Alice in Borderland

Chapter 79 - insomniac side effects

The night was terrible. The serum and its side effects made it impossible for me to fall asleep. Either I was cold and hid under the covers or I was way too warm and threw the covers on the floor in annoyance. This cycle repeated itself about a hundred times until I gave it up and relieved Chishiya with the watch.

By now it should be five in the morning. I lean against the window, almost powerless, and while my mind wanders, I still try to look attentively at the street. After three hours I have come to the conclusion that I am really stupid. Just trusting Chishiya again is reckless and naive, I realize. But why should I resist the tingling sensation throughout my body when I could die every time I play one of these sadistic games?

I wish to stay here forever and never return to the Beach. If Tayuya did not die in their game, Chishiya must maintain his masquerade. He didn't say it, but he didn't have to. And then there's my uncle. I thought it better not to let Chishiya check on my ribs and instead asked that he let me handle the situation with Takeo alone. But honestly, I have no idea how to deal with my uncle. I don't have a strategic plan, I just want to avoid him.

A hand waves in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. Slightly startled, I see that Chishiya has sat down next to me.

"Huh, where have you been with your thoughts again?"

"Everywhere," I reply simply, drawing my eyebrows together as I eye him, "You look refreshed. Have you been getting any sleep?"

"Sure why not?"

"Chills-like symptoms, headache, and aching limbs?", I enumerate, but from the look on his face I can tell he had a sound asleep, "That's not fucking fair"

"Probably the serum has something to do with the muscle tissue, that's why me and Hiroshi don't have so many side effects" he just shrugs his shoulders.

"I understand about Jiro, he's not fully grown yet. But I'm not much smaller than you, so why do I feel like a zombie?"

"Well, you don't look like you've been eating much lately, and with all the skipping around on the sports field you've lost a little muscle mass during your time at the hotel," he says in a professional and analyzing voice, but I just raise my hand to silence him.

"If you say I've gotten flabby now I'll punch you in the face," I say sternly. Chishiya just grins at me in amusement and raises his eyebrows.

"I meant you've gotten thinner, not 'flabby' like you call it," he nods slightly and I can almost see him rolling his eyes inwardly, "You really would have punched me, am I right?"

"You tell me Chishiya Shuntaro," I just retort, grinning stupidly at him. I've missed talking to him like this. He seems to take it rather calmly, because he nods understandably and even laughs slightly before standing up and looking out the window.

"We should get going," he says, giving me a waiting look.

"Without saying goodbye?"

"We discussed this with them yesterday, besides, do you really want to wake them up?"

"No, I just don't like leaving them alone," I answer honestly knowing that Chishiya is right. Maybe it's better this way, leaving Jiro behind and saying goodbye to the little growing man would be hard for me. I just nod and follow him out of the apartment. Even as Chishiya hotwires a car, I have only one thought: hopefully Jiro won't have to watch his father die. And even worse, no father should bury his son.

"Can I drive?", I try to distract myself from my thoughts.

"After what you did to Niragi's nose, no," he smiles cheekily and I just roll my eyes. Within two minutes he shorts the car and heads towards the hotel.