red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xv: opinions

kazua attends school like she doesn't even fight at night.

well, she usually doesn't. the only time she does is when someone is in danger.

she isn't part of any gang, nor is senju a recruiter hot on her tail. there wasn't any reason for her to fight everyday, after all.

sada kazua only hopes for a peaceful future ahead of her, but having her name connected to sano manjiro a long time ago means that future is quite far from reach just yet.

"kazzie!"

now, kazua isn't someone who's feared by the school. she has someone else by her side doing the job for her.

"frosty, you shouldn't be running." she easily caught the girl's forearm when she was trying to stop herself abruptly from such a fast pace. senju grins at her, hooking her arm around hers to match their pace as they head to the school cafeteria.

akashi senju is the person feared in their middle school, and having her by her side brought the peace and quiet kazua yearns in such a busy life. she isn't one for socializing, and the only time she does talk to other people is when academically required.

projects, presentations, all the school crap she had to take for a better future.

"aren't your bruises still healing?" kazua asks, sitting across her at the lunch table after retrieving their orders.

"eh, just a few more left." senju shrugged back. "so, you visited ryuguji-san, right? is he okay now?"

"better than the last time i saw him before visiting." kazua spooned a portion of her meal and ate it. "he should be fine."

"this is the first time you've met them face-to-face after three years. how do you feel?"

"are you interviewing me, frosty? i didn't take you for a nosey person."

"hey, i was curious!" senju giggled. "it's pretty obvious that you missed them. you were so worried. what happened? i thought you were avoiding toman at all cost."

"some kid happened." kazua rolled her eyes. "hanagaki-san. there's something odd about him."

"and you're investigating on that?"

"perhaps," kazua paused, glancing up at her, "what do you think about him? anything piquing your interest?"

"he sure is interesting, i got to admit. i have a feeling about him." senju finished the rest of her food quick, leaving her to wait for the slow eater. she didn't mind, though. senju's used to it. "maybe he could help you somehow."

"i'm thinking the same thing." kazua hums.

bit by bit, her meal disappeared as time passes. senju let her quietly eat for awhile, drowning in her own pool of thoughts now that kazua brought up hanagaki takemichi into the conversation.

one thing they both know is to never avoid people that kazua meet thrice. it's no mere coincidence for her at that point, and something always arises that involves them somehow.

however, this time around, they have no idea how they could be tied to such a guy like him. they never met him, and it appears as if he's not even a part of toman.

not yet, kazua assumes.

"let me handle that kid on my own." she said after a moment of silence, bringing the latter's attention back to reality. "you trust me, don't you?"

"i trust you the most in this damned world, kazzie." senju grinned, resting her cheek on her palm. "follow your guts. it never failed you, after all."

***

takemichi nervously waited outside of harajuku station, fiddling with his fingers to somehow ease his nerves. he doesn't know what kind of person sada kazua is.

come to think of it, he's so bold to ask for her help when they don't even know each other.

one thing is for sure, she's tied to mikey, and she could know the key to saving him. they go way back. something in the past may help him on this mission.

after three weeks, as promised, he went to harajuku station ten minutes early to make sure that he doesn't miss this opportunity.

"what am i even supposed to say first? that i came from the future?" he shook his head, tightly closing his eyes. "no, that's not an option. but it didn't hurt when i accidentally spilled it on the others. besides, i already slipped earlier this morning with hina."

he sighs exasperatedly, scratching the back of his head. "ah, i don't know anymore."

"it sucks not being able to understand the world."

takemichi's eyes darted up, finding a familiar female standing in front of him with an undeniable presence around her.

clad in a black cropped tube that showed off her toned abs and dark denim pants, was sada kazua. her hair was tied the same way he always saw her, with a hair stick.

and the string stayed intact around her right wrist.

"s-sada-san!"

"mm?" kazua's eyebrows furrowed. "what are you so nervous for?"

"sorry! i just didn't know you're here already."

"huh," she shrugged, "anyway, i'm hungry and there's a lot of street foods around. let's go."

"ha?!"