The Human Heart [COMPLETED]

Morning Talks

AN: Just as a heads up at the start for new readers: this can be read without reading CiaD beforehand.
The reason the MC has no name is because it is based on a Y/N story, but it  contains new scenes and conversations as well (:

To the readers who came from CiaD:
Welcome back you all! As promised, this will be "Captured in a Dream" from Chishiya's pov. I had to write our stubborn reader as a female, because it would have been quite difficult otherwise... Sorry for the 1% of male readers from CiaD ♥

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Chishiya Shuntaro never cared for other people. He didn't even care for the concept of life itself. What was life, anyway? What was its purpose? He didn't know the reason he lived for, and he didn't value his life. He would just wake up every morning and search answers for unknown questions, though they were nowhere to be found.

The reason he had become a medical student wasn't because Chishiya wanted to save other's lives. People in the hospital annoyed him with all their wailing and begging. As if shedding tears would help another person to recover. Chishiya wanted to become a doctor because he hoped that he would understand then. He had hoped that once he was in a similar position, his father's actions would finally make sense to him. But that was not the case.

So the futile life continued. Medicine was fascinating, because despite the works of human bodies, some patients just didn't want to stick to the rules. Chishiya had experienced the sudden recovery of patients that were supposed to have no chance of living, and he had seen healthy people just give up and die because they didn't want to move on anymore.

And still, there were no answers to the emptiness inside of him.

Only when Chishiya came to the Borderlands, things got interesting. On his very first game, he quickly understood that this world was about nothing but live or die, and while it only caused more questions, it provided the alternation he had been searching for.

The fact that a Game Over meant definite death was intriguing, mostly because Chishiya wasn't afraid of dying. He had seen it countless times already, and while he didn't believe in heaven or hell or anything afterwards, it didn't scare him. In fact, the thought of plain nothingness sounded promising because only then, the dull feeling inside of him would vanish. But the Borderlands were a world of games after all, and he wouldn't fail a game without properly playing.

Besides that, there was the whole manipulation part. Chishiya had known how to manipulate people before, but in the Borderlands, he became a master of puppets. While it wasn't said that collecting all cards was the end of those games, it was a goal worth trying for. And on his road, Chishiya didn't hesitate to use people for his own benefit. He didn't care that using people sometimes spelled the end for them, as long as he got what he wanted.

And when he found the Beach, it felt like the perfect place. Many people working together to collect as many cards as possible, and all he had to do was to steal them when everything was ready. It just meant that he had to stay at that noisy and crowded place until that day, but it was a minor sacrifice.

While most people at the Beach annoyed him, there were some very interesting ones. Kuina for example, the only one he introduced at least halfway to his plans, since she wouldn't ask too many questions. There was the militia; Aguni's men who could barely be controlled. Niragi was the one with the most furious temper, and teasing him was actually fun some times, because he always fell for the same tricks again and again.

And then, there was her. Chishiya couldn't quite decide if that woman was purely annoying or if there was something fascinating in her. Her behavior was mostly pathetic – the way she stared at him or tried to get his attention. And yet, there was... something.

Something he couldn't quite grasp. There was not much interesting information about her - nothing special, no outstanding intelligence in games and no noticeable sportiness. The reason she was still alive probably was because of pure luck, nothing more. And yet, she seemed to be different than most others at the Beach. She didn't drink or dance much at the parties, and sometimes, even smart words would escape her mouth.

But the most obvious about her was the fact that she definitely had fallen for him. While Chishiya didn't care about the concept of love, he did notice when someone had feelings for him. It had happened before, and there had never been a good ending for the women falling for him. The way her face would redden when he casually looked at her, or how her whole body stiffened when he waved, it was ludicrous.

And yet, Chishiya wondered if he could use that to his own benefit. Someone like her most likely would do anything he said without even blinking. She could be the perfect puppet without even noticing that he was the one holding the reins. Though she wasn't the right one for his plans when it came to stealing the cards. He needed a puppet that held a bit of intelligence on its own, and on top of it, this woman would probably be led too easily. This was a game after all, and Chishiya didn't want to get bored too soon.

Though he had to admit that she had shown hidden talents in the first game they had played together, where she had been able to figure out how the mechanics worked. And while she had been almost too slow and they barely got out alive, he had acknowledged her back then for her ingenuity. But after that game, she made an utter fool out of herself whenever she opened her mouth. That was why Chishiya soon gave up on the thought of using her for his plans. But it seemed that just around the same time, she decided to approach him even more.

Chishiya is not the person for small talk at all, but it is worst in the morning. He likes to lose himself in his own thoughts then, and what reason is there to talk about petty things like the weather and clothes that other people were wearing? He can't understand the urge to have a conversation when there is nothing important to talk about. That's why he usually leaves his room early enough so there won't be other people when he grabs his breakfast, and he doesn't even notice her at first.

"Good... good morning."

Her cracking voice causes Chishiya to look up from his plate, and he takes out one ear bud while he examines the woman standing next to him. She stares at him with huge naïve eyes, as if she expects him to interact with him in any way, and since there is no one else in the room, there is no one else she could be talking to except him. Chishiya can't remember seeing her so early in the dining room before, and she surely doesn't look like a morning bird with those dark rings under her eyes.

"Oh. Morning." He replies, hoping that this will be enough for her to leave him. But apparently, it isn't.

"How comes you are up so early?" The way she examines him from head to toe is just pathetic. Her eyes almost pop out of her head, and she most likely doesn't even notice. It is not the first time she tries to start a conversation, but Chishiya has been able to cut her off all the times before.

He shrugs and pays more attention to the food in front of him. "I prefer to be prepared for the day." And to be left alone in the mornings.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day anyway, isn't it?"

There it is again. Somewhere hidden inside that woman's brain might be a tiny bit of intelligence, but it doesn't find a way out of her mouth. At least she seems to notice it herself this time, as Chishiya can see her face redden within seconds as she tries to hide it from him. And he can't help but chuckle at her behavior. "It sure is."

"Chishiya..." she starts again, and he exhales a long sigh, waiting for whatever might come next. "Would you want to share a table for breakfast this morning? I'd enjoy someone to talk to."

Chishiya locks eyes with her again, and her whole body stiffens immediately as she waits for his response. That woman really hopes for him to agree, isn't she? Her face is still reddened and she is biting her lip, and it reminds him of a dog that waits for affection from its owner even though they do nothing but hit it. What kind of prince charming does she see in Chishiya? Whatever it is – the sooner she gives up on this, the better it will be for both sides.

"I'm not in a mood for small talk today. Sorry." He plucks in the ear bud again and walks back to his room, and he doesn't have to turn around to know that she is staring at him until he disappears behind the next corner, probably even with tears in her eyes. Like the puppy who just got beaten.