Alice in Borderland

Chapter 55 - Sea view

The next day I gather all my personal belongings and put them in my gym bag: my bracelet, my clothes from the closet, my law book along with my drawing pad and rubber ball. One of the men from the military squad shows me to my new hotel room and I throw the bag on the bed to take a closer look.

The room is much larger than my last one and there is even a small liquor cabinet on the window wall. The bed is a little wider and there is a soft beige fur blanket at the foot for cold nights. I notice that this room doesn't include a balcony but there is a nice view of the sea.

I lean against the window and bite my lower lip uneasily. I haven't heard from Chishiya since yesterday and I just don't want to accept that he has chosen to push me away. I tear myself away from the thought and immediately look to see what drinks are already in the liquor cabinet. I decide on an old bottle of scotch and pour myself a glass. I put my sports bag under the bed, because I'm not motivated to unpack the few things I have.  

I stop in the doorway to the bathroom and put on a tired smile when I see the bathtub. I run to it and turn on the faucet for the warm water, but apparently that's reserved only for the lead rule. I roll my eyes inwardly, but don't turn the water off again. I look to the shelf at the sink and examine the small bath additives. I decide on something that says hibiscus and peach and dump it into the tub.

I pour myself another refill and wait a bit for the tub to fill up. I close the bathroom door behind me and get into the water. The foam reaches my neck and although I'm cold, I try to relax a little. I submerge myself to get a cool head. It feels strange and when I open my eyes I have a kind of deja vu. Now I can't even take a bath in peace without thinking about these games.

Annoyed, I get out of the tub again after a while because I just couldn't relax anymore. I dry myself and slip into my clothes. I'm too lazy to blow dry my hair, so I just leave it wet. I gather up the towels and as I open the door, I throw them in the hamper.

I step out of the bathroom and spot a person looking out the window at the ocean. His back is to me, but I would recognize the white-blond hair even in the dark. I take a few steps toward Chishiya and as he notices me, he turns a little toward me. He keeps his gaze lowered, but I can see him raising his eyebrows. Even though he expects me to say something first, I intentionally keep silent. On the one hand because he should be the one to explain himself. And on the other hand because I don't know why exactly he is here. Maybe to just pick up where we left off. Or to continue to be cold to me and tell me to stop bugging him.

He opens his mouth, but immediately closes it again without saying anything. But I don't admit defeat and take another step toward him. He seems to be struggling, which makes me a little insecure but I'm not going to back down now. He looks to the side for a moment and exhales deeply before looking directly at me again.

"I-I'm s-sorry..."

That's as far as he gets, because I pull him to me and hug him tightly. So he doesn't want to push me further away from him, that's all I wanted. He seems surprised for a moment, but then he puts his hands on my back and returns the hug.

"I'm sorry" I apologize laughing for interrupting, "But an apology doesn't suit you".

I hear him laugh softly and hug him a little closer to me. I can't deny that I'm incredibly relieved. So relieved that I only now realize how close we are. I release him again and already want to step away from him nervously, but when I see his smile I instantly relax.

"I'm really sorry Sayuuri," he says, nodding thoughtfully. His smile is genuine, but it slowly fades and I look at him confused.

"What's wrong Chishiya?"