common enemy [Ryuji Sakamoto x Reader]

chapter eleven: repetition

Call me Ryuji.

That single sentence had echoed in your head ever since you parted ways with him, the feeling of his warm hand gently grabbing your arm burnt into your memory, whether you liked it or not. You laid in bed, staring at the ceiling as you heard him say it over and over. His voice haunted you with steady rhythm.

Why does it matter so much to me?

"Then you can call me (F/n)," you had replied, a gentle pink adorning your cheeks. A blush that only he could have given to you.

Hoping to identify these feelings, you grabbed your phone and opened up a search page.

This is so damn stupid. Why am I doing this?

You felt incredibly embarassed looking at the home page of an online quiz. Tapping away through two minutes of questions, you waited patiently as the page loaded your diagnosis.

Love.

The simple word displayed on the screen made your heart pound.

That can't be it.

Unconvinced, you went through quiz after quiz, hoping that somehow one would give you an answer that you wanted to hear. The only problem was you didn't know what you wanted to hear.

You finally gave up, sinking back into your bed as the light from your phone illuminated your tired eyes. There was no possible way you had a crush on Ryuji. You were just interested in the only boy that could make you feel this way.

But how interested am I, really?

Thoughts and theories filled your head as your eyes fluttered closed.

•••

"Welcome back."

Your eyes shot open at the deep, familiar voice.

"Ugh, this shit again?" You groaned, dragging your body off of the cold metal, your shackles scraping against the cement floor.

You grabbed onto the cell bars, eyeing your surroundings carefully. It was the same exact circular prison you had dreamt about weeks earlier. The ugly man who had asked to be called "Igor" sat with his hands neatly folded at his desk. In front of him, the identical prison guards gave you a strict glare.

Igor ignored your inital reaction and continued to speak. "Your awakening soon approaches. I hope you are prepared. I assume the connections you are currently forming will be enough to help you confront your power."

"Awakening? What the hell does that mea-" You stopped suddenly, shaking your head. "You know what? Don't answer that. I can't believe I'm having a conversation with a figment of my imagination."

He chuckled lightly. "A figment of your imagination? Amusing."

"Listen, I'd love to stay and talk, but there's some sleep I need to catch," you rolled your eyes, turning around towards the inside of your cell. "So let's finish this quick. Where's the part of the nightmare you really want me to see?"

You heard Igor's sigh from behind you. "There are many things you are unaware of in this world you live in. But if it's your demons that you seek, then I'll humor you."

"What do you-" You spun around as soon as he finished speaking, only to find that neither Igor nor the prison guards were there anymore.

A chill went down your spine as you stood, rooted in place. An unexplainable sense of fear overcame you, looking at your now-open cell door. Beyond it, the dim circular room was empty except for Igor's vacant desk.

You took in a sharp breath. "I'm about to make the same mistake people in horror movies do, aren't I?"

Carefully shaking your head, you walked into the room. You felt incredibly sick; a feeling of uncertainty pricked at your stomach as you swiftly approached Igor's desk.

A few documents were spread across its surface, their contents visible to the naked eye. You quickly scanned over them, wanting to end this dream as fast as possible.

Your eyes widened. You would recognize the handwriting on the papers anywhere. They were your mother's notes.

"'Suspicious activity in the faction supporting Masayoshi Shido'... 'Competitors to Shido and their mysterious mental shutdowns'... 'Large sums of money donated to an unidentified individual'..." You read aloud the bullets that peaked your interest. After each bullet were observations or theories on the topic, along with endless evidence.

"But who the hell is Masayoshi Shido? Did he kill my parents?"

"Wrong." You spun around to find your parents- no, their ghosts standing behind you. They stood silently, the dark abysses of their eyes providing a hidden veil for wherever their gaze landed. Your heart pounded in your ears. Surely they could hear it?

"Usually you just scream at me. Why are you showing me this?" Your words were barely audible due to your suddenly dry throat.

"You killed us." They spoke at the same time, slowly walking towards you until you were trapped against the desk. "It was a mistake to have you. We could have caught him. All you did was distract us from our work. And now we're dead."

"How could I have-"

"And now we're dead. And now we're dead. And now we're dead." They repeated like a broken record, their chant becoming a deep gurgle as the black liquid once again spewed out of their mouths. "And now we're dead."

You couldn't say anything back. You couldn't even cry. The only thing that filled your head, your ears, and your mouth was the shrill sound of your desperate screaming.

"And now we're dead."