Ha’suru National Hospital - Intern Committee. Or more frequently shortened to HNH-IC. An after duty extra curricular that added more challenge to the already challenging life of an intern. From the junior interns of the physicians department, nursing, radiotherapy, physical therapy and medical science. Indeed there was no exception.

But! The HNH-IC was a fickle committee. No one in HNH knew of its true purpose. No intern in their right mind wanted to join. And yet, for the first time in years, the committee had members. Perhaps this was a sign of a changing future. Or better yet, these interns were crazy and didn’t know any better.

After Duty: HNH-IC lounge

The lounge divided itself into two compartments. This wasn’t by design intuition. It was merely a consequence of chance. It served as a perfect realization of what this committee was. Blank white walls stared back at the interns. A languid infection perfected for its residents. A committee of unknown purpose destined to be inconsequential in the grander scheme of things. A stark divide between two sides exemplified that even more.  

The left side of the room contained two desks by the windows. As was the case with offices in HNH, it signified power. They were the seats of the president and the vice president.  On the opposite end by the entrance contained the secretary’s desk. It skewed to the side, a contrast to the head on nature of the higher rank’s tables. It welcomed any and all visitors to the lounge. If they ever had any. Across from it was a lonely desk, for the public relations officer of HNH-IC rarely came to seat it. 

The right half was the real ‘lounge’. A stretched out coffee table slowly became a mere relic. An art piece.  A long sofa beside it paired with plush chairs on the other. This was where problems were solved. Where troubled interns would come to be consoled. But of course, they never happened on cases like that.

“Yahoo!” A girl with striking blonde hair busted through the lounge’s door.

Kaiba did not reciprocate her enthusiasm. He just sat at his larger than usual desk. Mumbling sour words of nothing to himself. 

“Reiko Kamiyama has arrived at the intern committee. And is ready to be of service!”  the girl belted with such force, her headband slid down to her forehead.

Alexa sat at her seemingly smaller desk. There was no argument to be made. Her desk became a dwarf of what the president’s desk was. It just furthered that she was indeed the vice president. Her feet rested on their toes as her thighs quivered. Uncontrollable. Reiko failed to garner her attention as well. 

But this girl, only known as Reiko Kamiyama, stood at the entrance of the lounge. She tied her hands behind her back, beamed a smile, and waited. Acknowledge me! Her smile was bright.

 Alexa and Kaiba could only retreat back inside the deep dark caves of their psyche. The effect was quite contrary to what Reiko Kamiyama expected.

“Good morning Kaiba!” Reiko joyfully exclaimed.

“That’s too bright! Tone it down!” Kaiba shouted.

“Whaaaat?” Reiko slumped her shoulders. 

She scurried over to Alexa’s desk. Crouched down, she started imitating a crab as she grew nearer. Or perhaps a low stanced sumo wrestler. Alexa’s shivering legs should have warned her. I do not care. She peeked casually to the surface of Alexa’s desk. A misplaced headband still hung from her forehead. Eyes wider than usual as it emerged from the floor. 

“Good morning Vice-President Alexa. My name is Reiko Kamiyama. An intern from the nursing department, and a member of the intern committee. How do you do?” Reiko whispered.

“Good morning Reiko. Please fix your headband. It’s annoying me.” Alexa smiled.

Reiko Kamiyama curled her lips. Her eyes strained. She looked at the indifferent face of Alexa. It is no different from Kaiba’s! She dragged her feet to a desk labeled, ‘Reiko Kamiyama’. The thud of her bum hitting the chair all but personified her agitation. With crossed arms, she continued to pout, sulking in the silence of the room. This is no fun!

Ah yes! The third member of the HNH-IC. Reiko Kamiyama. An enigmatic, happy-go-lucky intern from the nursing department. She was a person that easily showed her emotions. She was earnest and pure but deceptively perceptive… at times least expected.

“You guys are just having a bad day! Don’t take it out on me!” Reiko shouted to the heavens. Her head jerked back. The yellow headband finally slid down far enough to block her vision. Ah! She slid it back up, sliding her bangs underneath it. A few frays of her hair poked out but this looked like the usual Reiko Kamiyama now.

The words ‘bad day’ struck Kaiba. He froze. That was a grave understatement. For today, Kaiba Quivers received a demerit. A shame that would take all day to recover from. He put his hands to his temples, racking his brain for the possibilities to compensate for it. Alexa’s fainting extraction had already gone viral, he could only imagine the implications of that. His rival’s future words stung him: ‘You had a demerit today? The little mongrel made a mistake. How pitiful.' It impaled him. I must offset it!

If Kaiba’s face was in torment, Alexa Fuse’s face was equally as flush. The embarrassment killed her inside. That merit is shameful! For how she got it was less than desirable. If someone were to question her on what she did, she couldn’t possibly tell the truth. If someone asked her to replicate it, she couldn't possibly do it. And then her rival’s words pierced through her mind: ‘Why don’t you teach me how to do that Alexa? Oh? Is that so? I didn’t know you were so scared of a measly needle. The whittle munchkin is scawed.’ Kaiba’s baby talk irritated her. She never imagined a thought in her head would annoy her so much. Stop it!

Reiko’s words seemed to only worsen the situation she was in. Kaiba’s shoulder slacked. He put his hands to head, continuing to mumble to himself. Alexa hugged herself in her arms as she rocked back and forth on her chair.

Little to Reiko Kamiyama’s knowledge, the top two interns of HNH truly had one of the worst days today. They were not excited for the committee’s shenanigans. No! All they thought about was when the next day would come. For that meant their redemption. But! She would have none of that! There was still much fun to be had on this day. And it would not be sullied as simply as it was. I need to try my best! That is the nature of Reiko Kamiyama.

She crawled under her desk, no part of her body exposed. “Uwaaa!”

It was a peculiar sound. In this lounge where no such thing should exist. It did. If ordinary means of persuasion were thrown out of the window, then the answer was simple. Go back to the primal instincts. Yes! The sadness and sorrow of a cry for help.

“Uwaa!” She continued to cry out.

Kaiba looked at Reiko's empty desk. His eyebrow raised. It sounds like a croak from a frog. It was peculiar, not sad. It only served to confuse him.

“Uwaa!” Reiko poked her head out only to quickly retract it back. 

Alexa was no fool. This is obviously fake. She heard what true crying was earlier in the day. That twenty seven year old man’s tears were too real. The one from Reiko was stilted, forced.

“Uwaaa!” A resounding thud could be heard as she slammed her head beneath the desk. It could only be assumed that she forgot that she was down there in the first place. She recovered quickly and swung her head in the heat of the moment. Directed at Alexa then at Kaiba. Her lips tightly curled. Her eyes showed the tiniest bit of moisture.

Kaiba and Alexa just stared. She looked like a lost kitten desperately clawing for attention from her parents. But the duo just continued to show their apathy. Though, it was apparent. Reiko Kamiyama was on the verge of real tears. 

Kaiba crossed his arms, and sat back deeper into his thoughts. This is none of my concern. He had better things to think about. For example, like how he was going to get enough merits to offset and take over his rival, Alexa Fuse!

Alexa, on the other hand, let a sigh be released from her lips. Reiko will just get more and more uncontrollable. She couldn’t just let that happen. Especially as he looked at Kaiba and his uncaring posture. She, too, had more things to think about, but she couldn’t possibly concoct her plans with blondie distracting her mental space.

“Hey Reiko,” Alexa blurted out.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. Ho? She would make the first move? This situation finally grew to catch the attention of Kaiba Quivers. His leg raised and rested on the other. His eyes watched intently at the two girls’ interaction.

“We’re sorry about not paying any attention to you.” Alexa pointed at Kaiba. “But that man over there is just naturally very annoying. It’s hard not to feel disgusted. I understand.”

“Oh! Is that why?” Reiko tilted her head. Any trace of her frustration left. Seemingly, she only wanted someone to talk to.

“Hey! What are you talking about!” Kaiba shouted.

“Oh? You were listening? It’s your fault that Reiko is sad. You know that?” Alexa scoffed.

“I dare not do such a thing!” Kaiba stood up as he slammed the table. 

“No, I think Kaiba is just simple minded! It’s okay,” Reiko said.

Simple minded? Kaiba was struck with an arrow of spite. For Reiko Kamiyama to call him that was a fate almost close to death! He sat back down, traumatized by her words. He looked at his own hands, trembling. This is the reason I got a demerit today.

Alexa burst out into laughter. She rubbed her stomach silly as it laughed with her. Kaiba’s expression is priceless!

“Hey you’re no better! You’re just a big meanie!” Reiko’s arrows chose nobody. It shot at all directions. Best not be caught.

“What? Why?” Alexa glared at her. Any trace of laughter utterly erased.

“Yes. I agree. It’s that attitude of hers that breeds failure.” Kaiba nodded. Any trace of trepidation disintegrated.

“Excuse me?” Alexa looked at Kaiba. 

“You told me I was annoying!” Reiko shouted.

“I was referring to your headband! Not you!” Alexa retorted.

“My headband is an extension of who I am.” Reiko palmed her heart. “To insult that is to insult my very being.”

It was Kaiba’s turn to laugh. “She’s right!”

Alexa grimaced. She crumpled the folds of her perfectly kept skirt. She did not know what to say. But! She could not just let their mocking of her continue. I need a rebuttal!

“Hey I know!” Reiko acted of her own accord. Her own flow, and her own pace was unmatched. Just let her take over the room. As things should be. “Let’s play a game!”

Kaiba and Alexa looked at each other, each with a squint in their eye. 

“I have had bad days too. And it sucks! So, the only way to forget about it is–” Reiko twirled her finger in and out of the crease on her upper lip. “–to play a game!”

A ‘game’. That was Reiko’s forte. She was the games master. For games, in her heart, was the gateway to a fountain known as eternal youth. It explained everything and nothing. That was the nature of Reiko Kamiyama.

Kaiba crossed his arms. “Seems nonsensical to me.”

“I agree,” Alexa nodded.

A bout of the thunderous thoughts struck Kaiba. Alexa agreed with me? It only meant one thing. She did not want to play this game! Therefore, it was the most prudent action to actually play this game. Kaiba’s mind enlarged in hydrocephalus. It was the perfect time to showcase just how big his brain really was.

“On second thought, Reiko, I think it is a good idea.” Kaiba retracted his previous statement.

“What?” For Alexa to be surprised was an understatement to say the least. Why did Kaiba want to play this game? Her thoughts slowly build up. There is only one way. She was slowly picking up on what Kaiba was putting down.

“Yahoo!” Reiko jumped up. “And I have the perfect game too!”

“But, the stakes have to be raised.” Kaiba stroked his chin.

“I agree,” Alexa followed up.

“On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t play this game after all.” Kaiba shifted his gaze to the window, perspiration slowly accumulating.

Reiko put her hands on her head. “Whaaat is going on?”

“No, the stakes should be raised. The losers will have no choice but to answer one question from the winner.” Alexa’s words finally brought weight to the game.

It was a double edged sword. Her words. If she were to lose, then she would have to tell everyone of her mistake. But! If she were to win, then she’d get to know what made Kaiba’s day bad! She was too confident in her own ability not to raise the stakes.

I fell right into her trap. The wince on Kaiba’s face personified that thought. By making him feel like she didn’t want to play, he unknowingly suggested they go through with it. And that was her plan all along. But! Kaiba Quivers was a man that did not back down. The stakes were high, whatever he could glean from winning in this situation far outweighed the risks. There is only victory!

He crossed his arms. “I wholeheartedly concur!”

Alexa met Kaiba’s eyes. The challenge was on. Both of them knew the risks of those stakes. And both of them knew they would not back down. Such was the  challenge between the top two interns at the HNH leaderboards.

“I like it!” Reiko agreed.

The three members of the intern committee met at the center of the business side. The center of the lounge was vacant for this specific purpose! Reiko sat down with crossed legs on the oddly warm floor beneath her. Alexa brushed her skirt against her thighs as she followed her lead. And Kaiba simply rushed his bum down to the floor. 

“Today–” Reiko hesitated for a brief moment. “–uhm. We will be playing the game of faces 2.0!”

With just one sentence, Kaiba and Alexa’s mind began to wander. They would soon forget the very reason that they partook in this game of faces 2.0. Because it’s namesake had already planted itself in the back of their minds. 

Kaiba dug himself deeper in his psyche.  It ruminated on the words ‘2.0’ It could mean many things. This girl hesitated as she said those words. What does it mean for Reiko?

Similarly, Alexa was intrigued by the nomenclature. ‘2.0’. What happened to 1.0? Her mind couldn't even fathom what Reiko Kamiyama was thinking. The hesitation that Reiko showed served to pique her mind even more. I need to know why it was 2.0!

Reiko tilted her head. The top two interns were making very weird faces. A smile crept up her face. “You guys already know this game?” 

“No.” They both replied instantly.

“Oh I see. Then, I’ll explain the rules!” Reiko sifted the fraying of her hair.

Kaiba looked at Alexa. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know. She is thinking the same thing! If Kaiba was to bet on anything, it would be his intuition. There was something more to this game of faces 2.0 that meets the eye. It felt dark. It felt sinister. The more happiness, the more sadness laid within. Behind the veiled curtain of Reiko’s glee, there is a deep traumatic experience from game of faces 1.0.

“The rules are simple. We have what we call as the baseline face. It can be anything! It can be you smiling, or just staring. Or any weird face you like! That is the face you must keep throughout the entire game.” Reiko started explaining the mechanics.

Alexa examined the situation. Kaiba was making the same strained face she was. Could he be curious too? She wondered about what kind of game was 1.0. Why it was changed and how Reiko changed it. Game of Faces 2.0. It irked her. It was not knowing why it was 2.0, when she’d never even heard of game of faces 1.0 before! 

Reiko continued, “The goal of the game is to use words. It could be a question or a statement that would make the other person lose their baseline face. We would go in turns, and ask any of the other two people. But, if for example, I ask Alexa a question but Kaiba loses his baseline question. Then Kaiba will lose. So you have to be careful by not reacting to any words from the opponents at all. The last one to maintain their baseline face wins!”

The ceiling fan from up above continued its revolution. Round and round it goes, being led by the very electricity that powered it. Caught in an endless loop, it had no choice but to generate the thoughts that spiraled out of control beneath it.

Kaiba had no choice but to understand the situation fully, even if Reiko did not want it. His face contorted as he thought of ways of bringing out that traumatic experience without he, himself, taking the brunt of the emotional burden. He could only imagine what a truly depressed Reiko would look like. I have no intention of touching that!

Alexa’s face was labored with the thought of game of faces 1.0. Could I just ask that? Reiko twiddled her thumbs in wait. It was just the right amount of clues to feed into her own curiosity. Why did Reiko do that? It only made her want to know more about the game of faces 1.0. It looked like Kaiba was curious too. I couldn’t go to the trouble of asking for both of them! She owed  Kaiba Quivers no favors. There was only one answer. I will make Kaiba ask himself!

“That’s great! Both of you already have your baseline faces!” Reiko drooped her eyes down. Her mouth sagged. She looked like she was about to cry.

She is about to cry! Kaiba’s epiphany struck him. There can be no other explanation. The thought of Reiko Kamiyama’s trauma slowly built up in his mind.

Why did she look so sad! Alexa started to shiver in heat. She absolutely needed to know why. It could be such an interesting story, that she’d never heard of anything like it before. But she had to remain patient. Patience is my friend.

“Alright. I’m ready. I’ll ask the first question.” Reiko’s face did not match her joyful words. “Kaiba!”

“Yes!”

“Did you get traumatized as a kid?”

“I refuse to answer!” Kaiba maintained his baseline face.

But! his thoughts were about to explode. Why would she ask such a question? Could she be trying to find a commonality between them so she could further open up her own trauma? His hands started to shake. He did not want to open that can of worms.

While maintaining her exaggerated face Reiko said, “Aww. You’re really good at this Kaiba! It’s your turn to ask now.”

It was do or die time. Kaiba could finally ask the burning question in his heart. The story behind 1.0 could involve so many things. What if Reiko’s parents were killed while they played game of face 1.0? It would be such a sensitive question to ask. He wanted to know the answer. But! He knew it would only traumatize him back. There was one other way–

“Alexa!” he shouted.

“I’m here!”

“Do you have any burning questions you want to ask Reiko?”

“Burning! The house is on fire!” Alexa yelled.

The house is on fire? Kaiba’s face contorted even more. Could it be? His thoughts were out of control. It was beyond the scope of a normal individual. Burning house. Game of Face 1.0. While Reiko and her parents played game of faces 1.0, their house burned down! She knows! It was the only explanation in his mind that fit all the descriptors.

Alexa twitched for a moment, almost losing her baseline face. The burning house was a metaphor. Ah yes. A metaphor for her own psyche that was slowly being torched to the ground the more she spent not asking the question that irked her so. Kaiba wants me to ask the question. That sentiment, all the more, urged her not to ask it. Even at the cost of her own self destruction.

“Kaiba!” It was now Alexa’s turn.

“Yes!”

“Curiosity kills cats. Do you believe in that saying?”

“No. I do not.” Kaiba hesitated. It was oddly threatening. I’m not even curious. But Alexa’s words portrayed fully in his mind, that if he were to delve further in the rabbit hole of Reiko’s trauma, he too would meet the same fate as the cat.

Alexa struggled as Kaiba did not react to her question at all! He hesitated but that was not enough of a push. I need to try harder! She was dead set on making Kaiba ask the question. The more Kaiba showed he wanted it, the more Alexa wanted to make him do it. 

“Yahoo! My turn!” Reiko’s face contrasted with perpetual sadness. “Alexa!”

“I am here!”

“Have you ever tried to murder someone?”

“Absolutely not!” Alexa maintained her baseline face.

Kaiba’s eyes gaped wider than any human had ever seen. Murder someone? It was even worse that he anticipated. No! It was the worst possible outcome. Reiko murdered her parents while they played game of faces 1.0. And now it was 2.0. His hands trembled. That could only mean one thing. 

“Reiko,” Kaiba muttered.

“Yahoo!”

“Have you ever tried to murder someone?”

“Hm. Maybe?” Reiko maintained her baseline face. This time, it fit the mood quite well. 

“I’m kidding!” Reiko’s face of grief did not give confidence to those words. “You guys are good, you didn’t even flinch from your baseline faces!”

Kaiba’s face was the most twisted it had ever been. That proves it. He did not want to associate with Reiko any longer. Her plans had been seen through. This whole game of faces 2.0 was a ploy. Reiko is a merchant of death.

What kind of question is that? Alexa was befuddled by such a asinine question. It was obviously not that. Doubt crept into her mind. Kaiba just wasted an opportunity to ask a better question. Her own question needed to be asked. It scratched and gnawed at her insides. It wanted to come out! And there was no time to wait. I cannot waste time on Kaiba anymore. Time was ticking. It felt like her heart was going to explode. She had to deviate from her initial plans. It was her turn. I need to ask the question now! This cat was about to be killed by her own curiosity.

“Reiko,” Alexa said.

“Yahoo!”

“Why is this game called game of faces 2.0? What happened to 1.0?” There it was! Alexa finally asked the question that not only burned deep in her but also in Kaiba’s as well.

Kaiba was shocked. How daring is this woman to willingly open up that? Did she not know that Reiko Kamiyama is nearing her plan of murdering both of them? He looked at Reiko, watching her lips as they moved, anticipating the words that would serve fatal. In more ways than one.

Reiko tilted her head. “Hmmm. Well let’s see. I’ve spent countless nights thinking about this. And I couldn't quite get it out of my head for years. It was just so hard.”

Alexa’s heart stopped beating for a tiny moment. Countless nights? Years? Her curiosity was being fed and fed with just the right keywords. I need to know why!

Kaiba looked down, almost in acceptance of his own death. Reiko Kamiyama, the girl he least expected to end his own life. How deadly could she be? She dealt with a murderer’s remorse for years. But now it was apparent. Reiko is already a cold blooded killer.

“I was thinking about 1.0 and it's just bad memories for papa and me.” Reiko was a master at maintaining her baseline face. It led to the illusion that her words actually gave weight.

Kaiba perspired profusely. Alexa listened in anticipation. There were so many questions in their minds. Whether they wanted to or not, Reiko Kamiyama would answer them.

“No matter how I looked at it, 1.0 sounded so bad. So I went with Game of Faces 2.0!”

“What? That’s it? You didn’t like 1.0 so you went with 2.0?” Alexa was starstruck.

“Yup!” Reiko nodded emphatically.

Kaiba’s face was completely empty. Devoid of any emotion. Or struggle. The words he just heard from Reiko Kamiyama were unbelievable. It shook him to the very core.

Alexa was crestfallen but she refused to show it. In place of her straining face, was a blank stare to somewhere yonder. In previous days, she wouldn’t go to the place beyond the horizon. Today is the day I go there. That was her only place of respite.

“Hey! You guys lost your baseline face!” Reiko shouted.

The top two interns' faces were once fresh lemons being squeezed of all their juices. That only lasted for as long as they held their sweet nectar. But they did not care. It was already too late. They were drained by Reiko’s words, by their own thoughts that seemed to build up what was ultimately just a farce by Reiko. This served as the number one lesson when dealing with her– Never be swallowed by the pace of Reiko Kamiyama.

With her cheerless, downhearted face, Reiko laughed. “I win!” 

It was such a confusing combination of emotions. Her face showed deep sorrow. But her laughter conveyed genuine joy. Indeed, she had bested the top two interns in the game of faces 2.0. The game was over. Her opponents, defeated. She forgot the stakes were high. But she still continued to play. Such was the nature of Reiko Kamiyama.