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bts-story · 1 year

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LOVE IS CHAOS

masterlist / previous chapters

Chapter six - Eight of clubs

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!

Nageoire

#Niragi suguru #Niragi aib #niragi #Niragi x reader #Niragi imagine #aib #alice in borderland #alice in borderland niragi #Chishiya shuntaro #Chishiya aib #Chishiya #chishiya alice in borderland #chishiya x you #Niragi x you #Chishiya x reader #love is chaos

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