CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
And suddenly your name felt like home again, and I hadn't even knocked
♤♡♢♧
Chishiya had always known exactly what steps to take to achieve his goals. Every move was calculated, every possibility accounted for, he was always two steps ahead.
But when it came to Seina... he knew he should keep his distance. He knew he should remain cold. And he knew, perhaps most of all, that if he truly wanted to protect her, he should hurt her. Push her away before history repeated itself, before she lost sight of her own survival.
But knowing and doing were two entirely different things.
Maybe because Seina knew him too well.
Knew exactly where his weak spots were, how far she could push before he snapped. And she danced on that fragile line so effortlessly that Chishiya wasn't even sure she was doing it on purpose.
That was the most unsettling part.
The idea that someone could read him so instinctively, that she could anticipate his next move before he even made it, before he even think about it, that she could catch the meaning in a half-swallowed sentence or feel something beneath the hollow gaze he wore so well.
So he failed to keep his distance. And before either of them realized it, they had both fallen into something sticky, something heavy with unspoken words and lingering touches – an unspoken, syrup-thick world that existed only between the two of them.
As they passed a prison beneath the looming airship of the Jack of Hearts, Chishiya didn't have to say a word. Seina filled in the silence for him, casually pointing out that this was probably the game he was planning on joining. Then, with a shrug, she added that it was "pretty cliché with the prison thing," but that she wasn't surprised.
Chishiya merely smiled, and when he caught himself, his expression flickered back to indifference.
This was how they worked.
Seina spoke, joked, filling the air with words as if the weight of their reality meant nothing at all. Ignoring her wounds, ignoring the world burning around them. And Chishiya listened, watching her the way one watches a fleeting obsession, like the sunrise — beautiful, indulgent, fleeting.
Something that was undeniably breathtaking, but never meant to last.
As they walked through the ruined city streets, the world around them seemed frozen in a state of collapse. Crumbling buildings, abandoned cars rusting in the sun, dark neon signs advertising things that no longer existed, but Seina acted as if none of it mattered.
She moved easily through the chaos, her steps light, almost careless.
Chishiya had always found that strange about her. Most people in this world walked like they were carrying the weight of survival on their backs. But Seina? She walked like she was slipping through the cracks of reality itself, as if none of this could truly touch her.
"Let me guess," she said, breaking the silence. "You're already planning how to get through that Jack of Hearts game without lifting a finger."
Chishiya didn't respond right away. He kept his gaze ahead, his hands stuffed in his pockets.
"I mean, I get it," Seina continued. "It's the perfect game for you. Psychological manipulation in a prison, deceit, watching people probably tear each other apart while you sit back and enjoy the show..."
"You make me sound cruel," he cut in smoothly, his tone almost amused.
Seina smirked. "I'm just observant."
For a moment, silence settled between them again. The city stretched ahead, quiet in a way that felt unnatural. They weren't far from the building they were temporarily calling home, a half-intact hotel that still had running water if you knew which pipes to mess with.
Chishiya glanced at her. "You don't approve?"
"Of you? Never," she said dramatically, placing a hand on her chest. "Of the game? Not really. I mean, you're going in there knowing damn well that most of them are gonna die. You could at least pretend to be conflicted about it."
"I could."
"But you won't."
"No."
Seina sighed in mock disappointment. "Well, at least you're consistent."
Chishiya didn't answer, but a ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. He wasn't sure if she was testing him or just filling the silence with words.
Maybe both. But she had a way of peeling apart his indifference, pressing at the cracks in his carefully built walls before he even realized what she was doing.
And what was worse... he let her.
As they reached the entrance of the hotel, Seina leaned against the rusted doorframe. "So, are you actually planning on sleeping tonight, or are you gonna stay up, plotting whatever morally gray scheme you've got in that big, evil brain of yours?"
Chishiya tilted his head slightly. "Would it make a difference?"
Seina grinned. "Not really. Just wondering how long I have before you inevitably drag me into it."
She turned and disappeared inside before he could respond, leaving him standing there for a moment longer. The sky above them was darkening, the city swallowing the last traces of daylight.
Chishiya exhaled through his nose, stepping inside after her.
She wasn't wrong.
***
The hotel room was a disaster—dusty, stale air, and a mattress that looked like it had seen better days a decade ago. Seina dropped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh, flopping backward as if the weight of the world had finally crushed her.
"God, if I just knew why the fuck I'm this exhausted," she groaned, rubbing her temples.
Chishiya, standing near the door, barely had time to inhale before Seina cut him off with a pointed finger.
"And don't even say it's because of you. I refuse to give you that satisfaction."
Chishiya's lips twitched slightly, something between amusement and mild exasperation, but he said nothing. Instead, he watched as she pushed herself up from the bed and strolled over to the balcony door. She nudged it open, letting in a breeze that did little to chase away the room's mustiness.
Stepping out onto the terrace, Seina rested her forearms on the rusting railing, gazing at the city below.
"Haven't had a cigarette since the Seven of Clubs game," she mused, stretching her fingers as if she could still feel the phantom weight of one between them. "And for the first time in... I don't know, forever? I don't think I even need one."
Chishiya hummed, noncommittal. "And why is that?"
Seina turned her head slightly, a smirk ghosting over her lips.
"You tell me."
The lights cast a soft glow over her face, highlighting the sharp angles of her jaw, the slight mischievous gleam in her eyes. Chishiya knew better (he always knew better) but still, he found himself stepping closer.
It was a small movement, barely there, but deliberate. His hand lifted before he could stop himself, fingertips grazing her cheek as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid," he murmured, voice low. "Or at least..." a pause, calculated but hesitant. "At least tell me if you want to do."
Seina's lips curled into something wickedly charming.
"I can't promise anything," she said, and her voice was light, teasing, but something about it was honest too. "But I'd like to try."
Chishiya studied her for a second longer, searching for something, though he wasn't quite sure what.
And so he kissed her.
Seina didn't hesitate.
She met Chishiya halfway, like she had been expecting this all along. Like she knew, in that sharp, reckless heart of hers, that it would happen eventually.
His lips were soft but deliberate, moving against hers with a patience that almost annoyed her, like he was testing the waters, like he had all the time in the world when they both knew they didn't.
So she did what she always did. She pushed.
Her fingers curled into the front of his hoodie, pulling him in just enough to wipe away any doubt about what she wanted.
And for a moment, just a moment, Chishiya let himself fall into it. His hands found her waist, and the kiss deepened, slow but sure, like he was memorizing the way she tasted, the way she felt pressed against him.
Seina smiled into it, because of course, even now, especially now, Chishiya was calculated. Controlled. Even as he kissed her, he was thinking. Analyzing. She could feel it in the way his grip was firm but never desperate, in the way he let her take control even though she could tell he wasn't used to giving it up.
She pulled back first, just enough to look up at him, his heartbeat annoyingly unsteady.
"You think too much," she murmured, breathless but amused.
Chishiya exhaled a quiet laugh. "And you don't think enough."
Seina tilted her head, pretending to consider it. "Maybe that's why we work."
Chishiya didn't respond, but she saw the way his gaze flickered, the way his fingers brushed her hip absentmindedly, like he wasn't quite ready to let go yet.
Neither was she. He let his fingers skim along her hip, his thumb barely grazing the fabric of her shirt. It was such a small thing, barely there, but Seina felt it like a spark, a reminder that for all his indifference, Chishiya was here.
And he was staying.
"So," she drawled, tilting her head, "was that, like, a one-time thing, or are you planning on kissing me again?"
Chishiya arched a brow, expression unreadable. "Do you want me to?"
Seina rolled her eyes, but her fingers were still gripping his hoodie, still keeping him close. "What do you think?"
Chishiya studied her for a moment, as if weighing his options, like this was just another game where he had to play his cards right. But then, before she could call him out on it, he leaned in again.
This time, there was no hesitation.
The kiss was slower, deeper, like he was getting used to the idea of this—of them. When they finally broke apart, Seina exhaled a small, satisfied hum.
"Huh," she mused, playful but soft. "Guess I don't need a cigarette after all."
Chishiya smirked, but his voice was quieter when he spoke. "Guess not."