Her. (Chishiya Shuntaro)

17

Aika walked at the prison's hallway, surveying all the people who had been killed. The game had ended very quickly, and they were right to assume that the Jack of hearts was Banda's partner. Seeing all the dead body in each cell, Aika couldn't rejoice at the fact that they won. Afterall, would it really be winning if so many lives were lost? Even the young man they met who seem a little too pure hearted had taken his own life upon witnessing what people have done to each other when they were all driven to insanity.

She's beginning to think everything was pointless, and that even when there's a hypothetical end to everything, the people operating the games would always have the last laugh. For they have successfully stole countless of lives.

She felt Chishiya hold her hand, bursting her out of the thoughts that was trapping her. "What's wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head. "I just can't get used to this no matter what I do."

"It's because you're pure, Ai." He replied, cupping her cheeks and pressing his forehead to his. "But you don't have to change. You don't have to toughen up. You don't have to harden your heart." He assured. "I will take all the burden, okay?"

She only nodded, smiling sadly at him. "If in other games, we have the chance to save even one life, could we please do it?"

Chishiya nodded, pecking her lips in affirmation. "If that's what you want, even when I'm struggling to see the point, then let's do it."

"Thank you, Shun."

She gave him a tight embrace, gaining strength from his warmth. They were too different. He could handle witnessing deaths, and even had the capacity to see fun in those gruesome games. But she knows in her heart, both of them accepts and embraced each other entirely, and knowing that comforted her.

"Princess." Banda called out. He was a few feet away standing beside the man who called himself Yaba.

Aika could feel her boyfriend's grip on her hand tightening as Banda approached her.

"What is it, Banda?"

Again, Banda gave her a psychotic smirk, leaving her wondering what he could be thinking deep inside his twisted mind.

"I enjoyed the games we played together, thanks to you." He told her. Still, Aika couldn't figure out why he was saying those things.

"But I admit. You don't belong to this world. It's a shame that I wasn't able to break you, but I'm quite relieved I didn't. Those deaths, they were never your fault." Aika narrowed her eyes.

"Are you trying to comfort me again, Banda?" He only chuckled darkly.

"If that's what you think. But truly, if it's going back that you desire, I'll be rooting for you. Feel special Princess, because I'll clear games as much as I can to help you get out of here."

"Thank you?" Aika was confused of what was happening. She also didn't know what else to say. But she was relieved Banda is at least being willingly kind. "I guess you're planning to stay in this world?" Banda nodded.

"The only thing waiting for me in the real world is death anyway."

"Take care of her, Smarty-pants." He told Chishiya and then waved goodbye.

Chishiya only silently stared with a smirk as the young man waved goodbye. He then looks at her, a playful smile painted on his face. "You managed to turn a serial killer who killed four women on your side? I'm impressed." He teased.

"Don't be jealous." She teased back, quickly pecking his lips. "I only have eyes for the most beautiful man in the world."

"I know." He whispered, pecking her lips back. "I'm sorry if sometimes I get really jealous."

Aika chuckled. "Don't worry, I love every part of you, that includes your jealous side. I even turned a blind eye on you burning all the letters sent to my locker during med school."

"Alright, I may have over acted a bit back then. I'm sorry for that too."

"It's fine, I was never planning to read them anyway, I just wished you didn't do something that could have harmed the ozone layer."

"Right, you're my adorable little environmentalist. I'm sorry about that too then. Since I apologized, can I take you home now?" She chuckled at his request.

"Let's go home."

—

Upon reaching their apartment, Chishiya promised her a warm bath. To do that he had to fetch another load of gasoline so they could heat up the water they collected from the rain.

However, Aika began getting worried when he didn't come back after several hours.

She decided to go out alone in the middle of the night and find him. It took her a while but she had soon found him cornered by a man that is threatening him with a gun. His hand arm grazed with a bullet and Aika has never been so afraid in her entire life.

"I'm so tired of this world." The man vented as if he was losing his mind. "Say? Won't you die? If you do, I'll feel a little bit comforted knowing I still have power left."

"So you've gotten mad huh? If you gain validation only by killing without any reason, maybe you're not as powerful as you think you are. Do you know what happens to people like you?" Chishiya taunted. "You die soon."

The man had lost his cool and couldn't bear the weight of Chishiya's words. Perhaps the man has been through a lot, and couldn't cope with the shock of witnessing deaths just like her. The only difference between him and her was that she managed to harden her heart before it was too late.

The man was about to pull the trigger and shoot Chishiya on the forehead, but Aika's katana slashing his head was a lot quicker than his finger pressing the trigger.

Chishiya watched with his eyes wide as the man's head dropped on the floor, and soon after his body too. He then watched as her Fiancé trembled and gripped hard on her sword. Some of the blood splattered on her face and clothes, making her a beautiful mess. He gazed unto her eyes, and was worried that it had lost its glimmer.

"I couldn't stand deaths. I was broken and torn into pieces by the thought that I had killed people by winning games." She said, her voice trembled and her eyes felt dull. "But to keep you safe, I don't mind being a murderer."

"Ai..."

"I don't regret it, Shun." She said with a broken smile. "I don't..." she repeated as she had broken down and bursted into tears.

He quickly embrace her tightly, caressing the back of her head. "Shhh.." he comforted. "It's alright, you're alright."

"I would do it over and over again, Shun. Over and over again. Are you disappointed?"

"Shh...I'll never be disappointed in you." He assured, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead and then tightly embracing her again. "You're perfect. You will always be to me no matter what you do."