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It had been a week since Neku Sakuraba returned to the RG, and things were finally returning to normal. Hanekoma reopened his cafe and offered him a place to stay. But for the others, it was back to their Game-free lives. Shiki had gone back to Shiodome to continue working on Gatto Nero, Rhyme resumed her own self-project with creating a new digital code, and Beat returned to his life as a university student.
Yes, you heard that right. Daisukenojo 'Beat' Bito was now in University.
After Neku's disappearance, along with the realization that he wasn't going to come back for a while, Beat had dedicated his free time to improving his school life, knowing his best buddy wouldn't want him to put his life on hold. Eventually all that hard work paid off and he miraculously graduated high school. But along the way, he developed an interest in music, one that carried over to his studies and allowed him to pursue a career in sound mixing.
But now that his best bud was back, Beat's life had also returned to normal...or so he thought.
On one particular afternoon, Beat was skateboarding back to the dorms. Classes were done for the day and he promised Ai they would hang out at Miyashita Park. But first, he had to freshen up. He didn't want to show up looking drained and tired. So as soon as he returned to his dorm room, he set his skateboard down by the door and headed straight for the bathroom.
As water poured down his body, Beat applied some shampoo to his hair. His thoughts shifted towards Neku as he scrubbed away sweat and possible dirt. He had to admit that having his best friend back in his life was a huge relief. Yet for reasons unknown, the orangey-locks teen didn't seem alright. During the brief time he stayed over, he was barely talking and kept on getting lost in his thoughts. Even after Hanekoma got him a new place to stay, his mood remained the same. Maybe he could talk to him about it.
With those thoughts decided, Beat finished his shower and wrapped his towel around his waist. But before he left the bathroom, he caught a glimpse at his reflection. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a slender person staring at him. But no, it was his own reflection, which looked...thinner than usual?
No... It wasn't just that.
His hair had become longer, resulting in his bangs covering his right eye. Between that, his clear loss of muscle, his latest Monocrow fashion, and the class headphones he just so happened to be wearing...
"You could have a future in cosplay, y'know. Sure had me fooled."
"Shit... Pinky's right." Beat muttered under his breath, realizing why everyone in the Reapers Game confused him for Neku. He looked so much like him. But how could this have happened?
How could he let himself look so wrong?
So familiar?
So...not like Beat?
Of course, he did know what happened. He remembered how Shiki told him how her grief towards Neku's disappearance caused her to neglect self-care. She would have fallen harder if Eri wasn't there to snap her out of it. But Beat didn't really had that same struggle. While he did miss Neku, it didn't stop him from enjoying life. In fact, he was able to comfort Ai after that Mick guy unintentionally broke her heart, resulting in the two childhood friends rekindling their bond.
And yet, he ended up neglecting his own well-being as well, forgetting haircut appointments and his pre-established workout routine.
No wonder everyone in the UG mistook him for Neku. He looked so much like him. Was this resemblance to his lost friend due to his grief? Even if he couldn't answer it himself, the blonde curtain covering half his face was enough proof.
Speaking of which, Beat eyed the pair of scissors in his bathroom mug. Picking up the metal object, he looked at his reflection once more. With Neku back in the RG, should he return to his old look? Of course, it couldn't involve his old fashion. Wild Boar went out of business a few years ago. But maybe he could mix Hog Fang and his current Monocrow wardrobe with whatever leftover Wild Boar clothes still fit him.
Regardless, he had to sever the main similarity to Neku, which he did so in a hasty snip. Blonde locks fell to the sink, a sigh of relief escaping his mouth. It has been a long time since both of his eyes were visible. Granted he may have cut off too much of his bangs, but he didn't mind. His face was drastically different from Neku's with a sharper jawline and narrower eyes. But now his hair looked uneven, so he proceeded to fix it the best he can.
A short while later, Beat was left with a new shorter hairstyle. He gingerly touched it as he glanced down at the scissors in his hand.
"Man... No more of dat." He sighed, placing his scissors back in the mug. That was only the first step. He will start exercising again, regain the muscles he had lost over the past three years.
But first, he had to mix up his wardrobe.
Upon leaving the bathroom, Beat rummaged through his closet to see what new look he could pull off. He knew his Monocrow hoodie probably wouldn't fit him for long, but maybe he could cut off the sleeves in case they got too restrictive. But it was too hot for hoodies, so he was going to have to wear it some other day.
Things were quiet for a while as Beat continued to search through his clothes. But suddenly, the familiar jingle of his doorbell interrupted his thoughts. "H-Hold on a sec!" He yelped, startled by the unexpected sound. He scuffled around as he grabbed the first shirt he could find, which just so happened to be his old Sabotage tee.
Luckily the rest of his outfit quickly came together. Soon he was wearing the Sabotage t-shirt with his Camo Cargo Pants and Leather Sneakers. And with a quick spritz of his favorite cologne, he ran over to the door and slammed it open.
Gasping for breath, Beat saw Ai standing right in front of him, wearing a Dahlia dress with Deadly Nightshade shoes and Blue Rose gloves. While he knew she preferred dark Lolita clothing, what he didn't expect was her somewhat worried expression.
"Dai?" Ai asked. "What happened to you?"
"Thought I might mix up the old wardrobe a bit." Beat answered, not wanting to reveal the truth. He grinned. "Whaddya think?"
Ai glanced at Beat from top to bottom before smiling. "Well I think..." She reached up to ruffle his newly-cut hair. "...you look way better without those stupid emo bangs."
"Wha- Hey!" Beat yelped, swatting his childhood friend's hand away.
"Oh, come on, you know I'm just messing with you!" Ai laughed. "But seriously, you look great. Haven't seen you wearing Wild Boar in years." She playfully punched Beat's arm. "Glad to see you're still breathing."
"Huh? Why'd ya think dat?" Beat wondered, genuinely confused.
"Because I called a while ago after you didn't show up," Ai explained. "I got so worried that I had to come here and check. Why didn't you pick up?"
"Jus' kinda got lost in thought." Beat answered, feeling like an idiot that he must have missed the phone call. "Look Ai... 'S complicated. I'll tell you everything sure enough, but you gotta wait 'til then, aight?"
"Hey, I totally get it," Ai reassured. "You can tell me when you're ready."
Beat grinned in response. "Thanks Ai." he said. "Now how's about we start off at fluffy 'n' sweet with some fruit crepes?"
"Sure," Ai replied. She smiled as well. "I like the sound of that."