Alice in Borderland

Chapter 74 - French onion soup

Arriving at the hotel, the three men go to the milliner without hesitation, while I purposefully head for my room. I spend half the night standing under the shower trying to wash away the blood stains on my cheek. Although the blood was rinsed off the first time I touched the water, I have the feeling they were still in the same place. After a two-hour shower, I lie down in my bed and just fall asleep.

The next day I spend with Yuudai at the table football, because we are only winning. Not even Last Boss, as he calls himself, can beat us. Yuudai still seems to have something bothering him like the day before, but he still can't seem to bring himself to tell me. At some point, I spot a white vest out of the corner of my eye and look to the man it belongs to. I apologize to Yuudai and inconspicuously follow Chishiya. I even take a detour to his room in case someone follows me and look around three times before slipping into the room.

He has long since set up the chessboard and looks at me with raised eyebrows. I sit down on an armchair without a word and make the first move. We play for three hours until I can't take another defeat and sit down on the bed with a book. By now I can understand Kuina, why she hates the training sessions with Chishiya. It weighs heavily on self-esteem but I can't deny that I find it interesting. Chishiya seems to understand perfectly and with a book he sits down next to me, but can't hide his cheeky, winsome grin. We sit like that for half an eternity, at least I judge it by the pages I have already read. But in reality, I'm just deeply relaxed and soaking up the knowledge from the reading like a sponge. At least until my eyes fall on the clock.

"I've got to get going, I've got kitchen duty today," I say, looking apologetically at the man next to me.

"Peel potatoes and clean lettuce?" he inquires but I shake my head. Actually, that would have been my job, along with washing dishes and refilling at the food counter. But I was offered something better that I just couldn't refuse.

"I'm helping Katsu with some new recipes," I just shrug. He came up to me at lunch today and asked if I'd prefer it to messing up my hands with dish soap and scratchy gloves. Chishiya's expression becomes emotionless and he just snorts disdainfully.

"He's a cook, can't he do it by himself?"

"Can't do any harm if I help," I dismiss it simply.

"Can't you just stay here?" he says again with a slight grin, but means it.

"I'd love to, believe me"

"Then just do it"

I look at him with a questioning look, but he really seems to mean it. I want to retort something, but decide that I wouldn't win any discussion anyway.

Suddenly he puts his hand to my cheek and turns my face slightly towards him before kissing me. But it's not a goodbye kiss, because when I return it, he pulls me to him. He lays on top of me lightly and only presses his lips harder on mine. Even though I can barely form a clear thought, it's clear to me what he's trying to accomplish.

"Chishiya," I laugh into the kiss. But he seems convinced that I'll be so easily distracted and skip kitchen duty. I close my eyes and really try to push through, but when he releases his lips from mine he buries his hand deeper into my hair and starts kissing my neck. From that point on, my whole system shuts down and I bite my lower lip. His light breath through my nose and the touch of his lips makes me go crazy.

Damn, let them make me clean the whole hotel or work alone in the kitchen as punishment! His kisses drive me crazy and goose bumps spread all over my body. I put my hand on the back of his neck and pull him to me again, pressing my lips to his.

Chishiya pulls away from me slightly, but his lips are only a few millimeters away from mine. I slowly look up at him and am speechless for a moment. It seems as if he is silently asking me if he should continue or if I still have the plan to leave. I put my hand on the back of his neck and it seems like he takes a shaky breath before kissing me again. I wrap my arm around him and pull him on top of me a little more. His weight on me doesn't bother me, but only brings us closer. My cheeks are glowing by now and I shut everything else off. His hand goes under my shirt and caresses my side.