Joker returns // Sk8 the Infinity x male ff //

23.

Ichiro pov.

The next day, after Reki had come to see me, I was discharged again and put on sick leave from school for the next few days. Right now I'm sitting at home in my room reading one of my favourite fanfictions on Wattpad and getting upset that the author hasn't uploaded a new chapter yet. Then I put my phone away and turn around on my bed until I notice the mask still lying on one of the shelves. Sighing, I stand up and walk towards it. I take it and hold it in front of my face so that I can examine it carefully. Every time I look at it, I think I recognise a person in it. The mask represents my joker self who has always accepted every beef and could never have even guessed what else could have happened. "I should finally put it behind me" I mutter and start to pack all my old things into my backpack. Then I take my skateboard before walking out of the house. I let my skateboard roll and then jump on it to start riding. I ride for a long time until the streets evoke memories in me and I have to smile. Again and again I see myself and my old friends running through the streets, skating and laughing. I smile sadly and then drive out of an alley only to see the skate park from my past. It seems much smaller now than it used to be. Probably because I was smaller then than I am now and therefore perceived it differently than I do now. The sight of young people and adults having fun together makes me smile. "At least the atmosphere here hasn't changed" I get off my skateboard and look around in peace. A lot has changed. The skate park has been almost completely renovated. Only a few elements from the past can still be recognised. Nevertheless, this is the place where I learned to skate for the very first time. I get a key for one of the lockers that were built there to store valuables and lock my backpack there with my mobile phone and then put the key bracelet around my wrist. Then I take my skateboard and go to one of the ramps and start skating. Just like before. I could do this for days. I never had to hide in this place. Everyone who was here was always like a second family. Everybody knew everybody. Everybody respected everybody. Now I don't see any of them here. Work or school probably broke them up. After a few hours of refining my tricks, which didn't always go perfectly, I get my stuff out of the locker and I walk to the motorway bridge a bit further away from the skatepark. There's an old rubbish bin where we used to light a fire in the evening before sitting around it and telling stories. I can still remember it clearly

Flashback

"Come on Ichiro, stay a little longer, it's fun" Kendo laughs and has me in a headlock to stop me from leaving. Laughing, I surrender and he lets me go. I text my parents that I'll be home a little late because my "club activities" are taking longer than expected. Then I sit down with Kendo and the others. "I remember very clearly how Ichiro and I met. He was so sugar sweet then and looked like he could be, but that wasn't the case. I remember how I helped him and how he thanked me almost a thousand times afterwards." When he starts with the old story, I blush embarrassedly and then look at him offended. "It wasn't a thousand times either. You're exaggerating. And what do you mean by cute?" I ask and notice a hand on my head, destroying my hairstyle. "Hey what are you doing?" immediately everyone in the round starts laughing while I look at Kendo annoyed and try to fix my hair. "He was totally reserved and shy you know. I kept my cool on the outside, but the whole time I was thinking 'oh my god how cute he is'" Kendo laughs and most look at me in surprise. Since hanging out with Kendo, I've gained a lot of confidence and my shy nature rarely comes out which is why the others are surprised to hear that I used to be shy. "Anyway, he then suddenly stared at my skateboard and I couldn't help but ask him if he wanted too. He then got on it with one foot and lifted his other leg slightly, it looked so good until he fell backwards. His look was just too funny" everyone starts laughing while I look away in a huff. Yeah well, tell that you caught me is probably too embarrassing. 

Flashback end

Smiling, I come out of my thoughts again and start a fire in the rubbish bin like before. Then I take out my clothes, rather Joker's clothes, and throw them into the fire. I then take out the mask and stare at it "Goodbye" I mutter and throw it into the fire too. Smiling sadly, I watch my clothes burn.