♠ ♦ Alice in Borderland ♣ ♥

14 - ♥A

Hesitatingly I stand here, looking at the studio.

There's a big poster of some reality show where money could be made. Although I never really watched such programs, I know that they are always about sensation. Anything that comes to my mind doesn't predict well, but maybe it's because I'm biased. So far there hasn't been a single game where we all sat around the campfire and had to sing "kumbaya", and I don't think that moment will come anytime soon.

'No?' Soran asks when he looks at my face. I keep looking at the poster and shrug. I have to admit I'm not exactly excited for another Swimsuit game. The car next to the studio betrays that a number of them should already be inside. Still, it's no reason to turn down this game. Although we didn't encounter any before, they now seem to make an appearance in every game. So that would mean it doesn't matter if we skip this arena, because we'll probably run into them again at our mandatory game tomorrow.

'Let's do it,' I say, tearing my eyes away from the poster and facing the entrance. 'At least now we're assured of a spot in the arena.' Who says it won't be full tomorrow when we arrive? If we fail to play a game when our visas expire, we will get a laser beam through our heads. We've already done too many things and sacrificed too many lives to prevent that.

When Soran and I enter the lobby of the studio together, we already see about six participants. The stack of cell phones indicate that we can play this game with up to twenty players, but we can't know whether that means something good or not. At first I want to ignore the Suits, but then I notice that three of them are whispering to each other and the last one keeps a distance from them. With his dotted swimsuit on he's bored, leaning against the wall, as if the presence of the other Swimsuits doesn't interest him much.

Soran and I also stand against the wall and continue the usual judging of the others. I don't stop and watch to see how they find me, because I don't care. With my eyes fixed on the four different symbols on my phone, I see the timer counting down out of the corner of my eye. Players have fifteen minutes left to register for this game. I almost go into a trance when I look at the dancing numbers, but then Soran pulls me out of it. 'Are you following us?' he suddenly says.

I look up and see Yuki standing by the table with a cell phone in his hands. When his name is called, laughter is being heard from the trio of murmuring Swimsuits. 'No way, you're still alive?' the boy in the neon green swimsuit says, laughing. The fact that his pants are so bright doesn't make Yuki look pained when he looks at him. The two know each other and have a history together. Without saying a word, Yuki steps away from the table and waits on the side-line for the game to begin.

After everything we've been through, it feels stupid not to even give each other a nod. I start to walk over to him, but Soran puts his hand on my arm and gently shakes his head. Since we met him, Soran has been acting weird about him, while neither of us have seen him before. So far he has never betrayed us and besides, we haven't even started yet. I can talk to whoever I want. I shake Soran's hand off me and step over to Yuki. 'Hey,' I tell him. Surprised, he looks up at me and nods at me briefly. 'Hey.'

I wonder what he's been up to the last few days and if he has played another game, but I'm not asking. He doesn't either. I can't figure out what he thinks about seeing us here again, because he doesn't show what he feels. Still, a slight annoyance shoots through his eyes when Neonsuit starts to whistle. 'So, Yuk, do you have a girlfriend? How cute.' When there is no response, he goes even further. 'You haven't told her what kind of nerd you are in real life, have you? Of course not, then she will run away from you immediately.'

I have always been very allergic to bullies. It doesn't even occur to me that I shouldn't say anything, because who I've always been takes over from me. 'I'm not that difficult,' I reply, looking straight at the boy. 'As long as he never puts on bright green pants that hurt my eyes, I'm fine.' All Swimsuits, even Dotsuit that keeps his distance, start laughing out loud. 'See?! I'm not the only one who thinks they're horrible pants!' the girl exclaims. Not that her panther pants are much better, but I won't say anything about that. Neonsuit narrows his eyes and gives me an annoyed look, but he decides not to say anything about it.