Chapter Text
It was so cold in the mall that Arisu’s breath curled in front of him like smoke. He twisted the Rubik’s Cube in his hands and groaned as he realized completing the red side had only shoved more yellow squares into the green one. Part of him was sick of trying to solve the damn thing, but the whole point of taking it from the toy store down the hall was to keep his hands moving and warm. Also another part of him was stubborn and irritated that he couldn’t get it—he knew he’d been great at these things when he was a kid.
Chishiya smirked beside him, leaning back against a display table. Their home base had recently become Mock Turtle , a clothing store that conveniently had racks of coats and sweatshirts they could use for extra layers or blankets. Chishiya had even found a slim white jacket to wear, though he kept his sweatshirt from the Beach zipped up underneath. He was twirling a mini slingshot in his fingers, a plastic tub of tiny rubber pellets beside him.
Arisu nudged his ankle with his foot anyways, taking the risk of being pelted just to get to touch him again. They were sitting in a circle on the floor with the others, only a few inches between them, but it still felt too far away.
“Aw, almost there,” Chishiya tutted, smugness seeping into his voice. He’d inadvertently shown off in the toy store when it only took him a minute or two to solve one. Arisu’s competitive streak flared in his chest, and he huffed, knocking their knees together.
Chishiya ignored him, placing a rubber pellet on the slingshot’s band and stretching it back. With a snap, it flew into Kuina’s shoulder.
“Hey!” She glared, chucking a Lego at him.
Hiro giggled beside her and added another piece to the tower they were building.
Nozomi and Usagi sat nearby, leaned against the registry counter and covered in a heap of winter jackets to stay warm. They were talking in low voices, and Usagi only glanced over and rolled her eyes at the commotion.
Chishiya’s face was completely stoic as he loaded up another pellet and hit Kuina in the forehead.
She growled and leapt across the small space, reaching for the slingshot. Arisu snorted and scooted far out of the way. Chishiya’s arm swerved through the air, carelessly dodging her reaches. “Give it to me, you ass!”
She managed to knock it from his hand, and it slid across the floor into the pale, gleaming streak of light at the store’s entrance. Kuina shoved him aside, faster than him by a longshot, and snatched it.
“Aw, you fought hard,” Arisu mocked, poking Chishiya’s side with his foot.
Chishiya grabbed his ankle and yanked him closer. Arisu laughed.
Kuina was still standing by the entrance, frozen.
“What’s wrong?” Usagi asked, noticing at the same time.
“I think I just heard the doors open,” she whispered, crouching down. “There’s voices.”
“I told you so,” Chishiya said at normal volume.
He was unanimously shushed.
Kuina watched for a moment longer and then scurried back over to them, ducking behind a clothing rack.
“How many?” Usagi whispered.
“I don’t know, I couldn’t get a good look.”
The chattering swelled down the hall, growing louder. There were at least too many voices to identify, and Arisu’s fingers curled tight around the Rubik’s Cube.
‘Please, please don’t be militants.’
Honestly, anyone from the Beach could be a nightmare. They were still trying to lie low after their narrow escape.
“Wow, there’s still all kinds of stuff in here,” a woman with loose brown curls said, sticking her head into the shop across the hall. She turned in a circle, frilly skirt swishing as she looked around, wide-eyed. “Oh, winter coats!” she gasped as she spotted Mock Turtle and ran towards them.
“sh*t,” Kuina hissed, crunching herself further into a ball to stay out of sight. It was no use. Their group was surrounded by racks of clothing, but there were enough wide gaps to see them lounging with toys, backpacks and sleeping bags sprawled around them.
The woman made eye contact with Arisu and shrieked, jumping back.
“What, what?” A short man with thick black hair appeared, a backpack of his own slung around his shoulders. She pointed, and his eyes widened. “Oh. Hi.”
“Hi,” Chishiya said, unbothered.
How was it possible Arisu felt grateful and annoyed at the same time?
“Sorry to disturb you, we just wanted to hide out until we found a game tonight.” The man’s smile twitched nervously at their silence. “Um, I’m Jun.”
The woman grabbed his hand, relaxing as she also offered a smile. “And I’m Sakura.”
“Who the hell are you talking to?” a man barked, followed by someone’s hyena-like snickering.
“There’s some people here,” Sakura called back, not seeming to mind his tone.
A man with sleek black hair that almost reminded him of Niragi appeared, slouched with his hands in his pockets. Arisu stiffened, taking in his shining septum piercing and menacing leather jacket. “Well, it’s not like they own the place.”
“We were just introducing ourselves,” Sakura sighed. She turned back to Arisu and the others. “This is my brother-in-law, Goro. And his friend Kaede.”
Kaede appeared as well, bleach blond hair slicked the same way. He was the tallest and thinnest of their group, his face free of piercings but his knuckles full of chunky silver rings.
“Hey,” he rasped in a voice Arisu recognized as the hyena-snicker. But he seemed bored rather than threatening, glancing around the hallway.
Sakura smiled sheepishly, releasing Jun as she wrapped herself tighter in her thin gray sweater. She nodded to the nearest rack of puffy winter coats. “Would you mind if we…?”
“Go right ahead,” Nozomi assured, smiling. “We don’t need a store full.”
Sakura and Jun took their time browsing through the selection, while Kaede and Goro strolled off to scope out the place.
“Are those Legos?” Sakura giggled, peeking over Kuina’s shoulder.
“Yeah. Since we’ve got a kid with us, it seemed like toys would be a nice change of pace.”
Sakura crouched beside Hiro, gasping. “Wow…this tower’s amazing! Was it your idea?”
He nodded silently and added more bricks to another section.
“Maybe you’ll be an architect one day. I bet you’d make some beautiful buildings.”
Hiro shrugged but smiled.
“Oh. I guess we never told you who we are,” Nozomi said, eyes widening. “This is Hiro—found family, everyone asks. And I’m Nozomi.”
They went around the circle introducing themselves.
Chishiya went last, studying Sakura intently. “What did you do in the real world?” he added afterwards. Arisu wasn’t sure if the twinge in his gut was nerves or jealousy.
“I taught elementary school,” she said, smiling wistfully. “I would give anything to get back to those kids. They were all so…hopeful.”
Kuina softened. “I have someone I’m trying to get back to, too.”
“Sakura, how do you like it?” Jun called, posing in a hefty olive green jacket. He shuffled through a range of ridiculous poses, making her and Hiro laugh.
“Looks great!”
“Is he your husband?” Kuina murmured, amused.
Sakura shook her head. “I met him here, actually. But we want to get married when we make it back. I’d love to have children of our own soon, too.”
Arisu glanced at Chishiya, who was still watching her carefully. What was he up to?
“What are you up to?” Arisu asked. He’d followed Chishiya to the bathrooms and closed the door, locking it.
Chishiya smirked and raised an eyebrow. “In a bathroom? I didn’t know that was your style.”
Arisu ignored his comment, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. “I know you’re scheming. Spill.”
Chishiya crossed the room, bracketing Arisu against the wall. His body heat this close made Arisu’s fingers itch desperately, dying to rip his clothes off and slide his hands along his burning skin.
He met Chishiya’s eyes stubbornly, determined not to get distracted. “I saw how you were watching Sakura. Are you suspicious of her?”
Chishiya’s face stayed neutral. “Almost sounds like you’re jealous.”
“You were all against us grouping up with other people, but I saw you talking to Kaede, too.”
“I wanted to see what we’re working with.”
“So, now we’re working with them?”
“I just think they could be useful. We might need more people on our side if we’re going to infiltrate the Beach.”
Arisu’s eyes widened. “What? You want them to be spies? ”
“Potentially. We’ve got to find the real safe and get those cards, and Aguni knows our faces.”
“You still want to get the cards?”
Chishiya looked at him like he was stupid. “What else are we going to do? Replay all the games until we can make a deck of our own?”
Arisu sighed. He had a point. “You really wanna trust other people with this?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I’m still feeling them out.”
“They seem like genuine people,” Arisu said, staring at Chishiya’s neck. He wanted to wrap his arms around it, but this was business talk. He had to resist.
“There is the issue that they might find the safe and then keep the cards for themselves…and who knows how difficult it would be to track them down after that. But I was thinking if they can at least find out when Aguni and Niragi aren’t around, we could sneak in…”
Arisu’s heart thumped at the idea of going back to the Beach. Niragi had duct taped him to a chair the last time he’d been there, bound his wrists and ankles with rope and been about to blindfold him when Usagi and Chishiya burst in. That helplessness, that fear…he wasn’t sure he was ready to face something like that again.
Chishiya kissed his nose.
It was so uncharacteristic that Arisu just blinked at him, surprised.
“It’s not like we’re doing it today. Everything is fine.”
Now that Chishiya had made a move, Arisu couldn’t hold back any longer. He slid his hands beneath Chishiya’s thin sweatshirt, palms sliding over his firm stomach. He smoothed up his warm chest and gripped Chishiya’s shoulders under his shirt, head spinning now that he could finally touch him.
Chishiya smirked, leaning in to kiss him—
Someone pounded on the door.
“Arisu?!” It was Usagi.
Chishiya stepped away, gently pushing Arisu’s arms down. Arisu huffed, annoyed, and unlocked the door. The feeling evaporated when he saw the urgency in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kuina was people-watching from the second floor and saw Ann.”
“Ann?” Chishiya repeated.
Usagi glanced between the two of them. “What were you doing with the door locked?”
“Having a private discussion,” Arisu answered quickly, cheeks heating as he stepped out into the hall. “I’ll fill you in later.”
Chishiya frowned at Usagi’s wrapped foot. “You shouldn’t walk on that yet.”
She ignored him. “Hurry up, Kuina managed to catch her, but Ann says she’s leaving to register for a game soon. It’s almost time.”
The sun was indeed going down, pink streaming through the mall’s many windows and across the tiled floors. Arisu’s chest fluttered with a spark of hope. With Ann, they might actually stand a chance of getting Hatter’s deck.
Ann looked the same as when Arisu had last seen her—flawless fair skin, ruby red lips, short ebony hair and an aura of confidence emanating from her gaze. She’d dropped her backpack beside the others and grabbed a white jacket similar to Chishiya’s from the rack. Kuina stopped her excited whispers as they approached, Usagi on Chishiya’s back again—doctor’s orders.
Arisu helped her get down safely, and Ann raked her eyes over them, humming.
“It’s good to see you,” she said honestly. Was that relief spreading across her face?
“You, too,” Arisu said, unable to contain his grin. “I wasn’t sure if we’d see you again.”
“What’s happening at the Beach?” Usagi asked nervously.
Ann frowned. “I’m sure you can guess. It’s pure chaos, there’s been a disturbing rise in violence and death now that Hatter’s gone. Some of the other executives are trying to reign things back in, but I couldn’t stay there anymore.”
“You’ve come to the right place,” Kuina said, squeezing her hand.
Ann smiled at her. “I hoped I’d find you all, but I wasn’t really searching. I want to rack up some extra visa days tonight and then head as far south as I can.”
Usagi sat on a display table, resting her ankle. “What’s south?”
“Yokohama,” she said. “Other cities. I want to see how far this world goes. Now that the environment’s changing, I’m more curious than ever.”
Kuina dropped her hand, startled. “You can’t do that in this weather. You’ll freeze to death! Or get trapped in a snowstorm and suffocate.”
Ann tugged the lapels of her new jacket. “Don’t worry, I’ll go prepared.”
This seemed to strike Kuina harder than before, like she’d been slapped in the face, like she might cry. “What about the cards? What if the ten of hearts shows up? Don’t you want to go back home?”
Ann softened. “More than anything, I want to know the answers to my questions.”
Kuina swiped a jacket from the floor and stormed towards the mall’s entrance.
“Kuina!” Usagi called. She started to stand, but Chishiya put a hand on her shoulder to keep her down.
“Let her cool off. We’ll send someone who can walk after her.”
Usagi glared at him and opened her mouth to fire back, but Ann spoke first.
“It’s almost six o’clock. I’m going to go find a game. I’ll leave my bag here, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m going to tag along,” Chishiya said.
Arisu’s head whipped in his direction.
Chishiya shrugged. “Kuina’s probably going to go, I don’t see why I should be left out. Besides, didn’t our new friends leave to register already? We should find what game they’re playing.”
There was the ulterior motive. He was still determined to scope out their potential allies, and Arisu had to admit it was smart. People showed their true selves during the games.
“They’re playing a game two buildings down,” Nozomi piped up. She’d been sitting by Hiro on the floor, listening, but now she stood to join them. “Normally, it’s a British-themed pub called Tokyo Lad. My dad goes there all the time.”
Ann nodded to Chishiya. “Sounds good. Let’s go.”
“Do you mind if Hiro and I come, too?” Nozomi asked hesitantly. “Our visas run out soon, and it’s nice to know other people in the games.”
“I won’t stop you, but remember we don’t know what we’re playing until we’re registered.”
Nozomi nodded, face serious. “I know.”
“I’m coming too then,” Usagi said, standing up, this time swerving away from Chishiya.
He glanced at Arisu. “I assume that means you’ll watch the bags?”
Arisu scowled, shoving his shoulder. “Come on, I think Kuina’s already outside.”
The pub’s indoor and outdoor lights were on, jarringly bright against the dark streets. A string of British flags hung above the door. Arisu’s legs buzzed. He hadn’t expected to play a game tonight, but now his body was revving up, anxious and determined. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. They were all together, so it would be fine.
Kuina strolled ahead of them, still upset with Ann but not willing to be left behind. She opened the door wide and gave them all an expectant look.
They slipped inside, Ann squeezing Kuina’s shoulder as she passed. Kuina trudged in after her, the frustration on her face disappearing as she steeled herself for the game.
Tokyo Lad’s interior was in shambles—flickering neon signs and British flags dangling off the walls, chairs and tables knocked over and out of place, the shelves behind the bar littered with smashed bottles. The bar itself was dusty, and several stool cushions were torn, their insides spilling out.
A tall, circular table greeted them at the front of the room, made from the same cherry lumber as the other furniture but in much better shape. 1 Per Player its sign said. Arisu’s heart leapt to his throat as he realized the table was piled with black collars instead of smartphones. His stomach twisted sickly. These were different from the contraptions he’d worn for the seven of hearts game, just simple metal collars that snapped in the front. Still, the resemblance was similar enough that he found himself back in the botanical garden, locking the headset into place. The metal was eerily cool against his neck, the headphones snug, the goggles blinking to life.
Chishiya’s fingers brushed his, and he plunged back to reality.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, brows furrowed.
Usagi was also watching him, a knowing worry on her face.
Ann counted the collars on the table. “There’s exactly one for each of us. That’s lucky, we won’t have to wait for anyone else to arrive.”
Arisu glanced back at the door, panicked, but a woman’s automated voice was already announcing: “Registration is now closed. Please proceed to the Game Area.” It was too late. They’d crossed the border. There was no escape.
He followed Ann’s gaze to a signpost across the room, its arrow pointing to a side door. This couldn’t be happening. Not again.
“Arisu,” Chishiya murmured.
Ann and Kuina were clicking on their collars. Nozomi was helping Hiro into one.
Arisu swallowed harshly and reached for a metal band. “It’s nothing.”
He hoped Chishiya didn’t notice that his hands were trembling, that perspiration was rapidly gathering at his hairline. His pulse beat so hard in his throat he thought he might choke on it.
Nozomi and Usagi clicked their collars into place. Chishiya, too. Arisu was last, with a sickening snap,the weight of it around his throat making the panic even more suffocating.
They approached the side door, Ann in the lead this time. She pulled it open to reveal a descending wooden staircase. She looked back at them once, and then they filed down into the basem*nt.
It was gigantic and pitch black except for a television screen on the back wall that cast the center of the room in a bluish glow. REGISTRATION CLOSED was all it said.
Strange rectangular pillars lined the walls. Or were they boxes? Arisu’s stomach churned at the thought they might be coffins. It was too dark to tell, but the tops of them seemed to be rounded. Whatever they were, they were definitely human sized.
“Oh, hi!”
Arisu turned at the familiar voice, his nerves subsiding a bit. He’d forgotten Sakura and her three group members were in this game. Even if it was a hearts game, maybe he’d have a chance at keeping his friends safe.
God, was he horrible for thinking that?
Jun greeted them just as cheerily. Goro grunted, and Kaede only glanced at them and frowned.
They crowded into the center of the room as the screen changed: THE GAME WILL NOW COMMENCE. The automated voice announced it at the same time, echoing in the spacious basem*nt. Had this place been something else before it was a pub? Or was it just the strange mechanics of this world that made it seem so large?
A strong, warm hand squeezed his. Chishiya’s touch was gone as fast as it was there, but Arisu met his gaze and hoped he knew how much it meant.
The automated voice continued to recite the text changing on the screen: “Game: Telephone. Difficulty: Three of Clubs.”
The weight on Arisu’s chest disappeared. Thank God. It was a game that required teamwork.
“Time Limit: 10 Rounds.”
Suddenly, the boxes lit up and the fronts swung open. Huh. They were red phone booths. Unlike the traditional British ones in the movies, however, they had no windows. Every side, even the door, was completely opaque. The only light source was a little yellow lightbulb on the ceiling of each booth. The rectangular signs above the doors didn’t say Telephone,instead they were all marked differently: Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, consecutively until Player 11.
“Rule: Only 1 player may occupy each phone booth. After entering, the door will lock. Clear Condition: Players will have 3 minutes before Round 1 to decide who enters each booth. The collars will explode around players who are not in a booth at the beginning of Round 1.”
“Rule: When it is your turn, the phone will ring. The call will be connected for 1 minute. Listen to the numerical sequence on the other side. Each sequence will include 7 numbers from 0-9.”
“Rule: After your turn ends, press the speed dial button to call the consecutive booth. Repeat the message into the speaker.”
“Rule: If the last player in the line-up calls speed dial and recites a sequence different from the sequence Player 1 was given, their collar will explode.”
“Rule: There is no penalty for lying to another player.”
“Clear Condition: The game is cleared for players who survive all 10 rounds. The game is also cleared if the player at the end of the line-up calls speed dial before their turn and recites the correct sequence.”
“Clear Condition: The only player whose speed dial button will work when it is not their turn is the last player in the line-up.”
“Your three minutes of discussion begin now.”
The text on the screen changed into a timer, the seconds immediately ticking away.
“So, all we have to do is tell the truth and we’ll all survive?” Kuina asked, co*cking an eyebrow and gnawing on her dummy cigarette.
Kaede scoffed. “It can’t be that simple.”
“It’s so unfair, Player 1 has all the power!” Goro said, dragging a hand over his slicked hair. “There’s 10 rounds, they can kill someone every round and be the only winner.”
“Well, obviously we’re not going to do that,” Sakura said. “If we trust each other, it doesn’t even matter who goes in which booth.”
Nozomi put a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “If Player 1 is the only person who isn’t at any risk, we should put Hiro in that booth. That way he’s protected, even if someone accidentally messes up.”
“No,” Chishiya said.
“But—”
“—The role of Player 1 seems too important,” Ann agreed. “It has to be an adult, and it has to be someone we can all completely trust.”
“Well, I don’t trust any of you f*ckers!” Goro huffed, red-faced. “A game of trust and we get loped with a bunch of sketchy strangers.”
Sakura shot him a look. “Goro…”
“Oh come on, half of them seem smug and the other half seem incredibly stupid.”
“I know who I think should go last,” Chishiya muttered.
“I heard that, asshole! No way am I going in any booth after him.”
“Is there something significant about the number seven?” Usagi asked, glancing at the seventh booth.
“Our short-term memory has a maximum capacity, the average person can’t remember more than seven items in a list,” Chishiya said.
“Either way, do you think that’s important? Maybe we should choose someone trustworthy to go in that booth, too.”
“Hey, I promise you can trust all of us,” Jun said. “And we promise to trust you guys. We all just wanna make it out, don’t we?”
“Kuina,” Ann said. “You take the first booth.”
Kuina blinked. “What? Me, really?”
“I’ll take the last booth,” Sakura said.
Goro’s jaw dropped, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “No! You can’t.”
“We have to trust each other or this whole thing’s going to fall apart.”
“Hiro can go in the second booth,” Chishiya said, surprising Arisu. “That way he’s still protected.”
“I’ll go third then,” Nozomi said.
“Woah! You can’t just dump all of us at the end,” Goro fumed. “I wanna take four.”
“That’s fine,” Ann said. “I’ll take seven, just in case.”
Jun grabbed Sakura’s hand. “I’ll be ten, I wanna be close to you.”
Kuina glanced at the clock. “That leaves 5, 6, 8 and 9. Pick, guys! We’re almost down to a minute.”
“I’ll be five,” Chishiya said.
Arisu nodded. “I’ve got eight.”
Usagi and Kaede looked at each other.
He shrugged. “I’ll take nine, let the lady have six.”
“What a gentleman,” Jun teased, nudging his arm.
“We got lucky with our group, we could’ve ended up with much more aggressive players,” Ann said, looking around at them. “Everyone stay calm and quiet. Listen when it’s your turn and speak clearly into the phone. We can all clear this game.”
“Wait,” Usagi said. “The rules say we don’t have to go through all ten rounds if the player at the end gives the right answer before their turn. But how would she do that, is she just supposed to guess?”
“Don’t worry about that for now. As long as we’re focused, everyone will be safe and make it through every round.”
Chishiya glanced at the timer. “We need to hurry, everyone get in your booths.”
They separated instantly, hurrying to their places. Arisu didn’t want to imagine what they would do if a player in the middle was killed before the game started. There would be a gap in the line-up, and the players on the other side would be cut off.
He reached the eighth booth and caught Ann’s gaze as she appeared next to him. She nodded, sincere, and he nodded back. They could do this.
He stepped inside the narrow space, and the door slammed shut. The lock clicked.
On the back wall was the phone and the keypad. It was a standard rectangle shape with 12 options: 0-9, the pound key (#), and a key that said SPEED. Speed dial, apparently.
On the wall to Arisu’s left was a small television screen showing the last few seconds ticking down. On the right wall were seven rows of numbers scrawled in what looked like it could be Sharpie. Interesting…
A soft ding chimed throughout the basem*nt, and the television changed to display pictures of all the contestants and their numbers: Kuina (1), Hiro (2), Nozomi (3), Goro (4), Chishiya (5), Usagi (6), Ann (7), Arisu (8), Kaede (9), Jun (10), and Sakura (11).
“Round 1: Start.”
