Sina wakes up in broad daylight and she feels absolutely wonderful. Her wrist is slightly bruised from stumbling over the bottle, but she has experienced worse already. And the pain is worth the memories that come with it.
It's still hard to believe that those things last night really happened. They feel more like a dream, and the bluish skin around Sina's wrist is the only proof that it wasn't just a thing her tired brain has made up.
Did Chishiya really allow her to hug him? And did she really peck his cheek?
All this makes her laugh. While Chishiya believes that love is just a weakness, Sina feels so courageous and confident right now, and she can't wait for the next night to come. It's not a date, she knows that, but it still means that she will see him again, and they will be alone like last night.
Why does he allow all this? Out of pity, or is there maybe a tiny part deep inside of him that enjoys those meetings? Sina remembers how he has put his hand onto her back. He could have just waited for her to end the hug while standing still, but he didn't. And though she feels so close to him like never before, this man is still a complete mystery to her.
It is time to get up in the end, because Sina's starving and can't stay in bed all day. And besides there are some people she wants to talk to, since Chishiya is not the only contact she has here in the Beach. There are even some that Sina would call her friends, and she wants to spend time with them in case they won't return from their next game.
During the day, Sina looks out for Chishiya now and then, but she never sees him. Which is unusual, because even if they didn't talk, she'd see him once in a while, strolling through the Beach either alone or in Kuina's company. But that's not the case today. Kuina is there, in the dining room, later walking through the entrance hall, but Chishiya isn't with her.
One time Sina dares to believe that she sees his white hoodie for a second, but it disappears faster than she can follow it. Does he have a reason for not showing up today? Maybe she had crossed this invisible line again… What if he won't show up tonight?
The courage and happiness she felt after waking up is getting weaker with every hour and her thoughts go crazy the more she thinks about it. He had been annoyed by that kiss she gave him maybe that's the reason he is avoiding her now?
Maybe he is just busy though. As number seven in the ranking list of the Beach, there sure are some important things he has to do. No matter what, Sina has no other choice but to wait for the night to come, and it drives her crazy.
She gets to bed early and manages to sleep for a couple of hours, but then she's too nervous to stay in bed. Sina doesn't want to be late and fears that he will go away if she takes too long. If he appears at all.
This night, she's smarter and pulls over a thin jacket so it won't be too cold. And she also grabs a towel, as they're going to meet at the pools after all. She has to sit down for a minute because the butterflies in her stomach rumor too much, and for a moment, Sina feels sick. Fear and anticipation mix together and it causes her hands to shiver. Once again, she wants to curse that man for causing her this emotional chaos, and she takes some deep breaths before she gets down the stairs.
Chishiya is already there, sitting at the edge of one of the pools. One hand rests on his knees, the other is supporting his weight on the ground. The hood is drawn deep into his face, and Sina is sure he is listening to music.
Her heart skips a beat at his sight, and she's unbelievably happy that he is actually here. She hesitates a moment, then sits down next to him, putting down the towel on the other side.
Chishiya doesn't react for a second, then plucks out his earpods and draws back the hood. A soft breeze waves through his hair, and his cold gaze is almost unbearable.
"Hi there." Sina says and drops her legs into the water of the pool. It's still warm from the sun and smells like chlorine, but at least she can persuade herself that it's clear of all the unspeakable things people leave in the water during the day.
The way Chishiya examines her causes her a racing heart, and Sina wishes he'd do that more often.
"I see you managed to get dressed. Well, at least halfway." He nods at her bare legs, and Sina can't help but grin in return for his smirk.
"It's not that cold tonight anyway, and the wind isn't as cold down here as it is on the roof." Sina watches him from the corner of her eye, and it's hard not to snuggle into his hoodie here and now.
"I still prefer the roof."
"What, does this place make you weak? Too many people who can watch you from their windows?" It is fun trying to mock him, even though he barely shows a reaction to this except his typical eyebrow raising.
"Yep."
The two of them stay silent for a while, and Sina desperately searches for something to talk about. Her eyes catch sight of a single red laser in the distance, and it makes her cringe. It's already too late for the games, which only means that someone's visa has expired. Luckily, Sina still has two days left until she has to play again.
"Hey, Chishiya… how many days do you have left?"
He shifts and leans back on both his hands, so he can watch the sky. "Two."
That makes sense of course. He had been there in Sina's last game too, after her first physical approach in the car. So it's just logical that his visa has been extended with as much days as hers.
"I hope there will be a way to get out of this soon. Those games freak me out, and I just want to go home. Though… If Hatter's theory is right and you need all the cards to leave, then I guess I'm doomed. Other than you, number seven." With a number higher than 200, Sina can't even dream of leaving the Borderlands that soon if collecting all cards is the only option. But she sees Chishiya's wristband, and the 7 on it makes her painfully aware that he could be gone long before her.
Chishiya just snorts. "I don't care about some plastic numbers. As soon as I can, I will leave this place and those pathetic people."
Ouch. He doesn't say it, but Sina knows that she is one of those pathetic people too.
"What about Kuina? Isn't she your friend?"
His eyes turn to Sina, and she feels small. So small.
"There is no need for friends in the Borderlands. Kuina is part of an alliance that might help me to leave sooner, and that's it. She might as well die in her next game, so there is no reason to befriend anyone."
"Oh." Sina wonders if Kuina shares his point of view, or if she knows how Chishiya thinks of her. "So you use her."
"That's part of the game", Chishiya says with a shrug. "Besides, some people don't mind being used, do they?"
Sina feels called out with that last question, because she definitely wouldn't mind being used by someone like him, as long as it meant being close to him.
"Now that reminds me of something! You still owe me a favor, you know?"
Chishiya pulls back his head a bit with surprise. "A favor. Huh. What for?"
It's a trump card Sina is playing off, and it might as well go wrong, but she already knows that with Chishiya, one sometimes had to take risks to make progress.
"Remember our first game? The one where my team had to give you the combinations and you had to enter them?" That had been the first time Sina had gotten in contact with Chishiya, and she's sure he remembers. He nods just so slightly.
"We all would have died if I hadn't given through the sequences fast enough, so you owe me something for that." Sina's face blushes hard, because she's not sure how he will react to this, and she even hears him chuckle.
"I remember. We almost died because you nearly failed to do your task quickly enough."
Jackass. Just because the rest of my team was too busy with panicking.
"Still, I stick to it. You owe me something."
"I won't give you my hoodie."
Now it is Sina's turn to stare at him perplexed. "I… what? No, I don't want your hoodie. I mean… I do, but that's not what I wanted to ask for."
"What is it, then?"
"Go for a swim with me." It might sound weird, but it's what Sina wants. She could see him without his hoodie, maybe even touch him… just by chance, of course…
"You're being humble today, as it seems." Chishiya sighs, and he actually zips open his hoodie. Sina's eyes pop out of her head as she sees his pale and immaculate skin and the muscles moving under it as he gets up and elegantly dives into the water. His head breaks through the surface and he smoothes his wet hair back while the water trickles from his arms.
This man definitely is too much for Sina to bear.
"What, you're just going to sit there and stare like a maniac?" He mocks her with raised brows, and Sina shakes her head to get out of this trance.
She quickly puts off her jacket and carefully slips into the water. The pool is not that deep, and the water reaches only to her chest, allowing her to clumsily walk some steps until her body has fully adapted to the temperature. While it had felt warm on her feet, not that it covers more sensitive parts like her belly, it does seem to be colder than expected.
Sina takes a deep breath and dives down, and goose bumps cover her body as the water touches her neck. But it's okay because Chishiya is here, and as soon as she starts to swim, it's getting warmer anyway.
"There's no chance to eve move around in the pools during the day. I can't believe how this area can be so crowded every day!"
Chishiya has turned on his back and is gently paddling with his legs. It looks so comfy that Sina wants nothing more but to approach him and rest her head on his chest.
"Those people only use this place to hook up with someone else, thinking that no one will notice but the fact is that everyone knows." He turns around and comes closer to Sina with his head first, and she's not sure if he's even paying attention while another idea is building up inside her head.
Sina grabs his shoulders and tries to push him down, but he is faster and rises in the water so she clings to his back like a wet sack. His skin feels so warm and smooth, and Sina is sure that she will never get enough of his scent, even though it's now weakened by the chlorine, as she's pressing her face against his back.
"What's that supposed to be?" Chishiya asks while Sina still clings around his shoulders.
"I'm trying to pull you into the water!" She laughs, and she feels how his hands grab her ankles. While Sina is still figuring out what he is doing, Chishiya lets himself fall backwards so she's being pulled under the water by his weight.
He lets go of her ankles and she loosens the grip around his shoulders to dive up again, but there's a sudden pressure on her shoulders. Chishiya is holding her down, and it's making Sina grin that he seems to hop into the game.
But he doesn't let go, and soon Sina is running out of air. She tries to grab his arms to show that she has to breathe again, and she could as well have tried to move a mountain. Panic overcomes her, and she struggles with both legs and arms now.
Then Sina is finally free and she pushes off the ground, coughing and panting as she reaches the surface. She quickly shoves herself through the water and climb the pool edge. Still coughing, Sina wraps her towel around her as she stares at Chishiya completely startled.
"Hey! That was mean!"
Chishiya is still standing inside the water, watching her with eyes as cold as ice.
"You chose the game, but I make the rules." He gets out of the water too, as if nothing had ever happened, reaches for his hoodie and puts it on despite his still wet skin.
"Never forget who you're playing with." Chishiya gives her a short wave, like he didn't just push her down way too long on purpose, and walks back into the hotel.
Sina feels absolutely wrecked in that moment, rubbing her sore wrist while her lung still burns. She can't understand how it could go from a wonderful hug to this, but it somehow feels like a warning.
It tears her apart and she is helpless altogether. Some tears break out of her eyes, and Sina wished it could be different. That Chishiya would be nice and gentle to her all the time, that he would return her feelings.
But Sina knows that won't happen, and even though this man hurts her so much – both mentally and physically – for whatever reason, she still doesn't want to let go.
