#alice in borderland angst

[eufezco]

BACK TO YOU — CHISHIYA X FEM!READER

MAJOR AIB SPOILERS !!

SUMMARY — you win the games and wake up in the hospital. remembering everything that happened in the borderlands and not knowing if chishiya made it.

your mouth was dry and it tasted like blood. your eyes opened slowly, getting used to the bright lights of the hospital room and you hissed when your hand landed on your temples. you had some cuts on your face, covered with gauzes and medical tapes, and some bruises too, especially around your eyes and on your cheekbones.

you looked around the room and you could see your mom's purse next to your bed, but she wasn't in the room. somethings never change, not even when you are at the hospital after having been dead for a few seconds. once you tried to sit on the bed, you felt a stabbing pain in your lower abdomen and then on your forearm. your hand went directly where it hurt in your belly and you realized that you were wearing a bigger gauze there and another of the same size on your arm, and at that moment a wave of memories hit you making you feel dizzy. the beach. the next level. the king of spades. chishiya.

chishiya.

you gasped and forced yourself to remember when was the last time that you saw him. niragi's gun was pointing at you when he suddenly stepped in the middle of your body and the bullet with your name written in it.

"why would you do it?" you asked him with tears in your eyes. chishiya just showed you a smirk. you told him that he needed to resist, that there were only two games left and everything will be over. a little smile remained on chishiya’s lips as he nodded slowly. he knew that by the time you completed the games he wouldn't be there. you wanted to stay by his side but usagi and arisu dragged you out of there when the zeppelin of the king of spades appeared.

the last thing you remember from that day was lying next to kuina and ann on the cold ground. your back hurt and your wounds didn't stop bleeding as you watched the fireworks and listened to what you were being asked. "i decline." you finally answered, with tears in the corners of your eyes.

you got up from the hospital bed and noticed that you were sharing a room with someone else. that someone in the room with you was separated from your side with a curtain. with small steps and with a hand on your belly, right where your wound was, you approached the curtain, and being extremely careful, you had a quick peek to the other side. you took a sharp breath after you recognized the boy on the other side. his thick brown hair was stuck to his forehead, and just like you, he had some gauzes on his face. he gave a small jump on the bed when he noticed that someone was staring at him from a small opening in the curtain, but his frown relaxed once he recognized you.

"y/n?" he asked, still a bit confused.

"arisu." you removed the curtain completely and his eyes opened wide. he removed the blanket from himself and turned his body to let his legs hang from the bed, ready to get up from the moment he saw you. you were quicker than him and hugged him, maybe a little too hard because you both hissed when your bodies collided. you stayed like that for a few seconds more and then he asked you if you were okay, and how long had been since you woke up.

"a minute?" you asked him. your head hurt. "everything- everything happened in a minute. all the games, all the deaths? in a minute?"

arisu nodded. you gulped. all the things you lived with chishiya happened in sixty seconds. you felt like you could throw up. you shook your head and decided to talk about anything else. "did usagi make it?"

"yes. she was with me when we finished the last game."

you nodded, glad to hear that your friend was alive. "kuina and ann also made it. i think i heard aguni and akane too but i can't remember well."

arisu then understood. you knew that all of your friends made it but not if he did. "i'm sure- i'm sure he's here. i'm sure chishiya got out."

you shook your head with your eyes closed. arisu didn't know that. when the king of spades appeared and him and usagi separated you from chishiya, his white jacket was already soaked in blood. the first bullet hit him in a noncritical area, but the second one, the one that should've got you, went directly into his chest. you didn't need to be a med student to know that that was bad.

"come on. let's go for a walk." arisu got up from the bed and kissed your forehead after noticing how sad your eyes were. you hooked your arm in his. every now and then arisu would stop to check up on you, if you were breathing well, if you were too tired to continue but you assured him every time that you were fine.

you saw aguni in the icu. the doctors that came out of the room were pointing out how that man being alive was practically a medical miracle. akane was on a wheelchair looking at him through the glass. the girl was very pleased to see you both again. she asked about your injuries and she thanked arisu in a subtle way for winning the last game. she didn't know if you were ready to talk openly about what happened. she didn't even know if she was.

you tried to run and arisu had to hold you so you wouldn't fall down the moment that you saw kuina. her face glowed and she had to blink a couple of times to believe her eyes. kuina was kneeling in front of a woman in a wheelchair, a man was standing next to the two of them, and you guessed that they were her parents. she was quick to stand up, her father had to help her to get to you and arisu, and then you hugged her tightly. you were careful though, you saw how bad her injuries were. you remember the king of spades on top of her, stabbing multiple times her stomach, blood coming out of her mouth and you immobile lying on the ground after being shot by him.

"have you seen him? do you know if he made it out?" you held kuina's cheeks. defeated, you let out a sigh after seeing kuina's confused expression. she shook her head to both of your questions. kuina told you that the last time that she saw chishiya was when the king of spades attacked for the first time, and then each of you followed a different path and she never saw him again after that. but when she met arisu again, he said that chishiya was fine.

you slowly turned to look at arisu with raised eyebrows, and the boy just shrugged his shoulders. on second thought, you were sure that arisu didn't do it with bad intentions. you had to explain to her that niragi shot him twice. kuina gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. you told her that the second time niragi was aiming at you but chishiya stood in the middle. that did not come as a surprise to her. she knew him longer than you did. they were already at the beach when you arrived there with arisu and usagi, and as long as she had known him, chishiya had always acted unbothered. he wasn't a big fan of showing affection. he was selfish, arrogant, and really self-centered. but kuina knew that he would take a bullet for you.

she insisted on joining you and arisu on your walk. you three recognized some people who were in the games with you: people from the beach, that kid usagi fought so hard to save, people you tried to kill, and people that tried to kill you.

"excuse me?"

the hospital reception was chaotic, and you barely heard the woman at the other side of the counter humming to your question.

"i'm- i'm looking for someone."

"name?"

you blinked a few times at her sudden question. you played with your fingers nervously. she raised her eyebrows waiting for an answer. "chishiya shuntarō."

you shouldn't have ask. you should have waited for him to find you. what if the woman told you what you didn't want to hear? no. no. no. you should've waited, or had arisu to ask for you. but now you were waiting for that woman to finish typing on the computer and maybe to tell you that he was dea-

"third floor, room 301."

"oh." you said in a sigh. you could feel all your body relaxing, your hands stopped trambling, your legs didn't feel like giving up anymore. but you could also feel your heart beating in your throat, and your chest slowly heaving. the woman raised her eyebrows at you again.

"do you need anything else?"

you gulped, shaking your head softly and coming back to you. "hm?oh. no, thank you."

you turned around and walked towards arisu and kuina, your eyes locked on the floor. your two friends arched their brows worried, by your face both of them expected the worse. kuina could feel that familiar lump that forms in your throat moments before bursting into tears. arisu approached you and his hands gripped your shoulders. your eyes connected with his.

"y/n-"

"he's on the third floor."

arisu sighed in relief. kuina also let out a sigh and she wiped away some tears off her cheeks before you could see her. she approached the woman and asked for an and she told kuina that she was in the operating room, which was also a strong relief.

time passed slowly, and the way to the third floor was the longest you could remember. not when you were walking to the control room with him and kuina, escaping from the militants, not when you were heading to a game, not even when you ran to him after niragi shot him. the elevator was too slow for you.

arisu was checking up on you, kuina was too deep in her thoughts. once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, you gulped and looked at arisu. he nodded for you to be the first one out of the elevator. what you didn't expect was to see chishiya in the middle of the hallway, his body slightly curved and one of his hands pressing his lower abdomen. he was talking to his doctor, probably asking a million questions like why he had put him on that medication instead of the other one, and trying to convince him why the other one was better.

"chishiya."

the boy quickly turned to see who was calling him and his eyes opened wide in surprise. "y/n." chishiya soon forgot about the doctor. one of his arms wrapped around your waist, the other one hugged your upper body, resting his hand on the back of your head and pulling you closer to him. he hid his face into the crook of your neck.

it was weird having him in between your arms in the real world. once you two were completely healed you'd go back to your normal life but you'll have each other. you were going to have to get used to his twenty-four hours shift as a doctor, and he was going to get used to hugs and kisses every day. but now, with his arms wrapped around you and after gone through that much, he thought that he could get used to that easily.

"i knew that you would make it." chishiya said with a small smile on his lips. one of his hands pushed your hair away from your face and tucked it behind your ear. the other one held your chin up trying to see through the gauzes on your face what type of injuries you had.

arisu and kuina were standing behind you. chishiya shared a glance with both of them. arisu was smirking, kuina was biting her nails with tears in her eyes, probably waiting for her turn to greet her friend but not wanting to separate you. you rested your head on his chest, careful to not touch where he was shot. your lower lip trembled, tears started forming in your eyes.

"i thought that you-"

someone talked before chishiya could. "that could never happen, you know what they say, only the good ones die young."

"you bastard." you looked over chishiya's shoulders and tried to move away from him the moment that you saw niragi at the end of the hallway, approaching the group from behind chishiya. he was quick to hold you tighter against him, to prevent you from hurting yourself even more by hitting niragi.

niragi was smiling. even though half of his body was covered with bandages you could see that disgusting smirk on his lips.

"i'm gonna kill you," you stated. niragi laughed at you. you couldn't see it but chishiya smirked, his arms still hugging you and not letting you part from him.

"it's not that big of a deal, honey. he's is alive and i got to shoot him. we both won."

chishiya could stop you but he didn't have enough arms to stop kuina. the girl passed by your side like a fury. arisu tried to grab her arm but she was mad. her fists were already clenched before she was even close to niragi, and arisu called her name in a last attempt of stopping her. niragi looked down at her with a smile on his lips. he knew what was coming. he had seen that face on kuina before.

her fist closed tighter and with all the strength in her body, she punched niragi. his mouth and nose started bleeding right after but he didn't stop laughing. she had her fist ready again but arisu grabbed her waist from behind pulling her away from him.

"better?" chishiya asked after feeling your breathing slowing down. you nodded and you both looked at kuina kicking in the arms of arisu. chishiya raised his brows looking at the doctors coming to assist niragi. "well, he deserved it." you rolled your eyes at him.

"you have to tell me a lot of things, i guess." chishiya said referring to your bruised face. you nodded, he was going to believe everything that happened between the time he was shot until arisu and usagi won the last game.

"i haven't seen banda and yaba."

chishiya smiled at your innocent. "i'm sure that they are fine but i'm also sure that they decided to stay." you already thought about that. you nodded understanding. what a shame because they were nice to you during the jack of hearts game, and they promised you that you'll see each other again. chishiya knew by your face that you didn't listen when he said that banda was a murderer and yaba was a scammer. people like that could only live freely in the borderlands.

not people like you two tho

[shunchitaro]

Chishiya x GN!Reader

Genre: Angst (TW: Death, mentions of being stabbed by a glass shard, possibly rushed oneshot) Romantic In which Chishiya makes it out of the borderlands and remembers everything, including losing you.

["Lights are on But nobody's home"]

"Game complete"

The last thing Chishiya remembered was laying slouched against a car holding his bleeding side, then fireworks, then nothing.

The next thing he hears after being completely knocked out is the beeping of what he knows is a heart monitor. He opens his eyes slowly to see a doctor standing beside someone he couldn't make out yet, since his eyesight was adjusting to the lights; and he could slowly hear the doctors voice increase to more than just something muffled.

"..for a minute your heart stopped, as well as the person beside you. It's a miracle you're alive, you both were in the border between life and death."

Border. Life and death.

Chishiya's head turned to the side after the doctor left, coming face to face with a male with long black hair up to his shoulders. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. He felt like he knew who this was, but couldn't put a finger to it.

"Seriously? Out of all people, I have to be next to you?" The male mumbled, and Chishiya instantly recognized the sharp tone.

"Niragi?"

"Yeah, who else? Did you want it to be Y/N?"

Y/N?

Chishiya stared at the ceiling. Y/N? Who was that? Why did he feel a tug at his heart, hearing their name?

"That look on your face tells me you don't remember who they are." Niragi spoke up again, and Chishiya turned to him.

"You know, you guys were incredibly soppy. After that King of Spades game, you wouldn't let go of them, begging them to hold on because it was almost over. I never imagined you'd be capable to cry over someone" Niragi snickers

Then it hits Chishiya.

They were in the borderlands fighting the King of Spades, and Y/N had helped Arisu lead the King to the pharmacy, where they blew him up. He also remembered seeing Y/N tumble into the gravel, a glass shard protruding from their chest. He remembered holding them close, begging them to hold on a little while longer, because everything was going to be just fine.

He sat up suddenly, ripping the IV cords off himself and heading out ignoring Niragi's protests. He quickly walked down the hall, searching for the main desk.

He needed to see them, to make sure they made it.

"Excuse me, was there a patient named Y/N L/N here?" He asks urgently, and the nurse goes through the file. "Room 603-" Chishiya interrupted with a quick 'thank you' before hurrying off, not wanting to waste a single second.

Room 600, Room 601, Room 602-

"Y/N!" He burst into the room only to freeze in the doorway to see Kuina holding into their pale hand, tears in her eyes. He gave her a questioning look, and she shook her head slowly.

No.

"Chishiya.. they got them here safely, but they lost a lot of blood due to the glass in their chest. They were able to last through the week, but they were too weak today." She explained

Please no.

He went up to them, holding their hand. It felt cold and limp against his skin, and he held their hand to his cheek as he gazed at their peaceful figure.

One whole week. They were here one whole week, and he missed it.

<><><><>

He got discharged and headed home seeing his lights were still on exactly how he'd left it during the borderlands. He remembered taking Y/N here, how they'd hugged out the possible last few minutes of the games away. How they'd finally confessed their love for one another, after so long.

"Chishiya, what if I told you I loved you?" He glanced at Y/N, caressing their cheek, a small smile on his face. "What if I told you I felt the same?"

He wished he could've told them a little earlier, if only he hadn't wasted precious time secretly admiring Y/N.

If he did, would they be together? Would Y/N still be on the couch lazing with a book and hot cocoa, greeting Chishiya with a hug and a 'welcome back'?

Chishiya was home but it felt empty.

Empty, because they were no longer there.

[airbendertendou]

Hii, can I request 33 for Last Boss (AiB) for the event? Have a great day!

angsty number 33 + samura last boss takatora

“I KNOW YOU WELL, BUT THIS AIN’T A GAME!”

it was a mistake to go into the hearts game. three people left - only one winner allowed. you tremble where you stand as the stranger makes a run for it. samura stands frozen, his chosen katana limp and unused in his hand.

"this is it, i guess," your voice wobbles. the other two bodies lay on the floor around you, lasers shot between their eyes. you gulp back the tears you feel to smile at your long-time friend. "you, me or them. who do you think will win this time?"

samura stares at you blankly. he'd changed since arriving at the beach - a confident, bloodthirsty part of him surfacing from nowhere. he's still my friend, you remind yourself daily, still my samura.

running echoes at the third person arrives back in the center of the building. they pant, holding back a scream as they see the two of you again. a maze - a circular maze is what you find yourself in. no way out, only one way in.

the stranger takes off again, to the left this time. you look back at samura, "they're really giving it their all."

he grabs your waist, pulling you to him and grabbing the hilt of his katana within the same second. your eyes widen, but you stay put. a harsh, pitiful kiss is pressed to your head before he speaks.

"we win." the katana slices into your chest - samura pushes until it's through his own, sticking the both of you together. "we always win."

the sound of a congragulations! is the last thing you hear.

——♡—— and if i say writing angst is kinda fun.....

request your own here ♡ read more

[luvxkdrama]

— reunion

pairing : chishiya x reader

warnings : mentions of guns, wounds, blood and cursing

word count : 1.8k

summary : After successfully finishing the last game, you run to reach Chishiya for the last time but before you can, you return to the real world with zero memories of what happened

a/n : season 2 spoilers!

—

Horrifying screams echoed trough the once empty and peaceful city of Tokyo. There was no voice announcing a new game, so the sudden shooting quickly caused a massive chaos. Everyone ran in different directions, panic taking over the residents.

Chishiya seemed unbothered as he roamed around the street as if nothing was going on. You groaned at his behaviour and after successfully dodging a few bullets, you wrapped your hand around the man’s arm and quickly dragged him behind a car, joining the rest of the group.

He raised one of his eyebrows when he noticed your hand still holding onto him. You scoffed at his smirk and quickly pushed his arm away, making him smile in the back of his mind.

“We’re pinned down here!” Kuina exclaimed.

“If we step out, he’ll get us!” Usagi answered when suddenly a green car stopped in front of you.

Before you could say anything, Tatta screamed to quickly get in the car in order to run away from the King of Spades who turned out to be the source of the chaos.

You looked at Chishiya and he unconsciously pushed you towards the car, for you get in first. The rest of the group joined you in the backseats but when it was Chishiya’s turn, he noticed a bomb on the ground.

“That’s bad. Get going!” He exclaimed and ran to hide behind a car while Tatta drove away.

“Chishiya!” You and Kuina both screamed, not wanting to leave him behind but at the same time, having no other choice.

In the back of your head, you knew Chishiya would be fine by himself, however the constant thought of something going wrong didn’t let you rest.

After a few games where you brushed against death, you finally met Arisu and Usagi again after losing contact with each other.

“What’s going on!?” You frowned when you saw Niragi, Arisu and Chishiya holding a gun while Usagi looked as much confused as you were.

“Look who we have here, our precious Y/N who always seems to nuzzle in other people businesses’. Let me make a favour for everyone gathered here and get rid of you.” He smirked and your body froze.

Not being able to do anything, you closed your eyes as Niragi fired his gun. You breathed heavily but frowned at the lack of impact. After a few seconds, you opened your eyes and noticed Chishiya in front of you, protecting your form behind his body.

“Chishiya!” You screamed once he collapsed on the floor. “Why the hell would you do that!?” You put pressure on his wound, only now noticing the second wound on his side.

You physically felt your heart shatter at the sight of his blood, slowly dripping down his body. While Arisu was busy listening to Niragi, you softly caressed Chishiya’s hair, something you’ve always wanted to do but never got the courage to.

“I wanted to do something out of my character.” He chuckled, looking up at you. “Besides, if it’s for you I’m dying for, it will be a quite nice death. Oh god, that sounded cheesy.” He cringed at himself, not taking his condition seriously.

“Don’t even dare mentioning you dying, we’ll get out of here soon and you will survive, alright?” You were trying to act though, but the tear rolling down your cheek and your shaky voice showed how you really felt at the moment.

“Of course, and we’ll open that cafeteria you never shut up about.” He laughed and you playfully nudged his arm.

You helped Chishiya lean his back against a random car and put his hand between yours. Although he wasn’t fond of physical touch, he didn’t seem to mind yours.

“We will, I promise.” You gulped, unsure of your action, but decided to slowly lean in and as you saw the corners of his lips tug upwards, you decided to go for it.

As your lips were about to touch his, Arisu exclaimed that the King of Spades was nearby and you had to leave immediately. Chishiya, as much as he wanted you to stay by his side, gently pushed you back and ordered you to run.

“I’m staying here with you, I won’t leave you alone.” You protested, sitting down next to him.

“You promised me to finish the game, come back when everything will be over. As you can see, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll wait for you.” He whispered and sent you a soft smile.

Before you could answer, Usagi grabbed your arm and you went to hide.

After hours of what felt like forever, the laser went through Mira’s head and you looked back at your two teammates, not believing the nightmare was actually over.

“Go Y/N, he’s waiting for you.” Usagi smiled at you, indicating you to join Chishiya.

You thanked them both for everything and left the roof, running down the stairs. You stopped mid-way as the characteristic female voice echoed through Tokyo, asking the remaining players if they wished to stay in this world. Without a second doubt, you declined the offer.

Although the building wasn’t far away from the Main Street, you felt as if you were running in slow motion. You started to get dizzy but you persisted in your moves and felt your heart skip a beat when your eyes finally met Chishiya’s. He sent you a soft smile but before you could reach him, everything turned black.

- - -

Once your eyes opened, you were met with a white ceiling. You raised your hand to put it against your head that was pounding unpleasantly.

“What happened?” You asked the nurse that was checking the monitor next to your hospital bed.

“You were one of the survivors of the meteor that fell on Tokyo. Your heart stopped beating for a whole minute but the paramedics succeeded to get your pulse back. You might experience memory loss which is normal, after a few days you should regain everything!” She smiled before leaving the room to check on other patients.

“A meteor? My heart stopped? For a minute?” You groaned at the massive headache, getting a strange feeling you were gone for much more than a minute.

After a few hours, you were discharged from the hospital and you were finally allowed to go home. It still felt as if you weren’t home for weeks.

You only had your purse on your nightstand, so you left the room after grabbing it. Nothing seemed right when you were walking down the hospital hall, as you somehow felt empty.

Outside the window, you saw all the other survivors who were with their loved ones.

“My bad.” You bowed apologetically when you accidentally bumped into someone.

“No worries.” A strangely familiar raspy voice came in contact with your ears.

You lifted your head and was met face to face with a blonde man in his mid-twenties. He analysed your face thoroughly and frowned after a few seconds. Before you could say anything, he left without a word.

“Why did he look so familiar?” You groaned at the incapacity to find him in your memories.

After two months, you successfully opened your own cafeteria. It was a dream of yours since you were a child but you never got the courage to have one because of your parents who didn’t consider it as a real job. However, after the incident with the meteor you realised how suddenly life can end. You decided to live it to the fullest and do as many things as possible in order to not regret anything.

You didn’t expect many people at the opening day but you were pleasingly surprised when your cafeteria was filled with customers. By the end of the day, you earned more money than you thought.

It was past 8 pm, so you decided to call it a day. As you were washing the dishes, you heard the bell ring, indicating someone entered the cafeteria.

“I’m sorry but we’re closed for toda-" You cut yourself mid-sentence when you turned around and saw the blonde man from the hospital.

“Oh, I’ll come back another day.” He was about to leave but you quickly stopped him.

“Wait, it’s fine! I’ll make an exception.” You smiled and invited him to sit down. “So here we are, meeting again.” You laughed.

“Yeah, I don’t mind it to be honest.” He confessed, looking at you.

After making his order, he asked you to join his table.

“Your heart stopped beating for a minute too, I suppose?” He asked, catching you off guard.

“Oh, when the meteor hit, yeah.” You smiled awkwardly, not being able to maintain eye contact with him. “Although I felt as if I was gone for weeks.” You added, wondering what he would say.

“Me too, I felt like I was in a completely different world, weird right?” He smiled, taking a bite of your cookie.

“I have this feeling as well but then again I can’t remember anything from when I was unconscious. To be honest, I don’t even remember the moment the meteor hit the city. Everything just happened so suddenly.” You sighed, still not quite believing what Tokyo and its citizens went through.

“That makes one thing we have in common. I’m sure there’s more though, so what about getting to know each other more?” He asked, his eyes staring into yours.

“I- I would love that." You chuckled, reaching out your hand to him. “I’m Y/N.”

“I’m Chishiya.” He slightly squeezed your hand, his fingers brushing over your skin reminding you of something you’ve never experienced and yet something that felt so familiar.

What you didn’t know is that Chishiya already knew who you were and remembered exactly what you both went through. The games, the deaths but specifically your smile and the way you made unfamiliar feelings develop in the his chest. He knew you both had your life ahead so without rushing things, he promised himself to make you fall for him all over again. This time, in a world where you’re both safe and sound.

[werelosingdaylight]

Fuck Visitation Hours

Shuntaro Chishiya x GN!Reader

REQUESTED? Yes • [No]

WORD COUNT: 498

SUMMARY| After hearing about the meteors, you can’t help but rush to the hospital in search of your husband to make sure he’s okay.

Adm Note: I’m getting to all of your requests, I promise!

Your heart thunder wildly against the ribs that kept it caged, like if it beat hard enough it could burst through the bones and flesh that protected it. Your mind was scrambled but you had one goal, to find your husband; when the meteors started you worried, your gut was churning with unease like a witches cauldron being stirred up by a wooden spoon, but you brushed it off as paranoia.

Then you got the call you dreaded most; Chishiya was in the hospital.

You had never gotten into your car so fast, practically almost throwing yourself into the cars window with how fast your feet carried you. Your hands were shaking with nerves bubbling up from the stirring cauldron and forming in your throat.

When you reached the hospital you set on your mission to find Chishiya, the receptionist telling you to wait until visitation hours but you couldn’t, not when you didn’t know if he was okay. The receptionist only had her back turned for a second, but it was all you needed to slip back into the hallway without being seen.

Walking down the hall you read each name on the little signs until coming across his. Taking a deep breath you entered the room, immediately noticing a head turn your way and you physically relaxed under his gaze.

“Shiya..” You had made your way over, talking softly as to not awaken his sleeping roommate. “They called me, and I have never been more scared then when they told me you were in a hospital bed.” Your hand came to brush his hair away from his eyes, worry decorated your eyes like stars decorating the skies.

Oceans of worry can be seen in your eyes and he would happily drown in them if it calmed down the seas. “It’s not visiting hours, how did you get back?” His voice soothed you, grounding in the fact that he is really there with you, that you could still feel his heart thumping under the warmth of his skin. He was okay.

“Fuck Visitation hours. If I had to go one more second without knowing if you we’re okay? I would have drove myself crazy.” Your voice held a sight laugh behind them as you responded to what you found to be a humorous question on his part.

But you meant what you said. If something had happened to him, you would have lost it. No one was taking him from you if you could help it, the deities above would have to pry him from your cold dead arms, and fight you until they couldn’t anymore, before they could touch a hair on his head in a threatening manner.

Pressing a kiss to his forehead you let your eyes flutter closed as relief finally rushed through your body and washed away the anxiety you felt. ‘I’ll never let anything happen to you, not while I’m still breathing.’ You thought, moving forward to rest your forehead against his.

[syntheticfoxfire]

In The Night | Niragi Suguru | [F]

Summary: A rare moment of tenderness lying in bed with Niragi. Word count: 1.4k Warnings: implied abusive behavior, referenced smut

A cold breeze blowing through the open window chills you enough to make you scoot closer to the warm chest pressed against your back. Part of you wonders if that’s the reason why the window stayed open tonight but you let go of the thought quickly. It’s hard to focus on anything but the little content sigh the man behind you lets out. 

Niragi is far from perfect - hell, far from decent - but he’s making progress. Slowly. In moments like these you can almost imagine your relationship is normal.

His arms tighten around your waist, pressing you even more into him. Bare skin touches skin. It makes you shiver, sensitivity lingering after your previous activities. More than that, though, it reminds you of a movie scene you’ve seen ages ago. 

A blind woman touching a sleeping tiger.

Why can you relate to her so much at this very moment?

You let go of the thought. Instead, you turn around with a chuckle and nuzzle into his neck. The closer you are, the safer you are. He presses a kiss to your temple. Lately, you’re only seldom reminded of the feeling of the muzzle of his gun against that same spot.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” you note, running your hands over the muscles on his back.

“I am,” he replies. It’s indeed rare to see him like that - relaxed, walls lowered enough that you can forget they are there.

“Why?” you tease. After a moment of hesitation, you decide it’s safe enough to kiss along his collarbone, and so you do. While you don’t doubt he has enough strength for round two, it seems possible that tonight he would allow you a moment of intimacy deeper than that. Still he tenses a little, a reflex. It always happens if your touch grows soft and caring. There is a progress nonetheless - to start with, he no longer threatens to break your arm if you touch him like that.

He scoffs in response to your question. 

“I have the perfect little toy next to me. We had an amazing sex and now I get to keep you like this,” he squeezes you tighter, “Is there any reason why I shouldn’t be happy?”

Toy, huh? You haven’t heard that one in a while. Maybe he wanted to remind you. Or himself, who knows.

You smile against his skin. Deciding not to burst the bubble of serenity by reminding him that there’s no guarantee either of you would survive tomorrow, you just keep kissing down to his shoulder.

“There might be,” you murmur, concealing the amused teasing as best as you can behind a serious tone. It’s easy to trick Niragi like that. He likes to jump to conclusions when it comes to your relationship. Insecure enough to expect you to turn your back on him even if it’d cost you your life at the very least.

“Like?” he tenses further under your touch, trying to push you away to look at you. Fortunately he controls his strength and you manage to stay snuggled against him by hugging him tightly.

“Hmm… well, you’re not the one cuddling with the hottest and deadliest man at the Beach. And you don’t get to kiss him,” you demonstrate by tracing your lips back up to his neck, “and touch him,” now that he’s calmed down you can once again stroke across his back and sides, “and tell him that you love him very much.” 

Your mouth follows the outline of his windpipe, kissing up his neck to his lips, to which you’re so generously granted access. The tension remains in his muscles. It was to be expected. Soft praise and attention always make him uncomfortable, confessions of feelings even more so. And he knows no way of reacting to that feeling other than violence and threats. Fortunately it seems like he’s finally understood that you won’t tolerate that kind of behavior towards you.

“Careful,” Niragi warns instead. It isn’t soft, not exactly, but you appreciate the effort he put into making the word not seem like a threat.

You smile into the kiss when he connects your lips again. It’s the slow kind of kiss that you love, lips melting together, tongues sliding against each other languidly. You play with the ball that pierces his flesh, careful not to hurt him despite the wound being long healed.

“Why?” you whisper as you pull away for air. You see the way his jaw clenches just as he notices the spark of uncertainty in your eyes. He tries his best to relax again.

“I don’t want to hurt you tonight,” he whispers back after a moment of consideration. A thought crosses your mind, wondering just how fucked up your life has gotten that you actually consider it a sweet sentiment. He’s looking straight into your eyes as if searching for approval. You wonder if anyone’s ever seen him like that.

“I appreciate that,” you hum softly, reaching out to play with his hair as you kiss the corner of his mouth. Every moment with him really feels like living with a wild tiger. You can never be entirely sure that he won’t take your life in the next second. All it would take is one little misstep.

Perhaps you like the danger, crave it even on some unconscious level. That’s the only explanation you have for staying with him this long. Even as you tangle your fingers into his hair, combing through it with care, you think of the wild beasts you’ve encountered in the various games.

His eyes are closed. You have a theory that it’s so that you can’t read them. Yet it’s obvious Niragi’s going through some internal war. As you stroke his hair, running your hands through it carefully and massage his scalp, you think that just maybe he’s getting used to it. Used to this kind of touch that leaves behind comfort instead of pain.

He’s never told you about his past but it’s not exactly hard to guess it couldn’t have been easy. Or maybe you just want to believe his actions and behavior could be if not justified or excused then at the very least explained by the conditions that shaped him.

Thinking about the ancient history, the old world, your hands find their way to his face.

It comes as a surprise to you that you’ve never thought of wrapping them around his neck instead.

One of your hands slides down to his cheek, tenderly cupping it, while the other strokes above his eyebrow. Eventually your finger bumps into the metal ball there. It’s a strange contrast. While the one in his mouth is nice and warm, this one is cold, chilled by the midnight air. You smile a little and he must have heard it because he asks you what’s so funny - you tell him. He shakes his head.

“You’re the only person who would wonder about that, you know?” Niragi kisses your forehead. You smile, surprised that he hasn’t yet told you to stop. Maybe this is a test. You feel like you’ve already tested his patience a lot tonight with all your gentle touches. It makes you feel strangely proud of him and grateful to Niragi that he accepted as much of your love as he did tonight. 

But you can’t tell him that. If you told him you noticed the progress, the little changes so that your relationship at least resembles something healthy, he would cover back behind his walls, throwing all the progress out the window in the process.

You decide to push your luck instead. There’s something you wanted to do while you had the chance. Shifting higher so you’d reach his ear, you begin kissing a path from his lips across his jaw. Occasionally sucking on his skin, you make your way to his ear. The increasing strength of his hold on you does not go unnoticed. You bite his earlobe lightly.

“It’s true, even if you don’t like it. Even if you don’t feel the same way. I love you,” you squeeze his shoulder. A sign that you’re done for today. That you’re ready to respect him as a predator and a killer rather than being respected and tolerated as his partner again. 

That little squeeze is probably enough of a reassurance that his jaw relaxes again and he sighs deeply through his nose, angry but holding it together. It’s almost adorable.

You nuzzle into his chest, an allowed and welcomed gesture. It gives him an opportunity to hold and protect you through the night. Besides, with an ear pressed against his heart, you can pretend it’s beating so fast because he’s feeling a whole different emotion than fury.

[wolfvmin]

House of Cards: The Last Dance

pairing: chishiya shuntarou x fem!reader genre: angst, unrequited love (but is it really), pining, fluff (can u believe it) wc: 15.7k (uhm) warnings: badly written action scenes, implied abuse, more flashbacks, unedited </3 summary: in which after leaving chishiya, you were forced back into the games of borderland. a/n: this is all i can do i'm sorry song used: when i fall in love - nat king cole PART 1 > FINAL

Death doesn’t discriminate between sinners or saints.

As you lay there on the ground with the smell of cinder filling your nose and the heat of the scorching fire warming your skin, your mind brings you back to the means you had to go through to live another day in Borderland. You’ve lied, beaten, betrayed, and killed to survive. You hadn’t expected the ten of hearts game to appear just as you leave Chishiya. You also hadn’t expected the massacre of the Beach through a witch hunt. Everything about this is unexpected, just like everything that has happened so far in this world you didn’t ask to be in.

Niragi missed anything vital or permanently life-altering, you know that much given your medical background. He missed the femoral artery, you were pretty sure about it. Well, not that he was aiming for it when he started his reckless free-shooting. You were one of the bodies thrown off to the ground and was shot in the leg. 

Arisu and Usagi scream for you as you hit the ground with a thud, your arms stopping your head from the impact. With a groan, you lie your head on the ground in defeat. 

Usagi starts moving instead of checking on you, maneuvering and avoiding the distraught running bodies and bullets. 

You didn’t feel it at first, and then it started to hurt like a bitch that you wanted to die right there and then. How do you survive this? You immediately start thinking. The bleeding has to be stopped, for sure. How deep is the wound? That’s the first thing you have to check. But why can’t you move? You’re so tired. 

You turn your head to your left, Usagi has jumped on Niragi’s back, distracting him from his shooting rampage. Arisu comes to her aid, trying to take the gun from Niragi. In return, he gets repeatedly hit in the back by the gunned man in the process. 

Arisu couldn’t do it. He had too much injury and was weakened by the constant beating. 

Niragi was able to overpower him and kick him to the floor. He spins with his strength, sending Usagi’s body away from his back and flying to the floor with a loud impact. 

“Usagi!” you scream, despair not hidden in your voice. 

You attempt to sit up, adrenaline rush filling your senses to be able to save your friends. This was game over for you. You have no one to go back to in the real world. Chishiya is safe, you’re sure of it. Kuina is still here so he might be here too. He had to get the last card of the deck, of course. But he’ll be fine. 

With a shot leg, you won’t be able to get far anyway. 

Arisu quickly crawls in front of Usagi in a useless attempt to protect her from Niragi as he aims his gun at the both of them. They’re both weak and tired, there was no escaping from Niragi as they were his sole target. 

“You…” Niragi mutters. “I’ll kill all of you!” 

Your body was moving before you even knew it. As if you hadn’t had your thigh injured, you sprint over as a head start and jump to where the perverted asshole is. Your heart raced faster than your feet did as you shouted with all your might, raising your uninjured leg as you flew in the air. You succeed in getting Niragi’s attention as he looks up at you with wide eyes. Unlike Usagi, you don't jump to his back, instead your foot slams into his head, sending him flying across the floor. 

This attack had you rolling on the ground and then on your stomach when you land. Coughs sputter out of your mouth as the burning building’s smoke begins to affect your lungs. 

Arisu and Usagi could only look at you with stunned wide opened eyes and raised brows as you landed a few feet away from them.

“Run!” You scream at them with tight fists as you attempt to get back up again. It seems the adrenaline rush was no longer there to help you as you struggle to support yourself again. 

Niragi was getting up again. This makes you furrow your brows and groan, tears forming in your eyes in frustration as you slam your fists on the ground. There was no time. If the two try to run away in their bad state, they’ll be shot dead by Niragi. 

You’re fucked. 

Why can’t this motherfucker just die? you grimaced.

You drag your body with whatever strength you have, barely sitting up as you stare down at the man who had just gotten up to his feet with difficulty and a hand on his bleeding head. 

Just as Niragi raises his weapon, like a raging bull, Aguni rushes in and attacks him, pushing himself and Niragi into the spreading fire deeper inside the building. You could no longer see their bodies but shots were heard. 

“Three minutes remaining,” the game reminded the players.

As your body collapses on the floor in relief, all the people of the Beach rush to carry Momoka’s body to the Fire of Judgement. 

Arisu and Usagi try to help you stand but you wave them off when they successfully make you sit. “No. No. Clear the game first.” You laughed in between coughs. “I need to catch a breath.” 

Usagi tries to argue with you but you glare at her. “I’ll be out as soon as the phone dings,” you assure them.

“Can you walk?” Arisu asks as he looks at your leg.

You nod and roll your eyes. “I was a med student, Arisu. I can handle it.” 

The pair looked at each other as if communicating with their eyes and then they nod, lifting each and limping out of the building to head over to the Fire of Judgement. You watch their retreating figures, relieved that the two are safe. 

You look back down at your wounded thigh and laugh. You were probably overreacting a bit. It seems that your presumptions were correct. It didn’t hit anything bad and the bullet did enter you but exited you as well. But you do have to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. 

Great, now you’re going to have ugly scars on your thigh. So it’s bye-bye bikinis? 

You scoff and take off the white cover-up you had over yourself, leaving you in the two-piece black bikini you’ve been wearing since you arrived at the beach. You began to wrap it around your thigh skillfully just as you were taught. Blood began to seep through the cloth and you knew that soon enough, you have to replace it with a real bandage and sew the open wound.

The phone for the game dinged and you sigh in relief. They were able to burn Momoka’s body, after all. 

Definitely not with ease, you were able to push yourself back up. If it wasn’t for your determination to keep your promise to Usagi and Arisu, you would’ve just laid there for a little longer.

So much for Utopia, you thought.

As you were about to exit the building, your feet stopped on their own accord when something crossed your mind, making the corner of your lips turn up into a smirk. 

You sat on the small round marble table with your legs dangling and fingers playing with the ten of hearts card. Flames are eating up the building around you but you know you don’t have to be around here any longer. As if on cue, you see the familiar white jacket from your peripheral, bringing a sad smile to your face. 

“I saved it for you, Chishiya.”

There was no greeting needed. You turn your head to your right and give him a happier, faker smile. His eyes stray down to your injured thigh for a second but back to your face in no time. He approaches you with no caution and no clue of emotion on his face.

You don’t doubt he saw the whole ordeal back there. He probably saw you and your friends struggle as he sat back and watched the scene unfold like a movie. He watched you almost die. It was so like him, quiet and scheming as he does whatever is best for him. 

Now, he was here to steal the last remaining card too. 

“It’s no longer Shuntarou, huh?” 

He doesn’t receive any answer from you but he knows the answer why. You were still mad at him. How could you not? He practically sent your comrades to their deathbeds if it wasn’t for the unexpected game venue. 

“To be honest, I don’t think it’s even important if we collect all the cards,” you confessed as you stare at the single card in your hand, flipping to its front and back. You finally turn your whole body to face him, stretching your arm to offer the card to him. “But here, just so you have it all.” 

He raises a brow, staring at you with a smirk. Goddamn, is he attractive. It’s so unfair. 

His mouth opens, about to say something but another person walks in. He realizes this when your eyes stray from his and shift to the tall woman in a blue swimsuit. You smile at her, uncaring of the interruption. 

“You two are quite persistent, aren’t you?” Kuina asks with a smirk. Chishiya turns to look at her for a second before facing you again. 

She nods over to your still wrapped-up thigh. “That was cool–what you did to Niragi. Where did you learn that?”

“It was just luck,” you tell her, earning a scoff from the man in front of you. 

He takes the card from your hand. “Don’t believe her. She’s a spades player and was an athlete.” 

Among other things, sports were one of the few things you had to give up on when you were forced to pursue medicine. But you never told Chishiya that you would still make time to compete in underground fights. It was the only way you could keep doing it with your parents not knowing. So yes, you were a retired mixed martial arts athlete that eventually became skilled in street fights. 

Chishiya knew, of course. You would disappear and not bother him for weeks, healing any injuries that you incurred during the fights. Most of the time, you’ll be gone for a week. Until, there was one time in particular when you had not bothered him for almost two weeks and even canceled the date you were so excited to be on. Curiosity got the best of him, leading him to your apartment where he found you tending to your wounds alone. It was when you finally told him what you have been doing. 

“So this is what you have been up to.” 

Chishiya was leaning against the doorway with an unamused face, holding a flier of the underground fight in his hand.

You had been applying ointment on your wounds. The fight was worse than usual and your opponent decided to destroy your face. Of course, you won because you were so pissed off that you were going to have to cancel a date with Chishiya so he wouldn’t notice the black eye and your wounded nose. 

You drop the cotton bud with wide eyes and a gasp, scrambling to hide your face in your hands. 

It was kind of funny—you in your underwear, exposing all the healing bruises all over your body and face. Chishiya doesn’t react seeing you almost naked. It was like the nonchalant man doesn’t see you as a woman. 

You lower your hands from your eyes so you could see him but still enough to cover your face from the eyes down. “Are you going to tell dad?” you ask like a kid being caught shattering a vase. 

He sighs, walking over to your bed and sitting down with his hands inside his jacket’s pocket. “What would I gain from that?” It was rhetorical. You know he’ll gain nothing from saying anything. Instead, you know he’d rather keep his mouth shut and use it against you. 

In front of the mirror, you watch his reflection fixate on your body’s bruises. Suddenly feeling a bit insecure, you purse your bruised lips and head over to your closet to grab a silk robe to wrap around your half-naked self. 

“Why are you here, Shuntarou?” you ask with folded arms.

He shrugs and looks away from you. “‘Was curious.”

Silence filled your room, only the ticking of your wall clock being heard. You sigh. “I won’t stop doing it,” you tell him firmly. 

“I know,” he responds as if he expected you to say that. “But tell me, how long do you plan to keep on doing this?” He raises the flier in his hand again as if mocking you with it. 

You understand. You used to fight in arenas with media, judges, journalists, and opponents who are trained the same way as you. Underground fighting—it was different. It’s illegal, messier, and deadlier. Often, there are no rules. It’s quite literally beat your opponent to death or be beaten to death. Sometimes, weapons are even snuck in and nobody cares if it’s against the rules. 

It was dangerous for you but more dangerous for your family name. 

But you couldn’t help it, the rush it gives you—it made you feel alive more than championships ever did. 

To hide the bruises from your father, you would over-accessorize and constantly shop for new clothes. During the day, you were the rich and elegant daughter he wanted. But at night, you were a fighter under a different name and a mask.

When you don’t answer, Chishiya dismisses the question and looks over the medicine you got for yourself on your vanity table. “There’s better ointment than that.” 

You roll your eyes. Of course, he has to be smarter about that. “It’s the only brand the nearest drugstore had.” 

Then you grin, a thought coming into your mind. “Maybe you can help me apply it?” 

“No,” he stands up from your bed. “I’m leaving.” 

But he didn’t and he spent the night treating your wounds like a doctor should.

“Well, I have to go back to my friends,” you brought yourself to your feet, a hand hovering over your injured thigh. Kuina reached over to help you but you rejected her attempt with a smile. There’s a struggle but you were able to walk away from them even with the pain. 

You would kill for crutches right now. 

“Wait!” Kuina stops you. You turn around, confused as she approaches you. She removes the sword sheath from her shoulder and hands it over to you. You quickly recognize this as The Last Boss’, the militant always around Niragi, sword. “You can use this to steady yourself.”

You smile and take it from her. “Thank you,” you accept it with genuine gratitude, looking over to Chishiya who was watching the exchange quietly on the side.

“I’ll see you around, Kuina.” 

Arisu, Usagi, and you found a place to stay along with the others from the Beach. There, you tended to your wounds and recovered. There were no games. Those whose visas were about to expire tried to go to previous game venues but nothing happened.

It’s as if Borderlands completely stopped.

Some assume that the games are over since all the numbered cards were completed but you know that’s hardly the case. This is the silence before the storm—a grace period if you will. 

“Where’s Usagi?” you ask Arisu when you wake up and the pretty climber was nowhere to be found. He was looking better and his injuries were mostly healed.

“She went and looked for supplies with the others,” he answered with a yawn. 

Even if the three of you only spent a few days at the Beach, everyone began to miss the luxury of hotel beds, warm breakfast, hot showers, and electricity. Following the ten of hearts game, the survivors camped together. Eventually, it began to be suffocating as the same people reminded them of the Witch Hunt massacre. Most militants were eaten by their guilt and left, while those who had their comrades killed by militants still felt disgusted by them and chose to separate from the group. Wounds heal but they can’t be rushed. 

The three of you stayed with Ann and Tatta, hopping from one place to another for a few nights. 

Last night, you stayed at a small house with two bedrooms which were occupied by the girls and boys each. It didn’t have much supply hence why Usagi must’ve gone with Tatta and Ann. 

You were pretty much useless because of your injury and one of your three companions always had to stay with you even if you try to assure them you’ll be fine. It was mostly Arisu who was being overprotective. You had a hunch that it was mostly because it was a leg injury. It must’ve hit close to home, you think. 

Nevertheless, you were thankful for their care. Plus, it was a good thing that the games have somehow stopped for a while because you surely wouldn’t have survived with a leg you could barely walk on. The bullet missed your muscle or any artery, what it hit was mostly fat. 

You raised your leg on the coffee table while you sat on the couch. You could walk better now and maybe even run. You haven’t pushed it though, opting to do exercises that would help you recover faster. You were a spades player, after all. It wouldn’t do you any good when the games finally start.

“It’s a good thing you were in med school,” Arisu points to your leg. You gave him a wide grin, taking in the compliment.

“What a shame it was so boring,” you say. 

Arisu smiles, handing you the cup of instant ramen. You thanked him quietly and began to eat. He sits down beside you and eats his cup too. For a minute, the only thing that could be heard in the living room was the sound of your slurps and chewing. 

“So,” Arisu started, “I’m sorry about Chishiya.” 

You shrug, trying not to show how the C-word affects you. “I’m sorry too. Y’know, because he basically tried to kill you and Usagi. I know that you mostly trusted him because of my feelings for him.” 

“That’s what I’m sorry for,” he explains, “I didn’t think he’d betray you too. I thought he really cared for you. Especially when he said those things about you.” 

His words make you pause from your meal, looking at the shaggy-haired boy in curiosity and confusion. “What things?” you ask and begin to chew again, this time slowly, waiting for your friend’s answer. 

“He told me we shouldn’t include you in our plans because…” He set down his cup on his lap and chewed away the fullness of his mouth before continuing. “Because he doesn’t want you in any danger. He said ‘I’m sure you understand. If you were in my place, you wouldn’t want the only person you like in this life to be in any danger.’” 

Your breath catches in your throat. You know it wasn’t real. But to hear that Chishiya Shuntarou said those words about you even if they were lies? You wish you would’ve heard it yourself. In fact, you would give an arm and a leg for him to say that to you.

Arisu sighed, slumping his back on the couch. “He said it was still my choice if I’ll ask you and it was just his simple request. I was an idiot. I didn’t know he was doing it because he knows you’ll figure out his real plans if you knew our plan.” 

You stayed silent for a few seconds and then replied in a low voice. “You’re not an idiot.” A frown paints on your face. “He’s a manipulative motherfucker, that’s what he is.” 

“What made you like him so much, then?” Arisu lets his curiosity free with the question.

His question was valid. It’s no doubt that the asshole was attractive and cool. These are traits he had in common with millions of men in the world so why Chishiya of all people? Is it because you had no option? But you do. In fact, you hated the idea of your parents saying you’ll marry one of their friends’ sons. 

But heck, do your parents know you. They’re clever, you’ll admit. They really got you where they wanted you. 

“I’m sorry, I’m late!” 

The door opens with a loud thud, revealing you with your hands on your knees, in your messily worn high school uniform, and catching your breath from the running. You came from morning training for the Karate team but lost track of time. All your classmates had their eyes on you, some snickering and laughing at you. 

“Miss L/N, that’s the third time this month,” your teacher deadpans while still writing on the board. 

“I know, sir! I’ll try my very very very best not to do it again this month, sir!” You shout, grinning from ear to ear as you stand up straight with your left arm on your sides and your other hand in a salute. Your teacher sighs, muttering “this month” and shaking his head, making the class laugh. 

“Just get back to your seat, L/N,” he replies in defeat. 

“Yes, sir!” you agree and set down your salute back into a military stance. Your class laughs once again and you laugh along with them. You head to your seat at the back of the class, a few of your classmates giving you a high-five greeting as you pass by them. 

Your steps halt when you notice you finally have a seatmate. He had mid-length blonde hair, half of it tied up with a few strands on the sides of his face. He wasn’t even looking at you, focusing on the writing on the blackboard instead. The stranger intrigued you so you raise a brow and look at your side where your nearest classmate sat. 

“The new student,” he whispers. “His name is Chishiya Shuntarou.” 

You smirk, thanking your classmate and heading over to your designated seat. You set down your backpack on the floor and sat down, facing the new student who was still not acknowledging you with his stare. 

“Hi. I’m Y/N L/N,” you introduce yourself and hold out your hand. “Let’s be friends, yeah?”

The stranger stops writing his notes and finally looks at you straight in the face and then back to your hand. 

He just ignores you and continues writing his notes again. 

You stare at him dumbfounded with your held-out hand, frozen and in disbelief. ‘What an asshole,’ you think. You shrug anyway and retract your hand, sitting properly to face the board. 

“Chishiya, right?” you start a conversation even if you sense that he won’t bother answering. “Why would you transfer in the middle of the semester?” You were bringing out your notebook when a thought passed by you.

Then it clicks. “Chishiya, that sounds familiar.” You say to yourself particularly when you flip open the pages of your notebook to a blank page. 

“Idiot.” It was him mumbling but you hear it all too well.

Your mouth drops at his voice and it finally hits you. It was him. Chishiya Shuntarou, son of most of your hospitals’ directors. You see him during events your parents drag you to ever since you were children. He was always reserved and quiet but you always admired him, even harboring a little crush on him. You’ve been so deep into your sports for years that you actually forgot what your life was like before you found something that really excited you. 

A smile unconsciously spreads on your face in recalling the memory. 

“Shuntarou,” you pause. “He grounds me down.”

Do you think Chishiya was a good person? Definitely not. You weren’t perfect, either. People are neither good nor bad. There’s no such simple person as that. Chishiya is a troubled person. He’s struggling with how to connect with himself and others. This is something you find in common with him. 

When you are in trouble, Chishiya always finds a way to be there for you in his own way. You used to think that he cares about you and you liked to think that way still. But for now, you two have different priorities. You are at war. 

And no one comes out the same person they were before the battle started.

“You sure about this, Y/N?” 

Usagi was asking you for the nth time. You nod. “I’m all healed,” you reply. That was partly true. You’re sure you can run now but there’s still a limit to what you can do specifically in terms of fighting. But you were stubborn enough not to leave Arisu and Usagi to investigate the Minami-Aoyama station alone.

The three of you traced the steps of Asahi and Momoka from the video that Arisu found on the phone she left behind. You walked in the dark train tracks just like they did until you found a door. 

It was opened so Arisu cautiously heads in while the two of you trail behind him, ready for any attack to come but there was nothing. You continued to walk the empty hallway, searching for the place in the video.

Arisu halts his step and you realize you were here. The three of you entered the dark room, Arisu pointing his flashlights around it. 

The lively room filled with monitors and people cheering in the video was now a dark lifeless room with multiple dead people slumped over monitors and evidence of being shot by a laser. They seemed to be players in Borderland too but unlike you, they were well-groomed and well-fed. 

“Holy shit,” you mumbled.

“You actually found this place.”

A voice startles the three of you and Arisu immediately points the flashlight in the direction of the voice. From another entrance of the room, Chishiya and Kuina strut in. You put on your guard. Why was he here? Are they one of the dealers? It’s unlikely the case but why?

“As expected from someone I have high hopes for,” the blonde continued.

“We meet again,” Kuina speaks. 

Usagi doesn’t hide the disgust in her tone and countenance. “It’s you,” she says with furrowed brows, no doubt still mad over the pair’s betrayal. Kuina looks away in slight guilt, looking over at Chishiya.

You follow her gaze and notice he no longer wears the jacket you gave him. Instead, he wore a blue and white gradient cardigan over his shirt. You feel a tad of disappointment in your heart at the thought that he has thrown it away or lost it. 

“Thanks to you, I have all the numbered playing cards with me.” He held up the deck of cards as he says it, a condescending smirk painted on his face. He truly is a despicable human being. 

Arisu glares at him and flatly asks, “How did you find this place?”

Chishiya brings out a small folded piece of paper and unfolds it to show you its contents. “It took me a while to realize that this is actually the route map of a subway station.” From afar, the drawing really did look like random scribbles. It’s a good thing that the man is observant. You don’t know where he got it but Arisu may have had a clue as you see the expression on his face. They have both participated in a game, after all.

“What happens when we collect all the cards?” He saunters closer to you with his hands in his pockets. “I thought I’d find the answer if I come here.” His eyes explore the room. “But there’s only one thing I discovered.”

“They’re not game masters,” Arisu cuts him off, finishing his sentence. 

“Right,” Chishiya agrees. “Judging from the fact that they were all killed after our victory. They’re humans like us and on top of that, there’s someone above them.” 

You scoff. “What? Like a God?” 

“Just who could they be?” Usagi asks no one in particular as she looks at Chishiya.

“Who knows? They might be aliens,” he pauses and shifts his eyes to you with a smug and mocking face, “or as your friend said, even God himself.” It was the first time he acknowledged you in the room. You raise a brow, slightly offended. His bitter tone doesn’t pass by you and the fact that he called you ‘your friend’ instead of your name, vexed you.

Not that you planned to give him a reaction but if you did, you wouldn’t be given the chance because the lights of the room turned on, followed by the wall of multiple television and computer screens circling the room accompanied by heightened ceremonial music. 

The screens reveal a familiar face—the executive specializing in the hearts game, Mira, sitting on a chair in a black gown. A vicious smile is plastered on her face. It sets an eerie feeling in your heart. What kind of fucked up shit is happening here?

“Congratulations to all players,” her voice sent chills down your spine. “With the exception of the face card games, all of you have cleared all thus far and emerged as victors by sacrificing numerous lives.” 

Her head tilts to the side, feigning innocence and wonder. “I wonder how many of your comrades have died?” 

She stands up, raising an arm. “Try to remember those that were shot dead with a gun.” She walks around as the screen shows recorded videos of the games. “That girl that you burned alive, those struck with the lasers, those that drowned, those whose heads were blown off, those comrades of yours.” You feel Arisu flinch beside you at the mention of the last sentence. 

“The despair you’ve felt so far and those dying moments that you can never forget.” 

One particular screen catches your eye but not because of a man’s head being blown off. It was because standing near that man was a familiar shaggy-haired boy. Your gaze flits to the man’s face beside you and you see the flash of horror in his eyes as the screams of people from the games fill your ears. 

“I’m extremely touched!” Mira exclaims. “All of you players, we would like to give you a present.” Her movements were odd as if she was really excited about this. One thing’s for sure, whatever’s Mira’s role is in this world, she isn’t being forced to do it. 

“Are you returning us to the original world?” Kuina thinks out loud. You purse your lips, doubting that that’s the case. 

Mira gasps, eyes widening as her body shakes in excitement. “There will be new games!” She exclaims happily like the words don’t mean death and destruction on a whole new level. “Let’s play games together. You’ll fight for face cards.” 

“Wow,” you react with a flat tone. “She’s fucked in the head.”

There’s disbelief in Kuina’s voice when she asks, “New games?” 

“I don’t dislike the idea,” Chishiya says, the smirk not being wiped off his face. Your fists clench at his words. You don’t understand him. How could he like these games? Death, betrayal, being played around like lab rats—were those entertaining to him? You always thought Chishiya was a little bit different than most and he was just doing his most to survive but is this a side to him that you’ve blinded yourself to? 

“We’ve still got many more wonderful games prepared for all of you, so look forward to it!” Mira ends her ridiculous speech. 

“This woman…” Usagi finally speaks.”Is she the game master?” 

“I’d rather see an alien appear on the screen.” Kuina thinks out loud. 

“The next stage will commence tomorrow at noon,” the camera zooms in on Mira’s face. “Let’s have some fun together!” 

“So we have to fight again,” Usagi says, feeling defeated.

“Yes,” Arisu replies. “But something is different... we’re finally seeing our target.” He says with his eyes focused on Mira, glaring and determined. 

“You’re mad again,” Chishiya states the obvious in the dark of the room you’ve entered.

You slam yourself on the nearest display bed, looking around the furniture store you’ve sheltered in from the King of Spades. By not answering Chishiya, you clearly agree with his suspicion. Of course, you were pissed off. If he ran with urgency as a normal person does, maybe you would’ve been able to jump inside that car with your friends. 

“It’s not like we would’ve fit. I’m sure you’ll find them again,” he assures you, unconvincingly with a bitter tone in his voice.

He looks at the sky through the glass window of the store. “The blimp is gone,” he observes out loud. “We can rest here if you want and then we can go.” 

“If his whole Arena is Tokyo, then that means we have no choice but to join the other games,” you think out loud. There are 12 face cards, meaning there’d be 11 games out there and one game where a single overpowered man aims to shoot down every player out here. Even if you were a spades player, your combat skills, no matter how great, are no match with his unending ammo. You can’t exactly kick or punch those bullets away. 

“That’s the point,” he replies flatly. 

You glare at him, scoffing and lying down on the bed fully with your head resting on your arm. “You should get me food,” you tell him and ignore his sarcastic remark. You don’t really expect him to comply, you were just doing it to get on his nerves like usual. 

“Do it yourself,” he says with a sigh. 

“As you can see, I’m injured…” You point to your thigh wound that was still wrapped and can be seen clearly from the ends of your gym shorts. Obviously, that was a lie and you can move freely now. “And hungry.” 

He scoffs, sitting on the mattress next to you. Deafening silence began to fill the room and you almost forget that Chishiya is in the same room as you. His presence begins to make you uncomfortable, not because you hated him but because you don’t like him seeing you vulnerable. So, you turn to your side with your back facing him. 

The king of spades, he just destroyed everyone out there. These next games, they’re much crueler than the numbered ones. You barely made it out alive and now you have to participate in harder games? And when they’re all over, who’s to say that you could actually go back?

Do you even want to go back?

If you were to die here, it wouldn’t be much loss to the real world, anyway. Things haven’t changed despite the circumstances—your priority was still to get Chishiya out of here if he can. You’re sure you will see Usagi and Arisu again. They’ll be fine. They even got Kuina, Ann, and Tatta by their side. Maybe you were separated from them so you can protect Chishiya somehow. 

You don’t doubt that he’d want to join the diamond games. In fact, maybe he’s even excited about it. If it came down to you joining him in one, you’ll try your best to help him win. But if you two somehow find yourself in a game where he will need your strength, you’d be glad to be there with him. 

The thing is, you know you would sacrifice yourself for him but the question is, would he willingly sacrifice you to win?

As you drown in your thoughts, your body shuts down to sleep, suddenly exhausted from all the running. 

The dress you wore flowed freely, the ends dragging on the floor. Even if you find yourself more at home with gym clothes, dressing up did excite you too. It just wasn’t as convenient as gym clothes where you can move freely. 

Tonight, you were ecstatic as the lavender gown you had a famous designer made sculpted your upper body perfectly as you fit it the night before the dance. Giggling, you think back to the blonde’s acceptance of your invitation to the school event. 

“So, Shuntarou, have you asked someone to the dance yet? or maybe been asked by someone?” you ask as you sat beside him in the classroom during break time.

“If you wouldn’t glare at any girl that would approach me, maybe someone would’ve.” He replies in a monotone voice as he eats his cookies. It was his favorite brand. 

“I do not glare,” you reply, glaring. “And if you want to go with someone, just tell me who and I’ll help you.” 

He raises a brow, finally looking at you but with full judgment. He knows you’re bluffing. “At least try.” 

You lose your facade. “Ok, then. Will you go with me to the dance?”

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?” he replies, dull as always.

You skip around your room, heart fluttering at the thought of slow dancing with the nonchalant blonde boy. You imagine the jealous stares of the girls who have a crush on him. You couldn’t help it. You were in high school and in love. 

Afraid to accidentally damage the dress in any way, you remove it and keep it in a safe place. Tomorrow, you’ll have a team to help you get ready. Then, Chishiya will fetch you and you will go to the dance together. 

In your excitement, you forgot to drink water or even eat dinner. You were only reminded when you feel your throat get parched. With that realization, you head to the kitchen to get something to eat. 

As you were munching on some leftover pasta you found, you hear your father’s voice in the living room. Since when was he home? You become more cautious of your actions, careful not to make any noise as you eat. It’s better to not encounter him at all.

“Ah, he’s taking her to some school dance? That’s good.” School dance? What is he talking about? 

Due to curiosity, you leave your food and tiptoe closer to eavesdrop on the conversation. It seems that he’s on the phone. 

“She’s still a kid, wasting her time on stupid matters. It’s good that Shuntarou is already thinking about a future in medicine.” Shuntarou? You now realize that he’s talking to Shuntarou’s dad and with the tone of his voice at the mention of ‘her,’ it’s safe to assume that he’s talking about you. Your father hated the numerous extracurriculars you were doing, especially those of sports. He always believed they were a waste of time and that if you wanted to do extracurriculars, you should’ve just joined the student council. 

“They’ve been getting along well, I’ve heard. As soon as Shuntarou finishes his residency and gains a little experience, we can have them married,” your father speaks to his phone. 

You froze at hearing the word ‘married.’ What did he mean by that? Could it be… Chishiya and you were being arranged to be married? And then it hit you. It’s all planned. The reason why Chishiya was transferred to your school in the middle of the semester after some unknown reason is because of your father. He was transferred there for you. 

Your father says more to his friend on the phone. It was all about you and Chishiya and some for the hospital. From what you’ve gathered, it was so Chishiya can inherit the position of chairman. 

You can practically hear your heart shatter as it sinks to the ground. At such a young age, your father doesn’t believe in you. It’s always been like this. He just believed from the get-go that you didn’t have it in you to win. You weren’t gifted like him. 

Chishiya is the child he wants, not you. 

“Tell Chishiya to keep up the good work. I’ll give him a reward for taking my daughter to the dance.”

And it seems that Chishiya knows all about it too. 

Your eyes fluttered open, lids feeling a bit heavy because of the unexpected sleep. As you sat up, your throat immediately felt parched from thirst. You really needed water. 

Looking around, you find no sign of your companion. You felt a funny feeling in your stomach, wondering where he had gone. Has he already gone and joined a game? It seemed like something he would do here in Borderland, leave you in the middle of nowhere alone and unguarded. 

You were about to stand up to actually look for the blonde man when you noticed something new on the display side table of the bed you slept on. It was unopened canned food and a bottle of water. There was no note or anything but it could only be from the blonde-haired guy himself. Has he really gone out alone and looted food for you?

You decide to quench your thirst first before dealing with him, grabbing the plastic bottle in a swift motion and opening the cap hastily before drinking in chugs. 

“Slow down.” 

As if on cue, Chishiya enters the furniture shop, now in the white jacket you gave him. Where did he hide that? Did he go back to where he left it when you were asleep?

You brought the bottle from your lips, staring at him like a puzzle. “Where did you go?” 

“Outside,” he answers flatly. You glare at him. “Just say thank you for the food and water.”

You don’t answer right away, watching silently as the man sits down again on the bed next to you, laying down some things he probably found around. It’s weird how it oddly felt domestic. If you were to disregard the numerous pieces of furniture around you, you could imagine yourself in a place in the real world where you two have your own home, happily married, and are in possession of what you two always wanted. 

You shake off the thought. Not only is that impossible in Borderland, but it’s also impossible in the real world. 

You open the canned food. It was mixed fruits. After you thanked him softly, you began to eat quietly, chewing slowly as he said to.

“Have you eaten?” you ask as he stares at you. He gives you a nod before taking his eyes off you and back to his tinkering. 

“Are you joining a game soon?” you attempt a conversation again. 

“I think we have to,” he answers.

He was right. “Yeah.” You bit your lip, afraid to ask what’s been lingering in your mind. “Do… do you want to join a game together?” 

He stills, “no.” 

“Why not? I’m strong. I can protect you,” you point at the sword you laid on the ground. 

“That’s not enough,” Chishiya answers in a heartbeat. 

“Would you rather I die alone?” It was a tough question. Not for him but for you. If you were going to be asked, you’d rather have your last moments with him. 

He audibly tsks, standing up from the bed and putting his hands in his pockets. He walks away from you and the conversation. Disappointment creeps into your skin. You knew he wouldn’t care about your sentiments. 

His hand stays on the door, not opening it yet. “Tomorrow,” he speaks, not even turning around to look at you. “We’ll join a game together.”

It sent a chill down your spine. You didn’t know what his motives are. Did he decide to go on a game with you because of what you asked… or did it give him an idea to finally end you?

It’s a good thing that the next stage shows you what game you will be entering through the blimps. The game you enter varies on one’s strengths and risks. You know that you wouldn’t willingly enter a Hearts game with the people you care about and you would try to enter a game you specialize in. 

“No heart games,” Chishiya tells you. 

You’ve found yourself inside a small home to spend the night in. It was safer than the furniture store with glass windows. You thought it’d be nice to decide on what game to choose.

You felt the mattress dip beside you, indicating Chishiya sat down. 

The house was small and cozy. It was a one-bedroom and looked like it belonged to a couple simply because it had everything by pair. What made you stay though, is that Chishiya has found their secret stash of food that was hidden inside the bedroom and under the floors of the closet.

The supply could last you maybe about a week.

You turn your head to Chishiya. It was already night time and you only had a candlelight lamp lighting up the room. He has taken off his jacket, leaving him in his shirt and pants. 

It was not the first time you’d shared a bed. When your families would go on trips together, they’d make you share a room. If you didn’t know about your father’s plans, you would find it odd how they were too willing for you two to get along that they were putting their young adult child inside a bedroom with a guy her age. 

During those trips, you would fall asleep on his bed while telling him stories. At first, Chishiya would leave you be and sleep on your bed. Until one night, when it became too frequent, he just slept beside you. And then the rest was history. 

As he lies down beside you, you hear his gentle breathing, see the rise and fall of his chest, and the way he inhales and exhales. It seemed that he was in deep thought. Could it be that he was worried about the games too?

“How about a Diamonds game?” you suggest. You think that you were pretty smart and you could handle it more with him by your side.

Chishiya doesn’t answer, looking like he’s in deep thought. 

“Kuina and the others probably joined a Clubs game.” you continue. “Maybe we should join one too.”

The thought brings you back to your comrades. It’s possible that they joined a game together—a Clubs game is the safest bet if they all want to live. Maybe it’s what you and Chishiya can do too. 

“We’ll join the Queen of Clubs. It’s the nearest clubs game.” The man beside you finally speaks, his voice a little tired. 

You agree, nodding lightly. You spun to your side with your back facing him as he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. 

“Goodnight, Chishiya,” you mumble, still not being able to call him by his first name. He doesn’t answer but you hear him subtly hum in response. 

The sun was setting when you and Chishiya reach the arena. 

After a bit of walking, your mouth drops as you realize that the Queen of Clubs blimp is hovering over a high school building. Specifically, the prestigious high school you and Chishiya attended. 

“How fitting,” Chishiya reacts with a bored tone.

Sometimes, you feel like the games are catered to the players. Like they know all your life stories. This high school being the game arena, is it to your advantage or disadvantage? Whatever it is, you have no choice but to find out. This is your first game in the second stage, and it’s a Clubs game. If the two of you work with other players well, the chance of survival is high. 

That should be the mindset for the numbered games but right now, you weren’t sure because these are face card games. If the numbered games were difficult as it is, you should be terrified and ready for the face cards. 

“I can go in alone,” you suddenly say, afraid to go in there together with him. 

“You’re kidding,” he scoffs and walks closer to the entrance. “After all that talk about dying alone?” 

The anxiety that was creeping into your skin would put you at a disadvantage. You know that Chishiya could handle himself but you couldn’t help but be worried for him. Sighing, you shake off the worry and decide to push through with joining the game with him.

You enter the arena first and look back. Chishiya stares at you for a few seconds, as if contemplating or memorizing your face. And then he follows you inside. What was that?

The other players were gathered in front of the building, right on the grass field. There were about six people there already. Chishiya followed you inside but didn’t walk beside you or near you. It was probably to not make people assume you know each other. On top of a table were metal cuffs that had a screen, looking like a smartwatch. From the looks of it, it seems that it was the same material as the collars they make you wear in the other games only this time, they were bracelets.

1 PER PERSON

There were two left when Chishiya and you took yours. You clasp it around your non-dominant hand’s wrist and watch as the game confirms your registration. Looking around, you found the other players looking at you. It made you feel a bit insecure but you’ve been in enough games to know that you shouldn’t let them get to you. It should be the other way around. 

Another hand reaches for a phone on the table and you look up at her. She looks a bit like a high schooler, wearing a skirt from a uniform and a white tank top. She had a bow and arrow on her back. 

Her stare turns into a glare and you frown. It was she who broke eye contact first and stepped away from the table. As she turns around, it was hard not to notice that she was missing a foot, replaced with some kind of metal. She looks interesting to you. 

REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. THE GAME WILL NOW COMMENCE. 

The familiar AI voice of a woman is heard through the campus speakers.

Chishiya crosses his arms, waiting for something to happen next. You look up at the screen that was stationed there. As if on cue, the screen lights up, flashing some kind of silhouette of a woman’s head with a crown. 

DIFFICULTY

Queen of Clubs

GAME

Prom Queen

Rules:

Each classroom has votes for players to collect or challenges for players to complete. 

The players must collect enough points to enter the gym, where the Queen of Clubs will give them one last challenge. 

The votes are transferable to another player but physical assault and force transfer of votes to another player is not allowed. 

If the player does not complete the challenge in the room, the room takes their votes. 

No weapons allowed inside the building.

CLEAR CONDITION

The players must have more votes than the Queen of Clubs and complete her last challenge.

GAME OVER

Players do not gather enough votes to dethrone the Queen of Clubs.

Players do not complete the last challenge. 

TIME LIMIT

02:00:00 HRS

You scoff and remove the Katana from your shoulder, putting it on the table. The other players began to gather around it, putting their weapons with yours. 

GAME START

You look around at the other players. You give them a nod. 

“Alright. Let’s meet by the gym doors after we collect all points,” a man who has glasses said. He wore stripe shirts and was fairly tall. He seemed smart and gave the impression of a leader. It doesn’t look like he’s physically fit, though. 

The other players do not waste time, scurrying into the building with determination and a little bit of fear. You stayed behind for a few seconds, looking at Chishiya. He stares back at you with no expression on his face and heads into the building.

There was the girl who had a bow and arrow, still looking at you. You give her a nod. It didn’t look like she could be trusted but this is a Clubs game, after all. You have to work together to survive. She doesn’t give you the same attitude as earlier. Instead, she approaches you, giving you a nod back. 

“Akane Heiya,” she introduces herself to you.

“Y/N L/N,” you reply with your name. 

The two of you enter the building together, cautious of the darkness that plagues it. You pick up the small flashlight from your belt bag. You can hear the scrambling of the foot of the other players, no doubt racing to get to the classrooms faster.  “The rules didn’t say how much we need, so maybe we can go and check the gym and see if there’s a clue?” you ask her. 

“I’ll go check,” she tells you.

“You sure?” you ask her, wanting to know if she doesn’t need a companion. 

She nods. “One of us should help collect votes.” 

As soon as you nod, she was already on her way to look for the gym. You decide to head to the nearest classroom without a player in it already. 

You stand before a classroom door that has a red light on it. You assume that if the votes in this classroom haven’t been collected, its red light is still on. 

It wasn’t dark inside the classroom, the sun has almost set all the way but there was still a bit of light seeping through the windows of the room. As you step in, the door shuts behind you. You panic for a bit, checking the door knob if it still works. You groan when you realize that you’re shut in. 

The lights of the classroom turned on and a tv screen that was in the middle of the chalkboard flashes a question. 

In printing, it’s the color black. In chemistry, it’s potassium. In baseball, it’s a strikeout. Which letter is it?

It was an easy question but there were about maybe forty classrooms in this school. There are nine players. If your hunch was right, there should be a difficulty level or random variation of the difficulty of the challenges on each floor, there are eight classrooms. You were on the first floor. 

“K,” you answer confidently. 

The room speakers gave out a ‘ding’ sound and some kind of button on the teacher’s desk lights up a green color and you walk towards it. You hesitantly press it and your wrists light up with a green color. 

+ 50 votes

You hear the lock of the door click open and you step out. You look up at the light on the door and see that the previous red light has been shut off. 

Walking down the hallway, some girl who looked like she was in her thirties, wearing office attire approaches you. “How many votes did you get?” she asks, pointing at her wrist. 

“50,” you reply. 

Another man completes his room and hears what you were talking about, approaching you two.  “It was hidden in one of the lockers at the back. I got 50 too.” 

You nod at them. “It seems that this floor is just full of 50 votes per room.”

Not wasting any more time, you and the others who have completed your rooms head to the second floor. Chishiya was already on the second floor, stepping outside one of the rooms. You approach him. “How many votes in this one?” you ask. 

He shows his wrist, flashing the number on his band. 75. Just as you thought.

“So the floors are kind of the levels, huh?” The man in the striped shirt asks you. You nod. 

“There isn’t a goal of votes by the gym.” 

All of you turn your heads to the source of the voice. Heiya stood there, her chest heaving from the running. You don’t doubt that she was tired—the gym was a bit of a walk from the classrooms. You probably should’ve told her that.

“That must mean we should clear all the rooms.” A woman with a crossbody bag spoke up, joining all of you. 

“Then let’s do that,” the man in the striped shirt speaks again. 

You and the other players moved as quick as you can. You learned that when you don’t succeed with their mini games inside the classrooms, you’re lasered down and another player has to go to that classroom to finish the task.

In the end, it was six of you who lasted. 

The first floor has eight rooms opened with 50 votes each. The second has eight rooms and 75 votes each. The third floor has three rooms with 100 votes each. The fourth floor has two rooms with 150 votes each. Lastly, the fifth floor had one room with 400 votes. 

Together, you accumulated 2000 votes. However, it was separated from your wrists. When you reached the gym, whenever you tried, it would show ‘error’ on the electronic lock. 

It had to be 2000 on one wrist.

“That means… only one of us gets to go inside?” A girl with a headband says, her eyes looking scared. 

You furrow your brows, thinking. “The game said we only need to dethrone her with more votes. Only one needs to do her challenge and then the game should clear.”

“Right,” a man in a plain white shirt replies. “This is a Clubs game. That should be the case.” 

“Okay, so who will go?” The woman in office attire asks, her voice trembling a bit.

Each one of you stares at each other, feeling each other out like teenagers afraid of a graded recitation in class. You don’t blame them, you don’t know what exactly the challenge would ask of you. 

“I’ll go,” Heiya rolls her eyes impatiently, holding out her wrist as she waits for the other players to move. 

“No. Most of the rooms’ challenges are about intellect. It should be me,” stripe shirt complained. Now you know what irks you about this man, he was controlling and stupidly wants to be seen as somewhat of a main character. 

Heiya glares at him. “So what? You think you’re the smartest in the room?” She bites, raising her brows. You try your best not to laugh at her accusation and lightly strike your elbows to her side, telling her to tone it down.

“That’s not what I meant,” the man replies, offended and furrowing his brows.

“The challenge wouldn’t be about intelligence,” For the first time in the game, Chishiya finally speaks, making all the other players’ heads turn to him. 

He shows everyone a piece of paper in his hands. 

The Ivy Award 2020 — Yamada Asaki

No way, could it be?

“After the rooms were cleared per floor, the lights turned on but kept flickering. It made up a morse code. The first floor is I, the second floor is V, and the third floor is Y.” He makes his way near the circle, showing everyone the paper that turned out to be a certificate. “And then I found this on the fourth floor, confirming the morse code.”

“What is this supposed to be?” The man in stripe asks, a bit irritated. 

Chishiya stares at him, giving him all his focus with dark eyes. “In the classrooms of the fifth floor, there were shelves containing the awards of this awardee. The Ivy Award was a special award this high school gave to those who excelled in all athletics in the school while maintaining top grades.” 

Chishiya pauses, now shifting his eyes to yours. You look away and avoid his gaze. “There are only two people who received that award in this school.” 

“Yamada Asaki,” he looks down at the paper in his hand. “And Y/N L/N.” His gaze goes back to you, communicating a million words in one simple stare.

You froze at the mention of your name. Heiya, in her tall stature, looks down at you. “You?” she asks in disbelief and a smirk. 

You glare at Chishiya, not understanding why he dropped your name and history out of nowhere. Then you look at Heiya who was waiting for your response.

“That’s true,” you admit, looking down at your feet. 

“In fact, she was the first awardee—the reason why the award was made in the first place.” Chishiya gives you a smirk. 

You still remember when you were awarded that day. The school made the award for you for the sole reason that universities around the world were contacting them to take you in as their athlete on full scholarship. They were scrambling for your hand in college.

Your father rejected all of them. He used all his power to stop you from going.

Up till now, the award was a topic you don’t like talking about. It was hard for you to remember how much you were controlled and manipulated into staying in Japan. 

“The person you’ll be facing,” He puts his eyes back on the man in the striped shirt. “Is a master of all sports and martial arts. Do you think you could handle that?” 

The man in the striped shirt couldn’t answer. 

Just like that, the other players began giving you their votes. You stand there quietly as they hover their cuffs on yours. This would mean… everyone’s life here is depending on you. 

Chishiya took the last turn in giving you his votes. He grabs your limp wrist with his right hand and hovers his cuff on yours. Your eyes are shaking in anxiety as you’re still staring at the floor. You've fought wildly when only your life is in your hands. That’s because you know that you have nothing to lose. You’ll gladly die if it’s your time to die. But right now, you have to live for these people.

“What?” he whispers. 

You finally look up into his eyes, meeting his deep stare. 

The other players watch as Chishiya leans in, whispering something in your ear. This causes you to freeze, looking up at him with awe. 

He spins you around, making you face the door. His hands are still on your shoulder when he leans in. 

He whispers in your ear again, sending shivers down your spine. For some reason, it sounded genuine. He wasn’t trying to manipulate you into going. He was motivating you, maybe even pleading. 

You turn your head to look at him, his face inches away from yours. From here, his eyes burned with something you don’t understand. There was a slight crease on his forehead that relaxed when you gave him a smile.

“Wait for me, will you, Shuntarou?” 

It was the first time you saw Chishiya smile in Borderland—and actually smile and not smirk in a condescending manner.

“You can do it,” Akane nods at you, her arms crossed. You look at her, smirking. You’ve only known the girl for an hour but you already like her. 

The other players began motivating you and you gave them all a glance before hovering your cuff on the lock of the door.

The lock dings and the door unlocks by itself. You twist the knob open, revealing the darkness of the room. 

You give one last glance to Chishiya whose eyes never left yours. You walk inside, your eyes never leaving his. He has long abandoned the smile on his face, replacing it with his famous poker face. His eyes, however, stayed expressive as if telling you’ll be fine in his own way.

The night should’ve been everything you dreamed about. 

Chishiya fetched you, wearing his suit and tie that matched your dress. The hotel venue that the school rented turned out to be designed beautifully. Everything was perfect.

If it weren’t for what you learned last night.

You acted like everything is fine, dancing with your friends as Chishiya sat on the side. To get him to come, he made a deal that he wouldn’t dance until the last. You agreed, only wanting to dance the last slow dance with him. 

Chishiya must’ve already realized something is wrong because you haven’t looked at him for more than five seconds all night. It was weird. You really wanted to be here with him yet you can’t even ask him what he thought about the food. You know that it wasn’t his fault. You were the one who approached him first and began pursuing him. He wasn’t exactly actively trying to manipulate you as your father wanted. 

But he knew. He knew what your parents wanted. 

And you, you were left in the dark again. 

The doors of the gym shut with a loud thud, leaving you in blinding darkness. 

“I hoped you would come,” it was a girl’s voice from the end of the room. 

The lights turn on and you squint your eyes as the sudden change blinds you for a second. When your eyes adjust to the brightness, you see a girl not older than a high school kid. She was wearing a black bodysuit and a crown, sitting on what looks to be like a throne on the stage. 

“You’re Yamada Asaki?” you ask, raising a brow. 

“and you’re Y/N L/N,” she replies, a smirk plastered on her face.

She stands from her throne, crossing her arms as she walks down the stage. “You know, when I heard that you’re here, I had this game designed just for you.” 

“Designed?” your eyes never leave her as you frown. These games are designed by people? 

You were curious but she ignores your question. “I wanted to see what’s so great about you.” The bitter tone of her voice doesn’t pass by you. It was clear that this girl doesn’t like you.

“Do you…” Her voice was deadly like it could cut like a sharp knife. Her eyes were focused on you like a target. “Do you know how miserable you made me feel?”

“Obviously not,” you replied with sarcasm, not giving into her sentiments. It would be better not to waste time, you only had 10 minutes left to clear the game. 

The girl audibly scoffs so you continue. “I don’t know the reason nor do I care. Tell me the challenge and we can get this over with.” 

Asaki’s gaze burn through yours as she removes the crown on her head and throws it on the ground. “The crown is worth 50 votes,” she says, eyes not leaving yours and showing you the cuff on her wrist, 2020 votes, the year she won her award. “You get it if you beat me in a fight.” She puts herself into a stance, getting ready to fight. 

“Fine,” you answer, throwing your belt bag across the floor and cracking a few bones of your knuckles. “Are there any rules?” 

It’s all bullshit. You know there are no rules in a fight for your life. This is a fight. But still, you ask. It wouldn’t hurt to know if there are. 

You read her stance. She’s good, guarded and ready. From her built, it’s clear that she’s experienced. She must be an athlete from her younger years like you. It’s a no brainer, if she’s a receiver of the Ivy Award, then she has been trained like you. 

“Rules? There are no rules. No stopping until one of us dies.” Her arrogance was something you take note of. It seems that her confidence is one of her biggest traits. For now, you need to see what she can do. 

She attacks first, swinging a fist at your face. You block it and attack with a fist, to which she follows up with a guarding technique of her arms. You move away but she follows that technique with a kick. You dodge her foot by crouching, all while staring at her with burning eyes.

Kickboxing. 

It’s the closest to modern-day MMA. From what you saw, this girl is a striker. 

You launch forward, heading for her middle. It was fast but she was able to raise her knee which you avoid. Good. She’s good. But what about her footwork? 

Pivoting your front foot, you shot your rear leg out and aim at her middle again. She quickly steps away, leaving your foot hitting nothing but the air. Great. Her footwork is good too. You jump back to your feet, raising your fists and moving away from her in a quick motion. 

“Taekwondo?” She smirks, her eyes giving you a condescending look as if she’s about to laugh. “It was your favorite, wasn’t it?”

How did she know that? This girl… just who was she and what have you done for her to know you like this?

“So you’ve studied me?” you ask with a smirk, feigning your curiosity.

“Day and night,” she replies. “I watched all your tournaments,” she jabs, you avoid. “Your championships,” she kicks, you block. “Your training,” she swings, you move away. “All because they wanted me to be like you!” She lunges forward and you let her, she grasps the back of your head and gives you a knee strike, hitting you right in the stomach.

You free yourself from her hold, stumbling and landing a few steps from her when she lets go. She laughs like a maniac. 

“You’ve become rusty,” she spats. 

“Come on,” you raise your fists into a stance once again. “I haven’t even started,” you say and give her a grin. 

Her forehead creases as she furrowed her brows, eyes blazing. So her favorite’s kickboxing. You know what to do. Her footwork’s great, her kicks and punches are strong too, it would be dangerous if she attacks you like she did last time. Front kicks are one of their best attacks. 

You attack diagonally, catching her off guard. You throw a punch and it lands straight to her face. A kickboxers’ weakness is defending an attack coming diagonally. You have to get close to her. 

You attempt to throw punches hastily, making her dodge away again and again until you corner her to a wall. She takes this as a chance to hold the back of your neck again with both hands, catching you in a Thai Clinch. Just like before, you know she’d throw you a knee strike. 

Before she could raise her knee, you put both her arms in your hold tightly, preventing her to move. Using your elbow, you give her a strike to her jaw with the single intent to create the worst damage possible. Your jab connected with a crack and you know you broke her jaw. Once the move made her lose focus, you repeatedly take a jab at her, one punch after another. 

Blood sputters out of her mouth and she spits as you move away again. You were pretty sure you saw a tooth fall out. 

“Forfeit,” you order and her bloodshot eyes gave nothing to you but hatred. You match her threatening gaze. “Before I kill you.” 

“Are you kidding?” There’s blood in the corners of her mouth from your punches yet she stands strong. 

“Seven years,” she looks up to the ceiling, tears lining up her eyes. “For seven fucking years, I was told that I should be like you.” You’ve known since she greeted you that there’s something that lies here deeper. But who cares? So she’s been forced to work hard for the award, how is that your fault?

“And you failed,” you bluntly state, eyes devoid of emotion. 

Her eyes widened in disbelief of your words. She scoffs, tears threatening to spill as she glares at you with resentment. “Failed? I won your award. I did it all!”  

An ill feeling fills your stomach as she bares herself. She had become too emotional. One thing you learned about fighting is that your opponent doesn’t care. A real opponent goes straight for the kill. This… is nothing but a sparring session. 

“So? After that, what did you do?” you ask, titling your head. 

You rush forward, spinning around and straightening your legs to kick her head mid-air. Asaki was pulled of her feet violently and thrown across the floor. She slides along the gym floor, halting just a few inches away from the wall. 

“Stand up and tell me,” you instruct her as you land. You wait for her to recover, her forehead bleeding from the impact of your kick. 

Rage colored Asaki’s vision red as she uses her arms to push herself back up. “I…” It was a weak attempt, she couldn’t even sputter out the words. Her chest heaves up and down as she stands to her feet, for a moment, you thought she was gonna puke but she recovers. “I died.”

She snarled and rushes towards you and you await her attack, ready to counter it. Mid-air she raises her fist and you raise your hand, catching her burning fists in yours. However, she uses this misdirect to knee the wound of your thigh. You grunt, taking in the pain and trying not to let it falter you. 

“You haven’t…” you grit through your teeth and use your free hand in attempt to smash it to her face. Asaki manages to block this, locking your arm and jabbing your stomach repeatedly. Using her strong hold from locking you, you jump and use both of your free legs to kick a blow to her stomach, sending you both flying away from each other and hitting the floor. 

You don’t waste any time, jumping to your feet and launching yourself to her body on the ground. You put her in a chokehold, jabbing at her face repeatedly as you sit on her stomach.  “Dying? That’s your reason?” You say to her ear. She spins, making you land on her back. You lock her with your legs, grabbing her hair to raise her head. “Give me something better.” 

You free her from your hold, jumping away from her range. 

When she fully stands up, you throw a kick as the same time as her. Her left leg hits your outer right thigh and you hit her inner right thigh. She staggers because of this and you use the opportunity to jab three heavy hits to her head. Right. Left. Right. Her head has been hit enough for it to be fatal and she falls to her back. 

Cleverly, she uses her legs and feet to block your attacks. You push through, using your body weight to receive the attacks from her legs. She locks you in with her legs on either side of your torso. You let her. If you try to escape, she’ll just lock your head. 

In the underground, you’ve fought men and women of different weights. It was often that you were underestimated because of your height and weight. So, you let them think you were weak. But what they don’t know is you got them right where you wanted them—close enough for you to kill.

You use both your hands to block hers, smashing her wrists on the floor. Then, you smash your head against hers. That doesn’t stop you. You use your elbows once again, landing one blow after another. You don’t stop even after you see her face covered in blood. 

When her hands lay limp with no force, you take a hand off and use this to grip her neck. 

She struggles to breathe from your hold but you don’t let her. If you were inside a stage, a referee would’ve stopped you by now. But that’s not the case for you. Not for a long time. 

“Where did you go last night?” 

Chishiya asks as soon as you sit down beside him in the room. You ignore him, pretending you don’t hear him because of your earphones. He’s talking about the last dance. When he wasn’t looking, you slipped away from the venue and escaped. You left your bag with him and he only noticed when he couldn’t find you in the crowd anymore. You couldn’t help it, you were overwhelmed by your father and Chishiya. Not only is he controlling your career but he’s controlling your relationships too? 

You took a cab ride away from the hotel, still wearing your gown. You told the driver to just drive around and he did. In the ride, you spot a neon signage. It was a club you always see. It had an interesting name; Sarutahiko.

You’ve seen cars come and go there. What you’ve noticed is they all seemed to be very wealthy. You asked for the car to stop by near and without thinking, you made your way into the club, clutching a wealthy man’s arm and pretending to be his date. 

That night, instead of being in Chishiya’s arms for the last dance, you won your first fight in the underground. The beloved dress you had made for thousands of dollars, they were ripped and worn when you came home, dirt and scratches running along your skin. 

It was the first time you felt it—the euphoria.

When you fought with no rules and no holding back, nothing mattered. You weren’t the beloved athlete that has a bright future ahead of her as an heir of the L/N family. You were just Y/N, or as the underground calls you, 極真 王女 (Kyokushin Ojo; trans: Ultimate Truth Princess; “Kyokushin” is a type of Karate)

Like a princess, you entered the arena in your sparkling gown and destroyed your opponent in five minutes. It was then and there that you decided, you will no longer fight your father’s opposition to your sports. This will be your life and your death. 

A life with Chishiya, it’ll be a privilege. You like him… and with his and your father’s deal, you’ll be able to live your other life in peace. Fine, you’ll play the part of the pretty spoiled princess. 

Chishiya doesn’t press further but from your lack of luster in your eyes, he understood that something died inside you that day. From then on, you dropped all your sports and didn’t fight your father’s refusal to all the universities that wanted to scout you even if they offered medical studies in exchange for your athletic participation.

If there was one thing you regret, it was you and Chishiya never had your last dance. 

You feel it again. The euphoria running through your veins. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Even if you hear the taps, don’t stop. 

Asaki gasps for air, her face reddening as her wide eyes scream for help. You don’t notice this, darkened eyes not even showing mercy or any emotion. You’ve been completely shut off and in auto pilot as you throw one punch and another.

Why should you? Your father never stopped. 

“N-no!” 

Asaki pushes you off with all her strength, sending off her body. You’re quickly on your feet again, ready to attack as your opponent catches her breath. Asaki sprang of her hands, throwing herself in to a spin that showed off a gymnast’ skill. Like a whirling tornado, she was too fast for you to block or counter-attack. 

She doesn’t kick your head and instead kicks your side. You were thrown across the floor, skiddling and tumbling. A groan escapes your lips at the pain that shot through your ribs, adding to the pain of your thigh.. Yeah, your ribs are definitely cracked. 

“You said you’ll protect me,” Chishiya whispers in a low voice, you were sure only you could hear it. You did say it back there in the furniture shop.

He spins you around, making you face the door. His hands are still on your shoulder when he leans in. 

“Protect me,” he whispers in your ear, sending shivers down your spine. For some reason, it sounded genuine. He wasn’t trying to manipulate you into going. He was motivating you, maybe even pleading. 

I’m sorry, Asaki. 

You sprang to your feet, ignoring the screaming pain of your ribs. You face your opponent once again, the same distance from when you started. But this time, something was different. In your opponent’s hands, was a butterfly knife. 

She was smirking at you like she finally got you. She’s an idiot. 

“Fine,” you huff, giving her an equally sinister grin. “You studied all my moves in high school.” You put yourself in a fighting stance again. “I’ll give it to you. You’re a great fighter. You know all the moves, techniques, and all that shit.” 

“You did all that research about me… yet you didn’t ask why I stopped?” You don’t even glance once at her weapon again. “Pathetic.” 

She lunges with a scream, swinging the knife at you. 

You stepped in, closing the gap between you and Asaki, dodging her weapon and striking her upper and lower arm. As your strike clashes with hers, the force makes her arm holding the weapon go limp. You grab her arm, twisting it until her hand is pointed towards the ceiling. 

With Asaki’s chest unprotected, you pivot and strike her with your elbow and then your foot to her leg. She loses balance and you use this to take the weapon from her hand. 

In a swift motion, you swing the weapon, slashing her across the face. Crimson red drips from her already blooded cheek, adding to the wound on her forehead. She puts a hand to her face, finally executing fright for the first time in the fight.

And then you understand.

The career she wanted instead of the Ivy Award—it was beauty. 

Instead of the Ivy Award, she wanted to be prom queen. Life wasn’t for her but she was thrusted into it too. It was so simple and yet you were blinded by the game to notice. You understood. A slash to the face was hard to cover especially if it scars. You were very careful about your face when you fought in the underground. 

You feel bad but who were you to be a saint? 

You strike a blow to her stomach with your foot, sending her staggering a few steps back. Her focus is still on the wound on her face. She has completely dropped her guard and looked like a simple high school girl who was attacked out of nowhere. 

“You were right,” you say as you throw the knife away. “Taekwondo was my favorite. I still use ITF from time to time.” 

She was not even guarded yet you continue. One straight powerful jab to the center of her chest. She accepts the attack but doesn’t fall down, eyes widened and coughing at the force of the attack. 

“The reason why I stopped competing… was because I found something better.”

Asaki backs away, feeling an unexplained fright. She knows something has shifted as you stride towards her with blazing eyes. Even your walk seemed powerful, exerting an aura of strength and power. 

Kyokushin Karate… is the strongest martial art in the world.

Its sole goal is defeating its opponent. Different from Taekwondo at its very core, it’s focused on real fights. There’s no protective gear, just pure hand-to-hand combat. 

Those who practice Kyokushin as a martial art, they’re unfamiliar with attacks aimed at the head. But not you. The only reason attacks aimed at the head are banned in Kyokushin Karate is because…

There were too many casualties. 

You send a straight punch to Asaki’s face, her head receiving the full force impact of your fist. 

You swing your right arm, hitting her across the jaw. Asaki tries to kick your side as a counter attack but you dodge. 

If your right arm’s not enough, use your left.

You swing your left arm this time, hitting her cheek and you actually feel her teeth through your fist. Even as you hit her, Asaki uses her hand to slap you across the cheek. You’re thrown off, so you spin and kicked off your legs.

If your left arm isn't enough, use your legs. 

The heel of your feet strikes the junction of her neck and shoulder, sending her kneeling on the floor with a loud thud. 

You tackle her down like you did before, with your legs on either side of her torso, she could only watch as you repeat your move from before.

And if your legs don’t cut it, use your head. 

You smash your head with hers with a loud thud and she goes into shock, eyes wide open as she could no longer move. Her body stills underneath you as she stares up at nothingness. 

The spirit of Kyokushin Karate… is a person’s strong will that is never broken.

2 MINUTES LEFT

“That’s…” Her eyes remained unmoving. “Karate.”

Tired, you stand up as she still lays still on the ground, broken bones and wounded face. 

“You’ve done well,” you mumble but you’re sure she can hear. You wipe the blood on her face but it does nothing but spread it. You see her face clearly even with the blood. She was pretty with an innocent face now that she’s put down her guard and hatred.  “You can rest now, beautiful.” 

And finally, the tears spill out of her eyes and she cries. She cries and cries until they turn into sobs. She cried like the kid that she is, hungry for love—hungry for someone to listen to her. It was all too familiar. You know the feeling all too well. 

Walking away from her cries, you pick up the plastic piece of crown. It was silver and had pink stones all around it. 

Limping to the stage, you make your way to the prop throne. You sit down on it and groan at the feeling of resting your beat up body.

1 MINUTE

You place the crown on your head and place your bloodied fists on either sides of the arm rests. The cuff on your wrists flash with a sound and a green light.

+ 50 votes

It was followed by a ding and the girl’s automated voice.

CONGRATULATIONS

GAME CLEAR

And then you see it, the laser coming down from the sky and onto Asaki’s skull. 

Stepping out of the gym, you find the other players waiting for you silently. They seemed to be looking up at something so you follow their gaze. 

There was a camera. All that happened back there, they saw it.

You stood there in silence, waiting for something to happen next. Their gaze falls on you with your burnt knuckles and the plastic crown on your head. These people, they looked at you with fright in their eyes. It was a familiar look—the audience’s disbelief when you don’t hold yourself back. 

“Great job,” Heiya was the first one to approach you with a smirk, putting a hand on your shoulder. It was her and Chishiya who didn’t look scared of you.

You smile, giving her a nod. 

Just like that, the other players began giving you their thanks. Out of nine people, six of you survived. They all thanked you, the girl in the headband even hugging you. 

All six of you walk out of the game, looking up as the Queen of Clubs’ blimp self-destructs with explosion. Beside you, Chishiya is also looking up, smirking. He was properly beautiful. 

Arisu asked you what made you like this man so much and you told him it was because Chishiya grounds you. You never really knew how to explain it until now. 

When you were fighting in the underground, it was brutal. It was your way of feeling pain–to feel alive. If you didn’t have Chishiya in your life, you would’ve stayed in the underground forever. But Shuntaro, he gives you a reason to come back to your life. 

So you can annoy him. 

You were back in the apartment with Chishiya after you searched for some medical supplies for your injury. As always, he was silent. 

“You can shower if you want,” Chishiya breaks the silence, pulling you off your thoughts while you sat on the couch. You nod and leave him alone in the living room. 

After you shower, you wore a plain white shirt  and some lounge shorts you found in one of the drawers. When you step out of the room, Chishiya still wore the clothes he had outside but he stood over portable stove, stirring what smelled to be like instant noodles. 

He sees you and carries the pot over to the table. The table is already set. 

You never thought you’d see the day, Domestic Chishiya. A malewife. You place a hand over your mouth, preventing the smile on your face from forming. Instead, your face contorts into a funny face, earning a glare from Chishiya. 

“Are you just going to stand there or eat?” He deadpans. 

You bite your lips, shutting yourself up and made your way to the table. “Thank you for the food,” you said, sincerely. He scoffs, sitting across from you.

The two of you ate quietly, you slurp the ramen noodles like its your last meal. It wouldn’t be so bad. Instant Ramen by Chishiya. You giggle in your head, a smile spreading on your face. 

When you finish your food, you opted to wash the dishes while Chishiya showers. Looking around, the apartment, you found something really cool—a record player. You inspect it and it looks like it’s the kind that doesn’t need electricity. Your heart swells with excitement, searching for vinyls around the place. You found a box inside the room filled with it and you clap to yourself happily.

“No way,” you react when you turn a knob and found it actually works. 

“What’s that?” Chishiya walks in the living room, his jacket long abandoned and wearing a shirt and lounge shorts. Did he match what you were wearing? 

“It’s the only thing he has,” he defends himself even when you haven’t said anything.

You pause, thinking if you should say anything but you ignore it, remembering your brilliant discovery. “Look! It’s a record player!” 

He sighs. “You’ll only attract others with the sound.” 

Your face fell. “Then I’ll beat them up.” You ignore his protests, going over to him and grabbing his hand to pull him over to the record player. He follows you limply, bored and annoyed as always. 

You’re not very familiar with the vinyls so you just grab one with a familiar name, Nat King Cole. You placed it on the record player, figuring out how it plays. It began playing but it was too fast. You look up at Chishiya with wide eyes, wondering what you did wrong. He sighs, reaching over to some tiny lever on the turntable and pushing it to number 33. 

“It’s the wrong speed,” he tells you.

The song began playing at a normal speed and you grin widely. 

It was a slow love song and an idea pops into your mind. 

“You know, something popped into my mind back there,” you face your friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. He stills but doesn’t remove your hand. 

When I fall in love, it will be forever Or I’ll never fall in love

“We never got to finish our last dance back in high school,” you say with a smirk. “And you promised.” 

Surprisingly, Chishiya doesn’t argue. So, you place your other hand around his neck, connecting it with your other hand. You pull him closer, his face inches away from yours. From here, you can see his face clearly. His eyelashes that flutter as he blinks, the creases of his forehead when he scrunches his brows slightly, his lips that were ever so slightly parted. He stays quiet, eyes on your face as if memorizing it like what you were doing to his. 

You brought down your hands to place his on your waist and again, he surprisingly doesn’t remove them. You place your hands back to where they belong, pulling him in again. You started to sway with the music, willing Chishiya to do the same. 

“I’m sorry.” The words come out of his mouth like air. If you weren’t close enough, you wouldn’t have heard it. Heat rushes to your face as your eyes widen. Did you really just hear Chishiya apologize to you?

Your shock melts into a tightlipped smile. “You’re just going to have to make it up to me by loving me forever.” It was a reference to the song that was playing. 

He scoffs at your cheesy words. “Don’t be ridiculous.” 

Love. It’s a privilege. You know that you two aren’t children made by love. It’s the reason why you two find it so hard to believe that love exists. Chishiya no doubt finds it harder to believe. He doesn’t understand the sentiment–the romance. 

“Fine. Tell me,” he mumbled. You stare back at him, unsure of what he means. His eyes were steady, focused on you and begging in his own way. It takes years of experience to notice the subtle changes of emotion his face makes and your heart swells at the slight tremble of his lips. “Tell me what to do instead.” 

Your brows slightly furrow, cheeks reddening and eyes glossy. When he’s not showcasing his intelligence and mischief, Chishiya is a man of few words. As your eyes are locked on each other, you bare yourself open into nothingness. Nothing mattered, not the games, not even the meaning of life. It was neither warm nor cold. Looking into Chishiya’s eyes was like looking into a mirror you cannot escape and yet you’d like to drown in them. 

“Worship me,” you proposed in a commanding manner, finding confidence in yourself and what you feel for him.

“Worship?” he asks with a confused and amused tone in his voice. 

“Love is overrated. Worship me instead.” 

And he smirks, pulling your waist closer. His lips touch yours and your world exploded. There weren’t fireworks, no sparks… it’s just felt like summer day. A bright sky, lighting up the road as the breeze hits your skin. His hand is heavy on your waist, your body fully aware of all of him. Your mouth melted into his, everything else is forgotten. The tip of your tongue brushes his and he parts his lips, welcoming you in. You cling unto him, longing more of him. 

And the moment I can feel that You feel that way too Is when I fall in love with you

© wolfvmin. please do not copy, translate, claim any of my works. my works are cross-posted only in ao3 under the name vantantae. thank you.

[aliceinborderlandscrolls]

Dream Of Me

Chishiya Shuntarō x reader

Your last night in the Borderlands

Fluff / Angst

“Have you seen Chishiya?” I heard Kuina ask.

My eyes lit up as I slid in beside her, all of us crouched down and hiding behind cars.

“Shuntarō? You’ve seen him?” I asked as my eyes began to quickly look at my surroundings, “Where?”

“A couple blocks that way.” Arise admitted, but began to panick as I stood up, “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to go find him.” I stated, but before I could run off Usagi grabbed my arm.

“We need you here to help take down the King of Spades.” She spoke calmly.

“But…” I trailed off.

My eyes held worry for the man that has always been within arms reach since the start of the games. I couldn’t help the knowing anxiety that has flooded my chest since we got separated by the very King of Spades who means to end my life now.

I shook my head, “Chishi could be hurt. I’m not going to lose him to this stupid game-” I stated as began to move.

“He’s fine!” Arisu assured me, his voice sharp and panicked, “He’s safer where he is than here with us.”

I felt torn as too much turmoil struggled inside me.

“We need you.” An said seriously.

After a moment of heavy debate, I relented my mission with a sigh. I knelt to the ground, keeping a look out for any chance of the King of Spades seeing us.

“If you say he’s alright Arisu then… What do I need to do?” I asked.

“We need to draw him away from the other players.” An suggested.

“Alright.” I nodded, “Fine, but as soon as we beat this guy, I’m going to go find Shuntarō.”

“Ah, to be young and in love.” Kuina teased.

I gave her a look, “You’re younger than me?”

“Only by two months.” She muttered.

I raised my eyes before returning my attention back to our friend, “Let’s do this.”

…

I couldn’t feel the concrete underneath my body as I coughed up dirt and blood. My mind felt fuzzy and my breath labored as I listened to the King of Spades chase after Arisu.

I hope he will be alright.

I knew I needed to get a hold of myself and fast. I was loosing too much blood from the two bullet wounds I bore in my stomach. Not to mention the few cracked ribs I received from the ruthless beating. At least I was able to break a few of his fingers… I humored myself with the thought.

I wiggled my own fingers to see if I would be able to get up and felt relieve in the small movement.

I grunted in pain as I slowly sat up. I lifted my arms to take off my torn shirt and use it as a gauge to wrap around my stomach. Once I felt it was secured enough, I grabbed on to a railing beside me and heaved myself up with a frustrated cry.

The sound of my name stopped me from taking anymore steps out of this cursed alleyway.

“Kuina… An.” I breathed out, “Are you alright?”

“Could be better.” An hummed.

“I agree, this hurts like a bitch.” Kuina grunted in pain the moment she laughed.

Worry flashed over my face at the two, “What can I do?”

An shook her head, “There is nothing you can do.”

The sound of the blimp exploding shoved us signaled that Arisu had won and the King of Spades was no more.

An continued, “Only Arisu can save us now. Soon this hell will be over…”

“I need to…” My face trailed off as I gripped the railing, a new found urge to get to Chishiya taking over my heart.

“I know.” Kuina smiled, “Say hi to him for me.”

I nodded with a small smile before beginning my journey in the direction Arisu had pointed towards earlier. I could only hope that he was still somewhere over there… I wasn’t exactly sure on how much time I had left.

It was night by the time I reached a large opening filled with multiple abandoned cars. The blood from my wound was beginning to seep through my shirt from the exertion. I was worried that it wasn’t a clean shot through and that the bullet could still my inside. It sure felt like it was.

“Shunta?” I called out his name again, it coming out as a cry as I struggled to keep myself standing.

I was beginning to lose faith from the thought of never see him again. Never hear his condescending gravely voice or his beautiful patronizing eyes. Would never be able to see his intelligent mind work or the way he would look like a cute chipmunk when he ate. Or feel his lips against mine that he poured every ounce of feelings and love he had for me.

“Please…” I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes to no avail.

I was beginning to lose hope… Until…

“Over here.” He said and it was then that I saw his outline.

He was on the ground, leaning against a car and it was when I stumbled closer that I could make out dark patches in his jacket. He held his side protectively, but his face looked as calm as a clear sky.

“Oh Chishi.” I cried out, stumbling to the ground beside him.

My hands shook over his wounds, unable to do anything as I gazed teary eyed at him, “What happened?”

“Niragi.” He lightly shrugged, “My conscience decided to get the best of me today I suppose.” He gestured to my lack of clothing, “Though I didn’t realize you’d have your shirt off.”

I shook my head with a short laugh, wincing at the pain as I fell into him, careful not to touch his side. My head fell onto his uninjured shoulder as I allowed myself to cry.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” I spoke as well, “I wish I would’ve jumped out of that car that day.”

“You would have been killed, easily.” Chishiya spoke simply.

I scoffed at the blunt honesty, immediately regretted it afterwards as I held onto my side.

Chishiya ignored me. “I need to check your wound.”

“My fate is up to Arisu and winning against the Queen of Hearts.” I stated, “What happened to Niragi then? Did he…”

“Still hear.” I heard his voice a little bit away.

“If I was able to get up right now, I would-”

“You’d kill me. I know.” Niragi’s voice was sarcastic and I swear I could see his eyes roll.

Chishiya brought my attention back to him, “I need to remove your shirt.”

“This isn’t the time for that.” I tried to joke, but I could see the glare in his eyes, “It’s nothing, really.”

“Don’t tell me it’s nothing, I can tell it’s a bullet wound from the blood seeping through your poorly wrapped excuse of a bandage.” Chishiya sat up a bit with a grunt, “At least you made it this without dying. Means that the bullet didn’t hit anything vital.”

“Such kind words for a dying person.” I rolled my eyes.

Chishiya only raised his eyebrow, “Do you want to know if the bullet is still lodged in there or do you want to die?”

After a pause he did something I never thought he would do…

“Please.” Chishiya pleaded, something very unlike him.

I saw the worry held in his eyes a relented with a soft nod, “Okay.” I turned away, my face hearing up as his fingers gently grazed my skin.

He gently untied my shirt and peered closely to see an exit wound, “You’ll live.”

“Thanks doctor.” I muttered.

I could hear him grunt as he tore a piece of his shirt off and properly bandaged my wound.

“I’m… Glad that you didn’t… That I got to see you one last time.” He spoke softly.

Tears filled my eyes, “Me too Chishi…”

I leaned back against him, taking in the cool night air.

“Do you think he’ll do it?” I wondered.

“It’s Arisu.” Chishiya stated plainly.

I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, “I don’t mind dying like this…”

Chishiya didn’t say a word opting to secure his arm around my side. Minutes seemed to turn into an hour. My eyelids felt heavy as I began to doze off.

A gentle nudge prompted me awake, “Seems like he had it in him.” Chishiya said as a voice echoed above us.

“Choose to remain here as a citizen or leave the game.”

“What will it be?” Chishiya asked as if the answer of our fates belonged to me.

I already knew my answer, I just hope that we would still be together regardless of the outcome.

“I… I would like to leave.” I admitted.

“Then it would seem that I would like to leave as well.” Chishiya gave his final answer.

My grip tightened around his jacket and I couldn’t stop the overwhelming flow of tears, sorrow, and relief.

His hand brushed gently over my side, “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t…” I sobbed, “What if we forget about this place? I don’t want to forget you. Please tell me we won’t forget each other.” My words were grasping on pleading as I clutched onto him.

“I can’t tell you that.” Chishiya answered truthfully causing my heart to break.

I buried my face further into his neck and cried.

“I can tell you this.” He said and my ears picked up on the sound of his calm voice, “Nothing will keep me from finding you.”

“Promise?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“On Niragi’s life.” Chishiya chuckled, earning a scoff from afar.

Seemed Niragi was still alive as he spoke his wish of wanting to leave.

“Chishi…” I whined.

“I promise.” He stated truthfully.

I say up so I could look him in the eyes as I said, “Then all I ask of you until then is to dream of me.”

He nodded as our foreheads touched. His lips softly brushed against mine before my eyelids began to grow heavy once more.

“See you soon my heart.” Chishiya whispered.

…

Chishiya opened his eyes being faced with a bright light. Everything felt soar and numb all the same. He released a sigh before looking around the hospital room. His roommate for the next couple weeks had been sleeping and so he rang for a nurse to fill him in on his condition.

It wasn’t too long before he heard rustling beside him. Chishiya glanced over to his roommate without the faintest recognization.

“Why are you staring? Do you want something from me?” The stranger asked.

“Apparently, your heart stopped too.” Chishiya stated.

He stared up at the ceiling as he asked, “How the hell do you know that?”

“It seemed to have happened to me as well.” Chishiya answered.

He chuckled, “What a fucking coincidence.” The burned man glanced at his roommate, “I’m Niragi.” He introduced himself.

“Chishiya.” He returned.

It was silent for a minute before Chishiya spoke again.

“Since… you almost died Niragi.” Chishiya tilted his head towards him, “Do you feel like something has changed to you?”

“I’m not entirely sure… I guess I looked a lot flashier before the incident.” Niragi mused, “How about you? Do you feel different?”

“I have wasted my life until this moment. From now on I think I will live a more useful life.” Chishiya hummed.

Niragi took a breath, “You were a good for nothing jerk too then, huh?”

Chishiya stared at the wall ahead of him, “Yeah.”

“You also mutter in your sleep.” Niragi continued, “I couldn’t make out anything except the word, promise.”

“It’s strange, I don’t remember what the dream was about.” Chishiya answered his brows furrowed slightly, “But it felt important.”

[lenasimp]

I am so in love with this man it’s becoming unhealthy

[lunaasolstice]

Desperate

Pairing: Chishiya x Fem!Reader

Warnings: NSFW! Smut (18+), Angst

A/N: Inspired by the song Desesperados by Rauw Alejandro. The song has been stuck in my head so I decided to write this very quick lol. Debating if i should write a part 2? let's see!

****

Chishiya doesn’t do love or romances. He doesn’t commit and he doesn’t care whether or not he breaks your heart. Knowing his rules, then why do you still get so desperate and eager to see him every time only for him to fuck your brains out and leave you by the dust?

He was the only man that has ever made you feel this way. Chishiya knows that. He knows that you can’t get enough of him. He knows there is no other man here in the Borderlands that can replace him. He has you wrapped around his finger and you were just his perfect little doll he loves to play with until he gets bored. But you didn’t mind it not one bit. 

You loved the sensation of his tongue exploring the inside of your mouth while his fingers went in and out of your pussy. He was pure ecstasy and you wanted more and more. He was the high that you needed in this disturbed world of the Borderlands and you would do anything to get that pure satisfaction. You loved the way he made you feel so good, how good his dick felt going deep inside your pussy pounding you endlessly while you cried out with those pretty moans that were music to his ears. 

But it wasn’t just the sex that you enjoyed. You loved him too even if he didn’t reciprocate. It was foolish but you didn’t care. It didn’t matter in this moment. Not now. 

Though it made you cry every single time he would leave, you knew he would come next time for more. And when he does come back, you forget about you were even upset with him in the first place. 

“Don’t stop please.” you cried out.

That stupid smirk never fails to leave his face, pounding you faster, “You love the way you feel against my cock, hm?” 

Your moans only grew louder, feeling the intense orgasm about to come. “Chishiya- please don’t stop.” 

And he does just that, pounding you faster and harder while his fingers rubbed against your clit, reaching the highs you both so desperately craved. This time it was him moaning that drove you the edge, and you were now seeing stars. He rolls over to lay next to you after he finished. You move your body to the side, admiring his side profile that you gave you butterflies in your stomach. 

For him it was just pure lust. If only he loved you the same way you loved him, but that option is non existent. 

“You drive me crazy you know that?” 

He chuckles, “I know.” 

He gets up and starts putting on his clothes while you still laid naked on the bed. Turning to look at you once more with that smirk he asks, “Tomorrow?”

You smile, “Yeah, same time.”

Leaning over he kisses your forehead. Oh how you wish he did this every single time. 

He opens the door and walks out, leaving you once again alone in the darkness. 

[eufezco]

as sweet as he is, so are arisu's kisses. his lips are shy at first. he doesn't really know where to put his hands so most likely he'd wait for you to place them on your body. or not. maybe you didn't want that. oh, that was okay with him. and when you press your hands against his chest or cup one of his cheeks, he can't help but open his eyes during the kiss in surprise. but he's soft, and gentle, really careful with every move his lips make.

he never kissed anyone before yet when chishiya kissed you he seemed to know what he was doing. he doesn't need his hands to be on your body to show dominance. at first he might seem to be a little motionless, but he's just analyzing your pace, your intensity, how you like to focus on his lower lip, and how your hands want to touch him but did not dare to do it, so he'd be the one taking your hands and placing them on his chest. he matches your kisses so well. if he's feeling frisky he'd take one of his hands out of his pocket and caress your cheek with his thumb while kissing.

kuina knows how to give a good kiss. maybe a little shy using her body but she knows how to do it. her lips taste like cherry thanks to the gloss she uses, and they're always so soft and ready for yours. she loves having her hands on your neck, not choking you, just resting there. lip bites. oh yes. she'd do it to break the kiss and catch some air and in the middle of the kiss just to trap your lips with hers again the second after.

kyuma's kisses are slow but passionate, very sensual. he knows what he's doing, he knows where to put his hands, he knows where to touch you. his kisses are really wet and there's a lot of tongue in them, but he knows how to use it to not make it awkward. his hands would be on your cheeks, helping him to deepen the kiss if that's possible, his body really close to yours.

niragi is rough. a lot of tongue in his kisses as well. his hands all over your body but one of them always ends up squeezing your cheeks during the kiss as a gesture of dominance, or pinching your chin with his thumb and his index finger. he doesn't care if you can't keep up with his lips, because the kisses he gives you are for his personal pleasure.

she's such a cutie. usagi closes her eyes before you kiss her, just waiting for your lips, and she's nervous but the moment you kiss her it's all gone. slow kisses in which your breaths mix easily, and her hands look for a place to rest. it could be either on your chest, enjoying your heartbeat against them, or tugging at the root of your head. she'd apologize afterward if she had gotten carried away and was too rough.

[shunchitaro]

Karube x GN!Reader

Genre: Angst (TW: Death) Romantic In which he realizes he loves you a little too late (wolf and sheep game, different ending)

["Some people fall in love With the wrong people sometimes"]

Y/N and Karube had been close friends since high school. At least that's what Y/N thought. No, Y/N was the one that thought of him as her close best friend. He merely thought about Y/N as someone who would burden him from time to time.

He didn't care the slightest about stuff they'd tell him, or the stuff they gave him. Y/N L/N was a mere obstacle in his path that he wanted to get rid of.

Y/N knew of course, but they didn't care. Karube didn't now it, but when Y/N felt down, they always went to Karube for comfort. Even if he didn't reassure them or make them feel better, Y/N felt comfort just being with him; and Y/N figured that was enough.

What he didn't know was that Y/N L/N was in love with him, but decided it would be better to keep their mouth shut about it.

Y/N would always stop by at the bar he worked at 2 hours before his shift ended. They'd come with small gifts for him or store-bought food. For the entire 2 hours Y/N told him about their day, or the places they could go to if only Karube accepted their request to hang out. As always, Karube would coldly decline. He didn't want Y/N there in the first place, so he was always irritated on the last 2 hours of his shift.

"Hey Daikichi, I have something for you" Y/N waved as they entered the bar, handing a small parcel to him with a ribbon tied around it. He just scoffed, taking it and looking at it with disgust before shoving it into his locker where he kept his bag and extra clothes.

"For the last time L/N, we aren't close. Just because we almost practically grew up together doesn't mean you can use my first name."

"I've known you a year longer than Arisu-kun and Chota-san. You let them call you 'Daikichi', so why can't I?"

"I don't even want to be friends with you, so why should I let you?" He looked at them incredulously before rolling his eyes and turning away to continue his work.

Y/N had to admit it hurt their feelings, but they only smiled sadly and shook his head.

"I'm here now though, so deal with it" They teased playfully.

<><><>

They found themselves in the borderlands a few weeks ago, and the four stuck together. Karube found it annoying, but since Y/N didn't have anywhere to go and they kept begging to stay, Karube let them in the end. Y/N enjoyed it, but they didn't notice how annoyed Karube got as more days rolled by. The group loved Y/N since they were so optimistic, and they were encouraged because of them. Not Karube though, it just irritated the crap out of him.

They'd just finished a tag game, Karube was shot and Y/N was fussing about it. They'd grabbed a medical kit and was arranging everything as Karube lay slumped on the couch. Y/N finally turned to him holding a wet rag to wipe down the blood as they lofted his polo. "It'll hurt of course, but you need to remain still-" They were cut off as Karube slapped their hand away, shoving them harshly making them stumble to the ground.

"Can you not touch me?" He snapped, sitting up. "All you've ever done while you were with us is be an annoying little burden. You think blabbering endlessly with that big mouth of yours will do anything, huh? Since no one is telling you the truth, I might as well. You've been completely useless the entire time, yapping about being optimistic. I can't even be happy when you're around! All you'll ever be is an annoying prick, Y/N. So stop trying to make yourself seem important."

Ouch.

They knew he'd end up making an outburst, but they didn't think he would be this brutal about it. Usually Y/N wouldn't be bothered and they'd tease back but this time his words stung like a blade being carved endlessly into their skin. Annoying little burden. Completely useless. Annoying prick.

Annoying little burden.

Is that really what he thought of them, the entire time they were 'friends' since high school?

Y/N knew the friendship was one-sided. They only ever stayed because Karube was the only friend they had before, and that he was great company. Y/N didn't know that he hated her like this. They thought it only annoyed Karube, but this whole time, their presence was a burden to him.

Since that day Y/N spent less time around him and the two, minding their own business. Y/N was itching for comfort- they wanted to feel like they meant something to someone. They wanted to feel wanted, but the only person Y/N ever felt that with didn't even want them around. So now, Y/N had to deal with their own grief.

<><><>

Karube and Y/N had to join a game since their visas would expire the next day. Arisu, Chota and Shibuki stayed behind since their visa would last for about 4 days more. They got to the botanical garden arena and put on their collars, two other random people there with them.

Game: Sheep and Wolf Game. Clear instructions: Sheep will try to take the wolf position from the wolf. Within the time limit, the wolf is the only one that survives. Time limit: 10 minutes

The game began, and one person became the wolf. It wasn't Karube or Y/N. The wolf ran off to hide, not wanting to become a sheep. Everyone knew that only one person could survive this game, and they were desperate. Karube had found one player and tied them firmly to a pole so they couldn't run off and possibly become the wolf. All he had to worry about now was the wolf, and Y/N. He didn't care about either of the two, so he thought to himself that he could easily handle the situation.

"One minute remaining"

By the time he found the two, Y/N had tied the person to a pole. He glanced at Y/N's collar and noticed it was red, and he immediately knew they were the wolf now. Y/N must have felt his presence, because they got up and turned, but didn't face him. Karube scowled, feeling his blood boil.

"I knew you'd be selfish. All you care about is yourself. You'll make it out of this game alive, without caring for anybody" He spat bitterly, hands in his pockets. He had no choice but to accept he was going to die.

Then he heard Y/N laugh.

He looked up to see them sit down on the bench across from Karube, so the both were facing each other from a distance. Karube kept his hateful glare on them, while Y/N stared at the ground.

"I don't intend to burden you or the three any longer." Y/N spoke up, confusing Karube. "You know, all those times I was with you back in the real world..I genuinely enjoyed spending my time with you. Your presence was a comfort to me when I needed comfort the most. You know if you just told me you hated me so much, you should've said so back in the real world. If you had, I wouldn't have had gotten so attached to you. I thought I just annoyed you, but I didn't know you hated my presence that much. Your words honestly hurt my feelings, but I have no rights to get mad with you, since it's your feelings after all, right?"

"30 seconds remaining"

Karube was caught off guard when Y/N had looked up, transferring the role of the wolf to him before looking away again.

"I'm not as selfish as you think, Daikichi. I'm sorry if all I did was be a burden to you, thank you for still spending time with me back at the bar even if you could've just kicked me out." They chuckled softly, before lifting their head to look at the glass dome above.

"10 seconds remaining"

"Take care of the others for me. I enjoyed playing games with you. If we end up meeting again after all this hell, I promise I won't bother you. Thank you, Karube-san."

He flinched as the timer ended, and the collar around Y/N's neck exploded, and they were dead. He was still frozen in his spot, realizing Y/N had sacrificed their life. Y/N waited until the last moment before admitting their feelings to him. Karube felt as if his heart had dropped, and he felt extremely guilty.

<><><>

The games ended and once he was discharged from the hospital Karube rushed to the bar, digging into his locker and fished out the small parcel you had given him the night when everything happened. He untied the ribbon and ripped the parcel open to see a letter and a polaroid of the both of them back in high school. It was the picture Y/N forced him to take for the both of them. He unfolded the letter, reading through it.

To Daikichi, Daikichi, I couldn't bring myself to tell you this to your face. Mainly because I knew you'd probably just be mean about it, ouch. I wanted to tell you that I like you. It started back in senior high. I know you probably don't even care, but every time I feel down, your company keeps me going. Even if you don't pay attention to me, I'm happy that you let me stay rather than push me away. You made this year manageable for me. You don't have to return my feelings. I just felt the need to tell you. Thank you for everything Daikichi.

Love, Y/N

He felt his heard clench as he read and reread the letter over and over again. Y/N not only confessed their feelings, but even explained why they couldn't tell him to his face, and why they went ahead of him and wrote that he didn't have to reciprocate their feelings.

How much of a jerk was he, that they were scared to tell him for fear of rejection, and that they immediately expected rejection before he even read the letter?

He felt himself close to tears as he clutched the letter closer, feeling his heart flutter.

He realized way too late that he felt things for them too, that all the mean things he'd said was just to push them away because he didn't want to feel love for them.

Because of his selfishness he lost someone that loved him to the end of their life, even if he didn't. He lost someone that stayed even if he didn't want them to.

All because of him and his stupid mouth, he made them think he thought of them as nothing but a burden.

It was his fault, and he knew it.

Author's note: I cried twice making this, omg. I read something similar to this on tumblr but it was where Chishiya simply didn't care about Y/N at all, but there was no part 2 and I didnt get to see how Chishiya felt so I was slightly annoyed, and decided to make something almost like what I read. I might have gone overboard- 1800+ words! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this, sorry for making you cry reader-san!

[roturo]

hellooo can u do actor!chishiya x actress!reader where it's their first time acting w eo in a movie and they already have an nsfw scene or sumn and fans just went crazy bcs its rumored they kinda hate each other 😳 (they actually don't tho they just have this RAGING SEXUAL TENSION)

CINEMA

“I bring the pop to the cinema.

You pop when we get intimate”

CHISHIYA X FEM!READER

WARNINGS: NSFW. (NO SMUT)

PT2

(I’m thinking of doing a part 2 thats like when the movie comes out and they have an interview and they just ykyk, but idk, maybe if this gets support, I really like this idea 😭, Hope you like it! 💘)

  (Y/N) (L/N) does not fuck around with co-stars. Ever since you started acting at the young age of eight, you were always told by your mom, manager, and others in the industry to avoid casual, co-star related hook ups. Yeah, you had some crushes here and there when you were a teenager, but you stayed loyal to your vow. They remain as good friends, nothing more.

You were amazing, you had a glorious career. Not getting into any scandal, problems, etc. You decided to take the easy route and avoid getting in to a relationship.

Now, It was the first day of shooting from the new movie you’re staring. You were really relaxed actually. Most of the times you don’t know with who you’re acting with since you met them the same first day of shooting.

They just had finished doing your hair and makeup when the movie director comes in.

“Miss y/n, my dear y/n! Good morning everybody!” He said to everybody in the room. “I have some great news for you!” Am I getting another role for your next movie? omgomg 

“It’s time for you to meet your romantic interest in this movie” Oh. That…

He gave you playful smile like if it’s like he’s playing something, then he clapped his hands creating some tension. “Everyone, meet Mr.Shuntaro!”

No way.

Chishiya Shuntaro?!?!?!

You didn’t even realized you said that aloud until you saw a very schoked Chishiya too.

Shit.

I mean, like there’s nothing wrong working with The Chishiya Shuntaro y’know?… only that there’s a lot of “beef” between the both of you. Or that’s what fans like to call it. And don’t get me wrong! There’s nothing going on with both of you….

Well… maybe fans believed both of you hate eachother since in an awards event, the two of you were sat together and you couldn’t stop looking at him. It got you so nervous being next to another co-star and having some dating rumors with them. So most of the time you gave him that ‘ew’ look. But in your defense, it’s better having beef with some co-star rather than a dating rumor!

But let’s be real… you were just masking your eyes full of lust for him just to prevent any scandal.

And now?! Having him in this movie that’s not really family friendly has you questioning your decisions. 

Should you cancel this? Tell them to find another actress? Your manager told you to be the most far away from him. Did he agree to this?!!! Oh this mother-

“Ms. Y/N, it’s time to start recording.” 

“Oh yeah.. thank you.”

And it even seems funny to him too! “We need to break the ice between the both of you! What about we start with the spicy scenes?” He said.

‘Wi niid ti briek thi ice bitien thi ti if you’ kill yourself. 

It was CLEAR, you didn’t wanted to do this first, and mostly because it’s your first time acting together but not your first time being together at the same place. And that one time clearly didn’t go well. 

So…

Why the hell is my manager okay with this?!

You weren’t nervous because you clearly had a crush on him, oh nonono, you couldn’t let yourself to that risk, but it was because….

because…?

Doesn’t matters. You have to do this. It’s your job y/n, take a big breath and….

Oh shit, he doesn’t has a shirt on?!

You couldn’t believe this is really happening. 

This scene consists of both of you making out. This isn’t too hard right? It’s not the first time I do it. It’s okay, relax.

You placed your legs on each side of him, you had to straddle him.. ride him. shut the fuck up. Nothing wrong with it.

This part of the movie both of you were in the same bedroom. “Alone” Yeah… bullshit. There’s like 4 camaras around us.

“And… ACTION!” Fuck. The director exclaimed. Now all eyes were on both of you. You were tense. You slowly cupped his cheek with your hand and started kissing him, he followed your way. You’re doing good right? Yes! Maybe we could just finish it in one take and-

Shit.

“CUT! This looks like some elementary kids kissing for the first time, put some passion! more sexiness y’know, let it go” Yeah, yeah he’s right! It’s not like you’re on top of him IN UNDERWEAR, and he’s almost naked with just some briefs that are barely hanging on his waist! Let’s put some passion in it! 

“Okay… SCENE 13, TAKE TWO, ACTION!” You were about to cup his cheek again when he suddenly grabbed you by the waist and started kissing you. You let him take control and play with your lips all like he wanted, you couldn’t move yourself, you were FREEZED. He slightly started moving you with his hands for you to straddle him, he left a small groan, hopefully it’s part of his act, and you couldn’t stop yourself from leaving a small moan that sounded more like a sigh. Shit. This is not part of the act.

“CUT!” WHAT?! WHATS WRONG NOW?!

“Y/N, please relax a little, he looked like he’s making out with a mannequin. C’mon, let’s do it again. SCENE 13, TAKE THREE, AND ACTION!”

Okay… Relax. 

This time, you were the one who started kissing Chishiya roughly, he left a small whimper at that sudden action, but continued with it. Both of you were kissing eachother like beasts. You couldn’t stop yourself from moving up and down in top of him. This feels so good. You left a moan that was quickly shut down by his kisses. 

“AND…. CUT! That was amazing see! I knew both of you would be perfect for this role, it’s like you guys were made for it! I’m really hop-“

You stopped listening to the director, when you locked eyes with Chishiya. They were so beautiful. He’s really beautiful.

He breaks the eye contact when he looks down at both of you, he suddenly chuckled and that made you look.

Oh shit. You were so fucked.

He was hard and his briefs now had a dark stain of your juices, this is so embarrassing! You looked at him with red ears and pink cheeks mumbling a sorry..

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I mean, that stain it’s not only yours y’know?” He said getting your chin up with one of his hands while the other covers you up with the blanket from the bed.

Okay, that made you laugh and relax a little..

Both of you locked eyes again.

It feels so right to me. 

“If you’re getting yourself wet for me… I guess you’re all mine now.”

Oh you were so fucked.

And i’m so sorry if this is short her than the others 😭, rn there’s a lot going on and my schedule is really messy rn. I was literally writing this at the hospital and later at the gym LMFAOSOSO

[luvxkdrama]

— destiny

pairing : chishiya x reader

warnings : mentions of blood and guns

word count : 1.2k

summary : He finds you unconscious at the place where he usually stays

a/n : season 2 spoilers (mentions of Chishiya’s past)

—

It was another successful game for Chishiya, who was now on his way back to his place. Although he solves the games easily, they tire him a lot so afterwards he wishes nothing more than to fall into the arms of Morpheus.

As he was walking down the road, he noticed small stains of blood that lead directly to his hiding place. It didn’t faze him, however he was intrigued where they possibly came from.

Chishiya slowly went up the stairs and the cold air was filled with a strangely familiar, floral smell. However, he couldn’t really tell where he knew it from.

When he entered the dark room, he slightly flinched at the sight in front of him. Blood was dripping down your arms and legs while you were laying unconscious on his mattress. Chishiya could tell you were asleep but your heavy breaths indicated that the wounds didn’t let you rest peacefully.

“Well, that was certainly unexpected.” He commented and was about to leave the room when he suddenly noticed something.

The room was swamped in darkness but thanks to the moonlight, he perceived a shiny bracelet on your left wrist. Chishiya frowned at the accessory, remembering how he gave the exact same one to his lover before he joined the Borderland.

It was a gift for your one year anniversary so he wanted to find something special and unique. Chishiya found a beautiful bracelet and when he went to buy it, the seller told him there were only two bracelets like this in Japan so your boyfriend knew he found the perfect gift.

Chishiya rolled up his sleeve and looked at his wrist which had the exact same bracelet that he saw on you. While he was carefully analysing them both, Chishiya suddenly felt a gun against his forehead.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, weakly seeing the person that was crouching down in front of you.

“I can ask you the same thing. That’s the place where I usually stay at.” He chuckled, amused by the situation.

Your heart skipped a beat after hearing his voice that was strangely familiar to the man you fell in love with, before you were thrown in this horrific world. Without wasting time, you reached to grab a flashlight and gasped when you recognised Chishiya.

He was blinded by the sudden light so you caught him off guard when you threw yourself in his arms, making you fall on top of him while his back hit the ground.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” You sighed, burying your face in the crock of his neck.

“Y/N?” He whispered, finally recognising your voice.

Chishiya ran his fingers through your hair and took in your floral scent that made him feel at home.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He said, gently grabbing your face in between his hands. “You should be in our house, peacefully reading your favourite book or dancing to the random songs you hear on the radio, not here brushing against death in some stupid games.” He groaned, not bearing the thought of losing you.

“I’m sure I’ll be safe now that I’m with you.” You smiled at him and leaned in to connect your lips together.

He wouldn’t admit it but you knew he missed you as much as you did by how firmly his arms were wrapped around your waist.

You completely forgot about your multiple wounds until Chishiya’s felt something warm and wet dripping down his hand and he immediately remembered the state he found you in.

“Wait here.” He helped you lay down on the mattress and went to grab the first aid kit he found in a store, while you turned on the small lamp you brought with you.

Although Chishiya saw your whole body more than once, he couldn’t help but get flustered at the sight of it after you took off your shirt that was practically soaked in blood and your pants.

“When does your visa end?” He asked while cleaning up the wounds.

“In three days. Today’s game was a mess that’s why I have a blood everywhere. The group against which my team was playing would throw the most random things at us and fight with us afterwards. Only three people out of 16 survived, so it’s honestly a miracle I’m now here talking with you.” You softly caressed his cheek.

“From now on, we’ll participate in games together. If one day, only one of us will have to survive, it will be you.” He seemed completely calm as such words rolled out of his mouth.

“We both know how much smarter you are than me so there’s a much higher chance that you’ll finish all the games. I want you to go back to the real world and start a family like you’ve always dreamed of. I’m sure you’d find someone that would fill your life with love.” Your own words hurt you but at the same time, you truly hoped the best for him.

“I don’t want to finish my life with someone else, I want you.” He protested and went back to clean your wounds in silence.

You noticed his bracelet and smiled at the fact he brought one for him as well in order to have matching accessories.

When you first started dating, he wasn’t fond of physical touch or matching couple things but with time he changed, after realising how safe and loved he felt in your company. Chishiya also realised how pleasant someone’s touch can be and how his death didn’t scare him if it meant the person he loves would survive.

Now, one of his hands gently caressed your skin to take your mind away from the wounds that could possibly be hurting you.

“Your wounds aren’t too deep but you have to rest a lot for them to heal quickly.” He put the first aid kit away.

“Thank you, doctor.” You chuckled and planted a soft kiss on his lips once he came back.

“I’ll bring you something to eat.” He was about to get up but you quickly wrapped your hands around his wrist.

“Stay here with me, we’ll eat later.”

Chishiya couldn’t resist so he laid down next to you on the mattress, being extremely careful to not hurt you. You couldn’t help but put your head on his chest and intertwine your legs together. Your sudden clinginess made Chishiya smile and he gently ran his fingers through your head, knowing how much it helped you to fall asleep.

“I love you.” You whispered, slowly drifting off to sleep.

His soft kiss on your head spoke a thousand words at once and you knew it was his way of saying it back.

As long as you had him by your side, you believed everything will be alright.

[werelosingdaylight]

Familiar Hearts

Shuntaro Chishiya x GN!Reader

REQUESTED? [Yes] • No

REQUEST: This is the Request!

WORD COUNT: 524

SUMMARY| Love was always a strong force, but is it strong enough?

Adm Note: I wrote this so fast.

The pounding in your head felt like it had dulled the moment your eyes rested on the face of your boyfriend, if he was still your boyfriend. You don’t even know it he remembers you, the thought alone caused your heart to cry out broken words that the two of you spoke into the nights air, with nothing but the moon and stars as your witness.

There was only one way to find out, ignoring the way your heart picked up; either from nerves or excitement you don’t know. “Shiya?” Your voice was quiet, almost afraid to let the word float through the air and enter his ears.

You noticed the way his body stopped walking at the nickname, his heart strings tugged at the sound of your voice, the same way it did in borderlands. You had managed to soften the strings and mold them into your home, like you were always meant to be there.

Chishiya turned to face you, his heart thudding just like yours. The lights flickered for a moment, almost as if it could sense the two souls reuniting with each other, molding perfectly together to form as one.

You felt a smile pull at your lips from the recognition in Chishiyas eyes, without hesitation you ran to him; throwing your arms around his waist and hiding your face in his neck. “I was so scared, I thought I would never see you again.” Your soul had trembled at the thought of never being complete again.

Chishiya had one arm over your shoulder, the other was softly cradling the back of your head. Oh, how the stars would cry at the united lovers, holding each other so tenderly that even gods wouldn’t have the power to tear them apart again.

You pulled away from the crook of his neck, the galaxies that decorated your eyes seemed to shine brighter when you looked at him, and inside his heart melted because he knew. ‘I love you’ your souls screamed to each other but for now you two were content with just existing in each other’s arms, relived the other was still alive.

You reached up, cupping his jaw and running your thumb over his cheekbone, pulling him to you. Your lips crashed in a kiss that put the oceans waves to shame, passionate and love for the other seeped through every crack of your skin and soaked up into your bones.

Multiple pairs of eyes watched the couple from the nurses desk, jaws fallen open at the display of a supposed stranger being in the arms of the doctor every woman had wanted at least one night with.

They didn’t know he had someone in his heart already, someone who rushed through every vein in his body and had him craving their skin against his.

Your roommate watched from the door of your hospital room with a smile, even if they didn’t remember the borderlands, they were happy the couple in front of them did. Maybe they would find a love like the two of you had, a love so strong that you could remember each other in any universe.

[louscartridge]

how you and chishiya met/started daiting

do not give permission for my fics to be posted claiming to be yours, translated, or posted on another platform without credit.

cw- season 2 spoilers?? gn reader, mentions of death, blood, injurys, nirgai, reader being a member of the beach, reader and kuina being the best bestie, chishiya pretending to be readers bf, the smallest bit of swearing, kissing, the smallest bit of drinking.

❥ you guys first met in a game

❥ it was a hearts one

❥ he was impressed on how you survived at the end considering usually only one person does in heart games

❥ you never talked or interacted too much in the game tho

❥ the second/actual time you met was at the beach

❥ you became a part of the beach before him

❥ when you got back from the heart game you told hatter about him.

❥ you figured he could be of use.

❥ and boy were you right.

❥ after some convincing hatter told kuina to try and 'recruit' him.

❥ to your surprise chishiya actually came.

❥ everyone could tell his gaurd was way up and he had no intention of letting it down

❥ you and kuina had met in the borderland and had quickly become good friends, so it was expected that kuina quickly noticed how you felt about chishiya.

❥ in the time span of a few months, somehow, kuina ended up becoming almost as close to chishiya as she was with you.

❥ though, with you and kuina being close, alot of the times kuina was hanging out with chishiya you were there too

❥ kuina is fr your guys' biggest shippers

❥ she saw right through chishiya and his whole 'she could just be another sacrifice' thing

❥ the first time chishiya showed that he actually cared about you was after you came back from a game.

❥ you had gotten a spades game. in other words a physical one. usually spade games were nothing to you as you were quite athletic and enjoyed running and exercising of the sorts.

❥ however this one was tough.

❥ you had the rest of the players were trapped in a room where the walls were covered in spikes with no way out except a door on the ceiling, but you had to climb up the spikes to get to said door.

❥ you had fallen a few times, which earned you a pained back and ribs, along with some gashes on your hands, thighs, and forearms. 

❥ you often came back from games complacently fine, rarely with blood on you.  if you did, it was often other peoples.

❥ so it caught chishiya's attention when you had returned to the beach holding onto your thigh, struggling to walk with ripped clothes.

❥ luckily he quickly saw ann come over to you and start to tend to you.

❥ "are they going to be ok?" chishiya asked kuina 

"hmm.. why do you care? theyre just another sacrifice." kuina smirked.

 "no theyre not!" 

kuina looked at chishiya in shock. that was the most emotion shes ever seen him express. 

however chishiya let out a shallow breath composing himself. "no. theyre not." he repeats. this time though it was said how he would say anything else.

❥ chishiya never told you about him and kuinas conversation. there was no need to.

❥ kuina, however, did. 

❥ when niragi first joind the beach, chishiya immediately felt off about him.  

❥ chishiya's suspicions were soon proven right when he started seeing nirgai trying to get close to you. multiple times. even after youve clearly expressed how uncomfortable you were.

❥ nirgai was at it again, standing in front of you after a executives meeting. he was continuously reaching his arm out trying to put it on your waist.

seeing as how nirgai wouldnt stop chishiya took it appon himself to help.

 chishiya came over to the two of you and draped his arms over your shoulders.

 "what the fuck are you doing?"- nirgai

"im their boyfriend, what the fuck are you doing?"

❥ after the two of them going back and forth for a bit nirgai finally gave up.

❥ you sighed and leaned against chisiya

❥ you felt him tense up when you leaned on him. "thank you" you told him. "of course." 

❥ you were the first one to make an actual move obvi.

❥ you had gotten back from a game slightly hurt.

❥ ann couldnt help you this time since she was still at a game when you got back so chishiya offered to help you. 

❥once he was done you asked if you could stay in his room until the others got back to which he surprisingly said yes to. 

❥ one thing led to another and some how -you dont even remember how- you found yourself softly kissing him.

❥ however the kiss didnt last long from chishiya quickly pulling away. 

❥ "no- no i cant let you in"- chishiya 

                                 "you can. itll just take some time."- you

❥ kuina noticed how slightly different you two were acting around each other when it was just the three of you. 

❥ she knew you guys liked each other but she just thought you guys were still oblivious to the others feelings

❥ the three of you were hanging out in the bar when chishiya leaned over you getting something for you that you couldnt reach. 

❥ "oh my god just kiss already!" kuina exclaimed, drink in her hand.

 'did you tell her anything?' chishiya mouthed to you.

'no!' you mouthed back. 

"holy shit you already did! when? y/nnn why didnt you tell me??"