Hope Always Dies Last | Chishiya [English]

The moment where life hits you

I knew it wasn't my fault, but his statement still struck me. It opened my eyes once more, showing me that I could trust him... and not my thoughts.

Do you know this saying? Where someone says there's a certain moment where life hits you? No? Well, I hadn't really known it before either, but now I experienced it firsthand.

I hadn't done anything wrong; it's not my fault.

"You have to get out of the beach," Shuntaro said as I sat down on the couch in his room. I looked at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean?" my voice was weak now, if he hadn't been standing so close to me, he probably wouldn't have heard it at all.

"You know what I mean," he sat down across from me and gave me a piercing look, "You are aware that there is no longer any guarantee that you will remain in control." I lowered my gaze. Sure... Aguni showed me this night that he turned his back on me and I was still pissed about it. I had just thought that I had developed a closer relationship with my cousin, but in the end it hadn't been true.

"You do know that I die when I leave the Beach, don't you?" Surprisingly, there was more strength in my voice this time, I brushed a strand of hair from my forehead that had slipped out of my braid during the attack.

"I'm aware of that, but you're thinking too complicated," he leaned back and studied me, wrinkles were forming on my forehead. Too complicated? Well, you're talking in riddles, Shuntaro, and I'm not able to answer them right now. " My hands were still shaking, my throat hurt, and my temples were throbbing. I'm sure I'd have a headache in a few hours.

"We're going to play together tomorrow night," he said. "No one will notice us, Niragi and Aguni are with Hatter." I was beginning to understand what he was getting at. "You don't mean-" I gulped, "We can't do that!" "Why not?", he wanted to know at the same time, and I looked at him dumbfounded. "What if someone spots me? Meets me at games?" I asked him and he sighed softly. "Don't worry about that, Neiru. For now, it's important that you get out of sight. Niragi must have more up his sleeve, and next time I might not be around to play your hero in shining armor ", he cleared his throat, "Please. It would make things a lot easier if you went with me."

"Shuntaro," I buried my face in my hands, the headache was really coming now, "I can't just play dead! Then what about you guys?" He smiled slightly. "We'll follow, I promise. Three or four nights, then we'll be with you again," he put his hands in his pockets, "our plan won't take any longer." I looked at him. "Why can't I just wait that long?" I wanted to know. "Then I could get away from here with you guys."

"No way."

He sounded serious and I winced a little. "Why not?", the question remained unanswered for the time being, he seemed to shy away from telling me at all. "Chishiya Shuntaro," he looked up when I used his full name. "The military plays an active role, you would be a traitor," he finally said, and I let out a mock laugh. "As if I wasn't already a traitor," I replied boldly and he grinned slightly, but quickly became serious again. "Please Neiru, do me a favor. Things can get out of hand so quickly and you would be the first to be affected," I sighed softly and then thought about it.

I trusted him.

He wouldn't let me down.

"Okay. But only if you promise you won't let me down," I said, and he nodded. With that, it was settled: I would unofficially die in the next game.

I yawned slightly and stood up. "I'll be right back; may I use your bathroom for a moment?" I didn't wait for his answer and disappeared into the said room before closing the door behind me. My first step was to the sink, where I splashed cold water on my face again. I then undid my braid and let my hair dangle loose. I didn't care how messy it was, I just wanted to sleep.

When I came back into the room, Chishiya was busy working on something. Did I really want to know what he was building there? I don't think so.

I threw myself on his bed and closed my eyes. A sigh escaped my lips as I snuggled into one of the pillows. It smelled freshly washed, he had changed the sheets.

"Headache?" Shuntaro wanted to know from the coffee table, and I nodded slightly. My brain was already shutting itself down.

"I'll turn off the light off in a moment, don't worry," I heard him murmur and a warm feeling spread in my stomach.

He thought of me and my well-being...

"Mmh, take your time", I replied quietly, "The light doesn't bother me." He laughed softly. "I'm aware of that, Neiru, but in that case the light rays react as stimuli that, in the worst case, increase your pain," he explained, and I sat up again briefly. A question came to my mind, and I had a strong will for an answer.

"Say, Shuntaro, what were you in the real world? I had never asked you about it..." My eyes scanned him as he looked at me. His grin returned and he raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought you figured it out already," was he just teasing me? I just didn't have the strength to reply to that.

"Please don't ask me another riddle," I asked him, "just say it." He got up and moved towards me. "Only if you tell me what you did", counter-question, a classic move. "I thought you were so smart and figured it out on your own," I teased too, and he held up his hands. "Touché, I'm still between two possible answers, you didn't give me much input to differentiate," he defended himself, and this time it was me who raised the eyebrows.

"What are you thinking?" I asked and he pushed a strand of hair out of his face while he also fell onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. An atypical moment that I was just allowed to experience. It made me so incredibly happy, made me forget what I had experienced a few minutes ago.

"You're either in the military or the police," he replied to my surprise, and I smiled slightly. "Not bad, Mr. I-know-it-all. The latter is almost correct. I'm currently in my dual studies to become an official in the protected police," I turned in his direction, "Now you."

"Mmh, don't you have any idea at all?" he wanted to know, and I thought about it again.

He was smart, loved puzzles, had helped me with wound care... wait a minute!

"Don't say you're a medic," my eyes widened slightly, and I saw a smile creep onto his lips again. "Positive, Neiru. I'm a doctor," he turned in my direction, "I'm practically in the middle of my studies."

I swallowed lightly. Why did I find that kinda hot?

"I can practically see what you're thinking, Neiru. Don't get any weird ideas," he teased, and I slapped his shoulder. "You said that now," I murmured, "Not me."

He grumbled softly and I closed my eyes after all, as tiredness announced itself again. A blanket was laid over me, I felt him push another strand of hair out of my face before the blackness surrounded me again.