Alice in Borderland ~ Chishiya

49 - ♥J

This door doesn't have a door handle either, but I can now easily push it open and get out of the small room. I get a headache when I look to my left and notice that there's a wall about a few meters away from me. It doesn't match what I had in mind, because the other hallway had seemed longer. Since we're playing this game with twenty people, I assume that the other ten players are on the other side of the wall.

I see five players coming out of their rooms. Except for one person, they all have some sort of restless blur in their eyes. I'm sure they went through the same thing as I did when they were locked in that room and had to wait for the game to start. My gaze falls on the only boy who doesn't look like that. Our eyes meet and we recognize each other immediately.

'Hey,' he says, taking a step towards me. 'Hey,' I say back. I don't remember his name, but this is the boy I saw for the first time five days ago. I wonder if he has any trouble with his muscles, too, but he doesn't show anything. That's how I behave myself.

The other four players look at us cautiously, probably because they notice that we know each other and they're afraid that we have good contact with each other. We played the queen of spades together, but we're definitely not friends. We look at each other questioningly, probably because we both wonder where the other's buddy has gone. I'm trying not to think about Raiden.

I look through the dull space and see a single door. I suppress a sigh. What's it with those grey walls and doors?

'All players should make their way to the treatment room,' I hear the computer voice say. Fine, then we'll do that. I take another look back and notice that the other four players are still in their rooms. 'Come on,' I say after opening the door of the first and stepping into the doorway, 'the game's starting.' I see everyone except the boy I recognize looking at me cautiously. 'You're looking forward to it,' one of them mumbles.

I don't feel like explaining to him that we don't know what the game will be like yet. Maybe there's a reason that we're separated from each other and we're probably in two groups of ten right now. It's a hearts game, so chances are we'll have to screw each other over, but maybe we're one group against the other. If the latter is the case, I prefer that we all get up and ready to participate. And I don't want to come into that room looking like a bunch of weaklings. I don't want the other group to think so easily about us. Or is that smart? I don't know.

Eventually, the other four come out. I try my best not to look at a girl for too long, but I notice that she has been crying. She came out of the first room, which probably means she spent the longest time alone in that room. It makes sense that she freaked out on it, because I was doing that too, but that's of no use to her now.

'Come on,' I say again, before crossing the room and heading for the door. I look back for a moment and notice that except for the boy I recognize, no one has walked out. I suppress a sigh and roll my eyes. The boy I played the queen of spades with looks at me. 'Ronin,' he says. I know he meant his name. Did he realize I haven't remembered it? 'Kimora,' I say, to which he nods. Of course he remembers my name. I was the girl who almost gave up. What does he think of me? I look at him closely and notice that he's looking at me a little cautiously, as if he thinks of me as a great opponent. Then, I realize that I was also the girl who climbed the climbing wall with that backpack on her back.

Without saying anything else, I open the door and continue to the next room. Ronin follows me. Immediately ten pairs of eyes look our way, but mine are really drawn to the silver-blonde-haired boy.

My heart pauses for a moment. I knew he was going to be on his way to the hearts, too, but I wasn't prepared to see Chishiya in this game.

I have to make sure that I survive again, whoever I have to let die for it.