BLACK CHERRY / The Game (Chapter 13)
Title: The Game (Chapter 13)
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 073. Return
Word Count: 1874
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
The Game
Chapter Thirteen
(073. Return)
He’d been too late.
It had taken him less than five minutes running across campus to reach Haruki’s apartment, but no matter how hard he’d banged on her door, she never answered him.
His shouting had upset her next-door neighbor, and yet he refused to give. He’d added breaking and entering into his list of crimes, but she had not been home. All his calls went to voicemail.
For a moment, panic had seized him. Suzume could’ve done something to Haruki, and despite Shin’s rage for having been bothered for the third time since that evening, Ryou had forced him to track Haruki’s phone. Only until the GPS indicated that she was already upstate-somewhere near her family home-did he finally give up.
He’d never felt so frustrated in his life. He needed no explaining; he wouldn’t be able to provide one even if he wanted to, and yet the urge to say something-anything to make her change her mind ate at him. How much had she known? Had Suzume told her everything?
None of it should’ve mattered anymore. All the evidence was gone, the game’s security beefed up, and Suzume’s silent disappearance meant there was nothing more to worry about. Still, his restlessness brewed into agitation over the entire two weeks of Christmas break. He’d lain awake at night, caught in a mental dialogue of all the things he could’ve said to her to lessen the blow. Perhaps if his last image of her hadn’t been one with doubt and sadness in her eyes, it would be easier to forget everything.
The first day of school after winter break couldn’t come fast enough. When it did, Haruki’s chair was vacant during class. He’d been disappointed but assumed she’d return late from the holidays, yet he’d spotted her down the hallways after lunch break. His better judgment screamed at him, but he’d followed her all the way to the library where he found her absently scanning titles down one of the aisles.
She froze, eyes wide at the sight of him. The epitome of a deer caught in headlights; her entire body stock still with tension. It had only been two weeks, and yet the change in her couldn’t be any more visible. She was thinner with faint shadows under her eyes, so frail she looked breakable to the touch.
Her hands clenched into fists when he took the first, tentative step. She was poised ready for flight, at which point he nearly stammered out her name.
“Haruki,” he said, the name sounding almost foreign from not having uttered it for so long.
She swallowed but stood her ground, saying nothing.
“You weren’t in class today,” he began, keeping his voice low as a student passed them by.
Her gaze darted away from him, locking on a random book. Her eyes narrowed with a hardness that belied her shaky response. “I’ve dropped out.”
His insides tightened. “What? But the term is ending in a matter of weeks.”
“I’ll retake it next semester. I don’t want to be near you anymore.”
He nearly took another step, but stopped himself. “Look, about everything-”
“I don’t want to remember.” She tightly closed her eyes. “I won’t press charges. You don’t have to worry about anything. Just stay away from me.”
She turned on her heel and swiftly disappeared down the aisle. He wanted nothing more than to chase after her and refuse to let her take another step, but something heavy kept him anchored to the spot. He remained down that aisle, looking at the spot where she’d been mere seconds ago, until the switch in him propelled him out of the library without another word.
Haruki could barely breathe.
Her chest burned with a pain beyond lack of air, but she had to keep her mouth shut-lest she break down in her cubicle for everyone in the girls’ room to hear.
The hand on her lips remained shaking. She bit hard into her finger, but the pain was all too fleeting to make her forget Ryou’s face. Two weeks had not been enough. Far from it. If only she could drop out of school completely, but she refused for one bastard like Ryou to be the sole reason she would throw away her entire college scholarship.
Every waking moment was plagued with the memory of how he’d humiliated her again and again. What she thought was an expression of his affection turned out to be her being used for sport, for the amusement of sick bastards who had nothing better to do with their lives. That girl Suzume had all the material to cause a nationwide scandal, and yet why she refused to report to the authorities after all this time was beyond understanding.
Haruki wanted nothing to do with it. She refused to remember any of it, let alone be associated with it. A part of her wished the secret would die with all those professors. For anyone else to see those videos… Her life would be forever ruined. She just wanted to stay as far from Ryou as possible.
It would not be easy. It had taken every fiber of her being not to break down at the mere sight of him earlier. A detestable part of her still wanted to run to him, but she held on to the reminder of his deception to keep her grounded. He had the gall to act like nothing happened, asking something so stupid as to why she was no longer in his class. Did he expect acceptance? Forgiveness? He’d been mad enough to participate in such a sick game. Perhaps he was mad enough to remain blind.
The bell rang. Haruki hastily wiped her tears and straightened herself. When she stepped out, her fatigued reflection looked back at her in the mirror. She released one long, shaky sigh, and left the restroom with a facade that fooled everyone but herself.
Time dragged and flew by at the same time for Ryou.
The first few days had felt like the longest. Like moving in a dreamlike state, everything had been slow, heavy, and slightly muted. He’d carried out his classes listlessly, all the while trying to ignore the vacant chair by the window. His eyes always seemed to be drawn to it like a magnet, no matter how many times he looked away. It screamed for his attention, and the empty space continued to mock him.
The university had only a little over eight hundred students, and yet it began to feel like she had never existed. Over the next few weeks he’d only run into her a handful of times, and even then she moved too fast, too far away for him to watch her. For a time he’d wondered how she was doing, how she must be coping with everything… and before long he stopped thinking about her entirely.
Slowly, finally, he began to return to his old place-a place where he cared for nothing, felt nothing. Everything became inconsequential and uninteresting again. The only amusement that remained was making life difficult for his students. Oh, it was always a delight to see them squirm whenever he posed problems they were never meant to solve. He lived up to the name they’d fondly coined him-Hell Teacher Hirose-in every sense of the word.
Everything else was perfunctory, routinely. Every week a random girl got him off, and on weekends he kept himself busy with a book or exercise. Things became steady again. Predictable but calculable, and Ryou was all about calculation.
It was only a matter of weeks before spring break, now a good two months since the incident. Ryou was checking papers in his office when the door opened.
“Someone’s burning the midnight oil,” said Kei in his usual singsong voice as he stopped before his desk. “Get a life and go home.”
Without looking up, Ryou replied, “Not yet midnight.”
Kei released a snort and drummed his fingers on the table. “The site’s back up, you know. Shin just relaunched it today. New security, new look, new everything. Looks pretty swell, actually.”
Ryou turned to the next page of his paperwork.
“Well, have you scouted for a new candidate yet?” Kei asked.
Ryou removed his glasses with a brief sigh. He looked up at his colleague, whose eyebrows were raised with expectation.
“I don’t think I’m joining the game next term.”
Kei blinked at him twice before releasing a laugh. “You’re joking.”
Ryou tossed his glasses to the table. “No, I’m not.”
“Why the hell not?” Kei demanded, his jaw dropping slack with disbelief. “Don’t tell me this is about Haruki.”
The mention of her name from Kei’s lips nearly made him clench his fists. “I won the game this term. I figured I’d give the rest a chance.”
“Bullshit.” Kei dryly laughed. “This is your third win. Never stopped you before.”
“Maybe I’m getting bored.”
Kei slipped his hands in his pockets and looked down on him, and every second he bore that condescending gaze made it harder for Ryou to stop himself from punching him. Kei slowly shook his head and scoffed.
“Unbelievable. Bored my ass. You’re still hung over her, even after all this time,” Kei drawled, a wry smile forming on his lips. “Man, what the hell did she do to you? She must give the most amazing head in the world.”
Ryou mentally counted to three to keep himself in check. “You’ll like that I’m bowing out. You never liked much of a challenge.”
Kei narrowed his eyes, his smile widening. “You’re right. Maybe this is a good idea. I should challenge myself more. I think I will go with Haruki as my new pet.”
Ryou nearly bit his tongue, and it took every ounce of his control not to rise to the occasion. He sorely wanted to bash Kei’s head against the wall, but he refused to give his colleague the satisfaction.
“You may be forgetting she knows about the game. You’re going to get her to join again, willingly?” Ryou leaned back in his leather chair with an audible creak. “I’d like to see you pull that one off.”
“Then sit back and enjoy the show.” Kei gave him a low bow. “I won’t disappoint.”
Leave her alone. Stay away from her. None of those words left Ryou’s lips. Even now, possessiveness wrapped around him like a sharp claw, hitting him in places he thought he’d long put behind him. Haruki had been his, once, but now he was done with her. To let Kei’s stupid dare affect him would be to lose to the both of them. He would lose to no one ever again.
“I give you my blessing,” Ryou said. The words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, but he masked it with a grim smile. “If you can manage.”
He’d never seen Kei look any more pleased in his life. “Oh, I will. This is going to be exciting. May be the best term yet.”
Even after Kei left the office, Ryou remained staring at the door for a long time.
“Fuck,” he whispered, finally closing his eyes. “What the hell have I just done?”
to be continued
Fandom: BLACK CHERRY
Characters: Ryo x はるき
Genre: Romance, erotica
Table: One
Prompt: 073. Return
Word Count: 1874
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The rules of The Game were very simple.
Author's Notes: Chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
The Game
Chapter Thirteen
(073. Return)
He’d been too late.
It had taken him less than five minutes running across campus to reach Haruki’s apartment, but no matter how hard he’d banged on her door, she never answered him.
His shouting had upset her next-door neighbor, and yet he refused to give. He’d added breaking and entering into his list of crimes, but she had not been home. All his calls went to voicemail.
For a moment, panic had seized him. Suzume could’ve done something to Haruki, and despite Shin’s rage for having been bothered for the third time since that evening, Ryou had forced him to track Haruki’s phone. Only until the GPS indicated that she was already upstate-somewhere near her family home-did he finally give up.
He’d never felt so frustrated in his life. He needed no explaining; he wouldn’t be able to provide one even if he wanted to, and yet the urge to say something-anything to make her change her mind ate at him. How much had she known? Had Suzume told her everything?
None of it should’ve mattered anymore. All the evidence was gone, the game’s security beefed up, and Suzume’s silent disappearance meant there was nothing more to worry about. Still, his restlessness brewed into agitation over the entire two weeks of Christmas break. He’d lain awake at night, caught in a mental dialogue of all the things he could’ve said to her to lessen the blow. Perhaps if his last image of her hadn’t been one with doubt and sadness in her eyes, it would be easier to forget everything.
The first day of school after winter break couldn’t come fast enough. When it did, Haruki’s chair was vacant during class. He’d been disappointed but assumed she’d return late from the holidays, yet he’d spotted her down the hallways after lunch break. His better judgment screamed at him, but he’d followed her all the way to the library where he found her absently scanning titles down one of the aisles.
She froze, eyes wide at the sight of him. The epitome of a deer caught in headlights; her entire body stock still with tension. It had only been two weeks, and yet the change in her couldn’t be any more visible. She was thinner with faint shadows under her eyes, so frail she looked breakable to the touch.
Her hands clenched into fists when he took the first, tentative step. She was poised ready for flight, at which point he nearly stammered out her name.
“Haruki,” he said, the name sounding almost foreign from not having uttered it for so long.
She swallowed but stood her ground, saying nothing.
“You weren’t in class today,” he began, keeping his voice low as a student passed them by.
Her gaze darted away from him, locking on a random book. Her eyes narrowed with a hardness that belied her shaky response. “I’ve dropped out.”
His insides tightened. “What? But the term is ending in a matter of weeks.”
“I’ll retake it next semester. I don’t want to be near you anymore.”
He nearly took another step, but stopped himself. “Look, about everything-”
“I don’t want to remember.” She tightly closed her eyes. “I won’t press charges. You don’t have to worry about anything. Just stay away from me.”
She turned on her heel and swiftly disappeared down the aisle. He wanted nothing more than to chase after her and refuse to let her take another step, but something heavy kept him anchored to the spot. He remained down that aisle, looking at the spot where she’d been mere seconds ago, until the switch in him propelled him out of the library without another word.
Haruki could barely breathe.
Her chest burned with a pain beyond lack of air, but she had to keep her mouth shut-lest she break down in her cubicle for everyone in the girls’ room to hear.
The hand on her lips remained shaking. She bit hard into her finger, but the pain was all too fleeting to make her forget Ryou’s face. Two weeks had not been enough. Far from it. If only she could drop out of school completely, but she refused for one bastard like Ryou to be the sole reason she would throw away her entire college scholarship.
Every waking moment was plagued with the memory of how he’d humiliated her again and again. What she thought was an expression of his affection turned out to be her being used for sport, for the amusement of sick bastards who had nothing better to do with their lives. That girl Suzume had all the material to cause a nationwide scandal, and yet why she refused to report to the authorities after all this time was beyond understanding.
Haruki wanted nothing to do with it. She refused to remember any of it, let alone be associated with it. A part of her wished the secret would die with all those professors. For anyone else to see those videos… Her life would be forever ruined. She just wanted to stay as far from Ryou as possible.
It would not be easy. It had taken every fiber of her being not to break down at the mere sight of him earlier. A detestable part of her still wanted to run to him, but she held on to the reminder of his deception to keep her grounded. He had the gall to act like nothing happened, asking something so stupid as to why she was no longer in his class. Did he expect acceptance? Forgiveness? He’d been mad enough to participate in such a sick game. Perhaps he was mad enough to remain blind.
The bell rang. Haruki hastily wiped her tears and straightened herself. When she stepped out, her fatigued reflection looked back at her in the mirror. She released one long, shaky sigh, and left the restroom with a facade that fooled everyone but herself.
Time dragged and flew by at the same time for Ryou.
The first few days had felt like the longest. Like moving in a dreamlike state, everything had been slow, heavy, and slightly muted. He’d carried out his classes listlessly, all the while trying to ignore the vacant chair by the window. His eyes always seemed to be drawn to it like a magnet, no matter how many times he looked away. It screamed for his attention, and the empty space continued to mock him.
The university had only a little over eight hundred students, and yet it began to feel like she had never existed. Over the next few weeks he’d only run into her a handful of times, and even then she moved too fast, too far away for him to watch her. For a time he’d wondered how she was doing, how she must be coping with everything… and before long he stopped thinking about her entirely.
Slowly, finally, he began to return to his old place-a place where he cared for nothing, felt nothing. Everything became inconsequential and uninteresting again. The only amusement that remained was making life difficult for his students. Oh, it was always a delight to see them squirm whenever he posed problems they were never meant to solve. He lived up to the name they’d fondly coined him-Hell Teacher Hirose-in every sense of the word.
Everything else was perfunctory, routinely. Every week a random girl got him off, and on weekends he kept himself busy with a book or exercise. Things became steady again. Predictable but calculable, and Ryou was all about calculation.
It was only a matter of weeks before spring break, now a good two months since the incident. Ryou was checking papers in his office when the door opened.
“Someone’s burning the midnight oil,” said Kei in his usual singsong voice as he stopped before his desk. “Get a life and go home.”
Without looking up, Ryou replied, “Not yet midnight.”
Kei released a snort and drummed his fingers on the table. “The site’s back up, you know. Shin just relaunched it today. New security, new look, new everything. Looks pretty swell, actually.”
Ryou turned to the next page of his paperwork.
“Well, have you scouted for a new candidate yet?” Kei asked.
Ryou removed his glasses with a brief sigh. He looked up at his colleague, whose eyebrows were raised with expectation.
“I don’t think I’m joining the game next term.”
Kei blinked at him twice before releasing a laugh. “You’re joking.”
Ryou tossed his glasses to the table. “No, I’m not.”
“Why the hell not?” Kei demanded, his jaw dropping slack with disbelief. “Don’t tell me this is about Haruki.”
The mention of her name from Kei’s lips nearly made him clench his fists. “I won the game this term. I figured I’d give the rest a chance.”
“Bullshit.” Kei dryly laughed. “This is your third win. Never stopped you before.”
“Maybe I’m getting bored.”
Kei slipped his hands in his pockets and looked down on him, and every second he bore that condescending gaze made it harder for Ryou to stop himself from punching him. Kei slowly shook his head and scoffed.
“Unbelievable. Bored my ass. You’re still hung over her, even after all this time,” Kei drawled, a wry smile forming on his lips. “Man, what the hell did she do to you? She must give the most amazing head in the world.”
Ryou mentally counted to three to keep himself in check. “You’ll like that I’m bowing out. You never liked much of a challenge.”
Kei narrowed his eyes, his smile widening. “You’re right. Maybe this is a good idea. I should challenge myself more. I think I will go with Haruki as my new pet.”
Ryou nearly bit his tongue, and it took every ounce of his control not to rise to the occasion. He sorely wanted to bash Kei’s head against the wall, but he refused to give his colleague the satisfaction.
“You may be forgetting she knows about the game. You’re going to get her to join again, willingly?” Ryou leaned back in his leather chair with an audible creak. “I’d like to see you pull that one off.”
“Then sit back and enjoy the show.” Kei gave him a low bow. “I won’t disappoint.”
Leave her alone. Stay away from her. None of those words left Ryou’s lips. Even now, possessiveness wrapped around him like a sharp claw, hitting him in places he thought he’d long put behind him. Haruki had been his, once, but now he was done with her. To let Kei’s stupid dare affect him would be to lose to the both of them. He would lose to no one ever again.
“I give you my blessing,” Ryou said. The words left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, but he masked it with a grim smile. “If you can manage.”
He’d never seen Kei look any more pleased in his life. “Oh, I will. This is going to be exciting. May be the best term yet.”
Even after Kei left the office, Ryou remained staring at the door for a long time.
“Fuck,” he whispered, finally closing his eyes. “What the hell have I just done?”
to be continued