IN THE DEVILS GRASP (Sachiko x OC)

(17) DATE NUMBER 2 CONT.

Estuko

"SO, YOU AREN'T going to gamble to get into full bloom, correct?" was one of the Sachiko said when we sat down at the table at the restaurant.

"Are we seriously still on this?"

"Of course we are," she rolls her eyes "if you do it I'll make it my mission to make it so you have to take a life plan."

"Oh really? And how are you going to do that?"

"I don't think you want to know my methods and you better pray you don't ever find out." She says and I scoff.

"And here I thought we were going to have a nice dinner and you wouldn't boss me around like usual."

"Obviously you thought wrong."

"I think I've thought wrong on a lot of things. I mean, I'm currently on a date with a girl who doesn't have the capacity to care about me when I full well could be out with someone else. Maybe Aoi? He seems to take interest in me. I think he'd gladly take me out."

"Threatening to go out with a man who's engaged? Well now, that's quite the affair. I didn't know you had that in you. That's rather callous, now isn't it?"

My obvious attempt to get under her skin hadn't seemed to work. Usually, she gets all jealous and possessive. But there's a certain deadly look in her eyes that puts me off and turns me on at the same time.

"Whatever. If I'm going to be forced to sit down and have a whole meal with you I'd rather have a nice conversation. It makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time."

"Wow. Look who's feisty tonight. Just about twenty minutes ago you were hugging me, thanking me for saving your best friend's life and now here you are, challenging me. You would think you'd be more grateful. Especially because I'm footing your friend's little hospital bill. I don't know if you've heard but she's going to have to be institutionalized."

"Excuse me, what? She's going to be institutionalized?"

"You didn't think that just being cleared of her debts would suddenly not make her suicidal, did you? She has some serious issues with depression and other mental health issues."

"What's that going to cost me."

"What's going to cost you what?" Sachiko smiles.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." I say and she leans forward, putting her elbow on the table and leaning her head on her hand.

"It's going to cost you nothing. Call it an act of good faith."

"Since when have you done anything out of good faith?"

"What, do you want it to cost you something?"

"Of course not. I just don't want you holding it over my head later on." I lean back and shrug before saying "thank you. I know her family couldn't afford that."

"Of course." She once again smiles as if she knows something that I don't "now, I believe you wanted to change the topic of conversation."

"So you're letting up on me gambling to get into full bloom?"

"I suppose so." She shrugs "and before you ask why, I would suggest you scoop up this opportunity of it not being a topic of conversation."

"You know your 180s really give me whip lash."

"What can I say. I love being unpredictable—it's honestly what gets you by in this life. If someone doesn't know your next move and can't predict it because you tend to seem like you're all over the place, you have the upper hand. It's a word of advice I have for you. Make sure no one can know your next move. Even your closest of friends because you sometimes have no idea what they're truly capable of."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It can mean whatever you want it to, little mouse, but I suggest you go into your gambling for full bloom assuming you can trust no one but yourself. Don't even trust your closest of friends because at the end of end of the day, they could be the ones to stab you in the back."

"How can you go through life trusting no one? That seems awfully lonely."

"Sometimes you've been alone so long that it no longer bothers you. You see, while the bigger fish eat the smaller ones there is such thing as fishing and in that case? The bigger ones are more valuable and the much better catch."

"So in all this, you're saying I can't trust you either?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, little mouse."

"Isn't that counter intuitive from what you've been trying this whole time. To get me to trust you?"

"Who said that's what I've been trying to do? What if I just want to seduce a pretty girl like you into my bed. Hmm?" Her words make my cheek flush red from both a blush and anger.

"Okay. Whatever." It's then that the waiter comes by and asks for our orders. Which of course, Sachiko orders for the both of us without much deliberation from me. But still, she manages to guess exactly what I was going to order.

This girl is driving me crazy

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VERY SURPRISINGLY the rest of the date went rather well. Though, I do believe her intentions were to make me fall in love with her as if that would ever happen. Just thinking about it makes me scoff. She was too hot and cold and confusing for that to ever happen. Other than her cryptic message about not trusting anyone we had a pleasant conversation.

It was then that I got a phone call from none other than Tsuzura. There was a time in my life where I'd pick up the phone immediately but something made me pause.

"Don't even trust your closest of friends because at the end of end of the day, they could be the ones to stab you in the back."

I shake my head. Now's not the time I let her weasel her way into my thoughts or my friendships.

I sigh and answer the phone "Hey Tsuzura, what's up?"

"I was just calling to check and see if you're still good to gamble for full bloom?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"No reason. I'll see you soon, okay?" And with that, she hung up the phone.

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A/N: hey y'all! I'm so sorry for not updating in months. I've been extremely busy. Life has been kicking my ass😭

Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter!! I will continue to update but it'll be slow updates🩷