A love Once cherished

Chapter 8 You shook my hand on accident you dumbass!?

TAKEMICHI'S POV

Me and Hina were on the train, standing and hanging onto the handles while three boys were laughing obnoxiously at something. Until Hina went over and made them move over so an old lady could sit down. Me and Hina talked a bit on the trains. “So how did you do in the exams?”. “Oh that’s so nostalgic!”. “Nostalgic? But we just had them?”. She then asked me about my dream and to be honest..... I don’t even know. She brought me to her apartment and I looked around her room in wonder. “Shall we begin?....... what is it?”, asked Hina as I looked around the room in wonder. “I’ve never been in a girls room before!”. “Quit ogling everything!”, she pinched my cheek as I cried out from the pain. *knock knock*. “I’m so sorry. You came over so unexpectedly so I had nothing prepared. Even though this is the first boy that Hina has ever brought over”, smiled Hina's mother. “Alright that’s enough mom!”. “Okay, okay. Is he your boyfriend?”. “Mom!”. I watched as Hina shoved her mom out the door. We studied for the next hour before Hina spoke up unexpectedly. “That reminds me. Thanks for helping my little brother”. “Huh?”, I looked at her in confusion. “For helping him when he got involved with a couple delinquents”. “Ohhhh". “My dad is hardly ever home. But even though he hates our dad..... the other day out of nowhere..... he said he’s gonna grow up like dad”. I looked at her in confusion before she smiled. “Dads a policeman”. “OHHH. I get it now! So that’s why Naoto joined the police". “Huh? He hasn’t yet. He’s still too young”. “I know right!!?? What am I even saying..... I think he helped me instead”. “Huh?”. “He’s gonna be a great policeman!”. Kinda crazy though..... “Takemichi-kun...... you’ve changed". Whaaaaat. “R-really, in w-what way?”, I rubbed the back of my head. “Hmmmm. It’s like you’ve become more kinder..... and more mature. I feel like I’m taking to someone that’s much older than me". By 12 years! “Haha. Really?”. “Maybe it’s a part of you I don’t know..... I want to know more about you.... Takemichi-kun".

*Fweeeee Boom!*.

“Ah! Fireworks! Ah”. I watched as Hina ran towards the window and watched the fireworks. She looked like a little kid. “Hey! Let’s go up to the rooftop and watch!”. When we were up on the roof there was already a crowd that watched. Old people, kids, everyone.

“Woooow. So pretty! Takemichi get over here!”, smiled Hina as she looked up. Holy crap I’m having fun..... this never happened before......  I wanna stay here forever.....

“Look at that heart!”. I don’t wanna go back to the future..... because in the future...... Hina is gone..... It’s okay if we just hold hands right?..... I clasp my hand into hers and close my eyes at the feeling. It’s so warm...... turning my head I see....... “H-hello?”. “Huh? NAOTO!?”. ‘Shaking hands with me is the trigger’. Naotooo. “Huh? Your here too Naoto?”, asked Hina. Nooooo! “Yup".

■Badump■

“Takemichi-kun!”. “Hngh!”. “You’re awake!”. “Damn. I really did come back!?”. “So that means, you really went into the past. My hypothesis really was correct!”. “Yeah, yeah. Sure was", I mutter like a kicked puppy. “And you came back!..... I understand now about everything...... so how did it go on your end? Since your back that means you’ve made progress right?!”. “Um..”.

“YOU TOOK MY HAND BY ACCIDENT?!”. “Man Hina sure is cute... those fireworks were so beautiful.....”. “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TAKEMICHI-KUN!?”.

TIMESKIP

“Here’s what I’ve learned..... from that second timeskip. “Huh?”. I seriously don’t understand what he’s saying. “While you’re in the past, Takemichi-kun, the while time your in a death state, like your soul has left your body”. “Huh! So I was dead?!”. “Your time leaping abilities takes you 12 years into the past on the same day. For example, if you went into the past today you’d end up at today 12 years ago. If you stay for a week in the past then to the present, 1 week would have passed in the present as well. In other words.... if you go into the past for a week, your consciousness is also in the past for that long. Leaving an empty vessel in the present. “So that’s why I’m in a death like state”, I gape at him in surprise. He may be crazy but Naoto's pretty smart. “Yes, you’ll tie leap from my room from now on". “You’re right. Don’t want to collapse in public after all”. “So....in the end.... how did your mission..... to keep Sano and Kisaki from meeting go?”. “I met Mikey-kun". “Mikey?”. “Yeah, that’s Sano-kuns nickname". “Listen Naoto. Mikey may be a delinquent but he’s a good guy". What?! Why didn’t you kill him!”. “Huh?!”. “The guy that killed my sister is a good guy!? Did he deceive you in the past?!”. “No he-". “Listen that Mikey is staining his hands with every kind of crime right now. Not even the police can stop this man. I’d kill him with my own hands if I could", Naoto gritted out as he clenched his hand into a fist. “Naoto..... let’s meet with Mikey-kun!”. “There’s no way I’ll do that!”. “We’ll meet and talk to him in person”. It doesn’t matter all the same". “Mikey is a trustworthy person!! I want to hear from Mikey-kun himself...... why Toman changed. Before I go back to the last I want to find out for myself. Let’s search for Mikey-kun together, Please Naoto!”. “.....I don’t know what happened to you in the past.... but you’ve certainly changed Takemichi-kun". “Hm? You think? How so?”, I bombarded him with questions. Maybe I’ve gotten cooler! “Just a little bit though. You’re not so frail anymore". “So does that mean I’m cool now? Does it!?”. “Let’s find a say to meet Mikey, shall we?”, he said as he ignored my question and sat down at the computer. “Am I stylish then?”. “You’re already pushing your luck. However...  Mikey is cautious in the extreme. Even the police can’t catch him. He’s most likely using a burner phone. His address isn’t under his name either". “Its true, the number he have me in the past.... doesn’t work anymore", I spoke out loud as I checked my flip phone. “Of course it doesn’t, it’s from 12 years ago. We won’t find him that easily..... Takemichi-kun, your organise those documents”. I look at the pile of documents and wince at the amount of work I have to do. “Looking over t in detail, the Tokyo Manji gang is in some serious shit”. “Be quiet please". “There sure is a mountain of paperwork though”. “Hm? Who is this?”. “Hm?”. I came over to his side and looked at the screen. “Toman big shot. Atsushi Sendo”. “That’s Akkun!”. “Akkun? One of your friends?”. “Yeah!”. “Mm. That’s odd. He was arrested for stabbing Kiyomizu Masataka when he was 16”. ‘I was thinking of going after Kiyomasa-kun myself’. Ah..... he did say that...... “He was supposed to be nothing more than a small time punk". “Maybe its.....”. “Because the past has changed!?”. “Since Akkun didn’t attack Kiyomasa, that means he wasn’t arrested by the police", I gaped. “You made friends with Mikey.... which means so did Sendo....”. ....... So Akkun’s a Toman admin..... Naoto spun back to me with a hopeful look. “Can you contact Sendo?”. “Uh...maybe. If I go back home probably”. “Since Sendo is a Toman admin, we can get to Mikey through him!”. “O-okay".

TIMESKIP

I turn to Naoto with a serious face and a warning. Its gross inside so brace yourself". “I can imagine..... Whoa its gross! It’s disgusting! How can anyone live here?!”. “I told you to brace yourself”, I roll my eyes in annoyance as I step inside. After finding the number a meeting was arranged so we went to our destination.

After a misunderstanding with the worker we finally sat on a couch, a drink in my hand. “Are you okay?”. “Yup! Totally fine!”. “Your hand is shaking". Its okay..... no matter how much his social status has changed.......... Akkun will still be Akkun. “Takemichi". I froze as I stood up. “Behind you". I turned around and saw.... someone entirely different. “Still the same as always. Takemichi". “.... Akkun?”. “Did you not recognise me without my pompadour?”. “Uh....yeah". I felt my hands tremble as I saw the new Akkun. “I would’ve spoken up earlier. But seeing you in such a nostalgia trip”. Its Akkun.... he looks totally different on the outside ... but its Akkun. “You wanna meet with Mikey-San?”. “HUH?!”. How did he find out?! “I’ve been waiting this whole time for you to show up..... Takemichi".