red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter iii: an interesting morning

mikey and takemichi are dead.

in the future, that is.

it only gave takemichi one thing to conclude, that he can't screw his one chance of saving mikey along with the rest of the gang and hina. now that he was back to where he started, he has a chance to save baji and emma too.

there are a number more of people he can save this time, and he will do anything to succeed.

however, those dead back alive means one thing.

kisaki tetta also lives.

takemichi has been thinking long and hard about what he should do that he nearly missed the train to his middle school. he was able to reach it in a nick of time, thankfully, but had to squeeze himself between the closing doors of the train.

he now stood against the glass barrier near the train doors, arms folded as he tried to think of a better solution to all this. he can't ask anyone else for help anymore.

naoto isn't here, and chifuyu doesn't even know him at this time yet.

"ugh, what do i do?" he whines to himself.

he didn't think this through. he just jumped back in time because he wants to save mikey. takemichi didn't regret it, though. at some point, hints and help will come home his way.

"excuse me, sir."

"stay out of this, young lady."

"your hands are..."

"my hands aren't yours to command."

train rides in japan are usually quiet. it was a custom to the citizens, and people who cause commotions are deemed disrespectful.

takemichi couldn't help but look up from the ground when he was hearing arising voices.

"your hands are groping another's private parts, mister."

"they're not yours, are they? or, do you want to get in on the action?"

"disgusting," takemichi glared at the middle-aged man arguing with a youthful girl.

assessing the situation, he found out that the man had one hand holding on the grab handle while the other was harassing a girl standing beside him. by the looks of it, she was a high schooler. her uniform says so.

the one arguing with the man, however, is a different girl. she was a little shorter than the high schooler, and she wore a middle school uniform. she had black hair that was kept in a bun with a red hair stick, and her dull onyx eyes glared angrily at the man in question.

an instrument case was hanging on her left shoulder while her messenger bag was looped over her head. takemichi assumes that she's part of a school orchestra, or band.

whatever it is they call them.

before anyone else could anticipate what she'd do, her palm gladly smacked the man's face.

takemichi's eyes widened, not because of the slap. well, maybe it was, but there was more to the girl that shocked him more than her brave act.

her palms were wrapped in bandages, and her right wrist had a red shoestring wrapped around it.

"that looks just like...!"

"you little..!"

as the man tried to hit the girl back, she was able to expertly dodge around his fist. she instead delivered a hard kick at his temple, sending him down the ground in an instant.

"eek!" it left takemitchy in chills. "i-i thought only mikey-kun could do that?!"

"you're such a petty excuse for a human being." the girl didn't hesitate to stomp on his face and kick his stomach to get him rolling.

"i have a recording of what he did. i'll give it to you and let you decide whether or not you wish to press charges." she turned to the crying high schooler, unlocking her phone to send her the video. "would you like me to vapodrop it to you?"

"t-thank you!" the high schooler couldn't help but hold her bandaged hands in thanks, finding comfort and security near the younger girl.

"it's nothing, really."

"you bitch!"

the man tried to choke her, but she didn't even have to look as she kicked him back down the ground again.

everyone else in the train was left in awe.

"i feel bad for the rest of your workmates, you bastard. who knows how many you've harassed 'til now?"

"u-uhm, this is my vapodrop. please send me the video."

"oh, sure! the next time you get in a situation like this, kick him in the nuts and run."

"we are arriving, shibuya station."

"thank you again. i'll be sure to report him."

"no problem! take care now."

the train doors opened, and the girl walks out with her wide smile immediately disappearing.

takemichi couldn't help but notice how the dullness in her eyes never changed even when she was smiling. he reminds her of someone so similar, someone like mikey.

but she was different from him at the same time. while mikey can genuinely smile and feel happy, she never was during the time she's in the train.

her smile was fake.

"ah, but is this just a coincidence?" he asks himself as he stepped out of the other door of the train. "she has a shoestring around her wrist too. what if...?"