Marionette ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Five of Spades - Part One

Chuya Kurenai - Day 4 of Sojourn

Toei Sendagaya Apartment.

In the days of the real world, this was just an apartment complex among many others in Japan. In Borderland, however, this particular apartment complex was looking especially ominous.

Walking up the steps felt extremely heavy.

Stepping into the venue, Arisu Ryohei and Karube Daikichi looked at each other. There were quite a lot of people gathered already. They had only experienced one game so far, and without further knowledge of what the games were, they had no idea whether these people would be useful to them.

"Excuse me~"

A soft sweet voice came from behind, and Arisu and Karube both stepped to one side. Still in her red cocktail dress and her six-inch heels, Chuya Kurenai nodded a thanks as she walked past them, sweeping her long black hair over her shoulders.

All eyes were on her.

Was this woman for real?

Was she a newcomer? She certainly looked like one.

Ding dong~

This was not the time for them to care about someone else. With registration closed, the game was about to begin.

"All you good children, it's now 6 o'clock. Due to the frequent appearance of murderers, please be careful on your way home. It is now time for the game. The game you will be participating in is Tag. Entry limit, none. Inventory, none. Difficulty level, Five of Spades."

It was easy to tell the newcomers from those with experience.

As soon as the game was announced, a handful had a confused look. They were basically advertising that they had no idea what they were doing. A girl with short hair reached into her bag, pulling out a set of clothes and changed into them right there. She had the right idea.

Kurenai took her heels off too, holding them in one hand.

A small gesture, but someone took notice. Isolated from the group with earphones in, the guy in the hoodie smiled. She looked like a newcomer but really, the woman in the red dress was experienced. She knew what to expect just from the game introduction alone.

"And finally, the rules will be explained. Everyone in this complex will be running from 'it'. There is only one 'game clear' condition. In this complex, there is only one unlocked room. That is the safe zone. The time limit is 30 minutes. If you touch the safe zone within 30 minutes, you will successfully clear the game. There are two 'game over' conditions. The time limit is reached, or 'it' kills all participants. In the case of reaching the time limit, this complex will explode. Once 'game over' occurs, there will be no survivors."

GAME START

Given five minutes before 'it' began hunting, the players were quick to scatter.

The blonde in the hoodie was calm, however. He unplugged his charger, and while everyone seemed to be panicking, he casually walked up to the elevator. Just as the door was about to close, a pair of heels stopped the doors and Kurenai stepped into the elevator with him.

She reached for the number 7 button at the same time as the blonde.

They looked at each other for a second before Kurenai pressed the button. They did not talk, but from her experience, Kurenai could tell that this guy was reliable. Well, more reliable than anyone else in this game. Still, she would not trust him with her life. That was her own responsibility.

Arriving at the top floor, they stepped out together and walked to the far corner.

Not too long after, a big man and a skinny man appeared on the top floor too. The blonde gave them a little wave but they were quick to dismiss him, going the other way.

"Ex-boyfriend?" Kurenai asked, her tone of voice obviously teasing.

He smiled. It was rare to find someone as nonchalant as he was about the games in Borderland. Newcomers were always in a state of panic and confusion, while those who survived a few games tend to be calmer but they could never help but show fear when actually in a game.

"Were you on a date when you came here?" he asked.

Looking down at her dress, Kurenai shrugged. "I guess," she said. "I should probably change out of it. It's starting to smell a little."

"And the shoes?"

Surely the heels were not practical for any games, yet she kept them.

"These are Louboutins." She showed him the red soles. "I'm not about to throw them away."

"Why did you follow me up here? Are you looking to partner up?"

"Isn't it basic knowledge?" she hummed, tilting her head slightly to the side. "In a game of hunt like this, the one on higher grounds has the advantage. Isn't that why you came up here?"

Well that was surprising.

Never judge a book by its cover, and this woman was definitely the opposite of her looks. She was smart, and she was calculative. She certainly would be useful in games, but unfortunately, he did not like to partner up.

Five minutes went by and suddenly, everyone was on high alert. Everyone but Kurenai who was humming a tune softly. He did not know the words, but Chishiya knew the tune as the hide and seek song Korean children would sing when they played the game. This woman was twisted, and he loved it. This game was suddenly a lot more interesting.

The apartment complex was eerily quiet, and it seemed as if everyone was holding their breaths so as not to be caught. So far, no one had seen 'it' and there was no indication of where 'it' would come from.

RATATATATATA

What sounded like gunshots echoed around the complex.

Then, came the screaming and the sound of footsteps running down the stairs.

Kurenai shook her head and let out a sigh. If 'it' were hunting them with a gun, it was pretty much suicide running down the stairs. Once they reached the ground floor, there was nowhere else but the hallway to run to. And once they were in the hallway, they would be trapped. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel.