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EXTRA,
Baya & Ruka

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Aahhh, hi guys!! For context: this is a collab between me and my glorious wife Dani, AKA p4rkingjimin , including our OCs Baya and Ruka!! Ruka is from Dani's fanfic "Blue".

Basically, Baya and Ruka will meet in this chapter and interact together!! They're lowkey polar opposites, soooo...

If haven't read Dani's fanfics yet, or aren't even following her, whatdehelly go do it right now. She and her fanfics are AMAZING.

You can find Ruka's POV of this interaction on her account as well!!

(This is written in past tense, even though all my other chapters are written in present tense. Sorry for the confusion!)

I did lowkey not edit this either so I also apologize for typos

This takes place at the Beach!

—

༇ BAYA weaved through the crowd of the Beach, her heart pounding against her ribs in a way that reminded her she'd feel worse pain if she let herself get caught.

"Tatta!" She knocked into several people and had to step over a drunk guy who tried to grab her bare ankle. "Kuina!"

Nothing felt safe anymore. Her hair was damp, sticking to her back and matted to her forehead. Repeatedly, Baya had to blow her bangs out of her face while also ducking from Niragi's hawk eyes every other second. He seemed to have nothing better to do than play with Baya like she was the mouse and he was the cat.

"Tatta—" she barely had the chance to finish her sentence: the force of slamming into someone else knocked the air out of her longes.

Baya gasped. "Sorry, I should've watched where I was going. Hi," she stammered.

A woman stood in front of her. Her expression was hard and stoic, yet the way she blinked made Baya realize she was slightly dazzled after the collision.

"Okay?"

Baya faked another loud laugh, as if it was a normal, daily conversation. "I'm Baya," she said, offering her hand.

The woman stared at it for so long that Baya wondered if maybe she had gone colorblind and didn't notice the way her skin was suddenly green.

"The chances of germs spreading by us touching hands is too high," she said.

Baya pulled back. "Oh. Right."

"I'm Ruka," the woman said after a pause.

Her gaze softened. Finally, a normal response. "Well, hi, Ruka."

Ruka blinked again. "Didn't we already say hello?"

"Oh, yeah, we did—"

"Then isn't it unnecessary to greet each other once again?" she asked. "In the things I've read, people do not typically... do such a thing."

"Read? What do you mean?" Baya was also blinking by now. What kind of things could someone possibly read to become aware of minor things like these?

"Read," Ruka repeated.

"Read... yeah..." As if Baya had ever finished an entire book in her life. Awkwardly, her gaze flickered away towards the growing crowd. "Hey, they're lining up for number-time."

"They're 30 seconds late today..." Ruka murmured. She turned back. "Perhaps I'll see you sometime."

"Oh, we aren't gonna walk together?" Baya asked, hopeful. Desperate, in fact. If she couldn't find Tatta, nor Kuina, it would be better to stay with a stranger than risk facing Niragi.

"I didn't... plan to," Ruka replied.

"Oh, yeah, okay. That's cool, too." She turned too fast, bumping into someone, then someone else. "Oh my God, oops. I'm sorry," she panicked. She collided with Ruka again.

Except this time, Ruka grabbed Baya by the shoulders and caught her before she fell. Ruka let go as fast as she took Baya.

"Oops. What the hell, I'm a mess today. Seriously, so sorry for this." Flushed, Baya bit her lip. Please, please, please, she prayed in her mind. Please come with me. Don't leave me with him.

Ruka didn't respond. Just shrugged and turned. Her eyes searched around the crowd in a manner that even Baya caught up on.

"Are you looking for someone? Maybe I could help?"

"I'm looking... for... someone I know," she said carefully. "Short black hair, definitely messy. 5'11, 150 lbs, mole under his eye—glasses, that are probably broken. I'm unsure. He's quiet. Smiles a lot. Probably angry."

Baya got on her tiptoes to look past the heads surrounding them, now focused on helping Ruka. Perhaps she'd catch Niragi's eyes this way, but she would've increased the chance of Ruka helping her out. "Uhm. Is that him?" She pointed toward a random man.

"No," she said coldly. "But I think if he has a twin, that'd be it."

Baya laughed. Loudly. So loudly that she herself cringed. "Well, do you need to find him?"

Ruka didn't laugh. She didn't even smile.

Baya hesitated to open her mouth again. "Okay, well—"

Ruka exhaled audibly.

"I should... go?"

Ruka stared at her. "I never said you had to."

Baya stared back at Ruka, inspecting her. Not only did she say much, but neither did she show much. Now and then, Baya would catch the faintest glimpse of what was going on inside Ruka's head because she applied the techniques psychology books taught her (but she never actually finished reading those books, so the source was unsafe).

"You're very quiet," Baya said finally.

"You're not."

"Is that bad? I can stop—"

"Negative," Ruka cut in sharply. "Come on. Hatter will do some speech soon."

She nodded toward a more secluded spot where they could watch the announcement. They looked up, eyes on the platform where Hatter usually appeared. Baya bounced lightly on her feet, swaying left and right to calm her nerves. Her shoulder brushed past Ruka's—

Who tensed immediately. It was like Baya had pointed a gun at the woman. Then, a few seconds later, she relaxed again, but not in a normal sense. Kind of as if she accepted the faith of the gun. 

"I'm sorry," Baya says.

Ruka stared longer than necessary. "It's alright."

To fill the silence, Baya continues, "Have you ever done a word-search, but couldn't find any of the words, so you gave up?"

"That's quite random," she muttered. "But, no. I always finish my puzzles."

"I just can't ever find the words, that's why," Baya went on, unsure. "The words just all scramble together and stuff."

"That would be called dyslexia, and it's very common. Unless you're partially blind and aren't aware?"

Baya shook her head. Obviously, something about her intelligence wasn't quite right. She wasn't dumb, but could never manage to get focused enough to actually study. Words would sway on pages on some days. On other days, the letters were completely still, which made Baya feel like her struggles were fake.

"Maybe you have Developmental Coordination Disorder."

"What's that?"

"Dyspraxia."

Baya felt the warmth in her cheeks increase. "What's that...?"

Ruka inhaled deeply through her nose. "A condition that affects motor skills and coordination," she explained. "Impacting both fine and gross motor movements. It's characterized by awkward posture, balance issues, and challenges with sequencing or multitasking."

Baya's face twisted. "I don't think I have that."

"You're clumsy," Ruka said simply. "I assumed."

Baya said nothing for a moment, then glanced down, completely red by now. This new world, full with of death and cruelty, doesn't allow her peace even after games. For some reason, half of the people she meets are unashamed of their actions and words, even if they don't notice it.

"Now, pay attention to Hatter," Ruka added. "He'll begin in less than ten seconds." She pointed toward the balcony.

Even as Baya felt Ruka's eyes on her, catching every move, she listened to Hatter. He spoke about the games, about their goal, about the rules, and the game setups.

The militants began to move. Baya snuck closer to Ruka instinctively. They passed out paper slips. Grateful enough that it wasn't Niragi who handed her the slip, Baya looked down at the number.

"Seven," she blurted out.

Ruma silently turned her own slip toward Baya.

Baya grinned, more grateful by the second. "A game together?"

"That's not good," Ruka said flatly. A long, drawn out sigh followed. It made Baya's stomach flip. She didn't exactly seem happy about Baya's presence.

"Oh. You're right," Baya agrees quickly.

"Let us hope it is a game of intelligence."

Baya pressed the paper to her chest, where a heavy feeling was blooming. "I really hope not."

When she sees the look on Ruka's face, she mentally apologizes again. She also wished she was good at something.

●・○・●・○・●

"It's kinda unfair, don't you think?" Baya wondered as they exited the Beach. "Four suits. Only four different meanings. What if you're not good at any of them? You just die? While smart or strong people just get lucky? I mean, kinda makes sense, but still! Why did I get sent here if I'm so incapable of everything, and why does everyone around me make it so obvious?" She rambled.

Baya glances sideways at Ruka, who proved Baya's point— she wasn't even looking at her. "Don't you agree?" Baya tried again. "Because if—"

"We should walk," Ruka interrupts.

"No car?"

"Negative," Ruka replied. "More efficient to walk."

"Mmm, alright," Baya murmured, skipping slightly as she walked. Recently, she figured out that skipping is faster but less tiring than running.

"It says to go to an office building," Ruka said. "I know where it is. I've visited once or twice... for business."

Baya was happy that Ruka talked, so did her best to keep the conversation flowing. "Are you an office-worker?"

"Negative."

"Scientist?"

Ruka didn't respond.

"Okay, what about..." Baya trailed off, "Police officer? Wait, no." If Ruka had been a police officer in Tokyo, she'd know who Baya was. After all, she's still wanted.

To her own disappointment, though, there are no flyers of her hanging around the city with the gigantic 'WANTED' letters above it. Too bad. If she was a criminal, why not make it at least a little bit more amusing?

"I'm an assassin," Ruka said flatly.

Baya's eyes widened. Even worse.

"No I'm not," Ruka corrected in the exact same tone.

Baya exhaled. "Wow, you had me worried there for a sec. What actually are you?"

"Is it your business?"

"I mean... no, not really..." Baya said. Her smile faded. Not in a hearts game, yet they all play with her heart anyway.

"It would scare you," Ruka warned.

Baya paused. She worked illegally at the black market, stealing organs from dying patients. "I don't think it would," she said ultimately. "I wouldn't judge."

"Why? Are you a criminal?"

"Oh, no—" she said too quickly. "I mean—" she laughed, "I was an orphan."

"Orphan?" Ruak echoed. She pushed her hands into her pants pockets.

"I'm not even really sure of who I am," Baya added.

Ruka kept walking. "I stalk people for a company," she said.

Baya nods, half-impressed, half-glad. "What company?"

"Sanka. It means 'scattered flowers.'"

"You aren't... like a stalker here to stalk me, right?"

"No. Unless your name is..." she trailed off. "No. As far as I'm aware—your name 'Baya' is not on my list."

"What do you do once you stalk them?"

"I take them to my company," Ruka said plainly. "They disappear."

There was a long silence. Baya's footstep faltered.  "How many?"

"Six-hundred thirty-two."

Baya stopped walking. "Oh my—"

"You asked," Ruka cut her off.

"Oh my God." Baya had trouble processing it. "I mean, yeah, but, damn, I wasn't expecting... that. Are you lying? You've got to be."

"Negative." She turned her gaze back to Baya. "Now. What were you? You tensed at the word criminal and police. What are you, a robber?"

Baya clenched her jaw and looked away. "No."

Ruka hummed. "I've heard of people who sell body parts or organs recently." She studied Baya carefully. "Do you do that?"

Caught. Of course. "No. That's not me."

Ruka didn't press on. Just said, "You're efficient." She pointed toward a tower ahead. "There."

"Here already? Woah, I didn't even notice!" She grinned, walking backward toward the building. "Ready?"

Ruka nodded.

They stepped through the glass doors of the office building. Baya went quieter, nerves gnawing at her.

She stepped carefully behind Ruka, the light from the corridor disappearing as they neared the elevator hallway. Ruka moved ahead without pause and opened the next door, calm and steady as ever.

Baya stopped."I really, really hope it's not a diamond game," she whispered, mostly to herself.

Ruka just rollled her shoulder. She probably didn't see the point in wishing. Or maybe she just didn't care. Baya couldn't tell which.

Beyond the glass wall of the main lobby, people were already gathered. Plus them made seven.

Her stomach sunk a little. Seven isn't a good number. It's uneven. It meant someone won't get picked. Someone would be on their own. That's how these games worked and it's all Baya could think of.

She swallowed. Each of them took one phone. It buzzed against her hand.

"Face recognition in progress... there are currently seven participants. The game will start in one minute and fifteen seconds."

Baya watched Ruka out of the corner of her eye. The other girl didn't look back. Baya knew she was analyzing everyone. It was like standing next to a machine. Not hard to figure that out.

She followed her line of sight. A woman in her thirties. Kind of pretty, maybe? But there was something off. The green contacts. The brand new clothes. Baya noticed the dirt under her nails. The shovel in her grip. Something about it felt out of place.

Then two suited men. Baya couldn't tell if they were friends or enemies. Their backs were too straight, their faces too smooth. She wondered what they did before this. Yakuza?

Her eyes drifted to a younger girl off to the side. Her fingers twitched. And then there was another man. Messy black hair and tanned skin. His eyes were unreadable.

Baya wanted to speak but doesn't. The room felt heavy.

She leaned closer to Ruka and finally whispered: "You nervous?"

Ruka turned. Blank. Her eyes were like mirrors: Baya saw her own face in them.

And that's all the answer she got.

Of course Ruka wasn't nervous.

The phones buzzed in synchrony. "The game will now commence. Game: Snake and Mouse. Difficulty: 5 of Diamonds. Rules: All players will enter a 2-player holding cell with a buzzer and must answer logic-based questions as a team. One player will not have a teammate and will be randomly selected as the 'Snake.' The other players—'Mice'—will not know who the Snake is and must vote on who it may be at the end. Clear condition: the Snake must remain undiscovered or the Mice must find out who the Snake is. Additionally, all players will be able to communicate through a comms system."

Baya's pulse kicked up. Her eyes darted to the others. Seven players, of course.

"Diamonds. I knew it." She ran her hand through her hair. "You're smart, right?"

Ruka answered without hesitation. "Affirmative."

Baya gave a shaky smile. "Okay. Let's hope we're a team."She knew hope meant nothing. But still, it's the only thing she had.

The phone buzzed again. "All players go to a separate room to your left, and you will be instructed to a new room to remain secret."

Baya's fingers fumbled a bit as she clutched the phone. It slipped slightly in her grip and she tapped the back three times, a nervous tic.

The others were already peeling off. She hesitated again and looked back at Ruka.

Their eyes met. For some reason, that brief moment steadied her more than the instructions or the logic ever could.

Ruka disappeared into one of the doors. Baya went into another one.

The new room was cold and dim. A mechanical voice from the phone told her to go to Floor Two.

Every step felt like it echoes, even though she was trying not to make noise. When she reached the second floor, she found the room. She swallowed the anxiety and pushed the door open.

Inside was Ruka.

She didn't look surprised to see her. "Baya," she said simply.

Baya breathed out. "I was so worried," she admitted, stepping in. The room contained just a button and a screen. She stared at the names, her own among them. "Point system for things we answer correctly?"

"Correct," Ruka replied. "And I assume this button is to be pressed before speaking. Like competitive quiz shows."

Baya tilted her head. "Like those variety shows, right? They had them on sometimes at the orphanage."

Ruka just shrugged.

Baya leaned in slightly, letting her smile creep out. "What kind of shows do you like?"

Ruka raised her eyebrow.

Baya grinned anyway. "Okay, well— I like cartoons. Fun ones. I like Disney movies. With the princesses." She looked down, self-conscious for a second. "I've always wanted soft love."

Ruka didn't reply. She didn't interrupt either, so Baya kept going.

"You know, actually— how old are you? What if you're like... 35?"

"24," Ruka answered without inflection.

Baya beamed. "No way! Me too! That's cool. At least you're not an old hag."

"What is a 'Disney princess'?"

Baya stared. Her whole face fell in disbelief. "You don't know? They're princesses. They get saved by princes from evil stuff."

"Hm." Ruka blinked again.

"What colors do you like?" she asked.

"All of them! Like, yellow's pretty because it's yellow. And red is like... like a pretty red rose. Blue like your hair is super cool. I like green too, it reminds me of grass. I love grass, actually—"

"The first question will be given in 30 seconds. All comms systems have been activated."

Baya's phone chimed, stopping her halfway through her sentence.

Ruka sighed. Baya guessed she was annoyed with her rambling again.

"FIRST QUESTION: You see me once in June, twice in November, but not at all in May. What am I?" the T.V. asks. The robotic voice echoed crisply across the room like a test pattern starting up.

Ruka's hand pushed the button down.

"The letter E," she said calmly.

"How did you—" Baya started.

Ruka didn't answer. She watched the question disappear and narrowed her eyes at the screen.

Baya pressed her hand to the buzzer, then hesitated before saying, "The letter E." She paused. "Hitoki was the last one to answer," she added.

Ruka nodded once, approving.

BAYA: 1
RUKA: 1
HITOKI: 1
TOSHI: 1
TAIO: 1
ARUYA: 0
FUMIKO: 1

"Aruya got it incorrect," Ruka murmured. "It was quite simple."

"Not really," Baya mumbled. She didn't have to look to know Ruka was scanning her face again. She could feel it, like being dissected with invisible fingers. Her mouth was curved downward slightly. She caught herself flexing her hands in her lap, curling her fingers inward, then releasing. It was stupid. She wasn't even that bothered. But she was. A little.

Her eyes bounced between Ruka and the glow of her phone screen. The silence was stretching too long. She hated silence. It made her brain itch.

"What's your full name?" Ruka asked suddenly.

Her heart jumped. "Why?" she asked, voice tipping upward in surprise.

Ruka shrugged. Baya waited a second, but the silence held, so she answered anyway.

"Yuzuki Baya."

"Ruka Aokawa," Ruka responded.

Baya raised her eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me your last name then?"

"Not mine," Ruka said simply. "I don't know my actual name."

Baya studied the girl next to her. Ruka had barely moved, but something had shifted. Her voice had been... off. Not as robotic.

"Wait. Are you not Japanese?" Baya asked as she took Ruka's features in.

"Negative. I'm Korean. Ruka is a more common Japanese name than Korean. Yuzuki is a Japanese name, too. But you're also Korean, aren't you?"

Baya's heart stumbled. She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I am." She drew her brows together. "How... come you don't know your name?"

Another shrug. "You?"

"Like I said. I was an orphan. So... like... I don't know who I am, or if Baya—or Yuzuki—are even my real name." Her voice cracked a little near the end, and she bit the inside of her cheek, embarrassed.

Actually, she knew for sure that Yuzuki Baya wasn't her real name. The people at the orphanage had told her she got dropped off by someone unknown. They gave her a name, birthday, and everything else. All handed out the same way the Militants had handed the paper slips out.

Ruka nodded slightly. "I've heard about a lot of people," she said. "Never Baya or Yuzuki."

Baya opened her mouth, but Ruka beat her to it.

"The company I was raised in..." Her voice softened. She paused. "Nevermind."

"No, tell me!" Baya said too fast. Too eager. She winced. "I mean, well— No rush. No force. I swear I don't mean to rush you."

Ruka just shook her head, shutting down again. Baya could practically hear her brain clicking shut.

Then the voice interrupted, ruining the moment: "SECOND QUESTION: How long can a human lung be frozen for?"

Without thinking, Baya slapped the button. Her palm hit it hard, and the smack echoed in the quiet room. "You can't freeze a human lung because it will destroy the cells. Instead, you should keep it near body temperature," she said quickly, confidently.

She glanced at Ruka, whose head turned toward her. That unreadable expression again.

Then Ruka reached forward and hit her button too. "You cannot freeze a lung."

BAYA: 2
RUKA: 2
HITOKI: 2
TOSHI: 1
TAIO: 1
ARUYA: 1
FUMIKO: 2

Baya stared at the names. "Who could the snake be?" she whispered.

"Fumiko answered correctly."

"Mhm."

"Baya. Fumiko answered correctly," Ruka repeated. Her voice sharpened, slicing through Baya's haze.

Baya blinked. The pieces finally clicked. Her eyes widened.

Ruka leaned forward and pressed the unmute button. A quiet beep. The mic clicked on. Baya's chest tightened.

"Fumiko," Ruka said flatly.

Static filled the room. Then:

"Yes...?" Fumiko answered, her voice shaky and unsure.

"Who is your duo?" Ruka asked.

"You're cutting out!" Fumiko said quickly, panic creeping into her voice.

"Hey, wait—" Baya started, "If she—"

Ruka hit mute again before she could finish. "Continue," Ruka said.

"Fumiko guessed, right? But if she had a duo, wouldn't they also answer?" Baya asked.

Ruka nodded.

Baya's face lit up slowly. "I did it! And I answered that last question! I'm a genius!" She lifted her arm and struck a pose. "So, Fumiko is the snake?"

Ruka nodded again.

"Wow! We're such a good team!" Baya exclaimed, throwing her arm up in the air. "C'mon, high-five!"

Ruka stared at her hand. Not weirdly—well, maybe a little weirdly—but more like she was studying it.

Then, instead of slapping her palm, Ruka just took her hand.

Baya laughed in surprise. "No, like this—" She repositioned Ruka's arm. "Stay."

And Ruka did. Hand frozen in mid-air, like a statue. With a grin, Baya slapped her palm.

"That's a high-five! Now, you try!"

Ruka copied the gesture, but completely overshot it, smacking her hand way too hard.

"Agh... yeah... okay. We can work on that." Baya shook out her hand, fingers twitching from the sting. "Let's continue the game!"

"QUESTION THREE: How do you spell 'hypothesis' in English?"

Baya barely had time to react before Ruka's hand smacked the button again.

"H-y-p-o-t-h-e-s-i-s," Ruka answered.

Next to her, Baya felt her brain stutter. How is she supposed to know? She's bad at reading and writing in Japanese, let alone in English. She hesitated, hovering her hand above her own button, then finally pressed it.

"H," Ruka began.

"H—" Baya repeated.

"Y."

"Y.."

"P."

"P....?" She could feel herself wobbling.

"O."

"O!"

"T."

"T."

"H."

"H!"

Ruka took a breath. "E."

"E!!" Baya chirped, her grin starting to return.

"S-i-s."

"S-i-s!" she repeated, then let out a small victorious sound. "Yesss."

The screen buzzed to life again.

BAYA: 3
RUKA: 3
HITOKI: 2
TOSHI: 3
TAIO: 3
ARUYA: 1
FUMIKO: 2

Ruka made a tiny noise, low and thoughtful. Baya turned toward her, curious.

"Taio and Toshi are partners," Ruka murmured.

"Huh?"

"They both just got a point," Ruka added, more to herself.

"You know English?" Baya asked.

Ruka gave a short nod. "Fluent."

Baya's eyes widened. "Woah, you're fluent? Say a few words."

Ruka paused, then said in perfect English, "You're quite friendly and I enjoy your presence." Her tone was so neutral, Baya missed the meaning.

"Hm, what'd you say?"

"I dislike the mechanics of this game."

"Ah, yeah. Me too," Baya said solemnly before immediately breaking into a grin. "How do you sayyyy... I like bunnies in English?"

For the first time, Ruka looked... doubtful. "Is this truly a time for an English lesson?"

"Yes! Come on, Ruka, please? Just 'I like bunnies'!" Baya clasped her hands.

Ruka sighed, the smallest sigh in the world. "I."

"I!" Baya echoed eagerly.

"Like."

"L...ee..." she tried, then hesitated.

"Negative. Li. Lie."

"Like.." Baya tried again, more sure this time.

"Bun."

"Bun!"

"Nies."

"Nye.."

"Nies."

"Nih—"

"Baya." Ruka tapped her shoulder. "I said—bunnies."

"Bunnies?"

She didn't expect Ruka to actually respond. Baya had only been teasing, mostly. But when the girl nodded, Baya's smiled so hard it almost hurt. It stretched wide, too wide, practically off her face. "So—I... lie..."

"Baya. Like."

"Ohhh," Baya nodded eagerly. "I like—"

"Bunnies."

"I like bunnies...?" she echoed, a little uncertain. But Ruka nodded.

"Affirmative."

And boom— a gasp exploded from her chest, all instinct and joy. "I like bunnies!" she squealed, bouncing. "I'm gonna always say this now. I like bunnies. I like bunnies. Wait—are you sure this isn't a slur? Like, I'm actually saying something good?"

Ruka gave the tiniest of nods.

"Yay!" Baya grinned. "I'm so lucky. I knew we were gonna be friends. Best friends!" Without thinking, she grabbed Ruka's arm and shook it.

Ruka gave a look.

"You always do that," Baya pointed out.

"You always smile."

"You don't." Baya cocked her head. It was true. Ruka's face was like a quiet lake: still, but there was something under there.

Ruka blinked. Or didn't. Baya honestly couldn't tell anymore.

"Yeah," Baya decided. "You're cute. I like you."

Ruka shook her head slowly.

The moment passed. The screen drew both their gazes.

"QUESTION FOUR: On the first question, which month of the year was mentioned first?"

Baya winced. She wasn't good at remembering such details. She just felt stuff. "Are you kidding me? Like anyone would—"

"June." Ruka answered. Her finger hit the button.

Baya stared. "Of course you know that."She huffed dramatically, slapping her own button like it had offended her. "June," she muttered.

She started humming. No tune. Just something to fill the air. She tapped the screen idly. Tap tap. Pause. Tap. Restless energy. "I'm getting bored."

Ruka didn't react. She just stared at the screen.

BAYA: 4
RUKA: 4
HITOKI: 3
TOSHI: 3
TAIO: 3
ARUYA: 2
FUMIKO: 2

"I have a theory," Ruka murmured.

"Mhm?"

"For starters, we are aware that Toshi and Taio are a team— and that we are a team. Correct?"

Baya nodded.

"On the first round, Aruya didn't have a point. Hitoki did..."

The explanation came clean and calm and fast. Ruka was so sure, like there was nothing she hadn't already solved. Baya tried to follow, but the words slipped past like water through her fingers.

"In short," Ruka concluded, locking eyes with her, "I am now 100% sure Fumiko is the Snake."

Baya's jaw dropped. "Are you even human?" She flopped back with a noise halfway between a groan and a laugh. "Okay, but how do we convince everyone else that Fumiko's the snake?"

Ruka raised one finger. "It never said we'd be answering together," she said. "The rules only specified that we would vote. Anonymously..."

Baya listened. Sort of. Half her brain was on the logic. The other half was still stuck on I like bunnies.

"But..." she whispered, rubbing her wrist. "This is so messed up."

"They gave us comms."

"Okay..." Baya muttered, trying to shake off her nerves. "Let's unmute then." She slammed the comm button.

"Everyone..?" Her voice trembled a little as it filtered through the comms. She bit her lower lip.

"Yes?"

She softened her voice without thinking. "My partner and I think we know who the Snake is."

The reaction came instantly. "Yeah, as if."

Baya's stomach twisted at the sound. She could practically hear the sneer behind the words.

But Ruka didn't even flinch. Her calm was almost robotic, and Baya found herself admiring it. Wishing she could fake that level of unbothered.

Ruka spoke, "Everyone, why don't you speak and confirm your duo—"

Beep. Flash. A pop-up. "Your mic has been muted!"

"Huh? What? That's stupid."

"The game doesn't want us telling each other who we think the Snake is," Ruka realized. "This leaves things up to chance."

Baya frowned. Her thumb started rubbing over a chipped fingernail. "That isn't fair."

"Life often isn't."

The way Ruka said it made Baya's chest ache.

"Don't say stuff like that."

"It is the truth."

"Life should be fair. If it was, I wouldn't be an orphan. People wouldn't be shoved out on the streets. People wouldn't be dying because of unfair medical care." She wasn't saying it to make a point. Just the truth of her own life laid out plainly.

"Although life should be fair, it is not, Baya." Ruka's voice was as flat as ever. "If the world was fair, everyone would be equivalent— and although that is ideal, it is unlikely. In a world where it is fair, unfairness will still remain."

Baya's brain twisted itself into knots trying to keep up. "But—how—" Her voice cracked. She hated how lost she sounded.

"There will always be someone who thinks it isn't fair. If life was fair—then even if you did nothing, you'd still get to the top." Ruka's fingers drew an invisible shape on the floor. "That would be unfair to those who worked."

"But..." Baya whispered. She didn't know where the sentence was going.

"It will always be unfair. Things being unfair isn't always bad."

Ruka stood then, crouching beside Baya. Her eyes moved to her phone on the floor. She picked it up carefully. "Sometimes you can use it to your advantage."

Baya was puzzled. "Eh, how?"

"Diamond game."

"That doesn't really—"

"Snake and Mouse. Difficulty: Five of Diamonds. Snake and mouse."

"Okay...?"

Ruka stood fully again, brushing her knee. "We might have to vote on these. If votes are individual, timing may matter."

The question derailed Baya. She stared, then burst into laughter. "Why was your phone on the floor?" she asked, grinning wide. "You're so random."

"Why wasn't yours?" Ruka replied. "Don't you find them to be annoying?"

"Kinda. But, like, I wouldn't go as far as throwing it." She pulled her own phone from her pocket and held it up. "Do you always do that?"

Ruka nodded. "Or I turn down the volume."

"Smart."

"It's efficient."

"Eh?"

"Or functional."

"Functional..." She trailed off. Her eyes lingered on Ruka's face a moment too long. "You... you remind me of someone she stammered.

Ruka raised an eyebrow, slow.

"Maybe not," Baya then muttered.

"FINAL QUESTION, QUESTION FIVE: What are the first 10 digits of PI?"

"3.1415926535897—" Ruka began.

"It said ten!" Baya cut in, half-shocked, half-laughing. "It said ten!"

Ruka just shrugged.

Then her hand moved to her phone again: two quick presses on the volume button. Baya did the same. Mirroring, without even thinking.

"Please vote for a member."

Her phone screen lit up, casting a faint glow across her lap. She squinted down at it.

BAYA: 0
RUKA: 0
HITOKI: 0
TOSHI: 0
TAIO: 0
ARUYA: 0
FUMIKO: 0

"Suppose I was correct," Ruka murmured beside her.

Baya nodded, though she wasn't totally sure what she was agreeing with. It didn't really matter. Ruka knew things, and Baya trusted her brain more than her own in games like these.

"Well, do we vote for Fumiko?"

Ruka didn't even hesitate. Her thumb hit her screen.  Baya pressed her own vote in too.

"This game is taking forever," she groaned, letting her head fall back. "I hate long games. They're really boring. And—like... no offense, but I'd really just rather not die."

She turned to glance at Ruka, who didn't say anything. Just stared at the screen like it was doing something interesting, even though it wasn't. Just numbers ticking down.

"I hate long games," she said again, then kept talking, because silence made her edgy. "They should really make them short. Because, picture it, we only have until like 12 before the lasers come down. Imagine if you're mid-game and it turns 12. Does your visa expire? Do you die? Or maybe they made it so that isn't possible, because I guess that is kinda unfair." Her lips twisted into a pout. "These games are stupid. I want to know who's behind them. Don't you?"

She looked at Ruka again, searching for something in her face. But Ruka just shook her head. Not a twitch in her expression.

Baya stared at her. She could tell she wasn't going to get an answer. Something tugged at her—maybe frustration, maybe curiosity, or maybe just that usual ache she felt when people felt too far away.

"Have you... lost somebody here?" she asked gently.

Again, Ruka shook her head.

Baya felt another weird flutter in her chest. It wasn't disappointment exactly, it was just... strange. This girl beside her was so smart, but something about her felt hollow.

Still, she tried. "That guy, Baehyun. Who is he?"

That landed. Baya saw it—Ruka didn't react on the outside, not really, but her breathing changed. She blinked a little slower. "He's..." Ruka started. "Someone I know. I'm aware of his existence."

Baya tilted her head. It wasn't much of an answer, and definitely not one that made sense. But okay. She smiled faintly. "I thought he was your boyfriend or something."

"Negative," Ruka said at once. "You have friends here?"

That was easier. Baya smiled wider, her heart warming at the thought of them. "Tatta. He's really sweet." Just saying his name softened her. "And Kuina. Hmmm. Kuina." She sighed.

Ruka nodded. "I know Kuina, too."

"She's nice—"

The speaker cut her off. "The voting is completed. Results will be shown now."

Baya's phone vibrated.

ONE VOTED: BAYA
TWO VOTED: RUKA
ZERO VOTED: HITOKI
ZERO VOTED: TOSHI
ZERO VOTED: TAIO
ZERO VOTED: ARUYA
FOUR VOTED: FUMIKO

She gasped. Then beamed.

"Ruka! We won!" Her whole body felt lighter.

"Congratulations," the system said in a ridiculous sugar-syrup voice. "The majority has voted for the Snake. It is game complete for the Mice. Five days will now be added to your VISA!"

The screen flashed gold. Baya reached her arms out wide, laughing breathlessly. "Come on! Celebration hug!"

Ruka froze. Like completely froze. Baya could see her brain short-circuiting. Her arms didn't move.

So Baya just grinned harder and wiggled her fingers. "C'mon. Don't make it weird."

Ruka leaned in, awkward and stiff. Her arms barely touched Baya's shoulders. It was the gentlest, weakest hug Baya had ever received.

Still, it made her laugh. Then she shot to her feet. "Okay! Let's get out of here!"

She ran to the exit and shoved the door open, the light from the hallway spilling over her. She turned back, grinning, and grabbed Ruka's hand without a second thought. Ruka didn't pull away.

●・○・●・○・●

By the time they got back to the Beach, the lights had changed. Ruka walked beside her like a shadow. Baya couldn't stop herself from talking. The adrenaline buzz hadn't worn off. Her thoughts came too fast and melted together as she poured them out.

Ruka didn't respond much. But Baya wasn't talking for her answers.

They stopped where the hallway split into three paths.

She leaned against the doorframe, catching her breath. "See you around?" she asked.

Ruka nodded. Just one, small, perfect nod. "Perhaps." Then she raised her hand the same way Baya had taught her to do earlier.

Baya's smile stretched into something bigger. She slapped her palm into Ruka's.

Ruka looked at her hand afterward.

Baya didn't say goodbye. She didn't need to. She turned and skipped down the hall, feet lighter than they'd been in days. She was probably going to find Kuina. Or maybe Tatta. Or maybe just sit on the roof and breathe.