Black & White-English Version

10-Arisu

Chishiya, being a member of the executives, discovered that the 4 of Diamonds Arena had been found. He also told us that Ann, the girl in shorts and white blouse that I had seen the first day I had arrived at the Beach, intended to involve Arisu, by Hatter's order, to test him.

"I think they want to make him one of the executives, since he delivered the 7 of Hearts." He then said, looking at me.

That card was our secret, Kuina was totally unaware of the fact that Chishiya and I had participated to that Game before Arisu.

"How nice!" Kuina said ironically. "Another male! Why didn't you offer Jen that place, then? She handed over one of the missing cards too!"

"It's not me who decides." Chishiya replied.

"It doesn't matter, I'm not interested in being part of the executives." I said, smiling at her. "There's already Chishiya infiltrating. Now, tell us the plan."

I looked at Chishiya and he continued. "Kuina, you will have to play the Game with him."

"But my Visa doesn't expire today!" She protested.

"I know." Chishiya was calm, as if he hadn't just asked his friend to participate to a deadly Game just to test his theory. "But we need it for the plan."

"Why can't I go?" I asked.

"Because it's Kuina who has to convince him and if she sees him in action in a Game of logic, she'll understand what kind of Player he really is."

"What if I die trying to figure it out?" She said, trying to take on an ironic tone, but underneath she seemed worried.

"Chishiya." I invited him to say something.

"You won't die." He simply said.

"And how do you know that?" Kuina asked, skeptical. It was the first time I had seen them collide.

"Because Ann will be with you." He answered her. "And if you'd listened to what I said earlier, you'd know it's statistically impossible that you won't make it through the Game."

"Oh." Kuina seemed to go back to normal and put the chopstick in her mouth. "Oops."

It felt like that oops was a way to say sorry.

"Did I miss something?" For once, it was I who hadn't understood the thread of the conversation.

"Ann is very smart. She delivered 3 Diamonds cards herself." Chishiya explained to me.

At that moment I understood his reasoning: if Ann participated in the Game, she would be able to figure it out and if Arisu failed the test, she would solve it herself. This meant, that Kuina would come out of the Game unscathed, as long as Ann was with her.

"I see." I replied.

Soon after, the three of us went to the canteen to get something to eat.

Kuina stuck to the plan and in the late afternoon she joined Ann and Arisu to play the Game. We met at the pool as soon as it was over.

After about an hour, we saw her coming.

Chishiya and I waited for her on a deck chair, standing a little apart from her to allow her to get even closer with Arisu. And so she did; she sat down on the deck chair next to him, facing the climber girl.

Whatever she said to them, she seemed to have interested them.

Suddenly the Militant Corps of the Beach arrived.

"Hey! Stop this crap music!" Niragi ordered, rifle slung over his shoulder, as the music stopped. 

The tension was so much that you could cut it with a knife.