Marionette ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Five of Clubs - Part Two

Her grip on his hand tightened as the water kept rising.

As sadistic as it sounded, it felt refreshing to see this side of Kurenai. Since the first time they met, she always carried herself with confidence. There was no forgetting that moment when she walked into Toei Sendagaya apartment complex in that red cocktail dress and six-inch heels. Her nonchalance, her bluntness, and the initiative she had taken when flirting with him.

The Kurenai now, however, was fragile.

Holding his hand like a child afraid of a monster, her body shaking from fear, and her eyes staring into his eyes and so sincerely hoping that he would get her out of this place.

It triggered something in Chishiya. Seeing her like this, it made him want to protect her.

Protect her?

Chishiya frowned. Why in the hell did 'protect her' even cross his mind?

By the time the water level rose to one metre, it was almost up to Kurenai's shoulders. She was never insecure about her height, but this was the first time she wished she was a little taller.

"What is the capital city of Slovakia?" A question appeared on the screen.

"London."

Niragi answered the question before the other two could even process it.

"Oops, that's the wrong answer. Correct answer is: Bratislava."

Looking directly at Kurenai, Niragi put up both hands and shrugged. He had been saying over and over again, he was making sure she would never make it out of here alive.

Two minutes went by, and the water was now past her shoulders. It would not take long before she was submerged. Fortunately, since Niragi answered a question, it was their turn.

"What is the medical term for the removal of the gallbladder?"

"Cholecystectomy."

A key was dropped into the water from above and Chishiya went under to grab it. Coming up for a breath, he went under the water once more and tried to unlock Kurenai's shackle first.

It fitted but would not turn.

That was when he realised, each of their shackles was a different colour: Kurenai was red, Chishiya blue, and Niragi green. The key he was holding was blue. This was his own key.

"No, don't go," Kurenai frowned, watching as Chishiya freed himself. "Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"In which sport are barani, rudolph, and randolph all techniques?"

Staring at the screen with the question, Kurenai's mind had gone blank. All she could think about was the water rising. It did not matter though, because even without the water, she did not know the answer. Neither did Chishiya.

"I don't know..."

"Oops, that's the wrong answer. Correct answer is: Trampolining."

As water kept pouring in, Kurenai looked at Chishiya. Tears were swelling in her eyes as she panicked. She knew what was to come. They had to wait another two minutes before a question would show, and it was Niragi's turn next. There was no doubt he would give the wrong answer purposely, and they would have to wait another two minutes. By then, Kurenai would be fully under the water.

"What is the name of Donald Duck's sister?"

"Doesn't matter if I answer this or not, because I don't know the answer anyway," Niragi laughed. "You're really running out of luck, princess."

"Oops, that's the wrong answer. Correct answer is: Della Duck."

With his arms crossed, Niragi was enjoying the scene before him. Kurenai was already tilting her head back as the water was rising too much. He looked to the screen for a second, wondering if they had figured out what he noticed when the questions started. Chishiya seemed preoccupied with keeping Kurenai calm while her mind was focused on the fact that she was about to drown.

Perhaps they did not notice.

Catching a glance of Niragi looking at the screen, Chishiya frowned. Something did not sit right. He looked at the screen too, and it instantly clicked. Why did he not see it sooner?

The previous question was still displayed on the screen, but oddly, with a red background. Thinking back, when he answered his question correctly, the screen's background was blue. Did the colour of the screen correspond to the colour of the key? If so, Kurenai could be lucky enough if the next two questions had a red background.

But this was Borderland.

"Who won the first Nobel Prize for Medicine?"

Finally, they were given the next question, but it was coupled with a green background; Niragi's key.

He was caught in a dilemma. He knew the answer, but if he answered correctly, Niragi would get his key. If he waited, however, Kurenai would definitely be under water. And what were the chances that she would get a question for her own key during her turn? He decided to bet on chances.

"I don't know," Chishiya answered.

Another two minutes passed.

Kurenai was on her tiptoes, her face barely breaking the surface of the water, but she would not be able to keep this up any longer.

"What poison do apple seeds contain?"

Damn it, green background.

"Don't answer the question," Chishiya said.

"Cyanide."

A green key was dropped from above but Chishiya was quick to respond. He grabbed the key before Niragi could, threatening to throw the key away. The look in Kurenai's eyes when she answered, he was sure she figured out the background colours too. Did she answer on purpose, betting her life on Chishiya's athleticism? What if Niragi got to the key before him?

"Well, look at little Chishiya being the hero."

Chishiya was losing his cool. He was gambling on the fact that Niragi wanted to live, but he would not put it past him to throw his life away just so he could drag Kurenai with him. It seemed like her death was inevitable in this game.

"Which king in a deck of playing cards is without a moustache?"

"I don't fucking know!"

Niragi shouted his answer, showing his determination to kill Kurenai.

Two minutes...

He had two minutes before it was his turn to answer the question. Could Kurenai last that long?

As he turned to look at Kurenai, however, she was no longer visible. She had gone under, unable to keep herself above the water that had now risen much too high for her. Without thinking, Chishiya took a deep breath and dove into the water, putting his lips on hers to give her air.

Just two minutes, hang on for another two minutes.