chocolate h o n e y☆

‘I should go prepare for that date now,’ thought Haruka as she smiled. There wasn’t really much to prepare except for money, but just in case NGP decided to attack, which Haruka was certain they will, she prepared weapons and the pocket watch that let her transform. 

“Ahh, what a pain to have to worry about these things,” muttered Haruka, slinging the small backpack over her shoulder. She swiped her hair back and placed a finger on her earpiece, speaking in a quiet but clear voice. 

The head researcher agent pushed up his glasses solemnly, glancing at her. “It’s possible, unless they manage to get their hands on the real one. Then they won’t need you and Kudo.”

Haruna sighed, running her hands through her hair. She knew that while it was essential that the real memory wiper not fall into the NGP’s hands, she also didn’t want her and Kuduu to be captured again and locked up in that horrible building. Not to mention, she thought with a frown, they won’t fall for the same trick again. A little click in her earpiece knocked her out of her thoughts, and she heard Kuduu’s voice on the other side. “Oh please, I’ve been ready,” she giggled softly, grabbing her bag and pocket watch. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

It was scaring her.

“There’s no need to worry,” she said to herself, in attempt to calm herself down. “Harunan’s with me, anyway…! I’ll just have to enjoy this date like nothing has happened for the past few days.” That alone was more than enough to reassure the boyish girl, however she did not realise that Haruna had heard her. Haruna was giggling to herself, but before she could throw another teasing remark, Haruka quickly intervened.

“Ah, mou! You heard nothing! Let’s just go!” she exclaimed, stubbornly looking away as she stuffed her hands in her pockets before making her way out of the building with Haruna trotting beside her. “So… To Harajuku, right? Guess we’re going to eat crepes first.” Haruka scratched the back of her head, now actually feeling nervous about their date.

Kuduu huffed, and together they trotted on towards Harajuku. Linking her arm through Kuduu’s, they settled inside a crepe shop and began eating quietly.

Haruna’s mind was half filled with the next things to do for their date—she hadn’t gone to an arcade in such a long time, she thought—but also was on the lookout for any NGP agents. Haruna ran a hand through her now curly brunette hair.

Grasping Ayaka’s hand tightly, Haruna lies still until she can hear her friend’s breathing settle, indicating that she’s fallen asleep. For a moment she revisits all her senses again: her eyes stare up at the night sky, her ears listen in on their breaths, she feels Ayaka’s warm hand in her own, and the smell of the ocean calms her heart with its salty and watery scent. 

There was still one thing left, one thing that reminds her of the feeling of being alive—taste. But she lays there and thinks of her memories, of her whole life that was, is, and could have been. She thinks of her best friend beside her, and all the smiles and laughs they shared today. She thinks of everyone else in the game, dead and alive, who was forced to go through all of it at the hands of a madman.

But somehow…it’s familiar. The feeling of grasping onto her life for the last time, and it’s strange and unwelcoming and it makes her feel restless. But she somehow feels that this time around, she’s lucky, because she’s with her friend, and someone who she cares about. Glancing over at Ayaka’s sleeping figure, she hopes that she can get through this, and maybe…maybe accomplish what she never could.

With her free hand, she slowly reaches into Ayaka’s bag and finds what she was looking for: a small brown bottle, with a faint and rusted looking label that she can hardly read in the darkness. Setting that down beside her, she silently stashes what is little in her backpack into Ayaka’s. When she grabs hold of the machete, she gulps, a thought crossing her mind—but no, she knows that it’s not the most formidable weapon for killing. So she places it into the backpack as well and lays back down.

Opening up the poison, she looks back at her friend again. It seemed wrong to do this without saying goodbye. But she couldn’t bear to look at her friend while she was awake and do this to her face. No, it was better like this. So she plopped off the cap, and held up the bottle in a silent cheer. ‘Cheers to this game,’ she thinks in her head. ‘Bottoms up.’

In a gulp, she downs the bottle, screws the cap back on, and tosses it into the backpack. If she remembered anything from her classes, she knew it wasn’t long before the poison kicked in. “Ah, but you were always the smarter one, weren’t you Ayacho,” she whispers breathily as she slowly turns to face her sleeping friend. A small smile appears on her face and she closes her eyes.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll catch some fish, all we have to do is believe. I watched this on a travel show once, it was very insightful.” Demonstrating, Haruna holds out her branch and sticks it into the water. As she pulls it out, the only thing caught on her branch is a piece of seaweed. She sweats nervously and rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. “Well, I guess I’m not that great at fishing either...”

As the two continue to have fun, the sun sets, and soon it is dark. If she had to guess, it was barely six o’clock in the evening. Begrudgingly, and placing their catch inside their bags, they settle to a soft patch of grass next to a tree and lie down side by side. 

Rolling over to face her friend, Haruna can barely see Ayaka’s form in the dark. She reaches out and pulls her in for a hug, knowing that the fun is over and remembering the real reason why they were here. “Maybe...we should get some rest for an hour or two, and when we wake up we can decide what to do then,” she whispers. Discreetly, she eyes Ayaka’s slightly open backpack next to her and she takes a deep breath. 

​@ayachobravo

Haruna panted as she dropped her stuff onto the dirt patch and collapsed on the ground. She had been walking nonstop almost all the way across the island, trying to find an empty area for her to settle down in. She had decided to stay close to the ocean, the edge of the island, in order to replenish her water supply.

Washing up on the shore, she had a dreaded feeling that she was not alone. Haruna begged silently that it was not a friend of hers–that would make this so much harder. Her mind quickly scanned the taken few who she briefly saw back at the warehouse, the few familiar faces that popped up in her mind staring at her in the face.

Gathering up her things, she quickly tried to brush herself off– until she heard a branch crack behind her. She froze in her place. It almost seemed like the temperature dropped around her, a chill going down her back. Was she going to be attacked? She didn’t know.

“Ayacho?”

Her voice squeaked, rusty after days of barely speaking. Her eyes widened at the girl in front of her, the usually long curly hair now frizzled, her face bare, the usual glint in her eye replaced with a weary look. Haruna felt an overwhelming amount of emotion and tried to hold back a sob.

She ran to Ayaka, embracing her in the tightest hug she had given her. She didn’t know what to feel; she was happy to see her best friend was alive, that she had not died yet in the hands of the game. But then dread came upon her as she realized that they were now on the same coordinate, and one of them would not be able to leave here alive.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she noticed how tired Ayaka looked and the slight growling of her stomach. Carefully, she pulled her towards the water and sat her down at the end of the beach. “How are you? Are you okay? I’m so glad to see you,” she said tearfully, pulling out her bag. She brought out some food that she had and offered it to her. She knew that feeling of hunger, and exhaustion, and she could see it in her friend’s expression. “I…I know we’re in this game right now. But the day has barely started and I haven’t seen you for so long. I missed you so much…”

Haruna Iikubo

Her co-worker, her partner, but most of all.. her best friend in the whole wide world. Whether it was during work, or after. Everyone always saw these two together. They would always hang out and talk silly things to one another. “Ha..Haruna?” She begins to sob as she returns the hug to Haruna. Thankfully, her first encounter with a player was someone she knew and trusted. A sense of relief and happiness hits her as she hugged Haruna more tightly. She then let’s go and sees Haruna covered in dirt, looking exhausted like she had not slept in days. Wiping her own tears away, Ayaka whimpers before getting her words out clearly. “Why.. why are you here? You idiot!! Now one of us has to die.” Realizing that, she cries again.

Looking down, she noticed their food supply going low and a small grin showed up on her face; it felt like she hadn’t smiled in a long time. “Ne, Ayacho,” she sang, getting up and brushing herself off. “Remember when we used to have fun around the mansion and come up with all the adventures we’d do?” She stretched out her hand towards Ayaka with a small twinkle in her eye. “We’re on an island, aren’t we? It’s almost like another adventure.”

Scanning the trees around her, she spied berries—coconuts—maybe there was some fish in the ocean.

She grinned, and crouched down in front of her. “Jump on my back and I can hoist you up? Unless you’d rather climb it.”

​@ayachobravo

Haruna panted as she dropped her stuff onto the dirt patch and collapsed on the ground. She had been walking nonstop almost all the way across the island, trying to find an empty area for her to settle down in. She had decided to stay close to the ocean, the edge of the island, in order to replenish her water supply.

Washing up on the shore, she had a dreaded feeling that she was not alone. Haruna begged silently that it was not a friend of hers–that would make this so much harder. Her mind quickly scanned the taken few who she briefly saw back at the warehouse, the few familiar faces that popped up in her mind staring at her in the face.

Gathering up her things, she quickly tried to brush herself off– until she heard a branch crack behind her. She froze in her place. It almost seemed like the temperature dropped around her, a chill going down her back. Was she going to be attacked? She didn’t know.

“Ayacho?”

Her voice squeaked, rusty after days of barely speaking. Her eyes widened at the girl in front of her, the usually long curly hair now frizzled, her face bare, the usual glint in her eye replaced with a weary look. Haruna felt an overwhelming amount of emotion and tried to hold back a sob.

She ran to Ayaka, embracing her in the tightest hug she had given her. She didn’t know what to feel; she was happy to see her best friend was alive, that she had not died yet in the hands of the game. But then dread came upon her as she realized that they were now on the same coordinate, and one of them would not be able to leave here alive.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she noticed how tired Ayaka looked and the slight growling of her stomach. Carefully, she pulled her towards the water and sat her down at the end of the beach. “How are you? Are you okay? I’m so glad to see you,” she said tearfully, pulling out her bag. She brought out some food that she had and offered it to her. She knew that feeling of hunger, and exhaustion, and she could see it in her friend’s expression. “I…I know we’re in this game right now. But the day has barely started and I haven’t seen you for so long. I missed you so much…”

Haruna Iikubo

Her co-worker, her partner, but most of all.. her best friend in the whole wide world. Whether it was during work, or after. Everyone always saw these two together. They would always hang out and talk silly things to one another. “Ha..Haruna?” She begins to sob as she returns the hug to Haruna. Thankfully, her first encounter with a player was someone she knew and trusted. A sense of relief and happiness hits her as she hugged Haruna more tightly. She then let’s go and sees Haruna covered in dirt, looking exhausted like she had not slept in days. Wiping her own tears away, Ayaka whimpers before getting her words out clearly. “Why.. why are you here? You idiot!! Now one of us has to die.” Realizing that, she cries again.

Looking down, she noticed their food supply going low and a small grin showed up on her face; it felt like she hadn’t smiled in a long time. “Ne, Ayacho,” she sang, getting up and brushing herself off. “Remember when we used to have fun around the mansion and come up with all the adventures we’d do?” She stretched out her hand towards Ayaka with a small twinkle in her eye. “We’re on an island, aren’t we? It’s almost like another adventure.”

Scanning the trees around her, she spied berries—coconuts—maybe there was some fish in the ocean.

​@ayachobravo

Haruna panted as she dropped her stuff onto the dirt patch and collapsed on the ground. She had been walking nonstop almost all the way across the island, trying to find an empty area for her to settle down in. She had decided to stay close to the ocean, the edge of the island, in order to replenish her water supply.

Washing up on the shore, she had a dreaded feeling that she was not alone. Haruna begged silently that it was not a friend of hers–that would make this so much harder. Her mind quickly scanned the taken few who she briefly saw back at the warehouse, the few familiar faces that popped up in her mind staring at her in the face.

Gathering up her things, she quickly tried to brush herself off– until she heard a branch crack behind her. She froze in her place. It almost seemed like the temperature dropped around her, a chill going down her back. Was she going to be attacked? She didn’t know.

“Ayacho?”

Her voice squeaked, rusty after days of barely speaking. Her eyes widened at the girl in front of her, the usually long curly hair now frizzled, her face bare, the usual glint in her eye replaced with a weary look. Haruna felt an overwhelming amount of emotion and tried to hold back a sob.

She ran to Ayaka, embracing her in the tightest hug she had given her. She didn’t know what to feel; she was happy to see her best friend was alive, that she had not died yet in the hands of the game. But then dread came upon her as she realized that they were now on the same coordinate, and one of them would not be able to leave here alive.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she noticed how tired Ayaka looked and the slight growling of her stomach. Carefully, she pulled her towards the water and sat her down at the end of the beach. “How are you? Are you okay? I’m so glad to see you,” she said tearfully, pulling out her bag. She brought out some food that she had and offered it to her. She knew that feeling of hunger, and exhaustion, and she could see it in her friend’s expression. “I…I know we’re in this game right now. But the day has barely started and I haven’t seen you for so long. I missed you so much…”