𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐝 - [ʜɪᴀᴛᴜs]

𝟎𝟗𝟑: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞?

A month has passed since the Three Deities battle. The bell at the top of the shop door chimes.

"Welco-"

"Takemichi?!" Chifuyu drops the box he was holding. Surprised to see his friend fully healed.

"Hey..." Takemichi replies, scratching his head. "I'm... I'm sorry for getting all sulky back then."

Chifuyu picks up the box he dropped. "You see... I was struggling with my own stupidity and..."

"I already know that," Chifuyu says. "If that's all you came here to talk about, you should leave," he starts to walk into one of the aisles in the store.

Takemichi was surprised at his friend's response. "Ah- Wait!" He follows after Chifuyu.

"I came here because... I was thinking of starting my own team!" Takemichi proposes.

Chifuyu turns his head to look at Takemichi, his back still facing him. "I know I've asked for your help one too many times before... But please, come fight with me, Chifuyu!"

Takemichi pleaded. The two fell silent as he waited for Chifuyu's answer.

The blonde puts the box down. "No," Chifuyu said seriously. He turns around to face Takemichi.

"Don't think I'm oblivious to the reason why you want to start a team," Chifuyu starts. "I'm not going to waste my time and energy on someone who abandoned his friends."

Takemichi looks down sadly. He fully understood where Chifuyu was coming from. But he was still hurt to hear him reject the idea.

"Did you tell [Y/N] about this?" Chifuyu said, furrowing his brows. Takemichi shakes his head, "No... It kind of feels like she's avoiding me, honestly."

Chifuyu walks closer to his friend. He flicks Takemichi's forehead, "Hey! Don't get sulky again!" He says scoldingly.

"You're already back in the past. You don't need to start a new gang to change the future," he tells Takemichi, his tone was genuine. "Since you and [Y/N] know how you die, it shouldn't be hard to avoid that."

"But that's not it..." Takemichi starts, "It's not fair that the rest of us can be happy and Mikey can't." Takemichi looks up at Chifuyu, pouting.

Chifuyu groans, "You never change..." He complains. Rubbing in between his eyebrows, not wanting to strain his face more.

"I'll reconsider your offer-"

"Really?!" Takemichi's face brightens and he clasps his hands together, hopefully.

"If!" Chifuyu emphasizes. The 'if' putting Takemichi's hopes back down. "You give me a better reason to join."

Takemichi looked confused. "I already said I'm not going to waste my time on Mikey," Chifuyu repeats. "Plus, I'd get the shop in trouble and be fired on the spot if they heard I was engaging in gang activity."

Crap, he's right... Takemichi thinks, frowning. How selfish of me to ask him to join when he already has so much going for him...

"If I'm given a better reason than 'saving Mikey', I'll resign from the shop and join you."

Takemichi shakes his head, "No... It's okay, Chifuyu. I understand where you're coming from..." The blonde starts to walk to the door.

The blonde notices Takemichi frowning again. "Do you want me to join your team or not?!" Chifuyu says, raising his voice slightly. He pinches Takemichi's cheeks harshly.

"Ow! Ow! Yes, I do!!" Takemichi admits. Chifuyu lets go of his friend's face, "There's the Takemichi I knew! It's so weird seeing you give up so easily."