HUMMING YOUR FAVOURITE TUNE, you strutted your way to Mikey's house once again.
Din-din-din-din-din-din-din-ding dong!
Your index practically spammed the doorbell and the door finally opened to reveal Mikey. His hair was down so he looked unusually cute. "Mikey-san, you look sleepy."
He coincidentally yawned as you said that. "That's because I am." He rubbed his eyes like a tired child. "I just woke up."
"It's... the afternoon."
"Ken-chin usually comes in the morning to wake me up. I didn't wake up though." Just as Mikey muttered that, Draken popped up from behind. "That's because you slept late last night."
"Ehh? Why?"
A vein popped up from Draken's head. "You suddenly called me to play games with you at 1 am, and fell asleep!" He then turned to you with a weird look. "What's with that?" He stared at the Nerf gun in your hand.
You held it up with a serious look. "I'm going to start a shooting."
Mikey seemed excited while Draken had a tired look as they both let you inside. You held both Mr. Froppé and the gun tightly while you observed around carefully.
"Mikey! Who's at the do― Oh."
You immediately aimed your Nerf gun at her and started shooting. With your eyes close... as if she was some sort of hideous monster and you had found a way to kill it.
Interestingly enough, all your bullets missed.
Mikey had to comfort your gloomy self and pick up the bullets. You sent a glare to Emma's direction like an angry dog barking. "U-Um... [Last Name]-chan... Can I join?" Emma referred to your desire to play. You pursed your lips, and looked over to Mikey who gave you a smile while Draken was nodding.
"Hmph. Fine."
You left your Nerf gun behind, grabbed Mr. Froppé and went out with the others.
The "game" you wanted to play was to ride on Mikey's shoulders apparently. They learnt that you came to Draken prior to this and he refused your request, saying it's dumb or something. "What!? Draken, how could you!?" You hear Emma scolding the said guy, who just shrugged.
"Mikey-san." You faced him. "I've always wanted to ride on someone's shoulders. Please grant my wish." Though your face was still stoney as ever, he could tell that you really wanted that. Plus, he thought it'd be fun too so he agreed.
"My life has never worked out this good." You exclaimed, feeling quite hyper. "Hop on." The short blond got down, and you lifted your leg up to one side of his shoulder, holding both Mr. Froppé and his head as you felt yourself getting higher. You gasped in excitement when you saw things further away in this height.
"Look, Draken-san! I'm taller than you!" You faced the male, who surprisingly had a smile on his face. "You're like a kid, [Last Name]-chan." Emma laughed. "You're really high up, [Last Name]-chan!"
Your facial expression changed a little. "...I am." You didn't threaten her, so Emma saw this as development and had to internally squeal. "Okay, [Name]! Ready? Where do we go?" Mikey exclaimed, feeling pretty excited himself as he usually never carried anyone before.
"Hm..." You never actually thought where to go. Only that you've always wanted a shoulder ride since little. Your mom was too weak to carry you, and your useless of a father hated your guts. Grandparents were too old, so that left your uncle and aunt.
"...[Name]?" Mikey moved his head up to look at you, but his view blocked by Mr. Froppé on top of his head. "...I want to go... to the riverbanks." You remembered when your aunt took you there. The sun was also down so the water looks incredibly beautiful. It was peaceful there too.
"Okay! Riverbank is it! Me and Takemitchy went there once too!" He said, his feet started moving forward. You also felt your his grip tightened on your legs. "Oh, yeah. I remember." Draken acknowledged. "Why the riverbank?" The blonde girl asked.
"Stupid question. Can't answer." You pouted and Draken hit your head. "Don't be rude." He scolded, while you held your head in pain. But then you realized something. "Draken-san, I'm taller than you." With your hand, you gestured the height difference. You were sort of short too, so it was about two or three inches taller.
"Even if you're the tallest, I'm still gonna smack you if you're rude to Emma."
Your mouth opened and gasped dramatically for four seconds straight. "Mikey-san!" You bended your torso forward, staring at Mikey upside down. "Does Draken-san like Blonde Girl?" You whispered the question. Mikey grinned playfully while Mr. Froppé's ears came into his vision. "Yep, but don't tell him I told you. He'll be really angry!"
"Tell me what?"
"Nothing!" Mikey giggled, while Emma in the background had question marks floating around her.
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Chifuyu recalled how you invited him to play along with Mikey, but he declined because he had already made plans with Takemichi.
He saw your slightly saddened look (though most strangers wouldn't notice) and promised you that you two can make plans another day. Just... not today as he had things to do.
He and Takemichi were out throwing rocks at the river. "Nine! That's more than you, Takemitchy." Chifuyu grinned triumphantly at his friend. But Takemichi looked dazed.
"Takemitchy?"
"..."
"Oiii― Ta-ke-mitch-y?"
"Huh? What?" Takemichi snapped out of it when Chifuyu's face was closely in front of his. "You seem out of it. Wanna talk?"
"Oh, uh..." He scratched his head, before ultimately sighing. "I was just... thinking about the future." Chifuyu took a seat beside him while his friend stared at the river. "How do I stop Kisaki? I have more reason to stop him now that [Last Name]-san was somehow involved, but where do I even begin?"
Chifuyu's eyes remained on Takemichi for a moment, before turning his gaze towards the river too. "Let's just start slow for now."
"Huh?"
"We don't know what that guy is planning, but right now, we should focus on the Black Dragons first." He suggested with the smile that Takemichi had always known. "We can't really do anything if we fight them now. Like Draken-kun said, it'll ruin Mitsuya-kun's reputation."
"Yeah..." Takemichi stared down at the ground.
"The river!" They heard a very familiar voice and turned to see who it is. "Oh, look! It's Takemitchy and Chifuyu!" Mikey yelled and ran over to them, causing you to hold his head tighter as your body leaned backwards.
"Huh? What're you all doing here?" Chifuyu and Takemichi stood up, seeing the unexpected group here.
Draken responded to their questions, but your attention was on the couple themselves. So Takemichi-san was the one Chifuyu-san made plans with. Knowing that now filled you with a weird feeling. Chifuyu hanging out with someone... Something about that got you all hot and bothered.
"Uhh... [Last Name]-san...?" Takemichi began with a nervous laugh as he avoided your unknowingly glare.
"...What?"
"Why are you... well, glaring at me?"
You squinted your eyes at him, before forcefully turning your head to the side, like a child pouting. "No. Just be careful the next time I see you."
This feeling was the same when you found out your aunt went to spend time with her co-workers and not you. You felt lonely in that house you called home. Only Mr. Froppé was with you. Your aunt was always there, every day. Without her, the living room looked so large and empty.
Right now, your aunt was off to another state for work.
You understood that she has her own life. It's the same with Chifuyu, but him being with Takemichi just really bothered you. Were you really that much of a loser to get upset over this?
"[Name]?" You heard Mikey called you. "Wanna get down now?"
"Yes please."
After you got down, you immediately took a seat beside Chifuyu, with Mikey sitting next to you and everyone else sitting down too.
"[Last Name]-san, I heard you want to come here. Is there a reason why?" Takemichi asked, leaning his body forward a little to stare in your direction. You thought for a second before replying. "I missed my uncle."
"He jumped off a bridge, saying that he'll be joining the fishies now, and I haven't seen him since." Your mouth quirked up in a smile. "I'm still waiting for him to come home."
The others didn't know what to tell you. It was clear that your uncle committed suicide, but you seemed oblivious to that. "Hey [Name], I think he committed suicide."
Of course it was Mikey who said that. He couldn't read the mood at all, they thought. Everyone panicked with your shoulders moved upwards a little, before they heard a sigh from you.
"...Of course I know that... I know that but... I can't accept it." You hugged your legs and rested your chin on your knees, Mr. Froppé on the side enjoying the sun. "Uncle was in the military. He must've had many bad memories of his comrades dying in war." You closed your eyes. "He told me that he loved me and Auntie dearly, that he wants to live freely with us. But with the nightmares he had every day, and the trauma he received, he couldn't deal with it anymore."
Your arms gripped harder on your legs. "...I didn't know at the time, I really didn't... I only knew when I got older." Your voice cracked but you ignored it. "...I really miss him."
A few seconds passed and while that seemed short, it felt like forever. You suddenly stretched your arms and legs out, now smiling a little. "But Uncle says that he'll be joining my mom in a place called heaven. So she won't be lonely now."
They were confused at your statement. "My mom is probably happy right now. I really miss her too. Someday, I want to see her again." Mikey tilted his head at you. "But [Name], isn't your mom dead?"
They flinched with you rose to your feet so suddenly as you fully faced Mikey. "No, no! Mom is in heaven! It's different. She's not dead." With sulking look on your face, Draken asked Mikey to stop, and he did.
Seeing how you reacted so differently with your uncle, they can only assume this time that, you really believed your mom was in a place called heaven and not dead. They didn't want to break it to you that, so they kept their mouths shut.
You slowly sat back down, grabbing Mr. Froppé in your arms. "If anything happens to my aunt, I might just kill myself too."