Chapter Text
Chishiya tucked his hands in his pocket.
"You shouldn't follow me."
The girl huffed a cloud of smoke from her cigarette, "So eager to get rid of me?"
"Of course." Chishiya kept his tone steady. "You're only following me to use me."
Kuina muttered, "Shouldn't have shown off in that last game, then."
"Wasn't my intention."
"Even so, I saved your life!"
Chishiya sighed but did not speak. He had spent approximately one day wandering around after hearing about this place called the "Beach." Now it was almost pitch black and the most recent game just ended.
"Where are we going?"
After he said nothing, she frowned before tossing off her smoke. He picked up his pace. "Hey! Don't ignore me."
The boy shrugged before answering. "Maybe I'm leading you into a trap."
She scoffed. "You don't even know, do you."
"Objectively, that's an assumption."
Kuina rolled her eyes before tucking her hands into her jean pocket. She felt a piece of paper and was once again reminded of her impending doom. "Do you have nothing to do all day? You don't seem to be interested in joining a game."
"Perhaps I don't want to join a game with someone who's been following me for the past six days."
Kuina crossed her arms. "How many days did you have before the six of spades game? My visa's running out tomorrow, so we should join a game."
"We?"
"You still have to repay me for saving your li--"
She yelped as Chishiya pulled her behind a building.
"Just what I was looking for."
Confused, the girl peeked at what the silvered-haired man was looking at.
A bunch of people in swimsuits. Muttering under her breath, "I wouldn't have followed you if I knew you were such a pervert."
Chishiya rolled his eyes. Kuina judgmentally glanced at him. "Seriously. After walking around this hellhole for an entire day, were you just trying to find people in bikinis?"
"You should listen to yourself talk right now."
The swimsuit people were on the move. They had a car and seemed to be getting in it.
He glanced at Kuina and smirked a bit. She might be quite useful in this specific situation. "What are you looking at me for? Creepy."
"No matter what you're thinking, I have no intentions of molesting you."
"I don't know if I should take that as an insult or compliment."
He gestured at the beachgoers. "See them?"
Kuina grimaced, "Are you sure you're gonna shoot your shot? They have guns, you know."
"Keen observation." Chishiya pulled down his hood. "I'm going to need a way to join their party."
Still crouching, Chishiya sternly said. "You're not an idiot, from what I've observed. It would do us good if you found a way to dislocate your shoulder."
She glared at him. "I don't see how harming myself can do me good."
"They won't take us in if I don't give them a reason to trust me."
"Please elaborate."
Chishiya slowly got up. "Desperate times call for desperate solutions--however, the saying goes. You need to be injured so I can show them that I just want to get you help."
Placing his hand on the wall, he said, "Perhaps a dislocated shoulder might not be enough. Think we can just follow them to their base?"
"You think I'll dislocate my shoulder to help you get to their base?"
"I do, yeah."
"Everything you're saying right now sounds ridiculous!"
Chishiya turned away from her to watch the beachgoers. They started to board the car. It seemed like they were about to head back to the base.
"They're our chance at going to the normal world."
He tilted his head to look at Kuina again. "That's the reason why you followed me in the first place, right? A chance to go home?"
Kuina stayed silent.
"If your guts are telling you that I'm capable of keeping you alive, trust it, because I am quite capable."
"You're an arrogant son of a bitch."
Chishiya smirked.
Without warning, he calmly trodded out of their hiding spot. Noticing him, beachgoers held up their guns in defense.
Chishiya smirked. "I'm just one person, sure you need all those weapons?"
They didn't reply.
He recognized two of them from the games he previously played. One of them was a girl in a short bob. She shielded herself behind another girl. the other girl had wavy long hair---half pinned back.
He waved at them. They didn't wave back. "How mean. I saved you in a game, after all."
Directing his attention back to the gun wielders, he tries for a professional tone.
"Sorry to make a scene. But I was wondering if I could join you. There are a lot of you, I thought I'd just have to ask. You need numbers, right?"
The beachgoers all stared at him as if he had two heads.
"We should just kill him."
"I'd appreciate it if you'd not."
After hearing a slight inaudible groan to his right, Chishiya tucked his hands in his pocket. "See, my partner is quite hurt, so I'll be needing a doctor." Who was he kidding?
Kuina slowly stepped out of the shadows--making sure to limp as she went.
"The girl's hurt." -Murmured one beachgoer. "Shh! We don't have time for empathy. We have to report back to Hatter about the cards we found."
Chishiya just held his gaze with an amused glint in his eyes.
"Aguni, what should we do about them?"
The leader, Aguni, signaled the beachgoers to lower their guns. But that didn't mean they weren't weary of Chishiya. Aguni spoke to a man with more piercings than brain cells, he'd bet. The man had dark black hair and a wild look in his eyes.
Still wielding his weapon, the boy approach Chishiya. "What are you after?"
After a second, the blonde, simply stated, "Just looking for a party to enter. I said that already. You got a doctor to look after my friend?"
The man towered over the short boy and stared him down. Kuina grew worried.
Fighting was out of the question. She wasn't able to dislocate her shoulder, but she sure did try. One more shove and her arm might just as well have it. Even if they were to fight, there was no way they would win, considering that the other party had literal guns. If Chishiya goes down, so would she. Kuina bit her lips. That sly bastard better knows what he was doing. If not, then she'll curse him to brutal torture, even in death.
The pierced boy grinned as he placed a gun to Chishiya's chest. Even when facing death, the boy in the white hoodie showed no fear.
Leaning in, the boy snarled. "I can't tell if you're stupid or brave."
"Neither, I'm actually quite uncomfortable right now. I think we're straying from my initial question."
The man raised his eyebrow. "Seems like you haven't been in this world for too long. At least not enough to know not to trust other players."
"Long enough."
Slowly, Chishiya reached into his pocket to pull out three cards. The action made the gun wielder tense up at the movement.
Three hearts, two of the diamonds; which weren't too impressive. Six of diamonds.
"You're looking for cards, aren't you? I have more than these three."
"What makes you think that we won't just kill you and take what you have?"
"Because I can find more cards. I have quite the handy-dandy brain."
"I don't like your condescending tone, smartass."
Chishiya huffed out a smirk.
Without moving the gun, the noirrette's gaze flicked back at the leader. "What should we do with him? Motherfucker was psycho enough to approach people with guns."
The leader's face held still; as if too unbothered to care about the commotion Chishiya caused. "We'll let Hatter deal with it."
Chishiya sighed. Then he was knocked unconscious with a painful crack along his skull.
"He isn't dead, is he?"
"Who cares if he's dead? Get the girl."
He woke up strapped to a chair with his arms bound to the legs behind him.
"Well, well. He's awake."
Chishiya peeled his eyes open. His head hurts. He lazily gazed up at the man in front of him.
Hatter.
With his beach shirt shamelessly unbuttoned, Hatter graciously opened his arms and announced. "Welcome to the beach!"
Mumbling, Chishiya said, "I'm feeling quite welcomed."
"Sorry, sorry. it's a safety precaution. You can't win against all of us, but you can try to take one down with you. That girl you were with sure did."
Kuina. Is she dead?
To his left, he saw that the girl was bound on the floor with a gag. She looked infuriated but alive. Good, Chishiya thought. I still need her.
"After all that acting about her being severely injured, we were quite surprised when she managed to knock poor Kuzuryu out. What other lie did you tell to get here?" Chishiya glanced over at the body laying on the ground; unconscious. Kuina did that?
Hatter lowered himself to look Chishiya in the eye. "No need to deny anything. Aguni told me the deets."
With a mischievous glimmer, Chishiya finally spoke. "I wasn't planning on denying anything. My intentions are quite clear. We just want to join you."
Hatter smiled and rose from his spot."Well, that's a given."
Chishiya's eyes trailed after the man. "Considering that you were here before me, as seen in how you built such an empire, I was also somewhat hoping that you might have some answers about this world."
Without looking at him, Hatter chuckled. "Answers?"
The man strode towards the wide wood door disguised as a wall. "Answers you shall receive."
Two husky guards slid the door open, revealing the shock on the other side.
Even Chishiya hitched his breath. Kuina craned her neck to see the other side.
There were spray-painted symbols of cards. Some were crossed off--mostly the low-level ones. Other cards, such as the tens, were mostly left bare. None of the face cards were crossed off, confirming Chishiya's suspicions. "Cards?"
Hatter beamed with joy. "No, an end to this nightmare"
Chishiya felt a smile creep up his face. "I see. So we have to collect all the cards to go back?"
Hatter swirled around to face him.
"This place is one big game. If we collect all the cards, one person will be able to return to the world we once knew."
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Only one?"
"Precisely. Sending that one person home. That is the Beach's objective. However, that just means we have to collect enough duplicate cards for everyone to return." Hatter raised his hand to his sunglasses. "Soon everyone at the beach will be able to return home!"
"I see. So that's why you all grouped up. It's impossible to collect every game's cards as a sole player."
Hatter placed the sunglasses onto his head. "You possess some cards, so I've been told."
Chishiya remained stoic. "Not anymore, you must've taken them by now when I was busy bleeding my brains out."
"Now, now." The man on the beach wear grinned. "I'm sure you know that wasn't personal. After all, we're hoping to work with you to acquire all the cards."
"Just what I wanted. It only took being thwacked in the head."
Chishiya tilted his chin up, "Say, under what credibility did you learn of that information?"
"Credible sources--that you will be better off not knowing of."
"Could it be the ones behind the games?"
Hatter closed his eyes.
"We." He gestured around him as if Chishiya never noticed the other people in this room. "Have been studying this country longer than you have set foot upon this land."
Country? Chishiya suspected it. After all, they were given 'visas.' If they had a visa it most likely meant that those who don't need a visa are known as citizens.
"Naturally, if we can travel to this country there is a way we can go out. As one, we can find that way."
After a moment of pause, Chishiya asked, "Where do you get electricity?"
A girl in a white swimsuit answered. "We generate our power. We also collect water from the rain. It's like a normal resort, really. We also have guns."
Chishya raised both eyebrows. Guns? Doesn't sound too normal.
Trailing over to the table, where the cards were placed, Hatter looked hungrily over the cards. "Wouldn't it be more convenient to search for those cards while being comfortable?"
Hatter let his fingers glaze over the eight of diamonds card.
"We only have three rules for you to follow. First, everyone at the beach is required to wear swimwear."
Kuina made a confused grunt into the gag.
"Harder to hide weapons in clothes when you're not wearing them. Don't be too self-conscious, we can be guaranteed that people have more to worry about than an unfit body."
He then smirked. "Though I suppose the beach leaves no room for being self-conscious in the first place."
"What do you mean by that?"
"All locks and keys have been destroyed. We don't need privacy when we're all acting as one. A nice deal in exchange for paradise, isn't it? After all, you are free to have sex and enjoy life to the fullest without any judgment."
Leaning on the table, Hatter said "Rule two. All cards collected belong to the beach."
"What if we don't want to give you the cards?"
"Beats the point of joining the beach, doesn't it?"
The blonde stared at the leader of the beach, still expecting an answer.
"Rule three." Hatter looked at the bound boy with empty eyes, "Death to all traitors."
Ah. Sorry, Kuina.
"Don't worry about it too much. The more cards you contribute, the more you get promoted. Each card means you go up a number."
Hatter picked up the eight of diamonds. "Impressive! We don't have this card yet."
He walked over to the wall of cards. "we are now one step closer to our goal, thanks to you. We might promote you soon if you keep this up."
"No problem."
"Now!" With a crazed smile, Hatter dramatically spread his arms. "Enjoy the paradise, which is the Beach!"
"Are you serious?"
Kuina gawked at the pool party everyone was having. People were screaming as they were pushed into the water. Girls and guys mingled as they all seemed to be living life to the fullest. It all seemed so....mundane.
Chishiya calmly plopped down on a beach chair while applying ice to his head. "You're looking great. Blue suits you."
Kuina considered kicking him in the face. "So you do have ulterior motives towards people in swimwear."
She's never going to let that go, is she?
"What about you?"
Chishiya raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"
"You're still wearing that white jacket. It's a pool party, let loose a bit would ya?"
The blonde reclined in the deckchair. "Just because it's the end of the world doesn't mean I've lost my modesty."
Kuina studied him like a peculiar creature. Before her gaze went to the white jacket. What was he hiding from anyways?
Chishiya sighed. He paused before saying, "Don't even think about it."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm not the perverse one here. Why would I force you to strip."
"So you were thinking about it."
"That's after what you just said!"
Kuina gestured for him to scoot. He looked at her, puzzled.
"Gosh! Move over, you thick-skulled idiot!"
She sat down next to him. He grumbled, "This is rather uncomfortable. I quite liked having personal space."
"So what do we do now?"
Chishiya shrugged. "What else? We help Hatter find the cards whenever we need to replenish our visa."
"Well, my vis-"
"Separately. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm not too fond of risking my life for a stranger."
Kuina couldn't believe her ears. She huffed, what was she expecting? In this world, people only cared about themselves.
She pulled out a cigarette from the packet in her hand.
She scourges for the lighter.
Chishiya spoke up again. "Unless you tell me why you're so desperate to return to the normal world."
"Is not participating in death games, not a good reason?"
The blonde pulled out a lighter. "Smoking probably isn't going to help the endurance you need in said death games."
Kuina reached for the lighter. "None of your business."
"You want my help or not?"
"My mom."
Chishiya tilted his head towards her. She took a deep breath in.
"My mom is so sick that she can't even do her business without my help. For the days that I've been gone, she must've been having a hard time at the hospital. I need to hurry back to help her."
She said it like it was easy. Like she was just talking about a normal day in her life.
Kuina looks at Chishiya looking for the pity in his eyes that she normally would be receiving. She found nothing. Now it was her turn to raise her eyebrow. "You're one cold-hearted bastard, you know that?"
He scoffed out a mocking laugh. "What? Just because I'm not crying over your sob story?"
Just as she was about to get up and leave, he called her from behind. "We're participating in the game today."
She paused to turn around.
"And for the record, withdrawal symptoms can be eased if you chew on the cigarette rather than smoke it."
He threw her the lighter anyways.