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Takuma had left on his own, limping off towards an uncertain future. The other three made their way to a bridge, stopping to rest just under it. Kazumi held the four of clubs card in her hand, contemplating. The water below them reflected the sun, giving a peaceful glow to the aftermath of the game.
Turning to the Usagi and Arisu she held out the card to them. "I think you earned this more than I did. Following the two of you kept me alive, if that doesn't earn my respect I don't know what does."
After a moment's hesitation Arisu took the card from her hand.
A part of her felt disheartened letting go of something that was a physical representation of her survival, but the majority of her knew that the only thing she needed to keep going was the sound of her heart still beating.
"Where were you guys planning on heading now?"
"There's a place Karube told me about where we could go. The Beach."
"The Beach?" Usagi questioned. Kazumi of course knew what he was talking about but chose to stay silent.
"Maybe the people who disappeared are there."
From what that man, Chishiya, had said she doubted Arisu's theory was correct.
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Collectively agreeing to head to the beach the three of them made their way across the bridge, cleaned Kazumi's injury as best they could, and waited for nightfall. That night they attempted to ask different players if they knew about the beach but were met only with confused looks.
Their method led to nothing but dead ends and by the time morning broke they were no closer than they were the day before. The days following consisted of not much other than scavenging, exploring, and attempting to gather information, until their visa's time was running short.
Kazumi did her best to remain removed from the other two, but despite her best efforts she did feel herself becoming closer to the other two. While Arisu was kind and heroic Usagi was skillful and athletic, with a knowledge of hunting and foraging that reminded Kazumi of her hometown. The crisp mountain air, the familiarity of the house she grew up in, the warmth of her tight knit community.
She had found herself thinking about her home more and more lately, wondering if she'd ever get the chance to go back. At the end of these games would everything just go back to the way it was?
A direct lead for their goal finally came as they staked out several games scattering them across the city. The three of them communicated over walkie-talkies they had picked up from an abandoned store. Kazumi had climbed a tree to hide several meters away from the game.
They each carefully watched every person who showed up to play, searching for a locker key on their wrists, which Arisu had told them had something to do with the beach. From her vantage point, Kazumi could see a nervous looking man and a tired looking woman with said keys on, but when their game ended, neither one of them emerged.
