Chapter 3
Walking from Molco to Cat Street wasn't terribly eventful according to Joshua. There were a few players here and there where they bumped into, but to avoid any sort of conversations with them, the two only talked amongst themselves and pretended not to notice the frantic players. They didn't really need to do anything besides to watch the game play out before their eyes. Joshua, however, always seemed to have his guard up for some reason, though it was well hidden behind his smirk and arrogant behavior.
"I heard a few of the players had managed to rid their own partners this week. We haven't even finished day one and they're already doing stupid things that would prevent them from surviving," the boy commented nonchalantly.
"Yeah, you're right. I've got that written down for this day, though the fact that they think they should erase their own partners sounds ludicrous. Makes you wonder what goes on in their heads." Naomi then paused before taking a quick glance at Joshua with a smile on her face to hide her caution around him. He was never easy to read, meanwhile he was always able to pull something about her out from the back of his brain and end up being correct about it. Quite scary, she had to admitted. "So what are you going to do now? I need to help Mr. H with his... empty café really quick before I can wander around outside again."
"Oh? Then should I be your customer at WildKat? What would you be serving for me, Miss Barista?" snickered the male.
Naomi laughed a bit before giving him a quick concerned look. "That's not happening... You know I'm pretty atrocious at the job."
"You were worse before."
"No comment." The girl opened the door to the café in which the boy casually sauntered in before she did, which she didn't mind in the slightest. "Why, if it isn't Josh and Nao! Thanks for taking your time with the shop, N."
Joshua giggled as he gave the older man a quick greeting with a raise of the hand. Naomi gave a bright grin to the owner of the café as she headed inside and gently closed the door behind her. "Not a problem, Mr. H," the girl responded. "So where are you headed this time?"
"Just a quickie out of the shop. I need to get the taste of fresh air of Shibuya for the day rather than coup up in this café twenty-four seven. I mean don't get me wrong, the aroma of these beans are the best to be surrounded by." Joshua quickly made himself comfortable on one of the empty bar stools as the female headed to the back of the counter where the laid-back Hanekoma stood waiting for her.
"Well enjoy your time under the blue sky. Mr. H, quick word before you leave, but two players-- last seen at Molco's shopping district-- no pact created, completely clueless, they are practically screwed."
The man rose his brow up with interest has he brushed off some coffee bean residue that was stuck on his black and white clothes. He was aware that the girl wasn't capable of doing or saying anything in details to the players besides watching the ring leader and his dogs run the strange game of life and death. Only if she had the okay from the higher ups in the Higher Plane was she able to make her move and jump in between the players and reapers.
"I'll go check it out when I'm out then," accepted the man. "See ya kids later."
And with that, the man disappeared through the store's only entry way only to have Joshua poke a few buttons on the girl he decided to attach himself to.
"Worried? I thought you didn't like them?" he pointed out.
"..." She only smiled at him before giving him a shrug and carefully made his cup of coffee; he was already seated there, so she might as well. Even she didn't know whether she hated Shibuya and its people as much as Joshua did, but she could only confirm that her feelings were mixed.
"Strange girl, your opinions change too frequently," Joshua continued. "As you've stated in your records, there have been players that were erased by their own partner's hands. Who knows if that Hakua girl and Kichiro dude would behave the same way. There's no need to be concerned or have someone step in between them."
Dangerous. That's all she could describe the boy who sat in front of her at the moment. Hanekoma was spot on with him, but her weak conviction was quickly twisted by none other than the composer himself before they knew it had happened.
"No, you're right," she finally answered. "But to make the game more interesting? That's probably my reason."
"Hm, yeah, it could make it more interesting since players are quickly disappearing. What a bore."
It was then silent again with the exception of the sound of liquid hitting the bottom of the coffee mug before each drop of coffee started pounding against itself as it filled up. Meanwhile, their two confused players were still on edge and thinking about what the girl had vaguely said to them.
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They haven't left Molco's store even though it has been about a good hour and a half or so, but they didn't want to take the risk of facing another strange animal that would try to attack them the moment they set foot back outside.
"So how do we make this stupid pact?" Hakua asked exasperatedly. They had made no progress during their time spent in the store and the store owners began to wonder why they were just there pacing around the area and not even bothering to look at their products. In fact, they slowly got irritated since they were clearly not going to buy anything.
"I don't know, I just thought you asked people and bam you're done. Simple as that."
"Well you're clearly wrong!" she snapped.
Kichiro sighed as he anxiously fixed his beanie that began to slip off his head. Hakua was a difficult person to work with, but he was trying to bear with her snarky attitude-- then again he wasn't aware that she had a hard time working with him as well due to not actually ever thinking about what to do and just resorting to asking questions.
"Huh, what's this...?"
Looking over, the boy noticed the younger female had opened her pouch she wore on her belt and pulled out a small black and white pin. There was a picture of a skull on there-- he didn't know what it was suppose to mean other than it just being a simple picture. "Are you collecting pins?"
"What-- no you, dolt. I don't even know where it came from."
"That's a player pin! Hey, hey! Looks like you're in a good spot!"
Surprised that another person decided to appear out of nowhere to scare them again, both teens whipped their head over to see none other than a man in all shades of black and white. He looked pretty shady to the two with the tinted eye wear and bit of scruff on his chin and upper lip. But what can they do now that he knew that their attentions were fully on him?
"Why are we running into creeps, weird animals that aren't supposed to be here, and shit-giggling kids today...?!" Hakua exploded.
"Whoa, chill out there, Goldilocks, or your head would come flying off if you yell again," Hanekoma nonchalantly stated.
Kichiro, on the other hand, had no will to speak to Hakua anymore. She was scary when she was angry, and he didn't have the heart to try to talk in order to avoid her from growing even more frustrated than she already was. "U-um, you're just adding more fuel to the fire, Mister."
"Right, right, sorry, but you two need to calm down first and make an actual pact."
There was the term again. A pact. They didn't know what that "pact" even is while everyone else seemed to spout nothing but nonsense to them. "You're lucky that you aren't the only players alive or the two of you practically would have screwed yourselves over by just sitting in here for shelter," the man laughed. "The name's Sanae Hanekoma, but you can call me Mr. H for short."
An impatient groan erupted from the back of Hakua's throat once more before she started demanding the man for answers. "Look, stop talking like some kind of stuck up bastard and give me a straight answer, you got me? What's going on? What is this pact and noise crap? And why can't anyone outside see us?!"
"Welcome to the Reapers' Game! That timer on your hand and that pin you're holding proves that you're a legal player participating in a life an' death situation. Got a message on your phone with the skull sigil labeled on there? That's from the reapers. Participate or get erased! You're both currently in the UG, girl, while those who can't see ya are in the RG. Two planes in one world."
He was now giving the two a possibly tired, but very amused looking grin while they just stared at him blankly, completely unamused with his boisterous intro to whatever he just said. "Life and death situation? UG?"
"Ah I forgot to mention, you're already dead that's why you're here. An entry fee is required to participate in this game, but that doesn't matter because you already gave it away without actually knowing it. You want it back? Win."
"W-we're dead...?" Kichiro repeated nervously. "Is that the reason why I had some crazy dream that my friend and I had some kind of argument before I was shoved out into the streets from on coming traffic...?"
Hanekoma suddenly clicked his tongue before changing his expression into sympathy and back. "You can say that, but that was no dream, Ringlets. This game exists for you to participate in and earn a second life. Now about that pact, you need to create one to avoid those symbols traveling around out there. Those are noise. They're called out by the reapers who are trying to erase you and are also going to attack you on the final day hands on."
Kichiro then blinked and remembered that the man had briefly mentioned about the player pin being an item of proof for legal entry of the game. Digging around his own pockets and even the guitar case he had on him, the boy was able to pull out a player pin of his own. Sighing, he mindlessly pinned it on the inside of his cardigan and groaned-- that man seemed to know what he was talking about, so he probably was dead.
"Now play nice and make a pact, we'll get to a few more important notes that you needa know afterwards," the man stated as he grabbed their hands to make them shake. "Bind yourselves to that agreement."
Hakua was very uncomfortable with everything that had been spilled to her all at once. Dead? She knew that practically many people wanted her dead for using them for her own ego, but that didn't mean they would try to kill her out of spite. But she could be wrong-- her enemies have been stalking her lately before she woke up where she did when this strange scenario began.
"Fine. We'll make a pact. Are you willing to?" she grumbled, grabbing the boy's hand a little too tightly for his liking. Not to mention, her pin was resting in between their palms with the image side pressed against her palm firmly and the pin's needle pressed against his. In that short moment, a quick glint of light appeared from both their player pins before disappearing just as quick as it appeared.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Y-yes, I agree! Are you trying to crush my hand?? That hurts!"
"And so it's settled."
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Ahhh, I've been out running errands the entire day and I'm so exhausted ;v; I'm sorry if there are possibly a ton of spelling mistakes or so, but my head is really killing me...
~LilyBlizz
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