Ash of the Valley

Her

[The road that leads to her]

"I'll be out in 15 months, although it could've been 10 years if Baji was dead.", looking down with a gloomy aura. Shame was clouding his mind.

"10 years is a long time...", Takemicchi thought out loud while thinking.

'Why did they come here when I don't deserve it.', their jailed friend thought before saying,

"Personally, I think it's to short.", clenching his fist he continued, "But a guy thought me to stop running away and face it head on..."

"Problems will keep coming back to you if you don't finish it so it's better if you faced it head on even if you're scarred.", his black haired friend said and looked at him and sent him a grin that showed his fangs.

'Scarred?'

"I plan to really start this time."

"Don't assault yourself, Kazutora.", a dragon tattoo-ed on his left side-blonde said sternly.

"Huh?", Kazutora's eyes widened. Shocked that it was as if his friends could read his mind.

"I know what's in your head this time, doing the same thing you did to them won't help your way.", he furrowed his eyebrows and continued, "Baji was looking for you and he's the one who explained us about your inner conflict.", causing the black haired with yellow strips teared up.

"Although that caused us a lot of troubles.", pertaining and reminiscing baji's vocabulary.

"'Kazutora is still part of Toman no matter what'", kazutora looked up to his friend who continued, "I haven't forgiven him but this time I'll try so I hope he tries too", the last sentence made Kazutora cry. "That was Mikey's message for you"

Leaving the juvenile center, their friend definitely have a spark in his eyes. An inspiration. A hope that after he comes out, they will still be there for him and that was enough for him to be inspired and be a better friend and face the traffic with them by his side.

"Takemicchi, I have a message from Mikey to you too", Draken suddenly announced while he shivered "Damn its cold"

"From Mikey-kun?"

'Honestly I'm a little scared what it could be... Baji is in the hospital, Kazutora was arrested but... Mikey didn't kill Kazutora and Baji didn't die so I must have changed something for the future right?'

"'I have something important to tell at the meeting so be sure to be there', is what he exactly said'"

"Oh okay but I wonder what-"

"Ah~"

Both of them stopped on their tracks and looked at each other with a shocked face, "Uh"

Draken sighed, "Let's just ignore it, Takemicchi" he continued to walk.

That was their plan but when a familiar bluish-purple tips with black hair girl walked accross them, Takemichi immediatly came to a halt. Remembering that time.

"A-ano, can we talk?", the blonde asked but that didn't stop the girl but it made his company stop to his track.

"Huh? Takemicchi?"

The pissed hair boy didn't mind and thought to himself, 'She's the one I saw behind the Haitanis... even tho they rejected me.' A sweat dropped his forehead upon remembering that moment. It definitely was one of those embarassing moment of his that he hoped no one saw and they just completely forget it. He didn't really thought of what's his next move and just called her so he was sweating bullets with her continues walking, draken's questioning glance, and his thoughts are all over in the place.

He then remembered what Baji told him before leaving the hospital and visiting Kazutora.

"Baji-san!", he exclaimed and breathed in and out heavily, with his hands on his legs. Seeing as the black haired friend of his was just looking at the railing.

"Huh?", he glanced at the latter who called his name but immediately looked back at the view.

"Everyone is looking for you!", he exclaimed and stood up after catching his breath.

Despite all of that, Baji gripped at the railings and said, "Takemitchy... there was someone in that fire...", remembering the girl.

"Someone..?"

"I could only see her purple- wait was it purple or blue? I don't know... but I saw that she's a girl maybe that's why her hair is complicated, girls are complicated, man.

She came out of the fire with the some Annabelle looking dude and a mantis one, carrying her like a sack of peyoung yakisoba.

Is it possible that she was the one who caused the fire and didn't want to get out of it?

But if there's someone I can trust with this, it's you."

SLAM!

Both of them were shooked to the core when the door slammed and a shout, "BAJI GET BACK TO YOUR DAMN ROOM!"

"Even if you're hair is down, I recognize you", the girl came to a halt moved her head just enough to see the boy. Now Takemicchi could see half of her face, Lazy grayish-purple eyes that seemed so familiar, black hair on top ending it with a bluish-purple- if that makes sense, with a messy hair that she looked like she just came- anyways, wearing a fitted top matching with a coat that looked like it worth more than Takemicchi's expenses, pairing it with a cargo pants and a boots- that Takemicchi doesn't know the name but they all looked like they have an expensive fabric.

"Oh no, are you gonna put me to jail?", the girl mocked.

"N-no, I just want to understand, why?"

Leaves swaying with the chilly wind was the only thing that you could hear for a second till it became a minute to the point that Draken decided to step in, "Takemicchi-"

"None of your damn bussiness, kid.", she continued walking. This time the pissed hair didn't stop her, what could he possibly say to stop her? Maybe Baji would have the guts to ask her but then again he may or may not end being angry and have a fight with her.

"Definitely dull, Takemitchy", someone from their back stated, that made him shook whereas his friend acts like he knew he was there.

"Fuck off, Hanma", with an irritated expression, Draken said.

"Hm, see ya later", the known 'Hanma' waved, while smirking before following the girl's trail.

"See you later? What does he mean by that?", shivering a bit, the pissed hair questioned himself out loud, that made his companion hear him.