Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟔𝟔 卍𓊉

Mikey moves away from Nakano, letting their touch linger until their fingers unfortunately unlink. "He's here."

Nakano tilts her head in confusion. "Who?"

The male with the black undercut stands in front of Nakano with his back to her. "Takemitchy."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As soon as the name leaves his lips, a figure comes around the corner. His head turns, guiding his blue-grey eyes to them. They widen as they meet the black and auburn pairs he's been searching for.

No one says anything. For a long moment, the male—well—the only Hanagaki stares at the two. Tears form in his eyes upon seeing his old friend for the first time in the future. And seeing Nakano with him, still breathing, it's a huge relief. Now he sees why she couldn't come back. Because Mikey brought her here.

"Mikey... Nakano... You're both..." The tears drip down from Takemichi's eyes as the swelling emotions render him unable to speak. 'They're both here... That's a relief!'

Mikey takes a seat next to Nakano on a piece of collapsed roof. He props his elbow on his knee, and rests his chin in his hand. A small smile plays on his lips, which Nakano catches in the corner of her eye. But something seems off about it.

She spares Mikey a glance, noticing the way he's staring at the male who just arrived. It's intense, as if he's analyzing something. Or maybe even searching for something.

'Why did you bring us here..?'

"I brought you here," Mikey starts, as if he read Nakano's mind. "Because I have a favour to ask of you two."

Nakano glances at Takemichi, who doesn't look at her, but only at Mikey. "A favor?"

"I came here to remember my memories with my big brother." Their old friend stands, tilting his head back so his face can meet the overcasted sky. "I'm overwhelmed with memories. When I was young, I fought with many people. I learned new stuff, I laughed, and I cried, too." With closed eyes, Mikey smiles warmly at Takemichi. "That's how I grew Toman. It makes me nostalgic."

'Mikey stayed the same after all.' The blue-eyed male returns the smile. 'He has no reason to kill Mitsuya and the rest. The Mikey I got to know in Toman would never do that.'

But Nakano knows the truth. She knows what the man who she considered as her brother does not. The smile she sees on Manjiro's face is the same sad one she saw ever since she returned.

'Something's not right...' Her thoughts run rampant once again. 'That smile... There's something wrong with it...'

Just as that thought occurs to her, Mikey's smile disappears, as his eyes open to show him the dim, grey clouded sky above. "Toman has changed a lot."

This causes Takemichi to drop into seriousness and confusion. "Huh?"

"Takemitchy. Why did you leave Toman?"

The question hangs in the air by an invisible thread, which easily snaps in the weight of the growing situation. It falls in the hands of Hanagaki, and it seems that he has no idea how to answer.

"I wanted us to stay together," Mikey continues, staring at Takemichi with a gaze that's getting emptier and emptier. "I wanted you to stay with me like a big brother would."

Takemichi only responds with a breath of confusion, as Mikey then turns sideways to Nakano. Though, he avoids looking into her eyes. "I tried to fix everything by myself. But I couldn't control everything. I'm never going to be like how I was in the past."