level 6;

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"you don't own me—I'm not just one of your many toys~"

     "p-p-prisoner #520, it's time for d-dinner", goshiki tsutomu, a boy with a bowl-cut stuttered, feeling a bit intimidated by the girl as there had been many rumors going around.

     shiori was in her tight fitting black leotard with her bruised legs tangled around the smooth silk red fabric that was installed at the top of the cage for shiori to play.

since sawamura was someone who kept his promises, the girl has been doing aerobatics nonstop, even though she was on an empty stomach.

     after all, shiori was used to being starved as a kid. it was for the better of her fat body, as her father would say.

one day, five days, ten days; it all became a blur as shiori's tiny body thinned down meanwhile she was to continue exercising by being an outstanding gymnast.

the girl would visibly remember her stomach growling during practice, to which it was as if it were punishing her, since her father hadn't allowed for such humiliation.

     shiori simply ignored the male, to which goshiki had still placed the plate and drink down on the other side of him.

     the white-haired girl licked her lips as she could feel the burn of her throat. it was like a cat clawing down her esophagus, daring her to stop her madness and pride, just for a sip of liquid.

     "p-prisoner #520, it's been eight days. y-you should really eat...or at least drink something", goshiki choked out, trying his best to sound strong and firm.

     shiori hung upside down, with her hair swaying like a pendulum. her dull red eyes bore into goshiki's innocent doe brown eyes.

the girl smiled.

elegantly landing onto the cold cemented ground, shiori lifted her arms up like a swan as if she had just finished performing—a habit she had picked up since young.

"tsutomu? can I...can I call you tomu?", shiori questioned, leisurely picking the cup as she observed goshiki's lightly gasp of surprise.

     the boy had heard that the girl has yet to even inch close to the plate of food in days. and for him to be the one that brings the food that she finally touches, would be an accomplishment if the girl had actually planned on ingesting anything.

     "call me shiori. pretty pretty please?", the red-eyed girl whimpered, even pouting a bit.

     goshiki ever so slightly flinched, making shiori amused.

     "I-I cannot do so, prisoner #520", goshiki stated, to which shiori just sighed, her dainty shoulders that were like petite smooth mountains dropped along with her lips.

"say tomu, you're a regular officer right?", shiori asked, setting the cup of water back down as she didn't take a single sip at all.

     "y-yes!! but I'll obviously move up the ranks soon enough", goshiki proudly boasted, as he aspired to be a future commander.

     "ah~ you want to be a commander...like kuroo? shinsuke? tōru? or is it ushiwaka?", shiori casually questioned, though her sharp eyes were expecting a reaction.

"ushiwaka?"

"ushijima wakatoshi", shiori specified, to which goshiki was quite surprised at how casually the girl was calling all of them by their first names or nicknames.

'bingo'.

"I think you can do it", shiori bluntly said, to which that had made goshiki a bit confused.

"do...what?"

"I think you can become a commander like ushiwaka, but even better than him", shiori smiled, adding to goshiki's building ego that was sometimes—most of the times—shot down by shirabu kenjirō, a comrade of his.

"how'd you—"

"lucky guess", the girl chuckled.

lies. shiori could read goshiki like an open book. the moment she mentioned the latter's name, goshiki's fingers had ever so slightly twinkled a bit, clenching his fists as he momentarily relaxed them.

it wasn't long before dinnertime was over, to which goshiki had picked up the plate and cup as he was about to head out.

     "tomu! will you...will you come visit me again tomorrow?", shiori asked, to which goshiki had to actually think on the top of his head about whether the girl was on his schedule or not.

     "I was thinking...we could talk more about you. I want to get to know you better. it's been so long since I've had a proper conversation without anyone looking down on me.

and you understand that feeling of being looked down upon, don't you?"

goshiki felt something snap in his mind. the boy hesitantly gave the girl a curt nod as he would soon later regret the words that he had spat out of his mouth in the heat of the moment.

"I'll see you tomorrow, prisoner #520".

shiori's mouth slightly parted as the breath that escaped from her lips was one filled with hope.

'another crack'.

♛

     kita shinsuke was a person of routine, and shiori quickly found out about it as she realized on the third day that it was still kita who had led her to the washroom.

     with that being said, kita would also never deliver her food, which had confirmed that she was not a part of the commanders' schedules.

     shiori liked that. the girl hated routine, but she appreciated it with kita, because that had allowed her to realize that the boy had a strict way of life, meaning that she would have utter fun ruining it all.

     "you know, they say it takes 21 days to form a habit", shiori started, turning on the warm water as she felt it smack her face.

still no answer was heard, but shiori was already used to it. she didn't expect the commanders to fall into her little trap so easily, but that was the beauty of it.

turning the shower head off, shiori exited as with each step she took, a small puddle of water bloomed under her feet.

the girl's wet hair had drenched onto the back of the short towel that was wrapped tightly around her body.

     kita's ears perked up at the light footsteps of the girl, to which even though his eyes were closed, he could feel the girl's warm presence near him.

     "prisoner #520, please get—"

     kita felt a pair of thin arms snake around his waist and hands grip onto the fabric of his black uniform, though it was under his cape.

     a soft body pressed against his as kita suddenly tensed at the contact.

     hesitantly opening his eyes, kita glared at shiori, who had a smile on her face.

     quickly slipping away, the girl dropped the towel as kita shut his eyes closed again, to which the girl had snickered as she changed into her black pajamas.

     'another 20 days to go'.

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     author's note: I'm so sorry for being such a kita simp, but I can't help it b/c he's such a cutie.

     and so is goshiki. he's baby, but anyways, please don't forget to vote and comment.

     thanks babes! <3