red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter lxxxv: the final leap

"for some reason, i feel really anxious."

takemitchy sat in a small circle with manjiro, senju, and kazua under the maple tree. the day after their reunion, kazua called the three there to discuss what they should do next now that they were able to bring manjiro back.

she sits against the tree trunk with manjiro by her side, his head nestled on her shoulder as he suppressed a yawn.

"how come?" senju asks.

"well," takemitchy scratched the back of his head, "whenever i come back to the future...something always goes wrong. we were all so happy yesterday, and i was really glad that mikey-kun is with us again."

the three stayed silent, knowing that he still has a lot to say. they will hear him about before giving out their own opinions.

"but i couldn't help but think of what kind of future i'll be facing when i come back." glistening tears threatened to fall from the corner of his eyes, but he held them back. "what if...what if this time...someone else is—"

"takemitchy," kazua's warm hand rested over his own on his lap, soothing away his nerves. as he looked up at her, he noticed how she was smiling so gently, so assuringly to him. it was a familiar smile to him, one that he saw before he travelled back to the distant future.

the very same future where she was dead.

"remember my letter?" she asked softly. "if all else fails, live your life with hina. though, i know that it will be a difficult decision to make if it happens. it's not easy to forget the people you cherish, right?"

"kazua..."

"even so, if the future still isn't fixed and you have the urge to come back," kazua grinned, "you'll always have me to help you out."

"it's okay to be afraid, takemitchy. it must have been really hard for you, watching us die and all." manjiro smiled gently beside his lover. "i promised a future where we'll all be happy, didn't i? i may not have given it the first time, but the moment you leap back into the future, i'll show you a promise kept."

"you've done a lot for us already. you must be really tired." senju added. "we won't be fooling around anytime soon, so rest easy! let's all meet in the future and smile together again, alright?"

their words were so comforting, and their smiles never failed to put his heart at ease. takemitchy knew that they were friends to keep forever the moment he met them.

maybe that was why he was so determined to save all of them from their tragic fates. though he hasn't known them for as long as they did each other, he knew that they were really good people in the end. they were so protective of one another that they would risk their life to protect their loved ones.

indeed, toman was one hell of a gang that greatly influenced everyone associated with it.

though manjiro may not have noticed it, he did create a new era of delinquents. the values that he passed on through his gang will live on and stay within their hearts until the day they bite the dust.

"right," takemitchy finally returned a bright smile, "now, don't you all go disappearing on me too! you're all invited to the wedding, after all!"