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-x-
There were people all around me. The chatter of their voices ringing through my headphones, their conversations somehow clear. Their steps echoed against my ear, and I could hear the rattling of bikes passing by.
…
I flinched, a painful twinge running throughout my system. My body was cold- it wasn't shivering. Gravity felt twice as heavy against my back. I felt my fingers twitch at every sound of static. And my eyes slowly opened to stare down a street once again, shoes passing right in front of my face. My eyes widened in horror themselves, staring at the level ground of shoes and cement. Underground…
No. No. This can't be happening. NO.
…I laid there a bit longer, until my conscious came back to me.
I forced my hand off the ground, ignoring the fact that it felt like it was ripped to shreds and barely pieced together, and slammed it hard against the black cement, the pain shattering my arm.
…
I was back. I was back in this living hell. But why?
Why was I back? …
It didn't make sense. I lost the game. Joshua had shot me and made his choice. He returned us to the RealGround… Or at least that's what I thought…Ungh..
But why? Why the hell am I here again?
I stared at the ground now. How many times have I seen this before? I'm sick of this. And another week of living hell once again. Hello, UnderGround cement. Care to deal with my face again? …Comforting my self with mere sarcasm isn't going to get you anywhere, Neku.
Wake up and face it. You're here again. You know what happens next…mmm… Why is that though?
I was already sitting on the ground, watching people pass me by, all busy with their own thoughts. I looked down in my hands. Two Player Pins, right where they should be. This is insane. I shouldn't be back. Joshua even made it clear that we should be back on RG. I even remember meeting up with Beat and Rhyme, Shiki too in her original body. So why the hell am I here?
Joshua couldn't have repeated the game over again. Knowing him, he would think it's too much of a hassle, then again, he might've done it for his own sheer pleasure. I grimaced seeing him clearly do that, but I shook my head in denial. He wouldn't have done that. And plus, I was told I could never participate in another game…
Perhaps he turned back time? Or sent me back in time? But why would he do that? …All he controls is Shibuya and its creation. He couldn't have controlled time, which means he couldn't have sent me back either. And plus, if he did turn back time, why would I even remember him and everyone else I encountered in this game? If he did turn back time, shouldn't I not be consciously aware of what exactly is going on?
I crossed my legs and ruffled my hair furiously. This was so confusing… My memory - I still have my memory, which means that they didn't take that away from me in exchange for this ticket in this freakish game. I still remember everybody, and I know how the game wo-
BSSHHHHZZZZZTTT.
I winced, feeling my hand fly into flames. This feeling was all too familiar, which is bad. I shouldn't be used to it. Instantly, I took out my phone and sighed. The same text message on the first day of the game as usual. Reach 10-4. You have 60 minutes. Erasure crap. I clicked out of the message and stared at my new apps. The usua- wait. I studied my phone screen for a while. This is new.
Chapters…? A new app?
I clicked on it and my phone began vibrating. The screen quickly filled up with boxes. Shiki, Shiki, Shiki. Joshua, Joshua, Joshua. The heck, even Beat. Each had their own column. What is this?
The first box in Shiki's column was glowing. Week one, Day one. I clicked on it. My phone began vibrating again and a message popped up.
Get the Nose Glasses.
Nose Glasses…? Another mission. It doesn't say a time limit. There's no "Fail and You'll be Dead" lingo going on either. The message box closed and I felt a sting in my head, making my breathing hitch for a moment. My other hand erupted in fire, making me let go of my phone, and I screeched as it felt like a hot rod was being forced down into my palm. The pain faded away slowly and I stared at it.
30.
That's all it said, the color blue. What does it mean 30? I looked in my other hand to still find the timer of the original mission. That timer is in red. What is this new one for? I don't remember this going on in the game before… perhaps a glitch in Joshua's so well-thought out game?
I paused, deciding to refrain from over thinking, and a new thought popped into my head as I picked up my phone and closed it.
"Just do what you did before. Make sure to put in time for the Chapter Mission though- bwaa." I raised a brow, touched my lips, then smacked myself.
What did I just say? Where in the world did that come from. I quickly stood up and began looking around furiously. Is someone imprinting on me? I couldn't see any other players. Only people in the RG. Until my eyes fell on someone who I would never have noticed on this day the first time.
Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu was staring at me. Obviously right at me. I know he can see me. On this day, I'm guessing, I would have never noticed him, but this is my second time. So, he really wasn't lying about watching me. I wonder why I never noticed the prissy guy and commented on him the first time. But just the thought that he truly was watching me this whole week like he said somehow sent shivers down my spine; kinda awkward to know it's true. And he was… frowning? Instantly, he smirked.
...
The idiot. I'm gonna go smack hi- Just do what you always did… ….The hell. Why does that keep popping up? Nobody on the UG can imprint on other players. None in the RG either. There is a chance that Joshua might be doing it… I stood straight again.
Alright, Joshua. I'll do what you say today, just because I don't know what the hell is going on.
I turned around, walking toward the statue of Hachiko. There, it was the place where I met everyone and had to stick with them for a whole week. The place we planned to return to meet up for real in the RG. That was the Statue of Hachiko and it's story for me... I continued strolling along, people passing me by as if I wasn't there. (Oh yeah, I'm not.) I stared at Hachiko and felt myself smile uneasily. Perhaps I'm not any different from this dog. I always seem to be coming back here to, waiting for someone.
And now, I wait.
…
…
…
Okay, what did I do to deliberately allow myself to get attacked by those dumb frogs? Probably if I move around a bit… I walked across the street from the statue, then back again to where I was originally. And then…
Noise. The same exact dumb frogs.
I smiled and dug my hand into my pocket, pulling a handful of pins. Wow, I still have the ones from the past game. Awesome. I slapped on the Slash pin and Tin Pin Crash. Time to show that I'm not some helpless yap on the first day, Josh.
One of the frogs jumped toward me, but I dashed right away and activated my Slash pin…
Activate…!
… no response …
Man, what now?
I twirled on my heels and bounced. How humiliating.
I can't do a thing when I don't have a partner. How did I forget that?
"Hey!" Shiki's voice called out. I looked up to find her in Eri's body once again, running toward me with a worried and frantic expression. Once she was right in front of me, she pointed, "You're a player right?"
"Well, I can see you and you can see me."
"I need a partner. Quick!"
"Oh I see." …C'mon, Shiki…
She finally yelled. "MAKE A PACT WITH ME!"
I smirked, thinking, 'I thought you'd never ask.' She lent out her hand and I slapped my mine against hers.
Instantly, we were both enveloped in light and I felt our wave lengths bond.
"Alright. Good, good." Shiki nodded, smiling. "I found a partner." She looked at me and smiled again. "Sorry for asking you suddenly. I was just frantic because we need partners."
"You worry too much, Shiki." I commented, rubbing the back of my neck.
"What?" She looked at me confused. "How do you know my name? I don't ever remember meeting you before."
Now I looked at her, just as confused. What? For a whole stinking week of life and death we were paired up together. As embarrassing as it sounds, you ended up being my exchange for another ticket in the game. You helped me take down a huge friggin' dragon ready to finish us off which also put our fate to stone whether or not we'd live again... And yet you don't remember me?
As she continued giving me an odd look, I realized that maybe… I alone was back in time. Probably… it's only me who remembers. And the reason why Shiki doesn't know me is because… this is the past. She has never met me before. I shouldn't know who she is either. Which means Joshua doesn't exactly know me as well as we haven't had an official meeting.
So Joshua isn't the one sending these extra missions… Nor imprinting on me.
Geh…What the hell was going on?
"Sooo.. How do you know my name?" She questioned me again, using her fake cutesy looks.
I can't tell her what I just realized. I can't say "Oh, well I was sent back from the future for some odd unknown reason, and i have met you before in my time and we became awesome friends. That's why I know your name." Hell no. Who would believe crap like that? Though the thought of there being an UnderGround and RealGround and people with wings called Reapers in reality was farfetched and people believe it, I being one of them, traveling in time would be unbelievable to many (who actually have sense) compared to that.
I decided to lie, keeping what I know to myself. It would be best. And that would mean the same for everything else. I've read manga if that helps any, comic books too. And in situations like these, the main character keeps his knowledge to himself when it comes to time-traveling, because he knows that if he messes up a single little bit of anything, it would screw up everything else.
"Ah, good guessing. You look like a Shiki." I thought to myself more. No, she looks like an Eri -red hair, small face, fashionable cloths sown by Shiki's own hands in her own body. "Err… you act like a Shiki…"
She gave me an even weirder look, but smiled a fake smile. "Umm thanks…" She was probably surprised. She probably suspects that I see right through her.
Err… maybe I shouldn't have said that.
"AH!" She yelped, waving her arms around in panic. "Noise is coming!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Gosh, you're too laid back! … Err…" She balled up her hands. "How could I not worry?"
I placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. I'm here." A jolt ran through my hand and I suddenly frowned in my thoughts. I read manga, like I said before. There's a thing called Shojo Manga, and if this were to be a Shojo manga, that cheesy line that came out of my mouth would be something that the main guy love interest would say. …Why had I never realized before that I was and still am a dork? I really don't have a life… If there was some random table nearby, I would be banging my head against it.
"Err.." She interrupted my rambling thoughts, scratching her cheek. "Thanks…?" Thank God she wasn't blushing. I would have freaked on the spot.
I withdrew my hand and sighed thinking it's too late. I need to act in character. If I were to do as I said and make sure that nothing changes from what it was before since time went back again, then I have to act like my cold, impassive, selfish misanthrope self. I frowned at this too. I know I'm not that different from before, but thinking about it over again, I see how this stupid little life-death game can change a person inside out. Probably Joshua knew that all along. What a know-it-all. Anyway, if things were to go just like before, I need to be what I was… geh, how could I do that? I've changed alrea-
SMACK!
"WHAT THE FRICK?" I yelled, rubbing my cheek vigorously. A wolf rammed into me. That was when I realized we were in the middle of a brawl, already being surrounded by two wolves.
"Umm… Person!" Shiki yelled out from the other space. "I'm sorry I don't know your name… But please stop spacing out! We're being attacked here!" She sounded like she was in a lot of trouble.
That's right. She's not the same Shiki that I worked with…But that still doesn't change me.
I flashed out my other pins, dodged, then paused. Hell, I can't use my futuristic pins now. No matter how much I want to use them… And if things were to go as they were…
"Shiki!" I yelled. "I don't have any pins!"
Right in front of me, a Flare pin flashed out in front of my face as the light puck hurled over to me.
"Use that!" She yelled, then after a pause. "I couldn't so maybe you can!"
I grabbed it and felt that its power was fairly weak compared to the flare pin she gave me last time. It activated immediately in my palm and the stream of fire poured out in front of me, burning up the Noise and erasing them. I quickly collected the few pins dropped and both of us were teleported back on the UG.
"WHOA!" Shiki pounced next to me. "You… You're amazing at fighting the Noise! And… And you can use that pin too." She quickly straightened up and coughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Impressive."
I looked away. "Thanks." I squinted my eyes to look at a shadow nearby, but it suddenly shifted away.
By the corner of my eye, I knew that Shiki was itching to find some other topic to talk about. Knowing myself back then, I would have never noticed that either, nor would I have done anything if I were to take note of it. I was like ice back then - Oh, there's a box sitting there…
"Err… what's your name?" Her voice faintly crossed my ears.
"Box." I instantly said, walking over to the box sitting right underneath the Hachiko Statue.
"Box?" She repeated behind me and appeared by my side as I picked up the white box. "What's that?"
"I don't know… It wasn't here before.." I turned the white box a little to the side, then to the other; such a simple design too. The only opening was the top. I pulled the tied string and flipped the cover open.
"You're joking me…"
Shiki picked the box out of my hands and pulled it out, placing it on her face. "Nose Glasses? Who would wear these?" She frowned, taking it off and examining it.
VRRRRRRRRRRR.
I jumped and shoved my hand into my pockets, digging furiously for my cell. It continued vibrating as I fumbled with it among my hands. …Why was I so nervous? I finally got it still in my fingers and had a little problem with the buttons. I selected the Chapters App and another message box appeared.
Week One, Day One Cleared. Transmission of Secret Report Activated.
My cell continued vibrating now, a stinging static entering through my ears.
I instantly collapsed to my knees and grabbed my head.
My head.. My head.. It feels like it's splitting.
It hurts…
What the hell is going on?
Secret Report Successfully Achieved.
-x-
Mmm… This has got to be the longest I've done for a first chapter in a series. Haha. So my first fanfic for TWEWY. I've been thinking about this story for quite a while. Lesse how far we get. Neku is really thinking here; after all, he's in the Game again. Haha.
Care to review?
- Do Jo
