(Warning: mature content towards the end of this chapter!)

Otonokizaka's Student Council Room | 2:19pm

    "Denial won't heal your wound, Elicchi." Nozomi slowly stood up and took a deep breath before she was ready to face Eli's inner demons.

    Irritated by the unexpected comeback, Eli slammed the lid of the first aid kit shut before glaring at Nozomi, standing. "Get out."

   Realizing that she had once again pushed herself into a hole, Nozomi had no regrets. It wasn't her first time seeing this side of Eli, though she still can't get use to the sharpness in Eli's voice and her harsh gaze. Nozomi shook her head as she stood firmly.

   Eli's icy blue eyes widen as she lifted her right hand. Prepared for the slap, Nozomi held her head up high, clenching both fists to the side of her skirt. Nozomi was sick of being pushed around by Eli whenever she's mad. She wanted Eli to face reality and if a slap from her will help, she was willing to receive it. It would be karma, Nozomi thought.

   Fazed by Nozomi's confidence, Eli's hand lowered.

   "Leave." The Student Council President growled, her expression spelled murder.

    "Denial and now anger, Elicchi don't you see? You're hurting yourself like this. Face your emotions, it's okay to cry." Nozomi walked over with her arms open, attempting to embrace Eli.

   "It doesn't matter what I feel." Eli said calmly, stroking the loose green bow that hung around her collar, rejecting Nozomi. "It's what Umi wants."

   "So what are you trying to say?" Nozomi replied, exasperated. "That you should just accept things as they are?"

   Eli's jaw tensed. "Yes."

   Nozomi took a step back, feeling her heart drop. "She's a charmer. If you give her up, she'll be gone in a blink of an eye."

   "She already is." Eli said lowly.

Yuki Anju's apartment | 7:23pm

   "Umi, forgive me for saying this, but your performance this afternoon was disappointing."

   That was something Umi couldn't quite disagree with.

    Stiff and lifeless, Umi rested her back on the leather couch. She didn't move from her position on the couch in the vast living room, only acknowledging the person sitting down next to her with a subtle tilt of her head.

   "But I do have come to respect your courage. Albeit a bit foolish with quite a portion of naivety, it's still somewhat solid in its conviction." Long, slender fingers brushed through orange hair, pushing bangs aside to reveal dark magenta eyes. "That aside, I honestly wasn't expecting you to turn up. I guess the fact that you still came shows how much you want to protect Otonokizaka."

   Anju studied the silent Umi's stoned expression. "Muse's chance to perform at Otonokizaka's open house rests on this night, Umi."

   The second year reacted with more silence.

    Even talking to a brick wall would have a better resonance, Anju thought as she furrowed her brows.

    "Umi," Anju's voice had gotten quieter. It had lost the teasing edge. "Why are you trying so hard to protect Otonokizaka?"

   Umi slowly lifted her head and turned to face Anju, gazing at a lost expression. Her own shouldn't look that much different. "I don't know."

  Umi has always thought it was part of her duty to protect the school, as a student; it was part of her responsibility to protect that school, as a Sonoda; it was part of her passion to protect that school, as a member of Muse. But today, she was lost. Her choice to take this suffocating path resonate to her intention of protecting the school, but it was not part of her role as a student, as a Sonoda and certainly not as a member of Muse.

   "You act as though you are doing it to protect Otonokizaka, but do you really care about Otonokizaka that much?" Anju muttered. "You're doing this for Ayase and Nishikino, aren't you."

    Umi swallowed. "I don't know."

    Not too long ago, she had thought she cared about Otonokizaka. She had thought by dating Anju, she was doing the right thing to protect Otonokizaka. But after the talk with Maki, Umi realized that she was not doing it for Otonokizaka. It was out of spite and anger.
  
   "Umi, there are only two things you can play with in this world." Anju lifted her hand, raising two fingers. "Game and feelings."

"Love itself is a game, only you and your partner can manipulate it."

   Anju's two fingers poked Umi's chest, where her heart reside.  "You are the game master of your relationship with Ayase. Not me."

   Umi gripped onto Anju's fingers, startling her.

   "You're right, I'm just using you." Umi admitted, her voice unwavering. She knew from the start there are millions of ways she could protect Otonokizaka but she chose to accept Anju's offer. She was the real villain.

   "Even so, I love you, Umi." Anju bit on her tongue, inexplicably feeling mortified at the thought Umi dominating her.

    Suppressing her empty chuckle, Umi ducked her head.

    "That's unfortunate." Umi's incredulous gaze bounced off Anju's careless demeanor. "Because I will never love you." 

    Letting out a humorless smile, Anju whispered seductively, her warm breath tickling Umi's sensitive ears. "You'll never know."

   "We should have some fun, since you came all the way here."

    Umi's expression twisted in disgust and sadness at the same time. She knew this was inevitable from the moment she decided to turn up at Anju's place.

    "Let's play," Anju moved swiftly onto Umi's lap, her bulging chest pressing against Umi's chin as her left hand held onto Umi's shoulder, preventing Umi from standing up. Her other hand slipped into her thin clothing's pocket, revealing the recording, with a 'post' button to Muse's forum page. "This game or your feelings. It's up to you to choose."

   Anju's voice was soothing to the ears. Mellow, soft, earnest. Umi hated how easily she was captivated by it. Tensing as Anju's fingers clawed into her blazer while ripping the buttons off, Umi grinded her teeth. By now, anger and frustration had spilled all over Umi's face, sipping out of the cracks on her mask as they covered her previously blank expression.

   The supposed sea of exultations never existed. She was drowning, in the sea of lamentations.

   "That's not necessary." Umi muttered, drained.

   "So you want to play the game." Anju's eyes narrowed, her voice hissed as her thumb barely hovered above the button threateningly.

  Cornered, Umi squeezed Anju's wrist and leaned slightly forward, her lips collided into Anju's.

   Anju had expected fireworks, tingles and desire, but in the end it felt nothing more than sloppiness and wetness, with a slight sensation of coldness. The kiss was brief, perfunctory.

Disappointed, Anju's tongue peaked out to wet her lips. "How boring."

   A short laugh erupted from Umi. The laugh was enigmatic, in the ears of the confused Anju. Umi's blank expression was reformed on her face. "Indeed."

    Anju looked down at Umi. The swirls of emotion Anju saw in Umi's amber eyes made her gasp. However, before she could ponder about it further, Umi yanked Anju closer and covered Anju's mouth with hers in a hungry kiss.

   As their lips crushed together once again, Anju could immediately tell it was different. It was magic, the way Umi connected her lips with Anju's. Umi's mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips softer than Anju could have imagined.

   Pulling away with a shaky breath, Anju wrapped her arms around Umi's neck, bending down slightly. Like a slow dance, Anju's tongue brushed the tips of Umi's ear elaborately.

  "You really are interesting, Umi."

   The swirls of emotion in her amber eyes weren't lust or desire but anger.

   When Umi first learnt about the existence of this brutal game, she didn't understand what the point of the game was if there will never be an absolute winner.

   When Umi finally come to terms with the game's existence, she understood that the sole point of this game wasn't to win. It was to not lose.

   And by the time Umi realized she didn't want to participate in a game like this, she was already in the middle of it, deeper than others.

___________

a/n: sorry for the short chapter :') i feel that it's more suitable for me to exclude some scenes from this chapter due to this chapter's theme heheh
(also my first book is about to reach 2k omg thanks for your support!)

btw Happy Chinese New Year to everyone :-)

and thanks for reading!
ants