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I wasn't as surprised as I should have been when Chishiya had managed to gamble with the feelings of the executive members and manipulate Hatter to get us wristbands that were higher up in ranking and also spots as executives.

That was how Chishiya was; he could control the outcome of situations he was placed in but it was different when it was me.

I knew how he was.

Cars were the way that the mildly filled beach's  - the place of rebirth and hope - occupants were transported to the games.

And Chishiya and I had been extremely scared with the loud ringing of the bell that surrounded the interior of the beach, yet, upon the rapid footsteps and loud shouting of people screaming "it's time for the games!" We had quickly identified just what was going on.

I looked towards Chishiya nervously, "I'm scared" I whispered, obviously I didn't want to play another game after the near death experience Chishiya and I experienced and the deaths of the innocent surrounding us ... In reality I was in complete denial of the fact that I would have to partake in another game.

Chishiya grunted as he sat up from my bed, he shuffled to place a hand on my knee, his hands warm, large, and surprisingly encouraging. "Y/n, I promise, you'll be fine"

I smiled gently, relieved. "Ok... and you'll be with me? Right?"

He nodded, placing his hand in my hair and ruffling it up. "Obviously!"

We'd stepped out of my room and towards the atrium glancing at the crowd that had formed there - there were a lot more people than I had expected there to be.

"Come on y/n" Chishiya muttered, grabbing my wrist and leading me into the flood of people.

It was hard to squeeze through the closely knit and extremely excitable audience, which I found surprisingly perplexing, incongruous almost due to the fact a lathe proportion of them were soon to be sent off to their death. Their skins brushed against mine, their voices in my ears and I could make out the strange excitement as they speculated the games they would be playing, alcohol plundered the smell of the empty air like a disease that had plagued the atmosphere.

"Have you both collected your number??" A boy said to us as we squeezed through crowds without a clear destination. He'd jumped infront of us; almost as if he knew we were newcomers.

"Number?" I whispered, confusion ate at my voice and I could feel it eating at my body too. The unfamiliarity of this situation was surprising, even if I had been so lucky to be in the beach within a day of being trapped here I couldn't imagine just why the celebration around this place was so large.

The world we were now placed in was deadly, deplorable and sadistic and they were so happy.

"Here" He said and he handed us both a folded piece of paper. "Get in the car with your number on it, you'll go to the game" Said the brown haired boy, his face was slim and his eyes a dark brown.

I had thanked him quickly as I held the paper tightly, suddenly engrossed in the quick paced manner that things were happening in.

Hatter, and his executives, had found themselves once again neatly standing together. Hatter stood closest to the balcony, his smile never wavering, his grand exterior and dazzling attitude still staining him.

"My comrades!!" He called, the cheers still followed but had stopped immediately once he slid his hand across in the air. He was like a God amongst the crowd and he almost reminded me of Chishiya as he had manipulated so many people but Hatter done it so they could follow his twisted hierarchy where only he would be successful; he gave such false hope to those standing before him. "Tonight you will all reign victorious in your games! We will survive! We shall live! And we will stand united and beat the games! Let's play!!"

The cheers rung out again; louder this time and a large chunk of the crowd had parted to what I could presume to be the exit towards the cars.

"What number are you?" Chishiya asked, and he glanced towards me as people rushed past us, he made sure I was close even if our bodies jolted a little as someone had brushed past us.

I scurried to open the paper, my skin brushing over the soft material before stroking over the number wrote messily on the small slip of paper, "2" I read aloud and I had looked up at him with fear starting in my stomach as I read his features, understanding the look behind his eyes. "You're not the same number as me... are you?"

"I'm number 4" he admitted, and he looked somewhat nervous now. "Let's go, y/n, no one has to know that we're not the same number"

I glanced nervously at him, "MhM, let's do that"

"That's not a good idea! Because now I know!" Called an annoyingly familiar voice, conveniently he had appeared once again in an unwanted situation. "Y/n" he called as he smiled smugly, peering over my shoulder, "I'm in car 2 aswell, let's go together"

"Brilliant" I whispered slowly, my voice presenting nothing more than dismay at being stuck by Niragi's side for an hour or so in a death game. It couldn't have got anyone worse; even if I wanted to know Niragi more now just to help solidify the plan Chishiya and I had created I still couldn't find myself accepting I was stuck with him.

"Let's go, I'll lead the way" Niragi winked, and his black hair danced with him upon his smooth movements , jumping between Chishiya and I just to stand ahead and usher us to follow him.

Chishiya and I reunited our shoulders as we followed after him in the excitement that enveloped the halls, our movements were fast we we kept up with Niragi. We'd almost had a VIP pass through the beach as anyone who was standing ahead of Niragi had immediately cowered and moved aside to create a path for him.

Once again I'd been reunited with the cold air which was quite dreadful - I'd reminded myself that summer was soon though.... I wondered if I'd survive until then - and found myself looking around at the cars plastered outside. Numbers spray painted on the side, people crowding around to cheer for those leaving and those who were going off to play were seated in cars smiling.

The complete celebration had left me in a trance, their happiness was such an unusual thing to be portraying with the idea that half of the people leaving might not even come back.

"Y/n, let's go" Niragi said quickly, I'd flicked my eyes towards him nervously. "The games are starting"

I nodded quickly, looking back to Chishiya.

"Y/n" Chishiya said lightly and I found that he'd clambered towards me closer than ever, his hands were shaking a little as he grabbed my hands and held our intertwined hands between us tightly. "Never thought I'd say this, but stick by Niragi's side"  He whispered.

I nodded - I trusted him.

I wondered why his opinion on the boy had changed so perfunctorily, so rapidly, but rather than saying anything I looked at his overwrought eyes.

His hands fiddled with mine, a nervous interaction. "You have to survive, okay? You need to live" he said clearly as his eyes swirled with seriousness, "Live y/n, do it for me"

"MhM" I said softly and I held his eyes, "You'll live too?"

Chishiya let out a soft laugh as he nodded, I was sure his eyes glossed over at that moment as if tears formed in his eyes. "Of course I will, now go! Go win this game and I'll see you soon"

"I will see you soon" I said firmly and Chishiya had dropped my hands allowing Niragi to wrap an arm around my shoulder.

Niragi had led me towards the car marked with the number assigned to us, and I glanced back towards Chishiya in a fleeting moment and swore to myself that I had seen him touch over his face as he turned to my own car and I wondered was he crying or was it a figment of my imagination?

A part of me desperately wished he felt so much sympathy for me that he'd do something as out of character as crying... but I knew it was an illusioned vision created by my own kind mind desperate for more attention from Chishiya.

"You'll be safe with me babe" Niragi said, indicating that I sit in the back with him filled with another nervous male - I'd noticed then that the car I was getting inside held the other male Niragi was friends with, the man with tattoos staining his face.

Just how did I end up here?

And just why didn't Chishiya put up an argument to go with me?

Arcade Game | Chishiya x Reader ¹Where stories live. Discover now