stand back up (#2, Go Read The First One You Rotten Amimal)

9.

After about half an hour of searching, it seems like the mission is over with and we find everyone together, including Otonashi. Though Angel isn't with him. He's probably trying to keep her humanity low-key.

"Noda!" I call to him, catching his attention.

"What do you want, newbie?" He shouts back, deciding between two meal tickets.

I walk up to him and grab his hands, making him drop both slips of of paper.

"Hey! I need tho-"

"I remember." I tell him, letting go of him and pulling out the picture of all of us to show him. "Why are you here?" I ask, "did you not escape the fire?"

At this point everyone has cottoned onto our conversation, which he notices, and decides to grab my hand and lead me to somewhere quieter.

"Thank you," I say as we stop outside, near a couple vending machines, "for being there for me, and allowing me to let my guard down around you. It meant a lot - still does. I'm sorry that I never gave you the opportunity to do the same, you only talked about yourself that one time and-"

"I didn't do anything special." he cuts me off before I get out of hand, "and I did escape the hospital, by the way. In fact, once I left, my life finally started to feel normal. That only happened because of you, and I'm so thankful for that. Although I had to live on the streets for a while, I went to school. I went to your school, actually. I showered there and eventually started living in a classroom. I met this girl, who was really pretty, her name was Kiyoko. Turns out she was the manager of your volleyball club, which would explain why I recognised her when I first met her, so I became close with your friends. They were all really upset about you both being gone, and when Yachi found out I was homeless, she let me live with her. Obviously that meant I saw your brother a bit too. He ended up moving in with Miwa and took me with him. Ed started dating some girl who was the daughter of the geezer he was looking after. I snuck into the orphanage and visited Alphonse a lot, and I always hid under his bed to avoid getting caught, and before I knew it, Al was living with us too. We were happy.

Me and Kiyoko grew really close, and ended up dating too. One day when we were out, my aunt found me. She had some new boyfriend who was built like a brick and practically dragged me with them after she spotted me and made a scene about how I ran away, ignoring the fact that she abandoned me and walked passed me on the street multiple times when I didn't live anywhere. I tried fighting him off, but it was no use; I'm just glad that Kiyoko was safe - she ran off to get help but was too late. They quite literally kidnapped me and locked me up and, well, you know what she's like. One day she just took it too far and I found myself here.

But for a while, we were all happy."

Despite listening to his nigtmare-inflicting story, I am just happy that everyone managed to move on and be happy.

Well... except for Noda.

I suffocate him in a tight embrace and whisper, "thank you for looking after everyone when I was gone."

"So, why are you here?" I ask, letting go and holding his hands instead.

"I wanted to tell you what happened to everyone. I was determined that one day I would be able to tell you that everyone is safe, happy, and were finally able to move on. Though they never forgot about you," he answers, "Karasuno made a whole memorial for you and Kageyama."

... for me too? But, most of them ignored me after Kageyama gave up his lungs for me.

"So... does that mean you're going to get obliterated now?"

"Oh hell no!" Noda exclaims, "my life now is dedicated to Yurippee and I refuse to pass without knowing what will happen to her!"

"Thats good to hear," I tell him, hugging him once more, "I'm not ready to see you go just yet."

"Another regret I have," he continues, " is that I wanted to spend more time with you. I'll make sure to out-live you here as well."

"What about you two?" He asks, referring to me and Tobio, "surely you've said everything you want to say to each other now, so how come you're both still here?"

I shook my head, "I stopped him from saying anything. I'm not ready to leave just yet."