SQUABBLE - NOBARA K.

The end

Yoi Yorokobi was the family restaurant his mother and father took him to for years as a child. The restaurant was also the spot the first years and their instructor went for dinner after their very first mission together.

It was a place of memories. Memories of his adolescence eager for a delicious curry recipe to then, carrying it on to his teenage era. His breathtaking crush taking a bite out of his food. The way his precious instructor flirtatiously convinced the waitress for a free meal. The four of them, together in a quaint space. A perfect image that'll forever be in his mind. The memories vanish when the sound of construction buzz through his ears. He blinked profusely after breaking out of his day dreaming and saw the restaurant, completely being demolished before his very eyes as the workers were hard at work, scraping the remaining debris with their giant bulldozer.

Kei watched for a brief minute as a chill fog escapes his lips and his mittens stuffed into his small pockets of his blue jacket. His grandfather's voice is heard from behind,

"Kei! Come on, let's get going." The older man hauled two gallons of paint into the back of his rusty pickup truck before hopping into the driver's seat. Kei looks back but before he leaves, he gives one last glance at his once favorite place before running over to the passenger seat. He fastened his seat belt before slouching right into the seat, his eyes covered by the worn, baseball cap he wore above his head. His grandfather begins to drive away. Away from the city and onto home. Kei rested his chin against his hand as he watched the empty ocean staring back at him when they drove.

-

A year had passed but it felt like yesterday when Kei got that phone call from Yuji. If he hadn't gotten the call, he imagined he wouldn't be alive at this very moment. After his attempted death and then the phone call, Kei scrambled down from the rails and he ran to his room. His footsteps startled Marcus, who stumbled after him. Kei didn't have any valuable possessions in his room but he grabbed a couple of clothes that could last a few days. As he zips into his motor suit, Marcus' voice spilled out,

"W-Where are you going?"

"I have to go, Marcus. Go somewhere far away from here."

"B-But why?" He blabbered. "Come on, stay!" He was shaking Kei's shoulder but the blonde pulled away before grabbing his duffel bag. He slung it over his shoulder before walking out of the room. He swore he could hear Marcus mutter 'so lame' before his whole body slumped into his bed. Kei left him and his friends there, closing the door behind him.

As he drove away in his motorcycle, he realized they were never really his friends. They loved it when he played around with his powers in front of them or when he gave in to the drugs, but when he did none of that, they treated him differently. Like he was a bland part of their life they wanted no part of. When he heard Yuji again, he felt bad for leaving them in the dark.Though, the other part of him felt like a burden to the two. After the Sukuna situation, he thought for sure they never wanted to speak to him again.

Yuki had almost settled for bed in her small, chic apartment when she hears someone knocking on her door. She blinks in confusion before walking over to reach the doorknob. She grabs it and looks shocked for a moment to see Kei, in his damp hair from the rain and a duffle bag clutched to the side. He looked at her with a sense of desperation and she smiled,

"So, changed your mind, huh?"

"Can I crash here for awhile?"

"Sure thing, kid." She welcomed him. She was right when she said she wouldn't hesitate to help him out of a jam. He changed out of his wet clothes before collapsing into one of her sofas. She made her way into the kitchen and while he laid on the chaise lounge, his head began to throb. He groaned quietly to himself with his palm pressed against his forehead. He winced in pain and when Yuki returned with tea and saw his strained expression, she settled the cup to its coaster right near the lounge. She asks,