Red Line || Chishiya Shuntarō ✓

nine

Himari was pacing back and forth by the doors of the shopping center. Ren had yet to come back and she was starting to worry about her. Himari stopped to look out the doors when she saw Ren limping towards the shopping center. Himari startled some of the others who were sitting around, tending to wounds. She ran out of the shopping center.

Himari skidded to a stop when she saw the state of Ren - she was drenched in blood. At one point, it looked like Ren tried to clean herself off, but only just smeared the blood further up and down her arms and across her chest. Himari also noticed the lack of a wrap around Ren's knee, seeing just how swollen it was from the walk back to the hideout.

Himari then looked around. "Where's-"

Ren shook her head. Himari's face fell. "She was shot." Ren lowered her head. "We got separated." Ren lied, "I got to her too late." More like Ren just watched her die from a distance. "This next part will sound weird." Ren said.

Himari crossed her arms. "Weirder than death games?"

"She was killed by a person in a horse mask and a machine gun." Ren tilted her head into her shoulder, still trying to process what happened a few hours ago. Himari blinked - okay, Ren won. That was weirder than a general death game. "I couldn't save her even if I wanted to." Ren added. Not that Ren even tried to save her. Ren was already gone by the time the young girl turned to ask her what they'd do.

Ren left her for death.

Himari walked over to Ren, looking her over. "It's not my blood." Himari froze with her hands on Ren's arms. Himari was scared to ask what the card was. But Ren already knew she'd ask. "Spade." Himari's eyes widened.

"Okay, let's get you inside." Himari's first ever game was a Spade. She knew how deadly those could actually be. "Let's get you cleaned up before the kids see you." Himari moved until Ren's arm was draped across her shoulder. "Lean on me." Ren didn't need to be told twice.

Ren sat on the bathroom floor, stripped down to just her underwear while Himari went to find some clothes that would fit Ren. Ren's arms were still strained red but her face and chest were cleaned off with bottled water. Sure, it was using up resources, but Ren knew that the 7-11 still hadn't been ransacked yet. She almost went back there after the game, just to pass out until morning.

Ren rested her head against the wall, eyes closed. Her arm was across her stomach. Ren had yet to tell Himari she was kicked in the stomach. The bruising hadn't started yet, but she could feel the pain. She was pretty sure there was an imprint of the shoe print on her shirt from the dirt and dust of the apartment building.

Himari came back with a first-aid kit and new clothes. She didn't know Ren's style, so she just picked something so Ren could get out of those blood drenched clothing. Ren opened her eyes when Himari placed the clothes next to her. It was a pair of shirts with a baggy shirt. It was the first thing she saw without bringing too much attention to herself.

"Thanks." Ren ran her hand through her dripping hair. Sure, it wasn't a true shower, but Ren no longer had dried blood in her hair either.

Ren grabbed the shirt, pulling it over her head just to cover herself up. Himari had noticed the large tattoo on her back when she helped Ren out of her clothes. Now she could see most of the details. The shirt was pulled down, hanging off one shoulder. "Can you help me put the short on?" Himari nodded, helping Ren stand up.

Ren no longer could feel the pain in her knee. The walk back from the apartment building numbed that area to the point that Ren was sure that she would be laying up until the very last day of her visa.

Himari helped her pull the short up her legs. Once the shorts were buttoned and zippered up, Ren moved around Himari, limping heavily, to one of the mirrors. It was dark in the bathroom, obviously, but Ren could see herself perfectly.