7FMB: Chapter 15
Title: The 7 Faces of My Boyfriend
Genre: Romance
Characters: Shida Mirai, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Irie Jingi, Kamiki Yuu (Oizumi Yo), Yonemoto Mai (Kawashima Umika), Sakamoto Shougo, Kanata Hongo, Hiharu (Ohgo Suzuka), Narumi Riko, Nozomi Maeda
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kamiki and Shida were childhood best friends. One day though, Shida had to go to another town and leave… so Kamiki promised that when they meet again, they’ll marry each other. Eight years later, and she’s back. But Kamiki is not the same. He was diagnosed with MPD and now has 7 personalities. What will Shida do?
"I woke up standing" Iinchou looked really confused as he glanced at his feet and then at the surroundings, before finally landing his eyes back at Shida again. "Eh?! Neko-tan, are you crying?" Tears were continually falling from her eyes. She was trying hard not to sob out loud. "Are you hurt somewhere?"
She immediately shook her head and wiped at her cheeks. "I-it's nothing. Dirt entered my-"
His hand flew to her shoulders as he leaned closer to look at her eyes. "Does it hurt? Should I blow on it?" His eyes were wide and innocent, blinking in naivete. "Neko-tan...?"
"I-it's okay!" She shook her head again and stepped back. She then bowed while saying "I'll get your breakfast ready first, master!" She rushed off just like that, leaving him with a curious expression in his eyes.
Entering the room at the end of the corridor, she saw Yuu-sensei on his work table. "Otou-san!" she exclaimed, letting her tears flow freely.
"What's the matter?" his eyes widened upon seeing her, and he stood up to support her weak form. She looked like she was about to collapse. He gently hugged her, rubbing at her back comfortingly.
"Mikki... He..." She was sobbing so much and could barely speak. Holding on to his shirt tightly, she cried louder. "He... He appeared!"
His mouth opened wide in shock. He couldn't speak for a moment, and only Shida's sobs could be heard inside the room. "This is good... This is extremely good, isn't it?" He was filled with joy, just about ready to jump in excitement. He moved back a bit and looked at her face. "This is good. Why are you crying?"
She hiccuped and wiped at her cheeks, trying to smile through her tears. "I'm happy." Her smile widened a bit. "Really, really happy" She was breathless, still not believing that this could be real. "But I missed him so much. I couldn't help but cry because... I missed him so, so much." She could still feel his hand on her cheeks, the different kind of warmth he exuded. His eyes were shining brightly at her, gentle and full of memories. His expression was loving and soft. His voice was laced with emotion. He was her Mikki. The real Kamiki Ryunosuke. "It's been so long... I almost forgot how it feels to be near him..."
...
Riko knew that the schedule had to be observed properly. Even though Shida did not come to the kitchen yet, Riko knew that she had to go to the master's room and take the tray of food to him. No matter what happened, the rules of the game states that no delays would be allowed.
She knocked on the door, expecting a lively voice to say "Come in!" But instead, she heard a small voice asking "Neko-tan...?" It was heartbreaking.
"This is Inuzaka. I have your breakfast, master."
The door opened and Riko could clearly see the sad face Iinchou was making. "Come in, Inu-chan. Just place it on the table." He was lethargic, sounding way more depressed than she could bear. It was making her heart ache just thinking of how lonely he was right now.
"What's wrong, Iinchou-kun?" she asked, voice full of concern.
He sat on his bed and shook his head slowly. "It's nothing. I just... I- How should I say it..." He placed his right hand on his chest and continued, "My heart feels heavy all of a sudden."
She sat on the chair opposite him. "Did something happen?"
"I think... it's because of Neko-tan. She was..." He clutched his chest. "She was crying. It hurts, Inu-chan. It hurts." He looked down, looking like he will cry himself. "When I saw her face, she looked so disappointed. It's as if she wanted me to disappear. I'm... It hurts, Inu-chan." Tears started falling. "Did I do anything wrong?" He looked up at her. "Did I do anything wrong?"
Her fists were clenched at her sides, bottling her emotions inside. "Maybe you should ask Neko-tan. I'm sure she doesn't hate you, master. She might have some explanation."
He looked down, wiped his cheeks and nodded. "I'll ask her when she comes here later. Can you call her?"
...
It was Usa-pyon's turn. Nozomi excitedly pulled at Shougo's hands. "Hurry up, hurry up!" she exclaimed, running upstairs. "We'll be late and Jingi-kun will get angry!"
"Nonchan, stop running! It's bad for your health." Shougo tried to sound stern, keeping a smile off his face. "It's okay to take it easy."
There was no response. Nozomi was staring right at the top of the stairs where a frowning Riko was. She let go of Shougo's hands and ran to the said girl. "Riko... -chan?"
The older girl blinked quickly, as if waking up from stupor. "Nonchan? It's your time to go now..." As if remembering something, she looked up and said "Ah wait!" She looked at the side of the corridor where their waiting room was. Jingi, Ohgo, Kanata and Shida would be there. "We need to have a meeting!"
"A meeting?" Nozomi looked confused. "But I have to-"
The door of the meeting room opened, and out came Kanata who looked seriously at each of them. "Come in. Hurry up."
The three nodded and rushed to the room.
Everyone was staring at Shida as they sat around the 'meeting table'. She was supposed to report to them what happened. Still feeling too many emotions though, she didn't know where to start.
"What happened with you and Iinchou-kun, Mirai-chan?" Riko spoke up first. Her voice was sharp and almost sounded like she was blaming Shida for something. "He was crying."
This made Shida look at her in surprise. "Crying?"
"He said it was as if you wanted him to disappear... That you were disappointed with him." Riko repeated whatever Iinchou told her.
"It wasn't like that!" she immediately exclaimed. "I was... just surprised. Mikki... the real Kamiki Ryunosuke appeared. I was just surprised."
A long shocked silence settled in the room as everyone tried to understand what that meant. Were they this close to attaining their goal? Why did he appear? What happened?
"Otou-san tried to explain it to me..."
...
..
.
Yuu-sensei smiled at her and patted her head. "I know you miss him. I'm glad you met again."
Shida wiped her tears completely and smiled her happiest smile. "I'm glad... For it to be this surprising... I wasn't expecting this at all."
"I'm surprised too, honestly." Yuu chuckled. "But if you think about it, it makes sense." He sat back on his chair and motioned for Shida to sit on a chair near as well. "Aki has accepted you, Tomodachi-kun has disappeared completely and Jingi-kun told me that Sai disappeared as well. With Iinchou-kun softening up and with Yosuke-kun treating you as a friend, you've reached more than half of it, right? It feels as if everything will soon end."
"...Ah, yes!" Shida smiled. "I haven't met Yae-chi yet but he's the only one left! We'll be able to see Mikki again soon!"
.
..
...
"That does make sense." Jingi nodded. "It's like Ryunosuke was moving forward to greet us... as if the wall he couldn't go through before was now penetrable."
Kanata nodded, silently agreeing. "It means we just need to effort some more so we could get him out."
"Why..." Hiharu suddenly spoke up. "Why are you speaking as if he's inside a cage?" Her eyes were wide and innocently curious.
Riko stood up and nodded. "Hiharu-chan's right." She bit her lip and looked around. "He isn't being victimized by the others, is he? They're... Somehow I have a feeling that those personalities are trying to help him in some way. Saying stuff like that... it makes it seem as if Sai-sama wanted to hide that Ryunosuke person! Iinchou-kun and Sai-sama won't do anything like that!"
"I'm-" Shida reached to touch Riko's hands on the table. "I'm sorry for acting like this. I know Tomodachi-kun, Sai-kun, Iinchou-kun... all of them are good people. I've met them and became friends with them. I know they mean no harm. They... instead of saying they're walls which keeps us away from Mikki, I'd say they're the shield he made to protect himself."
"From what?" Shougo sounded extremely serious. "What happened for him to do this? Why... is he hiding?" He knew he wasn't directly involved with Kamiki Ryunosuke, that he was just Aki's friend and Yosuke's classmate. But he's too into the situation now. Everyone deserves to know what happened.
There was silence as the people who knew something tried to collect their thoughts and as the ones who didn't know anything waited for an answer. Shida was waiting. She needed to know this. Someone had to answer.
Kanata was the first one to speak. "He was bullied. Ryunosuke was." He looked Shida in the eye, conveying it directly to her. "When we met, he was happy and always smiling. But under that smile... he was always alone and crying. Our classmates refused to play with him, saying he was weak and might suddenly collapse any time. Everyone either thought of him as a frail boy or a weakling. His father was protective, maybe to a bad extent."
Shida couldn't believe it. She knew it was something like that, but hearing it from someone made it all closer to reality. How could they have treated him that way? How could he have smiled like how he did if he was being bullied? "How long...? How long was he bullied?"
"I'm not sure when it ended, or why. Aki appeared and it all ended. He appeared before 6th grade, so about that time."
"He was bullied during all of his elementary days? B-but he was always... Every letter he sent me was..." She looked down, trying to recollect every picture he sent her. He was always so energetic when he talked about school, and he always smiled brightly in his pictures. "He always sounded so happy..."
Kanata crossed his arms above his chest. "He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling you everything..."
...
..
.
"How can you smile like that?" Kanata took another picture of Kamiki on the river. A few senpais threw him down the river earlier, and they were shouting degrading words at him. He was clearly being bullied when Kanata saw him, but when the senpais walked away, he stood up and asked Kanata to take a photo of him on the river. It was so stupid.
Kamiki laughed. "I think... I'm used to it." He scratched his head while grinning. "It doesn't hurt anymore. I promised someone that I'll protect her someday, so this is like training, right?" He took the camera from the other boys' hands and browsed through the pictures. "Ah..." He touched his forehead which had a bruise on it. "This is no good. I can't send her this picture! She'll get worried if she sees me with this." He passed the camera back to Kanata and bowed. "Please take another picture."
"I don't understand..." Kanata was frowning deeply. Even with his adult-like thinking, this elementary student still can't understand why someone would be this stupid. He's had his share of strange people, but it's the first time to see someone so idiotically optimistic like this.
The smile on Kamiki's face, however, was too genuine for Kanata to reject. This guy is truly happy about something. "I don't want Mi-chan to feel lonely, so I'll send her pictures of me playing in the river. She said there were no rivers around her place and she missed playing with me here..." He laughed sheepishly. "Even just for a bit, thinking of Mi-chan makes me forget everything bad. That's why we should take a good picture, okay?"
His expression looked foreign to Kanata's young heart. But he was unable to stop himself from nodding and promising this guy that he would help him whenever.
.
..
...
Kanata smiled a bit at Shida. "Now that I think about it, he was talking about you, wasn't he? And his expression then... I finally understand it."
A soft blush colored her cheeks. Deep inside, she was feeling all sorts of emotions once again. Only Kamiki could make her feel this way. She was definitely happy to think about Kamiki giving his best for her, but she was definitely sad as well because of what he had to go through. It was a complex feeling.
Before she could say anything though, a shout was heard from next door. "The master is gone!"
Their eyes widened and they all jumped to their feet to rush to the master's room. "What happened?" Jingi exclaimed, looking around at the maids scattered around.
"I saw someone running to the door earlier, so I looked at the room to see if the master was safe. I was worried... but then I saw that he wasn't in his room anymore. Maybe he's Yosuke now..." one maid explained, worriedly looking around the room.
"If he's really Yosuke, there's only one place he could be in right now." Shida muttered before running to that place she thought of.
Kanata, Hiharu and Jingi rushed after her. Shougo was able to stop Nozomi and Riko from running with them. "Let them run after him. We should wait here." he said calmly.
Yosuke was indeed where he would be expected to be. He was sitting in front of the Yonemoto's kitchen counter, looking lovingly at his girlf friend. "Why are you frowning so much, Mai-chan? It doesn't suit you."
"I'm not frowning." Mai replied, annoyance in her voice. "It's just... Yo-chan has been..."
"Is this about my condition? I'm sorry I always forget..." He stood up and reached out to take her hand into his. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to forget you: the best person I've ever met, the best gift I've ever received..." He pulled at her hand until their foreheads were touching. "It sucks that I don't remember our moments together that much... You know how much I hate it, right? This condition."
She nodded slowly, intoxicated by his closeness. She was feeling dizzy just being by his side. This happiness... She doesn't want anyone to take it away from her. Yosuke wasn't just a figment of Kamiki Ryunosuke's imagination. If he was, he wouldn't be able to make her feel this way. Definitely not. He was real, and he was in love with her. "I understand, Yo-chan. I'm sorry for frowning so much..." She smiled brightly. "I'm here so everything will be okay. Don't think about your condition so much."
He smiled as well, squeezed her hand one time before sitting back on his seat. "Mai-chan makes me feel safe, so I'm happy." He scratched his cheeks, blushing a bit. "I always sound so cheesy though."
She laughed. "You don't! I'm happy when you speak like that. Yo-chan's so sweet~"
The doorbell stopped any more conversation though. Yosuke stood up and said he'll open the door, seeing as Mai was busy cooking something.
....
"Mirai-chan and everyone..."
Mai looked up from the pot to see Yosuke standing just beside the door, letting four people in. Shida Mirai, Irie Jingi, Kanata Hongo and that girl Hiharu.
"Mai-chan, you have lots of visitors..." Yosuke tentatively said, looking at her.
She placed down the spoon and looked at each of them, trying to smile cheerfully even though her only thought was 'there they go again, and they'll get Yo-chan away from me'. She walked the few steps away from them and faced them, trying to be as pleasant as possible. "Do you need anything from me? Or are you here to..." she looked at Shida and said "Are you here to ask Yosuke to go home?"
"Mai-chan we-" Jingi walked closer to her and touched her shoulder. "We need to do this. I told you..."
"What's happening?" Yosuke asked, looking around in curiousness. "What are you talking about, Mai-chan?"
A carefree smiled appeared on her face, obviously trying to reassure her boyfriend. "Can Yo-chan please season the curry I'm cooking? I have to talk to them first."
Even though he was reluctant, in the end he moved away and walked to the kitchen. Mai then asked them to step outside to talk, so that Yosuke wouldn't be able to hear them.
...
"Mai-chan, we're so close to Ryunosuke now... we can't just stop because of-" Jingi stopped right there as he saw the expression on Mai's face. He looked down and clenched his fist. He didn't talk anymore.
Shida looked at him before looking back at Mai. "I'm..." she bowed deep down. "I'm sorry." She straightened up before saying "I know I can't even try to assume what you're going through. But Mai-chan, we're both in love with someone who is sharing his body with someone else." She stepped closer to her. "This morning, Mikki appeared in front of me for a few seconds. It was surprising and it filled me with so much happiness that it felt as if everything was falling right to where they should be. But he disappeared quickly. I... I think I know now how much it would hurt. I think I know how the other people must have felt, even just an inkling of what they felt... I felt it somehow too. It's painful and makes you feel empty." She clutched at her chest. "Even if it's just an inkling of what you feel, this painful feeling is still here. Mai-chan, you're not the only one who loves him."
An angry expression they haven't seen before appeared on her face. She was glaring so much at Shida, both of her hands clutched at her side. "You think that would mean anything?" She was shaking and her knuckles were turning white. "You think it would change what I feel about this? Do you think... do you really think it's that easy?" Tears slowly fell from her eyes as her voice elevated. "It's not the same! What I feel and what you feel aren't the same! I've been beside him since he appeared... And even before that, I've been watching Ryunosuke-kun. I've been watching and watching and trying my best to help him even a bit. Do you know what he went through at school before he became like this?! You don't, right?!"
She continued crying, sobbing until she isn't able to speak properly anymore. "You left him. You hurt him. You made him into this. You don't have any right to take him away!"
"I made him into this?" Shida was trying to be calm and trying to hear her out, but Mai wasn't making as much sense as she did before. What does she mean?
"See? You don't know anything. Innocently barging into our life and taking him away... stripping him of his protection..." Mai hiccupped, almost hyperventilating.
The door behind them opened, showing a surprised looking Yosuke. "Mai-chan?!" He rushed to her side and immediately took her into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly. He then looked at the four visitors and looked as if he was ready to glare at them. "Excuse me, but I think you should get going now."
The group was quiet as they walked away. Each of them were deep in thought.
"I..." Kanata stopped and looked at them. "I should walk Ojou back to her house. We have class tomorrow, so I'll be going home too." He motioned for Hiharu to follow her, and left without another word. It seemed as if he was thinking deeply about it too, and needed to be left alone. Hiharu bowed deeply at them before walking to Kanata's side. Her smile made Shida think that she knew how to handle Kanata on her own. They would think of something while together, probably.
Jingi and Shida walked side by side then, planning to walk together to the Kamiki residence.
"Kanata-san looked as if he wanted to go home because of something... It's only lunch time, he could have stayed with us." Jingi commented.
She nodded. "I think so too. Hiharu-chan probably saw it too. I'm guessing they'll search for something helpful..." Her voice showed hints of her anxiousness. After another long silence while walking, she then spoke up again. "I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Jingi-kun. You- You looked really hurt."
He smiled a little. "I've been in this longer than you've been, Mirai-chan. What's with this sorry? I'm just glad that since you appeared, hope has been something that isn't just our imagination. No matter what happens, I'll still be Ryunosuke-kun's friend."
"Even though Mai-chan loves him?" she asked, looking down at the path as her own heart clenched rather painfully.
"...I thought I was the only one who thought like that." Jingi muttered. "Even before, I've thought like that. Mai-chan loves Yosuke... but she has always been watching Ryunosuke."
Shida looked at his face. "You mean you've realized this even before?" She heard it in her voice too, earlier when she said ' I've been watching Ryunosuke-kun'. It wasn't just a simple comment about a friend. It was something more.
"How can I not see it?" He chuckled, but it was a sad tone. He was laughing at himself. "I've always been looking at her. I've... always been seeing how much she works hard for him. She's in the Elite Music Club, isn't she? She doesn't just try hard for Yosuke."
"Mai-chan loves Ryunosuke Kamiki." Saying it outrightly made the pain inside her spread more. She almost felt like crying. But it was no good. She had to work hard too.
The next day, rain poured down harshly as if relating to all the darkness that the people around Shida were feeling. She woke up and moved slowly, dreading school. She didn't want to see Yosuke or Mai right now. But seeing them is needed for her to understand Ryunosuke. Nothing will come off of sulking.
She rushed to the empty kitchen and made a bento for herself. Coming empty handed will just invite some unnecessary invites from people, so she'll make sure to eat with a friend today.
Unexpectedly, no unwelcome feeling overwhelmed her when she arrived in class. Mai had her back turned to her, but there was no hostility in her actions. Yosuke, who she expected to glare at her, greeted her good morning like usual and even asked her if she wanted to go to the home economics room to eat with them later. She politely refused and said she'll eat with someone else today.
Another unexpected turn of events was that Jingi and Kanata agreed to eat with Yosuke and Mai. It was as if they were all suddenly close... What's happening?
That question was suddenly answered though when Hiharu called her during lunch. She asked if they could eat at the rooftop, just like old times. Shida agreed, knowing that she'll calm down there and that she'll finally understand what is inside those two guys' minds.
...
"Mirai-chan, do you miss it here?" Hiharu raised both hand up to the sky, as if calling some aliens like usual. "I do. I really do."
Shida smiled. "Of course. I miss hanging out with you. I miss hanging out with..." She let that hanging for a while as she looked at the sky, memories of their moments here appearing in her mind. "I really miss Tomodachi-kun too."
Hiharu sat on her usual place and smiled at her while motioning for her to sit by her side. "I miss him too. He was my best friend." A nostalgic smile settled on her face as she looked up and laid on her back. "He was the most important person for me. My only planetmate." She giggled. "My only planetmate..."
"Why did you ask, Hiharu-chan?" Shida knew there was something. It couldn't have come out of nowhere. Even with Hiharu's innate unique way of thinking, she wouldn't just say it while they're in a situation like this.
"Ouji is busy trying to get information from that fairy." Hiharu explained. Even with the weird terms, Shida understood what she meant. "Ouji knows that the fairy knows more than we do. He asked me to let you know. Don't doubt the loyalty of Ouji, okay?"
Shida nodded with a smile. "I'll never doubt you guys. You're my friends."
Hiharu breathed in deeply and raised her hands to the sky again, this time as if wanting to touch something far away. As if wanting to get the clouds into her hands. "Tomodachi-kun was my only friend before you came, Mirai-chan... Or maybe it's that he was the only person I acknowledged. No one else existed. No one..." She inhaled once again before continuing. "He disappeared. My only... planetmate."
Despite what she was saying, Shida found no sorrow in her voice. It was as if she was just explaining the weather. Why was she saying this? "Hiharu-chan...?"
"He disappeared. I knew he wasn't from this world. He went back to where he should be. And in turn, he brought me you, and Jingi-kun and Riko-chan then he reunited me with Ouji too. Tomodachi-kun disappeared but he introduced you to me." She placed both of her hands on her chest. "He gave me a gift I will be forever thankful for." She glanced at Shida and smiled. "I think the fairy needs to understand that part. There are parts of our lives that has to disappear for us to gain something."
Shida reached out to take her hand and squeeze it lightly. "I'm happy you think that, Hiharu-chan. Thank you for telling me."
Hiharu giggled and squeezed her hand back.
"Hearing that, don't you want to support her?" A humorless laugh. "It's so~ heartwarming~"
"Heh. It's disgusting." A deep voice. "They've always been like that, right? Disgusting."
"And to think they really crowd together like that... it makes me want to puke." Another voice. A girl's voice. "They act all big and act all dramatic. They probably think it'll give them more popularity than they already have. A rich cold heir and his fiancee, the chairman's son and that stupid girl, and then that fanboy of a friend they've got... a really irritating bunch, aren't they?"
The tallest of the three laughed that deep laugh of his, smiling darkly. "I've seen them since they were... what, 10? That Ryunosuke never really changed. Just became weirder and stupider and more full of himself. And dear Mirai-chan, oh cute Mirai-chan really would never stop running after him."
"You sound way more annoyed than usual, boss." The girl smirked.
"They're getting into my nerves, really." he replied, crumpling the yakisoba bread's wrapper in his hands. "We should tell them who owns this place."
Shida was walking back to their classroom when she saw Yosuke, alone and looking out at the window outside their classroom. Mai was nowhere near. She knew this was a chance to approach him and ask him about yesterday. "Yosuke-kun?"
He immediately smiled upon seeing her. "Mirai-chan! I was looking for you!" He chuckled. "I had to say sorry for yesterday. I was being harsh on you guys. Mai-chan said you didn't do anything. She's just really... she's really emotional when it comes to some things. She said that's why she cried."
Mai was covering up for us? Why...? "It's okay. I think... I was partly at fault too." she said slowly. "I should tell her I'm sorry too. Where is she?"
"She's at the Home Economics room with Jingi-kun and Hongo-kun. They're talking about the cultural fest. That's why I think we should talk about the cake we'll be baking too." He smiled pleasantly. "We should bake something that would make the chairman happy."
She thought for a moment of what Yuu-sensei liked. "He likes traditional sweets a lot... Oh and all kinds of tea!" She smiled. "I can help if it's about Otou-san... I mean about Yuu-sensei's likes and dislikes." She pumped up her fist and grinned. "We're gonna bake the best cake ever!"
He laughed. "You're so enthusiastic, Mirai-chan. I'm glad." He ruffled her hair fondly. "You've been down whenever I saw you... I was worried."
A soft blush appeared on her cheeks as she stepped back and shook her head repeatedly, to take the blush off her face. "Le-let's talk inside the room, okay? Let's start with the design."
"Okay, let's do it!" He pumped his fist up as well.
Yatsuiko-chan would like to say "Sorry" from the bottom of her heart. It's not like I didn't want to update, nor was it because of laziness. Every computer inside our house broke down and it was all kinds of depressing. That's why this is so late.
Now that I'm okay and my laptop is okay, (and since this arc is finally ending) updates will be faster. For sure. Also, this fanfic is ending in about four or five chapters. huhu I'll miss you guys and I'll miss these characters (Especially Hiharu my dear :x)
It doesn't quite feel like the end is near +_+
But all the characters are here and it's time to start closing the curtains.
Hope you enjoyed! (Please comment with a looong comment so I can cheer up? Pretty please?) Oh and next chapter will be EXTRA EXTRA long. Arc closing and Opening of the final arc ^^
Genre: Romance
Characters: Shida Mirai, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Irie Jingi, Kamiki Yuu (Oizumi Yo), Yonemoto Mai (Kawashima Umika), Sakamoto Shougo, Kanata Hongo, Hiharu (Ohgo Suzuka), Narumi Riko, Nozomi Maeda
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kamiki and Shida were childhood best friends. One day though, Shida had to go to another town and leave… so Kamiki promised that when they meet again, they’ll marry each other. Eight years later, and she’s back. But Kamiki is not the same. He was diagnosed with MPD and now has 7 personalities. What will Shida do?
"I woke up standing" Iinchou looked really confused as he glanced at his feet and then at the surroundings, before finally landing his eyes back at Shida again. "Eh?! Neko-tan, are you crying?" Tears were continually falling from her eyes. She was trying hard not to sob out loud. "Are you hurt somewhere?"
She immediately shook her head and wiped at her cheeks. "I-it's nothing. Dirt entered my-"
His hand flew to her shoulders as he leaned closer to look at her eyes. "Does it hurt? Should I blow on it?" His eyes were wide and innocent, blinking in naivete. "Neko-tan...?"
"I-it's okay!" She shook her head again and stepped back. She then bowed while saying "I'll get your breakfast ready first, master!" She rushed off just like that, leaving him with a curious expression in his eyes.
Entering the room at the end of the corridor, she saw Yuu-sensei on his work table. "Otou-san!" she exclaimed, letting her tears flow freely.
"What's the matter?" his eyes widened upon seeing her, and he stood up to support her weak form. She looked like she was about to collapse. He gently hugged her, rubbing at her back comfortingly.
"Mikki... He..." She was sobbing so much and could barely speak. Holding on to his shirt tightly, she cried louder. "He... He appeared!"
His mouth opened wide in shock. He couldn't speak for a moment, and only Shida's sobs could be heard inside the room. "This is good... This is extremely good, isn't it?" He was filled with joy, just about ready to jump in excitement. He moved back a bit and looked at her face. "This is good. Why are you crying?"
She hiccuped and wiped at her cheeks, trying to smile through her tears. "I'm happy." Her smile widened a bit. "Really, really happy" She was breathless, still not believing that this could be real. "But I missed him so much. I couldn't help but cry because... I missed him so, so much." She could still feel his hand on her cheeks, the different kind of warmth he exuded. His eyes were shining brightly at her, gentle and full of memories. His expression was loving and soft. His voice was laced with emotion. He was her Mikki. The real Kamiki Ryunosuke. "It's been so long... I almost forgot how it feels to be near him..."
...
Riko knew that the schedule had to be observed properly. Even though Shida did not come to the kitchen yet, Riko knew that she had to go to the master's room and take the tray of food to him. No matter what happened, the rules of the game states that no delays would be allowed.
She knocked on the door, expecting a lively voice to say "Come in!" But instead, she heard a small voice asking "Neko-tan...?" It was heartbreaking.
"This is Inuzaka. I have your breakfast, master."
The door opened and Riko could clearly see the sad face Iinchou was making. "Come in, Inu-chan. Just place it on the table." He was lethargic, sounding way more depressed than she could bear. It was making her heart ache just thinking of how lonely he was right now.
"What's wrong, Iinchou-kun?" she asked, voice full of concern.
He sat on his bed and shook his head slowly. "It's nothing. I just... I- How should I say it..." He placed his right hand on his chest and continued, "My heart feels heavy all of a sudden."
She sat on the chair opposite him. "Did something happen?"
"I think... it's because of Neko-tan. She was..." He clutched his chest. "She was crying. It hurts, Inu-chan. It hurts." He looked down, looking like he will cry himself. "When I saw her face, she looked so disappointed. It's as if she wanted me to disappear. I'm... It hurts, Inu-chan." Tears started falling. "Did I do anything wrong?" He looked up at her. "Did I do anything wrong?"
Her fists were clenched at her sides, bottling her emotions inside. "Maybe you should ask Neko-tan. I'm sure she doesn't hate you, master. She might have some explanation."
He looked down, wiped his cheeks and nodded. "I'll ask her when she comes here later. Can you call her?"
...
It was Usa-pyon's turn. Nozomi excitedly pulled at Shougo's hands. "Hurry up, hurry up!" she exclaimed, running upstairs. "We'll be late and Jingi-kun will get angry!"
"Nonchan, stop running! It's bad for your health." Shougo tried to sound stern, keeping a smile off his face. "It's okay to take it easy."
There was no response. Nozomi was staring right at the top of the stairs where a frowning Riko was. She let go of Shougo's hands and ran to the said girl. "Riko... -chan?"
The older girl blinked quickly, as if waking up from stupor. "Nonchan? It's your time to go now..." As if remembering something, she looked up and said "Ah wait!" She looked at the side of the corridor where their waiting room was. Jingi, Ohgo, Kanata and Shida would be there. "We need to have a meeting!"
"A meeting?" Nozomi looked confused. "But I have to-"
The door of the meeting room opened, and out came Kanata who looked seriously at each of them. "Come in. Hurry up."
The three nodded and rushed to the room.
Everyone was staring at Shida as they sat around the 'meeting table'. She was supposed to report to them what happened. Still feeling too many emotions though, she didn't know where to start.
"What happened with you and Iinchou-kun, Mirai-chan?" Riko spoke up first. Her voice was sharp and almost sounded like she was blaming Shida for something. "He was crying."
This made Shida look at her in surprise. "Crying?"
"He said it was as if you wanted him to disappear... That you were disappointed with him." Riko repeated whatever Iinchou told her.
"It wasn't like that!" she immediately exclaimed. "I was... just surprised. Mikki... the real Kamiki Ryunosuke appeared. I was just surprised."
A long shocked silence settled in the room as everyone tried to understand what that meant. Were they this close to attaining their goal? Why did he appear? What happened?
"Otou-san tried to explain it to me..."
...
..
.
Yuu-sensei smiled at her and patted her head. "I know you miss him. I'm glad you met again."
Shida wiped her tears completely and smiled her happiest smile. "I'm glad... For it to be this surprising... I wasn't expecting this at all."
"I'm surprised too, honestly." Yuu chuckled. "But if you think about it, it makes sense." He sat back on his chair and motioned for Shida to sit on a chair near as well. "Aki has accepted you, Tomodachi-kun has disappeared completely and Jingi-kun told me that Sai disappeared as well. With Iinchou-kun softening up and with Yosuke-kun treating you as a friend, you've reached more than half of it, right? It feels as if everything will soon end."
"...Ah, yes!" Shida smiled. "I haven't met Yae-chi yet but he's the only one left! We'll be able to see Mikki again soon!"
.
..
...
"That does make sense." Jingi nodded. "It's like Ryunosuke was moving forward to greet us... as if the wall he couldn't go through before was now penetrable."
Kanata nodded, silently agreeing. "It means we just need to effort some more so we could get him out."
"Why..." Hiharu suddenly spoke up. "Why are you speaking as if he's inside a cage?" Her eyes were wide and innocently curious.
Riko stood up and nodded. "Hiharu-chan's right." She bit her lip and looked around. "He isn't being victimized by the others, is he? They're... Somehow I have a feeling that those personalities are trying to help him in some way. Saying stuff like that... it makes it seem as if Sai-sama wanted to hide that Ryunosuke person! Iinchou-kun and Sai-sama won't do anything like that!"
"I'm-" Shida reached to touch Riko's hands on the table. "I'm sorry for acting like this. I know Tomodachi-kun, Sai-kun, Iinchou-kun... all of them are good people. I've met them and became friends with them. I know they mean no harm. They... instead of saying they're walls which keeps us away from Mikki, I'd say they're the shield he made to protect himself."
"From what?" Shougo sounded extremely serious. "What happened for him to do this? Why... is he hiding?" He knew he wasn't directly involved with Kamiki Ryunosuke, that he was just Aki's friend and Yosuke's classmate. But he's too into the situation now. Everyone deserves to know what happened.
There was silence as the people who knew something tried to collect their thoughts and as the ones who didn't know anything waited for an answer. Shida was waiting. She needed to know this. Someone had to answer.
Kanata was the first one to speak. "He was bullied. Ryunosuke was." He looked Shida in the eye, conveying it directly to her. "When we met, he was happy and always smiling. But under that smile... he was always alone and crying. Our classmates refused to play with him, saying he was weak and might suddenly collapse any time. Everyone either thought of him as a frail boy or a weakling. His father was protective, maybe to a bad extent."
Shida couldn't believe it. She knew it was something like that, but hearing it from someone made it all closer to reality. How could they have treated him that way? How could he have smiled like how he did if he was being bullied? "How long...? How long was he bullied?"
"I'm not sure when it ended, or why. Aki appeared and it all ended. He appeared before 6th grade, so about that time."
"He was bullied during all of his elementary days? B-but he was always... Every letter he sent me was..." She looked down, trying to recollect every picture he sent her. He was always so energetic when he talked about school, and he always smiled brightly in his pictures. "He always sounded so happy..."
Kanata crossed his arms above his chest. "He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling you everything..."
...
..
.
"How can you smile like that?" Kanata took another picture of Kamiki on the river. A few senpais threw him down the river earlier, and they were shouting degrading words at him. He was clearly being bullied when Kanata saw him, but when the senpais walked away, he stood up and asked Kanata to take a photo of him on the river. It was so stupid.
Kamiki laughed. "I think... I'm used to it." He scratched his head while grinning. "It doesn't hurt anymore. I promised someone that I'll protect her someday, so this is like training, right?" He took the camera from the other boys' hands and browsed through the pictures. "Ah..." He touched his forehead which had a bruise on it. "This is no good. I can't send her this picture! She'll get worried if she sees me with this." He passed the camera back to Kanata and bowed. "Please take another picture."
"I don't understand..." Kanata was frowning deeply. Even with his adult-like thinking, this elementary student still can't understand why someone would be this stupid. He's had his share of strange people, but it's the first time to see someone so idiotically optimistic like this.
The smile on Kamiki's face, however, was too genuine for Kanata to reject. This guy is truly happy about something. "I don't want Mi-chan to feel lonely, so I'll send her pictures of me playing in the river. She said there were no rivers around her place and she missed playing with me here..." He laughed sheepishly. "Even just for a bit, thinking of Mi-chan makes me forget everything bad. That's why we should take a good picture, okay?"
His expression looked foreign to Kanata's young heart. But he was unable to stop himself from nodding and promising this guy that he would help him whenever.
.
..
...
Kanata smiled a bit at Shida. "Now that I think about it, he was talking about you, wasn't he? And his expression then... I finally understand it."
A soft blush colored her cheeks. Deep inside, she was feeling all sorts of emotions once again. Only Kamiki could make her feel this way. She was definitely happy to think about Kamiki giving his best for her, but she was definitely sad as well because of what he had to go through. It was a complex feeling.
Before she could say anything though, a shout was heard from next door. "The master is gone!"
Their eyes widened and they all jumped to their feet to rush to the master's room. "What happened?" Jingi exclaimed, looking around at the maids scattered around.
"I saw someone running to the door earlier, so I looked at the room to see if the master was safe. I was worried... but then I saw that he wasn't in his room anymore. Maybe he's Yosuke now..." one maid explained, worriedly looking around the room.
"If he's really Yosuke, there's only one place he could be in right now." Shida muttered before running to that place she thought of.
Kanata, Hiharu and Jingi rushed after her. Shougo was able to stop Nozomi and Riko from running with them. "Let them run after him. We should wait here." he said calmly.
Yosuke was indeed where he would be expected to be. He was sitting in front of the Yonemoto's kitchen counter, looking lovingly at his girlf friend. "Why are you frowning so much, Mai-chan? It doesn't suit you."
"I'm not frowning." Mai replied, annoyance in her voice. "It's just... Yo-chan has been..."
"Is this about my condition? I'm sorry I always forget..." He stood up and reached out to take her hand into his. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to forget you: the best person I've ever met, the best gift I've ever received..." He pulled at her hand until their foreheads were touching. "It sucks that I don't remember our moments together that much... You know how much I hate it, right? This condition."
She nodded slowly, intoxicated by his closeness. She was feeling dizzy just being by his side. This happiness... She doesn't want anyone to take it away from her. Yosuke wasn't just a figment of Kamiki Ryunosuke's imagination. If he was, he wouldn't be able to make her feel this way. Definitely not. He was real, and he was in love with her. "I understand, Yo-chan. I'm sorry for frowning so much..." She smiled brightly. "I'm here so everything will be okay. Don't think about your condition so much."
He smiled as well, squeezed her hand one time before sitting back on his seat. "Mai-chan makes me feel safe, so I'm happy." He scratched his cheeks, blushing a bit. "I always sound so cheesy though."
She laughed. "You don't! I'm happy when you speak like that. Yo-chan's so sweet~"
The doorbell stopped any more conversation though. Yosuke stood up and said he'll open the door, seeing as Mai was busy cooking something.
....
"Mirai-chan and everyone..."
Mai looked up from the pot to see Yosuke standing just beside the door, letting four people in. Shida Mirai, Irie Jingi, Kanata Hongo and that girl Hiharu.
"Mai-chan, you have lots of visitors..." Yosuke tentatively said, looking at her.
She placed down the spoon and looked at each of them, trying to smile cheerfully even though her only thought was 'there they go again, and they'll get Yo-chan away from me'. She walked the few steps away from them and faced them, trying to be as pleasant as possible. "Do you need anything from me? Or are you here to..." she looked at Shida and said "Are you here to ask Yosuke to go home?"
"Mai-chan we-" Jingi walked closer to her and touched her shoulder. "We need to do this. I told you..."
"What's happening?" Yosuke asked, looking around in curiousness. "What are you talking about, Mai-chan?"
A carefree smiled appeared on her face, obviously trying to reassure her boyfriend. "Can Yo-chan please season the curry I'm cooking? I have to talk to them first."
Even though he was reluctant, in the end he moved away and walked to the kitchen. Mai then asked them to step outside to talk, so that Yosuke wouldn't be able to hear them.
...
"Mai-chan, we're so close to Ryunosuke now... we can't just stop because of-" Jingi stopped right there as he saw the expression on Mai's face. He looked down and clenched his fist. He didn't talk anymore.
Shida looked at him before looking back at Mai. "I'm..." she bowed deep down. "I'm sorry." She straightened up before saying "I know I can't even try to assume what you're going through. But Mai-chan, we're both in love with someone who is sharing his body with someone else." She stepped closer to her. "This morning, Mikki appeared in front of me for a few seconds. It was surprising and it filled me with so much happiness that it felt as if everything was falling right to where they should be. But he disappeared quickly. I... I think I know now how much it would hurt. I think I know how the other people must have felt, even just an inkling of what they felt... I felt it somehow too. It's painful and makes you feel empty." She clutched at her chest. "Even if it's just an inkling of what you feel, this painful feeling is still here. Mai-chan, you're not the only one who loves him."
An angry expression they haven't seen before appeared on her face. She was glaring so much at Shida, both of her hands clutched at her side. "You think that would mean anything?" She was shaking and her knuckles were turning white. "You think it would change what I feel about this? Do you think... do you really think it's that easy?" Tears slowly fell from her eyes as her voice elevated. "It's not the same! What I feel and what you feel aren't the same! I've been beside him since he appeared... And even before that, I've been watching Ryunosuke-kun. I've been watching and watching and trying my best to help him even a bit. Do you know what he went through at school before he became like this?! You don't, right?!"
She continued crying, sobbing until she isn't able to speak properly anymore. "You left him. You hurt him. You made him into this. You don't have any right to take him away!"
"I made him into this?" Shida was trying to be calm and trying to hear her out, but Mai wasn't making as much sense as she did before. What does she mean?
"See? You don't know anything. Innocently barging into our life and taking him away... stripping him of his protection..." Mai hiccupped, almost hyperventilating.
The door behind them opened, showing a surprised looking Yosuke. "Mai-chan?!" He rushed to her side and immediately took her into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked concernedly. He then looked at the four visitors and looked as if he was ready to glare at them. "Excuse me, but I think you should get going now."
The group was quiet as they walked away. Each of them were deep in thought.
"I..." Kanata stopped and looked at them. "I should walk Ojou back to her house. We have class tomorrow, so I'll be going home too." He motioned for Hiharu to follow her, and left without another word. It seemed as if he was thinking deeply about it too, and needed to be left alone. Hiharu bowed deeply at them before walking to Kanata's side. Her smile made Shida think that she knew how to handle Kanata on her own. They would think of something while together, probably.
Jingi and Shida walked side by side then, planning to walk together to the Kamiki residence.
"Kanata-san looked as if he wanted to go home because of something... It's only lunch time, he could have stayed with us." Jingi commented.
She nodded. "I think so too. Hiharu-chan probably saw it too. I'm guessing they'll search for something helpful..." Her voice showed hints of her anxiousness. After another long silence while walking, she then spoke up again. "I'm sorry for bringing you into this, Jingi-kun. You- You looked really hurt."
He smiled a little. "I've been in this longer than you've been, Mirai-chan. What's with this sorry? I'm just glad that since you appeared, hope has been something that isn't just our imagination. No matter what happens, I'll still be Ryunosuke-kun's friend."
"Even though Mai-chan loves him?" she asked, looking down at the path as her own heart clenched rather painfully.
"...I thought I was the only one who thought like that." Jingi muttered. "Even before, I've thought like that. Mai-chan loves Yosuke... but she has always been watching Ryunosuke."
Shida looked at his face. "You mean you've realized this even before?" She heard it in her voice too, earlier when she said ' I've been watching Ryunosuke-kun'. It wasn't just a simple comment about a friend. It was something more.
"How can I not see it?" He chuckled, but it was a sad tone. He was laughing at himself. "I've always been looking at her. I've... always been seeing how much she works hard for him. She's in the Elite Music Club, isn't she? She doesn't just try hard for Yosuke."
"Mai-chan loves Ryunosuke Kamiki." Saying it outrightly made the pain inside her spread more. She almost felt like crying. But it was no good. She had to work hard too.
The next day, rain poured down harshly as if relating to all the darkness that the people around Shida were feeling. She woke up and moved slowly, dreading school. She didn't want to see Yosuke or Mai right now. But seeing them is needed for her to understand Ryunosuke. Nothing will come off of sulking.
She rushed to the empty kitchen and made a bento for herself. Coming empty handed will just invite some unnecessary invites from people, so she'll make sure to eat with a friend today.
Unexpectedly, no unwelcome feeling overwhelmed her when she arrived in class. Mai had her back turned to her, but there was no hostility in her actions. Yosuke, who she expected to glare at her, greeted her good morning like usual and even asked her if she wanted to go to the home economics room to eat with them later. She politely refused and said she'll eat with someone else today.
Another unexpected turn of events was that Jingi and Kanata agreed to eat with Yosuke and Mai. It was as if they were all suddenly close... What's happening?
That question was suddenly answered though when Hiharu called her during lunch. She asked if they could eat at the rooftop, just like old times. Shida agreed, knowing that she'll calm down there and that she'll finally understand what is inside those two guys' minds.
...
"Mirai-chan, do you miss it here?" Hiharu raised both hand up to the sky, as if calling some aliens like usual. "I do. I really do."
Shida smiled. "Of course. I miss hanging out with you. I miss hanging out with..." She let that hanging for a while as she looked at the sky, memories of their moments here appearing in her mind. "I really miss Tomodachi-kun too."
Hiharu sat on her usual place and smiled at her while motioning for her to sit by her side. "I miss him too. He was my best friend." A nostalgic smile settled on her face as she looked up and laid on her back. "He was the most important person for me. My only planetmate." She giggled. "My only planetmate..."
"Why did you ask, Hiharu-chan?" Shida knew there was something. It couldn't have come out of nowhere. Even with Hiharu's innate unique way of thinking, she wouldn't just say it while they're in a situation like this.
"Ouji is busy trying to get information from that fairy." Hiharu explained. Even with the weird terms, Shida understood what she meant. "Ouji knows that the fairy knows more than we do. He asked me to let you know. Don't doubt the loyalty of Ouji, okay?"
Shida nodded with a smile. "I'll never doubt you guys. You're my friends."
Hiharu breathed in deeply and raised her hands to the sky again, this time as if wanting to touch something far away. As if wanting to get the clouds into her hands. "Tomodachi-kun was my only friend before you came, Mirai-chan... Or maybe it's that he was the only person I acknowledged. No one else existed. No one..." She inhaled once again before continuing. "He disappeared. My only... planetmate."
Despite what she was saying, Shida found no sorrow in her voice. It was as if she was just explaining the weather. Why was she saying this? "Hiharu-chan...?"
"He disappeared. I knew he wasn't from this world. He went back to where he should be. And in turn, he brought me you, and Jingi-kun and Riko-chan then he reunited me with Ouji too. Tomodachi-kun disappeared but he introduced you to me." She placed both of her hands on her chest. "He gave me a gift I will be forever thankful for." She glanced at Shida and smiled. "I think the fairy needs to understand that part. There are parts of our lives that has to disappear for us to gain something."
Shida reached out to take her hand and squeeze it lightly. "I'm happy you think that, Hiharu-chan. Thank you for telling me."
Hiharu giggled and squeezed her hand back.
"Hearing that, don't you want to support her?" A humorless laugh. "It's so~ heartwarming~"
"Heh. It's disgusting." A deep voice. "They've always been like that, right? Disgusting."
"And to think they really crowd together like that... it makes me want to puke." Another voice. A girl's voice. "They act all big and act all dramatic. They probably think it'll give them more popularity than they already have. A rich cold heir and his fiancee, the chairman's son and that stupid girl, and then that fanboy of a friend they've got... a really irritating bunch, aren't they?"
The tallest of the three laughed that deep laugh of his, smiling darkly. "I've seen them since they were... what, 10? That Ryunosuke never really changed. Just became weirder and stupider and more full of himself. And dear Mirai-chan, oh cute Mirai-chan really would never stop running after him."
"You sound way more annoyed than usual, boss." The girl smirked.
"They're getting into my nerves, really." he replied, crumpling the yakisoba bread's wrapper in his hands. "We should tell them who owns this place."
Shida was walking back to their classroom when she saw Yosuke, alone and looking out at the window outside their classroom. Mai was nowhere near. She knew this was a chance to approach him and ask him about yesterday. "Yosuke-kun?"
He immediately smiled upon seeing her. "Mirai-chan! I was looking for you!" He chuckled. "I had to say sorry for yesterday. I was being harsh on you guys. Mai-chan said you didn't do anything. She's just really... she's really emotional when it comes to some things. She said that's why she cried."
Mai was covering up for us? Why...? "It's okay. I think... I was partly at fault too." she said slowly. "I should tell her I'm sorry too. Where is she?"
"She's at the Home Economics room with Jingi-kun and Hongo-kun. They're talking about the cultural fest. That's why I think we should talk about the cake we'll be baking too." He smiled pleasantly. "We should bake something that would make the chairman happy."
She thought for a moment of what Yuu-sensei liked. "He likes traditional sweets a lot... Oh and all kinds of tea!" She smiled. "I can help if it's about Otou-san... I mean about Yuu-sensei's likes and dislikes." She pumped up her fist and grinned. "We're gonna bake the best cake ever!"
He laughed. "You're so enthusiastic, Mirai-chan. I'm glad." He ruffled her hair fondly. "You've been down whenever I saw you... I was worried."
A soft blush appeared on her cheeks as she stepped back and shook her head repeatedly, to take the blush off her face. "Le-let's talk inside the room, okay? Let's start with the design."
"Okay, let's do it!" He pumped his fist up as well.
Yatsuiko-chan would like to say "Sorry" from the bottom of her heart. It's not like I didn't want to update, nor was it because of laziness. Every computer inside our house broke down and it was all kinds of depressing. That's why this is so late.
Now that I'm okay and my laptop is okay, (and since this arc is finally ending) updates will be faster. For sure. Also, this fanfic is ending in about four or five chapters. huhu I'll miss you guys and I'll miss these characters (Especially Hiharu my dear :x)
It doesn't quite feel like the end is near +_+
But all the characters are here and it's time to start closing the curtains.
Hope you enjoyed! (Please comment with a looong comment so I can cheer up? Pretty please?) Oh and next chapter will be EXTRA EXTRA long. Arc closing and Opening of the final arc ^^