How Long is Forever [COMPLETED]

Hollow

It is fine the way it is. He gave her an ultimatum, and she made her decision. At least she finally was able to decide for herself. And yet...

The moment tears start to stream down her reddened cheeks, Chishiya expects her to stumble into his arms and cling to him like she used to. He is sure she will apologize, like she often does even in situations where she can't be blamed at all, and that she will try to convince him to go back to the caravan, but in the end she will wait at the game's entrance for him to get out again like the stubborn woman she is. It is more than surprising when she simply steps into the rain, her hair and clothes completely soaked within a single moment.

Chishiya sighs, a noise that is drowned by the rain around him. It has barely stopped for days now, something that is more than unnerving to him. At least it turns out that the shop right next to him has a choice of umbrellas, and after rummaging through pink hearts and bright yellow smileys, Chishiya eventually finds one made out of plain and transparent plastic.

He would have taken any umbrella as long as it helped him stay dry in the rain, but he probably will never understand why people find it amusing to carry around childish umbrellas with colors so bright it even hurts the eye. The plain one is still ugly for sure, but its only purpose is to be useful anyway.

Heavy rain drops noisily cover the plastic above his head as Chishiya steps out into the open. He throws a quick glance towards the direction where the stubborn woman has left off, but she is nowhere to be seen.

Good. At least she was smart enough to not expect him to follow her, since the game is his priority now. The walk has been pleasant with the sun and the comfortable silence, but as soon as he had caught sight of the Diamonds blimp, Chishiya had directed them here with this end in mind.

Why has she been so surprised after all? They had been brought here into this world to play games, and Chishiya is clever enough to clear all of them with ease. He is not afraid to die in one of them the slightest, and even if he does – what difference would that make?

For a long time, he wasn't exactly eager to return to the real world. Though there might be a reason now, it is not enough to keep him away from proving his intelligence to the rest of this cruel and very interesting world.

But it's alright. She has never been able to stay away from him that long anyway, and Chishiya is sure that she'll wait inside the caravan once he has cleared the Jack of Diamonds. At least she is smart enough to find the way back to the caravan on her own, and he sighs at the thought of her ramblings that are certainly to come. That he's a jackass, that he has been rude and apathetic, and that she's waiting for his apology. Which Chishiya won't give, since he was not wrong in the first place, but eventually she will kiss him and say that she loves him.

She has said that so many times now – in the nights shortly before she fell asleep, and as soon as she woke up in the morning, sometimes after just staring at him for minutes. It was annoying at first but soon became a part of their daily routine, and Chishiya has to admit to himself with shaking head that he ends up enjoying the sound of those words coming out of her mouth.

No, there is no way she'd just leave like that. She will come back to get things straight, but maybe she will take her time so he can enjoy a bit of silence before she returns to the caravan.

Chishiya likes to be alone, after all. This is exactly what he has missed during his time at the Beach, and he has never known anything different since his childhood. He has always been on his own and found strength in it. This hollowness has been a huge part of him as far as he can remember; why does it feel so cold now? Has there always been the slight ache inside his chest?