Green with Envy

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

"I already told you."

They both want different things that it's just sad, tragic even. It has been a long while since they talked like this. Almost fighting. Almost. Sure, they fought a lot and it was only natural but they only did so when it came to clothes, designs, and sometimes, even The Prince. But they weren't anything serious just the usual clash of opinions. They were just passing heated arguments. This time however was different. They were almost fighting because of the same reason again just like last time. They were almost fighting because… because of Eri.

The last time they fought… it didn't end well. At least, according to Shiki's memory. To Eri, she just knew she regretted it with all her heart and apologized the next day.

The next day turned out to be after three weeks for Shiki. Eri never knew that. And maybe she never would.

For a different reason but ultimately the same person, they're almost fighting again. Eri has been curious lately. Maybe not just lately but ever since. There's something selfish in wanting to know your best friend's friends and at the same time, there's something selfless in being concerned about your best friend and her newly found circle of friends. She's bonded a lot with them but there's just something off about them. She feels as if Shiki's bounded with them due to darker reasons she can't quite put. And sometimes, for the briefest of moments, Eri had imagined that bound to be shaped like a noose.

"Yeah, but there's something you're not telling me." She was getting tired of these games.

"Like what?" Shiki nonchalantly deflected.

"Like how you met. I mean, yeah, so you met in this Game but you haven't given my any details on what exactly it was about." Eri crossed her arms. She was pushing it was better to get it over and done with rather than having herself keep bringing this up.

"But that would break the confidentiality rule." She bit her bottom lip as she prepared her follow-up argument. "It's kind of like Truth or Dare. What happens in the circle– stays in the circle, ya know?"

Actually, it was more like Truth and Dare. Some Reapers would ask the truth in trivia. Most Reapers would dare them to finish tasks. The Game Master would dare them to accomplish the mission. The Game itself asked for the truth in them.

The truth in partners. The dare in noise.

But Eri would never know of this. To Shiki, she hoped she'd never do find out. What she went through, although rewarding, was risky. Shiki was lucky she had met with great friends to pull through it all but there was always the looming risk of staying dead. And losing your entry fee. Forever.

Sometimes, Shiki didn't know which was worse.

Her eyes were reminiscing and glazed with sadness. She looked so frail and… innocent no more. Like a soldier coming home from a war. "There're lot of things that could happen in one Game that we aren't proud of. But that goes the same to everyone else who's playing it."

"Shiki…" She wasn't sure anymore what she wanted. Wasn't this the whole reason for bringing the topic up? Eri could feel that she's getting closer to the whole truth. But at the same time, it was hurting her BFF. She strengthened her resolve in the comforting thought that Shiki needed this as well. All that bottled up emotions couldn't be healthy. She needed an outlet. "I get your point but the confidentiality rule isn't written in stone."

The corner of her lips lifted lightly. "It's not supposed to be. Everyone just knows and does it." She stretched for a bit and understood that she won't be finishing anything today while Eri does her questioning. With her back facing her BFF, she started cleaning her workplace. She didn't stop even when she spoke softly. "Hey, do you remember our last serious fight?"

Eri winced. How could she not? It was one of her biggest regrets in the world. "Yeah… I'm sorry for ever saying that. If only I hadn't been so slow and just said that you were a great seamstress or if only I had just worded it out better or if only–"

Shiki chuckled. "Eri, it's okay. I'm partly at fault too. If I actually listened to you instead of running out the first chance I got, things would've turned out… differently."

Differently? Not better?

"I think it would've been better." Eri voiced out.

"I'm not so sure about that." She clenched her fists and turned around to face her. She needed to do this. If she doesn't then that just meant she's still not over her issues. And she's over them that much she's sure. She's been over them since Day Six. Nervously, she drew her breath. And spoke with surprising calmness. "I was jealous of you." Even envious.

"But Shiki!" This conversation wasn't supposed to go like this. This was supposed to be about her new friends and not them. She had to stop this.

Shiki shook her head. "Let me finish. We made up the next day but that wasn't the reason of how I got over it." She held Mr. Mew closely. "I met Neku right after the fight." In a different time, place, and ground (dimension).

"You what?!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry but that sounds suspicious! He didn't take advantage of you or anything?"

"Him? Nah, far from it." Her eyes shone with laughter but her voice held no hint of it. "I accidentally got into The Game. Neku and I were partnered and boy, was he stingy about it. He wanted nothing to do with me."

It was weird how easily she could twist the truth.

"We fought a lot. He was pretty hard to work with." And on the Day Two, he tried to kill her. It scared her but she knew he was terrified as hell too. He had no memories and was suddenly thrust into some crazy Game. He jumped at the first chance of getting out. At least Shiki knew what she was playing for. But then again, at least Neku knew his values. "I only got over my jealousy issue because of Neku."

And Eri thought, there she goes again. She's not saying some things and she's hiding the rest.

"I'm me. My own person." She giggled for the first time since the heavy conversation started. "Although he was rude about it, I'm pretty sure he meant well."

"When is he not Mr. Grumpy?" Eri chipped in.

Shiki laughed a bit and then turned somber. "But I wasn't kidding on him helping me out. I changed. If you only saw me, I was really scared to show my face to you again. You could say that we wouldn't have made up if Neku hadn't got to me."

"Isn't that a bit, I dunno, much?" She grimaced but quickly gathered her bearings and spoke with confidence. "Yeah, it was a pretty bad fight but I'm sure we'd still get back together."

Her smile was sad. "Who knows?" Envy was a green-eyed monster or in her case, a green-dressed girl.

That vague answer was the most terrifying thing Eri has ever heard throughout this conversation. As her BFF, Shiki should have answered with more certainty like fervently agreeing with her. But her answer was the least bit comforting. The ambiguity was laced with Eri's fears. It honestly scared her. Just what exactly did she mean by that?

But what hurt her more than anything was the fact that she wasn't there when Shiki needed her the most.

It wasn't her but Neku who picked up the pieces. It was Beat and Rhyme who helped keep them in place. And Joshua probably schemed it all or something since he's sly like that. And where was Eri during all this? She was at home having second thoughts on texting Shiki or not.

As an afterthought, Shiki added. "I met Beat and Rhyme sometime after. We teamed up for a while. Oh, and Joshua knew Neku first. Everything ended well since we won The Game and all." Neku won it thrice though even though he kept saying it was just twice since Josh technically got the last one.

That just basically summed it up in a nutshell with lots of holes.

"Okay, I give." Eri sighed in defeat. "If I'm gonna get any info it's definitely not from you."

"Sorry, I've been pretty vague haven't I?" Shiki embarrassingly admitted and even Mr. Mew had bobbed his head in agreement. She's been pretty obvious too.

"You think?" She huffed. "But I'm kind of jealous. At this rate, who knows what else you're keeping from me that your new circle has tabs on?"

It was only a joke… or rather, it was supposed to be one. It finally dawned to Eri the gravity of the situation. No matter how little she knew about Shiki's friends, maybe she knew even less of Shiki. Because right now, Shiki looked like nothing of the best friend she knew. She's still timid yet confident but with an all-encompassing maturity.

She's changed.

It was like she was a different person but still the same Shiki, only she was better. She changed for the better. All this happened outside of Eri's watchful eye.

That's why she can't help but be a bit jealous.

But above that, she's proud of her. Shiki went through something during The Game and although Eri couldn't tell what exactly it was, she could clearly see the effects. Shiki brought with her an extra weight of sadness with the experience but it was worth it because she brought new friends along with it. Whatever Shiki went through for this transformation, Eri figured that she'd get her chance to learn it someday. For now, Eri listened on to Shiki's words as she would place all her faith in them.

"Eri, you're the last person who should be jealous. After all, my BFF knows me best."

You're the last person I'd hate to know the least.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Shinra-ex-SOLDIER

Compared with the rest, this one's a bit more hopeful and less dark... hopefully.

Attendance check: that's all of them. There's another chapter? I wonder what that's all about.