It had been two days and the King of Diamonds was still there, almost to mock at me.
The depression came and went and my appetite was significantly diminished. I never left the flat, and let Ann and Kuina fetch the supplies.
I sat down on the floor in front of the large living room's windows and looked at the horizon, my mind blank and unaware of what was happening around me.
I couldn't even tell if it was day or night.
"Jen!" Kuina yelled, entering the apartment, followed by Ann who began to empty the bags of supplies.
I made a barely perceptible sound, to let her know I'd heard her.
Kuina sat across from me. "Jen, I know you're not okay, but acting like that doesn't do any good, so try to recover and get back to the way you were before! We need you!"
"Plus, we have a surprise." Ann said, all satisfied, and pulled out what appeared to be a camping stove. "Tonight we'll have a hot meal!"
I didn't care about eating, but my stomach thought otherwise and it started grumbling loudly.
"See!" Kuina said. "Your body is asking you to come out of hibernation."
I kept staring at the horizon, but at the same time I also began to feel the hunger creeping up inside me.
"Chishiya would come here to feed you, if he was here." Kuina looked at me, waiting for my reaction.
That joke made me laugh and slowly the corners of my mouth lifted; it was strange to hear my laughter.
"She's back then!" Ann exclaimed, as she was packing things for dinner.
"Maybe." I said with a half smile.
"I missed you." Kuina smiled at me too. "Getting depressed is not good for the soul." She then got up and went to get something from the bags.
She came back with two chocolates. "Here."
I took it and started unwrapping it, then we both savored the sweet and reassuring taste that only chocolate can give.
"It's good for serotonin." Kuina's mouth was full. "It won't be like kissing Chishiya, but it should be close to it. Not that I know what it's like to kiss him and ew! I don't even wanna know!"
I burst out laughing and Kuina and Ann joined me.
"Yes, it's kinda close." I joked.
I got up and went to Ann, Kuina was right behind me.
"So, you and Chishiya have been together for a while." Ann said. "You know, I hadn't noticed anything at the Beach."
"Well..."
Kuina didn't let me finish. "They were great at hiding it, although when they were alone they weren't that great." She winked at me.
"Kuina!" I scolded her, smiling.
"Surely, you were better than Arisu and Usagi." Ann confirmed. "Who knows where they are..."
"They're fine. The others are all fine. And we need to stop worrying and start thinking about what to do when the Visas expires." Kuina opened a packet of edamame.
"You're right." Ann grabbed a pot from a shelf in the kitchen, then emptied into it the contents of two cans of chicken and vegetable noodles and half a bottle of water.
"I can't believe we're going to eat a hot dish!" Kuina got more excited than me when I arrived at the Beach and Chishiya took me to the canteen.
I held back a laugh.
"Back to us," Ann continued as she stirred the noodles. "The Queen of Spades fell yesterday, so-"
"Really?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes, and I really don't know how you didn't notice it." Kuina glared at me.
"I wasn't at my top, okay?" I told her, stealing her some edamame.
"There remains the King and Queen of Hearts, the King of Diamonds and the bloody King of Spades." Ann ended the speech.
"Assuming Chishiya will go to the King of Diamonds, we have to choose Hearts or Spades." Kuina mused aloud.
"Hearts are very risky." Ann said. "But the King of Spades isn't a piece of cake either."
"We still have five days; let's wait and see what happens." I said, resting my elbows on the kitchen counter.
"Yes, I think it's the best choice, as well as the most logical." Ann turned the spoon one last time in the pot, while an inviting scent wafted through the air.
"Is it ready?!" Kuina asked impatiently. "I'm starving!"
Shortly after, we were all sitting at the table in the living room, enjoying our steaming noodles.
None of us spoke until the bowls were empty.
"That was very good." Kuina said, satisfied. "But, it's not over yet."
"Did you burglarize the supermarket?" I joked, as Kuina went to the bags again and returned with what looked like small breads.
"What are they?" I asked, curious.
"I'll pretend you didn't ask me that question." Kuina placed them in the middle of the table.
"They're melonpan." Ann answered, taking one. "Typical Japanese sweets. Halfway between sweet rolls and a croissant."
I took one and tasted it; in fact, the taste was just that. "It reminds me a lot of the pan-brioches I tasted when I went to Italy."
"Tasty, huh?" Kuina also took one and bit into it. "They could also be filled, but we haven't found the creams for the filling."
"They're very nice even this way." I said, taking another one.
"Oh, now I recognize you!" Kuina smiled.
We spent the evening chatting and eating melonpans. It must have been very late when we finally decided to go to sleep, because the sky was dark blue and the stars were shining, giving assistance to the moon, which was only a small "C" that night.
I slept well that night, I even had a dream that I forgot the moment I opened my eyes.
The following morning, we decided to move out of the center and take a walk in the woods, to see if we could find the others. We didn't find them, but on the other hand we found a stream and so we took the opportunity to take a bath, and being among girls it was much less embarrassing.
When we went back, it was already almost evening and to our great surprise, we saw the King of Hearts blimp burst into flames and crash.
"Another's out!" Kuina shouted.
"Shh." Ann scolded her. "There's no point in getting noticed."
"Right, sorry."
I shook my head and smiled; Kuina hadn't changed at all. Even though we were only a few blocks away from the King of Spades, she never missed an opportunity to vent her enthusiasm.
"Only three cards left." I said as I looked up at the sky.
"We are getting closer to the end of this hell." Ann added.
"I just hope that there really is an end, and that somehow the assholes who set this up will send us home." Kuina said.
"There's only one way to find out, unfortunately." Ann opened the door and the three of us walked into the entrance hall of our flat, then started going up the stairs to reach the second last floor.
"Today's walk destroyed me." Kuina sagged on the sofa.
"Well, at least we were able to take a bath." I joked, joining her on the sofa.
"Yes, indeed that was worth the walk. God, I miss the shower!" Kuina raised her hands in an exaggerated gesture.
Ann and I burst out laughing.
"We still have some biscuits, dried fruit or candies. What do you prefer?" Ann went into the kitchen and opened the cupboard.
"Biscuits." Kuina and I answered.
Shortly after, we were eating and the routine that had arisen in those days seemed strange to me and normal at the same time.
I remembered when I was in our Tokyo, and I spent my days between the set and my apartment, where apart from a few days off, the only things I saw were many green screens, realistic sets built inside the studios and the walls of my tiny flat. I had lived in Tokyo for more than two years and only then, realized that I had actually seen little or nothing; the things I had read in books or tourist guides were more than what I had actually seen with my own eyes.
"I think we should go to the King of Spades." Ann said, putting an end to my flow of thoughts.
"It's the closest one and the Queen of Hearts is a little further away, but I have a feeling that everyone will go to the King and try to defeat him together."
"Surely that's what Arisu and Usagi would do." Kuina agreed.
"Then it's settled. We'll go there." I said.
"Perfect, then." Ann got up. "Now, I think I'll go to sleep because I'm exhausted too."
"Same." Kuina said.
"Night girls." I headed to my room.
I tossed and turned in bed many times before I was able to fall asleep.
The next morning we woke up very late, judging by the position of the sun.
"I still have sore muscles." Kuina complained.
I was quite well; although it took me longer than usual to fall asleep, I woke up refreshed and fit that morning.
"I'm going to the terrace to get some air."
"All right." Kuina told me; Ann must have still been in her room.
I climbed the stairs and reached the roof. The sun was hot and a light breeze ruffled my braid. I took off my beloved black hoodie and stayed with the t-shirt. My pale skin thanked me for that sudden dose of vitamin D.
I closed my eyes and stayed silent, listening to the sound of the wind.
After about ten minutes, I heard a bang in the distance. My heart started pounding in fear and my eyes widened.
I walked to the railing and scanned the horizon: the King of Diamonds was burning. Adrenaline invaded my veins and replaced the blood. I ran down the stairs, skipping steps and nearly fell down.
"He's out!" I yelled, entering the apartment. "The King of Diamonds has fallen!"
Then, I put on my hoodie again and went to my room to get my backpack, after throwing whatever I could use into it.
"Really?" Ann asked.
"When?" Kuina was looking at me.
"Just now." I replied with the backpack already on my shoulders and ready to go out.
"Wait." Kuina stopped me. "Where are you going?"
"Kuina, I have to go to him. I have to see if he's okay." I looked into her eyes. "None of us is 100% sure it was Chishiya who defeated the King, so I have to go and see. I can't stay here."
"I know." She told me, then she hugged me. "Be careful."
"If I'm not back here tonight, I'll see you tomorrow at the King of Spades and we put an end to this story, okay?" I said, looking from her to Ann.
"You can count on it." Ann answered me.
"Agreed." Kuina smiled at me.
"We'll see each other soon." I winked at her, then turned and walked away.
I knew we'd meet again this time, so I wasn't worried about them. It was Chishiya that worried me. Was he still alive? Was really him who defeated the King of Diamonds? Whatever the answer was, I had to have it, I'd waited long enough.
I ran as if I was in a speed race, my sneakers almost making smoke on the asphalt.
The distance was getting shorter and shorter, until I found myself in front of what remained of the King of Diamonds blimp, which was on the ground, completely destroyed and was still burning.
I looked around but didn't see anyone, so I started running around, with anxiety and fear taking over.
"Chishiya!" I screamed in despair. "Chishiya!"
Then my body gave in to terror, terror that we'd been wrong and that he wasn't all right at all, that he was already...no I couldn't think of it. My legs gave out and I found myself on my knees, tears in my eyes and my mind a jumble of thoughts I couldn't sort out.
"Jen." I heard a voice. His voice. Maybe I was imagining it...but then why did it seem so close to me?
"Jen, is that you?"
I looked up and saw a fuzzy white hoodie beyond my tears, that still were blurring my vision.
"Chishiya?"
"Jen, you're alive." Chishiya also knelt down and his eyes were watery too, although he wasn't crying.
*Alexa play Different by Joshua Bassett* (min 1.33-end)
Then he hugged me, and I sank into his arms.
"I thought I'd never see you again, that the King of Spades had found you and that you..." He told me, while he held me close.
"No, I'm still here." I squeezed him tight too. "And you too."
We hugged for a long time, without speaking.
Our hearts slowly found each other and began to beat in the same rhythm. Life itself was back, and it brought together the dark world of fear and sadness, to the clear one of light and happiness. Our world, which when we were together, also took on all the colours of the rainbow.
Slowly we stood up, hands intertwined. We hugged again and this time, when we pulled away a little, it were our lips that joined and looked for each other in a desperate kiss.
When they parted, we rested our foreheads against each other for a few minutes.
"I had given up on my life in that Game, but Kuzuryu decided mine was worth more than his in the end." Chishiya said, looking into my eyes.
"What? And who's Kuzuryu?"
"He was the number 2 at the Beach."
"What do you mean you gave up on your life? Did you give up?" I asked him surprised.
"Jen, I thought you were dead and my life without you is not worth living."
That sentence didn't even need an answer, so I kissed him.
"I love you." I told him as soon as we pulled away.
"I love you too and from now on we won't ever be apart, okay?" He smiled at me.
"That's fine with me." I returned his smile.
*Alexa stop*
Then, hand in hand, as if to make sure neither of us was going anywhere without the other, we started walking.
"Did you find any of the others?" He asked me.
"Kuina and Ann. We attended the Queen of Clubs together. We agreed that we'd meet tonight or tomorrow at the King of Spades."
"I'd say we go tomorrow then." He looked at me. "I'm tired, that Game really made me think too much."
"Really?" I smiled at him.
"Yes, but now that you're here I have a great distraction." And he kissed me, catching me off guard.
"Hey, hey!" I placed a finger on his lips. "Didn't you say you were tired?"
"Yeah, well, not that tired." He gave me a smirk, then we both laughed.
We found another flat, close to where we were and not too far from the one where I had been until a few hours before.
After eating a packet of biscuits, we lay on the bed and talked for a long time.
"And so it was you who took down the Queen of Diamonds." He told me satisfied.
"Well, you took down the King and the Jack." I smiled at him.
"True. I have to say we really are a team of brainies, as Kuina would say."
I laughed. "It seems so." Then I turned serious. "Even I was giving up on life during that Game." And I remembered how that Game of logic had seemed impossible to me and how I wanted to give up. "But then I thought about the friends I've met and about you, and that gave me the strength to keep going."
"Splitting us up was a bad idea." Chishiya said.
"Yes, and it was all your fault."
"Can you ever forgive me?" He looked into my eyes.
"Maybe." And I smiled at him.
Chishiya came closer and kissed me. "And now?"
"No, I still have my doubts."
He laughed, then he gave me another kiss, longer and more passionate this time.
"Now?" He gave me a smirk too.
"Yes, now I think I can forgive you." I returned the smirk.
Then, he put his arms around me and I curled up on his chest, and we fell asleep, uncertain about the future but glad to be reunited in the present.
Don't tell me I'm the only one who's dancing with joy because these two have found each other again, right? 😂
Well, they will now be able to count on each other, whatever it's gonna happen....
See you on Sunday Players ;)