red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter v: his salvation

mikey only ever rides his cb250t, his one and only babu. whenever he rides a bicycle or a motorbike that isn't his babu, he prefers to be the passenger.

that was one fact takemichi confirmed a long time ago, and that is why he's paddling the bike while mikey sat innocently behind him. on a separate bike behind them, was draken.

"if there's any time i could ask him about it, it's now." takemichi said to himself. "it's stupid, but that shoestring could help me somehow."

"mikey-kun?"

"hmm?"

"that thing around your wrist—"

"thing?" mikey leaned over his shoulder, glaring a little at him. "mind you, this is a red string of fate."

"u-uh," takemichi looked over a little and saw draken waving a warning hand at him. "that red string of fate, does it mean anything?"

"draken warned me to not insult it! i need to be respectful!"

"i waved for you to stop asking, but you still did." draken's face fell.

"mean anything, hm?" mikey leaned back again. it gave takemichi space to breathe again. "stop here."

"right,"

takemichi did as told, stopping by the river. the sun was setting, and they have a perfect view of it from the spot mikey chose.

he gets off the bike and sat on the grass while draken and takemichi stayed standing on the concrete.

"it means everything to me."

"huh?" takemichi was obviously confused.

how could a shoestring be so important?

"do you know about the red string of fate, takemitchy?" mikey looks over his shoulder, giving him a light smile that tells him he won't do anything bad to him.

of course, he wouldn't. mikey isn't that kind of person.

takemichi feels at ease whenever he sees such a gentle smile.

"yeah, the string that connects you with your soulmate, right?" he answers.

"mhm," mikey faces the sunset, letting its warm rays lay on his skin softly. it was the closest thing to her warmth, but nothing could ever compare.

an unreachable warmth that he won't be enjoying anymore.

"whoever wears the other pair of my string is my soulmate." he said. "and in thirteen years, i will marry her."

his voice has always been soft with a tad of childishness. but the mikey speaking now sounds like he's muttering a sweet lullaby, his eyes just as gentle and sweet.

"that was a promise i made five years ago." mikey rested his elbows on his knees, onyx orbs watching the river smoothly flowing. "the first and the last promise i ever broke. i was such an asshole, aren't i?"

he didn't know this side of mikey. takemichi was at a loss of words. he didn't know how to respond to that.

as he turns his head to draken, he sees the taller male him self shaking his head. a clear sign telling him that he shouldn't pry into it anymore was said.

"when you make a promise, you keep it." mikey mumbled. "but there are things that can't be helped."

silence

the atmosphere was so thick that takemichi swore he could cut through it with a knife. he's regretting ever asking about it now that it led to this situation.

who even was mikey talking about?

"do you wanna see something cool, takemitchy?"

"uh, sure?" he replied, obviously unsure.

"come here."

as takemichi made his way to the grass, mikey began to untie the knot of the string. he carefully unwraps his wrist, showing him the skin hidden under such material.

"a..." takemichi blinked rapidly, "...fish?"

"it's taiyaki, not a fish!" mikey huffs childishly, bonking takemichi's head to scold him.

"sorry!"

it was a simple small tattoo of a lone taiyaki faced to the right. takemichi thought the shoestring was weird enough, but he now believes that a tattoo of his favorite snack can't possibly top it off now.

"you got a tattoo of taiyaki? why?"

"dumbass keeps asking the wrong questions!" draken grumbles behind them.

"well, i love taiyaki that much!" mikey pridefully answered. "his name's blob blob. isn't he cute?"

"h-hey, blob blob."