Chapter Text
You felt as though you were suffocating. It was almost as if someone had their hands pressed against your neck, as if no air at all could pass through your windpipe and reach your lungs. You were on the verge of passing out, you were sure of it.
But yet, you had your eyes closed. You were lying on something comfortable, your eyes firmly shut. How could you feel so comfortable in a situation like that? Was it all a dream? And so, your eyelids were now open wide and you couldn’t help jerking forward due to the “lucid” dream you were having – the feeling on your neck was far too real to be a mere dream.
Once your eyes adjusted to the brightness of wherever you were, you were finally able to inspect what you were lying on. You were on a flowerbed. But as for the place itself, it reminded you of a greenhouse.
“Good morning.” A petite man came into your view, with messy dark-brown hair and glasses. He also wore suspenders on top of a white shirt, black pants and a polka dot red bowtie. He seemed to be far too young for someone with a voice as grave as his.
With a gulp, you placed your hand on your chest so you could feel how fast your heart was beating. What even is this place? Sitting straight up, you asked, “Who are you?”
“You can call me Takeda, Ittetsu Takeda. And you?” Even if he wore a gentle smile, deep inside you couldn’t help but feel unnerved. Well, you had the utmost right to. You had no clue where you were, how did you even got there and above it all else. .
“I am. .” You had no clue what was your name. Hell, you didn’t even have the slightest clue who you were.
“It’s alright,” Takeda reassured you. “You don’t have a name.”
Even if you tried questioning Takeda where were you headed, he would only reply with “ We’re almost there, don’t worry.” But naturally, that didn’t stop you from worrying. Well, I am currently inside a metro going to who even knows where, of course, why should I be worried? And that was your anxiety (and minor fear of the unknown) speaking.
You were far too focused in your thoughts to even notice the train had stopped. Takeda called you out and you, with not much of a choice, followed him to what seemed to be an elevator. And of course, an underground elevator that led you to a bar.
Because that’s normal, of course.
You couldn’t quite put a finger on it, even after meeting the cheerful and adorable elevator guy, but Takeda’s presence (and smile because, honestly, his smile seemed so gentle you couldn’t help but wonder if he was trying to terrorize you in some way) still caused you to feel uneasy.
I guess that was expected, considering I’m wandering around with a stranger.
“I hope to see you later!” You heard the cheerful elevator guy, Hinata, shouting after you. Until now, he was most likely the only person that caused you feel reassured, if ever so lightly. I hope to see you soon, adorable elevator guy.
Once you stepped out of the elevator, after passing by the long hallway, the first thing that came into your view was the giant chandelier in the middle of the room. You gasped in awe at its astounding glimmer and how much it resembled, in your eyes, a jellyfish.
“I would like to personally congratulate whoever was responsible for the decoration of this place because wow. . !” You mumbled under your breath, your eyes glistering in fascination and admiration at the work of art that was that place.
You heard Takeda quietly chuckling at your comment and it seemed to, somehow, calm your uneasiness, if only for a bit. And that, until you had finally arrived at the bar counter.
“Thank you, Takeda-san.” A man, who you presumed to be the bartender, respectfully bowed his head at Takeda. His voice sounded so cold and monotone you couldn’t help but jerk back, the feeling of uneasiness washing over you once more.
“Welcome to Quindecim.” The man turned to you, causing you to flinch at how expressionless and stoic his face was. His voice suits his face, I suppose. “I am the barterder, Tsukishima.”
With steady steps, you approached the counter and stared up at Tsukishima. Although you were sure you were most likely to be shaking out of anxiety (added to the unnerving aura he gave off), you studied his graceful composure.
His blonde hair was styled in a short undercut and he wore the same outfit as Takeda, aside the fact he wore a black vest instead of suspenders. You also noted how his irises, protected by glasses, had an unusual shade of gold; the bewilderment of the glimmer in his seemly dim eyes caused you to feel fascinated. You could stare at his eyes for hours, you were sure they would never cease to amaze you.
Clasping your hands together and averting his gaze as much as possible (before you embarrassed yourself even more), you bowed down at him. “It’s really nice to meet you, Tsukishima-san. But, huh, may I ask what is this place?”
“This is where the dead come.” Takeda spoke up, turning his head to look at you. His calm expression didn’t falter, you noticed. How can you remain so calm when talking about something like this? I suppose he must’ve grown used to it. . Not that it makes it acceptable, whatsoever.
Upon noticing your furrowed brows and the slightly pursed lips in concern, Takeda explained. “You see, there will be two deceased people coming here today. Once they arrive, we’ll have them playing a game with, well, their lives at stake.”
Although you tried your best to look calm, deep inside you were screaming out in a daze. Even if those were quite the “unusual” news to take in, you remained in your composure and continued to listen to whatever Takeda had in store for his explanation.
“Our duty, as arbiters, is to the judge the deceased. Having their memories in store, along with their ‘extent’ of humanity they display during the games, we have our verdict. Right before their arrival, the arbiter receives all the compiled memories of the newly dead.” Takeda heaved out, scratching at the back of his neck. “Does this make any sense?”
“More or less.” You replied with a shrug, running your finger through your hair. “Does that mean I’m–”
“Er, sumimasen, but the guests should be arriving soon!”
And right before your eyes, you saw the strange ‘plus’ shape in Tsukishima’s eyes twitching in place and flashing in bright rays of light. I presume those are the memories coming to him? If that even makes sense. . I guess I should just give up and accept things as they are – clearly far beyond normal.
“Tsukishima, I’ll leave it to you now.” Takeda nodded at Tsukishima, before turning back to look at you. “Follow me.”
Into a sudden spur, you skipped after Takeda, who seemed to head over to a stairway. And as you did so, you could feel the arbiter’s intense gaze landing itself upon your frail and confused figure, watching your every move, until you could no longer be seen.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking but. . What exactly am I to do in here?” That question had been lingering in the depths of you brain ever since you woke up, so once given the opportunity, Takeda would finally be able to answer.
“Oh! How could I forget. . You’re an assistant.”
Before you could press even further, Takeda had already motioned you to sit in a room full of mannequins. Like I said, where’s the normality in this.
“Right now, Tsukishima is persuading our guests into playing a game. And as you can note by their dumb folded behavior, they do not acknowledge the fact they’re dead.” Takeda pointed his chin at the two people who stood right across the room you were in, standing in front of the bar counter. “And that’s why, we have to prompt them into playing a game with their lives at stake – or else, they wouldn’t, naturally.
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it?” He continued, fixing his glasses. “We have to make them believe they might die if they don’t play the game. And thus we have Tsukishima intimidating them. Honestly, he can pull off the most menacing of expressions!”
Who would’ve thought, huh? Monotone and stoic man going for an intimidation game. Sounds interesting, if you’d ask me.
“What’s the point of all of this?” Your thought your voice had died out as Takeda proceeded to another room, you soon following him afterwards.
“It’s necessary for their verdict, of course.” Takeda weakly smiled at you, as if he were telling you the most obvious of things. “Once you find yourself in a situation where your life is at risk,isn’t it natural for people to show their true intentions? The extreme tension they’re put into are of utmost important into creating those situations.”
“You can’t solely judge a person based on their memories, huh?” You gulped, staring at the room before you. “So Tsukishima intends on creating tension so he can see everyone’s truest and darkest of intentions and use that as a base for his judgement?”
“Fear is an incredible tool in a scenario like this.” The dark whisper Takeda had uttered caused chills to run down your spine, but even so, he continued as enthusiastic as ever. “Ooh, it’s the dart game!”
The black-haired woman was on the floor, wheezing helplessly. Her back was arched in an unusual manner and you could note how she desperately tried to breath properly. But there was no helping it. Her shaky and boney fingers were tightly pulling at her own collar, in a fail attempt to help the air reach her windpipe.
“It seems she remembered her death.” Takeda had mumbled, his chin resting on the palm of his hand. He seemed unusually entertained, fascinated to say the least. I guess he’s used to this kind of horrifying scenario. .
As for the man, his hands held to his neck as he screamed out in agony. You couldn’t tell for sure if those were the results of the dart game or a consequence of all of their death memories being brought to light – you could only wonder how could they put up with the pain.
“You see, that man had an affair with his coworker.” Takeda explained. “By the time his wife found out, she was ready to leave the house – being the independent woman she is, of course. But they met quite the circumstances. . He came home from work early someday and came to her packing her belongings. And thus, he tried pushing her down the stairs and, well, he succeeded, but it seems she was able to drag him along amidst her fall.”
Humans are atrocious creatures.
You felt like throwing up – there was no simpler way to describe it.
You had never seen, or heard, of such brutality in your entire life. Even if the dart hadn’t exactly hit their bodies, according to Takeda, they could still feel it. Except it was worse. The way their bodies squirmed under the pain. . Their painful screams could be heard throughout the entire room and you were positive you would never forget this experience. How can a person even get used to this?
You could feel your stomach doing flips, a hand already covering your mouth. There was no way you could stop the inevitable.
“Y’know. .” It was. . the woman. Standing on her own two feet, a hand now clutching at her stomach. “I’ve always loved you from the very bottom of my heart. But when Ennoshita-san told me about the affair I couldn’t feel more pathetic.” Even if she managed to chuckle humorlessly, tears were furiously streaming down her face. “Love is such a ridiculous thing. But I guess there’s no helping it.”
The man didn’t utter a single word, for that he was still agonizing on the floor.
And Tsukishima stood as expressionless as usual.
“It’s clear, don’t you think?” Takeda turned to you but, with a hand still covering your mouth, you confusedly tilted your head at him. “Who goes to Heaven or Hell. Who’s going to reincarnate and who’s going to be forever destined to roam aimlessly into the void.”
With both of your hands placed on the counter, you remained looking at the floor. Your stomach was still doing flips and your head was now hurting like hell. You felt as if it were about to explode. So many mischievous thoughts ran through your mind all at once, and you still felt the urge to throw up.
Meanwhile, Takeda accompanied Tsukishima towards the hallway with both of the elevators – Heaven and Hell. You still couldn’t fathom how insensitive the man had remained. In fact, he hadn’t uttered a single word. Maybe out of remorse? Most likely not, you mumbled quietly while gritting your teeth.
When they came back, Takeda seemed as content as always and Tsukishima. . Oh, you know. Brushing aside the fact your stomach was on the verge of exploding, along with your head, you couldn’t help but wonder. “Wasn’t it weird the man didn’t say a thing? Like, literally, nothing. Couldn’t you have pressed further?” Your gaze was now directed at Tsukishima’s unimpressed features, your hands now resting on your lap.
“I don’t get what you’re trying to say.” Tsukishima bluntly said, staring down at you.
“I mean, what if the man had a reason to it? Not like I accept the fact he murdered his wife or that she’s the bad one in this story, far from it. All I’m trying to say is, what if there was something more to it? Sure he could be a disgusting and lame-ass coward who was too scared to confess his ‘crimes’ but there’s always the other side of the story. Once again, I’m not trying to say she’s the one to blame in all this, but the history is written by the victors.”
Before they could even retort, you spoke up once again. “What if this ‘Ennoshita’ guy had it all planned out? What if all this affair was something he made up to ruin their marriage? And the man, being the jealous and stubborn husband he was, ended up losing it. Which resulted in both of them falling to their deaths at the top of that stairway. Takeda-san, you said so yourself I’m the assistant – all I’m trying to say is there’s no guarantee I am right. You’re the experienced guys and I’m just the newbie who’s got nothing figured out – but that's just what I think.”
And that caused Takeda’s content smile to grow even wider. His brows were furrowed, a menacing aura seemed to surround him as he brought Tsukishima closer to his face, by forcefully holding onto his collar – which you would consider amusing in other circumstances, considering how short Takeda is compared to Tsukishima.
“Tsukishima, why didn’t you press further?” Takeda sounded as calm as usual, but his eyes gave off the utmost verdict on how pissed he was.
“O-Oi. . Takeda-san, I thought–”
“You don’t just brush their feelings aside.” Takeda heaved out. “Humans have peculiar ways to express – or not – their feelings. It is your duty as an arbiter to pay attention to every little detail. That’s exactly why we have you, or else we’d just rely on memories and most likely end up with a false and unfair verdict. Pay attention next time.”
Although he still smiled gently, his voice came out as threatening it even sent chills down your spine.
“It won’t happen again, Takeda-san.”
Once Takeda had excused himself, you sighed in exhaustion, looking up at Tsukishima. “Eer, Tsukishima-san. . I am very sorry I caused you some trouble.” Your voice came out in an unusual calm and tender tone, you were honestly surprised on how you had even managed to pull that off so spontaneously. “And on my first day even, good job me. But I definitely look forward to be working with you!”
Although Tsukishima showed no particular emotion – other than his typical unimpressed face – you could've sworn to have heard him sound, if ever so slightly, enthusiastic about something. “Likewise.”
I guess I wouldn't call it ‘enthusiastic’. More like. . Interested?