Chishiya x reader | Alice in Borderland

Epilogue

Sitting in the sterile white room of the counseling clinic, I tap my foot against the floor lightly, the faint rhythm echoing in the silence.

Ever since the catastrophe involving the meteor, I've been seeing different therapists to help me process the traumatic events of also losing my two best friends, Ray and Taylor.

I glance around the room, noticing the minimalistic decor, the only real color coming from a single potted plant in the corner.

I wonder what the new counselor I'm supposed to be seeing will be like.

After all, I was told that there would be a change in counselors from today on.

Something about a reassignment due to promotions and new staff members?

The door creaks open slowly, and I look up, my breath catching.

A man steps in, dressed in a simple, light button-up and slacks, with a clipboard in hand, of course.

His dark eyes meet my gaze, and something deep in my chest flickers.

I furrow my eyebrows instinctively.

He seems familiar... but how?

I mean, I'm certain that I have never met him before, and yet, there's something about the way he carries himself that makes me feel like I've interacted with him before.

My eyes drop to the name tag clipped to his shirt as he sits down across from me.

'Ryohei Arisu'

He offers a small smile, which I return as he gets comfortable, his posture relaxed but still attentive.

"Y/n, right?" he says, voice gentle. "I'm Arisu. No need for formalities."

I nod, returning the smile, though my mind is still confused.

He begins the session by asking the usual questions.

But there's something different about him... it seems like he actually listens.

And somehow, he seems to know things about me that I haven't shared yet.

Eh, it's probably because of all those files this clinic has about me...

How else could he know these things?

After a few minutes, he looks up at me and leans forward slightly, holding his pen in his hand, ready to take notes on me.

"So, Y/n. What makes you feel life is worth living?"

I tilt my head, considering the possible answers I could name, as a smile rests on my lips.

"Probably being with people I can trust and who I cherish..." I start slowly, looking at him.

"I've tried a few new things, like new hobbies, styles, and whatnot, but what will always stay the same are my friends. Both the ones I lost and the ones I've found."

He smiles lightly and nods thoughtfully.

"Do you have anyone in particular who is most important to you?"

I feel a certain warmth rising up in my chest, a smile etching its way onto my face.

"My closest friend is, I would have to admit, my boyfriend. He's quiet, kind of sarcastic, but he gets me... And then there's my other very good friend. You might know her actually, since she goes here too. Hikari Kuina. She's loyal and always makes me feel like I belong."

Arisu scribbles something down, then looks up again.

"Life isn't so bad with people like them, you know? They've helped me a lot."