The promise to buy a new phone had been a nice one, alas, they were all broke, not an uncommon trait amongst teenagers. Takemichi especially after having to pay for Mikey's food. He did not complain however, just the presence of the two was enough to lift his mood.
The attempted shopping had been a fun experience for sure, with Mikey dragging him from store to store in order to find a phone that would suit Takemichi best and insisting that they should take a picture together to have it as background.
In this whole shopping adventure, Draken had been most helpful, actually offering advice on what model to buy once Takemichi had money to spend. He seemed interested in anything mechanical, adamant that what he read in the magazines surely must have been right. The conversation of phones gradually drifted into a topic that sparked excitement in Draken's usually neutral tone. He spoke with knowledge on everything and anything related to motorcycles. Takemichi had not much of an idea of what exactly he was talking about, but his excitement made him excited in return. Seeing other people happy just brought a smile to his face and with the company of the two bickering friends he soon forgot about the disaster that was his life just moments before.
It was then that Takemichi truly deciphered the dynamic between the bizarre leaders of Toman. Mikey, despite his immeasurable strength and glory, was a child with a skewed understanding of his environment. He was empathetic, but not to a fault, and it pertained obvious how he prioritized the bonds to the people around him over anything else. That is where Draken usually stepped in. At any moment of doubt, Draken carefully nudged towards the right direction, and if truly needed, scolded Mikey for any mistakes he might have committed.
Despite the joyous moments, the drifting from store to store, debating on useless topics and outdated movies, Takemichi still felt that tiredness slowing him down. He could not stop his thoughts from spiraling. It ached his heart, knowing of Draken's bleak fate in the near future. The kids ain't alright, as the song says, but Takemichi will make sure they do. Draken will be a goddamn mechanic even if it depended on his life and Mikey will not lose his best friend.
The sky turned dark in what seemed like a matter of minutes. It had not crossed their minds just how many hours they had spent together, wandering around with no destination in mind. Soon enough, Draken bid his farewell, messing with Takemichi's hair one final time to then walk away with the promise of seeing them the next day.
Mikey stayed.
Despite living so far away from each other, Toman's leader seemed keen on being a good friend, offering to walk with him all the way home. To be honest, Takemichi could not stand the thought of being alone, especially at home. Mikey simply being there was the highest form of comfort he could think of.
"Are your parents home?"
It was an innocuous question, an innocent query to learn about each other better. Takemichi thought nothing of it. He never really wanted to think about it, that sort of thing would only gloom his mood further. The family had never been a matter that concerned him, maybe it did when he was a kid, like an actual kid. He remembers waiting for a phone call, for someone to open the door, to make dinner, to care. But it didn't matter much anymore, he grew out of waiting.
"That would be a surprise." Takemichi laughed. "I practically live on my own. Been years since I last saw one of them."
A beat or two passed in silence, Takemichi had not realized that the street they were walking on was empty apart from them, then it all felt much more personal. At Mikey's blank expression over poorly concealed concern, Takemichi tried to retract his words.
"That was a joke... My mom's just very busy." But of course, Mikey did not seem to buy it. Nothing ever flew past Mikey.
"It's fine. Most of Toman don't have parents waiting for them at home either."
