Two days before my deserved two weeks holiday. I bet my neck that they'll give a long-time assignment before our holiday… now, whenever I use my old laptop to write ideas, I can't stop thinking about molecules and chemist reaction. I hope it won't affect the story I'm going to write…
Disclaimer: I've had enough about claiming that these characters aren't mine
Oh, and a note to everyone: I'm going to end this story very soon, it won't have the full in-games story. It will be very very long…than I intended to make. This story has even gone out of my plan several times being longer than what I've planned, but I'm quite proud of this though it has lots of grammar mistakes that I can't fix at all…so, thank you if you still get stuck with this story
…
Ch 19: Games
He woke up in the scramble, finding out that he has been there for quite some times. It was a miracle of how he didn't get trampled by passerby's feet. He saw a man running toward him just a few seconds away from stomping his head. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come, but, no…it never comes.
The man passed him just like that. That's when he looked at himself, and realized, he can't touch anyone, the same goes when people touch him. He ran in circle, what happened, he can't remember a thing. How he ended up in here, and why? His name is the only thing he could find from his hazy memories.
He heard a screech from behind. He rolled to the right just before a frog jumped at him.
"What the hell, a fricking frog in the middle of the street?" he cursed. The frog glared at him, its body was green, but what frightened him most is the fact that it leaped with its hind legs that were made by graffiti. That couldn't be real. This must be a mere dream.
The frog disagrees quickly as it kicked him in the stomach with a powerful bounce. It hurts…and he was awake. It's not a dream, if it is, he should be awake, now, all sweaty from the horrific dream. No one paid attention to him being harassed by random frog. Everyone seems ignorant of what happened to him. Or…
He shivered by the thought. Simple answer, they couldn't see him or the frog at all.
So he ran…
…
"A game, Megumi…just a game…"
Megumi rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a while, "…But I won't stand a chance against you, sir…" he finally said, "…It won't be fair to Shibuya as well"
The man that he called 'sir' smiled, "No, of course I won't play directly…"
Somehow, Megumi sighed in relief
"I will choose a proxy who will play as me in this game…"
Twitching his eyes, Megumi pondered to himself of how the composer chooses just one to take his stand in the game. As composer, he could say he will choose three or a battalion of proxies, but he chose one.
"A proxy, sir?" he emphasized on 'A'. The composer nodded confidently, "I'll choose one, and only one that I believe will win this game for sure…"
"But, why, sir?"
Megumi looked at the man before him. The same man whom he respect wholeheartedly.
"…Why I choose one? That's because I know he'll win it for me…a remarkable proxy that is…"
No, that's not the answer he seek
"Why do you want to destroy Shibuya so badly, sir? Don't you love her?"
The composer's smile faded as shadows passed his purple eyes.
"Destroying her shows how much I love her…" he replied.
He can't believe it. If the composer loves it THAT much, why would he, on the first place tries to destroy her? Why didn't he try to fix it?
"Can't you just fix her, like you usually does, sir? Destroying just…sound…harsh"
He saw him bit his lips as if reluctant. The composer raised a finger to his lips, making a 'sssh' sound, telling him to shut up. It's then, he heard the horrible sound. A screeching-like sound followed by shrill notes like a broken piano being played over and again. He covered his ears, but the nasty voice pierced through his ears, screaming.
"….Make…it stop, sir…" he yelped. The man flicked his finger and the song stopped, complete silent wrapped both of them.
"That's my reason, Megumi…that's exactly why…" he heard him spoke in whispers, "…I can't fix her anymore…"
"But, you haven't try it!" he insisted, there must be another way, other than exterminating her
He was replied by a weak smile…
…
"Let's make a pact!"
"Wait, what the hell is 'a pact' means"
The unknown girl crossed her arms in a pouting way. She yelped when the 'noise' (that's what she told him before…) started their assault again. Pulling his arm, she forcefully tapped his palm. He felt something shifted around him and bright lights coming out from the place the girl has tapped him.
"This is what a pact means," she said, "…now, it's time to beat up some noise!"
A black doll came out of nowhere, standing in the ground protectively in front of the girl.
"What the hell…" he cussed. The girl angrily tugged his collar, "Honestly, can't you do anything other than cursing?" she reached to her skirt's pocket, pulling out a few pins and shoved it to him, "…here use these!"
" What's this for?" he yelled, "…even if I chuck these useless pins at them, they won't even budge!"
She huffed, "Is there ANYthing you know?"
The boy frowned, "At least give me a clue!"
The black doll quivered and hopped toward the frog, clawing at it until the noise slowly dissipated. He stared, mouth agape in shock.
"That's my psych…now, use yours!" she placed her hand on her hips, "…these pins might channel your psych"
Oh for fu-
A fire suddenly flashed before him, burning one of the noises to ashes. He stared, confused and disbelief plastered all over his face. His clenched palm was opened, and he saw a red pin decorated with a picture of a fire.
"Good, that's how the psych works!"
So all he needs just concentrating his anger to the pins then it would be usable? He grinned, then that would be easy…
…
He was being followed by that darn girl.
"Hey, Neku, wait up!" he stopped walking and turned around, uninterested. She panted, "You walk too fast!" she added between her pant. "Who told you to follow me?" he bitterly answered. She puffed her cheeks, "Come on, Neku, we're partners! If we are separated, we can't fight noise and will be erased!"
"Heh, you sounded like we're in a game or something, stalker…"
The girl gritted her teeth, "We ARE in a game, Neku…"
Neku chuckled darkly, "Nice joke, stalker…"
She slapped Neku's shoulder, "I'm not joking! We are in the game because we're dead! And stop calling me Stalker already, I have name!" she hugged the black doll, "…if we fail the mission, we will be erased!"
Neku ignored her, it wasn't his business if the girl is in the game anyway, "Then go alone, stalker, I've no time for you…"
"I'm SHIKI! I've told you, right, Neku! And I won't go away! We can't fight noises without partners!"
Neku silently turned up his headphones volume. Shiki's voice wasn't there anymore. He shut his eyes, enjoying the music booming to his ears. Suddenly, the song was halted, his eyes shot open and found his headphone in the hand of the damn stalker.
"It's rude to wear headphone when someone talks to you…" she scolded him.
"Give it back, stalker…"
"Call my name and listen…"
"Alright, fine! SHI-KI! There, happy?"
"Good, now listen…"
He halfheartedly listen and reply after that…
…
How amusing…
How could that word…that word gets out from his mouth?
The very first words that tied them all…
Is the word,' Stalker'
…
He has been with Shiki or stalker or whatever for about six days. He met new…people. A weird, noisy brat called Beat and the calm, gentle kid named Rhyme. They stayed with them for a while, until Rhyme was erased. Exterminated by a shark noise…dissipated into static, died from protecting Beat. Beat could only stare blankly, his partner has gone, he would follow suit after that.
And somehow, he moved to fight. To avenge Rhyme. Why? How would he know? He just moved to the front, dragging Shiki to fight as well. He won, but what for? Beat is as good as dead. But, come a rescuer. Mr H, the very same self-naming guardian of the game who has saved Neku from erasing Shiki.
He said he could make Beat stays alive, but Neku and Shiki have to win the game for them as well. He made the promise. To win, but it was only his mouth that talks. Inside his mind, he was worried. Is what he said fake promises? Will he be able to win?
It nearly crumbled when Shiki broke down.
He never would've thought that Shiki, the girl who spouts nothing but friends talk, loyalty, and everything is actually a girl that was consumed by jealously. Her entry fee is her body…and she wasn't in her body. She's…all this time, trapped in her friend's body, Eri.
He knows what it feels to be jealous, he doesn't know why he know, but he just knew it. But he never gets overwhelmed by such jealously. He talks to her, cheering her up. And it all ended with them overhearing Eri saying that it's her fault that her friend, Shiki…died, and how she regretted her horrible remark the day before Shiki's death. Shiki cried…and that time, he didn't say a thing. He let her cried to her heart content.
The seventh day…they were ready. To face everything. And Neku's resolve to win just gets tougher.
He will win, no matter how!
…
His proxy won the game…
Just like he has predicted.
Either Megumi knows it or not, but his absence from the UG will affect the game badly. However strong, a conductor can't grant life to deaths. Only composer could. Megumi successfully avoided it, by taking the girl as his proxy's entry fee and forcing him to enter the game again.
But this time, he himself will have to let his hand dirty…
It's time to enter the game as well…
…
It's irritating. How could a prissy kid like this…guy be his partner? But if he didn't make do with this, Shiki's life will vanish and it'll be his fault. And why the hell could he read this guy mind? Players can't read other players mind! That's impossible…but there, his partner's mind. Clear, like other person's mind.
It was Udagawa.
Why of all places, that place appeared in his partner's mind? And why it hurts him to see it?
Sure, his memory, which is the entry fee of his last game has came back to his head. But there's still a few holes in it, the memory of his death. And it seems like Udagawa is connected to this lost memories.
"See something you like, Neku?"
He growled at his partner, the damn spoilt brat named Joshua or Yoshiya. Just called him bastard anyway cause he surely sounds like one. He's a prick, a smug, irritating guy who seems to go with his own pace. And somehow, he also knows Mr H.
It's not until the fourth day that Neku found out that Joshua plays the Game while he's still very much alive. He's not dead. Neku was angered, very furious. The fact that Joshua doesn't bet his most precious things (that Neku believes doesn't even exist at all...) angered him/ And after all those scanning he's done recently, he was convinced that Joshua has seen him died in Udagawa or worse killed him in Udagawa.
Mr H told him that J is special. A teen that is able to see players inside 'the game'. Who could see what others can't see. A lonely teen, lives by his special sight. avoided by normal people. He softened by Mr H's story and started to see himself inside the annoying brat. A closed up soul who cares nothing but his own world. Who'd never willingly to let anyone invade he and his little world. Just like him.
But he's not him anymore. He changed. Along the game, with Shiki, with Joshua, he changed a little. Tries to cut away his world barrier. Tries to collide with others. And change with them.
And it shocked him to know from Joshua that Mr H is CAT. The only street-artist which he adores. CAT, the only thing that supports his life in this boring world. He believes Mr H and Mr H believes Joshua. But why can't he believe that nosy brat?
After all, it was Joshua who killed him. Who partnered up with him in order to prevent himself from being erased by him. Who smiled proudly at his brilliant plan.
He was too late to believe. It's not until they faced the Game master, Minamimoto that he found out. He was killed by the game master's bullet, not Joshua. It wasn't until Joshua shoved him aside, smiling with that smug grin of his and preach him with encouraging words that he realized it. How could he not believe in his partner like Mr H, no CAT has told him? Joshua took the attack for him, the last imaginary flare attack. Before his very own eyes, his partner vanished while taking the full brunt of the flame.
And once again, he lost a friend…
…
That was one nasty attack, he admitted. Sho Minamimoto was such a party heater. He knows how to heat up situation, but it's already gone too far. He, himself has to dirtied his hand for protecting his deal with Megumi.
His proxy has risen to his expectation. A bit wild and fierce, but still kicking well for him to win. Oh, how he lied over and again just for his benefits. And how easily his proxy believes his charade. How naive…just like when he was a little child. A mere child whose life he has crushed.
…
Beat was his next partner.
The weird self-calling conductor has warned him, saying that this is the last time he could enter the game. With an enormous entry fee. The lives of all other players. He is the only player. He won't be able to form a pact which means the game will end in a heartbeat.
Beat saved him. Beat, the reaper. Who he thought has turned his back on them in the first week.
Breaking the rules, the meathead did, but nonetheless, Beat doesn't give it a care. he shrugged it off with ease. He's still the same idiot Beat who carelessly crash into things simply because he believes that by doing so, everything's gonna be finish perfectly. Though, Beat almost got crush when his noise, a flying squirrel was taken by their new game master.
It is only a noise, that's what Neku said.
"That's...Rhyme, yo..." Beat replied. He told him that the coffeeman (in this case, Mr H, he guess) caught Rhyme's soul and put it inside a pin, allowing Beat to stay alive. The reason he joined the reaper is to figure out how to call Rhyme which resulted as the squirrel noise. It drove Beat out of his sanity making him restlessly jumped at everything.
Neku patiently keep up with him.
When Beat broke down, confessing to him that he was the reason that his sister, Rhyme's death. He wasn't able to protect her. She only wanted to cheer her brother. He blamed himself for everything that happened to Rhyme. Neku stood by him, listening. For once, there's no music booming from his headphone.
He listened.
…
Just as he has suspected. Someone is helping Sho all along. Who knows who did what they did. Sho was revived, ready to overthrow him. Sadly, the grim heaper won't be able to. No matter what, he has to stop him. Sho already knew too much...
Well, it's time to go, Sanae has come to get him.
It is time to see how his proxy fares. And how would he react if he knows whose side he's fighting for
…
Three weeks game in one chapter. Take that!
Oh, I was hesitating between two or three more chapters to go, or just make one gigantic chapter to end it…Choose one, key?