Black & White-English Version

11-The three cups

Before proceeding with the plan, Chishiya and I had to renew our Visas, which were due to expire that evening.

The other Arenas had been found and only the 10 of Hearts was missing, so we would be playing an "old" Game.

"Sooner or later everyone returns to an Arena they've been to before, if they're at the Beach." Chishiya told me.

"Speak for yourself, for me it's the first time."

"We'll be participating together, so you have nothing to worry about."

"Now, aren't you overestimating yourself?" I teased him.

He laughed. "I mean, I'll explain the Game to you before we get there and we'll do some practice."

I got up and started doing some stretching.

Chishiya looked at me puzzled, then he held back a laugh. "What are you doing?"

"I stretch." I answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You just told me we have to train."

Chishiya was laughing.

"What's so funny?" I stopped doing my exercises and looked at him.

"Sorry, I should have been a little more specific." Chishiya stopped laughing, but kept smiling. "The training we'll do, it's not going to be physical, but mental."

I did my maths and realized where he was headed.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to play a Game of Diamonds!" I sat on the bed next to him.

"I guessed they weren't your strongest point." He looked at me.

"So?" I looked at him too. "Is this some kind of joke? Because it ain't funny."

"You underestimate yourself. Your logic is perfectly capable of dealing with a Game of Diamonds." He told me. "It's also true that your way of thinking is a little different from mine, and that's why I find it very interesting."

"But Chishiya..."

"We'll train all afternoon and you'll see that there's nothing to worry about." He reassured me. "Also it's just a 2 of Diamonds, so the Game is relatively simple."

When he finished the sentence, I took the pillow and threw it at him.

"Ouch!" He protested. "And this why?"

"Because, you could have told me it was a 2!" I looked at him, feigning offense. "I thought you were going to drag me to another 7."

We both burst out laughing and I have to say that laughing with him, was a whole new thing.

"Plus, it's also a way to show you that you can really trust me." He looked into my eyes. "The thing I told Arisu about his unrealistic dream, wasn't the truth."

"I know."

We were enchanted to look at each other and without realizing it, our faces got closer. I roused myself from the spell. As much as I wanted what might have happened if I hadn't moved, now it wasn't the time. I had to focus on the next Game and only then, I could have reassessed the situation.

Chishiya cleared his throat as if he thought the same thing.

"Well, then." I said. "Explain to me this 2 of Diamonds."

"So, we'll need these first." He got up and walked to the desk; then he took three red paper cups and a ping pong ball and sat down on the floor. "Come here."

I sat opposite him.

"Wait, isn't this-"

"Yes, that's the Game." He interrupted me.