Fatal Choice (Part 1 of 2) Part 2
Kazuya was an attentive yet silent listener and so it didn’t take Jin long to recap the nights events. He couldn’t explain it but Kazuya’s stare made him feel nervous, as though the boy could see straight into his soul.
‘And what do you think?’ Kazuya asked when Jin had finally fallen silent, ‘do you agree with Isamu? Do you think that the leaders should be united?’
Jin tilted his head as he took a drag. How did he feel about Isamu’s plan? He hadn’t really thought about it. He’d joined the group with the aim to win but he’d never stopped to consider how life might be if he were to actually win the game. It wasn’t the prospect of being a leader that had captured his attention; it was simply the lure of being the last man standing. He glanced at Kazuya who was waiting patiently for an answer. ‘I’m willing to go along with it.’ He said carefully.
Kazuya nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.
~*~*~*~
A dog that turns on its master should be destroyed immediately, or so was the mindset of Miyagawa Naoki. The first few attacks made by Nishida Isamu’s gang had slipped under his radar; or rather he hadn’t made the connection between the leader and the sudden increase in his own gang’s misfortune. But Miyagawa was no fool and he didn’t remain ignorant for long.
Jin’s eyes snapped open as he realised that someone was shaking him. He reached out automatically towards his attacker’s throat and used his other hand to attempt to twist the arm that held him. What he didn’t expect was for his attack to be effortlessly blocked and for a sudden weight to descend upon him. He gasped as the wind was knocked from him but recovered quickly and started to struggle.
‘Calm down!’ Kazuya’s voice wasn’t as calm as usual as the boy fought to untangle himself from Jin, who froze and gawped at the slender figure who he was amused to see had a faint blush lining his cheeks.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ he gasped.
Kazuya looked rather ruffled as he pulled himself towards the edge of the bed. ‘Trying to wake you up!’ came the huffy response.
Jin glanced around the room; it was still dark, informing him that it wasn’t yet dawn. He sat up slowly and narrowed his tired eyes as he stared at the awkward figure perched only inches away from him.
Six months had passed since Isamu had announced his intentions to the gang and since then life had changed drastically. Miyagawa had declared war on Isamu, and the gangs had been locked in battle ever since. There had been casualties on both sides but due to the nature of the game, neither leader cared much for the lives that were lost. New recruits were easy to come by, and so on instances where multiple lives were lost more boys would be brought in to keep the numbers even. News had spread like wildfire and the other gang leaders had started to choose sides; the game was evolving.
‘Wake me up for what?’ Jin yawned. He and Kazuya were still on strange terms. Most of the original thirty two had been lost but somehow the two of them had survived, and so the new boys treated them with a wary sort of respect. Kazuya’s attitude has always been somewhat aloof, but as time had gone by the beautiful boy had become even more distant as he openly refused to even acknowledge the other members of the gang. Jin was the only person, other than Isamu, who he would speak to, and despite the fact that conversations between them were rare Jin couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride whenever his roommate addressed him.
‘Last night’s raid went badly; eight were killed.’ Kazuya said emotionlessly.
Jin stretched and tilted his neck from side to side in an attempt to wake himself up, ‘so? What’s that got to do with me?’
‘We’re changing headquarters,’ Kazuya continued, ‘Isamu doesn’t think that we should stay put for too long. He’s already contacted the replacement members…he wants us to deliver them to our new building.’
‘But it’s the middle of the night!’ Jin whined, as he threw his head back down onto his pillow. The look of surprise that his antics caused Kazuya didn’t escape his attention. He grinned and the other boy stared at him blankly. ‘Alright…alright…’ he sighed as he sat up again, ‘but how do you even know all this? If Isamu had come to the door I’d have heard him!’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that…’ Kazuya mumbled, and Jin could barely conceal his scowl. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ the boy continued, ‘I went down for a smoke and some air, and met Isamu. He told me to wake you, and leave as soon as possible.’
Jin groaned and nodded before scrambling to the side of the bed and making his way to the bathroom. He was so absorbed in his own hatred for Isamu at that moment that he didn’t notice the tender smile that graced Kazuya’s lips as he passed him.
~*~*~*~
Part 3
‘And what do you think?’ Kazuya asked when Jin had finally fallen silent, ‘do you agree with Isamu? Do you think that the leaders should be united?’
Jin tilted his head as he took a drag. How did he feel about Isamu’s plan? He hadn’t really thought about it. He’d joined the group with the aim to win but he’d never stopped to consider how life might be if he were to actually win the game. It wasn’t the prospect of being a leader that had captured his attention; it was simply the lure of being the last man standing. He glanced at Kazuya who was waiting patiently for an answer. ‘I’m willing to go along with it.’ He said carefully.
Kazuya nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more.
~*~*~*~
A dog that turns on its master should be destroyed immediately, or so was the mindset of Miyagawa Naoki. The first few attacks made by Nishida Isamu’s gang had slipped under his radar; or rather he hadn’t made the connection between the leader and the sudden increase in his own gang’s misfortune. But Miyagawa was no fool and he didn’t remain ignorant for long.
Jin’s eyes snapped open as he realised that someone was shaking him. He reached out automatically towards his attacker’s throat and used his other hand to attempt to twist the arm that held him. What he didn’t expect was for his attack to be effortlessly blocked and for a sudden weight to descend upon him. He gasped as the wind was knocked from him but recovered quickly and started to struggle.
‘Calm down!’ Kazuya’s voice wasn’t as calm as usual as the boy fought to untangle himself from Jin, who froze and gawped at the slender figure who he was amused to see had a faint blush lining his cheeks.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ he gasped.
Kazuya looked rather ruffled as he pulled himself towards the edge of the bed. ‘Trying to wake you up!’ came the huffy response.
Jin glanced around the room; it was still dark, informing him that it wasn’t yet dawn. He sat up slowly and narrowed his tired eyes as he stared at the awkward figure perched only inches away from him.
Six months had passed since Isamu had announced his intentions to the gang and since then life had changed drastically. Miyagawa had declared war on Isamu, and the gangs had been locked in battle ever since. There had been casualties on both sides but due to the nature of the game, neither leader cared much for the lives that were lost. New recruits were easy to come by, and so on instances where multiple lives were lost more boys would be brought in to keep the numbers even. News had spread like wildfire and the other gang leaders had started to choose sides; the game was evolving.
‘Wake me up for what?’ Jin yawned. He and Kazuya were still on strange terms. Most of the original thirty two had been lost but somehow the two of them had survived, and so the new boys treated them with a wary sort of respect. Kazuya’s attitude has always been somewhat aloof, but as time had gone by the beautiful boy had become even more distant as he openly refused to even acknowledge the other members of the gang. Jin was the only person, other than Isamu, who he would speak to, and despite the fact that conversations between them were rare Jin couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride whenever his roommate addressed him.
‘Last night’s raid went badly; eight were killed.’ Kazuya said emotionlessly.
Jin stretched and tilted his neck from side to side in an attempt to wake himself up, ‘so? What’s that got to do with me?’
‘We’re changing headquarters,’ Kazuya continued, ‘Isamu doesn’t think that we should stay put for too long. He’s already contacted the replacement members…he wants us to deliver them to our new building.’
‘But it’s the middle of the night!’ Jin whined, as he threw his head back down onto his pillow. The look of surprise that his antics caused Kazuya didn’t escape his attention. He grinned and the other boy stared at him blankly. ‘Alright…alright…’ he sighed as he sat up again, ‘but how do you even know all this? If Isamu had come to the door I’d have heard him!’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that…’ Kazuya mumbled, and Jin could barely conceal his scowl. ‘I couldn’t sleep,’ the boy continued, ‘I went down for a smoke and some air, and met Isamu. He told me to wake you, and leave as soon as possible.’
Jin groaned and nodded before scrambling to the side of the bed and making his way to the bathroom. He was so absorbed in his own hatred for Isamu at that moment that he didn’t notice the tender smile that graced Kazuya’s lips as he passed him.
~*~*~*~
Part 3