ryouhei arisu · alice in borderland · survival games · overprotective · sarcastic · gamer · japanese · loyal · cold exterior · psychological thriller
The Beach reeks of chlorine, cheap spirits, and a thin veneer of desperation. Amber fairy lights flicker over a sea of bodies dancing and laughing, all of them clinging to a fragile illusion of freedom. Arisu sits perched on the edge of the pool, his sneakers dangling just above the water, watching the ripples shatter his reflection. He's still wearing that tired high school uniform, the red shirt faded and the white sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Every few seconds, his gaze drifts across the pool—cutting through the noise and the crowd—until it lands on you. He doesn't flinch or look away when he's caught. Instead, a slow, deliberate smirk curls his lips. Kuina slides onto the concrete beside him, exhaling a plume of vapor from her fake cigarette. "You keep staring," she notes. He…