#niragi imagine

"Are you fucking serious?!" you shouted at Niragi, kneeling down next to him as he pressed his hand against his bleeding stomach, blood pouring out between his fingers.

"Relax, princess," Niragi huffed and rolled his eyes. "This dude's got a bad aim, didn't make the shot fatal enough." Then, a smirk spread on his face. "It's kind of hot how worried you're about me. I'd almost think you like me."

You rolled your eyes. "I do not." You were about to get up and leave his smug ass alone but Niragi grabbed your wrist, pulling you slightly back.

"Where are you going?" Niragi asked. "You just gonna leave me alone here to die, huh?"

"You just said the shot wasn't fatal," you stated with a mocking tone.

"Well, i'm not a doctor so maybe i'm gonna bleed out after all. You'd miss me, sweetheart," he pouted.

"I would not," you stated but felt your voice slightly trembling, which proved Niragi that you were lying.

"Mhm," Niragi hummed, amused of your resistance of accepting your feeling towards him – whatever they were. "Well, you'd definitely miss my cock."

Your eyes grew wider, quickly glancing around if anyone was looking at your way but there was nobody paying attention to the two of you. "Lower your voice for fuck's sake."

"Oh, right, you didn't want anyone to know how loud my cock made you scream," Niragi smirked, loving the reactions he got from you when he teased you like that.

You slapped him on his shoulder, looking annoyed. Chishiya wasn't too far away not to be able to hear your conversation if you raised your voice even a little more. He let out an overdramatic wince, even though the hit didn't even hurt.

"Shut up," you scoffed and rolled your eyes. He was right but you weren't going to feed his ego by admitting it to him.

You sat with Niragi the entire time when your friends left to finish the final game, now just waiting together when it'd be all over.

After some time, the fireworks filled the sky. Your friends had finally beaten the final game. The thought alone sounded too good to be actually true.

You were now given a permanent choice to either go back home or gain a citizenship to this country. There was an option to stay?

"You want to stay or go home?" you asked, looking up at the fireworks. You had never liked them but these ones? They finally represented the victory of all the challenges and sufferings you had to go through to come this far. They made a huge wave of relief wash over your body, even a smile lingering on your lips.

When was the last time you had genuinely smiled? You were free. No more games, no more stress of adding more days to your visa. It was over.

"Which option will you choose?" Niragi asked.

"I asked first," you said, annoyed of him being so difficult all the time.

"I'll choose whatever you do," he replied.

"What?" you asked, furrowing your eyebrows as you turned to look at him.

"You want to go home? I'll go home. You want to stay in this world? I'll stay with you. Simple as that," he explained.

Your heart started beating a little faster. No, it wasn't 'simple as that'.

"You want to follow me?"

"I don't really care where i will be to be honest," he admitted and shrugged. "I don't have much in the previous world. And i've had fun with you."

You stared at him with narrowed eyes, trying to see any hints of him just joking and messing with you. Making you give an answer of staying here but then going home himself, leaving you all alone here.

"And why on earth would i choose to stay here alone with you?" you scoffed.

He thought about it for a moment, really thought about it. "I don't have many reasons for you to be honest. Other than selfish ones."

You didn't really have friends or family left anymore, and the ones you had weren't a big part of your life. You hated your job. You didn't have pets either. Thinking about it, you had nothing. Nothing that would make you stay in one place. What would you go back for? Continue your life working five days a week with a shitty salary and nothing to do other than being tired and miserable?

At least here you felt alive. More alive than in a long time. And being a citizen, you wouldn't have to worry about the games the same way anymore, with a fear of a laser piercing through your skull if you didn't attend the games.

Then, there was Niragi, offering to be a part of your life. To be by your side. He was insufferable, selfish and annoying as hell – but he was also honest, knew what he wanted and somehow understood you better than others.

Would you stay with him? You couldn't make this kind of decision in such a short time, you needed more time to think, but there was no time to stay here thinking and wondering pros, cons and what ifs for too long.

Looking at Niragi, you realized you were two people all alone in this world – in both of the worlds. You were sure you'd regret your decision as soon as you'd say the words out loud, but they automatically just slipped between your lips like they had their own free will.

"Okay," you answered quietly, so quietly that neither of you were entirely sure if you had actually said it out loud.

Niragi turned his head towards you, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"What?"

"Okay. I'll stay with you. Here," you told him, afraid he had changed his mind during the time you had processed the thought in your head.

You could tell that he hadn't actually expected you to agree to being with him here, just the two of you, possibly for the rest of your lives.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Unless you didn't mean what you said and–"

He dragged himself closer to you, grabbed the back of your neck in his hand and pulled your face towards him, capturing your lips into a deep kiss before you managed to react. You hadn't expected that at all but didn't pull back. It didn't last long, him pulling back just after a few seconds. The way he looked at you right now, his eyes suddenly sweet and kind, made your heart skip a beat. You hadn't seen that look before.

"I said that you're mine and i'm yours," Niragi reminded you, looking directly into your eyes, now cupping your cheek with his hand. "I wasn't joking."

His words sounded so genuine that they made butterflies spawn inside your stomach. Was he actually capable of caring about you in other than just a physical way? Caring about anyone emotionally?

Was it possible that you were more than just a good fuck to him? Maybe this was a mistake, deciding to stay with this man. But as much as you didn't want to admit it, you actually liked to have him there, even though you weren't able to explain how you actually felt about him.

"If someone told me back at the Beach that i'd end up staying with you here as citizens after the games were over, i would have never believed them," you chuckled.

"I would have," Niragi said, surprising you. When he saw the surprised look on your face, he continued, "I've wanted you to myself since the first time i saw you at the Beach. And i don't give up easily when i want something."

"I've noticed that." You couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Are you like, hopelessly in love with me by now?" you dramatically joked and threw your hair over your shoulder, posing in a seductive way.

"No, but i probably will be some day if you keep acting the way you do and keep looking so pretty," he answered seriously, the tone of his voice not matching yours at all.

Your face fell, cheeks starting to warm up a little. What the hell were you going to answer to that?

"I don't expect you to fall in love with me though, just tolerating me is enough," Niragi said to fill the silence between the two of you when you didn't say anything back.

"I think i can manage to tolerate you," you admitted, a chuckle following your words.

"So, you'll really stay with me here? Just us?" Niragi tried to confirm one last time, feeling like this was all a dream and he'd soon wake up without you next to him. But right now he did feel your touch, you were real and there with him.

"I know i'll start to regret it pretty soon but... yeah, i think i will."

Niragi couldn't believe what he was hearing – you actually volunteered to stay? With someone like him? It truly wasn't only a joke to you?

"And when i start to annoy the life out of you, i'll make it up to you," Niragi smirked and rubbed your inner thigh, his touch radiating sparks through your leg.

"You better," you stated, raising your eyebrows.

Niragi pulled a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"I know i don't deserve a girl like you but i promise to take care of you and be there for you in any way you'd like to have me," Niragi said quietly, completely forgotten now that he was still wounded, being so hypnotized by your mere presence next to him.

"Didn't realize there was a soft side to you after all," you smirked. "Thought you were only obsessing over my body."

"Trust me, i'm definitely obsessing over your body more than anything," Niragi stated, then grabbing your waist to pull you slightly closer. "I'd fuck you right now against this car if that bitch Arisu hadn't shot me."

You bit your lip and tried not to show how the idea alone was making you aroused already, ache spreading between your legs.

"Well, now we have all the time in the world to fuck anywhere we want," you purred while lifting his chin with your finger, making him to take a quick breath in through his nostrils.

God, you were driving him crazy. It would take barely a second to completely melt under your touch.

You leaned your back against the car too next to him, carefully leaning your head against his shoulder, slowly at first to test if he'd flinch away from you but he didn't. Instead, he lifted his arm and put it around you, pulling you closer to his side. You sat there together until the fireworks stopped.

6th time's a charm, huh?

♤♧

"Well, i'd like to have a name to call you with, but i can keep 'pretty face' too if you're into that," he smiled.

You hesitated for a few seconds, studying his face for a moment. He was probably around your age, certainly taller than you and, you had to admit, quite a good-looking too. "Y/N."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl," he smirked and offered his hand to you. "Niragi. Pleasure to meet you."

You hesitantly took his hand in yours to shake it, but when he had a grip on you, he yanked you forward so fast that you almost tripped, crashing against his chest. He lifted your face upwards to make eye contact with you by his forefinger under your chin.

"Can't wait to get to know you better, Y/N," he said quietly, biting his lower lip as he quickly glanced at your lips. It happened so fast you could have easily imagined it though.

Him saying your name outloud made your heart flutter a little, and his words were about to make you slightly blush, so you were fast to brush his hand off your face and return to hang out with Arisu and Usagi.

"I don't think so," you said right before you left him alone.

You could feel Niragi's stare on you when you walked away from him without another word.

♤♧

Two

You were on your way to the pool when Niragi appeared behind a corner, almost crashing on you.

"There you are," Niragi greeted, a smile spreading on his face.

"Um, hello?" you slowly said, confused and eyebrows furrowed.

Niragi pushed you backwards until your back hit the wall. He trapped you there, hands on both sides of your head.

"Finally got you alone, princess," Niragi grinned. "Want to have some fun, hm?"

"I'll pass," you stated coldly, face completely serious. Niragi slowly dropped his hands down, moving to rest them on your hips instead.

"Come on, princess. I can make you feel so –"

You lifted your leg, your knee kicking him hard on his crotch. Niragi folded in half in pain, falling on his knees on the floor. You pushed him to lay on his back, keeping him there by laying your foot on his chest. His face looked genuinely surprised.

"Call me princess again and i won't be as gentle with you anymore," you gritted between your teeth.

Niragi only grinned. "Sorry, but your effort of intimidating me backfired a little because that was actually pretty hot."

You just huffed and left him to lay there without another word.

"You'll give in at some point, sweetheart!"

♤♧

Three

You were laying by the pool in your red bikinis when you felt a shadow landing on top of you.

"You're blocking the sun," you muttered.

You thought he had left you alone when the shadow was gone, but when you opened your eyes, you saw him laying down next to you, only a small gap between your bodies.

"Niragi, can you get it into your head already – i'm not going to sleep with you," you sighed, starting to get really annoyed.

"Hey, i didn't even mention anything about sex now, no need to get defensive," Niragi said but you saw the usual smug grin on his face. "You look good in bikinis though."

"Thanks," you spat with no actual gratitude. "What do you want?"

"I thought we should get to know each other better."

"You want to get to know me?" you asked, getting up enough to lean on your elbows. You narrowed your eyes, feeling suspicious. "Why?"

"You intrigue me," he admitted.

"I intrigue you?" you repeated, sure you heard him correctly. "Just because i'm pretty and i don't want to fuck you?"

Niragi let out a laugh. "Partly."

"There's literally dozens of girls here, why don't you go bother someone else?"

He turned to lay on his side, his body towards you. "Because you're different. We're more alike than you think."

"Yeah? How exactly are we alike?"

"First of all – you're hot, i'm hot."

"Me? Obviously. You? Debatable," you corrected him.

"Excuse me?" Niragi said, raising his eyebrows and pretending to act offended. "You don't think i'm hot?"

"I've seen better," you shrugged, trying to act all nonchalant.

"See, that's the second thing we have in common – mocking sarcasm," he pointed out.

"And a third thing?" you asked.

"We're both outcast."

"You don't even know me," you stated. "How can you know i'm outcast? I could have been the most popular and wanted girl in our school."

"Oh, i'm sure you were wanted by many, many guys," he grinned, eyeing your body again, until he narrowed his eyes, locking eyes with you. "But i can tell you were the black sheep. You don't follow and do what other people do just because the society tells you you should act certain way."

You furrowed your brows. You hated when people were able to read you. You wanted to deny every word he claimed to be true about you, but you couldn't do that.

"See, i knew i was correct," he said when he got only silence from you, clearly proud of himself.

"Shut up," you spat.

"What do i have to do for you to stop resisting my company so hard, hm?" he asked. "Do i have to bring you flowers or whatever the hell girls like to get as gifts?"

"Giving gifts shouldn't be an obligation," you said. "And i don't care about flowers."

"What do you care about then?" Niragi asked, narrowing his eyes and mentally taking notes.

"I know you only care about getting into my pants and i'm not that kind of girl."

To be honest, you'd had hookups with a few men you knew you'd never see again afterwards and you had nothing against that. Sometimes mindless sex with no commitments was what you needed, but for some reason you didn't want to give in to Niragi, no matter how good-looking you had to admit he was – you'd never say it outloud to his face though. You didn't want to make his ego any bigger.

"You're not, hm?" he asked. "Do i have to buy you a dinner first?"

"No, thank you," you refused and turned your face away from him. You closed your eyes and tried to ignore him, continuing to enjoy the sun.

"Well, what do i need to do to get your attention?"

"You could start by going away."

♤♧

Four

A guy approached you and this time, it wasn't Niragi. "Hey, there," he greeted with a smug grin on his face, eyeing you from head to toe. Way to go to be subtle. "What's your name, beautiful?"

"Too-good-for-you," you responded and crossed your arms against your chest, as if that would cover enough of you wearing only the bikini top. You felt awfully exposed under his hungry gaze.

"Sassy, i like that," he grinned. "Come on, we should get to know each other." He stepped closer, while you took automatically a step back.

"No thanks," you said, trying to put a polite smile on your face.

"What's going on here?" a familiar voice asked, appearing next to you out of thin air. You smelled his cologne when he pulled you close to his side, arm around your waist.

The man, whose name you didn't know, made eye contact with Niragi, trying to look all defensive.

"Sorry, but i think i was talking to her, so i'd suggest you to leave," the man stated, and you were a little taken aback how directly he was defending himself to Niragi.

"I don't think so, pal," Niragi said, giving him a death stare. After a moment of trying to decide if he should stand up to Niragi or not, the man walked away, knowing Niragi owned a gun.

Nobody wanted to make a man, who owned a gun, angry.

You hadn't fully realised that Niragi was actually touching you, keeping you against him, since you had been partly even grateful that he had stepped in to get the man away from you. You quickly pushed him away.

"What are you doing?" you asked.

"I'm not going to let other men touch my girl," he stated like saying a fact everyone should obviously know.

"I'm not your girl," you denied and crossed your arms.

"Yeah? Still, you didn't pull away when i grabbed you like this," he pointed out and pulled you against him one more time by your waist, his touch sending you goosebumps around your body, radiating to every direction from the spot his hand was resting. "Admit it, you like that i show others i've claimed you."

"You haven't claimed me!" you shouted, a little too loudly, trying to push him away from you but he wouldn't let go right away.

"Tell yourself whatever you want, pretty face," Niragi smirked.

You didn't want to admit it to yourself but you did like it when he had his hand on your skin.

♤♧

Five

"She's the witch! Let's burn her!"

A man lifted you up and threw you over his shoulder, carrying you towards the fire outside.

"Let go of me!" you screamed.

You were hitting his back with your fists, trying to get him to let you down but his grip was too tight, and he didn't mind the little pain against his back you were causing. You were trying to kick him with your feet but it was no use, he was a lot stronger and bigger compared to you. You were starting to get awfully close to the fire.

Burning alive wasn't on your list of preferred causes of death.

"Hey, asshole!" someone yelled, making the man carrying you stop on his tracks. "Put the lady down immediately."

You recognised the voice easily, you'd recognise it everywhere by now.

"But, but she might be the witch!"

"Shut the fuck up and put her down," Niragi commanded.

He let you down, probably having a gun pointed at his face. As you had been put down, that same man fell down on the ground almost instantly, a bullet pierced right through his forehead.

"Was that really necessary?" you asked and crossed your arms against your chest.

"He was just about to throw you in the fire," he stated, stepping closer to you, only a little gap between your bodies. You didn't back away from him. "A thank you would be nice."

"Well, thank you," you muttered and avoided eye contact with him, but he turned your face towards him with his hand on your cheek.

"Don't you think i deserve a kiss for saving you?" Niragi asked, lifting his left eyebrow.

"A kiss?" you asked, not sure if you heard him correctly. "You genuinely want only one kiss?"

"Yes."

"I don't think so," you chuckled.

"Come on, sweetheart, it's only a kiss, i'm not going to start ripping your clothes off," Niragi smirked. "We don't have time for that right now."

"On the cheek," you insisted.

"Better than nothing."

You rolled your eyes and leaned in to press a kiss on his cheek, but just in time he turned his head so that you kissed him straight on his lips.

You gasped in horror and was about to slap him on the cheek, but he figured out you'd lift your hand to do that and grabbed your wrist.

"Calm down, princess," Niragi said, smile on his face. "You can admit that you liked it."

"I didn't," you stated, but a part of you would have wanted to do that again. Properly to see how his lips really felt like on yours.

"Tell yourself whatever you want." He winked at you and then left you alone, resting his gun against his shoulder.

For a moment you looked after him, keeping your finger on your lower lip, cheeks warming up a little bit.

♤♧

Six

You had entered the King of Clubs game with your friends, and had surprisingly gotten the man who had become obsessed with you along – Niragi, of course.

Currently, you were standing next to Niragi, just the two of you, facing a man from the opposite team. You didn't have much time left to beat the game, your team was losing and your death was near. Still, you had to take every point you'd get.

Niragi offered his hand to you. You only looked at it with a slight disgust on your face.

"Come on," Niragi rolled his eyes. "It's just for the game."

You hesitantly took his hand in yours, raising your points to 5400. You managed to touch the man, adding 500 points for your team and making the man curse under his breath.

"See how good team we are," Niragi leaned in to whisper into your ear, his hot breath on your skin sending tingles down your spine.

You tried to yank your hand off but Niragi wouldn't let go.

"Niragi, let go of me," you groaned.

"But your hand feels so nice," he complained.

"Nice?" You lifted your eyebrows. "My hand feels nice?"

"Yeah, it's softer than i imagined," Niragi plainly said.

"You've imagined what my hand would feel like?" you asked.

"Sweetheart, i've imagined what your entire body would feel like on mine," Niragi whispered, now standing in front of you, extremely close.

"I told you, i'm not going to sleep with you," you insisted.

"Mhm," he hummed. "You know that our team is clearly losing and we only have 15 minutes to live. Might as well use it better than dwelling on self pity how we're going to die soon. Don't you think?"

Niragi lifted his hand on your cheek, but you brushed it off and turned around to leave. Before you were able to get further than a few steps, Niragi grabbed your elbow, pulling you back.

"Why don't we finish what we should have started at the Beach, hm?" he murmured in your ear, standing behind you and wrapping his arm around your waist. "We're gonna die anyway soon so why waste the time just sitting around when we can make a use of it?"

Niragi had tried to get your clothes off since the day he first saw you but you had resisted him every time he was about to put his hands on you.

The only thing you were able to think about right now was that you truly were going to die soon. There was no hope for you anymore, for none of your friends. Why not replace all that pouting and depressed waiting with one round of mindless, meaningless sex - even if it was with Niragi.

"Oh for fuck's sake," you mumbled and turned around, seeing the hungry smirk on his scarred face. You were going to hate yourself for this but you didn't care to think anymore, sure you were dead meat already.

You pulled Niragi into a kiss, and he didn't hesitate a moment longer to kiss you back, forcefully sneaking his tongue inside your mouth to taste every part of you.

He pulled your top off, admiring the view of your bare upper body. He was about to unclasp your bra as well, but you slapped his hand away.

"Even though we're about to die, you don't get to see everything," you stated seriously, amusing Niragi.

"I like how hard to get you're constantly playing with me," he smirked. "Even now."

He pushed you against the red container behind you, your bare back being glued on the cold metal. Niragi pulled your shorts down and didn't hesitate a second longer, pushing two fingers into your vagina, making you let out a loud gasp.

"Yes, be as loud as you can, princess," Niragi murmured and pumped his fingers harder inside you, curling his fingers and hitting just the right spots, as if he had done this to you already many times before.

"Oh, fuck," you gasped, but then he pulled his fingers off and started unbuckling his belt to get his pants off. You shot him an angry glare.

"Time's running, we don't have time to do everything and i want to cum inside your sweet little pussy before i die," he growled, making you even more aroused than before.

He stroked his cock a few times and then pushed inside you. You let out a loud moan, not able to keep it down.

"Fuck, you're so tight," he grunted against your neck.

He grabbed your ass, lifting you up to wrap your legs around his waist and didn't let you adjust more than a few seconds, starting to push in and out of you roughly.

Having him inside you, you started to regret a little for pushing him away at the Beach. You didn't want to admit it to yourself though. You didn't want him to know that he had finally won after his several attempts, but being inside you he was well aware of that.

Just now you realised how much you truly had craved sex and having someone this close to you – even if it was Niragi.

He moaned and grunted against your neck as he fastened his pace. He started sucking on different spots around your neck until he found one which made you insane and feel so good. You could feel his tongue piercing against your skin, the metal ball feeling slightly cold.

"Oh my god," you moaned, grabbing his hair roughly with your fingers.

You were starting to reach your climax, sharp nails digging on his shoulders, most definitely leaving marks. He came right after you, his body squeezing you harder against the large container when he let his body relax a little bit, but still managing to keep you up and not make you fall on the ground.

"My god, you felt so good," Niragi sighed, brushing your hair behind your ear, taking you into a hungry kiss.

Suddenly, a familiar female voice spoke again.

"The scores have changed," the voice announced. "The player team now leads with 500 points."

Both you and Niragi stopped moving, breaking the kiss, freezing to your places as you turned your heads to the large white screen showing the scores of both teams.

"What the-"

"Fuck," you breathed out.

There was only a minute left of the game by now and your team was suddenly winning. You weren't going to die? What the hell had Arisu and the others done?

Niragi looked at you, grinning.

"Well, well," he mumbled. "I guess we can have a round two some other day, since we won't die after all."

You scoffed, pushed him off you and pulled your shorts back on.

"Not going to happen," you denied and shook your head, pulling your top on as well. Right after, Niragi pulled you towards him, your back against his chest once again.

"Well, i'm sure we'll end up in another situation where we're gonna die in a few minutes and you'll need a quick last minute fuck," Niragi said and lowered his voice into a whisper, speaking right into your ear. He brought his hand up and massaged your left breast. "I'll be there waiting for you, princess."

You pushed him off again, a little too roughly. Cum was dripping down your leg. You brushed the cum on your hand and cleaned it on Niragi's shirt.

"Oh you want to attach your smell on me so i surely won't stop thinking about you, huh?"

"Think whatever you want, i don't care. I just don't see a sink or toilet paper here to clean myself up right now."

Arisu, Kuina and Usagi saw you and Niragi approaching them a few minutes later.

"Where have you two been?" Usagi asked, looking genuinely worried with her furrowed brows. "We've been looking for you."

Niragi smirked. "Wouldn't you want to know."

You smacked him on his chest and gave him a death stare. "Not. A. Word," you gritted through your teeth.

Your words managed to only amuse Niragi even more.

It was him, you were sure. 

There was no doubt. The raven-black hair that fell over his face, those broken glasses that magnified his small eyes, his shy and unsure walk. 

He had his head down, afraid to meet anyone's eyes in this crowd. But no one was paying attention to him, no one could notice the panicked look on his face. But through the subway train, through the seats and the people, you had noticed that figure. 

Niragi had come out at the Shinjuku subway station. He had walked exactly fifteen minutes from there, without taking a train. He had spotted a shack of abandoned materials that ran along the tracks. He had climbed the stairs, put his school bags on the ground, and watched from a distance to see if a train was coming towards him. 

You didn't know what made you follow him here. For all you knew, this man ahead of you could be a lunatic, a dangerous man who could hurt you. It was so stupid and irresponsible to follow him here, in a place as deserted as the Sahara. Besides, it was far from your initial destination, except that after having laid eyes on him in the subway, it was impossible for you to let him go like that. 

So discreetly, you went after him, hiding behind cars and other street corners every time he turned his head towards you. It wasn't as hard as you thought, because he seemed to have so many things on his mind, that it was impossible for him to pay attention to what was going on around him. 

"Hi," you had hopped in front of him, once you had climbed the stairs to the same abandoned cabin. He gasped, a stunned look on his face as he discovered who had surprised him here. You sat on the edge of the roof, your legs dangling. 

"I- uh, what- I'm," he stammered with difficulty and the look of incomprehension on his face had you giggling softly. 

"Niragi, right?" You had asked even though you had remembered his first name very well. It had been exactly three weeks and two days since that night when he had assaulted that man outside the bar. And since then, not a single day had passed without you thinking about it. The mystery of that act still unsolved. "I passed by you in the subway, towards Shinanomachi. I couldn't let you get away like that." 

Despite your explanation, Niragi still had a gaping mouth and wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe his luck. He was torn between running away without looking back, or confronting you if he could only have the honor of hearing the sound of your voice one more time. 

"I'm not going to eat you, relax," you had joked to lighten the mood, but strangely enough, it seemed to worry him even more. 

Niragi stood straight as a post, thumbs clenched into fists, and he avoided your gaze at all costs, as if the weight of your irises on him could reduce him to dust. 

Still, he said nothing, did nothing. He just stood there, not knowing where to put himself. "I... I'm sorry but... what are you doing here?" 

"Oh, your tongue seems to be getting better," you commented, deliberately ignoring his question. You were satisfied to know that despite being discharged from the hospital by your supervisor (still such an asshole to this day), Niragi had managed to take care of himself and heal his wound. "Well, I'm glad. It's not easy to heal a tongue, you know. When I was little, I missed a step on the stairs at my grandmother's house and split the whole side of my tongue. It took a good three weeks to heal, just that!"

Niragi didn't know what to say, he remained silent as he listened to your little story. He had so many things going through his head at that moment that it was impossible for you to even know what he was thinking. 

There was no noise around you, except for the screech of car horns that could be heard far, far away. There weren't really any birds here, or even any workers. Only the sound of your voices broke the silence. It was a cloudy day too, the sun hidden high, very high, but no rain was forecast. Only the greyness of the nice month that was April. 

"Do you live around here?" You had asked after a few seconds, once you had noticed that he didn't really know how to react to your story. In fact, he didn't even know how to act towards you anymore, as if he had suddenly forgotten what it was like to act normally. "This is a pretty bleak place..." 

"No, I... I live in Shibuya, near the park. But I often come here to go to college." Niragi had looked down at his hands as he said the words, then looked away to see if the train he was waiting for was finally coming. 

"Keio University? That school sucks..." It was true that this university was much more known for its dilapidated walls and endless construction sites than for its success and prestige. 

"It's not as bad as it looks..." 

"Really? It looks like a school for delinquents and bullies over there." You mused quietly without really seeing that last-word had made every bone in Niragi's body freeze like a child caught in the act. He didn't move a muscle and that was starting to annoy you a lot. You were far, far from being a mean person and seeing him scared every time he met your eyes was annoying. 

"Really, I don't mean to sound so rude, but... why did you follow me?" 

You swung your feet into the void, taking a long breath of fresh air as if to keep the suspense going. It wasn't to amuse you, but Niragi deserved that little bit of anxiety time before you finally confronted him. "I wanted to know why you assaulted that poor man outside the bar last time?" 

A wave of panic swept across Niragi's irises, and despite all the stammering that came out of his mouth, not a single clean word could be heard. It was almost comical. You could have laughed a little bit, but you had to have an answer, and to know once and for all what was the reason of this misunderstanding. Because it was surely a misunderstanding, it couldn't be anything else. 

"Huh? I mean... I mean, what? Sorry, I... I don't know what you're talking about." A response like this was to be expected. 

"Mmh, I think you know what I'm talking about, on the contrary." You stared at him, squinting your eyes, as if that was enough to make him confess everything.

"No, really, you must have me confused with someone else." Niragi was a very bad liar. He avoided your gaze at all costs (even though he had been doing that since you arrived), he played nervously with his fingers (but that hadn't stopped since you first spoke to him), and above all, he had that tremor in his voice that couldn't deceive you (and that seemed to be his natural voice, after all). 

"Ah," you nodded slowly, pretending to agree with him. As if you had to inevitably take his word for it. "Weren't you the one who tased a tall, rather good-looking man outside the Koko Bop three weeks ago? For no apparent reason?"

Niragi shook his head from right to left firmly, "Affirmative, it wasn't me." 

"Anyway, you know what? If I ever find this person, I'll tell them it's okay. I guess there's a good explanation for that." Maybe it was a strategy of preaching the false to find out the true, but from what you could see, either way, Niragi didn't seem to want to admit anything. 

"Maybe it's... Maybe this person wanted to help you?" 

You understood what was going on, now. He would talk about himself in the third person, assuring tooth and nail that he wasn't the attacker, but he would still seek to justify his actions. It was very clever, or completely stupid, you didn't know yet. "Why would anyone help me? Everything was fine." 

Niragi thought for a second, sticking the tip of his tongue between his teeth before resuming, "Maybe that person thought that man meant you harm and that person wanted to protect you?" 

"You think so?" You took in this new information, trying to figure out if this could explain it. But above all, to determine if this was justifiable or if on the contrary, it was unforgivable. 

Niragi nodded his head up and down, this time, still firmly. 

"And how would you explain that this person was there, at that time?" 

"Uh... that, I don't know." He admitted in a slightly more uncertain voice, "Tokyo is very large, after all. I imagine there are plenty of people who would come to the help of someone in distress. If it wasn't him, it could have been anyone." 

"You may be right, but I know for a fact that this person lives in Shibuya. And this bar is located in Kōtō. That's quite a distance from there, don't you think?" 

"Then, if you find that person, you'll have to ask him." He stated proudly, as if he had managed to trick you at your own game. He was smart, you could admit. 

"Mmh, I hope one day I get my hands on him then." You stated as you looked him straight in the eye, just to let him know that you weren't done with him and that you could see through his little game. 

A small silence fell between the two of you, and Niragi was still standing, only a meter or two away from you while your legs were swaying from the ledge. There was still no train on the horizon, and not a cat around. Birds flew overhead, and finally, Niragi decided to relax and took a seat at the edge of the cabin, just like you. He sat down at a reasonable distance from you, with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. 

You wondered how he was able to see clearly through his broken glasses, and despite the fact that he told you he didn't have any spare money to spend, you wished he could fix his glasses. He had a beautiful face, through all that shyness. He had pronounced but delicate features, small almond-shaped eyes and well-defined lips. He still had that piercing on his eyebrow that seemed to have healed better, too. 

You were well aware that you were staring at him, but without embarrassment, you noticed those purple marks that were on his neck that he was vainly trying to hide with the collar of his jacket. Niragi did not move, even if he felt like a statue frozen under the glance of Medusa who would have changed him suddenly into stone. 

He seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. As if his life was only about surviving under the threat that the depths of the earth would swallow him whole. He was unhappy, it was written on his face. It was so easy to read, his aches and worries were crystal clear. 

"I think I've been here before," you admitted after a moment, looking away to look into the distance. "It was raining like crazy, it wouldn't stop. I've been here, on the roof of one of these shacks, like this one. I was standing at the edge, waiting for a train to come. I told myself that I would throw myself under the first one that came by." He would listen intently, and you would tell your little story as if no one could hear you. As if no onlooker could judge you. "I waited, and waited, and waited. I waited so long that after a while it stopped raining. And no train ever came. With the storm, a power pole fell on the tracks and froze all traffic."

If he was surprised by your sudden confession, he said nothing except, "So, what did you do?" 

"I went down, got on the subway and went home. I took a shower, heated up some ramen and went to bed. The next day, I went back to work, as if nothing had happened." It wasn't as hard to admit all this as you thought it would be. In fact, it made it much more trivial than you were making it out to be up to now.

Niragi was looking at you carefully now. Perhaps he had forgotten why he felt so intimidated until now, as if your story had made him realize that you were not so different from each other after all. "Why didn't you try to do it again?" 

A smile played on your lips as you finally met his eyes. He looked intrigued, really, as if the reason you were about to give him would help him understand why you were here. "Don't you understand?" He frowned. "I was looking for a sign from the universe, at the time. And the universe gave me one. There were no trains that day." He didn't seem to understand any more despite your explanation. "And today the universe is sending you a sign, too." 

"Really?" He looked around suddenly, as if the sign was written somewhere in big letters with arrows and neon lights that would tell him what it was. 

A real chuckle came out of your mouth this time, which called Niragi to order and his disbelieving eyes landed on you again. "What do you think I'm doing here?" It was a bit pretentious to consider yourself a sign of the universe, true, but if it would make Niragi understand that he wasn't alone, then why not. 

You didn't understand this sudden urge to want to help him. Maybe his frightened look reminded you too much of your own, or the way he was so insecure made you want to protect him from all the thugs in the world. He didn't seem to be able to defend himself, or even brave enough to save his own life in case of a violent altercation. 

Perhaps he had felt like he had grown wings that evening when you left the bar. Anyway, he was intriguing and mysterious, and that made him attractive, somehow. It was nothing sexual, far from it, it was just an undeniable attraction that would be only justified by the way he acted and the way he was. "Tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do for a living, Niragi?"

"I... I don't have a job yet. Truth be told, I graduate tomorrow. And... I have a job interview, first thing Monday." 

"That's great, congratulations!" You were suddenly getting enthusiastic, but Niragi didn't seem any more excited than that at the thought. On the contrary, he seemed rather dreadful about both events. "Why would you want to throw yourself under a train the day before graduation?" 

His attention turned back to you, as if you had just said the forbidden words. Okay, there had been this sort of silent agreement that had determined Niragi's presence here, but saying it out loud made it sound much duller and dreary than he found it to be. "I don't know, why wait?" 

"Mmh, fair enough." you contemplated the answer as you began to play with the hem of your sweater. It was true that if he wanted to do the unthinkable, the events to come were no longer important in the cycle of life. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing was expected or hoped for. "What's that degree about, anyway?" 

"Video game engineering," he then explained, glad to see you weren't arguing the point further. "I promise you, it's not as nerdy as it sounds. It's mostly coding and math, really." 

"Sounds pretty nerdy to me," you joked and for the first time, Niragi smiled. It was a nice smile, reserved and blushing on his cheekbones, but it was cute and it made you smile too. It was nice to know that you had the ability to provoke that in him, it was a kind of proof that finally the joy had not totally disappeared in him.

A dog barked in the distance, a car honked, still no train. 

"Do you have a family?" you asked after a few seconds of silence, once your little laughter had died down.

"It's just me and my sister. She keeps asking me for money that I don't have..." 

Niragi didn't give any more information and you felt it would almost be inappropriate to ask him more, like where his parents were and how he ended up alone with his sister. Maybe that was a story for another time. "What's her name?" 

"Sarika. She's seventeen, and she's a spoiled brat."

Once again, you let out a small laugh, "Ha, I remember when I was seventeen, I was a spoiled brat, too." 

Niragi laughed a little bit. He seemed to finally, finally relax a bit and feel comfortable with you. He probably felt that finally you were not a malicious soul and that you were not there to hurt him. That was rare for him, and somewhere along the line, he feared it would only be a short-lived pleasure. "I don't picture you like that at all, though." 

"Oh believe me, I gave my grandmother a run for her money," you explained with a shorter breath, recalling the few memories of your teenage years. "The cops brought me home more than once, it was a real mess..." 

There was that intriguing little look that gilded in Niragi's eyes that betrayed his desire to know more, and unless he was mistaken, he would never dare ask you anything about your personal life. Even though you had made a lot of effort to be interested in his own life, he was afraid to ask you about your own, fearing to break through the boundaries. What boundaries, he didn't know. But it felt like there were, and he would be extremely angry at himself for inadvertently crossing them. 

"My grandmother raised me," you would finally explain, and Niragi was relieved to hear you say it, and that he didn't need to ask you. "Turns out my mom was a spoiled brat, too. Except she never grew up and fled her responsibilities. I think she's somewhere on a boat in Indonesia, last I heard."

"What about your dad?" he finally asked, swearing to himself that he was an absolute dick for letting his mouth speak before his brain could stop him. 

"No idea, I never met him. I don't think my mom even knows who he is..." To Niragi's eyes, you didn't seem angry about the question, on the contrary, it seemed to make you happy that he was interested in you too. And it was true, he had finally let go, or at least forgotten why he came here. As if finally, all he needed was for someone to talk to him and be interested in who he was. 

For the first time in his life, Niragi felt seen. Many people looked at him, saw him walking down the street with his head down, his teachers watched him attend their classes, and his attackers watched him being abused and tortured by their own hands - but here, and now, Niragi was seen. And God, did it feel good. 

"Fuck, that sucks..." He let out and instantly led his hands over his mouth, as if that would wipe away what he had just said. You laughed broadly at his wide eyes, fear and dread taking a new place in the middle of his irises. "I... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..." 

"Don't worry about it. You're right, it does suck..." You laughed so hard at the tips of his ears turning a shameful red that it caused a bar in your stomach that made it hard to breathe.

Niragi avoided your gaze again, his lips closed to keep himself from saying something stupid again. There was still no train approaching and for a moment Niragi wondered if another electric pole had collapsed on the tracks, which would have caused a total stop of traffic, at least for the day. However, or as if to prove him wrong, the silhouette of a train appeared on the horizon, at last. It was coming at full speed, the perspective getting bigger and bigger as it got closer. The horn sounded loudly, and Niragi stared at it. 

He stared at the way the wheels squeaked against the rails and the way the cars moved in a turbulent way due to the speed of the machine. He had been waiting for this moment all day. As soon as he woke up this morning and made his decision. He had thought about it during his computer class, during lunch and all the way here. He had made his decision, it was today. 

But as the train headed towards you, the urge to jump seemed to get further and further away. It all seemed insignificant now. And your eyes sticking to his skin burned him harder than the sun in summer. He couldn't describe how he felt, except lost. 

The train passed by, and threw a huge warm wind between you two. His hair ruffled and the bottom of your skirt flew up so hard that you had to hold the fabric back before it exposed your thighs. Then the train drove away, leaving a new space for emptiness and silence as it moved further to the other direction.

You didn't need to point out the fact that he hadn't jumped. There was no reason to ask why or how that was. That wasn't important, far from it. What was important was that Niragi was still sitting beside you. He was there. He was definitely there. 

"There are five guys from my school waiting for me every week when I get out of class." He would open his mouth after a moment and the next words he would say sounded not like a confession, but like an explanation. "They're waiting for me and they're harassing me. They're making a meeting with me under the bridge, near the river. If I don't come, then the next time will be much worse." 

You listened attentively, your gaze on his fragile figure. He looked like a little boy, frightened by the grip of a strict parent. 

"I tried to stand up to them, but there are too many of them. I'm no match for those... those... assholes." Niragi's eyes were glued to his hands, and his voice was starting to shake again. His face was hidden by his hair that fell over his cheeks, preventing you from seeing that tears were beginning to bead at the corners of his eyes. "They... they torture me and beat me. I... I don't know what to do anymore to stop this madness." 

He wasn't waiting for an answer, you knew that. He sniffed. A pause. Then he continued.

"They make me a target out of me and have fun throwing baseballs at me. Fifty points in the intimate parts, a hundred points in the face. They... they're the ones who pierced my eyebrow, I was never on that fucking train that derailed last month," he was crying his eyes out now, you could hear it in the sound of his voice. Even though he still refused to look at you, you didn't even dare move, afraid that it would scare him into saying anything more. "I... made it all up because I was too ashamed!" 

You didn't know why he suddenly felt the need to speak out about it all either, but if it helped take any weight off his shoulders, then you were willing to accept offering a listening ear willingly.

"They wanted to make me eat rice that they had peed on before, and...and when I refused, they pierced my tongue with a syringe they found in the garbage." It was absolutely horrifying. So much so that it sent shivers down your spine. Who could be cruel enough to inflict that on another human being. 

Niragi wasn't the bravest or the strongest, but to take advantage of a man's distress to inflict his most outlandish ideas on him was something you couldn't describe as anything but inhumane. It was simply shameful to be like that. Your hands became sweaty, your breath short as you hung on every word Niragi said.

"I don't know what to do anymore... I wanted it to stop... I wanted this nightmare to stop," Nigari took his head in his hands, sobbing his heart out. He didn't care if you judged him or laughed at him for crying like that (he'd heard he cried like a little girl too many times before), and now nothing mattered but the weight of a bowling ball that seemed to flatten his heart and lungs.

You didn't know what to do either. What to do against such a confession? The sound of your heart breaking into a thousand pieces could be heard over Niragi's sobs that caused his body to shake frantically. So that was the reason for his unhappiness and uneasiness, the reason why he had come here today. 

That was the reason you had met him on the subway and followed him. Today was the day it was all supposed to start. It wasn't the end, after all - it wasn't the day Niragi would throw himself under the train tracks. No, it would be the first day of the rest of his life, the day you would help him defend himself, and face those bullies. It was a day of beginning, and a day of change. 

Yes, it was decided. It was today. 

So you got up from your spot to walk the few dozen centimeters that separated you, and Niragi was startled by your touch, the one that encircled his face and pressed him against your chest. At first he tried to struggle, but with a word of encouragement on the tip of your lips and a gentle voice, he finally rested against you. You could feel the tears running down his cheeks into your neck, and the embrace you were offering him caused him to sob a little harder. He was clutching your sweater so tightly, as if he was afraid you would suddenly go away and leave him alone again. 

But you wouldn't leave. Not now. That was out of the question. 

He needed help, he was in distress. And you would never leave someone in distress to fend for themselves. It was too hard, much too hard. You knew that.

"I'm here, Niragi, I'm not leaving. Look, I'm staying with you." you held him close, "Shh, I'm here."

And he cried, and cried again, until there was not a single drop left to pour. 

////////////////////////////////////

Are you guys still there? It feels like the fandom is dying… Where are my Niragi stans at yo???

Okay okay; so I made this a part two of the previous' chapter, just cause it felt more like a follow up than a next chapter; and I didn't have the time to write it last time and update it so soon so that's why I made 2 parts

Anyways; next chapter, I promise we'll get back to the borderlands and light some shit up

Please don't hesitate to comment cause that's basically the only thing I live for and I really need that to keep me going from writing <3

The night had not been very pleasant. The mattress was so thin that you could feel every slat digging into your back, the sheets were so dusty that you felt like you were sleeping on a whole population of dust mites (and even shaking them as hard as you could, the dust seemed to be embedded in the fabric). You weren't the type to be scared easily, but you were expecting to have a night full of nightmares due to this new world you were now in. 

Fortunately for you, in the end, it was a night without dreams or nightmares, or rather a night with so little sleep that you wondered if it was wise to find a new arena and play a new game today. 

On the other side of the bed you had heard Niragi tossing and turning several times and if neither of you said the first word, you knew the other was awake, probably for the same reasons. 

Finding breakfast was just as difficult as finding sleep. Cans of ravioli were dueling on the highest shelf in the abandoned kitchen, and it was a miracle to find a can of Mitsumame in the cupboard under the sink, because a fruit salad, even canned, was ten times better than ravioli or ratatouille for breakfast. 

There were only a few pieces to share, and even though Niragi had insisted that you eat his share under the pretext that he wasn't really hungry, you knew that was just a lie to camouflage the fact that he wanted you to be the one to gain strength. He needed it just as much, but it was his own kind of love language and just for that, you finish those little pieces of lychee, a knot in your stomach. 

Having to play a new again today made you nervous. It could be anything, on any topic, any theme or difficulty. You knew so little about this world that it was absolutely impossible to predict what you were getting into. 

The sun had been up for a few dozen minutes already and it had painted the sky a pink-orange color that made it look fantastic. And as you watched the yellow ball sneak up behind some buildings in the distance, you couldn't help but wonder if there were games all day, or if it was only at a certain time. 

Either way, it didn't make much of a difference.

"We should go get some supplies before the next game," Niragi commented as he dusted off a backpack he had found in the bedroom closet. His hands were still wrapped in the bandages you had carefully treated the day before and as he stretched his fingers with difficulty, an almost unnoticeable grimace appeared on his face. 

Food was just as hard to come by as it had been the day before, and you wondered how to survive in this world without food. Surviving the games was one thing, but the lack of supplies was something else that the game masters should have thought about more seriously. 

"Baby, look," you pointed to a small bush that seemed to vibrate with the sound of your footsteps. You thought you had imagined it as the grass stood still for a few seconds, then finally, right in the middle of that cobblestone street, you made out a rabbit snooping around on either side looking for the same food you were. It was all white and dirty from nature, but its furry face raised its head at the sound of your voice, before escaping and disappearing under a car, a little further. 

The nature of flowers and trees littered the ground and began to gain ground on the buildings. It was a rather apocalyptic vision, like the end of the world in an American movie. 

Niragi shrugged his shoulders and if he had a weapon at hand, whatever it was, he would have been happy to hunt the animal down for a good lunch. The hardest part would be lighting a fire and figuring out how to cook the animal on the coals. But with a defeatist insult, he kicked a rock and headed back the other way. 

"Babe," you called a second time as you made out something in the distance that merited a challenge. 

"Yes, I saw your damn rabbit, princess, can we get some food now?" Niragi mumbled over your shoulder as he walked further and further away. 

"Damn it, Niragi, I told you, look!" 

Pointing straight ahead in the distance, between the column of buildings that lined up perfectly, a new giant screen lit up the shadow that the sun didn't reach. On this white screen, written in black letters, you could read:

Game starts in fifteen minutes.  Please register at the Sakashitamon Gate. 

Here we go again. 

"Sakashitamon Gate?" Niragi repeated as he took another drag on the end of his cigarette, one hand in his pants pocket and his gaze fixed on the giant screen in front of you. "That's at the Royal Palace Gardens, right?" 

Indeed. 

So the next game would take place in the emperor's gardens. It was a vast and voluminous forest, and it was very easy to get lost if you didn't know the place well. They were huge gardens, full of flowers and famous for their beauty, but only open to the public twice a year. As much as to say that no one would have the advantage of knowing every corner of this forest more than another. 

"Well, let's go." you commented as you watched Niragi throw the butt of his cigarette on the ground without taking the time to put it out. In the real world you would have grumbled at his actions, that you didn't tolerate pollution so easily but in a world like this you wondered what good it would do. 

"We're on an empty stomach, it's not a good idea to go now." He was right. In all honesty, it would be much smarter to wait until the next game, once your stomachs were full and well-fed. 

"If anything, we could win some food if we survive the game. How about a nice Donburi ?" It was highly unlikely that you would win a reward at the end of the game, let alone food. However, you thought it would be quite a victory to be able to eat a nice hot dish, and cooked with so much good culinary skill, that just imagining the dish, you could feel the smell caressing your nostrils and tantalizing your taste buds. 

With a grunt of complaint and shuffling towards the playing arena, Niragi still insisted how bad an idea it was to play without eating. And even though he wasn't doing much to convince you otherwise, he still kept looking around on the way if a supermarket didn't miraculously appear.

The hard tar was heating up quickly thanks to the sun beating down hard against your heads. It was a cloudless sky and a windless atmosphere, and you knew it was going to be very hot today. It would usually have been a day of lounging by a pool with a cocktail in your hands and music blasting in your ears. And you sighed absentmindedly at the thought as you made your way to the bridge that led to the doors. 

Before that bridge, in a shady corner, there was the same table as in the lobby of the building before the first game. There were three phones that had not yet been taken, and the same sign that said, ' One per person .' 

Facial recognition in progress. Niragi Suguru.  Welcome. 

As you took the phone in your hands, the same message appeared, with your name. Even though both of you were wondering what this game was, what it would be and how difficult it would be, neither of you spoke. Maybe it was a way to focus, or just a way to keep the pressure off each other while the danger of death remained the main concern in this world. 

Instead, you walked next to each other, your fingers almost close enough to touch from time to time. In the distance, you could make out exactly seven other players waiting patiently under the blazing sun. There was a man with matted skin, a stranger with frizzy hair and crystal clear eyes. There was an old man who was over sixty years old, with a bad back and a creaking hip. Two teenage girls were trying to fan themselves with their hands, one with short, bright blue colored hair and the other with a long braid and a skirt that was way too short to call it decent. A man in sportswear was the only one sitting on the floor, muscular and athletic and with a prominent beard, he was just ogling the young woman with sunglasses and a short bob, dressed in jean shorts and a shirt tied at the waist. The last person was a short man in his forties, frail and shy, like a house of cards about to collapse and a backpack on his back. 

When you arrived, and as at the first game, eyes turned to you, ogling from head to toe, but nobody said a word. As if it was bad luck to say something. 

You didn't know how much time was left before the game started, but the sun that kept beating down on your head was already starting to make you dizzy. After a few minutes, a person appeared under the bridge, and if the math was right, this was the last player missing to start the game. 

He had a small figure, face hidden under the hood of a light gray sweatshirt that made you frown at the surrounding heat. A few long blond locks were sticking out of his hood and as he walked towards you, a feeling of deja-vu ran through your body. 

You recognized that walk and that nonchalant air under the impassive face of Chishiya Shuntaro. Your eyes widened and as if frozen in time, you couldn't look away as he offered an astonished smile when he laid his own eyes on your figure. "[Y/N], what a surprise to find you here..." he said in a soft, clear voice. He turned to Niragi and, provided with empty eyes and without much emotion, he bowed his head in respect. 

"Who is that one?" Niragi spat aggressively as he stared at Chishiya's figure walking away to stand next to the woman with the sunglasses. 

"A former... a former patient..." you explained softly, your eyes still fixed on the blond man's figure. 

It was absolutely strange to run into Chishiya Shuntaro in this world, it was a chance in a million and you doubted the odds were ridiculous enough to really fall on that. A strange feeling was felt throughout your body and it was as unsettling as it was unexpected. Being stuck here with Niragi was one thing, but seeing someone you knew, and having to play life and death games was something that stirred your whole stomach. 

"Why is he calling you by your first name?" Niragi kept asking, and he was right to ask so many questions. He had felt your body stiffen at the sight of the other man, he knew you well enough to manage to decipher the expressions on your face and if Niragi was a jealous man, then the world would end in ashes. 

He still had insults stuck to the corner of his mouth, eyebrows locked in an eternal frown and if he even suspected for a second that this Chishiya was interested in you, you knew he could kill him without even blinking. 

"I don't know... what's the point of calling me 'doctor' in this world?" You were trying to justify yourself as best you could, and while that explanation more or less made sense, Niragi was now staring at you with doubt written in his eyes and a promise that he would look further into it once the game was over. 

But for now, the game had to start. 

Registration closed.  The game will now begin.  

With one last insistent look, Niragi's jaw tensed as he looked away from Chishiya once more. You knew that from then on, Chishiya's life would be in danger, more than what this game could bring. He now had the pressure of Niragi's eyes stabbing invisible knives into his face. 

From a distance, Chishiya was waving his hand, and he had a kind of arrogant look plastered on his face that caused Niragi to growl an insult under his breath. 

Game: Capture the flag.  Difficulty: Eight of clubs.  

Exchanging a look with Niragi, you listened attentively to what the voice announced. You were right, there were other difficulties than diamonds, and it was surely necessary to start playing games that would also be clubs or hearts.

We will now be explaining the rules.  Each player is placed in a team of 5 people. Each team is assigned a flag that it must keep and protect at all costs. It's GAME CLEAR for the first team that manages to capture the other team's flag and bring it back safely to its base camp.  It's GAME OVER for the defeated team. 

You had an advantage. You knew the game very well, having spent your childhood playing it with the other kids in the neighborhood. Of course, the playing field was much smaller than this one, but the strategy was the same. 

One team can capture a member of the other team and bring him back to the prison of his base. You can choose your team.  It is forbidden to change the location of your flag. It will be game over for the players who are in prison, even if they are on the winning team.  

That was a lot of rules compared to the other game. But this one was a physical game. It was a game of strategy and skill, and before you even start this game, the most important thing would be to pick your team. The tragedy was beginning now, and as the players began to argue their own opinions on the matter, you had already chosen who you needed on your team. The hardest part would be getting the other players to listen. 

Time limit to pick teams: 3 minutes.  Time start.  

"Excuse me," the old man said as he slowly approached the sportsman, "could I join your team?" 

The man in the sportswear looked him up and down, with a maddening urge to blow him off. In a game of life and death, he would be crazy to accept an old gimp to defend a sporting activity. The two teenage girls also exclaimed, the blue-haired one singing in a soft voice, "Oh yes, sir, can we join your team too?" 

Niragi rolled his eyes as he approached the woman with sunglasses. "You there," the woman turned as he approached and stiffened her back as if she was about to have to defend herself from some threat coming her way. "What team are you on?" 

She looked him up and down, red lipstick fizzing on her lips as she relaxed her shoulders. "What would make you say I want to go on your team?" 

Niragi chuckled thickly, and you wondered what he was getting at. "Oh there, easy, sweetheart, I never said I was inviting you..." 

You pinched your lips at the nickname, but the woman answered before you could even think about it. "Then why are you talking to me? And I'm not your sweetheart, okay?" 

Niragi smiled at this answer. He liked women who were tough, he liked women of character and for a second you wondered if this was a little personal revenge against Chishiya's coming that had very obviously disturbed you. 

But just as he was about to respond with a more or less well-placed insult, Chishiya's figure intruded into the discussion, a small smirk perched on his lips as he circled the woman's arms. "I think what An means by that is that we'd love to be a part of your team." 

You frowned at the words. Niragi had invited him even less and you knew it would take very little more to make him understand. However, you were surprised that Niragi didn't say anything and somehow you were relieved. It would have been awful to have to face Chishiya and even though having him on your own team would have shot you in the foot, you just hoped that he wouldn't really have the chance to argue with Niragi.

The woman named An said nothing but shook her shoulders to free Chishiya's hands and as he offered another smile, Niragi stared at her as if he had the power to understand where they knew each other from. You would have liked to find out yourself, but the only thing that betrayed their mystery was the small bracelet around both of their wrists that had a chain with a number on it. 

It looked a lot like the bracelets you find at the local swimming pool to keep your locker key. Chishiya wore number eleven while An wore number six. Perhaps they were together? Maybe they were two souls who had met in a previous game and decided to team up, or maybe they just happened to be staying at the same place? But then, you didn't understand the point of keeping that bracelet around their wrists. It was strange. Very strange indeed. 

"Well, then we only have one more person to complete our team." An then threw out in a voice that was just as disinterested as it was annoyed. 

Time until team registration closes: 1 minute.  

A few feet away, the other six participants had noticed that they were one too many on their team. The man in the tracksuit found himself overwhelmed by all these players, some of whom he could have done without. After all, what could he possibly do with an old man and two teenage girls? The other two men didn't seem to be in good shape, but it was better than nothing. 

No one wanted to volunteer to join your team and it was true that from an outside perspective, you didn't look like much. But at least you were young and fit and you would bet a hundred times more on your team than on theirs. 

But time was running out and someone had to step up sooner or later. You didn't know what the consequences would be if the teams didn't form before the deadline, and you weren't really in a rush to find out. 

Time until team registration closed: 30 seconds.  

"I... I... I'll go with them then," the man in his thirties stammered, and his frail, small body then moved towards you, his gaze darkened by the weight of the world's misery that seemed to weigh down his shoulders. 

Well, it wasn't a gift, that one. If you had to choose, you would have much preferred to have the sportsman with you, but whatever. 

The time is up. Closing of team registration.  Congratulations, both teams are now formed. Team number one, please head to your base camp located in the east of the park. Name of the base camp: Ninomaru Garden.  Team number two, please head to your base camp located in the western part of the park. Name of the base camp: The Imperial Residence.  The game will start when all players are gathered around their flag.  Good luck. 

All right, this meant that the time to get to the base would be the only time available to set a strategy. If the game was going to start the moment all five of you were gathered around your flag, then you had to start thinking about how to steal the other team's flag and how to get it back safely to your side. 

The two teams split up and instinctively the other team went to the right and you went to the left. Everyone gave a bit of their opinion and you were surprised to see that no one was trying to disregard the other's plan and every opinion was carefully listened to. An had proposed a strategy in which there would be two teams of two attacking the other side to maximize the chances of capture, and the fifth player would be used to guard the flag. 

But it was too dangerous to let only one person be the guard if the opposing team was also attacking in multiples. 

Chishiya proposed that two players guard the flag, another player guard the jail in case a player from the other team got trapped, and the two remaining players would attack the other base. 

But this would mean losing the advantage of a player stuck at the jail if he had no prisoners to guard.

Each proposed plan had flaws and weaknesses that could cost you the victory in case of mistake. You had confidence in your team, if not for the fragile man who answered to the name of Jun Masahashi who was indeed the weak link of the team. An seemed to be quite athletic, you knew Chishiya well enough to judge his intellectual abilities and Niragi, well there was not much to say except that you could trust him with your life. 

Time limit: none.  Game start.  

The strategy had been voted. You were proud to think that the plan you came up with was the one that worked the best, and who would have thought that those endless hours spent playing that game as a kid would do any good now. 

An was at your side and she had good stamina. Her breathing was steady and regular and she had finally dropped her sunglasses that showed a pretty, virtuous face. The sound of branches cracking under your feet echoed with each step you took, you had to dodge the leaves and step over the trunks of the trees to avoid tripping over the roots.

The man named Jun was already dragging his feet a few feet away, and you had to shake him up a bit to make him understand that this was no time to slow you down. Lives were at stake, and you wouldn't let a guy you didn't even know take away your chance to win. 

First you had to get through the forest before you could get to the river, and once you got there, you had to find a way to cross it discretely. 

No one knew the area, and despite the fact that the gardens were only open two days a year, not one of you had ever visited the emperor's gardens before. It usually attracted thousands of visitors from all over the country, but none of you seemed interested. This was something of a regret now. 

Arriving at the flag a few minutes earlier, the vastness of the imperial residence had taken your breath away. It was neither modest, nor sober, nor modern, but a carnival of wealth and beauty. It looked like an old Japanese temple that was often seen in movies, and the red and gold colors adorned the walls and floors in a bewitching way. 

The flag was perched on top of a small stick, planted in the middle of the courtyard, which was surrounded by exotic flowers and colorful bushes. Huge rocks barricaded the north and east entrances, and small paths allowed the other team to sneak in unnoticed. The western entrance was open and immediately you thought it would be difficult to watch that side. 

Standing in front of the red flag, which was barely fluttering in the almost non-existent breeze, was a white table with several objects delicately placed on it. First, five one-liter bottles of water that were already making your mouth water under the stifling heat; then, three hunting knives, two watches, a map and finally, a compass. 

This same compass that you were now holding in your hands to look for the northwest. The little needle turned in all directions before stabilizing on your right. The race began again and the man didn't even have time to catch his breath, hands on his knees as you and An had already left. 

"I... can we... can we take a break?" 

The sun was easily sneaking through all those tree branches, and the softness of the shade was welcome. You tried to focus on the path, trying to think as little as possible about the two men who had stayed behind at base camp to protect the flag. You kept telling yourself over and over again that there was absolutely no reason for them to talk about you at such a crucial time, so there was no chance of Niragi trying to figure out how you and Chishiya knew each other. 

"I have a side point... please... I'm not going to... I'm not going to hold!" 

But after all, they were alone and it was going to be a long time until a threat appeared. Even though you didn't doubt for a second Niragi's associable skills that competed strongly with Chishiya's, one of them would most likely speak up at some point. And talking about the good weather wasn't going to keep them going for several hours, or however long it took you to get that fucking flag back to base camp. 

"Girls !"

"What the fuck?" Tu stopped and An did the same. With his breath short and his ribcage rippling with each breath, the man was close to collapsing on the ground littered with dead leaves. He put his hands back on his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. Drops of sweat trickled down his temple, a pleading look written all over his face as An looked up in exasperation.

She looked just as annoyed as you did, and despite her nonchalance, you decided you liked her. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and wrinkling her nose, she took a few steps around as if to determine how much further you had to go. She snatched the compass from your hands and without really paying that much attention to it, you shifted your attention to the man who was struggling to breathe. 

"If you can't run with us, we're going to have to leave you behind," you bluffed with a dry, authoritative tone, even though it wasn't true. You needed him, and he was part of the plan, whether you liked it or not. He belonged in this world just as much as you did, and you had to do everything you could to make sure that everyone came out of this unscathed. At least for the time being. 

"No, no, please, I just... I just need a minute," the man was almost sobbing, and if he didn't have such a pathetic look plastered on his face, you could have almost helped him regain his composure with some of the breathing exercises you'd learned in your medicinal tenure. 

"It's been ten minutes since the game started and you're already crying," An commented in a blank voice as she glanced at the watch around her wrist. She looked like a villain under her raven-black hair and flashing lipstick, and you were just as annoyed as she was, but pointing out the man's clumsiness and misery wouldn't help his condition. With a sigh, she continued, "I'm coming back, don't move." 

She commanded like a team leader and not that you minded, she seemed to take this game much more to heart than anyone else here. It was as if the weight of death affected her especially, much more than the others. She took a few steps and disappeared around a tree. It was still hard to trust people you didn't know and had just met, but you were a team and that insisted that for now you had to trust her.

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Entry of An and Chishiyaaaaaaaa

I was wondering if my readers would be ok with a love triangle with Chishiya or if you prefer a story really focused ONLY on Niragi...

Please tell me what you want!