𝐴𝐹𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑅𝑀 [post game AU]

•Young•

General POV:

"One whisky on the rocks please"—on a very small pub only a few steps away from the fire department, a man with red hair finished his shift and headed to have a drink, before going home with his two daughters, Shinji Kasai was once an important part for the rescue of thousands of people during the well known despair tragedy, then mysteriously disappeared, and once he came back to the real world, things weren't the same. But hey, at least he's alive and safe—.

"On it sir"—said the young girl attending him, Shinji heard that very high pitched voice and for a moment thought it was one of her daughters talking, but it was just the bartender, 16 yrs old Paula Uehara—.

"E-excuse me, sorry to ask but... aren't you a little too young to be working here?"

"I have to, someone haves to help in the orphanage after all"

"But you're just a kid...you don't look older than my daughter Midori, you shouldn't be working specially here"

"Well it's not like I have an option. Now take your drink and keep your mouth to yourself"—the girl aggressively handed the glass with whisky and ice—.

"...here, go home kiddo"—he grabbed the girl's hand and placed ¥30.000 on it, looked both ways to make sure nobody was seeing them, and returned his eyes on her then smiled— "go home, ok? Finish for today"

"......t-thank you, thank you so much sir!"—with tears in her eyes, she left her apron on the desk and went for her bag to let know she finish her shift. Shinji saw her go, filled with joy and gratitude.

"You're too nice, that won't get you far"—Right next to him,  Hashimoto was sitting down, Shinji hasn't heard a word of him, not even on the news, he didn't looked so bad, well...if you considered how he looked before it can't get worse than that—

"Syobai?"

"The only one. It's been a while, the years are doing great things to you I see"

"You think so?...heh, I don't know, y-you look nice too!"

"Don't lie."

"O-ok, you look like a hobo"

"Yeeaah. That's what I want brutal honesty!..."—he took a sip of his drink, a regular beer chuckling to himself.

"Hehe...he, so...what have you been up to?"

"Some works then and there, nothing new, won't give details because I ain't dumb. You work for the government after all"

"I...I'm a firefighter I work for the city, the government doesn't even pay me-.. A-anyways, it's good that you're doing well... after...that event"—that last sentence killed the mood, but none of them could just pretend what happened, the reason they know eachother the behind why they reunited, wasn't the best, it's like meeting up with the guy you almost stabbed on the streets, makes you feel guilty, and awkward—.

"It didn't affected me that much, I just live with someone now that's all, did it affected you?"

"It...did actually I...well this is embarrassing but, during my disappearance my...wife found someone to rely on and when I came back she..."—he decided to stop, at that exact moment to hold back his tears, he was a bit ashamed of it, Syobai saw the tear and thought 'will I also have to hug this guy?'—.

"Oh...wow well that's a twist"

"Let's just say I have full custody and my daughters go and visit her on holidays. Just that, and...it has been a bit difficult to take care of them both all by myself, wish I could clone myself to work and look after them at the same time, hehe, don't you know someone who could do that?"

"If I did I would be already wanted in all continents~"

"Pffft...HAHAHAHAHAHA! AAAHAHAHA" —Shinji grabbed Syobai by the shoulder shouting a very big laugh, long time since he ever laughed that much, and with that much feeling—. "Oh god...Jesus Christ you...hahahaaa~ you're killing me man..."

"Heh...what can I say I'm a funny man, thanks for acknowledging it. At least now you'll go home with a smile"

"...you aren't that bad y'know, on the island all I wanted was to hit you, sometimes throw you on the ocean, and sometimes I just wanted to wake you up...but...maybe we can know eachother more, we aren't similar at all and...we come from both versions of the world very different but..."—in the middle of the wording, Shinji halt back, he probably didn't realised who he was talking to, Syobai wasn't trustworthy, and Shinji had too much to lose—....I...no, no forget about it"

"What is it?"

"It's... nothing I...I'm just spitting nonsense, better head back home my girls must be getting ready for bed"

"Wait...hold on what you we-"

"G-good bye Syoba-"

"Have my number!"—where did that came from, how did that happened, Syobai never gives he always gets, so what made him get so desperate to keep someone close to him, what? What is happening to the unbothered cruel guy he is. He wrote his phone number on a napkin and handed it to Shinji—. "I-if you need...money or anything hard to find call me. Medicine, supplies, high quality stuff anything. I'll have it"

"... t-thank. I'll...I'll write it down on later, see ya Syobai"

"See ya...ugh..."—still, very confused, about what happened he called a barman and asked for a drink, he will spent the night trying to process what happened, he wanted him to stay, he wanted to listen to him. Things were going so weirdly these years, but one thing was for sure. His emotions were coming back—.

...

Shinji's POV:

—The door opens, finally back home, it was a good day today, I helped someone, I re-encounter with a friend, I get a rise, it's getting better, things are getting better!— "Ochako? What are you doing up? It's already 9 o' clock".

"We were waiting for you...we needed to show you this"—she gave me a note from her teacher, I had a parents and teacher talk, on Wednesday...I have to work that day, and I can't skip it, specially now, I'll see what can I do—.

"Where's your sister?"—I hold her in my arms and walked to her room, everytime I do it I pass by the wall full of pictures, thinking how big they're getting, one day I'll have to watch them graduate then marry, gosh—.

"In her room, daddy, can you sleep with me tonight? A kid in school showed me a scary video..."

"Again? Well now I know what to complain once I see your teacher. Ok"—carefully I placed her on that small bed she had, and when I was about to close my eyes, my other daughter came to the room—.

"Can I sleep with you too dad?..."—my sweet Midori, she seemed just as tired as her sister. But her face always tells me something else rather than what she says, I think she's sad, she needs me but I can't do more than this, it makes me sad—.

"O...of course you can sweetie get in here"—we all fell asleep on that small bed, the warmth of the night was the witness of my efforts, I cannot rest, I cannot stop, but I want to...I need to stop, rest, breath, I feel like I am not breathing, I'm just walking, going from one place to other, working, travelling, cooking cleaning, and being present on my girls life. But I can't do it all alone—

—I wish...I wish I could have someone to help me out. Or at least, to keep me company and tell me I'm doing well—.

End of Chapter 3