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To be entirely honest, Madara didn’t know how graduation would go. He distanced himself from all his peers after all his enemies in his second year, his absence overseas and his additional enemies in his third year. After all, he didn’t make himself a likable person at all throughout his time at Yumenosaki. It’s been failure after failure in his attempts to help his friends so he might as well just torment his most hated enemies instead.
Maybe that’s why he’s currently standing in the corner while everyone else mingle in the middle of the room. Madara sips at his fruit punch, swishing it around in his mouth before swallowing. He doesn’t even like it but when the school doesn’t provide more adult drinks in their own graduation party (ignoring the fact that they were all still underage), Madara can’t argue with it.
He spots Kuro talking with Tetora, ruffling his hair while Tetora smiles, masking some barely concealed tears behind his brightness.
He observes Eichi laughing at whatever Keito is currently scolding him about, playful nostalgia and longing lingering behind their eyes.
He sees Souma energetically moving about with Shinobu, still swinging his sword about as they shake hands in mutual respect and a sign of their everlasting friendship.
He observes Rei conversing amongst his unit, a smile both serene and peaceful on his lips as he has one hand slung across Koga’s shoulder.
He notes Leo bombastically jumping about with his Knights, their relationship going far beyond that of a king and those that serve him, the present Leo cheerfully howling without a care.
Seeing all of his schoolmates so happy, Madara can’t help but smile himself. There is something magical about the way that those were so deep in suffering and war that Yumenosaki drowned in were now celebrating, joy high in the air.
Looking at all that, Madara doesn’t regret his actions. Of course, if he could travel back in time, there are things he would have liked to do differently. Maybe he could prevent his strained relationship with his sister. Maybe he could have helped Kanata more. Maybe he could have stopped Rei and Leo from being killed in the war. Maybe he could have avoided hurting Anzu.
But, with the happy ending that’s unfolding in front of him, Madara takes another sip from his punch and lifts in slightly in silent cheer.
Normally, he would jump right in and socialise with everyone else, shouting cheers loudly into the night. After collecting his diploma, however, Madara feels a certain drain. Like he just wanted to hang back and watch, though one could say that he’s done a lot of that even before Yumenosaki.
Somehow though, it feels wrong for him to join in celebrations when he’s been antagonising everyone else for such a long time. He’s assumed the role of an anti-hero, nothing more, nothing else. Even if he’s been acting with noble intentions, it doesn’t excuse his actions.
After all, if the the Shinkai Group or the Emperor wanted to play dirty, Madara had no qualms doing the same.
“Mikejima-san! Come join us!” Chiaki runs up to him, shouting all the while. A large grin sits upon his face, a laugh right on the tip of his tongue and his eyes are tinged red, something Madara won’t comment on. He’s glad that Chiaki’s finally opening up to all his friends.
In all honesty, Madara should have anticipated this. He didn’t find Chiaki among the crowd earlier, most likely off in a corner of his own talking to his juniors.
Madara pulls on a huge smile of his own, beaming from ear to ear as he waves wildly with his free hand at Chiaki. “Chiaki-san! Come to Mama~!”
He immediately hugs Chiaki once he is within reach, lifting him off the ground while still taking care not to spill his drink onto his ex-unitmate’s clothes. Chiaki sputters in response, “A-ah! Let go of me, Mikejima-san!”
Madara complies and laughs his signature booming laugh, “I always see you hugging your juniors that I thought you wanted to take after me! So, what do you want with me? Mama can see you off while you run into the night!”
“I just said!” Chiaki huffs, something Madara rarely sees him do nowadays and strangely reminds him of a cross between the current Chiaki and his past second-year self. “You should celebrate our graduation with the rest of us!”
“Mama will go to everyone later~! I’m just storing up all my love to bestow upon all our classmates! Besides, shouldn’t you go to your own friends instead of hanging with me?” Madara laughs again, firmly gripping Chiaki’s shoulder and shaking him. At the same time, he gestures towards the rest of the people in the party, signalling an end to conversation.
“You’re wasting your ‘breath’, Chiaki. That ‘rogue’ can be terribly ‘stubborn’ when he wants to,” A new voice joins them and brings back the conversation that Madara tried to stop. It conveys a floaty tone, the same that its owner carries with him as he walks towards the two of them. Now, it’s a trio in the corner.
“My stubbornness comes from a place of a mother’s love, Kanata-san!” Madara playfully counters. He takes another swig of his punch.
Kanata sighs as he settles next to Chiaki, “That’s ‘true’ to a certain extent but ‘lies’ continue to ‘leak’ from your mouth.”
Madara flashes a bigger smile at Kanata but says nothing else. Kanata knew him way too well though that was unavoidable after how much time he spent with him. Being his friend was a role he took on with great pride during his second year and he dedicated himself to taking down the Shinkai Group who tortured Kanata so much in the false proclamations of a ‘God’.
Till the day he dies, Madara will forever remain grateful to Chiaki for extending a hand towards Kanata.
Kanata turns towards Madara, fixing him with his huge eyes and pleading gaze, “Didn’t you ‘promise’ to be with me to defeat the villains? You haven’t ‘forgotten’ that, have you?”
“Of course not,” Madara doesn’t change his expression but his voice turns grim. He quickly shifts back to a light tone as he bellows, “Don’t think so little of me, Kanata-san! I’m right by your side! I’m going to punish all the bad guys who stand in our way!”
And that would be a promise he would stand by. After all the events graduation are all finished, he made it his mission to dismantle the Shinkai Group until all that remains of the religious cult are ashes and dust. Until they would no longer prove to be a threat to Kanata. Or anyone of his friends he cares deeply about.
Chiaki takes a hold his hand and Kanata follows his action, clasping where Madara doesn’t cling onto his cup. Madara tenses slightly but he forces himself to relax; he wouldn’t be surprised if his plastic cup is now decorated with wrinkles.
“You should relax, Mikejima-san. This party is for you too, you know,” Chiaki’s features soften and he tugs lightly at Madara’s hand. Madara doesn’t put up any resistance.
Kanata does the same, a slow and gradual movement. If they pulled any further, Madara would have to move from his cozy spot too. Kanata’s voice is as relaxing as it always was and Madara can’t help the ache of his heart. Not with this atmosphere. “Besides, there is ‘someone’ waiting for you.”
Ignoring Madara’s silent concerns, Chiaki and Kanata continue pulling and Madara goes along with them. He’s always weak to the two of them. Not looking where they are leading him to, he merely moves, eyes transfixed to their backs. Once small, they now stand strong.
They eventually stop. Madara quickly notices where they brought him.
A familiar brown-haired girl almost immediately notices the trio’s arrival and waving farewell to the members of Trickstar, she all but rushes over to them.
Madara didn’t even notice Chiaki and Kanata letting go of his hands as they give him their own signs of encouragement, with Chiaki giving him a double thumbs-up while Kanata waves his hands at his side in a silent “puka, puka~”.
All that remains is him and Anzu.
Anzu stands in front of him, hands locked together and fingers twiddling in an obvious show of nervousness. She says, “I’ve been looking for you!”
Madara laughs, for what must be the millionth time in the small interactions that he had that night. He didn’t really know what to say in response, “Mama is always here! Anzu-san, believe in your heart and Mama will appear right in front of you!”
“Believe me, if that worked, a hundred of you would be standing in front of me right now,” Anzu pouts, cheeks puffing up. Anzu has gotten a lot more courageous as the year progresses, though Madara would say she always had it in her after holding a revolution in two schools. Though, he would still comment on her bad habits of overworking and not relying on others. Not that he’s one to talk.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Madara borderline shouts, just remaining at the tip of volume where everyone else in the room would hear him.
There’s silence between them again. Normally, Madara would be the one overwhelming her with talk. Now, his throat is stuffed with invisble cotton that he would like more than anything to tear out.
Again, Anzu speaks first, “Why have you been avoiding me?”
Straight to the point as always.
Madara scratches the back of his head, his other hand still holding desperately onto his empty cup. There definitely are going to be some holes in that by the time he’s finished. Might as well rip the bandage as fast as possible and get the pain over with quick. He takes her tactic of straightforwardness. “You do know that... I lied, right?”
Without pause, Anzu answers, “Yes.”
“Huh…?” Madara couldn’t come upon with any response. He definitely didn’t expect this. He expected immediate and angry backlash from her once he was found out. “But... I lied to you.”
“Yes. And?” Anzu remains unblinking.
“I lied to you about being your childhood friend so I could get closer to Trickstar!” Madara hissed, letting some of his frustration leak out.
However, Anzu just stands there, looking Madara quizzically like he just sprouted a head and said something completely nonsensical. At least, more than usual.
Madara lets out a breath. Of course. This girl somehow befriended even the Emperor, Eichi Tenshouin himself. If someone could complete a feat like that, they could befriend even the Devil himself. Or she would die trying. Anzu has her own problems with giving up.
“I forgive you if that’s what you’re looking for,” Anzu says, her blue eyes still staring right at Madara as if they could see right into his very soul. Honestly, Madara would say she probably could.
Madara chuckles, loudly and boisterously this time, “Anzu-san~! What Mama is trying to say is that you shouldn’t trust me! I’m not a good person, you know?”
“But, you’re not.” Anzu doesn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“Oh, but I am!”
“You’re not.”
“I am~!”
“I’m not letting go of you!” There’s a determination lit in Anzu’s eyes, her nervousness now completely gone. Her hands stay firm and defiant at her hip and she doesn’t budge at all. “I’ve spent all this time trying to get to know you and I’m not giving up now!”
Madara can’t do anything but gawk at her.
“I figured out you were lying to me a while ago. I don’t remember you but neither do my parents nor my brother. You may have fooled me earlier but you can’t get me again,” Anzu exclaims with a cheeky grin, her cheeks tinted an excited pink.
“You’re really a strong woman,” Madara sighs, though his mood jumps back to happy. He should have known. “You know that, Anzu-san?”
“I know,” With a prideful stance, Anzu agrees. She clears her throat and shifts her voice to become authorative, one that she would use as a producer for the more playful of her idols. However, there’s still a light undertone to it which Anzu carries cheerfully. “So, would you give me a chance to get to know you better, Madara Mikejima?”
“Of course,” Madara chuckles.
Anzu stands tall. It’s not that Madara hadn’t looked at her before but he allows himself to fully bask in all her beauty. Her brown hair flows long, her blue eyes filled with power. She’s not someone Madara first saw her as: just a nobody producer who he could manipulate and simply get past to achieve his own ends.
Anzu is a gorgeous woman. Anzu is a brilliant producer. She is herself, the best that ever was.
“It’s a coincidence we were born at the same time but I’m glad… Let’s meet again.” Madara sets the cup onto the ground, now discarding it for the time being. He picks Anzu’s hands from her side and holds it in his own, caressing them gently with the love and care he buried within.
“Let’s not leave it up in the air,” Anzu winks. Madara really somehow let himself missed all the confidence that Anzu had achieved. “I promise you, since we met again, no matter what, even if you keep watching from a distance, even if you run away, I’ll see you again.”
Madara lets his smile grow big and wide. He truly is happy for all that’s happened. He truly is satisfied with this conclusion. He cheers loudly and shakes Anzu’s hands such an intensity that she lets out a small noise. “I’ll see you again, Anzu-san! See you again~!”