red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter viii: wind's memory

"even after all these years, you're still getting tailed by assholes like them?"

"apparently, i am still being tailed by said assholes. another one happened to pop up right here."

"don't be like that now, sweetheart." mikey smiled. "i'm here to throw the trash for you. can't have the princess do the dirty work, right?"

"there is no princess here for you to save. you can scram now." the smile she gave him was obviously sarcastic, and she was letting him know. "go be with your little gang and leave me alone."

"i will after i take care of this asshole."

from the park, takemichi and everyone else gathered together to watch the scene. most of them have expected that mikey would beat the moebius member in an instant, but there he was, casually talking to the girl in need of saving like the asshole wasn't even there to begin with.

takemichi couldn't help but let out an awkward smile. "ah, it appears they know each other."

"that's..." draken hesitated, "...sada kazua."

"sarcastic as ever." emma sighs.

while mikey held a gentle smile on his face, kazua didn't bother giving any reaction at all. she bluntly looked at him, ignoring the annoying presence in front of her that has been pissing her off for a good ten minutes now.

"this asshole isn't worth the invincible mikey's attention." she threw a finger at the taller male in the conversation. "and i don't want to waste your precious time when you could be planning how to make this new era you've been obsessed with since forever."

mikey lets out a sigh. "guess i'll just..."

before he could kick the moebius gang member himself, he was thrown back the pavement with a punch on the face. mikey was in disbelief, eyes following the fist towards the owner.

he even skidded a few tiles away from the two.

"that enough to convince you that i don't need you?" she scoffs.

the others watching from a distance sweat dropped. it felt like they were watching a competition on who gets to kick ass first.

kazua noticed the little crowd they formed and looked over mikey's shoulder for a moment, recognizing only three faces among the bunch. she pursed her lips, an attempt to hide her arising anger from the blonde.

"say," she turned her back on mikey, "are you planning to leave them too?"

he didn't answer.

he couldn't.

"never mind," kazua sighed, "we both know the answer to that."

***

draken and emma chose to walk together behind mikey on their way home.

after what happened at the park earlier today, they figured that it would be best if they let mikey have some time with his own thoughts. it has been awhile.

"three years was a long time, huh?" emma whispered to draken. "but it was enough time for her to change."

"i don't think she did." draken says back, looking down to match emma's curious eyes. "she's protecting her heart."

emma frowns.

knowing how inseparable the two were back when they were younger made it difficult for her to accept that there was a fallout waiting for them at the end of their story. she looked up to both mikey and kazua growing up, hoping to find the same genuine love that she observed from the two.

where did it all go wrong?

while the two were trying to discuss the past matter as quietly as they could, mikey was left to drown in his own thoughts. he had his hands tucked inside his pockets, eyes lifelessly looking at the setting sun at the end of the road.

"that enough to convince you that i don't need you?"

"i don't need you?"

"i don't need you."

it has been spiraling in his mind. he couldn't get rid of such a statement, especially since it came from her. after three years of forcing himself to stop meeting her, to push her out of his life, he didn't expect for their reunion to go like that.

she was different.

her eyes were no longer gentle and bright.

it worried him.

for a moment, he thought that maybe he made the wrong decision. maybe he should have listened to her. if he did, things wouldn't be so different. it wouldn't be as painful as now.

maybe, just maybe, they're happier than before.

he shakes his head, trying to get rid of the thought. he made this decision.

he can't back out of it now.

"ken-chin, emma."

"hmm?"

"sazu's still beautiful. don't you think so?"