7 Arc One (6)

Nicholas' mind was starting to fog again. It wasn't confusion making it hard to think, but rather fear making it hard to breathe. Where was the grief you would expect after the death of a wife? No… after the murder of a loved one? The calmness, the utter nonchalance of the man sitting on the couch in front of him… that scared Nicholas more than anything else had. Who was this man? He was so different ot the memories of the original that Nicholas suspected the original had never really known his friend afterall.

"My car? It was reported stolen. I told you when it happened. You were with me when I realised it was gone after work. Please… Gabe… you can't believe I would do something like this."

Stone faced, Gabe finally rose from the couch to stand behind Nicholas. Large hands rested on the bound man's shoulders like lead weights.

"I didn't think it was you. All the evidence pointed at you. Men I trusted were telling me you were involved." Gabe shook his head and his jaw visibly tightened as he briefly looked away from his bound friend. "I defended you. Said that you would never do something like that..Said you loved Louisa as much as you love me."

The man's voice cracked and for a moment the only sound in the room was that of Nicholas' harsh breathing.

"Gabe… I didn't… you have to believe me…" Pleading was Nicholas' only option. He still had no idea why things had escalated to this point but certain memories of the original were making themselves known; times he had deliberately not questioned oddities in Gabe and Louisa's stories; times he had started to delve down the rabbit burrow only to claw his way back to the surface determined to never unearth the truth; times when he convinced himself that Family run, organised crime, was a Jazz-era fairytale. "Please… you have to believe me…"

"I defended you!" His friend's roar made the windows shake and the row of silent muscle flinch in unison. "When Louisa rang to tell me you'd gone home sick, I was worried about you. But you… You came home early to celebrate."

Unlike the traffic footage, this video was clear and able to be zoomed in to focus on the unadulterated joy on Nicholas' face as he ran wildly from room to room. The only thing missing from the quality of the video was an accompanying audio track. The angle changed each time Nicholas moved too far away or out of frame and realisation slowly dawned.

"You bugged my home?" No wonder the original hadn't wanted to face the truth about his friend. What kind of world did the male and female lead live in, that they thought it was okay to install hidden camera's in their best friend's apartment? A chill wind swept over his skin and raised goosebumps on his arms.

"Just as well I did. Otherwise I'd have continued defending my wife's murderer… never guessing that someone I trusted so much had turned on me."

"Trusted?" Maybe it was foolish, but Nicholas' couldn't help scoffing, the original's blind love for his friend turning into anger. "This is your trust? Such a straw house— blown over in the first storm. Don't call that trust. Respect our years as friends enough to call it what it is; you have obviously only tolerated my presence at your side. No… worse. You've taken me as the puppy you called me; panting at your heels, begging for a scrap of your affection. And like a well trained pet I have blindly accepted everything you have asked of me, wanting only to see you happy."

His laugh was sour. The black clad muscle against the wall shifted uneasily and exchanged glances conveying their disbelief at the direction the evening had taken. Usually the tied up victim would be begging for mercy, trying to avoid what every knew was coming next… Nicholas' response was definitely novel.

"Why would I kill Louisa? A best friend, two legged or four, only wants to see the owner of his heart happy… and she made you happy. I would never take that away from you. From either of you."

For the second time that evening, Nicholas' vision went black at the fist of his friend.

Eventually, he died.

His previous death in this world had taught him about the system and how it worked, this death taught him about the male lead.

It taught him that salt and ice combined on bare skin could leave third degree burns blistering in their wake.

It taught him that tooth picks inserted into nail beds are more painful than a knee to the groin.

It taught him that a shot of bicarb followed by a chaser of vinegar could have you choking on the type of foam usually found in science experiments.

It taught him that even the most loyal dog will grow to hate its owner.

It taught him that sometimes the mind can disconnect from the body until the soul peers through eyes even while the body floats in a numb cloud.

It taught him that sometimes… death is a release.

"System? Please…"

The now familiar changeroom greeted him when he finally opened his eyes.

Choose your Character Name>

"Can't I get a break? Please? Don't make me do this again without a rest…"

"Nicholas Kim."

<Character Name: Nicholas Kim.

Mission: Save the Cannon Fodder Nicholas Kim

Save point established>

"Nicky?" A low, melodic voice interrupted his musings and the green leather pumps that stopped outside the curtain told Nicholas the female lead had come to check on him.

"Please…" His whispered entreaty was muffled as he rested his head on his knees. "Is there a pause function? I… I can't do this again so soon."

<You have selected the Pause option. Choose from the following:

Pause for 5 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause for 10 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause for 30 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause indefinitely. This option will affect the World time on a 1:24 ratio. The Host body will fall into a sleep state when option is selected.>

"I can pause?" Relief flooded Nicholas and a single tear tracked down his cheek. All he needed right now was time to pull himself together and work out what to do next… he could wait until night fell to pause indefinitely.

<You have selected the Pause option. Choose from the following:

Pause for 5 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause for 10 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause for 30 mins. This option will not affect the World time.

Pause indefinitely. This option will affect the World time on a 1:24 ratio. The Host body will fall into a sleep state when option is selected.>

"Pause for thirty minutes. Please... pause for thirty minutes... just... give me some time..."

As the ambient sounds from the shop outside his changeroom abruptly muted, Nicholas leaned his head against the wall and let the tears wrack his body.

Dying sucks.

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