The Promised Revenge [Manjiro Sano]

22

"Where is he?" the boy wondered, opening yet another door and sighing yet at another empty classroom.

It hasn't been a full day since Tokyo Manji's first division defeated at last after their continuous attacks. And even though he was to declare it in an open meeting, Manjiro still felt the need to congratulate his friend personally first.

It was a special occasion, he couldn't wait till the gang meeting or till the next day, he had to meet him right away even if it had to be in the exact place Baji told them not to get close to afraid of ruining his -already ruined- reputation and failing another year.

But whatever, it wasn't like he was visiting him in actual school hours. He was staying late after class, saying that he should write some "important letter" as Chifuyu said he described it and needed the "nerdy school energy" so that he wouldn't make any spelling mistakes, so paying him a little visit should be fine.

"This place is huge..." he soughed, slamming another door open, and groaning loudly when seeing it empty again.

He was hoping he wouldn't find any other students staying late as well so that he wouldn't have to hear the guy's annoying scolding about how he was now going to be known as a delinquent and not a noble boy who wanted to get past his first year in middle school, but now that he was searching the building for a full 30 minutes, he was starting to wish for the opposite.

"I'm just gonna call him..." Mikey decided, closing the door of the only classroom being in the short passageway breaking the endless hallway, and taking out his phone.

It was a mere moment.
A minute.
A second even.

That ghost of sight was so quick that he wasn't sure how his eyes caught it, becoming round, freezing him in the spot.

The black waves drifted back barely passing the shoulders, gray headphones breaking the darkness, matching in color with her eyes, too shiny with the sun's orange rays coming from the window glittering her skin, as the girl made her way down the hall, school bag in hand, uniform tidily worn, and music loud in her ears.

At that moment, the world seemed to stand still, the image of her burned into his memory, finding its place in another figure that once glowed the same way this one did, too deep he couldn't even put his finger on it.

He had seen this view before. No...

He recognized those dark strings.
He recognized those gray eyes.
He recognized that cold look.

He could feel the same strange feeling he knew was familiar; the sensation of serenity, yet worry, the piercing pain everywhere in his body getting it to hold a flinch, the urge to run after her and stop her from disappearing into the shadows of his mind again.

He recognized that person.

"Wait!" he shouted, not louder than the female's music, racing to get to her walking rapidly, his hands reaching out for her, shining in his eyes like a lost dream he forgot he used to earn for.

"Hm?" she sounded confused, feeling the stranger's hand on her arm, stopping her pace. She took off her headphones, sharp puzzled stares meeting his stunned ones, him who was panting not because of the quick run, but because of the warmth in her skin that he knew he once felt.

"Hi..." Manjiro breathed out, a smile forming in his mouth, almost reaching his ears. That was the first time he trusted his emotions more than his mind, and somehow, he felt like being told that he was doing the right thing.