DARKSIDE | Manjiro Sano

Part 15

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"What?" I was dumbfounded. Still looking down at our hands joined together, nothing happening. No electrifying feeling, no teleporting to the past. Absolutely nothing. My jaw fell a little bit, inviting air. Naoto was silent, in the same state as me.

"We shook hands, but why didn't I time leap!?" I asked him, a hint of urgency laced in my tone.

He brought his hand back to his chin, thinking. I shot him a loud questioning look.

"Takemichi-kun, I no longer want to change the future. Hence, my role as a 'trigger' is over." He said, those words tensed the heck out of me. "This is just a theory, but... without strongly believing I want to change the future, I don't think I can pass off as a trigger for your time leaping."

Impossible. No way, how else am I supposed to save Mikey? If I'm not able to time leap anymore.

Night ascended.

"So that means you can't time leap anymore?"

I was with Chifuyu. Naoto left since he was running late. I informed Chifuyu about everything about Bonten and my inability to time leap. Kazutora was also present there.

"Yes."

"Well, you've already saved Hina-chan, so.."

"I wanted to talk to him. Mikey-kun, I want to see him, too." I said. A trail of sweat through my temple. "You knew about him and his.. work, right? He never showed us any signs of it all."

"I looked into him after he disappeared." Chifuyu sighed. "Found nothing."

The little glimmer of hope I had- to know more - left me as I nodded at him. I guess Chifuyu sensed that.

"But! I'm sure Mikey found that path and walked on it by his own will. That's why we have to live our own path, now. Just like Mikey." He grinned. That lifted the mood a lot more than I expected. I felt assured and comfortable with what he said. I stared at him.

He always calms me and makes me feel good and happy. Grinning, he put his hand on my shoulders. "You're no longer a kid, ya know? Right now, your path is to make Hina-chan happy!"

I walked the streets to reach my apartment, still deep in my thoughts. Mikey-kun's on his own, with his own will and mind. Everybody else, too, is on their own doing something. But...

"I can't just forget about Mikey." I was taken aback and looked up to find the source of the voice, which most definitely said what I was thinking.

"Kazutora-kun?" He was leaning on the wall behind him.

"About 10 years ago, it was like time stopped while I was in prison. I was released and Toman had disbanded." He turned to me. "Everyone's happy even though Mikey ain't here. Mikey hasn't changed."

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