His Last Song- "Ji'de Tas Anse"

Chapter Six 6.2

I walk down the driveway as I stretch.

I wonder if they're still at the carnival. I think they would be. If we ever got separated, they said that they'd stay in the area that I was lost in. Ah, though they said that when I was young...does that apply to now? Apply to an apocalypse?

Footsteps follow behind me, so I wait for them. My trusty companion, Song, shows up next to me; along with Ai.

"You don't have to come," I say as I start walking again.

"It wouldn't be good for my conscience if you never came back," he says and I look at him. He looks over at me, "We've been together for so long, no reason to separate now. Besides, you're the reason I'm here. Am I supposed to let my reason walk away into danger?"

I smile as I put my hands behind my back, "No, you can't let your reason get away."

He chuckles lightly, "Don't worry, I won't."

Ahha, I'm gonna pull my hair out from this warm feeling in my chest!

"I just wanted to go out," Ai writes. "But if you're gonna be flirting the whole way, oh, I will stay inside."

"Flirting!?" I ask a little too loudly.

Ai chuckles, "What would you call it?"

"J-just talking, bro..."

"What would you call it, blonde dude?"

"'Blonde dude'... What a nickname."

"Lemonade. Your nickname is lemonade now."

"Lemonade?" Song and I ask.

"'Cause you're sweet and sour and you have blonde hair. And black haired dude is...black tea. 'Cause his hair is black and he's talkative, caffeinated black tea made me talkative."

"You're a novice nickname creator, aren't you?" Song asks.

"Yeah..." They write.

"I think it's cool," I say. "I like 'Black Tea' and 'Lemonade'. Don't you agree, Lemonade?"

"Well, I guess it sounds fine," Song says as he...tries to hide a smile?

"See. Sweet and sour. Sour to me and sweet to him."

"Are you seriously going to settle with 'Black Tea'?" Song asks me.

"Mmm, maybe *'رمادي'—which means grey—'cause I have grey eyes," I say. "That's cool, right?"

"I think it works, رمادي," Song says and I smile.

"Oh, come on. Think of something more wild, bro. This dude's nickname is literally 'Lemonade'."

"What about 'Tree Bird' or 'Songbird'?" Song asks. "Your name means 'Tree Song-Bird', right? Doesn't this one seem better, Tree Bird?"

He remembered what my name means!?

I chuckle, "Mmm, yeah, I like that one better."

"Mmm, sounds like a nickname from some high school romance movie, but okay."

"Yours should be 'rat'," Song says, Ai and I burst out laughing.

Song covers his face as he shakes his head, his face is red again.

I guess he wasn't the one who said that...

"Yes, yes! Mine will be 'Rat'!" Ai writes. "Ah-ha, you're not a novice nickname creator, Lemonade."