Keep Fighting

𓊈卍 𝟗𝟒 卍𓊉

Nakano faces the man before her. Everything about him is unsettling, threatening. The highlighter shade of his pink hair serves him more as a warning, and the psychotic grin that's scarred on the corners of his mouth seals it all for her. His shoulders slump as he lowers his head to stare at her closer, but she sends back a glare of her own.

"Who the hell are you?" she asks.

"Take it easy~ No need to be so fussy," he responds to her in a mocking tone as if he's toying with her. He tilts his head and his crazy grin broadens.

Nakano glares threateningly at him. "Answer my question."

The pink haired man lets out a coarse belly laugh that sounds just as deranged as he looks. "Oh, things don't change! You were just as hostile as you were back then! Maybe boss was right about keeping you around~"

'As I was back then? Did he know me?' Nakano wonders as she tries to find any familiar aspect to him, only to come up with nothing.

"That's enough, Sanzu."

Nakano's guard comes down as she freezes in place at the sound of his voice. Her eyes flick to where she heard it, and her eyes widen while her heart drops the instant she sees him. His eyes are the first things she notices. They're sunken and dark circled, as if he hasn't slept in weeks. His hair—bleached white and cut just like Izana's—is drenched and sticking to his forehead. His clothes cling wrinkly onto his body, exposing his alarmingly thin frame. She doesn't move a muscle as she's taking him in.

"Welcome home, Kano-chin," he utters hoarsely.

Nakano's voice is stuck in her throat, her eyes wide and watching Manjiro as he approaches her.

"We're fine here, Sanzu. Leave us," Mikey orders the pink-haired man.

'Sanzu...?' She watches as the man bows and takes his leave.

"Sorry about him, Kano-chin," he says as he stops right in front of her.

"Manjiro, you're..." The more Nakano takes him in, the deeper her stomach sinks. "What happened to you?"

"Don't worry about that." Mikey stares deeply into her eyes. "It's been twelve years, Kano-chin. Let me take in this moment."

Manjiro reaches out to touch her face, and she instinctively leans into his calloused palm. He brushes away some loose strands of hair that are sticking to her face from the rain that pours on them. A shiver spread throughout her body from the icy sensation on her cheek.

"You're freezing," Nakano says. "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," Manjiro quickly replies.

He then takes one of her hands and lifts it so it's between their faces. That's when she notices the small silver chain around her wrist. Dangling from it is the silver key charm.

"You still have it," he comments with a content sigh.

"Guess my past self never took it off," Nakano says, doing her best to smile for him.

Manjiro slightly lifts his own hand, revealing the silver chain with the matching charm. "Neither did I." He sets his foot back down, intertwines their hands and starts tugging her along with him.

"We should get out of the rain now," Nakano says. "You're freezing and you don't look well."

"I'm going to take you to our home," he tells her.

Something about those words brings ease to her nerves. "... Our home?"

He nods and gives her a slight smile that doesn't reach his tired eyes. She wants to ask him so many questions but considers that it would be best if they spoke elsewhere. He leads her towards the street where a sleek black car is waiting for them. Sanzu is in the driver's seat waiting for them. Mikey opens the car door and allows her to enter first. When she enters, she sees two fresh towels folded neatly on the seat.