their defeated looks, "but that doesn't mean there aren't loopholes within them. if we look hard enough, we may be able to find a way to use the death card without preventing someone from entering their capsule."

"yeah! did you find any?" she asked expectantly.

you shook your head softly, "i'm still thinking, but i'll let you know when they appear."

"i want us to use a life card...." the daughter whispered, her father grunting in response.

"i agree, i don't want to believe that death card nonsense."

arisu stared at them, a look you rarely ever saw evident in his eyes. pity. he may have been a psychologist, but arisu never pitied his clients. he believed each and every one of them had a chance. stronger than they believed. but he must've been thinking that the death card rule was absolute, despite their hopes to think otherwise.

"let's exchange life cards, then?" you asked, soft enough as to not startle the young man but firm enough to bring him out of his thoughts.

he glanced at you, nodding before taking out his phone and pressing a couple times onto the screen. you lifted your own phone to fine it changed to show just a singular life card with the words 'get' beneath it. you clicked the button and then repeated arisu's actions.

the male turned to walk towards the man in the hoodie, to which you swiftly pulled on the edge of his shirt to halt his movements. arisu stared at you in curiosity.

"i didn't want to say anything because there's not much to be done, but that arrest i was in the area for? he's the one we got the warrant for," his eyes widened at your words, sparing the man in question a quick glance, "just...be careful. we profiled him to be dangerous. do not provoke him. my team will handle it when we get out of here."

arisu nodded, stiffly walking towards the man and exchanging a few quick words of pleasantries. you figured things went relatively well when they took out their phones and arisu came back in one piece.

you glanced at the clock, five minutes remaining, "shall we look around? maybe we can find some clues."

the overall room was impressive. you'd never been to new york, but chishiya had told you stories and showed pictures when he went once for a work trip. the thought of your husband left a small ache in your chest, missing his snarky comments and smirk dearly. maybe if you were lucky not much time was passing in the real world, and chishiya wouldn't realize you were gone until you returned.

after running your hands over the miniature buildings you found yourself at the capsules, noting the futuristic structure. very fitting for an alien invasion. by the door handle there was a screen, probably for your phone to prove that you had a life card. you crouched down, staring at it more closely and noting the words on the side saying it had a capacity of one person.

another glance at the clock showed the time had run down to thirty seconds, and quickly you pressed your phone against the screen you had spotted earlier and stepped back when the door popped open. you only spared one final look among the miniature city, tilting your head at the sight of the man in the suit holding something in his hand.

curious.

carefully you stepped inside, releasing a shaky breath from how tight the small space was before closing the small door. in order to keep your mind occupied you retrieved your phone and stared at it, hovering over the several cards still available on your screen. a thought surfaced to mind, probably stupid, but you were already clicking buttons and widening your eyes when it worked.

 

ᎢᏆᎷᎬᏚ ᏌᏢ.

ᎻᎬᎡᎬ ᏆᎢ ᏩᎾᎬᏚ.

ᎪᏞᏆᎬN ᏆNᏙᎪᏚᏆᎾN ᏴᎬᏩᏆNᏚ.

 

your head banged against the side of the capsule at the sudden motion, a soft groan of pain escaping your lips. the explosions outside were deafening, rattling in your brain and forcing you to close your eyes shut and focus on something else. your hands placed themselves on the side of the capsule, holding yourself whilst waiting for the sounds to cease.

when you exited the capsule all you saw was rubble. the small city of new york was unrecognizable, nothing having survived whatever occurred beyond the safety of your shelter. smoke billowed from beneath the debris, and you quickly realized that the ufo's from the ceiling probably shot out some sort of fire or laser to create such chaos in a short amount of time.

anyone who stayed outside of the capsule would die.

wordlessly you and the other players entered through a door that said room two, another miniature city standing on the other side. you all paused right outside, staring at the capsules in the middle of the room.

"what does this mean?!" the old man exclaimed, shock written over his features at the sight before him.

"this time...there are only six of them?" the woman muttered, equally astonished.

arisu grit his teeth, "i didn't notice. it was obvious after all...if the man from before was one of the players...we were meant to be eight people from the start. in the first room there was already a missing capsule!"

"this game is not about deciding which player to save. in this game you have to decide which one to kill each turn," the man in the suit paused, a sudden realization dawning upon him, "it's musical chairs."

"that's bullshit." you were quick to shoot down the analogy, crossing your arms over your chest while scoffing.

"you saw the dead body. you counted the number of capsules," he turned towards you, though the scowl of his face could not compare to the one your boss normally wore, "how could this be anything but a way for us to slowly kill off one another each round?"

"because the game said it's not about killing." you reminded, as if it were obvious.

his scowl deepened, "what the fuck are you talking about?"

" 'this is a game where the people you want to live, live' " you repeated the words from the announcement, growing frustrated when he continued to stare at you with a blank face, "if we all want each other to live, there's a way to achieve that."

"and how do we do that exactly?"

you pursed your lips, "i don't know-"

"see?! you're looking for something that isn't there." he turned away from you, facing the rest of the remaining players. you wore your own scowl at the rudeness of this man, "let's try and make sense of this. we can only give one life per hall which means that we can assume there are six miniature halls. and if each hall keeps reducing the amount of shelters..."

"the last hall will only have one shelter!" the old man finished, face pale at the revelation, "is that what you're saying...?"

"basically we're killing each other, right?" your eyes found their way to the man in the hoodie, seated on one of the buildings. your mind recalled the folder, remembering his name to be taiga naomichi, "until there's only a single one of us left."

"uhm!" this time it was the daughter to speak, the sudden high pitched voice gaining everyones attention, "nice to meet you all. i'm himari. i've been a daycare worker since this spring...recently, at our daycare, we've been playing musical chairs where there arent any losers. and yet...why do we have to do this?" she turned towards her father, falling into his arms, "i've had enough! dad!"

"hold on, are you all really taking part in this stupid game?" nanase, the woman with long dark hair, quickly cut into the conversation, "there's no need to listen to that announcement. let's all calm down and find a way where we can all cooperate."

"cooperate? are you really suggesting we all give each other a life and make it a stalemate?" the older man yelled.

"even if we all get a life, the shelters have capacity. one person written on them. one of us won't be able to unlock a shelter and enter one." nanase's colleague (why couldn't you remember his name?) reminded you all of your predicament.

himari lifted her tear stained face, "what happens then...?"

"if people can seize shelters with brute force, then the stronger males have an advantage-"

you began to block out the rest of the commotion, one word sticking out to you amongst the syllables. capacity. you did read that each capsule had a one person capacity, but that nagging feeling returned as soon as you saw the new set of capsules. silently you walked over towards the shelter, staring at each and every one with intense concentration.

didn't they look a little larger than before? it was only by several inches, but the difference was apparent, at least in your own eyes. your hands roamed over the surface of the capsule.

"to choose life through a discussion, and for that person to agree to their death."

you perked up at this, glancing over at the man in the suit curiously.

"so...in other words, we'll talk as a group...decide a priority of those who should survive and then the lowest person accepts not receiving a life..." arisu glanced up, "is that what you mean?"

"are you saying to discuss whose lives have value and whose dont? deciding that is impossible!" himari cried.

the man ignored her, "nanase and i work at the same medical emergency center as a nurse and doctor."

ah, so that's why he was so familiar. he worked at the same hospital as chishiya. you remembered the blond briefly talking about him, and meeting him once during their weekly colleague dinners. you'd only ever heard complaints about the man, though chishiya was the type to complain about almost every person he interacted with.

you sighed, once again missing the blond with such an intensity you wanted to break down and cry.

you didn't tune back into their conversation about human lives and their priority until much later, listening to the older man speak about the same words you noticed from the rules, "i believe they said that this is a game where those who you want to live do...then perhaps in this world that holds just the seven of us, we must decide which of our lives has the greatest priority."

"in...in that case!" himari reached for the older man, "we're father and daughter! we have a precious family member with us! i lost my mom when i was young and my dad went through a lot to raise me by himself. i wouldn't be able to handle losing him right before my eyes..! he's also an executive at a large insurance company. he raises a huge amount of workers and works hard to contribute to society! so please...please!"

"th..that's right!" he piped up, now gesturing towards nanase and kitou, "you both have a great duty! working around the clock and saving lives for emergency patients! so...that leaves..."

he turned towards you, each and everyone one of them following suit. they waited patiently, and you sighed, forcing yourself to stand upright.

"i believe this is all worthless, but i'll follow along i suppose," you crossed your arms over your chest, releasing another deep sigh, "as i said before i work as a profiler in the psia. not much to say except i have a husband and..." you faltered, an intense sadness washing over you as you glanced away, "nothing. that's all."

arisu gave you a strange look, and you made a great show of avoiding eye contact with the man.

"so you also save lives." kitou confirmed.

you shrugged, "in a way."

"then you two..."

arisu realized a little too late that all eyes were on him, face paling even more than what you thought possible. he opened his mouth to speak, probably to state his own case, only to stop at the loud sound of an object crashing towards the floor.

"enough of all that bullshit. to hell with choosing a life," it was taiga who'd done it, the crazed look in his eyes bordering on dangerous. you took a small step back, "i was expelled from school, i get sent to youth detention centers over and over again, and i don't have any relatives. you saying it doesn't matter if i die?" he reached into his pocket, revealing a knife from within. you don't know what caused you more fear. the sight of the weapon or the blood already on it.

"why do you have a knife?"

"blood?"

"what the hell did you do?!"

the questions echoed in your brain, you forcing yourself to swallow thickly in order to settle the sickness in your throat. you almost had the urge to bring a hand up to your mouth just to be safe.

taiga continued speaking, twirling the weapon in his hands, "i killed a passerby to get money for drugs. you saying it doesn't matter if a murderer dies? if you wanna kill me, then go ahead and try," he lifted it up, pointing it towards your small group of players, "but i'll murder all of you and steal your phones! i'll be the one to survive!"

questions arose, fearful and trembling while nanase broke a part of a nearby building off and pointed it towards him like a weapon. you glanced at the timer, less than two minutes left, and knew that the situation would not be resolved within that time. not if you provoked him more than he already was.

"shall we actually draw lots?" kitou held up a deck of cards, his proposition causing taiga to falter.

the sight made you feel even more sick that you already were, for there was a time those measly pieces of paper had value.

"there are some boring nights when i'm on duty at the emergency center where i don't get sleep," he shuffled the cards as he spoke, fingers fumbling and several of them falling towards the floor. he muttered a swift 'oops' at his mistake, though the lack of embarrassment made him seem either uncaring or like he did it on purpose.

"cant even shuffle properly?" taiga muttered.

he reached down to pick up an ace, "the person who gets the lowest number won't get a life from anyone. if they don't agree with the results and someone wants to use their death card, then they're free to use it on them. are there any objections?"

no one spoke, and although you didnt find drawing lots to be any better than a discussion, a part of you wanted to see how it would play out.

"alright, first up is the person who suggested this. tell me when to stop." he began shuffling the deck, though your eye caught onto a peculiar card at the top. the ace. the same card that appeared to stay at the top each time he moved the deck. seemed like his little show of clumsiness was on purpose after all.

eventually taiga reached for the top card, and everyone else repeated the process of shuffling and choosing. you reached your own fingers towards the deck, an amused noise leaving your throat at the sight of your card. a queen of hearts.

everyone flipped over their cards to show the results, each number significantly higher than taiga's.

"what the hell?" he muttered, eyes going dark, "you bastard. what the hell'd you do?!"

"stop with the baseless accusations. whether or not you agree with the results, i shuffled the cards in front of everyone here," he turned away from him, treating the man as if he were already as good as dead, "there's no time left, you three go as a trio, we'll do the same. we'll give each other a life..."

"agree, huh?" taiga slowly stalked forward, the knife he had lowered previously glinting beneath the lights, "you think that shit matters to someone who doesn't wanna die?! give me a life!"

he raced towards himari, who screamed as she stood frozen in place. quickly you pulled her towards the ground out of the way, shielding her body with your own. you glanced up, expecting taiga to be hovering above.

what you didn't expect was himari's dad to block your view, red quickly pooling his shirt. taiga pulled the knife out, the man falling towards the ground with a loud thump. himari wasted no time rushing towards his side, her screams echoing in your ears.

"it's because you took it lightly," he mumbled, fingers trembling as he quirked his mouth up into a smirk, "this happened because you didn't take my life seriously. if you want to choose a life so much than choose mine. with my own hands, all of you will-"

the laser came quickly, straight down the hand taiga raised in the air and gone before you knew it. you only realized damage had been done when his hand fell towards the ground, blood spraying from his arm where it fell off.

he screamed, dropping to his knees while clutching the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. you barely had time to register that the game restricted violence before arisu was pulling you up from the ground, a life card on your screen as he pushed you towards a capsule.

you felt numb entering the shelter, barely thinking as the the door clicked close and the announcement hung heavily in the air. taiga's screams intensified as the roaring explosions clattered outside, your hands resuming their positions on either end of the capsule to keep you from moving too much.

you tried not to look at his body when exiting, wordlessly walking towards the next hall. a smaller version of egypt greeted you, along with the heat and only five capsules.

arisu lowered himari's dad to the ground, calling your name to which you blinked.

you recalled that he had asked if you were okay, and the only thing you could respond with was the current thought in your mind, "the capsules. they're a different size then they were before."

the male stared at you in confusion, "what do you mean?"

"the capsules from hall one were barely enough to fit one person," you turned towards the ones plunged into the sand, "these ones are slightly larger. even the last one you could've fit in there with me."

his eyes softened, a firm hand placing itself on the dip of your shoulder, "you're in shock."

"i'm not. i see dead bodies almost every time i arrive at an active crime scene. this isn't..." this isn't new. you've seen far worse, and taiga wasn't even a good person. he killed people. that's why he was under arrest. yet you felt the vile in your throat, rising and rising until you rushed to a pyramid and emptied your stomach beside it. you coughed, tears gathering in your eyes at the burning in your throat. you always hated throwing up, and it didn't help that it's been happening more often than usual.

"are you okay?" arisu was beside you, a hesitant hand hovering over your back. you nodded numbly, wiping your mouth with your sleeve before straightening up and looking past him towards the older man.

"he's going to die." it wasn't necessarily a question, but you did seek confirmation from arisu's own thoughtful expression.

he turned his body to face the small crowd that had formed, "he wants us to use our death cards on him."

"i already used mine."

quickly arisu turned towards you, eyes wide, "what?!"

you simply shrugged as if it weren't a big deal, "i wanted to try something. you remember the first rule? the one where we aren't allowed to use our cards on players that were abducted. i thought it was oddly specific, and i remembered that the player we encountered in the main area was not abducted by aliens. so i tried it on him."

"and it worked?" arisu breathed, unable to grasp the possibility. you were just as surprised as him when it happened.

"yeah."

he cast his gaze downwards, "that..."

you stared at him for several moments, that nagging feeling returning, "did you give up your death card?"

his whole body tensed at the question, before he slumped his shoulders and shook his head, defeated, "i cant."

you hummed, leaning your head back against the pyramid, "you've changed arisu."

"what?" he mumbled, not expecting your words.

"when we were in the borderlands the first time you would've given it up quickly," regret crossed over his features, and you quickly waved off the uncomfortable feeling, "i'm not saying it's a bad thing. it just means you have something to live for, am i right?"

arisu remained quiet for a moment, thinking. he fidgeted in his spot, glancing around the room before finally whispering your name, "(name)."

there was an uncertainty to it, and you couldn't help but furrow your brows trying to figure out what caused such an uncomfortable stance, "yes?"

"what are we...what are we gonna do when there's only one capsule left?"

ah, the inevitable. you still had your doubts about the idea, because that's what it simply was. an idea. there was no concrete evidence that there'd only be one capsule in the last hall, but you could admit it was easier to believe than the fact that this heart game would allow everyone to live. you tried to smile to reassure the male's uncertainties, "i'll figure out a way. we're both getting out of here."

"you don't know that!" he suddenly shouted, your mouth falling open at the sudden rise in tone. arisu quickly composed himself, having the decency to appear apologetic, "so please, if it comes to that i just...usagi needs me. my child needs me."

"arisu," you spoke sharply, the male flinching in response. you weren't trying to sound cold, so you lowered your voice to a soft tone, "don't speak as if the game is already over. because its not," you pushed yourself away from the pyramid, bringing out your phone and giving him a life card, "i intend to figure it out and win."

arisu didn't say anything else as he did the same, remaining silent even as you both got into your respective capsules. even then you felt the tightness of the space less uncomfortable than before, like there truly was meant to be more than one person within.

snow nipped your cheeks when you made it into the next hall, only four capsules available. the buildings architecture appeared similar to russia, and you shivered whilst hugging your arms close to your chest.

"you...gave me a death?" your head snapped up at the sound of kitou yelling, catching a glimpse of the death card displayed on his screen.

"there's nobody here i want to let live. i don't care as long as you die!" it was himari, who you didn't realize was still holding resentment over the death of her father. the tears streamed down her face quite frustratingly, and a part of you felt pity for the girl who lost her only family member.

kitou glanced back down at his, face flickering to defeat, "it looks like i'll be the one to stay behind this time. looking back at what i did, perhaps this is reasonable. i don't plan on doing any useless resistance. the four of you should give each other a life and survive."

nanase stared at him for several quiet moments, brows drawn together and lips tugged into a set line. she took out her phone and pressed several times onto the screen, a beep sounding as a response. kitou held up his own phone, eyes wide at whatever his screen showed. you guessed she had given him a life, though it was rather useless when no one else would be able to give him another one to actually enter a capsule.

he glanced up quickly, "what are you doing? nanase?"

"even if this nullifies your death, this won't change the fact that you can't enter a shelter. but even so, i want to give you a life." the woman smiled, softening her face into a warm glow. it was almost enough to melt the snow in the room, "my ideals as a nurse are to allow the patients to live as humanely as they can. even if the patient loses consciousness in the ICU, i'll talk to them like any other patient and treat them as if they were family. if i know they can't be saved anymore, then i would focus all my time and effort on the patient and their family's relationship. regardless of the patients life beforehand, i would like for them to at least be happy in their final moments with the people they're with. i'm giving you this life with those feelings in mind."

you couldn't see the expression on kitou's face, but the voice he spoke with was strange. cold, "thank you. after hearing all that, there's nothing left to do but give you this life."

nanase smiled, turning around to face you three, "then, you three should..." she faltered, staring at the trembling girl, "himari?"

"that was quite the moving story, but what about it?sorry to say...but i don't plan on giving anybody a life."

"himari? what are you talking about?" arisu stepped forward, the desperation thick in his tone, "kitou is still gonna be the one staying back, the four of us can move on to the next..."

"didnt i tell you?" she interrupted him, tone bordering on raw anger, "there's nobody here that i want to let live, including me!"

arisu whispered something beneath his breath, the cold air puffing out of his lips. nanase wore a similar expression, shouting at the girl to try and convince her to change her mind.

eventually arisu turned towards you, the same desperation as before returning. he fumbled, searching your eyes frightfully, "(name) i cant-"

"i'll give you a life card, arisu," you reassured quickly, your next words causing his one second of hopefulness to dissipate, "but you must give yours to himari."

"but-then you-"

"himari," you turned towards the girl, her eyes finding your own, "your father wanted you to live. if you die his death will have meant nothing."

"you don't know anything-"

"you were right. we cannot put a measure on human value. your father deserved to live just as much as everyone else here," your next words came out shakier than you intended, but you couldn't help it when the pieces you had gathered finally came together, "he didn't have to die."

himari caught onto the break in your tone, more meaningful than just a passing word of pity, "what do you mean?"

she followed your gaze towards the capsules, "the shelters have bothered me from the beginning. don't they seem bigger than before?"

she stared at you, wide eyed, before rushing towards the capsule. she must've found exactly what you were searching for in the hall previously, "the capacity."

"we haven't checked it since the first round." you confirmed.

she glanced up at you quickly, "then that means-"

"everyone could've fit into the shelters. it's a game where the people you want to live, live." the last sentence felt bitter on your tongue now. the game told you exactly what would happen were you to choose to save everyone.

"but the death card. wouldn't that...?" nanase asked, her own mind trying to understand what you were trying to explain.

"i used my death card early on into the game. the first round actually."

"but we all made it in."

"because my death card went to the player in the main room."

understanding reflected in her eyes, "then we could've used our death cards on that person...."

you nodded, swiftly clapping your hands together to gain everyone's attention, "well! now that you all know the definite way for everyone to survive, kitou," you turned towards said man, holding out your hand, "you can hand over the phone now."

he stared at you, and you would admit his poker face was quite believable. not a single break in his demeanor, "i don't know what you're talking about."

"really? so if i pat you down right now i wouldn't find a spare phone in your pocket?"

"spare phone?" nanase questioned, turning to face her coworker.

"he stole it from the body back in the main room," you were quick to explain, smiling when he had the decency to widen his eyes ever so slightly, "he's been using it as an advantage to win the game. am i correct?"

"kitou, what are they talking about?" she cried.

"go ahead. show them. you probably gave yourself another life already so you could get into the capsule, didn't you? quite smart if i do say so myself."

kitou must've realized you saw through all his bluffs, eyes narrowed down at you. he glanced over at nanase, still staring at him expectantly, before flickering back towards you, "if you knew why didn't you say anything? we could've put a stop to this from the beginning."

"i didn't have any concrete evidence." you simply replied.

kitou sighed, pulling out two phones from his pockets, "the body back there was a carefully made replica. whatever the goal of the people behind this game is, the dead body was intentionally placed there. so i thought the phone it held might be meaningful in some way. and as i predicted, the phone of the dead man who hadn't died of an alien invasion is able to be used by other people, including me."

"that means all this time you've been giving us life cards from the dead body's phone?" nanase's tears began to flow, shaking her head softly, "why did you keep quiet? we could've-"

"i needed a foul proof way to win."

you sputtered out a dry laugh at his reason, "but it's useless now. there's a way all of us can survive."

"the replica implanted thoughts into our brains," arisu voiced out loud, the gears in his head spinning as he quickly caught on to the game masters plan, "it wanted us to think that people had to die in order to win."

"classic hearts game." you muttered bitterly, nanase giving you a curious look.

"hearts game?" she repeated, "have you...played this before?"

well, there was no point in hiding it anymore. you released a long breath, the cloud it formed slowly disappearing in the air, "not this game in particular. but i've been to this world before. i played games just like this."

"that's how you were able to figure it out..."

"so there's a way to leave?" himari questioned, the anger in her eyes no where to be seen. instead, it was replaced by simple curiosity. and hope, "or have you been here this entire time?"

"i believe once this game ends we'll return home."

nanase sighed, the smallest smiling breaking out onto her face, "that's a relief. then kitou, let's get out of here together."

kitou stared at the ground, his voice quiet in your ears, "what if you're wrong? what if at the very end only one of us can survive?"

"i suppose that's for future us to figure out," you shrugged, a smile curving your lips, "but for now, let's all try to live."

the man dropped his shoulders, gaze burning into the snow at his feet. you noticed the slight tremor in his hands, clenched into fists that were sure to leave marks, "after everything that happened...thinking about the chance that everyone could've survived...what would happen to the lives that have already been taken?" swiftly he lifted his head up, his own frustrated tears gleaming in the corners of his eyes, "can you carry that burden with you for the rest of your lives?!" a hand placed itself on his chest, "i can! as a doctor i must save my patients! through that i will be able to repay the lives i wasn't able to save here! i'm the only one capable of that! i will aim for the path where only i survive!"

"kitou!" nanase cried.

"is that really what you think?" when kitou remained silent at your answer you sighed, glancing away from the man's distraught expression, "fine then. arisu?"

the male was quick to realize what you meant, pulling out his phone and pressing on the screen. kitou raised his phone when it beeped, confusion replacing his anger.

"and what will come out of this?! you still don't get it?!"

"you're the one who doesn't get it, kitou." arisu murmured, the man responding with a loud 'what' in response, "even if one of us dies here, we can simply chose to not give you a life in the next remaining halls. if we continue on like this, all of us will receive a game over."

arisu stepped forward, kitou taking a stumbling step back as a response.

"to let all of us live, use your death card on the dead body's phone and bet on the chance that the five of us can survive. this is all i we can do. our final proposal. all that's left is for you to make your choice. will you let the five of us live or die? this is the final decision."

a muscle in kitou's jaw tightened, perhaps unsure of what to make of arisu's words, "what's with that look on your face? are you trying to say that because you've done your best and did all you can you have no regrets?"

"regrets?" arisu repeated, the smile on his face full of pain. and yet it was still as bright as the sun, "of course, i have a mountain of them."

"arisu." you murmured, heart aching quietly for the man.

"there are so many things i haven't done yet. things i dream of doing and things i want to do. my wishes, expectations, hopes and future. there are a mountain of things i wasn't able to accomplish. but isn't that just how life is?"

you smiled, glad that the arisu you remembered, the one who did his best for everyone, was standing right in front of you.

"looking back, most of my life has been rough. it hasn't been that long since i finally found happiness too. but even so, i like this life of mine. like you said, i've done all i can. there are lives that could've been saved had i just realized sooner. no matter how much i regret it i cant undo what happened. but in the end i was able to live in a way i can accept. at the very least, to my child, i'll be someone who's able to die with my head held high."

kitou broke after several long, quiet moments, tears running more freely down his face. nanase quickly rushed towards him, hands soothing the upper part of his back, "what am i supposed to do now?"

"you'll accept it. and live differently." she murmured softly, her own smile as bright as arisu's.

the man shakily lifted up his phone, pressing a couple times before doing the same to the other. your phone beeped, having received a life card, and you breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.

"thank you kitou. you did the right thing. i'll be sure to let chishiya know so you can gain his favor." it was a joke. mostly. but you were successful when he finally seemed to recognize you, mouth quirking up in an unsure smile.

a swift glance at the timer showed just under a minute left, and quickly you all huddled close to the capsules. kitou paused before it, expression unsure beneath the fluorescent lights.

"do you...truly believe more than one person can enter a shelter?" he asked quietly.

arisu turned around to face him, stepping aside to reveal the small door, "in case it only unlocks for the first person you can go first."

the man hesitated, before swiftly shaking his head, "no, you first."

arisu didn't argue for once, releasing a shaky breath while holding up his phone. he stepped inside, closing the door, and you watched as kitou stepped up to do the same. he lifted up the device, fingers trembling ever so slightly, before pressing it against the scanner.

it felt like an eternity before the device beeped, and the door clicked open for him to enter.

"it's true! everyone is able to go in a shelter!" himari cried, this time shedding tears of relief.

you walked up to a different capsule, nodding towards both girls, "after you himari, nanase."

nanase placed a tender hand onto your upper arm, that bright smile now directed towards you, "thank you. for figuring it out. and talking some sense into kitou."

"i only wish i would've known sooner."

she didn't appear upset, and the lack of the emotion helped you feel just the slightest bit better, "not much we can do now."

you went through two more rooms after that. there was the tropical land of mexico, with large, lush trees and the chirp of birds. and then there was another you didn't quite recognize, though you tried not to dwell on it as the time ticked down and you entered the final hall.

"the final city is tokyo." arisu breathed in surprise, and you also took in the familiar sight of buildings you've gone to and the small replicated roads.

"we've used up all our death cards!" himari cried happily, "all that's left is to give each other a life."

"then we can go back to the real world." arisu finished. he turned around to face kitou and nanase, the smile on his face dropping at the sight of the man frozen to his spot. he didn't look even a tiny bit happy.

"kitou?"

"i cant...go into the final shelter." he confessed.

"why not?" arisu questioned, taking several steps toward him, "after coming all the way here? game clear is right in front of us."

"if...i had told everyone about the dead body's phone without hiding it, if i had doubted the rules and didn't give up on finding another path so quickly, everyone might've lived. but i just used the phone to be the only survivor. someone like that shouldn't be forgiven."

you didn't even realize himari had brushed past arisu until the clap of her hand coming in contact with kitou's cheek echoed in the room. he stared at her, dumbfounded, as she spoke in a calm voice, "that may be true, but if you hadn't noticed the phone and brought it along the five of us wouldn't be standing here right now," she pulled out her phone, kitou's own device beeping in response, "i don't want to see a person die when they could've been saved ever again. so hurry up and live. you need to save them don't you? the lives of 1000 patients."

he grimaced, though didn't argue with the girl in fear of another swift slap to the face. you smiled at the sight, nanase wearing a similar expression. when the time ticked down and the moment finally came, you all exchanged life cards, each icon now faded to prove its use.

"see you guys on the other side." you waved, before pulling yourself into the capsule.

 

ᎢᎻᎬ ᎢᏆᎷᎬ ᏆᏚ NᎾᏔ ᏌᏢ! ᏟᎾNᏩᎡᎪᎢᏌᏞᎪᎢᏆᎾNᏚ, ᏩᎪᎷᎬ ᏟᏞᎬᎪᎡ.

 

-

hickory greeted you when you woke up, warm and most of all, angry. you almost mistaked it for chishiya if it weren't for the dark hair over the man's forehead and the scowl on his lips.

"what the hell happened?!" yasushi yelled, you jumping in response to his loud tone. the man didn't stop however, continuing to scold you like a child, "i turn around for two seconds and suddenly you're under a billboard. a billboard."

you ignored him, glancing around the small room. a monitor, an uncomfortable mattress and the buzz of voices outside with people in white coats, "i'm in the hospital." you confirmed, yasushi releasing a frustrated breath.

"yeah, after i carried your ass all the way to the emergency room, you're welcome by the way."

you grinned at the tired tone of his voice, knowing exactly where it rooted from, "is that worry i sense, yasushi?"

"like hell it is," he grumbled, pushing himself up from his chair and picking up his coat, "take the rest of the day off, i don't want to see you anywhere near the office until tomorrow."

"yes sir."

"don't mock me." he muttered, the click of his shoes echoing as he reached the door.

"hey," the man paused at your voice, staring at you expectantly, "thanks for bringing me here."

yasushi let out a huff, "tell that annoying husband of yours to take care of you. i'm out."

"wait, what happened with the suspect?" the images were still blurry, but you remembered at least that much.

he glanced away, "dead. was under the billboard and got hit the hardest. investigation closed."

you nodded slowly, comprehending the information, "i see. don't stress too much yasushi, you'll get gray hairs."

he was already out the door, giving you a simple wave over his shoulder, "already have a bunch from you."

you didn't have to wait long by yourself when yasushi left, another pair of brown eyes staring at you several minutes later. to say that chishiya was pissed would be an understatement, the man glaring at you as he closed the door and occupied yasushi's previous seat.

"i thought i told you i never want to see you here as a patient." were his first words. you laughed, because that was probably the most worried chishiya has ever expressed since the meteorite disaster eight years ago.

"how can i help myself when such a handsome doctor is here to treat me?" you grinned, your husband releasing a soft snort in response.

he picked up his clipboard, scanning the contents swiftly, "your vitals are all normal. just a small concussion from where you fell unconscious."

you released a short breath, sinking into the mattress, "well, that's a relief."

"it is." chishiya agreed, though you couldn't help but get the feeling that there was something more he wanted to say.

"is there something else?" you asked.

the man stared at you, gaze flickering back towards the papers whilst tapping his fingers against the wood softly. appeared he was trying to figure out how to properly form his next sentence, "when were you gonna tell me?"

you froze, heart beating out of your chest at the question. chishiya caught onto the movements, and you knew you'd have to tell the truth. there was no use hiding it from him anymore. though, you did want to tell him properly and not because you'd just so happen to get injured before you could, "i've only known for a week."

"hm." he hummed, not saying anything else. in all honestly you were confused, having expected a multitude of different things chishiya shuntarou could say about your current condition. and yet a simple noise was all you received?

"is that all you have to say?"

"what else is there to say?"

you laid back dramatically on your bed, staring at the ceiling, "i was waiting for a lecture or a reason as to why this was a bad idea and you're not ready."

you barely registered chishiya's hands on your forehead, soft and warm against your skin. your eyes fluttered close at the feeling, "we're financially stable and have been married for quite a while. why would i oppose it?"

you opened your eyes, shooting up from the bed and instantly regretting it when your head began to throb. chishiya glared at you, but you ignored the look and placed your hands over his excitedly, "really? you mean it?"

he sighed, lifting up one hand and pushing back the hair from your face, "if a baby is really what you want then i'm willing to try."

the smile upon your face hurt from how wide it was, but you couldn't help it at the sound of his words, "does this mean you'll go shopping with me? set up the nursery?"

"don't push it."

you huffed, pinching his cheek, "what a grumpy old man. already fitting into your father persona nicely."

he swiftly hit the top of your head with a rolled up piece of paper, a whine leaving your lips, "wait here. we'll go home together, then we can talk more."

you grinned, squeezing his hand as he got up from his chair. chishiya leaned down and pressed his lips softly against your forehead, a quiet 'okay' leaving your lips. when he stood up straight he stared at you for another moment, taking you in as you did the same.

beautiful was an understatement to describe him.

sure, chishiya's facial structure was pleasing, anyone would be able to catch onto the beauty his face held. but it wasn't just his cheekbones or the lips you could recall pressed against your skin. it was the eyes, dark and alluring, reflecting with so many things you didn't know but wanted to learn. they were what caught your attention in the first place, and the reason why the love you held for the man could not be measured within infinity.

'i love you' you mouthed, grin widening when chishiya shook his head while releasing an amused breath. it wasn't until his pager beeped did chishiya finally turn away to leave, mouthing his own response as the door clicked shut behind him.

'i love you more.'

Notes:

and this is it! for real this time! i have no plans for anymore bonus chapters (unless requested wink wink nudge nudge) so i hope you guys don’t miss me too much as i try to work on my other projects (which you should all definitely support me in heheh there will be more chishiya content in them) goodbye my loves!

Chapter 39: DURING MOONLIT NIGHTS

Notes:

so uhmmmm this has been sitting in my drafts and i’ve never written smut before SO IDK HOW THIS IS BUT I HOPE YA’LL ENJOY SORRY FOR TEASING YOU GUYS HAHAHHAHA LOVE YA

WARNING: HEAVILY IMPLIED EXPLICIT CONTENT.

chishiya's hands feel cold where they touch you. shivers rush down your spine every instance they brush against your hipbones, and your body trembles each time they pass over your collarbone, featherlight and almost a little ticklish. even so, you instinctively lean into the touch, a part of you craving the winter storm he wields with his bare hands. how could you resist when something warm, burning hot like a fire, stirs deep within your abdomen as a result of his delicate touch?

you feel your stomach twist into several knots when he leans his head down, brushing his lips against the shell of your ear. blinking rapidly, you suppress a shudder while trying to focus on all the things happening at once. the flickering candles in the room. the soft pants next to your ear. his fingers dipping further and further down your skin.

"chishiya."

you don't recognize your voice, the sound having been pulled out of you when the man hovering above sunk his teeth into the soft skin of your neck. slowly, almost teasingly, he's trailing similar small nips over every expanse of skin he can reach, and you find yourself curling your fingers into his hair when he bites down especially hard. you breath shakily, debating between pulling chishiya up to kiss him or hitting the man once you feel his smile against your skin. bastard.

"are you always this mean?" you croak, surprised your voice worked at all. the pain quickly disappears when chishiya presses his lips softly against the marks, and you almost have half a heart to forgive him for his actions.

"are you always this whiny?" he retorts. he lifts his head to peer at you, and you hate how pretty his eyes look in that moment. the fire from the candles danced from side to side within, rising and falling in quick increments.

"i'm not-chishiya!"

you know the skin will bruise, it's likely with the way chishiya continues to suck on the bite with no signs of stopping. you squeeze your eyes shut, threading your fingers through his hair tightly but making no moves to remove him from his current position. pain and pleasure blur together, heart rate thumping loudly within your chest. you can barely contain the small noises leaving your lips, especially with the onslaught of emotions that are almost too much to handle. almost.

you slowly open your eyes when all sensations suddenly stop, barely registering that chishiya's face now hovers above your own. his lips are quirked up into his signature grin, and his eyes dance with delight. you are almost positive he is amused by your lack of composure at the moment (as if it weren't his fault entirely).

"careful. people might hear you, miss executive." his voice is low passing over your lips, and you barely have the mind to retort with something clever. not when the proximity has your heart thundering inside your chest and your mind going blank.

and then he goes quiet. leaning back, staring at you, as if taking in the sight of you laid pliant beneath him. the pout you previously wore on your lips fades, and your eyes drink in the sight of him as well. blond hair falling past his shoulders, lips set in a neutral expression. moonlight splayed delicately across his features. and those damn eyes. intelligent, yet now glazed over with the smallest hint of affection. gone was the mirth you noted previously. instead, it is replaced by an emotion you couldn't quite name, but one chishiya wore often. you found yourself mirroring it, feeling within your heart and your mind that whatever it is, it was reserved only for you.

you reach your hand up and rest your fingers on his cheek, pressing lightly on the beauty mark right below his eyes. chishiya's lashes brush against his cheekbones as they flutter shut, almost leaning into your touch. you smile. oh how you loved this man. somehow, for some reason, your heart is in his hands, and you had no intentions of taking it back.

instead, you place your hands on his cheeks, pulling him down to close the distance that felt much too far. your lips mold themselves together, a small relief for the fire consuming your entire body. you feel chishiya's own hand find purchase beside your head, fingers soothing the skin by your neck. you hum in satisfaction at the tender touch, arching your body upwards to meet his own so skin pressed against skin.

his other hand slowly inches down before stopping at your hips, stroking the exposed skin and causing your stomach to twist in knots at the sensual touch. you shift, pulling yourself closer to his body and releasing a pleased sound when you felt the hot skin through your clothes.

you both pull back, breathing heavily into the dark confines of your shared bedroom. chishiya's eyes scan your face briefly before leaning down once more, pressing several kisses down the length of your neck and the juncture of your shoulder. you lean back to allow him more room, breath catching when you feel the scrape of his teeth over your breasts. pleasure coursed through your body when you feel them break through the skin, followed by gentle sucking to soothe the pain.

"off...take it off." you mumble, fingers pulling at the hem of his shirt. chishiya leans back, staring at you with a flicker of amusement. slowly, tentatively, he reaches down and pulls up the fabric of your own shirt, slipping it through your arms and head. although you allow the movement, you release a frustrated breath, sitting up and pulling off his own clothing, "i meant your shirt. tease."

chishiya discards it into the steadily growing pile, "where's the fun in that?"

you releas another huff, opening your mouth to quip back with something clever only to falter when you feel chishiya quickly press against your lips, a content sigh replacing your words. you grow so encaptured by the touch you barely register his fingers sliding down your spine, tracing the bone before settling on the clasp of your bra. he unbuckles it with ease, gliding his fingers to your shoulder and pulling aside the straps. your bra falls to the floor by the rest of your clothing.

another shiver rushes through your body at the cold air on your exposed skin, twisting your fingers together as you waited for chishiya to speak. he continues staring at you, scrutinizing eyes passing over the dips and curves of your skin. eventually, his fingers place themselves along healed wounds on your waist, tracing the jagged tissues with a thoughtful expression on his face. you mimic his actions, reaching your own fingers up to outline his own scars, one on his chest and one on his side.

"we're the same." you mumble quietly, catching chishiya's eyes with your own. he stares down at you, something inexplicable passing over his expression. you couldn't tell what it was, the room too dark to study it, but before you know it chishiya was pressing his lips to your own once more, lingering there for several moments as you listen to the crickets outside your window and the steadiness of his breathing.

chishiya is careful removing the rest of your clothing, fingertips tracing over every part exposed in the night. your own hands find themselves roaming across his body, feeling the dips in his shoulders and the muscles on his stomach; which twitched every time you inch closer and closer to the root of his desire. when yet another shiver rushes through your body you hold him, embracing the weight pressing you down against the sheets and the warmth that follows every inch.

a quiet moan escapes your lips when you feel chishiya press against the burning ache of your core, hips instinctively reaching up to meet his own. your ears pick up on the sharp intake of breath he takes at the contact, head dipping down to bury in the crook of your shoulder. as the burn increases your movements follow, earning a soft chuckle of amusement in your ear.

you whine in protest when chishiya presses his hands down onto your hips, strong enough so you couldn't move.

"chishiya." you whine again, trying to weave out of his grip. the man ignores you, gliding his fingers towards your stomach.

"patience." he murmurs, grinning wickedly before dipping his fingers inside of you.

a breathy moan is forced from your throat, fingers twisting in the sheets as chishiya begins to move. your eyes squeeze shut each time the appendages curl and press against the sensitive part of your body, feeling the knot in your stomach tighten as time passes. you gasp, mouth falling open when he dips another inside.

just when you feel the knot about to unravel you clasp your fingers around chishiya's wrist, forcing him to stop. he stares at you with a curious glance, watching the way your chest rises and falls in heavy pants.

"please, i'm ready. i want..." your voice trails off, embarrassed to say the words out loud. chishiya hums, amusement dancing in his eyes, before reaching a hand up and brushing the hair out of your face.

your fingers tighten their hold around chishiya's shoulders, several moans echoing in the room as he pushes himself inside of you. the man above releases his own shuddering breath, face once more finding purchase right beside your ear. with the position, you can't see his face clearly, but chishiya's heavy breathing and erratic heartbeat os evidence enough that he was feeling good, too.

time feels strange as you and chishiya move, slowing and speeding up along with your movements. your fingers leave crescent moons along his upper arms, red bruises forming along your neck and shoulder. you find yourself mumbling incoherencies, dragging your lips down his neck to leave your own pretty marks and to stifle the sounds. a particularly hard thrust leaves you spiraling, pleasure shooting down your spine.

the knot snaps.

your body trembles with every wave that washes over it, a broken cry leaving your lips as chishiya guides you through the feeling. when your voice quiets down to gentle whimpering, chishiya picks up speed, movements becoming erratic until he releases a quiet moan and stills. you both remained there, breathing heavily, and you blink away the haze of lust previously settled.

chishiya is careful untangling your limbs and resting his body beside your own, your form instinctively curling up into his side. his fingers glide down to the dip in your back, muscles relaxing as you sink into the blankets and pillows.

no words are spoken the rest of the night, both your minds weaving in and out of sleep. but enough is said through the gentle touches and the low hums from your throats, the flames flickering down to a gentle glow. you're content, and you're grateful you are able to share such a precious moment with the man laying peacefully beside you.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of a heart like yours