[AllTakemichi] Control

Chapter 63

The sky is a clear, flawless blue, white clouds drifting lazily across it. A touch of warm golden sunlight makes the late-winter days grow gentler, softer - spring is almost here. Because of that, Takemichi's heart feels lighter, the worries in his chest easing bit by bit. A faint restlessness stirs inside him, and his steps unconsciously quicken, carrying a sense of urgency.

Today, he wants to see that scene.

Taiju, Kokonoi, and Inupee all sense that Takemichi is excited about something. His pace keeps increasing, faster and faster, until - when they are almost there - Takemichi suddenly breaks into a run, surging ahead of them.

A brief wave of unease flickers through Kokonoi's chest when he sees Takemichi's figure pulling away in the distance. He places all the blame for this feeling squarely on Taiju.

Takemichi cannot hold himself back anymore. As he runs, his heartbeat rises in sync with his steps. As long as he crosses this intersection, he can see them.

The scenery rushes past, and then the view opens before his eyes.

Mikey, Izana, and Emma are standing beneath a tree in front of the cemetery, waiting for them. The three of them are talking about something. Takemichi sees Mikey and Izana with furrowed brows, clearly arguing, when suddenly Emma steps up behind them and smacks them on the back, putting on a fierce expression as she scolds them.

Takemichi comes to a complete stop, rooted to the spot as he stares at the scene before him. A flood of emotions surges through his chest - nostalgia, happiness, and the aching pain of the past all tangled together. In that moment, Takemichi truly feels like he might cry.

Everything in front of him feels like a dream.

The three behind him find it strange that Takemichi suddenly runs ahead and then stops like that. When they catch up and see his expression, they freeze slightly. Following his gaze, they also see the Sano family standing there.

Kokonoi and Inupee look at Takemichi. They are already far too familiar with the way his emotions overflow whenever his gaze turns toward Toman - or rather, toward Mikey. Still, if they say they do not feel even a hint of jealousy, it would be a lie. And today, Kokonoi feels even more uneasy than usual. It is all Taiju's fault - because of him, even the smallest gesture from Takemichi makes Kokonoi feel as though Takemichi might leave him at any moment.

Taiju lowers his eyelids slightly. The emotions Takemichi gives so freely to the people around him are something Taiju will never fully understand. Takemichi cherishes even the smallest moments, and he is willing to give everything for the sake of those moments. Perhaps this is the outcome Takemichi once spoke of - the future he longed to witness. What have they given him to receive something like this in return? Or is it simply that Takemichi loves them so deeply that he wants to give everything he has?

If there is a way to make Takemichi give that affection - and that gaze he always turns toward them - to him instead, Taiju is willing to pay any price.

That gaze - the one that makes someone feel as though they are an entire world to another person. He has never once thought of himself as beautiful or precious until he sees his own reflection in those eyes. They always shimmer with a warm affection that makes anyone wish to be the one and only in Takemichi's world.

Please... look my way too.

You do not know how many people silently scream those words in their hearts every time they see your eyes turned toward the ones you love.*

Mikey is the first to notice Takemichi's presence. Just moments ago, he was arguing with Izana about what to buy at the market later to cook - their tastes never match. The argument gets so heated that Emma hits them, declaring that she will decide the menu herself and that neither of them gets a say. Mikey is still sulking over it, but the instant he sees Takemichi, his face lights up with pure joy.