Alice In Borderland: Riptide

EPISODE NINE: CAN'T FIGHT THE MOONLIGHT

...*...

(perspective shifts to you again.)

As the alarm sounds, you start giggling, uncontrollably. The bed—and the three people resting against you—begins to jiggle.

Niragi jumps out of the chair and you hear it slam against the wall. "Why is the bed shaking? Earthquake? Wha—?"

Karube, Kuina, and Chishiya begin laughing as well, falling over one another.

"Hey!" You yell from between the pillows and the upholstered headboard. "Hey! Get me outta here!"

Three pairs of hands begin removing pillows, unearthing you, and you sit up on your knees, gasping dramatically before grinning at a shocked Niragi and flinging your arms wide.

"Surprise!?" You say, and he stares at you, shocked.

Then, suddenly, you are smacked in the face by a pillow and knocked over into Chishiya, who gets flung to the floor with a thump.

"Hey! Don't be such a sore loser," you grouch, sitting up again—just in time to see another pillow flying toward you. You duck, grabbing the throw pillow in front of you as the one Niragi flung smacks hard into the headboard, then rise up and bash Chishiya over the head with yours. Niragi gapes, then covers his mouth as he roars with glee.

Karube glances sidelong at Kuina and they each grab a pillow from behind them and fling them simultaneously at Niragi, knocking him sideways out of his chair.

He lands hard on his side and an audible crack sounds, followed by a groan from the man now laid out on the floor.

You leap from the bed, nearly knocking Chishiya over again as he attempts to crawl back onto the mattress.

"Niragi!" You reach for his shoulder and carefully roll him to his back. The other three join you and kneel alongside him, looking him over. "Are you alright?"

He groans again and grabs his side, and you immediately know what must have happened.

"Shit- you broke your ribs, didn't you? I should have been more careful after everything that night... have they been bothering you all this time?"

He crooks a glance at your face, his face scrunched in pain, and nods firmly. You look at Karube, touching his bare forearm. He glances between his arm and your eyes.

"Kiki, please go get An. She'll know what we should do." He nods, and you give his arm a quick squeeze, turning your worried gaze back on Niragi. "Thank you."

He pats your hand and stands, gazing down at you for a moment before hurrying off.

Kuina takes one of your hands in both of hers, sandwiched between them. Her wide eyes meet yours and she grants you one of the rare smiles that grace her face. You sigh and rest your head on her shoulder, returning your gaze to Niragi. Chishiya squeezes your shoulder from the other side, his eyes never leaving Niragi's prone form.

"So what happened? Why did you break your ribs so easily?"

Niragi cuts his pain-filled eyes at Chishiya's face. "Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question, mutt," he replies, and Niragi snorts then gasps in pain.

"Mutt, huh? That's—gah!—that's rich coming from—coming from you."

You gently poke Niragi in the side of his head. "Answer him already. Or would you rather he hear it from me?"

He turns his head to level his dark gaze on you. "Go ahead. I trust you. I already confessed to you how much," he flicks his eyes to Chishiya and back to you. "And who. So go ahead."