Another chance Book I - Y/N

Chapter 65: Shut in.

Date: 22. August 2005, Monday

The next day dawned cold and heavy. You hadn't left your room, the silence from behind her door a constant reminder of the weight hanging over the house.

Meanwhile, Mikey sat cross-legged in his own room, tension radiating off him in waves. He hadn't gone to school, nor had he attended the emergency meeting he'd been expected to host. Instead, he called a select few into his space — Draken, Mitsuya, Baji, and Takemitchy. The atmosphere was stifling, the unspoken gravity of the situation thick in the air.

Mikey sat silently as Takemitchy fidgeted nervously under the weight of everyone's gaze. "Explain it again.", Mikey's voice cut through the quiet, sharp and controlled. "Tell me everything that happened. Every detail."

Takemitchy nodded quickly, his fingers gripping his knees as he started. "I... I went with her, like you've asked me to. We were walking back from the store when I realized I left my purse. I told her to wait and ran back to get it." He paused, his voice growing quieter. "Then, when I heard the gunshot... I ran back as fast as I could."

The room was silent except for Takemitchy's voice as he continued. "When I got there, she was standing frozen, and this... this guy, he was bleeding out in front of her. He'd shielded her from the bullet. He was older than us, maybe, but I didn't recognize him. I — I didn't know what to do. There was so much blood." His words tumbled out faster, tinged with guilt. "I shouldn't have left her there. I should've stayed with her. I put her in danger."

Mikey's gaze didn't waver, though his hands tightened into fists. "This man.", he said slowly, his voice cold, "What did he say to her?"

Takemitchy swallowed hard, his eyes darting to the others. Mitsuya, leaning against the wall with crossed arms, finally spoke. "Yeah, why would he take a bullet for her? Doesn't sound like something a stranger would do."

Takemitchy nodded nervously. "H-he said something to her. About... loving her, even after everything. Something like that. Then... then he just vanished. Into thin air." His confusion was clear, and it unsettled everyone in the room.

Draken and Mikey exchanged a long look. They didn't speak, but something unspoken passed between them. Draken was the first to break the silence. "That must've been bf/n.", he said, his voice low but firm.

Mikey's jaw tightened, his eyes dropping to the floor.

Baji frowned, his confusion evident. "Bf/n? Who the hell is that? Never heard of some guy like that."

Mitsuya muttered under his breath, his brows furrowed. "Who is this guy if he's saying something like that to her?"

Mikey looked up, meeting Draken's eyes. It was clear he wanted him to explain. Draken let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Bf/n is — or more like, was — Y/N's boyfriend from her past. He came here somehow after Y/N appeared in our world. But from what I know, they had an argument before where he broke up with her. She was pissed about it." His voice grew quieter. "Never thought he'd die... or just vanish like that after protecting her."

The others stared in stunned silence. Mitsuya finally spoke, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You're telling me this bf/n guy was her boyfriend, and he died protecting her? What the hell?"

The tension in the room grew heavier. Everyone was trying to process the information, the pieces slowly falling into place. Baji clicked his tongue in annoyance, snapping everyone's attention back to him. "You're all missing the real question. Who shot her?"

Mikey's gaze sharpened at the question, his eyes immediately locking onto Takemitchy. The piercing intensity made the blond shift uncomfortably.

Takemitchy stammered, his voice uneven. "I... I don't know who he was. He looked about our age. I'd never seen him before."