Bonds - The Past Echoes | MHA Reader-Insert

The Single Thread

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"Leaving already, Itoh?" The attendant behind the counter of an arcade asked someone as they headed for the automatic door exit.

"Yeah, the kids in here are eating me alive! I guess I'm not as good as I remember." A lizard-like person responded, worn out by their experience in the arcade.

"Maybe you should stick to helping them with the crane games, yeah?" The attendant suggested.

"Should you be saying that? I think you're supposed to get me to keep playing. Were you listening when your mom taught you how to run the place?" The lizard teased, reaching up to scratch at the crest on their head.

"Sure. I was just trying to get you to save face here. You got trounced by the kids, do you want me to tell everyone that?" The attendant lightheartedly threatened.

"Please don't!" The lizard named Itoh bowed to beg before swiftly running out of the building.

Itoh joyfully continued to run down the street for a while afterward. They were heading back home after a long day out of doing.....whatever they wanted to. Enjoying life was all they seemed worried about doing.

Their clothing didn't seem too carefree on the surface. They were wearing a massive puffed jacket despite having a ridge on their back, as if their mother caught them on their way out of the house.

That wasn't the case. With winter approaching, they had to wear it, being cold-blooded and all. In a few weeks, they'd need an additional layer to be able to leave their home. In fact, they were heading back home at 6PM to stay away from the cold.

Ask anyone on their block, or at any of the places they frequent, and they'll tell you that Itoh probably didn't have a job. And if they did, they didn't show it. If you ever needed them for something, they were always available, and they were always willing.

As concerned as they were with having their own fun, they didn't mind sharing with others. If you met them on their way to the ice cream shop, or bumped into them at the hardware store, they'd have you take part as well.

Price wasn't a factor for them. Itoh'd buy you a car if you let them, but no one has taken them up on that offer yet.

Where did all their money come from? Do they even have this supposed wealth people think they have? Their aforementioned home wasn't anything fancy, it was just a two story apartment building, similar to yours.

Of course, you already knew all of this.

Itoh walked up the steps to their apartment on the second floor, whistling all the way. When they reached their door, they began to search for its key on a rather full key ring, changing the tune they whistled in the process.

"Itoh-san." A voice called out to them.

Itoh turned to their right to find the source of the voice. It was a man at the end of the walkway. He was a large, imposing man in a patched up overcoat, with some of his black hair with pink highlights styled in a bun.

'But I just came up those steps, how didn't I.....'

Intimidated, Itoh began to slowly drift to the left. He was about to start running, until he turned his head along with his body to see his path was blocked by someone else.