Alice in Borderland

Chapter 72 - The hiding place

I bite my tongue in concentration and focus on the ball. Yuudai and I are playing what must be our twenty-fifth round of foosball for the day, and so far we haven't lost once. Since we are on a roll, we decided not to stop and just keep playing. After the eighteenth round, Izumi went to the restaurant and came back with both Katsu and two plates of lunch. But me and her boyfriend are so anxious not to lose that we just put the plates on the corners of the game and keep putting a fork in our mouths during the breathers.

"Sayuuri, right!" shouts Yuudai, and I intercept the ball. Suddenly I hear a stern voice behind me and the moment I kick the little ball on, I flinch.

"Aguni, what's up?"

"We're leaving soon, you should start changing".

I look apologetically at Yuudai and after he nods hesitantly, I look to Izumi waiting. As she takes my place I proudly pat Yuudai's shoulder and quickly run to my room. Since I will be wearing my black Nike athletic shorts and white shirt to the game tomorrow, I decide to wear my cheerleading uniform again today since a long time. I put on my white sneakers and trade my grandmother's bracelet for the Beach's lanyard. When the knock comes, I turn to the door curiously and roll my eyes. Aguni knows I'm already getting ready.

I walk to the door and hold back a snarky comment. Luckily, because there is no one from the military squad standing in front of the door but my uncle.

"Sayuuri, can I come in for a minute?"

"I actually have to go, but if it won't take long," I offer politely, closing the door behind him. He takes a cursory look at the books on the table, but doesn't pay much attention to them.

"You had Spanish in school," he smiles kindly at me and I nod affirmatively.

"I can barely remember a word," I confess.

"I heard you're accompanying the leadership regiment today, how did they find you?"

"I don't know anything for sure yet, it's a supply tour. Maybe they would like to look at something if we were to gather food and medicine," I say, providing a plausible reason. If he thinks I have anything to do with the leadership rule, he spends more time with me. And that, conversely, means less time with Chishiya.

"You can tell me all about it at brunch tomorrow, my golden child. Don't keep her waiting," he smiles broadly and pushes me out of the room toward the stairs. Once in the entryway, he says goodbye to me and I leisurely head for the parking lot. I sit down on the hood of one of the waiting cars and wait, since I'm the first, of course. After a few minutes Aguni comes and leans against the side of the car. The silence eventually gets boring, so I groan in annoyance and look to him.

"Who's all coming?"

"Danma, Niragi, Ann, and Chishiya. Then two more from my unit for safety," he answers dryly.

"Weird supply tour," I just remark, leaning against the windshield to look up at the sky and the stars.

"Mira and number two are holding down the fort. Danma really wanted to come along," is all he says, and the way he pronounces the hatter's name makes me think more and more that they've known each other for a long time or talk very often. "You're riding in the car with Niragi and Ann".

"Can I drive? One more nose job and Niragi owes me" I joke and from the side I can see a slight smile from the usually tough military leader.

"One more and he'll probably shoot you."

I just shrug my shoulders and when I see the others coming my first glance automatically goes to Chishiya who has pulled up the hood of his vest. I force myself to look at Ann first before I smile and jump off the hood.