「 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 」- 𝙻. 𝙻𝚊𝚠𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚝 𝚡 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚅𝙸𝙸𝙸 - 𝙲𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚣𝚊

H.H.S.A Guidebook for New Inhabitants
Originally published  in 803 A.D by V. Atticus
Edition 34
__________

8. There are many eternal destinations besides 'Heaven' and 'Hell'. Very few are damned to hell, and most are simply reincarnated.

__________

☥ ☥ ☥

[ L - Day 11 A.D. ]

I woke up for the second time trapped in Ryuzaki's arms, fighting the urge to scream. Sunlight shot in my eyes and I frantically wriggled out of his clutches, half-blind. I fell to the floor, crushing a beer can with my pelvis, and swore loudly. Petrified, I swung my head wildly to the sleeping beast above me. I thought all the commotion would wake him up, but to my surprise he remained fast asleep.

Was it the alcohol? I kept watching him as he continued to sleep peacefully, lips parted.

Well, I've really gone and done it this time, haven't I? Waking up in bed with him once was bad, but twice? It's becoming a habit. For a moment there, I was consumed by an overwhelming urge to bludgeon myself with a brick. Ugh.

Slowly I got to my feet, grumbling to myself. I grabbed my pack of Newports from my bedside table and tiptoed over to the balcony, trying to open the sliding glass door without making noise. A bitter blast of cold air hit me upon opening, so I grabbed a blanket strewn on the ground and wrapped it over my shoulders before stepping outside into the thick fog. Hastily I lit a cigarette and then sat down and curled up into the corner, teeth chattering. My head was still throbbing from last night's drink.

I remember thinking to myself, god, if only I could escape this place a start a new life somewhere far away from any more gangly, long-haired Japanese men hellbent on making my life more difficult than it has to be.

Speaking of which. X.
Fucking prick. That man has an astonishingly high alcohol tolerance — I've seen him consume enough liquor to kill a small animal and not so much as blink. I bit down on my cigarette filter, scowling. No, having Ryuzaki take me to my room last night was entirely premeditated. What was with that loon, trying to get me hitched with that ridiculous, spiky-haired freak?

I have to give him credit, though. He knew to get us drunk before setting us up because god knows I can never feel at ease with that man without a few glasses of wine in me.

The tip of my cigarette crackled as I inhaled, the nicotine stinging the back of my throat as it passed into my lungs. I thought back to last night, trying to recall the conversation I'd had with X.

I'd told him I wanted to write a memoir. What a profoundly stupid idea. Who would ever read such a thing? Well... actually, a lot of people would want to read it if it was about L. The thought put a frown on my face.

"Of course it's all about L." I grumbled.
"...What's all about me?"

I looked up to see Ryuzaki standing behind the doorway, looking down at me quizzically.

"....Nothing." I muttered, my voice hoarse I was so used to being snuck up on that I was past the point of surprise. "Did I wake you up when I was getting out of bed?"
"No, I smelled the smoke. You forgot to close the door."
"Oh. Sorry."
"I didn't know you smoked." He remarked, eyeing my cigarette with distaste. "That's a bad habit to have. No one likes kissing someone who tastes like an ashtray."

"You don't have to worry about that." I scoffed, blowing out a large cloud of smoke up at his face just to spite him. "What, is this a dealbreaker for you?"
"It's not, but expect me to complain."
"Mm, shame..." I murmured, tossing the cigarette butt over the balcony and rifling through my jacket pocket to get another. Just to be spiteful, I looked him dead in the eye as I lit it. He shook his head and smiled, betraying a sort of gentleness I hadn't seen on him. I eyed him warily as he came over and sat down next to me, unbothered.