Toji
Toji furrowed his eyebrows. It was too loud and he couldn't sleep!
"Ugh... what's with the yelling?" he muttered and the yelling stopped. Then he opened his eyes, noticing the unfamiliar, pitch black surroundings "What the heck?"
"Who's there?!"
"I'm Murozaki Toji" he replied out of habit "Who am I talking to?"
"I'm-" Toji heard the other person, a woman, pause. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to finish "Arare. Fushizuke Arare."
"Well it's nice to meet you... even if I can't see you" Toji said "So, where are we? It's really dark in here."
"I don't know" he heard Arare answer "Do you see anything around you?"
"Nope, it's all dark and narrow. How about you, Arare-cha- ah, is it okay if I call you that? You can call me Toji." it was probably better to not make her angry by talking to her too familiarly if she didn't want it; after all she sounded like she had quite the temper.
"Sure. It's the same here; dark and narrow and the walls around me won't even budge."
"I haven't even tried to move them" Toji realized, looking ahead despite not really seeing anything "But I suppose I should."
Toji started to try to kick the walls down, his mind processing what had happened.
"This is probably the "future" dad was talking about sending me in to... he did say it'd be soon... but he could've told me that it was now!" not that thinking about it helped. If what his parents told him was really true then they were dead already because of the end of the world or something and he had been sent to the future with a bunch of other people... or something "I suppose it wasn't some sick joke after all."
"No use, these walls or whatever won't move." not that it mattered; soon someone would come to let them out for sure.
"You seem really calm" Arare said suddenly "Why is that?"
"Uh..." okay, should he tell her what he knew? Or did she know what happened and was testing him? But if she didn't know anything and he told her she'd probably think he was crazy "I'm just an optimistic person... I guess?"
Better not to say anything for now.
"I see" Arare seemed to be buying it, at least for the time being "So, where do you suppose we are?"
"Uuh... some kind of basement? It's a bit chilly in here after all, isn't it?" Toji said. It seemed most logical even if he knew that likely wasn't the case.
"I suppose it is" Arare said "But then again, this is Sapporo. It's pretty cold here at this time of the year, right?"
Wait, what?
"Sapporo? We aren't in Nagano?" Toji asked. Which of them was wrong? Or were they both wrong and had been moved somewhere else entirely? He hadn't been told any details...
"Nagano?" Arare repeated "No, I'm sure I went to sleep at home in Sapporo."
"Well I went to sleep at home, too" Toji told "But in Nagano."
"So... I was probably right from the beginning..."
"Huh?" Right about what? Did she know something after all?
"We were kidnapped"
Okay, maybe she didn't.
"Kidnapped? Don't think so; I come from a farm and we ain't rich; why would anyone want to kidnap me?" Toji denied. If he agreed with her she might start panicking again. He didn't want to listen to the yelling again.
"Well, any other ideas, farm boy?" Arare asked. She sounded... annoyed? Angry? She certainly wasn't happy with him... not that he was particularly fond of her, either. She sounded like one of those city kids with no touch to reality that looked down on people who came from rural areas.
"Not really" Toji said. He could've just fallen in to his own thoughts for now, but a loud banging noise stopped him from doing so.
"What's all the noise?" Toji asked, making the noise stop for a while.
"I'm going to kick these walls down!"
"...Will that work?" he seriously doubted it; the structure in places like these was probably pretty strong.
"We'll see" Toji heard Arare say. He listened to her violent tantrum without complaining despite really wanting to do so until he could hear her breathing heavily.
"I think you need a break" he said. Wanting to get her thoughts elsewhere, he asked: "Wanna play Shiritori?"
"Play by yourself!"
Ah well, he had a feeling she'd say that.
"Hey I'm just trying to kill time" Toji said. That was true, he was bored after all "But if Shiritori's not okay then... let's see... tell me about yourself."
"What?"
"Just trying to start a conversation" Toji told "Well?"
"I don't want to talk to you!" Arare yelled and Toji could hear her kick the wall again. Well, that reaction was to be expected. More fuel to the fire? He knew he shouldn't, but at this point... whatever "I have a feeling that you don't like me."
"Gee, what was your first clue?" Arare asked, and Toji rolled his eyes. He could hear Arare starting to beat the walls again. After about ten minutes or so everything went quiet. Was Arare all right?
"Are you okay in there?" Toji asked, but got no answer. That was worrying "Arare-Chan? Arare!"
"I'm here okay, quit shouting!"
"Well sorry, but since you weren't answering..." Toji trailed off. He could hear her gasp for air, but came to the conclusion that mentioning it would just cause trouble, so instead he asked: "Any luck?"
Getting no answer, Toji started to get worried again. He was pretty sure that Arare wasn't answering simply because he was annoying her, but...
"You okay, Arare-chan?" Toji called her again, just to be safe "Arare-chan?"
No answer.
"C'mon Arare, you're making me worry" he really was starting to get anxious "Say something!"
She didn't say a thing, nor did she give a mark, but soon enough Toji could hear the banging again. And some kind of mumbles.
"Well, I suppose she doesn't want to speak to me" Toji could hear how Arare stopped at times, only to continue again. He hoped she hadn't used just her fists; if she had she had to be bleeding by now. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember everything he had been told about their situation. He was sent to the future because the world was ending or something. There he was supposed to start a new life with the other survivors and so forth... plus there's supposed to be an adult there who knows more about the situation. And-
"Huh? Where am I?" Toji froze; this wasn't Arare's voice. It was someone else.
"That's what we'd like to know, too" Toji answered before he could really think it through. Not long after he heard the woman ask: "Who's there!?"
"The name's Murozaki. Murozaki Toji." He saw no harm in telling her, especially since Arare already knew, too "And just to make things clear: we don't know where we are or why, either."
"We?"
Oh yeah, Arare hadn't said anything so of course she didn't know about her.
"Me and Fushizuke Arare" Toji revealed. Hopefully Arare wouldn't get mad at him later for revealing her name "I can't see her or you for that matter, but I can hear her occasionally. Her yelling woke me up earlier."
"Wha-?"
"That aside, you never told me your name" Toji said. This woman didn't seem to know anything more than Arare did.
"Ayatori Fuka"
It didn't ring any bells.
"Ayatori-san... or would just Fuka be okay?"
"I guess..." it sounded like she was hesitating "I suppose I can call you Toji, then?"
"Sure"
"You sound rather relaxed, don't you?"
"Shit" Toji thought. He should've been more careful...
"Far too relaxed in fact... you know something, don't you? Tell me!" should he tell them? No, they wouldn't believe it anyway. It was for the best to wait for someone to come and get them.
"Arare and I came to the conclusion that we were kidnapped" that's what he settled on telling her. It's not like it was really a lie; he and Arare had discussed about the possibility and in a way it was close to the truth since the girls didn't know what was going on.
"Kidnapped?"
"Well, we couldn't come up with anything else that would fit" Toji told, hurrying to add "I mean, there could have been an earthquake or something like that that took out the lights and got us stuck... well, here, but..."
"That can't be; I went to sleep at home. I mean I live in an apartment building and could have gotten stuck with a neighbor, but as far I know we don't have neighbors by your names and and-"
Fuka was starting to panic; it was clear from her voice. Toji had a feeling that he needed to put a stop to it, the sooner the better.
"Fuka, calm down" Toji interrupted. He didn't raise his voice, but the tone he used was stern. He just hoped it was stern enough "You're starting to panic, and that won't help."
That might not be enough, so Toji continued talking in order to keep Fuka's thoughts from straying too much: "And you're right; the names "Ayatori" or "Fushizuke" don't ring a bell, so I suppose we aren't from the same neighborhood. Besides, I'm from Nagano and Arare's from... Sapporo, I think that's what she said."
"I'm from Kyoto" Fuka said making Toji chuckle. He knew it "What?"
"Nothing" he replied, suppressing another chuckle "I mean, at occasions it seemed like you had a dialect, the Kansai one, but you hide it well."
"So? At least I don't keep using English words like the people from Tokyo usually do" She sounded offended. Oops.
"I meant no offence" Toji said, hoping that things would go better than with Arare "Just making a conversation."
"Okay" Fuka fell silent after that, and Arare didn't seem to want to talk either. Toji would've actually wanted to talk; he was bored after all, but didn't start a conversation on his own in the fear of angering the girls. He was already sinking to his own thoughts when Fuka suddenly said: "Hey."
"Yeah?"
"If we were kidnapped someone is bound to come here to give us food sooner or later... right?" Fuka asked after a while. Toji wondered what he should say; he had no idea how things would proceed from here. Would someone really come? ...Well, whatever the case it'd be pointless to worry Fuka more, so he answered: "Yeah, of course."
"Has anyone come after you woke up?"
"Nope" somehow Toji felt like he should watch his mouth right now.
"How long have you been awake?"
"Uh..." that was a good question. Just how long had it been?
"Two hours and 30 minutes, give or take a few" Toji heard Arare say. She had an incredible sense of time "And around three hours for me."
"Oh, you're awake, Arare-Chan" he said, relieved. He had been worried about the girl.
"I was never asleep to begin with"
"Okay, sorry" Toji apologized. He wondered if it was true or not... if she really hadn't been a sleep that would mean she just hadn't answered because she didn't like him. Damn.
"She doesn't really talk much... anymore. A few hours ago she was pretty loud." He thought saying that would get Arare to say something more, but there's no such luck, so he decides to try to talk with Fuka. He starts a casual conversation, getting Fuka to join with next to no effort at all. This should give them both something else to think about, too. He learned a lot about Fuka and the girl learned a lot about him. It was a bit harder, but he did manage to make Arare say a few things every now and then. He had fun talking to Fuka, and for a moment he even forgot the situation they were in. However, nothing lasted forever. They were starting to run out of things to talk about, not to mention voice, and so the harsh reality started to kick in again.
"I'm hungry and thirsty" Fuka suddenly told "Do you think someone will soon come to give us food?"
What could he answer to that?
"No" Arare answered quietly before Toji could "They'll let us starve and die of dehydration."
"Arare!" Toji hisses. Even if he didn't know what he should say that was definitely not it.
"What?" Arare asks, sounding offended "We all know it's true."
Well, maybe. Something had definitely gone wrong; otherwise someone would've come to get them already... right?
"I wanna see my dad" Fuka says.
"What about your mom?" Toji asks. Fuka's only answer is: "She died long time ago."
"That's probably for the best" Arare speaks and before Toji can tell her to shut up she adds: "For she doesn't have to worry about her missing daughter."
"Knock it off already" Toji hisses. There's no reason to worry Fuka more.
"I will when you do, too" Arare says, making Toji frown "I know you know something."
Well, true, but he better not say anything. Even if they believed him at this point, it would probably depress them more. He'd wait, at least a bit more.
"Toji?" Toji hears Fuka say after what felt like an eternity "Are you still there?"
"Yeah" Toji answered. His throat hurt "And Arare-chan? You still there?"
"Arare?" he repeats "You don't have to speak, but give us some kind of sign that you're still there, okay?"
Toji waits. He's about to call her name again, but hears three knocks right at that moment. Arare?
"Did you hear that?"
"Yeah" Toji answers relieved as he coughs a little "It's Arare."
Time passes as all of them try to save their energy and voice. Yet, at one point, Toji hears Fuka's voice: "Toji."
"Yeah?"
"If we ever get out of here, let's go on a date." Now that came out of nowhere... but then again, why not?
"Yeah, sure" he said, adding as a joke: "Hey Arare-Chan, do you want to join us?"
He waits, but gets no answer this time.
"Seriously, Toji?" Fuka asks, and Toji's pretty sure he can hear her laugh. Well, at least something good came out of his little joke.
"I just thought it'd be rude to leave her out of this."
"Or you're just a womanizer" Fuka said. Toji could hear her voice weakening, but didn't point it out. Instead he continued: "I won't admit or deny anything."
Toji was pretty sure he heard Fuka chuckle, but after that she didn't let out a sound. He too was quiet for a while, but soon asked: "Everything okay, Fuka?"
"Uhhuh" he heard her say after a while. Silence takes over again as Toji gets no sign from either of the girls. He falls asleep, but once he wakes up he calls again: "Fuka? Arare? You girls still there?"
He gets no answer. That can't be good.
"Fuka? Please answer" still nothing "Arare-Chan?"
Nothing. The idea that the girls were already gone frightens Toji. He had held up pretty well for now, but if he was alone... no, he didn't want to think about it. He kept calling their names, over and over again.
"Will you shut up already!?" he suddenly heard someone hiss "You're getting on my nerves!"
It was Arare, it had to be with that attitude.
"So you're still here..." Toji muttered. He was glad "What about Fuka?"
"Probably dead already" Arare said "Of dehydration."
"Don't say that!" Toji said "Besides, can people really die of dehydration this fast?"
"Do you know how long it's been?" Arare asked, but when Toji didn't answer, she said: "Didn't think so."
Was this really it? Was Fuka really dead? Would he be next? Or would it be Arare?
"It wasn't supposed to be like this..." he started to mutter "Just what went wrong?"
Muttering to himself, Toji barely registered Arare saying something, but couldn't make out the words.
"Toji!"
That shout he did hear, but what should he tell her? That her parents had sent her to this place for her own good? She'd only start to resent them, assuming she'd believe him...
"...it might be better not to know" that's what he settled on "I... it wasn't supposed to go like this... we were supposed to... I wouldn't have let them make me part of this if I'd known..."
Toji kept muttering about how it wasn't supposed to be like this, how things should've been different, how this wasn't the future they were supposed to have... Arare no longer said anything, but he couldn't even notice the silence anyway, continuing to mumble until he ran out of voice. Right before his eyes drifted shut for an eternity, the usually so optimistic man cursed the bitter cards hands of fate had dealt him.
A.N: Finished! Whose chapter did you like the most?
