Keijiro's cries of anguish could probably be heard by God himself along with everyone left in borderland.

It felt like an hour had passed since Keijiro was released from the metal chair but he still hasn't moved. He continued to stare at the floor wishing it'd open back up to take him as it did with the other participants.

Once he figured that wasn't happening, his feet finally allowed him to move and he stumbled out of the elementary school in a daze.

When he arrived back at the front, he saw a playing card laid out on the table and the metal box was now open for him to retrieve his things. He then took the phone the game had given him and threw it against the wall, shattering it, and not caring if that was against the rules.

Keijiro then went to retrieve his things, putting his bag on his back and grabbed his gun. He then saw that the other deceased participant's things were still in there with no one to collect them. He began to search through them for anything useful and found more weapons and food.

It was just the usual things residents carried on them and Keijiro even found a few playing cards some participants had on their person. He pocketed them along with the six of hearts card that was given to him.

Afterwards, Keijiro turned to face the road ahead of him but couldn't bring himself to move. What would he tell Michael? Keijiro always made sure everyone around him protected Fujitaka with their lives, especially Tatta, and he himself couldn't even do that.

Part of him wanted to wander off by himself to dwell in his own misery but he didn't want Michael to worry about him.

Keijiro laughed a little. "How selfish of me..." He then slumped to the ground and buried his head in his hands, thinking maybe someway, somehow, Michael would find him...

***

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.......
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"Keijiro?"

Keijiro's eyes fluttered back open to see that it was now daylight. He was still lying on the steps of the elementary school with his belongings beside him. His mind felt foggy and it took him a while to register what was happening.

"Fuji!" Keijiro bolted to his feet and looked up in front of him, expecting the boy to be there but instead it was another person.

"Michael?"

Michael huffed frustratingly with the gun in his hands. His clothes were a bit torn and blood stained his face as he glared at his friend.

"Do you know how long I've been searching for you guys?!" Michael yelled, "it's been more than an hour!" He wanted to shout some more but saw the distant look in his friend's eyes.

Keijiro stood frozen still, staring at nothing and Michael could see his hands slightly trembling. Michael then realized that Keijiro was by himself and glanced to the elementary school behind him.

"Where's Fujitaka?"

As if on command from hearing the name, tears started to fall from Keijiro's eyes uncontrollably and Michael has never seen his friend act in such a way.

Michael could feel himself getting teary eyed as well, understanding what had happened. All he could do in the moment was embrace Keijiro who cried out in agony for the second time...

.....
.........
.............

Another hour had passed as the two sat back down on the steps and Michael was shocked when Keijiro finally began to speak to him.

"It was a hearts game."

Michael's eyes widened. "Oh... so what everyone said about those games were true..."

Keijiro couldn't see himself but he knew his eyes were red and his appearance was most likely a mess.

"I... I was going to let him win." Keijiro looked Michael in the eye. "I had already accepted that I would die instead. I told him that you'd look after him so why did he..."

Michael nodded slowly and wiped his own tears. "You loved him like a brother and everyone knows Fujitaka saw you as one. It's not hard to believe he'd risk his own life for you."

"But why?!" Keijiro pushed himself away from Michael's comforting embrace.

"Because you cared about him like your own family," Michael told him, "you made him laugh, you taught him how to protect himself, you're a good person—"

"NO I'M NOT!"

Keijiro breathed heavily and Michael didn't say another word as his friend ranted.

"We both know I am the furthest thing from a "good person". I've killed before and I can shoot people like it's nothing. I'm not even a good role model!" Keijiro grabbed at his own hair. "If I were really a good person then I would've done all I could to switch places with him."

Michael made Keijiro face him. "It was a hearts game. I don't know exactly what happened in there but you're not the type to half- ass things. I'm sure you gave it your all." He observed his friend's expression. "And I'm sure you protected that boy up until the very end."

Keijiro did his best to keep his tears from falling again. He hated crying. "We were almost there. We were so close to escaping the Beach together. Things could've went back to the way they were with just the three of us- no rules, no craziness."

Keijiro's eyes fell to the ground. "I should've never let him join me. If he went with Tatta he'd—"

"You don't know that," Michael cut him off, "if he went with Tatta he still could've very well ended up in a hearts game too. At least you were there with him so he wasn't afraid. Plus, if we all decided to stay together like you wanted then any of us would've ended up losing two people during that game."

Keijiro shook his head. "No. You know that we'd both give our lives to save Fuji in the end."

Michael couldn't deny that. Fuji was young and didn't deserve to be brought to this world at all. Just another reminder of why they needed to escape this place as soon as possible.

"You think it's silly feeling this way?" Keijiro asked.

Michael was taken back for a moment. "What?"

"We basically just met the guy but yet I'm acting like he was a life long friend." Keijiro bit his lip. "I didn't know I got attached to people this quickly. That'll need to change..."

Michael sighed. "It's only human to feel this way even if you didn't know the person for that long. Just don't go and get all depressed on me now." He nudged his friend's shoulder but Keijiro stayed silent at that statement.

That made Michael worried. "Look, Fuji gave his life to save yours. Do you think he'd want you to throw it away right after he made that sacrifice?"

"I guess you make a fair point." Keijiro stared down at his feet. His body wanted to give up and rot but he knew Fujitaka would never let that happen. The boy's voice would always be inside his mind telling him to keep living.

Michael then glanced over at the metal box and some of the things Keijiro took out of it.

"What's all that stuff?" He asked.

"The game required us to leave all of our things in that box," Keijiro explained, "guess they forgot to mention that winner takes all."

Michael pat his friend's back and stood to his feet. "Then we shouldn't let it all go to waste."

Michael grabbed as many bags as he could and looked back at Keijiro who hasn't moved yet.

"I don't know how many more encouraging things I can say," Michael began, "do you need more time?"

Keijiro shook his head and pushed himself to stand. "No... let's go."

Michael stared at the road ahead of them. "Go where exactly?"

"I don't know." Keijiro shrugged. "Let's just get as far away from the Beach as possible. Maybe find an abandoned building."

"Alrighty, then."

Michael and Keijiro took off and began to travel in silence. Keijiro hoped the Beach hadn't already noticed their absence and hoped that Kuina wouldn't let it slip that he and Michael were together.

It was strange without Fujitaka's cheerful presence and senseless chatter. Keijiro tried not to reminisce too hard and swallowed the lump in his throat to keep himself from breaking down again.

"You think they'll send people after us?"

Keijiro looked over at Michael who'd asked the question. "I don't see how they could, Japan's pretty big and we can go anywhere. If they did though, they'd probably send the militants." Keijiro laughed a little. "They must be pretty pissed that we left without saying goodbye."

"I'm sure they'll be more mad that you were an important higher up who abandoned their position."

Keijiro rolled his eyes. "We're in the apocalypse. That place probably won't even last one more week." He glanced at Michael. "So, what kind of game did you and Kuina end up playing?"

Michael groaned, not wanting to talk about it. "Spades."

"Wow." Keijiro breathed out then observed his friend's appearance. "No wonder you look like trash."

"Whatever, man. I really hate spade games," Michael continued, "but Kuina's a natural at them. I only survived thanks to her."

"Yeah, she's a fighter for sure," Keijiro said, "but I hope we don't meet again. Her and Tatta both."

"Huh?" Michal looked at him, stunned. "Why not? I thought you liked them."

Keijiro gripped the gun in his hands, feeling his eyes sting. "I do, it's just... I'll have to tell them that Fuji..."

Michael understood. "Right."

Zap!
Zap!
Zap!

Keijiro whirled around to see three lasers come down towards a factory in the distance.

"Jeez," Michael said under his breath, "when will this nightmare end?"

"When all of the cards are collected, I suppose," Keijiro said then stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Michael asked then looked to see something lying in the road before them.

Keijiro took a step closer. "Is that a person?"

The body of a boy with messy black hair and dirty clothes laid in their path with no signs of movement.

"Is he dead?" Michael wondered out loud and moved closer to get a look at the person's face. "Their eyes are open." He then bent down to wave a hand in front of their face. "Hello?"

No answer.

Keijiro peered closer as well then froze at the sight of the person's face- well more at the sight of their eyes. The person's expression was vacant and broken like they were already dead but haven't passed on yet.

It was the same way Keijiro reckoned he looked when Fujitaka died right in front of him.

"Let's go," Keijiro said and grabbed Michael's shoulder.

"What? He may need help—"

"The best thing we can do for him is to leave him be." Keijiro glanced back down at the boy with pity then moved on with Michael hesitantly following behind him.

After a while, the two finally found an empty grocery store where they stopped to rest. Michael searched through the place to see if there were any more food or even medicine while Keijiro set their things down in the back behind the aisles.

Luckily, one of the participants of the hearts game had a tent with them and Keijiro gratefully put it to good use. He then rifled through the bags to see what else they had then stumbled upon something that made his heart ache.

A pistol.

Keijiro sighed deeply. He wasn't going to wallow in grief any more than he's already done. He had to be strong, if not for himself then for Fuji.

Michael walked back over to him with one jug of water that didn't look too clean. "This is all I found that looked somewhat consumable. Gotta stay hydrated."

Keijiro started to set the tent up. "That's fine. There's food already in our bags."

Michael looked through them as well and pulled out a can of soup and a cup of noodles. "Alright!"

Once the tent was set up, the two settled down for the day and Michael found a lighter in one of the bags, trying to heat up the food somehow. They began to eat after he figured it out but they had to stomp out the dry newspapers they used for the fire though.

"How many visa days did your game give you?" Keijiro asked.

"Seven." Michael stretched. "It should've been way more for what I had to go through."

Keijiro's eyes widened. "I got a seven day visa too!"

"Great. Then on the sixth day we should go out looking for another game," Michael said and Keijiro agreed.

The day went on like any other until nightfall and the only sounds they heard were from the lasers raining down from the sky. They didn't have any pillows or mattresses this time but they did have a blanket which was somewhat useful.

It was hard for Keijiro to believe that Fujitaka wouldn't be sleeping at his feet or beside him like the boy usually requested to do.

"Don't think too hard," Michael said as if he could hear Keijiro's thoughts.

"How did you know I was even awake?" Keijiro asked.

"I can read your mind."

"What am I thinking right now then?"

"That I can't read your mind."

Keijiro chuckled. "Fine. I don't want to keep bringing up the Beach but do you think they'll punish the ones we were close with there?"

Michael hummed. "Haven't thought about that."

"Chishiya's an executive so I doubt he'll get punished or whatever."

Michael propped himself up on his elbows. "Worried about him?"

Keijiro choked on a scoff. "Hell no. But Kuina and Tatta don't have that same power. What if Hatter tortures them because he thinks they know where we are?"

"That won't happen," Michael told him, "besides, the Beach can't possibly care about three people right now when they have hundreds more to take care of."

Keijiro thought of the bodies in the dumpster. "What if those "traitors" that were killed were also like us? Escaped but got captured again by the militants?"

"I'm sure you won't let them take us back without a fight."

Keijiro grinned, knowing that was true. "Goodnight, Mike."

"That nickname sucks."

"Goodnight, Mikey."

"Shut up."

Keijiro laughed himself to sleep that night and was surprised that he was already feeling slightly better. He just hoped the safe times would stay this way.