Author Note: Time for things to be seen and told from Meiko's and the past side of things. Though please keep in mind, that Takemichi's side of things may still need to be covered to help clarify some things with him and his sister's interactions, so a retelling aspect of the fic can't be helped this early on.
July 6th, 2005 Meiko
Glaring down at the cooking pot before her, Meiko fidgeted in place. Stirring the stew she was making, while she involuntarily tapped her right foot she thought. 'Where is he?' Her eyes flew to the kitchen clock, 'Where is he?' To the stove's clock. "Where the hell is that brat?" She growled, turning off the stovetop removing the finished stew off the hot surface.
Taking off her apron she flung the garment over the kitchen counter as she picked her cell phone off the kitchen table. Flipping the device open, her brow twitched as she noticed no reply or message from her missing brother. Yet, two new unread ones from two separate persons.
From Michi's Waifu:
It happened again!! Hanagaki-kun just came over! Senpai, he looked even more beat up than before. I don't know what happened, and he didn't say but... He seemed different again tonight though. Like that night a few days ago.
Sighing at her brother's girlfriend's text, Meiko could not help but frown deeply. This had become the norm for the past few days since he last called her by his nickname for her.
Eyes wide, Meiko looked down at her brother's frowning and slumped form as he begrudged ate the take-out she bought. "Wha... what the hell happen?" Meiko recalled asking, as her brother refused to meet her eyes.
"Nothing..."
"What do you mean nothing!?" Meiko growled, "You called me an hour ago crying! Was this why?" She asked.
Flinching at this news, Takemichi simply shoveled more food in his mouth. "No! Why would I do something like that?"
"Are you kidding me?" Meiko gapped, "You called me, saying how you loved me and calling me Meimei!"
At this, the young Takemichi became flushed as he snapped, "I did not! I haven't called you that dumb name in years!"
"Huh~ Are you saying I'm lying?!" Meiko snapped back, slamming her hands on the kitchen table.
"I'm saying I don't remember doing that!" Takemichi honestly shouted getting up, "And... And even if I did! There's no way I'd use that stupid nickname again." Tears were starting to form around the corners of his eyes.
"Michi--"
"And stop calling me that!" Takemichi all but yelled, grabbing the bag of chips his sister had obviously bought him as he moved to leave and go upstairs. "We're not kids anymore, so... grow up!"
"Wha--! Hey! Get back here! We're not done yet!"
"No!"
Staggering to run after the boy, Meiko stopped at the bottom of the steps to shout. "You jerk!! I wasn't done talking!"
"Well, I am!"
"At least disinfect those scrapes!" She heard his bedroom door loudly slam shut and screamed in frustration. "NOT A KID MY ASS!!!"
Later she would leave their home's First Aid Kit outside his door, finding it used and outside her door the next day with a simple apology note, even as her brother was already long gone.
Since then he'd been ignoring her attempts to talk to him, let alone help him. With her brother coming home late, beaten black and blue. She tried speaking to their shared friend group, only to find them just as battered and tight-lipped. Leaving only her brother's girlfriend as her last resort, for any help. Though even she was at a loss of what was going on, much to her own concern and frustration.
Looking down at the ground Hinata sat beside Meiko on one of the school's steps as she sadly muttered, "He seemed fine after our talk. A bit out of it, sure, but... I just thought that was cause of the fight he was in."
"Do you know what it was about?" Meiko carefully asked, as the short-haired girl only shook her head.
"He didn't say, I thought it was just one of those stupid fights again, but now..."
"Hey," Placing her hand reassuringly on the slightly younger girl's head, Meiko softly cooed, "It's okay. Maybe it is just some stupid fights they're getting into, and they're not saying anything cause they know I'll beat-- I mean discipline their asses." She lightly coughed causing Hinata to crack a smile ever so slightly. "We'll figure this out somehow. We just gotta work together, that's all."
"Yeah..."
She responded with a quick text, sending a reassurance that she would try to actually confront the boy again to Hinata. Meiko opened the next text message from her newest friend, who knew of the situation.
From Em-chan:
So is your brother still coming home beat up?
Though they'd only met recently, Meiko had found herself interacting with and communicating with her new friend Emma since the day they'd first met. Having messaged the girl once she has gotten home, to make sure she herself had gotten home safe. Emma had a vague notion of the frustration Meiko was going through, when she had tried to check in with Meiko over her situation with Takemichi.
To Em-chan:
From what his girlfriend sent me, it looks like it.
From Em-chan:
Yikes. Sorry to hear that. He still not telling you anything.
Meiko sulked as she reread the message, 'If he told me anything this wouldn't still be happening?'
To Em-chan:
No...
From Em-chan:
And none of you know what's going on?
Before she could try to respond she heard her home's front door open, as a familiar teen finally made it home at last.
"I... I'm home!"
July 6th, 2017 Takemichi
''I'm so tired.' Takemichi thought, as he absently looked through a laptop laid before him. From behind him sipping a cup of coffee, Naoto pointed at the screen from over his shoulder.
"There, that's important."
"Huh? Uh, right." Takemichi tiredly muttered, following the younger man's directions.
"And there. Did you actually read that part?" Naoto lightly reprimanded, as Takemichi struggled to keep his eyes open. "And then the next part..." So much so Naoto had to even physically pull his head back up as it started to nod off. "You've gone too far. Yes, there. Please remember that part, too." Energy drinks littered the space around Takemichi, the lack of sleep both a struggle and annoyance to the man as he tried to remain focused.
For two days, he had been locked up within Naoto's apartment with no sleep. It was safe to say it was finally getting to the blue-eyed man, as he loudly yawned into his man.
"You need to pack as much information as possible about the Tokyo Manji Gang into your head." Naoto seriously reprimanded, lacking just as much sleep as Takemichi yet somehow more alert and functional compared to his new partner in crime.
'Naoto's insane.' Takemichi thought, 'He's trying to kill me. Not even Mei-nee got on to me as hard when it came to studying.' The man thought, recalling long nights where his sister would try to help drill him over subjects for exams. Sighing aloud, he leaned back in his seat, pulling his tired eyes from the harsh monitor screen for a quick rest. Eyes wandering, his gaze landed on the framed image Naoto's office carried. A framed picture of the older Hinata.
'Five days ago on July 1st, Tachibana Hinata was caught in the crossfire during a dispute among members of the Tokyo Manji Gang and died.' Turning his gaze away, his hand grabbed onto a single loose picture, Naoto had provided of Takemichi's fully grown sister.
'My elder sister, Hanagaki Meiko, had died alongside her in that same event. A truck drove in during a festival, aiming for some stalls. Hinata was 26, Meimei was 27.' Putting the image back down beside his workstation, Takemichi went about to continue his research.
"In that report, you'll find some of what the Tokyo Manji Gang has been up to that hasn't been reported by the media." Naoto informed noting the file Takemichi had pulled up, "That's information my predecessor risked his life gathering." He ominously admitted, as Takemichi became pale and had to cover his mouth to resist puking onto the device. The image of a dead man, front and center for all to see. "That last photo is actually him."
"Huh?" Takemichi shockingly asked as he looked up at the solemn Naoto.
"He was investigating undercover when he was discovered and killed." Takemichi gasped at this reveal, "In one of his eye sockets, they found the media device that fully recorded his murder in place of his gouged-out eyeball." Naoto explained, glaring at his coffee. "I kept requesting transfers until I finally got assigned to my predecessor's position six months ago." Placing his drink down beside Meiko's picture, he moved towards one of his many boards lined with notes and pictures on Toman members and dealings. "The death of this investigator is under wraps because they didn't want to cause panic, though that's only part of the reason. The Tokyo Manji Gang was already under Kisaki Tetta's control before it happened."
Takemichi's mind could not help but wander though when he caught sight of Naoto's badge sitting close by. 'Naoto is a detective in the organized crime department. He's well informed about their internal affairs, and he's trying to fill my brain with all of the information there is about the Tokyo Manji Gang.' Sighing he couldn't help but wonder aloud, "But is this all necessary to save Tachibana and Mei-nee?"
"If there's one problem with your power, it's that you can only go back to this date twelve years ago." Naoto reminded Takemichi of their hypothesis, something they had yet to fully test.
"But that's just your observation. You're apparently alive right now, so what happened back then must be real, but I don't even know if I can go back aga--" Takemichi tried to honestly debate, only for Naoto to both angrily and determinedly cut in.
"If we can go back to the day our sisters died and keep them from going to that festival, it might be possible to save them," Naoto stated, glaring at the board before him. "But since we can't go back to the exact date we want, we'll do everything we can right now." Turning to meet Takemichi's gaze, Naoto bluntly stated, "You need to go back in time immediately, to when you were in middle school twelve years ago, and meet a certain someone."
"A certain someone?"
Slamming his hand between two pictures, Naoto continued. "Toman has two leaders. Sano Manjiro
and Kisaki Tetta."
"Yikes." Takemichi fearfully shook, staring at the image of the two gang leaders.
"Sano and Kisaki... If these two had never met, the current Tokyo Manji Gang would've existed. Which means that our sisters wouldn't have to die, either." Naoto explained as Takemichi began to understand.
"I see... If I go back to being in middle school again and stop those two from meeting..." Pausing, Takemichi stood up abruptly as he realized one issue, "I-I mean, I get it, but how am I supposed to go to the past again?"
"Takemichi-kun, you said that when you came back, you shook hands with me."
"Huh? Yeah."
"That might be the trigger," Naoto concluded.
Takemichi could not help but stare down at his own hands in awe, "A handshake, huh?"
"You saved me back then. And because of that, I may have become part of your powers."
'I see.' Takemichi thought in awe, 'I thought he was a bit crazy, but Naoto really believes I can travel through time. That's why he's so serious.'
"Takemichi-kun, are you ready?" Naoto asked.
Staring down at his right hand, Takemichi thought, 'I want to save Tachibana and Meimei, too. Just as much as Naoto!' Closing it tight, he met Naoto's determined gaze with one of his own.
"Sano and Kisaki. They met in August twelve years ago. Find one of them, stay by his side, and stop the two of them from meeting." Naoto expounded, as Takemichi nervously smiled back at him.
"Yeah, I'll give it a shot."
"You're the only one who can save both our sisters." Naoto reaffirmed as he held out his hand, whether it was for his or Takemichi's own sake neither could say, but it did not matter. As Takemichi reached out and took hold of the hand, this was their only hope. He felt the sudden shift, the clicking of some sort of connection, the world went dark around him, and his place in the future was no more.
July 6th, 2005-Takemichi
Struggling to open his eyes, the world and sound returned around him. A boy around his past self's age, standing directly before with his arms raised yelling. "Come on!! Let's do this!!"
"Huh? Where'd Naoto go?" Blinking once, twice, in confusion Takemichi slowly started to look around, dread filling the pits of his stomach as he caught sight of the crowd all around him.
"Quit messin' around, you dumbshit!"
"Hurry up and fight!"
"Kill him!"
"Huh?! Hey, wait!" Quickly becoming more aware of how lost he was, Takemichi paled as the crowd around him and the boy went more wild. "Huh?! Hey, wait!"
"Did you eat good before you came here?!"
"Murder his ass!!"
"You're puttin' me to sleep, you dumbass!!
"Come on!!"
"Huh?!"
"Hanagaki, you little shit! I've got a thousand yen ridin' on you!
"What?! What the hell is going on?!" Takemichi finally yelled in shock, looking back at his supposed opponent to hold out a hand as he tried reaching for his pocketed cell phone. "Hang on a second!" Flipping the phone open he was met by the familiar background, and now the date. 'July 6th, 2005!? I'm twelve years in the past!!? No fucking way! It's just as Naoto said!!' A text alert suddenly appeared on his screen.
From Meimei: Oi! Where are you?! We really need to...
'Oh crap!' Takemichi silently panicked, too much was going on. He'd time traveled, again, he was in the middle of a fight in some park, and now his sister was trying to contact him! Hearing a yell from behind he turned and tried to speak out to the opponent that charged at him, "W-wait a min--" Only to be punched and his lights knocked out with that single blow. All he could do was think, 'I really did go back in time again.'
He remembers giggling, laughing as he ran after his sister after school. They were young, just freshly having entered elementary school now alongside her. Trying to keep up with his older sister back then had never been the easiest. Even though he grew to be taller than her by middle school, he never stopped struggling to keep up with her.
"Meimei! Wait!!" He tried calling out with a whine, "You're going too fast!"
"You're just slow!" She giggled looking back at him but hardly slowed down. "Come on Michi! Hurry up!"
"Nuh, uh!! It's cause you're-- ah!!" Falling down on his face, the dark-haired young boy fell silent. Slowly tears tried to well up, as his knees and elbows began to burn from the scrapes and as he opened his mouth to start crying.
"Michi!" His sister was already by his side, sitting the sobbing boy up as she knelt by his side. "Oh... Oh gosh!" He only continued to cry as she looked over his scrapes, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have run so far ahead." Doing her best to whip his tears away she cooed and gently held his sobbing form. Once he had calmed to simple whimpers and stuttered sobs, she moved away from him. Kneeling before him as she offered her back, "Here. Get on." She'd smiled, and it made everything okay. "I'll get us back home, and we can get momma to help patch you up." Even as she struggled to carry him back home, and was later scolded by their mother for not taking better care of him. His sister did not falter, and her affection for him held strong.
"I'm sorry..." He shamefully said, after their mother had left to collect the first aid kit.
She only smiled though, patting his head as she said. "It's fine."
"But momma--"
"I'm the big sis!" She cut off, bending down a bit as she had still been taller than him. "I'm supposed to be looking out for ya."
"But I was the one who asked to race! How come you're the one in trouble?" He tried to fight back, frowning as his sister only shook her head.
"You're just a kid."
"So are you!" He shot back.
"But a big kid." She finished with a pout, "And you're the little brother. So I gotta take respos... responsib--" Shaking her head she huffed as she struggled to word her sentence she corrected, "I gotta make sure you're alright. I have to protect you!"
"But..." Looking down at his battered knees, the smaller Takemichi asked, "Who's gonna protect you?"
Giggling, Meiko once again patted her brother's head, "You dummy. That's--"
Gasping awake, Takemichi found himself still on the ground and his vision unfocused. The sun now setting as his tormentors were gathered waiting for his return to the land of the living from his unconscious state.
"Oi, Hanagaki's awake."
'Did I... pass out?' Takemichi disorientedly wondered, his vision still struggling to come into focus, as he continued to think. 'Is this what Meimei see's when she tries to read without her glasses?'
"You fuckhead, that was a one-hit ko. We're all bettin' money here!" One of the smoking teens annoyedly snapped at him, as he loomed over Takemichi's still downed body while smoking.
"Talk about a lame-ass match." The older male's companion grumbled as Takemichi's vision finally stabilized, but he continued to be confused.
'...Match?'
"Ain't that right, Kiyomasa?"
Sitting quickly up from the ground, Takemichi's gaze shifted over to the leader of this group. Kiyomasa stoically sat and smoking, as he counted away at the money they'd earned.
For Takemichi though, this was the first time he actually realized who this man was. 'A scarred eyebrow, the top delinquent of Shibuya Third Middle School... Kiyomizu Masataka!'
Pocketing their earnings for the day, Kiyomasa directed his apathetic gaze towards Takemichi. "Even though I gathered up all those spectators, I had to end the fight. If people stop coming to these fight club matches to bet, there's no point."
'Underground fight!? Oh, right. People were betting on that fight.' Takemichi thought, 'Now I remember. These guys were in charge of that!'
"For now, teach that piece of trash a lesson." Kiyomasa ordered, causing the two thugs closest to Takemichi to begin beating him, as the blonde could do nothing but curl into a ball and cover his head in an attempt to shield his most vital areas as he was kicked repeatedly.
"Hey! What are you, a fucking turtle!? Stand up, fucker!! Get up, damn it! So I can teach you a proper lesson! I'mma beat some fucking guts into ya!!"
Yet Takemichi did not move, the trauma and fear of this whole event both in his past and now freezing him. 'That's right... I'm their slave! I did whatever they told me to...'
"What's with this stupid turtle?" The kicker out of breath asked aloud, another of his companions coming over with a malicious smile as he said.
"Leave me somewhere to punch, Red."
Thus the beating worsened and continued.
"Holy shit, you're pathetic!"
Continuing till the sky was red, and Takemichi's body was beaten black and blue. Barely able to even remain conscious, though it was more than likely he had simply regained consciousness and not even noticed he'd been knocked out with how much pain he was in. 'Being forced to fight guys we don't even know... And if we lose, we get "toughened up." Day after day after every damn day... It was a living hell. And that's why I ran away.' Struggling to get back up, he grunted in pain barely able to even rise to his knees. 'I abandoned my friends, Tachibana, even my sister, Meiko.' His last meeting with Hinata flashed through his mind, as he desperately glared at the ground. "Tachibana..." His sister's forgotten text, his last phone call, he remembered these too. "Meimei..." He muttered.
"Next time try a little harder." The one known as Red taunted as he and Kiyomasa's group began to walk away. "You were really fucking pathetic today."
"Let's go home."
"Should we get some ramen?"
Though his body ached, and some part of him wished to just stop, Takemichi rose to his feet to call back out to the group. "Hey.."
"Damn, you're actually conscious? Wow, you're persistent."
"So..." Nervously holding his arm, Takemichi took a chance. "You guys belong to the Tokyo Manji Gang, right? I'd like to meet one of the leaders. Someone called either Sano or Kisaki... I was wondering if that'd be possible somehow." Takemichi asked, before noting the suddenly shocked expressions from two of Kiyomasa's lackeys, not really noticing the twitch from the man he had just upset. "Ah. If it's not possible then that's okay.
Snapping his cigarette stick in hand, Kiyomasa turned a murderous glare down to not only his subordinates but directly Takemichi as he ordered. "Bring me my bat."
The beating was more savage this time, even if he tried to curl up and shield himself. Kiyomasa would just find a way, hitting him harder in one place so he'd falter in his curled-up state. Only to then hit him in a place that could very well kill Takemichi, and no amount of begging or apologizing would stop it. "I-I'm sor..." Images of his time in the future, all his apologies flash through his mind. His sister's original words of care and affection ringing bitterly and hollow in his ears.
"Geez, there you go apologizing again. I've told you! If you're not gonna do something about it, then don't apologize for it."
So he stopped, unable to say the words that always seem to be his go-to when they really would do him no good. Simply shutting his eyes tight, and accepting his fate to be beaten upon.
Uncomfortably watching the scene before them, Kiyomasa's men started to whisper among themselves. "H-Hey... Maybe we should stop him soon."
"Uh... Yeah..."
"Kiyomasa! Dude, stop! You're gonna kill him!" They ran, trying to pull their boss away, trying to stop him from going too far, but it was almost to no avail.
By the time he stopped, it was dark, Takemichi's body now bloody and unconscious. Yet the brutish thug did not care. "Hey. Wake your ass up, Hanagaki!!" Simply kicking onto his back before planting his foot upon the teen's stomach. It worked, Takemichi being forced awake and struggling to even sit up, as he looked up at the man with a bloody and bruised face in fear. The look in Kiyomasa's eyes was that of a killer. "The next time Sano-kun's name comes outta your mouth... You get it, don't you? I'll fucking kill you."
'Scary!!!!!' Takemichi almost seemed to burst out in tears at this, crying in fear as the man and his minions walked away mentally screaming. 'What the hell is his problem?! You can't even talk to him!! This is impossible! How am I supposed to meet them? He said he'd kill me if I ever said that name again! I really will die! Is this guy seriously in middle school?!' His tears ran free, and he scrambled painfully to his feet. Doing a mixture of running and limping as he fled the scene, 'Get in touch with the leaders of the Tokyo Manji Gang!!? Me, who's basically a slave!!?'
Barely stopping himself from tripping he could no longer hold back his doubts. "I can't!" He yelled, "I can't do this! That's impossible!! It's impossible Naoto!!!"
Limping through the city, the people around Takemichi stared in shock as he walked by. The boy's head down, shoulder slumped, blood dried, glare directed to the ground before him. His mind was a storm of bitter emotions as he wandered the bustling dark streets. 'I forgot...'
"Oh my gosh!"
"Whoa! He's covered in wounds!!"
'I'd totally forgotten! I'm just me.' He solemnly thought tears welling up, 'Even in my second life, a failure's still going to be a failure. I should just go home. To the future.' He painfully cried as he stopped mid limp. "But how can I get back, though?" He silently whispered, slouching and curling his arms more tightly around himself. 'Oh yeah... Naoto told me. That a handshake is the trigger. If I go see Naoto...' Phone vibrating within his pocket, Takemichi ignored the device as he continued on his way. The guilt over another missed call from his elder sister, would not be anything new for the man who planned to run away.
Arriving at the Tachibana residence, Takemichi rang the apartment's doorbell. When receiving no response, he sighed out of breath. "Wait, are they not home?" He wondered aloud, 'It's definitely Naoto. As long as I shake hands with Naoto, I can return to the future.'
"You are the only one who can save our sisters."
Remembering the future Naoto's words, Takemichi felt his phone go off again. The teen's right hand touched the pocket the phone resided in, staring blankly off into space as he wondered. 'Am I running away again?' Clenching his hand in a fist, he shamefully glared down at the floor before him.
"Huh? Hanagaki-kun?" Seemingly just arriving home, Tachibana Hinata had arrived.
"Tachibana! Why are you here?" Takemichi alarmedly asked as she gave him a slightly unamused and confused look.
"Uh, why...?" She pointed to her apartment door, "Because that's my house."
"..."
"..."
A moment of silence passed, "...Oh, yeah. That's ri--"
Eyes widening as she finally took note of her boyfriend's battered state, she ran up to the teen and started to become visibly agitated. "Did you get into a fight again?"
Faced with her stern glare, Takemichi could only shamefully rub the back of his head."Sorry..."
Softening her gaze she became more openly concerned as she took in more and more of his appearance. "You're beat up more than usual today. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, uh... I'm totally fine!" Takemichi lied, sending her a big close-eyed grin and thumbs up.
She sighed at this though, seeing right through the blanted lie, but did nothing to confront the boy as she walked past him. "Why do boys insist on fighting so much?" Leaning back onto the wall outside her apartment door she huffed. "If only I were a boy, too."
"Huh?"
Smiling, Hinata sent the confused boy a huge grin. "If I was, I'd go... Hiyah!" She excitedly punched the air in front of her. "Take that! And I'd protect you!" Pulling her fist back she blushed as she openly smiled at the boy. "I know karate, so if I was a guy, I'd be super strong!"
Smiling back at the girl, he placed himself directly beside her before punching in the same direction she had. "In that case, I'll protect you, too, Hina." Pausing, the boy began to become flustered as he realized what he had said, refusing to look as he caught sight of the girl being shocked and flustered from the corner of his eyes. 'Ah. I just accidentally called her "Hina".' He embarrassedly though, having to rub the back of his head again as he struggled to hold back a flushed and derpy grin.
"Okay!" Hinata excitedly exclaimed, pushing off the wall to happily look back at the flustered boy.
"I-I was just going with the flow." Takemichi tried to explain, while silently and happily thinking. 'Oh man, she tricked me into that.'
Smiling at him still though, Hinata happily exclaimed."I want you to call me that!" Causing the blonde to stare, before a smile broke onto his face, and a short laugh escaped his lips as he grinned with pride. That shift in mood, and seeing an honest smile on his face, allowed Hina's heart to swell with pride of her own. As she returned to her leaned back position with a smile. "But I'm going to be the one who protects you."
"Huh?"
"Well," She blushed and kept her gaze away from him. "Mei-senpai... No, Mei-chan is always saying how much of a crybaby Takemichi-kun is and she isn't wrong. If I were a guy or anything like Mei-senpai, I'd definitely be stronger than you." Hinata mildly teased blushing, causing the blonde to become more flustered.
"Oi, oi! That ain't true, you know! When you and Mei-nee say 'Crybaby'. You're talking about what happened the other day ain'tcha!? Hina whatever Mei-nee has told you is a lie!"
Giggling, the girl turned her back to him, "Are you sure? So you didn't share a bed with Mei-chan when you'd cry and get scared as a kid."
"Why would she-- Please forget she ever said that! Forget the other day too!" Takemichi exclaimed embarrassedly even as his girlfriend remained amused and giggly.
"Nope! I'm never going to forget. In fact, I think I'll even ask 'Mei-nee' for even more cute stories about you."
"Hina!"
The girl only laughed though, and the boy could not help but laugh with her. Talking for some time more after till finally.
"Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!" She waved goodbye as Takemichi smiled back.
"Yeah." Turning to walk away, he listened as she entered her house.
"I'm home!"
His smile dropped, looking back to the apartment door with a solemn gaze, before finally walking away. Yet as he left the apartment complex he couldn't help but take one more glance back to the building, stopping as he caught sight of his girlfriend watching from the railing of her floor. She blushed realizing she'd been caught. Smiling and sending him off with another wave, only to frown when she noticed him become slump and turn away.
Biting her bottom lip, she turned and returned inside, quickly making it to her room and picking up her cell phone. She shuffled through her contacts till she found the one she looked for.
To Mei-Senpai:
...