The Game (Neku x Reader)

Chapter 4

"Shut up."

"You know, you are like Neku in more ways than one," Joshua chuckled. "Although, getting to the point, you did well for your first, true week of Conductor. It's not a complicated job, unless an Emergency Call happens to be summoned, which makes my life just perfect."

"Where were you anyway when that was called anyway? I thought you would've had it covered or would be keeping the UG safe, but Mr. Kitaniji thought it was being threatened."

Joshua paused for a moment, glancing upwards before his violet eyes trailed off to the side. "Hm? I wasn't here as I had other business to attend to."

"Being reborn?" Joshua snorted at my answer.

"Sure, whatever makes you happy." No matter how much I were to press for answers from Joshua, I knew I would get none.

"Anyways, are the Game's usually like this? Because nothing really happened, except for the fact that one of the current Reaper Officer's is a snobby brat whose ego is going to be the death of him," I said as I sat down on the couch. This Reaper Officer was going to be the Game Master at the next Reapers' Game according to Joshua, and his ego was way higher than his I.Q. would ever be. His favorite hobby was trying to get underneath my skin which he usually succeeded in, not that I was going to let him know that, of course. It was like a mini Joshua, only worse.

"Sounds familiar," Joshua said, pulling out his orange flip phone and typing away at it before putting it back in his pocket. "And to answer your question, it varies. Minamimoto knew how to heat up a Game, that's for sure." Minamimoto referred to the Game Master on Neku's second week who neglected to give out missions, report to the Conductor, and acted solely on his own. A whooping zero for teamwork and to be honest, I was perfectly fine when he told all Reapers to keep their hands off of the Players. Less work for me.

"Then, is there anything else you need me for? I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do after this," I said, unsure of what Joshua was scheming inside of his head as his eyes held a thoughtful look in them.

"Well, I don't care. I didn't know I had to choose your life for you. You did your job as Conductor for an official Reapers' Game so I think that deserves a reward though. You can go hang out with your friends until I call for you."

"Reward? Friends? Sure, I'll go and do that." I turned on my heel and outside of Dead God's Pad, fully aware of the pair of eyes that were watching my figure disappear from their vision. What did Joshua want anyway? He's treating me like some kind of dog and in no way, was I anything like Mr. Kitaniji, sucking up to the Composer, viewing him as some almighty god. I sighed and pulled out my own phone, sending a quick message to Koki to see what he was up to. It took a minute for him to respond, but he did so, saying he was at the usual place on top of 104.

"You seem like you had a blast as the Conductor," Koki said, swirling around his lollipop in his fingers as he would any other day.

"Oh sure, it's so fun being the Conductor when I never wanted to be it in the first place," I said, rolling my eyes in the process. It was boring and slightly exhausting when returning Entry Fees

"But you accepted anyway," Uzuki said, smoothing out her pink hair.

"Not willingly, might I add," I muttered, crossing my arms as I looked at the crowds of Shibuya, my breath hitching in my throat as I noticed one person that stood out in the crowd with a vibrant shade of orange, spiky hair. Neku was still with the friends he made in the Game and was smiling. Even from far above them, I could see Shiki grasp his hand as Neku's face flushed a light pink as she drug him inside 104 to the shops, most likely. Shiki always had a thing for fashion and trying to get Neku into the latest trend. It felt like a knife had pierced my chest as a bubbling feeling welled up in my stomach as I watched Neku and Shiki together.

Stop that! What am I thinking? I should be happy for them, right?

"Oi," Koki said, gaining some of my attention, "something wrong with Sakuraba down there?"

My mouth twisted downwards into a frown, before quickly retreating into a neutral state. "He's fine. He's with his friends."

Koki had sighed and opened his mouth to speak again. I, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with this conversation, as it was a touchy subject to bring up about me and Neku. "And you don't seem very happy."

I stayed silent, hoping that Joshua would call or text me to come and see him to get whatever reward he had mentioned before just so I didn't have to talk about this with Koki and Uzuki. The reward that Joshua was offering was probably going to be something ridiculous that I would never agree with or want. Seeing how Joshua was an enigma, it could be anything and that thought send a shiver down my spine.

I wasn't sure how long I had spent just watching where Neku had once entered the shopping center until he walked out, holding a couple bags of what I assumed was clothing as Shiki linked her arm with his, bringing him far out of my sight.

"I wouldn't let him get to you," Uzuki said. "Besides, he came to me and Kariya when we used the O-pins and instead of Erasing us, left us unconscious, and then left just like that after the Game. He comes into people's lives and then disappears from them."

"But you didn't know him like I did. I don't think you understand how I feel, watching a familiar face seem to look at me with no recognition whatsoever, even if I never met him face to face during the Game. It's as if he completely forgot about me," I said, turning my head away from Koki and Uzuki so she couldn't see my eyes water. I blinked back the tears as I recalled the times where Neku would wait for me to get out of my class and walk me home. These memories brought up painful ones as well. The day of my death was in a couple days, which was going to officially mark the third year since I had died and became a Reaper. Since it was so close, I had been saying (mostly to myself) that it was the third year I had been away from Neku.

I could remember that day clearly in my mind as it was basically engraved into my memory as if to torment me as Neku's cheerful face twisted with one of horror from the other side of the street as I only realized the car coming at me last minute and the harsh and forceful impact of the vehicle before my body was thrown to the ground like a rag doll, my skull pounding and aching from the street. As soon as my head made contact with the ground, the last thing I remember was Neku running up to me, shouting words I couldn't hear, as I lost consciousness, and instead of waking up in the hospital, I woke up in the Scramble Crossing with a timer engraved onto my hand, being one of the last people to wake up. Although, later during that Game, I had found out the driver was drunk and had injured one other person before hitting me. The look on Neku's face from that time haunted my mind and I couldn't help but think that I had traumatized him in some way or another. And it was on that day that I was meeting him at CAT's mural in Udagawa too, instead of us both going there together.

My phone buzzed from my pocket, and I took it out, making sure Koki and Uzuki were busy with their own conversation as I saw it was a text from the person I was awaiting one from.

'Meet me in Dead God's Pad. You have 15 minutes.'