Arcade Game | Chishiya x Reader ¹

28

Chishiya had walked out of the executive meeting with me in a silence ever so smug, it was almost as if he were aware of the presence following after us briskly.

"Excuse me! Uhm ... sorry, excuse me" The voice had said so suddenly I stopped in my footsteps, Chishiya mirrored my actions gracefully.

I turned to face the nervous voice, we had only walked down the hall and we were soon to mount the grand stairs in hopes of finding Kuina soon to discuss the cards collected today.

To delve and develop deeper into our plan soon to be completed with the arrival of Arisu.

I turned to the male behind me, Chishiya following my actions, I was surprised to see Arisu standing ahead of me.

He was dishevelled, but he had been since the moment he arrived to the beach, his eyes flickered over my face with urgency. "You played in a hearts game too?" He asked, it was so clear the painful realisation over his eyes that I had gone through the same thing.

I presumed his game was more terrifying, more emotional for not only was it a 7 of hearts but he seemed to still be haunted by it, when I participated in the the game I didn't know anyone there.

I pondered over the idea maybe he had known someone in the deathly hearts game.

Nodding I held his eyes, feeling Chishiya eye me too.

Strangely, it felt as if a lot were riding on the conversation.

It was almost the best opportunity to gain Arisu's trust... one of the few chances to drag him towards us and convince him to follow us despite the fact he was going to become a pawn for Chishiya's plan.

A victim to Chishiya's manipulation.

"Was it recently?" He asked.

I shook my head, wondering just why Chishiya hadn't kept up the persona that he wanted to protect me... I supposed Arisu was all all too suddenly more important than I had been to Chishiya.

Maybe his kind words to me were all bittersweet lies, maybe he never did care after all, those words he always reassured me with that had always begun the flutter of butterflies in my stomach were a facade to garner my trust because he obviously didn't care for me anymore... he just cared about Arisu , he cared about creating a new bond with the boy to reel him into trusting us.

"No" I replied, "It feels like it was though, I cant forget what happened"

"They at the worst games aren't they? Out of all the others right?" He asked quickly, anxiously, it was clear he was still somewhat new to the twisted borderland, he was desperate for the answer only I could tell him.

After all, I was the only other one he knew who took part in a Hearts game.

"Yeah... it's a game of betrayal, it plays not with strength or mental ability but the heart don't you think that's harsh?" I hummed, my words translating slowly into Arisu's mind as he looked at me curiously, he was a little hunched over suggesting in the past he was often sat by a computer.

I could identify that much about him... that was probably why he was so rash in games; he believed these jarring games were like his computer games.

He was awkward as he stood ahead of me, it was obvious he had run out of things to say but he was so desperate to talk to me... to relate to me and have someone who understood him.

Our experiences were most likely so painfully different that only he could relate to his own story.

"Were you the only one who made it out alive?" He questioned, his eyes flickered over Chishiya who had noticeably shuffled closer towards me... once again his prowling eyes were on me.

I couldn't understand if once again Chishiya was grazing his eyes over my features in the opportunity he had in the moment I spoke to someone other than him or if he were doing it to intimidate me to force out perfectly crafted answers created from my own fear that would amuse and comfort Arisu.

"No... there was another" I answered. "Were you the only one who made it out alive in your game?"

He nodded solemnly, for the first time his eyes fell from mine and instead focused to the ceiling above us painted some unusual white and tinted yellow colour, his eyes had been so unusually sad as he stared upwards it was almost as if he were hoping to see those who had died in his hearts game above him smiling from the stars or clouds blocked by the coping of the grand building we were inside. "Yeah... your game... it was different than mine then" and there was an awkward pause from him, it was as if he were trying to force the confidence to escape him and finally ask what was slipping through his mind relentlessly. "What did you have to do in your game?"

And said it... the thing he so obviously wanted to say for his shoulders relaxed, visibly he had looked more comforted too and less stressed.

"Is that too much?" Chishiya hummed suddenly, even I had been surprised with his noticeably recognisable voice, I looked towards him noting the look flickering behind his eyes. "Can you answer that? Or is it too much"

He had always been the one to protect me from those questions especially after his own pain, I always wondered why he got so defensive whenever the game I had participated in alone appeared in conversation but as I stared at him with curiosity I had finalised the reason.

It was because that day he was hurt too; seeing me in such a state, having to deal with me as I isolated myself simply because I was completely traumatised.  Knowing he couldn't help me Chishiya had been scarred by the game too but in a different way.

He had always been so defensive because he didn't want to remind himself of the painful memory of seeing me so tormented by it he harrowing memories of the hearts game.

That was my only guess, my hope in just why he had always seemed so saddened by the painful reminder.

But I presumed a different answer for my everlasting curiosity based around his emotions and reactions when it had come to my hearts game... after all, it seemed even his care for me wasn't as deep as I had predicted.

"It's alright" I muttered, shaking Chishiya off, he had stepped extremely close to me, his shoulder against my own. "It was merely to pick one sacrifice... but our sacrifice went on a killing rampage" I managed, chuckling softly in hopes of relieving the pain.

It had been an unfortunate coping mechanism of mine sometimes.

Arisu seemed surprised... but in that moment I was more surprised than he could ever be for someone had placed their arm around my shoulder.

Pulling me a little closer to them.

Chishiya... his hand over my shoulders protectively, "Shall we get going?" He hummed.

I nodded obediently, too dumbstruck with his unusual physical touch to go against him.

It made a certain heat rush to my cheeks, a sudden lightness in my body, the ever so familiar bliss of those butterflies that twinkled around my stomach.

"I'll see you around" I managed to Arisu who had nodded frantically, a small and accepting 'ah' falling from his lips as he stood awkwardly watching us turn away from him.

"You can let go of me now" I managed as we walked up the grand stairs but I had presumed - coming to the conclusion only moments ago - it was something Chishiya had wanted to do... to hold me close and guide me.... I never imagined he would do such a thing anyways, he never had been the affectionate type.

It was most likely to save us from Arisu as the conversation fell flat.

"I want to stay like this" Chishiya stated, to my thankfulness the halls were empty; I pondered over the idea though... if maybe someone had seen us just what would they think about us? what would they predict we were? "I like this" he finalised.

And I hoped in the moments silence as his hand draped over my shoulder he had cleared his ever so unique mind...

I had hoped that Chishiya finally decided maybe I was the most important person he had.