ai | s. manjiro & m. takashi

にじゅうはち

On Ai's way out of the building, she didn't whether to accept the application was either the right or wrong thing to do. Right because finally someone or a grander institution finally saw her potentials. She'd make her older siblings proud.

Wrong because it meant leaving everyone behind.

"What did they say?" Mikey asks as Ai stepped out of the glass doors.

Biting her tongue, Ai shook her head and offered him a small smile. "Nothing important."

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Ai spent her first day of summer vacation inside their kitchen, baking all the box cake mixes she could find inside their home.

"Have you found a new hobby?" Yuzuha asks as she walks inside the kitchen, her eyes instantly glimmering as she took a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie on top of the dining table.

"I guess?" Ai shrugs her shoulder, sitting down on the floor while taking another bite on the same cookie. "Or maybe this is my coping mechanism? Who knows?" Ai shrugs her shoulders once more.

"Tell me what happened" Yuzuha says, pushing a chair for her to sit.

"...I got accepted"

Yuzuha almost choked on the small block of cookie inside her mouth. "You did?! That's great!" she says, crossing her legs. "What did you say?"

"I said I'd think about it." Ai says, putting the rest of the cookie inside her mouth.

"What's holding you back?" Yuzuha asks, leaning her side against the back rest of the chair. "Is it Sano?"

Ai remained quiet. When she heard the chime of the oven, she puts on the gloves and carefully took the tray out.

"Let me ask you one thing...is ballet still important to you?" Yuzuha asks. And Ai felt like a deer caught in the headlights. While placing the third batch of cookies onto the plate, Ai wondered to herself: was she losing herself in her relationship? Is she really going to put Mikey over everything and everyone she loves the most?

"If you're going to love someone, make sure you leave some for yourself. In that way, the break up wouldn't hurt so much. Don't give someone your all. Why give him your a hundred percent when he gives you so little?" With that, Yuzuha stood up from the chair and walked upstairs to her room.

"I'm sorry for calling you out so late, Hanagaki san."

"Just call me Takemichi. Hanagaki san sounds weird."

Both Ai and Takemchi sat down on the swing set, the same neighborhood playground where she and Mikey became together.

"I'm really fascinated how you can time leap, Takemichi kun" Ai smiles, hands holding onto the ropes of the swing. "Can you tell me how do I look like before I died?" she asks

Gulping to himself, Takemichi stared down in his hands then on the ground. "You still look the same, long hair and maybe grew a few inches in height?" Takemichi shrugs his shoulders.

"Did I talk to you in the future?" Ai asks, smiling as she looks up at the moon.

Takemichi embarrassingly nodded his head. "Yeah! You were really disappointed in me when I couldn't remember you." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's so mean of you, Takemichi kun." Ai chuckles as well. "Did you...see a ring in my hand?"

Takemichi nods his head once more. "Do you want to know who?" He asks, as if challenging her.

As much as Ai wanted to know who she was tying the knot or have already tied the knot with, she shook her head. "I don't want to. I want it to be a surprise. Someone once told me to keep my heart open for possibilities."

For a moment, the two of them became quiet. Both Ai and Takemichi didn't know what else to talk about. Ai wanted to know more about her future self, but she held herself back from asking any further questions. Except one.

"How is Mikey in the future?" Ai asks

Takemichi didn't know whether or not if he should lie to her or tell her the truth. But for what it's worth, he'll wrap the truth with a lie. "Mikey kun...is really well in the future. He's still the president of Toman too."

"Say Takemichi kun, if I left the country, do you think you can take care of Mikey for me?" She asks, turning her head to face him.

Takemichi looked tense as she asks.

"I know he'd say something like I should go for it. Leave the country and improve myself. But," Ai stops, tilting her head. "I can't tell what's holding me back." A small chuckle escapes her lips.

"Huh? I didn't know you two would be here."

Both Ai and Takemichi turned around, there stood behind them was Mikey. Walking towards them, he stood behind Ai and started pushing the swing chair she's sitting forward.

"What were you two talking about?" Mikey asks, a gentle smile painted his lips.

"Nothing much" Ai smiles, enjoying the feeling of the cool wind on her hair and skin. "But I told Takemichi how you'd look handsome with black hair!" Ai lets out a small laugh.

"Black hair?" Mikey asks "Maybe soon I'd color my hair that way" Mikey smiles. 

Takemichi could only watch the couple by his side have their little fun. In this year, Takemichi could see how happy they are together. But eleven years from now, Takemichi wonders - what went wrong between them?