The Game (Neku x Reader)

Chapter 1

"What's got you looking so down? You've been missing for a few weeks since the last Game. Last I saw you at was that one that lasted three weeks. Even then, you were mostly absent from it."

The orange haired Reaper absentmindedly twirled a bean paste lollipop around his fingers as his amber eyes looked into my (e/c) ones. I gripped the elbow of my arm as I glanced off to the side. Those three weeks were referring to how long the Reapers' Game had been played most recently. The Reapers' Game was a game that those who had died could play for a week to regain a second chance at life, however, I participated in the Game as a Reaper, and Erased those playing so that I could live myself. The thought of it nearly made me want to vomit as I created the Noise that Erased people. Other human beings.

The nineteen year old in front of me was a Harrier Reaper, much like myself, and we were always out on the field in the Underground (UG), where the Reapers' Game was played, a plane above everyone else who were in what was known as the Realground (RG). Koki Kariya let out a sigh as he made an exaggerated gesture with his hand. His partner was another Reaper named Uzuki Yashiro. The three of us usually got along but I wouldn't call us best friends or anything like that. The only reason I hung out with them is because they annoyed me to no end until I did. The only true friend I had was a boy named Neku Sakuraba and if given the choice to face him after all of this time, I don't know if I could do it. The guilt would eat away at me and the thought of Neku hating me for leaving him for three years ran through my head like a broken record. It was because I died and left him that he shut everyone else out, seeming to blame himself for my death.

And on top of all of that, Neku died and had to play the Reapers' Game three times, and I knew, that deep down, he had some anger and hatred towards the Game and the Reapers that Erased Players. If he knew that I was also one of them, then he would hate me for certain.

A hand waved in front of my face as I was snapped back to reality, the Reaper in front of me retracting his hand as he let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good. You're responding to that now. You dozed off into la la land. So what was going on in your world as that Sakuraba kid was playing? Three Games for one person and all in a row too? Rare and there's something about him that made him... special. The Composer gave him lots of room to move, huh?"

"... Yeah... and I had to keep myself hidden from Neku... Orders straight from the Composer, although, Mr. Kitaniji was the one who relayed them to me," I answered as I then crossed my arms and looked down at the crowd of Shibuya, watching everyone move about with their day, not caring for anyone else by them, even though their mood and vibe had changed significantly after Neku was done playing the Game for his third time. I was on a tight leash since I was forced to become a Reaper against my will, but the main rule I was given wwas not to be spotted my Neku under any circumstances, and the Composer reinforced it for the Reapers' Game that involved Neku. Why didn't the Composer want me to see Neku? Was it because I knew him personally and might try and help him? Was there some kind of master plan behind everything that the Composer was apart of that no one knew about? I knew that it was pointless to ask these questions, as I wouldn't get an answer and I knew that none of the other Reaper's would be able to help me with this dilemma either.

"Orders from the Composer huh? I wonder why he wanted to keep you two separate. Any ideas you care to share?" Koki asked as I felt his eyes looking at the back of my skull as I kept my gaze focused on the crowds of Shibuya, the sounds of them reaching my ears as incoherent conversations met my ears.

Even then, as much as I liked Koki, a part of me didn't want to tell him, wanting to keep that information to myself, as another part of me wanted to. I bit my lip as I debated over it in my head.