"Meet Akane Akabane, the spirited cousin of Takemichi from her dad's side! She's got a wild family history - her mom's from a big-shot Yakuza crew? But she's not one for following the family footsteps.
Picture this: Akane's mother was rocking it as...
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Akane's POV
"Akane-chan, we'll be late!" Emma yelled impatiently from downstairs. "I'm coming!" I called back, quickly adjusting the obi on my Yukata. Emma, Hina, and I headed out to meet the boys.
'August 5th huh...?'
"Today's the last day I'll be able to spend time with him," I muttered under my breath. "With whom?" Hina asked curiously.
"Oh, nobody. I'm just rambling," I quickly deflected as we climbed the stairs to the meeting spot. "Sorry we made you wait," Emma said as we arrived by the temple where the festival was held.
"You sure took your sweet time," Draken replied arms crossed. "Where's Mikey?" I asked, scanning the area, but he was nowhere in sight.
"He's not coming," Draken said bluntly and my shoulders slump in disappointment. "That bastard," I muttered, immediately pulling out my phone calling him.
After a few rings, he picked up. "Aka-chin, what's up?" Mikey asked casually. "Don't 'What's up' me! Where are you?" I snapped, frustration bubbling up.
"Heh, I'm sorry. Something came up, so I..." he trailed off nervously. "So?! You couldn't even inform me beforehand?!" I snapped angrily.
"I'm sorry," he repeated, this time more softly. "Mikey..." I bit my lip, my heart squeezing painfully. "What is it?" he asked sounding concerned.
"I want to see you," I said simply, and before he could respond, I ended the call.
"Will you come?" Takemichi asked cautiously.
"Yeah, sure. I'm not gonna miss the festival just because Mikey decided to bail," I said with a forced smile, refusing to let my mood ruin the night.
We all made our way to the stands, though my mind was somewhere else entirely.
A Few Moments Later
'I should've just gone home.'
Regret settled in quickly. Watching Draken and Emma bicker in front, while Takemichi and Hina exchanged sweet glances behind, made me groaned internally.
"I'll go first," I mumbled, excusing myself to buy some charms. I wandered through the stalls, taking pictures absentmindedly. Just then, a raindrop landed on my cheek, and I glanced up.
"Can my day get any better!" I groaned as the rain started pouring and I hurried under a nearby tree for shelter, mentally cursing the weather.
My phone buzzed in my hand—Yamagishi's name flashed on the screen. "Hello," I answered, irritated.
"WAh, what a heavy rain," he remarked cheerfully. "What did you call me for?" I asked impatiently. "Oh, right! Are you with Mikey or Draken?" Yamagishi asked.
"I was with Draken a while ago. Mikey said he isn't coming," I replied casually. "Oohohoo, our Akane-chan got dumped," he teased and my facial muscles twitched.
