𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ˢʰᵘⁿᵗᵃʳᵒ ᶜʰⁱˢʰⁱʸᵃ

2

After I played the hearts game, I decided I wouldn't play the next days. As I walked around the city, I walked past one of my artwork. Over it was now sprayed something, a name, 'Chishiya''. "What a little Cheshire Cat."

After I saw that, I wanted to spray something again, so I got my cans and started spraying. It was already three days after my last game. It took me some time to finish my painting, but when it was done, it looked pretty good.

I found myself on the bridge across the beach again. "What a view." I stood there for a while, before I heard shuffling coming from behind me and my hands directly reached for my knife. Three men with guns came out and pointed them at me. "Seriously?" Then, everything went black.

Muffling filled my ears, I slightly opened my eyes, only to be met with the sun shining at me. I sighed before turning my head away. I was tied to a chair. I could feel the presence from two mans from behind me. A woman in black clothes smiled at me. "Good morning." Next to her was a man with glasses in a blue shirt with swim pants on. "I apologize for this rude introduction. Our sentries report that there was someone spying on us.", he said. A woman walked around he room, it was the one from the six of Hearts game and the one that I saw with Chishiya. She walked behind them till she was directly in front of me. "Why are you here?" I stared at her eyes I could see through the sunglasses. She definitely recognized me. "I don't know, some guys knocked me out, just cause I was standing on the bridge across your Beach.", I said. The doors to my left opened and a man in only swimming trucks and a gown came in. "We have the answers you're searching for." I raised my eyebrow at him. "Hatter, she didn't even asked for answers yet and I don't think she will.", the woman told him. "Oh." "Don't worry, let him talk, I'll listen." He was happy to hear that, definitely. "Here is the first answer." He pointed his hands to a wall which was now being shoved away. Behind it was revealed a whole card deck drawed on the wall. He explained me something what was with the cards, but I already found that out myself in the beginning i came into this world. "Can I go now?", i asked. He turned to me in disbelief. "One of the rules of this beach, death to traitors." He suddenly started laughing. "Technically I'm not a traitor, I was just staying on the bridge, your men attacked me. So, I have every right to go." He seemed to be thinking, but then said: "Yeah, I have a solution. You will live here in the beach, but you can sometimes spend the night where you want, maybe you had a apartment or something like that. The cards you collect you will give us. If not, we'll kill you. You have free will here in the beach, and you don't even have to wear a bikini, just some shorts and shirt are enough. I'm also making you an executive member, cause we need some and I heard from Ann that you're a very good Hearts player. Welcome to the beach." That was a lot of information. "First of all, i'm not a hearts player, i'm just smart, more not. And fine, i'll accept your offer. But can I now go eat something? I'm starving."

After the woman in black, called Mira, showed me my room, I found the way to the cafeteria and got myself some food there. I started eating my sandwich, then a figure sat down in front of me, who was no one other than Chishiya. "Hello, Cheshire." He grinned. "You just came here, right?" I nodded. We are in silent, it wasn't uncomfortable, but neither was it comfortable. "When will you play again?", he asked me now. "Probably tomorrow. Today I want to look around and then go back to my apartment and shower." "They allow you to leave the Beach?" I swallowed my food, then said: "Yeah, we have some kind of deal." My eyes landed at the bracelet on his wrist, showing the number he was. Seven. Now his eyes landed on my wrist, showing the eight. "Goodbye." I stood up and left the cafeteria, cause I was finished with my food and didn't wanted to spent my time with talking to him.

"We will send an another executive with you, just in case you won't come back." I raised my eyebrow at the Hatter. "Who?" "Chishiya. He's waiting in front of the room. Have fun and be back at eight." He sounded just like my mother allowing me to go out with friends. I opened the door and found Chishiya leaning on the wall. "Long time no see." I made my way outside of the beach, completely ignoring that the blonde was following me. In front of my apartment building, I packed out my keys and opened the door. There was no reason for us to talk, so we didn't. As we stood in front of my real apartment, where I lived the last months, I didn't expected him to say something. "So that's your apartment? Here you lived the last months?" I ignored him and opened the door. My feet directly took me to my bedroom, there I packed my bag with the rest of my spray cans. Then I walked out. Chishiya was still standing in the living room, his hands in his pockets and the eyes wandering around the room, inspecting it. I stared at him for a second, but then stopped, realizing what I just did. 'Get yourself together, Mizuno.' Before I could open the door, he spoke. "Where are you going?" I turned around, not looking in his eyes. "Out, you're not my mother." My body turned around again and I went out. Chishiya was following me, of course. We walked a bit, until I stood in front of a large empty white wall. I packet out my spray cans and shook them. "You're spraying too, huh.", Cheshire muttered under his breath. I stopped, remembering what he said at the Hearts game. My mouth let out a breath, but then turned around and I held a can in front of him. He raised his brow at me. "Just take it." He understood what I wanted to do, and so he grabbed it grinning.

We both worked on our graffiti till the sunset. I did the last line and stopped, looking at my art. "Interesting." My head turned to the side where the voice came from. His eyes were on my painting, taking it in. "You did Alice.", I told him. He smiled slightly. "And you did the Mad Hatter."

It was getting closer to eight, so we both made our way back to my apartment, so I could get the rest of my belongings. I packed my clothes inside, what weren't really much. "It's interesting how you lived here the whole time, probably your whole time studying in medical school too." Chishiya was leaning against the door frame. I closed the door to my closet and walked to my nightstand, collecting my books and graffiti sketch books together. As I was finished, my eyes looked around the room to see if I haven't forgot anything. "You forgot your shoes." I realized now too. "Thanks." My feet took me to where my black boots were standing. I had my converse already on, so I didn't needed any other pair. "Let's go." I walked past him and made my way out of the building.

Chishiya and I splitted up at the entrance of the beach, he told me he had to do something. So after trying to find my room, I walked in and placed my bag on the ground. "Home sweet Home."

I didn't packed out yet, cause I wanted to explore this whole thing here. I switched into some jeans shorts and a white shirt with a blue blouse over it. I packed out my music player out of my coat I had on and placed it in my ears. My finger clicked on 'daddy issues - the neighborhood'. It started playing and my body moved out of the room.

I explored the lobby, the medical wing and all other rooms. I wanted to make my way back to my room, but somehow got lost and were suddenly on the roof. From there was the city very good to be seen. You could see the lasers coming from the clouds, meaning that it would be 12am now. I knew I couldn't get sleep this night, I was always the child that never could sleep in other beds than mine. But even there I didn't got much sleep. I stood a while on the roof, examining the night sky. "What a surprise to see you again." I was so lost in thoughts, I didn't heard him coming up. He walked beside me and watched me quietly. "Shouldn't you get some sleep?" I turned my head to him. "Even if I love sleeping, I still have intense insomnia. So I'm not going to spend the entire night in the bed, trying to sleep, knowing I won't." I dont know why I said this and why I opened so fast up to him. He had a small look of sympathy on his face, I hated sympathy. He sat down at the edge of the roof, gesturing with his hand for me to sit down next to him. I did so, but kept space between us. "What are you listening to?" He must have noticed I had my headphones with me. "Doesn't matter." A long silence followed, until I asked: " Do you speak any other language than Japanese?" He shook his head. "Est-ce que tu me mens, Cheshire?" He lifted the corner of his mouth. "Вы также можете говорить по-русски?" "Да, я могу. Kannst du denn auch Deutsch?" At this point he suddenly started smiling like an idiot. I raised my eyebrow at him. There was a silent again. "What did you wanted to say?" I realised I got now cold again, hearing it in my own voice. "You have a beautiful accent when speaking other languages, especially German." I also hated compliments. "I think I should lay down for some time, my body still needs some rest before I play tomorrow again." So I sat up and made my way to my room, deciding to read there till breakfast.