The whole JLNC base wasn't as lively as it was usually before they head out to the gaming arena, only the guy members of the team are in the living room and preparing to leave.
"Do we really need to leave her here?" Rio can't help but ask Alexei who just shrugs as a reply
"The other team doesn't have a match today, she can go to the neighbors," Quant said while eating a packet of dried mango
"Yeah, for sure Fox will check on her if he sees in the live stream that she's not with us so don't worry about her." Bright assured them with a small smile
"Quant, tell that kid not to bother the neighbors," Rasheed said and they all exchanged glances
"Rasheed, even if Key doesn't go to the neighbors, Fox might head here himself." Bright told him
"I won't bother James with my business, Captain, you can rest assured. I am no kid in need of comfort or doting to do such a thing." They looked at the staircase where Key is walking down with a calm – no – dulled expression as she speak each word with void emotions
"Don't go to the neighbors, stay here." Their captain said as if he didn't care about what she just said and Key nodded her head with her eyes still reflecting indifference
"There's breakfast on the table for you, Key," Quant said with a smile and Key replied with a small smile
"Wait…" Rio said and raised his hand and turned to Alexei who nodded his head
"What's the connection between Key and Fox?" Alexei asked the rest of the team
"Oh, did we forget to tell you that Key and Fox are cousins?" Dewy asked and those who didn't know looked surprised
"They're cousins? But how, aren't both of Fox's parents the only child of their families?" Rio asked slightly confused
"Second cousin, his mother is my mother's cousin, Desmond," Key answered, still with her dull expression
"Let's go," Rasheed said and head out of the gaming base first
"Good luck," Key told them and they smiled
"Don't worry, Milady, we'll win," Alexei said and ruffled Key's hair
After everyone left, Key was about to head to the kitchen when she heard footsteps, thinking that it was Bright or Dewy, she went to check only to meet with their captain's piercing gaze.
"Captain," she averted her gaze, neither lowering nor looking up, she just looked at the peripheral vision
"Reflect on your mistakes, think about what you should've done." He said before leaving again
"Mistakes, huh?" Key's eyes became tedious, ultimately losing the small flicker it usually has
She turned her back from the door and headed to the table, eating her breakfast in the cold silence.
It would've been comforting if Key's inner demons are not feasting on her current apathy. Her mind is in a complete ennui that her mind had started to replay her memories, in a messed-up order, recalling the consequences before the action.
For someone like her, her memories are comparable to a world history book, thick and containing a lot of details, breakfast may be quick but with her mind in complete mayhem to recall her memories, time passed quite too slow for her.
This is exactly why Key hated the silence of the night, why she hated being alone with her thoughts because it is killing her from the inside.
"Shut up," Key muttered while holding a spoon tightly in a tone no one has ever heard her use
She's immediately fed up with the memories her mind has recalled, she's currently at the point where she's sensitive, a point where all her defenses are down, where she no longer contains her emotions.
She ate hastily before heading back up to her room and covering her face with a pillow and screaming. She was breathing heavily after she sat up, if anyone could see her, they'd immediately think that Key is being a brat, a brat who didn't get what she wanted and is now throwing a tantrum.
"Accidenti!" she cussed out loud and stood up
"Chi diavolo si crede di essere?" she muttered and a lone tear escaped her eye as she speaks
"È solo il mio capitano! Non ha il diritto di decidere cosa posso fare quando sono solo." With all her emotion raging out of her control, Key started tearing up, tears continued flowing endlessly
"Mistake… what mistake?!" she shouted out of frustration while looking up
"You're so damn arrogant!" Key snarled at the wall
She huffed her breath and looked downward before sighing and messing up her hair. She's frustrated at herself, at their captain because her mind won't acknowledge her mistake and she thinks he just hates her.
She's irritated because her pride won't let her accept the fact that she made a mistake, and she's tired… she's tired of recalling those memories when her mind tries to think of where she made a mistake.
All the memories are eating up the strings of her sanity.
She sat down on her bed wearily with tears still flowing out of her eyes, her mind is in turmoil, and she doesn't know where she did wrong.
Bright and Dewy explained where she didn't exactly do the right step but it doesn't sit well with her opinion so she is ransacking her mind to see other mistakes that might fit in with her standard of 'mistake'.
Of course, with her pride, that's just not possible because she'll just vouch and play innocent about it to make it right, even to herself.
"Mistake, huh…" she said and chuckled bitterly and covered the left side of her face with her left hand
Her phone rang so she reached for it and answered the video call immediately after seeing Kitten's name.
[Hey, who's – Mierda! Estabas llorando?] Kitten immediately asked after noticing her tear-stained face making Key sigh and remove her hand from her face
"Obviously," she muttered in a slightly disinterested tone before standing up
[You don't have to wash your face just because Kami's going to join the call, she can see through you easily anyway.] Kitten said when she headed to the bathroom
"No harm in trying," she tried to crack a smile but Kitten just sighed before shaking her head on her
[Hello, Kitten-chan, Key-chan, how have you been?] A bubbly voice joined their conversation followed by an obvious and sounding gasp
[What happened to you, Key-chan?] She asked worriedly
[Dunno,] Kitten replied in a slang term for 'don't-know'
"I'm doing fine, Kami, how about you?"
Key tried to sound fine but her recent crying and outburst of frustration made her weak, and her lowered guard out of weakness reflected in her voice
[Key-chan, there's no need to pretend,] Kami said in a soft voice
[You have a game today, so, why are you still home? Did something happen? Are you hurt?] Kami asked and Key couldn't help but sigh before going back to the bed
"I'm fine, Kami, just banned from the game," Key said
[Banned… what happened?] Kami asked worriedly
[Was it because of the issue with Dominant Rooks?] Kitten asked with an arched brow
[Issue? What issue, Kitten-chan? Why am I clueless about it?] Kami asked them
"I just did what I had to do to get even, Kami, but look where it got me, I'm banned," Key said and Kami's brows furrowed on the screen
[Get even… that doesn't sound good. What did you do to get even, Key-chan?] Kami asked her carefully
[Key just beat them at their own game, they are average boys, Kami, and she just used her skills to beat them at their so-called turf with their best shinigami, now they're complaining saying Key cheated.] Kitten said, unbothered by the issue Key is facing
[Eto… you mean Key-chan 'alone' used their best shinigami against them?] Kami asked and Key nodded
[Yes, Kami, but those sour losers reported Key, thinking that they were against the other members of JLNC but they're just using Key's account. Now, saying that what Key did has tainted their credibility, they banned her. To be specific, JLNC's captain, Nicolas Blaine, had her banned.] Kitten elaborated
"That's what I don't understand… I mean, what's so wrong with it? I won, either way, JLNC wouldn't be implicated by my actions." Key asked the two with a dejected expression as she laid her back on the bed
[You know boys, Key, they're egoistic, probably couldn't accept that you, a lady and a first-timer in the pro-league, could exact the revenge those annoying rooks deserved.] Kitten rolled her eyes after speaking
[Don't let it get to you, Key.] Kitten added and she sipped from her cup across the screen
[You're condoning what Key-chan did, Kitten-chan?] They were surprised at Kami's question because her tone was laced with disbelief and curiosity
"I don't understand why that is wrong, Kami, I just wanted to help," Key replied while looking at Kami
[Help with what exactly, Key-chan, with getting revenge?] Kami asked with a curious but worried tone
"They mocked us, Kami, they told us that we're all just hyping people but we're no good," Key answered
[Key didn't do anything wrong, Kami, it's just that those guys couldn't accept their defeat, and that Key managed to get even with those jerks who mocked them.] Kitten said excusing Key's actions
***
Accidenti! - Damn!
Chi diavolo si crede di essere? - Who the hell does he think he is?
È solo il mio capitano! Non ha il diritto di decidere cosa posso fare quando sono solo. - He's just my captain! He doesn't have the right to decide what I can do when I'm alone.
Mierda! Estabas llorando? - Shit! You were crying?