Chapter Text
[ GAME CLEAR : CONGRATULATIONS. ]
The three of them breathed heavily after an exhausting game, not saying a single word as they all subconsciously look at the figure in front of them.
He’d have to admit, working together as a team was a basic, but great strategy. It would just be a tad bit better if the guy wasn’t screaming his head off, basically presenting himself to the horse… thing.
The solution was pretty obvious from the start, the only problem was he’d have to wait for some unlucky soul to just happen to go right next to the exit door, and almost get their head shot off.
Chishiya slowly stood up as he walked his way into the room, hanging around the door frame. The tagger pulled their mask off, but instead of being maybe some military, army man like he expected, instead he just saw a seemingly innocent woman, with eyes filled with dread.
She backs up to the wall, muttering random gibberish to herself as the other three stare at her in confusion. Humbuzz can be heard from around her neck, and quiet pings, slowly getting louder and louder.
The three don’t say anything.
The device goes from blue to red, and she slowly gets more anxious. It rapidly pings, getting faster as the seconds go by.
BANG!
The three jump as blood splatters everywhere, covering the walls in thick red paint. Arisu covers his eyes with his forearms, Usagi ducks her head the other way, and Chishiya just kind of stands there.
Arisu looks up in horror, sweat streaming down his face. The fuck was that? His mouth is agape as he really has nothing to say as words don’t even begin to describe how much his heart is pounding.
After a few seconds, he slowly starts to process what he sees. He looks at the woman's head, part of the flesh is ripped off and bones are just about visible — definitively broken — amidst the dark red. She lies still, motionless, cold; although Arisu didn’t expect anything else.
The only thing that’s kind of intact on her body is a metallic, dark shock collar — clearly doing more than just shock.
The group is still silent, as they just stare at the deformation before them.
***
Arisu rests his head against the wall just outside the exit room. It’s slightly uncomfortable due to the denting from the bullets, but that’s nowhere near his top priority. He just needs to rest.
The blue door opens slowly, and he turns his head around; it’s Usagi. She’s panting and out of breath, just like he is. He looks up at her, with half-closed eyes.
“That woman. I killed her, didn’t I?” He’s faintly shaking as he says so. Usagi sighs.
“Everyone was forced to play the game. It wasn’t your fault.” She looks down at him, with slight pity. They both can’t really think straight currently, so it’s best to try and not villainise yourself for doing practically nothing.
“...What the hell is all this?” He sinks his head in his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, Usagi rolls her eyes.
“Who knows? I know I don’t.” She says, walking away towards the exit of the building. “But… it amazes me that I’m willing to do anything just so that I can survive.” Her breath going noticeably colder as she nears the end of her sentence. She turns her head back around. “If we didn’t want to do that, we might as well just die.”
She huffs, and walks off.
Arisu puts his head back against the wall, and sighs. He stands up, and enters the exit room again, visibly agitated. During the few minutes he was outside, the lights in the room turned off, making it slightly difficult for Arisu to walk in.
As he walks in, he sees Chishiya, standing front and center of the room. He isn’t looking at the fresh corpse in front of him, but basically staring at the wall.
Arisu tries to build himself confidence, clearing his throat an unnecessary amount of times, and his lips tremble.
“...Yes?” Chishiya says, rolling his eyes as he slowly turns around towards the guy.
“Oh, I, um…” Arisu’s mind goes basically blank as he looks at Chishiya. Chishiya looks back at him, with a neutral expression, nodding at him to continue.
“It’s… well… just…”
“Spit it out already.”
Arisu is slightly taken aback by his sudden remark, but takes his advice, muttering “Sorry” quietly.
“Do you, well, are you or do you know, by chance, um, any doctors? Or surgeons? My friend burnt his leg in the last… game we played, and he says he doesn’t feel that much pain but I know he’s lying because he doesn’t want us, and well, but us I mean-”
Chishiya interrupts him again. “Mmm, yeah. Pretty sure I know one.”
Chishiya looks as the look on Arisu’s face slowly lights up, moving into somewhat of a grin. He can’t help but chuckle to himself quietly.
“Oh, really? Would they help us? …But, only if they want to, of course. No pressure… ha.”
“Think they would.”
“Oh!” Arisu pauses. “Do you know where they are, like right now?”
“I think you know that already.”
“...What?”
***
Karube holds his abdomen tightly, as he winces in pain. He trips over his footing, as he bends down to get his now extremely bloody pocket knife.
As he’s about to leave the room, he hears a quiet static coming from the walkie-talkie that Aguni’s friend had. He turns around, and picks it up.
“RETURN TO THE BEACH.”
Karube turns around to Aguni. “Beach?” Aguni looks back at him, and walks off. Karube stares at him with a low growl, before scoffing and returning back to what he was doing.
“Uh, hello?”
No response.
“What is ‘The Beach’”?
No response. The line goes static. Fuck. He groans as he gets up, somewhat stumbling as he leaves the room. He uses the wall as a handrail to basically pull himself around. The only problem is the stairs.
Karube pulls himself up, taking a noticeable while due to him missing a step twice, almost falling flat on his face, but nonetheless he gets to the floor above him.
He can hear slight commotion from a few doors down, and he presumes it’s Arisu. Probably talking about video games or something. Karube turns the knob and walks in. Arisu — still next to the door — turns around to look at him. Chishiya leans forward too, following Arisu.
Arisu makes a warm smile at him, slowly moving towards Karube. “Karube! This guy knows a doctor!” Karube peaks his head around the door, looking at Chishiya.
“Oh, Hi. We’ve been looking for one for this game, that’s kind of why we came out here, would it be fine if they helped?”
“I can help.” Karube and Arisu look at each other, squinting, then turn back to Chishiya.
Arisu responds this time. “No, I mean can the doctor-”
“Yeah, I can help.”
Karube walks forward, his short and fast temper wearing down quickly. “I don’t want this bullshit, can you tell me where this doctor is.” Chishiya puts his hands up in response in a playful manner, clearly not taking the situation seriously.
“Karube, stop-”
“Alright, alright!” Chishiya finally responds after a bit of silence, interrupting Arisu for the fourth time in the past two minutes. “I’m a surgeon, or otherwise ‘the doctor’ you keep talking about. Thought you would’ve figured that out already.” Chishiya grins, opposing Arisu’s face of realization, and Karube’s going slightly darker.
Karube sighs and rolls his eyes, backing away from him. “So, where’s this guy that needs help?” Chishiya says.
“Ah.” Arisu says. “Chota — our friend. In the last game we played, he burned his leg. Like really badly. We’ve been hanging out in this shopping mall, about east of here. Just around a ten minute walk.”
“Okay then.”
Arisu smiles and Karube slightly lightens up. “Let’s go.” Chishiya says, leaving the room, gently pushing Karube to the side, not enough to hurt him, but just enough to annoy him. When the door closes, Karube immediately turns to Arisu.
“Do you really trust this guy?” He says, raising an eyebrow. Arisu sighs.
“Well, of course.” Arisu responds, putting his hands out. “And besides — I really doubt we’re ever going to find a doctor, and let alone one that’s willing to help us.”
Karube stammers for a second. “But what if he tries to hurt us?”
Arisu laughs, and looks down at the ground, shaking his head ever so slightly.
“Arisu-”
“Do you really think he’s actually going to hurt you?”
“Well, maybe-”
“You’re strong Karube! If he turns out to be this… mastermind serial killer that you think he is, you’ll just give him a right punch in the stomach!” Arisu mimics this movement with his hand, and Karube can’t help himself to laugh.
“No, but seriously. You’re way too hard on yourself recently. I promise you it’ll be fine.” Arisu says after a short while, before following Chishiya and leaving the room. Karube shortly follows behind.
***
Arisu, Chishiya and Karube walk through the desolate, empty, and cold streets of Shibuya. Despite the group only waking up a few couple minutes ago, they’re having quite an engaging conversation. Or well, engaging for Chishiya, as he isn’t really the type to get all talkative, unless it’s to save his life.
“So this was your third game?”
“Second.” Karube and Arisu both say simultaneously. “Our first was three of clubs.” Arisu says, “Each round, we had to pick between two doors. One of them was deadly, and the other one wasn’t. If we didn’t choose in time, the entire room would light on fire.”
“...And I’m assuming that’s where your friend burned his leg?”
“Yeah.” Karube responds, “He was the last to leave the room, and he didn’t enter the next one fast enough.”
“What was your first game, Chishiya?” Arisu says, smiling at the man. And Chishiya just kind of stares at him, his pupils widening. He can’t help but look at him as his hair sways in the wind, his pretty brown eyes and-
“I, um…”
Chishiya stammers slightly as he trips over his words. So much for zoning out, oops. Arisu and Karube are still both looking at him directly in the eyes, waiting for him to respond. “It was the six of diamonds. A game of blackjack where the dealer changes every round, and we had to shoot each other if anyone cheated. Anyone who lost all their chips were hung.”
“A six?” Karube whispers to himself.
“Woah. Wait, how many people did you play with?” Arisu says.
“Hmm, including myself, 5.”
“Oh, and where are they now?” Arisu smiles again.
“...Dead.” Arisu and Karube stop in their tracks, their faces going cold. “I didn’t kill them or anything. The rules said there would only be one winner. I just got lucky.”
“Wait, hold on. You’re saying some games only allow for one winner? Out of five people?” Arisu says lightly, and his voice cracks. He looks like he’s about to cry. Of course, Chishiya ruined the conversation, which isn’t anything new to him.
“Well, I mean-”
Karube squints at Chishiya. “Shush.”
The rest of the walk to the mall is silent. Chishiya puts his hands in his pockets and looks down at the floor, gulping every so often. Karube, still holding his stomach, is leaning closer towards Arisu. Chishiya rubs his eyes and pulls his hoodie tighter. Karube trips on a pavement tile, and they have to stop for a bit to help him back up.
After a long, awkward while of walking, they finally arrive back at the mall. The sun has fully risen now, and it’s about midday. Chishiya covers his eyes, trying to avoid being temporarily blinded from the glimmering sun rays.
Chota comes from out of a corner, and his face instantly lights up when he sees the two of them. Chishiya stands away to the side. “Arisu! Karube!” Chota goes up to them slowly, due to only having one singular leg crutch. Karube and Arisu both smile, as they all hug each other.
“Hey, Chota.” Karube says. As Chota moves his arm to Karube’s side, he grunts and stumbles out of the two. “Easy…”
Chota gasps, “Oh- Are you hurt?” Karube groans, but he still gets up and smiles.
“I’m fine, don’t worry. Just-” As Karube’s speaking, Shibuki walks up to the group.
“Hey, hey, hey, who’s that?” She points directly at Chishiya, standing off by the wall.
“Oh, Chota! Forgot to say, we found a doctor for you!” Chishiya waves at them, and slowly starts to walk towards the group.
“Hey.” Chishiya says, now with his confidence from before back.
“You better help us, alright?” Shibuki says, sternly. Chishiya sighs.
“Hey, let me see the burns.”
***
The five of them gather around a restaurant bench, cushion lined up against the wall as Chishiya begins to inspect Chota’s wounds. He winces a bit as Chishiya pulls down the bandage. “Well, going off what I can see right now, it looks like a partial-thickness burn. It hasn’t completely burned off your skin — luckily — but I can see many severe blisters.”
“...And?” Shibuki responds, irritated.
“Unfortunately, part of the fabric’s stuck to the wounds. I’ll need some ethanol wipes, antibiotics and bandages. Other than that, I think just rest for a bit more.”
“Where are we supposed to get that?” Karube shrugs. Chishiya moves his head around directly at him.
“I don’t know. Go raid a pharmacy or something. You two,” Chishiya points at Arisu and Karube, “Go.”
“I’m probably not gonna remember any of that though-”
Chishiya rolls his eyes and sighs. “Fine, I’ll go with Arisu. You two look after him.” Chishiya gets up off the floor after kneeling, puts his hands in his hoodie’s pocket again, and leaves.
“I… yeah.” Arisu follows behind him. Karube looks at Chota.
“They won’t be long, I promise.”