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1) School Morning Strolls
For Neku Sakuraba, life after a three-week-long survival game was peaceful. He never thought he would actually feel grateful to still be alive and breathing. Even going to school felt like a welcoming experience, especially since he decided to interact with his classmates more often. Sure the change in behavior was surprising at first, but it didn't take long for those same classmates to accept the new Neku.
Speaking of new, one of those changes in the orangeylocks teen's life was his close friendship with Beat, Rhyme, and especially Shiki. Even since that fateful reunion at Hachiko, Neku couldn't help but feel a little funny towards the aspiring designer. True to her word, she looked nothing like her friend Eri. Wide hazel eyes framed by half-circle glasses, a body shape that was thankfully not super-thin, casual clothes covering the right amount of skin, adorable short brown hair framing her face...
NOPE.
Now was not the time to get all funny again! Right now, Neku had to stay focused. This was the first time he was walking to school with Shiki. He didn't want to let those same funny thoughts ruin this rare opportunity. Even when she's walking so close to him...
When did his hand get so close to hers?
Neku pulled on his shirt collar to hide his probably-blushing face, cursing himself for having these weird thoughts about Shiki. He didn't want to screw up his budding friendship with her, especially if she never felt the same way about him.
After a while, the two finally arrived at school. "See you at lunch," Neku said, hoping to wrap things up before things got awkward. But before he headed to his homeroom, he felt a slight tug on his uniform jacket. Recognizing the familiar grasp, he turned around to see Shiki shyly withdrawing her hand.
"Are you feeling okay?" Shiki asked. "You look a little flushed."
"...I'm fine," Neku insisted. He didn't want the brunette to see his painfully bright red face. He couldn't help it. Every time she did something cute, he got all flustered and nervous. He wasn't sure why that kept on happening. He wasn't like this towards other girls, so why just this one?
But given that this was Shiki Misaki, she let out an annoyed huff before violating the orangeylocks boy's space once more by pulling down his collar. Sure enough, his blush had strongly intensified and now she was witnessing his vulnerable state. Things only got worse when she placed her hand on his forehead, probably to check his temperature.
"You don't feel warm," Shiki noticed as she withdrew her hand once more. Her gaze intensified. "So what's going on? Are you hiding something from me?"
Neku's eyes widened, too panicked to even speak properly. But that was when realization dawned on him. Shiki was dangerously close to him. Close enough for maybe a ki-
He quickly shook his head as he attempted to discard the thought. Where did it come from, anyway? There's no way he felt that way towards Shiki!
...
And yet...why weren't those confusing thoughts going away?
Neku took a deep breath. "Just this one time," he quietly decided as he slowly leaned in. "Just one kiss and I'll stop feeling weird." So he kept on moving closer.
And closer.
And closer.
And closer.
Until...
"MOVE IT, PHONES!"
Neku didn't have time to react. Without warning, Beat zoomed past him and Shiki while on his skateboard. Once the blonde reached the gate, he grabbed it as an improvised brake before stepping off and flipping the board into his hand. Of course, as he ran towards the school, it made the maybe-lovebirds realize something very important.
The fear of being late.
So without another word, Neku and Shiki followed Beat into the school, all while the orangeylocks boy was frustrated with the events that had nearly occurred. He was going to have to sort out his feelings some other time, and hopefully not during a school day.
2) Office Flirting
Three years can change a person, especially for someone like Neku. He was able to sort out his feelings during his time in Shinjuku, ultimately confirming that he did fall in love with Shiki. So once he finally returned home, he had plenty of time to adjust to a city that had moved on without him.
Of course, during that time, Neku established an interest in painting and he made the tough decision to move to Shiodome in an attempt to broaden his world. Why Shiodome of all cities? Well it just so happened to be where Gatto Nero's main headquarters was located. He didn't want to admit it, but he never wanted to abandon Shiki again, even if that meant confessing his feelings and making things official.
So after many countless struggles, Neku was currently visiting Gatto Nero as part of an upcoming collaboration. He and Shiki decided to promote his art debut with a new line of clothing, one that would also reintroduce the brand to the general fashion world. This was a big deal, so both the painter and seamstress would have to work extra hard to make sure his designs would perfectly complement her clothing. Which was why Neku was given permission to visit Shiki at her office.
So right now, both Neku and Shiki had exchanged notes on what to do over a particular skirt design. It was the final piece needed for the collaboration, but they were having a hard time figuring out a good compromise for both sides.
"The Asymmetrical Miniskirt was one of the most popular items during last year's spring collection," Shiki said. She double-checked the sales records. "...Until the Mr. Mew Hoodie suddenly made the most sales during a certain number of weeks."
Neku let out a sigh, knowing Shoka fighting a lot of Noise probably caused that particular thread to reach the top of the Brand Chart. "That aside, you think any of my art would match the miniskirt?"
"I'm not sure," Shiki admitted as she looked through Neku's art samples. "It might be hard to see it on the pleated fabric. Maybe if you draw something small enough for the plaid patch..."
As Shiki continued to ramble, Neku finally caught a glimpse at her face. Although the dark circles she initially had were finally gone, he could see how determined she was to make sure this clothing line was a success. That passion to keep going was what he loved about her. She shined best whenever she sketched out a possible outfit or carefully stitched some cloth together with her careful hand.
Speaking of which...
In an impulsive moment, Neku gently grabbed Shiki's hand and kissed her calloused knuckles. She was caught by surprise, but a glance at a pair of bright blue eyes left her unable to talk.
"You're beautiful," Neku sighed.
Shiki couldn't help but smile. While he had been saying those words for a good number of days, they served as a reminder of his dedication. Why he promised to stay by her side, forge his future with her...
Maybe a little smooching wouldn't hurt-
knock knock knock
The sweet lovebirds were snapped out of their trance when Eri showed up with her usual clipboard and pen. "Really?" she sighed. "We're close to finishing this line and now you decided to flirt?"
"Sorry, Eri," Shiki apologized, with Neku too embarrassed to actually speak. "We were having a hard time with the new skirt design."
Eri walked over to her best friend's desk and checked the skirt sketches. "I see what the problem is," she said. "While the Asymmetrical Miniskirt was our most popular line last spring, it's impossible to showcase Neku's artwork on it." She then proceeded to sketch all over the design. "But no worries. I can rework it so the art will be visible from all angles."
That put Neku's concerns to rest. "Thanks for the fix," he spoke.
"No probem," Eri replied. Once she finished up the redesigns, she walked back towards the door. "Now I better deal with the distribution sales in Shibuya's district, so don't go playing hooky while I'm gone."
Once Eri finally left, Neku awkwardly cleared his throat. "So..."
"Let's save the cute stuff for later," Shiki decided, feeling awkward as well. "Dinner at Frijoles?"
"Sure," Neku quickly agreed. "It's a date."
3) Late Wedding Surprise
It all happened so fast. It had been a year since Neku returned and he was seemingly quick to marry Shiki. The ceremony was gorgeous and fit for a budding fashion icon and a rising indie artist, but the real treat was afterwards. The two spent a whole week at the tropical island of Okinawa for their honeymoon, enjoying the various sights and relaxing by the beach. And of course, Shiki got to show off her potential swimsuit designs for Gatto Nero.
But alas, the two couldn't spend their whole future in a blissful state. Between Neku's new paintings and Shiki's upcoming clothing line, they had careers to focus on. Yet even returning to Shiodome was a relaxing experience, kind of like a reward well-earned after years of pain and strife. But not everyone knew about that. Only their closest friends were aware of those three years Neku spent in Shinjuku.
So as the two made their way back to their apartment, they were in a state of bliss, being all romantic and cozy with each other.
"How does it feel being back home, Mrs. Sakuraba?" Neku asked.
"Mrs. Sakuraba... What a nice ring," Shiki replied.
"It's a perfect fit," Neku complimented. He gently held Shiki's hand as he spoke, intertwining their fingers. "A perfect fit for a perfect lady."
Shiki giggled as her face was tinted pink. She was used to Neku's spontaneous flirting, but he never failed to make her feel all warm and fuzzy. She couldn't help but wonder if they still had enough honeymooner energy for one more snuggle session. After all, she wasn't expected back into work by tomorrow. Just thinking about it made her so happy.
At this point, the two had finally reached their apartment. As Neku took out the key to unlock the door, Shiki decided to surprise him with a kiss. She leaned closer to him as he unlocked the door-
POP!
"Surprise!"
Those unexpected sounds were curiosity of Rindo, Fret, and Shoka who were standing by the apartment's entrance with party poppers. It unfortunately ruined the sweet and loving mood Shiki was in, being caught off guard by her junior and her friends.
"What are you doing here?!" Shiki asked.
"Don't look at me," Shoka replied. She nudged Rindo. "These two numbskulls wanted to surprise you since we missed your wedding."
The up-and-coming beauty influencer was right. While she, Rindo, and Fret received wedding invitations, they were unable to attend due to the unfortunate timing of school exams. The same was also true for Rhyme, but she was excused since she was already a model student. The younger Twisters, on the other hand, didn't have such a luxury. So here they were, being unintentional mood killers.
"Is that all you came here for?" Neku asked, sounding somewhat miffed. "Just to surprise us?"
"Sorry about that," Rindo apologized. He held out a gift basket. "We also got you some wedding gifts."
"Right!" Fret exclaimed as he and Shoka unveiled their own gift baskets. "Thanks for reminding us, Rindude!"
While initially miffed, Neku and Shiki eventually made their way to the living room with the younger teens. The gifts they received were surprisingly decent. Rindo's was a book of various motivational poems, Fret's was a pair of matching lovebirds pins, and Shoka's was a vintage pager set. The three also pitched in to bake a medium-sized cake as part of a mini-celebration. It was very clear that while completely unexpected, the younger teens put their heart into throwing this celebration for them.
Besides, Neku and Shiki could get some cozy alone time afterwards.
4) Birth of a Miracle
A married life was something both Neku and Shiki quickly adjusted to. They were able to balance out their work and pleasure times fairly easily, with Neku setting up his own art studio in the apartment and Shiki continuing her growing success as a co-CEO of Gatto Nero. Yet as time passed, a newfound desire soon creeped into their minds.
The possibility of having kids.
But as time passed, the two found it difficult to actually conceive a child. Time after time, they tried again to no avail. Things only got worse when they found out Ai had successfully given birth to a pair of twins. Oh no, it was great news for her and Beat. It just made Shiki feel dishearten and worried if she and Neku were ever going to have kids of their own, especially after a particular doctor visit led to some upsetting results...
Then one morning, some time after returning from a two-day ski trip to Sapporo, Shiki started to behave a little off. She wasn't her usual chatty self and she didn't really talk to Neku all that much. He interpreted her behavior as being too busy at work, so he carried out his own work as usual.
When it got closer to Shiki coming home, Neku took a break from his latest masterpiece to prepare dinner. Tonight was two dishes of omurice, for both himself and his wife, although he made a small salad as a side dish since she has always preferred eating a lot of greens. This was how meals were usually set up in the Sakuraba household. Since Neku was an indie artist, he was free to work from home, so he was usually in charge of taking care of the house.
When Shiki came home, Neku had just finished dinner. "Welcome back," he greeted. "How was work?"
"Fine," Shiki bluntly answered.
Their meal was unusually silent. As Neku ate his omurice, he wasn't sure why Shiki was so quiet. But then he thought back to what happened in Sapporo. The reason for the ski trip was because Beat had to cancel plans with his family after the twins suddenly felt ill. He had already made reservations weeks ago and he was unable to cancel it. It didn't help that there was a family event going on, which only made Shiki feel worse, especially after...
After...
"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Sakuraba."
Were Neku's words during the ski trip not enough?
Without warning, the orangeylocks man stood up and gently held his wife. But Shiki seemed a bit surprised with the gesture. "Neku...?" she muttered.
"I already told you," Neku reassured. "I still love you no matter what happens to us. We'll try adoption if you still want kids."
"...Is that what this is about?" Shiki asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Neku quickly released his grasp. "What do you mean?" he checked. "Isn't that why you've been silent all day?"
Shiki slowly shook her head. "I wasn't sure how to break the news to you," she confessed. "But lately I've been feeling a little sick. When I told Eri about it today, she gave me a pregnancy test just to make sure."
"Pregnancy test...?" Neku repeated.
Shiki nodded as she stood up and walked over to the apartment's shoe closet, where she typically kept her handbag. With Neku following her, she pulled out an item from that same handbag, one that was sealed up in a small plastic baggie. He recognized the familiar thin shape as she showed it to him. And to his surprise, he could see two small lines.
"You're...?" Neku gasped.
Shiki slowly nodded in response. "Yep," she confirmed. "We're finally going to have a kid."
Neku was so overjoyed with the news. He hugged Shiki as he twirled her around a single time. He couldn't believe how it was possible, but somehow a miracle has occurred. At long last, he was going to be a father! Why wouldn't he be so happy?
Once the two finally calmed down, Neku couldn't help but look at his crying wife. Those weren't tears of sadness, but of joy and relief. Just when she thought she was never going to give birth, it actually happened. It only seemed natural to kiss those same tears as a way of expressing-
knock knock knock
The mood was ruined with that abrupt sound. Glancing towards the door, Neku saw an envelope slip under the door. Curious, he picked it up and opened it. Inside was a simple greeting card decorated with a painting of a white feather. If that wasn't enough, the message written aside made it very obvious who the card was from.
Congratulations for getting your "Angel" pregnant, partner.
Shiki peered over her husband's shoulder to read the card. "Is that from Joshua?" she assumed.
"Probably," Neku answered. Unimpressed, he ripped the card in half and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Not even that condescending Composer could ruin his happy mood. After all, there were actual friends both he and Shiki knew. They couldn't wait to share the good news with them.
5) The Perfect Life
Being a parent was surprisingly easy for Neku. Tsugumi Sakuraba ended up becoming a very sweet girl. Granted there were a few hiccups regarding her peculiar behavioral habits, but they didn't seem like big concerns at the moment. She was his and Shiki's beautiful world, after all.
But there were times when things seemed a bit off, like when Neku and Shiki were planning on squeezing in some romantic cuddles and smooches before they dozed off. Just as they were already snuggled up in bed and were about to start those adorable smooches...
"MOMMY!!!!"
Neku and Shiki were cut off by the sound of little feet going pitter-patter on the apartment floor. Those same footsteps soon grew louder until suddenly...
plop
A 7-year-old bundle of long brown hair and daisy-printed pajamas flopped onto the bed, right between the surprised couple. The same bundle was trembling slightly and there were some slight whimpers coming from her mouth. Naturally that meant once again, another weird nightmare had occurred.
"Is everything okay, Tsugumi?" Shiki asked, rubbing her daughter's back.
"G-Giant monster frogs are attacking Shibuya!" Tsugumi sobbed. "Kitty's in danger! We gotta go save her and her family!"
Neku and Shiki shared a knowing glance. This was very common for their young daughter. The way she described her dreams seemed to line up with what they experienced in the UG so many years ago. But they couldn't tell her that this soon. They made a promise with the other veteran Players. If any of them were to have kids, they would wait until their 13th birthday to tell them everything about the Reapers Game. But right now, Tsugumi was too young to properly understand, so they did the only thing they could do.
"It was just a bad dream, sweetie," Neku reassured. "No one's getting attacked by giant frogs."
Tsugumi sniffled. "R-Really?" she asked. But her panicked expression didn't seem to go away. "Then let me check on Kitty!"
Neku let out a sigh, knowing this wouldn't end until Tsugumi wasn't reassured. "Hang on," he said as he got up. "I'll let you speak to her." It took him a while to get his phone and call the Kurosagi residence. Good thing Joshua somehow added Beat's phone number to his contacts.
A few minutes later, a groggy voice was heard on the other end. "Who's dis?"
"Hey Beat," Neku greeted. "I hate to wake you, but can you go get Katsumi? Tsugumi had another nightmare and she wants to speak to her."
"Hmm? Sure thing, Phones," Beat muttered.
As Beat apparently went to go wake his daughter, Neku gave his phone to Tsugumi. "Make sure you give this back to me once you're done," he instructed in a kind tone.
"Sure thing, daddy!" Tsugumi replied. She then ran back to her bedroom.
With that taken care of, Neku slumped back into bed. "These nightmares have been getting frequent," Shiki recalled. "Are we doing the right thing?"
"I hope so," Neku admitted. "Just six more years, then we'll tell her everything."
6) Role Reversal
Tsugumi's 15-year-old life was never the same after spending three weeks in the UG. She underwent a change similar to her dad and even managed to regain some of her originally cheerful personality. One of those big changes came from developing a sewing habit. But instead of making clothes, she preferred to make stuffed animals. But for her parents, they were glad to see she had returned home, safe and sound.
On a seemingly normal day, Tsugumi had invited that pink-haired Reaper boy over for a study session. She warned her parents to not disturb them, especially since he was kind of behind on his studies for very obvious reasons. So for a while, things seemed peaceful.
But then, Shiki noticed there was an unfamiliar plushie sitting on the sofa. It wasn't Mr. Mew, nor was it Tsugumi's first creation Miss Panda. It appeared to be some kind of four-legged, golden-colored puppy. She couldn't help but 'awww' as she picked up the plushie. It must have been recently made.
At that moment, Neku walked out of his art studio. He was about to take a sip of water when he saw Shiki. "What's that you got there?" he asked, walking over to his wife.
"I think it's one of Tsugumi's newest dolls," Shiki answered. "It looks so cute."
"She must've forgot to put it in her room," Neku figured.
"I'll take care of it," Shiki decided. She gave Neku a quick kiss. "I wouldn't want you to loose your concentration."
"Thanks, gorgeous," Neku replied.
And so, Shiki headed over to Tsugumi's bedroom door, which was closed for an unexplained reason. Not wanting to interrupt the study session, she gently knocked on the door. But instead of a simple 'come in', she heard something else.
"SERIOUSLY?!"
That confused Shiki, so she proceeded to open the door. "Did I interrupt some-"
At that moment, the older brunette was greeted by a very peculiar sight. Despite what Tsugumi claimed, what she saw was clearly not two teens studying. Tsugumi was on the floor, lying on her back...with a boy pinning her to the ground. Her hands were on his shoulders and one of her legs was wrapped around his waist.
"Tsugumi?" Shiki asked, sounding a bit irritated. "What are you doing with Uzuki's son?"
At that moment, Haruo Kariya froze up and slowly turned his gaze away from Tsugumi, right towards the bedroom door. His eyes widened and a small, wincing gasp came from his throat. "Hey... Mrs. Sakuraba..." he muttered. "This isn't what it looks like..."
"Oh, don't mind me," Shiki spoke. She placed the plush dog on Tsugumi's nightstand. "That 'studying' looks very important." She was smiling, but her eyes showed a very obvious death glare. "Carry on."
Once Shiki closed the bedroom door, she could hear Tsugumi's frustrated screams and Haruo trying (and failing) to calm her down. This had been the norm ever since the younger brunette returned to the RG, being seemingly infatuated with the son of Shibuya's legendary Reapers. While Neku seemed okay with their interactions, Shiki wasn't happy about it at all. She still had a bit of a grudge against Uzuki for the whole 'choking incident' back when she was a Player. But as long as her daughter continued to hang out with him, it seemed like this was going to be something she would have to get used to.