" so... that means no coffee for me? "
KAORI was planning on doing what she does every single day. Until fireworks and a strange blackout brought her onto a place where she would have to play some twisted games to survive.
" i don't know who's in ch...
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KAORI NEVER REALLY CARED for her birthday. It always felt like a normal day and, even if she didn't judge people who absolutely adored celebrating it, it was a weird concept for her.
She didn't even hate her birthday. Some people despised the attention, all the sweet notes they would never receive otherwise and the feeling of getting older. Kaori didn't. She was uncomfortable in a room full of people singing and holding a cake with burning candles but she didn't hate it.
It was just very bizarre.
This year's birthday was no different. It was a regular Tuesday and she couldn't dedicate this day to celebrate. Not that she wanted to, anyways.
So, she followed her usual morning routine and went outside for her second cup of coffee before opening her store. Asuka had called her exactly when she turned on the bookstore's lights to sing her a happy birthday —even though she had texted her first right when the clock had struck midnight the previous night, and swore she would swing by with a surprise later.
Funnily enough, Asuka showed up when Kaori's mother and little sister were there as well.
The store was quite calm that day so they chatted over some homemade muffins made by Kaori's sister, enjoying the sweat treats and the intimate moment.
Asuka and Kaori's mother agreed to set up a dinner to celebrate the birthday the following night. Kaori thought going to a restaurant wasn't very necessary but they all looked enthusiastic so she happily obliged.
Kaori didn't really care for her birthday but, when it was time to close the store, the lump in her throat was painful.
Instead of walking upstairs into her apartment, she made her way outside and crossed the tiny street to sit by an empty table at the restaurant she knew too well. The owners were a funny couple, old people who never made enough money to retire and enjoy a peaceful life.
Yet, they always looked happy, especially when they were together. Kaori had watched them for hours, playfully bickering or staring at one another with doe eyes. What a beautiful thing it was to witness.
"Oh! Kaori!" the owner said, "Are you lost my child?"
There was a tint of humor in his words but it still carried a sense of worry. It was totally unusual for her to come over at night. She was more of a lunch person and it happened more than once that one of them would cross the street during lunch time to bring her a plate of her favorite dish.
She chuckled, "Ah, no! I just wanted a drink."
The man frowned, "Cause you drink now?"
"Don't be silly, of course I drink. Sometimes."
He eyed her up and down suspiciously but decided to keep his mouth shut. He couldn't tell what was going on and it wasn't his place to ask. All he knew was that she decided to come here and it was safer to have her just in front of her apartment.
"I'll have a beer please, any kind."
And Kaori drank her beer in silence, watching the people walking by, those eating in restaurants, sharing good laughs before she said her goodbyes to the couple and made her way home.
Kaori didn't really care for her birthday but her father didn't even bother texting her.
When she woke up, she was on the pharmacy's floor but it felt soft under her head.
With a heavy groan, she found the strength to sit up against the counter, gritting her teeth at the pain coming from her shoulder and she noticed the rolled up jacket on the floor and a plastic bag that wasn't there when she closed her eyes earlier.
Water bottles and various snacks were stashed in the bag.
Kaori dived in, she was starving but she didn't know how all of this ended here. She was still burning up —the fever was still going strong, and she swallowed another pill, praying for her body temperature to lower quickly.
Glancing out the windows, Kaori could watch the sun slowly setting behind the tall buildings. She must've fallen asleep shortly after Aguni had left the pharmacy. Or maybe she had slept for a full day.
At this point, it was quite difficult to keep track of time.
She assumed the jacket and groceries were coming from Aguni. He had probably stopped at some random store before going back into the forest. There was no way he would have just left her there if they had killed the King of Spades.
Her chest tightened at the thought of Aguni and Arisu trying to kill the King of Spades.
She didn't doubt their abilities —even though she had more faith in Aguni if she was being honest, but she had seen the King in action. Precise, brutal, merciless... The man was certainly the most terrifying citizen they've had to face.
Hell, she had been injured multiple times during games and even his own bullets caused more damage.
What if the infection gets worse? Damn... maybe I'm gonna die because of one stupid bullet. Maybe it ends here, in a random pharmacy.
She didn't know if it was the idea of dying over something as simple as an injury or the fact that she was all alone but tears slowly started rolling down her cheeks.
Kaori didn't even know why she was crying. It felt completely stupid. She had seen so many people dying. She had even killed people, willingly or not. Ever since landing in this world, it had always been life or death.
Never an in between.
Playing games could be digging your own grave. Staying away from them was agreeing with the inevitable.
I'm not even scared of death. It doesn't matter if I die, 'cause I will. Eventually.
But the tears kept flooding. Sticking to her cheeks and tickling her neck, this emotional outburts was warming her burning body even more. Kaori was choking and she didn't know why. Was facing her fate all alone so unbearable?
She didn't care if she died but maybe she didn't want it to happen this way. Insignificantly, secluded in a pharmacy where nobody would ever find her even if a caring soul searched for her.
Maybe she wanted to go back to her old life —even though it would never be the same, go back to her routine and live a quiet life.
Maybe she wanted to feel sad at trivial things —her father forgetting her birthday, dropping and breaking her favorite mug on the floor, showing up late at one of her sister's recitals because the subway was packed and she couldn't get on any train for ten minutes, earning the silent treatment for a couple of hours before everything would be forgiven.
Maybe she wanted to feel her heart fluttering unexpectedly —a woman complimenting her scarf, a customer thanking her for a book recommendation, the tiny pride after writing a paragraph of her book, the butterflies erupting in her stomach when falling in love.
Kaori cried because, maybe, she wanted to live a little longer.
She fell asleep from exhaustion with the moon glowing over her, the shadow of tears shining in the dark.
• • •
author's note. BIG FILLER!!!!! i apologize, not much is happening in this chapter.... but it'll get better in the next one!!
