red string || sano manjiro/ mikey

chapter xxix: happy birthday

"i knew i shouldn't have trusted you."

"what, three years without me was enough to kill the fun in you, sazu?!"

mikey revved on the engine of his sweet babu, speeding up their pace without any warning to the latter sitting behind him. "oi!"

kazua's arms frantically wrapped around his waist when she was whipped back by the wind, tightening her hold in desperate hopes of keeping her alive. mikey couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, enjoying how she's clinging on to him so tightly. "you alright back there?" he yelled through the wind, swerving around cars easily. "not used to being the passenger, are you?"

"being the passenger of an idiot who doesn't even have a motorcycle license and beats up people for a living? definitely not used to it." kazua growls back, teeth gritted together. she glances down, noticing that she's hugging him tighter than the should be. in an instant, she removed her arms around his waist and settled with holding on to his shoulders instead. "at least i drive with a license."

"i'll have you know, this is my last year driving without a license. i'll get one next year!"

he is turning sixteen next year, and gaining a license will lessen the trouble on his end. he would often take routes where cops aren't stationed just to keep himself away from jail because he's driving illegally.

"and you didn't tell me you can drive now."

"there's no reason for you to know." was her cold reply.

the smile on his lips faltered, and he looked over his shoulder for a quick second to see her turned to the side. "eyes forward, sano. i'm not in the mood to meet shinichiro-niisan just yet."

"yes, ma'am." mikey obeys.

both of them were silent throughout the ride, mikey trying to focus on the road rather than drifting off to his own thoughts. he didn't know what he was thinking when he stopped her from leaving the hospital alone. it was as if his old instincts were commanding him to take her home and make sure that she's alright.

a single look at sada kazua and three years worth of avoiding her has gone to waste.

it took him so long to stop himself from seeing her for her own well-being, and one incident of fate forcing them to meet was enough for him to throw it all away.

he's back to the old mikey, the one who promised to be by her side at all times.

when they got out of the main road, kazua realized that the place they're passing through is quite familiar. her hand comes behind her to gather her blown hair, twisting the bundle to her shoulder and holding it firmly in place as mikey's speed began to slow.

"we can't end your birthday without going here!"

"why do you always take me here at the end of my birthday, manji?"

mikey gently intertwined their fingers, leading her to the wooden bridge over the river. with his free hand, he points ahead at the row of ginko trees. there were lampposts that lit the path for them, and the intensely golden leaves fought to shine in the darkness of the night. "ginko trees are especially pretty during the autumn months. you used to pick up lots of the fallen leaves to preserve at your home, right?"

kazua couldn't help but let her face sink in the grey scarf wrapped around her neck, hiding her shy blush after hearing mikey's reason. she didn't think that he'd remember that at all.

it was a long time ago.

"since your parents won't take you here anymore, then i will. every year, on november 2nd, i'll take you here to play with the ginko trees to your heart's content." mikey turned to her with a wide grin. "after all, i love seeing you happy, sazu!"