Chapter Text
When Nakajima Atsushi asked, "Could life get any worse?" This morning, it had been a rhetorical question.
However, he was getting a very real answer right now.
Surrounded by people shot dead in front of him in what looked like a brightly painted children’s playground—because they lost a game of Red Light, Green Light—Atsushi realized the answer was yes. Yes, it could.
He wished he could go back to that morning when he had asked that question.
Having been thrown out of the orphanage — the only home he had ever known, and not a pleasant one at that — the moment he turned eighteen, as if the president had been counting down the seconds, with no graduation plan, no job, no home, and no reference, it was only natural that Atsushi would end up lost, confused and miserable in the subway. However, unnatural was that someone would invite him to a game of Menko for 150 yen a round, slapping him each time he lost. After that, he gave him a card saying that he could win easy money by participating in a game.
But what was completely predictable was Atsushi finding himself in yet another misfortune.
To be honest, looking back at it, with the way they had been gassed unconscious, with their belongings—even their clothes— having been taken from them, it was obvious that something fishy was going to happen. It was the scheme of it that took them by surprise.
There was a giant, creepy-looking doll in front of him. The doll sang "Daruma-san ga koronda." And when it stopped singing, people had to stop moving. So far, so good. Everyone knew this very simple game... except, when the first one didn't... he was SHOT DEAD!
They couldn’t believe their eyes. Then chaos erupted. People fell one by one as panic overtook them. The smell of blood, gunpowder, and even piss filled the air. Atsushi just stood there frozen, his whole being shaking. He could not move even if he wanted to.
"Daruma-san ga koronda"
Suddenly, with utmost mortification, he noticed a tall, lanky man not only going forward in lazy steps as the doll sang, but doing weird dances.
Atsushi was so astounded that he did not even know how to react.
"Dazai! You damn beanpole! The hell are you doing here, bastard?! Why the hell do I have to keep seeing you everywhere?!"
Suddenly, everyone's eyes turned from the weird, dancing man to that voice. The owner of the voice was a short, petite man with striking ginger hair, looking very angry. And everyone had to stay staring at him because the doll stopped singing and started scanning the area for movement with its creepy eyes.
"Daruma-san ga koronda"
"Oh, Chuuya! You're here too?! You know, actually, I've got the same question, Chibiko-kun! Weren't busy taking over Japan with your super gang? What are you doing here playing for a few yen?"
The eyes turned from the short, ginger man- apparently named Chuuya- back to the tall, lanky, brunette man- apparently named Dazai. And they had to stop again because the doll stopped singing again.
"Daruma-san ga koronda."
"Stop answering my question with a damn question, you bastard! I know you're here with a goddamn motive and plan and all!"
The short ginger man yelled.
"Fufu, Chibi, an ungodly amount of money or death? This is practically win-win for me! Why wouldn't I be here?"
"Yeah, you don't give a shit about that money." Chuuya scoffed. "Don't give me the bullshit!"
But Atsushi didn't have enough time to follow their conversation as a hand roughly grabbed his collar and pushed him forward. Stopping exactly as the doll stopped singing. Atsushi only had enough time to look up at the one holding his collar.
It was a very pale, thin young man with bottomless grey eyes and black hair tipped in white.
Stared straight ahead, without his lips moving, the man said in a rough, harsh tone,"What are you doing standing there for half an hour, idiot? Do you think it's a bus stop? Move!"
He said this as he shoved Atsushi ahead after finally throwing a venomous look at him at the same time as the doll resumed singing.
Atsushi scrambled for a few steps before regaining his footing. The man was right. What was Atsushi doing just standing there like that? Surely they'd shoot him if he couldn't reach the finish line before the game was over!
He ran — and froze just as the doll fell silent.
Some people slipped on blood and bodies. Gunshots echoed all around.
A few meters away, a seemingly blind man was running right into a corpse. A serious man with tattoos on the corner of his eyes redirected him with a quick pull just in time. "Careful." He whispered.
The blind man, with white hair tipped in red, smirked as if unbothered by his near-death experience, "Well, thanks."
A few meters away, a short, bespectacled girl was as petrified as Atsushi, shaking so terribly that even when standing motionless, the doll would definitely detect his movement. The girl, however, seemed aware of that blunder. While she couldn't stop her shaking, she realized that she could do something else. She could hide behind the tall, blonde man who was standing right in front of her.
The girl with red hair in pigtails next to her whispered,"Oh, clever!"
She looked at the red- headed girl. The girl smiled at him with a glint of determination and reassurance in her eyes. The bespectacled girl gave her a shaky smile in answer and nodded.
All around them, people fell as gunshots echoed again.
Atsushi's eyes searched the area for the man who had saved him. He was standing not far away from him, looking determinedly ahead with a slight frown.
"Daruma-san ga koronda."
Atsushi ran as fast as he could, trying to make up for the time he had lost staying frozen in place.
The finish line was finally in sight.
The doll stopped singing again.
The man named Dazai did a little dance right before the doll scanned his area. Atsushi felt frozen in his place. The tall, serious-looking, bespectacled blonde man with a ponytail behind Dazai let out a horrified,"Are you out of your mind?!"
Atsushi's eyes searched around for the man who had saved him again.
He was standing near Atsushi. At first, he looked like he had no trouble staying unmoving, but then Atsushi noticed a subtle tension in his face. He seemed to be struggling with something. A slight frown of discomfort showed between his brows. It seemed like he was holding his breath. He had difficulty staying still.
"Daruma-san ga koronda."
The moment the doll resumed singing, the man finally let out a series of coughs. Atsushi, who had sprung for the finish line, looked back and stayed right where he was, a few steps away from the finish line.
The man was coughing violently, but he did not let it stop him. He took large steps even as he doubled over and coughed.
He raised his head. Locked his gaze on the finish line. Holding his breath, he pushed himself to run with all his might.
The doll's singing voice echoed.
Atsushi ran back towards him, met him a few steps away from the finish line, reached for his hand, and pulled him towards the line with him as he did the biggest jump of his life so far.
They both fell on the other side of the line right as the doll stopped singing.
Relief washed over Atsushi so much that he just stayed there on the ground, not making any move to get up. But then came the dread.
Where was this hellish place? What did he sign up for? What is this? They said they have to play 6 freaking games! How can he get out?
"I could have done it myself."
A rough voice came. Atsushi's saviour mumbled while avoiding looking at Atsushi after a few coughs.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did back there. You saved my life. What's your name?"
"Akutagawa."
"Thank you, Akutagawa. Glad to meet you. I'm Nakajima Atsushi."
The man nodded quietly.
***
"Sir, you probably don't know, but you saved my life by being tall and standing in front of me."
The bespectacled girl said in a shaky voice.
"Is that so? Well, glad to be of service. It's not every day that you save a life by doing nothing." The tall, blonde man said with a slight smirk.
"And you saved my life by showing me that technique!" Said the red-headed girl with pigtails.
"Ah... well, glad to help." The girl answered shyly.
"Lucy, by the way." Said The redheaded girl.
"Louisa," answered the nervous girl.
"Glad to make your acquaintance. Francis Fitzgerald at your service." Said the blond man.
Atsushi was standing quietly close to Akutagawa, who was even quieter, because he didn't know where else to stand.
"Ah, I twisted my ankle when I slipped on a corpse and caught myself." Said a ginger man with hairclips as he examined his ankle, his face twisted in pain.
"Let me see. I'm a doctor." Said the lady with black hair and purple eyes, who, earlier upon waking up in these clothes, had looked scary and downright murderous when asking, "Who craved death enough to change and steal my clothes when I was unconscious?" And in the area when playing red light, green light had the same scary glint in her eyes.
The ginger man removed his hand from his ankle to let the doctor check. She crouched and examined it.
"It seems fine. It's just a shock. Should be fine with a little rest."
The ginger man looked around hopelessly, "Will I even have the chance to rest here?" Then in a louder voice, looking like he might vomit any moment now, he said:
"Good lord, where is this madhouse?! I wanna go back to my sister!" He hung his head in despair," My sister must be worried to death for me by now! And she'd be right!"
As if suddenly a dam broke, an uproar of agreement rose. People crying and screaming that they want to go back to their homes away from this madness.
"Pft. Did you seriously expect a few rounds of Atari when they gassed you to here and took away your clothes and phones? It was obvious there was going to be blood." Said Chuuya.
"Well, excuse us if not everyone here is a gangster like you. We'd like to get out of here as soon as possible," said the tall, bespectacled blonde man with a ponytail.
"Godspeed. I'm not stopping you," answered Chuuya.
The doors opened and in came the guards wearing pink and masks with squares on them.
There were a few moments of shocked silence.
And then everyone erupted.
"Sir, please! Stop this slaughter!"
"Have mercy!"
"I've got kids waiting for me at home!"
"How dare you do a mass murder in broad daylight?! You think you can get away with this?!"
"I may be poor now, but I'll still drag your asses to the court!"
"Just let us go, and we'll never talk about this ever again to anyone!"
"You can't keep us here! People will soon look for us, and you'll be screwed!"
Some begged and pleaded, some threatened, some wept, and some yelled angrily.
The guard fired a blank shot into the air.
"Quiet, please. There's been a misunderstanding. This is not a slaughter. This is a game in which everyone has a chance to win 223 billion yen."
"I don't want to win shit! I want to go back home!"
Somebody-a ginger boy with a bandaid on his nose- yelled, and an uproar of agreement rose.
"According to the 3rd paragraph of the agreement, upon most of the players' agreement, the game must be stopped." Said Louisa in a suddenly assured voice.
The guard was silent for a few seconds.
Then he answered,"That is true. You can have an election. But before that, let us show you your savings until now."
A huge pig-shaped container descended from the ceiling. An unbelievable amount of money poured down inside.
"So far, there's been 82 billion yen, one billion yen for anyone who died. If you stop the games now, one billion yen would be sent to the mourning families of those who died, and you'll go home with nothing. Should you choose to continue, the winner will go home with 223 billion yen."
The light of the giant piggy bank reflected in the players' eyes. Silence stretched.
"Number 223, step forward." Called the guard.
The man with glasses and a ponytail stepped forward and voted out immediately. He took his tag with an "x" on it and stood at the right side of the room.
"Number 213"
A middle-aged man voted out and joined the bespectacled blonde man on the right side.
"Number 202."
The ginger man with hairclips voted out without hesitation and joined them.
The guard read more numbers and more and more people joined the groups on both sides of the room.
The doctor, the man with a tattoo under his eye, and Louisa voted out and went to the right side.
Chuuya, the blind white- haired man, and Lucy voted in and joined the left side.
"Number 111."
Akutagawa voted in.
Atsushi stared at him with betrayal in his eyes. Akutagawa did not look back as he attached his tag and went to his side.
"Number 101."
Atsushi voted out immediately, attached his tag, and went to the right side.
Soon after him, the ginger man with a bandaid on his nose, and a tall, scruffy man with auburn hair joined the group, too.
The streak broke when a slender man with long, wavy black hair voted in.
"Number 13."
Dazai voted in.
So far, 70 people had voted in, and 70 people had voted out.
"Oh my God, what's wrong with you all?!"
Asked a short, nervous man with brown hair.
Dazai shrugged,"I don't know about others, I just crave death."
"Well, go and throw yourself off a Damn bridge! Don't bring us all down with you, goddamn it!" Answered the brunette man in distress.
"Please maintain the order of the election."
The guard said.
"Number 1."
A thin, pale man with shoulder- length jet black hair and purple eyes stepped forward. Hesitated for a minute. Then voted in.
"You fucking-...!"
"Oh my god, you goddamn horrible, suicidal, sadists!"
An uproar of colorful, terrified swear words raised.
The defeated crowd of people who had voted in shot daggers with their eyes at the other group, especially number 1, who had the deciding vote.
"Francis-san! Why would you do this?!" Lucy said, shooting a venomous look at the man.
Francis was quiet for a few minutes. Contemplating whether he should answer that question. Eventually, he said,"I couldn't save my daughter. I have to save my wife at any cost. If you want to all vote out, please at least say it before the next game, so I can get myself killed, and a billion yen will go to Zelda."
Lucy couldn't really say anything to that. She stayed silent, with her anger subdued.
"Why did you vote in?" Asked the man with tattoos under his eye as he glared at the blind man with white hair.
"Because I needed money." Answered the man with an uncaring smirk.
"You can find another way to make money when you go outside that wouldn't involve the risk of death."
"I would have by now if I could. What waits for me outside is not any better than this. Besides, I don't intend to lose, um...?"
"Tetchou. Tetchou Suehiro."
"Yes. Tetchou-san. I'm Jouno Saigiko. Glad to make your acquaintance."
"Yeah. Well, I could find some security work out there."
"You must not have many debts then. Did you work in security previously?"
"No. I was a police officer."
"Oh, you were a police officer, too?" Jouno raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Tetchou was surprised as well. "What a coincidence. Why aren't you an officer anymore?"
"I was expelled for using 'unconventional methods' for taking confessions out of subjects. They all did the same, though, I just didn't try to hide it."
Tetchou threw an unimpressed look at him.
"I was expelled because my superior framed me for a corruption I knew nothing about."
"Oh, so you were a simpleton and a scapegoat," whispered Jouno in a low, amused tone.
"What?"
"Nothing. I count on your aid, fellow officer." Jouno said with a smirk.
"No, but seriously, your gang was flourishing so rapidly that it was taking over Japan. Why would you get slapped in the subway for playing a children's game for money?" Dazai asked Chuuya.
"Pft. Did you get slapped? What a loser! Though, I didn't expect any better from you. I won at the first try. And even if I didn't, I would have thrown the bastard under the train if he tried anything." Chuuya sneered, not exactly answering Dazai's question.
Atsushi could easily believe him, though. The man was one of the first to come to his senses after the initial shock of people being shot, and he had been the first to reach the finish line. If he were indeed in a gang, he must have been quite the powerhouse despite his petite build.
"If you must know, I didn't get slapped either! I've always been a master at Menko. It's all about deducing the right angle and force, and speed. I won the first try too! I don't get slapped by strangers in the subway."
"Yeah, you must get slapped a lot by anyone who knows you for more than 5 seconds, though."
"If they are a specially beautiful lady."
"That's nothing to be proud of, you piece of shit. Say, I'm pretty sure you're well-off with your payment from the doc, even if you do nothing but be a lazy suicidal maniac all day. You're not here for the money. You're brewing something... probably with the doc even. Don't think you can fool me."
"Can't a man seek the thrill of death on his own with no ulterior motive, Chuuya?"
"You two seem to know each other,"said the bespectacled blond man with a ponytail.
"We went to the same school for years," Dazai answered.
"I can't get rid of this bastard. Anywhere I go, I see him. Even here, as you can see. Tch." Chuuya glared at Dazai and shook his head.
"Yeah, don't think I'm too happy either," Dazai answered.
Atsushi's eyes caught Akutagawa sitting quietly in front of him, and he lost interest in the conversation among Dazai, Chuuya, and the bespectacled blond man, whom Atsushi now knew was named Kunikida.
"Why did you vote in, Akutagawa?"
Akutagawa threw a murderous look at him. Atsushi suddenly thought back to when Akutagawa had coughed violently during the Daruma-san game. Maybe he needed money for his treatment? At the risk of Akutagawa chewing him out, Atsushi decided to ask,” Does it have anything to do with the way you… you know,…coughed…back at--“
Akutagawa shot a murderous glance at Atsushi.
Atsushi quickly stammered, “Sorry! You don’t have to answer! I shouldn’t have pried!”
Just when Atsushi was sure that Akutagawa would tell him that it’s none of his business, he suddenly said in a rough voice, “My life expectancy is limited anyway. I will not leave my sister in the slums."
"You're going to die? Why?" Atsushi's eyes widened.
"An incurable lung disease," Akutagawa answered in a flat tone.
"But... but... shouldn't you be using any medicine?! Are they keeping your medicine from you?! They can't do that! It's... It's inhuman! We've got to protest! In fact, I'll..."
"Hush! Don't speak a word of it to anyone!" Akutagawa hushed Atsushi urgently," You want them to think I'm too weak to be recruited in their team, should the games ask us to team up? I won't survive a round if the word gets out."
Atsushi didn't push it any further. If Akutagawa himself didn't want to do anything about it, there was nothing Atsushi could do either. But he didn't think that it was a fair situation.
But then again, when has it ever been?
***
Akutagawa guessed correctly.
They had to team up for the next game.
They were asked to form a group of two for a game of Ayatori.
Each group was handed a shape that they had to make with the string.
Atsushi instinctively turned to Akutagawa.
But then he remembered that he doesn't even know how this game is done. He might bring Akutagawa down with him. He hesitantly stammered: “I’ve never played this game before. I didn't have a friend to play this with. Have you?"
Akutagawa shook his head,"I rarely played any games."
Maybe they should have teamed up with someone who knew what they were doing.
Atsushi looked around.
Dazai and Chuuya had already begun.
Dazai appeared to intentionally tangle the string, smiling faintly as if testing fate. Chuuya, however, instantly countered every movement.
“Bastard! If you want to die, I’ll personally bash your head in after this is over. Don’t drag me down with you!”
Despite the yelling, their hands moved in perfect synchronization—pulling, weaving, flipping the string into shape with effortless familiarity.
They fought. But they were in sync.
Jouno and Tetchou seemed to be doing fine, even as Jouno constantly complained that Tetchou had no elegance.
Louisa seemed stressed, but Fitzgerald's trust in him apparently calmed her enough to gather her wits and get them to their designated swhhape.
"Boss! Please! Boss! Don't just move your hands around with no purpose! You'll get us killed!" A middle-age man begged separately as a giant, bald man just moved his hand like he was a kid- discovering Ayatori for the first time.
"We’ll figure it out," Akutagawa said calmly. "It’s child’s play. It can’t be that difficult."
Atsushi looked at him.
That glint of quiet determination burned in Akutagawa’s gray eyes again.
Somehow, that steadied him. He nodded.
They took the string. Atsushi stared helplessly at it.
How were they even supposed to wrap it around their fingers? His hopeless eyes looked around at the way the others had wrapped the string around their fingers.
"Hey, kids. Watch closely."
Said a familiar voice. Atsushi and Akutagawa turned towards the voice. Kunikida and the doctor- apparently named Yosano- looked back at them. They moved slowly—deliberately—so the two of them could follow.
Kunikida looped the string around both of Yosano’s wrists. Yosano extended her arms, then hooked the opposite strands with her middle fingers, pulling them through with smooth precision to form the first cradle.
"Like this," Kunikida said firmly.
Atsushi and Akutagawa mirrored them.
Akutagawa wrapped the string carefully around Atsushi’s hands. Atsushi followed Kunikida’s movements, fumbling at first, then correcting.
Kunikida hooked the side X shapes with his thumb and index finger, flipped them outward and under. Yosano released carefully at exactly the right moment.
The pattern shifted cleanly into the next formation.
Akutagawa replicated the motion without hesitation.
A scream pierced the air nearby.
"Wait! We’re not done! We can still—!"
A gunshot cut the voice short.
Atsushi instinctively turned—
"Don’t," Akutagawa said coldly. "Keep your eyes on the string."
Atsushi froze.
Cold sweat slid down his spine.
He forced himself to keep his gaze on the string. His hands began to shake.
They continued learning shape after shape by carefully watching Kunikida and Yosano. Teaching seemed to sharpen the older pair's focus.
As they kept playing, the screams and gunshots were heard all around them.
Eventually, Yosano and Kunikida arrived at a point where they had to shape their own designated pattern, which was different from Atsushi and Akutagawa's.
Atsushi looked up at their remaining time.
His heart lurched.
They were on their own now.
"Steady," Akutagawa's cold voice cut in again. "We’ve come this far knowing nothing of the game. We can finish it. It’s merely child's play."
Atsushi swallowed. He looked down at the string on their hand. Then, their card.
A complex butterfly pattern — wings layered over a central diamond.
Atsushi stared at the diagram helplessly.
"I don’t know how this becomes that."
Akutagawa’s eyes sharpened.
"Look carefully. The central diamond is already here. The wings are extensions."
“We don’t have enough slack—”
“We do.”
He repositioned his fingers with precise movements.
“Cross your right index under the left middle strand. Now hook the lower loop.”
Atsushi followed instantly.
The structure shifted.
“Oh—!”
“Don’t rush.”
A scream rang out nearby. Gunshot.
Atsushi’s hands trembled.
“Steady,” Akutagawa murmured. “We’re close.”
He inhaled carefully—holding back a cough.
“Final move. Pull outward simultaneously.”
“On three?”
“No. Now.”
They pulled.
The string tightened—
Unfolded—
Formed delicate symmetrical wings on both sides of the diamond center.
The butterfly.
Their time was over.
The guard inspected.
Paused.
Moved on.
Atsushi’s knees nearly gave out.
They had done it.
Akutagawa exhaled slowly, suppressing another cough.
“Child’s play,” he muttered.
Gunshots rose all around them, but they had won this round.
***
On a cloudy afternoon in Yokohama, a slim girl with long dark hair and clothes too big for her was walking towards a tall building with firm steps. A bunch of crumpled notes was in her hand that she was holding with all her might. And she had gained them with all her might, too. Her name was Akutagawa Gin, and she had a very important purpose.
The girl pushed the door of the building open and walked the stairs up as it they were her personal nemesis that she was stepping on, she reached the office she had in mind.
The sign next to the door read:"The armed detective agency."
She pushed the door open.
A young man with messy black hair, a hat, and a cloak was lying on a chair with his feet on the desk, feasting on his snacks happily without a care in the world.
A man in his mid-forties, with silver hair, wearing a Yukata and a haori, was cleaning his katana behind a desk.
He looked up upon hearing the door open. The boy only spared a brief glance, much too preoccupied with his snacks.
The girl stepped inside, her grip on his notes firmer than before, and announced:"I am Akutagawa Gin. I've come to report the disappearance of my brother: Akutagawa Ryunosuke."