red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xxvii: incomplete reunion

"what do you mean aliens dropped her down the sky?! quit shittin' with me!"

takemichi and chifuyu kneeled on the ground with their arms raised, apologizing to baji for lying about how kazua got to the junkyard. they figured that they can't just drop the bomb that takemichi was a time leaper and they knew baji was going to die. besides, kazua mentioned that she has an alibi if the others were to find out that she was there to help them.

only, she never told them that alibi.

now, they're trying to make up stuff to pass the time and beg to the heavens above that kazua would miraculously enter the room.

"ah, that's going in the memory box."

snap!

snap!

snap!

snap!

snap!

kazua stood by the door with her phone in hand, snapping a few photos of the two kneeling on the ground as mikey closed the door behind them.

"e-eh?"

"s-sada-san?!"

"what the hell took you so long?" draken didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around the girl and pulled her further inside the room. he had a wide smile on his face, one that welcomed the girl like how he usually did before.

kazua was relieved to see that he hasn't changed a bit, and appreciated the fact that he was trying to make her feel comfortable in a room of friends that she hasn't seen in years.

"baji was weeping in his sleep, calling out to you."

"ha?! where the hell did that come from?!"

"can everyone please shut up? we're in a hospital." mitsuya sighs helplessly. mikey goes to sit on the stool beside him, taking an apple slice from the plate on the bedside table. "hang on."

everyone stopped, all turning to mitsuya.

"did i just see you walk in the room with mikey?"

silence

"i did no such thing."

"yeah, you did. so what?"

mikey and kazua glanced at each other, both questioning why the one lied and why the other didn't. draken couldn't help but laugh at the dumb expressions they were sending each other, reminding him of the past so much.

they all look so different now, but some things never change at all.

while the others were distracted by draken laughing, chifuyu and takemichi took it as their chance to rise from the ground and sit back on their seats against the wall.

"so, you two were together!"

"we just bumped into each other at the cemetery. big deal." kazua huffs.

"i drove her here after she had a heart-to-heart with my brother."

"i did not have a heart-to-heart with shinichiro-niisan."

"aw, you look so cute trying to deny everything, princess." mikey smirked, stretching his hands out. "come here."

"no—"

draken purposely pushed the girl his way, letting mikey catch her in his arms easily.

"you assholes."

"ah, kaz's love language." mitsuya joined in. "asshole has to be the highest honor in your lovable nicknames."

"i'm not deaf, mitsuya takashi. don't even think that i didn't understand wha—"