Mirrors ◇ Joji x Reader

XIV. Actions Have Consequences

Joji 1 POV

I sighed as (Y/N) left me once again. I was gonna have a hard time explaining to Ian why (Y/N) wouldn't be joining us. I finished getting dressed and headed to Ian.

"Hey... (Y/N) isn't coming... uh... tired. You know? Pretty tired."

Ian chuckled. "Oh I bet. Seemed like you guys practiced wrestling last night." He nudged my arm.

I faked a chuckle. "Uh, yeah... so you're okay with (Y/N) not coming?"

"I mean... we could hang out tomorrow... assuming there isn't another disappearance."

Another fake chuckle escaped my mouth, "Yeah..." I trailed off, looking toward the bedroom with my peripheral vision.

Your POV

I looked away from Joji, unsure of what to do or say. But I knew that he was aware of how I felt.

"(Y/N)... I did this-

"To protect me. That's what you're going for? The old movie cliché? Oh, I didn't tell you this dangerous information because I'm afraid you would use it to hurt yourself. How is this protecting me, George?"

He swallowed heavily. He knows there's only two instances where I would use his full first name, and I just combined them.

(Y/N)... (Y/N) please... understand..."

I shook my head, "I need some time to think..."

And with that, I decided to walk out. I blocked out Joji's pleas for forgiveness as I headed down the hallway. Closing my eyes as I felt the autumn breeze on my face, I began to walk aimlessly through the streets of Brooklyn.

We lived in a rather friendly neighborhood. The neighbors smiled and waved as they made eye contact with me. I faked a smile and waved back. They were too far to see that I was hurt.

I headed toward the bay, where Joji and I would usually go if we needed a quiet, serene place to hang out. There was a beautiful mural and a dock where you could see both Manhattan and Staten Island. As I headed toward the dock, I could feel someone's eyes on me. I turned to see a rather stout man. He seemed middle aged, he was balding and the hair he has left was graying. My head tilted as I stared back. His stare was a blank one, as if he had no choice but to stare.

Though things like this weren't considered too out of the ordinary in Brooklyn (we New Yorkers have an unusually high tolerance for strange occurrences), it was still unsettling for me. Being that I grew up somewhere else, I wasn't exactly used to it, even though I've lived here for 2 years.

I sighed and turned away, shrugging off the strange man. Continuing my route toward the dock, I watched as the distance between me and Manhattan shrunk ever so slightly. The sun was high, causing the buildings to glisten from afar. I could smell the salt in the ocean as I turned to watch the ferry leave from Manhattan to Staten Island. I smiled a little, recounting the times when Joji and I took the ferry to play paintball or just grab a Blizzard from DQ.

My eyebrows furrowed as I felt another set of eyes on me. I turned to find a woman this time. Her hair was red, her skin pale and freckled. Her bright blue eyes bluntly gazed upon me, similar to the gaze of the older man. She seemed younger, maybe 10 years my junior. I was uneasy.

"May I help you?" I asked rather crudely.

Her expression changed from aloof to offended in an instant. And rightfully so, yet she did not speak or move. She just stared more intensely.

This interaction made me distraught. I quickly left the docks to get away. I could feel her following me. When I returned to land, the other man was there waiting for me.

Staying put with their eyes on me was another man: tall, blond with blue eyes. He was handsome but his stare could cut through diamond. They began to slowly close in on me. My fight or flight instincts kicked in again, and this time, I chose fight.

Swinging a left hook toward the stout man, he quickly dodged without a second thought. I tried to knee him in the balls, but he jumped back before I even lifted my knee. My eyes widened with fear before attempting to escape. But I couldn't. The taller man had his grip on me before I could even move.

Could they read my thoughts?

I looked around at the 3 strangers who were holding me captive.

"Who are you? Who sent you to do this?"

Nothing. Only silence and terrifying stares.

"WHO ARE YOU!?"