And I can't wait another minute
I can′t take the look she′s giving
Your body rocking, keep me up all night
One in a million, my lucky strike

The cool night air brushed over my skin as I still gasped for breath. Every inhale burned in my lungs, every muscle screamed for relief. Exhaustion spread through every fiber of my being, and the fabric of my shirt clung to me like a second skin.

This game had undoubtedly pushed me to my physical limits. Yet despite the overwhelming fatigue, there was something else-a subtle, underlying sense of happiness-that began to creep into my awareness.

As I lay on the hard rooftop, staring up at the stars, I couldn't ignore it. Perhaps it was just the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush. Or perhaps it was the fact that, for the first time, I hadn't fought just for myself.

I turned my head weakly to the side. Izumi was still lying there, a relieved smile gracing her lips. Her dark eyes sparkled softly under the glow of the floodlights, and for a fleeting moment, I felt an inexplicable sense of connection with her.

She had trusted me. And I had trusted her. Together, we had survived this game.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, her tone unusually concerned.

I nodded faintly.

"I... I think I'll just stay here for a bit," I said, panting as I closed my eyes in exhaustion.

"Where did you two come from?"

"We thought you got hit by the lasers," came the voices of Kagura and Kiko.

"We took a different route," I heard Izumi explain.

I blinked into the light and watched as she pushed herself off the ground, brushing the dust from her clothes. She began recounting the events to the others in detail.

"So, the Beach's new dream couple actually made it to the other side. Congratulations! When's the wedding?" Niragi's mocking voice rang out across the rooftop.

With effort, I propped myself up and stood, letting out a sigh as I did. Even though fatigue weighed heavily on my limbs, I tried not to let it show in front of the others.

A smug smile spread across my face.

"Wedding? I had no idea you were such a romantic, Niragi. Or are you just jealous?"

"Not in the slightest," he growled.

"Well, if it ever comes to that, you could throw the flower petals. I'm sure it'd suit you."

Niragi let out a derisive snort and slung his rifle over his shoulder, stroking it almost lovingly.

"I'd rather spill some blood to make the ceremony unforgettable."

"Not surprising, given that the relationship to your gun is probably the only one you'll ever have."

With that, I turned my back on him and walked over to Izumi. Her wide eyes met mine as I reached to remove the jacket draped over her shoulders.

"Thanks for keeping it safe," I said with a faint smile.

Her cheeks flushed red instantly.

"Of course," she murmured, fidgeting with a strand of her hair.

For a moment, I considered brushing a loose curl from her face, but I didn't want to give Niragi any more fodder for his crude remarks.

Meanwhile, he grabbed the 10 of Clubs card from the table before anyone else could, holding it triumphantly in the air as if he'd won the game all by himself.

On the way back down, Kiko bombarded Izumi with endless questions about what had happened to us.

"...Even though he nearly collapsed at the end, Chishiya didn't give up. We wouldn't have made it without him."

Her voice sounded almost dreamy as she recounted the events, her gaze repeatedly seeking mine.

From the way she described it, everyone would think I was the hero. But we both knew she had been the driving force behind it all.

Though I hated to admit it, I hadn't thought to reexamine the rules. The task of crossing the bridge had seemed too obvious to question it.

Her unconventional way of thinking impressed me more than I cared to show.

I shrugged.

"Maybe, but there's no denying we owe our survival mostly to you," I replied as we descended the long fire escape.

I watched with satisfaction as her cheeks flushed again, and she let out a quiet giggle. Somehow, I enjoyed embarrassing her far more than I should, probably because her reactions were always so entertaining.

She slowed her pace slightly, letting the others go ahead, until it was just the two of us walking side by side.

"I still can't believe we actually made it," she chuckled as we moved along, fanning her face with her hand. "It was so thrilling. My head is still spinning."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Glad you enjoyed the view from my back so much," I replied in my usual sarcastic tone.

Izumi, however, was so elated that she practically floated down the fire escape.

Once we reached the bottom, Kagura bid the group farewell.

"She would've been a great addition to the Beach. She really had talent," Hayashi remarked as we watched her leave.

I couldn't disagree, but at the moment, none of us had the energy to think about recruiting anyone. We were too drained, physically and mentally, to care about anything other than returning to the hotel.

Not to mention, there wouldn't have been enough space in the car for her anyway.

As we passed by the four corpses again, Izumi did her best to distract Kiko with idle chatter, which might have worked if Niragi hadn't made a point of drawing attention to them once more.

The atmosphere grew heavier again, and the remainder of the walk to the parking garage was spent mostly in silence.

"I'll drive us back," Hayashi declared out of the blue when we reached the car.

"Good idea," Izumi muttered, shooting a dark look in Niragi's direction.

He laughed loudly at her remark.

"But you need the keys for that, sweetheart," he said, dangling the keyring mockingly in front of her face. When she reached for it, he pulled it back with a smug grin. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you really think I'd let a woman take the wheel?"

Hayashi crossed her arms indignantly.

"Then at least let Chishiya drive!"

Niragi's eyes shifted threateningly toward me.

"Hey, this wasn't my idea," I protested, raising my hands in mock surrender and putting on an innocent expression.

"Anyone else have a problem with me driving?"

He gripped his rifle as if to remind us of the power imbalance, his gaze sweeping over each of us.

"Yes, I do," Izumi said boldly after a moment of silence. "We're all against it. You've been outvoted."

She was getting a little too brave...

"Leave me out of this," I muttered, sensing where this was headed if she kept challenging him.

Niragi merely snorted derisively.

"Well then, see how far you get without me," he sneered before climbing into the car. With a maniacal laugh, he started the engine and sped off, leaving behind a cloud of exhaust fumes.

"That bastard," Hayashi shouted after him, but the car was already disappearing into the distance.

"Nice job," I said dryly to Izumi. "I hope you have a brilliant plan for how we're getting back now."

She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well... couldn't we take one of these?" she asked, gesturing to the scattered vehicles in the parking garage.

I shook my head with a sigh.

"Most of these cars rely on IC chips that don't function in Borderland, even if we could hotwire them."

"Then how do our cars work?" she asked, frowning.

"The Beach has mechanics who've modified them with older, simpler systems. I take it none of you are experts in that field." I looked at the three women, who all avoided my gaze. "Thought so."

"So, what do we do now?" Kiko asked hesitantly, glancing between us.

"We have two options: either we find a car old enough to work without an IC chip, or we'll have to walk."

"How old would the car have to be?" Izumi asked curiously.

I smirked.

"Think something from the 1960s-an old-timer."

She groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples in frustration.

"We'll never find something like that."

"How long would it take to walk back?" Hayashi asked.

"An hour and a half, give or take," I estimated. "It's doable."

Hayashi grimaced, while Izumi yawned, rubbing her tired eyes.

"I don't think we're up for that tonight," Hayashi concluded, giving Izumi a sidelong glance. "Not after that game. But we could stay here overnight. This building has a hotel, and we can scavenge food from the shops tomorrow."

The others nodded in agreement.

We took the emergency stairs back up, the flashlight in my hand illuminating the way. Thankfully, the hotel was located on the lower floors, sparing us from a long climb.

The dimly lit lobby welcomed us with an eerie stillness. Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting long shadows on the polished floor and bathing the room in a ghostly glow.

"We should find a room and get some rest," Hayashi whispered, her voice breaking the silence as she surveyed the ornate reception area. "We can search for provisions tomorrow."

The others murmured their agreement.

We climbed a grand staircase leading to a corridor lined with rooms. Along the way, we stopped briefly at the hotel restaurant, finding a few unopened bottles of water that we decided to take with us. I also pocketed a lighter and some tealights I spotted on the tables.

Izumi frowned at me as I stuffed the items into my pockets.

"We only have one flashlight, and I doubt we'll all sleep in the same room," I explained in response to her unspoken question.

"Right, I didn't think of that," she murmured, slightly embarrassed.

At the top of the corridor, we split up. The three women chose a room with two large double beds, while I claimed the smaller one across the hall.

Kiko and Hayashi had already disappeared into their room, but Izumi lingered in the hallway, as if waiting for me to say something. I raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.

"Well, see you tomorrow," I finally said, breaking the awkward silence as I turned to open my door.

"Chishiya, wait," she called out suddenly. I paused and looked back at her, mildly surprised.

"I just wanted to say... thank you for everything. Thank you for trusting me and fighting for us until the very end," she whispered, her voice soft and sincere. Her warm smile disarmed me for a moment, leaving me momentarily speechless.

Even in the dim light, I could see her face flush with color.

I gave a slight nod.

"I did what was necessary," I replied as nonchalantly as I could, ignoring the rapid pounding in my chest. "Now get some rest, Izumi."

"You too, Chishiya. Sleep well."

Her tone was gentle, but I couldn't miss the faint trace of disappointment in it.

Once I closed the door behind me, I exhaled deeply and immediately shed the sweat-drenched clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin.

Then, I took a moment to survey the room more closely and was surprised to find it looked occupied.

A large suitcase sat on the floor, a towel was draped over the back of a chair, and an open laptop rested on the desk, as though someone had been working on it not long ago. Next to it lay a notebook, some pens, and an open package of cookies.

I reached into the bag and took one out. They were slightly stale but did the job of satiating my hunger.

I moved into the adjoining bathroom, where more scattered belongings awaited me. Clearly, someone had lived here before, back when all the people had vanished.

Judging by the toiletries and clothes left behind, it seemed the occupant had been a man in his thirties or forties.

Placing the flashlight on the sink, I improvised a quick shower with some bottled water, washing off the sweat and grime from the last game.

After rummaging through the man's wardrobe, I pulled out a T-shirt with a ridiculous "I love Tokyo" logo. Even though it was far too big for me, I slipped it on. At least it smelled relatively clean.

Opening the window, I let the cool night air drift in and then collapsed onto the bed's soft pillows, letting out a sigh of relief. The mattress was a welcome reprieve for my overworked muscles.

Closing my eyes, my thoughts inevitably drifted back to the day's events. I couldn't remember the last time I had fought so fiercely for my life.

No, not just for my life.
For hers, too.

After all, she was key to my plan. Izumi had to survive-at least until she helped me steal the cards.

Lying on my back, I laced my fingers behind my head and stared up at the ceiling. The silence around me was deeply satisfying, yet despite my exhaustion, my mind refused to quiet down.

I couldn't shake the memory of the moment we reached the rooftop and collapsed side by side. That overwhelming feeling that had consumed me still lingered, and I was starting to doubt it had been just the adrenaline.

Izumi's unwavering faith in me had pushed me to my limits.

The fight for survival had brought us closer, and her determination and cleverness had left an impression on me I hadn't expected.

Unbidden, her smile resurfaced in my mind-her flushed cheeks, her slightly messy curls.

My pulse spiked instantly. For a moment, I pressed my fingers to my neck to feel it throb.

My heartbeat couldn't lie, could it?

Letting out a heavy sigh, I shook the thoughts from my head.

Nonsense. She was just a means to an end.

This was nothing more than a fleeting moment of weakness. By morning, once the adrenaline wore off, all of this would be ancient history.

Rolling onto my side, I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus on sleep.

The cool wind brushed over my skin, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself lying under a vast night sky.

I was on my back, gazing at the stars, but I wasn't alone.

Turning my head to the side, I saw Izumi beside me, her face softly illuminated by the moonlight. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, her cheeks glowing with a slight blush.

Her presence made my heart race.

"You did it, Chishiya," she whispered.

Her dark, determined eyes seemed to spark with something more-something I couldn't quite place.

She moved closer, leaning over me.

I was captivated by the depth of her gaze, unable to look away.

Tentatively, I reached up and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled again and leaned in, pressing her lips to mine.

My heart pounded furiously in my chest at the electric sensation.

Without thinking, I pulled her closer, completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

The world around us seemed to fade, leaving only us in that fleeting instant.

As I held her tightly, a wave of tingling heat surged through me, starting from my chest and radiating outward.

I jolted upright in bed, my chest heaving as my heart hammered uncontrollably. The room was dark, the silence around me absolute.

I placed a hand over my chest, feeling the rapid thudding beneath my palm. But as I glanced down, I realized that wasn't the only signal my body was sending me.

Groaning softly, I sank back into the pillows, shutting my eyes in frustration.

I needed to clear my mind.

But no matter how hard I tried to redirect my thoughts, the vivid images of my dream kept intruding: her warm body pressed against mine, our lips fused in a fiery kiss, my fingers tangled in her hair.

For a fleeting moment, my hand slid beneath the covers, inching under my waistband as I played with the idea of relieving the tension that had built up inside me.

But I stopped short.

I couldn't give her that kind of power over me-over my thoughts.

I was the one pulling the strings.
I was the one using her to my advantage.
And she was the one falling for me.

Not the other way around.

This woman meant nothing to me.

And her smile?
I could do without it.

Period.

When I wrote this chapter I got really obsessed with the song "Lucky Strike" that I used for it. I didn't know the song before and found it when I was looking for something suitable. But now it'll always remind me of Chishiya and his dreams about Izumi. 😂