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mikejima’s face was covered in scratches, his clothes were drenched, and his whole body was shaking. and yet, despite it all, he was smiling. mikejima was saying something, but the sound of his voice was muffled by the water still clogged in kanata’s ears…
…
no, it wasn’t water.
…
it was the fogginess of a distant memory.
“MORNIN’, FUCKAAA!!!! KYAHA~!”
Kanata jolted awake, rapidly blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up in bed.
“How rude!” Hiyori chided. “Never refer to Kanata-kun that way again!”
“I was talkin’ about ya, Hiyori-chan.”
“E-Excuse me!?”
Rinne condescendingly shook his head. “Duhhh! If I call a god somethin’ like that, well… I know enough about gamblin’ to know what good and bad bets are.”
Kanata felt strange, shifting his legs off the bed and trying to ground himself on the cold hardwood floor. Was I not just…? He observed his two roommates, who were already bickering first thing in the morning.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Kanata-kun,” Hiyori commented, tapping away at his phone.
“How can ya tell!?” Rinne cackled. “You’re not even looking in Kannachi’s direction!”
“I feel ‘strange’ somehow…” Kanata delicately grasped at his heart. “Ohisama-san, you have some ‘idol work’ today…? But before that, you ‘planned’ to drag Jun out for ‘shopping’. However, because Jun was too ‘busy’, you ‘accepted’ Emperor-san’s invitation to a ‘tea party’, and you are already ‘planning’ all the ‘insults’ that you can think of.”
“How did you…?” Hiyori stared at his roommate in amazement. “I was just planning to tell you that… Can you suddenly read minds!?”
“Me next! Me next!” Rinne plopped himself on Kanata’ bedside, a mischievous yet innocent child-like glimmer in his eyes. “Oh, God, can you answer my prayers for a good day?”
“Seriously,” Hiyori scoffed. “I believe we already established that Kanata-kun is not a gambling god.”
“Just ‘cause he can’t grant me luck doesn’t mean knowin’ the future ain’t gonna help! Looks like our li’l Kannachi’s been gifted with a vision, right!?”
“Is that what ‘that’ was…?” It felt so real though… Kanata looked down at his hands and clenched them, still testing out the sensation of reality. “Kunshu-san ‘struck out’ a lot today, so it would be ‘best’ for him to avoid going to ‘pachinko’.”
“Eh!?” Rinne sighed disappointedly. “Well, who am I to deny God? ‘Kay, guess I’ll just hafta get the gang together for today instead. Hope none of ‘em are busy!”
Hiyori groaned dramatically. “Look what you’ve done, Kanata-kun. Now, those poor unit members of his are going to get dragged into his shenanigans. Perhaps it would have been better to let him fail so he could ween himself off his gambling addiction.”
Kanata giggled. “I think Kunshu-san would not ‘stop’ even if he always lost. The ‘thrill addict’ in him is too ‘strong’.”
“I suppose so… Please, do let me know if there’s something unsavory waiting for me later in the day as well.”
“Of course ♪”
“Midori, if you go to that ‘machine’, you will get the ‘mascot’ you want on the first try~”
“UWAHH! HOW DID YOU KNOW, SHINKAI-SENPAI!? THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”
“Umihebi-san, you should sell these ‘stocks’ today. These ‘companies’ are taking a huge ‘dive’ this evening, and I heard you complain about it a lot.”
“Ah! Denka told me about your situation today, and I trust both of you! Thank you, Shinkai-shi! I salute ☆”
Kanata went through the whole day in a fog. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. It was… easy. Easy to predict what was about to happen, easy to make jokes about knowing… But why did he know? Had he really seen the future…? It felt so real, but perhaps that was simply the nature of the vision… No, he would know.
The fish bubbled up to the lake’s surface, the front half of its body curiously peeking out.
“You ‘sense’ something ‘wrong’ too, right, friend?”
…
…Kanata frowned at the answer he received. “I do not ‘understand’. Are you being ‘cryptic’ on ‘purpose’?” I am the same… but different?
…
You are only telling me what you understand? Kanata smiled sadly. “Hopefully, by the ‘end’ of today, I will have my ‘answer’. Goodbye, friend. I will ‘visit’ you again ‘soon’.”
The fish nuzzled under Kanata’s hand before sinking back down into the shallow depths.
Does the ocean not have the answer for me this time…?
“Here’s to ya havin’ another vision of tomorrow!” Rinne cheered, leaping and bouncing into his mattress. “And maybe next time I’ll strike big!”
Hiyori sighed tiredly as he elegantly slid into bed. “For all our sakes, I hope that you fail.”
“EH!? Hiyori-chan, ya don’t mean that! We’re besties though!”
“…YOU KNOW WHAT—”
Kanata barely paid attention to his roommates’ bickering, anxiously clutching his comforter. Ten o’ clock at night… this time is where I last remember my… “dream” ending. I closed my eyes… but…
“Kanata-kun, is something wrong?”
“Yeah, you’re spacin’ out again,” Rinne chuckled. “Prolly ‘cause livin’ through a day you’ve already seen is kinda weird, huh? We~ll, I guess we do gotta get to bed for tomorrow.”
Kanata slowly shook his head. “Can… we ‘stay up’ for a ‘little longer’?”
Hiyori smiled encouragingly. “Of course. Is there any particular reason?”
“I… need to see something.”
Kanata’s roommates exchanged confused looks.
“Yo, Kannachi, is this, like, a God thing?”
“I… do not know. But this is where my ‘dream’ ended. I need to see what happens next.”
“Whaddya mea—”
…
…
…
“…Hello?” Kanata looked out into the abyss that surrounded him.
His friends were gone, his bed was gone, and even his clothes had dematerialized… He was still in the same sitting position, but… he was floating. But not in the deep sea. It felt… much scarier than that.
“H-Hello…?”
…
…
…
The void stayed silent.
kanata’s small form peacefully sank into the depths. or… not so peacefully? he was kidnapped, wasn’t he? but it felt so warm and comforting… like his mother… or like…
suddenly, kanata was wrenched out of the water and face-to-face with mikejima… but his friend’s words were too foggy to make out. words then started coming out of his own mouth, yet everything remained muffled. even so, kanata could feel sadness and anger coursing through him.
…
…
…
mikejima responded, “…What sort of face do I have?”
“MORNIN’, FUCKAAA!!!! KYAHA~!”
Kanata stirred at the familiar sound, blearily blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up in bed.
“How rude!” Hiyori chided. “Never refer to Kanata-kun that way again!”
Well, that confirmed Kanata’s suspicions. The reason that his “dream” was so vivid, the strange feeling looming over his head, the fish’s message. I am the same, but different. I am the same person in relation to myself, but different in each iteration of this day because of that… I am in a time loop.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Kanata-kun,” Hiyori commented, tapping away at his phone.
“How can ya tell!?” Rinne cackled. “You’re not even looking in Kannachi’s direction!”
“Sorry,” Kanata giggled. “I suppose I did not ‘sleep’ too ‘well’ last night…”
The noble gasped in horror as he tore his gaze away from his phone. “It’s imperative for us idols to have our beauty sleep! Do you have any reason as to why your slumber would be restless?”
“Prolly ‘cause your prissy ass is breathin’ the same air as ‘im.”
Kanata shook his head. “Do not worry about me. I can solve this issue on my own.”
Hiyori looked skeptical, but he slowly nodded. “Very well. Please do let me know if I can assist you in any way.”
Rinne so obviously wanted to say something, but just one glare from the flamboyant man was enough to have the gambler raise his hands in surrender with a cackle.
Someone who can help… If I go to him, we may have a chance at figuring out what is happening…
“Kanata-nii-saN? What a surPRISE. What brings you to YumenosaKI?” Natsume sat at the center of the secret room stowed away in the underground library, his lab coat on as he mixed several aromatic concoctions together with needling precision.
“You never ‘visit’,” Kanata replied, a pout forming as he curled up on the sofa.
“W-We live in the same dorM!” Natsume spluttered out, fumbling a bit with the vials. “Rei-nii-san and Wataru-nii-san have no problem bothering me all the timE, so feel free to bother me toO.”
“Do you ‘miss’ me ‘bothering you’, Nacchan~?”
The magician only turned to scowl at Kanata, though the flush matching his hair color ruined any possible intimidation he could have had.
“I will ‘take’ that as a yes ♪” The sea god bubbly giggled. “I will remember to ‘come over’ more ‘often’.”
“A-AnyWAY!” Natsume turned his attention back to his chemist set, proceeding to mix and pour his solutions. “I sense you are here on a business triP. Is something the matTER?”
“I am in a time loop.”
Natsume froze for a moment before resuming his work. “I assume this statement isn’t a hypothetiCAL?”
“No.”
“…WelL.” The magician clicked his tongue. “That makes things much harDER, doesn’t iT? Have we had this conversation beFORE?”
Kanata shook his head.
“OkaY,” Natsume replied, despite not turning to glance at his companion. “How many days have you looped so faR?”
“Today is the ‘third’ time I have ‘lived’ this day.”
“Has the loop started and ended at the same point in time for your past two iteraTIONS?”
Kanata firmly nodded.
“Has anything appeared slightly different with each time you’ve loopeD?”
“…The ‘dream’ I have before I ‘wake up’ is ‘different’. Or, I suppose it is ‘clearer’ with each time I ‘loop’. It is from when Mikejima and I were ‘children’. Our… ‘past’…”
“I feel as though you already know what conclusion I’m going to arrive aT.”
…Kanata begrudgingly nodded.
“I’ll spell it out if you aren’t willing tO,” Natsume volunteered. “ObviousLY, there is a reason that you are looping in timE. And until that issue is reSOLVED, you’ll keep loopING. If the only thing that changes in each loop is the clarity of your dreaM, then the best decision would be to consult Mikejima-senPAI, the subject of those dreamS.”
“Ghh…”
“If you’re still having any issues leaving the looP, feel free to consult mE. I wish you good luck.”
…Predictably, Mikejima wasn’t answering his phone.
Kanata scrolled through his contacts list.
“Eh? Mikejima? He and I sparred yesterday, but I haven’t seen ‘im at all today. Tried callin’ not too long ago to ask when we could spar again, but ya know that dumbass never answers.”
“Ah… Thank you, Akaoni-san.”
“Oh, speakin’ of sparrin’, we should have an arm wrestlin’ context sometime! Hit me up when you’re free. I think Tetsu’d like to come along too.”
“Kuku, he isn’t responding to my calls either. No one has time for their elders anymore…”
“Actually, Rei, Nacchan let it ‘slip’ that he ‘likes’ when we ‘bother’ him ♪”
“Oh, is that so~? I will call over Wataru so we can pester him, then. Do call back when you’re free so that all three of us may bother him together!”
“SORRY, NOT AT THE PHONE RIGHT NOW! OW!? KEITO, I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO MAKE A VOICEMAIL! UH, LEAVE A MESSAGE AFTER THE BEEP… BEEP, BEEP, ACK, I’M SORRY! IF YOU’RE AN ALIEN, IT’S NICE TO MEET—”
Beep.
“…”
Before Kanata knew it, he and his roommates were already back at their dorm to mark the end of the day, the clock on his phone reading 9:55 PM. Normally, he would have his phone on silent when trying to get ready for bed, but he held out hope that Mikejima would at least see the stupid message.
“Kannachi, what’s gotcha down in the dumps? Ya look like me when I was still on the streets!”
“On the streets!?” Hiyori shrieked. “No wonder you—”
“Turned out like this?” Rinne finished, flashing a toothy grin at the noble. “Yeah, I know, I’m amazin’ ♪ Back to Kannachi now~”
“Mikejima is not ‘answering’ his ‘phone’, Kanata explained. “I tried ‘calling’ other ‘people’ that he would ‘answer’, but there is still no ‘sign’ of him. And I really need him today.”
“Huh…” Rinne hummed. “Have ya tried askin’ Kohaku-chan? I know the two of ‘em are reeeeal close. He was the only one from Crazy:B I couldn’t find today, and he didn’t answer my calls, so I kinda just left it there. Lemme text Jun-chan-kun for ya right now.”
“I know for a fact he’s up right now,” Hiyori supplied, pulling out his own device. “I’m sure he’ll answer right away if we blow up his phone.”
Kanata glanced at his own phone. Six minutes until the loop resets… What do I do if I can’t find Mikejima? What if that idiot secretly went abroad again, and I won’t be able to reach him in the eighteen hours I have every loop…? No… It’s too early to be despairing…
“Kyaha! Got an answer!”
“WHAT!? WHY WOULD HE NOT PRIORITIZE MY TEXT!? JUN-KUN!?” Hiyori started furiously mashing his phone’s keyboard.
“Huh.” Rinne frowned. “Weird. Kohaku-chan ain’t back at their dorm yet. Apparently, he left early in the mornin’ and said he’d be back late. Guess we’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow.”
Kanata tried not to grit his teeth. “I really need to ‘talk’ to Mikejima today,” he bit out.
Something must have still shown on Kanata’s face, because both of his roommates exchanged alarmed looks.
“How… soon?” Rinne tentatively probed.
“Four minutes.”
“I’ll ask ‘im to try callin’ then.”
Kanata was eternally grateful to them for not asking any questions. If this attempt did not work, he would probably have a better chance spending the day trying to reach Kohaku instead. And Natsume did offer help for any future cycles…
“Eh!?” Rinne almost dropped his phone as it started buzzing, answering it right away. “Yeeeello! Amagi Rinne speakin’! What…” He paused as the other person started speaking. “I… don’t understand… Why would they… Ain’t that place shady!?”
A pool of dread swirled around in the sea god’s stomach, his hands grasping tightly around his sea-blue comforter.
Rinne yelled into the phone, “WHY’RE THEY AT—”
…
…
…
“Hi again,” Kanata sighed.
…
…
…
The darkness stared back.
…
…
…
“I will ‘succeed’ sooner or later,” Kanata promised. Even if it took getting Mikejima to work with him.
…
…
…
Kanata didn’t think the abyss agreed with him.
mikejima smiled comfortingly, his shaking cold hands warming kanata’s. “You’re safe now. I’ve come to save you.” his face fell. “…Sorry. I’m sorry for failing to protect you – for letting you suffer through something so scary…”
ABYSS was nowhere in sight, and the warmth kanata was drenched turned out to only be murky water in the underground tunnels. they were safe now, and mikejima’s words were comforting, but... mikejima is not the only one who failed today…
mikejima’s tattered face was clearer than any of the other dreams kanata had.
“MORNIN’, FUCKAAA—”
“Kunshu-san.”
“E-Eh…?” Rinne floundered at Kanata’s lack of reaction. “W-Why didn’t ya…?”
Hiyori snorted loudly, covering his mouth when Rinne glared at him.
“I need ‘help’ finding something ‘important’.”
“Oh, uh, sure…?”
“Why the hell are ya askin’ me for places you’d want to avoid!?”
“So I can ‘avoid’ them,” Kanata lied.
“Just stick to the paths that ya know are good,” Rinne grumbled, still obliging and pointing out several places that he claimed wouldn’t be good for ‘God’ to see. “In this area, since it’s kinda close to ES, there ain’t much ya have to worry about. Those five places I listed ain’t even that close to Season Avenue, so I doubt you’d even wind up there unless ya really tried.”
“…Thank you, Kunshu-san. I will be ‘careful’.” Kanata wasn’t exactly sure what would happen if he died during an iteration, but he doubted he wanted to find out.
The gambler leveled Kanata’s expression with a scrutinizing stare. “…Guess that’s all I can ask for. If ya… somehow find yourself in one of those districts, hit me up.”
Ah, so he saw through me right away…
“What’re ya makin’ that face for?” Rinne smirked. “Didn’t think ya could out poker face a master gambler, could ya? I’m only allowin’ ya to do this ‘cause I know ya gotta have a good reason for it.”
“Thank you again, Kunshu-san.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” The chief waved the sea god away with a dismissive hand. “Just don’t get yourself killed out there.”
The first place that Kanata check out didn’t garner any results. On the surface, it seemed like a regular casino, but apparently underneath it was an establishment well-known to the underground world. As long as he roamed the safe area on the edge of the danger zone, Rinne said Kanata would be fine.
The entire place was incredibly noisy. The raucous cheers of smug winners, the despair-filled wails of pitiful losers, and the occasional gunshots in the distance resounded throughout the casino. Not to mention the bright flashing lights at every corner, so finding Mikejima would probably be impossible if he was in the midst of all the chaos.
Kanata kept his strides firm so as to not out himself as a lost person that could be taken advantage of. It was annoying, but Rinne also insisted that he wear a black hoodie over his usual clothes and keep his hood on all times. He was an idol after all, and getting even vaguely recognized could get him into unwanted trouble. Where are you, Mikejima…?
After searching for a few hours, Kanata decided to investigate another location. It was evening. Another problem Kanata had to account for was that Mikejima might not even have made it to whatever location Rinne heard on the phone until around ten at night.
The second place Kanata tried was a… ramen shop? Apparently, there was something about it, but Rinne refused to elaborate on what exactly they did, nor on how he found out. The simple instructions were, “don’t order this exact set of dishes”. The aquatic dweller figured he’d been working all day anyway, so he got himself a bowl and scoped out the other patrons. If Mikejima were to make his way to the ramen shop for whatever reason, Kanata was sure he’d also do the same thing… Somehow, the thought irritated him.
The atmosphere was almost cozy. Opposite the casino, the pale lighting was slightly dim, leaving all the tables completely visible and the corners of the room dipped into darkness. There were only about a dozen other patrons despite the place having room for about thirty, all of whom ate mostly in silence aside from the mutters and whispers coming from the people who sat together. Despite the calm, there was a subtle itch crawling underneath Kanata’s skin, like he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. I can hold out for a couple hours…
As the next couple hours passed by with no sign of Mikejima showing up, Kanata sighed, asking for the check.
Kanata gasped as he caught sight of a flash of pink. Kohaku, maybe? Definitely too tall to be Tori. There weren’t many people around that had such a striking hair color. Unfortunately, the sun had already long set, so he could have been mistaken.
The third place, the warehouse that the figure darted around, appeared rusted and abandoned, but considering that Rinne listed it as one of the hotspots Kanata should avoid and that the warehouse could only be accessed after navigating the alleyways… He should probably be careful. Silently, he followed the direction the agile stranger went, but he struggled to find an entrance as he traced the perimeter. Where did they go…?
“You’re not supposed to be here,” an unfamiliar voice whispered.
Kanata whirled around, suddenly faced with a masked man, who had a gun pointing straight at Kanata’s forehead.
“Don’t move.”
Where did he come from…!?
The man pressed the gun against Kanata’s forehead. “Just take a deep breath, and—”
Chhk.
With wide eyes, Kanata watched as the stranger’s hand slid off his arm, the dismembered part falling to the ground with a dull thud and pooling with blood. For a moment, both men stared at the severed limb in shock before the stranger started to scream. But before Kanata could do anything to shut the man up, the debilitated man was brutally knocked to the side, passing out upon impact with the wall.
“Shinkai-dono, are you harmed!?” Another figure stepped from the shadows, though this one was all too familiar.
“S-Souma, what are you ‘doing’ here?”
“I was informed of your departure and instructed to keep watch on you from a distance, only to intervene should you ever run into danger!”
Kunshu-san… “Thank you for ‘saving’ me.”
“Serving you will always be an honor,” Souma admitted with a soft smile. “Now that I have revealed myself, I hope you do not mind me asking what you are doing here!”
“I think… Mikejima might be ‘somewhere’ around here.”
“Eh!? Around here!? But…”
Kanata nodded, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. The reason for the loop… Mikejima’s sudden radio silence… Where Mikejima probably was… The man that Kanata just came across… It was all coming together faster than he could process. “Mikejima is in ‘trouble’.”
Souma cleaned off his blade with a cloth, sheathing it once again. “We must rush to his aid at once! Let us charge in as brave warriors would! Stay behind me!” Without waiting for Kanata’s reply, the samurai charged off in search of an entrance.
“…!” Kanata tried keeping up with the warrior’s pace, but he ultimately fell behind, losing sight of his savior.
CLANG!
Off in the distance, a loud bang resounded piercingly loud in the dead night.
When Kanata managed to finally catch up to the source of the sound, he found the entrance to the warehouse blown right off the hinges, two unconscious men crumpled onto the floor behind it. “…Excuse me.” He stepped over their bodies and entered the deteriorating warehouse, where he saw—
“M-MADARA-HAN, SH-SHUT THE HELL UP! I-I CAN THINK O’ SOMETHIN’!”
“Tch… If only I had a small opening… I could slice that villain’s head clean off!”
Kohaku and Souma were poised several meters away from a hooded figure standing behind Mikejima, who was on his knees, his clothes worn and his face beaten. Trickles of blood trailed down to the floor, splashing when Mikejima coughed out more of the viscous liquid. The hooded man wore an oni mask, and he held a revolver pushed into the side of Mikejima’s head.
…With all Kanata had witnessed as a child, he had no idea why he felt as horrified as he did. “Mi…ke…ji…ma…?”
“Ah.” Mikejima chuckled before coughing a couple more times. “What’re you doing here, Kanata-san? Souma-san?”
“What…?” Souma clenched his sword’s handle, immediately letting go as the man pressed the muzzle of the gun harder into Mikejima’s head.
“You guys should run.” Another bloody cough. “Won’t be a pretty sight.”
Kohaku clenched his hands, muttering under his breath, “I can think o’ somethin’; I can save ‘im. Think. Think. This job can’t be out last. It jus’ can’t. Jus’ ‘cause I was a dumbass an’ slipped up. I can’t—”
“Kohaku-san, stop being so hard on yourself!” Mikejima grinned. “Smile at the end… for me?”
“STOP TALKIN’ LIKE YOU’RE GONNA DIE!”
“Mikejima-dono,” Souma shakily whimpered.
“Sorry, Kanata-san, Souma-san. This whole thing kinda feels like ABYSS all over again, doesn’t it? ‘cept I’m the one who’s in danger now… I’m the reason you’re making that awful face again…” Mikejima chuckled self-deprecatingly, cutting himself off with more bloody coughs. “I’m terrible at keeping promises…”
Kanata recognized the smile Mikejima gave him. He hadn’t seen that smile since they were kids. Beaten up. Tattered. Apologetic. Assuring. Yet so afraid. But not for his own life.
…
…
…
Kanata took a step forward.
BANG—
“kanata must absolutely become god, who will save everyone. because kanata does not want mikejima to make that face ever again.”
mikejima smiled that awful smile.
…kanata hated that smile.
…
…
…
i hate you.
i care too much about you.
…
…
…
“I’m gonna protect you from all those evil and awful people. This time, for sure – I’m never letting you make that face ever again.”
…
…
liar.
…
…
just disappear.
…
please stay.
“MORNI—”
Kanata flung himself off the bed, head dangerously close to knocking against the table on his left bedside as he crashed onto the hardwood floor.
Red.
Red.
Red.
So much red. so much red. so much—
not like chiaki. not like fire. not like warm—
“Yo… Ka…na…hi?”
rinne sounds so far…
“Ka…ta…un… r… ou…kay!?”
i’m underwater… no, i’m not… so, why do i feel like feel like i’m drowning…?
“Can I touch you?” the clear voice pierced the water’s surface.
kanata tried opening his mouth, but that only let the water in. he outstretched his arms.
abyss. abyss. abyss is here to take me back. it’s not mom this time. she isn’t here…
four arms wrapped around kanata’s cold, shaking body.
warm. it feels warm. arms. there are arms around me. not mean arms. safe. safe here. protected. i must protect…
“I think he’s comin’ back,” Rinne murmured.
“Why did he wake up like that!?” Hiyori hissed.
“How the fuck am I s’posed to know!?”
“Loud. Please stop.” Kanata groaned. He vaguely registered the two bodies that encircled him shifting around. “kanata… I’m ‘fine’. No need to ‘worry’.” Kanata weakly pushed his roommates away from him, unsteadily attempting to rise to his feet as they scooted back a few centimeters.
“Kanata-kun, you obviously aren’t fine.” Hiyori pulled Kanata back down to the floor. “Just sit here for a while and rest, okay?”
“T-There’s no ‘time’! I… I might have all the ‘time’ in the ‘world’, but… I can’t take the ‘risk’ of when the ‘loop’ might ‘end’!”
“Woah, there.” Rinne rhythmically patted Kanata’s back in a strangely soothing beat. “Slow down, ‘kay? Take a deep breath. Calm down for a sec, and then ya can explain.”
Deep breaths… In… Out… Like the ocean’s waves… In… Out…
“Feel better, Kannachi?”
“…Yes. I…” Before he even knew what he was doing, Kanata practically vomited out the events of the past few days, or rather the past iterations of the same day, over and over. How his confusion turned into worry as he continued to be trapped, and the dread of realization as he realized the cause of the loop. By the time he finished, his two roommates seemed… “You two look a lot ‘calmer’ than I expected.”
“Eden has much more insane concepts for their songs,” Hiyori scoffed. “You must really lack faith in me if you believe something like that would catch me off-guard.”
“I’ve seen some shit, so— OW!?” Rinne rubbed the back of his head with a pout. “Sorry for not having as good of an explanation, Hiyori-chan~”
The pompous idol simply rolled his eyes before fixing his distressed friend with a worried frown. “From my understanding, Madara-kun’s life ending is what restarts the loop, is that right?”
“Maybe it’s Kannachi’s godly powers that keep runnin’ the clock back,” Rinne playfully suggested. “Don’t look at me like that, Hiyori-chan! I’m only sayin’ this ‘cause we don’t got a much better explanation for whatever the fuck is goin’ on. Not that it matters. Getting Mike-neko-chan to not drop dead shouldn’t be too hard, probably. And I know Kohaku-chan would be sad if his l’il big buddy kicked the bucket.”
“He was…” Kanata muttered.
Rinne’s face morphed into an unreadable expression.
“This mission we’re going on sounds dangerous, so it would do us well to avoid spreading word about it,” Hiyori advised. “For one, convincing people to join us may cause us to lose precious time. Secondly, the smaller the group we have, the better our chances of avoiding casualties… And I would hate to traumatize Kanata-kun with any more of our deaths than necessary.”
“We…?”
“’Course!” Rinne wolfishly grinned. “What, did ya think we’d just leave ya to spend your time in limbo while Mike-neko-chan gets bodied fifty times over?”
“Ignoring his crude wording, I have to agree.” Hiyori’s face was cemented with determination. “I doubt you will be able to do this alone. And if any of us lose our lives, feel free to restart the loop. After all, how would the world be able to go on without someone as fabulous as me!?”
“I… I understand…” Kanata heaved out a shaky breath. “Ohisama-san, Kunshu-san… Thank you. We need Souma’s ‘help’ for this too. He that saved my ‘life’ when I was in ‘danger’ last time… And Nacchan ‘believed’ me about the ‘loop’ and offered his ‘help’, so we should also ‘ask’ him.”
“We’ve got all day to plan for this.” Rinne punched his palm. “Let’s get the other two, and all five of us ‘ll save Mike-neko-chan and Kohaku-chan’s sorry asses!”
“We all understand what we gotta do?”
It was 9:40 PM at the alleyway near the deadly warehouse, where Rinne, Kanata, and Souma all waited for the scenario that played out in the separate cycle.
“We’ve only got the information from your past trips through time, so if we screw this up, ya gotta be the strategist that helps us plan for it next time, ‘kay?”
Kanata nodded slowly, trying to force the lax attitude he always had. I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest… A flash of red splattered across his memory. N-Not again… I can’t let that happen again…
Rinne’s serious expression softened. “Stop playin’ it cool, alright? I know this shit’s got ya all kinds of messed up, and it ain’t gonna be good for your sanity if ya try to ignore it all. Last thing we need is ya shuttin’ down in the middle of the operation.”
“Please, do let me know if you feel unwell, Shinkai-dono! I can assist you through breathing if you ever find yourself panicking again!”
“Thank you, Souma…”
“Ah! Kohaku-chan,” Rinne whispered. He peered around the corner of the alley. “I saw a flash of pink. No way it’s not him.”
“I will go first,” Kanata insisted. “If you and Souma are ‘hidden’ in the ‘shadows’, then I can act as a ‘decoy’.”
“Nah, there’s too much risk when you’re the one restartin’ the loops. We won’t know what’ll happen if ya die.” The gambler confidently pointed at himself with his thumb. “I know ya can kick ass too, but just leave this one up to onii-chan, ‘kay~?”
“…Fine.”
“Stay close to my side, Shinkai-dono.” Souma tightly clenched his scabbard. “We will save Mikejima-dono without fail!”
Rinne lowered his raised hands as he bent down to check out the unconscious man. “Damn, Souma-chan, ya hit hard! Dude prolly has a concussion.”
“He should be grateful I allowed him to keep his hand this time!” Souma huffed, turning his nose up in disgust. “As I did last time, I shall lead the charge! ONWARD!!!” The samurai took off without another word, and as expected, half a minute later a loud clang resounded in the distance.
“That’s our cue!” Rinne tugged Kanata along until they stood before the familiar warehouse entrance. “Ready?”
Kanata exhaled a deep breath, his shakiness easing as his companion squeezed his hand with uncharacteristic gentleness, and the pair stepped inside.
“WHAT’S UP, BITCHES!?” Rinne screamed, drawing the attention of everyone in the warehouse.
“R-Rinne-han!?” Kohaku squeaked. “What’re ya doin’ here!? Is this whatcha meant by backup, Souma-han!? Rinne-han’s the furthest thing from reliable!”
“You’re breakin’ my heart, Kohaku-chan,” Rinne sniffled. “But, uh, you with the gun over there, the police are gonna be here any minute, so we’ll cut ya a deal, ‘kay?”
The hooded figure remained silent.
“Silent treatment, huh?” The chief dropped his typical playful demeanor. “If you let Mike-neko-chan go, we won’t chase after you, and we might even convince the police to drop the trail… However, if you plan on holding that gun to his head any longer, I’m afraid this’ll be the end of the road for you.”
Kanata could already hear shouting from outside, most likely from the police and the other members of… whatever they stumbled upon facing off against each other. Hiyori may not have ended up on the front lines, but his connections were definitely essential to deal with the aftermath of their showdown.
“You… will not let me go either way,” the stranger deduced. “I see no reason for you to let me go if I surrender. If there’s no way for me to escape now, then… I might as well take him down with me.”
“MADARA-HAN—”
BOOM!
The storage crates behind the hostage taker suddenly erupted in flames that spread like wildfire, enveloping the back half of the warehouse in the blaze in seconds. Fireworks swirled and twisted through the air, exploding everywhere and narrowly avoiding Kanata’s friends.
“W-Wha—” The kidnapper sidestepped Souma’s blade, only to be caught off-guard as Kohaku kicked him in the face, his mask proving to provide no protection as he collapsed limply on the ground.
Natsume stepped out from the flames and stamped out the ends of his sleeves that caught fire. “That was easier than I thoughT. QuickLY, tend to Mikejima-senPAI.”
“Madara-han…” Kohaku undid the rope that bound his partner. “YA DAMN IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL WERE YA THINKIN’, LETTIN’ YERSELF GET CAPTURED!? Ya shoulda jus’ let me take the fall fer m’ mistake… What if ya…”
Mikejima chuckled weakly. “I’m not gonna die that easily…”
Kanata clenched his fist, but as he took a step toward that stupid, stupid idiot, an outstretched arm stopped him.
“Feel free to bash on him later,” Rinne said with a wry smile. “Let’s just focus on getting out of here for now, ‘kay? No doubt the police ‘ve seen the fire from outside, so— Oh, yep, that’s Hiyori-chan callin’… Yello! Amagi Rinne speaki… Yeah, yeah, we’re fine, ya can stop wettin’ your pants now.”
Souma walked back to Kanata, sheathing his blade. “I was aware Mikejima-dono and Oukawa-dono dealt with more… underground work, but I hadn’t realized how much danger they could get themselves into. Perhaps they bit off more than they could chew this time around. Please have a talk with Mikejima-dono about this; I know he respects your opinion.”
“…Okay.”
Not too much longer, the time on his phone read 10:03 PM, and Kanata breathed a sigh of relief as the clock reached 10:04 PM.
“Mikejima.”
Said idol froze where he sat on the sand, legs folded up to his chest, feet outstretched enough to tease the waves attempting to lap at his toes. He turned his head and grinned coyly, illuminated by the moonlight reflecting off the water’s surface. “Kanata-san, what’re you doing here~?”
“Are you ‘okay’?”
“Yup!” Mikejima flexed his arms, stretching them in all sorts of random directions. “It’s not like I got any serious injuries – just a lotta bruises and cuts. Nothing’s gonna stay on my body, so no need to worry about Mama ♪”
“…You could have ‘died’.”
“But I didn’t, riiiight~?”
“You did though.” Kanata’s voice cracked.
Mikejima tilted his head, his goofy smile smoothing out into a blank stare.
“I ‘watched’ you die. And I know you ‘died’ more ‘times’ than I saw.”
“…Is this a metaphor, or…?”
Kanata sat beside his childhood friend in the same pose, though he instead allowed the sea to swallow his feet. “I ‘hated’ you.”
Mikejima huffed amusedly. “No, really?”
“Today, I ‘remembered’ how it ‘felt’ to ‘hate’ you that much. I ‘forgot’ that ‘feeling’.”
“You say that like you weren’t treating me like the scum of the Earth not even two years ago…”
Kanata chose to ignore the jibe. “I was ‘angry’ that you threw yourself into ‘danger’ again… You really are the ‘same’ as you were back then.”
Mikejima laughed hollowly. “I was just a dumb kid who didn’t know what he was doing, thinking he could make a positive change in the world.”
“You saved me.”
“Souma-san and I passed a test. We didn’t save anyone.”
“You saved your partner.”
“It was my fault he was in that situation in the first place.”
“…”
“…Do you ever wish ABYSS took you?”
“…?”
“To be with your mother…”
“She… is not ‘sad’.” Kanata smiled fondly at the sea, brushing his fingers across the sand. “She sees how ‘happy’ I am now. And I would not have that ‘happiness’ if you had not ‘saved’ me. Of course, I ‘wish’ I could have grown up ‘normal’. But… being with ‘everyone’ means too much to me for me to ‘want’ a ‘different’ path.”
“Am I a part of the path that you’re glad you’re on?” Mikejima teased.
“Yes.”
“…”
“Do you ‘remember’ our ‘promise’?”
“From when we were kids? Where I said I’d… protect you?”
“You… ‘apologized’ for ‘failing’… When…” Even without explanation, Kanata knew Mikejima would be smart enough to fill in the blanks.
“…Guess you really are kind of a god, huh? ♪”
“…Do you ‘recall’ the other ‘part’ of our promise?”
“Mm… nope!”
“…I said I would ‘protect’ you too.”
“…”
“It felt like you did not take my ‘vow’ seriously at that ‘time’. It sounds like I was ‘right’.”
“Here for your bragging rights, huh?”
Kanata lightly smacked the idiot in the back of the head, smiling contently at the outraged exclamation he earned. “I want to ‘remind’ you of your promise.”
“Huh…?”
“You said you would ‘protect’ me, keep ‘that look’ off my face… You cannot do that if you are ‘dead’… And that is why I ‘will’ protect you too. That is why I want you to ‘rely’ on me. So that you ‘can’ protect me. So that we can protect who we ‘care’ about. Unless you plan on ‘backing out’ of your promise now…?”
“You mean…”
“What I am ‘saying’, Mikejima, is that even if a part of me will always ‘hate’ you—”
“Wow, thanks.”
“—a part of me ‘knows’ that you will always be very ‘important’ to me. A part of me ‘knows’ that I will always have to be there to ‘protect’ you. Today, we both ‘failed’ to keep our promise. We forgot our promises until the ‘moment’ we were faced with ‘death’…”
“…”
“So, I want us to ‘promise’ each other again.”
“…Why?”
“We are not the same ‘people’ we were back then, are we?” Kanata smiled easily. “That promise was between two ‘children’ that only saw a ‘glimpse’ of what the world was. Of what the world would ‘turn’ them into. Cynical. Hateful. Remorseful. Dishonest. This ‘promise’ is for us. The ones who are still ‘fighting’ for the world those ‘naïve’ children believed in. Bringing our own ‘justice’ to it. Still protecting each other along the way. Not ‘abandoning’ each other anymore.”
“…”
“Mikejima…?”
“Pfft… Ha… Haha…” Mikejima’s head fell back as he started laughing uncontrollably.
“…Are you ‘making fun’ of me?”
“N-No…! H-Hold on!” The festive man beat his chest with his fist in an attempt to calm himself down. “S-Sorry, sorry, I just…!” He smiled genuinely, softly. “I just thought that sounded… really nice.” His eyes roamed the stars above them. “Protect each other, huh? You’ll really be fine letting me steal the spotlight to be the hero every now and then?”
“No,” Kanata bluntly answered. “But… I know I ‘need’ you there for me. Like how you ‘needed’ me there for you.”
“…Huh.”
“So…? What is your ‘answer’?”
Mikejima moved his feet forward, subtly shivering as the cold sea claimed them. “Can we stay here a bit longer. I’ll give you my answer soon enough.”
Kanata fondly shook his head, already knowing what the answer was going to be. “I can ‘wait’.”
“…Okay, then.”
“Okay, then.”
“that was mikejima all along. you were carrying kanata on your back, so it felt warm.”
“I’m drenched wet from swimming back and forth, so I think my body is more cold than anything…”
“it does not matter.” kanata took mikejima’s hand, allowing the warmth of his friend to envelop him. as long as you are here by kanata’s side, nothing will be impossible. so, stay by kanata’s side until he’s strong enough to protect you too…