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CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN,
blinded

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༇ "TO proceed through each round, one of you must inflict the designated harm on the other. Refusal or failure within the given time will result in immediate termination of both. You have thirty minutes to complete all the tasks."

A clock begins to tick before Baya and Chishiya can process the game instructions.

"What?" Baya gulps.

A screen jumps on, showing the first task.

'Strike your partner across the face.'

"Ohh!" She takes a step back, moves her hand behind her ear, then yanks it towards Chishiya's cheek.

Uncharacteristically so, he flinches at the sudden slap. His eyes widen slightly at Baya. "Do I want to know why you didn't even hesitate?"

"I have wanted to slap you since the second we met," she peeps. "Literally. I've been waiting for decades. Bless the game makers!"

Chishiya opens his mouth, then closes it with a sigh. He turns to look at the screen, where the second task is now displayed.

'Break one finger.'

He turns back to her, expression dry. "You've been waiting to do that, too?"

"No. You need your, um, surgeon hands." Baya begins to get uncomfortable, as if only now realizing the seriousness of the game. "You... you do it for me."

"I'm not doing that." He holds his hand forward. "Go ahead."

Baya shakes her head wildly. "No. Absolutely not. We'll take turns, okay? That way, we can get through this faster. We don't know how many rounds this game has. So... let's just take turns."

One corner of his mouth quirks up. "See? You're not dumb."

A slight blush blooms on her cheeks, although the color quickly fades. "Do it."

Chishiya curls her fingers into his palm until only her pinky sticks out. He presses his forehead against hers. "Look at me, not at your hand."

His eyes lock onto hers. She takes a deep breath. Tries to calm herself down. Opens her mouth to ask him if he can count to-

Snap.

She screams into his chest, collapsing against him from the sudden force. He lets her cry for a moment before guiding her forward again.

'Carve a cut of six inches into your partner's arm.'

The tools laid out on a tray now make sense. Baya continues quietly crying as Chishiya takes a blade. He rolls up his sleeve and extends his arm. "Here."

She's about to protest, but then nods. Taking turns. That's their plan. She can do it.

Her hand shakes so badly she nearly drops the scalpel. He steadies it. "Straight line. Not too deep."

She presses the blade to his skin even as every nerve in her body screams against it. Chishiya's jaw clenches while red wells up in a lone line.

When it's done, she throws the scalpel across the room. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing. You're keeping us alive. That's all that matters."

The hiss of a door opening interrupts them.

'Burn your partner with the provided torch. Hold it for five seconds.'

Behind the door, a lit torch is hung against the wall.

Baya stares at it in horror. Chishiya picks it up, walking over to her. "It's okay," he says softly. "Stay calm. It'll be over before you know it."

"What's the least painful place?"

"Shoulders, outer thigh, upper back, and... your ass."

Baya clutches the last mentioned body part. "Not my ass!"

"Shoulder?"

Slowly, she nods.

Chishiya moves her sleeve to the side just enough to reveal her shoulder. This time, he does count to three before he presses the torch against her skin.

She slams her hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle the cries escaping it. It feels like Chishiya is competing for the world record of counting to five in the slowest way possible. When finally, the torch gets removed, she falls against him yet again.

Her shoulder, however, doesn't hurt as much as her broken finger does.

"Nerves," Chishiya explains before she can ask. "They've broken down."

Baya nods. Tears fall down her face. They look at the fifth task displayed.

'Dislocate your partner's shoulder.'

"No. No, no, no. We can't... we can't do that, Shuntarō."

He leans forward. "Don't think too much. Just do it."

"I don't even know how to-"

He takes her trembling hands and positions them against his arm and shoulder. "Push hard. One strong movement. Not half-hearted unless you want to make it worse than it already is."

Baya's whole body shakes. Her broken pinky throbs, her shoulder burns, but none of it compares to the nausea building in her stomach now. His calmness only amplifies her fear.

Swallowing her sobs, she presses her lips together and follows his instructions. She forces his shoulder back until a pop echoes through the room.

Chishiya's head tips back. His eyes close as he breathes through the pain, one hand clenching into a fist.

Baya lets go instantly. "I don't want to do this. Do it to me only, please. That would hurt me less." She furiously wipes at tears with her uninjured arm. "I hate this game."

"Hate it enough to keep going."

'Cut off a lock of your partner's hair.'

"That's... that's not so bad." She frowns.

"Depends." Chishiya picks the blade up, rolling it between his fingers. He gathers a thick lock from behind her ear.

When she dares to open her eyes, Chishiya is tucking the severed lock carefully into his pocket instead of tossing it aside.

"Why'd you keep it?"

"Later." He doesn't elaborate.

The next task appears onto the screen.

'Drive the nail provided through your partner's palm.'

Both of them stare at the nail and hammer on the tray. Baya doesn't even want to think about the other objects on the tray.

"I- no, Shuntarō, I can't do that."

He rolls his sleeve higher and places his palm flat on the tray. "My turn, remember?"

"Stop saying shit like it's nothing!" she bursts.

"Yuzuki," he says sharply. "Stop it. This is what they want. They want you to yell. They want us to turn against each other. They want us to either give up or have things escalate into a bloodbath. The more you resist, the worse it will get. Listen to your own rule: we take turns."

Her shaking fingers close around the nail, then the hammer laid beside it. She hesitates. silently.

"One strong hit. Don't draw it out."

Taking a deep breath, she swings. The nail pierces flesh. The first real groan leaves Chishiya, half-muffled. Baya drops everything to grab his arm as though holding him tighter could undo it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"

"Yuzuki," he warns. "No time to waste. Next task."

'Carve three words into the other's skin.'

Baya's head jerks up. "They're insane."

"Choose wisely, then."

"I don't know. You choose something." She holds out her wrist, then pulls it back. She lifts her shirt instead, motioning near her ribs. "Do it here. I don't want it to be noticeable."

"If you were to get a tattoo, what would you spell on it?"

"Oh, wow. We're making it an artwork." She sighs lightly. "Um... maybe the kids' names?"

He nods. "Lie down."

Baya does as he says, lying down on her side with her bare ribs revealed. Chishiya leans over her and begins carving. Even as more tears slip down Baya's face, it doesn't hurt the way she expected it to; Chishiya's touch is featherlight.

"Done." He rips the bottom off his shirt off, wraps it tightly around Baya's torso, and helps her up.

'Pour rubbing alcohol into your partner's eyes.'

Baya stares at the white bottle on the tray. "Will... will that make you go blind?"

He tilts his head, considering. "Only temporary. And they'll be irritated for the rest of the week."

She grabs the bottle and uncaps it. Chishiya moves his chin up, eyes wide open. Everything inside of her screams in protest, yet she tips the bottle.

Chishiya starts blinking and swaying uncontrollably, no matter how hard he tries to keep his eyes open. Baya keeps going until the entire bottle is empty, just for certainty. Only then does the screen show the next task.

'Choke your partner until you hear the beep.'

"Shuntarō?" She touches his shoulders to stop him from moving. "How... how does it feel? Can you continue playing? Do you see anything?"

He blinks rapidly. The white in his eyes has gone red. His pupils aren't focused on anything in particular. They just glitch around. "Blurry," he says. "It's blurry."

"How blurry?" Her breaths heave when she notes the way he's still swaying. This task didn't leave him as cool as the other ones.

"Just... blurry."

She holds up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Chishiya's eyes squint. Then narrow. Then flicker around again. "Go on."

"Go on?" Her brows furrow. She holds her fingers closer. "What do you mean?"

"Hold your fingers up already," he states.

"I... I am holding them up." Baya's face darkens. "Shuntarō..."

"What's the next task?" He interrupts.

She catches a glimpse of a tear trickling down from his red eye. Swallowing, she says, "You need to choke me until you hear a beep."

Baya helps him curl his fingers around her throat, although she stiffens at the uncomfortable feeling. His injured hand remains at his side.

When he closes his hand, her air vanishes.
She grabs at his wrists instantly.

His grip is right on the pressure points that seal off her breath. Seconds drag. Her face flushes red and her legs kick against the ground. A sound slips from her mouth. "Shun-!" But it dissolves into nothing but wheezing.

Her hands claw harder, nails raking down his forearms. Blood beads up from the scratches. His body stays still.

She tries to force his hand off, but he leans forward, using his weight to pin her back against the wall. She manages a garbled attempt at speech. "Stop... please-" She doesn't even sound like herself.

He has to keep going.

Her nails scrape one final time down his arm before her strength leaves. Her hands flop to the side.

It almost makes his grip falter, then he forces himself to squeeze again. They both die if he lets go.

Eventually, the bleep echoes through the room.

Chishiya releases immediately. Baya's body falls to the ground due to Chishiya's bad eyesight and inability to catch her. She coughs, chokes, and claws at her own throat. She tries to croak out his name. "Shu...n..."

"I'm here." He searches blindly for her hands. Baya whimpers when he accidentally hits her broken pinky.

"Sorry... for hurting you," she pants. "I couldn't stop myself. I've barely ever felt such desperation."

"It's okay." Chishiya tries to look at the screen but can't even find its location. He clutches his shoulder instead. "What does it say?"

"It says..." She trails off.

Chishiya waits patiently. At least, for a while. "Yuzuki?"

"Sorry." She inhales. "I have to strike you somewhere until you vomit blood. But... but I can't read the word. I don't know where to strike. It looks like... abandon? Abduct?"

"Abdomen?" Chishiya guesses.

"Right!" Baya gasps in relief, then winces. "Oh, gosh. No. No, no, no, no-" She shakes her head so hard her burned shoulder jerks painfully. "We can't... I can't do that."

"You can. You have to. Your hands are small. It won't kill me."

She stares at him. "That's supposed to make me feel better?!"

"It'll keep us alive."

She doesn't move until he crawls closer, settling down in front of her. His pale hair clings to his face. When he lowers himself onto his knees and sits back, he bares his stomach to her without hesitation.

"Here." He taps just below his ribs. "Don't hit bone. Aim for the soft tissue. You'll do more damage that way."

"After this, you owe me so much compliments and cuddles, you don't even want to know," she threatens. "You stupid... you idiot! Stop making it sound so... so..."

"Yuzuki. Do it."

Baya lifts her fist. Her broken finger makes her wince before she even makes contact, but using her other hand would decrease the amount of power.

She swings once. The sound is dull. Chishiya jerks slightly, but otherwise doesn't move. The second hit lands harder. He grunts softly, breath forced from his lungs, but he nods at her to continue.

Her fists rise and fall. Her shoulder aches and her broken finger burns, but she keeps going. His body begins to curl in against the repeated impacts. "Harder," he manages through clenched teeth.

Tears blur her vision. She shakes her head desperately. "I can't-"

"You can. Do it."

Her next punch lands harder, driving into him with all the fear and panic she's carrying. He gasps and coughs. A splatter of red stains the floor.

Baya freezes. Her blood runs cold at the sight of crimson dribbling from his mouth. "Shuntarō?" She grabs his face with both hands. "You're bleeding inside! That's not... that's-"

Pain shadows his features, but he smothers it quickly. "It's okay. What's the next task?"

"It's..." She bites her lip as she reads. "We need to... stab each other at the same time."

"Where?"

"Abdomen again." Baya grabs two identical knives from the tray. She hands one of them to Chishiya. He presses the tip against her.

"Is this the right spot?" She wonders, all her focus on the way she adjusts the knife.

"Yes. That's safe," he murmurs. "Yuzuki-"

"No. We need to do it now or never. We don't have much time left on the clock," Baya says sternly. "On three, okay?"

Chishiya blinks. His eyes remain ever as red. "Okay."

"One, two... three."

Both of them push the knives in at the same time. Chishiya is unable to stop a gasp from leaving his mouth. Baya gasps, too, but much quieter.

"Don't remove the knife," he says through tiny winces. "Stay still. We don't want to add more damage."

Chishiya's grip on one of her hands tightens. Again, he blinks, over and over, but his vision just won't clear.

"We'll wait until I can see more," he decides. Each time he speaks, he can feel the exact position of the knife in his stomach, but he keeps going. "Then we'll figure the rest out."

Baya's fingers twitch in his.

"Stay still," he warns again.

They twitch again before they stop moving.

Chishiya blinks, even though it doesn't help. His heart suddenly clenches. "Yu... Yuzuki," he's stammering now. "Say something."

He can feel her fingers twitch once more. "Sh...Shun," she tries to say, hoarse. "Y-you..."

"I what?" He grips her hand despite the nail through his palm.

"Y-you..." Her voice quietens by the second. "You missed."

"Missed?"

She brings his hand up to the knife in her body. He feels it beneath his fingertips, not quite understanding. He'd placed the knife on her body and had thought he did it correctly, also assuming Baya would double check, but then he recalls how focused she was on positioning her knife that maybe she didn't...

"Yuzuki?"

"I..." Her voice sounds more terrified than ever. A shaky laugh mixes into it, followed by a gasp of air and a sob. "I didn't know you could... you could... survive... g-getting-"

Her fingers fall away from his completely. With his blurry vision, he catches a shadow dropping backwards on the white floor. "Yuzuki?"

"G-getting..." She continues, whispering. "Getting stabbed... in the... in the heart."

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Kaoru is restless. It's three AM, Suzume is probably already asleep next to him, and he can't stop twisting and turning. Can't close his eyes, because he'll see Nozomi, but can't keep them open either, because he keeps imagining her standing by the doorway. He doesn't know if he wants to see that or not.

He rolls over. Kicks the blanket off. Decides the cold sensation of the air is worse than the itchy blanket, so grabs the blanket again. Flips his pillow. Picks at a loose piece of thread. Flips the pillow again. It's too hot. Flips it again.

"Kaoru..." Suzume's voice is low and sleepy. Her hand comes to rest on his arm.

"Shh," he says, immediately alarmed. "Just sleep."

But she sits up. "You can't sleep?"

"...Yeah," Kaoru admits. He also decides to sit up, facing her. She keeps her hand on his arm.

"When I was younger, I'd smoke a cigarette whenever I couldn't sleep," Suzume says suddenly. "Then I stopped because I didn't want my lungs to get ruined. Have you ever smoked?"

For some wild reason, Kaoru's face lights up. "I also smoked for a while when Hana left. Then... I stopped because I didn't want my lungs to get ruined," he repeats.

A true laugh comes from Suzume. "Wow." She throws her head back. "How lovely."

"Smoking was surprisingly nice. At the first inhale, I could already feel my entire body just... relax. And the world went quieter," he mutters. "Did you feel like that?"

"Yes. Exactly. Now I just grab a glass of water whenever I can't sleep. You?"

"I grab the deck color of the day and play exactly five games, then mix five decks, sort them out, and put them back," he blurts out.

"Color of the day?"

"Yeah. Each day has a color."

"Tell me what you think."

"Monday is red. Tuesday is blue. Wednesday is a bit of an old yellow. Thursday is brown or purple. Friday is a mix of yellow and purple. Saturday fully yellow. Sunday green and blue." He shrugs.

"Sounds about right," Suzume agrees. "Should I grab you some water?"

"I'll do it." Kaoru climbs out of the bed. He leaves the door slightly ajar.

In the dark, he tiptoes towards the kitchen. The floor is cold beneath his bare feet, but it's not an unpleasant feeling. He is met by a bright light in the kitchen.

It's Ann, using a flashlight to rummage through drawers. Her hair has fallen in front of her face. The lips that are usually painted red and taken care of are now chapped. Her hand shakes lightly.

"Ann," Kaoru whispers.

She looks up. "Oh, Kaoru- hi."

His gaze softens. Ann is the one who'd help him with his tasks for university. The one who helped him realize he wanted to be a toxicologist. The one who caught him smoking and promised not to tell anyone.

"Hi," he whispers. Then he remmende exactly why Ann is in the kitchen at this time, looking so desperate: to keep her mind if Nozomi. "Do you want to sit with me?"

Ann looks at him and at her flashlight, then murmurs 'yes' and follows him to a random couch. Both of them sit straight up, staring forward.

"Your parents left for a game," Ann finally announces.

"I know. I thought I heard people leave and Mom was a bit too loud while doing it." He manages the tiniest chuckle at that. Ann doesn't laugh along, so the sound quickly fades. It was never real, anyway. Kaoru has just mastered how to fake emotions. "Ann..."

"I will kill him." She fists the couch, eyes blazing even in the dark.

Kaoru stares at her, shocked. "K...Kiyoshi?"

Ann also turns her head. Their eyes meet. Her angry expression vanishes as quickly as it came. Instead, a tear now streams down. Kaoru's eyes are used to the dark just enough to catch it.

Slowly, he leans forward to pull the woman into a hug. "It's... it's okay, Ann," he says shakily. He has never seen Ann cry before. It's unsettling. "It'll be okay."

"Don't say things you know aren't true." She pulls back. Still, Kaoru counts the hug as something good. She'd normally never allow it in the first place.

"Sorry." He slumps in his seat. His stomach feels like he's carrying a heavy stone around, buried there forever.

"Say you'll kill him if you get the chance," Ann urges. "For Kuina. For Aguni."

Kaoru blinks. "I... eh-"

"For Nozomi," she adds. "Do you think he deserves to live, Kaoru?"

He fidgets with his fingers. Picks at his nails. "I don't know," he murmurs. "I don't want to kill Kiyoshi."

"Please," Ann's voice is so high-pitched that it surprises them both. "Don't make him live when she's dead. Don't make Kuina walk around on the same planet as her daughter's killer."

The stone's weight increases. Kaoru can't breathe through it. More and more tears slip down. "We'll... we'll see," he says uncomfortably. "I'm going back to bed now. Good, um... good night."

He returns to his original position next to Suzume, who doesn't even ask why he hasn't brought the water. They just lie back down in silence, not touching because Kaoru would have to try really hard to like the idea of cuddling while sleeping. The only things breaking the silence are their breaths and the distant, constant sobs and pleas from another room, familiar enough to be recognized as Kuina's.

"I can't stand listening to it. I wish I could help," Suzume cries out then. "I feel so incredibly bad, Kaoru."

"We can't do anything to help." His tone is scarily like his father's. "It's just a matter of time."

Suzume sniffles. "I hope so."