╰┈➤ ❝ [PART WAYS] ❞
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Spoilers: Season 1 Episode 3
[Minor Changes]
House of Cards by BTS playing...
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
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"KARUBE..." You call out softly while you tend to Karube's new injury on the side, right above his leg - this was caused by the previous game you left Chishiya. You tend to Karube by putting some medicine then giving him some painkillers and wrapping his side up with a proper bandage you got from the infirmary of the mall just a while back, making sure you secured this tightly around his waist.
Karube hums and gives you a pat on the head, "Don't worry, I'm alright. You're doing good." He responds and you assume that was his response to the numerous and repeated apologies you mutter under your nose whenever you hear him wince.
But this time you're not sure if it will be like that any longer when you finally tell him that you're leaving in the fear of facing the hearts games. Since you left Chishiya, not only did Chishiya make its way back to your unlocked memories, disturbing your process of thoughts but so did the hearts game. Both couldn't stop your head from winding up.
You sigh and look up to meet his tired eyes, "That's not what I'm about to say..."
Karube hums and looks at you, confusion flashing in his eyes for a second before shifting into a more comfortable position for his now bandaged side. "Hm?" He hums in question as his hand makes its way to the top of your head so it can massage your scalp from thinking,
Since you left Chishiya, you've never been so quiet and Arisu had to tell Karube that you met the man you came back for - it seemed like the talk wasn't so good. So here Karube was, aiding you to comfort.
"About what that man said a while ago... Nitobe" You mention, remembering all the rules that creepy man revealed to you about the Borderland before he died (thankfully) by one of the seekers and it seemed like Karube caught up on who you were talking about after being clueless for a couple of seconds.
"Don't mind him... he had no respect for you at all but... but I know you probably didn't want him to die."
"It's not about that!" You interfere, a little bit agitated from how he can forget one thing that you should probably fear the most. Nitobe has explained it very clearly about it. How can Karube just forget about it? He says he will listen but it seems like he keeps forgetting about it. It frustrates you, only reminding you of the people who pass by you. Karube removed his hand from you quickly as you outburst yet he chose to keep calm,
"What is it?" He asks as his hand is now resting on his injury.
"It's about the games... especially the hearts game."
"We don't know what game we're playing until we enter the building... and so, we won't know if the game is a hearts game or not - And I don't want to betray any of you, I don't want to play the hearts game with any of you, Karube..."
Karube raises a brow, eyeing you a little suspiciously. "So where are you getting at with this? Who really knows? Maybe he could be lying."
You shake your head, "Karube, even if he did, he had more experience than all of us combined. He's been here longer than us. What makes you think that we shouldn't listen to him? - And what if it was true? Then we won't be able to turn our backs if the games force us to turn against each other. Think about it."
"I'm not risking that chance. I... I wanna leave, Karube. Karube, I think it's best if we all part ways"
Karube stares at you, not uttering a word, and just then he looks away with a frown, scoffing before a sarcastic smile is plastered on his face.
Worried about this reaction, you lean to him, "Karube?"
It has just been a few days - specifically three days since you befriended him along with the others and those three days turned into almost a week - this made you realize, you hit a week of 'friendship' with them including blazer-head but you only consider her a civilian and yet it still felt like Karube has already made a connection with you - and after a week of finding decent people, ones who treat you nicely, the friends you were desperately finding, you're just gonna leave?
Oh, how cruel the gods can be.
And considering the fact that this world must be filled between manipulative people and people who are either too clueless or too fearful to even stand on their legs in a world full of games to twist anyone to become who they are not in the first place, it's easily given that someone as considerate as Arisu and his friends is hard to find.
Karube continues to remain silent as he lets his thoughts consume his mind. Thoughts about what it'll happen if he wasn't by your side - the last time he did leave your side were just before he got injured, then after you almost died because of a selfish man who apparently claims that he cannot live without you.
Of course, Karube knew because you told him and Arisu on the way out of the game arena while tending to his injuries. And when you all left, you swear Karube was about to punch Chishiya when he saw the white jacket man waiting right out of the previous arena - Chishiya only wanted to look at you before he leaves only for Karube to yell at him, 'Fuck you!'.
Grinning at yesterday's memory, it's quite funny. Chishiya practically had to raise his middle finger at Karube because of it before he left, taking a last look at your smile at Karube - it only made Chishiya grudgeful towards your friends.
And throughout the days, Karube still didn't know who you truly were but can you really tell him?
He fumbled with his thumbs, his teeth rubbing the bottom part of his lip, and looked at you with a devastating look. He knew what you meant, and he was starting to understand but, "What about Arisu? How about Chota? - If we all separate in our ways... I'm scared I might not see them again..."
You frown. You expected this response and you have to completely understand him given the fact of how much he loves his friends and how hard he's trying to protect them to the point he even lost a fair amount of blood from the attacker last game. Of course, you won't just expect him to accept the idea of leaving the friends he once protected.
Karube softly smiles and clutches the bandage on his stomach as he thinks of his two friends, "It was back in high school when we first met... Arisu was a loner, he wasn't liked that much - And for Chota, he was so religious and spiritual, he was being made fun of for it. - Well, the two were bullied back then..."
His breath hitched as his eyes sparkled in awe at the memory of his younger self when the days weren't too problematic like he was experiencing right now. They get to fool around. And Karube knew that you were just a very kind stranger but he wanted you to know that you deserved to know him before he finally makes his decision.
And all you can do is just listen as you rub your thumb around his knuckles as he talks.
"Someone had to stop those bastards - so, I came in, beat those people up... After that, I.. I just couldn't leave them alone the minute we became friends - At first, I thought I would only stick around because I don't want anyone like them to be messed with... I mean, have you seen them try and defend themselves?" He chuckles and shakes his head before looking back at you with a solemn look yet with a smile that made you smile back, a look that spoke a lot of meanings as he says,
"I ended up actually liking them, I learned that they weren't so bad afterall - and I couldn't... really ask for more until I met my girlfriend..." Your smile faltered immediately, you knew then where this was heading when you have never even seen a girl when you first saw them.
He sighs and looks away, "She... - I was supposed to propose to her." He says as he digs his hand into his pocket just to reveal a velvet box which you assumed was where the ring was and that was when you feel yourself tearing up, gasping at the sight. It was just not fair to Karube.
You wished you had pure love as they did.
"No matter how cool the guys can be ... She was the only one who was there by my side no matter what kind of douchebag I am. She tried to understand and be patient with me throughout... my impatient and irrational self..."
"She taught me a lot of things..." He softly spoke as a tear finally welled up from his right eye, "She actually got me to... listen - like how you got me to listen to you. Call it women power but it's not usual that I listen to people if you can't tell already..." He chortles.
You softly chuckle with him as you retort, "No wonder why..." He laughs with you and looks at your hands intertwined with each other, holding them tight.
Why does the world always take your friends away?
"You wanna know why I'm telling you this out of the blue?"
You sob and you may have an idea why he was telling you this yet you didn't want this about you - or maybe you didn't want to hear it. You already know his decision from that question.You shake your head which resulted in Karube ruffling your head, he knew you were lying by the sight of a single teardrop
"Oh come on... I-I know you know it." He chuckles as another tear shows up but this time from his left eye while he continues to caress your hair. You bite your lip, feeling it quiver as you close your eyes to stop yourself from getting too emotional now,
"... It's because this is the only opportunity we can get to know each other before... we part our ways." You whisper and this gives Karube a proud smile, ruffling your hair once again.
"Well, what are you waiting for? It... It's your turn to tell me something about yourself."
You pull your hand away to wipe your tears away and there it is again. The greatest fear, the past, your family, it all came running around your head. Everything that you wished to remember as a good memory was now lost and all it filled was Chishiya, Niragi, and your family. You remain silent for another couple of seconds as you try and come up with which one to tell first...
He does not deserve to know who you are.
He does not deserve to trust the person who has hurt numerous people.
He does not need to hear who you truly were.
And even though Karube didn't know exactly what you went through, he can see in your expression that you didn't live to the fullest. He smiles down at you and pulls your hand to his, "You wanna talk about that Shuntaro guy first?"
You look up at him in shock, taken aback by how he knew who exactly was in your thoughts. You calm down and chuckle with him then his smile turns into a frown as he adds in, "Was he the guy who you studied nursing for?"
You stare for a little longer at the air before snapping yourself to answer your friend. You gave him a bitter smile, "Yeah - I... didn't have the happiest life nor do I expect anyone to have a happy life, it's just... I don't remember when I felt -." normal is the word in the tip of your tongue. Just say it Y/N. You never felt normal. "happy."
"My family... uhm - we weren't the poorest but we still had to live up to the Chishiya family, the family that one of my old... friends came from. His name is Chishiya Shuntaro..." From this information, Karube's eyes widened and he just had to interrupt you.
"Aren't they... like, one of the richest families? I remember being sent to their hospital one time."
Your breath hitched as you remembered your life with them and as much as you wanted to cry about your past, you were running out of time until the sun rose. There was no time to reminisce about such things. "Yeah... that's them."
"I-It has been a thing since... the past generations that the L/N family served the Chishiya family - Somewhere back in history, uhm... the L/N family were in debt and it ended up they put all of their respect to the Chishiya family after they helped us, though... we.. we became indebted and instead of remaining as mutual connections... we became their servants I guess."
"But that was back to that.. Uhm.. era - now in the modern day though, we're just basically... their workers? - I don't understand the relation between the two families but I do know both of my parents were working under them - they were practically high up their asses about the Chishiya family."
"It felt like I was only born for Chishiya because, at that time, they were trying to save their name by bringing me to their problems and have me connect with... Shuntaro. They set an arranged marriage between the two of us then when I was 17."
"Whenever I don't follow them, I'd be punished with negligence."
"Honey, how is your day in the Chishiya family? Are you friends with Shuntaro?"
"No... he doesn't want to be friends. He keeps avoiding me, but I really want to be his friend, ma!"
"Oh? Well, lunch won't be served then."
"What? Why?"
"You must've done something bad for Shuntaro to run away from you like that. And you're not telling me. So you don't get lunch. Simple."
"B-But... I didn't do anything."
" - I reached out to him even though he keeps pushing me away and that resulted in an interesting friendship until... he became interested in human behavior... and so, he'd try... and manipulate mine to go according to his... research."
"He always wants to be right. I guess you can say I was his guinea pig for his thesis- and he was so smart that he knew what my family was up to, I heard from my mother that he's the one who signed the marriage contract without even telling me...but... I didn't want to follow them. I just want to make friends, though I was looked down upon because I was friends with other people other than Chishiya..."
"So whenever I make a connection out of the Chishiya's... I would be punished with negligence - I lived up to their beauty standards so that I can fit in the marriage, they said I should look pretty all the time... I-"
Karube shushes you right ahead, thinking he has already heard enough - have you even noticed the wet substance dripping from your eyes? He already knows what you were about to say and had to stop you, you were already crying. How scary it was when you don't even recognize your own tears.
He may not know a lot about beauty but he knows some situations that people get themselves into when it comes to these - eating disorders. He pulls you to his chest and ponders with you, "And you've studied medicine for him?"
"Yeah-... I've given so much... I never even made that choice." You cry that you couldn't even complete a sentence without being inaudible as your tears flow again - now you can feel those tears - and you can't help but feel safe when you hide your face in Karube's chest. He holds you tighter.
"... I'm so sorry."
You sniff and pull yourself away from his chest just to giggle, "I-It's alright... No need to say sorry."
You two then continued to hold each other for a couple of moments as you watched the sky slowly change its colors - from dark to a bright orange coming from the sunrise -before Karube recalled another friend of yours. He looks at you before he softly asks, "Didn't - wasn't there a second friend? But then, you don't really like talking about him, eh?"
"Ah... I hope you forgot about him." You laugh and Karube was quick to decline,
"No, no, no! I-It's okay-." You wave his worries off with your hand and smile at him, "It's alright Karube, it's about time I need someone to talk to aside from my therapist."
"Anyways... this one, his name was Suguru Niragi.. And I don't know whether he's worse or can be manageable compared to Chishiya - At first... we were friends, but it was going well after Chishiya left for college... I thought I had a healthy friendship until... well,"
You shudder at the thoughts of Suguru's affection that it can somehow make you vomit right now, "he turned ... so obsessive."
"He wouldn't let me have my own space bubble. Sure, the boy was bullied - we both were - and I was probably his only friend at that time but... the people who I talked to other than him just started to ignore me after I introduced him to them... It was weird. At first, I thought it was because they were afraid of getting picked on by his bullies but..."
"They weren't like that before I introduced him to them. In fact... they wanted to get to know him in the first place and I thought it was weird... until it got disturbing when some people who I had a relationship with started to avoid me completely to the point they... were missing and some... changed schools."
"Then... I found out some people who I talk to along with Suguru... were just actually just his paid actors, going along the lines. It scared me because I didn't expect him to be related to any of their weird behaviors until I found out... he was basically paying delinquents or the Yakuza to take out the people I talk to if they weren't convinced enough by him..."
You frowned as you finally saw the sun's rays coming up yet you didn't feel like tearing up anymore. Instead, you looked aloof and drained which Karube took note of - You breathe in as you watch the scenery.
"And... the last time we talked... he considered everything as a part of my imagination... and proceeded to say he was only trying to protect me from those he knows are dangerous and shouldn't... be trusted."
Karube sighs, "I... I don't know why you bring yourself down for that, that is beyond of your control."
"Stupid, right?" You laugh.
Karube chuckles and disagrees by shaking his head, "you're being too selfless... If you continue being like that, you might end up twisted."
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"YOU'RE LEAVING US?" Chota asks, his voice weak and rasped and his eyebrows were furrowed like the others except for Karube who was just beside you - he already knew, and he was the one rubbing your shoulder which Arisu sees.
And as much as you hold yourself guilty for leaving like them disappointed, you knew you'd be more at fault if you were pressured to make a choice on who to save - if ever that was the rule of the hearts game. "I... Y-yeah, I, I just couldn't bear witnessing the chance of you getting... all hurt. I mean..." You turn to Karube who frowned at you but he snapped himself and instead teased you by pinching your ear, he didn't want to end this in such a sad leave.
"Then how... how - who is gonna tend us when we're hurt? You're the only one who knows this kind of stuff - if you can't tell." Shibuki mumbles the last part, pointing off to Karube's stomach and then at Chota's leg.
"I... I may have taught Karube some things or two about basic proper aiding - I.. I just don't want to be in the position where I am pressured to betray you all... it's a hearts game... it's too dangerous. We don't even get to know what game we play until it starts. And when we enter the arena, we are prohibited to leave."
"You only say that because you know you're gonna betray us.." Shibuki responds with a scoff, "And I thought you were better than that."
You stand there silent, only for Shibuki to give you a look of shame, "I'm too scared to know what the heart game is all about... but I'm pretty sure you'd be required to... I don't think the Borderland will care whether you didn't want or mean to do what you will have to do in the game."
"And... how would we know that you're safe..?" Arisu speaks up, his eyes holding the fear that Karube didn't want to admit.
"You don't, you just try your best to live for me... okay?"
Chota whimpers and slings himself to you in a hug.
╰┈➤ "I'll be missing our nurse..." - Chota Segawa
"Make space, you nerds." Karube laughs and cuddles up between you two as Chota laughs, the laugh you remembered when you first saw them, back when all of you were clueless. And that led to Arisu joining in with you three, laughing along with Chota, not minding how close his face was to yours. While Shibuki only watches.
But once you all pulled away, tears were evident in your eyes, and that only pulled Chota's heartstrings same goes for the other two. "Please... please stay safe and don't... don't be reckless, L/N." Karube smiles.
"It's Y/N to you. We're close now." You say and let out a giggle before going back into an emotional cluster, "And... don't be reckless - sometimes... you don't have the time to decide but remember.. your life is important and you have to live on when I don't show up anymore..." Your eyes wandered to Arisu who understood what you meant, feeling surprisingly comforted by it. To him, he felt your words should be a reminder for the future.
Your eyes then met Shibuki's and as much as you dislike blazer-head, you give a smile and mumble, "I'm giving you all my luck and I hope my heart game prediction is... wrong."
Karube looks off to Arisu who also shares a look with Chota.
"This time, your word will be kept." Karube says.
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"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND what this is... for? Is this part of a plan or something? A new recruit perhaps?" Kuina asks, her curiosity lingering around the unusual questions Chishiya just asked her which kind of bothers her. It's so out of the blue for Chishiya to ask her what girls like.
Chishiya sighs and shakes his head, "Not a recruit at all nor do I plan her to be." He shortly answers.
"Then why are you asking me what's the best gift for a girl then -" Catching a glimpse of a rather very cheap-looking hair tie - like it was made as DIY - around Chishiya's wrist, she points it out, "wait... that.. Hair tie." From that alone, her eyes widened once she had the slightest idea what this could mean,
"Damn, that hair tie looks cheap - but didn't you say something about a hair tie and Y/N? Is she finally here?"
Chishiya glances at her from the corner of his eye before looking away. The mere mention of your name can already make him feel slightly tingly inside yet he didn't even get to say a proper goodbye to you - he was rather annoyed by the way you two parted your own ways. He wanted you here by his side right now, not Kuina.
And from that rather annoyed look, Kuina can't help but gasp, "Oh my god! S-She's really here?! In the Borderlands - but how did this all happen?" Kuina asks, pointing at the hair tie.
Chishiya clicked his tongue, tusking at that question. He felt bothered but in the mixture of hurt. "It's a fallout."
Kuina had to got through a speedrun of surprise and excitement for a second until then as she realized, "How bad are you at talking exactly?" She questions and Chishiya just scoffs as he looks away even further.
And as much as he felt uncomfortable about the idea of having another person other than you knowing him to this extent - since he rather only be comfortable with you - he can't help but be at least slightly impressed at how much Kuina understood his body language in the past month knowing her despite him not talking a lot.
He actually considers himself lucky that she even joined in the plan even if she knew she was giving herself up for something that wasn't her own freedom for it was yours that he truly cared about and he will make it clear. She knew that the reason behind this whole planning was because of you - the only reason behind as to why Kuina joined in is because she realized how smart Chishiya truly is - but Chishiya made sure that it was clear that he will get back to you.
But now you're here, she's left with a couple more questions.
"So... what did you do? From the looks of that, it seems like she's upset with you." Kuina points at the hair tie Chishiya treasures around his wrist.
"I saved her."
"Sure you did - I'm pretty sure you pissed her off in the process of doing it. How did it go?"
"What do you think?" Chishiya questions back, deadpanning her, giving her a blank yet annoyed look. Kuina knew him by his tactics of survival and that was to get people to follow his orders and line up as his bridge to victory.
"You used her to win the game?!" Kuina misunderstands sadly.
"No! - " Chishiya raises his voice, clearly upset about that kind of misunderstood concept - come on, he hates reminiscing what he has done in the past - but he catches himself and he quiets down. " - Are you seriously an idiot?" He scoffs and looks away in disgust and disappointment. As if sacrificing you was an option, he will never consider it.
He leans back with a frustrated sigh, a reaction Kuina didn't expect to witness - the man was always calm and collected, he always knew what he was doing even if he was literally one second before dying. But in the end, he was still right and even won the game.
"It's not like that. She made a friend in the Borderlands, well... friends. And I can tell they have an experience or two about this world... It was pretty impressive that he found out the safe zone but he had Y/N with him so I'm guessing it was really Y/N who told him."
Kuina slightly gawks as soon as she gets an idea, "Did you kill him... i-is he dead?"
"No, he's not dead. In fact, he saved us."
"What?" Kuina dumbfoundedly asks the smaller man, "I thought you saved Y/N?"
"By shielding her from the gunman. Yes. I did."
Kuina sighs and puts her hands on her hips, "I have a feeling you aren't going into detail, as per usual."
Chishiya sighs and glances at her before rolling his eyes, "It was a game of tag and there were two taggers. One patrol inside and the other patrols building. We didn't expect the other one inside the safe room, so I-"
"Ah, now I see where this is going."
"I saved her. That's what is important, if I didn't pull her away, she could've been dead. It is the most reasonable thing to do at that time and I do not see what's wrong with that. She was being reckless."
"And so you left her friend with the gunman?"
"He was out of the way."Chishiya groans, rolling his eyes.
Kuina only sighs in disappointment, shaking her head, "I think it's her right to feel scared for her friend who you left with someone willing to kill him." As much as how Kuina thinks it's funny how Chishiya is acting like a girl who's asking for dating advice or advice for fixing a relationship, she had to remember who Chishiya is, and if a person gets in the way of what he wants, he would see them as a simple obstacle. At least that's what she sees in him in the games they've played.
"Well... now what are you gonna do?"
Chishiya's shoulders slumped, "Make it up to her, of course. She told me that if we ever meet again, I should just shut up."
"Oh.."
"And one thing that I know is that I gave her the directions to the Borderland already, sooner then, she will come. So I'm asking you what type of gifts girls like." He asks, eyeing the girl with a rather impatient glance.
"Didn't you say you were best friends-"
"Are best friends." Chishiya corrected nonchalantly.
Kuina smirked and apologized quietly, "doesn't seem like it now judging by the way she gave you that hair tie." She teases. Chishiya looks down at the accessory around his wrist and scoffs,
"It's just a stupid hair tie anyways. It's made out of hot glue - there's nothing special about it. This doesn't mean anything."
"What stupid hair tie?" A raspy and deep voice comes in which belongs to a man that Kuina feared the most - actually, everyone on the Beach fears this one man alone. Because of this man's voice, she tensed up quickly and refuses to even look at the gunman who interrupted their conversation.
Chishiya turns to the man and stares at him, hiding the hair tie by putting his hand into the pocket of his jacket, "How rude of you to interrupt a conversation, Niragi. May I even add a conversation that you're eavesdropping on? Could've at least said an 'excuse me' after eavesdropping."
This gunman introduced as Niragi tusks his pierced tongue with his inner cheek and finds the other man annoying as he raises his rifle, pointing directly under his chin yet Chishya still chose to stay silent and calm which irritated the delinquent. "Who knows, I'm only doing my duty. You know what happens to traitors."
"So eavesdropping on everyone's conversation is a must? Gossip girl much. Count me in."
Niragi rolls his eyes and pushes the blond back with his rifle, only for Kuina to react worried, "Not interested. But you act like you do have something that we all do not know of. It's annoying. Perhaps you want to be led to the panic room?" He giggles, smiling at the blond who only blinks so slowly.
Chishiya then smirks, "Aww, thanks for complimenting my cleverness. I knew you'd catch on. And please, I'm not into sex dungeons. Thanks for the offer though." Chishiya speaks, in a monotone way, irking the gunman. And as the gunman was about to pull the trigger of his rifle, aimed right at Chishiya's chin, one of the militants approach him,
"Niragi, you're needed." They sternly inform, pulling off the reckless tall man's attention from Chishiya's sleeve who smirked back at him.
"Go on, do your duty." Chishiya says as he waves his hands in a 'shooing' manner. With that, another win for Chishiya in this Tom-and-Jerry relationship once Niragi spits at his sleeve before leaving.
Chishiya then faces the girl beside him who felt at ease now Niragi was gone.
"Continue."
"You know, you could really be killed by him if you continue this."
Chishiya laughs, not believing that matters. "Oh? Well, he would have to be sent to the panic room with me. I'm an executive."
Kuina sighs, shaking her head in disbelief at this smaller man, "Uhm.. anyways, i-if you two were best friends... why don't you know what she likes?"
Back at it again, Chishiya formed a frown and he felt stupid once again, even embarrassed as he answers with such little confidence, "Because she was the only one interested back then."
"And were you..?"
"I didn't know I was until she disappeared."
House of Cards - True meaning of a relationship in life. With one touch of air, the cards collapse. This is a relationship with anything and anyone, not only lovers or couple.
EDITING PHASE II COMPLETE