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Last week, Suo gave Nirei a brutal beating and left Makochi.
This week, the townwide search for him was in full swing. Every Furin student was hitting the town, asking questions to everyone they could stop, showing pictures and trying to get information.
Nirei, of course, was trying his hardest. Stopping into every shop, asking every tourist, even going into nearby towns. He saw that Sakura was even going into Shishitoren territory to ask around there- he needed to keep up with him.
We can find him. We can bring Suo back. I believe…I believe we can!!
The final face he saw Suo make flashed in his mind. Suo was suffering. He wanted to save him. He wanted to be with him. To shoulder all his pain, to be by his side… being separated from him this long was agonizing. He had no idea what to do with his hands, usually clinging to Suo, as he continued patrolling.
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The sun looked like it was beginning to set. The sky was taking on beautiful hues of orange and purple, but it was hard to enjoy such a view without Suo. Suddenly, Nirei felt his phone vibrate. He quickly pulled it out, for a split second, he thought that maybe, just maybe-
Mom
Hi Sweetie!!! Hope school is going well today!!! Will you be home soon? I took the night off! I’m making a special dinner to celebrate!!! ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶
Who was he kidding? Of course it wouldn’t be Suo… he sighed. He quickly typed up a response.
Me
Sorry, Mom. I’ll be running a little late tonight. I promise I’ll eat dinner when I get back though.
His mother responded a couple minutes later.
Mom
It’s alright honey. I’ll be here when you get home. Take your time!
He put his phone away and got back to interviewing townsfolk. He had spent so long and talked to so many people, but had no new information to show for it. Somehow, he found himself back at the park where they fought.
Suo…are we really not anything? Will I really never see you again? Even though I…I…
He slumped down by the same slide he sat by on that night. The sky was fully dark at this point. It had to be at least 9 or 10PM. He might as well head home.
When he got home, he sighed. Another day he had accomplished nothing. He was surprised the light was still on in the kitchen. He then remembered that his mother had said she took the night off- something pretty unusual for her. He was so caught up in the search for Suo that her earlier texts barely even registered to him. She works a lot of odd hour shifts to support the house by herself. What could’ve made her want to stay home tonight?
When he enters the kitchen, he sees his mother, sitting at the table quietly reading a book. In front of her is a fairly large spread of food, surely lukewarm by this point. There’s also…
A cake.
And a few gift bags, with cute ribbons adorned on them.
All at once, it hits Nirei. Today is September 21st. It’s his birthday.
His mother smiles gently at him. “Welcome home, Aki! Happy 16th birthday!!”
It’s his birthday, and he spent the whole day in a futile search. It’s his birthday, and none of his friends are here. It’s his birthday, and none of his friends even remembered. It’s his birthday…It’s his birthday…and Suo is gone.
He might never see Suo again. It’s his birthday, and Suo had all but ended their friendship.
He broke down. Tears began streaming down his face as he sobbed.
His mother scrambled to her feet and ran over to him at once. “Goodness!! What’s the matter, baby? Are you alright?!” She wrapped her hands around him and started stroking his hair gently. She was slightly taller than him, so he was able to rest his head in the crook of her neck.
She continued to gently stroke his hair as he babbled through sobs.
“Suo-san…Suo-san is!!! You did all this- for me- but I- I- I was looking- but we can’t- I couldn’t- I couldn’t stop him!!”
The two of them stood that way for a while, in the lamplight of the kitchen, until Nirei was able to calm his crying down.
“Honey, why don’t you take a seat at the table? I’ll make you some hot cocoa, okay? It was chilly today.”
Nirei nods and quietly takes a seat at the kitchen table.
“You can look at your gifts while I’m making this, sweetie. If that will make you feel better.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Nirei gently opens the gift bags on the table. A colorful patterned shirt, some fancy assorted pens, and a beautiful leatherbound journal. Each bag also has little packs of gummies in them. His favorite things… he has to fight back the tears coming up again. What the hell was he doing while his mother set all this up? Making zero progress? Getting absolutely nowhere?
Before he could go down that spiral, his mother placed a cup of hot cocoa in front of him.
“Here you go, Aki. Drink it before it gets cold, okay? Do you want to make your birthday wish before dinner? I think it might make you feel better.”
“Sure… thanks, Mom.”
She smiles brightly and pulls out some candles, putting them into a slice of cake, lighting them, and putting it in front of him.
He closes his eyes. He doesn’t think twice about his wish. He knows what he wants more than anything else.
I wish. I wish to see Suo-san again. I wish… I wish to have Suo-san by my side forever…
He blows out the candles.