Two of Hearts || Suguru Niragi

f o u r

I wished I could shower.

Sighing, I pulled off my clothes and swimsuit and went to the bathroom. My mom always kept baby wipes in the bathroom, and I grabbed the container and pulled s few out, thankful they weren't completely dried out. I have my body a quick rub down before putting the wipes away, switching it out with a few alcohol swabs. Wiping my face down stung and I cursed, using my hand to fan the lashes dry. I couldn't do much about my hair without water, so pulled it into a crunchy ponytail. Going to my dresser, I pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of black shorts to pull over my undergarments.

It was nice wearing my actual clothes again.

I stepped out my room a minute later, going into the kitchen to find something to eat. Rummaging through the cabinets, I pulled out a few canned items and jammed the can opener into them, my stomach growling. It had been over a day since I had last eaten anything and hadn't realized how hungry I was till that moment, eating random bits of fruits and sides until I felt full.

I left my apartment an hour later. Was it foolish to say I had grown bored sitting there alone, given the current situation? Maybe is Sakiko or Kyo or Rin were around, it'd be different. If Niragi was here — I couldn't stop thinking about if he made it out alive or not — things would be different. But I was alone, and it was a boredom I had never experienced.

Outside held a new eerie air. Either the tension from The Beach's downfall followed me, or if it came from the expansive shadow falling over the street and my apartment building. I looked up and stared at a metallic-sheened blimp, below it a large image of the Queen of Diamonds. I couldn't help but stare with my mouth agape.

A face card? I hazily remembered Kyo talking about the face cards and how no one had ever found one. Staring up at it, watching the blimp float gently to the left of my apartment, it felt off putting to watch. The card shifted gently in the breeze, the Queens elegant face disappearing for a moment.

I considered it for a moment. Did I really want to go to a face card game alone? Considering the number cards were ranked my difficulty, that would put Queen at the second to hardest. My lips pursed in thought. I had only played three games, all of which I had passed by myself — even if Seeker and Witch Hunt had other people with me. No matter what game I went to, I would be alone. Niragi was gone, much like Kyo, Sakiko, and Rin. Even if I went to the game and other players were there, I, still, would be alone.

I began my pace to follow the card.

The blimp hovered over a school, and I stopped just outside. There was no table with a phone or bracelet. There was nothing but a door slightly ajar. Cautiously, I entered.

I walked through the silent hall until I found another ajar door. Pulling it open, I stepped into a classroom that had only one table in the center, two chairs across from each other, and one person sitting in the chair. Her short hair was parted down the middle and fell just by her cheekbones, getting long enough in the back touch her collar when she looked up.

The door shut behind me and I stared back at the woman. "Welcome, welcome. Have a seat — the games about to begin." She smiled at me gently through her small glasses. I looked behind me at the door, then at the seat. It was just us? "Don't waste time, come on."

I looked back up at her and furrowed my brow. "It's just us?" I asked, walking up to the chair timidly. Her eyes scanned me and I looked down at the black board, realizing it was a screen.

"It is!" She sat up straighter, looking me in the eye. "I've been waiting for someone, but no one seemed to of had the courage to play against Queen of Diamonds. Perhaps they felt too incompetent. But you walked right on in. Very good. We're playing Sudoko," she said monotonously, leaning forward to look at the board. "Have you ever played, or do I need to give you the rundown?"