Battle Royale Fan Fiction ❯ If... ❯ Point of View ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 8: Point of View

"If I close my eyes forever,
would it all remain unchanged?
If I close my eyes forever,
would it ever be the same?"
-"Close my Eyes Forever", Lita Ford

GREY

"Well little warriors, I have to say that I'm quite impressed this time." Kamon chuckled. "I thought you were all losing your touch when that Kazushi kid died and would have to blow all your pretty little collars up if you dawdled any more. But you've proved me wrong. Now on to our new list of unfortunates..."

"Hirono Shimizu. Hirono Shimizu." Mayumi turned to the speakers, her hands clutched tightly in prayer. "Hirono Shimizu."

"Girl #20 Kaori Minami, Girl #9 Yuko Sakai, and Boy #6 Kazou Kiriyama."

"Drat, drat, drat!" Great, now Hirono had even more time to destroy everything. Did that bitch even know how long it took her to set up her life of comfort and all the lies she built around it? And who did Hirono even think she was fooling? She was jealous like all the other ugly girls in their class.

The kind of girls that had to study and build the delusion around themselves that if they have a nice enough personality some guy would suppress his gag reflex long enough to touch them. A lot of good it did Yuko, Yuka, Yukiko, Kaori, and Noriko; at least somebody put them out of their misery.

"Damn." Shou muttered.

"Are you okay, Shou?"

"Yeah." It wasn't that she cared all that much, but it stilled tugged at her heart to see all that flamboyance he once possessed dropping dead like someone pulled the plug to its life support.

"Freeze." The gleam from a kitana met them the second they arrived within ten feet of the lighthouse. Mizuho struck a heroic, Zorro-like pose; the whole thing was probably just a game to her.

"Leave them alone, Inada." Yukie ran toward her teammate.

"Just look pretty and they'll flock around you." The memories of her mom's personal slogan returned to her. "Yukie!" Now for the tears of happiness. "Thank God you're still alive." She threw herself into Yukie's arms and hugged her, burying her teary face into her shoulder. "I knew you wouldn't be playing." Mayumi tightened her grip on Yukie, ignoring the dumbfounded looks on Shou and Inada's faces.

"Of course not," Yukie gently patted her back. "no one's going to play on my watch."

Mayumi's face lighted up as she wiped her tears with a lace handkerchief in her blue bag. "Really? Both Shou and I can..."

"Of course." Mayumi hugged her as tightly as she could.

"Are you sure about this?" Tadakatsu said while going over the map, after Yukie lead the remaining Gray Team members into the lighthouse.

"We don't really have a choice. We're going to need all the help we can get and I'm sure as hell not going to leave anyone behind."

He paused, thought of Yuuichiro, and sighed. "Fine, but if he starts molesting me, I'm kicking his ass."

"You're not my type." Shou turned and gave a sly little smile. "You're way too girly."

"Ooohhh. He burnt ya!" Mizuho laughed then high-fived Shou.

****

"I hope you like your soup lukewarm." Sakura poured the last of soup into a chipped bowl and placed it in front of Mayumi.

"After everything I've been through, I could eat anything." She breathed a mental sigh of relief when Mayumi didn't start gagging the second the soup touched her tongue since adding the tomato juice was her silly idea. "Great, she's buying it." Mayumi patted herself on the back for her ability to keep a straight face despite the vicious assault her taste buds. "I just wish I could tell you that I know where Yamamoto is."

"It's ok. It's not like either of us can be there with him." At least he wasn't dead; she could definitely be thankful for that. She had already decided a long time ago that angsting about it wouldn't get her anywhere. If Yukie and Inada could still keep going after the deaths of their friends, then so could she. Her brave, wonderful Yamamoto was strong enough to last this long and she was not going to greet him with a face that was all red and puffy from crying over him. Maybe if God was on his side, he and Yoshimi would have a few guns with them.

That's when Sakura's blood ran cold. She remembered a time when Yoshimi wasn't half the monsters Hirono and Mitsuko were suppose to be; just a normal, lower-class girl whose parents had to work their butts off to put those bargain bin clothes on her back that some of the other girls would ridicule her about. Maybe she could've tried to be Yoshimi's friend before Mitsuko got her claws into her, but now was not the time to think about it. Sakura knew she had to follow Yukie and just pray for the best.

"What's it like out there?" Mayumi gave her a confused stare. "We've been lucky enough not to run into anyone. I mean other than you and Shou, of course." Mayumi forced her body to quiver. "Oh, I'm sorry. Just forget what I said."

"I don't mind. It's Hirono's fault, not yours." Now for the story; not too out there, but disturbing enough to get Sakura's sympathy. "I saw Kaori getting some water for her team and she..." She wiped her tears with her handkerchief. "She yanked her head back and slit her throat." Sakura put her arms around Mayumi and held her like a mother to a sobbing child. It's what Yukie would do; at least Sakura was pretty sure it was. "Keita and the others, they were scared, but Kaori couldn't even scream and she just laughed at her."

"What does Shou think of this?"

"You're the only one I've told." Mayumi dabbed at her tears. "Oh there I go; crying like a baby. Not like you," She paused, sneaking a quick peek from the corner of her eye; good, Tadakatsu was in perfect listening range. "Or Tadakatsu."

"It's nothing really."

"No, it's not." Mayumi threw in the dreamy sigh of a love-sick teeny-bopper. "It was so brave of him to take on Mitsuru and I don't think a lot of guys would risk expulsion to protect their friends." She edged closer to Sakura like a child wanting to share a well-loved secret with her best friend. "And just between us girls, I think he's dreamy."

"Hey, Sakura." Mizuho poked her head from the kitchen. "There's something outside."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Is this where you yell, "Oh my God, it's Kazuhiko"; I look, and then you laugh at me."

"It's not my fault you can't take a joke. Besides, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

PURPLE

Despite being away from Mitsuko and Hirono, Yoji being dead, and being paired with a boy that she hardly knew, Yoshimi didn't feel too lonely. She was sure that if it was any other boy they'd either be scared to death of her or turn their nose down at her as if she wasn't even worth scraping from the bottoms of their shoes, call her skank, and then expect her to fuck them afterwards But not Kazuhiko, to him she a fellow human being who was capable of having feelings. Maybe he just trying to be nice since she was the only surviving member of their team and she was just nobility practice until he found Sakura, but it didn't matter. Kazuhiko cared and that was good enough for her.

He held out his hand as they as they made it up a small, rock-covered hill to the lighthouse that he suggested that they take refuge in. So clever and handsome, how could she not notice it until now? Especially how his dark brown eyes, the exact shade as he beloved Yoji, would sparkle just like her lover's did when they were together.

She could bet her life that Sakura didn't realize how lucky she was. Kazuhiko would never force himself on her if she got second thoughts. The two of them probably virgins, but Yoshimi could tell that he would be gentle even if he was powerless against hurting her. The first time always hurt; there was just no way around it.

"Kazuhiko!" Sakura almost squealed, nearly plowing Inada over as she threw herself into his arms, kissing him.

"Yep, she's the luckiest girl in the world." Yoshimi averted her gaze, trying not to cry.

YELLOW

Even though he was already prepared with the news of his boss' death, it didn't make it any easier for Hiroshi when his team came across Kazuo and Yuko's corpses. What was once the cold, stoic face of his leader was now a slightly bloated, cut up with bits of glass, bloody and vomit-covered mess that plunged and twisted itself into his heart. This was the boy who effortlessly tore out the eyeball of an Olympic judoist. People like Kazuo don't get taken out so early.

"Eww. Gross." Megumi turned her face the second her eyes feel upon Kazuo. "What did she throw at him? Acid?"

"I don't think so." Shinji kneeled down beside Kazuo and pointed to the bits of white powder on his face.

Just what the Hell was he feeling? It wasn't like Hiroshi wanted to cry and he'd sure as Hell fight to the death to keep Shinji and Megumi from seeing a single tear. Regret for wasting his life as a thug? Fear over his own mortality? He just didn't want to think about it.

"Why aren't we cute?" His blood slowly boiled at the sight of Yuko's peaceful face. Just like some stupid little psycho fairy tale princess. How wonderful it would be the smash that delicate little face of hers until this painful energy inside him had release itself into every broken bone. Stupid bitch couldn't take one little fight without a trip to the loony bin and she gets the easy way out.

"Excuse me." Megumi tapped him on the shoulder. He stepped aside as she walked over to the bodies with an armful of dandelions and wild flowers. "Just humor me, guys." She placed two equal amounts on top of them as Hiroshi wrote something on his diary page.

Could I have some time alone?

"Sure thing." Mimura nodded and escorted Megumi out.

"Rest in peace, bitch." Hiroshi unzipped his pants and pissed on her corpse. It would just have to do.

GREEN

Getting his black belt in karate, studying for midterms, cleaning his room, hell, taking on Kazuo in a one-on-one fist fight wouldn't be as hard as telling Kayoto how he felt. He practiced it hundreds of times in his head, but somehow the specter of doubt would rear its ugly head and keep him from opening his mouth.

Hiroki just couldn't hold it back any longer; especially after Yuko's sacrifice. Yuko, cute, fragile little Yuko who swallowed her fear and risked her life to protect her team. She hardly spoke to him or Yoshio and it didn't matter to her. And when they heard her scream when she was pumped full of lead and later had her name announced on the death toll to confirm their fears, it was like losing a devoted sister.

"Well good for her." He remembered Kayoto saying the second they heard Kazuo's name. "Oh God, did I just say that?" She groaned.

"It's ok." He reinsured her. "She had to stop him somehow."

"Yeah." Yoshio added, almost shyly. "She just might've saved hundreds of lives." They both gave him a pair of perplexed stares. "I always thought he'd become some kind of creepy serial killer. You know, the kind that dress-up as cops or postmen so they can have an excuse to go into your house and kill you."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Sure Kazuo always came off as a loner, maybe even a dreamer, but then again, she didn't get a good look at him as he was running off to kill them. Besides, she couldn't really see him dressing-up as a postman; she always pictured Kazuo's legs being on the skinny side for some weird reason.

"He ripped out Jaguar's eye; you can't do that and not be crazy."

Telling her about the whole eyeball incident was not the easiest thing in the world, even if he had Yoshio's help to fill out the details. Hiroki wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they didn't all feel a little nauseous by the end of the story. Hopefully his confession wouldn't have the same effect.

He wasn't sure if having their teammate off to refill their bottles by the koi pond would've made him any more or less nervous. Oh well, it was now or never...

"Why haven't you been looking for her?" Kayoto's voice almost made him jump. "Don't you care?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me; you haven't even tried to look for her."

"What is she talking about?" Then it hit him. "You mean Takako?"

"Yeah, you two are practically joined at the hip. Even some of the seniors drool all over her. Hell, I'd go after her if I was a boy or a lesbo." Kayoto paused, and then gave a sad sigh. Compared to a tough beauty like Takako, she felt like dried-up mud that someone scraped from the grooves of their shoes. Horny, drunk businessmen were one thing, but what good was it when none of the boys in her school or the token guy in her flower arranging class wouldn't give her a second thought? "So why aren't you after her?"

"Because I've already found the girl I love."

"I..." It was like finding out that she was a princess of a far away kingdom; just so unexpected, but deep-down you couldn't be happier. "Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was soft and almost awe-struck.

"Because I was scared." Kayoto feel into total silence. Their fearless leader who use to creep her out and could probably taken on most of the boys in their class (if not all of them) in a fight was scared. "After what Yuko did, I realized that I couldn't hold it all back. If she can sacrifice herself for us, then hiding my feelings from you is just plain stupid."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Ever since you helped me with Fugetsu."

"Fugetsu?"

"The kitten. I named her after the flower arrangement you made for the class--in honor of you."

"You're really sweet." She stepped closer to him until they were face to face; no time to hold this back, either. His slight trembling when she gently caressed his face with the tips of her fingers made her want to giggle. "I'm so glad I'm not scared of you anymore." Standing on the balls of her feet, she leaned forward and kissed him.

It was all some kind of weird, beautiful dream. All those worries Hiroki inflicted with himself with began to fade into happiness. So much time was wasted in fear, but it was all worth it because he now had the love of his life.

Then like any dream, it began to fade back to a harsh reality and memories of a precious friend. Sooner or later his team would have to fight back, maybe against Takako's. It made him almost wish that she would be taken out early so he wouldn't have to. God, he felt like a prick.

"Uh, sorry about that." Yoshio said nervously the second they turned their heads and noticed that he walked in on them.

"It's no problem." Kayoto relieved him of the two refilled bottles that she tore the wrappers off earlier and thanked him. "You wanna to join us?" Their blank stares made her burst into a kind, yet mischievous laugh.

BLUE

The kiss alone was more than enough to force Takako to tear her gaze away from her binoculars. She didn't need to know what they were going to say, the fact that Hiroki didn't struggle against the kiss or was too shocked to respond told her everything. All this time she had been with him, too scared and too proud to say anything and now her heart was breaking.

"I could make it look like an accident..." She mused, going back to binoculars and loosely pointing her gun to where she believed Kayoto was standing. Yeah right, she'd probably miss and hit a cat. "No, not like this." She sighed and lowered her gun. No matter how unfair it was, even if she succeeded, she'd end up killing them both.

"Takako? What's wrong?" Yuuichiro asked as a tear ran down Takako's face when she returned from scouting.

"Love's just cruel, that's all."

End of Chapter 8. 27 Students remain.