With much reluctance, Takemichi followed the oblivious couple back to the shrine.
It would have been much preferable to stay away from that place after the night's events, but it would have been worse to be left alone.
On their way to where Draken's motorcycle was parked, Takemichi noticed how his paranoia never settled down. The tension was palpable, the silence around them making every single sound much louder and scarier than it should be.
Neither Emma nor Draken appeared affected by this, looking more tired than anything. However, Takemichi was sure that with the adrenaline rushing through his veins he could run a whole marathon and still feel sleepless.
The chance of that person with blue eyes waiting for him was still there.
Takemichi tried not to ponder why he was so affected by it. He had experienced far worse than a mere stare. Although if he tried to explain it he would describe it as similar to the feeling of being hunted.
The shrine was a cage. And whoever was hunting was waiting for him to be alone.
God did he feel paranoic. In an attempt to reassure himself, he remembered that at least he was now accompanied by Draken, which could not be a better shield for any physical harm.
"Takemitchy. Why are you hiding behind me?" Draken asked with a resigned tone that he usually only kept for Mikey's weird antics.
It had been obvious how Takemichi was trying to hide from something and failing while at it. The smaller blond was almost entirely obscured behind Draken's towering figure, his hands holding tightly onto Draken's jacket as they marched across the empty shrine.
If the sight did not look so comedic, Draken would have been more concerned. "No one's gonna jump you." He tried to assure him, looking around the barren place.
The walk back to the motorcycle had been rather short, even with Takemichi slowing him down. Draken sighed. After such a long day the only thing that needed to be done was drive Emma home. Whatever was affecting Takemichi better be trivial because Draken did not have much energy left.
"And if they try, they'll have to deal with Toman first," Emma exclaimed, punching the air as if imitating Draken in a fight. Takemichi chuckled, not entirely amused given that the threat appeared to be a Toman member as well.
"I guess so. I'll just stick with you two until you leave." Takemichi contended, trying to offer a nonchalant smile, still refusing to move from his safe spot.
The last thing he wanted to do was walk home all alone, even if he lived relatively close.
That sense of dread that followed him like a dark cloud felt ever-lastingly present.
Takemichi could already imagine getting himself cornered and beat up by whoever had been preying on him throughout the night. Or even worse than just beaten up, he gulped, recalling his last minutes in the present.
Whoever that was, and whatever reason he had to stare at Takemichi with such hatred, was not something he could understand. Takemichi knew, however, after much pondering, that he had felt a similar drop of mood once before.
At that silhouette, and the gun pointed at Naoto.
Were those the same person? But how could that be? He has yet to do anything!
Was it maybe his past self that fucked up? Takemichi suddenly thought. Did he unconsciously do something that was now irreversible? There was no clue on how to decipher the situation.
Draken and Emma stared at Takemichi as he spaced out, his expressions changing from concern to worry to apprehension and then anger. His face reminded them of an open book, although it had been clear that whatever was troubling him, he had no intention of sharing.
