Chapter Text
❛ THE CHARIOT ❜
// Mondo Owada
[Tuesday, Nov. 16]
There were rare occasions where Makoto Naegi barely had any time to himself. Exam weeks were coming soon and was stressing everyone out. Makoto never openly said anything, but he noticed the small things. His classmates had eyebags and had been tense these past few days. Someone like Ishimaru had also fallen victim to the stress.
Today was one of those rare, almost non-existent, days that Naegi managed to clear his schedule. He sat on the sands of Hayama beach, the coarse sand under him. It was the calmest he felt in a while.
Although as much as he’d tried to clear his head of any imposing thoughts, his chest and heart felt heavy watching as the waves crashed onto the shore before disappearing in the sand.
He was grateful to have a moment to himself, most others can’t say the same, but yet he felt so. . .lost? He could always find something to blame but what use would that be?
Somehow the moment he stepped onto the beach and curled in on himself, he lost all sense of direction. Makoto didn’t like this feeling. This overwhelming sense of being so vulnerable, yet there seemed to be no one but him there.
Stress really wasn’t a good look on him.
Makoto sighed as he curled further in on himself.
The skies haven’t been sunny for a while, instead being substituted with stormy and lurid grey clouds, threatening rain but never promising. It was a silent afternoon today. There wasn’t much going on. He had texted Sayaka and Leon if they had time today, but it seemed today was their anniversary. Makoto was happy for them.
Romance was never something Makoto paid close attention to. It freaked him out to be quite honest, but he found it admirable how much a person was willing to do for another. There were lots of people at school who had some sort of friction between them. Fukawa and Togami were an unlikely couple, but they had some chemistry.
Of course, being as young as he was, Makoto wished for someone like that. Although he had never once in his life encountered someone who held any affection for him. Well, any affection deeper than best friendship. While others lived in the fast lanes of love, zooming past each other and having constant races, Makoto lived his life in the parking lot. The friend zone.
“Yo.”
A gruff voice jerked Makoto back into reality, and he swiftly turned to face the owner. The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader himself, stood at the edge where the sidewalk met the sand, hands in his pockets and lips pursed into a thin line.
He wasn’t dressed like he normally would have. Mondo had donned a black turtleneck sweater and ill-fitting sweatpants, tight around his thighs and baggy around his calves.
“Hi, Owada-Kun.” Makoto greeted him, watching the taller boy make his way over to him, watching as he shrunk into the sand every now and then. Mondo sat right next to Makoto, crossing his legs.
Makoto leaned forward to stare at him, intently.
“What’re you looking at?” Mondo snapped, voice unexpectedly low.
The latter further curled in on himself. “Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to be the one to look for me.”
Mondo tensed, finding himself wanting to yell before huffing loudly “I was the only other guy who had time.” Mondo rolled his eyes, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “Were you expecting Kiyotaka or something?”
Makoto squinted. Since when were Owada and Ishimaru on a first name basis?
“Are you going to answer me or keep staring at me like I’m some sort of idiot?”
Makoto jumped, cheeks flushing, and turned the other way. “N-No.”
“Man, if you’re doing all of this shit to get Maizono’s attention, it isn’t going to work.”
Makoto turned back to him in an instant, eyes blown wide. “N-No! That’s not it either.”
Mondo side glanced at him, smugly. “Whatever.”
Makoto didn’t know if there was any possible way to properly react to such an embarrassing thought.
“Do you wanna tell me why you’ve been ignoring everyone lately?”
Makoto frowned, turning to face the biker. Mondo had lifted his chin, staring up at the grey clouds. “I haven’t been.”
Mondo grunted. “That’s a load of bullshit.”
Makoto pursed his lips. It was bullshit. He hadn’t been feeling the best when he had found out Kirigiri and Celestia had become an item, soon followed by Kuwata and Maizono. That took two major figures out of his friend group, leaving him alone. Even if they didn’t mean to ignore him, he felt rather lonely.
“You know, you don’t have to do all of this emo shit if you feel lonely.”
Makoto didn’t know what sort of spell Mondo was under. Although the two weren’t particularly close, Makoto enjoyed Mondo’s company from time to time.
The latter smiled. “If you want, you could start hangin’ with me and the gang.”
Makoto could picture it and laugh to himself. A scrawny guy like him being seen with such a well-known gang? Yeah, right. He’d ruin Mondo’s gang’s reputation for sure.
“Fuck you laughin’ at.” Mondo glared at him, the ends of lips upturned at the slightest smile.
“I don’t think I’d fit with you and your gang,” said Makoto, an amused grin on his face.
Mondo scoffed. “Nah, man. I’d think you’d fit in great.” Mondo reassured him, slapping a harsh pat on Makoto’s back.
“You think so?” Makoto asked. “What would someone like me do in a group like yours?”
“You think we’re some sort of mafia gang or some shit?” Mondo squinted.
Makoto shook his head. “N-No. I just don’t really see myself in a biker gang.”
Mondo punched his shoulder. “C’mon, man. It’ll be fun.”
“I still don’t know.” Makoto softly chuckled, pressing his face to his sleeve.
A gentle silence fell over the two. Mokoto's slow and steady breaths felt hot against his jacket’s sleeve and he stared at the crashing waves in front of him. He felt oddly at peace with someone like Mondo around him. It also felt nice just to have someone willing to speak to him. He just didn’t expect it to be Mondo.
Mondo’s left hand jerked up—fist clenched and knuckles white—and made clumsily calculated contact with the rough sand under him. There had been a moment where Makoto had found himself blinking, his eyebrows raised in shock.
“You know,” Mondo sighed, “things ain’t gotta be as bad as you think they are.”
Makoto, confused and snapped from his daze, looked up. “What do you mean?”
Mondo flushed, turning away to rub the back of his neck. “Shit, man. I dunno.”
Makoto shrunk in on himself.
“I guess it’s kinda like, looking at the good things in life, y’know? Life ain’t always gotta be black and white.”
The Ultimate Lucky Student turned again to look up at his peer, confused. Mondo was always the type to receive advice. Not so much give it.
Mondo scoffed at the student’s dazed look. “You’re not in the best moment of your life, but are you really gonna just sit here and act all sad and shit?”
Makoto analyzed the words of the biker carefully. He had a point.
“Listen, man.” Mondo’s voice took a more serious tone. “You ain’t gotta feel like going through the tough shit alone. I ain’t the best or the softest person, but everyone needs someone to talk to, yaknow?”
The lucky student nodded.
“Sometimes you need someone to pull you out of your bad days. Like, I don’t fucking know, someone that makes you happy and helps you forget all of the bad stuff. Someone that just makes you almost instantly forget the tough shit is happening and makes you smile.”
It took another moment for Makoto to fully understand what he was saying. Makoto looked away, allowing himself to think about Mondo’s words.
“You get what I’m saying, right?”
Makoto turned up to look at the delinquent, who was watching him, expectantly.
“Yeah,” he said finally.
Mondo nodded in acknowledgement. “What I’m saying is-”
The taller of the two groaned in frustration, roughly smacking the side of his head before ruffling his pompadour, shaking his head furiously.
Makoto watched in worry. “Mondo?”
“Shit, man,” Mondo shook his head, roughly punching Makoto’s arm. “You know how fucking hard it is for me to ask people things.”
Mondo was really doing his best to try and not snap at Makoto. He didn’t really deserve something like that, and Mondo feared he’d ruin the moment.
Makoto listened intently.
“I know you’ve been all sad and shit cause two of your best friends barely pay attention to you anymore.”
Makoto pursed his lips, and averted his gaze back to the water, still as boldly crashing onto the shore as when he had first arrived.
“But you really ain’t gotta do all of this. Sulking ain’t gonna bring them back, and I know exams are really fucking us all in the ass this year.”
Makoto chuckled.
“What I’m saying is,” Mondo huffed, irritated. “That I’m always going to want to listen to you talk, okay?”
Makoto quickly snapped to look up at Mondo, who looked equally confused as him.
“Everyone needs a friend. I’m not being a man if i just let you sit here and watch your life flash before your eyes. Go out there and live, dude. It’s not ever gonna be the end of the world.”
“You’d really have me in your gang?” Makoto asked, voice noticeably softer.
“Fuck yeah.” Mondo gave him a reassuring thumbs up.
Makoto squinted. “What about the other guys?”
“They won’t mind.” Mondo shrugged. “Even if they did, I don't think any of them would be bold enough to say somethin’ ‘bout it,” Mondo grumbled.
Makoto seemed hesitant. “Are you sure?”
“Man, I’ve been saying fuck yeah for the past twelve times ya’ asked me. You think I’m fucking sure?”
Makoto stifled a laugh.
He would never have been able to take Mondo as someone who gave such helpful pep talks. He felt at ease with the biker. His words had been able to calm him down, and had drowned out the sounds of the ocean for quite a while.
It seemed like the two of them were the only people left in the world.
Mondo offered his hand, “Come on, man. Let’s get out of here.”
Makoto’s eyes flitted between the rough waters and the rough patches on Mondo’s hands.
Dainty fingers found themselves intertwined with large, rougher hands as the biker gang leader pulled Makoto up, and led him away from the sand.