The Life of a Prisoner

AU Note: So, I hope people from chapter 1 are still reading this. I have big stuff planned for this novel, so don't disappear, okie? Oh and, please comment it helps fuel my arduous journey.

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This time when Shinji's woke up, he jumped up with such force that a corner of his shirt got ripped, mostly due to how tight the ropes were binding him. However, this time he didn't wake up in a dark, dreary basement; this time, he woke up in a bed, his every limb bound by shackles.

"Got you~!"

Murmuring in her sleep, Mizuki Aira rolled over from the other side of the massive bed and squeezed Shinji in her bosom. Whether or not she was asleep was questionable, but her slowly rising and falling chest that was snuggling against his nose, made him feel like she had fallen deep into sleep.

The AC in the room lazily blanketed the room with cold air, and in the summer night, it was somewhat helpful. Of course, it magnified the pleasant, almost flowery scent coming off of the girl's room, which didn't help the itchy feeling in Shinji's heart.

As they say, paper tigers weren't real, but tigers are tigers nonetheless. To Shinji, Mizuki wasn't as half as scary as awake when asleep. She would softly inhale and exhale in her sleep, and her expression was as gentle as it could be.

Just because there was snow on the roof didn't mean that there wasn't a fire burning inside. Mizuki's personality would often contradict what she'd say, but so far, Shinji didn't have any choice but to stay with her. It wasn't because he was lonely or something either; if he had the chance and weren't bound to the bed, he would've run out of the house as soon as he could!

Maybe the flowery words she had spoken to him reached his heart, but he didn't try resisting. If he couldn't escape, he might as well live like a freeloader.

"DING!"

Suddenly, as if there was a gunshot, the sound of a mobile notification rang out in the room. The immense shock made Shinji gulp, but soon he realized that it was his phone's notification sound.

Holy shit!!

"Mmh…hmm… "

Mizuki slightly nudged against Shinji, as if she hadn't heard anything. He sighed in relief, and with a few twists and slight moves, he turned around in her embrace and searched around his pillows.

Only Shinji's wrists and ankles were bound to the bed, meaning that he didn't have much problem moving a bit here and there. The bedroom was dim, but he almost felt like God was shining a floodlight on him when he found his phone.

If it were any other day, a single look at Shinji's half-broken Chinese smartphone would evoke a bitter smirk from him, but today, he almost felt like he would shit himself from the joy. He huddled himself into a little corner and pushed the phone into the soft mattress and opened it.

The notification came from a messaging app—

"Hot singles 20km away from you want to contact you…wait, don't block. It's me, Yuhara! I'll be waiting for you tomorrow! "

Shinji deleted the message and instantly turned on silent mode. Without even thinking, he tried to call the police and…stopped. The panic inside him had died out, but the fear still lived on. He turned around and contemplated his choices: he could call the police, which would either wake up the demoness due to him having a shitty phone with an insensitive receiver, or would end up sending him to jail.

Shinji glanced at his tied up body and thought that Mizuki was very bright. If he called the police, she could just claim that he had broken into her house, and she tied him up. Of course, that was a rather far-fetched scenario, but he didn't want to take chances. And most importantly, he…somehow didn't want to leave.

Maybe Shinji was used to people treating him like this, but he felt that it was better than rotting alone. Furthermore, he had no choice but to comply with her demands.

Shinji patted down his pajama, turned off the phone, and with a little bit of wriggling, he successfully slid the phone underneath the bed into a hidden corner. If he put it somewhere else, Mizuki would discover it.

Shinji then huddled into the right corner of the bed, away from the left-leaning Mizuki, who was smiling in her sleep. He could still feel a strange, throbbing pain near the place where she had injected him. Nonetheless, the effects of the drug had dulled his senses and turned his muscles into jelly. He had trouble even turning around!

Shinji tried his best to fall asleep, but the inebriated state he was in left much to be desired. He would often wake up after 30 to 50 minutes of sleep, unable to sleep further….

…

…

...

Shinji closed his eyes and winced as a needle injected a dose of yellow liquid in his arm. He tried his best to resist, but there wasn't much he could while being bound with steel shackles.

Morning dew covered the windows, while birds chirped outside. The apple tree just outside the room slightly shook in the air, as if trying to mimic Shinji's jittery limbs.

"Please...don't this…I'll turn into an addict!" Shinji said, his eyes rapidly twitching. He once more felt his strength evaporate, and his mind weaken. Standing by Shinji with an adoring smile was Mizuki, who had changed into a rather innocent fuchsia blouse and a flowery skirt. She cooed, "There, there. Don't worry; you'll get used to it by next week!"

"Now, go and take a bath. I'll cook something for you in the meanwhile, okay? Have a nice day~!"

Suddenly, Mizuki bent down and kissed Shinji on his lips. The familiar sounds of wet kissing rang out in the room, as she violently forced herself on him. Shinji had just woke up, and a result hadn't brushed his teeth yet – a fact that was willingly ignored by her, who continued with zeal.

"Hehe," She chuckled, and like yesterday, licked her lips with a wistful expression.

Shinji felt a new dread begin to encroach upon his heart as he realized that unlike what he was thinking last night, the situation had developed into a dead corner. He had been deluded by the beauty and words of the woman, ignoring the fact that he was being drugged daily with narcotics that easily addict people. He wasn't stupid; it was fairly obvious what she was trying to do.

Shinji touched his forehead and stopped thinking, as he noticed a throbbing pain in the middle of his head. Seeing such a scene, Mizuki mysteriously smiled, and with a heave, pulled Shinji up.

"Err…ah, I'll no…spare me…" Shinji murmured as he clenched his teeth. Mizuki rubbed both of his hands and warmed them up.

"Trust me. Nothing will happen. Once you eat, you'll be fine. "

Shinji sensed the strong force in her arms and quietened down. He watched, as the girl who shared the same height as him, bent down and unlocked his shackles. An itchy feeling on his wrists immediately flushed his mind, as he whimpered and scratched them.

"Don't try anything weird~!" Mizuki whispered to his ears and left the room like a gust of air.

Shinji, however muddle-headed, immediately bent down and felt his mind break when he discovered that the phone – which he had hidden quietly – had disappeared. In a fit of distress, he began sweating l

Sensing no other alternatives, he went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth and took a shower. Then he noticed that due to his inebriation, he hadn't brought any spare clothes inside…

"Uh, Mizuki?" Shinji called out to the woman since, despite everything, he couldn't just run out naked.

In a few moments, the sound of light footsteps rang out in the room, which ended as soon as someone knocked on the door.

"Hehe, you don't have to be that shy around me! I remember when we used to shower together, sleep together, play together every day~!"

The door was opened, and a fair hand slid inside with a pair of casual wear. It was of his favorite color – blue.

Creepy.

Shinji took the clothes and watched as Mizuki retracted her hand and walked off while humming a pleasant tune. He pushed back the door and discovered that he hadn't locked it. He almost felt like banging his head on the wall due to how stupid he was.

The sluggish Shinji then wore the clothes, and found that they fit him perfectly – it was as if someone had tailored them just for him. He opened the door and sat on the bed with a blank expression. He needed to somehow escape from this as it wasn't hard to figure out that trying just to run away would have massive complications; thus, it was better just to solve the matter through careful planning…

Unfortunately, Shinji could barely think; therefore, he gave in to his sleepiness and dozed off. He woke up 40 minutes later, so hungry that he could almost vomit. Without any options, he wandered around the house…until he found the dining room.

The house was expansive and depicted quite artistically with colorful paint and modern furniture. He looked at the right side of the dining 'hall' and discovered a stair – leading both up and down. He silently sat down on a chair and began to think as the pain in his mind had dulled.

If Mizuki loved him that much, surely she'd allow him to live as a sane man? He somehow needed to negotiate with her, as he remembered that what she wanted was him. Obsession might be a suitable word, but how was it still inside her after six years?

"Hey, you're here already! I'm done with cooking; please forgive me if it tastes bad!"

Suddenly, Mizuki appeared from the kitchen with a sunny smile. In her hands were a few plates filled with simple, yet meticulously cooked dishes. She laid them down in front of him and handed him a chopstick.

"I've heard fish is good for the body, so I went through the trouble of preparing some for you. I deserve at least a kiss, right?"

"Thank you…for the meal."

Shinji jumped into the food and discovered that most of it tasted rather bad for how it looked. It was eatable, though, and for someone that had barely eaten since a day ago, it was enough.

"First time...cooking fish?" Shinji said as he tried to be friendly with her. He was focused on the food, and her facial movements, however.

Seeing that Mizuki hadn't undergone violent changes, Shinji sighed internally. She put her hand on her chin, and said from the other side of the table, "I've cooked fish before, it's just that it's my first time putting effort into it. If you're worried about food, don't worry, I'll learn as quickly as I can. "

Mizuki scratched the back of her hand while she stared intensely at Shinji. Her eyes were like cameras, capturing his every move.

While eating, Shinji suddenly stopped, and asked, "Um, Mizuki…thank yo—"

" Don���t you remember my nickname, Shin?"

"...No. I'm sorry, don't be ang—"

"It's okay~! I'll make you remember in such a way that you'll never forget it, ever again. " Mizuki chuckled, her smile as graceful as ever. Shinji couldn't even sense if she was harboring anger underneath her skin.

"So, what were you saying? I'm all ears."

"As I told you last night – you can do anything you want with me… just don't drug me anymore. Please! I'll do anything…"

Mizuki put both of her hands on her cheeks, and as if pondering, hummed for a few moments, and said, " Maybe, I guess? It depends on whether or not you'll agree to my conditions, though. Hey, how about you just give in and let me take of you for the entirety of your life? That should entice any man, no?"

"My life is miserable anyway; yet, I just…want to complete my degree. I won't be able to do that if I'm sloshed every single damn day. "

" How about we be miserable together? I also left my dream for you, isn't that enough?"

"Just…tell me what I need to do. I'll just fucking kill myself if I can't fulfill at least a certain part of my dream…!"

Mizuki, as if amused by the conversation, had intensified her grin. That twisted, insane grin would send shivers down his spine whenever he would see them.

"Hmm, just undre— oh, I got off track. So, perhaps a few days later, I want you to go to university with me, alright? I need to see if you're obedient enough before that, so be a good boy!"

That request was innocent enough, but the reasons behind it might be staggeringly demonic.

Mizuki, however, went off-track once more, "You know, I always thought that when I'd finally catch you, you'd resist. The obedient Shin is fine too; he's even cuter! Truly, you haven't changed a bit."

"I've changed…maybe for the better or maybe for the worst."

"It doesn't matter. You'll always remain…just like this. A starving child – just like me. "

Just then, while Mizuki was talking, her phone rang. The rhythmic chimes stopped her as she pulled out her phone and turned off the alarm. She turned to look at Shinji with an apologetic gaze, and said, "Looks like I've to go! I'll let you walk around the house, get familiar with it. Until then, don't do anything stupid, okay? "

Then, she stood up and cleaned the table. Shinji stood up, while motiveless staring at the girl and her antics. It was 10 in the morning, meaning she was probably going to university.

"We seriously need to catch up. How about a restaurant later this evening? I'll show you around your old house~!"

"Okay…" Shinji nodded and watched as she went deeper into the house and came out with a beige bag.

"And I almost forgot. Your phone resembles a trash compactor, so I bought a new one for you~! Here, catch!" Mizuki suddenly said and threw a box at Shinji with a gentle swerve.

"What?" Shinji caught the phone and stared at it bewilderedly.

Was she…she trying to bribe him? A psychological attack on his lonely mind?

"I have more things for you; just give up already~! Ah, and, I've taken your sim cards; it won't be that useful for you in a time like this, hehe."

Without even waiting, the familiar girl waved him goodbye and left. He heard sounds of her flinging something – perhaps a padlock – back and forth while in front of the door. He went there and tried opening it, and found out that she had locked it.

"Don't try to escape~! I'll find you, wherever, you, go. Okay? " Her voice leaked through the mahogany door, as Shinji gulped.

…

Shinji sat on the sofa in the living room and unpacked the 'gift'. In a few moments, an expensive but modest phone popped out of the box, something he would've dreamed about but wouldn't dare to buy. He said, albeit in a whisper, "She sure got rich. This house…the furniture, the electric appliances – everything screams that she's the daughter of some rich tycoon. Where did she get this much money from?"

The sweet words that she had spoken were mesmerizing, yet demeaning at the same time. It was as if in her eyes, he was nothing more than a hunk of meat. Although, for someone like him, it was undeniably flattering to the most profound degree.

An evening restaurant date, huh? Bad memories never end, do they? Speaking of which, Shinji was sure that he was able to remember everything that happened in his childhood, yet why did she say that he had forgotten 'everything'?

"I…have to find a way out," he said, as he monitored the house. There were many windows in the living room. Some provided scenery of the small garden behind the house, and some provided the view of a few similarly posh villas that surrounded the house. Bursting out through these windows would've been fine, but he wanted to solve it through diplomacy…a truce, perhaps?

"Why the fuck am I acting like this? I can just smash that window and call the police, but…"

Shinji wiped his cold, yet sweaty face and remained to ponder about his situation. His mind had turned a bit dull, but it was still manageable. He shook his head and calmed himself. After a few minutes, with motives unknown, he staggered towards the staircase and walked up.

A chilly breeze blew in through a window, as Shinji stared at the second floor's design. Sensing his presence, the smart light bulbs on the ceiling turned on, almost scaring him. He said with annoyance, "How rich."

Shinji walked to the room at the foremost part of the floor and discovered that it was locked. The others were locked as well, making his trip to the second floor pointless as it could be.

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