Friends With Benefits | Chishiya x Reader

Chapter Fifteen

However, it wouldn't be a Hearts game without unnecessary deaths, and so the apex is yet to come.

"So we have to...check everyone's blood?" the Melon Man cuts through the silence, perplexed. "How will we do that?"

The Clubs girl quivers. "Maybe it's a figure of speech?"

"Look," the woman with the bandaged arm says in a hushed voice. She now crouches by the long white table, and slides a handgun out from underneath. "It was under the table."

Bingo.

You have your Dealer.

You could've laughed. The bandaged woman, by pulling out a handgun that no one else would've seen or found for another ten minutes, has just unknowingly identified herself as the Dealer. 

Now the hard part would be convincing the rest of these people that she is the Dealer without looking suspicious yourself. Or without getting shot.

Either one would be nice.

The high schooler pales at the sight of the weapon. The Melon Man, who is obnoxiously loud, booms out again. "So we have to shoot everyone to see if they bleed white blood?"

You blink. Good lord, does the man have melons for brains as well? The lack of thought behind the Melon Man's beady eyes is just short of appalling. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Chishiya fighting back a laugh. You decide to step in to prevent what might develop into a Melon Massacre. 

"I don't think that will be necessary," you say. The Melon Man turns to you with the loud swivel of feet, and the Spades player looks at you as if you had just offered them the path to salvation. 

You decide the man has severe issues with idolization. 

"I think she's right," you gesture to the Clubs girl, doing your best to keep your tone light and suggestive. She looks surprised at your mention of her, and stares at you attentively. "The white blood is probably a figure of speech to add to the rest of the instructions. But the rules clearly state that there is one person in the room pretending to be a player, and we just need to find them." 

"What about the gun?" the bandaged woman asks. She turns the gun over in her hands, and once again the lack of pretense she keeps over her wounded arm astounds you. 

"Most likely a distraction," you say with a shrug. You can see the wheels turning in her mind, and you wonder whether she will try to shoot you. "The person we're looking for will most likely try to make things difficult so we can't clear the game, so do your best not to be provoked."

"How do you know all of this?" the woman presses, too quick to accuse. "Maybe you're the one working for the game, and you're trying to manipulate us. It's a Hearts game, after all."

You consider your options. "You could shoot me, if you want to find out," you tell her, "but I don't think the game will clear."

The Spades player seems to catch on to your train of thought. "Maybe you're the one trying to manipulate us," he says to the bandaged woman. "Aren't you the one who found the gun?"

"I was just looking for clues, like anyone would!" the woman protests, too defensive. "Wouldn't you do the same if you were me? I was just looking for a way to clear the game!"

The Irrelevant Three begin to mutter amongst themselves, and the high schooler's eyes shift nervously towards the woman. The orchestral music swells ominously. 

"Let's not fight, guys," the high schooler says timidly, trying to keep the peace. When the woman and the Spades player turn her way she instinctively reaches for her sleeve, but keeps talking. "She's right, anyone would be looking for clues. Why don't we try figure this out by talking calmly?"

But this isn't the type of game that you can solve through talking - it's a game where you have to use your eyes. 

The Melon Man, of course, does the opposite. 

"I think it's you!" he jabs a finger accusingly at the Spades player, ignoring every obvious sign that points directly away from the Spades player. Next to you, Chishiya raises a brow. The Spades player has done nothing to garner the Melon Man's suspicion, and you're pretty sure he just doesn't like the poor guy. 

"What? How can it be me?" 

"Don't try and play dumb with me, boy! I know your type, always harassing innocent people. I won't stand for it! Give me that gun," the Melon Man declares, and grabs for the handgun in the bandaged woman's hand. She jerks it away and he makes another grab for it, trying to wrestle it out of the woman's grip. Chishiya is struggling with another laugh, and you have to stifle the urge to roll your eyes. 

There is a resounding bang of a gunshot, and the Clubs girl screams. Your head whips around.

It seems the Melon Man has the gun.