ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ - ᴊᴜᴊᴜᴛꜱᴜ ᴋᴀɪꜱᴇɴ

Chapter 13

Akira entered the bustling cinema lobby, carrying a few shopping bags along with him. Approaching the man behind the ticket desk, he offered a warm smile. "Hi, can I get one ticket for 'One Piece: RED'?" he inquired.

The man returned the smile. "Of course, it's 14.99," he replied.

Akira paid the amount and received his ticket in exchange. Holding his bags, he made his way through the cinema's entrance and joined the line for concessions.

When it was his turn, he ordered a medium popcorn and a large drink. Struggling to carry everything, Akira let out a frustrated sigh. It was at that moment he heard a voice that was both dreadfully familiar and surprisingly unexpected.

"Need some help?" the voice offered, and Akira froze in place. Hope and trepidation swirled within him as he wrestled with the possibility of who it might be.

In his mind, a cascade of thoughts tumbled: What was this person, after everything they had gone through, doing at the cinema? Should he call Satoru for assistance?

As he grappled with these thoughts, he heard two excited children's voices, two little girls who eagerly exclaimed, "Geto-sama, the movie is starting!"

Akira turned around in a flash, his jaw-dropping in disbelief. It was exactly who he had feared and hoped it might be.

Akira's gaze remained fixed on Suguru, who was wearing a smile as he interacted with the two little girls. However, the words that followed sent a chill down Akira's spine. "Of course, I'm just helping out someone," Suguru casually remarked, and Akira couldn't help but feel the weight of being reduced to "someone" in Suguru's eyes.

It was baffling to Akira. This man, whom he had once felt so deeply connected to, now seemed like a stranger. Questions swirled in his mind as he observed the unfamiliar scene. When had Suguru become acquainted with children? How had he changed so drastically?

Suguru glanced at Akira's shopping bags before turning to the two girls. "Why don't you two help with his bags?" he suggested.

The little girls regarded Akira with puzzlement, one of them tilting her head and innocently asking, "Isn't he a monkey, Geto-sama?"

Suguru's demeanor shifted abruptly at the mention of the word "monkey." His fists clenched, and his jaw tightened as he scanned the cinema's crowded lobby. "No, he's a sorcerer," he finally asserted, his tone revealing his deep-seated discomfort.

Akira couldn't conceal his own disturbance and disgust at Suguru's derogatory term. It was a stark reminder of how much Suguru had changed, how far he had drifted from the person Akira had once known.

Meanwhile, the two little girls nodded and grabbed Akira's shopping bags. One of them, undeterred by the awkward atmosphere, looked up at Akira with innocent curiosity. "Which movie are you going to see?" she inquired.

But Akira found it difficult to respond. In the presence of the changed Suguru, speaking or even breathing felt like a challenge. 

Clearing his throat to regain his composure, Akira tried to push aside the thoughts and emotions that had overwhelmed him earlier. He turned around, his eyes falling on the two little girls beside him. "One Piece," he said with a soft smile.

Curiosity guiding his actions, Akira reached for his popcorn and drink, extending the offer to the young girls. "Are you going to see One Piece, too?" he inquired, a hint of friendliness in his tone.

The girls' enthusiastic nods brought a small, genuine smile to Akira's face. "Okay, you can have this popcorn. Let's go," he suggested, leaving behind the complex situation with Suguru. Akira walked away without saying a word to the man who had once been so significant in his life.