His Dark Queen - Sondam

Chapter 11: Papers Please

— Sonia's POV —

       We were all sat down in the restaurant eating our breakfast. Reminding me of when the murder game had first started, when no one had died yet. Who knew it would all lead up to this, back together without any fear. Mostly everyone put an average amount of food on their plate, however Akane piled hers until she could barely balance anymore on top.

       "Hey everyone! Who wants to get in an eating competition with me? Winner gets a motorboat!" Akane challenged, everyone stared at her, knowing they couldn't match her literal black hole of a stomach, "Looks like I'll have to compete with myself!" The second Akane said that, moments later all the food had exited the plate and went straight to her mouth. For rarely doing any actual training, I wonder how she maintains that figure.

       "Hehe, perhaps your hamsters could have an eating competition," I whispered to Gundham, he hadn't put a lot on his plate. He might be a picky eater, but I still hope he had enough.

       "Eating competition? I have not taught the four dark devas of destruction to participate in such foolish human activity." Gundham answered back, I could sense he felt irritated.

       "Oh," I added, "That's okay." I hope I had not offended him in anyway.

       "But-" He turned to me, with a few sunflower seeds in his hand, "Shall we see which one can fit the most seeds into their mouth one day?"

"It would be an honor," I smiled, I believe I caught a quick glimpse of a smile back before Gundham quickly dug his face into his scarf. Wishing I could see it for longer. Before we knew it, there had been some commotion happening in the restaurant. It was the bickering of Mikan and Hiyoko.

"Oh shut up! You sloppy glizzy slut! Can anything come out that mouth other than raw sewage?" Hiyoko yelled across from the tables, she was standing on top of the bench-stool for extra height.

"W-what? I-I hadn't e-even s-s-said anything!" Mikan cried, tears gushing from her eyes. Everyone around her tables stared awkwardly.

"Can it you two-faced whore! I can hear you!" Mikan shouted even louder with her high pitched voice. They kept going back and forth with each other.

"What d-do you even m-mean?!" Mikan grasped her hands around her head, trying to block the sound of Hiyoko's nasty words.

"I know exactly what you're thinking! Staring at me like that! Well do it! I know you want to... again." The whole place went silent, most of us knew exactly what Hiyoko was referring to, the ones who didn't looked around the room clueless. I noticed Fuyuhiko whispering to Peko, most likely explaining what happened.

"Hey!" Hajime stood up, slamming the table. He was extra furious, "No one is going to do that ever again. Not while I'm here."

"Hmpf!" Hiyoko puffed, "You can't promise that! Someone might! We gotta have them watched!" She pointed at Mikan as well as giving a disgusted glance at Peko.

"Fine. That seems like a great idea." Hajime grinned. He snatched an empty fruits basket and pulled out scratch paper from his back-pocket. He must've been writing down the names who had murdered someone in the game. After writing them all down, he ripped them up into slits and dropped them into the basket. "Soda, Fuyuhiko, and Sonia. Come up here please." I got up slowly, I could tell there was a sense of worry on Gundham's face and on my own too. The three of us gathered around Hajime. "And since I am the one leading all of us, I will join in too. Along with Hiyoko, since she thought of the idea"

"But! No! You can't make me!" Hiyoko whined, Mahiru leaned in and whispered something to her, "Hrmm... Fine." She got up stomping and joined us. After doing so, Hajime shuffled up the pieces of paper.

"Everyone, pick one. And do not announce it until I say so." Hajime stated, and one by one we all had taken a random slip of paper from the basket. Some faces lit up with a smile of whoever they grabbed, others in somewhat disappointment. "Now, I had you all pick a random person to watch and be with in most of the day. If you have any problems with that person, speak with me. You can remain silent with whoever you got or tell everyone." Hajime gestured us to get back to our seats before finally saying that the meeting was over. Some left and some stayed, the restaurant grew silent and eerie.

Gundham scooted closer, trying to eye which paper I grabbed. I didn't want to look at it just yet, not now anyway.

"This is exactly what I expected," I whispered to myself, I have no idea who I'll have to watch and see each day due to the fear of others. However my thoughts were cut short by Gundham, he placed his hand on my shoulder nervously. This was his way of trying to comfort someone.

"Dark Queen, you, er, you seem to be troubled." His shoulders were all tensed, but his focus was all on me.

"Why must they be scared of each other?" I asked, "We're out of that terrible game! There's no need for it anymore." I teared up from all the fear everyone had, how it was stopping us from progressing. Gundham slowly pulled himself closer to me, now with his arm around me.

"You must not give up, you cannot give up. To give up on others, on life, is forbidden." Gundham gently whispered to me, my mind began to settle from his calming words. "I will not let you... give up."

        "Yes, we can't give up, we can't." My eyes finally dry from all the tears, I looked up at him. I hadn't realized how close we had gotten, but I didn't care, not even that we were around the others too. All I care for now, is whoever is on that paper. I will be with them each day, no matter what. Sadly, the moment was interrupted by the nosy Kazuichi Soda.

       "What the flip! Is this allowed!? What the frick! Is that allowed?" He pointed at us, "Not only are you two having googly eyes, but you're doin' it in the restaurant? Yuckie!" Soda balled his fists, giving a snarl with his shark teeth to Gundham. Gundham let go of me and ran for the exit, his face steaming bright red buried into his scarf. I ran immediately after him.