Sorry I was a day too late with uploading this time. I am sick at the moment so I didn’t really feel like it yesterday.

I froze in fear as I heard gunshots again and saw other players running hysterically in all directions. Chishiya and I, in our current state, stood no chance against the King of Spades. I soothingly stroked Chishiya's head and took his hand. He returned my grip gently, giving me an encouraging smile.

Shortly afterward, Usagi came back to me, her expression determined.

"Listen, we need to hide Chishiya and Niragi! We have a plan to trap the King of Spades."

"You want to save Niragi?" I asked, startled, glancing at him with mixed feelings.

"I know he doesn’t deserve it, but we don’t need to stoop to his level."

I looked at her intently, then sighed in resignation as her reasoning convinced me.

"Okay, you’re right."

Arisu was busy dragging Niragi behind the wreck of a car while Usagi helped me get Chishiya to safety. We carried him to another car, not far from where Niragi was leaning. I could barely put weight on my foot, but with Usagi’s help, I somehow managed to get there.

"I’ll stay here with Chishiya," I told Usagi.

She smiled.

"I figured as much. Take good care of him."

I nodded, and she stood up to leave.

"Usagi!" I called after her. She turned around one last time. "Please take him down and end this, so we can finally go home."

"We’ll do our best."

With those parting words, she disappeared. I turned back to Chishiya, who was still visibly struggling with the pain. I took off the cardigan and pressed it firmly against his wound, hoping it wasn’t too late.

"You have to hold on, do you hear me? Don’t you dare die before this is over!"

Chishiya opened his eyes slightly, a faintly amused smirk crossing his lips.

"You’re putting a lot of pressure on me, you know that?" he replied weakly.

"What you did was incredibly reckless," I said sternly, though my anger didn’t sound nearly convincing given his condition.

"Good thing you never do reckless things."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Oh, just about the fact that you followed me all the way here after I told you not to. And then you even stole my jacket and ruined it with bloodstains. How am I supposed to get that out?"

"I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, but… I couldn’t just sit idly by while everyone else fought to reclaim their old lives. I felt guilty at the thought of waiting for others to do it for me. And… I wanted to be with you."

"How did you even manage to get here so quickly?" he asked, frowning.

"I came by bike," I admitted sheepishly.

Chishiya chuckled softly.

"That’s so you. Looks like the optimistic Tsuki is back after her temporary lapse."

"I just had a little hiccup," I said, shrugging, then carefully leaned against his shoulder. He took my hand, and a warm, pleasant shiver ran through me. "As long as I’m alive, I’ll never leave your side again, Chishiya. You’re stuck with me now."

"Well, I’ve really gotten myself into something here," he said, intertwining his fingers with mine as I snuggled closer to him. "But I suppose you can stay as long as you like."

"Geez, this is so sappy," groaned a familiar voice beside us. I’d almost forgotten Niragi was still there. "I think I’m going to puke. I never thought I’d see the day when you’d turn into such a sentimental crybaby, Chishiya. I actually preferred your inflated ego that grilled me alive."

"If you want a repeat, all you have to do is ask. Don’t hold back," Chishiya replied, unfazed by the comment. "Then again, you don’t look like you’d survive a second round."

Niragi smirked smugly.

"Probably not, but at least I don’t need a clingy girlfriend to patch up my shattered ego."

I sighed in frustration and straightened up to look at him.

"You know what, Niragi? If you treated women better, maybe you’d have people who love and care about you too. But if you keep acting the way you do, you’ll always just be an unloved loser. It’s entirely up to you. You can be a better person if you have the will to do so. But if you keep blaming others for your miserable life, nothing will ever change. Stop making others responsible for your situation and grow up already. Hurting people the way you were hurt only makes things worse. It might feel great at first, but the scars on your soul will stay forever. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about."

Niragi stared at me, apparently having no rebuttal to my emotional speech.

"I’ve been a real asshole, haven’t I?" he muttered after a while.

I didn’t respond and just rolled my eyes.

"If this all ends, maybe you’ll get a second chance. Then you can do better and start over," Chishiya said, addressing Niragi. "That’s what I plan to do. I’m so tired of being selfish and ignorant, so I hope I can do better next time and finally live my life the way I want, without having to justify it to anyone."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his chest. Hopefully, I’d be part of that life too. That was my only wish for a fresh start, if we truly got one.

I flinched in fear when something nearby exploded.

"I hope they’re okay," I murmured.

Shortly afterward, the familiar computerized voice announced:

The final game will begin shortly. Players who wish to participate, please proceed to registration now.

"That means they did it. They killed the King of Spades," I said, overwhelmed. No sooner had I spoken than we saw Arisu running past us with Usagi in his arms. She looked badly injured, a makeshift bandage wrapped around her thigh. Were they the only ones who’d made it to the final game, or had others survived as well?

"Don’t worry. They’ll make it. I’m sure of it," Chishiya murmured, pulling me closer. 

At that moment, there was truly no place I’d rather be than in his arms, where I felt safe and protected. Even my fear of the future disappeared, replaced by a sense of hope. With Chishiya by my side, everything would be okay. The only thing we had to do now was hold on until the last game was played.

"Will you be sad when it’s over?" I asked curiously.

"A little wistful, maybe. But also relieved. And you?"

"I’m… full of hope."

Chishiya only smiled in response, then closed his eyes, his head tipping to the side in exhaustion.

"Please hang in there a little longer, okay?" I pleaded. "Promise me!"

"In the end, everything will be okay, and if it’s not okay, it’s not the end, Tsuki," he whispered softly. "You told me that yourself, remember?"

"Yes, I did," I said with a gentle smile. "And I still believe in it. But you have to promise me you’ll hold on until the end."

"I’ll do what I can," he murmured, letting himself sink slightly to the side. 

Worried, I stroked his cheek, now ice-cold, and prayed that Arisu and Usagi would make it in time.

Eventually, darkness fell over us, and my eyelids grew heavier as my head rested once again on Chishiya’s chest. His heartbeat was still there, though much weaker than I was used to, but I tried to trust that he’d make it.

Congratulations. The game ends at this very moment.

My head shot up as I heard the computerized voice again. Seconds later, something exploded. I sat up a little straighter and turned toward the source of the noise. The Queen of Hearts’ blimp was actually going up in flames right before my eyes. Then, countless rockets suddenly shot into the sky, and colorful flashing lights illuminated the entire city.

"Chishiya." I knelt beside him again and shook him lightly. "Chishiya, you have to see this!"

I pointed excitedly at the sky. His eyelids fluttered open, and his gaze followed mine upward. Suddenly, I couldn’t help it and burst into tears. But this time, they were tears of joy. I wrapped my arms around Chishiya’s neck, burying my forehead in the crook of his shoulder.

All survivors may now make their choice, the voice boomed again over the loudspeakers. Please answer the following question: Do you wish to become a resident of this world and receive permanent citizenship? Please respond whether you accept or decline the citizenship of this land.

With blurred vision, I looked at Chishiya, waiting anxiously for his answer. Finally, he spoke:

"I think I’ll decline. Thank you. And what about you?" 

He looked at me.

I smiled faintly.

"Are you really asking me that? You know I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth—no matter which world or which end," I said with conviction, taking a deep breath. "DECLINED!" I shouted as loudly as I could, hearing my words echo against the surrounding buildings.

"Well, let’s hope they heard that," Chishiya said, raising an eyebrow. 

I sat back down next to him, silently gripping his hand as we continued to stare at the sky, watching the impressive fireworks. For some reason, it reminded me of something I had almost forgotten. But now, as I looked up at the colorful lights, the memories slowly began to resurface.

"Right before everyone in Tokyo disappeared, did you also see those strange fireworks in the sky?"

Chishiya took a moment to respond.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Maybe we all saw it. Do you think it means something?"

"It means our government apparently spends a lot of money on pointless entertainment," he said with a deadpan expression.

"Tss… Idiot."

"First, you want to know what I think, and then you complain."

"Because you don’t take me seriously."

"Do you remember what you were doing that day?" Chishiya asked beside me, but his voice suddenly sounded far away, as if I’d been plunged underwater. 

My gaze was still fixed on the sky as I struggled to recall any details. The colorful lights blurred together the longer I stared, and suddenly, the sky was blue and clear. And it was warm. Very warm. A pleasant summer day. I was wearing my best dress because I had a date and kept glancing nervously at the time. We had agreed to meet at the Hachiko statue in Shibuya. He was a teacher at the school where I had recently started working as an intern. He was kind and handsome and seemed genuinely interested in me—or so I had thought. But now, he was nowhere to be seen.

I checked my phone, hoping for a message that would explain everything, but there was nothing. Frustrated, I shoved it back into my bag. How could he leave me waiting here in this heat? I sighed heavily, wondering what to do next. But the decision wasn’t all that difficult.

Still a bit disappointed, I turned to leave. It was always the same with men. Either they were desperate mama’s boys who couldn’t even organize a date, let alone talk to a woman, or they were too cowardly to show up in the first place. Or they were chronically late, which I hated just as much. Maybe I should just give up on dating altogether. Lost in thought, I weaved my way through the crowd.

"Hey, sweetheart. Wanna have some fun?"

Even though I didn’t feel addressed, I turned toward the voice, puzzled. A guy about my age with dark, medium-length hair and facial piercings was looking at me eagerly, running his pierced tongue suggestively over his lips.

"Definitely not with you, you disgusting creep," I snapped back, turning away from the cheeky punk. My mood was already at rock bottom; I didn’t need more fuel for the fire.

"Just asking, no need to freak out, sweetie," I heard him call after me as I marched across the intersection. 

I dodged a few young men who seemed to be having the time of their lives giving each other piggyback rides through the streets. They laughed carefreely, and for a brief moment, I watched them with a smile. Then I turned around and saw him.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. His walk was elegant and effortlessly casual at the same time, his hands buried deep in his pockets. His white-blond hair almost touched his shoulders, and his facial features were soft and flawless. His dark eyes, however, seemed cold, almost somber, giving him an unapproachable yet mysterious aura, as though he didn’t belong to this world. For a moment, I stood there staring after him, mouth agape, completely taken aback by this man I wasn’t even sure was real or just a convincing illusion.

He walked past me without a glance, completely unfazed, while my heart was still pounding in my chest. It had been so long since I’d seen a man who took my breath away like that from the very first moment. My cheeks burned with excitement, and I felt a gentle, fluttering sensation in my stomach. A few people brushed past me, complaining about me standing in the middle of the path, but I couldn’t help gazing after him dreamily. For a fleeting moment, I wished time would stop and the world would quit spinning. Of course, nothing of the sort happened, so I spontaneously changed my plan and headed back in the direction I had come from to keep him in sight.

The cars on the street suddenly honked loudly. I briefly tore my gaze away from him and saw the three young guys from before running off in a panic. Then I froze in shock as something bright lit up in the sky. Was that a rocket? Fireworks in broad daylight? Many people around me stopped to look up, just like the young man I was watching again. Some even pulled out their phones to capture the strange lights in the sky, but my attention remained fixed solely on him.

I pushed my way through the excited crowd, feverishly thinking about how to get closer to him without being noticed. Then, without warning, the air was shattered by a deafening bang…

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