BLACK CHERRY / The Game (Chapter 7)
Title: The Game (Chapter 7)
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 029. Arrival
Word Count: 1603
Rating: R-15
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six
The Game
Chapter Seven
(029. Arrival)
One more week. One last stage.
At this point in the competition, Ryou was tied with Kei at first place. Kei had been the frontrunner, blazing through the levels within the first few weeks, but being a poor judge of character had always been his weakness. He always ended up picking needy, emotionally unstable girls; they were easy to catch, but hard to pry off. For the last several weeks Kei had been stuck with one final level to clear, but his current pet remained resolute to fight him.
Within days of Haruki’s return it had been easy to clear two more levels with her. Haruki, his dark horse, had grown to become a truly pleasant surprise. What started out as a bumbling, doe-eyed virgin was now a wild, brazen hellcat in his bed who easily coaxed his darkest desires like no one else ever did.
Many girls liked it rough, but Haruki accepted, embraced the pain. She’d always been selfless and eager to please, but on the day he caught her standing before his bathroom mirror, tracing thoughtful strokes along the bruises he’d left all over her, he knew she was going to be trouble.
The rain pelting outside his window was a steady, relaxing rhythm as he indulged in his glass of scotch, but from the opposite end of the room all he could look at was the sleeping girl on his bed, bathed in the moonlight. Haruki looked so small on his king-sized bed, practically buried in his coverlet, peaceful and blissfully unaware of the raging storm outside.
Haruki was becoming the exception to a disturbingly increasing number of rules. Letting her stay over, having her again after clearing a level, and now, having her even without playing the game… Her body was becoming a familiar need to the point that when she’d been gone for a whole week, no other girl had sated him as well as she had. It was unnerving and sickening how his once clumsy, stuttering student had become a physical weakness, but at least, with only days to go, he was going to be rid of her soon.
A flash of lightning and the thunderclap that roared outside brought him much-needed clarity. He downed the last of his drink and rose from the couch. He placed his empty glass on the table and heard her murmur of lucidity.
Haruki slowly sat up, hair a tangled mess with a strap of her white camisole dangling off her shoulder.
“Hey,” she murmured, rubbing an eye. “Why are you still awake?”
Her voice was raspy with sleepiness, stirring his appetite again. He approached her and settled on her bedside, snaking a hand up her to stroke her waist. Her skin was almost feverishly warm, thawing his cold fingers. He planted a soft kiss on her neck, nibbling on it, inhaling the fragrance of her hair before grazing her supple skin with his teeth.
“Just giving you a break,” he muttered, squeezing her inner thigh hard until she softly moaned in his ear. He pulled the sheets back and shoved her to the pillows. “Your marks are starting to fade. We can’t have that now, can we?”
“Please, no more,” she whispered, but the darkness in her eyes said otherwise.
Ryou pinned her arms to the headboard and began his sweet, gratifying assault on her once more.
The last two weeks had become one big whirlwind of craziness for Haruki.
To have an ongoing relationship with a teacher was one thing, but to be having sex with him almost every day, sneaking out of his apartment in the morning before class… It was dangerous and stupid to be pushing the envelope this much. At this rate they would get caught. She could get expelled, and Ryou sacked. She should be fearing for their lives.
Instead, she was feeling nothing but pure thrill from it all.
Something was changing in her. All her life she’d always exercised caution, letting the voice of reason rule over everything she did. Once, she’d had ideals about the kind of man to be with, fixed numbers to count before each step, but that was all out the window now. Ryou was everything but her sweet, boy-next-door type. He was impulsive, secretive… a moving mass of raw energy to be steered clear from, and yet like a black hole she’d come too close. Now there was no escaping even if she wanted to.
There was still too little to know about Ryou to foresee what kind of future they had, but what he lacked in words he made up for with the marks he left her each night. ‘A reminder that I own you,’ he’d once said in her ear while he grabbed a fistful of her hair and came inside her. It should feel degrading, but to be his property… There was a strange sense of pride in being claimed. Used but wanted.
His violent ways should disturb her as anyone in their right mind would, but she’d learned to embrace, even love the pain. Whether that was acceptance or awakening was still beyond her, but come every morning when she grew sore and littered with bruises… It was a rush like no other, reducing her to a wet mess while she touched herself in front of the mirror, admiring her marks. Perhaps she’d been funny in the head all along, getting off on all the things that would otherwise revolt most people.
Haruki winced as she applied concealer on the last apparent bruise on her neck, promptly pushing back the memory of how she’d gotten it. She was already running late for class. She couldn’t afford any more distractions.
Rising from the dresser, she made a quick, final appraisal of her reflection before leaving her apartment for class. She was only fifteen minutes late. Surely Prof. Martin would understand…
A white envelope lay on her mat when she opened the door.
Strangely, it was unsealed but with no name addressed to her. Inside was a plain card that read,
I know about you and Prof. Hirose.
Her heart stopped.
Haruki wildly looked down the empty corridor. With trembling fingers, she eyed the handwriting for a long time, frantically running through names in her head. She hadn’t told a single soul. Who in God’s name could possibly know?
When she flipped the card around, her breath almost hitched.
If you want to know how, meet me at Mark’s Cafe at 3 p.m. today.
Haruki crumpled the note with her fist.
Even seven hours later, Haruki couldn’t stop her hands from shaking as she unsteadily put her cup of coffee down. Her eyes constantly darted from the diner entrance to her watch, and every time the door chimes jangled every hair on her body stood on end. She had no name and no face to pinpoint the note to; just a quick scrawl that told her everything and nothing.
Could Ryou have possibly told someone? Worse, perhaps someone had seen them. All the possible consequences were numerous and detrimental. Now the rest of her fate lay in the hands of a stranger. If he or she went out of their way to notify her, they must want something. But what…?
“Haruki Shinjo?”
A girl with long, straight black hair appeared before her. She wore her school’s varsity jacket, and a no-nonsense expression on her pretty face.
Haruki’s forehead creased. “Yes?”
The girl slid to the booth sofa before her, her green gaze falling on the envelope on the table. “I see you got my note.”
Haruki’s clammy hands gripped her coffee mug, the scalding pain reminding her to take a deep, calm breath. “Who are you?”
The girl leaned back and slid her hands in her pockets. “Does it matter?”
Haruki studied her. She was clearly a student from the same school. The smug look that remained on her beautiful face suggested someone senior or popular, perhaps both, and yet she’d never seen her around campus before.
“What exactly do you know about me and Professor Hirose?” Haruki asked, struggling to keep her voice even.
“I know you two are together.”
Haruki swallowed. “How?”
The girl shrugged. “None of your concern.”
“You told me if I came here you’d tell me,” Haruki said in frustration.
A sickly-sweet smile crept on the girl’s lips. “I changed my mind. I will tell you something though. You’re not the first.”
Haruki’s eyebrows met. “I’m not the first what?”
“Not his first student girlfriend.”
Her chest closed in on her rapidly beating heart, tightening and pounding incessantly until it hurt. It had to have shown on her face, and the girl seemed to be relishing it like a cat with a bowl of cream.
“Oh don’t worry dear, it’ll be all over soon,” she crooned. “He’ll get over you and move on to the next one.”
Haruki’s voice was almost a ragged whisper. “How do you know about this?”
The girl brought a hand to her mouth, her lips in a feigned circle. “Oops, I may have said too much. If you want to know more, I can point you in the right direction. All you have to do is ask.”
The girl stood up, winking. “I’ll be in touch with you, Haruki. It was nice meeting you.”
Haruki remained holding on to her mug until it grew lukewarm in her hand. The vibrating in her pocket snapped her back to her senses.
A message from Ryou. Where are you? Come over tonight.
Haruki left the diner and did not reply.
to be continued
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 029. Arrival
Word Count: 1603
Rating: R-15
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six
The Game
Chapter Seven
(029. Arrival)
One more week. One last stage.
At this point in the competition, Ryou was tied with Kei at first place. Kei had been the frontrunner, blazing through the levels within the first few weeks, but being a poor judge of character had always been his weakness. He always ended up picking needy, emotionally unstable girls; they were easy to catch, but hard to pry off. For the last several weeks Kei had been stuck with one final level to clear, but his current pet remained resolute to fight him.
Within days of Haruki’s return it had been easy to clear two more levels with her. Haruki, his dark horse, had grown to become a truly pleasant surprise. What started out as a bumbling, doe-eyed virgin was now a wild, brazen hellcat in his bed who easily coaxed his darkest desires like no one else ever did.
Many girls liked it rough, but Haruki accepted, embraced the pain. She’d always been selfless and eager to please, but on the day he caught her standing before his bathroom mirror, tracing thoughtful strokes along the bruises he’d left all over her, he knew she was going to be trouble.
The rain pelting outside his window was a steady, relaxing rhythm as he indulged in his glass of scotch, but from the opposite end of the room all he could look at was the sleeping girl on his bed, bathed in the moonlight. Haruki looked so small on his king-sized bed, practically buried in his coverlet, peaceful and blissfully unaware of the raging storm outside.
Haruki was becoming the exception to a disturbingly increasing number of rules. Letting her stay over, having her again after clearing a level, and now, having her even without playing the game… Her body was becoming a familiar need to the point that when she’d been gone for a whole week, no other girl had sated him as well as she had. It was unnerving and sickening how his once clumsy, stuttering student had become a physical weakness, but at least, with only days to go, he was going to be rid of her soon.
A flash of lightning and the thunderclap that roared outside brought him much-needed clarity. He downed the last of his drink and rose from the couch. He placed his empty glass on the table and heard her murmur of lucidity.
Haruki slowly sat up, hair a tangled mess with a strap of her white camisole dangling off her shoulder.
“Hey,” she murmured, rubbing an eye. “Why are you still awake?”
Her voice was raspy with sleepiness, stirring his appetite again. He approached her and settled on her bedside, snaking a hand up her to stroke her waist. Her skin was almost feverishly warm, thawing his cold fingers. He planted a soft kiss on her neck, nibbling on it, inhaling the fragrance of her hair before grazing her supple skin with his teeth.
“Just giving you a break,” he muttered, squeezing her inner thigh hard until she softly moaned in his ear. He pulled the sheets back and shoved her to the pillows. “Your marks are starting to fade. We can’t have that now, can we?”
“Please, no more,” she whispered, but the darkness in her eyes said otherwise.
Ryou pinned her arms to the headboard and began his sweet, gratifying assault on her once more.
The last two weeks had become one big whirlwind of craziness for Haruki.
To have an ongoing relationship with a teacher was one thing, but to be having sex with him almost every day, sneaking out of his apartment in the morning before class… It was dangerous and stupid to be pushing the envelope this much. At this rate they would get caught. She could get expelled, and Ryou sacked. She should be fearing for their lives.
Instead, she was feeling nothing but pure thrill from it all.
Something was changing in her. All her life she’d always exercised caution, letting the voice of reason rule over everything she did. Once, she’d had ideals about the kind of man to be with, fixed numbers to count before each step, but that was all out the window now. Ryou was everything but her sweet, boy-next-door type. He was impulsive, secretive… a moving mass of raw energy to be steered clear from, and yet like a black hole she’d come too close. Now there was no escaping even if she wanted to.
There was still too little to know about Ryou to foresee what kind of future they had, but what he lacked in words he made up for with the marks he left her each night. ‘A reminder that I own you,’ he’d once said in her ear while he grabbed a fistful of her hair and came inside her. It should feel degrading, but to be his property… There was a strange sense of pride in being claimed. Used but wanted.
His violent ways should disturb her as anyone in their right mind would, but she’d learned to embrace, even love the pain. Whether that was acceptance or awakening was still beyond her, but come every morning when she grew sore and littered with bruises… It was a rush like no other, reducing her to a wet mess while she touched herself in front of the mirror, admiring her marks. Perhaps she’d been funny in the head all along, getting off on all the things that would otherwise revolt most people.
Haruki winced as she applied concealer on the last apparent bruise on her neck, promptly pushing back the memory of how she’d gotten it. She was already running late for class. She couldn’t afford any more distractions.
Rising from the dresser, she made a quick, final appraisal of her reflection before leaving her apartment for class. She was only fifteen minutes late. Surely Prof. Martin would understand…
A white envelope lay on her mat when she opened the door.
Strangely, it was unsealed but with no name addressed to her. Inside was a plain card that read,
I know about you and Prof. Hirose.
Her heart stopped.
Haruki wildly looked down the empty corridor. With trembling fingers, she eyed the handwriting for a long time, frantically running through names in her head. She hadn’t told a single soul. Who in God’s name could possibly know?
When she flipped the card around, her breath almost hitched.
If you want to know how, meet me at Mark’s Cafe at 3 p.m. today.
Haruki crumpled the note with her fist.
Even seven hours later, Haruki couldn’t stop her hands from shaking as she unsteadily put her cup of coffee down. Her eyes constantly darted from the diner entrance to her watch, and every time the door chimes jangled every hair on her body stood on end. She had no name and no face to pinpoint the note to; just a quick scrawl that told her everything and nothing.
Could Ryou have possibly told someone? Worse, perhaps someone had seen them. All the possible consequences were numerous and detrimental. Now the rest of her fate lay in the hands of a stranger. If he or she went out of their way to notify her, they must want something. But what…?
“Haruki Shinjo?”
A girl with long, straight black hair appeared before her. She wore her school’s varsity jacket, and a no-nonsense expression on her pretty face.
Haruki’s forehead creased. “Yes?”
The girl slid to the booth sofa before her, her green gaze falling on the envelope on the table. “I see you got my note.”
Haruki’s clammy hands gripped her coffee mug, the scalding pain reminding her to take a deep, calm breath. “Who are you?”
The girl leaned back and slid her hands in her pockets. “Does it matter?”
Haruki studied her. She was clearly a student from the same school. The smug look that remained on her beautiful face suggested someone senior or popular, perhaps both, and yet she’d never seen her around campus before.
“What exactly do you know about me and Professor Hirose?” Haruki asked, struggling to keep her voice even.
“I know you two are together.”
Haruki swallowed. “How?”
The girl shrugged. “None of your concern.”
“You told me if I came here you’d tell me,” Haruki said in frustration.
A sickly-sweet smile crept on the girl’s lips. “I changed my mind. I will tell you something though. You’re not the first.”
Haruki’s eyebrows met. “I’m not the first what?”
“Not his first student girlfriend.”
Her chest closed in on her rapidly beating heart, tightening and pounding incessantly until it hurt. It had to have shown on her face, and the girl seemed to be relishing it like a cat with a bowl of cream.
“Oh don’t worry dear, it’ll be all over soon,” she crooned. “He’ll get over you and move on to the next one.”
Haruki’s voice was almost a ragged whisper. “How do you know about this?”
The girl brought a hand to her mouth, her lips in a feigned circle. “Oops, I may have said too much. If you want to know more, I can point you in the right direction. All you have to do is ask.”
The girl stood up, winking. “I’ll be in touch with you, Haruki. It was nice meeting you.”
Haruki remained holding on to her mug until it grew lukewarm in her hand. The vibrating in her pocket snapped her back to her senses.
A message from Ryou. Where are you? Come over tonight.
Haruki left the diner and did not reply.
to be continued