Awkward. That's how you felt.
Hella awkward as you gazed at the man in front of you. Kazuya Mimori, was his name. Something that felt all too familiar to you, yet you still couldn't pin point where you had heard the name before.
Sanzu had never mentioned the name of the boss and leader of Mogambo.
Yet you felt like, you should know or should've known the man in front of you, for some reason.
He had invited you out for dinner and despite wanting to refuse, you played along. Fearing that if you were to speak against him, it would not only end up with you dead but the others too. Playing along to keep the others safe, that was your plan for now as you still tried to figure out who he exactly was.
"You should get the Roasted Chicken with Asiago Polenta and Truffled Mushrooms", he suggested, eyeing you as you were looking through the menu of the overly expensive restaurant.
You felt his eyes on you. Looking up to meet his gaze, you softly shook your head and mumbled, "I... I don't like mushrooms", he let out a laugh at that, his hand inching towards yours as he laid his on top of yours. "you still didn't change at all..", he mumbled to himself with a soft smile, something you hadn't caught on, "huh?", "I said, Don't worry! I'll pick the mushrooms out for you and then you can eat the rest", giving you a charming smile.
You felt your cheeks heating up, stunned that he was willing to do something like this.
"Ehm... thank you?", "don't mention it!", "but still...", "hm?", "why are you treating me like that?", he paused for a second, looking at you when you caught a glimpse of sadness pooling in his eyes. Confusion covering your face...
did you say something wrong?
He sighed, interrupting your train of thoughts, "I can't exactly blame you.. it's been what? 14 years?", "huh? What are you talking about?", "You don't remember? You were 10 and I was 14", he suddenly reminisced, your mind going blank.
10???? 14????
An amused smile played on his lips as he watched your face scrunch up in thought, looking up at the ceiling. He gave you a few seconds, anticipating if you would remember him or not but when he saw your mouth turn to a frown, his heart dropped a bit.
"I.. I still don't know what you mean or what you're talking about..", "you really don't remember.. did you really forgot my name and our memories so easily?", he said, a bit disappointed at your lack of memories. You shook your head, "I really don't remember you.. to be fair I had a lot of stuff going on in my life. So bare with me, i guess..."
"Can't blame you.. I heard what happened", he mumbled, making you frown as you couldn't understand him again.
"Okay.. enough! Either you talk louder.. or.. whatever. Just tell me what the fuck do you want?!", "I want you to remember me!", "I can't.. I feel like you're fucking with me." He looked at you, studying your face for a moment before he smiled once more, "do you remember.. mimi?"
You sat there for a minute, looking at his face. Everything felt too familiar. His name, his smile.. mimi..
Mimi?!
Your lips turned into an 'oh' shape, Kazuya feeling his heart lighten. "mimi...", you softly mumbled out. The flashbacks of your cute neighborhood friend hitting you all at once.
He laughed softly at your reaction, his hand embracing your hand before pulling it up to his lips, kissing the back of your hand.
"Your Mimi... remember? I remember.. I remember when you always ran around yelling, 'my mimi.. where's my mimi', when I was a bit busier than usual." Your cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Looking away you mumbled, "yeah... that was when I was five or six.. I stopped afterwards!" He laughed at your reaction, once more, "are you sure? If I remember correctly you were at last very vocal when it came to me."
"ah~, shut up, Dipshit. Where have you been anyways?! You just disappeared and-", you snapped just to be interrupted by him, "my parents had to go back to Japan... I wish I could've stayed with you.. I begged my parents and yours to let me stay but they all told me 'no'! That I had to go with my parents and live with them here", he sighed. "When I was able to finally come back, I heard your parents were dead and you were locked up in therapy. Shit (Y/N).. I wanted nothing more than to get you out of there... what had happened in all those years I was gone?"
you shifted your gaze towards the fish tank in the dimly lit restaurant, the burgundy walls empathizing the expensive atmosphere.
"Nothing much", you nonchalantly replied, "cause to be fair, I could ask you the same question", locking eyes with him, your expression neutral.
You both were just looking at each other, the silence around you two suffocating in a way as you both didn't know what to say. Once childhood friends, now strangers. Once so close that nobody could even pry you away from him. So close that he wanted nothing more than to stay by your side but he was just 14 back then.. and you were 10.
"We grew up with each other... how come we both can't talk right now.. ironic", he laughed sadly, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair.
It was frustrating, so so frustrating that you looked at him as if he was a stranger. He wanted all those years back where he wasn't able to be next to you. Making up for the time he wasn't able to spend with you.
Even he found it ridiculous that he had to ask you basic questions like 'what's your favorite color' because he wanted nothing more than to know you again.
Obviously your taste had changed over the years. You're a grown woman now.. not the little girl that he used to know. You used to like flowers and lace on dresses. Despite saying you hated pink you secretly liked it! Chocolate cream was your favorite and gosh how you loved to wear princess dresses.. he remembers it all.
The way you lit up when you could add a teddy bear to your teddy bear family. The way you lit up when your mom made your favorite cake just because she felt like it. The way you would play criminal and police with him. The way you always wanted to play house, you the mom and he the dad, with your little baby doll you got on your 4th birthday.
And yet here he was, a stranger to you, you a stranger to him.
"I cried when you suddenly disappeared, you know", you mumbled, looking at your fidgeting hands. "I'm sorry...", "I'm glad to know that you're alive though..", "I'm glad to know that you're alive too..."
The waitress came, interrupting you two, which you were very thankful for. You two ordered and she quickly disappeared again, leaving you two in silence once more. Neither of you knew what to say. What was there to say anyways, 'hey I killed a dude and that's why I was in therapy', 'oh, cool. I'm in a rising underground gang trying to take down Bonten'.
It already sounded stupid just only thinking about it.
For a moment you saw him opening his mouth, then close it, then open it again.
Raising your brow you asked him in the most serious voice, "are you a fish? Tryna get some air dust for dinner?" He looked at you stunned for a second before letting out a snort which was followed with a laugh. "Mhm, air dust! Don't you think it's gonna be delicious?", he asked, still laughing lightly, "side dish, the shit underneath your shoes", "side dish, mud shoe with a bit of air dust", "yeah, sounds about right", you nodded. Silence engulfed you two for a moment until you both started to laugh.
"You haven't changed at all, you still talk shit", he laughed, "Boi, shut the fuck up! You ain't one to talk", you pointed out. Feeling the atmosphere between you getting lighter with each laugh that past both your lips.
"It's raining", he mumbled, when you two stood outside of the restaurant.
Dinner was messy! You two were blabbering on and on about stupid shit that didn't even make sense in the first place. When you two were done you decided to just go out and maybe take a walk but now, it was raining.
You shrugged your shoulders, "ain't made of sugar", before you started walking down the street. He sighed, "you still love the rain, huh?", following after you. You two were getting drenched but you couldn't care less, your thoughts drifting back to when you were 8 and he was 12. "Hey, remember when you were 12 and I was 8? We hung out at mine and I insisted on going to the park. You kept telling me 'bubs, we can't go.. it's gonna rain today' but I insisted. I was so sad.."
He nodded his head, "and as soon as it started raining...", "...I ran outside and dragged you with me!" He chuckled at the fond memories, "we were drenched-", "I named my cat bub to remember you... and I still forgot all about you", you halted, looking distantly down the streets.
Your heart felt heavy at the thought, forgetting your childhood friend and... your first love... like that... You were disappointed in yourself. He came closer towards you and took your hands in his, seeing your frowning face. He could already tell what you were thinking, "hey... remember that one promise I made you when you turned 10?"
You looked with a questioning gaze up at him, shaking your head unsurely.
"I promised you, the next time we'll hang out and it will rain. I'll dance with you. Unfortunately I couldn't do that with you back then since I left before it rained. Fortunately, we found each other again and it's raining. How convenient, don't you think?", he chuckled, a soft comforting smile on his lips. Gently guiding you towards the empty streets, he pulled you closer to his body.
The night breeze was flowing through your hair as he hummed a melody, swaying you both from side to side while the moon shone down on you two.
Comforting two childhood friends, that had lost each other in distance and memories. Bringing two hearts possibly closer than they were once before.