The Game (Neku x Reader)

Chapter 6

I felt myself unable to look away as I gazed into his blue eyes that nearly mirrored the shock written on my face, only, his face held a look of disbelief as he took a step forward.

"H-How...? And what does Joshua mean when he called you his Conductor? Have you really been alive all these years?" he asked. I finally tore my eyes away from his gaze as Joshua walked by me, sending a smirk Neku's way.

"Of course she has been alive. I mean, she did participate in the Reapers' Game three years ago. Although, she can answer the rest of your questions. I have some business to attend to. Take care, dear partner." Joshua then left without another word as I stood there frozen, unsure of what to say. Neku looked at me as I saw his arms shake at his side as his hands clenched into fists.

"Tell me he's joking," Neku said through clenched teeth. "Three years and you just show up like nothing's happened..."

"Neku I.... I'm so, so sorry," I said. "I know no amount of apologies will ever suffice for what I did to you, abandoning you. It was never my intention! I... I had no choi-" Neku cut me off as he looked to the side.

"Couldn't you have come back to life instead of just getting more involved in UG matters?" Neku snapped. "Now that you're the Conductor do you even want to come back to life? Is it more important than the life you had in the RG?"

I wished I hadn't been expecting this kind of conversation to be brought up with Neku this soon. Deep down, I knew the answer but the words seemed harder to say aloud as I stole a glance over my shoulder, because of the fear that someone was listening. Someone I needed to be wary of.

"Of course I wanted to come back to life!" I said, blinking back tears as I gripped my arm tightly, digging my nails into my skin, leaving little crescent moon marks behind. "I didn't have a choice! If I didn't become a Reaper then you would've gotten hurt or worse!"

"And someone was powerful enough to make you believe that?" His words hit me hard like a ton of bricks. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was implying that he thought I became a Reaper for the fun of it. There was no way in hell that I would ever do that.

"Neku, please listen to me," I pleaded with him. "I wanted nothing more than to come back to life and laugh like we used to but things just didn't work out that way. The only reason I agreed to become Conductor in the first place is because Joshua said he could help me and get me out of the UG."

"He's Composer. He probably wouldn't need to bat an eye to do that." The truth in his words almost made me rethink my decision until I remember who I was dealing with.

"Neku, there is this guy who is forcing me to stay in the UG. And it seemed like even Joshua was having trouble dealing with him. He told me personally that this guy was a pest, always trying to Erase him. If Joshua was trying to get rid of him, don't you think he would've done it by now?"

"Yeah well, Joshua usually has an ulterior motive and likes to keep people around if it keeps him from getting bored. As his Conductor shouldn't you know that?"

"I haven't been around him for that long, just a little over a week."

"And if you're a Reaper couldn't you have at least seen me during the Game?"

You have no idea how much I wanted to see you. Right after I got to see you again, even if it was from a distance, I wanted nothing more than to run up to you and catch up with each other.

"I had orders to stay away from you...," I said. Neku raised one eyebrow, as I took that as a signal to continue. "I wanted to but I couldn't and I didn't want to get Erased for disobeying either."