ai | s. manjiro & m. takashi

よんじゅうろく

One month later,

"Yay! Pretty onee san is coming with us!" Mana beams, jumping on her spot as Ai ties her hair into two space buns from behind.

"Ah- don't move so much, Mana! I might mess up..." Ai says, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Taka nii already brought us to the festival back then when me and Mana were still babies!" Luna says, twirling around the floor length mirror, admiring the dress Mitsuya had sewn for her.

"Hm?" Ai hums, grinning to herself. "But you and Mana are still babies?" She asks.

"No!" Both Luna and Mana chorused.

"I'm a big girl now!" Mana says, pouting before turning around to face Ai as she finished tying her hair.

"Oh are you now?" Ai says, teasingly grinning as he pats the top of her head.

Suddenly, the curtain partition slightly swung open and Mitsuya popped his head inside. "Are you three ready to go now?" He asked, a smile painting his lips.

"Ready!" An energetic and bouncing Luna and Mana responded, running out of their room as they both rushed to the doorway to put on their shoes.

"Your sisters aren't babies anymore, they said. They're big girls now." Ai says, chuckling softly as she got up on her feet from the floor.

Mitsuya scoffs, checking if any outlet is still plugged in his room. "As if." He said, slipping his hand on Ai's before intertwining their fingers together as they walk to the doorway.

"Pretty onee san, when Taka nii first brought us here, he was amazed by two guys who passed us by!" Luna beams to Ai as the three of them (Mitsuya headed to a different direction to get drinks) while takoyaki is placed on top of their table.

"Really?" Ai asks, Luna nodded her head. Mana kept huffing and puffing the smoke out of the takoyaki.

"They had two different hair colors and Taka nii stared at them like that fish!" Luna giggles, pointing at a fish skewer that's being grilled.

"I didn't know I look like a fish being grilled now" Mitsuya says, faking a sullen look as he held a clear plastic filled with various fruit juices inside.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

The following day, Ai skipped cram school and told Yuzuha and Hakkai that she would be coming home late, all for just one reason - to help Mitsuya re design Toman's uniform.

It was already 7:11 pm when Mitsuya returned back to the Home Economics room and found Ai slumped on top of a table, stacks of 2nd generation Toman uniforms neatly folded and placed in one upper corner of the table she quietly slept on. The sight of Ai sleeping and being vulnerable before him brought a wave of comfort and security in him.

Because in all honesty, Mitsuya doubted himself that he could outdo Mikey in her life.

But nothing mattered to him except the upcoming war Toman waged against Kanto and Ai. Slowly, he walked closer and sat down on the seat besides her and laid his head down to watch her sleep. Mitsuya extended his right hand out and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thanks for helping me out, Ai." He whispered to her in her sleep, a small smile painting his lips. "I would've finished late if I did this all by myself. But the fact that you chose to stay out and help me, lets me know how much you love me." He adds.