Alice in Borderland

Chapter 82

When I open my eyes, the sun has not even risen properly and yet I am already disturbed by the few birds chirping. I sit up after a few minutes and run through my hair. I could try to fall asleep again but my gut tells me it's no use. This time of day is really out of character for me, if anything I would only go to bed now. Yesterday I was really hoping to sleep soundly until noon and wake up relaxed next to Chishiya, but something seems to want to throw a wrench in my plans. I hate being awake so early on a game day, then you're worrying all the time and it drives me crazy.

Quietly, I get out of bed and close the open window so Chishiya doesn't wake up to the birds chirping too. It's way too early to wake him, so I have to find something else to do. After all, I would kill him if he woke me up at ... 5:30 in the morning. Damn, am I still dreaming? I pull on my brown loose pants and walk to the liquor cabinet where I hide my uncle's file. I examine the envelope for a moment, but put it back. The last thing I need today is a bad mood and lousy attitude.

To distract myself I just look back at Chishiya, he seems to still be fast asleep. With a faint grin, I stand up and pick up his white vest from the floor on his side of the bed. I place it neatly over the back of the chair next to his black sweater before quietly putting the chess set away. With a glance around the room, I realize there's nothing I can really do here, so I decide to head to the restaurant. Either I pass the time by poking around in my scrambled eggs or I can help the staff this week with kitchen duty. As I run down the stairs to the lobby I can't see a soul, it's probably way too early for more than just me.   

"What are you doing here?"

I turn to the stern voice and automatically manage a friendly smile as I spot the leader of the military squad, sweaty.

"Restless sleep," I just shrug and look critically at Aguni. He was apparently just running, probably to keep in shape. He probably can't afford to let his 'followers' out of his sight at any other time than this, after all, ninety-eight percent of them are currently table-sleeping in their beds, simply trying to sleep through the impending hangover.

"You should practice," he just says dryly and I look at him with amusement, "You're going off on your own today, what if you get into a game of spades?"

"I know a few tricks," I dodge simply, hoping at this hour he won't want to work me further, "But thanks for thinking of me"

"A diamond or cross game will be easy for you, but you should be prepared for the other possibilities as well"

"Are you trying to train me to join the military squad?", I ask with amusement as I walk beside him into the restaurant.

"You in the military squad? No way," he says at first but I can't help but laugh at this hour, "You have a mind of your own and would question any order."

"That's right" I say and while he takes a small water bottle I turn on the coffee maker. Funny, his voice was stern however I see a twinkle in his eyes. I've already heard that he's slowly losing control of the military squad, maybe that's why he's reacting this way.

"You should know that I ordered to let you go alone. There were some voices against it: Ann, the number two, Chishiya. But Danma always wants to collect more cards, he thought for a moment but then agreed"

"It's clear. I'm known to the leadership rule, which is why you can judge it better but I don't belong to it, so everyone doesn't care that I die" I answer understandably while holding the second cup under the coffee machine. So Chishiya stood up for me in front of the leadership rule. Somehow I have to smile at the thought of him making logical arguments.

"In Borderland, no one cares who dies, as long as it's not you," he says with a blank look, and I just playfully squint my eyes.

"Not quite to me. After all, I would have let you drown then," I shrug. I see a small smirk on his lips, at least for a second. But it's true, unfortunately, people mean as much to me here as they did before. What happened to Norikita must not happen again to one of my friends. And otherwise, why risk deaths if it can be avoided?