A Future Without You is Soon |Mikey x OC|

Chapter Thirteen

   When Takemichi opens his eyes, it's still dark outside, though the moon had moved higher into the sky than it was before.

   How long was he out for? It couldn't have been that long, right? Takemichi blinks a little bit, until he notices Mikey and Shiho sitting beside him.

   Shiho's body is pressed against Mikey's side. He has his arms wrapped around her. Mikey seems to notice Takemichi's shuffling, because he looks away from the sky to him.

   "Oh, you're awake," Mikey says.

   "Mikey~kun, Shiho~Chan?"

   Mikey shushes him a bit. "She was tired so I told her to get some rest since she's still recovering. We can talk while she's asleep."

   "O—okay..."

   "Takemicchi, do you dislike Kisaki?" Mikey asks him. His smile looks kind, but Takemichi's instinct tells him it's not as sweet as it looks.

   "What?" Takemichi asks, then he realises what Mikey said. "Well, I just..."

   "Making the gang bigger is hard," Mikey says. "With new blood, some people leave..."

   The boy from earlier—Baji, Takemichi believes his name was—flashes through his mind. "Ah..." Takemichi doesn't know Baji at all—aside from the off conversation with Shiho when she was recovering. What Takemichi does know is Shiho and Baji are close. Takemichi has to guess that Mikey and Baji are, too, if Mikey's bringing it up.

   "Mikey~kun..." Takemichi mutters.

   Mikey doesn't look away from the sky, but his hold on Shiho tightens as she shifts against him.

   "I wanna ask you a favour, Takemicchi. For me and Shiho," Mikey says. Takemichi tenses. Mikey's still in serious leader mode. Mikey only calls Shiho by her name when he's serious.

   "Oh, sure," Takemichi says.

   "I have something important to tell you, though," Mikey says. "I've got this childhood friend. We lived in the same neighbourhood, but we never really got along well. I actually met him because of Shiho. Guess they lived close.

   "Anyway, he always tries to pick fight with me and Shiho. Every time he got his ass handed to him." Mikey chuckles.

   "He kept trying to fight you both? What a dumbass..." Takemichi mutters.

   Mikey smiles at him. "Yup, that's who punched you earlier," Mikey says. "He probably had it right to fight Shiho, at least. She got better real fast because of him."

   "Wait, which dude?" Takemichi asks. "I got punched by two of them..."

   "The First Division Captain...Baji Keisuke," Mikey says. "Can't tell what he's thinking, right?"

   "Yeah, I got no idea why he punched me," Takemichi says, rubbing the cheek Baji punched.

   Mikey barks a laugh. "He's always been like that. He'll slug a whole group of people just cause he's sleepy, or, if he's hungry, he'll pour gas on a car and light it."

   Takemichi's expression flattens. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?

   "Anyway, that guy...he's one of Touman's founding members," Mikey says. Takemichi looks at Mikey, then to Shiho. He founded Touman with them? "I started Touman with Kenchin, Shishi~Chan, Mitsuya, Pah~chin, Baji..."

   Mikey's voice trails off as he starts to shake Shiho a bit. He whispers something about how she should wake up.

   "With those six?" Takemichi asks. Shiho blinks and looks at Mikey, who nods.