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The game is over. They found the coffin Hi— Midori was in.
“Allllllright! Which’ll it be, I wonder?” Meister is about to push the button.
“…Wait,” Sou says.
Meister waits. Sara, Keiji, and Q-taro stare at him. Hayasaka’s too deactivated to speak.
“Mya…?” goes Gin. He always hated that stupid quirk.
Sou smiles. “Let me talk to him.” He sees Sara’s mouth opening. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m still gonna kill him, of course. I just want some closure, you know? I did know him for three whole years.”
“Shin…” pants Midori. He really does sound worse for wear.
“Talk to him, then,” Sara says, frowning.
Sou tuts. “In front of all of you…? This stuff’s pretty personal, you know? Go somewhere else for a bit.”
“And leave Gin unattended?!” Her voice raises almost instantly. He has to suppress a flinch. “No way!”
“Sheesh, don’t yell so loud… If that’s your concern, then…” He looks over at Meister. “Meister, can we make a choice ahead of time?”
Meister is as cheery and unreadable as ever. “Oh? What kinda play you tryna make there?”
“We know who’s in what coffin now. It’s safe to say we’re absolutely going to vote for the coffin Hi—Midori’s in. Thinking of it like that, the life in the other coffin, that is to say, Gin’s life, is already guaranteed, isn’t it…? Wouldn’t it be fair to let him out now instead of after?”
“Hmmm…” Meister considers. Or, really— pretends to consider. Sou’s sure he’s not actually going to accept the offer like that. He feels like he understands how these games work— how the people running them think.
“Of course, we won’t try to escape the punishment for cheating, and I’d take full responsibility for the game. If I try to do any foul play and attempt to subvert another death… I’ll get in Gin’s coffin myself, and you can push the button and kill me.” He smiles. Sara looks at him sharply. “How’s that sound?”
Of course, he has no plan of dying yet. He still has to take revenge. But it’s not like his body can’t be used as a bargaining chip if it needs to.
Meister is silent; he’s really thinking about it this time. “…Okie dokie then! Sounds good to me!”
“What?!” goes Midori. “Meister, you…”
Sou directs his smile back at Sara. “See? No issue.”
Sara just glares at him.
"...What? Didn't I already tell you? I hate him just as much as I hate you— in other words, he's my enemy. And now you don't have to worry about me setting him free or anything like that. Haha, or maybe I'll try to die, and hope setting him free gives him the chance to kill you…?" He smirks. “Just a joke, of course.”
Sara starts to say something else, probably something annoying and inflammatory and disgusting and terrible as she does, but Keiji puts a giant hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, Sara. I don’t think we have to worry about him doing anything.” Over Sara’s shoulder, he levels a smirk at Sou, meeting his eyes. Sou scowls. “Let’s go. We’ll be back in a sec.”
Sara grabs her arm, looking conflicted. “Well… okay.” She looks at Meister. “Please release Gin now, then.”
“Youuuu got it!”
“W-wait…! Sara, don’t you dare leave…!”
“He really does just yap on and on…” Sou sighs.
One of the coffins opens. Out steps a quivering, tearful Gin. He runs to Sara, who holds him tight. “I was so scared, myaaaaa! T-thank you so much, Big Sis Sara!! Woooof!” The whole spectacle is so… disgusting that Sou can’t bear to look.
The four of them walk away. Sara casts an uneasy, warning glance back to him. He gives her a smile and a wave.
He’ll make her death painful. Like Kanna’s.
But for now, he has other business to take care of.
He walks up to the screen.
"…What are you doing, Shin?" He’s sweaty. A complicated expression on his face. Like a scared dog hesitantly catching nose of something good. Even when he’s fearing for his life, he just has to know, doesn’t he? He was always so curious.
“Oh, you know,” Sou says.
“…No, I don’t,” Midori says, annoyed. Sou wants to laugh. He does, a little. A chuckle. The mirth in his chest fizzles out as soon as he stops.
Sou walks up really close to the screen. Midori— Hiyori— watches him. Unblinking, like he’ll lose something if he does.
"I could free you," Sou whispers.
Hiyori’s eyes widen.
"Just think about it. There's bound to be some way, right? You floor masters have all sorts of tricks to give yourself the advantage… I'm sure there's some rule about letting an ally take the fall for you or something, right?" He smiles. “Or I could just hop in that coffin and let myself die.”
"Shin…" Hiyori’s starting to smile. Some of his fear is leaving; he’s starting to see hope. "I knew you'd come for me."
Sou stares at him.
"Well? Hurry up and open my coffin." Hiyori smiles.
This is the guy. This is him. The same guy. Or, a different version of him, maybe. But still him.
The guy who he was so terrified of. The guy who he so admired. The guy who toyed with him for three years and then dropped him like a sack of rocks.
Something fizzes under his skin. Things he could do. Questions he could ask. If he ever cared about him even once. If he really did think of him like a friend or not, or a little brother or anything, anything other than a pet or a toy. If it was all just to get him to sign the vow. If the kid who looked up to him so much back then ever had a chance, or if he was just a lamb to the slaughter all along.
"What are you waiting for? Sara will get suspicious if you take too long."
"Ahaha, didn't you hear me? I said I could free you.” He holds his beanie and smirks. “I might still do it, though. If you beg."
"……” Hiyori’s expression freezes. "What…?" His eyebrows furrow, his eyes narrow.
"Ahaha! You know, I keep thinking to myself, there's something so refreshing about seeing that expression on your face.” Especially when he’s the one causing it directly. “Go on, beg for your life. Why should you get to avoid it? Beg, and I might just save you."
“What the hell are you—” He cuts himself off, staring at Sou. In horror, maybe? Maybe Hiyori’s had nightmares like this before. It wouldn’t be surprising.
“What are you waiting for? I guess if you don’t want to, I can always just kill you.”
Hiyori gasps. He stares. He sweats. He grabs his shoulder. He doesn’t say anything for a long time.
He looks down. “………………………………please… Shin…”
An ugly, ugly feeling is roiling inside Sou. “Is that all?”
“Wh… I…” Does he genuinely not understand what’s going on? Is he just that adverse to the idea of Sou, of Shin, being the one to control him, instead of the other way around?
“Is that as far as your begging goes? Pretty lame pleas, I have to say…” He smiles sweetly. “If that’s all you’ve got, then I’m out of here.”
“W-wait…! P-please, wait, Shin! I— you have to save me!”
“I ‘have’ to?”
“I-I mean…” Hiyori swallows thickly. “I mean, please… I’m begging you, Shin… I-I don’t want to die… I’m scared…” His voice wavers.
The thing inside Sou sighs, pleased. It breathes through his throat and speaks with his voice. “Is that so?”
“Y-yes…! Please, you have to— I mean— I can’t— I— I wasn’t ready— I wasn’t ready to to play the game!” He sucks in a shaky breath of air. “I need you to save me, Shin! I’m scared… I’m terrified!” He’s starting to pant heavily. “I’ll… I’ll… I’ll do anything…!!”
His ears are red. “Aha, are you embarrassed?” Sou grins.
“………” Hiyori’s hand grabbing his arm isn’t enough to stop his trembling.
“’Anything’ sounds kind of interesting, though. Hey, Meister,” he calls, “can I take him out of the coffin? Just for a second, then you can put him back in.”
“W-what are you…?!”
“Seems interestin’. Sure.” Meister grins. “If he tries anything, I’ll kill him, don’t worry.”
“Hey…!! Meister…!” He flounders. He seems to understand he can’t go against Meister. “Shin, don’t ignore me…!” He switches tactics.
“What happened to you begging?”
“…!” A small gasp.
Meister presses the button. The coffin opens. Out steps a sweaty, shaking Hiyori, holding his shoulder and twitching his eye.
There he is. Sou smiles, calls him over with a finger.
Hiyori steps over nervously. “You’re… very different, aren’t you, Shin?”
"Sorry, is it not what you're used to? I can change it up.” He softens his voice and pretends that he still reveres the man in front of him. “…Um… like this, ehehe! Do you feel better now, Hiyori-kun?" Even now, he wears the mantle of himself like he never took it off.
“……………” Hiyori’s eyebrows crease as he stares.
Take that fucking mantle off. “Guess not.” He smiles. He’s smiling a lot. “Hey, what happened to begging? You can use your body now, too, right?”
Hiyori bows his head. His hand clenches his shoulder and then releases it. Silently, he gets on his hands and knees.
Sou puts one shoe on his head. It’s hard to balance standing on one foot, so he has to hop to find a good angle. He figures out if he stands a certain way, he can use Hiyori’s head to balance. He can feel him shivering now.
He kicks at Hiyori’s head. Hiyori takes it without flinching and whimpers. “A-are you really…”
“Hm? I can’t hear you, you know. You’re going to have to speak up.” Stupid piece of shit, he thinks. Who knew it’d be so fun to treat him this way?
“Are you really… going to…” He sounds like he’s about to start crying. “…save me…?”
“I said I would, didn’t I? If you beg. So chop chop.”
Hiyori whimpers again. He’s shaking hard and breathing harder. “Please don’t let me die, Shin… I’ll… I meant it when I said… I’d do anything… I really will do anything… I just don’t want to die…” His voice is high-pitched now. He might actually be crying. “I’ll take revenge on Sara and the others for you, if that’s what you want… whatever it is, just tell me…”
Sou starts tapping his shoe against the top of Hiyori’s head. “Yeaah? That so?” He taps harder. Hiyori is almost unrecognizable like this.
“O-ow! I-i-it is…” The taps are light kicks now. “I w-wouldn’t lie about it now… I really will do it… I know I haven’t been kind to you, Shin… you must be mad… but if you want me to change that, I will… I promise…” Sou is just kicking at his head now. “I— um, ah—” Hiyori stutters and stumbles over his words. “Wait, Shin, hold on, please listen, p-please— ah—"
The rot inside Sou is eating him up. It’s so all-consuming he forgets to chastise Hiyori for stopping his begging. He just keeps kicking, and Hiyori keeps whimpering and twitching.
He’s kicking extra hard now. Even with his strength, it’s bound to hurt. “W-wait, Shin—!" Hiyori tries, raising his face to meet his eyes. He looks frantic.
Sou kicks him in the face. “Huh? That’s weird.” He feels nothing. “I don’t remember saying you could do anything but beg. You wanna try again?”
Hiyori’s head falls. To go back to begging like he should, Sou thinks, and then he hears a long, drawn-out moan.
“Huh?” Where did that sound come from? It wasn’t a moan of terror.
It didn’t come from…
Hiyori is shivering and panting. Whimpering and twitching. Especially his hips.
It’s like being dipped into an ice cold bath.
He’s staring too much. He has to say something. “Y-you’re disgusting.”
Hiyori groans. “S-say it again…”
Sou jerks his foot away, almost tripping and falling over. Gross, gross, he feels gross. “What’s wrong with you?!” He’s yelling. “A-are you getting off on this?!?!”
Hiyori raises his head again. He looks dazed. His pupils are dilated, and sweat’s glistening on his skin. He rocks dizzily from side to side. “It’s new to me, too…”
If Sou looks down between his legs…
He looks away quickly. “Oh my god, what’s wrong with you…” He thinks he’s about to start hyperventilating.
Hiyori giggles drunkenly. His eyes looking up at Sou are hazy with lust. The sight sends shivers down Sou’s spine. “I don’t know… but Shin… you’re so cute right now… no,” he smiles, “maybe you finally became cool.”
Sou stops dead. It feels like something’s tightening in his chest.
Hiyori crawls to where Sou stepped back and hugs his leg. “Haha… haha… Shin… I’m scared… I’m really, truly scared… you’re going to kill me, aren’t you? No matter how much I beg or barter, you’re going to kill me… I’m so scared, but… you’ve finally become cool…”
The tightening is spreading, to his throat, to his face, to his skull. “Don’t call me that.”
“Hehe, you’re right… you’re still lame. And look at me.” He’s not listening. “On the ground. At your mercy. Begging. P-pathetic,” he breathes.
“S-stop getting off on this! I’m going to kill you!” He’s losing it. He’s losing control. “Don’t you understand what that means?! Don’t you care?!” Hiyori still thinks he’s weak, after all this time.
“Y-yeah, I do.” He’s trembling like he does. “I might piss myself, I’m so scared. Aha, ahahahahahaha! W-would you,” he swallows, “say something cruel to me if I did…? Ahahaha!” He smiles up at Sou, arousal plainly written on his face.
“It’s not funny! You’re sick!! Even when I’m gonna kill you, you’re—” Hiyori moans when Sou says that. Sou feels sick. “L-let go of me, you twisted freak!”
Hiyori lets go of his leg, whimpering again and looking down. “I’m sorry…”
This is supposed to be his moment, so why is this happening? Why does Hiyori always take everything from him?!
“Shin…” Hiyori says. “H-how are you going to k-kill me?” Sou stares at him. “You wanted revenge, right…? For when I played with you.” Hiyori looks up at him, almost hopefully. “We could ask Meister and see if he’ll let us use something other than the coffin. Then you could, mmh,” he groans, “take your time with me… That’s what you wanted to do, right? Make it slow and painful?”
“……I don’t have anything to say to you,” Sou says. His voice is shaking.
“But you do want me dead, right…?” Hiyori confirms.
Sou tries not to let the shake spread to the rest of him. He looks at Hiyori and gives him a stiff nod.
Hiyori looks him up and down silently, like he’s looking for something, or trying to assess something. Then, with a smile, “…You know, you can fuck my corpse if you wa—”
“M-Meister!” Sou calls out for help. “Put him back in the coffin, I’m done here!”
“Okie dokie,” says Meister, apparently unfazed by everything that’s been happening. He walks up, approaching Hiyori, who flinches.
“No, wait! H-hold on…!” Hiyori stands, leaning away from Meister.
“Come on, then,” Meister says, reaching him.
Hiyori doesn’t run, he just grabs his shoulder and cowers and looks directly at Sou. “Shin, think about it! You could release all your frustrations out on me. Isn't that what you were trying to do? I’m right, right?” He struggles against Meister, shaking off the man’s hand every time it lands on his shoulder. Sou feels sick. His feet are stepping backwards. “You don’t even have to fuck me, you could just kill me! It would be so much more cathartic if you did it yourself, wouldn't it? You could drown me until my body and muscles give out. You could kick my teeth in and then hold my head back so the blood fills up my mouth and I choke. Come on, you've gotta at least want to stab me? Aren't I stabbable? You could get me in my sternum, maybe? I always thought I had a nice clavicle…” Meister starts pulling more insistently on Hiyori who stumbles backwards, half-heartedly complying. He can’t run away without being killed as punishment. “Oh, but if you did want to fuck me, you could bash my skull open and dig your fingers around in my head so you could feel me twitch around you! Or, the electrical signals after you've already killed me could work, too!” Meister starts walking him back up to the coffin.
“What the fuck…” Sou breathes. He thinks he’s going to be sick. His legs tremble as he backs up.
“Please! I don’t care how, I want you to do it, Shin!” Hiyori grabs onto the side of the coffin while Meister tries to get him in.
“In you go.” Meister pushes at his chest with one hand.
“Shin!! Tell him!!!”
Sou trips over his own feet and falls down. Even on the ground, he’s trying to get away from Hiyori. “Th-there’s no chance in hell I’m doing any of that!!” He screeches. “Meister, put him in!!!”
“Ahhhhhhh~~” Hiyori shudders and sighs. His eyes are lidded, and his smile is demented. “You're so mean…”
Sou swears even the hair on his head is standing on end. He’s hyperventilating now.
Meister closes the coffin on Hiyori and stands by the button. “Should I push it, then?”
“Yes!!!!!!! What are you waiting for?!” Why is it even a question??
Hiyori’s face pops back up on the monitor. He looks sweaty and panicky and excited. “A-ah…! You’re really gonna do it, then…!” His voice sounds equal parts aroused and terrified.
Sou stares, transfixed, horrified, as Hiyori’s eyes roll back when the machine starts to audibly whirr. “Ah, ah…! No… it’s going to— no, ah! I’m scared, Shin…! O-ohh…!” He moans. “D-d-d-don’t let me die~” His voice goes soft and wispy. “Listen to me~! No~! Please~! I—” And then he doesn’t say anything else. He’s dead.
The whole place is unbearably silent.
“Gaaaaaame over!” Meister cheers. “You won! I’ll call everyone back now.”
Sou doesn’t respond. He’s panting. They’re coming back? He has to regain his composure. He stumbles to his feet and grabs his beanie. He’s panting. How much time does he have? Hiyori is dead. Sou rubs his sweaty forehead, eyes unseeing. He can’t stop panting.
He looks around. Sara, Keiji, and Gin are walking up. Q-Taro is gone. Gin is crying. Is everything okay? Did he miss something? Fuck, he’s panting. Smile, show them a smile.
He holds his breath and smiles. None of them pay any attention to him. Guess they don’t need him to tell them the news that Hiyori is dead. They probably heard it from Meister. What happened to Q-Taro, though?
He finds that he can’t ask.
…not like it matters.
No time to, anyway, since Meister calls up everyone again in that moment. No time to rest or reflect. He has to get revenge. That’s all he needs to be thinking about. He doesn’t need to think about Hiyori anymore. He doesn’t need to think about him ever again. He’s won.
Sara seems to notice something on his face. She shoots him a quizzical look and opens her mouth like she wants to say something. But then Meister is speaking, and she closes it again and looks away.