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Beat plants himself on the side of his bed and leans his head back. He ruffles his fresh, shower-soaked hair with the cotton towel wrapped around his neck. He stares up at the ceiling, trying to count the number of dents made during his past vehement outbursts.
“Why’s it gotta be this way…” He mumbles, placing the now damp towel over his eyes. No matter how hard Beat shuts his eyes, he always finds himself replaying those events.
***
Neku arches back, the soul from his eyes fading as his knees hit the ground. The little Harajuku Reaper that tagged alongside them had taken her shot.
“Phones! Phones!... Neku, get up damnit!” Beat cries as he starts to rush to Neku’s side, but suddenly gets jerked back by his shoulder.
“He’s gone. What did you think you were going to do, resuscitate him?” Beat’s gaze moves from the thin hand on his shoulder to a distinct curlicue of hair. His vision blurred by the anger-filled tears welling in his eyes, Beat hadn’t noticed that Joshua was there. Where’d Priss Kid come from anyway?
Wiping tears with his forearm, Beat whips his head in the shooter's direction. Coco, the cause of Neku’s death this time around, was just another speck amongst the crowd now.
Beat grabs Joshua by the wrist and pulls him closer. “Imma bring him back yo! Send me back to the UG.”
“Not sure you know how this works, smart guy. Sending you back means you’d have to-” Joshua gestures, taking his finger and slicing it across the left side of his neck to the right.
“Havta what?”
Joshua sighs. “Die?”
“Dat’s the only way to get back to the UG iznit? He needs me there to watch his back yo.” Beat clenches his teeth and narrows his gaze, “Ain’t you the Composer? You got the power to take me there without dyin’ again, so do me a solid aight.”
“I ‘ain’t’ letting you do that, sadly. You have been given a gift, a second chance at life. And it was thanks to him. Don’t let his efforts die in vain.” Joshua utters nonchalantly. Beat eases his grip on Joshua’s slender wrist. He heard these words before. Mr. H had told him something similar when Rhyme was erased by that Swing Shark during the Reaper’s Game. Joshua tilts his head slightly and a small smirk slowly curls on the ends of his mouth. “What’s wrong? Too complex for you to understand?”
Beat grabs the collar of Joshua’s shirt, lifting him up just enough for them to be at eye level. “You makin’ funna me. I ain’t smart, but we both know that Neku don’t deserve this! He’s been in YOUR game fo’ 3 weeks before, and now he’ll be back? That bites yo.”
“Just relax, whatever happens, happens.” With those words, Joshua holds his arms out, calling a light from within him to burst forward and blind Beat. Closing his eyes was not enough to seal out the light. Beat had no other choice but to let go of Joshua and use his arms as a protective shield against the holy rays.
The glow subsides and Beat hesitantly lowers his arms and opens his eyes. The boy and his best friend were nowhere to be found.
---
“Where did you skedaddle off too? You were supposed to meet me at Ramen Don after shopping.” Rhyme swerves her chair around as she hears Beat's footsteps climbing up the stairs. She takes a quick glance at her brother’s face, his beanie pulled over his eyes, but the bottom still visible enough to see redness. He’s been crying. “Beat?” Rhyme hops off her chair and walks to the entrance of her room, looking down the hallway to Beat shutting his door. “What happened?” She murmurs to herself. Making her way to his door, she knocks lightly. “Hey, Beat? If anything’s wrong, you know my door is always open for you. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
Half an hour later, Beat knocks on Rhyme’s door frame. Rhyme finishes her journaling with a flick of her pen, removes her earphones, and looks at Beat, ushering him to a woven bean bag chair. Beat sits and recounts all the events that had happened while his sister remains silent, knowing that speaking is the best way for him to work things out.
“This Neku person must be important to you if you’re willing to go back to the UG.”
Beat freezes for a minute. “Rhyme…Why you talkin’ about him like you don’t know him?”
“Have I met him before? I don’t recall.” Rhyme furrows her brows, puzzled.
“Watchu mean yo? He was there when we met up at Hachiko a week after we beat the Game! With Shiki remember?” Beat places his hands on his sister’s small shoulders with a firm grip. His eyes widen and his muscles start to tense up. How could she forget something like that? He knows that Rhyme has an exceptional memory and for her to forget something so monumental was unprecedented. Something was up.
“Beat I - I’m at a loss for words. I’m not sure what to tell you, but it’s true.”
“Sorry Rhyme. Gimme a sec.” Beat places a hand on her head before storming out of her room and into his. He sits on the side of his bed, rubbing a knuckle in between his brows. Shiki. He needed to ask Shiki if she remembers Neku. Of course she would, wouldn’t she? Beat reaches into his pocket and dials Shiki’s number.
He paces back and forth in his room, kicking his dirty laundry across the floor in the process.
“Beat? I was just about to call you… Have - have you heard from Neku? Did he get home safe? He hasn’t messaged me back and it's been hours. I tried calling several times but he hasn’t picked up. ” Shiki’s voice shakes as her frantic words spill out. She remembers Neku. Beat takes a seat at his work table, removes his beanie, and combs his hair back.
“Shiki, lemme ask you. Did you ask Eri if she’s heard from him?”
“Eri? No, why?”
“Hang up, call her, then call me back aight?” Beat instructs her. If Eri doesn’t remember, no way it’s a fluke.
“Hm, all right. I don’t know what this has to do with Neku but, I trust you.” Shiki hangs up.
Those few minutes of waiting felt like hours. Beat taps his heel against the leg of his chair. “What the hell’s goin’ on yo?” He breathes out. His phone starts to vibrate and he flinches, becoming hyperaware. Flipping his phone open, Beat places the cell upon his ear. “Yo.”
“Beat. Please, you have to tell me what's going on. I did what you said and asked Eri and it’s like she’s never met him! I-I even tried to send her pictures, and she kept telling me there wasn’t any orange-haired guy in them.” Shiki gasps for air as she tries to calm her panic.
“Shiki, you're the only one that I can count on now. Rhyme… she don't remember Phones either yo.” Beat says after waiting for Shiki to catch her breath. He calmly starts to explain everything to Shiki while her sniffles can be heard on the other end of the line.
“I don’t understand… The last time we died, there were people who remembered us and our death. So, why doesn’t anyone remember Neku?” Shiki ponders. She made a good point. Maybe… could he still be alive? No way. Dude got shot in the back. There ain’t no way he survived that but, what if, just what if he did? “Maybe he's not dead.” Shiki echoes his thoughts. “You mentioned that Josh vanished along with Neku right? He could’ve taken Neku with him.” Beat had a feeling that Shiki was trying to cope by believing this as a possibility, so he refrains from denying her that right.
“So, what do we do now, yo? What CAN we do now?” Beat chokes, putting Shiki on speaker in order to cover his eyes with the palm of his hands. Quit cryin’ idiot! You gotta be strong for you and Shiki right now.
“I don’t know. All we can really do now is wait for him to come home.”
***
“It don’t have to be this way.” Beat scrunches his face under the moist towel. Beat lifts the towel slightly, staring at the wall across from him. It had been months since Neku’s disappearance. Despite this, the photo collage pinned in front of Beat’s work table remains a haunting reminder that Neku had been on this earth, alive and breathing. Even if Rhyme doesn’t see him in those photos, Beat knows his best friend is there.
Beat feels something ignite at that moment. He springs up, clutching his chest. His chest feels as if it’s burning, yet his arms and back break out in a cold sweat. His vision sharpens, making the details in his room look sharper and more vibrant. Not only that, but the air around him swirls as if something flew through him. Am I dyin’ again? Nah, don’t seem like it. Not even a second later, his phone rings, Shiki’s name glowing in the small digital window. “Yo.” Beat answers after he picks his cell off the ground.
“Hey, this is going to sound weird but, did you feel anything just now? I could’ve sworn I felt my chest heat up and a gust of wind go through me. I’ve got goosebumps and everything. It - it almost felt like the same feeling when I synched up with Neku during the Reaper’s Game.” Shiki’s statement clears the fog in Beat’s brain. That’s it! That heat he felt was a sign, a strong feeling that his friend is alive. If Shiki felt it too, then it must be Neku.
“Shiki, meet me in Udagawa right now.” Beat commands, voice loud and steady. He hangs up before hearing Shiki’s response and walks out of his room, snagging a worn Hey Girl hoodie and his trusty skateboard on the way out.
Hearing agitated footsteps nearing her door, Rhyme quickly glides her fingers across her keyboard, shoots across the room, and stops at the door frame. “Beat? Where are you going? It’s past midnight.”
“I just need some fresh air.” Beat passes his sister and stops briefly after. Taking a deep breath, he turns back around to face Rhyme. He smoothes over her knitted brows with his thumb and gently places a kiss on her head. “Thanks for worryin’ ‘bout me Rhyme. But I’ll be aight once I get this offa my chest. Imma tell you everythin’ after. Promise.”
Rhyme chuckles, holding back the tears forming in her eyes. “You better. We are bound by blood, Beat. Your worries are my worries. Your happiness is my happiness. Even if I don’t remember Neku, you do, and that’s good enough for me.” Beat pouts, touched by Rhyme’s sentiment. His sister always manages to know what’s on his mind and what words to use to soothe him.
“Catch you later if you’re still up.” Beat squeezes Rhyme’s shoulder and heads down the stairs and out the front door.
---
Shiki blinks as she stares at her phone. Beat hung up so abruptly that she wasn’t too sure what he asked her to do. “Udagawa?” she repeats. Shiki rises from her sewing station and walks to kneel in front of her nightstand. She looks at the picture frame comfortably sitting atop the stand and caresses the edges with her index finger.
The group photo was a historic occasion. Neku, Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki managed to sweet-talk Joshua to show up at the meetup and take photos in front of CAT’s mural. Of course, a huge part of that “sweet-talk” was Mr.H insisting that “It’d be good for the kid to spread his wings once in a while to hang out with the only friends he has.” It was a candid shot that Mr.H took; Neku getting stuck in Beat’s playful headlock, Rhyme tugging on the crook of Beat’s arm to ease his grip, and Neku tugging at Shiki’s knitted sleeve while she’s busy mending Joshua’s loose shirt button. The WildKat barista called for their attention, causing them to turn in his direction, and took the shot.
“I hope you’re okay… wherever you are.” Shiki whispers to the Neku in the group photo. Udagawa. I need to meet Beat there. Shiki gets up from the rugged floor, adjusting her glasses with her knuckle. Unhooking a yellow Svelte Parka, Shiki pulls it over her body as she slowly tiptoes down the steps of her house to prevent the boards from creaking.
“Shiki? You’re still awake? It’s late.” Her mother turns her head slightly while rinsing the last few dishes.
“Uh, yes. Eri wanted me to go over a last-minute check on a fabric she wants to work with. I just need to test and feel the material to see if it works for our concept.” Shiki smiles and rubs her neck. She didn’t want to lie to her mom, but if her mom knew that she was seeing a boy this late into the night, there would definitely be some stern language and finger-pointing.
“Hmm well, okay. Just be careful on your way and call us when you get there and when you’ll be heading back.”
“I will. Thanks, mom.”
---
Shiki rushes up the cement steps, passing the closed Cyco Records and Wild Boar, and stops when she sees a hooded figure looking up at the artistic mural in the backstreets. As much as she wishes that silhouette to be Neku, the tall, built frame and skateboard nestling in the bend of his arm says otherwise.
“Beat.” Shiki jogs up to the skater, panting to catch her breath. She follows Beat’s stare to a recent CAT piece. This was the last art Mr.H made before he left… It’s a simple creation; a pair of headphones with wings spread along the sides, but this street art exudes great meaning amongst the Hachiko gang. A symbol of reunion, of trust, of change, of the longest Reaper’s Game that all of them had to endure.
“I made up my mind yo.” Beat states, breaking the silence. “Imma start talkin’ now and I ain’t gonna say it again, so please hear me out.”
Shiki looks down at her sneakers then back up at Beat, his eyes now shrouded in darkness under his hood. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“I’m always a second too late yo. I wasn’t fast enough to push Rhyme outta the way, wasn’t smart enough to notice that damn shark Noise that killed her either. Yeah sure, I save him once but now… I’m sorry, Shiki. I wasn’t quick enough to save him this time. If it were a sec sooner, I coulda saved him and he’d still be here, chillin’ with us.” Beat’s voice cracks a bit, slowly becoming hoarse. “I thought he was gone for good. I dunno how Priss Kid runs his Game anymore but, from what Neku told me, he ain’t allowed to play again.”
“Yeah…He told me that too. But then, he should be gone. No extra chance at life…”
“He ain’t dead yo. That’s what I’m tryin’ to say I guess. I know he's alive. And you felt it too. He synched up with us, from wherever he’s at.” Beat clenches his fist so hard that his knuckles turn white. He looks up at the star-lit sky. “So listen up and listen close, botha you.” And from some sheer, magical force, a breeze flows into the backstreets and blows Beat’s hood from his face.
His face is streaming with tears, eyes puffy from the overtime waterworks. Beat’s nose and cheeks were red from the night’s cold temperature. Shiki’s eyes widen. She has never seen Beat's crying face before, at least, not this vividly. All the times she’s seen him cry, he had always pulled his beanie down or quickly hovered his arm over his face. Her shoulders drop, understanding how big the gesture was. Beat…You’re giving me permission to be vulnerable too, aren’t you?
“Imma do whatever it takes to find Neku. I’m tired of letting people slip away. No more… I aint lettin’ anyone die on my watch again yo! You hear me Phones!” Beat turns his back to Shiki and yells up into the clear night, his declaration echoing through the empty street. His aggressive vow slowly turns into audible sobs and sniffles. Shiki’s heart pangs at the sound and her glasses start to fog up. Her face streaming with cold tears, she silently walks up behind Beat, wraps her arms around him, and presses her forehead between his shoulder blades. Beat drops his board.
They stay in that position for a while until Beat’s trembling subsides. He moves to turn to Shiki, but the dark-haired girl’s grip was too resilient. “Shiki?” Beat’s concern rises when she stays silent. “Hey, you all right?” Beat attempts to turn again and feels Shiki’s weight shift. He whips around and nearly misses her, catching her before she hit the ground.
“Sorry, I closed my eyes to let the tears out and ended up nodding off for a bit.” Shiki scratches her cheek in embarrassment. Crap, I shoulda known Shiki would be tired. She’s been working her ass off with Eri lately, Beat thinks to himself.
“Lemme take you home yo.” He offers.
“Oh, it’s okay! Don’t worry about it. Besides, my folks don’t know I came to see you. They think I went to see Eri.”
“I don't have to drop you at your door. Jus’ down the street is good enough?”
“Hmm, that should be fine. Thanks, Beat.”
Beat picks up his board and offers his arm to Shiki, She accepts, interlocking her arm with his. The pair make their way down the softly lit staircase.
“Hey Beat.”
“‘Sup?”
“Let’s do our best to cheer him on. Let’s stay strong for him. And let’s give him a warm welcome for when he comes home.”
“Heh. You bet yo! Imma drag him back here just for you, you can count on it.” Beat smiles and not a moment later follows it up with a sudden sneeze. “Mus’ be that cold air yo.” They both burst out chuckling and continue to talk fondly about the dear friend only they remember.