Chapter Text
It had been two weeks since Neku vanished. Beat, Shiki, and Rhyme had searched all over Shibuya for him. But soon they realized he might have gone to the UG. Under the assumption that there wasn't much they could do about it, they agreed to leave things be for now and continue on with their lives.
Or at least, two of them agreed.
While Shiki was getting more attention for her clothes and Beat focused on his studies, Rhyme went to the internet in hopes of finding Neku. But this story is not about her. Instead, I would like to focus on Beat and his school life...along with a certain someone who was in his life.
It all started when Beat was heading home from school after yet another typical day. But before he left the school grounds, he just so happened to cross paths with a certain brunette girl wearing a school uniform. It was Ai Kurosagi, his childhood friend since elementary school. Usually she was smiling wide and chatting with her friends, but today she seemed rather lonely. Did something happen to her?
Curious, Beat decided to wave her over. "Hey Ai!" he called out. "You feelin' aight?"
Ai looked up in surprise. "Beat!" she replied. She hurried over to her friend. "What's up?"
"Eh, nothin' much," Beat dismissed, not wanting to think about Neku right now. "What 'bout you?"
"Oh, I'm fine," Ai answered, yet her sad smile hinted otherwise.
"C'mon, Ai," Beat encouraged, placing a caring hand on her shoulder. "We been friends since forever. You can tell me anythin', yo."
"Well, okay..." Ai sighed. "You know Makoto Miki?"
"Oh, dat salesman guy you been crushin' on?" Beat checked.
"That's the one," Ai confirmed. "A few weeks ago, my friend Mina surprised me with tickets to the Tin Pin Slam-off as a first date. We went, but..." Her voice trailed off as she nervously rubbed her arm.
"What happened?" Beat asked. "I swear, if dat guy did somethin' funny..."
"It's not like that," Ai corrected. "When we got to the tournament in Molco, Makoto said he outgrew Tin Pin Slammer. We left halfway through. He was like a totally different person that day. We haven't spoken to each other since."
Beat looked surprised. "Ai..." he muttered.
"I know it's been a while ago, but I still worry if it was something I said," Ai admitted. "Not even Mina's encouragement could help. We went to Shadow Ramen the next day with Mina hoping to cheer me up. We found out it was Makoto's new business, but he..." She started trembling. "H-He was..."
Beat interrupted Ai by pulling her in for a comfort hug. He knew all-too well what happened that day, given that he spotted them leaving the restaurant while he was doing some patrol work as a Reaper.
"So that's Shadow Ramen..." Ai said, looking a bit sad.
"I know!" Mina happily replied. "Wasn't the ramen delicious?"
"I don't know..." Ai admitted. "Why do you like it?"
"Uh, because it's the most popular spot in Shibuya?" Mina asked in response. "And it's fun, don't you think? Where else do the chefs perform as you eat?" She held up a Red Skull pin. "Plus, they hand out these cool limited-edition pins. How could anyone not like this restaurant?"
"But did you see who was working?" Ai pointed out. She looked back at the shop. "I could hardly recognize him." She clenched her fist. "Maybe this is a sign I shouldn't have moved on so fast..."
Little did the two girls know that Beat had overheard their conversation. Without hesitation, he walked over to Ai and gently touched her forehead.
"Don't bother mourning over a dead guy. Move on to someone who'll treat yo like somethin' special."
Suddenly, Ai let out a sharp gasp. "That voice..."
"What's wrong?" Mina wondered.
"I... I could've sworn I heard Beat..." Ai revealed. "But why? I thought I already grieved..."
"You still miss him after all this time?" Mina asked.
"...I think so," Ai confessed. She clutched her heart. "He was such a great guy. He was always there for me since we were little, cheering me up if I had a bad day." Tears brimmed from her eyes as her voice started cracking. "But then, he... H-He..." She was unable to finish her sentence, loud sobs coming from her throat as Mina tried to comfort her.
"No..." Beat muttered. He took a few steps back. "That wasn't supposed to happen..." He averted his eyes from the two girls. "Why won't you forget 'bout me?!" With that, he opened up his Reaper wings and flew off with a loud whoosh, trying to hide his own tears.
Granted Ai couldn't remember Beat had died once he returned to the RG, but he could still remember how upset she was. That hug was his way of comforting her, a silent reminder that he was there for her. He waited until Ai had calm down to talk.
"Hey, um... If dat Miki guy's still botherin' yo, why not go talk to him?" Beat suggested.
Ai looked up from the hug. "Huh?" she muttered.
"Tell him how you feel," Beat clarified. "Let 'im know how he made you feel like shit. An' if you need backup, I'll be nearby."
Ai gave Beat a squeeze in response before the they separated from the hug. "Thanks Beat," she said, wiping away her leftover tears.
And so, the two childhood friends headed over to Shadow Ramen, which had underwent renovation since its initial grand opening. The frequent performances from the staff had stop and the restaurant had more of a homely vibe. Even Makoto had changed his attire, dressing more like a typical ramen shop owner.
Ai watched on as Makoto happily greeted a new customer, her gaze switching back to Beat. The blonde responded with a grin and a thumbs up, a silent way of saying 'you got this'. Looking back at Makoto, she took a deep breath and walked up to him.
Wanting to respect her privacy, Beat sat back and let Ai talk. He watched as she greeted Makoto and they chatted. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he knew she was recalling how she felt during that botched first date. He noticed that as Ai talked, Makoto's smile faded and it seemed he looked remorseful.
Eventually the two concluded things with a handshake before Ai walked back towards Beat.
"How'd it go?" the blonde wondered.
"I told him how I felt," Ai answered. "That his behavior hurt me. We both agreed to stay friends and move past that date."
"Dat's great, Ai!" Beat cheered. "It's somethin', ain't it?"
"I guess so," Ai agreed.
Since then, Beat decided to reconnect with Ai, needing a distraction from what had happen to Neku. He couldn't let his friend's disappearance stop him from moving on in life. And between his studies and hanging out with Ai, he was on the right path to moving on.
At least, that's what he originally thought...