𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐝 - s. ᴍᴀɴᴊɪʀᴏ

𝟎𝟒𝟐: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭?

Everyone attended Emma's funeral. Toman, Hina, as well as Mikey and Grandpa Sano's relatives. You sat beside Hina, holding onto her shaking hands. She was there to visit Emma in the hospital after the attack. When the doctors had pronounced her dead.

Everyone went up to the family to share their condolences. Draken was especially hurt by this. Out of everyone, he was a wreck. So different from his usual calmness. After Mitsuya shared his condolences with Mikey and Mr. Sano, he suggested that he and Draken go outside. To get Draken to calm down.

You went shortly after Hina, bowing down in front of the two. "Emma was nothing but sweet. Even after she's left, the impact of her positivity will not," you raise your head, "I hope nothing but for the two of you to heal."

Mikey's grandfather smiles at you sadly. You could see where Mikey gets his tough face from. You knew his grandfather has suffered the loss of a lot of his close family, yet he still smiled at you. "Thank you, young lady. I hope you, too, heal from this."

The funeral concludes and everyone who attended leaves. You kept your head down as you and Hina walked back to your apartment.

"I feel so awful..." Hina breaks the silence between the two of you. You rub her back, "It's okay. Grieve at your own pace. We're all a bit gloomy after what happened," you try to reassure her.

"No... I feel like..." Hina's voice shakes, "Nevermind..."

You grab a hold of her hand. "Don't strain yourself. If you want to talk, I'll listen. But if you can't bring yourself to, I won't force you."

The two of you finally arrive, you walk her to her door, not wanting to leave her side just yet. "You really are like Takemichi, you know that?" She suddenly says as you both approach her door. "At the funeral, you didn't want to cry in front of Mikey, right? I could feel your hands shake over mine."

Your eyes widened. You felt that you didn't deserve to cry, since the family is the one who's suffering the most. "Promise me, you'll tell me the truth from now on. Even if it hurts me or you. I don't want to lose another friend..."

Your mouth quivers, trying to give her a reassuring smile. You break into tears as you look at Hina, "I promise."

-

This is really where Draken lives?

You ask yourself as you and Takemichi enter the brothel in Shibuya. It was the day after Emma's funeral.

"Are you two friends of Kenny?" A lady wearing silk lingerie asks you. You try not to look at her exposed body. Takemichi tells her that you two are and she lets you both enter.

"Draken...?" You call out as Takemichi opens the door to the boy's room. Draken sat at the edge of his bed, his large back facing the two of you. Takemichi could barely keep it together, "We... We brought food. Hot curry... Mitsuya said it was your favourite."

Takemichi comes closer and places the take-out box beside Draken. You notice the boy was staring at a photo. It was of him and Emma. "We'll be leaving you now, call us if you ever need anything," you tell Draken. He continued to be unresponsive. You and Takemichi leave, the blonde closing the door behind him. You thank the lady for letting you guys come in and leave the brothel.

"Should we try again at Mikey's house?" Takemichi asks. You shake your head, "Let's let them be. I'll take that," you take the plastic bag of dorayaki from Takemichi's hands.

You both continued to walk through Shibuya. "What's the next move? Kisaki's dead, so there won't be a logical reason for Hina to die in the future," You ask Takemichi, who was deep in thought. "Mikey said he wanted to talk to me at some point, so I'm just waiting on that," he replies, "I don't know what's next after that."

"Mikey wants to talk to you? Probably about the whole timeleaping, right?" Takemichi nods at your question. "Have you told him about your foresight?" He asks and you shake your head. He was surprised you hadn't opened up to Mikey about it, even after what happened in Tenjiku. "I almost did, but for whatever reason, I second-guessed and ended up not saying anything," you answer.

You turn to Takemichi, "I think you should stay here for a while, before going back. Make some memories for us to dwell on in the future," you smile.

Takemichi starts to cry again and you pat him on the shoulder. "Gosh, you cry at everything, don't you?" You chuckle. You start to pinch his cheek, "When you do go back, I promise to take care of Hina for you."

"Hina?" Takemichi repeats, "What about Mikey?"

"Sorry, are you marrying Mikey?" You ask him, staring at the boy weirdly. He waves his arms and denies it, you laugh at him. "Let me worry about him. I plan to stay by his side, after all."

Takemichi grins and elbows you, "When I come back to the future, I better hear that I was the best man at your guys' wedding!" You chuckle, "Wedding already? He and I haven't even officially become a couple."

"You haven't?!" You nod at his question in embarrassment. "I plan to ask him after he's okay. I wouldn't want to pressure him to be invested in a relationship when he's still grieving." Takemichi was shocked at your response. "You're so mature, [Y/N]. I can't believe you're 15."

"I share the same sentiment with you," you tell him, "It's unbelievable to think you're 26 with how immature you are!"

"HEY!!"

-

"It's nice to see you again, Ms. Matsuno," you bow at the lady, "May I come in? I'm here to visit Chifuyu."

She lets you in. You take your shoes off and thank you before you enter Chifuyu's room. The blonde smiles at you, "I thought I heard your voice."

You sit beside him, "Did you have something to tell me?" You ask. Chifuyu was confused and asked what you meant. "When you brought me back home after the Tenjiku conflict. You held onto my hands and stared at me," you tell him.

Chifuyu's face turns red, "Oh! I did?! Uh, I completely forgot if I was going to say anything at all," he says frantically. You felt like he was lying but you brushed it off.

"Can you teach me how to ride a motorbike?" You request.

"Right now?!"

"Of course, not right now!" You reply, it was nearing night time. "Just at some point. I feel like it would be useful in the future." Chifuyu agrees to teach you and you thank him. "Takemichi hasn't timeleaped back yet, right?" You shook your head at his question, "Should we start planning? Or do you want to wait 'til he's left?"

You think about it for a bit. It's not like Takemichi had your power and could potentially see if the two of you were talking behind his back, so you thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to start now.

"After the funeral, I looked into the next few days," you started, Chifuyu kept quiet. "Mikey... He intends to disband Toman."

"WHAT?!" The blonde shouts, "Why?"

"To better the future," you answered, "Takemichi had told him his whole story. How he got here in the first place. He was convinced disbanding Toman was the best move."

"Mikey... Will hurt all of you..." You revealed.

"Hurt all of us?" Chifuyu repeats, "What do you mean?"

Chapter forty-two, end.