Michi's Babysitting Service

Time Goes By, Yet I Still Think Of You

Naoto glanced over at Takemichi's bandaged hand which rested on his lap. He knew he shouldn't even bother to try and convince Takemichi to not go to work because he knows it's pointless. But at the same time, he can't say nothing.

"You know, working could open the stitches," He said.

"I'll be careful. I know what you're going to say, but I've already caused an inconvenience for Kurokawa-san, who knows how long it'll be until I'm fired. I can't risk quitting at the store."

Naoto sighs and looks over at Takemichi again, but rather simply just focusing on the old clover necklace around his neck. Takemichi never took it off. He had bought the necklace in a pair, Hina had an identical one. They got them at 14, then they were simply to express how lucky they were to be friends. Once they were in high school, it expressed their romantic love, after Hina's death, it expressed everything and nothing at the same time. Everything he ever felt for her, and nothing since he lost her. The necklace is all Takemichi has to remind him Hina is still by his side. After her death, Mrs Tachibana had given Hina's matching necklace to Takemichi, proclaiming she never took it off either, not even to clean it. Now, Takemichi keeps Hina's necklace in a very expensive velvet pouch, locked in a jewelry box that had once been his mothers. He couldn't stand the idea of it breaking.

"It's my left hand anyway, so it's fine," Takemichi assured, waving the injured hand around.

.

Tuesday went by with no accidents, he was incredibly tired. Working all day with the kids, and then working until midnight at the store and then secretly studying until 3 am without Naoto finding out. Then back at Izana's house by 6:30. His hand hurt quite a lot but the kids were unsurprisingly considerate of it and reminded him to take care. He also hadn't run into Izana that morning. He couldn't help but feel disappointed and then scolded himself for feeling as such.

"Shion-kun, do you want to go in the gym?" Takemichi asked, confused as to why Shion was sitting outside the door to the gym.

"Ran and Mochi are in there, I'll just embarrass myself," he mumbled, keeping his eyes down.

Takemichi crouched down next to him, "Why do you think that?"

"I suck, everyone else, even Kakucho and Rindou are better than me and they're younger."

"I don't think you suck."

"Yeah right, you haven't seen me, if you did you would think that too." Shion huffed.

"I did see you though, wrestling with Mochi. It isn't about winning or losing, when you're young, you're still developing your skills. You can't expect to be Jackie Chan at 10 years old."

That evoked a quiet chuckle out of him and he finally lifted his head, meeting Takemichi's eyes, "Thanks Takemichi-san...I'm uh, I'm sorry for not helping when you hurt your hand. I don't like blood."

"Wanna hear a secret?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't like blood either, it makes me feel sick too. So don't worry about, okay?"

Shion smiled, perhaps the first genuine smile Takemichi had seen him show, "Okay."

.

"Coward," Shinichiro muttered over the phone.

"Excuse me?!" Izana exclaimed.

"You went out of your way, leaving through the side door just because you didn't want to face him after your little moment with him last night. Sounds pretty cowardly to me."

"Why do I even tell you anything?"

"Because I'm your beloved big brother who you love more than anyone in the world?" Izana could basically see Shinichiro doing his stupid comical blinking with his hands clasped together.