No Doubt [Joseph x Aesop]

7

"Because... I-i met Joseph." Aesop spoke up the truth which he doesn't realise he actually say that to them.

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The embalmer fell back to sleep while Naib and Eli looked at each other with lots of questions in their mind. Why would Aesop meet the hunter, the person who would hurts the survivors? Why must midnight?

"I don't know why he went reckless but I'll ask The Host for not putting Aesop and Joseph in the same match." Eli said worriedly as he quickly went out of the room to inform the owner of all this manor and the game. Naib just nodded at his words with agreement.

Time skip brought to you by mini Joseph

Eli's request was approved by The Host a while ago. The survivors in the manor also are informed about not to let Aesop meet Joseph again. Aesop's condition went better 2 days later and he's free to join the matches again. However, he doesn't know about he's banned to meet the photographer.

Deep in Aesop's heart he's excited to meet the hunter again, but he doesn't show it to everyone. His next match will start in 15 minutes. He will be with Eli, Naib and Mike for the entire match. He's now at the matching room, waiting for everyone. "You're so early, Aesop." Eli smiled and take a seat beside him.

"Laying on the bed all the time is boring." Aesop fiddled with his makeup box and looked down, averting eyes contact with the seer to not show his excitement. Eli chuckled, "Haha! Then please take care of your health properly."

Naib and Mike soon joined them at the dining table as they waited for the hunter to start the match but it takes a while before the match starts. Maybe the hunter was late? Who knows. The room went dark and they're teleported to a same map but random places. The Arms Factory.

Aesop looks around him. He couldn't find any of Joseph's camera. He sighed runs to the nearest cipher he could find. The hunter today wasn't him. Maybe next time? I need to join lots of matches if I want to find him. If the next match wasn't him then the other next match would be him? There's a possibility. "Ow!" The cipher machine bursted as Aesop missed the calibration. He was too caught up in his thought.

Aesop leave the cipher immediately since the hunter probably know his location now. He runs as fast as he can but Michiko knocked him down with terror shock. Damn, the match just started but I'm already down.

The hunter tied him to a flooting helium balloons while the embalmer keeps struggling. Where did the hunters get the balloons anyway? Did they always keep it in their pocket? Michiko sat him down on the rocket chair and tied him up before going to another way to find another survivors.

Aesop was struggling on the rocket chair angrily. Oh if only he can did the same to the hunters too. Its so unfair to leave them on the rocket chair when they can't do anything like this except waiting for anyone to rescue them. Running footsteps could be heard. Aesop saw Naib runs to him as he untied the rope on the rocket chair, successfully rescued him.

"Thank you!" Aesop shouted before they runs the separate way. Healing isn't necessary at this point. He just want to end the match quickly since Joseph isn't in this match. Naib offered to heal him but the embalmer just say no.

Aesop began decoding as soon as he found a cipher machine while looking around cautiously just in case the hunter is near. Halfway through decoding, Eli runs to him and they decoded together. "You looks like in a hurry, what's wrong?" Eli broke the silence.

"Nothing! Maybe I'm not fully recovered.. I guess? Aha.." Aesop laughed nervously. The cipher popped and Aesop immediately runs to find the last cipher. "Wait..!" The seer frowns.

Aesop was already far from Eli and he couldn't hear him. Suddenly, the siren sound spread around the map. All of the ciphers are decoded and they can escape after putting in the password to unlock the gate. Aesop runs faster to the nearest gate and he can see Mike typing the password but Naib and Eli wasn't there. "Shouldn't we check on them?" Aesop turned to Mike, asking.

"Its fine. They would catch up. Let's go!" The acrobat pulls Aesop's hand and runs along with him. Both of them escaped successfully and as expected, Eli and Naib also escaped. Everyone returned back to the manor except Aesop. He went to the board which shows the participants for the next match. 2 names was written and there's another 2 empty place. Aesop immediately write his name and just waited there since the next match would start in an hour.

"Aesop? What are you doing here?" Vera arrived to get ready for the next match she's in but saw Aesop was waiting on the dining table. "Oh, Vera. I'm just gonna wait here until the next match starts."

"Aren't you just finished with the last match? How unusual for you to join plenty of matches." Vera's lips curled into a soft smile. "Don't overwork."

Aesop just nodded and wait until his teammates joined. Aesop, Vera, Kreacher and Freddy was in the same match. Matches after matches, Aesop still couldn't find Joseph.

"Be careful."
"Don't get hurt."
"Please take some rest."
"Aesop, don't join again!"

Was what everyone would always say to Aesop before he joined the matches. Aesop went reckless. He's joining every matches and its been a week. His body was full with bruises, cuts and scars from the matches. He just won't stop until he meet Joseph but he won't tell the real reason to everyone.

Aesop was fiddling with his makeup box while waiting at the dining table for the next match again. Eli stepped into the matching room and sighed when he saw Aesop. "Aesop, please..."

Aesop shakes his head. "...no.." The embalmer coughed, his body was already fragile. The wound from last match wasn't fully healed yet and still bleeding but he's being stubborn.

Eli heard his answer. The embalmer said no. This already went too far. He's worried with his friend. "Aesop! What's wrong with you?!" The seer shouted with a really loud voice as he grabs Aesop's collar harshly. That's it. He's had enough of Aesop.

Aesop's eyes went wide with the sudden loud voice. This is the first time Eli shouted at him or anyone. The seer was known as soft and kind hearted guy among the survivors. No one would expect to hear the seer's yell, scold or shout. "I-i.. I.." Tears started forming and soon fall down on Aesop's cheeks.