Hope Always Dies Last | Chishiya [English]

How can we dance when our world is changing?

I knew the song playing through the speakers all too well. It used to be my mother's favorite song.

The time has come

To say fair′s fair

To pay the rent

To pay our share

I moved a little to get at least some movement in my body. Yes, I remembered how I had been dancing to this song with my mother. We were hipping around our apartment, singing, dancing and laughing until the neighbors knocked on our door to complain.

Beds Are Burning really was a song that contained happy memories.

The music stopped abruptly, and I stood stock still. With my luck, I had just caught a more comfortable pose that was easy to hold.

30 seconds run now!

Not a peep could be heard, I assumed that none of us would go this round. Maybe nobody would die at all. After all, it was an ace of spades game. It was the easiest difficulty level available.

30 seconds are up!

18 minutes and 2 seconds remain!

The music started up again and I shifted to explore the room a little while my arms and legs wobbled. I really had to look like a dying swan.

On the walls were photos of dance groups who were smiling for the camera. They looked really happy. How nice it must be to be able to dance in this room without any pressure...

The music stopped and I paused.

30 seconds run now!

Someone gave a startled squeak and the next moment I heard a laser shoot someone in the head. Someone had died, I hadn't expected that.

30 seconds are up!

16 minutes and 43 seconds remain!

How can we dance

When our earth is turning?

How do we sleep

While our beds are burning?

The lyrics fitted the situation shockingly well.

How could I dance when the world around me was changing so much?

According to the dictionary, 'dancing' meant so many things: It could be a ritual, a custom, a performing arts genre, a job, a sport, a form of therapy, a type of social interaction, but also an expression of feelings.

The music stopped again, and I held my breath.

30 seconds run now!

One should not underestimate an Ace of Spades game. It might sound easy, but the more I played, the more I understood that it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

30 seconds are up!

13 minutes and 20 seconds remain!

A new song began, but I didn't know it. It was more of a party themed one, normally it should invoke a happy feeling. But I felt rather the opposite: It stimulated disgust and discomfort in me. I didn't like hearing the song, I didn't want to hear any music!

I didn't want this place to have a nice touch! It wasn't beautiful!

I tripped when a stranger bumped into me. I was about to swear in protest when the music stopped.

It stopped... And I fell.

Two hands grabbed my collar, and I froze in mid-air.

30 seconds run now!

Who held me? Why did they save me? "Are you tired of life?", the voice whispered softly, it could hardly be understood because it was so indistinct. I knew who it was.

It only raised more questions. Why was Niragi holding me now? Why did he risk, he knew that I could take him with me to my death? "It wasn't my fault," I cursed, not moving my lips, "I got pushed!" Why was I even trying to justify myself? I wanted to have as little to do with the guy as possible!

30 seconds are up!

9 minutes and 51 seconds remain!

He let go of me and I stumbled forward roughly. I didn't complain, after all he had just saved me from the laser.

Just the thought weighed heavily in my memory. It would keep me busy for several hours, I was sure of that.

Again and again, I noticed his eyes on me, he seemed to want to pierce me with his gaze. He seemed to know something I didn't know; I was about to guess that much. Why else would he want to save a creature as inconspicuous as me? I wouldn't have thought of him as a life saver.

He was more the one from who one had to save people from. His rifle alone gave all the indications.

30 seconds run now!

I heard a dull noise. Then the whirring sounded, the next moment the laser shot out of the sky. Another person was dead, now it was two. I guessed zero deaths at the beginning... I must have miscalculated a bit.

30 seconds are up!

4 minutes and 11 seconds remain!

It was almost over. With a little luck there were only three laps left until the end was reached.

I couldn't wait for it to finally be over.

---------------------------------

One more day that I didn't need to play.

There hadn't even been a card.

I dropped onto the back seat next to the two girls and took a deep breath. Niragi got behind the wheel with a grin and I felt him giving me a quick look before turning on the engine and driving towards the beach.

A lot had happened in the last two laps. Summary: The guy who pushed me was now dead. He had stumbled into his death, to put it nicely. Who was the trigger? Of course, it had been Niragi.

I hated having that realization. But what should I do about it now? It wouldn't get me any further to fiddle around now. Now I just wanted to go to bed.

The hotel came into view fairly quick; I momentarily had a rough idea of ​​which part of Tokyo this place was in. The building itself also looked familiar to me; it was the Seaside Hotel where the high guests used to enjoy themselves. Average earners like us would never have had the chance to even set foot in this hotel.

How sad the world was, right?

I looked out the window as we drove down the long driveway and a soft groan escaped my lips as Niragi parked the car with a bang. I hurried to get out of the car and practically ran to the main entrance, only to finally blend in with the crowd.

I spotted a familiar figure slipping through a door about a hundred feet in front of me.

Since I still had unanswered questions, I squeezed through the crowd before finally scurrying through the door as well.

Now all I had to do was to find her at this large pool area.

Damn, I just felt like I'd landed in high society!

Way too full...